《The Eighth Warden》 Book 1: Chapter One Prologue: Twenty-eight years earlier¡­ The fox jumped down from the low stone wall behind the compound, peering around to make sure nobody had seen him. The grounds were kept neat and tidy to impress visitors, with short green grass and only a few shrubs, so he darted quickly across the lawn and hid behind a rain barrel that stood near a door. He paused to sniff the air as the smell of something cooking wafted from the kitchen. The door suddenly swung open with a crash, bouncing off the side of the barrel. A young girl came out with a wooden bucket and tentatively dipped it in the water. The fox crouched down, avoiding her sight. ¡°Milly! What have I told you about the door?¡± The voice came from inside the building. The girl yelled back, ¡°Sorry, Sister Kana!¡± ¡°Hurry up with that water!¡± ¡°There are dead bugs in it!¡± An older woman joined her. ¡°You¡¯re just washing the mud room, girl. It¡¯s not like you have to drink it. Give me that.¡± The woman took the bucket and plunged it into the water to fill it, then handed it back to the girl. ¡°Now, go help Celia with the cleaning before the Prince¡¯s party gets here. The older girls are too busy getting ready. Don¡¯t run and get water all over the place!¡± The fox followed the two into the building, making it inside before the door swung closed on his bushy red tail. No other people were nearby, so he began exploring, following his nose and ears. He avoided the noisier areas, but paused to sniff at the entrance to the kitchen before regretfully continuing on his way. As he reached the far wing of the building, he was almost taken by surprise when two older girls came out of a room ten feet in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t know why we have to get ready. Everybody knows the Prince is going to pick Moira.¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± the second girl replied. ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t like blondes.¡± The first girl, a blonde, glowered back at her. They entered a room on the other side of the hall and shut the door behind them. The fox continued down the new corridor until he reached a door at the far end. Nudging it open, he sneaked in. There was another girl inside, facing herself in a mirror. She wore a nightgown, and was counting out the strokes as she brushed her blonde hair. The fox crept over to a small writing desk that stood against one wall. The chair stood over to one side, and on the seat was a clean white dress in a neatly folded pile. The fox leaned his body against the chair¡¯s legs to push it up against the side of the desk, stopping every so often to make sure the girl hadn¡¯t heard him. When he had it where he wanted it, he leapt up onto the chair and then to the desk, which held a half-finished letter, a quill pen, and a bottle of ink that had been left unstoppered. He sniffed the bottle, then nudged it with his nose until it reached the edge of the desk and fell off. It landed on the dress with a quiet whuff, the black ink pouring out. The fox jumped down and hid under the bed just as a woman entered the room. ¡°Moira! What did you do to your presentation dress?¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°What? Sister Bela¡ª¡± The girl turned to her dress, shrieking when she saw the puddle of ink. ¡°No. No! I can clean it!¡± She grabbed the dress and scrubbed at the stain with the nightgown she was wearing, knocking the bottle of ink to the floor in the process. ¡°You¡¯re just making it worse,¡± the woman said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave it hanging up?¡± Moira started crying as she gave up her efforts. ¡°What do I do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you start a new one tonight, but for now, you should stay here. I need to gather the other girls for the Presentation. The Prince¡¯s carriage has arrived.¡± ¡°Please, Bela! Please let me go!¡± ¡°How? We¡¯re starting the ceremony now. Even if we managed to find a spare presentation dress lying around somewhere, there wouldn¡¯t be time to clean it and alter it to fit you.¡± ¡°I can wear a different dress!¡± the girl said desperately. ¡°A regular one!¡± The fox tensed as the woman appeared to waver. Finally, Bela sighed and said, ¡°No, Moira. I¡¯m sorry. We held you back from other Presentations just so you could be here today, and now you¡¯ll miss this one due to your own carelessness. We have standards to maintain, and I can¡¯t break the rules for you.¡± The girl collapsed onto her bed, unable to form a reply. ¡°Please stay in your room until the ceremony¡¯s over,¡± Bela said. ¡°Don¡¯t disrupt things for the other girls.¡± As the woman left the room, the fox followed her. # What have you done, Fox? You¡¯re not allowed to interfere! Fox had been expecting to hear that voice in his head, though maybe not this soon. I am not one of you, Lady. I don¡¯t play your games. It is not a game, and your tricks have gone too far this time! Everything I¡¯ve been working for is lost. You¡¯ve ruined it! Have I, Lady? Did you really want the life for her that she would have faced with the Prince? Her role is necessary. There was a pause. Was necessary. What will we do now? Sometimes you must lose the battle to win the war. What? What does that mean? Fox, speak to me! Tell me what you mean! But Fox had stopped listening. That wonderful smell from the kitchen had drifted past again, and he decided to go see what it was. # Five days later, another carriage came to a halt in front of the compound. Lord Ansel, Baron of Tarwen, turned to his wife. ¡°Are you certain you wish to do this?¡± He and Isabel had only been married for six months, and seeking out a concubine this early seemed like a bad omen. While concubines provided more than just companionship, their training in languages and etiquette was more in demand among the nobles and rich merchants in the city. Country lords had less need for those skills. ¡°Yes, love,¡± Isabel said. ¡°You are gone much of the day, and Lady Tammerly only ever discusses her daughter or the current crop of potatoes. My only friends on your estate are Magda and Cook, and they¡¯re not interested in talking about art or literature.¡± Ansel nodded. The Tarwen lands were in a remote valley deep in the Black Crow Mountains, on the eastern edge of the kingdom. Isabel wasn¡¯t accustomed to country life. He¡¯d first met her while he was wintering in Telfort, representing his family in the capital city. Before he could return for a second winter, though, his father had fallen ill and died, and Ansel had been stuck taking over the barony. Worried Isabel might meet someone else, he¡¯d sent letters to her and her father, and had been relieved to find she was willing to listen to his suit. Although he¡¯d told her what the family lands were like before they married, he knew the reality of it had come as a shock. He helped his wife from the carriage, then turned to face the woman who¡¯d come out of the main building to greet them. ¡°Good afternoon, my lord. I am Sister Bela. Welcome to the Highfell chapter house of the Three Orders. How may I help you?¡± The Three Orders were a group of closely allied organizations established to train concubines, among other things. Since the institution had been founded on the far side of the continent, Highfell was the only chapter house that fell within the kingdom of Larso itself. There were other groups that taught concubines, but the Three Orders had the best reputation. Plus, Highfell was near Ansel¡¯s own lands. He introduced himself and his wife, then explained their situation, finishing with, ¡°And so, we would like someone to keep Isabel company.¡± Sister Bela smiled. ¡°We¡¯re happy to do a full Presentation ceremony if you¡¯d like, but if you don¡¯t mind me saying so, I think I know just the girl.¡± Book 1: Chapter Two Present day¡­ The atmosphere in the roadside tavern was heavy with anticipation, people eager for the chance to see two actual bards perform. Traveling minstrels sometimes played at inns and taverns, but bards were rare, their services usually in demand by the well-to-do. Corec watched as the bards got ready. One of them was an old man with a well-trimmed beard and mustache, but it was the other that caught Corec¡¯s eyes¡ªa young woman with curly red hair down to her shoulders, wearing a fine blue dress that revealed just a hint of cleavage. The pair started off with a sea shanty, which was traditional this close to the eastern port city of Tyrsall. The man sang while he played, his weathered voice a good fit for the song, while the girl accompanied him in the background. She wasn¡¯t quite as polished with her flute as the old man was on his gittern, but her eyes danced along with the music as she looked over the crowd. The next song was about the glory of Pallisur, which made Corec¡¯s lips tighten. He¡¯d enjoyed the tune when he was younger, so he forced himself listen to the music rather than the words. It took him a few minutes to realize something was missing. The old man was a good musician, but being a musician didn¡¯t make someone a bard. A bard could allow their listeners to feel the music, or sometimes even show them visions of a song or a story. Nobody else seemed to notice anything wrong, but then, it was possible nobody else in the room had met a real bard before. Corec¡¯s questions were answered a moment later when the two musicians switched positions. The girl set her flute down and picked up a small harp, accompanying herself as she sang a ballad about the wife of a fisherman who was late returning from the sea. The feelings of worry and loneliness washed over the crowd in time with the music. Corec wasn¡¯t surprised when her second song was a much happier one, to bring everyone¡¯s mood up. The girl was the bard, then. He stared at her more closely¡ªshe was beautiful, with green eyes and a light dusting of freckles across her nose. Why was she traveling with the old man? At first, Corec had thought the man was her teacher, but if she was a bard, shouldn¡¯t she be learning from another bard? Were the two of them lovers? The thought made his skin crawl, which caused his arm to itch. During the girl¡¯s second song, the old man made his way around the room, quietly greeting the patrons, patting them on the back and telling jokes. With some people, he moved on quickly, while with others, he waited to receive a small coin or two as a tip. He avoided the group of armed caravan guards until Corec held up a copper coin between two fingers. ¡°Thank you kindly,¡± the old man said, ducking his head and taking the coin, but not staying to chat. Corec frowned when none of the other guards offered a tip. After that song, the two musicians switched places again. Although she was sitting in back once more, Corec still watched the girl She wrinkled her nose cutely as if trying to hold back a sneeze, then during a break in the music, she rubbed the back of her hand against her forehead. It reminded Corec of the itch on his arm he¡¯d been trying to ignore, but he was still wearing his armor so he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. At the next break, the caravan master, Jak, came up to Corec¡¯s table with several other men behind him. ¡°All right, you lot. It¡¯s our turn.¡± One of the men sitting nearby grumbled. ¡°Why can¡¯t we stay? The cooks and drivers are all here.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not the cooks¡¯ or drivers¡¯ job to guard the wagons. We agreed, two shifts of an hour each, and your hour is up.¡± Normally, the guards weren¡¯t allowed away from the wagons at all, but this little village was close enough to Tyrsall that it was a regular nighttime stopover, and the Senshall trading house had built a large warehouse with room enough for an entire caravan. With the extra protection of walls, the guards could work in shifts. It was unlikely that anyone would attack a caravan this close to Tyrsall, warehouse or no warehouse, but it was Jak¡¯s responsibility if someone did. With a little more grumbling, the men around Corec stood up. He grabbed his large, sheathed greatsword from where it was leaning against the wall behind him, and followed his group out of the tavern as the new men took their seats. # ¡°Here you go, son,¡± Jak said as he paid Corec his share for the final leg of the journey. ¡°Twenty-one days, sixty-three silver.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s he get so much?¡± Baro, one of the other guards, asked in a surly tone. ¡°Specialist pay,¡± Jak said curtly. ¡°He ain¡¯t no archer!¡± ¡°No, but he actually knows how to fight, unlike the rest of you lot. And guardsmen with heavy armor and their own horse don¡¯t come cheap.¡± Corec looked at the silver coins overflowing his cupped hand. ¡°Thanks, Jak. You got a gold piece in there I could exchange some of this for?¡± ¡°Hah, no. You lot spend your pay so fast, nobody wants gold because you¡¯d just have to get it changed again before you could hit a tavern.¡± That might have been true for the others, but Corec was trying to save his money¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to be a caravan guard forever. He¡¯d have to carry around an extra pouch full of silver until he could find a money changer. There was a moneylender back in Four Roads that he trusted to hold on to his savings, but he was wary of using any services like that in a city as large as Tyrsall. ¡°Any other caravans leaving soon?¡± he asked. ¡°From us, just the weekly to High Cove. Two weeks till the next trip back to Four Roads.¡± ¡°The High Cove run isn¡¯t hiring, last I checked,¡± Corec said. ¡°They have a regular crew.¡± ¡°So wait two weeks, then, or check with one of the other houses.¡± As Corec walked back to the noisy chaos where the rest of the caravan guards were mustering out, Baro caught up to him. ¡°Where¡¯d you get that bloody armor from, anyway?¡± the older man grumbled, staring at the House Tarwen family crest on the cuirass, not that he was likely to know what it meant. ¡°Steal it from a nobleman? Better hope he doesn¡¯t catch up to you.¡± ¡°Maybe I killed a knight and took his.¡± Baro eyed him from the side. ¡°Why are you wearing it now? We¡¯re in the bloody city.¡± ¡°And an hour ago, we weren¡¯t. I didn¡¯t think Jak would stop the whole procession for ten minutes so I could take it all off.¡± Baro stalked off without a word. It was pointless to antagonize the other man, but Baro had been unlikeable since they¡¯d first met, when two caravans, both from the Senshall trading house, had joined together during the previous leg. It was the first time Corec had ever met the man, and he hoped it would be the last time they worked together. He¡¯d already separated his horse and pack mule from the others and tied them together at a hitching post, so he was able to avoid the mass of people as the porters started unloading wagons. Untying the animals, he climbed on Dot¡¯s back and rode out of the loading yard, leading the pack mule behind them. Smelling the hint of sea air from the distance, he decided to avoid the cheaper inns near the docks, full of drunken sailors and whores of questionable age and health. Instead, he directed Dot toward the center of the city, to an inn that he knew catered to moderately successful crafters and shopkeepers. It wasn¡¯t fancy, but it was clean and friendly. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. # ¡°Silver for the night, which includes one meal. Three coppers each for stabling your animals, and two coppers for additional meals. Two more if you want a bath drawn.¡± ¡°I do,¡± Corec said to the innkeeper, handing over the coins. ¡°I¡¯d like to have the bath now.¡± ¡°The bathing room¡¯s available. You remember where it is?¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll start getting some water heated, then. Be about fifteen minutes. I¡¯ll send someone for you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Corec said, and headed for his room. The windows latched from the inside and the door had a lock on it, so he decided it was safe enough to leave his sword and armor there while he bathed. It felt good to finally get out of the armor. He''d been carrying the helmet and gauntlets since they''d reached the city, so he set those down first next to the bed, then took off the vambraces and greaves. With that done, he was able to undo the straps that latched the front and back of the cuirass together around his chest. He set it down carefully, then removed the chain shirt and the padded doublet he wore beneath it. ¡°Ahh,¡± he groaned, stretching out the kinks. He took a moment to scratch a spot on his upper right arm. It had been itching off and on for the past three days, ever since they¡¯d stopped at the tavern to listen to the music. The journey from Four Roads to Tyrsall was long. The first leg of the trip usually took fifteen days between Four Roads and Dalewood, weather permitting, while the second leg was twenty-one days from Dalewood to Tyrsall. If he hadn¡¯t been with the caravan, he could have gone the same distance in half the time, even with just a single horse. Not for the first time, Corec wondered if his letters of reference would be sufficient to get a job as a courier. It would pay the same per trip, but he could make twice as many trips if he didn¡¯t have to wait for the wagons. Dressed in more comfortable clothing, he left his room and locked the door behind him, then went down to the ground floor to find the bathing room. The single tub had already been filled, and checking the water, he found that it was reasonably warm. He stripped off his clothes and climbed in. A moment later, a dark-haired woman in a low-cut serving girl¡¯s dress came in carrying a steaming pot. She was just a few years older than him, perhaps in her mid-twenties. Seeing him, she asked, ¡°Would you like it hotter?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± She poured the hot water in the tub, as far away from his body as possible to avoid any burns. ¡°That seems good now,¡± he said, after swishing it around and testing the temperature. She nodded, then stared at his body through the water. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like me to do for you?¡± she asked, her voice carrying a hint of promise. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Three coppers to wash your hair and give you a shave. A silver for more. Two silvers if you want me for the whole night.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Betta.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Betta. How about you take that dress off?¡± She reached behind herself to undo the ties holding it up and let it slip down her body, then pulled her shift over head and dropped it to the side. Corec reached for the pouch he¡¯d left on his pile of clothing, and pulled out two silver coins for her. ¡°Go ahead and lock the door.¡± She took the money, checked the door to make sure it was locked, then climbed in the tub and faced him with a smile. ¡°What would you like first?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with the bath and the shave before the water gets cold. Then we¡¯ll head back to my room for a bit before supper.¡± # The next morning, Corec woke to find Betta getting dressed. ¡°Will you be staying again tonight?¡± she asked. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I need to find another job, and I don¡¯t know when any of the caravans are leaving. When do I need to decide about the room?¡± ¡°Noon,¡± she replied, with a hint of disappointment. He took out another silver coin from his pouch and handed it to her. ¡°Here, in case I¡¯m not around tonight.¡± That made her happy again, and they went downstairs together for breakfast. After he ate, Corec returned to his room and put on his chain shirt, but left the plate armor where it was, not wanting to wear it around the city. Before leaving, he strapped his sword harness over his back. The greatsword was too long to carry in a belt sheathe, and too long to draw from any sort of regular sheathe, so he¡¯d had a special harness made with a detachable scabbard. If he ended up in a fight, he could reach behind himself and pull the scabbard off the harness, then draw the blade and toss the scabbard to the side until the fighting was done. He kept a long knife on his belt in case he ended up fighting in tight quarters. The closest trading house was also the least likely to have work for him, but he stopped there because it was on the way to the others. Entering the small office, he found a company representative sitting at a desk. ¡°Can I help you?¡± the man asked. ¡°I¡¯m a caravan guard with written references from Senshall and Overland Holdings. Do you have any short-term work available?¡± The man looked him over, then grabbed a short stack of papers and thumbed through them. ¡°Nothing short term. Our local runs are booked with local boys. If you¡¯ve got your sea legs, there¡¯s a coastal cutter headed north to Lanport in three days. It¡¯s a small ship, so it only takes two guards, and I¡¯ve already hired one. If you¡¯ve got your references with you, I¡¯d be willing to take a chance on someone new.¡± ¡°How long is the trip?¡± ¡°There and back, twenty days. You¡¯ve got to sign on for both legs.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can make that work,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a reserved spot on an outgoing in fourteen days. Could I check back in with you another time?¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡± Corec thanked him and left the office. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be known by a new company, but Senshall gave him specialist pay, and he wasn¡¯t going to give up a thirty-six day caravan trip to Four Roads at three silver a day. Besides, he hated boats. As he continued across town, he walked past the constabulary building. He normally paid it no mind, but this time, something caught his eye when he passed the bounty posters. He did a double-take, then stopped and looked more closely. An old man with a tidy-looking beard and mustache, and a young woman with shoulder-length curly hair. The drawing wasn¡¯t a close likeness, and it was in charcoal so he couldn¡¯t tell what color the girl¡¯s hair was, but something told him it was the two bards. Or, rather, the bard and the minstrel. The poster didn¡¯t have many details, saying only that they were wanted alive for the crime of theft. Did posing as a bard count as theft? Curious, he entered the building and found the bounty office. The man inside glanced at him, eyeing the large sword hilt poking above his right shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you. Are you new?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never brought in a bounty before, but I had a question about one of the posters. The one with the two people on it?¡± ¡°The Herman brothers? If you¡¯ve never gone after a bounty, I don¡¯t recommend starting with them.¡± ¡°No, I mean the one with the man and the woman.¡± Corec pointed to a copy of the poster hanging on the wall at the back of the office. ¡°Oh, that must be new. Let me find the paperwork.¡± The man pulled open a drawer and drew out a sheet of paper. ¡°Thieves. They came in off a ship from down south eight days ago and spent two nights picking pockets at a couple of inns. They were pretending to be minstrels. One would play and the other would work the room.¡± ¡°Do you have their names?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t say.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the bounty on them?¡± ¡°Twenty silver each, so one gold total if you bring them both in. Alive.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like very much.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the going rate for a first-time thief, and they haven¡¯t hurt anyone. There¡¯s a ten percent finder¡¯s fee if you can return any of the stolen items to their rightful owners.¡± ¡°All right, thank you.¡± Corec left to hurry back to the inn. It had been four days since he¡¯d seen the two musicians, but he doubted they¡¯d have been performing that close to the city if they knew they were wanted. Even if they had fast horses, he might be able to catch up with them if they continued to stop each night to put on a show. As he walked, he put together a list in his mind of the supplies he¡¯d need to purchase before he could leave. Unfortunately, there wouldn¡¯t be time for a second night with Betta. # ¡°My wife said you were looking for me?¡± the tavern keeper asked. ¡°The name¡¯s Jarol.¡± ¡°Yes, I was here a few nights ago,¡± Corec said. ¡°The night the bards played?¡± ¡°Oh, right, the first night they were here. You were with the Senshall caravan fellas. I recognize the sword.¡± ¡°Yes, I was. The bards stayed for another night?¡± ¡°Only after I offered to pay them. But it was worth it¡ªit¡¯s not every day a bard comes through here, much less two of them. Why are you so interested?¡± Jarol seemed suspicious. Corec said, ¡°One of the trading houses in the city was hoping to hire them, so they sent me to see if I could find them.¡± The tavern keeper relaxed. ¡°Well, you might be able to catch them on the road, but they were in a hurry. There was a bit of a problem the second night.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Some young sprig of a baron¡¯s son got drunk and tried to go after that poor girl pretty hard. His own people had to distract him until he was too drunk to walk. Kat and Felix left at first light to avoid him, but they probably didn¡¯t need to worry about it. He spent the whole morning shouting that his coin purse was missing and insisting I help him find it.¡± ¡°Kat and Felix are the bards?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch their names before.¡± Jarol nodded. ¡°That¡¯s them.¡± ¡°You ever find that coin purse?¡± ¡°Nah. Probably someone made off with it when they realized he was too drunk to stop them.¡± ¡°I suppose his guards should have been watching more closely. Did the bards say what direction they were going?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, but they headed west when they left.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying to catch them, then, but I think I¡¯ll stay put for tonight. Do you have a room available?¡± ¡°I only have a few rooms and they¡¯re full for the night, but there¡¯s an inn on the other side of your people¡¯s warehouse. The Flying Rooster. Tell them I sent you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Without the wagons to hold him back, Corec had made good time on his return to the tavern. It was early evening the day after he¡¯d left Tyrsall, which meant the musicians had left three days earlier. And luckily, it sounded like they still hadn¡¯t realized anyone was after them, so he had a good chance of catching up. He considered continuing on until it was too dark to see, but Dot and the pack mule had been traveling faster than they were accustomed to and deserved a rest. He was already familiar with The Flying Rooster, so he untied the animals from the hitching post and headed in that direction. Book 1: Chapter Three Seventeen years earlier¡­ ¡°No, she isn¡¯t!¡± five-year-old Corec said to his half-brothers. ¡°Yes, she is,¡± Toman insisted. ¡°Your mother¡¯s buried in the crypt. Father¡¯s just never taken you down there because you¡¯re too little.¡± Corec couldn¡¯t remember his mother, but there was a portrait in the sitting room with Father, Isa, and Mother all together, dressed up in their finest clothes. Isa was Father¡¯s wife, and she was also Toman¡¯s and Branth¡¯s mother. Corec liked to look at the portrait sometimes, wondering what his own mother had been like. Isa had always said Mother had been her best friend, but she¡¯d never mentioned anything about the crypt. ¡°I¡¯m not too little!¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not,¡± Toman said. ¡°Come on, I found where Father keeps the key. Branth and I will take you down there.¡± Corec stared at his brothers. They were older and liked to tease him and trick him a lot, so he was never sure when to believe them. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Branth said. ¡°Unless you¡¯re scared!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared!¡± Corec said, and followed them through the large manor house until they reached the door to the conservatory. Cook used one side of the room to grow vegetables and herbs, but the other side was empty. The boys played there a lot, because with two walls and part of the roof made from glass, the room sometimes stayed warm during the day even in winter, as long as the sun was shining. The conservatory was kept unlocked, so they went in, then stood in front of the heavier door leading to the crypt. It was built into the back wall of the room¡ªa wall made of stone rather than glass. Corec had never seen inside the crypt since it was always kept locked. All he knew about it was that it was where Grandfather and Grandmother had gone after they¡¯d died. Did his mother really go with them? He¡¯d never known Grandfather¡ªnone of the boys had¡ªbut he remembered Grandmother sitting in a chair and sleeping a lot. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Toman said, inserting the key into the lock and wiggling it around until there was a light clicking sound, then a heaver metallic clank. He opened the door and they all peered down the stairs. The sun shining into the conservatory let them see to the bottom, but not much beyond that. ¡°It¡¯s too dark,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ll get a lantern,¡± Toman said. ¡°While I¡¯m doing that, you should go down, and then we¡¯ll follow you with the light.¡± ¡°Why do I have to go first?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the one who wanted to go down there! I¡¯m only doing this as a favor to you.¡± Corec had to admit that that made sense, but he still didn¡¯t want to go down without the light. ¡°I¡¯ll wait till you get the lantern.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I¡¯ll be right behind you. I¡¯ll go get it now, and Branth will hold the door open so you can see down the stairs. We have to hurry, before someone catches us¡ªI thought you said you weren¡¯t scared?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve both been down there already,¡± Branth added. ¡°When Grandmother died. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s never gone.¡± Corec was pretty sure his brothers were lying to him about his mother being in the crypt, but maybe if he went down first, he could prove it and show them that they couldn¡¯t trick him. Toman went off to look for the lantern and Branth took over holding the door open, so Corec stepped onto the stone staircase. As he descended the stairs, the air got cool and musty. At the bottom, he looked around. He couldn¡¯t see very far into the darkness, but on either side of him were large, rectangular stone blocks. It looked like the tops were decorated in some way, but he wasn¡¯t tall enough to see how. ¡°Where¡¯s Toman?¡± he called out to Branth, looking up the stairs just in time to see the door swing shut, leaving him in complete darkness. It¡¯s all right, he told himself. He was a big boy, and big boys weren¡¯t afraid of the dark. But it was certainly a lot of dark, more dark than he¡¯d ever seen before. ¡°Branth, open the door!¡± he shouted in a panic. When there was no response, Corec tried to run back up the stairs. Not able to see them in the dark, he caught his shoe on the first one and slammed his body down against the next several. He pushed himself up, dazed. He¡¯d hurt his head, both arms, and his right knee, but if he cried, then Branth would win the game, so he wiped the tears away. He started up the stairs again, slowly this time, carefully testing each one in the darkness with one foot before stepping on it. Partway up, he misjudged things and ended up tumbling all the way down, landing flat on his back at the bottom. He¡¯d hit his head again, and this time his mind grew foggy. Even after getting back to his feet, everything seemed floaty¡ªit was almost like being dizzy, but without feeling like he was going to fall over. When he tried to return to the stairs, he couldn''t find them. He reached out blindly in the darkness, but he''d gotten turned around in his fall and he wasn''t sure which direction to go. He started slowly feeling his way around the room. Some parts of the wall felt like natural stone, while others felt straight and smooth. In the less floaty part of his mind, he wondered if the smooth walls were actually part of the big stone blocks he¡¯d seen, but in his daze, he couldn''t remember where they¡¯d been. He thought vaguely about shouting toward the door again, in case Toman had returned and would open it, but his head hurt and he couldn¡¯t muster up the energy to yell. Then, his searching hands found an opening in the rough stone wall he¡¯d been following. Feeling around, it was just big enough for him to walk through without ducking. The floaty part of his mind couldn¡¯t think of anything better to do, so he went through. He ended up in a tight tunnel and followed it for a while, wondering if the stairs were ahead of him or behind him. He couldn¡¯t remember anymore. He had no idea how long he¡¯d been searching before it finally occurred to him that he was lost. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Sitting down, Corec decided it was all right to start crying. Just as he did, there was a whisper, as if someone was talking to him, but the floaty part of his mind couldn¡¯t grasp it. ¡°Is someone there?¡± he asked. You can hear me? You shouldn¡¯t be there, child. Can you return home? It was a woman¡¯s voice. She sounded kind, but Corec couldn¡¯t tell where she was. Her voice echoed all around him. ¡°Are you my mother?¡± There was a pause. No, I¡¯m not. You should go home now. Do you know how? ¡°It¡¯s too dark. I don¡¯t remember where to go.¡± Can you do this? There was a brief flash¡ªalmost a vision showing him something he didn¡¯t recognize. And then you take this, and it goes here, and take the other one and wrap it around¡­ The voice and the visions continued in that vein. It reminded Corec of when Magda was weaving on her loom, only it was all in his head. He tried to follow along. It was difficult to move things that didn¡¯t exist, but the voice was patient and waited for him after each step. Finally, he tied the last of the things around the other things, and a bright light appeared floating over his head, hurting his eyes. Blinking, he looked for the woman who¡¯d been talking to him, but he couldn¡¯t see anyone. ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked. I¡¯m where I am, the voice said. Corec felt a gentle pressure, and his curiosity about the woman went to the floaty part of his mind, joining everything else he was having a hard time thinking about. Can you see how to get home now? He looked around and realized that the tunnel, which he¡¯d imagined to be miles and miles long, actually only extended about a hundred feet. He could still see the entrance from where he sat. Getting to his feet, he headed back toward the crypt. ¡°Are you coming with me?¡± There was no answer, and after a moment, he forgot that he¡¯d asked the question. By the time he reached the stairs, he no longer remembered he¡¯d been speaking to anyone at all. # ¡°Magda, have you seen Corec?¡± Isabel asked the housekeeper. She¡¯d known Magda most of her life. The woman had originally come with her as her lady¡¯s maid when she¡¯d first married Ansel. Isabel had promoted her when their previous housekeeper retired. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he playing with the other boys?¡± Magda replied. ¡°I thought they were in the drawing room.¡± Isabel had checked there already, but had only found her own sons. The governess had the day off, but the boys had been peaceful all morning so Isabel had allowed them to continue playing on their own. She¡¯d gone to check on them when they¡¯d grown too quiet, but she hadn¡¯t seen Corec. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them,¡± she said, and returned to the drawing room, Magda following her. ¡°Toman, Branth, where¡¯s your brother? Wasn¡¯t he playing with you?¡± Their heads jerked around and they looked up at her guiltily. ¡°We don¡¯t know where he is,¡± Toman said, obviously lying. She drew herself up and said sharply, ¡°Tell me where he is right now or I¡¯ll have your father ask you!¡± They looked at each other, worried, then Toman spoke again. ¡°We told him his mother was buried in the crypt, and then when he went in to look for her, we closed the door. But we went back later to let him out, and we couldn¡¯t find him.¡± Isabel felt sick to her stomach. How could her boys do that? They were mischievous, but they¡¯d never been cruel before. And how would Moira ever forgive her if something happened to her only child? Isabel firmly believed her friend was still watching over their family somehow. She, Moira, and Ansel had had seven good years together, the only dark spot being Moira¡¯s trouble with carrying a child to term. Isabel had hoped their children would be the same age, but she¡¯d given birth twice before Corec was born. Unfortunately, shortly after his second birthday, Moira had stepped on a rusty nail. The local priest wasn¡¯t a healer, and there were no others within a week¡¯s ride. By the time they¡¯d realized how bad the infection was, it was too late. ¡°So you just left him there?¡± Isabel exclaimed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone so we could look for him?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t want to get in trouble.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re in trouble now! Magda, I¡¯m going down to the crypt to look for him. There are some old caves that nobody¡¯s ever explored. Find Mr. Melvin and have him follow me, then send one of the guards for Ansel. He said he¡¯d be visiting Lord Tammerly¡¯s estate this afternoon.¡± Magda looked worried, but went to do as her mistress bade her. The boys started to follow Isabel, but she stopped them with an upraised hand. ¡°No. You stay here and wait for your father.¡± She left them in the drawing room and headed to the kitchen for a lantern. After lighting it, she went to the conservatory. According to family legend, the cave had been discovered when the house was already half-built, which explained why the entrance to the crypt was so oddly placed. The door was closed, but the key was still in the lock, so she turned the handle and opened it, then nearly dropped her lantern in surprise. Corec was coming up the steps toward her, dirty and with smudges of blood on his head and his shirt. For a brief moment as the door swung open, she thought she¡¯d seen a light that wasn¡¯t coming from her lantern, but then it disappeared. She decided it must have been sunlight coming through the conservatory windows. ¡°Corec!¡± she said, kneeling and setting the lantern on the floor so she could gather him up in a tight hug. ¡°You¡¯re all right! I was so worried!¡± ¡°My head hurts.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have Magda draw you a bath and see how badly hurt you are.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a bath! I just got one yesterday!¡± At least he was acting like himself, so whatever he¡¯d gotten up to in the crypt must not have bothered him much. ¡°If you have a bath today, then you don¡¯t have to take tomorrow¡¯s. As long as you keep yourself clean.¡± ¡°All right,¡± he said reluctantly. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you tell me what happened?¡± # Corec lay awake in his bed that night, wishing there was more light in his room than just the moon shining through the window. Not that he was scared, he told himself. It just would have been nice to have a little more light after the darkness of the crypt and the tunnel. Father had explained that the tunnels were caves that ran under the whole area, and that he was going to have them bricked off so nobody else could get lost. Corec was having a hard time remembering everything that had happened down there. Parts of it felt like a dream. He was pretty sure there¡¯d been something shiny that had helped him find his way back out, but he couldn¡¯t remember what it was. After Magda had gotten him cleaned up, Isa had taken him back down to the crypt and lifted him up in her arms to show him the sarcophagus with Mother¡¯s beautiful face carved in the limestone top. He¡¯d listened as Isa had told him more about Mother than she¡¯d ever told him before. She¡¯d cried while she talked, so he¡¯d tried to comfort her, but she¡¯d just smiled through the tears and told him everything would be all right. There was a creaking noise, and Corec wished he¡¯d asked if he could keep his bronze oil lamp lit during the night. The noise came again and he sat up, looking around. The sound was coming from his door, and as he watched, it opened all the way. Toman and Branth crept in. Toman was carrying his own oil lamp, being the only one of the boys old enough to be allowed to light it by himself. He set it down next to Corec¡¯s, touching the wicks together first so both were lit. ¡°We¡¯re sorry,¡± Toman said. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have locked you in the crypt.¡± Branth nodded vigorously. ¡°We didn¡¯t know you¡¯d fall down the stairs. That¡¯s why I waited until you were all the way down before I closed the door.¡± Corec shrugged. They¡¯d apologized earlier too, after Father had tanned their hides, though this apology seemed more real since Father wasn¡¯t standing over them, forcing them to say the words. Corec wasn¡¯t entirely sure why everyone had gotten so worked up about it. His brothers had played a trick on him, but they played lots of tricks on him. Sometimes he got to play a trick on them, too, but his brothers were older and better at it. His own tricks usually worked best when Branth helped him. ¡°We brought you these,¡± Branth said, holding out two apple pastries. Corec recognized them, since he¡¯d had one after supper. ¡°I thought Isa made you go to bed without dessert?¡± ¡°She did,¡± Toman said, ¡°but Cook had already made them. We snuck down to the kitchen after everyone was asleep. We were going to eat them ourselves, but then we thought we should give them to you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Corec thought about that. The pastries were good, but he didn¡¯t think he could eat two more after the one he¡¯d already had. ¡°Do you want to split them?¡± His brothers grinned. Book 1: Chapter Four Present day¡­ Five days after speaking to the tavern keeper about the bards, Corec was doing the same thing again at an inn in another small village farther west. ¡°They was just here last night,¡± the fellow said, with a trace of a hillfolk accent. ¡°Put on a right good show, they did.¡± ¡°Did they follow the road west when they left?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I suppose they must have. Someone from the city really sent you this far out just to track down two singers?¡± Corec laughed, trying to portray an air of harmless indifference. ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t know it would be this far when they sent me. It doesn¡¯t bother me any¡ªthey¡¯re paying me by the day.¡± The innkeeper grinned in acknowledgment. ¡°Then I almost hate to disappoint you by mentioning that they just left two hours ago. I reckon you¡¯ll catch up to them shortly.¡± ¡°I suppose I should get going, then,¡± Corec said, passing a copper coin to the man. ¡°Thank you for the information.¡± Back on Dot, he headed west again, leading the pack mule. It was only midmorning, and he suspected his horse was faster than theirs. If he was lucky, he might be able to start the journey back to Tyrsall that afternoon. Barring any problems, he could make it to the city in time to catch the caravan back to Four Roads. That, however, brought up a thought that had been gnawing at him. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he was going to capture two people that didn¡¯t wish to be captured. He¡¯d brought several lengths of thin but strong rope to keep them under control once he had them, but the actual act of catching them was still hazy in his mind. He knew how to fight¡ªhe was good at it, even¡ªbut the bounty was for bringing them in alive. Not that he wanted to hurt them in the first place; they hadn¡¯t stolen anything from him. In fact, the man had deliberately avoided Corec and the other armed guards who¡¯d been seated with him. Corec was sure he could handle either of the musicians alone, but two at once would be a problem. Other than his long knife and a belt knife, Corec''s only weapon was his greatsword, which was hardly the sort of tool that would be useful for capturing someone alive and unharmed. What did real bounty hunters use? Some type of net? Of course, the more rewarding bounties typically didn''t require bringing the target in alive, which probably made the question moot. He finally admitted to himself that he¡¯d come on this venture almost completely unprepared, simply because he¡¯d wanted to see the girl again. He was still fascinated by her eyes. And her hair. And the bit of cleavage she¡¯d shown. Not that she was likely to be happy with him for catching her and dragging her back to Tyrsall to stand before a judge. The prison sentence for a first-time thief was short, but that didn¡¯t mean anyone would choose it voluntarily. Rounding a curve, Corec saw two horses tied at the side of the road, near a copse of trees. Dismounting, he loosely tied Dot and the mule to a nearby branch, wanting to be on foot in case these were the two he was looking for. He took his helmet off and walked over slowly. It wasn''t possible to be stealthy while wearing his armor, but he didn¡¯t want to appear threatening. As he approached, he heard the faint sound of voices and stopped to listen. ¡°Why are we stopping so early?¡± a woman asked. A man¡¯s voice replied. ¡°The stable boy said the next village is a day and a half ride, so we¡¯re not going to reach it today. We¡¯ve got firewood and water here, so it¡¯s as good a place to camp as any.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re in a rush to get to Dalewood. Isn¡¯t it small?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot bigger than these villages we¡¯ve been passing through. We can stay there for a few days, like we did in Tyrsall.¡± ¡°We should have stayed in Tyrsall. It¡¯s huge.¡± ¡°We¡¯re too visible to stay in one place if you want to keep doing this the way we¡¯re doing it. We need to keep moving. Barz getting nicked again should have taught you that. This was your idea, Katrin. We were doing just fine in Circle Bay.¡± ¡°It would have taken us years to make enough money to get him released just playing music,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Then don¡¯t complain unless you¡¯ve got a better idea.¡± Corec had heard enough to know he¡¯d found the people he was looking for. To avoid startling them, he began making noise as he walked forward. ¡°Hello? Is anyone there?¡± he asked as he walked into the trees, finally able to see the two thieves in a small clearing. They looked at him suspiciously, eyeing the sword hilt poking over his shoulder. ¡°Who are you?¡± the old man asked. Corec decided to try the story he¡¯d been using on the trail. ¡°I saw you two play outside Tyrsall. This would have been, oh, nine or ten days ago, I think? I was with a caravan and some of the men mentioned you to a company representative. He sent me to see if you¡¯d come back to the city. They¡¯re holding a gala next week and they¡¯d like to hire you.¡± The girl looked hopeful but the old man was more suspicious. ¡°A gala?¡± he asked. ¡°In the summer? Which company?¡± ¡°It was Overland that sent me after you.¡± Corec didn¡¯t want to risk his job with Senshall by using their name, in case it somehow got back to them. ¡°Why us?¡± ¡°Two bards that aren¡¯t already beholden to one of the other houses?¡± Corec pointed out with a shrug. ¡°How much does it pay?¡± the girl¡ªKatrin¡ªasked. ¡°One gold each for the gala, as long as you don¡¯t work for any of the other houses for the two days before and after. Two silver a day for the travel since you¡¯d have to double back. And Overland might have some smaller events you could work afterward.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do it,¡± the man said flatly. ¡°We¡¯re headed in the other direction.¡± ¡°Are you certain? It¡¯s good pay, and it never hurts to have your names known to the companies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Felix, could we talk?¡± She took the man¡¯s arm and led him away so they could speak privately. Corec couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but it was obvious the girl wanted to return to the city and the man didn¡¯t. The two finished their conversation, then came back. ¡°We¡¯ll do it,¡± the girl said. ¡°Great,¡± Corec said. If his quarry would return to the city with him willingly, that would make things a lot easier. ¡°We can make it back to that last village before dark.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere for today,¡± Felix said. ¡°The horses need a rest. But I¡¯m still counting this as one of the days of travel you¡¯ll be paying us for.¡± ¡°All right, but we go at my pace the rest of the trip. If we¡¯re not back in time for the gala, then the whole deal¡¯s off, including the travel pay.¡± The man nodded. Although they¡¯d agreed to return, Corec felt uneasy. Katrin looked happy enough, but Felix was seething underneath his words, and Corec knew he hadn¡¯t allayed the man¡¯s suspicions. There was nothing to do about it, though, other than act as if everything was all right. He walked down the road to retrieve Dot and the mule, bringing them back so he could picket them near the bards¡¯ two old nags. He removed the saddles and tack, switched Dot¡¯s bridle for a halter, and brushed them both. He set his saddlebags and packs down near a tree, and left his helmet and gauntlets next to them. ¡°Is there water nearby for the animals?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯ve already watered our horses.¡± They untied the lead ropes from the picket line. Corec led Dot, the two of them following behind Katrin and the mule. ¡°Are you from Tyrsall?¡± she asked. ¡°No. I grew up in the Black Crow Mountains. That¡¯s in Larso. What about you?¡± She was ahead of him, so he couldn¡¯t see her face, but he sensed hesitation. ¡°Circle Bay,¡± she finally said. It sounded like she didn¡¯t want to talk about that anymore, so he cast his mind around looking for other topics. The stream was farther away than he¡¯d thought, and he got worried when he could no longer see Felix or the clearing through the trees. ¡°Where were you heading?¡± he asked. ¡°No place in particular. Uncle Felix was a traveling minstrel when he was younger, and he thought it would be good practice for me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your uncle?¡± Corec found himself relieved, glad she wasn¡¯t sleeping with the old man. ¡°Great uncle; my mother¡¯s uncle.¡± They reached the stream. The mule headed for the water immediately while Dot was more reluctant, but soon she started drinking too. Katrin glanced at Corec¡¯s armor. ¡°What¡¯s that symbol?¡± she asked, pointing to his chest. ¡°It¡¯s a family crest, from the family that raised me after my mother died.¡± Thinking about his armor reminded Corec of the itch on his arm, which was stronger than ever. It was getting harder to ignore, but his chain shirt extended under the vambrace, so there was no easy way to scratch it. ¡°You¡¯re a noble?¡± He laughed. ¡°Not hardly. They just took me in for a few years.¡± His mother had been a baron¡¯s concubine, but the rank of a concubine¡¯s child was murky, and usually depended on whether the father had any legitimate children. He didn¡¯t want to discuss that with a stranger, though. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°My name is Katrin.¡± While he¡¯d overheard her name earlier, they hadn¡¯t actually introduced themselves. ¡°I¡¯m Corec.¡± He left off his family name, as he always did. His family preferred not to be associated with him these days. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The animals finished drinking and they led them back to the clearing, this time silently. Corec had never had a problem talking to tavern whores, but he was having trouble thinking of things to say to this girl. Was it because she wasn¡¯t a tavern whore? Or was it because he was planning to arrest her? He was having second thoughts now. Could he really drag her all the way back to Tyrsall to stand trial for her thefts? Perhaps he wasn¡¯t cut out for the bounty hunting business. As they approached the clearing, he got worried. They were close enough that they should be able to see Felix, but the man was nowhere around. Coming through the last few trees, Corec saw his bags open and the contents strewn around. Tacked to a tree was the wanted poster. He¡¯d requested a copy right before he left Tyrsall, thinking it might come in handy if anyone gave him a hard time about capturing the two. Katrin had stopped as well, wide-eyed. ¡°Felix!¡± she called, then saw the poster. ¡°You bastard!¡± she shouted at Corec, then took off running. Corec ran after her. She was hampered by her dress, but he was slowed down more by his armor, so she widened the gap between them. He considered going back for Dot, but worried the girl might end up hurt if he rode her down. Instead, he tapped into the magic that he never talked about. He didn¡¯t know much¡ªjust a few tricks he¡¯d learned over the years. He could make magical lights to see in the dark, and could shield himself from harm for a brief period. And then there was the new trick he¡¯d figured out recently¡ªhe put on a burst of speed. It only helped a little, not even letting him run as fast as he could have without the armor, but it was enough to catch up with Katrin and grab her by the arm. ¡°No!¡± she shouted, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you!¡± He grabbed her other arm, worried she¡¯d break something if she kept twisting around. They were facing each other now, each of his hands holding one of her wrists. She glared at him angrily, still trying to pull away, though not as wildly as before. He kept a firm grip so she couldn¡¯t get loose. ¡°You lied to us!¡± she said. ¡°You were lying the whole time!¡± ¡°So were you, so I guess we¡¯re even.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡± ¡°The Tyrsall prison isn¡¯t that bad. I¡¯ve been in there before. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to get your name cleared so nobody else will come after you?¡± ¡°You were in prison?¡± she asked, pausing her attempts to pull out of his grip. She sounded almost curious rather than angry. ¡°I punched a guy in a bar fight. Though he punched me first.¡± ¡°They put you in prison for a bar fight?¡± ¡°I was wearing my gauntlets when it happened. I was only in for a week, but they figured it counted as pulling a weapon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to prison!¡± she said, starting to struggle again. ¡°I was just trying to get money to get my brother out!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry about that, but it was other people¡¯s money. Besides, where do you think you¡¯re going to go without your horse?¡± ¡°What?¡± She peered around his shoulder back to the camp. The two old nags the thieves had been riding were gone. ¡°Felix!¡± she shouted. ¡°Where are you? Where¡¯s my damned horse?¡± Corec winced. The girl could really project her voice when she wanted to. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and see what else he took,¡± he said, releasing one of her wrists and tugging her along behind him. ¡°He can¡¯t be very far away! We¡¯ve got to find him!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s close, but what direction did he go? East, west, or off the road? The ground is dry and hard-packed, and I¡¯m no tracker. Besides, I can¡¯t deal with you both, and I doubt he¡¯ll come willingly.¡± ¡°Neither will I! He¡¯ll have gone east. Just let us go and I¡¯ll give you half of our money. It¡¯s got to be more than the bounty.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Corec was still debating letting the girl go, but taking the money would end badly if it ever got back to the constabulary. He¡¯d get ten percent as a finder¡¯s fee, anyway. They reached the clearing and looked around at the mess Felix had left. All of Corec¡¯s bags had been emptied, and the straps of his saddle had been cut. It would take him at least half an hour to repair, making it even harder to follow the old man. ¡°Why is my bag open?¡± Katrin said, then suddenly changed the direction she was pulling in, fast enough that her wrist slipped out of his grasp. She ran over to a set of saddlebags and dug through them, then sat back in shock. ¡°He took our money! All the money we¡¯d saved up to get Barz out of prison!¡± That seemed to take the fight out of her, so Corec didn¡¯t rush over to grab her again. He found the mule standing where they¡¯d left him, but Dot was a wanderer when she wasn¡¯t tied. He whistled for her and she came walking back slowly. She was supposed to come at a trot when he whistled, not a walk, so she must have been mad at him for rushing off. He rubbed her neck in apology. Katrin hadn¡¯t spoken again, so Corec said, ¡°Maybe your uncle will take the money and get your brother released.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know Felix. He didn¡¯t want to come on this trip in the first place. And we hadn¡¯t saved up enough yet. It¡¯s the fourth time Barz has been nicked, and Circle Bay doesn¡¯t like thieves. He¡¯s in for ten years if I can¡¯t pay off his penalty.¡± ¡°Why not just stay in Circle Bay for your pick-pocketing?¡± ¡°The city guard knows who we are and watches us. They know Barz is a thief, so they think I am, too.¡± Corec cleared his throat pointedly. The girl made a rude gesture. ¡°Let¡¯s get this stuff cleaned up,¡± he said. ¡°Then we can head back to that last village.¡± ¡°Please, just let me go. I don¡¯t want to go to prison.¡± ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t decided what to do with you, but I can¡¯t leave you alone in the wilderness without any money or a horse.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all your fault!¡± she said. He shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°Maybe. Or maybe it¡¯s your fault for being a thief, or your uncle¡¯s fault for taking all your money. For now, help me gather everything up. Unless you know how to repair saddles.¡± # They got back to the village six hours later. It had taken an hour to repack everything, fix the saddle, and rig up a way to carry it all back. Katrin¡¯s saddle didn¡¯t fit the mule very well, but it was the best they could do. The pack saddle, which didn¡¯t have a seat for a rider, had been disassembled and strapped over a blanket on the mule¡¯s back. The packs had been strapped, as best as possible, over the top of Katrin¡¯s saddlebags. The ride back had taken longer than the ride out, since the mule had an unbalanced load and Katrin¡¯s hands were tied together. Corec hadn¡¯t wanted her trying to jump off and escape. Stopping just outside the village, he cut the girl¡¯s bonds to avoid drawing undue attention, then they walked in on foot. Not wanting to deal with the innkeeper he¡¯d lied to that morning, Corec led them to the only other inn in town. There was one room available, so he paid for it, then requested that their suppers be delivered up to them. They didn¡¯t talk much during the meal, but after they¡¯d eaten, he said, ¡°When you first agreed to come back to Tyrsall with me, how did you expect to pass as two bards? You might be one¡ªbarely¡ªbut your uncle isn¡¯t.¡± She glared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t have to be the one singing to do it. If I concentrate, I can do it while I¡¯m playing an instrument. It¡¯s just harder. Nobody can tell who it¡¯s coming from, so I can make it seem like we¡¯re both bards.¡± ¡°Ahh. And why aren¡¯t you studying with a real bard, anyway?¡± ¡°Most of the bardic schools won¡¯t teach women. I¡¯ve heard there are some that do, but not the two that I¡¯ve asked.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re not a bard at all, then?¡± ¡°I have the talent,¡± she said, glaring again. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to use it. Felix taught me to sing and play, but he couldn¡¯t teach me anything else.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to insult you. Let¡¯s just go to sleep, all right? Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll find a horse for you to ride, then we¡¯ll try to get out of here early.¡± ¡°Go to sleep how?¡± she asked, looking at the only bed in the room. ¡°It¡¯s big enough for both of us. I just need to tie you down first.¡± He pulled one of his lengths of rope from his bag. ¡°Tie me down?¡± she asked in a panicked tone, standing. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± She looked like she wanted to bolt, but he stood between her and the door. ¡°Oh, relax, will you?¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I¡¯m just making sure you don¡¯t run away while I¡¯m sleeping.¡± He had her lie back on the bed, then tied her hands together and secured the other side of the rope to the bedpost. ¡°You¡¯re going to leave me like this all night?¡± she asked. ¡°What if my arms fall asleep? What if I need to get up?¡± ¡°If you need something, just tell me. You can kick me awake if I don¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°My forehead itches!¡± He laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll live.¡± He¡¯d removed his armor earlier, before they ate, but decided to leave his clothes on so as not to frighten her. He lay down on his side of the bed, taking one last glance at the girl. Then he turned to face the other direction, trying to think of something other than the swell of her breasts in her blouse as she lay there helplessly. # The next morning, Corec felt like he¡¯d barely slept at all. Any time he¡¯d started to fall asleep, Katrin had woken him up for one reason or another, mostly claiming that her arms were falling asleep. After the third time he¡¯d had to untie her and help her to her feet to regain her circulation, he¡¯d relented. He¡¯d left her hands tied together but not attached to anything, and had added another rope to tie her ankle to the lower bedpost. It wouldn¡¯t keep her from untying herself, but he¡¯d tied the knots tightly enough that if she tried it, her movement would be enough to wake him. How did real bounty hunters manage to bring their prey back? Not that he was interested in taking it up as a career, but if he¡¯d caught Felix as well, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to wrangle them both. Before leaving Tyrsall he¡¯d considered buying shackles and chains, but they¡¯d turned out to be expensive and not available on short notice. Looking to the other side of the bed, he found Katrin still asleep, facing away from him. As far as he knew, she hadn¡¯t tried to escape, and her complaints had died down once he¡¯d changed how she was tied. Getting out of bed, he stretched his arms toward the ceiling. His right arm had finally stopped itching, which was a relief. ¡°Hey, wake up,¡± he said, wanting to get on the road. She rolled over to face him, and he stared in shock. Centered on her forehead was a small, glowing blue rune. It was roughly in the shape of a horseshoe, with the rounded part pointing down, a dot in the middle, and a bar over the top. What was it? Was she secretly a mage of some sort? If so, why had she allowed him to catch her? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked in confusion. ¡°The symbol on your face¡­¡± If anything, she looked more confused. ¡°What symbol?¡± He untied the ankle rope and helped her off the bed so she could look in the room¡¯s small mirror. ¡°What did you do to me?¡± she screeched. ¡°Get it off!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! You did it!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! Get it off!¡± Her hands were still bound together, but she rubbed at the mark with her hands, and when that didn¡¯t help, she started scratching at it with her fingers. Corec stopped her when she drew blood. ¡°You¡¯re hurting yourself.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, crying. ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡°You were the only one here!¡± ¡°I was asleep!¡± She sat back down on the bed, still crying and now refusing to look at him. He wasn¡¯t sure what to believe. Was it possible for her to fake her tears? Or perhaps she wasn¡¯t responsible after all. Then again, if she was a mage, she might be able to make him just think she was crying. Shaking his head in frustration, Corec paced to the other side of the room as he tried to figure out what to do. One option was to simply let her go so he didn¡¯t have to deal with it. Of course, if she was responsible, that would be exactly what she wanted. And if she wasn¡¯t, he¡¯d feel guilty for abandoning her. She was still looking away from him, so he decided to take the opportunity to change his shirt before putting on his armor. When he pulled off the old shirt, he looked down. There, on his right arm, just below the shoulder, was a glowing blue rune that matched the one on Katrin¡¯s forehead. It was centered right on the spot that had been itching for days. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked, turning around. He was tempted to hide it from her, but whatever it was had happened to them both. He turned his body so she could see his shoulder. She jumped to her feet. ¡°I knew it! You did it! Make it go away!¡± ¡°Damn it! I told you, I had nothing to do with it! Whoever did it did it to both of us.¡± She was still skeptical, but she asked again, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I grew up in Larso. The priests of Pallisur weren¡¯t exactly friendly toward mages.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s magic?¡± He looked back down at his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t see what else it could be. It¡¯s not a tattoo¡ªit¡¯s glowing.¡± ¡°Can a wizard help us, then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The closest wizards I know about are back in Tyrsall. We could ask them.¡± He didn¡¯t want to mention the little bit of magic that he had, particularly when she was still suspicious of him. He wasn¡¯t sure what help it would be, anyway¡ªhe¡¯d never actually studied magic, and had never heard of anything like the runes adorning their bodies. ¡°I can¡¯t go back to the city like this!¡± she protested. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°Look at me! At least you can cover yours up!¡± He realized he was still standing bare-chested in front of her, and hurriedly pulled on a clean shirt. ¡°You can wear your cloak with the hood up,¡± he suggested. ¡°All the time, in the middle of summer? We can¡¯t go back there!¡± He was about to remind her of the bounty when he caught the look of fear and despair in her eyes. She didn¡¯t seem to be faking it. And while he didn¡¯t want to miss the caravan back to Four Roads, he also didn¡¯t want to leave the blue rune on his arm¡ªespecially without knowing what it was. Taking pity on her, he said, ¡°Well, if we go the other direction, but farther south, we can reach the Terril Forest in about a week.¡± ¡°The elves? Do they even have wizards?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they have some sort of magic. I¡¯ve seen it when I went there as a caravan guard.¡± ¡°Will they help us?¡± ¡°I have no idea, but as long as we follow their laws, they¡¯ll allow us in as far as their border outposts. Some of the elves in the outposts speak the trade tongue. We can ask them.¡± ¡°We can reach them in a week?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°A week to reach the edge of the forest. Maybe another week to the nearest outpost, but I don¡¯t know the way. We¡¯ll have to ask for directions or find a caravan to join. The caravan masters always bring a small gift, so we probably should as well.¡± ¡°Felix took all my money,¡± she reminded him, obviously still angry about it. ¡°I¡¯ve got a little. It might be enough to get us there and back, if we¡¯re careful.¡± Corec had more than enough coin on him, but he wasn¡¯t going to mention that to a known thief. He¡¯d use his extra pouch of silver for purchases, and leave his other coin pouch hidden. Book 1: Chapter Five Twelve years earlier¡­ Ansel sat at the heavy mahogany desk in his study, trying to figure out what to do with his sons. Among members of Larso¡¯s nobility, it was considered somewhat dangerous to have three boys, especially when one of them was not by one¡¯s wife. Some allowance was made for the semi-legitimate children of concubines, but by kingdom law, if his legitimate sons were to die without issue, then Corec would become his heir. A ten-year-old child wasn¡¯t likely to be making plans to take advantage of that fact, but it had happened any number of times in the history of the kingdom. The other barons in the Black Crow region were superstitious about things like that, and nervous that Ansel hadn¡¯t found a place for his youngest son yet¡ªa place somewhere far away from the barony. On top of all that, the boys¡¯ arguments were getting to be a problem. The three of them had always had a turbulent relationship, but it had gotten worse as they grew older. Toman was fourteen, and had become moody as he¡¯d hit his growth spurt. Branth still idolized his older brother, but there were cracks showing now that Toman no longer wished to spend time with him. Even during the times the older boys were getting along, Corec was often still excluded from their activities simply by virtue of being younger¡ªand perhaps because he had a different mother. That led to a third reason, which Ansel admitted only to himself. He missed Moira deeply. Isabel was a wonderful wife and mother, but the two of them had been much happier when Moira was still with them. Since she¡¯d been gone, there was a sense of something missing between Ansel and his wife, though they tried to pretend otherwise. Every time he saw Corec, Ansel was reminded of the boy¡¯s mother. Not that Corec took after Moira¡ªwith his dark hair, he looked more like his father¡ªbut it brought to mind the memory of Moira¡¯s happiness once she¡¯d finally been able to bring a child into the world. It was difficult for Ansel to be a good father when the sight of his youngest son only served to remind him of the love he¡¯d lost. With a sigh, he opened the seal on a note he¡¯d just received, a response to a letter he¡¯d sent to his cousin Jesson. The reply he¡¯d gotten would provide him with a possible answer to his dilemma, but Isabel wouldn¡¯t like it. # Corec washed his hands and face before heading to the dining hall. Branth had told him that a messenger had arrived, wearing fancy armor, and that for some reason the man would be taking his meal with them that evening. That was unusual. They had guests at their table occasionally, but typically those were the more well-off members of the village, or Lord and Lady Tammerly and their daughter. Messengers usually ate with the servants, even the occasional messenger from the duke. Corec joined his family in the dining room. Everyone was still standing, so he stood as well¡ªnear his brothers but not with them. Branth gave him a small nod but Toman ignored them both, biting his lip nervously. The visitor was speaking quietly with Father on the other side of the room. The man, who appeared to be just a little older than Father, no longer had on the armor Branth had mentioned. Instead, he wore clothes nearly as fine as the ones Father wore when they had guests. So, he wasn¡¯t a messenger, then. Corec¡¯s tutors were prone to testing him about anything unusual that happened, so he tried to think of who the visitor might be. A rich merchant might dress in clothing like that, but was unlikely to ride alone through the mountains. Any baron besides Lord Tammerly would have brought a retinue with him. Perhaps it was the son of a baron? Mr. Melvin came into the room then, dressed as smartly as always, and rang a small bell. ¡°Supper is ready.¡± The family and their visitor gathered around the table and took their seats while Mr. Melvin and one of the kitchen maids brought in the soup course. Father and Isa were at the head and foot of the table as usual, while the visitor had the place of honor to Father¡¯s right. After the soup had been served, the man stood up. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, cousin?¡± ¡°By all means,¡± Father said. The man clasped his hands together and bowed over the table. ¡°I would like to dedicate this meal to the glory of Pallisur.¡± He sat back down as everyone else bowed their heads forward briefly, completing the prayer. That was even more unusual. Father followed the war god, of course¡ªeveryone in the valley did¡ªbut they rarely bothered with prayers unless the village priest joined them for a meal. Was the visitor a priest? And he¡¯d called Father cousin, though that word had many meanings among the peerage. As they ate, Father said, ¡°Boys, I¡¯d like you to meet my cousin, Jesson, a knight out of Fort Hightower.¡± They all looked up with interest, even Toman. Branth said excitedly, ¡°A knight? Really?¡± Jesson chuckled. ¡°Yes, really. Our grandfather¡ªyour great grandfather¡ªsent me to Hightower when I was your age, to learn the knightly arts.¡± ¡°Have you ever been in battle?¡± Branth asked. ¡°I fought in the North Border War, and I¡¯ve hunted down some bandits in the mountains and the free lands.¡± ¡°But Hightower¡¯s to the south,¡± Toman pointed out, unnecessarily. ¡°Northtower guards the north.¡± ¡°In times of war, all of Pallisur¡¯s servants are called on,¡± Jesson reminded him. Corec didn¡¯t say anything, not wanting to be embarrassed like his brother had been. ¡°Let¡¯s have no talk about war at the table, please,¡± Isa said. ¡°My apologies, Lady Isabel,¡± Jesson said. Father spoke then. ¡°Corec, Cousin Jesson has joined us today because it¡¯s time for you to make some decisions about your future. Toman is my heir, and will take over the barony when I pass on, and Branth will be named steward when Mr. Jaks is ready for retirement. What would you like to do? I could purchase an apprenticeship for you among the tradesmen in Telfort, or Jesson has brought with him an invitation from the priests at Fort Hightower to join their order.¡± Corec had never considered working in the trades before, but to become a priest? His stomach turned as he thought of the fat village priest who spent his time poking his nose in other people¡¯s business¡ªand who hadn¡¯t been able to save Mother when she got sick. ¡°What sort of trade?¡± he asked. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You could choose one of the crafts,¡± Father said. ¡°Or some of the merchant houses will take on apprentices from outside the family.¡± ¡°There is another option,¡± Jesson said, perhaps sensing Corec¡¯s reluctance. ¡°You can join the Knights of Pallisur. You¡¯ll learn to fight¡ªto defend the kingdom. It¡¯s an honorable profession for a baron¡¯s son.¡± Isa stood up from her chair and left the room without speaking, her mouth set in a thin line. Becoming a knight sounded exciting. House Tarwen¡¯s armsmaster had begun teaching Toman and Branth swordplay. Corec hadn¡¯t been included yet since he was too young, but he liked to watch. For his brothers, it was only a small part of their week, but a knight trainee would spend much of his time learning to fight. ¡°I want to be a knight!¡± Branth said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a steward.¡± ¡°Branth, your future has already been decided,¡± Father said firmly. ¡°Today, we¡¯re talking about your brother.¡± Corec had always felt bad for Branth, having to learn accounting so he¡¯d be able to make sure the tenants were paying their rents and taxes. It sounded tedious. And Toman didn¡¯t have it much better¡ªLord Tammerly was constantly trying to foist his spinster daughter off on the future Baron of Tarwen. While Toman wasn¡¯t old enough to marry, and the girl was ten years his senior, Father was cautiously in favor of the idea. Vena was Tammerly¡¯s only child, which meant that if she and Toman had a son, that boy would inherit both baronies. Being a knight would be a lot more fun. # ¡°Here we are, lad,¡± Jesson said as they rounded a corner. ¡°Fort Hightower, the defender of the southern border. And sometimes the east.¡± Corec brought Max to a halt. The two-year-old gelding had been a parting gift from his father. He¡¯d been thrilled about having his own horse at first, but that had only lasted until he¡¯d spent his first full day in the saddle. While he knew how to ride, he¡¯d never before gone farther than the five miles to the Tammerly estate. It hadn¡¯t helped that they¡¯d spent the first six days traversing rough mountain paths, but they¡¯d left the mountains two days ago, and the aches and pains had finally subsided. Their journey had started getting chilly as autumn progressed, and even as far south as Hightower, the air held a crispness signifying the coming winter. Corec looked over the bustling town ahead of him, which was several times the size of Tarwen Village. In the center of town was a large set of stone walls laid out in a square, marking the fort itself. ¡°How many people live here?¡± he asked. ¡°About four hundred in the fort, though we come and go,¡± Jesson said. ¡°Over twenty thousand in the town, and probably at least that many in the surrounding farms.¡± ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡± Jesson laughed. ¡°This is nothing. Telfort has half a million people.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember what a million is.¡± Corec knew it was a lot, but he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to his mathematics tutor after deciding he¡¯d never have any need for a number that large. ¡°A thousand-thousand. So add together twenty-five of these towns, and you¡¯ve got the capital city.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Corec wondered how that many people all lived together in one space. Wouldn¡¯t they be forever getting in each other¡¯s way? ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you settled. Are you absolutely certain you want to become a knight trainee? Until we get there, you can still choose the priests instead. It¡¯s an easier life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a priest,¡± Corec said flatly. ¡°All right, but watch your tone. The knights are still an order of Pallisur. We¡¯re not as strict, but if the priests decide they don¡¯t want you among us, then you won¡¯t be.¡± Corec nodded but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Let¡¯s head into town, lad,¡± Jesson said. ¡°It looks like we made it in time for the harvest faire.¡± # Treya wandered around the compound, too miserable to play games with the other girls. She was still adjusting to life in the orphanage. She didn¡¯t want to make friends with the others; she just wanted to go home. The Three Orders chapter house that had taken her in was located in Four Roads, but it was the first time she¡¯d ever been to the town. Her father had always gone alone when he needed to purchase supplies or sell his crops and pelts. Treya and Mama had stayed on the farm while he was gone, or visited friends at one of the other farms nearby. But the farm was gone now, so there was nowhere to go back to. She¡¯d heard the neighbors¡¯ farms were gone, too. The Sisters were kind and understanding, but they also made her do chores and take classes. The worst part was learning to read. It was hard, and she didn¡¯t know why they made her do it. She¡¯d never needed to read at the farm¡ªthey didn¡¯t even have any books there. Mother Yewen and the Sisters talked a lot about the girls¡¯ futures, but Treya didn¡¯t understand much about what they said. They¡¯d told her that the three orders were the Order of Scholars, the Order of Mystics, and the Order of Concubines. The scholars had something to do with reading, but nobody had explained what the other two were. One of the Sisters rang the bell indicating that play time was over, so the other girls headed back into the building. Instead of following them, Treya hid behind a woodpile. She didn¡¯t want to learn any more reading that afternoon. She waited nervously for a while, but when nobody came out to fetch her, she relaxed. Whoever was teaching the next class must not have realized she was supposed to be in it. While she sat quietly, thinking about her parents, a woman she¡¯d never seen before came out to the yard. Instead of a dress like the other Sisters wore, this woman had on a loose gray tunic belted over a pair of pants. Strangely, she was barefoot. The woman couldn¡¯t have missed Treya sitting there, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she sat cross-legged on the grass about twenty feet away, closing her eyes and resting her hands on her knees. She stayed that way for so long that Treya thought she¡¯d fallen asleep. Then, suddenly, the woman rolled forward out of her pose into a handstand. Treya¡¯s eyes grew wide. She hadn¡¯t even known it was possible for someone to hold themselves up like that. She watched as the woman carefully took one hand off the ground and placed it behind her back, balancing on the other. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be here, do you, young miss?¡± the woman asked, still upside down. ¡°I want to go home,¡± Treya replied. ¡°So do I, sometimes.¡± The woman didn¡¯t ask about her family, for which Treya was grateful. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Practicing.¡± ¡°Practicing what?¡± ¡°Practicing being.¡± The woman dropped out of her handstand in a smooth roll, ending up standing on her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Sister Shana,¡± the woman said, taking a seat on the woodpile. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Treya.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name. How old are you?¡± ¡°Six and a half.¡± ¡°I was seven when I came here. Well, not here, but to the Three Orders. I grew up down south¡ªthis chapter house is much smaller than I¡¯m used to.¡± ¡°What were you doing?¡± Treya asked again, pointing to the spot of ground where Shana had been standing on her hands. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s difficult to explain. You know how if you concentrate on something, it¡¯s easier to learn?¡± Treya shrugged. She understood the concept, but she couldn¡¯t remember concentrating on anything other than learning to read, and that didn¡¯t seem like it was getting any easier. ¡°Well,¡± Shana said, ¡°what if you concentrate really, really hard on one thing, and ignore all the other distractions? Focus all your willpower on learning one thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, either. Maybe it¡¯s not possible, but I¡¯ll keep trying.¡± ¡°What do you want to learn?¡± ¡°Who am I?¡± Treya was puzzled. ¡°You¡¯re Sister Shana.¡± ¡°And maybe that¡¯s the answer,¡± Shana said with a grin. ¡°Or maybe there¡¯s more to it than that. I¡¯m not sure the answer is even the important part, but I¡¯ve learned a lot along the way.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°How to think. How to move. How to fight.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a girl. Girls can¡¯t fight.¡± Shana laughed. ¡°They can¡¯t, huh? Well, I guess you would know, being the expert and all. It¡¯s a shame, though, seeing as that¡¯s why Mother Yewen asked me to come here.¡± Treya frowned. She thought the woman was teasing her, but it didn¡¯t sound like she was doing it to be mean. ¡°Why did you come?¡± Treya asked. ¡°It seems there¡¯s a group of bandits attacking isolated farms. The town council hired a pair of mercenaries to track them down, but when they didn¡¯t return, Mother Yewen asked me to take care of things.¡± Treya¡¯s blood ran cold as she flashed back to two weeks earlier, when she was hiding behind another woodpile, trying to ignore the sound of the screams and the roar of the fire. She stared at Sister Shana without saying anything. Shana smiled sadly at her, then stood up and walked away, heading toward the gate that led out of the compound. She was still barefoot, and carried nothing other than the clothes she was wearing. Treya silently hoped that Shana could fight, after all. Book 1: Chapter Six Present day¡­ ¡°A mule?¡± Katrin said, glaring at the man who¡¯d caused all her problems. ¡°I thought you were going to find me a horse.¡± The bounty hunter sighed. ¡°She¡¯s a riding mule, and you should just be glad there was something available. This village isn¡¯t very big. Besides, this close to the free lands, a good riding mule costs more than a horse. They¡¯re smart and sure-footed.¡± Katrin wondered if that was all true, or if he just wanted her on something that couldn¡¯t outrun his own horse. She took a look in the mule¡¯s eyes and softened her stance. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°The man¡¯s daughter called her Flower. She¡¯s five years old, and your saddle should fit her well enough. She¡¯s in good health and mules live a long time. Have you ridden one before?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a little different than horses. Be nice to her and she¡¯ll be nice to you. Be mean to her and she may just take it out on you when you¡¯re not expecting it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to be mean to a mule!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were,¡± the man said, sounding exasperated. ¡°I was just warning you about what they¡¯re like. I¡¯m going to go look for someone who¡¯s ridden to the forest from here, and see if I can find out the best route. Go ahead and switch out her halter for her riding tack. Can you get the saddle on by yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± She made a rude gesture after he¡¯d turned his back. At least he hadn¡¯t tied her up again before bringing her out to the inn¡¯s stable yard. That would have been embarrassing, and it wasn¡¯t like she could go anywhere on her own with that damned blue mark on her forehead. Even alone in the stable yard, she was keeping her cloak on and the hood up in case someone walked by. She couldn¡¯t do that forever, though¡ªthe morning was already starting to warm up. As she worked, she tried once more to figure out how she¡¯d ended up in this situation. The stealing¡­well, that was obvious. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d put that life behind her, but her brother hadn¡¯t. Barz had been the only person who¡¯d looked out for her after their mother died, and she couldn¡¯t just leave him in prison. Putting on shows with Felix may have been a bad idea, though¡ªif there was a bounty out for her, they must have drawn too much attention from the authorities. Sneaking into some rich person¡¯s home might have been a safer choice, but she¡¯d never been good at that sort of work and Felix was out of practice. They could both handle pick-pocketing, especially with a partner to draw attention. And the shows had brought people to them, even if the pickings had been slim since leaving the city. And then there was the damned bounty hunter. Corec, he called himself. Why had she trusted him? Felix hadn¡¯t, not at all. Katrin was usually a good judge of character, but she¡¯d gone right along with the bounty hunter¡¯s plan to trick her into riding back to Tyrsall and into prison. She remembered him from the night he¡¯d watched their performance at the inn. He¡¯d been sitting at a table with a group of armed men. He was attractive, and better groomed than the other caravan guards. Unfortunately, by the time it had been her turn to go around the room looking for tips¡ªand marks¡ªhe¡¯d been gone. When he showed up again out of nowhere, she¡¯d simply bought his story, completely ignoring how unlikely it was. Felix had tried to convince her not to return to the city, and when that had failed, he¡¯d left her to her own fate. Katrin wondered whether he would have stayed if he hadn¡¯t found the wanted poster in Corec¡¯s saddlebag, but it was too late to ask. How was she supposed to save Barz with no money, no Felix, and no way to get back to Circle Bay? It wasn¡¯t safe for a woman to travel alone, especially when she couldn¡¯t pay her way. Her best option was to continue playing at inns. Most would allow her to stay for free, and the tips would give her some spending money. By herself, it wasn¡¯t safe to go picking pockets, and she¡¯d probably need to avoid claiming her rather ambiguous status as a bard, but it would at least give her a way to get back home. It wasn¡¯t a perfect solution, and it wouldn¡¯t help Barz, but she could make it work¡ªas long as she could get rid of the bounty hunter and the mark on her head. The mark was the biggest problem. What was it? Where had it come from? And why had it appeared in the center of her forehead, the same spot that had been itching for over a week now? The bounty hunter called it a rune, and seemed to think it was some sort of magic. She didn¡¯t trust him, but she sort of believed him when he insisted he hadn¡¯t had anything to do with it. That just raised more questions, though¡ªwhy did he have the same mark? And why was his in a different spot? The trip to the Terril Forest seemed like a reasonable choice, given the situation. The bounty hunter wasn¡¯t sure whether they¡¯d find help there or not, but she needed to do something about the mark, and the less people who saw it, the better. She just wished he wasn¡¯t going with her. Of course, if she was wishing for things, she might as well wish that the mark didn¡¯t exist, that Felix hadn¡¯t abandoned her and stolen her money, and that she wasn¡¯t wanted by the Tyrsall constabulary. She needed some sort of help, and Corec was the only choice she had at the moment. At least it looked like he could handle himself in a fight. And he must have had more money than he claimed to, if the mule was as expensive as he¡¯d said. Perhaps he would be useful. He no longer seemed sure about claiming her bounty, so maybe he¡¯d give her a chance to get away once they¡¯d figured out what to do about the blue marks. But could she trust him for that long? She shivered in the sun as she thought about the previous night. The ropes binding her hands together as she rode had been humiliating, but the ropes tying her to the bed had been something else entirely. She was still uncomfortable as she thought about how she¡¯d felt tied down beside him, sharing a bed. He hadn¡¯t touched her all night, other than to help her change positions, but even in not touching her, it had almost seemed like he was taunting her with her helplessness. She¡¯d finished her task and been waiting for ten minutes when he finally returned to the stable yard. ¡°I was right,¡± he said, as he started with the pack mule¡¯s tack. ¡°The trade road I¡¯m used to taking to Terril breaks off from the West Road about a day¡¯s ride back. The folks I spoke to say we can cut directly south to reach it. It¡¯ll be slow going till we get to it, but not as slow as doubling back.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the road like?¡± ¡°From where we¡¯ll reach it, it leads almost directly southwest. It¡¯s good enough for cargo wagons, but not much better. We should be fine as long as it doesn¡¯t rain. It¡¯s quiet out there, though¡ªthere aren¡¯t any settlements between here and the forest, just a few farms, so we¡¯ll be camping out each night. Do you have everything you need for that?¡± ¡°I was planning to buy another riding skirt before Felix took the money. This one¡¯s getting worn out and I can¡¯t wear my dresses on horseback. He had our tent and our cooking gear too. I guess I should be glad he left my harp case.¡± Luckily, Felix had never liked the harp much. Her precious flute¡ªone of the first things she¡¯d ever stolen¡ªwas still safe in her saddlebag. The harp was worth more, but the flute had always represented a different life to her. It would have hurt to lose it. ¡°We¡¯ll stop at the general store on the way out and pick up some supplies, and the makings of a lean-to like mine. The weather¡¯s nice, so you don¡¯t really need a full tent, and besides, this trip has already cost me more than I¡¯d make even if I turn in your bounty.¡± He said that with a look toward Flower. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you named your mule?¡± she asked, wanting to change the topic. He shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s never really been interested in having a name. He answers if I say boy, though.¡± ¡°Boy? Is that your name, Boy?¡± The mule looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ll call you, then.¡± Corec finished loading Boy and Dot, then paused and sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re doing this.¡± He took two quick strides toward her, pulling her hood back and tilting her chin up so he could look at her closely. She stood in shock, surprised by the sudden movement. ¡°Do you have anything that can cover it up?¡± he asked. ¡°Ladies¡¯ makeup? I still think Tyrsall is a better choice.¡± ¡°I tried that while you were getting our breakfast, but I could still see the glow coming through.¡± She hadn¡¯t told him about the attempt because if it had worked, she¡¯d have tried sneaking out the window and stealing his horse, so she could head to Tyrsall herself. She could have avoided the constabulary long enough to find a wizard of some sort. He looked at her suspiciously. ¡°All right. Well, I guess we should get going. The store¡¯s just off the West Road, then we¡¯ll head south to find the trade road.¡± # The day after leaving the village, they reached the road that led to the forest. Corec hadn¡¯t worked the Terril caravan very often, but the road was much as he remembered it, little more than two ruts from the wagon wheels. They passed the occasional farm and ran into a couple of hunters along the way, but he knew that as they got closer to the forest, signs of human habitation would dwindle. Other than traders, the elves discouraged visitors. The ride passed in silence. It was obvious Katrin didn¡¯t trust him and didn¡¯t want to speak to him unless necessary. The quiet gave him plenty of time to think. Mostly, he thought about the rune on his arm. Figuring out where it had come from would have to wait until they¡¯d found a mage of some sort, but it was the itching that worried him. Why had his arm been itching, and why had it stopped once the rune appeared? Was it just a coincidence, or were the two things related? He worried, too, about whether the elves would be able to help them, or even be willing to talk to them. Perhaps it would be better if they went in with a trading caravan. If he¡¯d calculated his days right, they might actually run into a Senshall caravan on their way in. Around noon, he brought Dot to a halt. He was riding in front, and the pack mule knew enough to stop when he did. Katrin came a few steps farther, then stopped nearby. ¡°That creek¡¯s come close to the road again,¡± Corec said. ¡°We might as well stop now and water the animals, and have something to eat while we¡¯re here.¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°The bread and sausage, and some of those summer apples you bought before we left?¡± It was the first time she¡¯d said anything to him in hours. ¡°All right.¡± They led the animals to the creek and stood waiting as they drank. ¡°How much farther?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I¡¯ve only been this way a few times, but I think we¡¯re still on track. About six days to the forest, give or take.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in a forest now,¡± she pointed out, motioning to the trees that surrounded the road and the creek. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of some trees. When we get to the forest, you¡¯ll know. Trust me.¡± She nodded, then seemed to lose interest in talking to him. They ate mostly in silence and were preparing to leave when someone called out, ¡°Hullo the camp!¡± Corec looked toward the sound and saw a rotund man wearing a brown priest¡¯s robe standing on the other side of the creek. The man was only about ten years older than Corec, but his dark hair was already thinning and he had a bald spot in the front. In one hand, he carried a walking staff that was more of a cudgel. Corec waved to him in acknowledgment. The man hiked his robe up to his knees and splashed across the shallow water, not bothering to take his sandals off first. ¡°Good people, how are you on this fine day?¡± he said in a deep voice, bowing in Katrin¡¯s direction with what he probably thought was courtly grace, but which was marred by the rucksack shifting on his back. ¡°I am Father Bobo, priest of the Fox.¡± Rather than introduce himself, Corec sighed. He said, ¡°First, it¡¯s Fox, not the Fox, and second, Fox doesn¡¯t have priests. You¡¯re going to get yourself hanged pretending to be one.¡± ¡°Ahh, a learned man,¡± Bobo said without missing a beat. ¡°Forgive me; I¡¯ve spent the last two years among the hillfolk. They still worship the old gods, and were quite happy to have a priest in their midst.¡± ¡°But¡­you¡¯re not actually a priest?¡± Katrin asked, looking back and forth between the two men. She wasn¡¯t wearing her cloak, but Bobo had only briefly glanced at the rune on her forehead. ¡°What is a priest, truly?¡± Bobo said. ¡°If one brings aid to the needy and counsel to the confused, is one not a priest?¡± ¡°No, one is not,¡± Corec said, trying to remain stern as he held back a laugh. It was hard to take the man seriously. Bobo ignored him. ¡°And if those good folk are then grateful for one¡¯s help, what¡¯s the harm in accepting their gifts?¡± Corec couldn¡¯t quite place his accent, but it sounded familiar. ¡°What sort of help do you provide?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°My stock in trade is healing herbs and salves, and the aforementioned counseling,¡± the man said in his stentorian voice. ¡°But what I like most is to bring knowledge.¡± ¡°What kind of knowledge?¡± ¡°Why, any kind.¡± ¡°And where exactly did you study this knowledge?¡± Corec asked. The man shrugged. ¡°Here or there, wherever I happen to be. I helped my last village build a grist mill. They¡¯d never had one before, if you can believe that. Though I admit I had to leave rather quickly when my suggestion on avoiding potato blight didn¡¯t work out quite the way I was hoping. It was hardly my fault. The blight was already present in the soil¡ªI merely offered some advice.¡± ¡°What was your advice?¡± Katrin asked, seemingly enthralled with the con man¡¯s story. ¡°Plant a different breed,¡± Bobo said, shrugging again. ¡°It seemed logical at the time. Unfortunately, when they dug up the first batch of early potatoes, they showed signs of the same blight. The villagers were quite rude as they ran me out of town. That was, oh, about two and a half weeks ago.¡± Corec said, ¡°To get rid of potato blight, you need to completely clear out any infected plants. Any potato plants at all, really. Then leave the field fallow for a year, or plant a crop that isn¡¯t susceptible¡ªno potatoes, no tomatoes. Don¡¯t plant any potatoes in the surrounding fields, either; leave some distance.¡± Katrin looked at him with a curious expression on her face. Bobo smiled. ¡°As I said, a learned man.¡± ¡°Not really. My br¡­the boys I grew up with had to know that sort of thing. I had the same tutors, but only for a few years.¡± ¡°And now you¡¯ve passed that knowledge on to me, so perhaps I can provide better advice to the next farmer that asks.¡± Wanting to get on the road, Corec said, ¡°Well, Bobo, it was nice to meet you, but we need to be going now. Good luck on your journeys.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± the man said, sounding almost panicked. ¡°Might you be able to spare a bit to eat? In my haste to leave, I was somewhat remiss in my packing. I finished off the last of my hardtack yesterday, and I fear I am no hunter.¡± Corec sighed again. He couldn¡¯t leave the man without any food. ¡°Katrin, perhaps some of what we had?¡± he suggested. ¡°Some bread, a bit of that sausage, and an apple?¡± She forgot to glare at him the way she usually did when he asked her to do something, and went to the pack mule to rummage around in the bags. ¡°Thank you!¡± Bobo said. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°If you head northeast down this road, you¡¯ll hit the West Road between Dalewood and Tyrsall,¡± Corec said. ¡°There are villages dotted all along there, so you can buy whatever you need. And there are some farms on the way, so you should be able to barter for enough to get that far.¡± ¡°Ahh, well, buying or bartering may be a problem. The hillfolk gave me what they could, when they could. A chicken here, a bag of oats there¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any money.¡± Bobo gave another of his expressive shrugs. ¡°What about those herbs and salves you mentioned?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Are they worth anything?¡± ¡°I managed to escape with the willow bark I harvested this spring.¡± ¡°Even I¡¯ve got willow bark. You¡¯re not going to be able to sell that for much.¡± ¡°I could go with you,¡± Bobo suggested. ¡°Surely you have some need for a traveling priest? I would offer you all of my services freely. And some of the herbs I need should be growing now, so I can replenish my stock. I must confess, I would feel safer traveling with an armed man. I saw two rather unsavory-looking fellows yesterday. I didn¡¯t stick around to find out what they wanted.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I have nowhere in particular I need to be at the moment.¡± Corec didn¡¯t have a need for a traveling priest, much less a fake one, but in truth, he kind of liked the con man. Perhaps Bobo could provide some distraction from their problems¡ªKatrin had been acting friendlier since he¡¯d shown up. The man was on foot, but on this road, they could walk just as fast as they could ride. They¡¯d need to stop at the next farm they passed and buy some more food, though. Corec resolved to start setting rabbit snares, to cut down on the amount he¡¯d have to spend. ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°But just for a few weeks until we get back to the West Road. We¡¯re headed to the Terril Forest, but we won¡¯t be there long, and then we¡¯ll see you on your way.¡± ¡°The wood elves?¡± Bobo asked, surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize we were so close. I¡¯ve never met one before. I met a few silver elves, though, back when I lived in Matagor. They often came to use the royal library.¡± Matagor. That¡¯s why Bobo¡¯s accent sounded familiar. It was the kingdom just south of Larso¡ªthe kingdom that Fort Hightower had been built to guard against, though the border had been peaceful for generations. Corec had never been there, but Matagorian traders sometimes visited the town. ¡°Yes, the wood elves. I¡¯ve been there a few times. I think we¡¯ll reach the forest within the next week.¡± ¡°Well, then, lead on, my young friend!¡± Book 1: Chapter Seven Six years earlier¡­ Corec waved a serving girl over before taking a seat with the three other trainees. Before he could order, though, his friend Kevik stood. ¡°It¡¯s on me this time,¡± Kevik said. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡± Kevik ordered a round of ale while Trentin and Barat looked around, wide-eyed. It was the first time the two boys had accompanied them to the inn, Trentin being a bit too young at fourteen, while Barat had only recently come to Fort Hightower. ¡°Is it always so loud?¡± Trentin asked. ¡°Only when there are people here,¡± Kevik said, sitting down. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a new girl, Corec. What¡¯s her name?¡± Corec looked where his friend was pointing, to see a young, brown-haired woman in a low-cut dress sitting on a shopkeeper¡¯s lap. The man was pulling her dress up to show off her bare legs to his friends, while she laughed and pushed it back down. ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one of us with enough money to see the girls here.¡± Corec¡¯s father sent him a generous allowance, and there wasn¡¯t much else to spend it on. ¡°Well, she wasn¡¯t here two weeks ago,¡± he said, ¡°and I¡¯ve been too busy at the fort to think lately, much less come here. Besides, if she¡¯s new, she¡¯ll be occupied with the knights and the merchants. She won¡¯t have time for a trainee.¡± ¡°Is very busy here,¡± Barat agreed in his accented speech. ¡°Northtower less busy in winter. No teaching outside when much snow.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you come here?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Master at Northtower say better teachers here. Say I learn more.¡± ¡°Corec, what was that bundle of things the wagon brought you yesterday?¡± Kevik asked. ¡°When I was home for Midwinter, my father had our armorer measure me again. The wagon brought the new set, along with Father¡¯s sincere wishes that I don¡¯t outgrow it this time.¡± ¡°A whole set of armor?¡± Trentin asked, impressed. ¡°What kind?¡± ¡°Same as the last one,¡± Corec said, uncomfortable talking about his family¡¯s wealth. The armor included a cuirass worn over a chain shirt and padding¡ªextra padding, to give him some room to grow¡ªplus greaves, vambraces, and a new helmet. ¡°That must have been expensive,¡± Trentin said. ¡°Your armor¡¯s a lot nicer than the brigandine we¡¯ve got at the fort, and they don¡¯t have any spares that fit me right.¡± ¡°My old chain shirt might work for you, if you add more padding underneath than you usually wear,¡± Corec said. ¡°I can¡¯t give you the cuirass, though. It¡¯s got our family crest on it.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure? Chainmail alone would be a big improvement.¡± Trentin seemed excited¡ªa well-made set of chainmail could cost even more than a plate cuirass. And, like most of the trainees, Trentin was learning to fight with a shield, so he didn¡¯t necessarily need the extra protection the cuirass would provide. ¡°Hey, if you outgrow the new set, too, maybe I could fit into it,¡± Kevik said jokingly. Corec laughed. He¡¯d just passed six feet tall himself, but Kevik was five inches taller and even broader across the shoulders. ¡°Maybe if I stretch it out a bit first.¡± The serving girl finally returned with a pitcher of ale and four mugs. Corec winked at her, remembering the nights they¡¯d spent together. The prostitutes at Hightower Inn could be identified by the low-cut dresses they wore, designed to display their cleavage, but some of the serving girls could be had for the right price. ¡°Well, do you feel any different now that you¡¯re sixteen?¡± Kevik asked as he took his first sip. ¡°No. Did you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I spent that night drunk. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡± # Katrin waited outside the door fearfully. Unfortunately for her state of mind, she could hear the voices coming through it. ¡°That was her last chance,¡± Dallo said. ¡°Two weeks of planning, wasted.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t mean to fall off the roof!¡± Barz said. ¡°You¡¯re just lucky none of us got nicked by the constabulary. She¡¯s fifteen years old now. If she¡¯s not going to be one of us, then it¡¯s time for her to start walking the streets.¡± ¡°My sister ain¡¯t no whore!¡± ¡°You two have been taking advantage of our generosity for four years. She needs to start paying it back.¡± ¡°Let me try the bards again!¡± Barz pleaded. ¡°You know she¡¯s gifted. She could make us a lot of money!¡± ¡°You said the bardic school refused to take her because she¡¯s a girl. She¡¯s had enough chances, Barz, and you¡¯re trying my patience.¡± ¡°At least let me talk to her first.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Katrin started crying. Barz came back out the door, shutting it behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, quickly,¡± he whispered. ¡°What?¡± Katrin had no choice but to follow as he grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her along. ¡°We¡¯re running. They¡¯re not happy with you. We¡¯ve got to get you out of here.¡± He didn¡¯t mention what Dallo was planning to do to her. Perhaps he didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d heard everything. ¡°Where are we going to go?¡± ¡°Do you remember Uncle Felix? He lives in Circle Bay. He¡¯s a minstrel¡ªmaybe he can teach you to play that flute you stole.¡± She stopped abruptly. ¡°Circle Bay is six hundred miles away! And he didn¡¯t come when Mother died.¡± ¡°Maybe he never got the letter I sent, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have any other ideas, Katrin!¡± Barz tugged on her wrist and she started following him again. The building where they lived was run by Dallo¡¯s men, so Barz let go of her wrist and they tried to look inconspicuous as they made their way up the stairs to their room. Once the door was closed, Katrin asked, ¡°How are we going to get there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much money. We¡¯ll have to walk.¡± Barz grabbed their rucksacks and tossed hers over. ¡°Start packing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s winter!¡± ¡°I know, but Circle Bay¡¯s to the south. It¡¯s warmer there, so it should warm up as we go. If we can make twenty miles a day, we¡¯ll be there in a month. Maybe we can hitch a ride on a wagon sometimes.¡± Twenty miles a day would be considered slow in the summer. In the winter, it might be possible if the roads stayed dry, but if it rained and the roads got muddy, they¡¯d be lucky to make ten. She decided not to say that, though, realizing Barz was trying to sound optimistic for her sake. At least there hadn¡¯t been much snow this winter. Seeing her just standing there, Barz said, ¡°Hurry up. And pack your pretty dress. If we run across a man with money, you can distract him while I pick his pocket. Maybe we can stay in inns rather than on the side of the road.¡± ¡°I can pick pockets!¡± ¡°Sometimes you can.¡± She glared at him, but added her dress to the rucksack. Finished packing, Barz peeked out their door carefully. Seeing no one on the second floor, he stepped over to the stairs and looked down. ¡°Nobody¡¯s looking,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Nervously, Katrin slung her bag over her shoulders and picked up her brother¡¯s, handing it to him once she reached the stairs. Barz headed down, and she followed after him. # When the first bell rang, Corec struggled to wake up. His tiny room in Fort Hightower had no external light, and in any case, it was deep winter and would still be dark out. He lay in the complete blackness, trying to gather his thoughts. Five hours just wasn¡¯t enough sleep, especially at this time of year. At least he¡¯d ignored Kevik¡¯s exhortations to over-imbibe, having learned his lesson the first few times they¡¯d visited the inn. He swung his legs over the edge of the cot and peered around to find his clothing. Just as he¡¯d gathered his thoughts enough to wonder why there was enough light for him to see, someone pounded on the door. ¡°Wake up, Corec!¡± Kevik shouted from the other side. ¡°You¡¯re going to be late again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± he called back in a panic, after noticing the pale silver light hovering above his head. It had happened before, but he¡¯d thought he¡¯d gotten it under control. If anyone found out¡­ He concentrated and managed to dismiss the light, plunging the room back into darkness, then immediately hit his shin against the edge of the writing desk when he stood up. ¡°Bloody hell!¡± he said, grimacing in pain. He opened the door to let in some light from the hallway, finding that Kevik had already left for the morning meal. Since it would only take a few minutes to get ready, he didn¡¯t bother lighting his lamp or a candle, and just got dressed in the half light coming through the door. He could have called the light back, of course, but it was too risky. The Knights of Pallisur strictly forbade the use of magic by members of the order. Only the priests of Pallisur were allowed to use magic in town¡ªnot that many of them had been granted that gift. Corec knew enough to recognize that the silvery ball of light had to be magic, but he had no idea where it came from. He was no wizard, speaking arcane words to cast spells¡ªthe light simply appeared on its own. Wizards weren¡¯t the only people who could use magic, but other than priests, he didn¡¯t know much about any of the others. The ball of light had shown up for the first time a year earlier, and it wasn¡¯t until it had appeared for the third time that he¡¯d even been certain he was the one causing it. It had taken him two more months to learn to control it, making it appear only when he wanted¡ªwhich was almost never¡ªand disappear when he wished it to be gone. Luckily, the light usually only showed up when he was in his dark room, which he had to himself. The one time it had appeared while he was walking back from town at night, he¡¯d been alone and was able to extinguish it before anyone saw. If it was going to start appearing again, Corec knew he¡¯d have to do something before he was discovered, but what? The only idea he¡¯d had so far was to speak to a wizard, but there weren¡¯t any nearby. The followers of the war god Pallisur held sway over most of Larso, and a wizard was unlikely to set up shop where he wasn¡¯t wanted. Corec¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t help either, since they, too, followed Pallisur. He debated talking to Jesson, but his father¡¯s cousin was only rarely at the fort, and was devoted to his faith. The only suggestion he was likely to make was to leave the order. Corec sighed. When he¡¯d been given the choice between becoming a knight or a priest, learning to be a knight had sounded like fun. These days, it merely seemed like the better of two bad choices. # Shavala heard the commotion as she left her hut. She was about to return for her bow, but then realized the noise was coming from one of the trading caravans that were permitted to enter the forest. The northeast border camp received traders regularly, since they were on the closest route from the human city of Tyrsall. The eight camps marked the boundary up to which outsiders were allowed into the forest, though the rangers patrolled farther out to make sure any other human or stoneborn visitors didn¡¯t try to cut down the tershaya trees without permission. Shavala¡¯s friend Ellisan, a ranger trainee, passed her on his way to the caravan. ¡°I hear they brought extras this time,¡± he said with a grin. The traders mostly provided flour, oats, wool, and other things Terrillia couldn''t cultivate for itself in the forest. In exchange, Shavala''s people would sell silk garments, finely woven rugs, and spices that only grew among the tershaya. Sometimes the traders would bring extra trinkets and goods that weren¡¯t part of the regular shipments. Shavala followed Ellisan to the caravan, eager to see if there was anything interesting this time. He stopped to look at some human-style clothing, but Shavala thought it was too plain looking so she continued on. She found herself in front of a young trader¡¯s apprentice who¡¯d set up a small table and was laying out items. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked in trade tongue, picking up a slender metal tube. He jumped back in surprise, not having realized she was standing in front of him. Once he saw her, he stared long enough to make her uncomfortable, then shook his head and glanced down at what she held. ¡°That¡¯s a spyglass, Lady Elf,¡± he replied. She was annoyed at how the human boy addressed her, but she didn¡¯t wish to tell him her name. ¡°What is it for?¡± ¡°May I show you?¡± he asked, holding his hand out. She passed it to him. He twisted the end and pulled, and suddenly, the metal tube became three metal tubes attached together, each one smaller than the last so they could fit inside each other. ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing it back to her. ¡°If you look through the small end and point the big end away, you can see things far in the distance. It¡¯s the same as ships¡¯ captains use, but smaller so it¡¯s easier to carry.¡± She tried holding the spyglass in front of her face, but it took her a moment to realize she¡¯d need to look with one eye while closing the other. Pointing it toward her hut, she saw Lele on her roof stuffing his face with an acorn. When another squirrel came up to him, he took off running, but they moved too quickly for Shavala to track them with the tube. She didn¡¯t have much she could trade, but she asked anyway. ¡°What do you wish in exchange?¡± ¡°The price is one gold, Lady Elf, and a bargain at that. This kind of glass work is well worth it.¡± ¡°Metal coins? I have a metal coin.¡± She rummaged through the belt pouch where she kept her small valuables, and handed the trader the coin she¡¯d been saving. The young man looked at it in disappointment. ¡°That¡¯s a copper piece.¡± ¡°Is that worth more or less than gold?¡± ¡°Less. Much less. If you have four hundred of them, I can sell it to you.¡± ¡°Why would I have four hundred of them?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°I only need one.¡± The boy¡¯s mouth moved but no sound came out. ¡°I have this shiny rock, too,¡± she said, handing it to him. He looked at it, then passed both it and the coin back to her. ¡°It¡¯s very pretty, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t trade you anything for it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, setting the spyglass back on the table in disappointment. ¡°Shavala!¡± Meritia said in Elven, walking up to them. ¡°Are you torturing the traders again? Come along. It¡¯s time for lessons.¡± The druid woman looked impatient. She was Shavala¡¯s teacher, as well as leader of the camp. ¡°It¡¯s a spyglass, Meritia!¡± Shavala replied in the same language. ¡°It lets you see things far away!¡± ¡°I know what a spyglass is, girl. He¡¯s trying to take advantage of you. You can buy one in a human city for ten silver. I¡¯ve told you, don¡¯t try to trade with the humans until you learn how they work.¡± ¡°Is silver worth more or less than gold?¡± Meritia just shook her head and pointed back to Shavala¡¯s hut. ¡°Go get your bow and meet me in the western clearing.¡± Five minutes later, Shavala reached the clearing, wishing Meritia had let her investigate what the rest of the traders had brought. The caravan would be gone before the lesson was over. Lele had climbed onto Shavala¡¯s shoulder and grasped her hair for balance, chittering in her ear. Meritia was waiting for her with a quiver slung over her shoulder, holding her own bow. ¡°Why do we need bows?¡± Shavala asked. Meritia hadn¡¯t been the one teaching her archery. ¡°You¡¯ve learned what you can from the rangers, but you¡¯re not a ranger. They¡¯ve taught you the mechanics, but that¡¯s not enough. When you and Ellisan were learning together, how did you do compared to him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m as good as he is!¡± ¡°Almost, yes, but he¡¯s twice as strong as you, and so is the draw of his bow. You¡¯ll have to have a much better aim to be as effective. It would be cruel to shoot a deer and have it run and bleed out over hours because your arrow didn¡¯t penetrate deeply, yes?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shavala had never considered that. She¡¯d just been happy to keep up with Ellisan. ¡°But not all the rangers are men.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, and the women among them are some of the best archers we have, because they have to be. But like I said, you¡¯re not a ranger. You have other gifts.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Take a deep breath and center yourself. Reach out and feel the ground beneath your feet, the grass growing nearby, the squirrel on your shoulder. Lele, get off her shoulder! Go over to that tree!¡± Shavala grinned when the squirrel jumped down and ran away. This was starting to feel more like one of Meritia¡¯s lessons now. Shavala reached for the elder magic, using it to extend her senses. She could feel the area around her for about ten feet, but she could reach farther if she focused on a specific direction. ¡°What should I do now?¡± she asked. ¡°The elder magic suffuses everything,¡± Meritia said. ¡°It¡¯s stronger in the living, but you can find it in everything around us. Can you feel the dead tree in front of you? Don¡¯t try to cast a spell. Elder magic is about more than just spells.¡± Shavala focused her attention forward. She lost her sense of the area immediately around her, but she was able to feel the tree in her mind. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve got it.¡± ¡°The branch facing us, about thirty feet up. Look at it with your eyes.¡± ¡°I see it.¡± ¡°Now, close your eyes and look at it again. Can you still sense it?¡± ¡°Yes, barely. It¡¯s far away.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get better with practice. Now, open your eyes. The spot below where the branch meets the trunk. You should be able to hit that with what you¡¯ve learned from the rangers, yes?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Go ahead and try.¡± Shavala¡¯s arrow flew true, and struck just below the branch. ¡°Good,¡± Meritia said. ¡°Do you think you could do it with your eyes closed?¡± ¡°How?¡± Shavala asked, confused. The elder senses weren¡¯t the same as real sight. She could tell there was a tree somewhere ahead of her, and a branch, but with her eyes closed, she couldn¡¯t see the path the arrow would need to take. ¡°Sense your bow, the arrow, the air between you and the tree. Feel the wind on your face, and how much you¡¯ll need to adjust your aim because of it. Feel your own heartbeat, and know where you are at all times in relation to everything around you. Sense the tree, the branch, the arrow that¡¯s already up there.¡± Shavala tried to reach out and feel all those things at once, but everything went blurry. She opened her eyes, then had to sit down on a large rock before she fell. ¡°It was too much at once,¡± she said. ¡°I can feel the tree, or the bow, or myself, but not all at the same time.¡± ¡°All right. Focus on just the tree, then.¡± Shavala nodded, her head starting to clear. She stood and closed her eyes, setting the arrow to the string. Drawing back, she aimed for the tree, but tried to force herself to use her elder senses rather than relying on memory. After loosing the arrow, she opened her eyes to watch where it went. She¡¯d had the angle right, but that was only because she¡¯d remembered it from her first shot. The rest of her aim was off, and the arrow missed the tree completely. ¡°We¡¯ll practice more tomorrow,¡± Meritia said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to relearn everything, so you¡¯ll get worse before you get better.¡± She stood facing Shavala, and without ever glancing at the tree to the side, she aimed her bow that way, nocked an arrow, and released it. Her shot hit just below the branch, close enough to Shavala¡¯s first arrow to jostle it. ¡°For now, go retrieve the arrows, and knap new heads if they need them.¡± ¡°I used metal tips,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Then see if they need sharpening. I used obsidian, so it may need a new head.¡± ¡°Yes, Meritia.¡± Before Meritia left, she said, ¡°A hundred years from now, I expect you to be able to shoot a falling leaf out of the air while blindfolded, not knowing when or where it will fall.¡± A hundred years seemed like a very long time to Shavala. She was only a hundred and fourteen. ¡°Can you do that?¡± Shavala asked. Meritia just nodded and smiled, then walked away. Shavala would have to climb the tree to retrieve two of the arrows, so she headed in that direction. Lele joined her, always happy to climb. # ¡°Next two!¡± Armsmaster Javin shouted at the trainees. Corec looked at Barat and shrugged. Barat nodded and picked up his shield from where it was leaning against a bench. The two boys went to the sparring circle, lowered their face guards, and drew their swords. More and more, Corec had found himself drawn to using a greatsword Jesson had given him, rather than the sword-and-shield style favored by the knights. A shield kept a soldier alive in battle, but he couldn¡¯t get over his awkwardness trying to use one. The greatsword let him use his entire body to power his blows, and by using both hands, he could swing it a bit faster than someone trying to control an arming sword with one hand. With the greater speed and reach it provided, he could block or prevent most strikes. His plate armor could absorb the rest¡ªas long as he didn¡¯t let them hit a joint or a gap. For his first five years at Hightower, all of the weapons training was done with wooden practice swords, but as the trainees got older, they were sometimes asked to spar with real weapons so they could feel the difference. Javin warned them not to use their full strength, but accidents happened. Kevik had been stabbed through the gut three months earlier, but one of the priests visiting the fort at the time had healing magic and was able to save him. The trainees practiced for an hour or two each day, and after six years, Corec was pretty sure he could handle himself in an actual fight if one ever happened. The rest of their time was spent doing chores and sitting in classes. Some of the classes were similar to what the tutors had taught back home, and he found that he was still expected to study literature, mathematics, and courtly graces. Other classes were different. Instead of farming techniques, they learned military history, tactics, and logistics. If the kingdom ever found itself in another war, the knights would be responsible for leading and managing the army, the conscripts, and the noble families¡¯ guardsmen. Other than his chagrin when he discovered he hadn¡¯t managed to escape mathematics after all, Corec didn¡¯t mind the classes. They weren¡¯t difficult, and it gave him something to do. He liked weapons training the best, though, and grinned behind his helmet when Javin gave the order to begin. The two boys spent ten minutes trying to spar, but Javin kept interrupting them to have them repeat moves they¡¯d just made or try different ones. He finally let them loose to spar on their own, but by then, Corec¡¯s head had started feeling fuzzy, and he wondered if he was coming down with something. As the bout began, Corec realized Barat¡¯s training at Northtower must have been good, and the two found themselves equally matched. At one point, Barat got in a good shot that bounced off Corec¡¯s cuirass, and Corec felt something¡­shift in his mind. He stumbled, and found himself down on one knee. ¡°Is all right?¡± Barat asked, stopping his advance. ¡°I do not hit too hard?¡± ¡°Keep going!¡± Javin shouted. ¡°You¡¯re in the middle of a fight. You don¡¯t stop and talk to the enemy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± Corec got to his feet and shook his head, trying to clear the fuzzy feeling. ¡°Let¡¯s start again.¡± They continued the match. Barat was good with his shield, able to move it fluidly in a way Corec had never mastered, blocking any strike sent his way. He was also stronger than Corec had expected, so Corec decided the way to win was to wear out his friend¡¯s shield arm. He was attempting to do that when Barat blocked up and left, and tried a tentative stab from the right while Corec''s sword was occupied. Corec stepped back to avoid the hit but tripped over something, landing on his ass. Barat stepped forward to end the match, thrusting his sword lightly toward Corec¡¯s cuirass. Corec knew the sword wouldn¡¯t hurt him, but something inside his mind didn¡¯t. A shimmering barrier formed, curved around where he was sitting. Barat¡¯s sword bounced off the barrier and he dropped it, shaking his wrist. The barrier disappeared and Corec felt the fuzziness in his mind fade as something shifted back to normal. Activity in the practice yard came to a halt. ¡°What in Pallisur¡¯s name was that?¡± Javin asked. # Mother Ola looked up from her desk at the sound of the knock. Her assistant, Sister Verla, was standing in the doorway. ¡°Treya is here as you requested, Mother.¡± ¡°Thank you, Verla. Send her in and close the door, please.¡± The girl in question was ushered into the office, and Ola pointed her to one of the chairs facing the desk. Treya was young, but it had been clear for years that she would be a great beauty when she grew up, with her delicate features, pale blonde hair, and startlingly blue eyes. ¡°Treya, child, how are you today?¡± ¡°I am well, Mother. Thank you for asking.¡± An uninformative response, but at least the girl had taken her etiquette lessons to heart. ¡°Your teachers tell me you are doing well,¡± Ola said. ¡°How are you finding your classes?¡± ¡°I enjoy them, Mother. Well, most of them. I especially like learning about history.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad things are going well for you. I¡¯m sorry about the unpleasantness when we first brought you to Tyrsall.¡± The child closed her mouth in a tight line and didn¡¯t speak, apparently still angry about being transferred away from her friends at her first orphanage. Ola tried a different tact. ¡°I know you wished to remain in Four Roads, but Tyrsall is the largest chapter house of the Three Orders. Men of true wealth simply won¡¯t travel to Four Roads when they¡¯re looking for a concubine. Once you join the order, you¡¯ll see that Tyrsall was the right choice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to join the concubines,¡± the girl said matter-of-factly. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to join the concubines. I¡¯m going to join the mystics.¡± ¡°The¡­mystics? Child, whatever for?¡± Ola couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Every indication as Treya grew up had suggested she¡¯d be perfect as a concubine. ¡°I want to learn how to fight.¡± ¡°Fight?¡± Ola asked faintly. She came from the Order of Scholars herself, and had never been interested in any sort of physical activity. ¡°Yes. My parents were farmers, and they were killed by bandits. I will learn to fight, so I¡¯ll never be helpless. Four Roads didn¡¯t have any teachers from the Order of Mystics, but Tyrsall does. Sister Kelis has agreed to take me on as her student.¡± ¡°Child, I don¡¯t think you understand what you¡¯re asking for. The mystics¡¯ training is very difficult. You would be a natural as a concubine! You¡¯d have your choice of men across the top families in the city. You know how important the concubines are in keeping the peace.¡± ¡°All the orders do that,¡± Treya pointed out. ¡°I will join the mystics.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Ola protested. ¡°Why not? The teachers always say we can join any order we wish, or none at all. If I can¡¯t join the mystics, then I¡¯ll leave the orphanage as soon as I come of age.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty,¡± Ola said. ¡°If you truly wish to join the Order of Mystics, that is your right. I was simply expressing that I believe you¡¯ll come to regret it.¡± The mystic training was grueling, and Ola doubted the slender wisp of a girl would make it all the way through. Treya would be allowed to change her decision at any point up till her sixteenth birthday, after which she¡¯d be considered too old to begin concubine training and would have to make another choice. Ola would rather have the girl among the mystics than have her leave the Three Orders entirely, but when had she grown such a backbone? Ola decided to re-read the letters she¡¯d received from Mother Yewen at Four Roads. Had she misunderstood Yewen¡¯s hints about the child? Had her own staff simply believed that any attractive girl would choose the concubines? There had clearly been a breakdown in communication somewhere. # Corec finished packing his clothing, then took stock of the situation. He had his horse, his armor, and his sword, and had saved a fair bit of the allowance his father had been sending him. He¡¯d need to buy food and travel supplies, and then figure out a way to pack it all into Max¡¯s saddlebags. All in all, things weren¡¯t as bad as they could have been. At least he wasn¡¯t locked in a cell anymore, as he had been for the first two days after the incident. Jesson burst into his room. ¡°What the hell is going on? I just got back into town, and everyone¡¯s saying you¡¯ve been kicked out of the order for practicing dark magic!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not dark magic! I tried to tell the tribunal that, but they wouldn¡¯t listen. It¡¯s not like I wanted to do it.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t ask for it, and I don¡¯t know how to stop it. It just makes light when it¡¯s dark, and it blocked a sword from hitting me while I was sparring. That¡¯s all!¡± ¡°Knights of Pallisur aren¡¯t allowed to use magic!¡± Jesson said, stating the obvious. Corec pointed to his packed bags. ¡°No,¡± Jesson said, ¡°I mean the rule is that you can¡¯t use magic. As long as you pledge to not do it again, they should allow you to stay. We just need a real tribunal.¡± ¡°What do you mean, a real tribunal?¡± ¡°You know as well as anyone that there are priests, and then there are priests. Javin told me the names on the tribunal¡ªnot one of them is blessed by Pallisur. Tibon and his lot are all administrators and sycophants. We need a new tribunal headed up by a real priest. You¡¯ll make your pledge to them, and then you can stay.¡± ¡°What, and have the rest of the priests hate me for as long as I¡¯m here?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Besides, none of the blessed are in town, and I told you, I can¡¯t stop the magic, so the pledge would be a lie.¡± He¡¯d made his peace with leaving, and didn¡¯t want to draw things out. ¡°Have you tried stopping?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jesson sighed. ¡°Are you going home, then?¡± ¡°For a visit, but Father follows the same rules as the order, so I¡¯m not going to stay.¡± In truth, he wasn¡¯t planning to return home at all, not wanting to deal with his father¡¯s disappointment, but he didn¡¯t want to argue with Jesson about it. In any case, the trip home through the mountains was unpleasant in the winter, and he¡¯d just been there a month earlier for the Midwinter celebrations. Visiting his family could wait. ¡°What are you planning to do after that?¡± Jesson asked. ¡°East, I think, away from Larso. The free lands, or maybe farther. I can find work as a guardsman or something.¡± ¡°Talk to your father first. He may have some ideas. The coastal cities don¡¯t look to Pallisur much. You could go there rather than leaving the kingdom.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Jesson said, eyeing the bags, ¡°it looks like you¡¯re leaving now?¡± ¡°The tribunal wants me gone by sundown.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out of town. And if you¡¯re interested, on my last trip, I ended up with an extra pack mule I don¡¯t need. I haven¡¯t figured out a name for him yet, though.¡± Book 1: Chapter Eight Present day¡­ ¡°Thank you for allowing us to camp out here,¡± Corec said to the farmer as he handed over five copper coins, on top of the two silver he¡¯d given the man the night before for additional supplies. With the pack mule to carry everything, and by supplementing their meals with what they could find or catch along the way, they¡¯d have enough food to get to the elven border camp and then back to the West Road before needing to buy more. After saying their farewells, Corec and his companions returned to the rough trade road and continued southwest toward the forest. The farmer had said it was another hundred twenty miles away, which Corec figured would take four days,given the condition of the road. If they met up with a caravan, it would take longer but would be worth it¡ªthe elves allowed traders and the occasional hunter, but Corec wasn''t surehow welcoming they were outside of that. He was in front, leading Dot. Katrin and Bobo were behind him, walking next to each other so they could talk. Bobo had offered to lead the pack mule. At one point, Katrin said to Bobo, ¡°Why did you decide to visit the hillfolk, anyway?¡± ¡°Well, as I said, I¡¯m a seeker of knowledge. The hillfolk have been settled in one place for longer than almost anyone, except for the elves I suppose, and maybe the eastern cities. I hoped to find some wisdom among them.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± Bobo sighed. ¡°It was a great disappointment, I¡¯m afraid. Small towns and farming villages full of the superstitious and the ignorant. If I wasn¡¯t a priest of the Fox, I suspect they would have run me off sooner.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t a priest,¡± Corec reminded him, calling back over his shoulder. ¡°Seeing as how they still follow the old gods, I¡¯ll let them decide who is and who isn¡¯t,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I imagine I¡¯m as legitimate as any of the others wandering the hills. I certainly did the work of one.¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°Just keep it quiet when we get back to the West Road, will you? We¡¯re still close enough to Tyrsall to fall under its rule, and there are laws about pretending to be a priest. Maybe the villagers won¡¯t catch on, but somebody will.¡± ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Bobo said. ¡°If you didn¡¯t find what you were looking for, why did you stay for so long?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I wanted to keep looking. There are records of old civilizations, you see, and we don¡¯t know where all of them were located. I was hoping to see, perhaps, some old ruins¡ªsomething to suggest that the hill people weren¡¯t always backwoods farmers. But, alas, nothing.¡± ¡°Why not go back west? You¡¯re from Matagor, right?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯ve already been west. I decided it was time to see something new. I have a question for you, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Katrin said. ¡°How ever did you get your tattoo to glow so brilliantly? Is it the ink? There are a lot of people who would pay a lot of money for markings like that. Is it common out this way?¡± Corec stopped walking and turned back to watch. Katrin had stumbled to a halt, briefly covering the rune on her forehead with her hand before looking down in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s not a tattoo,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a tattoo. I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what it is? Then how did you get it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°They just appeared.¡± She pointed at Corec. ¡°He¡¯s got one, too!¡± Bobo looked at Corec¡¯s forehead with raised eyebrows. Corec tapped his right arm. ¡°They showed up a few days ago. Some sort of magic, but we don¡¯t know what caused it. We¡¯re going to ask the elves, to see if they have any ideas.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± Bobo said. ¡°You must let me study them. Perhaps I can help!¡± Katrin gave him a sour look. Corec shrugged. ¡°When we stop for the night, I can show you mine. It looks the same as hers; just the location is different.¡± Bobo nodded. ¡°And they appeared out of nowhere?¡± ¡°No, it¡­¡± Corec paused, then looked at Katrin. ¡°That night at the inn, you said your forehead itched. Did it?¡± ¡°Yes! And you wouldn¡¯t let me¡­¡± She blushed and stopped speaking. ¡°My arm was itching in the spot where the rune appeared. It stopped after it showed up. Maybe for a week? A week and a half? What about you?¡± She stared at him for a long moment before speaking. ¡°At least a week. I don¡¯t know¡ªI wasn¡¯t really paying attention.¡± ¡°I think it may have happened in that village where I saw you play,¡± Corec said. ¡°And if it started that long ago, it might not be just us. There might be other people with these things, too.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it. Could we talk about something else?¡± ¡°Of course, my dear¡­¡± Bobo said. They continued on their way, Bobo telling Katrin tales about his time among the hillfolk, though he didn¡¯t speak much about his life before that. They¡¯d been walking for another hour when two men who¡¯d been hidden by the trees suddenly stepped out in front of them. They were unshaven and wore dirty clothing, and Corec could smell them from where he stood. The one on the left aimed a crossbow his way while the other held a curved backsword¡ªa style more commonly used by light cavalry, but it would be just as dangerous in the hands of a man on foot. A crossbow bolt wasn¡¯t likely to penetrate Corec¡¯s plate armor, but that didn¡¯t make him any less wary. Katrin and Bobo were right behind him, as was Dot, and he¡¯d taken to leaving the face guard off his helmet since it was uncomfortable. An unlucky shot could hit any of them. ¡°Well, well, Father,¡± the man with the sword said, looking at Bobo. ¡°We just wanted to talk the other day. Was it really necessary to run away? Where¡¯d you find these two?¡± ¡°Why, gentlemen, I wasn¡¯t running away,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I merely had to hurry so I could meet my friends on time. And, as you can see, I did. We can talk now if you wish.¡± At first, Corec couldn¡¯t figure out why two highwaymen would risk waylaying a man in heavy armor, but then he saw the look the swordsman gave Katrin. Realizing a fight was inevitable, he focused within himself and prepared his barrier shield trick, feeling something within his mind shift once it was in place. The barrier would only last for a few minutes at most, and would only block one or two hits before dissipating, but if he could get the crossbowman to waste his shot on it, then he could take him down before he could reload. The barrier would shimmer briefly if it was hit, but with Katrin and Bobo to the rear, maybe they wouldn¡¯t notice. He decided not to wait any longer, figuring that a cocked crossbow being pointed in his direction constituted enough of a threat. He didn¡¯t intend to let the men rob him, and he wanted to get the fight started before the barrier wore off. ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, Father,¡± the swordsman said, ¡°but it was very inconvenient having to track you down. I think we deserve something for our trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have any¡ª¡± Corec charged forward, reaching behind himself to pull the scabbard off its harness. ¡°Get behind the mules!¡± he shouted back to his companions as he drew the sword and tossed the scabbard to the side. The crossbowman was surprised by the rush. His shot went wide, not hitting the barrier at all, and he dropped the crossbow to grasp for the dagger on his belt. Corec raised his sword just before he got within reach, then slashed down diagonally. The man wasn¡¯t wearing armor and the cut went deep where his neck met his shoulder¡ªhe died almost instantly, falling with a spray of arterial blood. Corec spun to his right, swinging his arm out as the other man slashed at him. He¡¯d planned to catch the blade on his vambrace, but it hit the barrier shield instead, which shimmered and disappeared. The man stopped in shock, which gave Corec time to change his grip on his own sword. With one hand on the hilt and the other on the ricasso, he thrust forward. The highwayman dropped his weapon, but when Corec tried to pull back on his sword, the dying man staggered along with it¡ªthe blade had gotten stuck in his ribs. Corec braced himself and pushed the man off. Without the blade to support him, the bandit fell to the ground, the damage to his chest too severe for him to live. After making sure that both men were dead, Corec wiped the blood from his sword and retrieved the scabbard, then turned back to face his companions. They were both peering wide-eyed at him from behind the mules. Bobo was clutching his walking cudgel as if worried he was going to have to use it for something other than walking. Katrin was pale, and even as Corec watched, she stumbled, having to grab for Flower¡¯s saddle to remain on her feet. He hurried over and helped her sit down on a fallen log at the side of the road. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said quietly, then glanced at the bandits¡¯ bodies. She swallowed, averting her eyes. She didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the barrier shield. ¡°Well, that was bracing,¡± Bobo said. Corec just looked at him. ¡°All right, all right,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet. Actually, I think I may need to sit down, too.¡± He joined Katrin on the log and put his head in his hands. Dot had trotted off in the commotion, so Corec whistled for her to return before he walked back to the bodies. The man with the crossbow had fallen on his side, while the other had fallen forward. Corec used his foot to nudge both of them onto their backs. He still wasn¡¯t used to seeing dead bodies¡ªeven as a caravan guard, he could count the number of real fights he¡¯d been in on one hand. Staring at them now, he noticed a resemblance between the two men. ¡°I think these are the Herman brothers,¡± he said, wishing he¡¯d looked more carefully at the poster. ¡°Who?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°When I was in Tyrsall, looking at bounties, they were on the board. Bandits and murderers.¡± ¡°How much are they worth?¡± Bobo asked, looking up. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention,¡± Corec said, ¡°but for murderers, I think it¡¯s usually five gold each. And I assume they don¡¯t have to be taken in alive.¡± Ten gold coins was a lot of money. ¡°Are you going to claim it?¡± Bobo asked. Corec looked down at the bodies, considering it. ¡°I¡¯d have to get them to Tyrsall, and we¡¯re going in the opposite direction. It¡¯ll be at least three weeks until I¡¯m back there. Even if I head that way now, it¡¯s a week away, and I¡¯m not going to drag two dead bodies around for that long.¡± ¡°I think you only need to take their heads,¡± Bobo said. ¡°That¡¯s how they do it in Matagor, anyway.¡± Corec shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to do that, either. I don¡¯t know why I thought I was cut out for this bounty hunting business.¡± ¡°Maybe you were just greedy,¡± Katrin said bitterly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it,¡± he said, meeting her gaze. She turned away, looking uncomfortable. He still wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d come after her¡ªit wasn¡¯t like him to be that impetuous. He¡¯d found her attractive and had wanted to talk to her, but he hadn¡¯t thought about what would happen after he¡¯d caught her. Bobo glanced at them curiously, but didn¡¯t ask what they were talking about. Facing him, Corec said, ¡°If you want the heads, you¡¯re welcome to them. You can take enough food to get you back to the city, and ten gold should let you do whatever you were planning to do.¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s quite all right,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you to the forest. I¡¯ve always wanted to see Terrillia.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t let us see Terrillia,¡± Corec reminded him. ¡°Just the border camps. Let me see what these fellows have, then you can help me bury them.¡± He searched the men for their coin pouches, finding a mix of silver and copper that totaled over two gold coins between them. That would be enough to pay for Katrin¡¯s mule and the food and supplies he¡¯d purchased, so he took it for himself. The sword was worthless, but the crossbow was in good shape, and the same man had a decent-looking dagger with an eight-inch blade. Corec took the dagger over to Katrin. ¡°Here. If we¡¯re going to be dealing with bandits, I¡¯d feel more comfortable if you carried a weapon of some sort.¡± She took it from him and looked down at her dress, which didn¡¯t have a belt. It did, however, have small, decorative laces at each hip, used for tightening the dress around her waist. She untied the bow on her left side and strung the laces through the scabbard¡¯s belt loop, tying it again tightly. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s twice you¡¯ve thanked me in five minutes,¡± he murmured so Bobo couldn¡¯t overhear. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯re going to forget you hate me.¡± She tried to glare at him, but there was a ghost of a smile on her face. ¡°We can probably sell the crossbow back at the village,¡± he said, ¡°unless either of you know how to use it.¡± Katrin shook her head. ¡°I understand the principle,¡± Bobo said, ¡°but I¡¯ve never tried.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°I could teach you if you¡¯d like.¡± Corec had learned to use one during his time at Fort Hightower, but he didn¡¯t like to carry the cumbersome weapon himself. He¡¯d never been in the position of ambushing someone else, and as the person defending against ambushes, he didn¡¯t want to waste time cocking a crossbow. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could bring myself to shoot someone,¡± Bobo said. Corec sighed. Apparently the man wouldn¡¯t be of any more use in future fights than he¡¯d been in this one. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll sell it, then. Go grab the camp shovel off the pack mule and let¡¯s see about burying these two.¡± While Bobo was searching the mule, Katrin asked, ¡°Is ten gold enough to pay my penalty, so I wouldn¡¯t have to go to prison?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask them, but I¡¯m sure it is, unless you stole a lot more than you let on. Why? Do you want to carry the heads back to Tyrsall?¡± She shivered. ¡°No. I was just curious. And anyway, we need to go see the elves.¡± # Two days later, early in the evening, they came across a trading caravan setting up camp in a large, clear area on one side of the road. There were ten cargo wagons laid out in a wide circle. At the rear of one, two men had set up an awning and were unloading cooking supplies. The camp was busier than Katrin had expected, with several guards standing around the edges while drivers were setting up picket lines for the mules. She realized this was the caravan Corec had been looking for, so she was tempted to put on her cloak and hood to hide her mark, but it was too hot. Hopefully nobody would pay any attention to her. She followed Corec to the edge of the camp. Flower walked up to stand next to her, so she scratched the mule''s neck while Bobo drew even with them. Beyond the camp, far in the distance, Katrin saw a massive pine tree poking above all the others. It must have been three times the height of the tallest trees near it. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, pointing. ¡°Elf tree,¡± Corec said. ¡°That¡¯s just one by itself, but wait until we get to the forest and you¡¯re surrounded by them. I told you you¡¯d know it when you saw it.¡± ¡°Elf tree?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not what they call them,¡± Corec said, ¡°but I don¡¯t remember their word for it.¡± ¡°Tershaya,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I saw a few when I visited Terevas, but they were just single trees like this one. I can¡¯t imagine what an entire forest of them would look like.¡± ¡°Corec? Heyo!¡± a thick, bearded man said as he came up to them. He wore brigandine armor and carried a shield, and had a sword on his belt. ¡°Company send you out after us?¡± ¡°Hey, Melos,¡± Corec said, his speech falling into a drawl that matched the guard¡¯s. ¡°No, I was just heading this way myself. You¡¯ve got a small caravan this time.¡± ¡°Always small this time of year. Shipments to Terril will get bigger after the harvest. We¡¯re just carrying iron ingots.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s master for this run?¡± ¡°Lors. He¡¯s taken it over regular.¡± ¡°Oh, good. I know him. Mind if we come on through?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Melos stood aside, letting them pass. Katrin and Bobo followed Corec through a gap between wagons, still leading their animals, then waited while he sought out a man dressed in nicer clothing than the rest, with gray hair and a mustache. Katrin listened while they spoke. ¡°Lors,¡± Corec said. ¡°I know you,¡± the man said. ¡°A couple years back, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Name¡¯s Corec. We made the Terril run, then a few months later I substituted for one of the regulars to High Cove.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t do High Cove anymore, though. So what are you doing out here? They got you on messenger duty now?¡± ¡°Messenger duty, but not for Senshall. Someone had something they wanted brought out to the elves. I was heading this direction anyway, so I took the job. You mind if we keep you company on the way in? We brought our own food, and I¡¯m willing to stand a watch.¡± ¡°The boys would appreciate that,¡± Lors said. ¡°The company¡¯s cut us back to four men for the smaller Terril runs. They say there haven¡¯t been any problems out this way in years.¡± ¡°We ran into a couple of bandits just two days ago,¡± Corec said. ¡°They won¡¯t be a problem anymore.¡± ¡°Good to know. I¡¯ll tell the bosses.¡± Lors nodded toward Katrin and Bobo. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen your friends before.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t cause any problems, and the girl¡¯s a bard. Free music tonight if you want it.¡± Katrin¡¯s eyes went wide. She hadn¡¯t performed by herself since leaving Circle Bay, and those had always been very small groups. There must have been twenty-five people in the camp, and for groups that large, she¡¯d always worked with Felix. She wished Corec hadn¡¯t said anything. Lors looked her over more carefully, so she smiled and tried to appear confident. ¡°Music, eh? I could go for that. What¡¯s that on her head, though?¡± She flushed in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s a tattoo,¡± Corec said. ¡°A special kind of ink.¡± Apparently he¡¯d decided that Bobo¡¯s suggestion was the best way of passing off her mark. She would have been mad, except she hadn¡¯t had any better ideas herself. Lors nodded. ¡°And you¡¯ll make sure there¡¯s no trouble?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see to it,¡± Corec said. ¡°By the way, I hear you¡¯re carrying a load of iron? Anything besides that? I¡¯d like to bring a gift for the elves, since I¡¯m not part of the caravan.¡± ¡°A few of the boys brought extras¡ªcheck with them.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Corec said, then returned to Katrin and Bobo. As Lors walked away, Katrin hissed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me before saying I¡¯d play tonight?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem? I wanted to make sure he¡¯d let us stay. Maybe a few of them will even tip you, so I don¡¯t have to keep buying everything you need.¡± She glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m not used to performing alone.¡± ¡°You did fine that night at the inn while your uncle was working the crowd.¡± ¡°That was just a couple of songs!¡± ¡°These folks will be happy with whatever you want to do. They don¡¯t get a lot of chances to hear music. You don¡¯t have anything to worry about¡ªyou¡¯ve got a nice voice and you play well.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d liked her performance. ¡°All right, I suppose.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t offer my services?¡± Bobo said. Corec shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still not entirely sure what those services are, and you don¡¯t want to go around pretending to be a priest with this lot.¡± ¡°Very well. Perhaps I¡¯ll try to forage for some herbs this evening, then. What was that about making sure there won¡¯t be any trouble?¡± ¡°Katrin¡¯s the only woman in camp,¡± Corec said. ¡°It should be fine, but you and I need to make sure she doesn¡¯t go anywhere alone, in case one of the boys tries to make trouble.¡± Surprised, Katrin looked around the camp again. She hadn¡¯t realized until then that every person she¡¯d seen was a man. Corec had proven himself able to handle the bandits, but she hated having to depend on him for protection. There wasn¡¯t much she could do about it, though, so she just said, ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set ourselves up a little bit outside the circle,¡± Corec said. ¡°After we eat, I need to see what extras the traders brought, and then we¡¯ll see if Lors wants you to perform tonight.¡± # Two hours later, Katrin and Corec were looking over the wares the traders had brought, while Bobo was off searching for whatever he could find in the woods. After three days, Katrin didn¡¯t mind having a break from his constant talking. ¡°What about this?¡± she asked, holding up a little brass bird. Corec examined it. ¡°It¡¯s pretty, but the elves¡¯ ornamental work is usually better than ours. Someone there may buy it, but I¡¯m not sure it would be a good choice for a gift.¡± ¡°Well, what, then? There¡¯s not a lot of choice.¡± ¡°The dried peppers, I suppose.¡± He turned to the trader who was standing nearby. ¡°How much for the bag? And are these the only peppers you brought for this trip?¡± ¡°Seven silver, and yes, these are all I brought.¡± Corec winced at the price. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three.¡± They eventually settled on five, and the trader handed over the bag. As Katrin and Corec walked away, she said, ¡°Peppers? Really?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re expensive for what they are, but not so much I can¡¯t afford them. The elves can¡¯t grow them in the forest, and it¡¯s not something they get regular shipments of.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Katrin admitted. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really know if it¡¯s a good idea or not,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure if the gifts are a requirement or just a tradition. I¡¯ve only been there a few times, and I haven¡¯t run into many elves outside the forest.¡± Katrin liked that he was willing to admit that. ¡°But you think we need a gift?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, whether we do or not, the wood elves don¡¯t usually use money except when dealing with human merchants. They¡¯re more likely to barter for what they need. If we¡¯re asking for information, or for help in getting rid of the runes, I think we should offer something in return.¡± She nodded. Lors waved them over from where he stood watching over the activity in the camp. When they reached him, he said, ¡°Miss, are you willing to play for us now?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Corec said, ¡°I should have introduced you. Lors, this is Katrin, the bard.¡± ¡°Miss Katrin, then,¡± Lors said. ¡°I¡¯ll go get my instruments.¡± She¡¯d need to tune the harp before starting. She felt guilty¡ªthis would be the first time she¡¯d played since Felix had left. She should have been practicing every day, but she hadn¡¯t wanted to play in front of Corec after he¡¯d betrayed her. Over the last few days, though, her anger had begun to fade. The two of them were stuck in the same situation with the runes, and there was no way she could have dealt with the bandits on her own. Perhaps it was time to put the past behind her¡ªnot that she necessarily needed to tell him that. Fifteen minutes later, she was ready. Lors had set up a stool for her in the center of the large camp, and she waited with him as he called people over. ¡°Everyone, gather around!¡± Lors shouted. ¡°We¡¯ve got guests tonight. One of them, Miss Katrin here, is an actual bard. She¡¯s going to play for us, so don¡¯t go making asses of yourselves!¡± Well, it wasn¡¯t the worst introduction she¡¯d ever gotten. As people drew close, they glanced curiously at the mark on her forehead. The story that Corec and Bobo had been using¡ªthat it was a tattoo with some special ink that made it glow¡ªseemed to be working, but she still didn¡¯t like how everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to it. When she and Felix played to an audience, Felix usually did the talking, so she skipped that part, took a seat on the stool, and jumped right into her first song¡ªa flute rendition of a playful, lively tune. The men chose to sing along, but the lyrics they used were a version she hadn¡¯t heard before, about a city girl who went for a walk in the country and lost her dress, then managed to lose the rest of her clothes while searching for it. Katrin felt herself blush while she played, but, thankfully, the song was short. She switched to her harp next and sang a love ballad. She hadn¡¯t used her bardic skills¡ªsuch as they were¡ªon the first song, since it was harder to do when she wasn¡¯t singing. She used those skills now, though, to push the emotions of yearning and desire onto her audience¡­though not too much desire, since she didn¡¯t want them getting any ideas. Trained bards could do much more. They could make people see the actual songs take place in their heads. On the few occasions she¡¯d had the opportunity to listen to real bards, she¡¯d seen visions of heroic kings, glorious battles, and couples finding true love. In Circle Bay, she¡¯d once snuck into a concert given by a master bard who performed songs about music itself. With just a flute, he¡¯d been able to make the audience see and hear an entire orchestra and choir. It must be some sort of magic, though she¡¯d never heard anyone refer to it that way. The bardic school in Circle Bay had refused to take her on as a student, just as the one in Tyrsall had, so she¡¯d never been able to learn more about it. She¡¯d looked for the master bard after his performance, to ask him to teach her, but he¡¯d left the building by a different door and left the city soon after. If her bardic skills really were magic, could they have something to do with the glowing mark on her forehead? She¡¯d never heard of anything like that, and it didn¡¯t explain why Corec had one too, but she had to at least consider the possibility. It would be embarrassing to discover she¡¯d been the one responsible all along, and she silently hoped that wasn¡¯t the case. She pushed a little hope into the song at an appropriate spot, even though that wasn¡¯t usually part of the performance. When she noticed Corec watching from the crowd, she grew self-conscious and decided not to sing any more love songs. Plus, while the all-male audience was listening politely, they didn¡¯t seem particularly interested, even with the extra heft from her bardic abilities. She decided she needed to change things up¡ªfor her next song, she sang a little ditty about Arodisis, the goddess of love and beauty, foiling Fox¡¯s plans to spy on her as she bathed. That one got the audience laughing and charged up, and Katrin began to feel the familiar exhilaration of performing in front of a crowd. She decided to avoid any sad songs, so her next choice was a battle hymn. It wasn¡¯t really appropriate for her voice, but she managed to pull it off, partly due to her bardic talent. Even though she hadn¡¯t practiced in several days, it came to her more easily than it had in the past. While she played, Corec walked up and dropped a copper coin in her harp case, which prompted Lors and a couple of the other men to do so as well. She wouldn¡¯t make much from this group, she knew, but it would be nice to have some money of her own. As she sang, she was already picking out other songs she could perform by herself, enjoying the chance to make her own choices rather than following her uncle¡¯s. # Ellerie di¡¯Valla sat at a table in the dingy inn, staring at her mother¡¯s spy. He¡¯d dyed his silver hair black and wore it over his ears to fit in better with the humans, though no one who¡¯d seen an elf before would mistake his face if they got a good glimpse. She didn¡¯t bother to hide her own nature¡ªher hair was tied back behind her ears, and she wore the true color openly. ¡°Well?¡± she said. ¡°You found me. Again.¡± ¡°You have duties in Terevas, Exalted,¡± he said. ¡°Terevas is a prison. I don¡¯t have duties¡ªthe High Council merely wishes to find someone they can manipulate better than they can my mother.¡± ¡°Exalted, please, I must ask that you return home. The queen is very ill.¡± ¡°She¡¯s been pretending to be ill for five years now. She likes the look on her enemies¡¯ faces when they realize her mind is as sharp as ever.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not pretending. She hasn¡¯t been able to attend Council meetings for the past two months.¡± Ellerie winced, though she tried to hide it. Without her mother to guide them, the councilors would never be able to agree on anything. But she couldn¡¯t return to that life¡ªshe despised everything about it. And even if her mother wasn¡¯t well, Ellerie had no desire to visit the manipulative, vindictive woman. ¡°Send Vilisa in her place,¡± she suggested. ¡°She¡¯s good at that sort of thing, and Mother can provide guidance behind the scenes.¡± ¡°Your sister¡¯s only a hundred and three. She¡¯s still eight years from reaching majority.¡± ¡°So? She¡¯s the heir. She can be appointed no matter her age.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the heir!¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, and I¡¯ve told Mother, I¡¯ve abdicated. I¡¯m no longer in the line of succession.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t abdicate!¡± ¡°Well, I did,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And you know very well that Vilisa is a better choice. She likes all that nonsense, and she¡¯s smarter than Mother. Just teach her to fake having a backbone until she can grow a real one.¡± ¡°You must return!¡± the man said, pushing his chair back as he stood to loom over her. ¡°Or what?¡± she asked. ¡°Are you going to drag me back to Terevas in chains?¡± There was no mistaking the look of anger that crossed his face, but he was not allowed to act against her in any way¡ªhe could only cajole her. Even if he took her abdication seriously, she was still a daughter of the di¡¯Valla dynasty. Still, Ellerie touched the comforting weight of her rapier¡¯s scabbard, just to remind herself it was there if she needed it. Composing himself, the man gave a formal bow. ¡°Exalted, with your permission, I will take my leave.¡± She nodded in acceptance and waited until he was gone, then stood and walked to the other side of the room, joining her stoneborn companion. ¡°He¡¯s persistent, that one,¡± the dwarf said. ¡°I thought I might have to go whack him over the head.¡± ¡°I can defend myself, Boktar.¡± ¡°With what? That little sewing needle you call a sword? I wish you¡¯d wear some bloody armor.¡± ¡°How many times must I tell you? Too much metal interferes with my spells.¡± ¡°Then at least wear a gambeson, Elle.¡± She shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± She preferred to have more freedom of movement, though it was true that when they ran into trouble, it meant it was usually Boktar that took the brunt of the fight. ¡°Who is that fellow, anyway?¡± he asked. ¡°This is the third time he¡¯s shown up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know his real name¡ªhe¡¯s used so many. He¡¯s the man my mother sends to do her dirty work.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to go back? Being a princess sounds like fun.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not returning. Trust me, Terevas will be better off if I¡¯m not around. Slightly better, anyway; it¡¯s still a cesspool. I feel bad about throwing my sister to the vipers, but she can handle it better than I.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°So, we¡¯re really going to do this, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s taken us two years to translate the book after that librarian disappeared. I¡¯m not going to stop now. Besides, I want to get out of Matagor. It¡¯s too close to home.¡± ¡°You still think the librarian went after the treasure himself? He¡¯d have a big head start.¡± Ellerie shrugged. ¡°Maybe. It depends on whether he was able to get more out of the book than we did. I never told him about the amulet.¡± Their first translator had disappeared just as he¡¯d claimed to be getting close to something, so Ellerie had changed the translation process to make it more cumbersome. She¡¯d broken up the work across several different people and never told them what she was looking for. The book was large, with small print, and the project had taken longer than she¡¯d expected. It hadn¡¯t been helped by realizing¡ªonly after translating the entire book¡ªthat most of it was worthless. The delay could have been avoided if she¡¯d just told the translators what to look for, but that¡¯s how the problem with the librarian had started. The task was complete now, and she had the information she needed, but she was still frustrated by how long it had taken. ¡°So, if the amulet provides the starting point, then he¡¯s just looking around blindly?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°He may have thought that¡¯s all we had, and he may have had some guesses about the starting point that he didn¡¯t share with us. Besides, we¡¯ll be looking blindly, too. I haven¡¯t been able to match the markings on the amulet to any recognizable mountain ranges yet.¡± Boktar shook his head. ¡°Then we¡¯re going to spend the next year or two looking for mountains? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stick with bodyguard work? It¡¯s good, steady pay, and you told me yourself, even if there was treasure once, it¡¯s probably long gone.¡± ¡°If I have to break up one more fight between the duke¡¯s daughters, I might forget I¡¯m their bodyguard and kill them myself. I¡¯ll pay you the same as the duke¡¯s been paying you¡ªthe first time Mother sent her spy, she sent along a pouch of gold. I used that to pay the translators, so I still have some of my own pay.¡± The treasure wasn¡¯t important to Ellerie, but she didn¡¯t think Boktar would believe her if she told him that. She wanted to find whatever the book led to because, for once in her life, she wanted to accomplish something important. Of course, if there was any treasure, it would help ensure she never had to return to Terevas. Boktar said, ¡°How long is your money going to last, though, when we don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going?¡± ¡°We can take jobs along the way. Being a caravan guard doesn¡¯t pay as much as the duke, but it¡¯s something. I¡¯ll make up the difference if you want.¡± ¡°No,¡± Boktar said. ¡°If we¡¯re going on this wild goose chase, let¡¯s stretch your money out as far as we can.¡± He picked up his shield and patted the warhammer on his belt. ¡°Come on, kid, let¡¯s go tell the duke we¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Kid?¡± she complained, following him. ¡°I¡¯m older than you.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s a matter of interpretation.¡± Book 1: Chapter Nine Two years earlier¡­ Shavala laughed as Lele took the pine nut she¡¯d given him and buried it in the ground. ¡°You¡¯re not going to find it here, silly,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re four days away from the outpost.¡± He ignored her as he finished covering it back up. Then he came back and waited, staring at her expectantly, so she pulled another of the nuts from the pocket of the human-style coat she wore against the autumn chill. This time, he cracked the nut open and ate it. Meritia returned from her exploration, holding a cloth wrap full of mushrooms. ¡°I think this is a good spot for tonight. There¡¯s no sign of hunters and plenty of plants and herbs to harvest. There aren¡¯t any streams nearby, though.¡± The other woman was never bothered by the cold, and wore only her thin tunic and leggings. They were traveling outside the border zone, which meant visitors were allowed in to hunt or forage, but Meritia had been trying to avoid outsiders so Shavala could focus on her training and the harvest. They¡¯d made a dozen trips like this as the weather grew colder, and this was to be the last one. ¡°When will we be returning?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Tomorrow¡­but if you wish, it¡¯s a straight line to Terrillia from here. It would be faster to head to the city directly than to return to the camp first.¡± ¡°Must I return? My studies are going so well.¡± ¡°And they will continue going well whether you are here or there. Surely you wish to visit your family?¡± Shavala¡¯s parents had asked her to come home for the winter since she hadn¡¯t returned since spring, and that had only been a brief stop. ¡°I suppose.¡± In truth, her parents¡ªher father a painter and her mother a weaver¡ªwere still disappointed she hadn¡¯t followed in their footsteps. The elder magic hadn¡¯t given her much of a choice in the matter, but they didn¡¯t see it that way, so the visits were always uncomfortable. It would be nice to see her older brother and his wife, though, and meet their new baby. ¡°In any case,¡± Meritia said, ¡°you certainly know enough to practice on your own, and there are other druids in the city. It may be useful for you to seek out a different perspective.¡± ¡°But what about Lele?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re just making excuses. Lele will come back to the camp with me. He can amuse himself just fine on his own.¡± Shavala nodded, accepting the inevitable. Plus, it might be interesting to speak to some of the other druids. She¡¯d chosen Meritia as her teacher simply because the woman lived outside the city, but each of the druids had their own skills. The last time she¡¯d been home, old Arvillin had promised to teach her how to work with fire. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning, then. If there are no streams nearby, would you like me to call up water?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Meritia said, ¡°but I want to do something different this time. Come sit with me.¡± Meritia sat cross-legged on the ground and Shavala joined her, folding the bottom of her long coat under her. ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°You¡¯re very good at calling water from underground streams, and there are plenty around here,¡± Meritia said. ¡°However, that isn¡¯t always the case. When you need to, you can call water from the soil itself.¡± ¡°How?¡± There was moisture in the ground, certainly, but how could she call water when there was just damp soil? ¡°It takes longer, and you must concentrate harder, but the process is exactly the same. Go ahead and try. You¡¯ll need to reach farther, and in more places.¡± Shavala dug a little hole in the ground before her, then closed her eyes and reached out with her elder senses. There was an underground stream not far away, but Meritia would be able to tell if she used it. Instead, she tried pulling the moisture from the earth below the hole she¡¯d dug, but nothing happened. ¡°Separate it first,¡± Meritia said. ¡°As if you were purifying the water. It can¡¯t move if it¡¯s still attached to the soil.¡± Shavala added the extra step. This time, she was able to call a small trickle from the earth around her. It seeped back into the ground immediately, but now it was closer so she¡¯d be able to reach it more easily. Meritia spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s more efficient to start at a distance, and finish closer. That way you¡¯re not trying to pull water through soil that¡¯s already dry.¡± Shavala extended her senses farther out and continued her task. After twenty minutes, she was sweating and breathing heavily, but the hole she¡¯d dug was half full of water, and the ground below it was wet enough that it didn¡¯t immediately seep out. ¡°Good,¡± Meritia said. ¡°Now put it all back where you got it from.¡± Shavala looked at her in disbelief. ¡°The plants and creatures in the earth need that moisture,¡± Meritia said, ¡°so you should only call the water this way when you have no other choice. Now that you know how to do it, we¡¯ll use the underground stream instead.¡± ¡°Yes, Meritia.¡± Shavala took a deep breath and returned to her task. She found it easier to replenish the water in the soil by using the stream, rather than returning the little bit she¡¯d managed to pull. Once that was done, she called more from the stream, enough to completely fill the little hole she¡¯d dug. It would gradually drain back into the soil, but now that she¡¯d made the connection, she could renew it easily whenever they needed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t bad for your first attempt. But tell me, what would you do in a dry and barren land with no water in the soil at all?¡± ¡°Are there places like that?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Not many, but some. Certain deserts.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do,¡± Shavala admitted. She¡¯d never been outside the forest. ¡°There¡¯s always moisture in the air,¡± Meritia said. ¡°No matter how dry it seems.¡± ¡°The air? But how? It¡¯s always moving. How can you pull on it? How can you pull something out of it?¡± ¡°A complicated lesson, and one for another day, I think.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about being away for a few months,¡± Meritia said. ¡°You¡¯re coming along quickly. You¡¯ll be ready for your travels soon¡ªa few years, maybe less.¡± When her teacher deemed her worthy, it would be time for Shavala to leave the forest and go out into the world. The thought was scary but exciting at the same time. She¡¯d be able to see humans and stoneborn outside of the caravans and hunting parties they sent into the forest. Perhaps she¡¯d see some of the more exotic races, too¡ªthe seaborn, or demonborn, or one of the others. And she¡¯d get to visit the massive human cities she¡¯d heard about from others who¡¯d left the forest. ¡°Oh,¡± Meritia said, ¡°but before the time comes, remind me to teach you about human money.¡± # ¡°I don¡¯t know why you don¡¯t go to Presentation ceremonies,¡± Renny said. ¡°You¡¯ve got the body for it, and you¡¯ve taken all the same classes as the concubines, except for the secret ones.¡± Treya laughed at her roommate. ¡°They¡¯re not exactly a secret since you immediately come back and tell me all about them.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s all so¡­fascinating. I can¡¯t wait to be chosen!¡± Renny had begun concubine training four years earlier, but she hadn¡¯t actually been a resident of the orphanage before that. She was the daughter of a fisherman, but she¡¯d wanted to become something more than the wife of a fisherman. Her parents had allowed it, hoping to give her a better future. Back when Treya was still at the Four Roads chapter house, they¡¯d only accepted orphan girls, but the much larger house in Tyrsall sometimes made exceptions. That happened more often with the Order of Scholars, but Renny was pretty enough that the Order of Concubines had allowed her to join. ¡°I only took the other classes because Mother Ola insisted I have something to fall back on in case training as a mystic doesn¡¯t work out,¡± Treya said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of being matched up with some ugly old man?¡± ¡°We have right of refusal.¡± ¡°Only to a limited extent. I was in all the same lectures as you, remember? Not all the men who can afford concubines are young and attractive. You saw who picked Kirla last month. He was twenty years her senior!¡± ¡°You mean the duke¡¯s seneschal?¡± Renny asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure Kirla is just devastated that she has to live in the palace now. Besides, maybe there¡¯ll be multiple men bidding for me, and then I can choose whoever I like best!¡± Treya shook her head ruefully. She simply didn¡¯t understand the mindset of the concubine trainees, but she and Renny had had the same argument a dozen times and neither had ever managed to change the other¡¯s opinion. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll wish for the best for you,¡± Treya said. ¡°Do you know when the next Presentation will be?¡± ¡°No, but one could happen at any time. You know, if you joined the concubines, you could wear dresses instead of¡­that.¡± Treya laughed again. The mystic trainees¡ªthere were only three of them¡ªwore plain, loose-fitting tunics and pants. ¡°I like wearing this, and besides, I¡¯m four years into my studies. I¡¯m not going to switch now.¡± ¡°Oh, fah, you¡¯re no fun! And here I was, all set to help you sew a Presentation dress.¡± ¡°Sorry. Maybe next time. I¡¯d better get down to the practice yard. Sister Shana has returned to the city, so we¡¯ll probably go late today.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re going to come back all sweaty again tonight?¡± Renny asked. ¡°Oh, relax. I¡¯ll get a bath first.¡± The two girls split up to go their separate ways, and Treya left the building through the back door to look for her teachers. She found them waiting for her, but the other trainees were missing. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± she asked, without honorifics. She no longer felt the need to stand on ceremony around these two Sisters. Kelis had been her teacher for the past four years. Shana was a journeying troubleshooter who roamed between chapter houses, but Treya had known her for even longer. ¡°As of this morning, Enna has graduated,¡± Kelis said. ¡°She¡¯s out shopping, trying to figure out what she needs to bring on her journeying.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to make her live off the land?¡± Kelis grinned. ¡°Enna¡¯s a city girl, and it¡¯ll be winter soon. We¡¯ll build up to that gradually. As for Nina¡ª¡± ¡°Nina¡¯s too young,¡± Shana put in. ¡°We¡¯re going to do some full-on sparring today, and I don¡¯t want her to get excited and hurt herself.¡± Treya nodded, then knelt down to remove the soft boots she wore laced up to her knees. Soon she was barefoot like the two Sisters. Once ready, she moved into position, facing Kelis. When Shana gave the signal, Kelis feinted toward Treya¡¯s head. Treya ducked down, sweeping her left leg around to kick toward Kelis¡¯s knee. Kelis sidestepped the kick, then they rushed toward each other, striking in a blur of motion, dodging and blocking each other¡¯s attacks. After a few minutes of that, Shana shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± They paused, breathing heavily. ¡°Good, both of you,¡± Shana said. Treya smiled at the praise, and noticed her teacher doing the same. Kelis and Shana were the same age, but there were stories told about Shana¡¯s exploits throughout the Three Orders. ¡°But, Kelis, you¡¯re not going full out,¡± Shana continued. ¡°I know Treya¡¯s your student, but she¡¯s good enough that she won¡¯t be hurt too badly if you hit her. Better to learn now than when she¡¯s facing a group of armed men.¡± Treya¡¯s smile slipped. She hadn¡¯t realized Kelis was holding back. Kelis nodded and Treya faced her once more, indicating when she was ready. Shana gave the signal and they began again. This time, Treya had little opportunity to attack, spending all of her time just trying not to get hit. Finally, Shana let them stop again. ¡°Treya, have you been doing your meditation exercises?¡± Shana asked. Treya bit her lip. Shana was the last person she wanted to lie to. ¡°Sometimes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much¡ªthere are too many things going on inside your head. You need to learn to let go of all your distractions. For the next few weeks, try meditating after you come out to the practice yard, but before you start sparring. But only do it for a few weeks¡ªdon¡¯t make it a habit. A large fellow with a sword isn¡¯t likely to let you sit down and clear your mind before he fights you.¡± Treya nodded. She¡¯d always had trouble letting go of the world around her. ¡°Shall we have a go?¡± Shana asked, turning to Kelis. Kelis reached back over her shoulder. ¡°I think I pulled something.¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± Shana carefully felt Kelis¡¯s back through her tunic. ¡°A muscle spasm. You should have someone massage it out. Treya, come here and feel the knot, so you know what to look for.¡± Treya let Shana guide her hands along Kelis¡¯s shoulder blade to find the problem. It felt¡­odd, as if there was a wrongness to the muscle, something that needed to be set right. ¡°Treya?¡± Shana said. ¡°You can let go now.¡± There was a roar in Treya¡¯s ears¡ªthough nobody else seemed to hear it¡ªand then her hands glowed with a pale white light. She stepped back in shock as the light faded. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s great,¡± Kelis said, rotating her shoulder before turning to face them. ¡°Whatever you did took care of it.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Shana asked. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know. Were my hands glowing?¡± ¡°You healed her,¡± Shana said. ¡°Treya, have you sworn vows to The Lady?¡± ¡°Vows? No. Why?¡± ¡°To Allosur? Arodisis? Any of the gods?¡± The Three Orders were most closely associated with three of the gods¡ªAllosur for the scholars, Arodisis for the concubines, and The Lady watched over them all. The mystics didn¡¯t follow any of the three in particular. ¡°No! Never. I¡¯m not even religious.¡± ¡°Well, vows or no, one of them has chosen you as a priestess. That was divine magic; I¡¯ve seen it before.¡± Treya had no idea how to respond to that. She wasn¡¯t a priestess, and had never thought about becoming one. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯ve never even been to one of the temples, just the little shrines we have here for our three.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose some higher power could be working through you, instead¡­but to heal a muscle spasm? That seems unlikely.¡± Kelis stared at them both, concerned. ¡°If she¡¯s a priestess, do we need to send her to a temple? What are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know which temple,¡± Shana said. ¡°If some god has chosen her, he or she doesn¡¯t seem too concerned about following convention, so I think you should just continue training her as you have been. But we should experiment. Healing isn¡¯t the only type of divine magic.¡± Book 1: Chapter Ten Present day¡­ Corec and his companions followed the slow caravan as it made its way along the path to the border camp, surrounded by the giant elf trees. They¡¯d reached the forest¡ªthe real forest¡ªfive days earlier, and Lors had given everyone the standard speech before they entered. They were allowed to hunt rabbits and bucks¡ªmale deer¡ªbut no more than three deer for the entire caravan. If they captured or killed any wild boars, the elves would pay them a bounty. They weren¡¯t permitted to use traps that might harm something other than the intended prey, so Corec stowed his rabbit snares away. And while they could collect wood that had fallen, they weren¡¯t allowed to cut down any of the trees without permission. The trip through the forest had been peaceful so far, with no sign of anyone else. Corec had spent a few hours each day riding ahead with Melos and another guard he knew slightly, but most of the time, he stayed back with Katrin and Bobo. Sometimes, Bobo would be off somewhere, or run out of things to talk about, and Corec could have a quiet conversation with Katrin. While they hadn¡¯t spoken of anything important, he thought she was less wary of him than she had been. Late in the afternoon, there was a commotion ahead, rippling down the line, and the procession came to a halt earlier than Corec had expected. He stepped away from the trail to see around the wagons, and realized the cause¡ªthey¡¯d come across an elven scouting party. Corec decided to try speaking to one of the elves. Leaving Bobo to watch the animals, he and Katrin walked up to the front of the caravan. Lors was talking to the man who appeared to be the leader of the party, but there were several other scouts milling around. Corec approached the nearest. ¡°Do you speak trade tongue?¡± ¡°Little,¡± the man said, holding his hands a few inches apart. ¡°We hope to talk to someone about magic. Is there anyone like that in the camp?¡± ¡°Magic?¡± the man asked, then said a few words Corec didn¡¯t understand. When he didn¡¯t respond, the man said, ¡°Shavala speaks. I find.¡± The scout walked away to look for someone, and a few minutes later, a very short elf girl approached Corec. Elves, on average, were shorter and more slender than humans, and this one was no exception. With her thin moccasins, she was less than five feet tall. She wore her hair short and loose, with the points of her ears sticking out. Like many of the wood elves, her hair was mottled with different colors of brown, appearing almost like tree bark, and she had the tan skin with a faint tinge of green that was common to her people. She wore a tight-fitting tunic and leggings, and Corec had to jerk his eyes away when he realized he was staring at the way the thin cloth draped against her chest. She carried an unstrung bow in one hand and wore a quiver on her back. ¡°I am Shavala,¡± the girl said. ¡°My name is Corec.¡± She looked at him curiously. ¡°Kivris said you have a question about magic?¡± He drew Katrin to his side. ¡°We do. This is Katrin. We were hoping there was someone we could ask about this rune.¡± He didn¡¯t have to point it out, since the girl¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to the glowing blue mark. ¡°I have one just like it on my arm.¡± She stared at Katrin¡¯s forehead for a moment. ¡°I have not studied such a thing, but you can speak with Meritia. She¡¯s at the camp. We¡¯ll be there tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± # The next morning, after a few more hours of travel, the caravan reached the outpost. Corec had always found the border camp to be odd. While there were tales of marvelous elven cities, the outpost resembled a cross between a human village and a long-term hunting camp. The eighty or so elves in the camp lived in plain but sturdy huts, and went about their lives much like the inhabitants of any small human village. In addition to marking the border, the camps were also used for training scouts, but even knowing those mundane reasons for its existence, the whole place seemed¡­unremarkable. Anyone coming to the forest in the hopes of seeing wondrous sights and elven magic would be sorely disappointed. But Corec had seen magic here once¡ªsubtle though it was. He and Katrin followed Shavala to a hut on the far side of the camp. A woman stood outside, dressed much like Shavala in a tunic and leggings. The two spoke in a rapid burst of Elven. The woman, presumably Meritia, looked them over and said, ¡°Come in and we¡¯ll talk.¡± Inside the hut, Corec passed her the bag he¡¯d purchased from the trader. ¡°Thank you for being willing to speak to us. Please accept these hot peppers as a token of our appreciation.¡± He¡¯d fallen back on the mannerisms and words he¡¯d been taught growing up, and hoped there wasn¡¯t some sort of elven tradition he was supposed to use instead. Meritia hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°You are welcome in my home. Thank you. We don¡¯t see these here often.¡± They introduced themselves and told her everything they knew about the runes. Meritia was silent during much of the tale, asking only a few questions, but when they were done, she motioned Katrin over. ¡°Come here, girl. Let me get a closer look.¡± Katrin stood in front of the elf woman, who examined the rune and then ran her fingers over it. ¡°Yes, definitely magic,¡± the woman said, before turning to Corec. ¡°Now, let me see yours.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he said, embarrassed as he looked around at the women in the hut. He couldn¡¯t roll up the sleeves on the shirt he wore under his armor, so he¡¯d have to take it off in front of them. He¡¯d left his helmet and gauntlets back with his horse, but it took him several minutes to remove the vambraces, cuirass, chain shirt, padded doublet, and the shirt. Shavala watched him while he removed the armor, and didn¡¯t avert her gaze once he was bare-chested. Katrin glared at the girl, though Corec wasn¡¯t sure why. Meritia grabbed his arm, staring as intently at his rune as she had at Katrin¡¯s. ¡°Hmm,¡± the woman said. ¡°You both believe the itching started in that same village?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Corec said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anything of it at first. But if it affected us both, it seems likely.¡± ¡°If you did nothing else to trigger it, I suspect it happened the moment you first met,¡± Meritia said. ¡°So you don¡¯t think the itching is a coincidence?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t really meet that first night, though,¡± Katrin put in. ¡°We never spoke.¡± Meritia waved her hand. ¡°That¡¯s of no consequence. Meet, or come in close contact, or see each other. Whatever the trigger, it would have required the two of you to be together.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°You know what it is?¡± Corec said. ¡°I believe it¡¯s a binding sigil. It¡¯s used to magically bind two people or two things together for one reason or another.¡± ¡°Bind us together?¡± Katrin asked, with a worried tone to her voice. ¡°Why? What does that mean?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then I doubt I can help with that question.¡± ¡°But how did it happen?¡± Corec asked. Meritia held her hands out wide. ¡°Who can say? Either someone did it when you met, or there was a trigger, as I mentioned.¡± ¡°Do you know how to remove it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve come to the wrong place for that,¡± the woman said. ¡°The elder magic doesn¡¯t concern itself with such things.¡± ¡°Elder magic?¡± Katrin asked. Meritia looked at her curiously, as if not sure why she was asking the question. ¡°Yes, elder magic.¡± Katrin glanced at Corec, but he just shrugged. He didn¡¯t know what the woman meant either. ¡°You know the four types of magic, yes?¡± Meritia asked. Katrin shook her head. ¡°I know there are wizards and priests,¡± Corec said, ¡°and I once saw someone here¡ªyou, I think¡ªregrow some plants after one of our wagons ran off the trail.¡± His schooling in Larso had only rarely mentioned magic, and only as something to be avoided, except by the priests of Pallisur. ¡°Wizards and priests are merely users of magic,¡± Meritia said. ¡°They are not the magic itself. As I said, there are four types¡ª¡± ¡°Elder, arcane, divine, and demonic,¡± Shavala put in. ¡°Yes,¡± Meritia said. ¡°My people look to the elder magic. We cannot help you.¡± ¡°Do you know anyone who can?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Perhaps a human wizard? Or one of the nilvasta?¡± ¡°Nilvasta?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Silver elves,¡± Corec said, then faced Meritia. ¡°There are no wizards among your people?¡± ¡°A few, but they follow a different path, so they are unlikely to be of any help. In any case, they will not leave Terrillia and you would not be permitted into the city. Seek a human wizard.¡± Corec sighed and looked at Katrin. ¡°Tyrsall, then?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go there looking like this!¡± she said. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°The tattoo story seems to be working.¡± ¡°Everybody looks at me funny!¡± ¡°What about a hat?¡± She¡¯d opened her mouth to speak, but stopped in surprise to consider that. ¡°Maybe. I can¡¯t think of any styles that would hide a spot that far down on my forehead, though.¡± ¡°You could wait outside the city and I¡¯ll try to bring someone to you. Tyrsall¡¯s the closest place I can think of where I¡¯m sure we could find a wizard.¡± It took a moment, but finally she nodded in agreement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with how you look?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I can¡¯t go into the city with a glowing tattoo on my head!¡± ¡°It¡¯s small,¡± Shavala said. ¡°It looks pretty.¡± Katrin looked at the girl incredulously, but before she could reply, Meritia said, ¡°You¡¯re concerned about people seeing the sigil?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why not conceal it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too hot out to wear my cloak all the time, and I tried makeup but it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°No,¡± the woman said, shaking her head. ¡°I meant¡­I¡¯m not sure trade tongue has a word for it. Veil? Shroud?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Binding sigils are not usually malicious. I believe they can be hidden by the bearer.¡± ¡°How?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that mentioned. As I said, sigils are not a thing of the elder magic.¡± Katrin frowned but nodded. ¡°Thank you, Meritia,¡± Corec said. ¡°Is there anything else you can tell us?¡± ¡°You asked why it happened,¡± she said, looking at Katrin. ¡°I can¡¯t answer that, but you can be sure there¡¯s a reason.¡± Deciding the woman was done examining his rune, Corec put his clothing and armor back on. Shavala was still staring at him openly, and he wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the attractive girl¡¯s frank gaze. It had him so distracted, he didn¡¯t pay any attention when his left arm started itching. # After the humans had left the hut, Shavala turned to Meritia. ¡°Am I ready for my travels now?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re ready?¡± ¡°You ended my lessons months ago, and said I must start learning from experience.¡± ¡°And why do you wish to leave now? Are you planning to follow the humans?¡± ¡°They¡¯re interesting.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re interesting yet, which worries me. And if you¡¯re after the boy, be careful. The girl isn¡¯t as annoyed by him as much as she pretends, and humans can be funny about such things.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not after the boy!¡± Meritia raised an elegant eyebrow. ¡°You were certainly staring at him enough.¡± ¡°His muscles were¡­nice,¡± Shavala admitted. He¡¯d been more well defined than the elven men she¡¯d tried out, mostly friends of Ellisan. Never Ellisan himself, of course¡ªthey¡¯d grown up together, and she couldn¡¯t view him that way. ¡°Human men do have a rather unfair advantage there. Some of them, at least. Are you leaving now?¡± ¡°After I pack. I will follow them for a bit before I decide whether to travel with them. Perhaps I will go my own way. But I would like to see Tyrsall, and the sea.¡± Meritia nodded. ¡°Before you go, I¡¯ve got something for you.¡± She opened the door to her finely carved wardrobe and rummaged around, returning with a small bag. ¡°I already have a belt pouch,¡± Shavala said. ¡°This is a coin pouch, with human money. Hide this one inside your tunic or your pack, so it can¡¯t be stolen. Remember what I told you about pick-pockets?¡± Shavala nodded, and decided to hide her own belt pouch, too. She didn¡¯t want anyone to steal her shiny stones, the little carving she¡¯d made of Lele, or her sister-in-law¡¯s friendship bracelet. Meritia poured out the coins in her hands. ¡°Do you remember what these all are?¡± Shavala poked through them, counting. ¡°Copper coins, those are worth the least. Then comes silver, and then gold.¡± There were eighteen of the copper pieces, ten of the silver, and two gold. She held up one last coin. ¡°What¡¯s this one?¡± ¡°That¡¯s platinum. It¡¯s worth four of the gold. Don¡¯t let anyone know you¡¯re carrying it, or you¡¯ll be a target even if you keep it hidden.¡± ¡°Are so many humans thieves?¡± ¡°No, only a few. But the rest like to gossip.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°Ellisan is on patrol. Will you let him know I¡¯ve left?¡± ¡°Of course. How long do you think you¡¯ll be away?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Until I get bored?¡± A druid apprentice¡¯s travels¡ªthe last step before being named a full druid¡ªtook as long as the apprentice felt was needed, but the other druids would disapprove of anything less than six months. Meritia smiled. ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Shavala took her leave and returned to her own hut. She found her travel pack under her bed and started picking out things to bring with her. She folded up two changes of clothing, then added the new pair of moccasins she¡¯d made, so she¡¯d have them when her current pair wore out. With a regretful glance at her human-style winter coat, she left it in the wardrobe. It was too hot out to wear it now, and it would take up all the space in her small pack by itself if she tried to stuff it in there. When the weather changed, she¡¯d have to buy another one. She put both of the belt pouches in her pack, though she¡¯d need to figure out a better solution soon. Meritia had suggested under her tunic, but the thin cloth wouldn¡¯t disguise anything hidden beneath it. Perhaps she could buy some clothing with more pockets. Next, she found her empty waterskin and tied it to the side of the pack, then scratched absently at a spot on the center of her forehead that had started itching. She added her unstrung bow to the pile, then her quiver, and checked to make sure her bracer and extra strings were in the side pouch. The quiver had room enough for a dozen arrows, and after thinking about it, she took only the ones with the metal tips. If a flint or obsidian arrowhead broke while she was traveling, she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to find the material to knap a replacement. Thinking further, she packed her small bag of arrowheads, both stone and metal, and grabbed a dozen arrow shafts she¡¯d already prepared. The shafts wouldn¡¯t fit inside the pack, but she bundled them up and tied them on the side opposite the waterskin. She found the fletching feathers she¡¯d gathered and her small jar of fletching glue and added those as well. She packed the food next, bundling up the travel bars Meritia had taught her to make¡ªnuts and fruit pressed with honey¡ªas well as the last of the dried fruit and meat she still had left over from the winter. She could hunt if she needed to, and now that it was summer, she¡¯d be able to forage enough to live off the land. At least, she thought she¡¯d be able to forage. Meritia had told her what to look for outside the forest, but it would be the first time she tried it for herself. She added a brush and comb, soap, and some other personal items, and that was enough to fill up the pack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she picked up her bow and quiver and left the hut. Outside, Lele jumped down off the roof and took his customary spot on her shoulder. Shavala felt a sudden pang of regret. Lele was getting on in years, and in any case, he wouldn¡¯t do well if he left his home. Squirrels weren¡¯t meant for traveling long distances. ¡°No, Lele, you must stay here. Stay with Meritia.¡± He cocked his head to look at her, not understanding. Meritia had come out of her hut, so Shavala pointed to her. ¡°Stay with Meritia. I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± Lele chittered and ran down Shavala¡¯s arm, leaping off to run over and stand by the other woman. Shavala waved to them both, then headed to the stream to fill her waterskin before walking over to watch the caravan as it prepared to leave. To her surprise, she found her quarry getting ready to head out on their own. She sat nearby to listen. ¡°Thanks for letting us come along, Lors,¡± Corec said. ¡°We need to get to Tyrsall, though, and we can¡¯t wait for the wagons. It¡¯d be different if you had a spot open for a guard¡­¡± ¡°Sorry¡ªI¡¯ve already used up my budget,¡± the man called Lors said. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to stay until we get back to the West Road? You won¡¯t be all that much faster than us until then.¡± ¡°Fast enough to make a difference.¡± Corec looked at the robed man Shavala had seen him walking with that morning. ¡°Bobo, if you want to stay with them, we can leave you enough food to get back to the West Road.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather return with you, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Corec looked annoyed, but nodded his assent. ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving. Katrin¡¯s got the animals ready to go.¡± As the three humans headed down the trail, Shavala shadowed them from the trees, deciding to make a game of seeing how close she could get without them realizing it. # ¡°Do we really need all of this?¡± Ellerie asked, looking at the second list of supplies Boktar had written up, to add to everything they¡¯d already purchased. ¡°How are we going to carry it all?¡± They were walking back after a fruitless attempt to find work on a caravan headed east. Matagor did most of its trading north to Larso or south to Terevas, and none of the eastbound caravans in the next week had any openings for guards. ¡°Donkeys,¡± Boktar said, as they left one of the main streets through town and turned down a quieter side street that would lead them back to their boarding house. They¡¯d taken temporary lodgings there after leaving the duke¡¯s service, since they¡¯d had to give up their small rooms in the ducal palace. ¡°Donkeys?¡± ¡°They¡¯re cheaper than horses or mules, easier to feed than horses, and they¡¯re smart. Two of them should carry as much as we need.¡± ¡°What about us?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re small enough you could probably ride a donkey if you wanted to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not riding a donkey!¡± She would look ridiculous, and she couldn¡¯t tell if he was joking or not. He just laughed. ¡°I suppose I could help you look at horses tomorrow. If you want my help, Your Royal Highness.¡± She shook her head in annoyance. ¡°The proper term is Exalted¡­and if you use it, I¡¯ll cut off the left half of your beard while you sleep.¡± Boktar still thought she was making a mistake in not returning to Terevas¡ªand taking him with her as the head of her personal guard. ¡°Why only half?¡± ¡°Because then you¡¯ll be forced to cut off the other half yourself if you want to even it up.¡± He laughed again, but didn¡¯t appear to take her threat seriously. ¡°Do you want my help or not?¡± She sighed. ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± While she knew how to ride, she didn¡¯t know much else about horses. ¡°But you¡¯re sure we need all of this?¡± ¡°Maybe not need, but trust me, I¡¯ve been on the road a lot. You don¡¯t want to live on hardtack and trail rations alone. Having some fresh food along is always good.¡± ¡°All right, but why the rope?¡± she asked as they turned left into the narrow alley that led to the boarding house. The buildings on both sides were close together and two or three stories tall, so they blocked the sun, covering everything in shadows. ¡°You always need rope,¡± he said. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t know why yet.¡± Just then, a man ran out of an alcove to the right and swung a club toward Boktar¡¯s head. Boktar wasn¡¯t wearing his helmet in the city, but got his shield up in time to block the swing. He unslung his warhammer from his belt, but before he could use it, another man joined the first. Boktar ended up using both his shield and hammer to defend himself, not leaving him any chance to attack. Ellerie drew her rapier and prepared a spell to help him, but before she could cast it, she saw a blur of movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned just in time to dodge as a third man came from behind and tried to hit her in the back with a cudgel. When he missed, he drew the weapon back in a two-handed grip and prepared to strike at her again. Her slender rapier wouldn¡¯t be able to parry it, so when he swung, she stepped lightly out of the way, then thrust forward to stab him through the gut. He stared down in confusion at the bloodstain spreading out on his shirt. The reach of the rapier sometimes surprised opponents who weren¡¯t accustomed to fighting against a thrusting sword. His wound might kill him eventually, but it wouldn¡¯t necessarily stop him from continuing to fight in the meantime, so she quickly stabbed him twice more. She hit his heart the second time, and he finally dropped to his knees. Hoping he was out of the fight, she spun back toward Boktar, who was still holding off the other two men but hadn¡¯t been able to make any headway against them. Whispering words of power, she flung her hand out toward the one on the left. Three darts of bright light burst from her fingers and shot toward him, hitting him in the chest. The man doubled over in pain, dropping his club, and Boktar slammed his shield into his face, knocking him to the ground. With just one of the attackers left, it only took Boktar another moment to finish him off, breaking the man¡¯s arm, then crushing his chest in with his warhammer. Wanting to make sure none of the attackers got to their feet again, Ellerie stabbed the last two through the heart, and stabbed her own opponent again for good measure. She searched the bodies while Boktar stood guard at the entrance to the alley, making sure nobody had seen anything. ¡°Do you think the duke sent them?¡± she asked as she finished with the first man, finding only a coin pouch. ¡°You¡¯ve spent too much time in Terevas,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Lorvis is a decent man. He wasn¡¯t angry that we quit, just annoyed¡ªprobably because finding a female bodyguard is a right pain, and he doesn¡¯t trust his daughters around a man. These were probably just thieves.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± she said. She knew she was probably more paranoid than she needed to be. Then she finished her search, and decided she wasn¡¯t paranoid enough. ¡°Look at this.¡± She¡¯d poured out the three men¡¯s coin pouches into her hands. Each of them had carried two gold coins bearing the image of Ellerie¡¯s mother on the obverse. Boktar came over and examined them. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything, Elle. We¡¯re right across the border. There are lots of Terevassian coins around.¡± ¡°And common thieves carrying gold in public? And the fact that each of them had exactly two?¡± Boktar sighed. ¡°Perhaps it would be a good idea if we didn¡¯t stay in these rooms again. We should just grab our things and leave the city tonight. We can finish buying the rest of the supplies in the next town we hit.¡± Ellerie nodded in agreement. If one of her people had ordered the hit, they could have just as easily paid in Matagorian coins to hide their origin. Either someone wanted her to think her people had sent the attackers, or one of the nilvasta had paid with the coins on purpose, knowing she¡¯d find them if the attack failed. If that was the case, then whoever had hired the assassins had wanted to send a message¡ªthey wanted her to know they were coming after her. Getting out of the city seemed like a good idea. She resolved to send letters to her mother and sister at the earliest opportunity, to warn them. Book 1: Chapter Eleven The morning after leaving the forest, Corec woke to find the elf girl¡ªShavala¡ªcalmly sitting on a large rock in the middle of the camp, near the remains of the fire. She waved at him and smiled brightly. He pushed aside his blanket and stood. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked, before his mind woke up enough to realize how rude he sounded. ¡°It was too boring to keep following you.¡± ¡°What? Why were you¡ª¡± ¡°Shavala?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Why are you here? Did Meritia send you?¡± She, too, was clambering out of her lean-to, but she sounded like she¡¯d already been awake. ¡°No. I¡ª¡± ¡°Why, hello!¡± Bobo said as he stood and stretched. ¡°Welcome to our camp.¡± ¡°Have you two met?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I saw you with the scouting party,¡± Bobo said to the girl. ¡°I don¡¯t know your name.¡± ¡°Bobo, this is Shavala,¡± Corec said. ¡°She helped us find someone we could speak to about our little problem. Shavala, this is Bobo. He¡­¡± He trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence. ¡°If Meritia didn¡¯t send you, why did you come?¡± Katrin asked, looking suspicious. ¡°Meritia decided I was ready to begin my travels,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Travels?¡± ¡°When a druid has completed her training, she goes out into the world to learn more about it. Some of the other dorvasta do so as well, out of tradition.¡± ¡°Druid?¡± Corec had heard the word before, but wasn¡¯t sure what it meant. ¡°Druids are mages of the natural world,¡± she said. ¡°We follow the elder magic.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a wizard?¡± Katrin asked, looking a little nervous. Shavala shook her head. ¡°No. Do you remember when Meritia spoke of the four types of magic?¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°Druids follow the elder magic¡ªthe first magic. We look to the plants, the animals, and the elements.¡± The elf girl held a finger up and a tiny flicker of flame appeared at the tip, then disappeared a moment later. ¡°Wizards follow arcane magic, which is different. Meritia is my teacher, but she couldn¡¯t help with your sigils because they¡¯re not part of the natural world.¡± ¡°What are they, then?¡± Corec asked. The girl shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask her before I left, but perhaps arcane, since she suggested speaking to wizards.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°But why were you following us?¡± he asked. ¡°To see if I could,¡± the girl said, as if that was the only answer that was needed. ¡°But you never once heard me or looked my way, no matter how close I got. And it was boring not having anyone to talk to, so here I am.¡± ¡°What direction are you heading?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d like to see the big cities and the ocean before I return, but I can decide for myself. I will accompany you until it¡¯s time to go elsewhere.¡± ¡°Wait, you want to come with us?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Why not? There are no rules that I must travel alone. Meritia once spent a month traveling with a demonborn man, until he got a job in a circus.¡± Corec considered it. The elf girl¡¯s bow was propped up next to her. If she knew how to use it, and could sneak through the forest well enough that he¡¯d never seen her, she¡¯d be of more use on the trail than Bobo, at least. ¡°You can stay with us until we reach the West Road,¡± he said, absently scratching an itch on his left arm. ¡°After that, we need to move faster, so we¡¯ll be riding.¡± ¡°The West Road is the one that goes east? The big road at the end of the little one?¡± ¡°From here, it goes west and east. It¡¯s just called the West Road because it leads west from Tyrsall. At Dalewood, it splits into the Trade Road and the Old Road.¡± ¡°I thought we were already on the Trade Road,¡± Katrin said. ¡°We¡¯re on a trade road. The Trade Road is the main road between Tyrsall and Larso.¡± ¡°I will go to the big road with you,¡± Shavala said, then pointed to a cloth-wrapped bundle resting on top of her pack. ¡°I brought mushrooms if anyone¡¯s hungry.¡± Katrin rolled her eyes but Corec grinned. If she could find mushrooms in the middle of summer, she¡¯d definitely be more helpful than Bobo. # ¡°I can¡¯t make this work,¡± Katrin said a few days later. They¡¯d made camp for the night and she was sitting across from Shavala, who was helping her learn to hide her mark. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m supposed to actually do.¡± ¡°Just¡­think about it,¡± Shavala said. She¡¯d found a hawk feather earlier that day and was tying it into her hair, hanging down in front of her left ear. ¡°When you want magic to do something, you must make it do something. Unless you¡¯re a wizard, and then you have to speak funny words instead.¡± Katrin wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the elf girl. Shavala had been with them for several days now, but still hadn¡¯t given any more reason than she had the first day¡ªthat it was time for her to go on her travels, which meant leaving the forest and seeing the world. She¡¯d pitched in around the camp at night, but often ranged far away during the day, while they traveled. She would come back at night with rabbits she¡¯d hunted, or with berries and mushrooms, and once with some wild sweet potatoes. Corec seemed happy enough to have her help, but it didn¡¯t explain why she¡¯d chosen to travel with them. Katrin felt uneasy when she saw the way the girl watched Corec, though she wasn¡¯t sure why. She realized the girl was staring at him right at that moment, and looked over to find that he¡¯d taken off his armor and was changing his shirt. ¡°Are you going to try, too?¡± she asked him. ¡°I might as well,¡± he said, coming to sit near the girls. ¡°I can hide mine easily enough under my clothes, but it would be good to know if I can do it.¡± He rolled up his right sleeve so the mark was visible, glowing in the twilight. It was just the three of them in the camp. Bobo was off searching for herbs again¡ªhe¡¯d spent the last two evenings boiling some foul-smelling concoction until it had the consistency of paste, explaining that the salve was good for burns. He was still searching for ingredients for others. Sometimes Shavala helped him, but this time she¡¯d stayed in camp. The elf said, ¡°Close your eyes if it helps, then think of the sigil. Imagine it to be hidden, so nobody can see it.¡± ¡°Can we imagine that it¡¯s gone completely?¡± Katrin asked. Shavala shrugged. ¡°You can try. Maybe it¡¯ll work.¡± Katrin shut her eyes and tried to focus on the mark, imagining it to be gone, then imagining it to be hidden just for good measure. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got it!¡± Corec said in surprise. ¡°What?¡± she asked, opening her eyes to see him idly scratching his left arm. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s back.¡± ¡°But it worked?¡± ¡°It faded away when your eyes were closed,¡± Shavala said, wrinkling her brow and rubbing at a spot on her forehead. ¡°Then it came back when you opened them.¡± ¡°But¡­that was easy!¡± Corec laughed. ¡°Would you prefer if it was hard?¡± They practiced for another hour, with Bobo returning to camp halfway through. Unfortunately, it turned out it wasn¡¯t easy after all. Katrin could do it if she closed her eyes and concentrated on the mark, but the moment she tried to think about anything else, it returned. Corec hadn¡¯t been able to hide his at all. ¡°You might get better if you practice,¡± Shavala said. ¡°That¡¯s how it usually works when I¡¯m learning a new spell.¡± ¡°Learning a spell?¡± Katrin said, surprised. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t a wizard?¡± Shavala gave her an odd look. ¡°I don¡¯t have to speak the words like a wizard, but I still cast spells. When I lit the campfire tonight, that was a spell. It just means I¡¯m making the magic do what I want it to do. It¡¯s a trick of concentration.¡± ¡°Is this a spell, then?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Hiding the rune?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s similar,¡± she said, before rubbing her forehead again. Katrin¡¯s blood ran cold and she stood up in shock. ¡°You!¡± she said, pointing. ¡°Your head!¡± She turned to Corec. ¡°Your arm! It¡¯s happening again!¡± Shavala just looked confused, but Corec glanced down at his left arm, which he¡¯d been scratching again. There was a look of recognition on his face as he jerked his hand away. ¡°No!¡± he said. ¡°I mean, I thought it was just a coincidence. I didn¡¯t even really think about it.¡± He rolled up his left sleeve, and there were no marks. Shavala¡¯s eyes were crossed as she tried to look up at where she was poking her own forehead with her finger. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said. ¡°My head itches, but I don¡¯t feel any different.¡± ¡°Neither did I!¡± Katrin said. ¡°That¡¯s how it started. But if you¡­if he¡­¡± She faced Corec again. ¡°You did it! You¡¯re some kind of wizard!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± he said. Then, after a moment, he looked concerned. ¡°Well, not really. I can¡¯t do much.¡± ¡°I knew it! It was you all along! You did it to me, and now you¡¯re doing it to her!¡± ¡°No, damnit! I can¡¯t do anything like that. All I can do is make lights, and a couple other things.¡± He waved his hand, and a ball of pale, silvery light floated up above his head. The night was getting darker and they¡¯d let the campfire die down after cooking the evening meal, so the light helped to illuminate everyone. ¡°A mage light!¡± Bobo said, surprised. ¡°That should come in handy.¡± ¡°It has a name?¡± Corec asked. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a common spell for wizards. You can only use it when you¡¯re not wearing your armor?¡± ¡°What? No¡ªI can do it anytime I want. Why?¡± ¡°Wizards have problems casting spells if there¡¯s too much metal around them. And you didn¡¯t cast a spell, you just waved your hand. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a wizard.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to move my hand. It just makes it easier to put the light where I want it.¡± Katrin shouted, ¡°Why are we talking about lights when you did this to me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! Or, if I did, I don¡¯t know how, and I didn¡¯t mean to. All I can do are the lights, and I can make a sort of shield during a fight. But I don¡¯t know where the runes come from, I swear!¡± He¡¯d gone from insisting he hadn¡¯t done it to saying he hadn¡¯t meant to do it. Katrin realized she was about to cry, and stalked off into the darkness so nobody would see. ¡°Katrin!¡± Corec called after her. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± The moon was bright, so she could make her way if she was careful, but she couldn¡¯t walk fast. Shavala caught up to her before she¡¯d made it far. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the elf girl asked. ¡°What do you mean, what¡¯s wrong? He pretended that he didn¡¯t know what was going on, but all along, he did this to me!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe him? About not knowing?¡± Katrin thought about that. It had been Corec¡¯s idea to go see the elves when she hadn¡¯t wanted to return to the city. It seemed like a long trip out of their way if he¡¯d been lying to her all along, but she just didn¡¯t know anymore. ¡°How could he do it to both of us without knowing, or without meaning to?¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°Maybe someone else did it.¡± ¡°Then why would they do it to him twice? Why would they do it to anyone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Humans never make any sense.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you angry at him? He did it to you, too.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t happened yet. Maybe my head just itches because it itches. But if it¡¯s going to happen, aren¡¯t you seeking out a wizard to help get rid of it anyway?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Just then, Katrin saw a pair of yellow eyes crouched low in the darkness, fifty feet away. She gasped and stepped back in fear. Shavala followed her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just a wolf. A lone male¡ªyoung, I think. He¡¯s been watching us all evening.¡± ¡°Wolf?¡± Katrin barely managed to keep from shrieking the word. Shavala had known it was out there this whole time and hadn¡¯t told her? ¡°He won¡¯t hurt us. He¡¯s just curious and hungry. I¡¯ll take him that last bit of rabbit after we return to the camp, and ask him to leave us alone.¡± ¡°Ask him? Are you insane?¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of being a druid. He¡¯ll understand what I say, mostly. It depends how smart the animal is, but wolves are smarter than most.¡± Katrin had been a city girl her whole life. She¡¯d never had to deal with magic, or wolves, or¡ªexcept for the harrowing trip from Tyrsall to Circle Bay when she was younger¡ªsleeping outdoors in the wilderness. She just wanted to go home. She stared at the elf girl, not sure how to respond. Shavala took her by the arm and led her back to the camp, the elf more surefooted in the dark. When they got there, Katrin refused to speak to anyone. Just when she¡¯d started getting along with him, Corec had betrayed her. Again. # ¡°We¡¯ll reach the village tomorrow,¡± Corec said the next day. ¡°Katrin, this isn¡¯t the one we stayed in last time, since we¡¯re following the trade road all the way back rather than cutting across like we did before.¡± She just looked at him with red-rimmed eyes, not speaking. He felt sick to his stomach. The more he thought about her accusations, the more they made sense. The only likely way for the runes to affect both Katrin and Shavala¡ªwhile affecting him both times¡ªwas if he was the one causing them. He and Katrin were the only people who¡¯d been present both times, and she certainly wasn¡¯t faking how she felt about the whole thing. Shavala¡¯s rune hadn¡¯t appeared yet, but his left arm felt exactly like his right arm had felt the first time, and she¡¯d mentioned that her forehead still itched. If he was the one responsible for the problem, he didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d make it up to them. He didn¡¯t even know what the damned things were, much less how he¡¯d created them¡ªif he¡¯d created them. Meritia had said that they bound two people together, but she hadn¡¯t explained what that meant. So far, they seemed like nothing more than decoration. Corec hoped to find a wizard in Tyrsall that could get rid of the runes, but he was concerned about the price. Hiring a wizard probably wouldn¡¯t be cheap. He¡¯d considered heading back to Four Roads, to visit the moneylender that held most of his savings, but that would add several weeks to the journey. It would be better to talk to the wizard first, to see what was required. Unlike Katrin, Shavala didn¡¯t seem to be concerned. Corec knew part of the reason was because she wasn¡¯t yet convinced that the rune would appear¡ªand, for that matter, neither was he. But she also didn¡¯t seem inclined to blame him for whatever was happening. ¡°And then east to Tyrsall?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it is very big.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re headed to Tyrsall next. It¡¯s the largest city I know of¡ªalmost a million people.¡± Her eyes grew wide. ¡°A million? Terrillia only has¡­¡± She hesitated. ¡°Terrillia is not as large. In Tyrsall, they say you can see ships on the ocean, pushed by the wind? Have you ever met a seaborn?¡± He laughed at her enthusiasm. ¡°Tyrsall is the largest port in the east. There are always ships coming and going.¡± ¡°And the seaborn? What are they like?¡± ¡°Much like a human,¡± Bobo said, ¡°but they can breathe below water when they want to, like a fish. Their hair is brown, but the more time they spend in the water, the whiter it becomes.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°There are usually a few around the docks, working as pearl divers or sailors, but most seaborn make their homes out west, past Terevas.¡± ¡°I want to visit Terevas, too!¡± Shavala said. ¡°Meritia says the nilvasta don¡¯t make their homes in the tershaya, but build palaces of glass and metal.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªI¡¯ve never been there. It¡¯s a long way from here. How much traveling do you plan to do before you return home?¡± ¡°As much as I can. I want to see everything!¡± He laughed again. ¡°That¡¯ll take a while. First, we need to see about getting you something to ride. The next village may have a horse or a mule.¡± He worried about the cost of buying another mount, but she¡¯d need to be with them when they met with the wizard. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. ¡°I can walk or run as fast as the animals.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be going faster once we reach the West Road,¡± he said, though he suspected she was telling the truth. If he wasn¡¯t wearing his armor, he could walk farther in a day than a horse carrying a rider. The problem was in doing so day after day¡ªand even if Shavala could keep up, it would be rude to ride while she was walking. She furrowed her brow. ¡°How many metal coins does a horse cost?¡± ¡°About forty silver, but it can be higher or lower depending on the horse. Around here, a good riding mule will be about the same.¡± Her face fell. ¡°I only have ten of the silver ones. Will they take any of the other ones?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Corec paused, not entirely sure what she was asking. ¡°You have money? I was planning to buy the horse for you.¡± ¡°I have some of the human coins, but I don¡¯t have forty of the silver ones. Do horse sellers only take silver coins?¡± ¡°Ah, well, when I say forty silver, I mean coins worth forty silver.¡± Shavala chewed on her lip while she thought about that. ¡°So they would take one of the gold ones instead?¡± ¡°Yes, if you have gold.¡± She nodded. ¡°Two of them, but I don¡¯t understand. Why would they take one metal coin instead of forty?¡± Corec chuckled. ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t understand it either, but it has to do with how rare the metal is.¡± ¡°Will they take the hawk feather I found yesterday? Or a carving of a squirrel?¡± ¡°I doubt it. You might be able to sell the carving for a few coppers once we reach the city.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sell it!¡± She looked offended. ¡°I might trade it for something. But a horse seller will only take coins?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll do the bargaining in silver¡ªit¡¯s easier that way, and there¡¯s no sense letting him know you have gold before the deal is made. Do you want me to bargain for you?¡± She nodded¡ªsomewhat reluctantly, he thought. ¡°What about me?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°We agreed that you were going your own way once we got back to the West Road,¡± Corec said, with an uncomfortable feeling about what was coming next. Bobo had been helpful in the first few days, cutting down on some of the tension between Katrin and Corec¡ªthough that appeared to have been wasted effort now that she was angrier than ever. But the man was annoying, and Corec wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he could stand his company. ¡°I was thinking¡­¡± Bobo said. ¡°I need to visit Tyrsall anyway. There¡¯s a library there, and if I can get access, I have some experience in researching obscure topics. While you are looking for a wizard, I can look for information on your runes. You said the elf woman called them binding sigils? I¡¯m sure I could find some reference to that. Perhaps you could¡­lend me the money to purchase a mount?¡± Corec sighed. Bobo¡¯s idea was a good one. Unfortunately. ¡°I¡¯ll buy the animal myself,¡± Corec said, ¡°and let you borrow it until we reach the city, then I¡¯ll sell it. And yes, in exchange, I¡¯d appreciate your help with the library.¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Bobo exclaimed with a wide smile. # Shavala had tried to hide it, but she¡¯d grown increasingly uncomfortable as they traveled away from the forest. At first, it wasn¡¯t bad¡ªthe trees were shorter than she was used to, but still numerous. But day by day, there¡¯d been fewer of them. The first farm they¡¯d come across had been even more disturbing. She was familiar with the idea of planting crops, but seeing huge fields with no trees whatsoever¡ªjust long, straight rows of whatever the farmer had sowed, and always the same crop across the entire field¡ªhad felt unnatural to her. Meritia had once mentioned that it had taken her a while to get used to the world outside the forest, too. Getting accustomed to new things was the whole purpose of a druid¡¯s travels, so Shavala hid her unease and tried to tell herself that everything was all right. That became more difficult once they got to the big road¡ªthe West Road. It was mostly open space surrounding them, with only a few trees in scattered bunches. She stayed close to her companions, rather than roaming widely as she¡¯d been doing before. They came across a village just a couple miles beyond where the two roads had met. With the buildings so close together, it seemed like a larger version of the border camp. In Terrillia, everything was much more spread out. Corec led them to the largest of the buildings, telling her it was the inn. After they¡¯d tied the animals to the hitching post, Corec spoke to Katrin. ¡°Do you want to offer to play tonight, to get a deal on our rooms?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said flatly. He stared at her for a moment, but didn¡¯t argue. It was the first time Katrin had spoken to him in two days, so Shavala hoped it was a good sign. The tension between them hadn¡¯t been helping her discomfort over leaving the forest. ¡°I¡¯m going in to see if there are rooms available,¡± Corec said. ¡°Katrin, Bobo, could you wait here and watch over our things?¡± Bobo agreed. Katrin didn¡¯t reply one way or another, but she remained outside, too. Shavala stayed with them. Some of the villagers who walked past glanced at her ears, but they didn¡¯t seem surprised to see an elf this close to the forest. Corec returned a few minutes later. ¡°I got us two rooms. Bobo and I¡¯ll take one, Katrin and Shavala, you can have the other. They¡¯ll be serving supper in an hour, and afterward, I paid for use of the bathing room. Ladies, you can go first.¡± They unloaded their packs and passed the animals off to the inn¡¯s stable boy. Shavala helped them carry everything in and up to their rooms, but she found the stairs to the second floor to be unnerving. She was used to stairs, but only built in spirals around the trunk of a tershaya, leading from one dwelling to another up and down the tree. The inn¡¯s short, straight staircase was different than any she¡¯d seen before, and she found herself wanting to curve to the left as she climbed. Once she and Katrin reached their room, the other woman closed the door and locked it, then sat on the bed without speaking. ¡°Why don¡¯t you play your music anymore?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I listened to you a few times when I was still following you, and it was very pretty.¡± Katrin scowled at her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to play in front of him.¡± ¡°If you hate him so much, why don¡¯t you leave?¡± Shavala asked. Katrin sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t hate him,¡± she said in a weary tone. ¡°I thought I did, but you¡¯re right. He¡¯s telling the truth when he says he doesn¡¯t know how it happened, or whether he did it or not. I¡¯m just mad that¡­¡± She paused, her eyes widening as she stared at Shavala. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your mark¡ªI mean, sigil! I can see it, almost!¡± Shavala touched her forehead, but it didn¡¯t feel any different, except that the itch was fading. Katrin led her to a mirror in the corner of the room. There was a faint blue light under Shavala¡¯s skin. It looked like it was moving around, even though she couldn¡¯t feel anything. They stood together and watched as the sigil took shape, gradually coming to the surface. It had three parallel, diagonal lines, crossed by a fourth line that was almost perpendicular. It was the same brilliant blue as Katrin¡¯s, and the itching had stopped. ¡°I¡¯d hoped mine would be green,¡± Shavala said, disappointed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty, but it doesn¡¯t really look right on me. Maybe if I wore some blue feathers in my hair? I have a blue tunic, but I didn¡¯t bring it with me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about right now?¡± ¡°What else should I be worried about? Your sigil hasn¡¯t done anything bad, has it?¡± ¡°No, I suppose not, but we still don¡¯t know what they are.¡± ¡°We can ask the wizard about that once we find one,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Why is it a different shape than mine?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Do you think it means anything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen the symbols before.¡± There was a quiet knock on the door, and Katrin opened it to let Corec in. She closed the door behind him. ¡°Hi,¡± he said to Shavala, as he saw her standing in front of the mirror. ¡°I guess you know.¡± He rolled his left sleeve up to show the matching mark on the outside of his left arm, just below the shoulder. She nodded, then stepped over to him and ran her fingers over his sigil. Like hers, it just felt like normal skin. She stopped when she realized she was caressing the muscles in his arm. She wouldn¡¯t mind being more forward with him, but it was difficult when the others were always around. ¡°We were wondering whether the different shapes mean anything,¡± Katrin said. She no longer sounded angry when she spoke to Corec, just tired. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°I was surprised it was different.¡± ¡°I like it,¡± Shavala said. ¡°But I do need to find something blue to wear with it.¡± He looked puzzled, glancing at Katrin who just shook her head. ¡°Both of you, I¡¯m sorry if I had anything to do with these things,¡± he said. ¡°Katrin, I was thinking¡­how much do you need to get your brother out of prison?¡± ¡°Forty gold.¡± ¡°Forty?¡± he said, in a strangled voice. ¡°It was his fourth offense, so they multiplied it by four. They found the things he¡¯d stolen, or it would have been more.¡± ¡°I was going to offer to pay it off, but I¡¯m not sure I have that much saved. And there¡¯s your penalty, too¡ªthat should come first.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡­don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°The offer still stands,¡± he said. ¡°However much it¡¯s worth. Most of my money¡¯s in Four Roads, though, so we¡¯d have to go get it after we¡¯re done in Tyrsall. We can pay the wizard¡¯s fee, and your penalty, and then, whatever¡¯s left, you can take to Circle Bay for your brother.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Katrin turned away from them, wiping her eyes. Shavala breathed a sigh of relief as the mood between her companions lightened. The two of them had been starting to depress her. Book 1: Chapter Twelve The next morning, Corec left the inn early to find mounts for his companions. There weren¡¯t any mules for sale, but he got lucky and found a farmer who¡¯d ended up with some horses he didn¡¯t need. It only cost sixty silver to buy a five-year old gelding for Shavala and an older mare for Bobo, plus saddles, tack, blankets, and saddlebags. He returned to the inn and left the animals in the stable yard, then went inside to find his friends getting everything packed up. ¡°I just need to get my armor on,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you downstairs.¡± ¡°Do you really need it?¡± Katrin asked. She sounded friendly this morning, as if she no longer considered him responsible for their situation. ¡°Probably not around here, but it¡¯s a habit, and Dot and the pack mule don¡¯t like it if I load it onto their backs.¡± ¡°You should call him Boy,¡± she reminded him, with a hint of a smile. ¡°He likes it better.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve never noticed that he cares one way or another, but you¡¯re welcome to call him that. Anyway, I was able to find some horses, so we can stop at the store if anyone needs anything. I sold the crossbow and bought food last night, but Shavala, Bobo, if you want a lean-to or some extra blankets, you can get them. The weather¡¯s been hot and dry so far, but you never know.¡± ¡°Does the store have candy?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Candy?¡± ¡°I had a copper coin once, but the traders wouldn¡¯t give me anything for it except for a bag of something they called candy. It tasted like maple syrup.¡± Katrin giggled, the first time Corec had ever heard her do that. ¡°Maple candy,¡± he said. ¡°You might have better luck up north or in Larso. It¡¯s usually only made around here in the spring, after the traders bring the syrup.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shavala looked disappointed. ¡°How do you know so much about it?¡± Katrin asked him. ¡°Remember the tutors I told you about?¡± Corec said. ¡°I had to learn all the crops harvested in the Black Crow Mountains. The maple harvest was how my¡­how the family I lived with made some of their money. Maple trees grow around here, but not the right kind, and the winter usually doesn¡¯t get cold enough.¡± While his companions were taking the packs and saddlebags downstairs, Corec put his armor on. He joined them in the stable yard, where they were saddling Dot, Flower, and the pack mule. ¡°Bobo,¡± he said, pointing to the dun mare, ¡°this is Rose. She¡¯s getting on in years, but she should be able to keep up on the trip to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Bobo replied, and walked over to greet his horse. ¡°Shavala,¡± Corec said, ¡°this is Socks. He¡¯s smaller than our other horses, so I thought he¡¯d be easier for you.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s pretty,¡± Shavala said. She walked around looking at the gelding, a roan with white markings going up most of the length of its forelegs. She was about to step behind him when Corec grabbed her by the arm. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t walk behind a horse!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It might kick you if it doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s behind it. If you¡¯re going to walk behind him, be sure to touch him and speak to him the whole time so he knows you¡¯re there. You haven¡¯t been around horses before? Do you know how to ride?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you just get on that thing there,¡± she said, pointing to the saddle, ¡°and then the horse takes you where you want to go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that. We¡¯ll teach you how to ride as we go. We¡¯ll need to take breaks anyway if this is your first time, or it¡¯ll be too hard on your legs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while for me, too,¡± Bobo said. ¡°We¡¯ll take it easy for the first couple of days.¡± ¡°Wait, why am I the only one riding a mule?¡± Katrin asked. Corec couldn¡¯t tell if she was angry or not. ¡°I just bought what I could find,¡± he said. ¡°The last village had a mule, this one had two horses. I thought you liked Flower?¡± ¡°I do!¡± she said, wrapping her arms around the mule¡¯s neck. ¡°I just don¡¯t see why there¡¯s always a horse available when somebody else wants one.¡± He laughed. Katrin might be in a better mood, but apparently she wasn¡¯t done giving him a hard time yet. ¡°I¡¯m not sure one time counts as always, but I¡¯ll tell you what. When you¡¯re ready to buy your own, we¡¯ll wait until we can find a horse.¡± She glared at him, but she was smiling underneath it. # Two days later, they¡¯d gotten up and on the road early. To save money, they¡¯d spent the night camping rather than stopping at an inn. With the long days and the pleasant weather, they¡¯d been making good time despite frequent breaks. Now that everyone had gotten used to being in the saddle, they¡¯d be able to speed up their pace. They¡¯d been riding for an hour when Corec realized that the faint whispering noise he¡¯d been hearing was Shavala talking to her horse. Glancing back, he was shocked to see Socks wasn¡¯t wearing his bridle. ¡°Whoa!¡± Corec said, bringing the procession to a halt. ¡°Shavala, what are you doing?¡± She had taken to riding easily. He¡¯d watched her with her saddle and tack the previous day and she¡¯d seemed to have it under control, so this morning he¡¯d let her handle it on her own. ¡°Stop,¡± she said to Socks, who stopped. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked Corec. ¡°Where¡¯s the bridle and reins? You can¡¯t ride like that!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because you can¡¯t control the horse that way!¡± She looked puzzled. ¡°He does everything I want him to.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re controlling him with your legs and your seat, you can¡¯t do everything that way, and you¡¯ll want the reins to reinforce the commands.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not using my legs. I just tell him what I want him to do, and he does it. He doesn¡¯t like the bridle or bit.¡± ¡°He¡¯s trained to voice commands?¡± While most horses would follow a few voice commands, Corec had always been taught that a rider shouldn¡¯t rely on them. Shavala shrugged. ¡°Socks, walk in a circle.¡± The horse walked around in a tight circle, which certainly wasn¡¯t a standard voice command. ¡°How did you do that?¡± ¡°Animals can understand what a druid says to them, if they¡¯re smart enough. Remember the wolf I mentioned the other night? I asked him to leave us alone, and he did.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a spell, but the elder magic is about more than just spells.¡± ¡°How are you going to stop him if he gets spooked and runs away?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask him not to.¡± ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s going to work?¡± ¡°If he can hear me, yes.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°All right, but you still need to learn to use your legs and seat. It¡¯s as much for you as it is for him. If you have to go fast or turn quickly, you¡¯re going to need to grip him with your legs, and you don¡¯t want to grip him the wrong way or it¡¯ll conflict with¡­whatever you¡¯re telling him, and then he won¡¯t know which command to obey. Besides, there may be times when it¡¯s too loud for him to hear you, but if he can feel you on his back, you can still direct him.¡± ¡°Oh. I see. Can you show me again?¡± # As they drew closer to Tyrsall, the road got busier, with people walking, riding, or driving wagons or carriages. Midday on the sixth day after leaving the village, they crested a rise and saw the city in distance. Corec brought the group to a halt. ¡°Oh,¡± Shavala said, bringing her horse to a halt. When he glanced at her, she was looking at the city in fear. They were too far away to see individual buildings, but it was obvious that Tyrsall was massive. He still remembered his first view of it. He¡¯d visited Telfort while he¡¯d been training as a knight, but Tyrsall was even larger. The outskirts consisted of smaller hamlets that had gradually been absorbed into the city, and then farther in were larger industrial buildings and warehouses. It wasn¡¯t possible to see the city center or the harbor from this distance, but they added to the indistinct grayish-brown mass that spread before them. He turned to Katrin. ¡°We¡¯re an hour¡¯s ride away. We can go back to that last village, which will add another hour, or we can set up camp if you still want to stay outside the city. If we stay, this is as close as we can get¡ªthe constabulary sends out patrols to make sure people don¡¯t camp on the outskirts. And we¡¯ll need to keep watch all night, to make sure nobody steals the horses.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know,¡± Katrin said, running her fingers over the rune on her forehead. ¡°Maybe just for the first day, while you try to find a wizard?¡± Corec had given up on trying to conceal his runes after a few days without any success, but Katrin had kept practicing. She could do it with her eyes open now, but she still had to concentrate or the mark became visible again. Shavala hadn¡¯t shown any interest in hiding hers, though she¡¯d replaced the hawk feather in her hair with three bluejay feathers tied to a leather cord, hanging down in front of her left ear. ¡°You could set up camp in that batch of trees we saw a mile back,¡± Bobo suggested. ¡°That way, you won¡¯t be right out in the open.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ll come back tonight and let you know what I find out.¡± Shavala hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off the city. ¡°How big is it?¡± she asked hesitantly. ¡°It looks as big as the forest.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°No, it would take almost two weeks to go through the full width of the forest. Tyrsall is about twenty-two miles north to south, so you could walk its longest distance in a day, even if the streets are busy.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. If anything, hearing the actual size made her look more nervous. She stared at Tyrsall, biting her lip. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with Katrin. Just for today.¡± ¡°What about you, Bobo?¡± Corec asked. ¡°By the time we get there, it¡¯ll be too late to get started in the library, but I should at least stop by and make sure they¡¯ll let me in. I can work on that while you¡¯re looking for a wizard.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s get going then.¡± # Three and a half hours later, Corec and Bobo reached the city center and split up, planning to meet after running their errands, so they could head back to the camp together. It took Corec another thirty minutes to reach the constabulary building, and he went inside to the bounty office. ¡°I remember you,¡± the man at the desk said. ¡°Any luck with those thieves?¡± ¡°Not yet, but I think I saw the old man. The bounty¡¯s not worth chasing him down, but in case I can get him to come in willingly, what are their penalty fees?¡± ¡°Willingly? Good luck with that, but I¡¯ll check for you.¡± The man pulled open one of the drawers and searched around, finally finding the paper he was looking for. ¡°Here we go. Based on what they stole, the penalty¡¯s assessed at seven gold for each of them to avoid prison. But it still goes on their record, so if we catch them at it again, it¡¯ll be worse.¡± ¡°Well, if I run into him, I¡¯ll let him know.¡± ¡°If you bring him in yourself, you still get the bounty, even if he pays his penalty.¡± Corec nodded, then glanced at the other poster he was interested in. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Herman brothers will be a problem anymore. It looked like them, anyway.¡± ¡°Oh? You got any proof?¡± ¡°No, I was just letting you know. It looked like they tried to waylay someone who didn¡¯t want to be waylaid.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a note of it, but I can¡¯t take down the poster without proof. It¡¯ll be good if someone¡¯s finally done them in.¡± Corec¡¯s next stop was the Senshall Trading Company¡¯s main office, since he hadn¡¯t found anyone at the western loading yard on the way into the city. Inside, he found the duty agent, a man named Cal, speaking with someone dressed in expensive clothing. Corec was waiting for them to finish, but Cal saw him. ¡°Corec! Jak wasn¡¯t too happy when you didn¡¯t show up. We weren¡¯t able to find a substitute in time, since he expected you to be there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªI had do something away from the city. I thought I¡¯d be back in time, so I didn¡¯t take my name off the list, but then I got delayed. I just got into town today, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be around for the next run, either.¡± ¡°You miss two in a row, you¡¯re going to lose your reserved spot,¡± Cal said. ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ve got to head out to Four Roads ahead of the next trip. I¡¯ll probably run into Jak on his way back, so he can yell at me then.¡± ¡°Four Roads?¡± the other man asked, looking over Corec¡¯s armor and sword. ¡°Heading through Dalewood? I¡¯ve got a message going that way, and I¡¯m looking for a runner. How long will it take you to get there?¡± Corec thought about that. ¡°Dalewood by the West Road is four hundred twenty miles. Figure ten or eleven days¡¯ ride, but I¡¯ve got some things to take care of in Tyrsall first, so it would be a few days before I could leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still faster than waiting for Jak or the next Larso run,¡± the man said, ¡°and you¡¯ve got a good reputation, this little incident aside. I¡¯m Varsin Senshall.¡± He held out his hand, so Corec shook it. The more successful family-run trading companies had given themselves family names, as if they were noble houses. Some of the families were wealthier than the lesser nobles, and held more influence, and the Senshall family was one of the wealthiest. Varsin was young, perhaps thirty, so he wasn¡¯t likely to hold much sway, but Corec would still need to stay on the man¡¯s good side if he wanted to keep working for the company. He figured he should be polite. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°That family crest on your armor,¡± Varsin said. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Larso. Corec Tarwen, third son of Lord Ansel, Baron of Tarwen, by way of his concubine.¡± Corec rarely introduced himself formally, but he figured the man would take him more seriously that way. It seemed to work, and he could see Varsin¡¯s demeanor change. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not familiar with the Larso peerage,¡± Varsin said. Corec shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s one of the smallest baronies in the kingdom. Not many people have heard of it out this way.¡± ¡°Third son? I take it that¡¯s why you¡¯re working here?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Corec said, without elaborating. It felt strange enough talking about his family. He didn¡¯t want to go into detail about his past, too. ¡°You said you¡¯re heading to Four Roads, right? Going to Larso to answer the king¡¯s call?¡± Four Roads was in the free lands, but it lay on the most direct route to Larso. ¡°King¡¯s call?¡± ¡°King Marten has put out a call for mercenaries. You hadn¡¯t heard?¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°No. Why would he need mercenaries? Larso¡¯s not at war, and they¡¯ve got a standing army, plus the Knights of Pallisur.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Varsin said, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯t want to be one of the hillfolk right now. We¡¯re adjusting our caravan routes to try to keep away from any trouble.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m no mercenary,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few things to take care of, but I hope to be back here soon, ready to work.¡± Privately, he doubted the hillfolk were the target. The knights kept the occasional band of hillfolk raiders under control, and there wasn¡¯t anything in the hills to make them worth conquering. Varsin nodded. ¡°Good to hear. Courier pay to Dalewood is¡­how does it work, Cal?¡± ¡°Thirty-three silver, plus eleven for expenses. You get a quarter now, half when you bring back proof of delivery, and a quarter if that delivery happens by the designated day.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say¡­fourteen days?¡± Varsin suggested. ¡°Will that give you enough time in the city?¡± It would give him two or three days before he needed to leave. ¡°I think so,¡± Corec said, ¡°but I¡¯ll bring the package back if it looks like I¡¯ll be delayed.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what sort of message was worth paying forty-four silver for special delivery, but after subtracting the money for expenses, it would come out to the same daily rate he¡¯d been earning on guard duty. Or at least it would if he could find a message to bring back on the return leg. And if he could make himself known to the Senshall family, it might lead to full-time courier duty, which would pay a lot more than working as a guard. He still had to solve the problem with the runes, but once that was taken care of, he¡¯d need to look toward his future¡ªespecially now that he¡¯d offered Katrin most of his savings to get her brother out of prison. She¡¯d be heading back to Circle Bay soon, Shavala would leave on her travels to see the world, and Bobo would run out of excuses to stick around, so life would be back to normal in a few weeks, and Corec could return to work. ¡°Let¡¯s get that set up, then,¡± Varsin said to Cal. Corec realized Varsin might have the information he needed, so he said, ¡°The reason I¡¯m in the city is to help a friend who¡¯s run into a bit of a problem. She asked me to find a wizard, but I¡¯ve never met one before. Do you know anyone I could speak to?¡± ¡°The family mostly works with Yelena,¡± Varsin said, ¡°but she won¡¯t talk to you, not even with an introduction from me. There¡¯s another man we¡¯ve used to verify the authenticity of some items, name of Deshin. He seemed capable enough.¡± Corec had heard Yelena¡¯s name before, but not Deshin¡¯s. ¡°Do you know how I can get in touch with him?¡± ¡°He bought a bookshop, if you can believe it. He does all his work through there. You can find him in the Tailors¡¯ Quarter.¡± # For the sake of propriety, Treya stopped in the front garden and pulled her thin, lace-up boots out of her pack. Like the other mystics, she preferred to go barefoot, but she doubted they¡¯d let her inside without footwear. Appropriately clad, she strode up the walkway to the large house and used the door knocker. An elderly man opened the door and looked her over expressionlessly, pausing when he saw the waterskin tied to her belt and the pack slung over her shoulder. ¡°May I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see Renny,¡± Treya said. ¡°Mistress Renny Senshall?¡± he said, enunciating the full title. ¡°And who may I say is asking to see her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Mr. Jovan. Treya. Just like last week, and the week before, and the week before that.¡± The butler had taken a dislike to Treya for some reason she couldn¡¯t fathom. Unless he honestly didn¡¯t remember her, but she doubted that. ¡°I will see if the Mistress is taking visitors.¡± He let her enter, then said, ¡°Please wait here.¡± Leaving her in the entrance hall rather than inviting her to the sitting room was a new snub that Jovan must have thought up since Treya¡¯s last visit. A moment later, she heard someone running down one flight of stairs, then another, and then Renny was there, hugging her. ¡°Treya! I thought you weren¡¯t coming until tomorrow. Why are you carrying your pack?¡± ¡°Can we go up to your rooms and talk?¡± ¡°Of course. Come on.¡± Renny took her by the hand and led her up to the third floor, where she had her own suite. They didn¡¯t see Jovan on their way up, so Treya figured he¡¯d taken the back stairs. Renny dismissed her maid and closed the door behind them, then they both took seats in her private sitting room. Treya glanced through the other door, to the bedroom, and tried not to blush when she saw the large bed. Hopefully this time, her old roommate wouldn¡¯t insist on telling her, in detail, about all the use it had been getting. ¡°Now, what¡¯s up?¡± Renny asked. ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯re about to go on a trip?¡± ¡°Because I am. Kelis says I¡¯ve graduated, and it¡¯s time to start my journeying,¡± Treya said. ¡°What? So soon? I thought you¡¯d have more time.¡± Treya laughed. ¡°Soon? I¡¯ve been training for six years. She said I could have graduated with Enna, but she didn¡¯t think I was old enough to be off on my own. And then the whole priestess thing happened, and she didn¡¯t know what to do with me.¡± Treya still didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d become a priestess, or which god she was supposedly a priestess of, but a priest of The Lady had confirmed that her healing was divine magic. It had been useful for taking care of minor sparring injuries after practice, though she wasn¡¯t strong enough to help with anything serious. ¡°But if you¡¯re gone, who¡¯s going to visit me?¡± Renny said. ¡°Is it that bad here?¡± ¡°Not bad, exactly. Varsin is a dear, the children are adorable, and Kelsa is¡­all right. I¡¯ve been using the things they taught us in concubine classes to put your partner¡¯s wife at ease, and it¡¯s working, but she¡¯s still getting used to me. I¡¯m just bored. I thought I¡¯d be able to help Varsin with his business, but he already knows more languages than me, and he knows all the noble houses in Tyrsall, and he knows all the crops and goods and where they come from. Most of the things they taught us, he knows better than I do.¡± ¡°You can act as his assistant,¡± Treya suggested. ¡°He must be a busy man.¡± Varsin was the younger son of the majority owner of one of the largest trading houses in the city. ¡°We¡¯re still working on that,¡± Renny admitted. ¡°It¡¯s only been four weeks, and he¡¯ll need to trust me before he can send me to do things in his stead. I need to convince him to bring me with him more often, so I can learn the business.¡± ¡°And what about trading letters with the rest of our sisters?¡± Treya said. Passing information back and forth was one of the oldest traditional roles of the concubines, dating back to a time when very few people learned to read. ¡°I will. I just haven¡¯t met anyone yet that would be helpful to correspond with.¡± ¡°Mother Ola could probably introduce you to a few by letter. You don¡¯t necessarily have to meet them in person first.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s a good idea. Even something simple like knowing how the crops are growing in Larso or Matagor might help him make decisions about his caravans.¡± Then she frowned prettily. ¡°Or at least tell his father and brothers.¡± ¡°Problems?¡± Treya asked. Concubines were taught to share personal matters freely, though only amongst themselves¡ªnever with outsiders. ¡°Not really, but he¡¯s youngest son. I get the impression they gave him the less important tasks.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you¡¯re here to help with. What are the rest of them like?¡± ¡°His father¡¯s all right, but I don¡¯t like his brothers. And they never bring their concubines, only their wives, so I haven¡¯t had a chance to meet them yet.¡± ¡°You can go to their homes. It¡¯s your right to visit your Sisters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Renny said, brightening. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± Treya smiled, happy to have improved her friend¡¯s mood. Then she had a thought. ¡°Does Senshall have any fishing boats?¡± ¡°No. Why?¡± ¡°Well, you know fishing. I thought maybe you could help there.¡± ¡°I left fish behind a long time ago, and my father¡¯s the one who knows everything. But I do still have my share of my bond price. I feel like I should invest it in something. Maybe I¡¯ll talk to my father and see if he has any ideas.¡± Renny had fetched a high price, and half of it had gone to her. Usually the other half would go to the Orders, but since she wasn¡¯t an orphan, it had been split between the Orders and her family. ¡°How are you getting along with the staff?¡± Treya asked. ¡°You mean Mr. Jovan,¡± Renny said. ¡°Luckily, he reports to Kelsa. She¡¯s told the staff to obey me as they would her, and Jovan¡¯s the only one that has a problem with it. But he doesn¡¯t come to the third floor very much, so I stay here most of the time. The others are fine, and Eva¡¯s great. I can depend on her for anything.¡± Eva was Renny¡¯s lady¡¯s maid. ¡°Mr. Jovan doesn¡¯t like me, either,¡± Treya said. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s got a problem with the Orders.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s got a problem with concubines,¡± Renny said, ¡°and he sees anyone from the Orders as a concubine. But anyway, we keep talking about me, and you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going off! Is that really all you¡¯re taking? Just that pack?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. You know what my training was like. The fewer distractions I have, the easier it is to focus.¡± ¡°I think starving to death would be a pretty big distraction.¡± Treya grinned. ¡°Well, Kelis gave me some money, and the chapter houses will feed me, and I¡¯ve got some idea of how to live off the land. Mostly, I¡¯m supposed to do whatever jobs come up.¡± ¡°What, like fighting?¡± Renny still didn¡¯t approve of Treya learning to fight¡ªand she approved even less of learning to fight without weapons. She was convinced Treya would end up getting stabbed the first time she faced a man with a sword. Most of Treya¡¯s training for the past two years had been against weapons, and Renny had even watched some of the practice sessions, but she still wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Maybe,¡± Treya said. ¡°Shana does that. But I took the same classes as you, so I could work as an advisor or interpreter. Or I could do like Enna¡ªshe¡¯s working as a bodyguard down in Circle Bay. Though¡­umm¡­I think she¡¯s doing more on the side.¡± ¡°You mean an untrained concubine? Mother Ola will have a fit!¡± ¡°Only if she actually calls herself a concubine. She¡¯s probably just sleeping with her employer. Anyway, Kelis won¡¯t tell Ola unless there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°You could do that, you know,¡± Renny said thoughtfully. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Go find some baron¡¯s son and become his concubine in public. You wouldn¡¯t be breaking the rules¡ªyou¡¯re fully trained¡­mostly. But you¡¯re also secretly his bodyguard! His enemies would never expect it! It would be so romantic!¡± Treya laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Oh, fah! Do whatever you want, then. Where are you going to go?¡± ¡°Four Roads first, I think. Maybe some of my old friends are still at the chapter house.¡± Book 1: Chapter Thirteen While Corec and Bobo went into the city, Katrin spent the day practicing on her harp and getting to know Shavala. The elf girl talked about her training as a druid, her brother and his wife and their young son, and a friend named Lele who Katrin eventually figured out was a squirrel. For her part, Katrin admitted she¡¯d been a thief, and that the penalty Shavala had overheard them talking about was a way for her to stay out of prison. Shavala knew what a thief was, but it was clear from her questions that she didn¡¯t really understand why anyone would steal something. It had taken Katrin some time to explain the events in her life that led up to it, and she wasn¡¯t sure the other woman grasped the concept even then. Still, after talking to her for several hours, Katrin felt less wary of the elf, and thought they might become friends. With the warm sun, the shade from the trees, and the chance to just sit and talk and play music, she found herself enjoying the day, in a way that she hadn¡¯t since Barz had been arrested. She felt guilty about that, but she was still working toward a solution for him¡ªif Corec was true to his word. As the night grew dark, though, she became anxious. Corec and Bobo had been gone for nearly ten hours. Shavala didn¡¯t seem concerned, but Katrin wondered what might have delayed them. Had they decided to stay in the city? Finally, there was the sound of horses leaving the road and coming toward their camp, which was hidden in a copse of trees. Once the riders were close enough that Katrin could see it was their friends, she relaxed. One of Corec¡¯s magical lights was floating above them, lighting their way. As the men dismounted, she said, ¡°What took you so long?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long trip,¡± Corec said. ¡°Did you find what you needed?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a recommendation for a wizard. I¡¯m not sure how good he is, since he¡¯s working as a shopkeeper, but we can try it. If he can¡¯t help us, we¡¯ll find someone else.¡± Bobo said, ¡°And I spoke to the librarians. They¡¯ll let me in, but at a cost of five silver per day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money just to look at some books,¡± Corec said as he unsaddled Dot. ¡°They do seem more strict than I¡¯m accustomed to, but if it finds your answer, it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± Corec frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for one day. Will that be enough?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Bobo said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to try it and see.¡± ¡°Are we going into the city tomorrow then?¡± Katrin asked. Shavala glanced at them anxiously, and Katrin felt bad for her. Despite the girl¡¯s bravado about all the places she wanted to see, it had been obvious earlier that she¡¯d been frightened by the sight of the city. ¡°We¡¯ll leave first thing in the morning. With the morning air and the breeze coming off the ocean, it should be cool enough for you to wear your cloak and hood, if you¡¯re still worried about it.¡± She nodded. ¡°Are you hungry? We ate earlier.¡± ¡°We stopped at a street vendor on our way out,¡± Bobo said. ¡°It tasted wonderful, though I didn¡¯t want to ask what sort of meat it was.¡± ¡°It was just mutton wrapped in flat bread,¡± Corec said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Ahh, I didn¡¯t recognize it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the spices and the way they prepare it,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first watch. If someone comes looking for the horses, we should be able to scare them off without much of a problem.¡± ¡°The animals will watch, too,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I asked them to. They¡¯ll warn us if someone¡¯s around.¡± Corec stared at her for a moment, then just shook his head and laughed. While the others were getting ready to bed down, he took Katrin to the side to speak to her privately. ¡°I stopped at the constabulary building,¡± he said. ¡°Your penalty fee is seven gold. If I add together everything I¡¯ve got with me, it comes to just about seven, but it won¡¯t leave me any money to pay the wizard or buy supplies. I think it¡¯ll have to wait until we return.¡± She sighed. It had been a nice thought, but dealing with the runes was more important. It would mean she¡¯d have to return to Tyrsall before heading to Circle Bay, but she¡¯d have likely done that anyway, rather than cutting across the countryside. ¡°How will I go into the city if people might recognize me from the poster?¡± ¡°Well, for tomorrow morning, wear your hood up. In the afternoons, when it gets hot, you may have to stay at the inn.¡± ¡°All right,¡± she said reluctantly. Being locked up in the inn for a few days was better than being locked up in prison. ¡°We¡¯ll only be here for two or three days,¡± he assured her. ¡°I¡¯ve got a courier job in Dalewood, so we¡¯ll need to make good time. Oh, and if I bring you in when you pay your penalty fee, I still get the bounty.¡± She tried to glare at him, but ended up laughing instead. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯ll help. We need the money.¡± That was true. ¡°Fine, I guess. I¡¯m worried about Shavala. She hasn¡¯t said anything, but I don¡¯t think she wants to go into the city.¡± ¡°She seemed distressed earlier. How was she this afternoon?¡± ¡°It got better when she couldn¡¯t see it anymore, but any time we talked about it, she looked worried.¡± ¡°I think she needs to be with us when we talk to the wizard,¡± Corec said. ¡°And she does want to see the city¡ªshe¡¯s just new to it. I was a little overwhelmed the first time I visited Telfort.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to watch out for her.¡± Corec nodded, then stared silently into the night for a moment before speaking. ¡°What do you think these runes are? Why is it happening?¡± His voice sounded less confident than usual, which was troubling. One of them had to pretend to know what they were doing, and she¡¯d been depending on him for that. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Do you really think I did it somehow?¡± She shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ve got two of them that match ours, and it seems to start when you meet someone new.¡± She tried not to speculate about why Bobo didn¡¯t have a rune. He sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore, so she changed the subject. ¡°I was worried when it got dark and you still weren¡¯t back.¡± ¡°You were in Tyrsall for a few days; you know how long it takes to get around.¡± ¡°More than a few days,¡± she admitted. ¡°I grew up here.¡± ¡°I thought you were from Circle Bay.¡± ¡°I moved there when I was fifteen. My brother and I had trouble with some people in Tyrsall, so I try not to mention that I¡¯m from here. I doubt they even remember me, but I don¡¯t want word getting back to them, just in case.¡± ¡°Why act as bards then? Wouldn¡¯t that make you more visible?¡± ¡°It was a risk, but we were playing the expensive inns. The people I¡¯m worried about weren¡¯t likely to show up there.¡± He nodded. ¡°Anyway, I should have mentioned how long I¡¯d be gone, but Shavala was here, and she¡¯s good with that bow of hers. I figured she could watch out for you.¡± Katrin hoped the darkness hid that she was blushing in embarrassment. Corec thought the elf girl would be able to protect her¡­because she couldn¡¯t protect herself. # Shavala forced herself to take a deep, calming breath as they walked down a street filled with vendors hawking their wares. The press of people was overwhelming, but Corec and Katrin were on either side of her, sheltering her from the crowd. Their first stop in the city had been to get rooms at an inn. They¡¯d left the horses there, in the stable, and Bobo had headed off to the library. That left the rest of them to find the wizard, in the hopes of getting rid of the binding sigils. Shavala wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that¡ªshe liked the mark on her forehead, and the way it glowed, but they¡¯d wanted her to come with them. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. At the inn, she¡¯d had a chance to calm her nerves from the ride in, and when they left again, this time walking, she¡¯d managed well enough to start with. The first few streets weren¡¯t too busy, and she¡¯d found that it helped to think of the taller buildings as trees, with tershaya dwellings built up around them. But then they¡¯d reached an area called the Market District, which was full of shops and booths. It was also full of people¡ªmostly humans and a few stoneborn¡ªall pushing up against each other. Shavala had felt increasingly uncomfortable as people bumped into her, and had started finding it hard to breathe. Her friends had noticed the problem and had taken positions to either side of her. Concerned by the number of people staring at her, Shavala had started concealing her sigil. She was better at making it disappear than Katrin¡ªwho was simply using the hood of her cloak¡ªbut if she forgot about it for too long, it would come back. People stared at her ears, too, even though she¡¯d seen two other elves already. One had been a nilvasta who hadn¡¯t noticed her, and the other had been one of her own people. Their eyes had met, and he¡¯d given her a brief nod, but he hadn¡¯t stopped to talk. He didn¡¯t look familiar, and she wondered if he¡¯d ever lived in the forest. Finally, Corec led them to the left, down a side street. ¡°The Tailors¡¯ Quarter is this way,¡± he said. ¡°Deshin¡¯s shop should be there.¡± This street was quieter, and Shavala was able to relax. ¡°Tailors make clothes?¡± she asked. She¡¯d never had occasion to use the word in the trade tongue, and wondered if she was translating it correctly. ¡°Yes. Tailors, seamstresses, dressmakers.¡± He pointed to a shop window with displays of trousers and work shirts. ¡°Women¡¯s clothing is farther in,¡± Katrin said. They continued walking, and Shavala found her eyes drawn to a shop that displayed only a single dress. The bodice was tight-fitting and embroidered with glittering sequins. The ruffled, floor-length skirt was somehow held outward in a circle, forming a cone. The entire dress was bright pink. ¡°Do human women actually wear dresses like that?¡± she asked. ¡°I think it¡¯s a gown,¡± Katrin replied, ¡°but I don¡¯t know anyone who¡¯d wear that. Who wears hoop skirts anymore?¡± ¡°We should keep going,¡± Corec said. ¡°Shavala only has those brown and tan tunics,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Maybe she should get something a little more colorful.¡± ¡°I have other clothes,¡± Shavala felt compelled to explain. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t fit them in my pack.¡± ¡°Yes, but now you¡¯ve got saddlebags.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk to the wizard first,¡± Corec said, ¡°then we can come back.¡± They found the bookshop a few doors down and went in. There didn¡¯t appear to be anyone else inside, but there were hundreds of books lining the shelves and tables, more than Shavala had ever seen in one place. Elven books were rare, since they had to be carefully copied by hand, but she¡¯d heard that humans had some method for making many copies of the same book. She opened one that was sitting on a table near the entrance, but it was written in a language she couldn¡¯t read. The letters were strangely blocky¡ªeven more so than human letters typically were¡ªand the pages had slight smudges of ink. Each page also had a picture of some exotic animal, done in the same ink as the lettering. She thumbed through the book, looking at the pictures. ¡°Hello!¡± a man said as he came through a door at the back of the shop. ¡°Welcome to Deshin¡¯s Rare Books. I am Deshin. How may I help you?¡± He was young and clean-shaven, with blond hair, and his eyes were immediately drawn to Shavala¡¯s sigil¡ªand Katrin¡¯s, once she¡¯d lowered her hood. Corec said, ¡°We¡¯ve heard you work as a wizard, and we¡¯ve got a problem we¡¯re hoping you can help us with.¡± He and Katrin went on to give much the same story they¡¯d told to Meritia, then added Shavala¡¯s part in it. ¡°Binding sigils?¡± Deshin said. ¡°I¡¯ve always heard them called binding runes, but no matter. Just a language difference, I imagine. Let me take a closer look.¡± He stood in front of Shavala and whispered words she couldn¡¯t hear. His eyes grew cloudy, the irises appearing almost white rather than the hazel they¡¯d been before. He peered carefully at her sigil, then at Katrin¡¯s. He turned to Corec. ¡°I¡¯ll need to see yours, too, to see if they¡¯re binding runes.¡± Corec hadn¡¯t worn his armor that morning, so he could wear a shirt with sleeves that could be rolled up. He did so, and Deshin examined his sigils. ¡°They are binding runes,¡± Deshin said. ¡°I can feel the bond between the matching ones.¡± His eyes returned to normal as he looked up at them. ¡°But you don¡¯t know who cast the spell?¡± ¡°It might have been me,¡± Corec said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to do it, but I might be some sort of mage.¡± ¡°Might be?¡± Corec held his hand palm up, and one of his lights floated up to hover around the ceiling. ¡°I¡­see,¡± Deshin said. ¡°That¡¯s a mage light, but you¡¯re no wizard. Who did you train with?¡± ¡°Nobody. It just started happening. I don¡¯t even know how I¡¯m doing it.¡± ¡°Well, that can happen sometimes, but not with a binding rune. They¡¯re too complicated to just appear by accident. Binding two people can take months of work, depending on the purpose of the bond.¡± ¡°Months?¡± Katrin said. ¡°The itching started right around the time we first met, and the marks showed up nine or ten days later.¡± ¡°Eleven days for me,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Could you have met before?¡± Deshin asked. ¡°Or could someone have known that you would meet, and prepared the spell ahead of time?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t met before,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯ve been in Circle Bay for the last six years.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t see how someone would have known we¡¯d meet,¡± Corec said. ¡°I was coming back with a caravan from Four Roads, and Katrin had come to Tyrsall unexpectedly. And we didn¡¯t decide to go to Terril until the first runes showed up. Could someone have just chosen us randomly?¡± Deshin shook his head. ¡°No. The binding spell has to be prepared specifically for the people that it¡¯s being applied to.¡± ¡°Do the symbols mean anything?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°The person who creates them decides what they¡¯ll look like. I don¡¯t recognize yours.¡± ¡°You said they can have different purposes?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Can you tell what these ones are for?¡± ¡°No. Have you felt anything peculiar?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Corec said, and looked to Katrin. She shook her head. ¡°Me either. Can you remove them?¡± The man appeared uncertain. ¡°A banishment spell? Or two, I suppose? I can try, but binding runes are tricky. You might need to ask someone with more experience in this sort of thing.¡± ¡°How much would it cost for you to try?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Cost? Ahh, well, perhaps you could buy a book?¡± ¡°A book?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy this one,¡± Shavala said, retrieving the book about animals from its table. ¡°Karsin¡¯s Guide to Rare Wildlife? Are you sure? I¡¯m not sure how accurate the information is¡ªthe original is several hundred years old. One of the printers in town got hold of a copy, and decided to block-print it for whatever reason.¡± ¡°I like it,¡± she replied. She¡¯d never seen any of the animals pictured on the pages she¡¯d viewed, but based on their appearance, she was sure she¡¯d heard of a few. She wanted to look through the rest of the pages to see more. ¡°Well, then, that¡¯ll be four silver,¡± he said. ¡°It was a limited printing¡ªonly two hundred copies.¡± Two hundred? Shavala thought about her people¡¯s scribes slowly copying one book at a time, and wondered what they would say about someone making two hundred copies. Then, she realized she didn¡¯t have her coin pouch with her. It was still hidden away in her pack. ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± Corec said. ¡°You can pay me back if you want.¡± He passed the coins to Deshin. ¡°The banishment spell is complicated,¡± Deshin said. ¡°Let¡¯s go in the back room, since I¡¯ll need to sit down for it. You probably should as well. If it works, it might make you dizzy.¡± He led them to the back of the shop and through the door he¡¯d entered by, into a small room with two wooden chairs, a table, and several stacks of books and papers. There was a staircase leading up, but they stayed in the room. Deshin took one of the chairs, so Shavala and Corec took seats on the floor, leaving the other to Katrin. ¡°Which bond should I try to remove first?¡± Deshin asked. ¡°Hers,¡± Shavala said. She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to get rid of her own, and decided to wait to see if it worked. Deshin nodded and faced Katrin and Corec, then started whispering words that Shavala couldn¡¯t hear no matter how closely she listened. This spell took longer than his last, but finally, he finished and sat back in his chair. Katrin¡¯s sigil was still on her forehead. She glanced questioningly at Corec, and her face fell when he shook his head. He rolled up his sleeve again to show that his mark was still there, too. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything,¡± Katrin said. ¡°No,¡± Deshin said. ¡°It didn¡¯t work. I¡¯m sorry. Perhaps you should ask Rallus or Yelena. There are other wizards in the city, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll do any better than I did. You¡¯ll need someone who knows what they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°I was told that Yelena wouldn¡¯t be willing to speak with us,¡± Corec said. ¡°Oh, that might be true. Rallus makes his home in the Garden Quarter, but I should warn you, it won¡¯t be cheap.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea how much?¡± ¡°For a major banishing? Fifty gold, perhaps. Maybe more. And there¡¯s no guarantee it¡¯ll work¡ªI can sense the bond between the runes, but my banishing spell didn¡¯t even see that it existed.¡± ¡°Fifty?¡± Katrin looked stricken. ¡°What about Yelena?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Do you know her? Is there any way you could introduce us?¡± ¡°To speak to Yelena, you¡¯d need to speak to Duke Voss.¡± ¡°The Duke of Tyrsall? Why?¡± ¡°She only works for him, or those he chooses.¡± # They spoke quietly after they left the bookshop, slowly walking past the tailors¡¯ shops and looking at the displays. ¡°What should we do now?¡± Katrin asked. She carried her cloak over one arm, the day having warmed up too much to keep wearing it. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to get an audience with the duke,¡± Corec said. ¡°And I don¡¯t have fifty gold. At least Deshin didn¡¯t charge much.¡± ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± Shavala said. ¡°The sigils aren¡¯t hurting anything.¡± Katrin sighed. ¡°Maybe I just need to keep practicing how to hide it.¡± She wasn¡¯t as depressed as she thought she¡¯d be. She was starting to get used to it. ¡°We can look outside the city,¡± Corec suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Four Roads like we¡¯d planned, get my money so we can come back here and pay off your penalty, and then go to Circle Bay. There must be wizards there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard some names down there, but I don¡¯t know anything about them,¡± Katrin said. She¡¯d never considered that Corec might accompany her back to Circle Bay. Even after his offer of money to help pay off Barz¡¯s penalty, she¡¯d assumed she¡¯d be traveling home by herself. Having him along would certainly make her feel safer on the trip. ¡°It can¡¯t hurt to try,¡± he said. ¡°And maybe Bobo will find something in the library.¡± They came upon a row of shops that had set up all their wares outside, along the street. Katrin stopped to browse through riding skirts, since the one Corec had bought her wasn¡¯t going to last long if she had to wear it every day. Shavala got distracted by a selection of silk scarves. There was no men¡¯s clothing nearby, so Corec stood waiting nearby. Katrin was walking over to a dress shop on the other side of the street when she accidentally bumped into someone. She bounced off him and looked up in surprise. The man was tall and had a weathered face. He wore a leather duster and a wide-brimmed hat, and carried a walking staff in one hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, embarrassed. He looked at her, his eyes drawn to the rune on her forehead, and he started laughing. ¡°What?¡± she said. He shook his head, still with a wide grin on his face, and said, ¡°Another one so soon?¡± He laughed again, and just for an instant, a red rune¡ªa simple triangle¡ªappeared on his forehead. Then it faded, and he did as well, disappearing from sight. ¡°Wait! Who are you? Where did you go?¡± She spun around, searching, but couldn¡¯t find him. Turning to her friends, she found Shavala asking Corec¡¯s opinion about a blue scarf she¡¯d draped around her neck. Neither of them appeared to have noticed the man. # Bobo returned his fourth book of the day to the shelves, once again with nothing to show for it. He¡¯d been so certain that what he¡¯d been looking for could be found among the hillfolk that once his search there had failed, he¡¯d been at a loss as to what to do next. The library in Tyrsall seemed as good a choice as any¡ªit was almost as large as the one in Matagor, and much older¡ªbut one day simply wouldn¡¯t be enough to find what he needed. Sighing, he decided to spend the rest of the day trying to find some information about his companions¡¯ problem. If he didn¡¯t make some progress, it was unlikely he¡¯d be able to convince Corec to pay for any more time in the library. He went in search of someone to help him look up binding sigils. Book 1: Chapter Fourteen ¡°What do you mean, he vanished?¡± Corec asked as they returned to the inn. It wasn¡¯t the same inn he¡¯d stayed in the last time he was in town, since he hadn¡¯t wanted Katrin to meet Betta. ¡°He got lost in the crowd?¡± ¡°No,¡± Katrin said. ¡°He disappeared, right in front of my eyes. I was watching him the whole time.¡± ¡°Magic?¡± Shavala suggested. ¡°It must have been.¡± ¡°Are you sure it was the same type of rune?¡± Corec asked. ¡°How would I know? But it looked the same, except that it was red.¡± ¡°I wonder what he meant by another one so soon,¡± Corec said. ¡°Maybe this is happening to more people? He didn¡¯t say anything else?¡± ¡°No, nothing else. He just laughed at me again, then disappeared.¡± ¡°Why do you think he was laughing? Was he just surprised?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. With my luck, my mark means something rude.¡± Corec grinned. ¡°That could be it.¡± ¡°If he showed you his sigil, he must have wanted you to know,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Unless he¡¯s just as bad at hiding it as I am,¡± Katrin replied. ¡°Perhaps we should stay in the city longer after all, and try to find him,¡± Corec said. ¡°If we¡¯re not going to talk to any other wizards here, I¡¯d rather move on. I don¡¯t know how we¡¯d look for someone who can disappear.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± When they got back to their rooms, they found Bobo waiting for them. His eyes immediately went to the girls¡¯ runes. ¡°No luck?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a couple more ideas, though. I thought you were going to be at the library all day?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back later, but I found some things I thought you¡¯d want to know right away.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Well, I started by searching for binding sigils, but that seems to be an elven phrase. The library has some elven books, but I can¡¯t read the language. In the other sources I found, it appears binding runes is the more common term.¡± ¡°The wizard already told us that,¡± Corec said. ¡°Oh.¡± Bobo looked disappointed momentarily, but then he brightened. ¡°I did find one other thing. I copied it down for you.¡± He handed over a sheet of paper. Corec read it out loud. ¡°The Chosar learned to create runes like those that shone brighte uponne the browe of the wardens¡¯ bondemates.¡± Looking up at Bobo, he said, ¡°Why is the spelling so strange?¡± ¡°Languages change over time, and this was written a thousand years ago. The Eastern language was still being consolidated from the languages that came before.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand what you said,¡± Shavala said. Bobo quickly translated it to trade tongue for her, since her Eastern wasn¡¯t as strong. ¡°What does it mean?¡± Katrin said. ¡°What are the Chosar?¡± Bobo hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen the name a few times. It seems to refer to an ancient tribe of people, from thousands of years ago.¡± ¡°Does that really tell us anything, though?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We already know they¡¯re binding runes. What does it matter how long it¡¯s been since people learned to make them?¡± ¡°I thought it was curious that binding runes are based on some other sort of rune that was placed on someone¡¯s brow. From what I¡¯ve read today, they can be put anywhere, so is it a coincidence that yours are in the same spot?¡± Katrin said, ¡°I thought it just meant the Chosar learned to make binding runes from these other people, the wardens. Not that it was something different than a binding rune.¡± ¡°I suppose it could be read that way, but wouldn¡¯t you be interested in learning more about the wardens, just in case?¡± ¡°What else did the book say?¡± Corec asked. ¡°It was a scroll, and that was the only useful part. It was a translation of a translation, discussing the wisdom of the first peoples. The paragraph before it was about crop rotation¡ªquite advanced for its time¡ªand the paragraph after was about fishing. The rest of the scroll didn¡¯t mention anything about wardens or runes, and there were only a few other references to the Chosar.¡± ¡°First peoples?¡± ¡°The people who came first,¡± Shavala said. ¡°The ones who learned how to control the elder magic.¡± ¡°What, like elves?¡± She didn¡¯t reply. Bobo said, ¡°If you look far enough back in the history books, it doesn¡¯t talk about the different races. It refers to them by their tribes, like the Chosar, and we don¡¯t know what the different tribes were. When an author is talking about everyone, not just a specific group, then it¡¯s the first peoples. Or sometimes the Ancients¡ªwhich obviously isn¡¯t what they called themselves.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Are you going to look for other references to wardens this afternoon?¡± ¡°Yes. It can¡¯t hurt to know more.¡± ¡°I suppose, though if they¡¯re as old as you say the Chosar are, it seems unlikely to be helpful. Did you learn anything else?¡± ¡°Well, I discovered that the legends of The Dead God first originated amongst the dwarves. I¡¯d never heard that before.¡± Corec stared at him, unable to figure out what the dwarves or The Dead God had to do with anything. Bobo shrugged expressively. ¡°Not all lines of inquiry meet with success. I think I¡¯ll need another day to search for information on wardens and binding runes.¡± ¡°I guess we could stay in the city one more day.¡± Corec looked at Katrin. ¡°Maybe you should tell him what you saw, in case it helps?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Bobo said. ¡°What did you see?¡± # ¡°Ahh, you¡¯ve returned,¡± Deshin said. ¡°How can I help you today?¡± ¡°I have some more questions,¡± Corec said. He¡¯d come to the bookshop alone that morning, after Bobo had headed out for a second day at the library. ¡°I¡¯m happy to help in any way I can, but I must admit I¡¯m not an expert on binding runes. I¡¯ve never actually cast a binding spell myself. I have a book on them somewhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Corec started, then paused. He hadn¡¯t come for information on the runes, but perhaps it would be helpful. ¡°Could I see it?¡± Deshin strode over to a shelf standing against the left wall and ran his finger along the spines of the books. ¡°No, no, close but no, no¡­yes.¡± He pulled a small, leather-bound tome off the shelf and thumbed through the pages. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­binding runes, their uses, and¡­how to create them. Oh, dear¡ªthis really should have been locked in the back room. No harm done, I suppose.¡± He handed the book to Corec. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not cheap, though. Twenty silver.¡± Corec jerked in surprise, almost dropping it. Books were expensive, but half a gold? Bobo¡¯s horse had cost less. Thinking, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t actually come here to ask about the runes, but I¡¯ll buy the book if you can spend some time answering questions about my magic.¡± Deshin cocked his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯m happy to try, but I may not know all of the answers.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in the back so we can sit down. If I hear the door open, I¡¯ll need to come out here to attend to a customer.¡± They returned to the small room from the day before. Corec spoke first. ¡°You said I¡¯m not a wizard. What am I?¡± Instead of replying, Deshin said, ¡°Could you cast your mage light spell again?¡± Corec summoned one of the small, silvery balls of lights and sent it to hover above their heads. ¡°I can do a couple other things, too.¡± ¡°Other spells?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re spells,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ve always just thought of them as things I can do. I can make a¡­sort of shield, for a brief time.¡± He concentrated, and felt his mind shift in the way that told him the barrier was in place. ¡°You can¡¯t see it now, but try to touch me.¡± Deshin reached out to poke Corec¡¯s shoulder with a finger. He didn¡¯t appear surprised when the shield shimmered as it blocked him. ¡°You didn¡¯t hit it very hard,¡± Corec said, ¡°so you can probably touch it another time or two before it disappears. Or, if nothing hits it, it¡¯ll go away on its own in a few minutes.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Just one other. It helps me run when I¡¯m wearing my armor. Otherwise, I can¡¯t move very fast in it.¡± The wizard nodded. ¡°Those sound like spells to me. And they sound like¡­ How much do you know about the four types of magic?¡± ¡°Just the names. And Shavala¡ªwho was with us yesterday¡ªhas told me a bit about elder magic.¡± ¡°Each type of magic comes to its bearer in a different way. The elder magic makes itself known whether you want it or not, but it¡¯s more¡­primal. If an elder mage wants a light, he¡¯ll summon fire. And the shield you showed me doesn¡¯t seem like elder magic either. For divine magic, well, if you were a priest, you¡¯d know it. Priests get their magic from blessings. If a priest has been given the blessing of healing by his god, then he can use healing magic. As for demonic magic, we can¡¯t really study it, because only demons can use it. I think we can rule that one out. Which leaves arcane magic.¡± ¡°Like a wizard, right? But you said I wasn¡¯t one.¡± ¡°Wizardry isn¡¯t the only way to access arcane magic, just the most common. I¡¯ve heard stories of people who learned to cast a spell or two without any training and without knowing the words, but they¡¯re rare. Most of them are never able to go beyond that, but a few have managed to keep teaching themselves more. They generally can¡¯t learn anything too complicated, though. A binding spell, for example, requires a lot of preparation. You can¡¯t just¡­think about it and make it happen.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Could I learn to cast spells the normal way?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Deshin said. ¡°You¡¯d have to have a knack for it first¡ªmost people don¡¯t¡ªand then it might take you years just to learn how to summon your mage lights that way. Or it might go faster since you can already do it.¡± ¡°How do I find out?¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to apprentice with an experienced wizard. An apprenticeship usually lasts for ten years.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I guess I¡¯ll keep going as I have been.¡± ¡°Well, if you want to try something else, I do have another book¡­¡± # The smell of the ocean and the cries of the seagulls grew strong as Katrin and Shavala approached the harbor. Katrin checked that her hood covered as much of her face as possible. ¡°Let¡¯s not take too long here.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay with me,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want anyone to find you. If we¡¯re leaving tomorrow, I want to see the ships first, and the sea.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re coming with us?¡± They¡¯d never discussed whether the elf girl would continue traveling with them. She didn¡¯t seem to mind the blue mark on her head, and unlike Katrin, she had her own money and knew how to live off the land. ¡°It seems like I should,¡± Shavala said. ¡°At least until we know what¡¯s happening. Are you sure you don¡¯t wish to return to the inn?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you walk around the city alone!¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing better now. I went out last night while you were sleeping.¡± ¡°Last night?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°By yourself? In the dark? I didn¡¯t hear you leave. What if you were mugged?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my belt pouches. I had nothing for anyone to steal.¡± Shavala cocked her head to the side. ¡°Do you mug people?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± Katrin hated talking about that part of her life. ¡°I picked people¡¯s pockets sometimes, but I tried to only steal from people who could afford it.¡± ¡°How did you know if they could afford it?¡± ¡°Sometimes I didn¡¯t,¡± she admitted. They turned the corner, and the docks district appeared before them. Sailors walked in loud groups while full wagons passed steadily back and forth, children laughing as they ran between the traffic. A line of taverns and inns spread to the right while the merchant houses had offices and warehouses to the left. Beyond all the activity was the harbor itself. The docks closest to shore were reserved for small fishing vessels, which could maneuver in shallower water, but it was a clear day so most of those boats were out to sea. Farther out, docked in the distance, were half a dozen large cargo ships. ¡°Oh,¡± Shavala said, as she stared at them. ¡°Where are the sails? I thought they were big.¡± ¡°You see the tall things sticking up? Those are the masts. When the ships are docked, the sails are furled and wrapped around the mast. If we stick around for a little bit, we¡¯ll see ships coming in under sail. Maybe not one of the big ones, but at least a fishing boat or two. We¡¯ll have to get closer for a good view, though.¡± They headed in that direction, avoiding the main thoroughfares with the heavier traffic. As they walked, they passed a boisterous group of seaborn who¡¯d apparently been diving recently, since their hair ranged from blond to white. They each carried a mesh bag full of lobsters. Walking among the group was a solemn man with a staff-spear braced over his shoulder. His skin had a faint bluish tinge, and darker swirls of blue and purple ran from his neck up to his temples. His ears were slightly angular, though not as pointed as an elf¡¯s, and his eyes scanned back and forth as if he was looking for threats. After they¡¯d passed, Shavala whispered, ¡°Was that a demonborn?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s stormborn, I think.¡± It had been several years since Katrin had seen one, since they rarely left the Storm Heights. She wondered how he¡¯d come to be working with a gang of divers. Shavala glanced after them, but the group was soon lost to sight. The two women continued on their way, walking out onto one of the piers that provided docking space for the smaller boats. At the end of the pier, they stopped to watch the activity. A few fishing vessels came and went, but they stayed until one of the large cargo ships set sail. They waited and watched while it left the harbor. Once it was gone, Shavala sighed. ¡°I thought it would be¡­more¡­¡± ¡°Exciting?¡± Katrin suggested. ¡°More like a bird. But the wind just pushes against it and it goes?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s more complicated than that. They have to be able to move the sails around to catch the wind at the right angle. Otherwise, they could only go in whatever direction the wind is blowing.¡± Shavala cocked her head to the side. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to tell the wind which direction you¡¯d like it to blow?¡± Katrin blinked in surprise. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think there are enough wizards around that people can just hire them for things like that.¡± Sometimes the elf girl said the strangest things. ¡°Perhaps someday I will be on a ship so I can see it close up.¡± It was past noon by then and the weather was warming up, so they headed back to the inn. As they left the docks district and returned to the city center, Katrin noticed a street vendor selling women¡¯s hats. She stopped to look them over. ¡°What about this one?¡± Shavala asked, holding up a straw cloche hat with a brim. Katrin lowered her hood and tried the hat on. ¡°Does it work?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see your sigil at all, just your eyes. Do you want me to buy it for you? I remembered to bring my coins today.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± Katrin asked the vendor. ¡°Four copper,¡± the man said. ¡°My wife makes them. It¡¯ll last for years as long as you carry it by the brim and don¡¯t get it wet.¡± She¡¯d made five copper the night she¡¯d sung for the trading caravan. ¡°I have enough,¡± she told Shavala, and handed over the coins. As they walked away, she put her hood back up, carrying the hat in her hand. ¡°You¡¯re not going to wear it now?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Once we leave the city. Until then, the hood hides my face better.¡± She heard a noise then that sounded out of place. She couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but all of her senses were tingling the way they used to when she¡¯d accompanied Barz and the other thieves on a job. Then it came again, footsteps that were just a little too regular¡ªnot moving away or getting closer, but steadily behind them. Rather than look back, she grabbed Shavala¡¯s hand. ¡°We should move faster.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I need to hear something.¡± She led the elf onward, gradually increasing their pace. When the noise of the street allowed, she could still hear the footsteps following them at the same distance. ¡°What are we doing?¡± Shavala asked. Katrin kept her voice low. ¡°Someone¡¯s following us.¡± Shavala started to glance back but Katrin jerked on her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t look. We¡¯ll duck into that alley, then try to get out of sight before whoever it is turns the corner.¡± Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t a real alley. The buildings on either side had been constructed against a tall stone wall that surrounded the grounds of some other structure. The only way out would be back the way they came, or climbing the wall¡ªand she wasn¡¯t dressed for climbing. She turned back around, hoping the footsteps had just been footsteps, but a man stood at the mouth of the alley. Someone she knew. He ducked down to get a glimpse into her hood. ¡°Well, I thought it might be you, little Katrin. Not so little anymore, are you?¡± ¡°What do you want, Torse? Why are you following me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just wondering what my old friend¡¯s little sister is up to. How is Barz, anyway?¡± Katrin forced herself to calm her breathing. Perhaps Torse only wanted to talk. ¡°He¡¯s in prison.¡± Shavala glanced back and forth between them. She hadn¡¯t been carrying her bow or quiver while walking around the city, so the only weapons they had were her little belt knife and the dagger that Corec had insisted Katrin carry. ¡°Ahh, a pity,¡± Torse said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Dallo would like to speak to him as well.¡± ¡°Dallo doesn¡¯t care about us,¡± Katrin said. ¡°That¡¯s true. He certainly wouldn¡¯t waste any effort trying to find you. But then, it didn¡¯t take me any effort, did it? You just walked right back into town. He wasn¡¯t particularly happy when you left. You owe him a lot of money.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t owe Dallo anything. Barz worked for him for years, and gave him almost everything he made. Our debts are clear.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Dallo sees it that way. I imagine he¡¯ll be interested enough to kick a few silver over my way when we go talk to him. Where have you been, anyway? Where¡¯d you find yourself an elf, and what are those things on your heads?¡± Katrin thought quickly. ¡°The elves taught me how to be a wizard. That¡¯s where the blue marks come from. We¡¯re both wizards, so don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be taking us anywhere.¡± She ignored the look Shavala shot her. Torse considered that, but only for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re no wizard, and you¡¯re not as good of a liar as you think you are. Why are you so worried? Just pay Dallo back what you owe him and you can go on your way.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m not a wizard?¡± Katrin said, pushing every bit of strength she could into her bardic talent. She¡¯d never attempted it before without music. ¡°Let me tell you a tale of the time I went to the elves.¡± Torse blinked rapidly. ¡°What¡­stop talking!¡± ¡°They taught me a story about a human girl and an elven girl who got caught in an alley by a thief.¡± She pushed harder, more than she¡¯d ever done while performing to a crowd. ¡°I¡­stop¡­¡± ¡°But luckily, the human girl was a wizard, so she cast a spell, and the thief just stood there, not able to move or speak.¡± Torse¡¯s mouth opened but no words came out. His eyes stared blankly, not focusing on anything. Katrin grabbed Shavala¡¯s hand again and they carefully edged around him. ¡°Hurry,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll last very long.¡± Once they reached the street, they started running, taking the next turn, then another, as they tried to find a roundabout way back to the inn. Katrin¡¯s old memories of Tyrsall started to return as she recalled the uncomfortable thrill of being chased through the city by a group of guardsmen. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that,¡± Shavala said once they¡¯d slowed to a walk. ¡°Neither did I,¡± Katrin said, panting. She felt very tired suddenly, and it had been a long time since she¡¯d had to run anywhere. Shavala was breathing easily. ¡°I could have helped, you know. I just didn¡¯t know whether you wanted to hurt him.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt him. Well, maybe just a little bit, but nothing serious. How would you have helped?¡± The other girl didn¡¯t reply. # Bobo didn¡¯t return to the inn that night until after supper had been served, so Corec waited for him to get something to eat before questioning him. Corec had spoken with Deshin for most of the morning, then spent the afternoon buying supplies. It would take him, Katrin, and Shavala sixteen or seventeen days to reach Four Roads. By the time they made it back to Tyrsall, it would be autumn. After that, they¡¯d be heading to Circle Bay, which was six hundred miles away by the South Road. If the rainy season started, the trip would be unpleasant. Going by ship was an option, but he wasn¡¯t sure how much it would cost. Katrin and Shavala had spent the afternoon at the inn, after a trip to the docks that morning. Katrin had showed him a hat she¡¯d found that hid her rune. When Bobo was ready, everyone gathered in the girls¡¯ room. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Corec asked. ¡°It¡¯s what I didn¡¯t find that¡¯s more interesting,¡± Bobo said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Well, you know that I spent yesterday afternoon looking through all of the books about binding runes to see if I could find anything else about wardens.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t,¡± Corec said. ¡°Yes, yes. So, today, I looked for wardens and only wardens. The catalog showed three sources for the word¡ªnot including the one I found yesterday, I might add. The problem is, all three were missing.¡± ¡°Missing?¡± ¡°Gone. They weren¡¯t where the catalog said they¡¯d be, and the librarians couldn¡¯t find them. They were quite perturbed.¡± ¡°Then you didn¡¯t find anything at all?¡± ¡°Sometimes the absence of information is more telling. Why are those three specific books missing? Did someone steal them? If so, why?¡± ¡°Or maybe someone just put them back in the wrong spot.¡± Bobo deflated. ¡°That could be, I suppose. But all three of them? It seems important.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Maybe it is. Anyway, thank you for trying. You know we¡¯re heading out tomorrow¡ªI was thinking, you and Rose seem to get along. Maybe I won¡¯t sell her after all. You can go ahead and keep her when we leave.¡± ¡°Actually¡­¡± Bobo said. Corec had a sinking feeling. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I thought I might come with you when you leave.¡± ¡°To Four Roads? Why? A man with your skills should be able to find work here easily. What are you going to do in Four Roads?¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m looking for something.¡± ¡°Looking for what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping I¡¯ll know it when I see it.¡± He didn¡¯t explain any further. Corec sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t keep paying your way. I¡¯m going to run out of money.¡± ¡°I can help with that,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I spent four hours this afternoon copying and translating a scroll for the librarians. They paid me three silver. Then I sold half of my burn salve for another twenty. Twenty-three silver should be enough to cover what you¡¯ve spent on my food and lodging, and then some. I can¡¯t pay you back yet for Rose, but I will. I¡¯ve got all the ingredients I need for a salve that fights infections, and almost everything I need for one that helps soothe pain.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure what to say. On the road, he¡¯d gotten used to thinking of Bobo as mostly useless, and it felt odd to be suddenly confronted with evidence otherwise. ¡°All right. I¡¯d appreciate that, and you¡¯re welcome to come with us.¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Bobo said, smiling. ¡°I bought supplies this afternoon,¡± Corec said. ¡°Enough for three people to reach Dalewood, where we can restock, but if Shavala¡¯s willing to continue helping us forage and hunt the way she has been, we should be able to stretch it enough for four. We¡¯ll need to camp out, though. We can¡¯t afford to stay in inns as often as we have been. Maybe just in Dalewood and Four Roads.¡± ¡°Just when I was getting used to real baths again,¡± Katrin said, wrinkling her nose. Once they¡¯d returned to the West Road, they¡¯d alternated nights in inns and nights camping. ¡°Back to bathing outside for a while. But since we¡¯re still here, I¡¯ll pay for baths again tonight.¡± They split up then. The inn had two bathing rooms, so Bobo and Shavala went first. Katrin stayed behind. ¡°Earlier today, I ran into someone I used to know.¡± ¡°Was there a problem?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Did she knew about your bounty?¡± ¡°He, and he didn¡¯t mention it, but he¡¯s still trouble. The people that Barz and I used to work for here aren¡¯t happy that we left.¡± ¡°Do they know how to find you?¡± ¡°No, we were able to get away. I just thought you should know.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll have to watch out for them, but we¡¯re leaving early tomorrow, so hopefully it won¡¯t be a problem.¡± He realized he was staring at her again. He¡¯d seen her glowing blue rune so often, it had started to seem like it was part of her, not detracting from her beauty at all. She was wearing a dress rather than a riding skirt¡ªthe blue dress she¡¯d worn the first time he saw her. He wished, once again, that he¡¯d spent some time learning how to talk to girls that weren¡¯t tavern whores. She hadn¡¯t replied, so to make conversation, he said, ¡°So, Four Roads, then back here, then on to Circle Bay. We¡¯ll have to watch out for your friends here, but at least we¡¯ll be able to get your penalty paid off so you won¡¯t have to worry about being arrested.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She looked like she wanted to say more, but didn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about how to get to Circle Bay. You came here by ship, right? Do you know how much it cost?¡± ¡°No. Felix handled that. It¡¯s much faster, though. I went by the South Road last time, and it took a month. But we were walking, so it won¡¯t be as bad with the horses.¡± ¡°I guess we have some time to think about it. If Bobo starts pulling his own weight, we might be able to afford passage on a ship.¡± ¡°I was surprised you said he could come with us,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°I thought you were trying to get rid of him.¡± Corec laughed, and double-checked that the door was closed so no one could listen in. ¡°I never have any idea how I¡¯ll feel about him from one moment to the next, but I guess if he¡¯s going to insist on making himself useful¡­¡± Katrin snickered. ¡°I kind of like him, but then, I haven¡¯t been the one paying for everything.¡± Book 1: Chapter Fifteen ¡°Where¡¯re ya headed?¡± the man with the missing tooth asked. He wore chainmail and carried a mace on his belt. There was a small shield strapped to his back. ¡°And why don¡¯t you got any shoes?¡± ¡°Four Roads,¡± Treya replied. ¡°I¡¯m visiting some friends. I¡¯ve got shoes in my pack; I¡¯m just not wearing them.¡± ¡°Four Roads?¡± the other man said as he looked her up and down with a wide smile. He had long blonde hair and a bushy beard, and wore a leather breastplate. There was an arming sword sheathed on his left hip and a parrying dagger on the right. ¡°That¡¯s a long way for a girl to go by herself. You should stick with us. We¡¯re headed in that direction ourselves, and we can make sure you get there safely.¡± She considered that. They were walking slower than her¡ªshe¡¯d been catching up to them for the past half hour, and had just passed them when they¡¯d called out to her. On the other hand, he was right. It was a long way to Four Roads, and this was only her third day on her own. She¡¯d been taught how to travel and she¡¯d been taught how to fight, but learning how to do a thing was different than knowing, for certain, that she could do it by herself. Perhaps it would be good to have some company in case something unexpected happened. They kept staring at her chest, but men had been doing that for years, any time she went out into the city. She¡¯d learned enough from the concubine training to know why men looked. As long as they didn¡¯t make nuisances of themselves, she could ignore it. ¡°All right,¡± she said. ¡°At least for a while.¡± They started walking again, and she slowed her pace to match theirs. As they walked, they talked, introducing themselves. The man with the missing tooth was named Arnol, and the blond man was Des. ¡°We¡¯re on our way to Larso,¡± Des said. ¡°They¡¯re hiring mercenaries, see? Good coin, too. Better than we could get up north.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from the north? Up toward Lanport?¡± ¡°No, beyond the Storm Heights,¡± he said, referring to a mountain range north and west of Tyrsall. Treya nodded. The towns and fiefdoms in the northern plains were constantly changing names and leaders, so when talking to southerners, the residents usually didn¡¯t provide details. ¡°Why is Larso hiring mercenaries?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care. As long as their coin¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Rumor is,¡± Arnol said, ¡°we¡¯ll actually be working for the prince.¡± ¡°Prince Rusol?¡± Treya asked. Part of her schooling had been learning the leadership of all the kingdoms on the continent. Rusol was King Marten¡¯s second son, born from a concubine of the Orders. He¡¯d become heir when his older brother had died in a riding accident. ¡°Why does he need his own men?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know his name or why he¡¯s hiring. I just go where they pay me.¡± Treya suppressed a shiver. Shana hired herself out to fight, but never just for money. There had to be a good reason. It seemed wrong to fight without caring about the cause. Des and Arnol told her more about the towns they were from and about the skirmishes they¡¯d fought back home, both against snow beasts and other fiefdoms. Treya mentioned that she¡¯d been born near Four Roads before moving to Tyrsall, but didn¡¯t say anything else about her life. The men kept staring at her with uncomfortably long glances, so she didn¡¯t want to talk about the Three Orders. Some people had funny ideas about concubines, and some thought any woman trained by the Orders was a concubine. When the sun dropped below the horizon, they stopped to make camp. The men set up their tent while Treya started a fire, then unrolled her thin sleeping pad under the cover of a tree. She dropped her blanket on the pad, then started digging through her pack for something to eat. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re sleeping?¡± Des said. He and Arnol had come up behind her. ¡°You don¡¯t have a tent?¡± That should have been obvious to them from the size of her pack. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°You should stay in ours. It¡¯ll be tight, but we¡¯re all friendly here.¡± He gave her a smile that didn¡¯t extend to his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking, girl.¡± His fake smile had faded. ¡°You really don¡¯t want to do this, Des.¡± ¡°Course I do.¡± He reached for her arm. Before she could stop it, her second blessing flooded her body, and her hands began to glow with a pale white light. She thrust forward and hit Des¡¯s leather breastplate with her palm. He staggered back, stunned. Before Arnol could react, she spun and kicked him between the legs. As he collapsed to his knees, she punched him in the face, taking care to avoid his throat and temples¡ªshe worried that hitting him in the wrong spot might kill him. At least the magic hadn¡¯t extended to her feet this time, or his crotch might have needed a healer after her kick. Arnol fell to the ground and Treya turned back to Des, finding that he¡¯d recovered. He glanced wide-eyed at her glowing fists, but came at her anyway, drawing his parrying dagger. She waited for him. She¡¯d trained against weapons, but she¡¯d never been in a real fight before and was suddenly unsure. Her heart pounded in her chest. As soon as Des was within reach, he tried to stab her. She twisted to her left to let the dagger go past, grasping his wrist with one hand and using her momentum to strike his radial nerve with her other fist as hard as she could. His breastplate didn¡¯t cover his arms, and the shock caused him to drop the weapon. She let go of him, hoping he¡¯d stop fighting, but he simply took a moment to recover before charging at her. Treya dashed out of the way and kicked the back of his knee as he went past, but she didn¡¯t get a good angle. He turned and came at her again, not bothering to draw his sword, so she went after him with her fists, punching as quickly as possible. After only a few more strikes, he staggered back again, and this time fell to the ground. Unlike Arnol, he was still conscious, but he was dazed enough that he couldn¡¯t move. With both of her opponents down, Treya let the tension drain from her muscles and took a deep breath to calm down. The pale glow faded from her hands. She¡¯d been shocked the first time her magic had done anything other than heal. Luckily, she¡¯d been sparring with Kelis at the time rather than Nina, and hadn¡¯t done any serious damage. It had taken her months to figure out how to summon the magic only when she wanted to¡ªmostly¡ªbut in the end, she¡¯d decided the help it gave her was worth it. Treya was slender, and even after six years of training, she wasn¡¯t particularly strong. She could fight well enough without the magic, but it lent her enough extra power that she could match Kelis, who was stronger. A mystic¡¯s abilities didn¡¯t require strength, but any advantage helped in a fight. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Her hands started glowing again as she called on her first blessing. She didn¡¯t want to heal either of the men, but she touched each of them on the forehead long enough to sense the extent of their injuries. Des stared at her fearfully when she reached for him, but he wasn¡¯t able to move away. Reassured the men would live, she quickly packed her things. Des managed to sit up while she slung her pack over her back, but he was coughing and wheezing, not yet able to stand. She walked past him on her way back to the road and looked him in the eye. ¡°I think, perhaps, I don¡¯t need any help getting to Four Roads after all.¡± # ¡°Ill¡­us¡­trant. Or trent?¡± Corec frowned at the book Deshin had sold him. It provided instructions on casting a few simple spells based on how they sounded, for apprentice wizards who were still learning to read the wizard language. Deshin had explained that in addition to pronouncing the words correctly, he¡¯d have to have the talent for wizardry as well as a certain amount of magical strength for the spells to work. The problem was that the words weren¡¯t from any language that Corec knew, and the letters that had been chosen to spell them were often ambiguous, and could make different sounds in different contexts. ¡°Trant, I believe,¡± Bobo said, looking up from the other book about binding runes. The two were sitting around the spot they¡¯d cleared for that night¡¯s campfire, though it hadn¡¯t been lit yet. Katrin sat farther away, practicing quietly on her flute, while Shavala was off searching for an ingredient Bobo had requested for one of his salves. ¡°You know the wizard language?¡± Corec said. ¡°Only a few words. Anyone can learn to read it; there just isn¡¯t much point. It uses a different symbol for each and every word, so it takes a long time to learn, and speaking it won¡¯t do anything for most people.¡± ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Corec asked, pointing to the book Bobo held. ¡°Nothing helpful, unless you learn enough from your book to become a wizard, and you want to create more binding runes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to make more¡ªI want to get rid of the ones we¡¯ve got. Is there a spell in there for that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but the spells themselves are written in the wizard language, and I don¡¯t know it well enough to tell if there¡¯s anything else on those pages.¡± ¡°Deshin probably would have mentioned it if there were,¡± Corec said, ¡°but we can ask the next wizard we come across. I think I¡¯ve got this. Illustrant ac tenebras; tenebras atque illustrant.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Shavala said as she came up behind them and handed Bobo a batch of purple wildflowers. ¡°I could hear what you were saying.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Bobo said. ¡°When a wizard casts a spell, anyone nearby can only hear indistinct whispers, no matter how loudly he¡¯s speaking.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°Well, Deshin said I probably don¡¯t have the knack for it, especially if I¡¯ve learned to cast spells some other way. But he said if that¡¯s the case, the spells I can cast will always be really limited. Maybe just the ones I know now.¡± ¡°They seem useful enough. Especially those lights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this spell was supposed to do, summon a mage light.¡± Corec held his hand palm up and sent one of his lights to float above them. Then he dismissed it. ¡°If you can already do it, why learn a different way?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Because if I can cast the light spell this way, then I can learn to cast other spells. Maybe I just have the pronunciation wrong. Illustrent ac tenebras¡­¡± # Late afternoon on their tenth day of travel, they reached Dalewood. Corec stopped them at the edge of the town. ¡°I¡¯m going to go deliver that message for Senshall. Why don¡¯t the rest of you go find an inn? The Green Duck is good, and I can meet you there in a bit. It¡¯s on the other side of town, just before the road splits.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Dalewood was so large,¡± Katrin said, looking at the buildings spread around them. ¡°About ten thousand people in the town itself, I think.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that big tower?¡± she asked, pointing to a tall, stone structure set off from everything else. ¡°Something to do with refining iron ore. There¡¯s a big mine to the northeast.¡± ¡°It looks like a blast furnace to me,¡± Bobo said. ¡°It¡¯ll turn ore to pig iron, which they can take to a finery forge to make wrought iron or steel.¡± ¡°The finery forge is where I¡¯m headed,¡± Corec said. ¡°It¡¯s just on the other side. I¡¯ll see you at the inn.¡± The others headed down the main road to the center of town. Corec turned down a street to the left and reached the forge a few minutes later. Entering the small office, he spoke to the apprentice manning the desk. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone named Marcus.¡± The boy took in his armor and sword with wide eyes. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll go get him.¡± He took off running, and a minute later, heavier footsteps approached. ¡°I¡¯m Marcus,¡± a muscular, older man said. ¡°Benni said you¡¯re looking for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Corec, a courier from Senshall. I have a package for you.¡± He handed over the letter, along with a chit for the man to sign to confirm the delivery. Marcus signed the chit and handed it back. ¡°Wait here for a moment, will you? Let me see if this is something that needs a response.¡± He opened the wax seal and looked over the document. ¡°They want me to send shipments to Larso rather than Tyrsall or Terril? What kind of sense does that make? Larso has its own iron mines.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°The fellow who gave it to me said the king¡¯s hiring mercenaries.¡± ¡°Hmm. War, then? I suppose it¡¯ll be Senshall that loses money if they make a bad gamble, not me. Anyway, I don¡¯t need to send a reply, so you can go.¡± ¡°Do you have any packages for Four Roads? I¡¯m headed that way next.¡± Marcus shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t. You might check at The Smiling Jester. If anyone needs something like that, they¡¯ll usually leave word there.¡± # ¡°I swear those donkeys are evil,¡± Ellerie said, as they took seats in the inn¡¯s common room. ¡°They¡¯re not evil, Elle,¡± Boktar replied. ¡°Left bit me!¡± ¡°He nibbled on you because you kept touching his ear. He doesn¡¯t like that. And maybe he¡¯d like you better if you hadn¡¯t named him Left.¡± ¡°How else am I supposed to tell them apart? He always wants to walk on the left.¡± ¡°They were probably trained together. Once donkeys learn something, they like to keep doing it the same way.¡± The serving girl brought over a flagon of ale and two mugs, bending over in front of Boktar to show off her cleavage. Ellerie looked her over with a smile. After she¡¯d gone, Boktar said, ¡°She¡¯s cute, for a human. Should I tell her she¡¯ll have better luck with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me. I¡¯m trying to make our coin last as long as possible.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, you need to decide where we¡¯re going next.¡± Ellerie nodded. They¡¯d reached South Corner, a large town east of Matagor that lay on the intersection of several major roads. She¡¯d kept putting off the decision of which direction to go, hoping some sort of inspiration would come to her. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ve eliminated the west,¡± she said. ¡°The amulet doesn¡¯t match any mountains in Matagor, Terevas, or the Black Crows.¡± ¡°Just how sure are you? Even mountains can change given enough time, and that amulet is pretty old.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that old. And anyway, it shows seven peaks. Even if they don¡¯t match the old shape exactly, we should still be able to judge relative distances. What about south, to Stone Home?¡± Boktar frowned. ¡°Stone Home is more hills than mountains, and has been for as long as it¡¯s been settled. I don¡¯t think anyone could have made the amulet there. Besides, if we go to Stone Home, my mother will try to marry me off again.¡± Ellerie was careful not to laugh, since she knew her partner was sensitive about the issue. ¡°Well, then where? North, to the Storm Heights?¡± ¡°Storm Heights is a good choice, but it¡¯s a long trip and we can¡¯t go north from here.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It takes us past the dragon¡¯s keep. We¡¯d have to skirt way around off the main roads, up through the hills or near Terril.¡± ¡°Dragon? There¡¯s a dragon in the free lands?¡± ¡°Yes. It took over an old keep at one of the major crossings about fifty years ago, and hunts all around there. The roads have gotten overgrown for about a hundred miles around in all directions, since nobody wants to risk it.¡± Ellerie considered the options. ¡°So, either we head north and skirt around the edge of the forest, or we go east first. Are there mountains in that direction?¡± ¡°There¡¯s another range between Stone Home and the coast, south of Circle Bay. We could look there, then head north to the Storm Heights, then back west across the plains to see what¡¯s north of Larso. You haven¡¯t looked farther north than the Black Crows, right?¡± ¡°I went as far as Fort Northtower, but I didn¡¯t cross the border. The knights said it wasn¡¯t safe.¡± ¡°The plains can be funny that way¡ªyou never know who¡¯s in charge. But it¡¯s not all that dangerous as long as you don¡¯t go poking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong.¡± Ellerie wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d do without Boktar. For all that he was younger than her, he¡¯d been on his own for a lot longer and had traveled widely. ¡°If it¡¯s just plains, why go there?¡± Boktar chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s only called that because nobody knows what else to call it. It¡¯s not all plains. There are some mountains, but the Storm Heights are the biggest.¡± ¡°What about south of Stone Home?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been that direction. They didn¡¯t teach you geography in that palace of yours?¡± Ellerie rolled her eyes. ¡°I know the southern kingdoms. I just don¡¯t know which ones have mountain ranges.¡± ¡°There might be some traders here from down south who could tell us. If not, we can find a map in Circle Bay.¡± ¡°East to Circle Bay, then?¡± ¡°East,¡± Boktar agreed. Book 1: Chapter Sixteen The stop at Dalewood was uneventful. Corec had asked at The Smiling Jester, but there hadn¡¯t been any packages needing delivery. He was starting to believe that working as a courier wouldn¡¯t pay any better than being a caravan guard, unless he could get hired on full time by one of the houses, and that would mean he¡¯d have to live in Tyrsall. They got back on the road the next morning. At the edge of town, the West Road split into the Trade Road, which led to Four Roads and then through the hills into Larso, and the Old Road, which led into farming country. The Old Road had been a major trade route once, but wasn¡¯t used much anymore. The first evening west of Dalewood, they stopped to make camp at a spot where a long stand of willow trees showed there was water nearby. ¡°The caravan usually camps here, too,¡± Corec said, pointing to a flat area between the road and the trees, with several fire rings surrounded by stones that were black from soot. They dismounted and led the animals off the road, choosing a spot farther back in the trees for their campsite rather than staying out in the open like the caravan did. While Katrin and Bobo gathered wood for a fire, Shavala helped Corec take the animals to the stream. Her ability to talk to them didn¡¯t allow her to control them, but Socks and the mules usually listened to her. Corec kept a lead rope on Dot and Rose, and they walked with the other animals. Nearing the stream, he stopped in surprise. A young blonde woman was bathing naked upstream from where he stood. She was facing to the side and hadn¡¯t seen them yet, and the sound of the water must have covered up any noise they¡¯d made. The stream wasn¡¯t deep, and he could see the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts as she bent over to splash more water on herself. ¡°Oh,¡± Shavala said, as she stopped next to him. ¡°Is she alone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone else,¡± Corec said, managing to tear his eyes away from the girl. He decided to take the animals far enough downstream that he and Shavala weren¡¯t spying on the girl. Then, after she¡¯d finished bathing, they could find her and talk. ¡°We¡¯ll have to let her know we¡¯re camping here.¡± ¡°Hello!¡± Shavala yelled, and the girl looked at them in shock, covering her breasts. ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I meant!¡± Corec said. The girl waved at them, still covering herself with her other arm. There was a flustered grimace on her face but she didn¡¯t seem as startled or embarrassed as Corec would have expected. She made her way to the bank of the stream, to the spot closest to where she¡¯d been bathing, and grabbed a thin linen towel that was hanging from a branch there. Her clothes were folded neatly, resting on top of a pack that leaned up against the same tree. Corec again forced himself to look away as she dried herself off and got dressed. The girl cleared her throat once she was clothed, and he turned back around to see her walking toward them. She stepped with a cat-like grace over the uneven ground, despite not wearing any shoes. She was slender, with unusually blue eyes and the lightest blonde hair Corec had ever seen, other than on a seaborn who¡¯d just come out of the water. She wore a plain gray tunic belted over plain gray pants, both of which hung loose around her body, though the top laid enticingly over her chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize anyone was around,¡± the girl said, taking them both in. Her eyes widened when she saw Shavala¡¯s ears and her rune. ¡°You¡¯re an elf! I mean¡­I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t seen many elves before. Are you dorvasta?¡± Shavala appeared startled at the girl¡¯s use of the elven word. ¡°Yes. My name is Shavala. We just arrived ourselves¡ªwe didn¡¯t see your camp.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just got my pack,¡± she said, pointing to it. ¡°I¡¯m Treya.¡± ¡°You¡¯re traveling alone?¡± Corec asked, concerned. ¡°I can take care of myself.¡± She glanced at the family crest on his cuirass. ¡°House Tarwen?¡± ¡°You¡¯re from Larso? Oh, sorry¡ªmy name¡¯s Corec.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m from Tyrsall, but we had to study all the northern kingdoms. Located in the Black Crow Mountains, major exports are maple syrup, apples, potatoes, wool, and silver. I¡¯m afraid the only name I know is the baron, Ansel.¡± He laughed in surprise. ¡°Not much silver left these days, but yes, that sounds right. Ansel is my father, by way of his concubine.¡± That last sentence just slipped out. If he was going to start telling complete strangers¡ªVarsin Senshall and now this girl¡ªabout his family, he realized he should tell Katrin, too. There wasn¡¯t much point in keeping it secret anyway, it was just a habit. ¡°A concubine? I was trained by the Three Orders.¡± Corec stared at her for a moment, wondering at the coincidence. ¡°My mother grew up in the Highfell chapter house. You¡¯re a concubine, too?¡± ¡°No. Concubines are just one of the Three Orders. I chose another.¡± She didn¡¯t elaborate. ¡°Where are you headed?¡± he asked. ¡°To Four Roads first. After that, I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m supposed to go wherever the road takes me¡ªlike a journeyman, though we don¡¯t call ourselves that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re headed to Four Roads, too,¡± Corec said. ¡°Us and two others. You¡¯re welcome to travel with us if you¡¯d like.¡± He was still concerned about her being on the road by herself. Treya gave him a long, serious look. ¡°Perhaps. We¡¯ll see. I¡¯ve had bad luck with traveling companions.¡± She reached up and scratched at a spot on her forehead. This time, when Corec¡¯s arm started itching, he noticed. ¡°Oh, shit.¡± # Treya wasn¡¯t sure what to believe. ¡°You¡¯re really serious about this?¡± she asked, looking at the others. Corec and Shavala had introduced her to a young, red-haired woman named Katrin and a portly fellow with a scraggly beard who called himself Bobo. The four of them had been trying to explain what she¡¯d gotten herself into. ¡°Yes,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That wizard back in Tyrsall that we mentioned¡ªhis name was Deshin¡ªsays there¡¯s no way I could be the one doing it, not without training, but I¡¯m not sure I believe him. How else would it keep happening?¡± ¡°Maybe we need to put a blindfold on you anytime you¡¯re around a woman,¡± Katrin said, her voice betraying a sense of disappointment. ¡°I¡­do you think that would work?¡± He sounded genuinely curious. ¡°How would I know?¡± she replied. ¡°Wait, what do you mean, when I¡¯m around a woman?¡± Katrin pointed to Treya, Shavala, and herself. ¡°Notice a pattern?¡± Then she pointed to Bobo. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°Just wait a minute,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯ll admit my head itches a bit, but that doesn¡¯t mean someone¡¯s cast some sort of spell on me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Shavala said, then shrugged, her rune glowing brightly on her brow. ¡°You could get a hat like this,¡± Katrin said, taking it from her lap and putting it back on. It came down low on her forehead, hiding the rune she¡¯d showed Treya. ¡°What do the runes actually do?¡± Treya asked. ¡°What does this binding spell do?¡± ¡°Nothing, as far as we can tell,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I can always tell where Corec is,¡± Shavala said. Corec shot her a glance. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, not where you are, but what direction you¡¯re in.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it until today, and we hadn¡¯t had a chance to talk yet.¡± Treya stood up abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say about all this. I need to think.¡± She walked away from the group, wanting to be alone. # Katrin glanced around at the others after Treya stalked off. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to her.¡± She followed the other woman and caught up to her, but they just walked silently for a few minutes. The sun was starting to set, but there was still plenty of light to see where they were going. Finally, Treya said, ¡°Do you think he did it?¡± It was obvious she meant Corec. ¡°Yes, but I believe him when he says he didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Treya asked, stopping. Katrin stopped as well, facing her. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been traveling with him for over a month now and he seems to be trying to do the right thing. We just don¡¯t know what that is, exactly.¡± ¡°Why do you think he¡¯s only doing it to women?¡± ¡°With Shavala, it was just one other person, so I could ignore it. But now with you¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± The blonde girl was almost uncomfortably beautiful. Was that it? Shavala was attractive, too, and it would certainly explain why Bobo didn¡¯t have a rune. ¡°You haven¡¯t figured out a way to get rid of it?¡± Treya asked. Katrin sighed. ¡°No. That wizard who tried the banishment spell, he suggested we try another wizard who knows more about them, but the new wizard charges more money than we have. We were going to look down in Circle Bay, instead.¡± ¡°Why Circle Bay?¡± ¡°Corec says there aren¡¯t any wizards in Four Roads, and Circle Bay is where we¡¯re headed next, to help my brother.¡± ¡°Your brother?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in prison. It¡¯s a long story.¡± They started walking again, doing a wide circle around the camp. ¡°That seems like a long way to go to get help,¡± Treya said. ¡°You¡¯re going back to Tyrsall first, right? I know some priests there who might be able to do something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to try anything,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯m getting used to it, and I¡¯m getting better at making it disappear, but I just want things to go back to normal. I want to go home and help my brother, and get back to playing music.¡± Even as she spoke, she wasn¡¯t sure she was being honest. If everything returned to normal and she went back to Circle Bay on her own, she¡¯d miss her new friends. Even Bobo. Even Corec. ¡°How would a priest help, though?¡± ¡°You know that some priests can heal, right?¡± Katrin nodded. Everyone knew that. ¡°Some can do other things, too. The Bishop of Allosur can break demonic curses. This might be something like that.¡± ¡°You know the Bishop of Allosur?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯ve spoken to one of his priests a few times. He might be able to help us.¡± ¡°We should ask,¡± Katrin agreed. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re going to come with us?¡± ¡°Well, I was going to Four Roads anyway. It¡¯ll be weird to return to Tyrsall so soon, but if that¡¯s where I need to be, then that¡¯s where I¡¯ll go.¡± Just then, Katrin realized the other woman had been walking shoeless over the stones and the weeds. ¡°Your feet! Don¡¯t they hurt?¡± Treya laughed. ¡°Mystics go barefoot. We need to feel the world around us, and if we have to fight, it¡¯s better if there¡¯s nothing covering our hands or feet.¡± ¡°Fight? What¡¯s a mystic?¡± ¡°I guess you weren¡¯t there when I told the other two I grew up in the Three Orders. We¡¯re not all concubines. I joined the Order of Mystics instead. We¡¯re¡­difficult to explain. It began as a way to seek enlightenment through knowledge of oneself, but the first mystics learned some things they weren¡¯t expecting.¡± ¡°But how do you¡ª¡± There was a snarl. Katrin looked to the side expecting to see a wild animal, but instead she found two men wearing black brigandine armor running at them, one carrying a sword and the other with an axe. ¡°Corec!¡± she shouted, then stumbled back and fell on her ass. The one with the axe drew close, his eyes glowing red. Katrin was too frightened by the sight to move, but then Treya was suddenly there. She punched him in the face, her hands and feet glowing with a pale white light. He turned his attention to her and she grabbed both his arms, too close for him to hit her with the axe. She turned him to the side, putting him between her and the other man, whose eyes were also glowing. The swordsman had been charging forward, thrusting at Treya, and wasn¡¯t able to change direction in time. He stabbed the axeman in the back. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. With the wounded man falling to his knees, Treya turned her attention to the one with the sword. He didn¡¯t react to stabbing his partner, merely pulling the sword back out and slashing toward her with a growl. She twisted away and kicked her leg up higher than Katrin had thought was possible, striking the man in the face. He stepped back and shook his head, his nose bleeding, then tried to attack again. A look of concern grew on Treya¡¯s face as she hit and kicked the man repeatedly, seemingly with no effect, while having to constantly dodge his thrusts and slashes. The first man struggled back to his feet, so Katrin scrambled up, too. She fumbled with the dagger tied to her waist, managing to pull it from its sheath on her third try. The man was ignoring his stab wound, but he moved slowly and awkwardly. When he bent down to reach for his axe, Katrin rushed forward and stabbed him in the neck, then let go of the dagger in horror when she realized what she¡¯d done. He fell, and ended up on his side staring at her. As he died, the red light faded from his eyes. Katrin dropped to her knees and threw up. Once her stomach was under control, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood up. Treya was staring at her in concern. ¡°I¡¯ve never killed anyone before,¡± Katrin said, trying not to look at the man she¡¯d stabbed. ¡°Neither have I,¡± Treya admitted, looking green herself. Katrin followed her gaze to the see the second man on the ground, his neck twisted sideways. Then, Katrin¡¯s eyes caught Treya¡¯s as they both realized no one had come to their aid. The clanging of metal could be heard from the camp. The two women ran toward the fight. # Shavala waited with Corec and Bobo at the spot they¡¯d chosen for their camp. There was still plenty of light out, so she could see Katrin and Treya walking in the distance, at least when there weren¡¯t any trees in the way. Since they weren¡¯t planning on traveling any farther for the day, Corec was taking the opportunity to remove his armor. As he did so, he stared after the two women, a concerned look on his face. Bobo tried to distract him. ¡°I finished that book on binding spells, and I was right the first time. There¡¯s not much useful in it, other than the description of the different types of bonds.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Well, if we limit it to binding spells between people, rather than objects, there¡¯s one that lets you control what the other person does.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not that one, trust me. Just ask Katrin.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also one that lets you know when the other person has been injured, and a very nasty one that causes any injuries done to one person to also be done to the other.¡± ¡°Why would anyone do something like that?¡± ¡°The book didn¡¯t say, and I really don¡¯t want to speculate. And, since Shavala mentioned it, there¡¯s one that lets you know where someone is at all times. Or perhaps just the direction, like she said. The description is unclear.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s the one we have, then?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice it until she said it, but if I close my eyes, I can still tell what direction they¡¯re in, even while they¡¯re moving around. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why would anyone go to all this trouble just so we can locate someone we¡¯d never met before up until that point?¡± ¡°It does seem somewhat pointless,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Though, if you¡¯re doing it yourself, perhaps it¡¯s simply because it¡¯s the only binding spell you know.¡± ¡°I can tell when I¡¯m casting the other spells though. I¡¯ve never felt anything for this one, other than the itching on my arms.¡± ¡°Why worry about it?¡± Shavala asked them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like it¡¯s going to hurt anyone.¡± Corec looked at her seriously. ¡°You¡¯ve never found it disturbing to have that thing on your head?¡± She shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. If it¡¯s harmless, we can ignore it.¡± ¡°What if I can¡¯t stop?¡± Before she could answer, five men in identical black armor rushed toward them from behind the trees. Corec jumped to his feet and shouted, ¡°Hey! Who¡ª¡± They didn¡¯t look like they were going to stop to talk. Shavala glanced over to the tree trunk where her bow stood propped up, unstrung. Her quiver was next to it, but she didn¡¯t think she could get there in time, and Corec had removed all of his armor except for the greave on his left leg. Luckily, his sword was still nearby, and he pulled it from its sheath as the men ran at them without speaking. The first man swung at him and their swords met with a crash. Another man came after Shavala. His eyes glowed red, but she didn¡¯t have time to think about that as he drew his spear back to thrust at her. Not giving him a chance, she thrust her hand forward, summoning a cone of hot flame. It caught him in the face, and he screamed as his flesh burned. With her opponent distracted, she ran to the tree, pulling the string from her quiver and stringing the bow as quickly as she¡¯d ever done it before. Drawing back an arrow, she loosed it at the man she¡¯d burned, but her pull wasn¡¯t strong enough to penetrate his armor. Cursing, she reached for another arrow. She¡¯d never shot at a person before, but her teachers had always said to aim for the torso if possible, since it provided the biggest target. But that wasn¡¯t an option if she couldn¡¯t get through his armor. She¡¯d expected the man to be distracted longer by his burns, but he stopped screaming and looked around for her. Just as he saw her, she shot again, this time at his legs. The armor only extended partway down, and he took a glancing hit a few inches above his knee. He stumbled to the ground, and as he started to get up, she shot again, this time at his face. She knew it wasn¡¯t likely to get through his skull, but she hoped that between it and the burns, she could frighten him off. It didn¡¯t matter, though¡ªshe got a lucky hit, the arrow passing into his cheek and then the back of his throat. He fell to the ground. Checking on her friends, she found that Corec had taken out his first opponent and was barely managing to hold off two more. Bobo was worse off, backing away from a man with a sword. Even as she watched, the swordsman swung at him and Bobo caught the blade on the handle of his walking cudgel, which splintered and broke. He dropped both pieces, looking frightened, and scrambled backward. Shavala set another arrow to her bowstring and drew it, taking the time to embrace her elder senses. She could feel the bow in her mind. She could feel the arrow, and knew how the slight breeze would send it a few inches to the right. She could feel the man who was trying to kill Bobo¡ªsensing every move he made as he made it. She took a deep breath and let it out, then held still, hoping Bobo didn¡¯t move across her line of fire. Suddenly, the time was right. Shavala shot, and her arrow hit the man in the back of the neck. He fell to the ground and didn¡¯t rise. Bobo gave her a look of surprise and gratitude. She turned to the remaining men. Corec was too close to his opponents for her to risk shooting at them, so she started circling around for a better angle. As she moved, she realized why the rangers always worked in groups. She¡¯d used four arrows already and only had eight left. What would she do when she ran out? # Three men with glowing red eyes came at Corec while he stood with most of his armor piled on the ground. He only had on his left greave and the padded doublet that he wore beneath the armor, but the doublet wouldn¡¯t provide much protection. He grabbed his sword from where it lay on the pile, pulling the sheath off and tossing it aside. He got his guard up just in time to block an overhead slash from the first man¡¯s longsword. When their blades crossed, Corec pushed forward as hard as he could. His opponent staggered back, and Corec quickly thrust at his stomach, piercing the black brigandine armor, the blade slipping between the small metal plates sandwiched within the layers of the jacket. Yanking the sword back, he prepared to meet the next two men, worried about how he was going to fight without his armor. For years, he¡¯d practiced fighting with his armor, using the plate to deflect blows. Knowing he¡¯d need the extra protection, he summoned his barrier shield, feeling his mind shift the way it always did when the shield was active. Then it shifted again, in a way he¡¯d never felt before. It made him dizzy, and he wasn¡¯t able to block as the next man tried to bash his head in with a mace. The barrier shield flared, but stayed up just long enough to stop a thrust from the third man¡¯s arming sword. The two men didn¡¯t react to the sight of the barrier. They just growled like beasts and stared at him with red eyes. Both carried shields, so rather than waste time trying to hit them, Corec focused on getting his sword back into position to defend against their assault. With the barrier gone and no armor, he wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d last against two men. Luckily, they weren¡¯t as good with their weapons as the knights Corec had trained against, so he was able to keep them at bay for a while. Then, the one with the sword got past his defense and struck his upper arm. Instead of feeling the sword stab cleanly into the doublet as he¡¯d expected, Corec felt a dull thump, as if it had encountered an extra layer of armor. It pierced through, but it didn¡¯t hurt as much as he thought it would, and he didn¡¯t lose his grip on his own weapon. The swordsman was the more skilled of his two opponents, so Corec concentrated his defense more in that direction, and was able to achieve a stable balance, with neither he nor they able to gain ground. While he fought, he realized that although the men carried shields, they paid very little attention to them. It was almost like they didn¡¯t know how to use them. Corec hadn¡¯t been able to spare any of his attention to check on how his friends were doing. Worried about them, he decided to risk taking advantage of what he¡¯d noticed. The man with the mace was to his right. Corec lightly knocked the mace to the side, then slashed hard against the other man¡¯s arming sword, pushing it out of the way before dancing back around to the mace carrier¡¯s shield side and thrusting into his ribs. As he¡¯d hoped, the man wasn¡¯t paying enough attention to his shield and wasn¡¯t able to block in time. With one opponent out of the way and the other encumbered by a shield he wasn¡¯t using, it didn¡¯t take long for Corec to finish the fight. The red glowing light in the men¡¯s eyes faded as they died. Corec spun around to check on his companions, only to find two more of the enemy dead with Shavala¡¯s arrows piercing them. Both Shavala and Bobo were trying to position themselves to help him, Shavala with her bow and Bobo with what was left of his cudgel. ¡°You two are all right?¡± Corec asked, breathing heavily. ¡°I am,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I think I sprained my ankle,¡± Bobo said, limping over. Corec was suddenly reminded of his stab wound. Looking down at his arm, he found he¡¯d bled through his padding, so it must have been worse than it had felt. He set his sword back down on his pile of armor and was unbuttoning the doublet when Katrin and Treya ran up. Treya¡¯s hands and feet glowed with a pale white light. ¡°More of them?¡± she asked, looking around. ¡°Were their eyes red?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Corec said. ¡°You found some, too?¡± ¡°Two of them,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Treya took care of them.¡± The slender blonde girl had taken out two armed men by herself? No wonder she wasn¡¯t concerned about traveling alone. Corec winced as he got the doublet off. The wound was bloody, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as it should have been. He thought again about the odd thump he¡¯d felt as the sword struck him. ¡°You¡¯re hurt,¡± Treya said. She rushed over to him, the white light on her hands and feet fading. Then it returned as she reached for his arm, but this time only on her hands. As she touched him, the glow grew brighter and the pain faded. She wiped away the blood, revealing the pink of newly healed skin. ¡°How did you do that?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m a priestess. Sort of.¡± How could someone sort of be a priestess? He decided it would be rude to ask right after she¡¯d healed him. ¡°I thought you were a mystic?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°That, too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a mystic?¡± Corec asked. ¡°It¡¯s¡­I¡¯ll explain later. Is everyone else all right?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Bobo said, ¡°if you¡¯re a healer, do you mind taking a look at my ankle?¡± While Treya attended to Bobo, Corec tried to get a handle on everything that had happened. There were five dead men surrounding him, and apparently two more nearby. ¡°Does anyone recognize them?¡± he said, as he picked up his right greave to strap it back on. He¡¯d need his armor if there were any more of the men around. ¡°Are they raiders?¡± Treya asked in a carefully controlled tone. ¡°Hillfolk bandits sometimes form up into groups and attack east.¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°Not this far east.¡± ¡°It looks like soldiers¡¯ brigandine to me,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the colors, though. Larso¡¯s the only kingdom nearby with much of an army, but they use brown. The hillfolk don¡¯t go in much for uniforms¡ªand I never met one whose eyes glowed red.¡± ¡°Check the bodies,¡± Corec said. ¡°See if they¡¯ve got anything to identify them.¡± Bobo appeared squeamish, and Katrin and Treya were trying to look anywhere other than at the dead men. Shavala went to one of the men she¡¯d shot and carefully pulled her arrow out, grimacing as she saw the tip. Setting the arrow aside, she searched the body. ¡°There¡¯s just a coin pouch and this,¡± she said, holding up a badge with an eight-pointed black star. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize it,¡± Corec said. ¡°Neither do I,¡± Bobo added. ¡°If they aren¡¯t bandits,¡± Treya said, ¡°could they have been after us, specifically?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of why,¡± Corec said. ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything that would call for us to be attacked. Certainly not by a group like this. What about you?¡± ¡°I had some trouble with a couple of mercenaries on the road, but they weren¡¯t dressed like this, and I tried not to hurt them any more than I had to.¡± Corec shared a glance with Katrin, but the men hadn¡¯t seemed like bounty hunters, so he didn¡¯t mention it. ¡°Bobo?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll admit there¡¯s a wizard in Matagor who may be a trifle annoyed with me, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯d send seven men to kill me. Maybe one, at the most.¡± So that was why Bobo never talked about his life before the hills. ¡°What about the man in Tyrsall?¡± Katrin suggested. ¡°His rune was red. Could it be related?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corec said. ¡°These men didn¡¯t have runes, and I haven¡¯t seen anyone with glowing blue eyes that match our runes. Can demonborn have glowing eyes?¡± Bobo shook his head. ¡°Even if they can, seven demonborn working together, all with identical stigma? I can¡¯t imagine that ever happening.¡± Once Corec had his armor and sword back on, he helped Shavala search the rest of the bodies in the camp. They all carried the black badges, but nothing else that might suggest where they¡¯d come from. When Treya led them to the other two, Corec glanced at Katrin. Her dagger was sticking out of one man¡¯s neck. She shrugged. ¡°He was getting back up again, and Treya was facing the other direction.¡± She looked away and started retching. Corec retrieved her dagger and cleaned it off, handing it to her once she¡¯d composed herself. These two men had the same badges, and one bore a pin on his collar with some sort of rank insignia. ¡°A squad leader and six soldiers,¡± Corec said with a sigh. ¡°Standard squadron size, so there are more of them. They don¡¯t have a standard weapon, though, which is unusual for an army. Let¡¯s take the swords and sell them when we reach Four Roads. Leave the other weapons¡ªthey¡¯re not worth carrying around. The armor¡¯s worth some money, but I don¡¯t want to be caught with it if we run into any more of these fellows.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure whether his companions were listening to him. The night was growing dark, and everyone had worried and haunted looks on their faces. Hoping that giving them something to do would help, Corec said, ¡°I don¡¯t think we can bury seven men. Not with just a camp shovel. Bobo, will you help me drag them away? Shavala, could you get a fire started, so Katrin can put together something for us to eat?¡± He didn¡¯t ask Treya to do anything, figuring she could come up with a task on her own if she wanted to. # It was late, but nobody seemed interested in going to sleep. Katrin stepped away from the light of the campfire to peer into the darkness surrounding them. She¡¯d normally have been practicing with her flute or harp, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood. And anyway, it seemed wrong to think about playing music after killing a man. Corec appeared next to her and stood silently, joining her in watching the darkness. He¡¯d eventually removed his armor again, but this time he¡¯d kept his chain shirt on. He carried his sword sheath in his hand. ¡°Who were they?¡± she murmured, but he didn¡¯t reply. Their conversation during the evening meal hadn¡¯t gotten them any closer to discovering the men¡¯s identities. Instead, he said, ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± She paused, not finishing the sentence. ¡°He was going to hurt Treya.¡± ¡°He was going to kill you both. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Katrin stayed there, feeling the cool metal of his chain shirt pressing against her cheek. ¡°What do we do now?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯ll need to start keeping watch,¡± he said. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Shavala, Treya, and I will take turns staying awake. And when I sleep, I¡¯ll keep my mail on.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You and Bobo can help watch if you want, but if more of them sneak up on us in the middle of the night, I¡¯d like at least one of the three of us to be awake.¡± He was obviously referring to the three that could fight back in some way. Katrin considered being offended, but she couldn¡¯t argue with the logic. ¡°So you do think they¡¯re after us?¡± ¡°We should at least be cautious.¡± He handed her a coin pouch. ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, hefting it and peering inside. ¡°I gave Treya the two belt pouches from the men that came after the two of you. I don¡¯t think it occurred to her to take them. I split the others up between the rest of us. It¡¯s all silver and copper, but it comes out to over two gold each. My share covers everything I¡¯ve spent since we met, other than the animals, and Bobo gave me back enough to pay for Rose.¡± ¡°Do you want me to pay you back for Flower?¡± ¡°No. Keep it in case you need it for something.¡± He changed the subject. ¡°If Treya¡¯s idea works out, and she finds a priest that can help us, or if we find a wizard in Circle Bay, what are you going to do after the runes are gone? After we get your brother out, I mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I always thought I¡¯d stay in Circle Bay, but I¡¯m not sure anymore. I want to find a bard who¡¯s willing to teach me. Or find a bardic school¡ªI¡¯ve heard there¡¯s one down south that accepts women.¡± ¡°If you find a teacher instead, how would you feel about staying here?¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°The free lands, or Tyrsall. You could come back with us after we¡¯re done in Circle Bay. Or back with me, anyway. I¡¯m not sure what Shavala plans to do.¡± Katrin¡¯s heart pounded in her chest. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that. Maybe.¡± She¡¯d come to enjoy Corec¡¯s company, despite the circumstances. While she had friends in Circle Bay, there were none that she was particularly close to. Did she really want to stay there simply because Barz and Felix were there? She wasn¡¯t happy with either of them at the moment, and it might be good to spend some time away. They stopped talking then and stood silently, Corec¡¯s arm still around her. Katrin spent the time wondering what it would mean to come back north with him. And wondering whether he knew Shavala was interested in him. Book 1: Chapter Seventeen Six days after meeting Treya¡ªand fighting the red-eyed men¡ªthe group reached Four Roads, a town of thirty-thousand people in the middle of the free lands, halfway between Tyrsall and Telfort. They¡¯d met Jak¡¯s caravan along the way, which was heading back east carrying wheat from the beginning of the harvest season. The caravan had been accompanied by dozens of farmers hauling their own, hoping for better prices in Dalewood or Tyrsall than they could get in Four Roads. As Corec had expected, Jak hadn¡¯t been happy with him. He¡¯d been even less happy when Corec had explained that he wasn¡¯t sure how long it would be before he returned. If Corec missed a few more runs, would Jak even let him continue working the caravan? Four Roads was home, of a sort, and Jak¡¯s caravan was the best option for getting back there regularly. If Corec lost that run, he¡¯d either have to leave Four Roads or work his way up through another trading house, perhaps one operating out of Larso. That would be a problem for another day. Bringing everyone to a halt, he said, ¡°The boarding house I stay at won¡¯t have enough rooms for everyone. We¡¯ll need to find an inn.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be at the Three Orders chapter house,¡± Treya said. ¡°Are you still planning to leave tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, if I can do everything I need to do today. I know where the chapter house is. We can meet you there tomorrow morning, or if something changes our plans, I¡¯ll stop by and leave a message for you tonight. If you need to reach us, I¡¯ll try to find rooms at the Eagle¡¯s Roost. If we¡¯re not there, check the other inns nearby.¡± She nodded at him expressionlessly. While she was friendly with the others, she never spoke to Corec unless she had to. Her rune hadn¡¯t appeared yet, but as the itching continued, she¡¯d made it clear that she resented him for what was happening, so he gave her the space she wanted. He still hoped to find a solution to their problem, and in the meantime, he¡¯d asked Bobo to handle most of their interactions with other people, in case that would keep it from happening again. Treya exchanged a quick smile with Katrin before turning her new horse to the north. For the first couple days after she¡¯d joined them, they¡¯d had to rig up a way for her to ride the pack mule, after they¡¯d distributed the supplies among the other mounts. On the third day, they¡¯d come across a farmer willing to part with a horse. Cricket was a bay gelding, even older than Rose, and had spent more time pulling a plow than being ridden, but with help from Shavala, the horse was slowly getting used to life on the road. # Treya finished grooming Cricket in the chapter house¡¯s stable, trying not to scratch at her forehead while she worked¡ªand trying to ignore what her traveling companions had told her. In a different situation, she would have been glad to meet the group. Katrin was already becoming a friend, and Bobo, as pompous as he sometimes was, was still fun to talk to. It always took him by surprise when Treya knew more about a topic than he did. Shavala was harder to read since she didn¡¯t speak much, but she¡¯d been helpful with Cricket. Corec was the problem. Looking at him through a concubine¡¯s eyes, he was a catch¡ªthe third son of a baron, young, and somewhat attractive. Ignoring the fact that he didn¡¯t have enough money to hire a concubine, if he¡¯d come in for a Presentation ceremony, most of the girls in the lineup would have been hoping to be picked. But if he was responsible for placing some sort of spell on her against her will, she didn¡¯t think she could forgive him. And he believed he was the person responsible, though he claimed to not know how it was happening. Katrin was resigned to the situation, and Shavala didn¡¯t seem to care one way or another, but Treya didn¡¯t think she could be so accepting. She could tolerate him long enough to find out what was going on, though. She was supposed to be journeying, and Four Roads had been the only destination she¡¯d had in mind. Once she was done there, any direction was as good as another, so she¡¯d accompany them to see if there was any way to undo the binding spell. Her own magic couldn¡¯t help, but perhaps her friends back in Tyrsall would have a solution. When Treya entered the front hall of the chapter house, a young girl came over and glanced at her clothing with an uncertain look. ¡°Can I help you¡­Sister?¡± ¡°Sister Treya, and yes, I¡¯d like to speak to Mother Yewen if she¡¯s available.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go ask,¡± the girl said, and scampered off. ¡°Treya?¡± a young woman asked as she passed through the hall. ¡°Is that you?¡± Treya looked at her closely¡ªthe plain face, the brown hair pulled back in a tight braid, the curves that were a little too generous. ¡°Nallee?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The two girls hugged tightly. Treya hadn¡¯t seen her friend in six years, though they¡¯d sent letters back and forth in the beginning. ¡°Why are you dressed like that?¡± Nallee asked. ¡°Where are your shoes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember Shana?¡± ¡°No, but I know who she is. You¡¯re a mystic? I always thought you¡¯d be a concubine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mystic,¡± Treya confirmed. ¡°I graduated, so they set me loose. What about you?¡± ¡°Oh, gee, so I have to call you Sister Treya now?¡± Nallee said with a grin. ¡°No, don¡¯t be silly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the bad thing about the Order of Concubines. I won¡¯t be a Sister until I¡¯m chosen, or if I give up on the Presentation ceremonies and become a teacher instead.¡± Treya wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. Nallee was a couple years older than her, probably twenty now, which was later than most concubines were chosen. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that look,¡± Nallee said. ¡°I get it enough from the other girls.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been talking to a nice young man. Patrig; he works at the smithy down the street. He¡¯s finished his apprenticeship, and he¡¯s been saving up enough money to open his own place in the village he was born, a little south of here. There isn¡¯t any blacksmith there yet, and he¡¯s going to take me with him when he goes. I¡¯ll help him keep his books. He can¡¯t afford to pay very much for me, but nobody else is interested. I¡¯ve just always wanted to be a concubine.¡± It was a problem endemic to the Three Orders. All the girls were taught from a young age how glamorous it was to be a concubine, and most considered the Order of Scholars to be a step down. Not all the girls made good concubine candidates, though, and it was sometimes hard to give up the dream. Privately, Treya thought the early lessons should place more emphasis on the mystics and the Sisters who belonged to no order at all¡ªmidwives and herbalists and others. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you and your blacksmith,¡± Treya said with a smile. ¡°Is he married?¡± ¡°No, but there¡¯s a girl back home he¡¯s been talking to.¡± Then Nallee grinned and added, ¡°I think I¡¯ll probably be with him first, so she¡¯ll have to get used to me.¡± Treya laughed. Usually men were married before they sought out a concubine, so the girls were given classes on how to adapt to living in another woman¡¯s household. It was rare for the order to be reversed, and it sounded like Nallee intended to take advantage of it. Most blacksmiths couldn¡¯t afford concubines, and didn¡¯t have the prestige to attract one, but Treya wasn¡¯t going to say anything to dampen Nallee¡¯s enthusiasm. The girl from earlier returned and pointed in the direction of Mother Yewen¡¯s office. She didn¡¯t speak, probably not wanting to interrupt a Sister and a senior student. Treya held up a finger to indicate she¡¯d be along shortly. ¡°Is anyone else here that I¡¯d know?¡± she asked Nallee. ¡°Uh, the younger girls, of course, if you remember any of them. From the ones you were friends with, I think the concubines have been chosen already, except me, and the scholars have all been given assignments elsewhere¡ªmostly teachers in the villages. Well, Liese stayed here to take over the bookkeeping.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to her before I leave. And I¡¯ll look for you again, but I should go speak with Mother Yewen now.¡± They said their farewells, and Treya let the girl lead her to Mother Yewen¡¯s office, though she remembered the way. The gray-haired woman had always seemed ancient to Treya, but she didn¡¯t look any older now than she had eight years ago, when they¡¯d last met. Mother Yewen said, ¡°Cara, go find one of the older girls and ask her to prepare a room for Sister Treya.¡± She turned to Treya. ¡°That is, if you¡¯re staying?¡± ¡°Yes, at least for tonight. Thank you.¡± After Cara had left, Yewen spoke again. ¡°Treya, dear, it¡¯s good to see you. Ola¡¯s kept me apprised of your progress. She was quite annoyed when you chose the mystics¡ªI take it from your clothing, you¡¯ve completed the training?¡± ¡°Yes, Mother Yewen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, child. I was a mystic, too, for a few years, but then I broke my hip. Promise me you¡¯ll be careful. It can be a dangerous life.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, Mother Yewen. Is that¡­why you sent me to Tyrsall?¡± Treya had never quite forgiven Yewen for sending her away from her friends at Four Roads. Yewen sighed. ¡°Regardless of what you wanted to do, Tyrsall offered more options. Four Roads is the smallest chapter house in the Orders, and we had too many orphans from those raiders. Those were some bad years, until Sister Shana took care of the group here, and the knights crossed the border and eliminated the rest. There simply aren¡¯t that many men around here looking for concubines, and I wasn¡¯t sure that was the life you wanted for yourself. You aren¡¯t the only one I sent away, but I sent you to Tyrsall because it offered the most opportunities. You could be a concubine to rival any other in the city, or you could choose a different path.¡± Treya nodded, setting aside some of the anger from her younger years. She¡¯d known, intellectually, that Yewen had thought she¡¯d had Treya¡¯s best interests at heart, but hearing the reasoning helped. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What brings you back to Four Roads?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve started my journeying, but I didn¡¯t have anywhere particular I needed to be, so I thought I¡¯d come home first.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been to see the farm, then?¡± Yewen asked gently. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I could find it,¡± Treya said, looking down at the floor, ¡°and if I did, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d recognize it. It¡¯s been twelve years, and the cabin burned down.¡± ¡°We can look through the records to locate it, if you want. I¡¯ve heard that all the farms that¡­suffered in the raids have new owners now. It might do you some good to see new life there.¡± Treya shook her head. ¡°I think it¡¯s at least three days away. It always took Papa a long time to come back home when he had to go to town. Perhaps if I ever need to head west I could stop by, since it wouldn¡¯t be as far out of my way, but for now, I¡¯m traveling with a group that¡¯s heading back east tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve found some friends, then?¡± ¡°Traveling companions, at least.¡± Yewen smiled. ¡°My journeying years, as few and as difficult as they were, are some of my fondest memories. The mystics remind us that our world is larger than our chapter house. Are you going to stay with the Order permanently? Ola is quite certain you could be chosen by a duke or a prince, even now. As long as you put on some shoes before the Presentation ceremony.¡± Treya laughed. ¡°You were right earlier. I don¡¯t think a concubine¡¯s life is the life for me.¡± ¡°I can understand that. While I¡¯ve got you here, do you know where I can find Shana? A drake has been nesting north of town, killing sheep. It¡¯s still young, but the mayor wants it taken care of before it learns to breathe fire. He¡¯s planning to offer twenty-five gold to some of the mercenaries that have been coming through town if they can kill it, but I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll get themselves killed instead. If you know where she is, I can send a message through the pigeon service.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Treya said. ¡°I could try to find the drake.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Yewen said. ¡°Shana¡¯s killed a drake before. I¡¯m not sending a brand new graduate after one.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean by myself. I¡¯m traveling with some people who could help.¡± That was overstating things, since Katrin and Bobo weren¡¯t fighters, but as far as Treya knew, if the drake was young enough, Corec with his plate armor would be well protected. Twenty-five gold would go a long way toward hiring the other wizard he¡¯d mentioned, in case Treya¡¯s priest friends weren¡¯t able to help with the binding runes. # ¡°You want all of it?¡± Daffyd asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Corec told the moneylender. ¡°Some things have come up and I need the coin.¡± Daffyd blew his breath out through his pursed lips. ¡°That much in one day is going to put me in a tough spot. Are you sure you need it all?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad, Daff. I¡¯m sure the shopkeepers¡¯ and innkeepers¡¯ accounts are bigger than mine.¡± ¡°True, true, but I¡¯ve got most of the deposits loaned out, and the rest is stored somewhere safe. Withdrawing your entire account will take most of what I keep on hand.¡± ¡°I can return tomorrow.¡± ¡°No, no. You¡¯re here now. Let¡¯s check the books.¡± Daffyd looked behind the counter and pulled up the ledgers he used to track deposits and withdrawals. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­your last visit, you deposited one gold exactly, and then we have last quarter¡¯s interest earnings of fifteen silver, three copper, bringing your total to thirty-eight gold, four silver, seven copper.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Really?¡± It was more than Corec had expected, bringing him to forty-five gold total if he included the coin in his belt pouches. ¡°It adds up,¡± Daffyd replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think you checked the balance the last few times you dropped by.¡± Then, he warned, ¡°I¡¯ll have to give you half of that in platinum.¡± Some shops didn¡¯t take platinum, since it was hard for them to make change. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯ll bring your business back to me when you can. All deposits are now stored under mage locks¡ªI bought a couple spells from a wizard who passed through, so I¡¯m the only one who can open the safes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be away from Four Roads for a while, but I¡¯ll be back when I can,¡± Corec said. After leaving the moneylender, his next stop was at the boarding house. ¡°Corec, dear!¡± Mama Wenna exclaimed. She was a portly woman in her fifties who¡¯d opened her house to lodgers after her children had moved out and her husband had passed away. ¡°You didn¡¯t come with the caravan!¡± ¡°Sorry, Mama Wenna. I got delayed. How have you been?¡± ¡°Karl visited with his wife, and they brought the baby. It¡¯s a boy!¡± ¡°Congratulations. Should I call you Grandmama Wenna now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Supper tonight is stew and fresh bread. It¡¯ll just be you and Adar. Lanz decided to move in with his lady friend, so he gave up his lodgings here.¡± Corec was conflicted. Wenna made a good stew, but he hadn¡¯t intended to be away from the inn for that long. Deciding his companions didn¡¯t need his help to eat, he said, ¡°That sounds good, but I¡¯ll have to leave afterward. I¡¯m traveling with some friends¡ªmore than you have room for¡ªso we¡¯re staying at an inn.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± Wenna asked. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. You¡¯ve never mentioned any friends before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to the idea,¡± Corec admitted. ¡°We¡¯re heading to Circle Bay for a while, so I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll back again.¡± She sighed. ¡°Are you sure you want to keep your room? You¡¯re hardly ever here anymore. I could put your things in storage. It¡¯d be much cheaper.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep my room, at least for now. If the caravans stop running this winter, I¡¯ll need somewhere to live.¡± Wenna nodded. ¡°Oh, that reminds me, a letter arrived from your father a few weeks ago. I left it on your bed.¡± ¡°Thanks. I suppose I should go see what he has to say.¡± In his small room, Corec looked over his belongings. His tent and extra blankets were already laid out on the bed, ready to go for when the weather turned, so he decided to take them back to the inn with him. They would need tents for everyone soon, but the prices would be better in Tyrsall. There was a chest at the foot of the bed which held documents and extra clothing, but nothing he¡¯d need to bring with him. A spare greatsword was propped up in the corner of the room, wrapped in cloth, and there was an extra chain shirt rolled up and stored under the bed, but he decided not to bring those, either. After he¡¯d delayed as long as he could, he turned to the letter that was resting on the foot of the bed. He never knew what to expect from his family. Only Branth treated him like before. Toman had done his best to ignore Corec for the past six years, and Isabel always urged him to give up magic and return home. In letters, Ansel was polite, pretending that nothing was wrong, but his politeness only extended as far as the written word. Corec picked up the letter and broke the wax seal. Son, How are you? As I write this, it is early summer. The crops have been sown, and the growing season is promising so far. Toman is a proud father again, this time a girl. Vena chose the name Adri. They are splitting their time between our home and Tammerly¡¯s. Lord Tammerly broke his ankle falling from a horse, so Toman has taken over some of his duties. Branth sends his regards. He continues to refuse all suggestions of marriage, and has instead found comfort with a concubine, Merisa. She was trained by the Highfell chapter house of the Three Orders, just as your mother was. She¡¯s a delightful girl, and at her suggestion, your brother has purchased land and milch cows to start a dairy for making cheeses. It must be small, by necessity, but it¡¯ll be the first of its kind in the valley. It has been three years since you last visited, and Isabel misses you dearly. Priest Calwell, whom you dislike so much, is no longer in the village. I do not believe the new priest knows of your proclivities. Perhaps your next visit will be more peaceful than the last. I assume you are still spending your time outside the kingdom. In Larso, Prince Rusol has started taking a more active role. He is hiring mercenaries, though no one seems to know why. Some of the hillfolk have answered the call, and it makes our people uncomfortable to have these strange armed men coming through the valley on their way to Telfort. I hope your fortunes have prospered, and that you have had luck in finding work more fitting to your station. Please consider visiting home. If not for me, then for Isabel. Your father, Ansel, Baron of Tarwen The letter was more conciliatory in tone than the previous one, though it was obvious that Ansel had written it at Isa¡¯s behest. Corec knew he¡¯d have to send a reply before he left Four Roads, and possibly a letter to Branth as well. He couldn¡¯t go to Larso anytime soon, but perhaps he could promise a visit in the future. # ¡°A drake?¡± Corec asked. When he¡¯d returned to the inn, he¡¯d found Treya there waiting for him, and the group had met up in the girls¡¯ room to talk. ¡°Yes. Mother Yewen says it¡¯s still young, but the mayor is offering twenty-five gold for someone to kill it before it¡¯s old enough to breathe fire. That would help pay for that other wizard you told me about. Have you fought a drake before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen a drake.¡± Corec looked around the room. Shavala and Bobo were listening curiously, but Katrin looked worried. While drakes weren¡¯t quite as rare as their larger dragon cousins, they were still uncommon. Armsmaster Javin had killed a young one once, and he¡¯d told a story about a squad of knights taking down an adult drake with massive, mounted crossbows, so they could remain out of range of its breath. Javin had fought the young one by himself, and had come out of it without a scratch, so Corec was willing to consider Treya¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one either, but I think they¡¯re in my book,¡± Shavala said. She stood and went over to her saddlebags, which were propped up against the wall. Pulling the book out, she thumbed through it until she found the page she wanted, then brought it to Bobo. ¡°Can you read it?¡± He looked it over. ¡°Yes, this is just Old Matan. It¡¯s still used in some places in Matagor that haven¡¯t switched to Western. I grew up speaking both. And this is a drake.¡± He passed the book around so everyone could see the page. The picture looked much like Corec had expected, a skinnier version of a dragon. Not that he¡¯d seen a dragon, but he¡¯d seen plenty of paintings and drawings of them. The ink in the book was smudged, but the picture was clear enough to see the scaled skin. The drake was sitting back on its thicker rear legs, with its wings spread and one of its forelegs extended to show its talons. ¡°What does it say about it?¡± Corec asked. ¡°How big is it?¡± Bobo read through the page before replying. ¡°It says an adult can reach up to twelve feet from the nose to the base of the tail, and then another eight feet for the tail. The wingspan can reach up to fifteen feet, with the wings fully extended.¡± ¡°Twelve feet? That¡¯s taller than an ogre. How big does it get before it learns to breathe fire?¡± ¡°It just says they get their fire when they¡¯re nearly full grown, so I imagine it could be anywhere almost up to that size. They reach their full size at twenty years.¡± ¡°Mother Yewen said it was still small,¡± Treya said. ¡°Does the book say how to fight them?¡± ¡°No,¡± Bobo said, ¡°but it does say their scales harden over time. The older they are, the harder it is to hurt them, just like dragons.¡± He turned to Shavala. ¡°I like this book. Can I borrow it?¡± ¡°Will you read it to me? Or teach me to read it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Corec said, ¡°I know a bit about fighting drakes, but I¡¯ve never done it before. Their claws are sharp, especially when they¡¯re young, so I¡¯ll have to do this alone.¡± Facing Bobo, he added, ¡°Unless you want to buy some armor and join me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never learned how to fight. I¡¯d just get in your way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should do it,¡± Katrin said. ¡°It sounds too dangerous.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s young, it¡¯s not that bad,¡± Corec said. ¡°I trained with people who¡¯ve done it. And if it lets us hire Rallus, it would be worth it.¡± She frowned at him, but nodded. ¡°Can I help?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corec said. ¡°I guess it depends how hard its scales are. And you¡¯d have to be as far away as possible. The young ones can still fly, and it might decide to come after you.¡± ¡°What if we disable its wings somehow?¡± Treya asked. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Maybe if I throw a chain around it and hold it down long enough for you to cut it?¡± Corec frowned. ¡°You¡¯d have to get close enough for it to reach you, and if you¡¯re holding onto the chain, it¡¯ll knock you off your feet. Were you planning to buy some armor?¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t fight like that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it then,¡± Corec said. ¡°I think I should go alone. I¡¯ll buy a heavy crossbow and hit it from a distance, and if that doesn¡¯t kill it, I¡¯ll use my sword.¡± ¡°What about a net?¡± Treya suggested. ¡°If I could get that around one of its wings, I wouldn¡¯t have to hold on to it.¡± ¡°That might work. We¡¯d need to find a place where you could hide out of sight until I have it distracted. And then you¡¯d need to hide again as soon as you¡¯re done.¡± Treya looked like she was about to protest, but then nodded reluctantly. ¡°Would bear traps help?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to bring it to you, you could place them before you fire the crossbow.¡± ¡°With the talons spread out, I don¡¯t think its feet would fit in a bear trap,¡± Corec said. ¡°And if Treya and I are out there, there¡¯s too much chance of us stepping on one.¡± ¡°True, I suppose. If I think of anything else, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°Can you talk to it?¡± Corec asked Shavala. ¡°Convince it to move somewhere without people?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I can speak to the beasts of the natural world, but drakes and dragons are different.¡± ¡°Treya, do you know where we can buy a net?¡± Corec asked. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I left Four Roads eight years ago, and I was too young then to be allowed around town.¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll come find you tomorrow morning, then, and look for a net and a crossbow. Can you ask around to find out where it¡¯s been nesting?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°All right, then. I guess we¡¯ll try to do this tomorrow.¡± After Treya had taken her leave and Bobo had returned to the other room, Corec looked at Katrin. ¡°Would you like to go for a walk?¡± Mama Wenna had given him some relationship advice. She bit her lip and glanced at Shavala, but when the elf girl shrugged, she said, ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s dark out.¡± ¡°Four Roads is safe, and I¡¯ll keep my chainmail on. I usually wouldn¡¯t bother with a sword here in town, but with those red-eyed fellows, I¡¯ll go ahead and keep it with me, just in case.¡± She nodded. They were quiet as they left the inn and took a right on the street. It was late enough that the shops were closed, but the taverns and inns were still doing lively business. Light came through their windows and from the lamps hanging from the fronts of the buildings. The sounds of laughter, shouting, and music could be heard up and down the street. Corec spoke first. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the drake. We¡¯ll scout it out first. If it looks too large or too dangerous, we just won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± she said. ¡°Yes. I have no intention of getting killed by an overgrown lizard. The money will be helpful if we¡¯re going to hire a wizard, but if we don¡¯t get it, then we¡¯ll keep looking.¡± As he spoke, he reached for her hand. It felt warm and dry, and she curled her fingers around his. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± she asked. ¡°And Bobo?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you anywhere near it. You can stay here.¡± ¡°But what if something happens?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d rather have you away from the danger. Honestly, I¡¯d rather go alone, but if Shavala and Treya think they can help, without getting too close¡­¡± ¡°Are you just going after the drake because Treya wants you to?¡± she asked. Corec sighed. ¡°I owe it to her, and to you and Shavala. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to do something stupid.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll stay this angry at you forever. She just needs time to get used to the idea.¡± ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have to get used to the idea,¡± he said. As he spoke, the itch on his right arm grew worse, but he couldn¡¯t scratch it while wearing his chainmail. ¡°Neither should you. If I have Bobo do the talking with anyone new we run across, hopefully we can keep it from happening again.¡± ¡°Do you really think that will work? You and I didn¡¯t talk that first night.¡± ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t think of what else to do. I can¡¯t stay locked up for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°We could try my blindfold idea.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°If an appropriate occasion comes up, sure.¡± The street they were heading down was darker ahead of them, so they turned right to stay in the area that was better lit. They walked in companionable silence before Katrin spoke again. ¡°What are the four roads?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Four Roads. You said there¡¯s the Trade Road and the Farm Road, but what are the other two?¡± ¡°There are only the two. That¡¯s the big joke around here, and they never get tired of telling it. The Trade Road goes east and west and the Farm Road goes north and south. The town was built on the crossroads, so from the point of view of the residents, there are major roads heading in four directions out of town. Well, three now¡ªyou don¡¯t want to go too far south down the Farm Road anymore. There¡¯s a dragon that way.¡± ¡°A dragon?¡± she asked. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t someone do something about it?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s full grown and it¡¯s a real dragon, not a drake. There¡¯s nobody in the free lands who could stop it. It took over a keep at a toll road crossing, and everyone who lived there had to abandon the area. The older folks say Four Roads doubled in size when all the refugees showed up. That was decades ago.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t someone else kill it or drive it off? Larso?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe if all the knights assembled and brought their siege equipment, but I¡¯m not sure that would be enough. Besides, Larso has no reason to help the free lands. People live here because they don¡¯t want to be beholden to any of the kingdoms. The only reason I can think of that would interest the king is that it¡¯s a more convenient trade route to southern Larso, but they¡¯re more likely to build a new road than fight a dragon.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Corec took a deep breath. ¡°There are some things I should tell you. I was a knight once. A trainee, anyway, with the Knights of Pallisur. They kicked me out when they found out about the magic.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said again. ¡°I¡¯d wondered how you knew so much about them. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like to talk about being kicked out. And¡­I don¡¯t talk about my family, either. I lied that first night when you asked about the crest on my armor. My father¡¯s a baron. It¡¯s not a big deal, because I¡¯m illegitimate and I have two older brothers, but I¡¯m sorry for lying.¡± ¡°I figured it was something like that,¡± Katrin admitted, ¡°and Treya mentioned your family, too. I can understand not wanting to talk about it.¡± They turned right again and were quiet for a moment before Corec said, ¡°Have you thought any more about staying here?¡± ¡°If I can find a teacher, maybe, but you¡¯re still planning to work as a caravan guard, right? How often are you gone?¡± He hadn¡¯t considered that. ¡°A lot. They sometimes shut the caravans down in the winter, or if the roads get too muddy, but other than that, I¡¯m traveling most of the time. I was thinking of switching to courier work, so I wouldn¡¯t have to be gone as much, but to get enough jobs, I¡¯d have to move to Tyrsall. And if I have to live in Tyrsall anyway, maybe I could do something that doesn¡¯t require traveling. I¡¯m sure I could get work as a bodyguard, or maybe with the constabulary.¡± He laughed. ¡°Or Deshin suggested I could spend ten years as a wizard¡¯s apprentice.¡± Katrin stopped walking and tugged on his hand. He turned to face her. ¡°If you¡¯re really thinking of living in Tyrsall,¡± she said, ¡°it would be a lot easier for me to find a teacher there. The bardic school won¡¯t take me¡ªI already asked¡ªbut maybe there¡¯s a bard who¡¯d be willing to teach me outside the school.¡± Corec stared into her green eyes as he thought. His resistance to living in Tyrsall had been mostly due to its size, but over the years, he¡¯d grown used to it. And constantly traveling back and forth was growing tedious. It might not be a bad thing to stay in one place for a while. Perhaps he could ask Varsin Senshall if anyone in the family needed a bodyguard. He smiled at her. ¡°Tyrsall, then, after we figure out the runes and get your brother out of prison?¡± ¡°Tyrsall. After Circle Bay, I¡¯ll come back with you.¡± He cupped her cheek with one hand and bent down to kiss her, her lips meeting his as she tilted her head back. # After her walk with Corec, Katrin returned to her room. They hadn¡¯t spoken much after the kiss, simply enjoying the time to themselves. Shavala looked up from where she¡¯d been mending one of her tunics. ¡°Are you going to stay in his bed tonight?¡± ¡°What? No! Why would I do that?¡± The elf girl cocked her head to the side. ¡°You¡¯ve never¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I have, but¡­¡± Katrin knew she was blushing as red as her hair. ¡°I just¡­we¡¯re still getting to know each other.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve known him for over a month.¡± ¡°I know, but I spent a lot of that time hating him, so I¡¯m still getting used to the idea.¡± Katrin had only been to bed with two other men in her life, and both had been mistakes. She¡¯d decided to be more cautious this time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªI know you like him, too.¡± ¡°Why are you sorry about that? Though if I¡¯d known you were going to take this long, I wouldn¡¯t have waited for you to go first.¡± ¡°Go¡­first?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve known him longer, so it¡¯s only right.¡± ¡°But what do you mean, first? I¡¯m planning to come back with him after Circle Bay, not to end things between us.¡± Shavala looked at her curiously. ¡°Humans don¡¯t share their lovers with others?¡± ¡°No! I mean, not usually. Sometimes a man has a wife and a concubine.¡± ¡°A concubine like Treya?¡± ¡°Treya¡¯s not a concubine. She¡¯s just trained by them, I guess. I don¡¯t really understand it, either.¡± Shavala said, ¡°When I found a lover I liked, I shared him with a friend back in Terrillia. He shared me with one of his friends, too.¡± Katrin felt her jaw dropping. ¡°You slept with his friend?¡± ¡°No, we didn¡¯t sleep. I just had sex with him. How do humans find the right partner if they don¡¯t try others?¡± ¡°We do, just¡­not all at the same time. What happened with your¡­your lover?¡± ¡°He was fun to play with, but we weren¡¯t looking to settle down. There¡¯s too much I want to do still.¡± ¡°Are you going to go back to him after you¡¯re done with your travels?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Besides, my friend shared him with another friend, who¡¯s still with him.¡± Katrin shook her head, laughing. ¡°So, you share lovers until, what, you get married?¡± ¡°Sometimes after. My parents are still close with some of their friends. My brother and his wife decided not to share, though.¡± ¡°Humans usually only see one person at a time. If things don¡¯t work out, then they might seek another. And they don¡¯t always sleep together right away¡ªI mean, have sex.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°So, if you stay with him after Circle Bay, the two of you won¡¯t share each other with anyone else?¡± She didn¡¯t sound particularly disappointed, but Katrin had seen the looks she gave Corec, and the looks he gave her. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. Let me think about that, all right?¡± Book 1: Chapter Eighteen The plan fell apart before it even got started. Early in the morning, Corec had tracked down some of the fishermen who worked the local lakes, and found one that was willing to sell him a large net. Then he¡¯d bought a heavy crossbow, wishing he hadn¡¯t sold the last one. While he was doing that, someone at the Three Orders chapter house helped Treya find a local farmer who knew where the drake was nesting, and could take them to it. Bren, the guide, led them north up the Farm Road for an hour, then onto a series of trails to the west that passed farm after farm. They¡¯d walked, not wanting to risk their horses panicking if they came upon the drake suddenly. ¡°It¡¯s just up ahead,¡± Bren said, nearly two hours after they¡¯d left the main road. ¡°See that meadow there? The drake comes after anyone who goes into it. It spends most of its time in the trees on the far side.¡± The group was hiding behind a large mass of blackberry bushes, peering over them to stare out across the meadow. ¡°I don¡¯t see it,¡± Corec said. The trees weren¡¯t dense enough to block the view, and there wasn¡¯t any movement. Bren spat on the ground, and pointed his pitchfork up at the sky. ¡°Probably out hunting. It got two of my chickens yesterday and scattered the rest, then took one of my neighbor¡¯s sheep and killed his dog. Or it might be sleeping¡ªit hunkers down over there behind those rocks.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Bobo asked. Corec wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d insisted on coming, but at least Katrin had remained behind. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s sleeping, that¡¯ll make it easier to surprise it with the crossbow,¡± Corec said. ¡°We should go around the meadow, though, if it¡ª¡± That was all he had time to say before a deafening shriek pierced the air. A shadow passed above, and then the drake was on them, landing with its rear legs striking Corec and Bobo. As Corec fell, he felt his mind shift twice, like it had during the fight with the red-eyed men. This time, it wasn¡¯t as disorienting, and he recognized the second shift as another spell. He hit the ground hard, and his barrier shield flared and died, but the second spell remained in place. He heard his companions shouting, but with the drake¡¯s continued shrieking, he couldn¡¯t tell what they were saying. With his heavy armor weighing him down, Corec felt like a turtle on its back, but he managed to roll to his side and brace himself on one arm. On the ground in front of him was the crossbow, the limb snapped in two, making it worthless. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to cock it, anyway. The net was still tied up in a bundle, and Treya had dropped it to the ground to help Bren pull Bobo out of the way of the drake¡¯s claws. There was a small cut on Bobo¡¯s head, and a large blood stain spreading across his upper chest. Corec couldn¡¯t see Shavala anywhere. With the other targets moving away, the drake focused its attention on Corec, slashing at his armor. He hadn¡¯t managed to stand up yet, and fell back to the ground instead, crossing his arms in front of him to block the talons. Now that the creature was standing on its rear legs, it was using its smaller forelegs to attack. Corec was able to fend it off with his gauntlets and vambraces, hoping the claws didn¡¯t find a gap between them. Then, something distracted the drake and it pulled back, scanning the tree line. Corec took the chance to roll over onto his stomach so he could push himself up to his knees. He caught a glimpse of Treya pressing her glowing hands to the wound on Bobo¡¯s chest, but couldn¡¯t spare any time to worry about them. As he got to his feet, the drake turned back to him, ignoring whatever had drawn its attention. Corec drew his sword and tossed two mage lights to float around the beast¡¯s head, hoping to distract it again. It worked¡ªthe drake tried to attack the lights, its claws passing through them harmlessly. Corec cast the spell that let him move faster in his armor, figuring he would need the extra speed to dodge. He was finally able to get a good look at the drake. It had dark brown scales and stood ten feet tall on its hind legs¡ªnearly full grown, and much larger than he¡¯d expected. Its shrieking mouth showed sharp teeth, but it hadn¡¯t tried to bite them. As Corec charged at the creature, he made a mighty overhand swing against the nearest foreleg. It connected, and he felt the force reverberate up his arms. He¡¯d cracked the scales, but that was the only damage he¡¯d done. The drake immediately turned its attention back to him, no longer distracted by the lights. It attacked him, and Corec fell into a steady rhythm. The creature was stronger than him, but its patterns were predictable and it didn¡¯t attack as quickly as the knights Corec had trained against. As long as he braced himself, he could block the attacks and keep himself from being knocked over. But it was difficult to counter-attack, and when he did, it didn¡¯t have much of an effect. The scales on the drake¡¯s underside seemed softer than the ones on its back and legs, but Corec still wasn¡¯t able to do enough damage to stop it. He had his own advantage, though. Any time the beast¡¯s claws struck his armor, there was a dull thump, and Corec once again felt like he had an extra layer of armor that couldn¡¯t be seen. It could only have come from the new spell, but he wasn¡¯t sure how long it would last. He needed to finish the fight quickly, but he wasn¡¯t able to gain any ground, and he didn¡¯t know how well his armor would hold up against the claws after the spell faded. Then, one of Shavala¡¯s arrows pierced the drake¡¯s wing, and it pulled back from the fight, its shriek higher in pitch than before. ¡°I¡¯m out of arrows!¡± she shouted from somewhere back behind the tree line. She must have been firing all along. Corec took advantage of the creature¡¯s distraction and thrust forward against its chest, but his sword skittered against the scales over the ribcage at the wrong angle, and the impact jarred the blade out of his hands. It fell to the ground as the creature renewed its attack with fury. As Corec tried to recover his sword while dodging the drake¡¯s slashing talons, he saw a blur of gray. Treya had run up close and struck at its back, her hands glowing white. She didn¡¯t appear to have hurt it, but it spun around and tried to attack her, its tail barely missing Corec as it swung past him. With the beast facing the other direction, Corec kneeled down to grab his sword. Treya ducked under one of the creature¡¯s forelegs, then sidestepped the other, seemingly knowing where it was going to strike. Then her luck ran out as she tripped against the blackberry bushes and the drake caught her. Its claws overshot her, but its foreleg bashed her to the side and she fell to the ground. Shavala shouted again. ¡°Get it close to the bushes!¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure why she wanted that, but figuring she¡¯d seen something that he hadn¡¯t, Corec charged. The drake was moving away from the bushes to go after Treya, who was trying to push herself up. Corec was behind it, and he hacked hard against one of the wings. The sword bit deep, and the drake¡¯s shrieks turned into cries of pain. It spun back to come after him. He stepped backwards carefully, leading the creature in a line along the edge of the blackberry bushes. Suddenly, the vines reached out, wrapping themselves in coils around the drake¡¯s legs and wings. Corec almost dropped his sword again, this time in surprise, until he remembered the time he¡¯d seen Meritia regrow some damaged plants. The drake was already starting to break free, so Corec rushed at it. This time, he aimed at the stomach. His sword pierced the skin between two scales, and he pushed hard, getting a foot of the blade into the creature¡¯s gut. Bren appeared out of nowhere and stabbed his pitchfork in, the farmer¡¯s strong shoulders pushing hard enough to break the scales. Shavala ran up nearby and grabbed an arrow from the ground, but after glancing at the tip, she tossed it to the side and peered around for another. ¡°Hold him there!¡± Corec shouted to Bren, as the drake freed one of its forelegs and hit Corec¡¯s chest with its talons. He pushed the sword farther in, then yanked it back out, getting it up in time to block the beast¡¯s next attack, cracking more scales on the leg. Then, he stabbed up, piercing the drake¡¯s neck. It jerked its head away, and Corec stabbed again and again. When the drake crouched down in pain, Corec stabbed harder, pushing farther through the neck and into the head. ¡°Back away!¡± he said to Bren, not wanting the unarmored man to be injured as the creature thrashed around. Bren dashed back, leaving his pitchfork in the drake¡¯s gut. Corec pulled his sword back, bracing himself and ignoring the whacks against his armor as he thrust into the head again, then back into the stomach. The drake slowly stopped moving as its cries faded. Shavala and Bren stood nearby, while Treya limped over to them, one hand glowing as she pressed it to her ribs. Bobo stayed seated on the ground, leaning against a tree, but he was awake and moving. Corec panted, trying to catch his breath. His new armor spell had faded, and he glanced down, finding scratches all up and down his cuirass and vambraces. It was only luck that the claws hadn¡¯t found a gap in the armor. ¡°You did the thing with the vines?¡± he asked Shavala. She nodded wordlessly. ¡°Thanks.¡± Then he looked around at Bren and his companions, everyone staring at him, wide-eyed. ¡°That was almost full grown!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I thought it was supposed to be small!¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. There was another shriek above them. # It was late afternoon when they finally made it back to Four Roads. It had taken nearly an hour for Bren to retrieve his wagon from his farm, and then over three hours for them to get back to town with it, but Treya and Bobo weren¡¯t in any shape to walk the full distance. Treya had healed them well enough that they¡¯d be able to recover on their own, but they were both still in a lot of pain. Corec and Bren had loaded the body of the small drake onto the wagon. There was no way they could lift the big one up, but Bren had brought an axe back with him. They used that to hack the beast¡¯s head off so they could bring it, too. Not wanting to parade the wagon through the streets, they stopped at the Three Orders chapter house, since it was near the northern edge of town. Bren led his horses into the courtyard and brought them to a halt. A young girl in a dress stared at them in surprise before running into the building. Corec took his helmet off and set it on a nearby bench, then stopped at Treya¡¯s side of the wagon. ¡°Would you like help down?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, wincing. ¡°I need to stand. I can¡¯t sit anymore.¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Bren said. ¡°The springs under the seat board aren¡¯t very good.¡± Treya gasped in pain when Corec placed his hands under her arms and lifted, bringing her carefully down to the ground. She stood for a moment breathing heavily, then looked up at him with her blue eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Here, put your arm around me,¡± Shavala said to her, and helped lead her away from the wagon. Corec went around to the other side of the wagon and looked up at Bobo. ¡°Do you need help?¡± ¡°I think I can get down, but could you stand there just in case?¡± Bobo had been the more seriously injured of the two, but he was in less pain. Treya had had better luck healing his lacerations than she¡¯d had in healing her own cracked ribs. Bobo managed to climb out of the wagon on his own, but he swayed unsteadily once he was down. Corec and Bren helped him over to one of the benches. ¡°Where do you think the mayor will be?¡± Corec asked the farmer. ¡°If he hasn¡¯t closed up his shop for the day, he¡¯ll be there. I can go find him if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± A few more more girls and young women had come out of the building to watch them curiously, but hadn¡¯t approached. Then an elderly woman came over to them. ¡°Treya?¡± she said, looking over their rough state. Corec¡¯s armor was scratched and Bobo¡¯s clothing was bloody. Treya¡¯s face and tunic were smudged with dirt and there was swelling around her cheek and eye, starting to darken into bruises. Shavala was the only one who didn¡¯t appear much the worse for wear. ¡°Do you need a healer? I can send a runner to the temples of The Lady or Demesis.¡± ¡°If you can send someone, I¡¯d be grateful,¡± Treya said. ¡°I did what I could, but Bobo and I are in a lot of pain still. We need to send word to our friend Katrin at the Eagle¡¯s Roost, too.¡± The old woman turned to one of the girls who¡¯d come out of the building to see the commotion. ¡°Cara, go to the temples, please, and find a healer or two, then let their friend know they¡¯re here.¡± The girl left by the front gate, headed in the direction of The Lady¡¯s temple. ¡°Mother Yewen, these are the people I told you about,¡± Treya said, then introduced everyone. After greeting each of them, Mother Yewen faced Treya with a sigh. ¡°I see you ignored my advice. This is why I didn¡¯t want to send a new mystic after a drake, even a small one. It takes time to strengthen your abilities¡ªtime and practice.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t small,¡± Treya said. ¡°It was big. The second one was small.¡± ¡°Two?¡± The woman glanced into the wagon, her eyes widening when she saw the large one¡¯s head piled next to the small one¡¯s body. ¡°You fought two drakes? You fought a big one?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t an adult, but it was close,¡± Corec said. ¡°Treya was a big help.¡± Treya shot him a look, but didn¡¯t contradict him. ¡°We¡¯d better let the mayor know,¡± Yewen said. ¡°Were there any others?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t see any,¡± Treya replied. ¡°Bren, the guide you found for us, has already gone looking for the mayor. Can we wait here for him? We weren¡¯t sure where to take the¡­wagon.¡± The old woman considered that. ¡°Yes, but let¡¯s hope he comes soon, so the girls aren¡¯t distracted for too long.¡± She faced the audience and raised her voice. ¡°All right, everyone! You all have chores before the evening meal, so get back to them! Let¡¯s go!¡± She herded them all back inside, except for two girls who were apparently supposed to be weeding the courtyard, but spent most of their time trying to sneak a peek into the wagon. Corec said, ¡°If there are any more drakes, let the mercenaries go after them. I think we¡¯ve done our share.¡± Treya nodded. # ¡°How badly were they hurt?¡± Katrin asked as she and Cara hurried to the Three Orders chapter house. ¡°I don¡¯t know, miss.¡± ¡°But they all made it back?¡± ¡°Yes, miss, four, like you said. Sister Treya, the man in the armor, the woman with the glowing thing on her head, and the man with the beard and the robe.¡± Cara must not have noticed Shavala¡¯s ears¡ªperhaps she¡¯d never seen an elf before. The girl hadn¡¯t seen Katrin¡¯s own rune, since she was wearing her straw cloche hat. They reached the courtyard and went up the walk, where Katrin found her friends waiting near a wagon. Treya and Bobo were sitting on benches as they were attended by healers. Shavala stood casually with her back against a tree trunk, and gave Katrin a smile and a nod. Corec was standing nearby, his helmet resting on Bobo¡¯s bench. His armor was scratched in several places. She rushed over to him. ¡°Is everyone all right?¡± He put an arm around her and pulled her in against him. With the armor in the way, it wasn¡¯t comfortable, but she figured it was the best he could do until later. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said. ¡°Bobo got the worst of it, but Treya healed him enough for us to get back.¡± The healer examining Treya¡ªa priestess of Demesis by the look of her blue and green robe¡ªleaned back and looked over her clothing. ¡°You¡¯re a healer? I thought something about your injuries looked funny. They¡¯ve been partly healed already, haven¡¯t they? Who do you follow?¡± Treya grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªI¡¯m not a very good healer yet. And¡­uh, I don¡¯t really follow anyone. I don¡¯t know who chose me as a priestess.¡± The woman raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s unusual. Have you been tested by the temples yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve visited the temples of The Lady, Allosur, and Arodisis in Tyrsall, but none were able to say where I belong.¡± ¡°Be sure to visit we who follow Demesis. The goddess of bounty and the harvest helps bring life to all things. Perhaps you¡¯ll find your place among us.¡± ¡°I will when I can.¡± At the woman¡¯s skeptical look, Treya added, ¡°I promise.¡± Katrin and Corec spoke quietly while they waited. ¡°Are there two heads in there?¡± she asked, pointing to the wagon as she tried to make sense of the mess she was seeing. ¡°Yes. It turns out there were two drakes. The smaller head is still attached to the body.¡± ¡°Two? Why didn¡¯t anyone tell us that?¡± ¡°Maybe they only ever saw one at a time, or maybe one of them was new to the area. Anyway, the second one must have been the small one they told us about. It wasn¡¯t much of a problem. The first one surprised us, though. It clawed Bobo and knocked me down before we even knew it was there. Bobo wasn¡¯t supposed to be anywhere near the fighting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re all safe. I wish you had let me come with you. I spent all day worrying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t come. What if it had gotten you like it got Bobo?¡± She shivered and changed the subject. ¡°If everyone¡¯s all right, are we going to leave tomorrow?¡± ¡°If the mayor pays us the bounty tonight, yes, but I¡¯d like to find another pack mule before we leave. I¡¯m bringing my tent and some extra blankets, and with food for five people, we¡¯ll have too much to carry with just¡­Boy and our own saddlebags.¡± She smiled when he used her name for the mule. ¡°One tent?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll buy more when we reach Tyrsall. Mine¡¯s only big enough for, well, two people, if you want to share. It¡¯s you or Bobo, and I¡¯d rather share with you.¡± He¡¯d lowered his voice, so nobody would overhear. Katrin felt herself blushing and decided to get back at him for being so forward. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like that. At least on nights we¡¯re able to bathe. You stink after wearing your armor all day.¡± He laughed. ¡°It won¡¯t be as bad once the weather cools down, but I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± After the healers were gone, Bobo groaned and stood up, pulling his robe away from his chest to give himself a better view of the holes and bloodstains. ¡°Remind me why I came with you today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember you giving a reason,¡± Corec replied. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s right. I wanted to see a drake for real. Well, now I have.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°I take it you¡¯re feeling like yourself again?¡± ¡°As good as I can, I suppose. I¡¯ll need to find some new clothing.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do some shopping tomorrow before we leave.¡± Treya came over to them, too. ¡°Why did you tell Mother Yewen I helped?¡± she asked Corec. ¡°I didn¡¯t do any good against either of them, and we didn¡¯t use the net at all.¡± ¡°You distracted them. Especially that first one¡ªif you hadn¡¯t pulled its attention away, I don¡¯t think I could have gotten my sword back. And the net was a good idea. It wasn¡¯t your fault the drake ended up standing right over it. We¡¯re lucky Shavala was able to use your idea with the vines.¡± Shavala said, ¡°We¡¯re lucky the blackberry bush was right there. I couldn¡¯t have done it otherwise.¡± ¡°Blackberry bush?¡± Katrin asked. They took turns describing the battle and the magic that Shavala had used. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that,¡± Katrin said to her. Shavala grinned at her and winked. Talking about the fight didn¡¯t help Treya¡¯s mood. ¡°I was completely helpless. I don¡¯t know how Shana managed to fight one of those things alone.¡± ¡°Shana?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°One of my teachers.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°When we get back to Tyrsall, you can ask her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not usually in Tyrsall, but I¡¯ll check.¡± The farmer that had accompanied Katrin¡¯s friends that morning came into the courtyard then, along with a large, middle-aged man dressed like a successful shopkeeper¡ªa suit with matching brown breeches and long coat, with a vest over a white shirt. ¡°Corec,¡± the farmer said, ¡°this is the mayor, Mr. Sammel.¡± ¡°Welcome to Four Roads!¡± Sammel boomed. ¡°I hear you¡¯ve taken care of our little drake problem.¡± ¡°Not so little,¡± Corec said. ¡°Yes,¡± the man said soberly. ¡°Bren here told me about that. Nobody had ever seen anything but the small one. Still, it looks like you all came through it safely?¡± ¡°I paid the healers twenty silver.¡± ¡°Ahh, yes. I might be able to help with that.¡± Sammel stared at the mess in the wagon. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we only raised money for a single bounty, though. I can¡¯t pay you for both.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°And who are your friends?¡± the man asked with a broad smile as he looked Katrin up and down. She didn¡¯t like the way he stared at her, but she smiled back anyway. Corec introduced her as a bard, then named the others and mentioned the role they¡¯d played in the fight, though he didn¡¯t mention any of the magic they¡¯d used. Sammel seemed most impressed by Shavala, his eyes drawn to her rune. ¡°Welcome to Four Roads, Lady Elf. You honor us with your presence.¡± Shavala didn¡¯t seem to know how to respond, finally settling on, ¡°Thank you.¡± He turned back to the wagon. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of the big one?¡± ¡°Up the north road,¡± Bren said, ¡°off the second trail to the west, just past Halsey¡¯s farm.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the area,¡± Sammel said. ¡°It won¡¯t attract more of them if we leave it there, will it?¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Sammel shook his head. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve got the bounty here.¡± He pulled a coin pouch from a pocket inside his coat and handed it over. ¡°We¡¯ll need to go back to my shop to get the silver for the healers.¡± Corec said, ¡°I can come with you.¡± He opened the pouch and pulled out five of the gold coins, handing them to Bren. ¡°Here. Your share.¡± ¡°My share?¡± the farmer asked, confused. ¡°You fought the drakes, you helped us find them, and you helped us get back here. We couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, thank you.¡± After Bren had left, taking his wagon and the drakes¡¯ remains away from the chapter house, Corec grabbed his helmet and strode over to the mayor. Katrin followed him. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you. I¡¯m sure the others can figure out the way back to the inn.¡± Book 1: Chapter Nineteen The next morning, Shavala accompanied Corec when he returned to the bowyer¡¯s shop, since he¡¯d mentioned that the man worked with more than just crossbows. She carried her own bow with her, along with her quiver and the eight arrows she¡¯d been able to find after the fight with the drakes, though one of the shafts had been broken when someone stepped on it, and several of the metal tips would need sharpening. She¡¯d lost four arrows to the depths of the blackberry bushes and the tall, thick grasses of the meadow. The shop was on the western edge of town, a long walk from the inn where they were staying, so they rode their horses. Corec directed Dot to a hitching post. ¡°Here we are,¡± he said. ¡°Go stand next to Dot,¡± Shavala told Socks. He did, but then stomped his foot in irritation. He answered to his own name readily enough, but he didn¡¯t like it when she used the human names for the other animals. She hadn¡¯t figured out what he wanted her to call them instead. She and Corec dismounted and looped the reins around the post. Socks stomped again, not wanting to be tied. ¡°You can be patient,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Remember what happened last time.¡± In the last village they¡¯d visited, a young boy had seen Socks without a bridle or reins, and had thought he¡¯d run away from someone. The boy had tried to lead the horse away to find an adult, but Shavala had been standing nearby and stopped him. ¡°I¡¯ll take it off when we leave town.¡± Corec untied the broken remains of the crossbow from the side of his saddle. The quiver was already looped over his shoulder. While Shavala waited for him, she found the right storefront, labeled in trade tongue as Marl¡¯s Bowyers and Fletchers. Behind the glass window were stands holding a crossbow like Corec¡¯s and a massive longbow, a foot taller than Shavala. It was made of yew, and she couldn¡¯t imagine how much strength would be necessary to draw the bowstring back. Corec held the door open for her and they went through. ¡°Hello, hello!¡± called out a tall, skinny, older man from the rear of the shop. He stood up from a bench and took off a pair spectacles he¡¯d been wearing while inspecting some fletching. ¡°How did your hunt go? Did the crossbow work?¡± ¡°We got the drake, but never got a chance to use the bow,¡± Corec said, holding it up in front of him. ¡°Can you do anything with it?¡± ¡°How did you manage that?¡± the man said, taking the broken bow and peering at it. ¡°The drake landed on top of us before we knew it was there.¡± ¡°Hmm. I can fix it, but I¡¯ll need a couple of days.¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving in a few hours. Would you be willing to buy it back?¡± ¡°In this condition? Even if you include the quiver and bolts, I can only give you ten silver. The limb¡¯s the most expensive part.¡± Corec frowned, but said, ¡°We¡¯ll take it.¡± Shavala had been walking around the room looking at the various bows and supplies. She stopped when she saw something interesting. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked. ¡°War quiver,¡± the shopkeeper said, taking a quick glance before looking back at the crossbow. ¡°It¡¯s big. How much can it hold? I ran out of arrows yesterday.¡± ¡°It fits two dozen comfortably. More, if you don¡¯t care how difficult it is to get them back out again.¡± ¡°What you have now is what we¡¯d call a hunting quiver,¡± Corec said. ¡°You don¡¯t need as many arrows when you¡¯re hunting. In Larso, when archers go to war, they¡¯re required to field eight dozen arrows, so they usually wear a war quiver on their back and one on their hip, and carry two bundled sheaves. And they have supply wagons behind them with more.¡± ¡°Their hip?¡± Shavala asked. Some of the older rangers carried large quivers, but not on their hips. That seemed awkward. ¡°Well, that¡¯s only when they¡¯re headed to a fight. They¡¯re not traveling through a forest for days on end. They¡¯re marching directly to battle, and they need as many arrows as they can bring.¡± ¡°Will it fit my arrows?¡± she asked the proprietor. The quiver was taller than she was used to. The man put the crossbow on the counter and came over to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Elf. I didn¡¯t realize who you were. Your people don¡¯t typically visit my shop¡ªthey¡¯re particular about their bows. My name is Marl.¡± ¡°I am Shavala.¡± ¡°May I see your quiver?¡± She passed it to him. He carefully examined it, then pulled out an arrow and eyed the length. ¡°Tip¡¯s blunted.¡± ¡°It hit the drake¡¯s scales. I need to sharpen it.¡± He nodded. ¡°Hmm. Shorter than a traditional longbow, longer than a horse bow.¡± He glanced at her height. ¡°Though I suppose from your point of view, it¡¯s a longbow. We could put a wooden block in the bottom of the quiver to prop the arrows up high enough, but¡­well, let¡¯s see how it fits.¡± He set her quiver aside and pulled the larger one from the wall, passing it to her. She slung it over her back but felt it hitting uncomfortably low and knew it wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°No, that won¡¯t do,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯ll bounce around too much, and you couldn¡¯t wear it while you¡¯re riding. Let me see¡­I¡¯ve got a horse bow quiver around here somewhere.¡± Marl wandered to the back of the shop, which appeared to double as a workshop, so Shavala removed the war quiver and hung it back up on the wall. ¡°Are you going to buy more arrows?¡± Corec asked quietly. ¡°His are too long for my bow, but I have supplies to make more, and if he sells shafts, I can shorten them.¡± The shopkeeper returned, carrying a quiver that was shorter than she was used to, but broader. ¡°Here. Let¡¯s try this.¡± She moved some of her arrows to the new quiver, and frowned when she saw how much they stuck up over the top. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily bad,¡± Marl said. ¡°It¡¯s tall enough that they won¡¯t bounce out, even if you¡¯re on a galloping horse. That¡¯s what it¡¯s meant for, after all. The arrows being longer than a horse bow¡¯s shouldn¡¯t change that. We¡¯d just need to fix where it rests on your back, so they¡¯re where you¡¯re expecting them to be.¡± He had her try it on, and while she was wearing it, he adjusted the straps until she was comfortable with it. It would work, but she decided to try to make her own, with what little leatherwork her brother had taught her. Or ask her brother to make her one, if she saw him anytime soon. ¡°Do you sell blank shafts?¡± she asked. ¡°Not usually, but I have plenty sitting in back. I guess I can make you a deal.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°How many metal coins would it cost for four dozen blanks, four dozen steel broadheads, and enough goose feathers to fletch them all?¡± She could use the smaller obsidian and flint tips she¡¯d brought with her to make some hunting arrows, but she wanted to have more of the steel-tipped arrows on hand if she was going to run into angry beasts or men with glowing red eyes. Marl thought for a moment. ¡°Including the quiver, let¡¯s call that five silver.¡± After she¡¯d paid him, Shavala couldn¡¯t control her curiosity any longer and pointed to the longbow. ¡°How does anyone use that?¡± The shopkeeper laughed. ¡°A good longbowman is born, not made. We train our whole lives to build up enough strength, and we pass the training down from father to son. I can¡¯t pull a full-strength bow any longer, but I spent thirty years as an archer. How long have you had that little bow of yours?¡± ¡°I only started forty years ago, but most of my teachers have been shooting for two or three hundred years.¡± The shopkeeper had a coughing fit, and Corec stared at her, his eyes wide. ¡°Ahh, yes, of course,¡± Marl said, getting his cough under control. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are benefits to having bows that more people can use. That¡¯s one reason why I started making the crossbows. There are only so many longbowmen around, and most of them would rather make their own gear, but anyone can pick up a crossbow and learn to use it.¡± He went back to the workshop area to bundle up her purchases. ¡°Forty years?¡± Corec asked her. ¡°I thought you were younger than me!¡± She laughed. ¡°I¡¯m only a hundred and twenty. I¡¯ve been an adult for nine years, the way my people count time. How old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m twenty-two. I¡¯ve been on my own for six years.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said. She¡¯d known that humans matured much earlier, but a ninety-eight year difference seemed like a lot. He¡¯d been an adult at sixteen? She couldn¡¯t even remember being sixteen. Her oldest memories were of her early twenties¡ªmostly getting in trouble for playing with her brother¡¯s belt knife or for getting too close to the cookstove while the fire was lit. Corec shook his head. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s finish up here and go look for another pack mule, then see if the others were able to find everything on the list.¡± # ¡°You might as well use my lean-to,¡± Corec said. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯re going to get soaked tonight. I¡¯m not used to rain this late in the summer¡ªif I¡¯d known it was coming, I¡¯d have stopped at that village we passed this afternoon.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Treya replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take first watch again?¡± ¡°Yes. Though I can¡¯t imagine even the red-eyes would be out in this weather.¡± Treya shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There was something weird about them, and it wasn¡¯t just their eyes.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Yes, or the fact that they didn¡¯t speak. Wake me in a few hours?¡± ¡°I will.¡± After stopping for the evening, the group had huddled under Shavala¡¯s and Bobo¡¯s lean-tos, facing the campfire while they ate. Nobody seemed interested in staying up to talk, so Corec had set up his tent, then remembered that Treya didn¡¯t have a lean-to. They had two spares now, but he decided it would be better to buy tents for everyone in the next village, rather than waiting until they reached Tyrsall. It felt like a summer rain, but if the autumn rains started early, the lean-tos wouldn¡¯t be good enough. Corec was about to leave, but his eyes were drawn to Treya¡¯s brow as a faint blue glow began swirling around beneath her skin. ¡°Your rune¡­¡± She jerked back in dismay and reached up to touch her forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything. Wait. The itching has stopped.¡± ¡°Katrin! Shavala!¡± Corec called out. The itch on his arm had gone away, too, but he had his chain shirt on so he couldn¡¯t check it. Katrin had been in the tent and Shavala was tending the fire, but both girls came over when he called. Bobo came, too, and everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to Treya. The rune took shape as a perfect blue circle with a line from the top to the bottom that curved to the left, making it look like a crescent moon within a full moon. ¡°I¡¯ll go get my mirror so you can see it,¡± Katrin offered. ¡°I like it,¡± Shavala said. Treya gave the elf girl an odd look, then spoke to Corec. ¡°I can see the blue glow in the dark, and I can see it reflecting off your eyes. I thought I¡¯d believed you when you said it was going to happen, but I guess I didn¡¯t. Not really.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out.¡± She just nodded, seeming more depressed than angry. ¡°I wish I knew what the symbols meant,¡± Bobo said. ¡°From what Deshin said, they might not mean anything,¡± Corec replied. ¡°Especially if I¡¯m the one making them. I¡¯ve never seen them before all this.¡± Katrin returned with the small mirror and handed it to Treya, who peered at it. ¡°You said I just need to concentrate on it to make it go away?¡± Treya asked her. The blue glow winked out. She moved the mirror around at different angles, but it didn¡¯t return. ¡°That¡¯s not so bad. I think I felt the difference.¡± The rune reappeared, then quickly disappeared again. ¡°Yes, I can tell when it¡¯s there or not, so if it comes back, I can just get rid of it again.¡± She passed the mirror back. Katrin was staring at her in shock. ¡°How did you do that? How are you so good at it already? It took me days before I could talk like that while still hiding it.¡± Treya shrugged, a look of relief on her face. ¡°My training included lots of meditation, concentrating on one thing at a time.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t feel anything when it¡¯s there or not!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never noticed,¡± Shavala said. Her own rune winked out, then came back. She shrugged. ¡°We can practice together,¡± Treya suggested. ¡°You¡¯re still doing it! You¡¯re not even paying attention, are you?¡± ¡°Now that I know what it feels like, I can just hide it away in the corner of my mind.¡± Katrin shook her head in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ve had mine longer! Why is everyone else better at it than I am?¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re returning to the city, I will practice, too,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I didn¡¯t like all those people staring at me.¡± ¡°We can all work on it,¡± Treya said. ¡°But for tonight, we¡¯re getting wet just standing out here.¡± They were under a group of trees, but some drops of rain were still getting through. The conversation broke up then, and Corec helped Treya set up a lean-to, showing her how it worked. After that was done, she pulled up the hood of her cloak to block the rain as she prepared to make a circuit around the camp for the first watch. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you company,¡± Bobo said to her. ¡°I¡¯d love to continue our talk about the different responsibilities held by the Duke of Tyrsall and the King of Tyrsall. Why aren¡¯t there any barons in the city itself?¡± Corec laughed and shook his head, leaving them to it. Unstrapping the sword from his back, he climbed into the tent, finding Katrin waiting. He tossed a mage light up to hover near the top of the tent so he could see what he was doing, and set his sword down near the pile of armor. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s handy,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do that last night?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think of it. I¡¯ve never brought lanterns or candles into a tent because I¡¯m worried about starting a fire, and it just never occurred to me that the mage lights don¡¯t burn. Besides, until recently, I tried to pretend I couldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Well, I like it. But are you really going to wear your chainmail to bed again?¡± It was their second night out of Four Roads. On the first night, even with Katrin joining him, he¡¯d worn the chain shirt as he¡¯d done every night since they¡¯d run into the red-eyed men. It was uncomfortable and made it difficult to sleep, but he wanted to be ready if they were attacked again. He looked at her, then down at the mail. The night before had been limited to kissing, but he wanted more than that. ¡°I guess if I set it near the entrance, I can get it back on easily enough if someone shouts out a warning. I doubt anyone¡¯s going to come after us in this rain, and it¡¯s been over a week since we saw those men.¡± She smiled at him and sat back on the bed she¡¯d made from their blankets, while he removed the chain shirt, then the padding and shirt he wore below it. ¡°Treya¡¯s rune,¡± she said, staring at his arm. ¡°Right below mine. But Shavala¡¯s is on your other arm. I wonder why.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but so far, they¡¯ve been showing up on the spot that itches.¡± ¡°So far?¡± She arched her eyebrows. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, wincing. ¡°I meant, the times it¡¯s happened. Hopefully it won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Shavala said I could use her scarf as a blindfold the next time we meet a woman.¡± There was a mischievous smirk on her face. He snickered. ¡°Or, you know, I could just turn the other direction and let Bobo or Treya do the talking.¡± She frowned at him. ¡°I can do the talking, you know. I¡¯m not completely helpless, and I¡¯m older than Treya.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± he said, sitting next to her and putting an arm around her shoulders. ¡°I figured you¡¯d be making sure I didn¡¯t turn back around.¡± Katrin giggled, and he continued talking. ¡°Besides, if we¡¯re going by age, Shavala has us all beat. She¡¯s a hundred twenty years old.¡± ¡°A hundred and twenty? I knew elves lived a long time, but I thought she was our age.¡± ¡°So did I.¡± Katrin appeared lost in thought for a moment, then changed the subject. ¡°Can we stay at inns more often on the way back? Especially if it¡¯s going to rain?¡± ¡°We can do that. The bounty for the drake helps, though if we have to pay for the wizard, it¡¯ll leave less to get your brother out of prison.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start offering to play at the inns. If the innkeeper¡¯s interested, that¡¯ll pay for one room, and if any bounty hunters show up, you can just tell them you already caught me. How many rooms do we need?¡± She glanced pointedly at him, then down at their bed. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll need three, now. You and me, Shavala and Treya, and Bobo and his snoring.¡± She laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think any innkeeper would give me three rooms for free, but if there¡¯s a good crowd, I should make more than enough in tips to cover it. Besides, Bobo can pay his own way now. He sold some of his new salves when we were doing the shopping yesterday morning.¡± ¡°Well, then, if you think you can make enough to cover the other two rooms and meals, we can stay at an inn every night, if we can find one.¡± ¡°Good,¡± she said, with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be more comfortable that way.¡± Then, with her eyes twinkling, she said, ¡°But for tonight, I guess we¡¯ll have to make do.¡± She loosened the ties on the blouse she was wearing. Book 1: Chapter Twenty After over a week of staying in inns on the way back to Tyrsall, they ran into a stretch of road where they wouldn¡¯t reach another village in time for nightfall, so they camped out. Following the same pattern they¡¯d used before reaching Four Roads, Shavala took the early morning watch. Sometimes Bobo or Katrin kept her company, but she liked the quiet watches, too, when there was no one awake but her. An hour after she¡¯d relieved Corec, she decided to make another circuit around the camp, and slid down from the boulder she¡¯d been sitting on. As she landed lightly on the ground, the arrows in her new quiver shifted around more than she liked. It was reassuring to carry more, even if they hadn¡¯t been needed them since leaving Four Roads, but she still didn¡¯t like the new quiver. Perhaps she could find something in Tyrsall rather than waiting to ask her brother for one. She grabbed her unstrung bow from the boulder and began strolling in a wide circle around the camp, allowing her rune to shine. Corec had offered to leave a mage light out for her, but she¡¯d declined, keeping watch with just her elder senses and her elven ability to see movement in the darkness. Now that she was walking, though, nothing beat actual light to keep from tripping over something on the ground. The fire had died hours ago, but the night was dark enough that the faint blue glow from the rune illuminated a dozen feet in front of her. She passed by Corec¡¯s tent and grinned to herself as she heard a rhythmic motion and Katrin¡¯s light gasp of pleasure. Apparently Corec hadn¡¯t gone back to sleep immediately after his watch ended. Everyone had tents now, and as she walked in a wide circle, she passed her own, then Bobo¡¯s, then Treya¡¯s. On the far side of the camp, she saw yellow eyes staring at her in the darkness. ¡°Well, hello there,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you again.¡± The young wolf approached, skinnier than he should be and looking hungry. ¡°I don¡¯t have any rabbit tonight, and we finished off the stew,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bit of sausage in my saddlebags. Let me find it. You really should be hunting for yourself, you know.¡± She was speaking Elven. It didn¡¯t matter what language she used when talking to animals, but she missed speaking Elven. The only time she heard it from someone else was when Bobo was practicing with her, but he was new to the language, and his pronunciation was horrible. The wolf followed her, wagging its tail a few times and relaxing its ears, but the saddlebags were too close to the horses and mules, and Socks and Dot snorted and shied away. ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± she told them. ¡°He¡¯s a friend.¡± They didn¡¯t look like they believed her. She found the sausage in her pack and led him back to the far side of the camp before giving it to him. ¡°We¡¯ll have to stay over here, and you¡¯ll need to leave our horses alone. They¡¯re part of my pack.¡± He sniffed the first piece tentatively before scarfing it down. As he ate, she said, ¡°How did you end up here? We¡¯re a long way from where we met last time.¡± They were at least a hundred miles from where she¡¯d last encountered the wolf. He looked at her and whined. She didn¡¯t know how to interpret that, but there were only so many reasons a yearling wolf would be on its own. ¡°You decided to leave home and form a new pack? You¡¯re awfully young to go off on your own.¡± He cocked his head to the side, his tail wagging again. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to hunt with you. You need to learn to hunt for yourself, or find a she-wolf to help you, or go back to your parents.¡± A wolf pack was almost always comprised of a single mated pair and any of their children that hadn¡¯t gone off on their own yet. It was rare for a yearling to leave. The wolf made a show of dominance, putting its tail up and baring its teeth as its fur stood on end. ¡°Don¡¯t you try that with me!¡± she said firmly. He crouched down, his fur smoothing out and his tail curling under him. ¡°That¡¯s better. I won¡¯t have time to hunt tomorrow, and then we¡¯ll be out of your territory, but I can give you more food before the others wake up. You¡¯ll need to go after that. You don¡¯t want them to see you, do you?¡± He stretched his forelegs out in front of him, his rear sticking up with his tail wagging. She shook her head, wondering if she knew enough about how wolves hunted to give him some tips. # The morning after they¡¯d arrived back in Tyrsall, Treya woke to the sound of the door opening. As she sat up in bed, Renny came in. ¡°Hey,¡± Renny said. ¡°Mother Ola stuck you in our old room?¡± ¡°I guess we haven¡¯t been gone long enough for it to be assigned to someone else.¡± ¡°Yes, I thought you were supposed to be journeying,¡± Renny said with an evil grin. ¡°That sure was a short journey.¡± Treya groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. I ran into a mage on the road, and he cast some sort of spell on me by accident. We came to Tyrsall to try to get it removed.¡± ¡°A spell? Magic? Are you all right?¡± ¡°So far, yes. The only thing we¡¯ve been able to figure out that it does is this.¡± She allowed the rune on her brow to shine, releasing the hold she¡¯d been keeping on it. Renny stepped back in surprise, then came toward her to peer at it. ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± Treya said, rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get rid of the thing.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s still pretty.¡± ¡°Do you remember Priest Telkin?¡± ¡°Was he the one from the Temple of Allosur?¡± ¡°Yes. I need to send him a note this morning to ask if he can help us.¡± ¡°Us?¡± ¡°Me and the mage, and the other two people he did it to.¡± Treya decided not to mention that the other two were also young women. Renny¡¯s mind would immediately go to places Treya wasn¡¯t prepared to talk about. It didn¡¯t help, though. ¡°You said the mage is a he? Is he young and handsome?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll like this. He¡¯s the son of a baron.¡± Renny grinned. ¡°A rich, young, handsome son of a baron?¡± ¡°He certainly can¡¯t afford to hire a concubine, if that¡¯s what you mean. He¡¯s the son of a Sister concubine, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s close to his family.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just wandering the world in disguise to get a feel for the plight of the common man, but he actually lives in a castle! You could write to his mother! She¡¯s a Sister; she¡¯ll tell you the truth!¡± Treya couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°Renny, you read too many stories, and I¡¯m not interested in his eligibility. I just want to be done with him as soon as possible. Besides, he hasn¡¯t said as much, but I got the impression his mother passed away.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Any news?¡± ¡°Varsin agreed to teach me his business. And I visited his brother¡¯s concubines. I don¡¯t think they like their men very much. I reported it to Mother Ola so she can check up on them.¡± Treya frowned. ¡°Did they say why?¡± ¡°No, they didn¡¯t say anything about it¡ªthat was just the impression I got.¡± ¡°But Varsin¡¯s all right?¡± ¡°I like him, but he¡¯s a busy man. I¡¯m hoping that assisting him with his work will allow us to spend more time together.¡± Just then, the door opened again and Nina ran in. ¡°Treya! You¡¯re back!¡± Nina was fifteen now, but just as excitable as she¡¯d been when she first started training as a mystic. ¡°What¡¯s that on your head?¡± Treya hid the rune, not wanting to worry the girl. ¡°It¡¯s a magic spell from a wizard, but it¡¯s gone now.¡± ¡°You met a wizard?¡± ¡°Sort of. I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡± ¡°Do you want to spar today? I¡¯ve only had Kelis to spar with since you left.¡± ¡°I want to catch up with Renny while she¡¯s here, and then I¡¯ve got some other things to do this morning, but I might have time this afternoon.¡± # Katrin paused nervously outside the constabulary building. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this. Can¡¯t we just ignore it? No other bounty hunters have come after me.¡± ¡°Maybe because your bounty isn¡¯t very high,¡± Corec said. ¡°The real bounty hunters probably aren¡¯t interested, but you never know when somebody will recognize you from the picture. It¡¯s still right up there on the wall.¡± He pointed to the weathered poster which had images of both her and her uncle. She frowned, not thinking much of its likeness of her, though Felix was recognizable. ¡°I suppose. Are you sure they won¡¯t arrest me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never paid a penalty fee before. Didn¡¯t you pay your brother¡¯s before?¡± ¡°Once, but that was in Circle Bay, and only after he¡¯d already been arrested.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how it works here. I was only arrested the one time, when I punched that guy, and I just stayed in for the week. But I think they¡¯d keep you for several months, so we should go ahead and pay it. The impression I got from the guy I spoke to was that you wouldn¡¯t have to go to prison at all, but I didn¡¯t ask for the details.¡± Katrin frowned, wishing he¡¯d asked a few more questions, but then took a deep breath. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get it over with.¡± They went inside, and she flinched when she saw a group of uniformed constables standing around the duty desk, chatting with each other. She¡¯d spent her entire life trying to avoid the constabulary, and she half-expected them to arrest her then and there. She grasped Corec¡¯s hand for support¡ªhe wasn¡¯t wearing his gauntlets, since he¡¯d left his heavier armor back at the inn. The men didn¡¯t show any interest in them, merely glancing their way briefly before returning to their conversation. ¡°The bounty office is this way,¡± Corec said, and led her to a smaller room down a short hallway to the left. There was a bearded man standing behind a counter, and copies of wanted posters were hung up along the back wall. The man looked up when they entered. ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Corec. I¡¯m here to turn in a bounty, and the young lady would like to pay off her penalty.¡± The man raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is that so? Which bounty?¡± He turned and scanned the posters behind him, only a few of which featured women. Katrin took off her hat, so she¡¯d look more like the picture. ¡°The one with the older fellow,¡± Corec said. ¡°They were working together, but he got away. I convinced the girl it¡¯d be better to pay off her penalty so it wasn¡¯t hanging over her head.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The man pulled the poster off the wall, peering at it, then back at Katrin. ¡°That¡¯s you, all right, but what¡¯s that thing on your head?¡± ¡°A tattoo, with special ink,¡± she said. ¡°I got it after I left the city.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that. Let me pull the records.¡± He looked through a stack of papers in a drawer, finally selecting one and pulling it out. ¡°Thief, huh?¡± Katrin felt herself blushing, and looked down at her feet. ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Corec said when she didn¡¯t reply. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the man asked her. ¡°I don¡¯t have it here.¡± ¡°Katrin.¡± ¡°All right, Katrin, let¡¯s go see the booking sergeant. He¡¯ll have some questions for you.¡± He turned to Corec. ¡°You wait here. Once the booking sergeant is done with her, I can pay out on the bounty.¡± Katrin looked back at Corec and bit her lip nervously as the man led her out of the bounty office. This time, the constables did stare at her suspiciously as she was led back through the main lobby, then into a small office behind the duty desk. The sergeant turned out to be a granite-faced man of no particular age she could determine. The man from the bounty office whispered into his ear and passed him the poster and the other sheet of paper he¡¯d brought with him, then left the two of them together. Once they were alone, the sergeant looked at her impassively and said, ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Katrin.¡± ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°Tyrsall, originally. Most recently, Circle Bay.¡± ¡°Why did you return to Tyrsall?¡± The sergeant¡¯s tone was bored, as if he didn¡¯t care about the answers to the questions. ¡°I¡¯m learning to be a minstrel. We thought we¡¯d make more money in a bigger city.¡± ¡°The man you were working with that night¡ªwhat¡¯s his name? Where is he from?¡± Katrin couldn¡¯t lie about everything, since Corec had told her that the constabulary knew she and Felix had arrived on the same ship. But Felix was still her uncle¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to lead them right to him. ¡°Felix, I think. That¡¯s the name he gave me, anyway. He found me playing the harp and singing, and offered to teach me to play the gittern, but only if I came here¡ªI thought he was from Tyrsall, and that¡¯s why he wanted to come back.¡± ¡°You met him in Circle Bay?¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯d been there long.¡± The lie felt clumsy even as she spoke, and the sergeant¡¯s eyes bored into her. ¡°Did he mention he was a pickpocket?¡± ¡°Not until we reached the city.¡± ¡°And yet, you¡¯re a pickpocket, too.¡± He smiled for the first time, as if pleased that he¡¯d caught her out. ¡°At least two pieces of jewelry and one belt pouch were stolen while this Felix was performing and you were wandering around the crowd.¡± ¡°I¡­when I was younger, a street gang made me steal for them, but I stopped a long time ago. I wouldn¡¯t have done it this time if I¡¯d had any choice.¡± ¡°A street gang? In Tyrsall or Circle Bay?¡± Katrin felt trapped. For all that this sergeant didn¡¯t seem to care about what he was doing, she was telling him more than she¡¯d wanted to say, and she still didn¡¯t know whether he was going to send her to prison or allow her to pay the penalty fee. ¡°Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Which gang?¡± She pressed her lips together tightly. He waited, still watching her with that impassive stare. Finally, he said, ¡°Not willing to say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Very well. But if you ever change your mind¡­¡± She nodded. He intoned, ¡°Katrin of Circle Bay, you are wanted by the city and kingdom of Tyrsall for the crime of theft. Since there¡¯s no record of your activities with this street gang you mentioned, we¡¯ll have to treat it as a first offense, which means the judge can impose a sentence anywhere from three to twelve months. Do you understand?¡± She swallowed. ¡°Yes, but I wanted to pay the penalty fee.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get to that later. Can you return any of the items or coin that you stole? That would reduce your sentence. Or your fee.¡± ¡°No. Felix took it all when he left.¡± She didn¡¯t try to keep the bitterness out of her voice. ¡°He abandoned me to a bounty hunter that came after us. I borrowed the money for the penalty fee from someone else.¡± ¡°Borrowed it from the bounty hunter?¡± the sergeant asked with a raised eyebrow. The other man must have told him who she¡¯d come in with. ¡°I¡­¡± Katrin knew how bad that would look, and now that she and Corec were sleeping together, she couldn¡¯t even say it was wrong. She felt herself blush again. He shrugged. ¡°What an attractive young woman does to make her way in the world is her business. Unless she steals, and then it¡¯s my business. You understand that this will go on your record, and that next time, the sentence will be much higher?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get you booked in. You¡¯ll need to wait in one of the cells here for a couple of hours until the judge is available. After he sentences you, you can pay the penalty fee. According to this, it¡¯s listed at seven gold. Do you have enough?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Corec had given her the coins in case they got separated. ¡°All right,¡± the sergeant said. ¡°We¡¯ll have you back to your bounty hunter by the end of the day.¡± Katrin breathed a sigh of relief. A few hours in jail was better than months in prison. She could handle it. # ¡°I¡¯m going to return to the library tomorrow,¡± Bobo said. ¡°You really think you¡¯ll find anything else?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Maybe not about wardens or binding runes, but there are some things I want to look into for myself.¡± Corec figured that meant he wouldn¡¯t have to pay the man¡¯s library fee this time. ¡°All right,¡± he said. ¡°Are you going to stay in Tyrsall, then?¡± ¡°Circle Bay seems as good a place to ply my trade as any.¡± Apparently, Bobo planned to stay with them for the long term. At least he was paying his own way now, and with the end of summer, he and Shavala had been able to fully restock his herbs and medicines. He¡¯d started trading with other herbalists along the way, and had done thriving business in villages that didn¡¯t have one. ¡°We¡¯ll be glad to have you,¡± Corec said, and was surprised to realize he meant it. Before Bobo could respond, the door to the room opened unexpectedly. Katrin was on the other side, with a bloody scrape on one cheek. ¡°What happened?¡± Corec said, standing and cupping the side of her face so he could get a better look. ¡°I was just about to come get you.¡± ¡°There were only four cells and three of them had men in them, so they put me in with some crazy beggar woman. I guess she didn¡¯t like my rune. She shouted that I was a witch and tried to attack me.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°They opened the door and pulled me out, but not before she got my cheek. Then they moved some of the men around so I could have a cell to myself, but they were running low on space so they got the judge to come by early. I paid the fee, he let me go, and they gave me back my hat, so I decided to come back here on my own rather than wait.¡± He looked into her eyes. She seemed more disturbed than her words suggested, but he decided not to pry while the others were around. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here,¡± he said, putting an arm around her. ¡°I¡¯ll go get some of the salve that prevents infections,¡± Bobo said. He stood, but before he could reach the still-open door, Treya came in and glanced at Katrin¡¯s cheek. ¡°Or I could just heal it,¡± she said. ¡°What happened?¡± Katrin told the story again while Treya placed a glowing hand on her cheek. A moment later, the glow faded, and she wiped the blood away, leaving smooth skin. Bobo frowned at her. ¡°That seems like cheating, somehow.¡± Treya shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for magic, but if I have it, I¡¯m going to use it. You didn¡¯t mind after the drakes.¡± ¡°True.¡± ¡°How did it go today?¡± Corec asked her. ¡°I got a reply back from Telkin, the priest that I know. He says he can see us tomorrow morning.¡± He nodded. ¡°All right, the priest tomorrow, and then if he can¡¯t help us, we¡¯ll try to talk to that wizard, Rallus. After that¡¯s taken care of, I¡¯ll book passage on a ship to Circle Bay, for whoever¡¯s coming with us.¡± Treya nodded but didn¡¯t reply. She wasn¡¯t planning to go to Circle Bay¡ªshe¡¯d made it clear that she wanted to have the binding spell removed, then have nothing further to do with him. ¡°I¡¯ll come to Circle Bay,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I wish to see how the ships and their sails work. But before we leave, I¡¯d like to find a quiver that fits my arrows better. Is there a place in Tyrsall that I could look?¡± ¡°Why not try the elven quarter?¡± Katrin suggested. Shavala cocked her head to the side in surprise. ¡°There¡¯s an elven quarter in the city?¡± Corec was surprised, too. ¡°It¡¯s small, but yes,¡± Katrin said. ¡°It¡¯s away from the shopping district, and it¡¯s mostly homes, but there are some shops as well. I can show you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± # ¡°Hello again, Treya,¡± Priest Telkin said the next morning. He¡¯d met them just inside the entrance to the temple. ¡°These are the people you mentioned in your note?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She introduced him to her companions. Telkin was the man who¡¯d first confirmed that her healing magic was divine, though he hadn¡¯t been able to tell her which god had granted her the blessing. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go in and see if we can help,¡± he said as he led them into the great hall. ¡°Welcome to the Temple of Allosur. The God of Knowledge welcomes all.¡± It had the sound of a rote phrase. Treya walked behind him, along with Katrin, Shavala, and Corec. She¡¯d visited the temple before when Telkin had tested her, but her companions looked around in wonder at the high ceilings, the polished wood ornamentation, and the artwork that lined every wall. Of the other major temples she¡¯d visited, The Lady¡¯s temple was more practical and humble, while the Temple of Arodisis was smaller and more intimate, with artwork that had made her blush when she realized what she was looking at. ¡°This is impressive,¡± Corec said. ¡°Only the temple in Matagor is greater,¡± Telkin said. ¡°And I¡¯ve heard good things about the High Temple of Pallisur in Telfort. Come along, and I¡¯ll bring you to the bishop.¡± ¡°The bishop?¡± Treya asked, suddenly nervous. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to suggest that. I was hoping you could help us.¡± Telkin shook his head. ¡°From the message you sent, I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything I can do for you. If this is some sort of curse, demonic or otherwise, only Bishop Lastal will be able to break it. And my own blessings don¡¯t extend much beyond healing and protection.¡± ¡°Protection?¡± Since she hadn¡¯t been trained by the temples, Treya didn¡¯t actually know much about the divine magic she could wield. One of her blessings was healing, and the other helped her hit harder in a fight, but nobody had ever told her what was possible. ¡°Spells to guard against attack, magical or physical,¡± he replied. He¡¯d led them out of the main hall through a side door, and down a less opulent corridor, before stopping outside a pair of double doors. ¡°Please wait here. I¡¯ll ask if His Grace can see you.¡± ¡°Wait! I don¡¯t know how to talk to a bishop!¡± Treya said. She caught Corec¡¯s eye, but he just shrugged. Telkin said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t stand on ceremony, little cousin. Just call him Your Grace, and be polite.¡± He went through the door and let it close behind him. ¡°Cousin?¡± Katrin asked Treya. ¡°We¡¯re not related. It¡¯s just how the Allosurian priests refers to priests from different orders.¡± Telkin returned. ¡°Bishop Lastal will see you now.¡± He ushered them into the office, and came in with them. The bishop was younger than Treya had expected, with a long, bushy, brown beard. He wore a white robe, similar to Telkin¡¯s, but where Telkin¡¯s was plain and unassuming, the bishop¡¯s was heavily ornamented with gold embroidery. He sat behind a large wooden desk with nothing on it besides a quill pen and a stoppered ink bottle. A bookshelf to his right held a dozen matching leather-bound tomes. There were only two empty chairs in the room, so Treya and her companions remained standing, as did Telkin. ¡°Sir, these are the people I told you about,¡± Telkin said. Lastal looked up, staring at each of them in turn. When he reached Treya, he said, ¡°You are the Sister of the Three Orders that¡¯s also a priestess?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I mean, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Either will do. I¡¯ve read your note, but it was brief. Why don¡¯t you tell me the whole story?¡± Treya allowed her rune to flare to life and turned to her friends. When they saw what she¡¯d done, Shavala did the same and Katrin took off her straw hat so all three of the runes were showing. Treya looked to Corec to see if he wanted to start. He stepped forward and spoke with a tone of authority she¡¯d never heard him use before. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I am Corec Tarwen, third son of Lord Ansel, Baron of Tarwen, out of Larso.¡± He waited until the bishop had acknowledged him with a nod, then continued speaking. ¡°About two months ago, I ran into Katrin, here,¡± he laid a hand on her shoulder, ¡°at an inn. We didn¡¯t speak that night, but around that same time, my arm and her head started itching. They kept itching until the next time we met, about nine or ten days later, when the runes appeared on those spots. The one on my arm is an exact match to the one on her head.¡± He rolled up his sleeves, having foregone his armor for the visit to the temple. The match to Katrin¡¯s rune shone on his right arm, just above the one matching Treya¡¯s own. Shavala¡¯s rune glowed on his left. Lastal stood, then, and came around his desk to peer at all of the runes, finally stopping in front of Treya. ¡°And you have a similar story?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace, though Shavala¡¯s came first.¡± She indicated the elf girl. ¡°Mine took eleven days,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Though, as best we can remember, the itching didn¡¯t start until the day after we¡¯d met,¡± Corec added. ¡°And we weren¡¯t separated the entire time in between. She joined us several days before the runes appeared.¡± Treya said, ¡°For me, the itching started right after we met. It took nine days for the rune to appear, but I was with them the whole time, other than the two nights I spent at the Three Orders chapter house in Four Roads.¡± ¡°We spoke to a wizard here in Tyrsall,¡± Corec said. ¡°This was before we met Treya. He said they were binding runes and were the result of a binding spell. He tried to banish the spell, but it didn¡¯t work. Treya thought we should come here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything I can do about a binding spell,¡± Lastal said. ¡°Do you know who cast it?¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°I think it must have been me, but I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m doing it. I¡¯m some sort of¡­well, not a wizard, but something like it.¡± ¡°I was under the impression that a binding spell took some time to prepare.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what the wizard said. He doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m responsible, but I don¡¯t see how anyone else could have done it.¡± Treya said, ¡°Could it be be some sort of curse? Either the binding spells themselves, or the fact that they keep happening?¡± ¡°Telkin mentioned you¡¯d asked about that,¡± Lastal said. ¡°But no, curses are more direct than that. Get sick, grow weak, feel pain. A curse can¡¯t cast a spell, and it certainly can¡¯t keep casting the same spell over and over again. Still, it won¡¯t hurt to try it.¡± He reached up and touched her forehead, concentrating. He didn¡¯t say anything, but Treya felt something happening, almost a sense of anticipation. Then the feeling passed. She could still see her rune reflected in his eyes. ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°there¡¯s no curse to be broken, either demonic or demonborn.¡± ¡°Demonborn?¡± ¡°Demonborn can sometimes inherit the abilities of their ancestors, just as godborn can.¡± ¡°Godborn?¡± Corec said in surprise. ¡°I thought they were a myth.¡± ¡°Oh, they exist, but they¡¯re rare, and even the godborn themselves seldom know they¡¯re different than anyone else. They aren¡¯t born with the stigma of a demonborn. Usually.¡± He glanced back at Treya. ¡°I tried healing you as well, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with you.¡± She slumped. It had been a long shot, but she¡¯d still been hopeful he¡¯d be able to help. ¡°Is there anything else you can tell us?¡± ¡°Or any way to keep it from happening again?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Let me examine each of you more carefully,¡± the bishop said. He stepped away and faced them, his eyes becoming cloudy as the irises turned white. After a moment, they returned to normal. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s unusual that you¡¯re all mages of one sort or another?¡± ¡°What?¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯m not a mage!¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? I¡¯ve met a druid before, and of course our little cousin here can use divine magic. You have arcane magic, like your young man, though both of you use it in ways I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m a bard. I have the talent for it, anyway.¡± ¡°Ahh, that would explain it. Bards don¡¯t like to refer to their abilities as magic, but they are. All four of you have some sort of magic¡ªdo you think it¡¯s a coincidence that you all came together like this?¡± Treya exchanged glances with her companions. ¡°Does that mean anybody who isn¡¯t a mage is safe?¡± Corec asked. Lastal hesitated. ¡°Who can say? That depends entirely on what¡¯s actually happening.¡± ¡°Is there anything else we should try, Your Grace?¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out eventually, but I¡¯d suggest staying together until then, just in case. What else were you planning to try?¡± Corec said, ¡°The wizard we spoke to said there¡¯s another wizard who might be able to help. Rallus?¡± ¡°Rallus? I¡¯ve met the man. He¡¯ll want something in exchange.¡± ¡°We¡¯re prepared to pay him.¡± ¡°Hmm. Perhaps, then. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to be of more help.¡± They said their goodbyes then, and Telkin escorted them out of the building. As they walked away, Corec said, ¡°I don¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°Telkin? Why not?¡± Treya asked. ¡°No¡ªthe bishop. I think he knew more than he was saying.¡± Book 1: Chapter Twenty-One Shavala and Katrin rode Socks and Flower to the elven quarter, since Katrin had suggested it was too far away to walk. After two hours, Katrin finally said, ¡°We¡¯re getting close. I think.¡± Shavala glanced back at the way they¡¯d come, confused. She didn¡¯t know her way around the city, but she had a good sense of direction, and it felt like they¡¯d taken a roundabout route. ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have just come through there?¡± she asked, pointing. ¡°I led us around some bad neighborhoods,¡± Katrin said. ¡°At least I did once we were close enough for me to remember where they were.¡± ¡°Bad neighborhoods?¡± ¡°Slums¡ªwhere people live who don¡¯t have much money. Like the spot where I grew up, though that¡¯s on the other side of town. If Corec was with us, we could have ridden straight through, but with just the two of us, the gangs might have tried to steal the animals.¡± ¡°Gangs?¡± ¡°Gangs of thieves. I don¡¯t know who runs this part of town, so I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re like.¡± ¡°The elves live in bad neighborhoods?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re out of the old part of the city now. Once we¡¯re past these warehouses, we¡¯ll reach the newer areas that have sprung up in the last hundred years or so. The elves live in one of those.¡± The way Katrin spoke of Tyrsall sometimes made it sound alive, growing and changing over time. Terrillia changed, too, but only in small ways¡ªa new home might be built, attached to the side of one of the giant tershaya trees, or an old one might be rebuilt, or even torn down if it was no longer needed. Once, before Shavala had begun her training as a druid, a lightning strike had caused enough damage to one of the trees that they had to cut it down, first moving the three homes that had been attached to it and the shop that had been constructed at its base. But there were never any big changes. Terrillia only had a tenth as many people as Tyrsall, and it was spread out across a much larger area. It never got bigger, and groups of people never moved to the forest, needing more space. As far as Shavala knew, Terrillia hadn¡¯t changed size for as long as her people had lived there. Before she could think about it any further, they turned a corner and were past the large industrial buildings they¡¯d been riding through. Directly ahead of them was a street that was anchored on either side by taverns. The customers going in, or standing in groups near the entrances, were a mix of humans, silver elves, and wood elves, all talking together. More elves could be seen walking farther down the street. Even though Katrin had told her about the elven quarter, it was still a shock to see so many of her own people here in the city. The two women continued riding. They passed the groups standing outside the taverns, some of the elves staring at Katrin while others watched Shavala. Beyond the taverns, the homes and shops they could see were built in the human style, though there were few humans to be seen as the two made their way farther in. There were children, though¡ªsilver elf and wood elf children playing together in the street. Shavala moved Socks to the side to give them some room as they ran past, but that took her near a rug shop, too close to where a nilvasta woman was pulling a skein of dyed wool out of a large kettle to hang it up to dry. Shavala grimaced at the caustic odor of the dye, but nodded to the woman as she rode past, not wanting to seem rude. The shops near the entrance to the quarter seemed designed to draw in visitors from elsewhere in the city, but Shavala didn¡¯t see what she needed. She continued on, hoping that the shops for other elves were farther in. While the buildings were still human in design, they all had elven wind chimes or sun catchers hanging from their eaves. Windows displayed curtains with elven patterns, and once Shavala was past the kettle of dye, she could smell the sweet scent of a cinnamon bread she¡¯d grown up with. ¡°Why do so many of them live here?¡± she asked as they rode. It wasn¡¯t a surprise to find nilvasta living in a city, but they were outnumbered by the dorvasta, and Shavala had never seen any of these dorvasta before. ¡°You said you always wanted to see the city,¡± Katrin replied. ¡°Maybe they did, too, and then they stayed.¡± ¡°They dress like humans, and I don¡¯t recognize any of them. I don¡¯t think they came from Terrillia.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know every elf in the forest, do you?¡± ¡°No, of course not, but I spent the last eight years in the border camp closest to Tyrsall. If they came from the forest, I should have seen some of them, unless they¡¯ve been here a long time. And I never heard of this many people leaving¡ªjust a few, like me, going on their travels.¡± ¡°Then maybe they grew up here.¡± ¡°Meritia always said there were some of us living away from the forest, but she never mentioned this many. Why have we seen so few of them in other parts of the city?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t actually that many here,¡± Katrin pointed out. ¡°Not compared to how big the city is. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s less than two thousand, and they keep to themselves most of the time.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been here before?¡± ¡°I walked past a couple of times, but we didn¡¯t work this part of the city¡ªwe were farther south. And we left the elves alone even when they were outside their quarter, but nobody ever told me why.¡± Shavala nodded, then rode closer to a passing dorvasta man, who was also riding. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said to him, ¡°is there a fletcher¡¯s shop here, or maybe a leatherworker? Someone that sells quivers?¡± He stopped his horse near them and looked over her clothing. ¡°I don¡¯t speak Elven,¡± he said in Eastern. How could an elf not speak Elven? She didn¡¯t know Eastern very well, so she repeated her question in trade tongue. ¡°There¡¯s no fletcher here,¡± he replied in the same language, ¡°but Lorvalla is a leatherworker. She works out of her home. It¡¯s two blocks down, the second door on the right.¡± They followed his directions to a building that was similar to many others around the city¡ªtwo stories and made of wood, it extended the full length of the block but was divided into multiple homes, each with its own separate door. The front windows were too small to serve as storefronts, but there was a sign on the door marking the leatherworker¡¯s home. Unsure whether to treat it as a home or a shop, Shavala knocked and waited. The door was opened by an elderly elven woman, wearing a dorvasta-style tunic and skirt, and with her pure white hair tied back in an intricate braid. She looked to be at least five hundred years old, though she still moved easily. The woman looked at Shavala, then Katrin, then back at Shavala again. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you. Your clothing looks Terrillian.¡± Unlike the man from the street, the woman spoke Elven. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from the forest. Are you Lorvalla? My name is Shavala, and my friend is Katrin. Someone told me you work leather.¡± ¡°I am Lorvalla, and yes, I do.¡± She switched to trade tongue. ¡°Come in, both of you. What brings a Terrillian to Tyrsall?¡± Shavala had never heard herself called Terrillian before. Her people referred to themselves as dorvasta, but apparently the dorvasta in the city needed some way to distinguish themselves from those who dwelled in the forest. ¡°I¡¯m on my travels,¡± she said, looking around the front room, which was a mix between a living space and a display for ornamental leatherwork. ¡°A druid? Or do others still undertake the travels?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a druid, but I would have gone anyway. I wanted to see the world. Are you from Terrillia?¡± ¡°I am, but that was a very long time ago. I met a human boy on my own travels, and we settled down here.¡± Shavala shied away from asking about that. It didn¡¯t seem like it could have ended happily, given how short lived humans were. Instead, she said, ¡°What about the others? There can¡¯t have been this many that left the forest. I¡¯ve never even heard of someone leaving and not coming back.¡± ¡°There have always been dorvasta outside the forest. Most of those in the city were born here, but there are others from Terrillia or elsewhere.¡± ¡°Elsewhere?¡± ¡°Most human cities have some elves, and there are a few dorvasta villages outside the forest.¡± Shavala blinked in surprise. There were entire villages? ¡°Why don¡¯t they visit our home?¡± ¡°For the ones who were born here, this place is more their home than a forest would be. Some do visit Terrillia, but not very many. Being constantly surrounded by tall trees isn¡¯t for everyone. Now, what sort of work do you need?¡± Shavala slid her two quivers off her shoulder. ¡°I was hoping you could help me with this¡­¡± # Rallus looked more the way Corec had expected a wizard to look than Deshin had. He was elderly, with a balding head and a long white beard, and he wore a black robe. He also wasn¡¯t pleased to see them. ¡°I don¡¯t sell my services anymore,¡± he said flatly, after his footman had kept them waiting for twenty minutes in a sitting room in the palatial estate. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Deshin thought you might, for the right price,¡± Corec said. ¡°He was the first wizard we spoke to.¡± ¡°Deshin? Never heard of him. Mr. Larkin will show you out.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Treya said. ¡°Please, we need your help. Bishop Lastal thought you might be able to do something.¡± ¡°Lastal? The priest of Allosur? Why would he send you to me?¡± ¡°Nobody else has been able to help us,¡± Corec said. ¡°Deshin said we should try a major banishing spell, and he said you might know more about binding runes.¡± ¡°Binding runes?¡± They once again told the story and showed their runes. Rallus looked impatient the whole time they were speaking. When they were done, he said, ¡°Those aren¡¯t binding runes.¡± Corec exchanged a glance with Katrin. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked. ¡°Deshin and the elven woman both thought they were.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± Rallus said testily. ¡°I¡¯ve cast enough binding spells in my time.¡± He pulled the left sleeve of his robe up, showing two small, purple circles glowing faintly on his wrist. ¡°My spectacles and my spell book. I¡¯m forever forgetting where I left them.¡± ¡°How are they different?¡± Corec asked. They looked the same to him, other than the color and the location. ¡°Look with your arcane sight,¡± the wizard said to him. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Rallus grunted. ¡°You really haven¡¯t had any training? Have you ever cast a spell the normal way?¡± ¡°No. I can summon a mage light easily, but Deshin gave me the spell for it, and no matter how many times I try, I can¡¯t cast it that way.¡± ¡°Arcane sight is what a wizard¡ªa real wizard¡ªuses to see the underlying magic within something. Did this wizard of yours cast a spell that made his eyes change? Made them glow or turn white?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°He was using arcane sight, but he didn¡¯t know what to look for. I do. A binding spell links two things together, and that¡¯s it. Yours are more complicated than that. Tiny tendrils leading off into nothingness. I can¡¯t see what they¡¯re connected to. Besides, the itching isn¡¯t part of a binding spell.¡± The old man hadn¡¯t cast any spells, and his eyes hadn¡¯t changed, but perhaps the rules were different for some wizards. ¡°Then what is it?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever it is, a major banishing might still work, if you can find someone to cast it for you.¡± ¡°Could you do it? We can offer fifty gold.¡± ¡°What need do I have for more money, girl?¡± Rallus said, indicating the luxuriously appointed room. ¡°That vase in front of you cost me fifty gold. However, perhaps you could do something for me.¡± ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Corec tried to keep the suspicion out of his voice. Growing up in Larso, he¡¯d heard too many cautionary tales about wizards making deals. ¡°An old friend of mine passed away recently. He and I were apprenticed together for several years, and I¡¯d like to retrieve some of his more dangerous possessions before someone finds his home.¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± ¡°If misused.¡± ¡°Finds his home?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Lodarin didn¡¯t like people very much. He built his place about a week¡¯s ride due north of the city, but he¡¯s not near any roads. The North Road¡¯s to the east and the Mountain Road¡¯s to the west, and there aren¡¯t any villages nearby. My traveling days are behind me, and I don¡¯t have time to go traipsing around the countryside.¡± ¡°A week?¡± Treya glanced at Corec, a look of concern in her eyes. That meant it would take two weeks until they got back to the city. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of traveling,¡± he said. ¡°What exactly would you want us to bring back?¡± ¡°I can give you a compass that will lead you directly to his home, and a wand that¡¯ll light up anything you need to bring back. The most important item to retrieve is his spell book.¡± ¡°A spell book is dangerous?¡± ¡°The spells he created were dangerous, yes. I don¡¯t want some half-trained wizard happening upon them. There¡¯s also a gauntlet he used in his research¡ªbe careful not to touch it¡ªand a scrying orb. The orb isn¡¯t dangerous by itself, but it¡¯s worth some money, and that¡¯s what¡¯ll pay for these banishing spells you want. Bring me those three things, and anything else that glows in the presence of the wand, and I¡¯ll cast your spells. I¡¯ll know if you try to hide anything from me, so don¡¯t bother.¡± ¡°What if someone¡¯s already taken them?¡± ¡°That hasn¡¯t happened yet. His defenses haven¡¯t been triggered, and he doesn¡¯t get many visitors, but you should hurry nonetheless.¡± ¡°Defenses?¡± ¡°To keep people out. There¡¯s a gem he gave me that¡¯ll let you pass through most of them, but you¡¯ll have to take care of the skeletons yourself.¡± Corec swallowed. ¡°Skeletons?¡± He¡¯d only heard of skeletons in stories. ¡°Lodarin was a necromancer. That¡¯s why I want to make sure his spell book is safely locked away. He created spells of death and undeath¡ªbringing dead bodies back to some semblance of¡­well, not life, but movement.¡± ¡°What are we supposed to do about them?¡± ¡°With Lodarin dead, they¡¯re probably just wandering around aimlessly. If not, well, that¡¯s a rather large sword you¡¯re carrying. You know how to use it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know how to fight skeletons.¡± ¡°What¡¯s to know? You take the sword and hit them with it.¡± The wizard mimed some awkward sword swings. ¡°We¡¯ll need to talk it over and let you know.¡± # When they returned to the inn after meeting with Rallus, Treya came with them even though she¡¯d been staying at the Three Orders chapter house. They chose Corec and Katrin¡¯s room for their discussion. Corec took a seat next to Katrin on their bed, while the others sat in chairs he¡¯d brought up from the inn¡¯s common room. ¡°Well, it would be another delay,¡± he said. ¡°What do you think?¡± Treya sighed. ¡°I guess we have to do it.¡± ¡°Or wait, and find some other wizard who¡¯d take the money rather than send us off into the wilderness for two weeks.¡± ¡°It would mean two more weeks until we can go to Circle Bay,¡± Katrin said. ¡°At least,¡± he replied. ¡°Plus however long it takes to find a ship with room for this many passengers. But, if we do this thing for Rallus, then we can keep the money we set aside for the banishing spell. Even if I give out even shares from what we earned for the drake, we¡¯ll still have enough to get your brother out, whether we find Felix and the rest of your money or not.¡± ¡°The runes aren¡¯t hurting anything,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Why not just go to Circle Bay and forget the wizard? I would like to travel on a ship.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just ignore them!¡± Treya said. She turned to Corec. ¡°You can¡¯t go off to Circle Bay and leave me with some spell you messed up!¡± ¡°The bishop said we should stay together,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Maybe you should come with us.¡± ¡°I thought we were going to get rid of the runes before you left! And what if it happens again?¡± Corec said, ¡°I think Bishop Lastal was suggesting that it might only happen with mages. If we make sure Bobo or one of you does the talking with any mages we come across, maybe it won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t sound very certain about that.¡± ¡°No, but I still think he was hiding something. Maybe he saw the same thing Rallus saw, that they¡¯re not binding runes, but didn¡¯t want to tell us.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he want to tell us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I also don¡¯t know how to get any more information out of him, so let¡¯s think about our other options.¡± Katrin said, ¡°We can do what Rallus wants, or we can ignore him, go to Circle Bay, and try to find another wizard.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Or, I guess, we could hire someone to find the wizard¡¯s house for us, while we all go to Circle Bay. But then we¡¯ll have to trust whoever we hire.¡± ¡°And wouldn¡¯t it take you longer than two weeks to get to Circle Bay and back?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think it depends on the ship and the weather.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait that long,¡± Katrin said. ¡°And it sounds dangerous. I think we should look for a wizard in Circle Bay.¡± ¡°Well, maybe Bobo knows something about skeletons, and can let us know how dangerous they are.¡± ¡°My bow won¡¯t do any good,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Well, unless I get a lucky shot.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve fought them before?¡± Corec asked. ¡°No, but my teachers told me about them. You have to break their bones, so you need something heavy. I can look for a cudgel like Bobo¡¯s, but I don¡¯t know how to use one.¡± ¡°Something tells me Bobo doesn¡¯t, either,¡± Corec said. Bobo had replaced his broken cudgel at the earliest opportunity, but had never shown any interest in using it as anything other than a walking staff. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any other wizards in Tyrsall that can help?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I want to get rid of this thing! I¡¯m tired of waiting!¡± ¡°Yours doesn¡¯t even bother you!¡± Katrin said. ¡°It never even shows up unless you want it to!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still there!¡± Treya exclaimed. ¡°I want it gone!¡± Katrin and Treya got along well together, but Katrin had been getting more and more frustrated by her continued inability to hide her rune for more than a few minutes at a time. Shavala was now nearly as good as Treya, and had decided to conceal her rune while they were in the city, not liking the feeling of being stared at by masses of people. Corec cleared his throat. ¡°The only other wizard I¡¯ve heard anyone mention is Yelena,¡± he said. ¡°But she works for the duke, and the people I¡¯ve spoken to said she won¡¯t be willing to talk to us.¡± ¡°Then we should do what Rallus wants!¡± Treya said. He nodded, then looked at Katrin. ¡°I think we should give it a try, or at least ask Bobo what he thinks.¡± She pursed her lips in annoyance, but nodded. There was a knock at the door and Bobo came in. ¡°What¡¯s with all the long faces?¡± # Katrin looked over the fruit stands, searching for the best prices while she waited for Corec to bring Boy back from the other side of the open air market. Finally, he returned, saying, ¡°I filled one of his saddle bags with dried meat and hardtack.¡± ¡°I found apples and potatoes. You said they lasted the longest on the trail, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and onions, though we don¡¯t need very many of those.¡± ¡°There are some dried berries and raisins, too,¡± she said. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s get it loaded up.¡± They filled the second saddle bag with fruits and vegetables. Since they¡¯d been staying at inns and hadn¡¯t done much cooking on their way back to Tyrsall, they already had plenty of flour, sugar, oats, beans, and rice. While they walked back to the inn, Boy following along behind them on his lead rope, Corec said, ¡°You were quiet last night, and you seemed angry at Treya today.¡± Katrin hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not angry at her. Not really. I¡¯m just annoyed that she and Shavala are so much better at controlling their runes than I am.¡± ¡°Well, the hat looks good on you.¡± She couldn¡¯t help laughing, but then grew serious again. ¡°And I don¡¯t like that you keep doing dangerous things just because she wants you to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing those things for all of us. You don¡¯t want that rune on your head any more than she does. And the drake wasn¡¯t supposed to be dangerous¡ªthere was no way for us to know there were two of them.¡± ¡°And what¡¯ll happen with this wizard¡¯s house? What if the skeletons are worse than Bobo and Shavala think they¡¯ll be? Or what if that gem Rallus gave us doesn¡¯t work, and some sort of magic¡­thing attacks us? Something worse than the skeletons?¡± Corec was silent for a moment before answering. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve got to try. Deshin thinks Rallus is one of the best wizards around. We can look for another one in Circle Bay, but Circle Bay¡¯s smaller than Tyrsall¡ªI don¡¯t know that we¡¯ll find anyone helpful there. A month ago, you would have been pushing for any chance to get rid of the rune.¡± ¡°And I still would, for a safe chance, but it¡¯s not worth anyone getting hurt. It¡¯s not that bad, especially if I can ever learn to control it the way Treya does. I¡¯m starting to agree with Shavala¡ªif it¡¯s not hurting anything, why worry about it? We just need to find a way to keep it from happening again.¡± ¡°Hopefully Rallus can help with that. You can stay here, you and Bobo. Neither of you are fighters. It doesn¡¯t really make sense for you to go all the way out there and back again, and it doesn¡¯t sound like a dagger would do much good against a skeleton.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going, I¡¯m going. I can find a cudgel. Besides, two weeks alone in the city with Bobo?¡± He laughed before growing serious again. ¡°All of that doesn¡¯t explain last night.¡± She sighed. ¡°I was only at the jail for a few hours, and I¡¯ve never been in jail before, but somehow it reminded me of what my life used to be like. I saw the other people they brought in, and I thought about my brother, and I realized I don¡¯t want that life for myself. I still want to get Barz out of prison, but he¡¯s not going to stop doing what he does, and next time, I won¡¯t be there for him. I¡¯ll be here, with you.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll want to come with you. A change of scenery.¡± ¡°I¡­I think I¡¯d prefer if he didn¡¯t. I left that life behind a long time ago, and then he drew me back in. Well, no, he didn¡¯t. It was my idea¡ªhe never asked me to get involved. But if I¡¯m around him, I will get involved, one way or another. It would be easier if he stayed in Circle Bay.¡± ¡°I can understand that. It¡¯s easier for me to be away from my brothers, too.¡± ¡°And then that reminded me of my music. I don¡¯t think I need any more training from Felix, but I could probably learn things from other minstrels, and I still haven¡¯t found a bard who¡¯s willing to teach me. I haven¡¯t even looked. It scared me when the bishop said bardic abilities are magic. I always tried not to wonder about that too much.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have time to look for a teacher once we¡¯re back from Circle Bay. I need to find a job, too.¡± Book 1: Chapter Twenty-Two Shavala kept watch during the early morning hours on their fifth day out of the city, while the air grew an autumn chill and a thick fog rolled in. She¡¯d bought thicker tunics while she¡¯d been in the elven quarter, but she would need to find a replacement for her old human-style winter coat the next time she was in the city. She liked the pockets that came with human coats. Setting her bow to the side and rubbing her hands on her arms to warm up, she felt the comforting weight of her new quiver resting against her back. There hadn¡¯t been anything wrong with the horse bow quiver from Four Roads, but after years of wearing a quiver on her back, she¡¯d gotten used to it feeling a certain way, and the horse bow quiver had been shorter than she liked. The new one was just as wide, able to hold two dozen arrows, but it was the same height as her old hunting quiver and felt right on her back. Lorvalla had been able to construct it in less than an hour, using stiff, reinforced leather so the sides wouldn¡¯t fold in. It was plain but serviceable, and she¡¯d discounted the price once Shavala had mentioned that her brother was a leatherworker. They¡¯d left the city the day after speaking to the wizard, and had stayed in a fishing village along the North Road the first night, but on the second night, there hadn¡¯t been any villages large enough for an inn. On the third day, they¡¯d left the road, angling northwest as they followed the direction the compass was pointing. They¡¯d passed a few small farms at first, but hadn¡¯t seen any signs of human habitation for the last day and a half. Shavala liked the change¡ªshe was able to breathe easier when she wasn¡¯t surrounded by strangers. An owl hooted nearby as the sky gradually turned from black to gray. The sun hadn¡¯t yet shown itself, but it was easier to see now, even with the fog, and Shavala decided to explore around the camp. They¡¯d set up their tents amid a copse of red maple trees, the leaves already starting to turn their signature color. There were other groups of the trees nearby, so she grabbed her bow and chose a route that would take her to the closest one. As she walked, she peered through the fog, looking and listening for any sign of trouble, but the stillness was undisturbed except for the owl. Shavala couldn¡¯t remember which species of owl hooted to welcome the sunrise, but this one didn¡¯t seem concerned by her presence. When she reached the trees, she laid her hand on one, extending her elder senses. Just like the trees surrounding their camp, as the weather cooled, the leaves had become less active in their work to gather energy from the sun, and the tree was preparing to abscise them for the winter. There was sap in the tree, but Corec had mentioned that red maples weren¡¯t as good for harvesting as other varieties. Shavala continued to the center of the copse, finding a weathered stone structure partly covered in moss. The main body of it was a column as tall as she was, filled with carvings and markings. Some of it looked like a language, but it wasn¡¯t one she recognized. Pushed up against the front of the column was a shorter piece of stone with a flat top, forming a ledge two feet across and six inches deep. She ran her fingers over the stone, but her elder senses didn¡¯t feel anything other than its presence. With the sun peaking over the horizon, she heard Bobo coming up behind her and turned to greet him. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my turn to start the fire, but when I didn¡¯t see you, I thought I should look around first.¡± ¡°I found this. I think it¡¯s a shrine.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± He cleared away some moss that had grown over a stone carving near the top. ¡°Look¡ªit¡¯s a shrine to Raven,¡± he said. ¡°You can still sort of see the wings. The ledge there is the offering table, where you¡¯d place something in exchange for your prayers. Raven is said to like seeds and grain, berries, and shiny stones or bits of metal. The hillfolk still maintain their shrines, but you can find old ones like this dotted all around the continent. Do the elves follow the old gods?¡± ¡°No, but we speak of them. There aren¡¯t any shrines in Terrillia, but my mother used to tell me stories about Fox getting into trouble, and Raven or Bear saving him.¡± Bobo grinned. ¡°I always liked the one with Fox getting stuck on a raft in the river, in water that was moving too fast for him to swim, and having to hop on Bear¡¯s back and ride him to the shore. Or that one Katrin sings about, when he tries to spy on Arodisis bathing.¡± ¡°I¡¯d never heard the one about Arodisis until she sang it. I suppose my watch is over if the sun is coming up.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the fire started.¡± After he left, she opened her old belt pouch, the one with her treasured possessions, and drew out one of the shiny, rounded rocks she¡¯d collected over the years. She didn¡¯t have any sort of prayer to make to Raven, but she laid it on the offering table anyway. It seemed like the right thing to do. # ¡°This must be it,¡± Corec said, staring at the compass in Katrin¡¯s hand, then back at the stone-walled house. It was the first building they¡¯d seen in days. As they¡¯d cautiously circled around it from a distance, the needle had swung to keep pointing to it. The house had a one-story cottage-like section attached to a round, three-story tower. There was a chimney in the tower and one in the cottage, but no smoke came from either of them. ¡°There¡¯s the door,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I don¡¯t see any skeletons.¡± ¡°Why is the ground dug up?¡± Shavala asked. The area in front of the house was all loosely packed soil that looked like it had just been plowed, with no sign of the weeds and grasses that were growing everywhere around it. ¡°Maybe he kept a garden there and tore out all the plants after harvest?¡± Katrin suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s go slow,¡± Corec said, drawing his sword. ¡°Who has the gem?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Treya said. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? You can give it to me, or at least go find a heavy branch to use as a club.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fight with something in my hands. If they¡¯re like the drakes and I can¡¯t hurt them, I¡¯ll back off.¡± He nodded. ¡°Katrin, Shavala, what about you? You could hang back until we see what happens.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be careful,¡± Katrin said, and Shavala nodded. They hefted the cudgels Bobo had found for them in Tyrsall. Bobo¡¯s cudgel was a cured and polished blackthorn rootball he¡¯d bought in Four Roads to replace his last one, but for the girls, he¡¯d found something straighter, with iron knobs dotted all around the head to make them heavier. ¡°All right,¡± Corec said, ¡°but we¡¯ve never fought like this before. Let me go in front and don¡¯t get anywhere close to me. I need a lot of room with this sword, and I¡¯ve only fought in close formation with other men wearing heavy armor. I¡¯m not used to watching out for people who don¡¯t wear any.¡± The others nodded, so he advanced ahead of them, moving slowly and scanning from side to side. Nothing happened, and he was just starting to relax when he reached the large patch of bare dirt in front of the house. The instant his foot touched it, the dirt began roiling and churning, and¡­things clawed their way out of the ground. The scene was too chaotic to make sense at first, but as the dust settled, he realized the collections of dried bones in front of him were dog skeletons, or perhaps wolves, reassembled as if they were still alive. They seemed to be taking stock of the situation. ¡°For some reason, I thought they¡¯d be from humans,¡± Bobo said from behind him and to the side, just before the pack rushed at them. The skeletons didn¡¯t bark or growl the way real dogs would, nor did they howl like wolves. They simply made a clattering sound as their bones rubbed or knocked together. Corec would have preferred the howling. Most of the skeletons were heading his way, which was good since he was the one with the armor. With a quick glance to either side to make sure nobody was near him, he swung his sword down and around in a much wider arc than he would ever use against a regular opponent. He caught two of the skeletons full on, easily shattering the bones. The skeletons were much lighter than living dogs, and the two he¡¯d hit were knocked several feet away. Unfortunately, the parts he hadn¡¯t broken were still trying to move. A third skeleton reached him then and tried to bite his leg. He laughed as the teeth scraped harmlessly along his greaves. ¡°They can¡¯t get through my armor!¡± he shouted. ¡°Fall back as much as you can so they don¡¯t come after you!¡± ¡°Too late!¡± Treya shouted. Some of the skeletons that had originally come after him had separated out to attack the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Treya¡¯s foot¡ªwhich glowed with a pale white light¡ªkicking a skull off of one of them as if it was a child¡¯s ball. It went flying across the yard. To his other side, Katrin, Shavala, and Bobo were standing back to back in a group, swinging their cudgels when one of the skeletons got close. Deciding to speed up the fight, Corec concentrated for a moment and felt his mind shift as his combat spells took hold. He charged at a skeleton heading for Katrin, coming at it from the side and cutting it in half down the middle. The front legs tried to pull it closer so it could bite her, but she swung her cudgel down and bashed the head in. When that didn¡¯t stop it, she crushed the legs, too. Corec disabled two more skeletons enough that the others could handle them, then ran for the ones going after Treya. The one with the missing head and two others were circling around her, and while she was distracted by two of them, whichever one was behind her would rush in and try to bite her¡ªthough the headless one apparently didn¡¯t realize it couldn¡¯t bite anything. Two other broken skeletons lay nearby. As he reached them, Corec swung his sword at the one closest to him, swinging down at an angle so it crashed through the ribcage from the right, then into the left legs. As he pulled his sword back into position, Treya kicked and broke one of the headless one¡¯s front legs, then spun around and crouched down as she smashed both her fists¡ªwhich were also glowing¡ªinto the other skeleton¡¯s back. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Corec finished off the headless one by taking out two more legs, then he stomped on the rest of its bones, finding that his boots were more efficient than his sword now that the skeletons were down on the ground. When he glanced around, the others were following his example, and he winced seeing Treya breaking the bones with her bare feet. He wondered how she managed to do it without slicing her skin open on the sharper pieces. He was about to tell her he could take care of the rest when a massive, dirty white shape appeared out of nowhere and crashed into him, knocking him on his back and making him lose hold of his sword. With the creature¡¯s size, and with the helmet cutting down on his peripheral vision, it took Corec a moment to realize that this, too, was a skeleton. The shape reminded him of a bear, but it was far larger than any bear he¡¯d seen before¡ªand unlike the dog skeletons, he could feel this one. It kept stomping on him, and he thought it might have dented his armor if his new armor spell hadn¡¯t been reinforcing it. He tried to roll over on his side so he could push himself up, but between the weight of the armor and the constant attacks from the bear skeleton, he couldn¡¯t manage it. The same thing had happened in the fight against the drake, and it was starting to annoy him. Then there was a shout. ¡°Stop!¡± A burst of white light flashed over everything. When Corec could see again, the skeleton had frozen in place. He scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could, picking up his sword. Now that he could view it from a better angle, the skeleton still looked like a bear, but the head and spine came up to his chest. The shout had come from Treya, but when he looked her way, she was down on her knees, using one hand to brace herself against the ground. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, gasping. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll hold.¡± Taking the hint, he turned back to the skeleton and slammed his sword down across its spine as hard as he could. The bones shattered and the pieces fell, so he stomped on the legs, breaking them, then crushed the skull. Satisfied that the creature wouldn¡¯t be a threat once Treya¡¯s spell wore off, he turned to help her up, but Katrin and Shavala were already there, supporting her shoulders. Bobo had returned to whacking the other skeletons into smaller pieces, and Corec joined him, finishing off the bear skeleton first. After they were done, he stood still, catching his breath from the exertion. ¡°I hope that¡¯s the last of them. Was anyone hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Treya said. ¡°So are we,¡± Katrin added. ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s time to go in. Treya, do you still have the gem?¡± She nodded, and they approached the house. # The door was barred, but opened easily when Treya held the gem up to it. She was about to go through when Corec held his arm in front of her. ¡°Let me go first,¡± he said, ¡°in case there are more of them.¡± She nodded and moved out of his way, then waited as he went in. After a moment, he called out, ¡°It¡¯s all right, there¡¯s nothing here!¡± She followed him in to find one of his mage lights providing illumination. The first floor of the building was all one large room. The far side held a kitchen, with rotting vegetables and a pile of dirty dishes on the counter. The middle of the long room was a sitting area, with two wooden chairs arranged around a small table, facing an empty fireplace. The tower side appeared to be the wizard¡¯s workshop. Counters and shelves lined the circular area, filled with bottles and jars of different sizes. Most were empty, but several held liquids of different colors. Skeletons of small animals had been arranged on one of the shelves. They weren¡¯t moving like the ones outside, but were instead fastened in place on wooden mounts. A faint, unpleasant odor pervaded the room. A table in the center of the work area held the skeleton of a small bird, assembled on a wooden mount like the others. The wing bones were spread out to make it look like it was flying, and a piece of paper had been cut to resemble a wing, then glued to the left side in place of the original one. A bottle of glue and another sheet of paper lay nearby on the table. ¡°Was he trying to make a flying skeleton?¡± Bobo asked, peering at the contraption. Treya shuddered. ¡°At least it would have been small,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it could have hurt anything.¡± Katrin said, ¡°If that thing came flying at me, I wouldn¡¯t wait around to see whether it could hurt me.¡± He snickered and pulled her close so he could kiss the top of her head. ¡°Has anyone seen any of the things Rallus wanted us to find?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try the wand,¡± Katrin said, holding it up front of her. ¡°I just point it at things, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he said, but you have to be close.¡± ¡°All right, give me a couple of minutes.¡± While she was doing that and Corec was standing watch in case they were attacked again, Treya helped Shavala and Bobo search the first floor. Neither the wand nor the search turned up the items they¡¯d been sent to find, so they went up the stairs to the second floor of the tower. It held a library with over a hundred books, arranged in small groups around the room and interspersed with wooden figurines and other decorations. ¡°I think this is the scrying orb,¡± Shavala said, standing in front of a clear glass sphere, six inches across, that was resting on an onyx stand. ¡°I¡¯ve seen one before.¡± The wand glowed when Katrin held it up in front of the sphere. ¡°It must be. How heavy is it?¡± Shavala lifted it from the stand and tested its weight. ¡°I can carry it.¡± ¡°These books are probably worth something,¡± Bobo said, examining the titles. ¡°Probably worth a lot.¡± Corec said, ¡°After we find the other things we¡¯re looking for, we can come back for them. We won¡¯t be able to bring them all, so you¡¯ll have to let us know which ones would be best. Katrin, does anything else in the room make the wand glow? The spell book might be in here, too.¡± She walked around the room, waving the wand over all the books and knickknacks on the shelves. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡± They went up the next flight of stairs to the third floor, which turned out to be the bedroom. A figure in a gray robe lay collapsed on a fur rug between the bed and the cold fireplace. Treya extended her healing senses. To her surprise, she found something. ¡°He isn¡¯t dead!¡± She knelt down beside the elderly man and placed her hands on either side of his head. He was colder than he should have been, and his breathing was slower, but the part that felt wrong was in his head. She focused her healing there, the magic coming to her more easily now. Bobo¡¯s injuries from the drake attack had been more severe than anything she¡¯d tried to heal up to that point, and while she hadn¡¯t been able to finish the work, she¡¯d at least gotten him out of danger. She didn¡¯t see any injuries on the old man, but whatever had happened, her senses told her he wasn¡¯t in as bad of shape as Bobo had been. Finally, the man coughed, then opened his eyes and pushed her hands off of him. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked in raspy voice. ¡°Why are you in my home?¡± ¡°A wizard named Rallus sent us. Are you Lodarin?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the old man said, pushing himself up to his knees. ¡°Rallus actually sent someone to help me? Imagine that.¡± He swayed unsteadily, so Treya helped him up to a chair. ¡°He thought you were dead,¡± Corec said. ¡°He wanted us to bring back some of your things for safekeeping¡ªyour spell book, a gauntlet, and a scrying orb.¡± He nodded to Shavala, who handed him the orb. He set it carefully on the bed. ¡°If we¡¯d known you were alive, we wouldn¡¯t have taken it.¡± Lodarin frowned and shook his head. ¡°Safekeeping? Heh. I should have known. Rallus always was a greedy bastard.¡± ¡°What happened to you?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Why did he think you were dead?¡± ¡°The last time he was here, he said he was worried about my health, living all alone out here. He wanted to set up an alarm ward so he could send help if anything ever happened to me. I told him it was pointless, and Tyrsall was too far away to do any good, but he insisted, and I got tired of arguing with the old fool.¡± The wizard¡¯s voice had gotten stronger as he spoke, and he glared around the room. ¡°I don¡¯t like visitors. There are too many of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs,¡± Katrin said, tugging on Shavala¡¯s hand to get her to follow. ¡°I suppose I will, as well,¡± Bobo said, and went after them. Corec stayed. ¡°What happened?¡± Treya asked again. The old man grunted in irritation. ¡°Tried to do too much. Some big spells, too close together. It put me in drain shock. I managed to make it up the stairs, but fell down before I reached the bed. Since I figured I¡¯d be out for a few days, I triggered one last spell that I always keep active, so I wouldn¡¯t need to eat or drink while I was asleep.¡± He looked proud. ¡°I created that spell myself, but it must have triggered Rallus¡¯s ward.¡± ¡°You would have recovered on your own?¡± ¡°Yes. I told him I didn¡¯t need any help. How long was I out?¡± ¡°We talked to him seven days ago,¡± Corec said. ¡°He didn¡¯t mention how long it had been since he found out.¡± ¡°Heh. Side effect of the spell. It keeps you healthy while you¡¯re asleep, but it takes longer to recover. I should have known he was up to something. He just wants the spells I¡¯ve been researching. Well, I¡¯m not going to let him get his hands on my spell book or the gauntlet. I¡¯ve warded them both¡ªwhen I die, they¡¯ll burn to ash, so you can tell him he doesn¡¯t need to fear anyone else coming across them. I¡¯ve already burned all my notes.¡± Treya glanced at Corec, who shrugged. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re feeling all right, I guess we should be leaving,¡± he said. ¡°First, tell me how you got in here, and why all my skeletons are broken.¡± The wizard¡¯s voice had continued to recover, and now sounded almost commanding. Treya wondered how he knew about the skeletons. ¡°Rallus gave us a gem,¡± she said, holding it up. ¡°He said it would get us through your defenses, but that we¡¯d have to handle the skeletons on our own.¡± ¡°I bound that gem to him. He must have figured out a way to make it work for other people. You risked your life to loot an old man¡¯s home because someone else asked you to?¡± ¡°We were trying to get his help with some magical runes,¡± Treya said, allowing hers to flare to life. ¡°All three of the girls have one,¡± Corec said, ¡°and I¡¯ve got runes on my arms matching each of theirs. We¡¯re trying to get rid of them. We thought they were binding runes, but Rallus says they aren¡¯t.¡± Lodarin stared at Treya¡¯s forehead for a moment. ¡°They¡¯re binding runes, all right.¡± ¡°He lied about that, too?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Words mean what we want them to mean. A binding rune marks a binding spell, and a binding spell binds two things together. This spell binds you together; therefore, it¡¯s a binding spell. Everything else is just pedantic arguments over definitions. It¡¯s not the type of binding spell Rallus knows how to cast, so he wants to give it a different name, but it is what it is.¡± ¡°Do you know how we can get rid of it? He was going to cast a major banishing spell if we were able to bring your things back.¡± ¡°Come here,¡± the old man said to her, then motioned to Corec. ¡°You, too.¡± When they both got close, he grasped their wrists in his bony hands and whispered words Treya couldn¡¯t hear. After a moment, he stopped whispering and let them go. ¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°You tried to banish it?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Yes. A regular binding spell is a weak thing, easy to remove. This one is rooted more deeply, with tendrils linked to something I can¡¯t see. The banishing spell can¡¯t see it at all, so there¡¯s nothing for it to work against. Rallus could have told you that with thirty seconds of effort. There was no need to send you all the way out here.¡± ¡°Is there anything you can tell us about it?¡± ¡°What does it do?¡± Lodarin asked. ¡°A binding spell always has a purpose.¡± ¡°I can always tell what direction the girls are in, and they can tell what direction I¡¯m in. So far, that¡¯s the only thing we¡¯ve noticed.¡± Lodarin let loose with a wheezy laugh. ¡°That¡¯s all? Hardly seems the sort of thing to be worried about.¡± ¡°It keeps happening, and I don¡¯t know why, and I can¡¯t stop it. If I¡¯m even the one doing it.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want it to happen, then don¡¯t let it happen. You may not be a wizard, but you¡¯re a mage of some sort. Think about how it feels when you cast a spell, and then pay attention and make sure you don¡¯t feel that way when you don¡¯t want to cast one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never felt anything when it happens, at least not until my arm starts itching.¡± ¡°Itching?¡± ¡°My arm itches, her head itches, and then about ten days later, the runes show up.¡± The wizard furrowed his brow. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the itching, and the binding spells I¡¯ve used worked instantly, but I¡¯ve never cast one on a person before. Some spells are more subtle than others, but if you¡¯re the one casting it, you¡¯ll be able to feel it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Corec said doubtfully. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll try to stop it if I feel it.¡± Lodarin stood and stretched, then waved his hand in the direction of the fireplace and whispered a few indistinct words. A fire sprang to life, without any wood to feed it. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m tired of talking and I want you to leave. You tried to heal me, so I¡¯ll forgive you for the skeletons¡ªthis time. Take the orb with you and give it to Rallus. You don¡¯t want him as an enemy, and I don¡¯t know how to use the bloody thing anyway.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you come with us?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°What if you get sick again?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with me other than age, and you can¡¯t heal that. I wager I¡¯ve got a few more years left in me, but I don¡¯t like the city. Never did.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave you alone, if that¡¯s what you want,¡± Corec said. ¡°And give me back my gem. As soon as you¡¯re gone, I¡¯m putting my defenses back in place. You can tell Rallus that when I die for real, they¡¯ll fade on their own, and he can ransack my house all he wants.¡± Book 1: Chapter Twenty-Three ¡°Where are your friends?¡± Rallus asked. ¡°They didn¡¯t come with me,¡± Corec said. In truth, he hadn¡¯t been sure how Rallus would react, and had convinced the others not to come. They could always return if the man was still willing to cast the banishing spell¡ªthough Corec suspected it wouldn¡¯t work any better than Lodarin¡¯s. The wizard eyed the cloth-wrapped object on the table between them. ¡°Did you bring back the items I requested?¡± Corec picked up the bundle and carefully unwrapped it to show the orb, then placed it back on the table, tucking the cloth around it to keep it from rolling off. ¡°Lodarin sends the scrying orb with his compliments.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°He was alive, and not particularly happy to receive visitors.¡± ¡°Alive?¡± ¡°Yes. I have your wand and your compass as well, but he refused to give us back the gem.¡± Corec decided not to pass along Lodarin¡¯s other, less respectful messages. Rallus frowned. ¡°My alarm ward went off. How is he alive?¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure if the man was speaking to him, but answered anyway. ¡°He said it was something called drain shock. He fell unconscious.¡± ¡°Drain shock? That shouldn¡¯t have¡­never mind. He actually gave you the scrying orb?¡± ¡°Yes. Perhaps in exchange for the gem? He didn¡¯t really say why, other than that he doesn¡¯t know how to use it.¡± ¡°I trust you didn¡¯t mention the other things I sent you to look for?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have much of a choice.¡± That was a lie, but Corec wasn¡¯t going to admit he volunteered the information. He had no intention of getting between two powerful, squabbling wizards. The old man pursed his lips. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He says you don¡¯t need to worry about the spell book or the gauntlet¡ªhe¡¯s got a plan to keep them out of anyone¡¯s hands.¡± A flash of anger crossed the wizard¡¯s face, but he hid it quickly. ¡°Very well. Thank you for delivering the orb. You may go now.¡± ¡°What about the banishing spells?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t fulfill your end of the agreement.¡± ¡°We made the trip out there. It¡¯s not our fault your information was wrong.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go around casting spells for anyone who wants them. We had a deal and you didn¡¯t meet the terms.¡± Corec crossed his arms in front of him and stared down at the smaller man. ¡°You said the scrying orb would pay for the spells.¡± The wizard sighed. ¡°Fine. One item, one spell. Which of the bonds do you want me to try to remove?¡± Corec figured that was the best bargain he¡¯d get. He rolled up his right sleeve and pointed to the second rune down¡ªTreya¡¯s. ¡°When shall I bring her by?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary. You carry one end of the bond. I can cast the spell with just you.¡± Rallus stared at Corec¡¯s arm and whispered indistinct words. His spell took longer to cast than Lodarin¡¯s or Deshin¡¯s, and Corec had no way to tell whether it was truly a banishing spell, but when it was done, the rune still glowed. ¡°There,¡± Rallus said, ¡°I cast the spell. But whatever that thing is, it can¡¯t be banished.¡± # Katrin preferred playing music in the city to playing in villages. Not many women visited a village¡¯s inn or tavern, other than the whores and serving girls who worked there, and village men weren¡¯t interested in love songs or slow ballads. She¡¯d had to limit her repertoire. She liked the drinking songs and the silly songs, but she was getting tired of sea shanties and songs about war, most of which were written for a male voice. And without another minstrel to do the singing, she¡¯d stopped playing her flute almost entirely, except for the occasional piece that the listeners could sing along with. In Tyrsall, though, women often accompanied their men to the inns and taverns, and Katrin could play romantic songs, ballads, and instrumental music. She even played dancing songs when the audience called for it, though her choices were limited with no other musicians, and with no gittern, lute, or fiddle. She finished a song on the flute, then paused to catch her breath from the vigorous finale while a young man, trying to impress the girl he¡¯d brought with him, dropped a copper piece in Katrin¡¯s upturned hat, which was sitting at her feet. The song had been short but difficult, designed for students to practice rather than for playing in front of others, but it was fun and lively, and she¡¯d found that audiences enjoyed hearing it. After she¡¯d recovered from the flute piece, she switched to her harp and sang an old ballad about a noblewoman who fell in love with a weaver¡¯s son, the two dancing together in secret one last time before the woman was forced to marry someone else. As the song came to an end, Corec returned to the inn and took a seat with Shavala, so Katrin decided to take a break. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in fifteen minutes, everyone!¡± There was some grumbling from the customers as she made her way between tables to join her friends. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing your hat,¡± Corec said when she sat down. ¡°I forgot to bring a mug with me to hold my tips, so rather than stopping in the middle of a song to get one, I took off the hat. I¡¯m getting more tips now that they can see the rune. Half again as much, I think.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°I guess we found a use for it after all.¡± ¡°How did things go with Rallus?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t very happy, but he cast a banishing spell. Or at least he said he did. It didn¡¯t work¡ªnot that I was expecting it to after Lodarin tried.¡± Katrin sighed, but she hadn¡¯t been hopeful either. ¡°Treya won¡¯t be happy. What do we do now?¡± ¡°We go to Circle Bay and get your brother out of prison.¡± ¡°Are we going to look for another wizard when we get there?¡± ¡°If you want to, or if Treya wants to, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any better luck than with the ones we¡¯ve already tried.¡± ¡°So, we just keep the runes, then?¡± He grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t want to get rid of it now, do you, after finding out its real purpose is to improve your tips?¡± She ignored the joke and thought about what it would be like to always have the rune. ¡°I can live with it, I suppose,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Earlier, when I was up in our room, I was able to hide it for five minutes while I was thinking of something else. Maybe I¡¯ll be able to keep it hidden all the time, like Treya and Shavala do.¡± ¡°Can we stop going back and forth looking for wizards, then?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I want to see new things, instead.¡± ¡°Treya may still want to track down a wizard in Circle Bay,¡± Corec said, ¡°but I think we need to figure out another solution. Maybe I can learn to control it. Are you going to stay in Circle Bay or come back with us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Shavala said. ¡°The man Treya took us to see¡ªthat priest¡ªsaid we should stay together, but I¡¯ve been in one place for too long already.¡± Katrin had forgotten the elf girl was supposed to be traveling. ¡°Can¡¯t you stay, at least for a while?¡± she asked. ¡°Like the other elves that live here?¡± ¡°I want to see everything I can. North and south, west to Terevas, east across the sea. Why don¡¯t you come with me?¡± Corec glanced at Katrin. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯ll run out of money soon if we keep going. We¡¯ll be spending most of what I¡¯ve got in Circle Bay. We were planning to come back here so I could find a job.¡± ¡°People give coins to Katrin when she sings.¡± ¡°That might be enough if we stayed in the city and she played every night, but it won¡¯t be enough for the three of us to travel a long distance. Winter¡¯s coming, and you¡¯ll need to buy more food than you can find on your own. What will you do when your own coin runs out?¡± Shavala cocked her head to the side. ¡°I have more coins now than I did when I left the forest.¡± Katrin laughed. That was probably true¡ªthe elven woman had hardly spent any money while they traveled. She¡¯d been handling all of the group¡¯s foraging and hunting, so Corec had covered most of her other expenses in return. And once they¡¯d realized they wouldn¡¯t need the gold they¡¯d saved up to pay Rallus, they¡¯d split up shares from the bounty they¡¯d earned from the drake¡ªfive gold for each of them who¡¯d been there that day. That excluded Katrin, but since Corec¡¯s share was going to pay for getting her brother out of prison, she could hardly complain. Corec hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess we can talk about it.¡± He faced Katrin. ¡°What do you think?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. She was a city girl, and she¡¯d grown tired of never knowing where she¡¯d be from one day to the next. After months of uncertain traveling, it had been a relief when she and Corec had decided to make their home in Tyrsall. She wasn¡¯t quite prepared to give up on that idea, but she didn¡¯t like the thought of Shavala going off on her own, either. What if something happened to her while they weren¡¯t there to help? Finally, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it after we¡¯re done in Circle Bay. I really want to find a bardic teacher, but some bards travel. Maybe we could travel with one of them.¡± Shavala grinned. ¡°I still think money would be an issue,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯d need to look for jobs along the way.¡± ¡°We can find jobs like hunting the drake,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Maybe Treya and Bobo will come with us, too. I¡¯d like that.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°Treya is supposed to be traveling, like you. I suppose it¡¯ll depend how much she likes the two of you, and how much she hates me. As for Bobo, at this point, I¡¯d be more surprised if he didn¡¯t come with us.¡± ¡°This will be good. We can see new things together.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Katrin reminded her. Corec said, ¡°It would help us plan if we knew where you wanted to go. And we were planning to go to Circle Bay by ship so we could get there faster. That means we¡¯d probably need to stable the horses and mules here in Tyrsall, but then we wouldn¡¯t have them when we leave Circle Bay. We thought we¡¯d be coming back here.¡± ¡°I will ask Bobo if he has a map, so I can decide where I want to visit,¡± Shavala said. ¡°But I do want to try sailing on the sea, at least once. We can go to Circle Bay by ship, then return here to get the horses so we can go north. Perhaps we can reach Lanport before the weather grows too cold. Meritia said I should try to see the Storm Heights while they¡¯re covered with snow.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We can do that, though if there¡¯s that much snow on the Heights, Lanport¡¯s likely to be cold, too. Winter comes early that far north. Still, Lanport¡¯s on the coast, so it doesn¡¯t get much snow itself. Katrin, are you sure? This would be a big change from what we discussed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not forever,¡± she replied. ¡°I still want us to come back here when we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°It will be good,¡± Shavala repeated, then changed the subject. ¡°What were you doing on that last song?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You were singing about a man and woman dancing between trees, and then I saw them dancing.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Katrin stared at her. ¡°You saw that? While I was singing it?¡± ¡°Yes. The song was in Eastern, so I didn¡¯t understand all the words, but the trees were flowering while they danced. It was just some quick flashes in my mind.¡± ¡°Was it the song about the cherry blossoms?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Katrin said, ¡°but how can I do that? I don¡¯t have a teacher yet!¡± He shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a teacher for the spells I¡¯ve learned. Maybe you don¡¯t actually need a teacher.¡± She considered that. ¡°No, I do. There¡¯s a lot about music that I don¡¯t know. Besides, I was trying to push the feeling of the song, not the vision of it, so it didn¡¯t do what I wanted it to do. Did anybody else notice?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone react,¡± Shavala said. Corec said, ¡°If it was subtle, they might have just thought they were picturing it in their heads as they listened to the words. These folk aren¡¯t used to bards.¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°I guess, even if they realize I¡¯m a bard, it¡¯s not like they¡¯d know I was doing it wrong. I should go try again.¡± She returned to the front of the room, thinking about the best songs to use for practicing her new ability. She decided to stick with ones she¡¯d seen real bards perform, since she wasn¡¯t sure how successful she¡¯d be in making up new visions on her own. # ¡°Back again?¡± the portly harbormaster asked, gazing up and down Treya¡¯s body as he always did when she came in. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°Do you know of any new ships heading to Circle Bay?¡± It was the fourth day in a row she and Bobo had searched the docks for a ship that could take them. Corec was trying to have as little contact with new people as possible, to avoid casting the binding spell again, and Katrin and Shavala knew even less about ocean travel than Treya did. Luckily, Bobo had been on a ship several times when he was younger, so they were depending on his recommendations. Treya herself was dreading the trip¡ªshe¡¯d only been out to sea once, on Renny¡¯s father¡¯s fishing boat, and she¡¯d been sick the whole time. ¡°Osprey came in this morning from Circle Bay with a shipment of rum and wine for the Renton-Dorse Trading Company. Captain¡¯s name is Tevian. He usually ships back out within a few days. It¡¯s the three-masted carrack at the end of pier thirty-seven. I don¡¯t know if he takes passengers.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. This would be the third ship they¡¯d looked at. The first refused to take passengers at all, and the second only had a single cabin for passengers, and had already rented it out. It took them twenty minutes to reach the right pier. As they approached, Bobo said, ¡°This ship is smaller than the others we looked at.¡± It still looked big to her¡ªfar larger than the fishing boats they¡¯d passed on the way. ¡°Does that mean it won¡¯t take passengers?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. A smaller ship requires a smaller crew, so perhaps there¡¯s some space left over.¡± They drew close, finding the captain supervising as his sailors unloaded the cargo. An assessor was calculating the taxes before allowing porters from the trading company to load the casks and barrels onto their waiting wagons. After they¡¯d introduced themselves to Captain Tevian, Bobo said, ¡°Do you carry passengers? We¡¯re seeking passage to Circle Bay for five people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got two passenger cabins, each with four bunks, but I¡¯m not going to Circle Bay. I¡¯m leaving tomorrow afternoon for Valara.¡± Treya and Bobo shared a glance. ¡°Valara¡¯s south of Circle Bay,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you put in there on the way?¡± ¡°And lose half a day¡¯s travel plus harbor fees?¡± ¡°How much are the harbor fees?¡± Treya asked. Bobo frowned at her. He¡¯d suggested he should be the one to handle the negotiations. ¡°Fifty silver for a ship this size,¡± the captain said. ¡°What if we paid the fees for you?¡± she suggested. ¡°You absolutely would, if you expect me to stop there. And three more gold besides.¡± ¡°All right,¡± she said, ignoring Bobo, who was shaking his head at her when the captain wasn¡¯t looking. ¡°Then we have a deal,¡± Tevian said. ¡°For five people, you¡¯ll be using both cabins, so you need to pay for both cabins. Sixteen silver a day¡ªtwo per bunk.¡± ¡°How long will it take to reach Circle Bay?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Usually just under eight days by the time we put in, but it depends on the weather.¡± That was about half the time it would have taken them to ride to Circle Bay, though that didn¡¯t account for the days they¡¯d spent looking for a ship. Bobo said, ¡°If we¡¯re paying for all eight bunks, then the two cabins are reserved for us only. No other passengers unless we bring them on, and if we do, then they¡¯re covered by what we¡¯re already paying.¡± The captain pursed his lips, then nodded curtly. ¡°I¡¯ll need two gold to hold your spots, and if you¡¯re not on board when I¡¯m ready to ship out, I¡¯ll leave without you.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± After settling the deal and paying the two gold, Treya and Bobo headed back to the inn. As they walked, she said, ¡°Who are the extra passengers?¡± ¡°Nobody, but if he¡¯s going to make us pay for the extra bunks, I didn¡¯t want him taking on other people and getting paid twice. Do any of your sisters need passage to Circle Bay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I¡¯ll ask.¡± He was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have offered the money up front.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay the extra,¡± Treya said. It would take most of what she¡¯d earned from the drake, but she was tired of waiting. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. By offering over four gold before we¡¯d even negotiated for the cabins, he knew we had money and he increased the price. We¡¯re paying twice as much as we should for those rooms, even ignoring that he¡¯s making us pay for three bunks we won¡¯t be using.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Treya had found that bargaining didn¡¯t come naturally to her, even after Kelis¡¯s tutoring. ¡°Maybe you should do the talking when we reach the stables.¡± ¡°I will. Are you going to sell Cricket?¡± They were planning to stable the animals in Tyrsall while they were gone, rather than trying to find a ship equipped to take them, but Corec had suggested selling both Rose and Cricket and buying new horses when they returned. ¡°I think I should,¡± she replied. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like being on the road. He only tolerates it because of Shavala, and I don¡¯t know how much longer I¡¯ll be traveling with her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking of going your own way?¡± ¡°I should. I¡¯m supposed to be journeying, not¡­whatever it is I¡¯ve been doing. I guess it¡¯ll depend on whether the wizards in Circle Bay are more helpful than the ones here. What about Rose?¡± Bobo sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m probably coming back to Tyrsall with them, and I like Rose, but Corec¡¯s right. She¡¯s awfully old for me to be riding her day in and day out. She¡¯s barely keeping up with the others as it is, and winter¡¯s coming. I can¡¯t bear to give her up just yet, though. I think I¡¯ll pay to stable her, then decide when I return.¡± Treya nodded. She¡¯d miss Cricket, too. They¡¯d never completely gotten along, but he¡¯d been her first horse, other than faint memories of her father¡¯s farm horses. Cricket had spent his life on a farm, too¡ªmaybe she could find another farmer looking for a horse that still had a couple of good years left in him. # A day after they¡¯d set sail, Corec was sitting hunched over on one of the lower bunks in the cabin he was sharing with Bobo. Bobo and the others were all up on deck, but Corec was just trying to keep his eyes closed and think of anything other than the movement of the ocean. He hated boats. He¡¯d signed on as a guardsman once for a Senshall shipment from Tyrsall to Lanport, and had spent most of that journey sick, too. He¡¯d forfeited his pay since he wasn¡¯t able to do his duties, and had ended up leaving the ship when they¡¯d stopped at High Cove. He¡¯d bought Dot in High Cove so he could make his way back to the city by land, since his first horse, Max, had been stabled in Tyrsall at the time. Dot had been the only good thing to come out of that trip. Hopefully this trip would turn out better, though sharing a room with Bobo rather than Katrin wasn¡¯t a good omen. Then again, with how he was feeling, it was probably for the best. ¡°Katrin said you were seasick.¡± Corec looked up and found that Treya had entered the cabin. He hadn¡¯t heard her come in. ¡°I hate boats,¡± he said. ¡°So do I. I¡¯ve only been out once before, but I was sick then, too. It helps to go up on deck and get fresh air.¡± Now that she¡¯d mentioned it, she looked pale herself. ¡°Looking at the water makes it worse,¡± he replied. ¡°Try looking at the horizon instead. I can heal you¡­a bit. It won¡¯t get rid of the seasickness, but it can lessen the symptoms.¡± She sat down beside him and laid a glowing hand on his temple. After a moment, the glow subsided. Corec took a deep breath and stretched out. He¡¯d been hunched over since that made his stomach less queasy, but his back had started to hurt from staying in that position for so long. It felt good to move. She was right. He still felt sick, but now he could think of something other than how miserable he was. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°The healing probably won¡¯t last more than a few hours, so let me know if it gets bad again. We should probably try to do it before meals, so we can eat something. I¡¯ll only be able to heal us a couple of times each day.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°How are the others?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all fine. Katrin¡¯s playing her flute and Bobo¡¯s trying to talk to a couple of seaborn sailors about their homeland, but they¡¯re ignoring him so they can work. Shavala climbed up the¡­what do you call it? The rigging? She¡¯s been up there all morning.¡± He grimaced. The thought of Shavala climbing in the wind threatened to bring back his nausea. ¡°No problems with the sailors? I didn¡¯t see any women among the crew.¡± ¡°The men stare, but men always stare. The captain yells at them if they try to talk to us.¡± Corec took a moment to study her. With her blonde hair, delicate features, and unusually blue eyes, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that the sailors stared at her. All three of the women were beautiful, though in very different ways. He realized he was staring, too, and looked away. ¡°Let me know if there are any problems.¡± ¡°I can watch out for myself,¡± she said. ¡°I know, but the others¡­¡± She frowned and nodded. ¡°Katrin also told me you don¡¯t think we¡¯ll find a wizard in Circle Bay.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I promised to look for a wizard, and I will, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find one. I just don¡¯t think we¡¯ll find one who can actually help us. We¡¯ve tried three already, and from everything I was able to find out, Rallus is one of the most powerful wizards in Tyrsall. If he couldn¡¯t help us, I¡¯m not sure any wizard can.¡± ¡°If Rallus even cast the banishing spell. You said yourself that you weren¡¯t sure.¡± ¡°Yes, but we also tried two others. Do you really think we¡¯ll have better luck elsewhere?¡± Treya slumped. ¡°I guess not, but then why am I going to Circle Bay with you? We¡¯ve got to try something!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep trying, but I thought you came because that bishop friend of yours said we should stay together.¡± ¡°Telkin¡¯s my friend, but I¡¯d never met Bishop Lastal before then. You still don¡¯t trust him?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s hiding something, at least.¡± ¡°How do we find out?¡± ¡°We might not be able to. We can¡¯t go into the Temple of Allosur and accuse the bishop of lying to us. I don¡¯t even know for sure that he is.¡± ¡°So, what do we do?¡± ¡°Stay together until we figure it out. Lodarin seems to think I should be able to feel myself casting the spell. Maybe I can learn how to undo it.¡± # As she swayed in the wind, Shavala wrapped her arms more tightly around the rigging from her perch on a spar¡ªwhich the sailors called a yard¡ªtwo thirds of the way up the foremast. After three days of travel, the sight of the ocean all around her still hadn¡¯t lost any of its wonder. When she wasn¡¯t watching the ocean, she was watching the sails, but she still hadn¡¯t figured out how they worked. The ship was sailing almost perpendicular to the wind, but somehow they were able to arrange the sails in a way that let them keep moving south. The crew kept a close watch on the wind at all times, and would adjust how the sails were configured based on how it was blowing. Each of the three masts had multiple sails, and when changes were needed, one of the crew members would shout them out. Sailors would then scramble all over the masts and the rigging, furling some sails and unfurling others. Shavala couldn¡¯t follow what they did. The sailors spoke in a combination of Eastern and Seaborn most of the time, neither of which she was fluent in, and when they called out changes, they didn¡¯t seem to be using real words at all. Bobo hadn¡¯t been able to follow it either. When the sailors weren¡¯t busy changing the sails, they were constantly put to work cleaning or looking for things that needed repairs. For something so large being pushed by nothing more than wind, the ship went much faster than she had expected. Captain Tevian had told her it could make eighty or eighty-five miles a day in typical weather. The ship went faster when there was more wind, or when the wind was coming from directly behind it. She wasn¡¯t sure how to make either of those things happen more consistently, though. Meritia had never taught her to manipulate the weather, warning her not to attempt it until she was stronger and more skilled. But what was the harm in trying? Shavala extended her elder senses, reaching out to the wind she could feel all around her. She¡¯d felt it before, of course. Wind was nearly always present, even on a still day, and she could sense it to know how it would affect the flight of an arrow or the glide of a hawk. She¡¯d never tried to grasp the wind itself, though. It was huge, and heavy. How could air feel heavy? The wind in her hair was connected to the wind surrounding the ship, and it was all being constantly pushed by the winds farther out. By other things, too, like the warmth of the sun reflecting off the water. How could anyone move the wind? It wasn¡¯t well ordered, like water. Water went down, when not blocked by something else, and it preferred to travel in paths that had been smoothed out by other water before it. The wind, on the other hand, was chaotic and unpredictable. She took a deep breath, then tried to take the wind that was blowing in her hair and aim it away from her instead. Her vision grayed out and she lost hold of the rigging she¡¯d been using to keep her balance. As she slipped off the spar, she managed to grasp a rope that hung nearby, and used it to guide her fall to the triangular platform below her. She landed with a thump, startling the boy who was there untangling a knot. ¡°You a¡¯right?¡± he asked in Eastern. She nodded, but didn¡¯t try to speak yet. The boy continued his work, pausing every few minutes to glance at her suspiciously. After her nerves had calmed down, she decided to stay on the platform rather than climb back up to the yard. ¡°Why don¡¯t we sail closer to land?¡± she asked in the trade tongue. ¡°We must ta follow da currents,¡± the boy said. ¡°Currents?¡± ¡°Da currents of da water. Ta make da ship go faster.¡± Rivers had currents, but she¡¯d thought the sea only had waves. How could there be a current going south while the waves were headed west toward the coast? Perhaps water wasn¡¯t as well ordered as she¡¯d thought. She was about to reach out with her elder senses again when a small, silvery shape jumped out of the water. At first, she thought it was a fish jumping up for an insect¡ªif there were any insects this far from shore¡ªbut it didn¡¯t fall back down again. The silver shape flew in the air, faster than the ship, then dove back into the water. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked, pointing. The boy looked that down just as another of the shapes jumped into the air. ¡°Flying fish.¡± ¡°Fish can fly?¡± ¡°Some of ¡®em. Da bigger fish is probably trying ta eat it.¡± Shavala was astounded. She¡¯d spent years learning about animals, including ones she hadn¡¯t seen in real life yet, but she¡¯d never heard of a fish that flew. It hadn¡¯t been in her book of rare wildlife, either. She and Bobo were still reading through the entries, but she¡¯d looked at all the pictures and would have remembered something like that. ¡°I¡¯m going to get a better look,¡± she said. She scrambled down the combination of rope ladders and rigging that the sailors used for climbing the mast. After three days, she¡¯d gotten almost as fast at it as them. Katrin and Bobo had both flatly refused to try, and Treya had looked sick at the thought. Corec hadn¡¯t come up from his cabin long enough for her to mention it to him. Once on the deck, she ran to the railing to look over. The fish were still jumping out of the water, and now that she was closer, she could see the wings spread out to their sides, though it seemed they were gliding rather than actually flying. There were larger, darker shapes in the water pursuing them, and she watched as they continued leaping out of the water, then dropping back down again. Sometimes, they¡¯d barely touch the surface with their tail before launching back into the air. Perhaps she should be taking notes on any plants or animals that hadn¡¯t been covered by her druid training. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t add drawings like the ones in her book¡ªshe hadn¡¯t inherited any of her father¡¯s artistic skill, much to his disappointment¡ªbut she could still describe what she¡¯d seen, and write up any details she could find out from the ship¡¯s crew. She went to look for the captain to ask about borrowing paper, pen, and ink. Book 1: Chapter Twenty-Four Circle Bay was white. Nearly every building was painted with a pure whitewash, even those made of brick or stone. It felt like home, and Katrin found herself grinning as she waited for her friends to disembark. She hadn¡¯t realized how much she¡¯d missed the view until she saw it again from Osprey¡¯s deck. The city was built on the northwest shore of Circle Bay itself¡ªa large, roughly circular gulf protected from the rough storms of the sea by the short peninsulas that formed the eastern half of the circle, leaving a narrow mouth between them that led to the open ocean. Circle Bay was large enough that over a third of the fishing vessels in the city plied their trade in the bay itself, with no need to venture farther out. Bobo was last to leave the ship. ¡°Captain Tevian says it¡¯ll take at least six days before he¡¯s back here from Valara,¡± he said. ¡°If we want to leave before then, we¡¯ll need to find another ship.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that right now,¡± Corec said. He was gripping a dock piling and had his eyes closed so he couldn¡¯t see the water around them. While he and Treya had gotten better toward the end of the trip, it was obvious they were both happy to be back on the sturdy surface of the wooden pier. ¡°Does anyone know where I can find the Three Orders chapter house?¡± Treya asked. ¡°It¡¯s due west from here,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Go straight, then through the bazaar, and then there¡¯ll be a group of large, stone buildings. Some temples and schools, a theater, and the Assembly Chamber. It¡¯s just beyond those.¡± Treya nodded. ¡°Where will the rest of you be staying?¡± Katrin waited, but when Corec didn¡¯t reply, she said, ¡°There are some good inns nearby there, where I used to play. Why don¡¯t we go find rooms first, so you know where we are? Then I can show you to the chapter house before I go look for my uncle.¡± # Three hours later, she returned to the docks district with Corec. He¡¯d seemed to have recovered from the voyage, but then he suddenly grimaced and stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, as a group of raucous fishwives passed around them, joking with each other. ¡°I just caught a whiff of the sea air,¡± he said. ¡°It brought back unpleasant memories of the ship. I¡¯m fine now. Why would Felix move here?¡± ¡°This is where he was living when Barz and I first came to town. He had a tiny room and he played in the sailors¡¯ taverns. With three of us, we needed more space, and neither he or Barz wanted me playing for sailors, so we moved to a better area. It was more expensive, and he complained a lot, but we were making more money than when he was playing alone, so we were able to get by.¡± After Bobo had negotiated for rooms for the night and Treya had left for the chapter house, Katrin and Corec had gone to the apartment she¡¯d been sharing with Felix and Barz, only to find someone else living there. Felix had paid the rent in advance before they¡¯d left town, but before Katrin had a chance to track down the owner and complain, a neighbor had recognized her. He¡¯d let her know that Felix had come back to the city a month earlier and moved out, taking their things with him. ¡°Which building is it?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The white one,¡± she said with a grin. He laughed. ¡°Any chance you can narrow that down a bit?¡± ¡°Tulio said it¡¯s that one there, I think,¡± she said, pointing. ¡°Above that tavern.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Five minutes later, after stopping to ask the tavern¡¯s owner which apartment Felix was in, she knocked on the door. It opened, and her uncle stared at her from the other side. ¡°Katrin!¡± Then he saw Corec and stumbled back. ¡°You!¡± He fell on his ass. ¡°He didn¡¯t come for the bounty, Felix.¡± ¡°What?¡± her uncle asked, looking up at them. ¡°You¡¯re not worth enough to drag you back to Tyrsall,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m just here to escort her home.¡± He reached down to Felix, who hesitated before accepting his help to stand. ¡°But you had that poster!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all been taken care of,¡± Katrin said. ¡°He got the bounty and he paid off my penalty fine. Is Barz still in prison?¡± ¡°Of course he is. Where else would he be?¡± ¡°Then give me the money. We¡¯re going to go get him out.¡± ¡°What money?¡± ¡°The money you stole when you abandoned me!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°The money we were saving up to get Barz released!¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any left.¡± ¡°We had ten gold and some expensive jewelry! How can there not be any left? Corec paid seven gold just for my own penalty! I was going to pay him back what I could!¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t enough to pay for Barz, so I spent it. It wasn¡¯t doing anyone any good just sitting there.¡± ¡°You spent it? On what?¡± Felix shrugged, but Katrin could tell by the look in his eyes. ¡°Whores,¡± she said flatly. ¡°How could you have possibly spent ten gold on whores just since you¡¯ve been back?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t only whores,¡± he said. ¡°Bloody hell, Felix. That money was for Barz. First you abandoned me, now you¡¯ve abandoned him!¡± ¡°It¡¯s his fault he¡¯s in prison! I told you it wasn¡¯t worth trying to get him out. I never wanted to leave Circle Bay in the first place!¡± Katrin shook her head, trying to control her temper. Getting the money back from Felix had been a long shot¡ªher uncle had always done the bare minimum for them, only taking them in out of obligation and only tolerating her as a student after he¡¯d realized she improved his nightly take. Felix had never been the one she could depend on¡ªit had always been Barz that tried to look out for her. At least she¡¯d be able to return the favor one last time, though she wished it could have been through her actions rather than Corec¡¯s money. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of it ourselves. Is my stuff here or did you sell it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s here. And what do you mean you¡¯ll take care of it yourselves? You¡¯ve really got forty gold to get him out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her uncle looked at Corec suspiciously. ¡°Why are you helping? She couldn¡¯t have made that much money on her own. Why did you pay her penalty?¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡± Felix¡¯s eyes grew wide when he made the connection. ¡°You¡¯re sleeping with him!¡± he said to Katrin. ¡°You complain about me when you¡¯re a whore yourself!¡± She slapped his face hard enough to rock his head to the side. He stumbled, and Corec grabbed him by the shoulder to hold him steady. ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯re together. She¡¯s not a whore.¡± ¡°Just let me in, Felix,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll get the rest of my clothes and a few other things, and then we¡¯ll leave you alone, like you always wanted. I¡¯ll be sure to give Barz your regards.¡± # Treya moved out of the way and pressed herself up against the wall as another large group of messengers hurried past her through the corridor. She hoped she was in the right place. She¡¯d stopped at the Three Orders chapter house first, to make sure, and they¡¯d sent her on to the Assembly Chamber. She knew that the Assembly ran the government in Circle Bay, but she hadn¡¯t been expecting to find so many people in the building. There were no signs posted anywhere, so she finally gave up in frustration and stopped one of the messengers, a middle-aged woman with a harried look on her face and a sheaf of papers in her hands. ¡°Excuse me, can you tell me where to find the Princeps¡¯ office?¡± ¡°That way,¡± the woman said, pointing to the end of the hall, then continued on her way without another word. Treya had expected something like the small personal offices that Mother Yewen and Mother Ola used, but the double doors at the end of the hallway led to a large hall bustling with even more people, some sitting at rows of desks and others rushing around the room. She rolled her eyes. This was taking forever. She stopped another person, this time a young man who¡¯d been staring at her so hard he¡¯d walked into a desk. ¡°C¡­c¡­can I help you?¡± he asked, his eyes wide. ¡°Where can I find Enna?¡± He pointed. ¡°The inner chambers. Th¡­that way.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She went through another set of double doors at the opposite end of the hall and found herself in a much smaller chamber, this one with only three people¡ªa guardsman, a young woman sitting at a desk, and Enna. There was one more door in the new room, but it was closed. ¡°Treya!¡± Enna hugged her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m journeying, of course. And I brought you some letters so you wouldn¡¯t have to wait for a trader. One from Nina and one from Kelis for you, and Kirla sent something from Duke Voss for your Princeps.¡± ¡°Oh! That was fast. Rufus just sent the pigeon to the duke two weeks ago. We should have you deliver all of our letters. Is Circle Bay your first stop, then?¡± ¡°No, I went to Four Roads mostly by foot, then back to Tyrsall by horse, and then here by ship.¡± ¡°I went south, myself,¡± Enna said. ¡°It was warmer that way. But when my journeying time was done, I was headed back to Tyrsall when I stopped here and learned the Princeps was looking for bodyguards. I hadn¡¯t really figured out what I wanted to do with myself yet, so I decided to give it a try.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°And what¡¯s this about you and this Princeps fellow, anyway?¡± ¡°Oh. Kelis told you?¡± Enna lowered her voice so no one could overhear. ¡°Rufus hired me as his bodyguard, but, uh, he kind of liked the idea that I had some of the same training as a concubine, so, well, I¡¯m sort of sleeping with him now.¡± Treya stared at her. ¡°Have you been talking to Renny?¡± ¡°No. Why?¡± ¡°After we heard about you and your Princeps, she had this absurd fantasy that I should do the same thing, but in reverse. Be a concubine, but be a bodyguard in secret. She thinks it would be romantic.¡± Enna laughed. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve had a lot more of the concubine training than I¡¯ve had. Luckily, Rufus doesn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Does he have a real concubine? What about his wife?¡± ¡°No, and no. He doesn¡¯t have time for a wife, and he¡¯d never thought about a concubine before he met me. Don¡¯t give him any ideas, though, all right? I¡¯d rather not share if I don¡¯t have to. He¡¯s too busy as it is.¡± ¡°Why is it so busy here? Why are there so many people?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad today because the Assembly¡¯s not in session. When it is, the corridors are packed. It can take ten minutes to get from one side of the building to the other.¡± ¡°But what are they all doing?¡± ¡°The Assembly wants to be involved in everything that goes on in the city, and it¡¯s the Princeps¡¯ job to follow their demands. They¡¯re always adding new things they want him to do, but they never stop doing any of the old things, so he has to hire more and more people to take care of it all. This week, they decided the fishing fleets should report their catches every time they return to port. The type of fish, how many they caught, and where they caught them. It¡¯s crazy¡ªit would take so much extra work, and the fishermen don¡¯t want to tell anyone about their fishing grounds. And everyone blames Rufus for it rather than the Assembly.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t he tell them no?¡± ¡°He has to do everything they vote for, but this time, he¡¯s determined that it would require a tax increase, so he¡¯s sending it back to the Assembly. They¡¯ll have to decide whether to raise taxes or undo the vote.¡± ¡°It seems so inefficient to have this many people just to do whatever the Assembly wants.¡± Enna laughed again. ¡°Governments are big. This place isn¡¯t any busier than the ducal palace back in Tyrsall. Kirla showed me around the last time I visited home.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize,¡± Treya said. The Duke of Tyrsall had thousands of workers, but she¡¯d always thought of them as being the street cleaners, lamplighters, constables, and tax men. With that many people, though, it made sense that there¡¯d have to be another layer between them and the duke. ¡°Are you staying at the chapter house? Are they expecting you back for supper?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t discuss it.¡± ¡°Then you should come with us! Rufus has a lovely home overlooking the harbor, and an excellent cook. I think we¡¯re having roast lamb tonight, and you can tell me stories about your journeying.¡± ¡°I do have some stories.¡± # Circle Bay¡¯s prison, in the south side of the city, was one of the few buildings that wasn¡¯t whitewashed. The natural gray of the stone stood out starkly from the neighboring buildings. Katrin stared at it and shivered, though the late afternoon sun was warm. ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯m about to go to prison, rather than get my brother out?¡± she asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything in Circle Bay that you¡¯d be wanted for, have you?¡± Corec asked. ¡°No. Well, not in years. When we first moved here, Barz fell in with a better crew than Dallo¡¯s gang back in Tyrsall. There were a few girls my age, so I worked some pickpocketing jobs with them, but I wasn¡¯t very good at it so I was usually the distraction. But then one of the girls got caught, and the guy she was trying to rob knifed her. Felix had taught me more about music by then, so when one of my friends almost died on the street, I decided to get out of that life. I¡¯m still friends with some of them, but I haven¡¯t worked a job in five years. I don¡¯t think the city guard knows about me.¡± ¡°I could go in by myself, if you want.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine. I was nervous the last time we got him out, too.¡± ¡°Are you sure this is where we pay the fee?¡± ¡°Yes. During the day, there¡¯s a magistrate on duty that handles releases and new prisoners. I think I remember where his office is.¡± They had to wait for an hour, but the magistrate got to them before his workday ended. ¡°How may I help you?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to pay my brother¡¯s penalty fee,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Name of the prisoner?¡± ¡°Barz.¡± The magistrate nodded to his assistant, who left the room, then returned shortly with a handful of papers. The magistrate read them over, then looked up at Katrin. ¡°Age twenty-four, in for burglary?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This was his fourth time. Do you really think he¡¯s going to change?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for an answer. ¡°You realize he¡¯ll need to come see me every week and show me that he¡¯s working a real job? If he misses a week, or if he doesn¡¯t find work within the first month, he¡¯ll go back in and you¡¯ll forfeit the fee.¡± Katrin hadn¡¯t known that. Could she really justify spending so much of Corec¡¯s money when it was likely to be wasted? She glanced his way, but he just nodded. ¡°I understand,¡± she told the magistrate. ¡°And, of course, if he returns to his old ways, he¡¯ll end up in front of me again. For a fifth offense, I don¡¯t have to allow a penalty fee.¡± Katrin nodded. She couldn¡¯t afford another one anyway. ¡°All right, then,¡± he said. ¡°The fee is forty gold pieces.¡± Katrin paid, then the assistant left the room again. While they waited, the magistrate took care of his next case, releasing a ship¡¯s captain who¡¯d been caught smuggling. The man had chosen two years in prison rather than having his ship seized. Once that was done, a guard led Barz to the center of the room. Katrin¡¯s brother had grown a wild, bushy beard since the last time she¡¯d seen him. He looked at her in surprise. The magistrate described the terms of his probation, but Barz just nodded along, not saying much in return. Finally, it was over, and they had a chance to speak to him privately while the paperwork was being completed. His first words to her were, ¡°What are you doing here? Felix told me you were caught by a bounty hunter up near Tyrsall.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you can say? At least the last time I got you out, you thanked me.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have wasted your money. Who¡¯s your friend?¡± Barz was trying to act indifferent, but Katrin could see his unease when he eyed the sword hilt poking up behind Corec¡¯s shoulder. Katrin said, ¡°His name is Corec. I wanted you to meet him. He was the one that paid to get you out.¡± ¡°Then I guess she wasted your money,¡± he said, facing Corec. Corec shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s not my problem anymore. It¡¯s your problem now. Are you going to waste it?¡± Barz glared at him, then turned back to Katrin. ¡°What happened with the bounty hunter?¡± It was Corec that replied. ¡°It turns out, I wasn¡¯t a very good bounty hunter. But everything¡¯s taken care of. She¡¯s no longer wanted in Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Do you even know what I was doing there?¡± Katrin asked her brother. ¡°Felix said you had some fool notion to pickpocket enough to pay my penalty. I thought you wanted to stay clean! I don¡¯t want you ending up in prison, too!¡± Even though he was mad at her, Katrin smiled. The old Barz was still in there, still trying to watch out for her. ¡°I¡¯m done with it now,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m going to find a bard teacher, and Corec and I are moving to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going away with some stranger?¡± He looked at Corec suspiciously. ¡°He¡¯s not a stranger, Barz. We¡¯ve been traveling together for months. And I can¡¯t keep doing this! I¡¯m tired of putting up with Felix, and I¡¯m tired of watching you get in trouble! I need to live my own life.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re leaving Circle Bay? Just like that?¡± ¡°Tyrsall isn¡¯t far away by ship. It only took us eight days to get here. I¡¯ll be able to visit, and we can send letters, too. We¡¯re going to do some traveling first, with a friend, but I¡¯ll let you know when we find a place to live.¡± Barz frowned, and tried another tack. ¡°I thought the bards wouldn¡¯t take you.¡± ¡°The northern schools won¡¯t accept girls as students, but some of the southern schools will, and a lot of bards travel. I¡¯m going to try to find one who¡¯s willing to teach me.¡± He looked down. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve got a few other things to do here in Circle Bay, and then however long it takes to find a ship. I¡¯ll see you again before I go. Do you know where Felix is living now?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯d moved back to the docks.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s two buildings west of where he was when we first found him. The one with the tavern on the ground floor.¡± Barz nodded but didn¡¯t speak. He¡¯d been quieter than usual ever since the guard had first brought him before the magistrate, and the news that she was leaving hadn¡¯t helped. His earlier stints in prison hadn¡¯t changed him, but this time, he seemed less full of life than she remembered. Maybe he just needed some time to recover. She decided not to tell him about Felix abandoning her or spending the money they¡¯d been saving for him. With her leaving the city, the two of them might need each other, and she didn¡¯t want to create a rift between them. # ¡°We should have looked for that mapmaker today,¡± Ellerie said as she and Boktar walked back to the inn where they¡¯d taken rooms. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time for that,¡± he replied. ¡°We needed a few days of rest. We¡¯ll buy supplies and look for some maps tomorrow.¡± Ellerie sighed. They¡¯d reached Circle Bay well behind her original schedule, after they¡¯d heard rumors of some old ruins to the east of South Corner. The structures couldn¡¯t have been the remains of she was looking for, unless there was a mountain range nearby she didn¡¯t know about, but the age of the ruins and their proximity to the Terril Forest led her to think they might have been Ancient in origin. She¡¯d decided they should take the trip to explore¡ªeight days out of their way¡ªin case they could find any further clues about the location of Tir Yadar. Unfortunately, the ruins had been well explored already, and they hadn¡¯t found anything useful. The stone buildings that still stood were blank and unadorned, unlike what she¡¯d read about Ancient ruins. Boktar thought the area might once have been a human military structure, built either to threaten the dorvasta or to defend against a feared dorvasta incursion south. The cousins had never shown any sign of wishing to expand beyond the forest¡¯s borders, but there¡¯d still been a few small wars with the surrounding lands over the centuries. No outside force had ever managed to hold part of Terril for long, though¡ªhumans didn¡¯t understand the truths hidden within the forest. The trip had been pointless, but on the morning they¡¯d planned to leave, Ellerie couldn¡¯t resist looking through an underground storage area, just in case. Unlike the structures above the ground, the storage area wasn¡¯t completely barren, though on closer examination, she¡¯d realized that the only things left were empty barrels and bare weapon racks. She¡¯d been looking behind a row of half-rotted oak wine casks when she came face to face with a giant spider that apparently decided she was food. Boktar killed it before it could bite her a second time, but it had taken her nearly five days to recover well enough that they could travel. She¡¯d still been weak, and they¡¯d had to keep to a slow pace until they found a village with a priestess who was able to heal her and eliminate the last of the poison from her body. ¡°I just hate losing time,¡± she said. ¡°At this rate, it¡¯ll be winter before we reach the Storm Heights, if we still plan to look at the Coastal Range first.¡± ¡°Well, going north for the winter isn¡¯t the stupidest thing we¡¯ve ever done. Remember when we were hired to guard that seaborn dignitary, but he had that elven advisor who figured out who you were and that you hadn¡¯t turned a hundred and eleven yet? She wanted to send you back to your mother as a present.¡± Ellerie blushed at the memory. She was almost a hundred and twelve now, but she¡¯d left Terevas several years before she reached adulthood, as her people counted it. She¡¯d been young and foolish, and had had a few close scrapes for those first years. She said, ¡°Why, when you¡¯re talking about stupid things we¡¯ve done, do you always pick the ones that make me look bad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just playing the odds, Elle. If we do something stupid, chances are¡­¡± He trailed off with a grin. She gave him a dirty look, but decided to let that pass without comment. Instead, she said, ¡°If we¡¯re going south to the Coastal Range, should we just keep heading south afterward, then come back to the Storm Heights in the summer?¡± ¡°I suppose we can see what the mapmaker says about the mountain ranges down south. The north will have snow, the south will have lizardfolk. I¡¯ve traveled in snow, but I¡¯ve never had any dealings with the lizards.¡± ¡°Is there fighting going on?¡± ¡°Last I heard, the war ended twenty-some years ago, and hasn¡¯t started back up again yet. My cousin¡¯s in Sanvar, and he says market day is a mix of stoneborn, humans, and lizardfolk all trading together, and only occasionally stabbing each other.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether that was supposed to be a yes or a no.¡± Boktar laughed. ¡°Neither am I.¡± The sun had just dipped below the horizon, but there was still plenty of light to see the two men who suddenly stepped out in front of them, loaded crossbows in their hands. Without warning, both men loosed their shots. Ellerie¡¯s arrow shield spell flared to life, then died, but not before removing all the momentum from the bolt that had been aimed at her. It fell to the ground. Boktar wasn¡¯t so lucky. After having been on the road for so long, he¡¯d decided to spend the day without his heavy armor. His only protection was a gambeson, which hadn¡¯t been strong enough to block the bolt that now protruded from his stomach. He tried to reach for his hammer but his arms weren¡¯t working right, and while Ellerie watched, he fell to his knees. The attackers cursed. They¡¯d seen the light from her shield spell, and they hurriedly tried to cock their crossbows once again, as people around them realized what had happened. The crowd began shouting and running away. Ellerie needed to move fast if she was going to get Boktar to a healer on time. She thought she could kill both crossbowmen before they reloaded. She drew her rapier and began muttering the words to a spell, but as she spoke, three more men came from out of nowhere and advanced on her. One of the men was nilvasta, dressed in nicer clothing than the others and carrying a rapier like her own. As she finished casting the spell, she changed its target. A white beam of light shot from her hand and hit the elf¡¯s chest, burning a hole. He collapsed lifelessly. Boktar would yell at her for not taking the man prisoner to question him, but she couldn¡¯t handle five men by herself, and if there was any chance the elf had hired the others, then perhaps the rest of them would stop with him dead. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. The two crossbowmen were still reloading, but the other two rushed her. The beam spell had taken most of her magic, but it didn¡¯t matter because she was too busy dodging and blocking to try to cast anything else. Book 1: Chapter Twenty-Five ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happier,¡± Corec said. He and Katrin had been walking for five minutes without speaking, after Barz had headed off in a different direction to find his friends. The sky had turned gray as the sun set, but there was still enough light to see by. Businesses that remained open after dark were lighting the oil lamps that hung near their entrances. ¡°So did I,¡± she said. ¡°I came home, Barz is out of prison, and Felix didn¡¯t get lost on the road somewhere. I feel like everything should have gone back to normal now, but it didn¡¯t. I was hoping Barz would be happy for me¡ªhe always said I should meet someone and settle down, but now that I¡¯m planning to, he¡¯s changed his mind.¡± ¡°Or he just doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s scared of you. Thieves learn early on not to mess with fighting men.¡± She grinned at him. ¡°And not just because they don¡¯t have any money. A noble with a dueling sword, maybe, if you think you can get away with it, but a man with well-used armor and a real weapon? It¡¯s not worth the risk.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll get used to me in time. But that reminds me¡­remember that inn from the first night we ran into each other?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When I came back a few days later, the innkeeper told me that some baron¡¯s son had lost his coin purse. Was that you?¡± She snickered. ¡°He deserved it. He kept grabbing my ass. I¡¯m pretty sure his father hired one of his bodyguards to protect other people from him, and I got the purse away while they were arguing with each other. That was only about three of the ten gold Felix made off with¡ªDaddy must not have been very generous with the purse strings.¡± There were still people on the streets but the crowds had thinned out, giving Corec a good view when two men dressed in rough clothing stepped into an intersection ahead of them, pointing loaded crossbows at a dwarven man and a short woman. Both men shot, and there was a flash of light. ¡°That looked like my shield spell,¡± Corec said. ¡°They hit him!¡± Katrin exclaimed. As they watched, the dwarf sank to his knees, a crossbow bolt in his gut. The girl drew a sword, but before she could attack, three more men stepped in front of her, drawing weapons of their own. The girl flung her hand out and a white light struck one of the new men, knocking him to the ground. Corec didn¡¯t know what was going on between the two groups, but one side had ambushed the other without warning. His combat spells snapped into place before he¡¯d realized it, and he drew his sword as he ran forward. He reached the intersection and kept running, barreling into one of the crossbowmen and knocking him down, then stomping on the crossbow to break it. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?¡± he shouted, not wanting to kill anyone without knowing why the others were fighting. Nobody answered him, and the second crossbowman had reloaded. The man shot, and Corec¡¯s barrier shield flared to life as the bolt bounced off. The barrier stayed up, and Corec swung his sword down, chopping deeply into the man¡¯s wrist and knocking the crossbow to the ground. As the man stared in shock at the blood gushing from his arm, Corec punched him in the nose. He staggered back, falling to the ground with a thump. Corec left him there¡ªperhaps he¡¯d live if someone stopped the bleeding soon. The other two men were still trying to attack the woman. Now that Corec was closer, he could see the pointed ears marking her as an elf¡ªsilver elf, judging by the hair tied back behind her head. She wielded a slender rapier, but was just barely able to stay out of reach of her two attackers, one stabbing at her with an arming sword while the other tried to hit her with a cudgel. Her two attackers were human, but the man she¡¯d hit with the spell was another silver elf. He wasn¡¯t moving. Corec tried one last time, yelling at the attackers to stop, but again they ignored him. The girl tripped over something, falling backward, and the man with the sword moved in for the kill, so Corec charged forward, running him through from behind, his own sword easily piercing the thin leather armor the man was wearing. While Corec tried to pull his blade free from the swordsman¡¯s ribs, the one with the cudgel whirled toward him. Before the attacker could strike, three darts of bright light shot from the girl¡¯s fingertips and hit him in the face. As he cried out in shock, she sprung back to her feet and stabbed him through the heart in one smooth motion. Corec heard Katrin singing behind him, and spun to see that the first crossbowman had gotten back to his feet and pulled a dagger. Katrin stood facing him, still singing. The man swayed, his eyes going out of focus as he lost his grip on his weapon. Katrin gripped her own dagger and stabbed him in the throat. As he fell and bled out, she turned to Corec with a sad look in her eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have held him much longer, and he was trying to kill you.¡± Corec nodded, then pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. There¡¯d be time later to ask her how she¡¯d done it. He turned back to the elf. ¡°Are you all right?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes darted around at the carnage, then focused on her friend. ¡°Boktar!¡± The dwarf had slumped onto his side during the fight. He managed to move his hand and grunt, but didn¡¯t say anything. The girl looked back at Corec, a crazed look on her face. ¡°What are you doing to me?¡± she shouted. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m not doing anything! I just tried to help you!¡± Corec kept his sword ready, in case she attacked him next. Perhaps he¡¯d picked the wrong side. ¡°You¡¯re casting a spell! How are you casting a spell without speaking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not casting a spell!¡± He was wondering how to explain the magic he¡¯d used earlier when he noticed a very faint shifting in the back of his mind. It reminded him of how he felt when he cast his shield barrier or the new armor spell, but those had always been very obvious to him. This new feeling was subtle. He almost hadn¡¯t noticed it, but once he did, it felt somehow familiar. Too late, he realized what was happening. Just as his left arm started to itch, a group of city guards fanned out around them. ¡°Everyone, drop your weapons! You¡¯re all under arrest!¡± # Katrin dropped her dagger, trying hard not to think about what she¡¯d just done. She¡¯d sung the man to his own death, dazing him with her bardic abilities long enough that she¡¯d been able to stab him. Everything about it seemed wrong. Next to her, Corec slowly crouched down to place his sword on the ground. The silver elf looked around, panicked, and tightened her grip on her rapier. ¡°They did it!¡± she said, pointing to the men on the ground. ¡°I was just defending myself!¡± ¡°Elle!¡± the dwarf said, coughing but trying to prop himself up. ¡°Don¡¯t argue with them! Do what they say.¡± ¡°Drop the sword!¡± the guardsman shouted. ¡°He¡¯s hurt!¡± she exclaimed as she let go of the rapier. ¡°He needs a healer!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find one if we can,¡± the guardsman replied. ¡°We know a healer,¡± Corec said. ¡°Send for Treya, at the Three Orders chapter house.¡± He spoke in the authoritative tone of voice that he so seldom used. Katrin thought it sounded good on him. The man stared at Corec for a moment, evaluating him, then motioned to the other guards to take everyone into custody. Twenty minutes later, Katrin and the elf were in a jail cell at the city¡¯s southern guard post. Women¡¯s cells were kept separate from the men¡¯s cells, so she couldn¡¯t see Corec, and she didn¡¯t know what had happened to the dwarf. The guard who¡¯d put them in the cell had said someone would be by to speak to them later, and the man stationed in the room refused to talk. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The elf girl, who¡¯d introduced herself as Ellerie, was pacing back and forth, occasionally scratching at her forehead. ¡°Why won¡¯t they tell me how Boktar¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be all right,¡± Katrin said. ¡°They probably just need time to find a healer.¡± She hoped she sounded encouraging. The girl stopped pacing and stared at her. ¡°What did your friend do to me?¡± she hissed, keeping her voice down so the guard wouldn¡¯t overhear. Katrin took off her hat¡ªunlike the jail in Tyrsall, this one hadn¡¯t taken it from her. The elf¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to her rune. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Katrin said. ¡°It was an accident. We¡¯re trying to figure out how to keep it from happening again. It¡¯s some sort of binding spell, but we¡¯re not sure why it¡¯s happening or how to stop it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a binding sigil?¡± ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t seem to do anything bad. We can always tell what direction Corec is in and he can always tell what direction we¡¯re in. That¡¯s all it does; it won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°There are three of us. Your head will itch for about a week and a half, then the rune will show up. Corec will have a matching one on his arm.¡± Ellerie stopped scratching. ¡°That¡¯s why my head started itching?¡± ¡°Yes. You can hide the rune if you concentrate¡ªlike this.¡± Katrin concealed her rune, then allowed it to return before putting her hat back on. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a binding spell that itched, or that required ten days to take effect. Why not just banish it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried. We¡¯ve spoken to three wizards, and the Bishop of Allosur, and an elven druid, but none of them have been able to help us.¡± ¡°Elven?¡± ¡°Dorvasta. She was the first person we spoke to about it¡ªCorec and I went to the forest to find her after it first happened.¡± ¡°Why speak to a druid? Binding spells have nothing to do with the elder magic.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t know that. We don¡¯t know very much about magic. We were going to look for another wizard here in Circle Bay to help us. You¡¯re a wizard, right? I saw you cast a spell during the fight. Can you help us get rid of it, and help us figure out how to keep it from happening again?¡± The girl glared at her. ¡°Why would I help you? In Terevas, I could kill him for this! That would end the spell!¡± ¡°I told you, it was an accident!¡± ¡°Binding spells don¡¯t happen accidentally!¡± The girl¡¯s tone was angry, but she still kept her voice low. ¡°This one does! The bishop we spoke to said it might only happen to mages, so Corec has been trying to avoid other mages so it doesn¡¯t happen again. But then with you, and the fight, it all happened too quickly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a mage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bard. Someone told me that¡¯s a type of magic.¡± Just then, Corec came into the room, led by one of the guards. He was unarmed and wasn¡¯t wearing his chain shirt, just the padded doublet that he wore beneath it. ¡°You¡¯re out!¡± Katrin said. ¡°They got nervous when I told them who my father is. They agreed I could stay out of the cell while they talk to everyone who saw what happened, but they won¡¯t give me back my sword or armor yet. They¡¯ll be coming in soon to talk to the two of you.¡± ¡°Undo what you did to me!¡± Ellerie demanded. ¡°Did you tell her?¡± Corec asked Katrin. ¡°The important parts.¡± He massaged a spot on his left arm while he spoke to the elf. ¡°I¡¯d undo it if I could¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been trying to undo the others but I don¡¯t know how. If you know, tell me and I¡¯ll do it right now.¡± She scowled at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t learned a banishing spell yet, but I will.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried a banishing spell already, and a greater banishing, if that¡¯s something different, but neither worked. They were human wizards, though. Do elven banishing spells work differently?¡± She drew her lips into a thin line. ¡°Maybe,¡± she said, but she looked worried. Corec turned to Katrin. ¡°Lodarin was right¡ªI think I felt it happening this time. I just didn¡¯t realize what it was until she shouted at me, and by then, it was too late. If I notice it sooner next time, I might be able to keep it from happening again.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Katrin said, worried. Treya didn¡¯t like Corec, but at least she hadn¡¯t reacted violently. Ellerie thought killing him would undo the binding spell, and she seemed angry enough to actually try it. And she was a wizard¡ªthe guards had taken her rapier, but what was stopping her from hitting Corec with one of those beams of light? ¡°Do you know what happened to Boktar?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Is that the dwarf?¡± Corec asked. ¡°They said they sent for a healer. The man I spoke to didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d sent for Treya or someone else.¡± ¡°Treya?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°A friend of ours,¡± Katrin said. ¡°She¡¯s a priestess. She¡¯s one of the others with a binding rune. The third is Shavala, an elven druid¡ªthe student of the druid we spoke to.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t punish you for binding her student unwillingly?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t know until after we¡¯d left the forest,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Shavala left too, and we met up with her again a few days later. She doesn¡¯t seem to care about the rune.¡± Corec said, ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll keep looking for a way to end the spell. I won¡¯t stop until I find one.¡± Ellerie turned her back on him, but not before Katrin saw the tears in the girl¡¯s eyes. # Treya laid her fingers around the wound, trying not to get any blood on herself. She¡¯d barely touched the dwarf, but he grunted in pain. She winced in sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, as a pale white light enveloped her hands. She¡¯d never tried to heal anything so serious before, except for the time Bobo had been slashed by the drake. She was accustomed to working on sore muscles and minor cuts and scrapes, and she didn¡¯t like the thought of someone actually depending on her for his life. Where were the other healers? The messenger had found her at the Three Orders chapter house just as she¡¯d returned from her evening with Enna and the Princeps. She¡¯d been rushed away in a carriage, then shown to this small room where the dwarf was lying shirtless on a table, a small pool of blood to his side. A bloody crossbow bolt¡ªapparently the cause of the injury¡ªlay on a white cloth nearby. There¡¯d been a very young constable in the room when she¡¯d arrived, but he¡¯d turned green at the sight of the blood and had left with the messenger. Treya focused as much strength as she could on the healing. She felt the dwarf¡¯s stomach lining knitting back together, but then the magic started slipping away from her. She grabbed for it again and forced it to do what she wanted, but she was only partially successful in binding the muscles and skin. Finally, she let go of the magic, gasping for air. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not a very good healer. You¡¯ll need to be careful until a real healer gets here.¡± Telkin had told her that the only way to get better at healing was to practice it, but none of the practicing she¡¯d done had been on anything serious. This was the second time someone was relying on her for healing, and just like the first time, she didn¡¯t feel adequate to the task. ¡°You¡¯re better than the last one,¡± the dwarf said, carefully swinging his legs over the side of the table so he could sit up. ¡°He got the bolt out, then told me couldn¡¯t do anything else for me. Chirurgeon, he called himself.¡± ¡°It might not be his fault¡ªI don¡¯t think chirurgeons are actually healers. My name is Treya.¡± ¡°Boktar.¡± ¡°Do you know what happened? The messenger didn¡¯t say much, just that someone I knew needed healing. I thought one of my friends had been hurt. Only a few people in town know I¡¯m a healer.¡± ¡°Are your friends a redheaded woman and a tall man with a big sword?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°They were arrested, I think. I¡¯m not sure. Things got kind of fuzzy. I need to find Ellerie.¡± ¡°Arrested? For what? Who¡¯s Ellerie?¡± ¡°She was arrested, too. A group of thugs attacked us. Thugs or assassins. It figures; the one bloody time I don¡¯t wear my armor, I get shot in the gut. Your friend with the sword might have chased them off¡ªI don¡¯t remember. Help me up.¡± Treya braced herself so she could lend the dwarf a shoulder. He was heavy, but he put most of his weight on the table so she only staggered a bit as she helped him to his feet. ¡°Oh, bloody hell,¡± he said, wrapping his arms around his stomach as he hunched over. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be standing yet. Aren¡¯t there any other healers coming? Where¡¯d that constable go?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have constables in Circle Bay¡ªthey¡¯re city guards. And they haven¡¯t told me anything. Where are we?¡± ¡°The messenger called it a guard post, and there were other constables¡ªguards¡ªgoing in and out. If you were attacked, why did they arrest your friend?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, it¡¯s just because they didn¡¯t see what happened. If this is a guard post, then there¡¯s a jail here. That might be where they¡¯ve got everyone. Let¡¯s see if we can find that guardsman. I may need your help to walk.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be walking. Please, sit back down and I¡¯ll look for him. If there aren¡¯t any other healers coming, I can try again in a bit. I just need some time to recover first.¡± Boktar looked at the door, then slumped in defeat and leaned back against the table. ¡°All right. You go.¡± She opened the door and found the young guard who¡¯d been in the room when she¡¯d arrived. ¡°Where are the other healers?¡± she asked. ¡°Other healers, miss?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t anyone else coming? Did you send messengers to the temples?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, miss. I was just told to watch him.¡± ¡°Where was his friend taken?¡± The boy shrugged. Treya rolled her eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re supposed to be watching him, then get in there and watch him. Make sure he doesn¡¯t undo the healing I just did. I¡¯m going to go find someone who knows what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± She strode down the corridor to the main lobby and was looking for someone to speak to when Bobo came through the front door. ¡°Treya! What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I got a message that someone needed a healer, but it turned out to be a dwarf I¡¯ve never met before. He thinks Katrin and Corec were arrested.¡± ¡°Yes, Corec sent a runner to the inn to let us know. I couldn¡¯t find Shavala so I came by myself. I think she¡¯s at the docks watching the fishing boats come in.¡± ¡°We need to find whoever¡¯s in charge.¡± ¡°That would be me,¡± a voice boomed from behind them. They whirled around to see an older man with graying blond hair, dressed in a guard uniform. ¡°Guard Captain Marius. Your friends were arrested after an altercation in the Plaza that left four men dead, another whose hand had to be removed, and a dwarf with a crossbow bolt in his stomach.¡± ¡°The dwarf said they were attacked, and that our friends helped them,¡± Treya said. ¡°Why did you arrest them?¡± ¡°We are checking out that story. If it¡¯s true, your friends might be released, though we¡¯ll still have some questions for the dwarf and the elven woman. I want to know why they were attacked.¡± Bobo gulped and turned pale. ¡°A dwarven man and an elven woman together? Are they locals?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe so¡ª¡± ¡°You!¡± Boktar was stumbling down the corridor, the young guardsman following behind, trying to pull him back to the room. ¡°You bloody thief! I finally found you!¡± He grabbed Bobo by his robe and shoved him against the wall, then staggered back, clutching his stomach and wincing in pain. Two guards hurried over to separate the two. ¡°Well, well, well,¡± Marius said. ¡°Would someone mind telling me what this is all about?¡± Treya could only look back and forth between the men, confused. Book 1: Chapter Twenty-Six When the guard opened the door to the cell, Ellerie realized she¡¯d been scratching her brow again. She forced herself to stop. ¡°We¡¯re ready for you now,¡± the guard said, waving her through. He¡¯d taken the redheaded girl away thirty minutes earlier, and Ellerie hadn¡¯t seen her since. ¡°Is Boktar all right?¡± she asked as she followed him out of the room and down a corridor, past other guards who watched her curiously. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°My friend! He was shot!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, miss. I heard some people were hurt.¡± He led her into a small office where a graying man sat behind a table. A younger woman stood silently in the corner, watching her silently. As the first guard left, closing the door behind him, Ellerie sat in the chair that had been left on her side of the table. ¡°I am Marius, Guard Captain of the southern district of Circle Bay,¡± the man said. ¡°The district where you and your friends just killed four men. I have some questions for you. This is Vana.¡± He tilted his head toward the standing woman. ¡°She¡¯ll be¡­observing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything until you tell me how Boktar is.¡± ¡°The dwarf will live. We got a healer here in time. Your friend¡¯s voice carries¡ªI¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t hear him shouting at the fat man.¡± ¡°Fat man?¡± ¡°Some fellow whose parents were cruel enough to name him Bobo.¡± Ellerie sat up straight. ¡°Brown hair, brown robe, and a beard?¡± ¡°The robe was gray, but otherwise, yes.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t let him go, did you? He¡¯s a thief!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what your dwarven friend claimed, but since he had a hard time explaining exactly what was stolen, I didn¡¯t have a choice. It¡¯s my turn to ask questions. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ellerie,¡± she said, slumping down in disappointment. After all this time, she¡¯d finally come close to getting her hands on the con man only to lose him again. ¡°Silver elves have family names, do they not?¡± ¡°Some nilvasta do, some don¡¯t. I don¡¯t.¡± He looked at her skeptically, but pressed on. ¡°Tell me what happened earlier. Why did you and your friends kill those men?¡± ¡°They attacked us! They shot Boktar with a crossbow! They tried to shoot me, too, but my¡­¡± She trailed off. ¡°Vana tells me that based on what the witnesses said, it was likely some sort of shield spell, yes? That¡¯s why she¡¯s here, you know. She¡¯s an expert at making sure wizards in our custody remain in our custody.¡± The silent woman allowed a ghost of a smile to cross her face. Ellerie glowered at them both. ¡°Yes, a shield spell. Otherwise, I¡¯d be dead now. And those others aren¡¯t my friends. I¡¯d never seen them before in my life.¡± ¡°Then why did they come to your aid?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Earlier, in the cell, the girl said she didn¡¯t know, either. The man she was with decided to help us, so she did, too.¡± ¡°The man, yes. I hope we won¡¯t have any complications, having arrested a member of the Larsonian peerage. At least he was helpful in identifying you as a wizard. He was the only one able to provide a decent description of your magic. The girl was more cagey¡ªI don¡¯t think she liked me very much¡ªand the rest of the witnesses just saw flashes of light.¡± Ellerie shrugged. ¡°I am a wizard. My shield spell only blocks arrows and bolts, or things of that nature. That proves they shot at me. And what were two men doing with loaded crossbows in the middle of the city?¡± He acknowledged her point with a nod. ¡°Why did they attack you?¡± ¡°Did any of them have Terevassian coins?¡± ¡°Just the elf. Why? Do you think he paid the others? Why would he be after you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was just a thought.¡± There was a knock at the door and the guard from earlier poked his head in. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s someone here insisting that he be allowed to speak with you.¡± ¡°When I¡¯m done here,¡± Marius said. ¡°He says he needs to talk to you now. You and her.¡± The guard pointed to Ellerie. Marius frowned. ¡°Send him in.¡± Ellerie¡¯s mother¡¯s spy glided into the room. The black dye was gone, and his silver hair was tied back behind his head in intricate braids, leaving his pointed ears uncovered. Instead of his usual nondescript clothing, he wore the flowing robes of a Terevassian noble house. ¡°Ambassador Melithar, at your service,¡± the spy said to Marius with a bow. Marius stood. ¡°Ambassador, I am Guard Captain Marius. How can I help you?¡± ¡°I understand that one of our agents was taken into custody while trying to track down these vile criminals,¡± the spy said, with a meaningful glance toward Ellerie. ¡°Vile criminals?¡± ¡°A conspiracy against Her Exalted Majesty. The queen sent an agent to search for a group that¡¯s trying to poison the relationship between Circle Bay and Terevas. Though it appears they found her first.¡± Ellerie glared at him. His lie made her look incompetent. ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± Marius asked. ¡°She¡¯s said nothing about this.¡± The spy looked abashed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid keeping silent was on my order. I apologize. As for proof, I have the writ from the queen herself.¡± He produced a rolled up scroll, marked with the di¡¯Valla insignia on the wax seal. Marius broke the seal and unrolled the scroll. As he read it, the spy continued speaking. ¡°Terevas highly values its relationship with your great city. As I¡¯m sure you know, Circle Bay is one of our closest trading partners. When Her Majesty discovered the plot, she immediately sent someone to deal with it. We would have never taken direct action within your city, of course¡ªwe don¡¯t have that authority¡ªbut self defense must be permitted. You are welcome to check with the Terevassian embassy, or send a note by pigeon to Terevas itself.¡± The Guard Captain still looked suspicious. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the embassy myself. If they confirm the story, she¡¯ll be free to go, but only because she acted in self defense. I have little tolerance for foreigners committing violence in our streets, writ or not.¡± He left the room and Vana followed him, leaving Ellerie alone with the spy. ¡°He was going to let me go anyway,¡± she complained. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to barge in.¡± ¡°You hope he was going to let you go. You don¡¯t have any guarantee about that. I had to act quickly, and I wasn¡¯t sure of your status at the time, so I worked with what I had.¡± ¡°Where did you get the writ?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been forging your mother¡¯s signature and seal for three hundred years. She usually forgives me, and she¡¯ll back up my story if the Guard Captain sends a pigeon. Ambassador Caravas is aware that I¡¯m claiming the embassy¡¯s authority, though he was quite surprised to find out you were in the city.¡± Ellerie sighed. The spy had tried to help, so she had to acknowledge that. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± the spy said. ¡°I was telling the truth earlier. When your letters arrived warning about the assassins, your mother took action. Your sister disposed of the team that came after her, and you are now assigned to tracking down the persons responsible.¡± ¡°Assassins came after Vilisa?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who insisted she can take care of herself. And she did¡ªrather messily, I must say.¡± ¡°What do you mean, I¡¯m assigned to tracking them down?¡± ¡°Exactly what it sounds like. Your mother has accepted your abdication, but only partially. She¡¯s named your sister as heir, but you¡¯re next in line. If you want to avoid the throne, you¡¯ll need to expose the conspirators before they manage to kill Vilisa.¡± ¡°What makes you think they¡¯ll try again, if she killed the first group?¡± ¡°The High Councilors are experts at taking the long view of things. The next attempt will be more subtle.¡± ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you be in Terevas, making sure that doesn¡¯t happen?¡± ¡°Your mother may be ill, but never think for a moment that she¡¯s weak or defenseless. She has other agents better suited for working in the palace. I¡¯ve been given the same orders as you. We¡¯re to track down any leads we can find about the assassins that came after you¡ªthough we weren¡¯t aware there¡¯d be a second attempt at the time the orders were issued. Hopefully our investigation will provide leads for the queen¡¯s other agents to work with.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going home!¡± ¡°Which is why I¡¯m the one who came. Most of my work happens outside Terevas¡ªeven here in Circle Bay. Did you notice anything helpful about the men who came after you?¡± ¡°Four humans, one nilvasta. They shot at us without warning. I killed the nilvasta first, hoping the others would stop, but it didn¡¯t help. The Guard Captain said the elf was the only one with Terevassian coins, but that doesn¡¯t really mean anything. He could have paid with human coin just as easily. Or maybe they were just footpads trying to rob us.¡± The spy nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a start, at least. I got a look at the nilvasta. He seems familiar, but I can¡¯t put a name to the face.¡± ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± ¡°We ask around, find out if he¡¯s a local or if he¡¯s new here, and whether he hired the humans. One of them is still alive. He¡¯s in jail, headed for prison, but we might be able to talk to him. And if we don¡¯t find anything useful, then we wait for the next attack.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not much of a plan.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll consider other ideas if you have any. In the meantime, if you are attacked again, at least try to take a prisoner next time. You¡¯re almost as bad as your sister.¡± ¡°What happened with Vilisa?¡± Ellerie asked, concerned. ¡°Let¡¯s just say her spells are somewhat less¡­precise than yours.¡± He shuddered. ¡°If you intend to come with me, will you at least tell me your name?¡± she asked. ¡°Melithar will do for now.¡± # Treya waited with Corec, leaning up against a wall on the opposite side of the street while they watched people enter and leave the guard post. The night was dark, but lanterns shone brightly on either side of the door. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re going to be released?¡± she asked. ¡°They should be,¡± Corec said. ¡°They didn¡¯t do anything wrong, as far as I know.¡± ¡°Maybe I should go back in. The dwarf might not be able to walk.¡± Just then, though, the door opened and Boktar came out, supported by a young elven woman. He was holding a hand across his stomach. An elven man accompanied them, dressed in elaborate robes. The three stopped in front of the building to talk amongst themselves. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Corec asked quietly, not moving from his spot. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I saw him go in earlier, while you were walking Katrin back to the inn.¡± The elven woman glanced their way, but didn¡¯t react when she saw Corec. Treya wasn¡¯t sure if she was ignoring him or if it was too dark on their side of the street to recognize him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about the binding spell in front of too many people,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re still going to try to heal the dwarf again, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just do that, and we¡¯ll try to find out where the girl is staying so I can talk to her privately later.¡± They stepped forward, and Corec said, ¡°Hello again.¡± The three didn¡¯t seem surprised by their appearance, though the girl frowned at him. The dwarf smiled. ¡°This is Treya, the woman who healed me,¡± he said, introducing her to his companions. ¡°Did they ever find you another healer?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m ready to try again, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°They seemed to think the job was done. I¡¯d appreciate your help, so I don¡¯t have to find a temple. How much do you charge?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never charged anyone for healing. I don¡¯t work for a temple, but if you want a real healer, the Temple of Irisis is just a block away. I passed it on the way here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here now. If you¡¯re still willing¡­¡± She summoned the healing glow back to her hands as she reached out to him. When she was done, she stepped back again. ¡°Is that any better?¡± He took in a deep breath, wincing slightly. ¡°Yes, much better. It¡¯s still sore, but I think I can walk on my own now. Thank you.¡± She nodded. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. And this is my¡­friend, Corec. He was the one who helped you earlier.¡± ¡°I thought you might be,¡± the dwarf said, shaking Corec¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you for helping Ellerie when I couldn¡¯t. Why did you help, anyway?¡± Boktar seemed friendly, but the girl was still frowning at them as the other elf looked on expressionlessly. Corec shrugged. ¡°It looked like you needed it. Who were those men?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Probably just thieves,¡± the elven man put in, ¡°but thank you for your aid. Ellerie, seeing as we¡¯re done here, I¡¯ll leave you for now. I know where your lodgings are, but if you need me, send word to Caravas. You may wish to consider staying with him yourself.¡± He gave Corec a respectful nod, then strode away without another word. Once he was out of earshot, the girl turned to Corec and spat out, ¡°Why are you here, you bastard?¡± ¡°Elle!¡± Boktar said in surprise. ¡°He cast some sort of spell on me!¡± ¡°I told you, it wasn¡¯t on purpose,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to undo it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here¡ªto talk about that, and, I guess, some other things.¡± ¡°Treya¡¯s the one who knows Bobo,¡± Boktar said to the elf. ¡°Where can we find him?¡± she demanded. ¡°Before we answer that,¡± Corec said, ¡°will you tell me why you¡¯re looking for him? Treya said he stole something?¡± ¡°We worked together for months, and then he stole everything we¡¯d been working on!¡± ¡°Stole what, exactly?¡± The elf looked frustrated. ¡°The translations!¡± ¡°You hired him to translate something?¡± ¡°Yes! An old book. Then he disappeared and took it all, just as he was close to finishing!¡± ¡°He took your book?¡± ¡°Not the book, the translations.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t noticed him with anything like that, but if he returns what he took, will you let this go? Treya said your friend was rather angry at him, but I can¡¯t let you hurt him.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not enough! It took two years to have the translations redone! I don¡¯t need another copy¡ª¡± She went quiet when Boktar laid a hand on her arm. ¡°His version might be different,¡± he said to her, then faced Corec. ¡°The translations, anything he knows about them that he didn¡¯t tell us, every coin Ellerie paid him for the work, and your word that he¡¯ll stop looking.¡± ¡°Boktar, that¡¯s not enough!¡± Ellerie protested. ¡°It¡¯s what we¡¯re entitled to if we were to go before a magistrate, and if our new friends can see it done, then we can avoid dealing with the city guard again.¡± She scowled. ¡°Looking for what?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Some old ruins,¡± Boktar said, when Ellerie didn¡¯t reply. ¡°The book¡ªthe translation of the book¡ªgives us an idea of where to find them.¡± Corec furrowed his brow. ¡°Why would he steal the location of some ruins? What¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the thief,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Ask him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give my word about whether someone else will do something or not, but I¡¯ll see what I can do about the rest of it.¡± # The next day, Corec stood between Bobo and Ellerie in a private room at Ellerie¡¯s inn, hoping the conversation wouldn¡¯t come to blows. The white beam of light that had burned a hole in a man¡¯s chest had been a sobering realization of what a wizard could do, even more so than Lodarin¡¯s skeletons. ¡°What do you mean, you lost them?¡± the elven woman exclaimed. ¡°I had to leave the hills in a hurry,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I left most of my things behind.¡± The man hadn¡¯t wanted to come at all, and had only relented when Corec insisted he¡¯d protect him. ¡°Why? Did you steal from the hillfolk, too?¡± ¡°No! I was trying to help them! But what I suggested didn¡¯t work, so they decided I was a false priest.¡± ¡°Since when are you a priest?¡± ¡°Among the hillfolk, just being able to read practically makes you a priest, and knowing about herbs and salves made it official. They follow the old gods, and the old gods don¡¯t seem to care who claims the title. It let me move around freely, and it made people listen when I tried to help them. They wouldn¡¯t accept a healing salve from a random stranger, but they would from a wandering priest of the Fox.¡± ¡°Fox,¡± Corec said absently, ¡°not the Fox.¡± Bobo waved his hand. ¡°The hillfolk call him the Fox, even if nobody else does.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t have the translations,¡± Boktar said, wincing as he shifted in his chair. ¡°Do you remember anything from them?¡± Bobo tapped the side of his head. ¡°I remember all the important parts. Corec and Treya have insisted I write it all down for you, so I will. Though I¡¯d like to check a few things to make sure I have them right, if I could look at the book again. I¡¯m also willing to read over your new translations, to make sure they¡¯re accurate.¡± ¡°You want me to show you the book again?¡± Ellerie asked in disbelief. ¡°After what you did?¡± ¡°I want to find Tir Yadar as much as you do. We should work together, like we were planning to.¡± ¡°Work together? Why? Because you failed to find it on your own? Why were you in the hills, anyway?¡± ¡°They¡¯re some of the oldest human settlements. Maybe the oldest, according to Dimartes.¡± ¡°Dimartes isn¡¯t a reliable source,¡± she countered. ¡°Elven histories say the hills were settled after Tyrsall was founded, though they don¡¯t provide a year for either.¡± Bobo stared at her. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that.¡± ¡°As I recall, you don¡¯t read Elven. The nilvasta scholar Yishara suggests humans have lost more of their history than elves have, since it¡¯s been ten times as many generations. Besides, who says the Ancients were human?¡± ¡°I¡¯m learning Elven, and I¡¯ve read a translation of Yishara¡¯s theories, but I¡¯ve never seen any books on elven history.¡± Corec glanced at Katrin and Shavala, who were sitting quietly to the side, but they just shrugged. Only Treya and Boktar seemed to be following along. Corec had learned some history when he was younger, but it had been limited to the history of Larso. The rest of his early schooling had focused more on crop production. Ellerie shrugged. ¡°The library in Matagor doesn¡¯t have much in the way of elven works. I take it you didn¡¯t find anything in the hills?¡± ¡°No, not unless it¡¯s buried. There¡¯s very little stone construction at all, none of it larger than a cottage. I saw a few wooden forts, but nothing older than two hundred years. The hillfolk don¡¯t build things to last.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that the Ancients did, either. There are other Ancient stone ruins, but we don¡¯t know anything about how Tir Yadar was built.¡± ¡°If they used wood, there¡¯s likely nothing left by now,¡± Boktar said. ¡°No,¡± Bobo said, ¡°the book was explicit. The stone walls of Tir Yadar. Even if everything else was wood, the walls of a city would have been large enough to leave remains, even if cities were smaller then. And I¡¯d rather use the term first peoples. It¡¯s been around longer than Ancients.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember our translation saying anything about stone walls,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I think that line says stones of Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°Then your translation is wrong¡ª¡± Bobo started, but Corec interrupted him. ¡°Wait,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned the first peoples before. Does this have something to do with our runes?¡± ¡°The runes?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°You mean the binding sigils? What do you know about them?¡± Corec and Bobo started talking at the same time. Bobo motioned for Corec to go first. ¡°I told you we talked to three different wizards. They seem to think a regular binding spell can be banished easily, but none of them were able to banish ours. Bobo was trying to help us, and found a reference to the first peoples and something else¡­the Chosar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± Bobo said. ¡°The Chosar invented binding spells, or something similar, and they also have something to do with the first peoples¡ªmost likely, they were one of the early tribes¡ªbut the two things aren¡¯t related.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°The first peoples were the ones who learned to use magic¡ªelder magic first, then the others. It¡¯s not a surprise that they created the first binding spells.¡± She faced Bobo. ¡°Are you sure it says stone walls? If our translation is wrong¡­¡± ¡°I can look at it for you, but why did you translate that part? It wasn¡¯t important.¡± ¡°We translated the whole thing.¡± Bobo blinked. ¡°Why? Most of it was worthless. That must have been a huge waste of time.¡± She glared at him. ¡°I know that now!¡± ¡°Oh. I see. Umm, well, I¡¯ll pay back what you paid me, at least, if Corec can lend me a bit more coin. That¡¯s more than I¡¯ve got right now.¡± Corec nodded. He still had some money left, and anything that made Ellerie less angry seemed like a good idea. ¡°Why did you take the translations if she paid you for them?¡± Katrin asked Bobo. ¡°Why would you care about finding some old stone walls?¡± ¡°He was trying to get to the treasure first,¡± Boktar said, scowling. ¡°Treasure?¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°If there is any treasure. We all agreed there¡¯s probably nothing left, if there was even anything to begin with, so why is it always the treasure that we talk about?¡± Bobo said, ¡°Even if there¡¯s no real treasure, any other artifacts we find could still be worth something. Two years ago, I had buyers lined up for any authentic pottery or metalwork. Those things might still exist even if any wood has rotted.¡± ¡°We find?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And I can¡¯t believe you had buyers ready! You were supposed to be working for me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sorry you got caught, you mean.¡± He shrugged. ¡°That, too, but I spent ten years trying to find any of the great cities. I searched the libraries in Matagor and Larso, and I even visited Terevas. And then you showed up with that book! What was I supposed to do?¡± ¡°You could have told me the truth, to start with! You haven¡¯t given me any reason to work with you again. Pay me back what I paid you, check our translations for accuracy, and then we¡¯ll go our separate ways. And if you don¡¯t want us to drag you to a magistrate, you need to promise to stop looking for Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°We¡¯d have better luck if we work together,¡± Bobo insisted. Before Ellerie could respond, Treya said, ¡°If these Ancients who invented binding spells were the same ones who built the ruins you¡¯re looking for, could there be anything left that might tell us how to get rid of the runes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Most books would be long gone to dust. Though I suppose spell books are sometimes enchanted to last longer.¡± ¡°If they wrote on vellum or parchment, and stored it safely, those might still exist, too,¡± Bobo said. ¡°It depends how long it¡¯s been since Tir Yadar fell, and I¡¯ve never found any records that provide a reliable date.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t spell books be the best place to look for a solution?¡± Treya asked. Ellerie stared at her for a long moment but didn¡¯t speak. Corec said, ¡°One of the reasons we came to Circle Bay was to find another wizard to help us undo the binding spells. If you can think of any way to help us, it would help you, too. I¡¯m truly sorry about the spell. I never meant for it to happen.¡± ¡°If we were in Terevas¡­¡± Ellerie started, then stopped and turned to the side, her lips in a thin line. Boktar stood up and whispered in her ear. She spun back to face Corec. ¡°Fine. The priestess is right. The first peoples were the ones who created the wizard language, or at least discovered it. They might have had some way to undo your damned spell if I can¡¯t banish it myself. I¡¯ll look for anything that might be helpful in Tir Yadar¡­if I ever find the place. That doesn¡¯t mean you need to come with us.¡± ¡°I never said we should,¡± Corec said. ¡°If Bobo wants to go, that¡¯s his decision, if you want him. I¡¯m headed back north. Katrin and I are going to accompany Shavala to Lanport and the Storm Heights, and then wherever she wants to travel next.¡± ¡°Bishop Lastal said we should stay together,¡± Treya said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she come with us?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you¡¯d decided to come,¡± Corec admitted. She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to the Storm Heights?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°I¡¯m on my travels,¡± Shavala said. ¡°My teacher said I should see them before I return.¡± It was the first time she¡¯d spoken since they¡¯d arrived. She and Ellerie had eyed each other, but neither had approached the other. ¡°Don¡¯t get any ideas, Boktar!¡± Ellerie said, transferring her glare to her friend. ¡°Why not, Elle? If they hadn¡¯t helped us, we¡¯d be dead.¡± She was silent for a moment. ¡°All right, but only because it¡¯ll be easier for me to learn how to undo the spell if they¡¯re nearby.¡± Boktar nodded, and turned to Corec. ¡°We¡¯re visiting the Coastal Range first, and if we don¡¯t find what we¡¯re looking for there, we were planning to head to the Storm Heights next.¡± ¡°Why are you looking for mountain ranges?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t tell you everything,¡± Ellerie replied. ¡°And I don¡¯t intend to start now.¡± ¡°You know more about the location, don¡¯t you? The directions in the book weren¡¯t really directions¡­the author expected the reader to already know where Tir Yadar was. He was just describing his journey from a spot that he thought everyone already knew about. You think the journey starts in the mountains! It didn¡¯t mention any mountains though, other than those hints about hills within the city itself.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say the point of origin is in the mountains,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°But we need to find the right mountains to locate it. And I¡¯m not going to tell you anything else, so stop asking.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be going into winter by the time you get up north,¡± Corec said. ¡°We know,¡± Boktar said, ¡°but the Coastal Range is so close, it doesn¡¯t make sense to leave without taking a look.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never spoken with one of the cousins before,¡± Shavala said, glancing at Ellerie. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind traveling together. I wish to learn more about Terevas before I go there.¡± Corec said, ¡°Is everyone suggesting what I think you¡¯re suggesting? That we travel north together?¡± ¡°It makes sense,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Elle wants to get rid of this spell thing the two of you keep going on about, we¡¯re all headed to the Storm Heights anyway, and I want to keep an eye on him.¡± He pointed to Bobo. Corec glanced at Katrin, who gave him a slight nod. ¡°Our horses are in Tyrsall,¡± he said. ¡°We came here by ship, and we were planning to return the same way.¡± Boktar shrugged. ¡°Buy new horses, and sell them when we get to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Corec said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind avoiding another ship.¡± He faced Shavala. ¡°Katrin and I already agreed to go with you, at least for a while, so if this is what you want to do, we¡¯ll come.¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a chance we can get rid of the runes, I¡¯m coming too,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that I can learn to control them and get rid of them,¡± Corec said. He looked at Ellerie. ¡°And if not, maybe you can figure out how to banish them.¡± She nodded. ¡°I will find a way to undo what you did.¡± The words seemed to carry a hidden threat. ¡°We can¡¯t leave right away, though. I have some things I need to take care of here in Circle Bay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ready to leave yet, either,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I need another day or two, at least.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll give us time to buy horses and supplies,¡± Boktar said. Book 1: Chapter Twenty-Seven ¡°Have you been on your travels for long?¡± Ellerie asked Shavala as the two walked through the market district. Melithar¡ªor whatever his name was¡ªhadn¡¯t had any updates on the investigation, so Ellerie had volunteered to help the other woman buy supplies while Boktar and Corec were looking for horses. The dorvasta woman made Ellerie feel self-conscious. Shavala was quiet and contemplative, like an elven elder, while Ellerie was aware she herself was neither of those things. And the other woman was a druid born among the tershaya trees, no less. Ellerie was half-tempted to explain who she really was, just so she could stop feeling like the bumbling cousin. ¡°Not long,¡± Shavala said. ¡°About two months. I¡¯ve never met a nilvasta before.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t?¡± Ellerie said, surprised. ¡°I thought my people visited the forest regularly. I¡¯ve seen many dorvasta in Terevas and Matagor. For a while, I had a...friend among them.¡± The elven word for friend could be inflected in a dozen different ways to convey different meanings. She included the inflections for female and intimate. Shavala nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of visitors, but Terrillia is very spread out and I was just a child when I lived there. Since then, I¡¯ve been living in a border camp on the other side of the forest. I did see some nilvasta in Tyrsall, but I didn¡¯t stop to speak to them. Did you know there¡¯s an entire elven quarter there?¡± ¡°In Matagor, as well. Not all of us wish to live in Terevas.¡± ¡°Terevas is one of the places I would like to see before I return to the forest. Is it true that it¡¯s made of palaces of glass and metal?¡± Ellerie smiled at the memory. ¡°The Glass Palace, yes. The outer levels were all built that way so the sun can shine through, but the inner quarters are stone and wood. Some of the other buildings in the center of the city followed the same design.¡± ¡°How does it stay up?¡± ¡°Our artisans discovered how to make large sheets of glass, and the steel frames are able to hold the sheets in place naturally, but it was all reinforced magically to ensure it could never fall.¡± ¡°But no tershaya?¡± ¡°There are tershaya! There¡¯s one right in front of the palace! There are some others, too, we just don¡¯t live in them.¡± Shavala smiled sadly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend.¡± They were quiet for a moment, then Ellerie said, ¡°Why do you travel with the humans?¡± ¡°They¡¯re my friends.¡± ¡°Even after what he did to you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The binding spell!¡± ¡°Why worry about something that can¡¯t be changed? I like my sigil¡ªI just hide it in the city now because too many people were curious about it.¡± ¡°Well, I think it can be changed, and I¡¯m going to find a way to do it.¡± Thinking about the spell reminded Ellerie of the itching, and she had to stop herself from reaching for her forehead. ¡°For your sake¡ªand Treya¡¯s¡ªI hope so,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I¡¯d like to keep mine. I¡¯m not sure about Katrin. She still complains about it, but I¡¯ve seen her use it to find Corec when she¡¯s nervous about him being away.¡± Ellerie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, but if I have to banish them all to banish mine, I will.¡± ¡°I understand. Why did you leave Terevas? Do the nilvasta go on travels, too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that word applies,¡± Ellerie said. In elven, the word that translated as travels held the connotation of a young person going out on his or her own for the first time, then returning home permanently. ¡°Our people come and go from Terevas all the time¡ªsome of us, anyway.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°What about you?¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°Terevas isn¡¯t a very nice place. It looks pretty, but the people¡­ I got tired of all the secrets and lies, so I left.¡± ¡°Is that why you don¡¯t use your family name?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a family name.¡± ¡°What about di¡¯Valla?¡± Ellerie swallowed nervously. ¡°You know who I am?¡± ¡°I spent the last eight years patrolling the border zone with the rangers. When you left Terevas, we were given your name and description and told to watch out for you, and to make sure you were brought home safely.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a hundred and eleven now!¡± Ellerie said, panicked. Unlike Melithar, Shavala wasn¡¯t Terevassian and wasn¡¯t sworn to obey. ¡°You can¡¯t take me back!¡± The other woman burst into startled laughter. ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to. I was just curious.¡± ¡°Oh. Did you tell anyone?¡± ¡°Should I? I didn¡¯t think it was important.¡± ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t mention it. Boktar knows, of course, but it¡¯s just easier to not tell anyone else.¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°If you wish. You and Boktar¡­are you together?¡± Ellerie laughed. ¡°No. He¡¯s not interested in women any more than I am in men. It makes us good partners¡ªno complications.¡± ¡°Partners?¡± ¡°We work together. When I left Terevas, I didn¡¯t really understand how much things actually cost in the real world. Somebody else had always handled that for me. I didn¡¯t bring enough money, and by the time I reached Matagor, I realized I¡¯d need to find a job. I tried to work as a wizard, but I wasn¡¯t very experienced back then, and it didn¡¯t turn out well. After that, I worked as a bodyguard for the head of a merchant family. The guard captain didn¡¯t want to hire me, but I bested him, so the merchant insisted. I got paired with Boktar because they thought it was funny for the elf and the dwarf to work together. We didn¡¯t stay there long¡ªthe merchant was a bloodworm¡ªbut we remained partners.¡± Shavala nodded, then stopped in front of a store. ¡°I think this is the one the innkeeper suggested.¡± The store sold the dry staples they¡¯d need for the journey¡ªrice, beans, flour, oats, tea. Ellerie pulled the shopping list from her pocket. She didn¡¯t need a list, but Boktar had insisted on writing out the amounts of everything they¡¯d need for seven people. Sometimes, he acted like her mother. Well, not her mother, but some other mother who was better at the job. As she followed Shavala through the door, she wondered if Melithar planned to come with them, but decided he¡¯d just have to bring his own supplies. # ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come with me, if you want to do something else,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Circle Bay is my home; I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°And you spent a lot of time around dockside taverns while you were here?¡± Treya asked. ¡°No, but that doesn¡¯t mean I need a bodyguard.¡± ¡°Corec thinks you do.¡± ¡°Since when do you do what Corec asks?¡± ¡°I agree with him. And it was either this or go with him to look for horses. I don¡¯t know anything about horses, and I¡¯d rather spend the day with you than with him.¡± ¡°Thank you, I guess.¡± Treya grinned at her. Katrin led her into the tavern below Felix¡¯s apartment, then stopped in surprise when she saw an old friend sitting alone at a table. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Treya asked from behind her. ¡°Nothing. I don¡¯t see Felix, but I do see someone I know. Do you want to meet her?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± They walked over to the table. ¡°Ana?¡± Katrin said. The young woman looked up. ¡°Katrin!¡± She stood and the two hugged. ¡°Barz said you were back!¡± ¡°This is my friend, Treya,¡± Katrin said. ¡°She¡¯s a priestess.¡± Treya frowned, but it was easier to explain a priestess than a mystic or the Three Orders. Ana¡¯s eyes grew wide at that. ¡°Oh!¡± She ducked her head. ¡°Hello, miss. Do you two want to join me?¡± The three of them took seats around the table. ¡°Why are you in a place like this alone?¡± Katrin asked Ana. ¡°Oh, umm, I¡¯m waiting for someone. What about you? Why were you gone so long?¡± ¡°I was trying to earn enough to pay Barz¡¯s penalty.¡± ¡°He mentioned you¡¯d paid it. That was really nice of you. I tried to get everyone to pitch in so we could get him out, but only a couple of people wanted to help. Where are you going to live now? I heard your uncle gave up your old apartment.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not planning to stay in Circle Bay.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± Ana looked worried for her. ¡°No; I met someone. He and I are traveling with Treya and some other friends, and then we¡¯re going to settle down in Tyrsall, but I¡¯ll be sure to visit here as often as I can.¡± ¡°Barz said you were with someone, but he didn¡¯t seem very happy about it.¡± ¡°Why are you talking to Barz so much, anyway? I thought you left the crew.¡± ¡°I did, but he and I¡­umm¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re seeing my brother? Since when?¡± Katrin wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that. Barz had been involved with a number of women, but he¡¯d never been with one of her friends before. ¡°We started about two months before he was arrested.¡± ¡°Two months! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you¡¯d be mad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad, but why didn¡¯t you ever tell me you were interested in him? He¡¯s a good man, but I¡¯m worried he¡¯s just going to end up in prison again.¡± Ana looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He said he¡¯s going to look for work¡ªreal work¡ªlike the magistrate told him to, but he¡¯s talking to the crew, too. I want him to quit, but, well, you know how Barz is. He doesn¡¯t like to be told what to do.¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°Maybe once he¡¯s got a job, he¡¯ll realize he can make more money that way than he ever did as a thief.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I told him! I was making good money at¡­oh.¡± Ana blushed. ¡°I was working at Miss Sabina¡¯s when I ran into him again. I never told you about it because I thought you¡¯d yell at me.¡± Miss Sabina¡¯s was a high-end brothel in the city center. Ana turned to Treya. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. I didn¡¯t mean to offend.¡± Treya waved her off. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, you two should catch up.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have yelled at you,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Sabina tried to recruit me, too, but I told her no. But what about you and Barz?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t want me working there after we got together, so I¡¯m serving tables at the Five Gulls. It doesn¡¯t pay as well, so I¡¯m rooming with some of the girls from the crew, but Barz wants to get an apartment together once he has a job. He says he doesn¡¯t want to stay with your uncle any longer than he has to.¡± That wasn¡¯t a surprise. Although Katrin had lived with Felix, Barz had moved in and out, getting his own place any time he could afford it, or sometimes staying with friends. Just then, Felix and Barz came down the stairs together. They had matching black eyes, and Felix had a scrape across his left cheek. Ana jumped up from her seat and hugged Barz, not commenting on the black eye. Apparently she¡¯d already seen it. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Katrin introduced them to Treya, then said, ¡°What happened to the two of you?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me he abandoned you?¡± her brother said angrily. ¡°He¡¯d said you were caught by that bounty hunter, but you never said that Felix left you behind first!¡± ¡°You told him?¡± she asked Felix. ¡°I assumed you¡¯d already told him,¡± he replied as the two men sat down. ¡°It slipped out.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Barz said to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you two arguing,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Not with me going away.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you leaving with that man.¡± Felix nodded in agreement, while Ana just looked back and forth between them, biting her lip in worry. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to make my decisions anymore,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Either of you. I¡¯m happy with Corec, and that¡¯s all you need to know.¡± Ana laid her hand over Barz¡¯s, calming his fidgeting. ¡°Why not stay here?¡± Barz said. ¡°Even if it¡¯s with him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already promised a friend we¡¯ll travel with her for a while, and then I need to find a bardic teacher. After that, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen. We¡¯re planning on going to Tyrsall, but it¡¯ll depend on where we can find work. Maybe we¡¯ll end up in Circle Bay after all.¡± Katrin doubted that, but she had to give them some reason to stop arguing with her. ¡°A bardic teacher?¡± Felix said. ¡°I thought you gave up on that.¡± ¡°I gave up on the northern schools, but the southern schools are still an option. Right now, I¡¯m hoping to find a bard who was trained in the south and who wouldn¡¯t mind teaching me outside of the schools. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, to see if you know whether there are any traveling bards in the city.¡± ¡°Yosep is the only one I know of, but he¡¯s from Larso, so I imagine he attended the school in Telfort. And the bards that live here in the city all follow the rules of the school here, I¡¯m sure.¡± Katrin sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep looking, then.¡± ¡°You really think you¡¯re going to find someone like that?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t, then I¡¯ll look farther south, but I don¡¯t want to keep talking about me. Barz, what sort of work are you looking for?¡± ¡°Dockworker, I suppose. I don¡¯t really know how to do anything else.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart, and you can read and write and figure. Maybe you could work in a shop.¡± He laughed. ¡°Me? A shopkeeper? They¡¯d be fools to hire me.¡± Katrin frowned at her brother. He was still different from what she remembered before his prison stint¡ªmore sullen and angry. She couldn¡¯t think of how to improve his mood, and when Ana whispered in his ear and he smiled down at her, Katrin felt left out. It was more than that, though, and as the conversation continued, it seemed like a gulf had grown between herself and Barz and Felix, and even between herself and Ana. They were still her family and friends, but she¡¯d been away for a long time and she had new friends now. Was this what it was like to grow up and leave home? She¡¯d have to ask Shavala and Treya¡ªCorec didn¡¯t like to talk about his early life. Soon, she ran out of things to talk about. After a few awkward silences, she stood and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We should get going. I think we¡¯ll be here at least one more day, so I¡¯ll try to stop by again if I can.¡± After saying their goodbyes, they headed for the door. On the way out, Treya said, ¡°I¡¯m going to visit a friend at the Assembly Chamber. I¡¯ll stop by the inn on my way back to the chapter house tonight to see if they¡¯ve decided when we¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll see you then.¡± # When Shavala made it back to the inn, Katrin was already there. ¡°Did you find your uncle?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Katrin replied. ¡°My brother, too. They were at the tavern where Felix plays.¡± ¡°Did he have any suggestions on finding a bard?¡± ¡°He thinks all the bards in the city at the moment were trained in the northern traditions, so they¡¯re not likely to take on a female student. I¡¯ll have to keep looking. How did things go with Ellerie?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not what I expected from a nilvasta. And she¡¯s¡­very young.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t look any younger than you.¡± ¡°She¡¯s an adult, but I¡¯m not sure she¡¯s ready to travel on her own. It is good that she has the stoneborn man to watch out for her, but I think she¡¯s used to getting her own way¡ªshe may not react well when she doesn¡¯t.¡± Katrin sighed. ¡°Bobo stole from them, then Corec cast the binding spell on her. She probably hates us. I agreed to go with her because you wanted to, but if she tries to hurt Corec, we¡¯ll have to figure out a way to stop her.¡± ¡°What if she tries to hurt Bobo?¡± ¡°Him, too, but she threatened to kill Corec when we were in the cell together.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I was just eager to get to know a nilvasta. We don¡¯t have to go with them.¡± ¡°No, it makes sense for us to all stay together until we figure out how to get rid of the runes, especially if she¡¯s able to help. We can go our own way after that.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°She doesn¡¯t wish to visit Terevas anyway, and I do, so we¡¯d have to part ways at some point. Or at least I would. How long do you and Corec plan to travel before you return to Tyrsall?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. A while, at least. Somebody¡¯s got to keep you out of trouble.¡± Shavala grinned at her. Katrin continued, ¡°If we haven¡¯t settled down by the time you leave for Terevas, we¡¯ll go with you, but if Ellerie and Boktar really are trying to find treasure, that could be exciting. That¡¯s the kind of thing I could write a song about.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you wrote songs.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, but if I want to be a real bard, I¡¯ve got to stop thinking like a minstrel. Bards write songs. Besides, I need to do something to get my mind off what I did to that man the other day.¡± Shavala sat down and wrapped an arm around her friend. She wasn¡¯t sure if Katrin had told anyone else how she felt about the way she¡¯d killed the man. It sounded like the same thing she¡¯d done to the thief back in Tyrsall, but she hadn¡¯t hurt anyone that time. ¡°He would have killed you, yes?¡± ¡°He would have killed Corec. I don¡¯t think he even knew I was there until it was too late. It was so messy¡ªhe was wearing leather armor, so I had to stab him in the side of the neck.¡± Katrin shivered. Shavala hugged her more tightly. ¡°It sounds like you didn¡¯t have a choice. Besides, he took coin to murder someone. You don¡¯t need to worry about him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not him I¡¯m worried about, it¡¯s me.¡± Katrin took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, but I don¡¯t want to talk about it right now. Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t spent much time with Corec lately. Have you changed your mind about him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about Lorvalla and her human husband.¡± ¡°Lorvalla? Oh, the leatherworker back in Tyrsall?¡± ¡°Yes. He must have died when she was still very young, and she never remarried.¡± Katrin eyed her. ¡°You weren¡¯t thinking of marrying Corec, weren¡¯t you?¡± Shavala laughed softly. ¡°No, but the thought of Lorvalla and her husband made me sad, so I decided to avoid human men, at least for now. I need to think on it more.¡± ¡°I understand. Does seventy or eighty years seem as short to you as seven hundred years seems long to me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shavala said after a moment¡¯s hesitation, ¡°but we¡¯re taught not to talk about that with humans.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone, but you don¡¯t have to be too sad. Seventy years doesn¡¯t seem all that short to me. What do you even do for seven hundred years?¡± ¡°We mostly do the same things we¡¯ve done all along. Some of my people take up a different craft or career after the first few hundred years, but others are happy with what they¡¯ve been doing. Perhaps elves and humans perceive the passing of time differently.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just something I¡¯ve been thinking about. Anyway, I don¡¯t know if Corec is interested. With other elves, I can usually tell, but he spends most of his time with you.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s interested, but I never told him your idea about sharing.¡± Then, Katrin grinned. ¡°I think he¡¯s trying to avoid watching you like he used to, so that he doesn¡¯t make me jealous.¡± ¡°Why would watching make you jealous?¡± There was a knock on the door and Treya came in. ¡°Hey. Did they find horses? What day are we leaving?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not back yet,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Oh. Where¡¯s everyone else?¡± ¡°Ellerie returned to her own inn after we were done buying supplies,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I think she wants to stay for at least one more day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure where Bobo is,¡± Katrin added. ¡°I think he must have gone to the library when she wouldn¡¯t let him look at that book of hers without her being there.¡± ¡°Circle Bay has a library?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s smaller than Tyrsall¡¯s, but we¡¯ve got one. I¡¯ve never been inside, though.¡± ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll head to the chapter house. Will you send a messenger to let me know what the plan is?¡± ¡°Why not stay here tonight? Or at least until they get back?¡± ¡°I suppose I could stay for a while.¡± Shavala said, ¡°It is strange that you and I share a room while we¡¯re on the road, but as soon as we reach a city, you disappear. Do you like these chapter houses so much?¡± Treya laughed and sat down across from them. ¡°They¡¯re home. Or at least the ones in Tyrsall and Four Roads are. This one is different since I don¡¯t know anyone here except for Enna, and she doesn¡¯t live at the chapter house, but they¡¯re still my sisters.¡± Shavala cocked her head to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister.¡± ¡°Me, either,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a real one,¡± Treya said, ¡°but after twelve years, the Orders are my family. There¡¯s nothing they need a mystic for here, though, so I can go with you.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll be your sisters until you reach the next chapter house,¡± Shavala said. Treya grinned. ¡°All right. So, what were you talking about before I came in?¡± # ¡°What is this place?¡± Ellerie asked her mother¡¯s spy, as the two stood watching a building down the street. ¡°Gambling den,¡± Melithar said. His braids and flowing robes were gone, and he¡¯d returned to plain trousers and a shirt that wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place on a human. ¡°According to Rol, the man who lost his hand, the fellow who put him in touch with Crenellis spends his time here. His name is Quintus.¡± ¡°Crenellis was the elf?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he told the humans, at least. He hired them to kill you, but Rol insists he was never told why. I¡¯m hoping Crenellis told Quintus.¡± ¡°The two men near the door look like guards,¡± Ellerie said. The men were slouching against the wall and appeared to be nothing more than common street ruffians, but they stayed alert and never left their spots, eyeing each person who came to the building. ¡°Yes.¡± Melithar sounded almost approving. ¡°We should have brought Boktar. He¡¯s feeling better, mostly.¡± ¡°A stoneborn in armor? That¡¯s a good way to make sure they won¡¯t let us in. We¡¯re not going in there to fight, just to ask questions.¡± They strode toward the building, but before they reached it, the two street toughs stood up straight and moved to block the door. Melithar said, ¡°I want to speak with Quintus about a business arrangement.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t recognize you, elf,¡± one of the men replied. ¡°If I don¡¯t recognize you, you don¡¯t go in.¡± Melithar flourished his hand and a silver coin appeared, held between two outstretched fingers. ¡°What would it take for you to recognize me?¡± The man took the coin. ¡°We¡¯ll see if he wants to talk to you.¡± He nodded to his friend, who went inside, closing the door behind him. The silent guard returned a few minutes later and nodded to the talkative one, who said, ¡°He¡¯ll see you.¡± They followed the silent man through the door into a short hallway with a door at the end. The guard finally spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll have to leave your weapons here.¡± Ellerie frowned, but unbuckled her sword belt and handed it to him. He laid it on a nearby table. There were no other weapons there¡ªeither the gamblers who came to the building knew not to bring weapons, or nobody else had been required to give theirs up. Melithar held up his hands and turned in a circle, showing he wasn¡¯t armed. The guard nodded, then knocked twice on the door at the end of the hallway. A scraping noise could be heard as it was unbarred from the other side and they were let through. The large room was full of tables with men playing cards and dice, and other games Ellerie hadn¡¯t seen before. Scantily dressed women walked among the tables with trays of drinks. Several men were smoking pipes, and a heavy smell of smoke pervaded the place. The guard passed through the room and they followed after him. A few of the gamblers eyed Ellerie, but most were too interested in their games to pay attention to anything else. The guard knocked on a door, then opened it without waiting for a response. He waved them into the small office, then closed the door behind them after they¡¯d entered. A stocky man sat behind a desk. He wore a gold hoop hanging from one ear, and his shirt was unbuttoned down to his chest, showing graying curly hair. Ellerie had to force herself not to laugh at the sight. ¡°Are you Quintus?¡± Melithar asked. ¡°Yes. Who are you?¡± ¡°Vitus,¡± Melithar replied, giving a human name which obviously didn¡¯t belong to him. ¡°And my companion is Antonia. We wish to find out anything you can tell us about the job your people did for an elf named Crenellis.¡± Quintus frowned at the fake names, and that frown grew into a scowl as Melithar continued speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Get out.¡± ¡°I can pay.¡± Quintus hesitated, then repeated, ¡°Get out.¡± Melithar stacked ten gold coins on the desk. ¡°Did Crenellis happen to say why he was hiring your men?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you anything.¡± Another stack of coins joined the first. ¡°Did he mention who he worked for?¡± Quintus couldn¡¯t seem to stop starting at the coins, but said, ¡°I don¡¯t talk about my work.¡± ¡°Crenellis is dead now. He¡¯s hardly going to care if you talk.¡± ¡°I know he¡¯s dead! The whole city heard about that! He got three of my men killed and another nabbed by the guards!¡± ¡°So take the coins and answer my questions.¡± ¡°People trust me because I don¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°Nobody will find out from me,¡± Melithar said. ¡°Of course, if the coins aren¡¯t enough¡­¡± He whispered indistinct words, and his hand started glowing. Ellerie hadn¡¯t known Melithar was a wizard. It was just a mage light spell, but he focused his concentration enough to keep the glow centered on his hand, even as he moved, making it look like some sort of weapon. Quintus jerked back in his chair. ¡°Guards!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother calling out. Nobody can hear you from outside this room.¡± Melithar¡¯s whispering had lasted longer than a typical mage light spell. It seemed he¡¯d cast another spell first. Quintus seemed frozen to his seat, too frightened to get up as his eyes followed the trail of Melithar¡¯s glowing hand. ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± ¡°Why, nothing at all. I simply wanted to reassure you that nobody can hear us, since you seemed so concerned about that. The coins are yours as long as you tell me what I want to know.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why you wouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s a lot of gold, and nobody will ever find out. Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯d be betraying your client. My friend here already killed him. Burned a hole right into his chest.¡± Quintus¡¯s eyes darted toward Ellerie and he gulped. She tried to keep a straight face. ¡°He didn¡¯t say who the target was!¡± Quintus exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t know! Honest!¡± ¡°But you knew there was one? That¡¯s naughty, my friend. Just what kind of men do you employ?¡± The man¡¯s lips drew back in a thin line but he didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Who hired Crenellis?¡± Melithar asked. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything about working for someone else! He came here on his own!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an answer, Quintus,¡± Melithar said, removing one of the stacks of coins. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest for you, just in case your answer to the first question was true. I¡¯d hate to find out it wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯ve enjoyed doing business with you, my friend, but in the future, I¡¯d recommend staying away from any dealings with silver elves¡ªother than myself, of course. The authorities in Terevas are not very forgiving when someone tries to kill one of their citizens, and now that they know who you are, how to find you, and the role you played in the attack¡­well, I¡¯ll do my best to protect you, seeing as how you¡¯ve been so cooperative, but you should keep your head down for a while.¡± ¡°Terevas?¡± Quintus looked sick at the thought. ¡°Of course. You didn¡¯t think Crenellis or his target were from Circle Bay, did you? But don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯m sure I can keep them from coming for your head.¡± ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Melithar said with a smile and a bow, ¡°but I hope we meet again soon.¡± They left the office and walked back through the smoke-filled gambling den to the hallway. There was nobody there, but Ellerie¡¯s sword belt and rapier still lay on the table. She retrieved them and fastened the belt back around her waist before they left. When they were out of hearing distance from the guards at the front of the building, Ellerie said, ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t going in there to fight.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t fight.¡± ¡°You threatened him!¡± ¡°I never threatened him. I bribed him and we had a pleasant conversation. You can¡¯t go around threatening people all the time if you want results. Strange that a man like him didn¡¯t have any guards in the room¡ªI suppose he doesn¡¯t want them to overhear his deals. It certainly made it easier for him to accept the bribe, though.¡± ¡°Or maybe it was because he thought you were going to burn a hole in his chest.¡± ¡°I¡¯d never do that,¡± Melithar insisted. ¡°Not everyone¡¯s as bloodthirsty as you or your sister.¡± ¡°I wish you¡¯d tell me what Vilisa did.¡± ¡°Just be glad you weren¡¯t there. I wish I hadn¡¯t been.¡± Ellerie shook her head, annoyed, then said, ¡°Since when do the Terevassian authorities care if one of their citizens is killed outside Terevas?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t, but Quintus doesn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Are we done here, then? If so, I¡¯m leaving Circle Bay tomorrow.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you in case there¡¯s another attack. South, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but just to the mountains. Then we¡¯re going back north.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still obsessing over this treasure hunt of yours?¡± ¡°You know about that?¡± ¡°You spent years trying to get that book translated. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were in Matagor that often.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t, but I made good use of the times that I was.¡± ¡°Are you coming with us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow behind, to see if anyone else is following behind. I may join you later, unless something comes up and I¡¯m needed elsewhere.¡± Book 1: Chapter Twenty-Eight The nearest peaks in the Coastal Range were visible even from Circle Bay, and it hadn¡¯t taken long to reach the foothills south of the city. Corec was setting up his tent when Ellerie and Boktar returned from climbing the nearest hill for a better look. ¡°Did you see anything?¡± he asked. ¡°The road curves around to the east,¡± Ellerie said, ¡°but if my maps are right, we don¡¯t want to go that way. There¡¯s not enough land between the sea and the mountains for what I¡¯m trying to find. There¡¯s a trail that follows the western side of the mountains, so we¡¯ll go that way instead.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going into the mountains?¡± ¡°No, I just need to get a view of the range from the side.¡± ¡°This would be easier if you¡¯d just tell us what we¡¯re looking for.¡± She scowled at him. ¡°We¡¯re not looking for anything. You¡¯re following along while I figure out this bloody banishing spell so I can undo what you did, and then we¡¯ll each go our own way.¡± She¡¯d been trying to teach herself a banishing spell from her spell book ever since they¡¯d left the city. ¡°I agree, but in the meantime, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to work together? I¡¯m not going to steal your damned treasure, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the treasure,¡± she said, ¡°but I don¡¯t need your help to find Tir Yadar.¡± She stalked off in the opposite direction. Corec shook his head. He should have had Shavala or Treya speak to her¡ªshe seemed to like them. Boktar gave him a sympathetic grin and a shrug, then followed the elf. The dwarf was friendly to everyone besides Bobo, and he had the competent air of someone who¡¯d traveled a lot. He¡¯d even taught Corec some things to watch out for when buying horses or mules. Boktar had suggested donkeys rather than mules, but Corec stuck to what he was familiar with. He and his friends had pooled their money and bought five horses and two pack mules for the journey. Once they got back to Tyrsall, their plan was to give Treya and Bobo their pick of the horses, then sell the rest. Treya had sold her own elderly horse before they left, and although Bobo hadn¡¯t sold Rose yet, she was too old to take on a winter trek to the north. ¡°I take it the conversation didn¡¯t go well?¡± Katrin asked, coming over to stand near him. ¡°No. Even Treya doesn¡¯t hate me this much.¡± She laughed. ¡°Treya¡¯s too nice. If you hadn¡¯t stuck that thing on her forehead, you two would probably get along.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Eh. You¡¯re all right.¡± He snickered. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°What were you talking about?¡± ¡°I was just trying to find out what we¡¯re actually doing here. She wants to look at the mountains from the west.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She says they¡¯re too close to the ocean to look at them from the east.¡± Katrin crinkled her brow. ¡°They¡¯re not that close. There¡¯s over a hundred miles between them.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°I guess that means we¡¯ll be going more than a hundred miles west. I¡¯ll talk to Bobo and see if he has any ideas why she wants to go that way.¡± ¡°He¡¯s out gathering firewood. And Shavala¡¯s foraging, so Treya¡¯s trying to set up all the other tents by herself.¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ll go help her, then.¡± # They didn¡¯t go a hundred miles to the west after all, but continued following the trail along the foothills. When Corec asked about it, Ellerie had suggested she wouldn¡¯t need to go that far out unless she found what she was looking for. The third morning dawned chilly, and remained that way until the sun was well overhead. Corec was riding at the rear of the group. He and Boktar had taken to alternating their positions, with one of them at the front and one as the rear guard, since they were the only two with armor. As they¡¯d continued along the trail, Ellerie continually glanced at the mountains to their left, growing more frustrated each time. Finally, she dropped back to ride alongside him. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the right place,¡± she said. ¡°It should only take one more day to see enough of the range to make sure, then we can turn around and go back.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± he asked. She hesitated before replying. ¡°The shape of the mountains, and where they stand in relation to each other. I¡¯m looking for seven peaks laid out in a particular way, but nothing looks right so far.¡± ¡°How do you know what to look for?¡± ¡°Like I said to Bobo, I didn¡¯t tell him everything. I¡¯m not going to tell you, either.¡± Corec sighed. The conversation had actually been polite up to that point. ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy, you know.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see, but even if you aren¡¯t, you need to get your magic under control. That spell you cast¡­ People have been killed for less. Why did your teachers let you go off half-trained?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m even the one that cast the spell.¡± ¡°What, you think I did it?¡± ¡°No. I just mean¡­ I don¡¯t know. I guess I felt something this time, but I was hoping that somehow this wasn¡¯t all my fault. And I¡¯ve never had a teacher.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t have teachers, where did you learn to use magic?¡± ¡°It just started happening, about seven years ago. The lights came first¡ªlike the ones you put around the camp at night.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Mage lights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Deshin called them, too¡ªhe¡¯s one of the human wizards we spoke to. The other spells came later, but I don¡¯t know very many. Deshin gave me a book to try, but I was never able to cast the mage light spell the normal way. He said if I couldn¡¯t, then I might never be able to learn any other spells. Though I did learn one more after that. It was in the middle of a fight, and it almost got me stabbed, but the spell itself seems to make my armor stronger.¡± ¡°You learned a spell in the middle of a fight? Without even trying?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± he said, keeping his face expressionless. Ellerie had been spending hours each evening hunched over her spell book trying to teach herself the banishing spell. She frowned. ¡°I know there are arcane mages who aren¡¯t wizards and who don¡¯t need to speak the words, but how did you make it do what you wanted?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t even trying to cast another spell, it just happened on its own. I¡¯ve never had any control over the spells I know, though after the first few times, I can usually learn to cast them when I want to.¡± ¡°That just¡­doesn¡¯t make any sense at all!¡± She sounded offended. ¡°Magic is all about control! If you can¡¯t control it, then who knows what¡¯s going to happen?¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°Could you help me learn? Maybe if I can control it better, then I can figure out how to undo the binding spell.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± Her eyes grew wide. ¡°Look out!¡± He looked to his other side to see men rushing at them with weapons drawn, wearing familiar black brigandine armor. His horse was startled and jerked to the side. The animals they¡¯d bought in Circle Bay weren¡¯t trained warhorses like Dot, and he didn¡¯t want to try fighting from the gelding¡¯s back. He quickly swung down and let the horse run off, casting his combat spells as he did so. Ahead of where he¡¯d been riding, Katrin¡¯s horse bucked, knocking her from the saddle. She hit the ground hard and didn¡¯t move. Next to her, Shavala managed to keep her seat, bending down to talk to her horse as she strung her bow. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Corec ran for Katrin, unslinging his sword as he went. One of the attackers was in the way, his eyes glowing red. Without stopping, Corec whipped his sword around in an arc, beheading the man. Another group rushed toward the front of the procession. Boktar wheeled his horse to the side and charged at them, while Bobo¡¯s horse ran away with him still on its back. Treya¡¯s horse acted up, but she slid out of the saddle before it could run. One of the red-eyes drew close to Corec just as he reached Katrin, but before he could do anything, a white beam of light shot past his ear, too close for comfort, and hit the man in the face. He dropped instantly, his features an unrecognizable mess. ¡°Katrin!¡± Corec knelt down, grasping her shoulders. Her head rolled limply, her eyes closed. ¡°Treya!¡± he shouted. ¡°Katrin needs help!¡± Treya danced back from the man she was sparring with to glance over, grimacing when she saw the redhead lying on the ground. She renewed her attacks, but then an arrow suddenly appeared in the man¡¯s neck. He fought on for a moment more before dropping his sword. Treya felled him with one last punch to the face, her fist glowing. She ran over to Corec and knelt down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°She fell off her horse. I think she hit her head. Is she¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s alive. I¡¯ll take care of her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep them away.¡± Corec stood again, then charged at the closest of the red-eyes. Before he got there, three darts of light hit the man in the chest. He growled and flailed his arms but didn¡¯t fall, so Corec barreled into him, knocking him to the ground, then thrust his sword down through the man¡¯s armor and into his chest. He ran to the next man, passing a dead red-eye lying on the ground with an arrow through his left eye. As Corec fought, his armor felt lighter than usual, and swinging his sword seemed almost effortless. This fight wouldn¡¯t be like the last time he¡¯d faced these men. This time, he was fully armored, and his opponents wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt him unless they got lucky. He didn¡¯t intend to let them. # Ellerie twisted out of the way of the battle axe as the man with the glowing red eyes tried to kill her. The battle was eerie, with none of the attackers shouting, only growling. She¡¯d spent her magic early on the fight. The beam spell took a lot out of her, and then she¡¯d had to make the choice of whether to stay on her horse or not. Shavala had remained mounted, using her bow and occasionally getting a lucky hit, but Ellerie didn¡¯t have any way to fight from horseback. Her horse had been trained to not get startled during a fight, but it wasn¡¯t a warhorse like Boktar¡¯s. This wasn¡¯t the type of enemy she could fight with a rapier, but that was her only weapon, so she¡¯d dismounted and joined the battle. She quickly discovered that she wasn¡¯t strong enough to pierce the attackers¡¯ armor with her sword. She had to settle for distracting one man at a time while Boktar and Corec did the real fighting. Boktar had dismounted too, his warhammer too short to do any good unless he was close up. Treya was huddled over Katrin, and Bobo was jogging back toward the fight on foot, from wherever he and his horse had disappeared to. Growing frustrated, Ellerie waited until the man with the axe swung once more, then she dashed closer and tried to jab at his face, hoping to hit his eyes or his neck or anything her sword could penetrate. It left her open to his attacks, so after striking at him once and leaving a cut along his cheek, she dodged back out of range before he could swing again. She was starting to get into a rhythm¡ªa quick stab to the man¡¯s face after each swing of his axe¡ªbut then there was a blur to her right and Boktar ran into him, bashing him with his shield. When the man fell, Boktar swung his warhammer down at his head. Ellerie winced and looked away. ¡°How are you?¡± she asked, panting with exertion. ¡°Fine. You?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They looked around at the battlefield. Only one of the red-eyed men was still standing, and even as they watched, Corec swung his huge sword at the man¡¯s torso, cutting deep into the armor. With the last opponent down, Corec walked back toward them. Shavala joined him, riding by his side as she glanced around, an arrow still nocked to her bow. ¡°Is that all of them?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I think so,¡± Ellerie replied. ¡°Then I will search for the horses,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Come, Willowbranch, let¡¯s find your friends.¡± She and her horse trotted off. ¡°What just happened?¡± Boktar said. ¡°Why were their eyes glowing?¡± Before anyone could answer, they heard a shout. ¡°Hey! Help!¡± It was Katrin¡¯s voice. When Ellerie looked that way, she saw Treya slumped over the other woman¡¯s body, not moving. # Katrin slowly opened her eyes. She wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d been asleep¡ªshe had a nagging feeling that she was supposed to be doing something, but she couldn¡¯t remember what. Her head hurt for some reason, and when her fuzzy vision cleared, she found Treya leaning over her. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± the other girl asked. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Are you?¡± Katrin replied. Treya¡¯s face was gray and her lips were blue. ¡°I¡¯ve never used this much healing magic before. You¡¯re lucky Boktar didn¡¯t need any more healing this morning, or I might not have been able to manage it.¡± ¡°Something attacked us, didn¡¯t it? But I don¡¯t remember how I got hurt.¡± ¡°It was more of those red-eyes. You fell off your horse and hit your head.¡± ¡°The red-eyed men? Again? Why are they attacking us?¡± The blonde girl didn¡¯t respond. Instead, her eyes rolled up, and she collapsed over Katrin¡¯s chest. ¡°Hey!¡± Katrin shouted. ¡°Help!¡± She heard the sound of running boots and jangling armor, and then Corec was there, lifting the healer off of her. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked her. ¡°What happened?¡± He passed Treya off to Boktar so he could kneel down and gently hug Katrin¡¯s shoulders, then kiss her forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She just fell over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s drain shock,¡± Ellerie said, examining the girl¡¯s face as she lay in Boktar¡¯s arms. ¡°Wrap her in blankets. Bobo, get a fire started. We¡¯ll have to stay here for today.¡± ¡°Help me up,¡± Katrin said. Corec helped her to sit so she could lean back against him. She couldn¡¯t see everyone from where she sat. ¡°Where¡¯s Shavala?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s behind us, trying to track down the horses.¡± He turned to Ellerie. ¡°What¡¯s drain shock? Lodarin mentioned it, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what happens when you use more magic than your body can handle. I didn¡¯t know it could happen to priests, though¡ªI was always told their blessings prevented it.¡± ¡°Will she be all right?¡± ¡°She should be. If it¡¯s like a wizard¡¯s drain shock, she¡¯ll be up and around by tomorrow, but we¡¯ll have to take it easy for a day or two, and she shouldn¡¯t try to use any magic for the next several days.¡± Boktar had gotten Treya bundled up in several blankets, then left her laying on her bedroll with Bobo looking after her. The dwarf returned to the group. ¡°What were those things?¡± he said. ¡°They looked human, except for the red eyes,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°But they¡¯re not red anymore.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve run into them before,¡± Corec said. ¡°A squad of seven, just outside Dalewood.¡± ¡°Dalewood?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°A town east of Four Roads.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long way from here. What are they?¡± ¡°I have no idea. It was the same as this time¡ªthey attacked with no warning, and they never said anything. I shouldn¡¯t have killed that last one. Maybe he could have answered some questions.¡± ¡°Where did they come from?¡± Boktar said. ¡°We should find their camp.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t able to find a camp last time, but we didn¡¯t look all that hard.¡± ¡°Bandits?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°The last group carried badges, so I think they work for somebody. I can¡¯t imagine that the same group of bandits working near Dalewood would also be working around Circle Bay, but I don¡¯t know of any other groups of armed men who¡¯d be doing that, either.¡± ¡°And bandits wouldn¡¯t explain the red eyes,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Is it a magic thing?¡± Ellerie raised an eyebrow. ¡°A magic thing?¡± ¡°A spell or whatever.¡± ¡°An illusion spell could make their eyes glow red, but why?¡± ¡°To scare their opponents?¡± Corec suggested. ¡°I suppose, but it doesn¡¯t seem very effective. There are much better uses for illusions.¡± ¡°Maybe the spell does something else,¡± Boktar said. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way they fought. They didn¡¯t work as a group, and their movements were off. And if they wanted to ambush us, why didn¡¯t they bring bows? They could have taken us all out easily if they¡¯d gotten my horse and Corec¡¯s while we were riding. The rest of you don¡¯t wear any bloody armor¡ªyou¡¯d make easy targets.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know how to use their shields, either,¡± Corec said. ¡°I noticed that the last time. They caught me without my armor, and that was the only thing that saved me.¡± Ellerie looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Are they after you?¡± He shrugged. ¡°As far as I know, the only people who are mad enough at me to send armed men after me are right here. If you didn¡¯t send them and Treya didn¡¯t send them, then I don¡¯t think I¡¯m their target.¡± He looked down at Katrin. ¡°You didn¡¯t send them, did you?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said, then winced. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. It hurts my head.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to search the men, then look for their camp,¡± Boktar said. Corec said, ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Help me stand up first,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯ll watch over Treya so she doesn¡¯t get too hot lying so close to the fire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a soup,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°When she wakes up, she¡¯ll be hungry, but she¡¯ll need to start with something light.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± # As the view in Yassi¡¯s scrying orb faded away, she looked up at her master. ¡°The hunters have failed again, Your Highness.¡± He growled, his eyes flaring red before they faded back to normal. ¡°This is ludicrous. We¡¯re too far away. It takes weeks for the hunters to reach him, and you and I are wasting half our time trying to keep them on track. We need another option.¡± Or it could be because you attacked in broad daylight, while your target was armed and armored, and surrounded by others, Yassi thought to herself. She was required to serve her master faithfully, but he hated to have his mistakes pointed out. He had little understanding of armed combat, having spent his life learning to master his magic. ¡°Horses,¡± she suggested instead, knowing he¡¯d already rejected the idea. ¡°The hunters would eat them if we didn¡¯t keep a constant watch. Besides, the hunters can run twenty hours a day if I don¡¯t let them stop to feed. That¡¯s faster than a horse can go. No. I need to find some other way to transport them, and until then, we¡¯ll look for a closer target. Have you had any success in finding the others?¡± ¡°I still believe there¡¯s one to the north, hidden within the wards I haven¡¯t been able to penetrate. As for the rest, I need something more to go on. If they¡¯re scattered around the world, I may not have the strength to reach them.¡± ¡°I¡¯d hoped to get the new one before he came into his powers, but the one to the north is closer. We can send a larger group. Four squads.¡± ¡°Once they pass the wards, I won¡¯t be able to see them,¡± Yassi said. ¡°It¡¯s only a scrying ward, yes?¡± ¡°I think so, but I have no way to see if there are other wards farther in.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a scrying ward, then my orders should still hold, but the hunters aren¡¯t smart enough to adapt, and I can¡¯t issue new orders if you can¡¯t tell me what¡¯s happening. I need to send someone with them. Your brother?¡± Yassi scowled. It was her brother who had gotten her into this mess. ¡°Him? Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a seer like you, even if he hasn¡¯t trained it. Once he¡¯s through the wards, he might be able to find the man I¡¯m looking for. And he can watch from a distance, so if the hunters fail, he can bring word back to me. Send for him, and let him know what I wish for him to do.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°And Yassi, keep a close watch on the new one. If he comes closer, let me know.¡± Book 1: Epilogue The dream felt real. Corec walked in the endless mists, trying to peer through them and wondering why he knew it was a dream. Finally, the mists cleared. A man stood in front of him, nearly as tall as Corec himself. He had brown skin and long black hair tied back behind his head, and a jagged scar on one cheek. He carried a spear in one hand and wore a vest. There were four runes along each of his upper arms. One of the runes on his right arm and three on his left glowed with a white light. The other four looked like dull gray scars burned into the skin. ¡°Well?¡± the man said with a heavy accent as he came toward Corec. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡± He looked young, but he moved and spoke as if he was elderly. ¡°What do you mean? Who are you? Where are we?¡± The man harrumphed. ¡°Six told me there was a new one. There shouldn¡¯t be. Not this soon.¡± He waved his hand between them, and Corec found himself suddenly garbed in the same type of clothing the man wore, leaving his arms bare. ¡°Who¡¯s Six? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Four bonds?¡± the man said in a disapproving tone as he stared at Corec¡¯s runes. ¡°How long ago were you chosen? How old are you?¡± Corec glanced down at his left arm. Ellerie¡¯s rune hadn¡¯t appeared yet in the real world, but in this place, it shone brightly, three quarter-circle arcs of different sizes, facing different directions, none of them touching each other. He shook his head to clear it, hoping to bring some semblance of normality. When nothing changed, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll answer your questions if you answer mine. Who are you?¡± The man glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m the First. Not the first First, of course. She¡¯s dead. So¡¯s the second. The second First, I mean. I suppose he was the Second before that, but I didn¡¯t meet him until he was First. Now you. How old are you? When were you chosen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m twenty-two. I don¡¯t know what you mean by chosen, and I want your next answer to make some sort of sense. Where are we?¡± ¡°We all have our own gifts, don¡¯t we? This is mine. You¡¯re too young. Why did you bond four so quickly? You must take time and choose carefully, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡± The man rubbed one of the scars on his right arm. ¡°You know what the runes are?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my questions,¡± the First said. ¡°I don¡¯t know the answers! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on!¡± The man leaned back and squinted at Corec. ¡°We always know. We have to know, or we can¡¯t form the bond. When did you learn how?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about! The runes just appeared. I thought I felt something last time, but I don¡¯t know what it is. I never learned how to do it¡­or not to do it.¡± ¡°You must have. You created them!¡± Even after feeling the spell in his mind when it happened with Ellerie, Corec had held out hope that he somehow wasn¡¯t responsible for it. If the crazy man was right, that hope was gone now. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± he insisted. ¡°Sometimes I meet someone and my arm starts itching, and then later, the rune appears. Like I said, I think I noticed something last time, but I didn¡¯t know what it was until it was done.¡± ¡°Itching? Why¡­¡± The man shook his head and changed the subject. ¡°You¡¯re just bonding random people? Without asking first? You¡¯re worse than Seven.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Seven?¡± ¡°He was chosen before you. Too soon before you. You, Seven, and Six, all too soon. She¡¯s not even three hundred yet. And Seven was only chosen a few years ago. It¡¯s not supposed to happen that way. Someone¡¯s messing with things.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not supposed to happen? What do the runes do?¡± ¡°The runes? They link you. But it¡¯s the bond that matters. It enhances magic, yours and theirs.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The man pursed his lips. ¡°That knowledge doesn¡¯t come with the choosing. The last First said we were chosen to protect the people, but the people we were meant to protect no longer exist. They scattered after the Burning.¡± Corec felt more lost than he¡¯d been before the conversation began. ¡°The Burning?¡± The First shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s all he said, and that¡¯s all I know. I decided to protect my people, instead. The others make their own choices. I¡¯ll tell Six she can kill you.¡± ¡°Wait! What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t bond people without their permission.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to! I don¡¯t know how to stop it!¡± ¡°Then learn,¡± the man said. ¡°Quickly. Maybe she won¡¯t kill you¡ªshe doesn¡¯t listen to me. None of them do anymore.¡± ¡°Can I get rid of the runes? End the bond?¡± The man peered at him curiously. ¡°Three did it once. Ask her. Or ask Six when she comes to kill you¡ªshe knows all sorts of things.¡± ¡°Where can I find Three?¡± Corec figured it would be better to talk to the one who wasn¡¯t planning to kill him. ¡°How should I know?¡± the First said. ¡°I¡¯ve only met the others here, in this place.¡± He waved his arm again, and the dream ended. Corec woke in his tent, Katrin still asleep beside him. # Fox sniffed the sea air. There¡¯d been too many people in Circle Bay for him to sneak around comfortably, but he¡¯d caught the scents he was looking for outside the city, heading south. Reassured that everything was in place, he¡¯d decided to go exploring. Outside a tiny fishing hamlet, he saw a familiar sight perched on a fallen log. Raven, is that you? he asked. The raven cocked its head in a curious fashion, before replying in a voice that creaked with disuse. Yes, Fox, it is I. What brings you here? I was checking up to make sure things are going according to our plan. Plan? Raven asked. Fox sat back on his haunches, dismayed. How could Raven have forgotten? The plan, Fox said gently. The one that you, Bear, and I made. Do you remember? I saw Bear, some moons ago, Raven said, ignoring the question. Is he well? He can no longer speak. I left him on his mountain, the one with all the berries. He¡¯ll be happy there. Fox felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. How is that possible? The people still remember him! Enough of them, at least. Perhaps not the right ones? Raven suggested, almost sounding like his old self for a moment. Those who seek Bravery follow Pallisur now. As if Bravery and War are the same thing. Then only two of us remain, Fox said. He wondered whether, when the plan came to fruition, he would remember enough of it to know whether it had worked or not. He hadn¡¯t felt his mind slipping¡­but then, how would he know if it did? Three. Snake still lives. That was even more of a shock than Bear. Snake had been forgotten with the others long ago. How had he retained his mind? Snake? You¡¯ve seen him? If Snake was still alive, how had he remained hidden all this time? Why? Was he part of the game? There were too many players and too many schemes for Fox to track them all. He hadn¡¯t seen any sign of his most vexing brother¡ªbut then, he¡¯d thought Snake had been dead for three thousand years, so he hadn¡¯t been looking. Fox wished, not for the first time, that Owl was still around to guide them. Cunning was all well and good, but right now, he would have preferred Wisdom. Snake? Raven said. I thought he was dead. But you just said¡­ Fox trailed off. Raven was no longer paying attention to him, and was obviously not in his right mind. Whether Snake lived or not, the plan had already been set in motion. It was too late to change it¡­and the idea that had made so much sense twenty-eight years ago might end up playing right into someone else¡¯s hands. Fox needed a new plan, one that could react to unexpected events. Perhaps he could learn something from the so-called new gods after all. Book 2: Prologue The Lady strode through the dark chamber, the glow that surrounded her lighting up the room¡ªa light that wouldn¡¯t be seen by any observers. She¡¯d come, as she often did, to look upon the face carved into the limestone sarcophagus. Reaching out, she trailed her fingers down the figure¡¯s cheek. Moira. A simple child, but The Lady still fondly remembered the years she¡¯d spent watching that child grow up. Moira had been the first crack in the plan. A first-generation godborn¡ªor she should have been. Instead, she¡¯d been born fully human. Still, that meant a one in four chance that her own child would be godborn. The Lady had played longer odds than that over the years, and she had ways to improve the odds, so she¡¯d continued her work. Then, Fox had meddled, and Moira never met the Prince, never bore his child. The strands of fate that The Lady had been weaving for centuries split in two, and Moira¡¯s only child was born human, ending The Lady¡¯s last hope that something might be salvaged from the plan. It would take years for all the circumstances to align again, and it was unlikely that she had that much time left. Whatever Fox¡¯s intentions had been, there were eight wardens now, and his tampering might well have caused the very events The Lady had been trying to prevent. ¡°Until next time, Daughter,¡± she said, with one last look at the carved face. She turned to leave, but to her surprise, someone stood behind her. ¡°Herasis,¡± the figure said. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, Demesis.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°If you insist, Lady. I¡¯m on your side, you know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of sides. You can use your false name if you like, but I will not.¡± Demesis sighed and shook her head, then peered around the burial chamber. ¡°Why do you come here and torture yourself?¡± ¡°I want to remember her. Someone should.¡± ¡°She had a family.¡± ¡°Not the one she was meant to have.¡± ¡°What¡¯s done is done. We don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen in the future. Pallisur may still fail for any number of reasons. For instance, did you know Arodisis has a pawn in play?¡± ¡°A pawn? Who? And since when does Arodi show any interest in anything that happens outside of her temples?¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t tell me who it is; she just says she wants to keep an eye on things.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not that bad. She was just as fooled by Pallis as the rest of us. She hasn¡¯t spoken to him in five thousand years.¡± ¡°We have to stop him.¡± ¡°I agree, but I¡¯m glad your plan failed¡ªit was dangerously close to what Pallisur is attempting. For all we know, it could have had the same effect.¡± ¡°The risk was small. Combining the four sources of magic isn¡¯t what caused the Burning.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that. Any risk of another Burning is too great, and now those threads you wove are still out there, unanchored.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a problem for the future. For now, we need to deal with Pallisur.¡± Pallisur was closer to getting what he wanted than at any point in the last five thousand years, but The Lady had come up with a new plan. Moira¡¯s son was useless, wandering aimlessly around the countryside without any understanding of what was happening in the wider world, but he wasn¡¯t her only pawn. There was another that still held some promise. An unlikable man, but one who was already scheming in ways that would work to The Lady¡¯s advantage. She couldn¡¯t interfere directly, but she was an expert at manipulating the odds. The danger was greatest when there were eight wardens. An obvious solution suggested itself. Book 2: Chapter One ¡°And then I woke up,¡± Corec said. He was sitting with his companions around a morning campfire, a day away from returning to Circle Bay, though they only planned to stop long enough to buy supplies before continuing north. ¡°Are you sure it wasn¡¯t just a regular dream?¡± Treya asked. Despite her question, the young blonde woman looked hopeful. The things Corec had learned during the dream were their first real lead on how to get rid of the binding runes. ¡°It was a dream, but it didn¡¯t feel like a normal one. I¡¯m sure that it really happened, whatever it was, but the man was crazy, so I don¡¯t know if I trust what he said.¡± ¡°But he said there¡¯s a way to banish the runes?¡± asked a silver-haired elven girl, as she rubbed at a spot on her forehead where her own rune was likely to appear within the next few days. If anything, Ellerie hated the thought of being subjected to a binding spell even more than Treya did, and she hadn¡¯t softened her stance in the nine days they¡¯d been traveling together. ¡°He said someone called Three has done it before, but he doesn¡¯t know where to find her.¡± ¡°Why the numbers, do you think?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Three, Six, Seven¡­and calling himself the First. I take it that means he goes by One?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t call himself One, but maybe. I guess it means there aren¡¯t very many of them, whoever they are.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re one of them?¡± Corec hesitated. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that. He says they¡¯re chosen somehow, but I was never chosen for anything. Maybe they got the wrong person, and what happened to us is all just a big mistake.¡± ¡°Chosen for what, though?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Is the man I met in Tyrsall one of them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about him, but the man in the dream said they were supposed to protect a group of people who are no longer around, so now they just do whatever they want. I got the impression he doesn¡¯t like the others very much.¡± ¡°Protect them how?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­wait. There was one thing¡ªhe said the bond enhances our magic.¡± Ellerie leaned forward. ¡°Enhances it? How?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say. I haven¡¯t noticed a difference, but I never really used my magic much before all this, so I don¡¯t have anything to compare it to.¡± ¡°I was able to use a bardic trick without singing or playing,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I was just talking. That was back in Tyrsall, with that thief. Remember that, Shavala? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s important¡ªI¡¯m not sure what real bards can do.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°Neither am I.¡± Shavala held her right hand cupped in front of her. A small flame appeared, dancing over her palm. ¡°I haven¡¯t cast any spells in weeks, except for lighting our campfires. I haven¡¯t noticed a difference, either.¡± Treya said, ¡°My healing magic has gotten stronger, but I was told that would happen if I used it more, which I have been.¡± ¡°For which we all thank you,¡± Boktar put in. She grinned back at him. ¡°What about that thing you did with the bear skeleton?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I did,¡± Treya replied. ¡°I just shouted, and there was a white light, and then¡­it stopped moving. It must be a new blessing, I suppose. I should ask Priest Telkin when we get back to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Whatever it was, it was handy. I wonder if it would work against those red-eyes.¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think it would.¡± Her voice sounded hesitant. ¡°Not without more practice, anyway.¡± ¡°Then you do know what the spell was?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. Sometimes I just¡­know things. Telkin called them healing senses¡ªI use them to know what¡¯s wrong, so I know how to fix it. When I¡¯m using them to heal, I have to concentrate on it, but sometimes I feel other things whether I¡¯m concentrating or not. The skeleton was wrong, unnatural. The red-eyes are wrong too, but not as much as the skeleton.¡± ¡°That sounds like a druid¡¯s elder senses,¡± Shavala said, ¡°but the red-eyed men seemed like any other men to me, and I couldn¡¯t sense the skeletons at all. Can you feel those trees over there? Or the river below us?¡± Boktar eyed the ground suspiciously. ¡°No,¡± Treya said. ¡°I can only sense the rest of you. And just barely¡ªI¡¯d have to touch you to know if you needed healing.¡± ¡°Each type of magic works differently,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in what he said about enhancing your magic. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way to do that. Was he lying?¡± ¡°He may have been,¡± Corec replied. ¡°And besides, he was crazy. I don¡¯t think he understood my questions any more than I understood his answers.¡± ¡°Hopefully he was telling the truth about undoing the binding spell. If he¡¯s talked to this Three woman in these dreams, why can¡¯t he just ask her where she is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I woke up before I could get any more answers out of him. If it happens again, I¡¯ll ask him.¡± Then, Corec sighed. ¡°And I guess I should mention this¡ªhe said the runes are my fault, and I should be able to control them.¡± ¡°We already knew they were your fault,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I know, but I was still hoping¡­¡± He trailed off, and Katrin squeezed his hand. ¡°But maybe that means I can keep it from happening again.¡± ¡°This person called Six is planning to kill you?¡± Ellerie seemed far too interested in that part of the dream. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell if he was going to ask her to kill me, or if she had asked him for permission. I would prefer if she didn¡¯t go through with it.¡± Ellerie actually smiled at the joke, which Corec would have considered a good sign if it hadn¡¯t been about him dying. He continued speaking. ¡°Oh, and Six must be an elf. He said she was three hundred years old, or almost three hundred¡ªsomething like that.¡± ¡°But he isn¡¯t?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°No, he was human.¡± ¡°Did he say anything else about Three?¡± ¡°All I know is that she¡¯s a she, and that she¡¯s ended the binding spell before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not much to go on.¡± ¡°We could look for the man in Tyrsall again,¡± Katrin suggested. ¡°We¡¯ll have to,¡± Corec said. ¡°If the rune was on his forehead, I guess he must be like one of you, but I wish I knew which of them he was working with.¡± # They stopped when it grew dark, which put them about two hours outside of Circle Bay. That would give them an easy ride the next morning, and then they¡¯d have the rest of the day to buy supplies before setting out again. Ellerie and Boktar had taken to handling the first watch together. While the others retired to their tents, Ellerie walked in a wide circle around the camp, setting an alarm ward. When she reached the spot where she¡¯d started, she whispered the words to the last part of the spell, completing the ward. If anything larger than a raccoon or a rabbit crossed the boundary, an alarm would sound, waking everyone up. They would still keep a watch, but after being attacked by those red-eyed men, she thought it was a good idea to take extra precautions. She returned to the camp and joined Boktar as he walked in a long loop around it. They¡¯d split up later, to cover more ground, but Ellerie liked having the chance to talk to him without all these other people around. For almost three years, after the job was done for the day, it had always been just her and Boktar. Having a group of near-strangers traveling with them was throwing Ellerie off balance, and it didn¡¯t help that Boktar seemed to fit right in, easily making friends with the new people. He¡¯d always been good at that¡ªit was how he¡¯d gotten them the job with the duke¡ªbut it seemed out of place this time. ¡°You¡¯re doing it again,¡± he said as they walked. She cursed, and forced herself to stop scratching at the spot on her forehead that had been affected by the binding spell. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Warding spell all set?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done. If anyone comes through, we¡¯ll know about it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we don¡¯t get another coyote,¡± he said with a grin, referring to a job they¡¯d done a year ago. The ward had woken up two squads of soldiers, who were all set to fight for their lives until they found out it had been set off by an animal that ran away as soon as the sound started. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they have coyotes here,¡± she said absently. ¡°Maybe wolves.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re not even going to crack a smile tonight?¡± ¡°Do you have to be so friendly with them?¡± ¡°With who? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Them!¡± she hissed, pointing back to the tents. ¡°Except for Bobo, you¡¯re treating them like you¡¯ve known them for years.¡± ¡°They¡¯re decent people and they saved our lives. You get along with Treya and Shavala, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Treya, at least. Shavala is¡­harder to get to know.¡± Boktar glanced around to make sure nobody was close enough to hear. ¡°Because she figured out who you are?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think it even occurs to her that that¡¯s important.¡± Ellerie wasn¡¯t sure why that annoyed her¡ªshe¡¯d given up that life, after all. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­she¡¯s dorvasta and a druid, and that means something, even in Terevas.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, but what¡¯s really bothering you? Corec?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Look,¡± Boktar said, ¡°I don¡¯t really understand the spell he cast on you. You say it¡¯s bad and I believe you, but it seems like everyone already agrees with you and wants to do something about it. That¡¯s what that whole conversation was about this morning, right?¡± ¡°If we can trust anything a crazy man says in a dream. If the dream even happened.¡± ¡°You think Corec¡¯s lying about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Think about it¡ªa man accidentally casting a binding spell four times, on four women. Doesn¡¯t that seem suspicious?¡± Boktar shrugged. ¡°As suspicious as anything with magic. Isn¡¯t it just because the binding spell only works with other mages? That¡¯s what the others seem to think.¡± ¡°Then what about all the wizards they spoke to? All men, and no binding spells. He¡¯s only binding women. How is that an accident?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that. So, you don¡¯t think the dream happened?¡± Ellerie stopped walking and considered that for a moment before sighing. ¡°No, I guess I believe him about that. We should at least try to find this Three person.¡± He nodded, then studied her face intently. ¡°Elle, I think something¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, then realized that the constant itch on her brow was slowly fading. ¡°There¡¯s a blue light, like their runes, but it¡¯s moving around.¡± ¡°I need a mirror.¡± She returned to her tent and dug through her pack for the little mirror she carried around with her. As she held it up before her, she saw blue lines moving under her skin until the sigil took shape. It glowed with a pale blue light like Katrin¡¯s, Shavala¡¯s, and Treya¡¯s, but took the form of three rounded arcs of different sizes, arranged near each other but not touching. Boktar had followed her. ¡°Are you all right? Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel it at all, but what¡¯s it supposed to mean? The shape doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± He looked at her curiously. ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°I guess not. At least the damned itching stopped. Let me see if I can do what Treya said.¡± She concentrated on hiding the sigil, then locking it away in a corner of her mind. The glow faded and disappeared, and she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Hiding it feels like my arrow shield spell¡ªI can hold it in place without thinking about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡± ¡°Well, at least nobody will see it on me,¡± Ellerie said. For now, she could deal with it the way Treya did, by concealing it and pretending it wasn¡¯t there. It was a better solution than Katrin¡¯s hat. Shavala was nearly as good at hiding her own sigil as Treya, but she¡¯d stopped doing so once they¡¯d left the city. She¡¯d never mentioned why. ¡°So, what happens next?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°Let¡¯s get back out there¡ªwe¡¯re supposed to be on watch. And then tomorrow, I try to figure out that banishing spell again.¡± # Katrin peered down at the maps Shavala had borrowed from Ellerie. One of Corec¡¯s mage lights hung in the air above them, giving them enough light to see inside the tent. ¡°Where do you want to go after the Storm Heights?¡± she asked the elven woman. ¡°I¡¯d originally thought to go west across the northern plains, then down the coast to Terevas,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Ellerie is considering the northern plains, but I don¡¯t think she plans to go as far as Terevas.¡± ¡°What are the northern plains like?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been there,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a lot of fighting, and sometimes the snow beasts will attack villages.¡± ¡°Snow beasts are in my book,¡± Shavala said, referring to a book about exotic animals that she¡¯d purchased in Tyrsall. ¡°Bobo read the page for me. I would like to see them¡ªno one I know has ever seen one, not even Meritia.¡± ¡°They can be dangerous,¡± Corec said. ¡°I would be careful.¡± ¡°Going down the coast would take us through Larso, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Katrin asked. She glanced at Corec, but he was staring at the side of the tent and didn¡¯t seem to have heard her. ¡°Yes,¡± Shavala replied. ¡°Do you want to go to Larso?¡± Katrin asked Corec. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re barely paying attention.¡± He sighed. ¡°I just keep thinking about the man in the dream. The things he said.¡± ¡°About undoing the spell?¡± ¡°No, about how they¡ªwhoever they are¡ªwere chosen to protect some group of people that don¡¯t exist anymore. Who were they? And if they¡¯re no longer around, who¡¯s doing the choosing?¡± ¡°Maybe Bobo can find out, but why is that bothering you so much?¡± ¡°When they kicked me out of the knights, I was just a few months away from taking the oaths¡ªto protect the people of Larso, protect the king of Larso, and protect the Church of Pallisur. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t complete the ceremony, after everything that happened, but what he said reminded me of that.¡± ¡°You think the guy in the dream is some kind of knight?¡± ¡°Well, maybe not a knight, but he looked like he knew how to fight. He said he¡¯d chosen to protect his own people. It made me wonder what I¡¯m supposed to do with my life.¡± Katrin took a guess at where he was leading. ¡°You want to protect your people?¡± Corec laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t even have people anymore unless I count you two, and maybe the others. But I need to do something. I was a caravan guard because it was an easy choice. I knew how to swing a sword, and I didn¡¯t have to think about anything else. Being a courier or bodyguard are easy choices too, but I¡¯m not sure an easy choice is enough anymore. But what else is there? Matagor used to have knights, but that was a hundred years ago, and Larso¡¯s the only northern kingdom that still keeps a real army. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± ¡°Well, if we help Ellerie find her treasure, that¡¯d be something different.¡± He laughed again. ¡°If she tolerates us for that long, sure.¡± Shavala said, ¡°She¡¯s not a bad person, she¡¯s just very angry right now.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t blame her for that. These bloody runes have messed up everyone¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°Some good things have come out of it,¡± Katrin said. ¡°The three of us wouldn¡¯t know each other without them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Corec said. ¡°When you put it that way, it¡¯s worth it.¡± That was nice to hear. Corec wasn¡¯t prone to romantic gestures, so Katrin had to pay attention to his actions to determine how he was feeling. She considered it for a moment, then took off her hat. She¡¯d have removed it for bed soon anyway, but perhaps it was time to stop wearing it, at least when they were away from any cities. She¡¯d grown accustomed to the glowing blue symbol on her brow, and maybe it was silly to keep trying to hide it¡ªor hide from it. Corec took her hand, and Shavala smiled at them both. ¡°And I know you like the others too,¡± Katrin said. Then she grinned. ¡°Even Bobo. We¡¯ll figure out a way to get along with Ellerie.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself.¡± He stared at the side of the tent again. ¡°There¡¯s something else that¡¯s been worrying me, that I didn¡¯t tell everyone earlier. The First had eight runes on his arms, but only four were glowing. The other four just looked like scars burned into his skin.¡± Shavala said, ¡°If each of the sigils indicates a binding spell with a different person, what happened to the four that no longer glow?¡± Katrin¡¯s skin crawled. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think I want to know the answer.¡± Corec said, ¡°It¡¯s something else I¡¯ll ask if I ever see him again, but I don¡¯t know how he¡¯ll react.¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t do anything about it right now. Maybe the man in Tyrsall will know, if we can find him.¡± He nodded. ¡°Anyway, what were we talking about earlier? Did you say something about Larso?¡± ¡°Shavala was thinking of going south to Terevas, along the west coast, but that would take us through Larso.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, I don¡¯t have any particular desire to visit, but I¡¯ve heard the coastal cities aren¡¯t as bad. I should probably stay away from Telfort, Northtower, or Hightower, though.¡± ¡°Do you want to visit your family?¡± ¡°The Black Crow Mountains are a long way from the coast. It would be better to head straight south.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go that way if we¡¯ve figured out the binding spells by then. We can follow the coast through Larso, then go inland to Matagor and see the library Bobo keeps talking about, and take the road south to Terevas.¡± ¡°Are you going home after Terevas?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°No, I still want to see the seaborn homeland, and the southern kingdoms, and take a ship across the sea to other lands.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of traveling,¡± Corec said. ¡°We may not be able to stay with you the whole time.¡± ¡°I know. You two would like to settle down. But for as long as you wish, I would welcome your company.¡± Katrin said, ¡°What if we haven¡¯t figured out the binding spells, and Ellerie wants to go a different direction to keep searching for her treasure?¡± ¡°Meritia insists that that¡¯s the excitement of a druid¡¯s travels,¡± Shavala said with a shrug. ¡°You never know what will happen next.¡± Corec reached for his left arm. ¡°I feel different. The itching has stopped.¡± ¡°Ellerie¡¯s rune?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°It must be.¡± He pulled his chain shirt over his head, setting it on top of the pile he¡¯d already made of his plate armor. Then he removed the padded doublet and the undershirt he wore beneath it all. On his left arm, just below Shavala¡¯s mark, was a new one¡ªthree small arcs arranged closely together. He studied it for a moment before saying, ¡°The dream must have been real. That¡¯s the same rune I saw there.¡± ¡°Should you go talk to Ellerie about it?¡± ¡°Something tells me she probably doesn¡¯t want to talk to me just now.¡± # Razai watched her quarry through the spyglass. He and his friends had left Circle Bay and traveled south for several days, then abruptly turned back north, but why? Razai hadn¡¯t seen any reason for the change in direction. Now, they were following the road that would lead back into the city. She wasn¡¯t sure which direction they¡¯d leave from, so she¡¯d have to try to track him through the crowds. Behind you, the whispers warned her, but not soon enough. ¡°Who are you?¡± a voice called out. She turned, keeping the spyglass out of sight. The speaker was a nilvasta man dressed in plain human clothing. ¡°My name is Aden,¡± she replied, hoping she¡¯d gotten the voice right. Male voices were always more difficult for her. ¡°I can see through your disguise, demonborn. Why are you following those people?¡± Razai wore the face of a dockworker she¡¯d encountered once, a homely young man. It kept people from taking notice of her, but it was only an illusion. Some mages could see through illusions, and if this man could, then he was potentially dangerous. ¡°Why are you following them?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m watching for you, it seems. Who hired you? One of the High Councilors?¡± Razai stared at him, not sure how to respond. ¡°I have no interest in Terevassian politics, elf. My business is my own.¡± The man started whispering indistinct words. He was a wizard then, and was attempting to cast a spell. Letting the spyglass fall to the ground behind her, she drew one of her heavy-bladed, curved daggers and threw it at him. The daggers weren¡¯t designed for throwing, but it startled him when the flat of the blade slapped against his chest. He jumped back, losing the words to the spell, and looked in her direction to find she was already rushing him with her other dagger. She swung down and to the side, the blade slashing into his torso and bouncing off his ribs. He didn¡¯t scream, just gritted his teeth and collapsed to his knees. He started whispering again, so she tightened her grip around the dagger¡¯s hilt and punched him in the face with it. He fell to the ground, unconscious. She flipped the weapon around so the blade faced down, over the man¡¯s body, but then stopped herself. She was not her father, and she didn¡¯t know for certain that the elf had been trying to harm her. Besides, she¡¯d only been ordered to watch, not to kill anyone, and his interests didn¡¯t appear to contradict her own. She cut strips from his clothing to bind the gash in his side and stop the bleeding. That was likely to be the more serious of his wounds. Head injuries were dangerous, but she didn¡¯t think the punch she¡¯d given him was enough to kill him. Taking him into the city wouldn¡¯t be a good idea, but there was a village an hour¡¯s ride back that had a temple to Demesis. If she could find the elf¡¯s horse, she might be able to get him there. She¡¯d lose sight of her quarry, but hopefully the whispers would be able to track him. Book 2: Chapter Two The chilly autumn rain poured down as the horses trudged along the South Road, nine days north of Circle Bay. For the first seven days, the road had followed the coastline and they¡¯d stayed in fishing villages when they could find one, but then the main road had curved west, cutting through a forest. It wasn¡¯t the Terril Forest¡ªthey were too far east and the trees weren¡¯t tall enough¡ªbut the area was heavily wooded. According to their maps, the reason the road had turned inland was to go around the Bluewater River¡¯s massive estuary, which gradually fanned out to form Tyrsall Bay. The road would lead them to a bridge over the river, and then to Tyrsall itself, which was built on the north shore of the bay. Smaller trails led off from the South Road to the numerous fishing villages dotted along the coastline and the south shore of the bay. The rain wasn¡¯t heavy, but it was constant, and the road was growing muddier by the hour. They¡¯d estimated it would take fifteen days to travel from Circle Bay to Tyrsall, but if the weather didn¡¯t let up soon, it would certainly take longer. Corec tugged the hood of his cloak more firmly over his head to keep the water from dripping down his helmet and into his cuirass. He looked up when Boktar dropped back to ride beside him. ¡°Ellerie thinks we should stop for the day if we can find an inn, even if it¡¯s a few hours early,¡± the dwarf said. ¡°Do you know of any coming up?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never actually gone this way before.¡± Corec turned to Katrin, who was riding on his other side. ¡°You¡¯ve taken the South Road, right?¡± ¡°Just the once, but it was six years ago and we were going in the other direction. Nothing looks familiar, except the trees and the rain.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to keep going and see,¡± Boktar said. They rounded a corner then and saw a village, but it was a scene of chaos. People were wandering around in the rain shouting to each other, while in the distance, a large building burned. Nobody was making an effort to put out the fire. ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out,¡± Corec said to the dwarf, then turned to Katrin. ¡°Stay here, just in case.¡± She frowned at him but nodded. The two men joined Ellerie at the front of the column, staring at the bedlam and trying to make sense of what was going on. Some of the villagers appeared to be injured, with others helping them to walk. Two men were carrying someone between them, and there were bodies in the road that weren¡¯t moving. Treya came up to the head of the group and then kept riding, calling back over her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m going to go help.¡± Corec spurred his horse after her. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡± They dismounted once they¡¯d neared the commotion, looping their reins around a nearby hitching post. Ellerie and Boktar were leading the rest of the group toward them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Corec asked a man who was walking past him. When the man didn¡¯t reply, Corec tugged on his shirt sleeve. The man turned, but his eyes weren¡¯t focusing on anything. There was blood on his shirt but he didn¡¯t seem to be injured. Corec asked the question again, but the man just looked confused. Treya had crouched down next to one of the bodies in the road. She reached out to touch it, then stood and shook her head sadly. ¡°We need to find whoever¡¯s in charge.¡± They continued down the road until they came to two men wearing matching scale armor shirts over padded gambesons. It looked like some sort of soldier¡¯s or guardsman¡¯s uniform. One of the men was kneeling in the road to support the other, who was unconscious. The kneeling man called out to someone else a few buildings away. ¡°Priest! We need your help!¡± The priest, wearing gray and white robes that marked him as a follower of The Lady, hurried over. He turned out to be a very young man, barely of an age to shave judging by the thin mustache he was attempting to cultivate. ¡°Wh¡­wh¡­what happened to him?¡± the boy priest asked, staring down at the men. ¡°One of the ogres hit him in the chest with a club,¡± the guard said. ¡°You¡¯ve got to help him!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯m a healer.¡± The priest transferred his wide-eyed stare to her. ¡°Oh, thank you! So many people are hurt! They¡¯re all coming to the temple, but I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Then we should bring this one there, too. Let me see if it¡¯s safe to move him.¡± Treya knelt down and touched the man¡¯s forehead briefly, then returned to her feet. ¡°His ribs and arm are broken, and he¡¯s bleeding on the inside, but I think we can take him indoors without making things worse. It¡¯s better than leaving him lying in the mud, at least.¡± ¡°Thank you, Priestess,¡± the other man said, then looked around as if trying to figure out how to carry his friend. Corec stepped up. ¡°I¡¯ll support one shoulder if you get the other. Treya, which arm is hurt?¡± ¡°The right one, but it¡¯s a mess. We need some other way to carry him.¡± She turned to their companions, who were approaching. ¡°Boktar! Bobo! Come help!¡± When they reached her, she said, ¡°All right, you four, pair up. Lay him flat, and two of you face each other and reach under his shoulders, and two more under his lower back. Try not to put any pressure on his ribs or his arm. Priest¡­what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Davi.¡± ¡°Davi, you and I will hold his legs.¡± Corec ended up at the injured man¡¯s right shoulder, facing the other guard, whose name turned out to be Jase. They laid the broken arm across the man¡¯s stomach and tried not to jostle it as they lifted him up into the air. The group carried him feet first so the priest could direct them to his temple, a plain wooden building a bit larger than a cottage. It was already crowded with other wounded. Ellerie followed after them, stopping to pick up the fallen man¡¯s sword from where it lay in the street, while Katrin and Shavala stayed behind to watch the animals. Once they were inside, Treya said, ¡°All right, lay him down. Carefully.¡± The only furniture in the room were the pews, so they laid him on the floor. As soon as they were done, several other villagers came over to Davi, begging for help. The boy appeared overwhelmed, looking back and forth between the man lying on the floor and the other wounded people. ¡°I¡¯m going to go get my salves,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Some of these folks don¡¯t look too bad. I¡¯ll take care of the ones I can.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Treya said, sounding relieved. ¡°Priest Davi, are you a healer?¡± ¡°No, Priestess; I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take care of this man. You go around to everyone else and find out how they¡¯re hurt. Help them if you can, or talk to Bobo¡ªthe man who just left¡ªwhen he gets back. If it¡¯s serious, bring them to me, but I don¡¯t know how many people I can heal.¡± Davi nodded and went to speak to his parishioners, while Treya knelt down and laid her hands on the injured man¡¯s chest and arm. Her hands began to glow with a pale white light. Corec took Jase to the side. ¡°She¡¯ll be able to help him. What happened here? You said there were ogres?¡± Ellerie and Boktar joined them, and the guard looked at the three of them, appearing to notice their armor and weapons for the first time. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Ogres, I think. What else could they be? They were big and tall, and they just came out of nowhere and started attacking people. I¡¯ve got to tell Baron Pavik!¡± ¡°Baron Pavik?¡± Corec said. ¡°Is that who you work for?¡± ¡°Yes, Will and I were here guarding the baron¡¯s tax man. The ogres got the tax man. I¡¯ve got to tell the baron about that, too.¡± ¡°What happened to the ogres?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°They all ran off after a while, west, into the woods. I don¡¯t know why¡ªWill and I tried to fight them, and a few of the locals with pitchforks and shovels, but we didn¡¯t do much good.¡± ¡°They¡¯re trying to scare you off,¡± Boktar said. ¡°It sounds like a group of young males who broke off from their clan. Ogres don¡¯t send out raiding parties unless they¡¯re looking to expand or start a new clan, and I don¡¯t know of any ogre clans this close to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°If they¡¯re trying to establish a new clan, won¡¯t they come back?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Yes, until they drive the people away so they can claim the area for themselves.¡± Jase said, ¡°Then I¡¯ve got to tell the baron right away, but I can¡¯t leave these people alone.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the baron?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Pavik Village is east and north of here, overlooking the sea.¡± ¡°The sea?¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s got to be thirty, thirty-five miles away, at least.¡± ¡°Closer to forty, with the trails I¡¯d have to take,¡± the guard replied. That meant it would take him at least a day to reach the baron and another day to get back. ¡°You¡¯re sure they¡¯ll come back?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re anything like the ogres near Stone Home, they will,¡± Boktar said. ¡°But no, I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± ¡°How many were there?¡± Corec asked. The man shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I saw six at least, but I could hear more than that.¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure how Ellerie and Boktar felt, but he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what the man in the dream had said. He spoke to the guard. ¡°You should go find the baron and bring back as many men as you can. I¡¯ll stay here until you get back, in case the ogres return.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Ellerie eyed him sharply but didn¡¯t say anything, while Boktar simply nodded in agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are,¡± the guard said. ¡°I can¡¯t leave if they might come back.¡± Corec said, ¡°We¡¯re just passing through, but I can stay here as well as you can. You said that you need to get to the baron. The other option is to force everyone to leave the village until the guards arrive, but you can¡¯t do that in this rain, not with the weather growing colder.¡± Jase pursed his lips, then nodded reluctantly. ¡°All right. I¡¯m going to go ask the healer if Will will be able to ride. Excuse me for a moment.¡± After he¡¯d left, Ellerie said, ¡°You should have talked to us before deciding we¡¯d stay here.¡± ¡°I only said I would stay. I wasn¡¯t really expecting you to stick around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to just leave without helping them! But we should have talked about a plan first. One of us could have gone for the baron, so the guard could stay. The people here know him, and they don¡¯t know us. Or we could have sent one of the men who live here, so we could all stay.¡± Corec nodded. He¡¯d gotten too accustomed to making decisions for the group without consulting anyone else, and he¡¯d have to try to break that habit. ¡°Good point, but the guard knows the baron, and he knows the fastest way to reach him.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Boktar said, ¡°but now we need to figure out what to do about the ogres.¡± # Treya focused her healing senses on the injured guardsman, trying to identify his most serious injuries. His right arm was broken, but so were several ribs, and the topmost of those had shattered into broken edges, severing nearby blood vessels. She needed to heal the blood vessels, but if she didn¡¯t do something about the rib first, the sharp edges would just cut into them again. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to heal a break like that. When she¡¯d broken her own rib fighting the drake, the two sides of the bone had remained in place, and she¡¯d simply applied enough healing to keep them that way. Now, though, she needed some way to push the bone fragments back into position. Her regular healing magic wouldn¡¯t do that, and she had no way to reach beneath the man¡¯s skin. How did other healers do it? Priest Telkin could tell her, but he wasn¡¯t here, so she¡¯d have to make do on her own. She placed both of her hands over the man¡¯s chest and focused on the breaks in his ribs. Her healing senses were separate from her regular senses, but to her, they¡¯d always seemed more like sight than anything else. However, as she tried to examine the back side of the rib, she realized she could almost feel what she was doing. It was as if she had extra fingers¡ªfingers that could reach through the man¡¯s armor and skin. But fingers were too thick for the delicate work that was needed. She needed something different. She extended thin tendrils of nothingness into the guard¡¯s upper chest. As the tendrils curled around the fragments of rib, Treya realized that the sensation was the same as when she actually healed someone. They seemed to be an extension of the healing itself, rather than part of her healing sense. But could they do something other than feel? She tightened her pull on the tendrils, pressing two of the bone fragments back together, then applied a thin layer of healing magic between them. The fragments stayed in place, so she reached for another, then another. Treya lost herself in her work, and was startled when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She blinked as she remembered where she was. Looking up, she saw that Jase, the other guard, had tried to get her attention. Treya stood and faced him, her knees hurting from kneeling for too long. ¡°Priestess,¡± the man said, ¡°how is Will?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me that¡ªI¡¯m not a real priestess. Just call me Treya. Your friend will live, but he¡¯s still in bad shape. If I can, I¡¯ll try to heal him more later, but no matter what I do, the broken bones are going to take time.¡± ¡°I suppose he has to stay here, then?¡± ¡°Yes, he can¡¯t be moved right now. Perhaps later.¡± Jase nodded. ¡°Will you watch over him for me? I have to go to Pavik Village and let the baron know about the ogre attack.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here for as long as he needs me, and then I¡¯ll leave him in in Priest Davi¡¯s care.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± As he left the temple, another man came in, limping and dark with soot. He had one arm wrapped around a shorter woman, as she supported him to walk. Bobo and Davi were busy with others, so Treya hurried over to the newcomers, helping the man to sit. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked, as she knelt down to check his injury. It was the woman who responded. ¡°The fire at the inn jumped to our house. He ran back in and a beam fell on him. We came here to see if that new boy, Davi, could fix his foot.¡± ¡°Was tryin¡¯ to get the dog out,¡± the man said, ¡°but he was too scared of the fire to come with me. I¡¯ll be all right, miss. Milly insisted I come, but I¡¯ll heal up on my own.¡± ¡°The dog got out just fine,¡± the woman said, exasperated. ¡°It was you that didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Let me take a look,¡± Treya said. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see if Priest Davi can help.¡± She rolled the man¡¯s pant leg up and saw burn marks on his shin, but when she extended her healing senses, she found that his ankle was sprained too. She¡¯d seen enough sprains during her mystic training to recognize it. ¡°We¡¯ll need to get that shoe off.¡± ¡°I can do that, Priestess Treya,¡± Davi said, coming up to them. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, standing. ¡°After that, wash his leg with water and soap. Did they teach you how to take care of a sprained ankle?¡± ¡°Umm, I think so. Rest it, and dip it in a bucket of cold water?¡± ¡°Yes, or use ice if there¡¯s any in town. You can also wrap something around it to cut down on the swelling, but not too tight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to heal him, Priestess?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no priestess, and I¡¯m not a very good healer. I need to save my strength in case there¡¯s another serious injury.¡± She waved to Bobo and raised her voice. ¡°Can I get some of that burn salve and the wound ointment?¡± Bobo finished wrapping a bandage around a young boy¡¯s arm, then brought the jars over to Treya. ¡°At this rate, I suspect we¡¯ll use up everything I¡¯ve got. I wish I hadn¡¯t sold so much¡ªthis temple has a disturbing lack of supplies.¡± Treya shrugged. ¡°We might as well use it if we have it. That¡¯s what it¡¯s for.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Bobo returned to his patient. Treya turned back to Davi. ¡°After you¡¯ve washed his leg, use this one first,¡± she held up the wound ointment, ¡°on any scrapes or on the deeper burns. It¡¯ll help prevent infection. Then, use the burn salve on top of all the burns, even the ones you used the other ointment on. When you¡¯re done, cover everything with clean bandages. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± # The horses and mules were nervous from all the commotion, so Shavala calmed them as best she could, while she and Katrin switched out the bridles for halters and lead ropes, then set up a picket line. ¡°Did that man say it was ogres that did this?¡± Katrin asked as they worked. She looked scared. ¡°Yes,¡± Shavala said, pointing to a footprint in the mud, twice as long and twice as wide as a normal man¡¯s foot. Katrin stared at it for a moment before speaking. ¡°Have you ever seen one before?¡± ¡°No. They sometimes visit the southern border camps to trade, but the rangers say it¡¯s difficult to talk with them because they can¡¯t speak any language but their own, which isn¡¯t much of a language.¡± ¡°Trade? What would ogres trade?¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve heard they bring animal skins and furs. I don¡¯t know what they ask for in return.¡± Once all the animals were tied up, they looked down the road. The fire in the large building was burning slowly because of the rain, but it had reached other buildings nearby. The villagers had finally organized a bucket line to try to put it out. ¡°Should we help them?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know if two more people would really be of much help. Let me try something first.¡± Was rain easier to manipulate than wind? Shavala closed her eyes and reached out for it. She¡¯d sensed rain before, as part of her training, but she hadn¡¯t tried to do anything with it. Once rain had fallen from a cloud, not much could be done, and her elder senses hadn¡¯t extended far enough to reach the clouds back then. Now, though, if she focused solely in one direction, she could feel the lower layer of clouds¡ªthe layer that was heaviest with moisture. ¡°Shavala?¡± Katrin sounded concerned. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to help.¡± As she concentrated, Shavala realized that each cloud consisted solely of water, just as the other druids had told her. There was always water in the air, of course, but usually it was part of the air and not a separate liquid. It seemed strange to her that clouds were essentially the same thing as fog, but could somehow float much higher up in the sky. Meritia had told her that there were two ways to make it rain. One was to make the temperature cooler, so more of the water would condense back into a liquid, but after Shavala¡¯s experience on the Osprey, she was wary of attempting to manipulate the wind, and she didn¡¯t know of any other way to make the air cooler. The other option would only work if there was already a rain cloud. If she could make more of the water droplets move, and bump into each other along the way, they¡¯d become heavy enough to fall out of the air. The water droplets in the cloud were too small for her to feel them individually, so she called to them as a whole, as if she was calling water from an underground stream. It worked, but it didn¡¯t make much of a difference until she reached higher up into the clouds. The higher the droplets were, the more others they gathered on the way down. Shavala laughed as she realized it had worked, but the heavier rain was falling fifty feet from where it was needed. She hadn¡¯t accounted for the wind, so she moved closer and adjusted her aim, Katrin following along behind her. Finally she had it right. Satisfied with the torrential downpour she¡¯d caused over the burning buildings, Shavala stopped and faced upward, closing her eyes as she felt the rain on her face. She¡¯d hardly used any magic at all in months, other than starting campfires, and the spell had come to her more easily than she¡¯d expected. Was there some truth to Corec¡¯s dream? Did the binding sigils enhance their magic? Most of the buildings that were on fire would still likely burn to the ground¡ªthey were too far gone to be saved¡ªbut Shavala was satisfied that the flames wouldn¡¯t spread any farther. The bucket line came to a confused halt as the villagers peered around, wondering why the storm had gotten so much worse right over their heads. They shook themselves out of it and resumed what they¡¯d been doing, but now they focused on trying to save the buildings where the fire hadn¡¯t gotten bad yet. Shavala continued the spell for as long as she could, having to keep tight control over it to accommodate the movement of the clouds and the shifting of the winds, but soon, she fell to her knees, gasping for air. Katrin wrapped her arms around her. ¡°Are you all right? I didn¡¯t know you could do that.¡± ¡°Neither did I.¡± ¡°Let me help you up. You¡¯re getting your new coat all muddy.¡± Katrin helped her to stand, and Shavala leaned against one of the cottages lining the road as she caught her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think they need our help with the fire anymore,¡± she said. Katrin laughed. ¡°No, I guess not. You stay here and rest while I water the animals, then we can go find the others.¡± There was a water trough near where they¡¯d set up the picket line, so Katrin returned there and took the horses and mules off the line one at a time to give them a chance to drink. By the time Shavala was able to join her, Corec, Ellerie, and Boktar had returned from the temple. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Still helping with the wounded,¡± Corec said. ¡°Between the ogres and the fire, there are a lot of them.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Ellerie said, ¡°We¡¯re going to try to track the ogres. They went west.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Once we know how many there are and where they¡¯re at, we¡¯ll come back and set up a lookout, so we can watch out for them in case they come back. Hopefully the guards will arrive by the time they return.¡± Shavala winced at the thought of Corec and Boktar crashing through the forest in their armor. ¡°I¡¯ll track them,¡± she said. ¡°I can move a lot faster than you.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± Corec asked, concerned. ¡°You can¡¯t fight a group of ogres by yourself.¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t trying to fight them. They won¡¯t see me. You didn¡¯t see me when I was tracking you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°If we all go together, then we¡¯d at least have a chance if they do see us.¡± ¡°I trained with the rangers,¡± Shavala told her. ¡°I can hunt and track as well as them. I¡¯ll find the ogres and follow them to wherever they¡¯re going, and they¡¯ll never know I was there. The armor is too loud and too slow.¡± Ellerie nodded reluctantly. ¡°We can leave our armor behind,¡± Corec said. ¡°It¡¯s almost nightfall,¡± Shavala said, ¡°and the clouds are too heavy for any moonlight to get through. You can¡¯t see in the dark, and if you use your mage lights, the ogres will see them. And you don¡¯t know how to run in the forest without making a sound. The ogres will hear you if you get close, and then you¡¯d have to fight them without any armor. I can do this faster and better on my own.¡± ¡°You can see in the dark?¡± he asked. ¡°I can see movement, and my elder senses will show me everything nearby, no matter how dark it is.¡± He frowned but nodded. ¡°How many days did you follow us without us knowing you were there?¡± ¡°Four, and sometimes I got almost as close to you as I am now.¡± Boktar said, ¡°I suppose the rest of us could start setting up some defenses, just in case the ogres return before the guards get here.¡± ¡°I can place an alarm ward along the western edge of town,¡± Ellerie said. While the others started making plans, Shavala took off her quiver and handed it to Katrin. She couldn¡¯t afford to fight the ogres, and she¡¯d move faster without it. ¡°Can you take this and my bow and get them both out of the rain?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She gave Katrin her coat and her blue scarf next, then hid her rune from view. The more she blended in with the forest, the better. ¡°Are you sure you should do this?¡± Katrin whispered to her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired from the spell?¡± ¡°I feel¡­tingly. Like I need to do something. Anything. I won¡¯t use any more magic, though.¡± She made her farewells, then headed to the western edge of town to pick up the trail. The ogres probably wouldn¡¯t be difficult to track, but the sooner she got started, the sooner she¡¯d find them. She caught sight of their footprints in the mud, and ran after them. Book 2: Chapter Three The night was dark and overcast, but the entire west end of the village was illuminated by torches, lanterns, and mage lights as the villagers watched the forest and waited for a possible attack. ¡°Were you able to get word to the hunters that live outside town?¡± Corec asked the mayor, a man named Barl, as they both eyed the trees in the distance. ¡°I sent boys out with messages, but I wouldn¡¯t expect to hear back until morning,¡± the man said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many will come.¡± ¡°Well, at least we¡¯ll have the ones who are already here. I talked to them about our plan and they¡¯re marking out spots for themselves.¡± Just then, Shavala trudged out of the trees and headed toward the lights. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Corec asked when she reached him. ¡°You look exhausted.¡± ¡°Too much magic, and it¡¯s been a long day.¡± He nodded. Katrin had told him about the rain spell. ¡°Did you find the ogres?¡± ¡°There are nine of them. Some are injured, but not badly enough to slow them down.¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± Mayor Barl asked. ¡°West, then north,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Near a big pond. If they take the same route, I think they can get here in about two hours, but they were bedding down for the night when I left.¡± ¡°If we know where they are, should we attack them?¡± Barl asked, then looked as if he regretted speaking. ¡°Only after your baron sends some guards,¡± Corec said. ¡°Until then, it¡¯s better to stay here, like we talked about. If they come back, we at least have a position we can defend. And if they¡¯re only two hours away, they might be back sooner than we¡¯d hoped.¡± ¡°I¡¯m faster than them,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I can go out in the morning to see if they¡¯re on the move, and then come back here to let you know.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°All right. You should go get some rest for now, though.¡± ¡°I will. Where are the others?¡± ¡°Treya and Bobo are asleep back at the temple. They looked as tired as you, but the big building that burned down was the only inn, so the priest took us in. Katrin¡¯s with them, watching over the wounded. I think Ellerie¡¯s trying to sleep too¡ªshe cast a larger alarm ward than usual. Boktar¡¯s around here somewhere, trying to find something to barricade the streets with. He and I are going to take turns sleeping in one of the houses on this end of town, so we¡¯re close by in case anything happens tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the temple, then.¡± After she¡¯d gone, Barl said, ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll attack before the baron¡¯s men get here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience with ogres, but Boktar does, and he says we need to be ready for them.¡± ¡°Do you really think we can fight them without the baron¡¯s men, after what happened today?¡± ¡°Today, you were surprised and nobody was armed. Once we show everyone what to do, it¡¯ll be a different story. The archers alone will make a huge difference. Make sure everyone gets enough sleep, though. Go count out half the men that are on watch and tell them to go to bed for the next four hours, then have them switch with the other half.¡± The mayor nodded and headed off. Luckily, when faced with fighting an enemy that had already killed four of their own, the townsfolk were willing to take Corec¡¯s and Boktar¡¯s suggestions, viewing their armor and weapons as a symbol of authority. They¡¯d kept the plan simple, since the men in the village weren¡¯t trained soldiers, but once some basic defenses were in place, Corec was optimistic about their chances if it came down to a battle before the baron¡¯s men showed up. More than that, helping with the planning had felt right. The knights of Pallisur were trained to lead men in battle¡ªsoldiers, guardsmen, or even villagers like these who just needed someone to show them what to do. Corec wasn¡¯t much of a tactician, but these people didn¡¯t need an expert, just somebody who could give them a way to defend themselves. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t quite what the crazy man in the dream had meant, but it felt closer to it than anything else Corec had done in the past six years. # The next afternoon, Katrin grasped her flute tightly in her hand, nervously watching the forest from the roof of a house. One of the hunters who plied his trade in the woods around the village was with her, holding a bow as tall as he was. Six other archers were hidden on other rooftops nearby. Only two of the hunters had been in town during the initial attack, and both had been caught without their bows, but now they were ready to fight back. The street to Katrin¡¯s left had been blocked off with a wagon, as had most of the other streets in town, in an attempt to funnel the ogres into a spot between the buildings to her right, where Corec and Boktar stood in front of a group of farmers and villagers armed with pitchforks. Corec had spent the morning training the men on how to use the implements to stop an enemy charge, as a short version of a pike. Treya and Ellerie stood to one side of the group. Treya had insisted on being present for the battle, leaving Bobo and the village priest with the wounded. Suddenly, Shavala ran out of the tree line and straight to where Corec and Boktar stood. It had been her third scouting trip that day, and had been much shorter than the first two. When she was done speaking to the men, she headed to Katrin¡¯s building and climbed the ladder. When she¡¯d reached the roof, she retrieved her bow and quiver, which were already there waiting for her. She strung the bow, then slung the quiver over her back, fastening the strap tightly so it would stay in place. ¡°Did you see the ogres?¡± the hunter asked. ¡°They¡¯re heading this way,¡± Shavala replied. ¡°They¡¯ll be here any minute.¡± ¡°All nine of them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Corec finished arranging his men, having them brace the handles of their pitchforks against their feet, holding the tines out at an angle. He then waved up at all the archers, giving them the signal that the enemy was coming. There was the sound of a bell ringing as Ellerie¡¯s alarm ward was triggered, and then the ogres appeared from the forest, heading for the village. They looked almost like people, but they were nine or ten feet tall, with rough features, gray skin, and thick muscles. Their clothing was made of animal furs, belted together with leather straps. Most of them carried large wooden clubs as weapons, but the two in the lead had stone-headed axes. When they saw the armed men lined up to meet them, they split into two groups. Five of the ogres ran toward Corec, Boktar, and the villagers, while the others went one street south, shoving the wagon barricade out of their way. That put a row of homes between them and the defenders, which meant it was up to the archers on Katrin¡¯s side of the battle to stop them. Shavala and the other archer ran to the south side of the building, taking aim, as did the two men on the next roof over. Shavala loosed her arrow first. It hit the leader in the shoulder, but didn¡¯t penetrate far. He brushed it off and looked up at them, then charged, raising his weapon high enough that he¡¯d be able to reach them. As the other archers fired, Katrin put her flute to her mouth and played, suffusing the music with her bardic magic. Outside of her performances, she¡¯d never tried to affect more than one target before, and something felt strangely different about the song. She kept playing though¡ªshe didn¡¯t know if it would work, but it was the only way she could think of to contribute. She was so focused on the music, she almost didn¡¯t notice when the archers started calling back and forth to each other in confusion. She looked up to see that the ogres, who a moment before had been running in a rage, were now slowly plodding toward them. Was that because of her music? She had no way to tell, but the other group of ogres hadn¡¯t slowed when they¡¯d reached Corec and the pikemen. Corec stood alone in front, and she saw the familiar flash of his shield spell flaring out when the lead ogre¡¯s stone axe crashed down against it. Corec responded by slashing his sword against the ogre¡¯s arm, causing it to drop its weapon. Then, Boktar was there, hitting it in the back of the knee with the pointed end of his warhammer. The ogre collapsed, landing on its other knee, and Corec stabbed it through the torso while Boktar swung his hammer against its head. Three of the ogres had slipped by them during the fight, and after the leader fell, both men turned to help the pikemen deal with them, while the archers on the other side of the battle took care of the one farthest away from the commotion. Before Corec and Boktar even reached the pikemen, a beam of white light shot out from Ellerie¡¯s hand, felling one of the giant man-beasts. Katrin turned her attention back to her own group and kept playing, in case she was the reason they¡¯d slowed down. Slowing them down wasn¡¯t as good as bringing them to a halt, as she¡¯d been able to do in the past, but maybe ogres weren¡¯t as susceptible to bardic tricks. Or perhaps she hadn¡¯t done anything at all, and they¡¯d simply slowed down to figure out how to fight people standing on roofs. Either way, with how slow they were moving, the ogres made easy targets. The hunters were using bows that were taller and stronger than Shavala¡¯s, and their arrows were more effective at piercing the ogres¡¯ thick muscles, but it still took them several shots to stop each of the first two. Then, Shavala hit the third one in the eye, killing it with a single arrow, and she and the other three archers worked together to finish off the fourth. With their side of the battle done, Katrin checked on Corec again to find that Boktar was helping him to his feet. Corec was grimacing in pain, and the entire front of his cuirass was dented. Before Katrin had a chance to worry, Treya approached him, her hands already glowing. While she healed him, Boktar helped him remove the cuirass. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on the others,¡± Katrin said, heading for the ladder. ¡°Did we get them all?¡± Corec asked her as she approached. ¡°The archers got the second group. They¡¯re checking to make sure they¡¯re dead. What happened to you?¡± ¡°The last one got in a lucky shot. Bloody hell, he was strong.¡± Treya said, ¡°Your ribs are cracked. I¡¯ve healed them part of the way, but you¡¯ll need to take it easy. If nobody else was hurt today, I¡¯ll heal you more later.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Thank you,¡± Corec said. ¡°You¡¯re going to need to find an armor smith to pound this back out again,¡± Boktar said, holding up the cuirass. ¡°A good one might be able to save it, and reinforce the weakened spots.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°Well, I suppose I can pack it on one of the mules until we get to Tyrsall. I certainly can¡¯t afford to replace it.¡± Katrin felt a flash of guilt, thinking about how much money he¡¯d spent to get her brother out of prison, but it was too late to change that now. Hopefully she could earn enough in tips from her music to pay him back someday. ¡°What do we do now?¡± she asked. ¡°Are we staying here tonight?¡± ¡°He needs to rest,¡± Treya said, pointing to Corec. ¡°And I need to check the rest of my patients. I can¡¯t leave today.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°We might as well wait until the reinforcements arrive, just in case there¡¯s another group out there. That¡¯ll be tomorrow night at the earliest, so that puts us here for two more nights. Hopefully Priest Davi won¡¯t mind our company for a bit longer.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could go anywhere today anyway. It hurts too much to try to get on a horse.¡± ¡°Have Bobo make you some willow bark tea,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯ll come heal you again as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Boktar and I can help these folks deal with the ogres¡¯ bodies,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the temple, then,¡± Corec said. Katrin accompanied him, though they had to stop and talk to an overly excited Mayor Barl on the way. # Leena waited impatiently as the customer looked over what was left of the day¡¯s baking. His dirty clothes suggested he was a day laborer. Finally, he pointed and said, ¡°Half a loaf of the rye.¡± She nodded. The shop was closing soon and the bread had been baked the previous morning. It was better to sell half the loaf than none of it. If the baker didn¡¯t keep the rest for his family, she¡¯d take it home herself. She quickly sliced off half the loaf and wrapped it, exchanging it for a half-copper. When the man had left, the baker, Maric, grunted from where he was wiping down the counter. ¡°You should be friendlier with the customers. My last girl did better business than you. It wouldn¡¯t hurt you to smile and show a bit of skin.¡± She glared at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t your wife let the last girl go because she was too friendly? Besides, we weren¡¯t going to do better business with him. He had no money.¡± ¡°And what about all the others? You can¡¯t tell me you wore dresses like that in Sanvar.¡± Leena faced him, the bread knife somehow back in her hand. She didn¡¯t want to discuss the high-necked, long-sleeved dress she was wearing. ¡°You hired me to bake, not watch the counter. If you want someone to be friendly, ask your wife. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t mind.¡± Even as she said the words, she winced. He reached up to slap her, but then eyed the knife and thought better of it. ¡°Get out of here. Don¡¯t bother coming back tomorrow.¡± ¡°You owe me a week¡¯s pay!¡± He scowled, then dug through the money box, counting out three silver coins and six copper. ¡°Thirty-six coppers for four days. I¡¯m not paying you for today¡ªyou didn¡¯t stay the whole day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here almost twelve hours!¡± she protested. He just pointed to the door. She stalked out of the bakery. The days were shorter now than when she¡¯d first arrived, and the sun was already setting as she walked home, wondering what to do next. Maric was the third baker she¡¯d worked for during her short time in Telfort. The first had been better, but had only needed her three days a week, and she hadn¡¯t been able to save up enough money to try to make her way home. The second had been worse than Maric. Leena¡¯s walk was short, since the boarding house she was staying at was only two blocks away. It was a large, three-story building that only accepted women as residents. Like Leena, most of the women were younger and all were unmarried, trying to support themselves by working in the city. Many were from Telfort itself, or various other towns around Larso, but Leena wasn¡¯t the only foreigner. Her tiny, shared room was on the top floor. When she opened the door, her roommate, Lara, looked up from the man¡¯s shirt she was mending. Lara worked for a seamstress, and often brought work home with her. ¡°You don¡¯t look happy,¡± her roommate said. ¡°Maric let me go.¡± ¡°Oh, Leena. You lost another job? What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to warn the other bakers away from me.¡± ¡°You know how to sew, don¡¯t you? I can ask Miss Anella if she has more work.¡± ¡°Will you? I¡¯d appreciate that. At this rate, it¡¯s going to take a year before I can afford to go home.¡± ¡°Why not stay here?¡± Lara¡¯s look was inviting, and Leena reminded herself once again that she needed to avoid any complications. She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got family¡ªthey¡¯ll be wondering what happened to me.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you send a message?¡± Lara asked. She was the only other person who knew how Leena had ended up in Larso. ¡°If you help me write it, but nobody in my family can read, and most of them only speak Zidari, which I don¡¯t know how to write at all.¡± There was a knock at the door. Leena opened it to find Sarine, the short, gray-haired proprietress of the boarding house. ¡°Leena, you have visitors downstairs. Two men.¡± Leena exchanged a confused glance with Lara. She hardly knew anyone in the city. ¡°Visitors? Who are they?¡± Sarine braced both of her hands on her cane to steady herself. ¡°They didn¡¯t say. You know you¡¯re not allowed to have male guests here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sarine. I¡¯ll send them away.¡± She followed as the old woman slowly made her way down the stairs. In the lobby, the two men stood waiting, one with brown hair and one with blond. They wore the uniform of the city guards, with a truncheon belted at one hip, but they also had arming swords on the other. Royal guards, then. Leena swallowed. Had Maric complained about the knife? It would be her word against his, and he was both a local and a business owner. She was an outsider. ¡°You are Leena of Sanvar?¡± the brown-haired man asked. ¡°Yes.¡± It was no use denying that. The blond man grabbed her left arm and pushed her sleeve up, exposing one of the tattoos she kept hidden¡ªthree circles, each smaller than the last, linked in a row. ¡°Come with us,¡± he said. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°The Church forbids mages in Telfort. If you come with us, you¡¯ll be allowed to leave the city without harm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a mage!¡± she said. ¡°Your mark says otherwise. Let¡¯s go.¡± He pulled on her arm, dragging her along behind him toward the door. How had they known? She hadn¡¯t attempted to use magic since arriving in Larso. The tattoo didn¡¯t mark her as a mage¡ªnot the tattoo they¡¯d seen, anyway. It was the first one she¡¯d gotten, on her tenth birthday, and was the only mark common amongst her entire clan. ¡°Stop!¡± Sarine exclaimed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She tried to block the door but the other man pushed her to the side. She lost hold of her cane and would have fallen if she hadn¡¯t grabbed onto a nearby chair. ¡°She¡¯s a mage and an outlaw. If she cooperates, one of us will return for her things.¡± Outside, the chilly evening air cut through Leena¡¯s dress. They hadn¡¯t given her time to retrieve her cloak, and she hadn¡¯t been in the north long enough to get used to the colder weather. She tried to pull her arm away, but the man refused to let go. People in the street ignored the struggle once they saw the guard uniforms. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± she asked. ¡°To someone who can help you. If you do what he says, you won¡¯t end up in prison¡­or worse.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not a mage!¡± Leena had never trained her abilities. The first time she¡¯d tried, she¡¯d ended up falling twenty feet back to the ground, breaking her arm. Once it had healed, she¡¯d tried again, and had appeared a mile off the coast. It was that second attempt that caused the nightmares, memories of trying to stay afloat in the rough seas, her magic failing as she tried to use it to get back to dry land. She¡¯d only avoided drowning because a fishing boat passed nearby. She¡¯d ended her apprenticeship after that incident, and found a baker willing to take her on. Baking didn¡¯t cause nightmares. She hadn¡¯t used her magic again until that night a month earlier. She¡¯d needed to get away, and she had¡ªmuch farther away than she¡¯d intended. ¡°Yes, you are,¡± he replied. ¡°You¡¯re just how the woman described you, and she hasn¡¯t been wrong yet. Serve him like the others do, and he¡¯ll protect you from the Church.¡± ¡°Serve him how? What woman? I don¡¯t want to serve anybody!¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll give you to the Temple of Pallisur and let them decide on your punishment. They have priests who specialize in dealing with mages.¡± They¡¯d come for her because she was a mage. Was that how they wanted her to serve? What would they do with her when they realized she couldn¡¯t use her magic? She had to get away. The blond man still held onto her wrist, but that wouldn¡¯t stop her. Going west was bad. If she overshot Westport, she¡¯d end up in the ocean again, and the water was much colder this far north. To the east were the Black Crow Mountains, and then the hills and the free lands. That was the extent of her knowledge¡ªshe¡¯d never been to any of those places. If she was going to risk her life to use her magic anyway, then southeast was best, toward home. Maybe she could control it this time; maybe she could actually get back to Sanvar. She closed her eyes and concentrated. There was a muffled shout that faded out. ¡°Hey! Stop her!¡± Leena opened her eyes, then shivered, clasping her arms tightly together. She was alone, surrounded by flat land overgrown with weeds and grasses. The moon was bright enough that she could see a line of scraggly trees to the east. At least, she thought it was east. Why hadn¡¯t she paid more attention to where the moon had been in the Telfort sky before she¡¯d left? Why hadn¡¯t she stuck with her apprenticeship long enough to learn how to read the stars? If she¡¯d gone south at all, it couldn¡¯t have been very far south¡ªit was colder here than it had been in Telfort, and the plants looked nothing like what she was familiar with in Sanvar. She had no food, no warm clothing, no idea what direction to head in, and only the few coins Maric had paid her that afternoon. Still, there was nothing she could do about it but endure. Trying to teleport again was out of the question. Even if she¡¯d had the strength, this attempt had proven that she was no better at it than she¡¯d been during her apprenticeship. Not knowing where she was starting from would make another attempt even more dangerous. The trees might indicate a source of water. If she could find a stream, she could follow it. Streams connected to rivers which connected to the ocean. She¡¯d run into people eventually¡­if she lived long enough. # ¡°What do you mean, she escaped?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°I apologize, Your Highness,¡± the guardsman said. ¡°We were bringing her to you when she disappeared. I was holding onto her arm when it happened. She just¡­faded, and then there was nothing there.¡± Rusol clenched his fists, keeping a tight rein on his anger, but the two guards still stepped back, looking at each other nervously. Then a voice boomed out. ¡°You did well, men. One must expect the unexpected when dealing with magic.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The two guards bowed low. Rusol turned to see his father approaching. As usual, King Marten wore an all-white knight¡¯s dress uniform, with a simple circlet on his head rather than the crown. ¡°If she returns, we¡¯ll try a different approach,¡± Marten said. ¡°I commend you both for helping us to contain the scourge of magic in the city. We¡¯ll let you know when we have a new lead.¡± The two men bowed again, and backed out of the room, leaving the prince alone with the king. Rusol glared at his father. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to hurt them.¡± ¡°Perhaps not, but if you scare off the royal guards, who will you get to do your dirty work? Those idiot mercenaries of yours? The guards are already uneasy with your plan to use these mages you¡¯re finding. Somehow, word got to the cardinal¡ªhe visited today. I managed to convince him to keep things quiet, and that it¡¯s better to have the mages under our control rather than in prison.¡± The prince grunted. His father had always been much better than him at influencing people, and making sure they didn¡¯t realize they were being influenced. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have happened if you¡¯d let me take care of things myself,¡± Rusol said. ¡°And risk the people on the streets realizing you¡¯re a mage? What next, tell them my mother was demonborn? What other laws should we violate?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the king! You make the laws! Why should we hobble ourselves?¡± ¡°The strength of a nation is much greater than any one mage, but it must be cultivated carefully. The army and the knights are just as loyal to the Church of Pallisur as they are to us, and the Church won¡¯t tolerate magic¡­yet. Bide your time, son; I¡¯ve been working on this for thirty years.¡± The elder blood in their line went back over three hundred years, and had been hidden for just as long. It skipped generations at a time, and Marten himself wasn¡¯t an elder mage, but when Rusol¡¯s older brother Rikard had been born a witch, the king had taken it upon himself to attempt to change the Church¡¯s teachings. Rikard was dead now, but Rusol had the same gift, so Marten had continued his work. One by one, he¡¯d been manipulating the priests into accepting magic, at least behind the scenes. The priests might believe they¡¯d changed their minds on their own, but in truth, Marten had used the influence of demonic magic against them¡ªmagic that he¡¯d learned from his mother. Rusol had inherited both the demonic and the elder magic, but he¡¯d never figured out how to be as subtle as his father when it came to controlling people. Luckily, both he and Marten could pass for human. The only thing that marked them as different were the scars left over from where their tails¡ªtheir only demonborn stigma¡ªhad been cut off at birth. ¡°And how much longer will it take?¡± he asked. ¡°Fewer and fewer of the priests have been blessed by Pallisur,¡± Marten said, ¡°especially those in high-ranking positions. The cardinal himself is one of the unblessed. Soon, I¡¯ll have enough sway over them to change church doctrine, but it must be done slowly. The blessed might stage a coup if they realize what¡¯s happening¡ªmy gifts are unlikely to work on them.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll wait for now, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t interfere with my own efforts.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Marten asked. ¡°And why did you send the guards after a Zidari Traveler, anyway? What did you expect them to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯d hoped that the offer to protect her from the Church would be sufficient. It worked for the others.¡± ¡°But apparently not for someone who can transport herself anywhere she wishes to go. Do you have people watching for her?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then this time, if she returns, you can go after her yourself, but make sure you¡¯re not seen.You must learn caution. Patience and caution.¡± Book 2: Chapter Four By the time they left the village, the rain had let up and the roads had dried out¡ªa bit, at least¡ªso it only took them six more days to reach the Bluewater River and cross the bridge. After that, it was another half-day¡¯s journey to reach Tyrsall itself, farther along the bay. From the outskirts of the city, it took several hours to reach the central district. Shavala accompanied Corec, Katrin, Treya, and Bobo to the stable where they¡¯d left their old horses and mules during the trip to Circle Bay. Ellerie and Boktar went on ahead to find an inn that would have enough rooms for everyone. ¡°Socks!¡± Shavala exclaimed happily when she saw her gelding. He looked up and whinnied at her in greeting. She opened the door to his stall and hugged him around the neck while he rested his head over her shoulder. Luckily, he didn¡¯t seem too annoyed by her long absence. She¡¯d explained to him before she¡¯d left Tyrsall that she¡¯d be gone for a while, but she wasn¡¯t sure how much he¡¯d understood. Corec, who¡¯d been speaking to the stable master, turned and called out to the group, ¡°Have we decided which horses we¡¯re selling?¡± ¡°What do you say, Broda?¡± Bobo asked his sturdy gray mare. ¡°Want to go up north with me?¡± The horse ignored him, busy trying to make friends with Socks. Bobo turned to the stable master. ¡°I suppose I should sell Rose, the dun you¡¯ve been taking care of for me. Can you help with that? She¡¯s too old to keep going with these younger horses, but she¡¯s calm and would be good with children or working a plow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± the man said. ¡°Willowbranch,¡± Shavala asked her new horse, ¡°you like Treya, yes? Will you let her keep riding you?¡± Once again, Treya had somehow been stuck with the worst of the horses. Shavala had switched back and forth with her during the trip, but hadn¡¯t had any luck in retraining her friend¡¯s mare. Like Socks, Willowbranch was a gelding. Shavala had given him the new name when he hadn¡¯t responded to the old one. He was only two years old and had had a cruel owner previously, but he¡¯d become quite a good riding horse in the short time they¡¯d been together. He turned his head to Treya and nickered softly, which Shavala interpreted as a good sign. An animal could understand what a druid said, at least to the extent its mind could handle, but the reverse wasn¡¯t true. Druids had to depend on reading the animal¡¯s body language and the noises it made. ¡°Shavala, can you tell him I¡¯ll be stabling him somewhere else, but we¡¯ll meet up with the rest of you soon?¡± Treya asked as she switched Shavala¡¯s saddlebags for her own. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I want Flower back,¡± Katrin said, referring to her riding mule, ¡°but I like Duchess too, if we need an extra horse.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°With a group this big, it doesn¡¯t hurt to have an extra, even if we don¡¯t need her right now.¡± The stable master was willing to buy the remaining horses outright, along with all the extra saddles and tack, and to help find a buyer for one of the pack mules. Corec decided to hold on to the other new pack mule, to add to the two they already had. ¡°Can you stable the ones we¡¯re keeping?¡± Corec asked the man. ¡°Just for a few more days? I¡¯m not sure where we¡¯re staying tonight, or whether it¡¯ll have a large enough stable.¡± ¡°I can do that,¡± the stable master said. ¡°Same price as before.¡± They pooled their money and paid the man, then Corec said, ¡°Now, which stall is Dot in? I¡¯d like to say hello.¡± # After the others had left to find Ellerie and Boktar, Katrin accompanied Corec to a nearby armor smith that the stable master had recommended. They brought along the mule they¡¯d kept, which still had Corec¡¯s plate armor bundled up on its pack saddle. It was late afternoon and the streets were busy, filled with people going about their day. Following the directions the stable master had given them, they reached a street lined with an odd mix of businesses¡ªcoopers, smiths, brewers, and even a cobbler. Katrin had the unnerving feeling that she was being watched, but glancing around surreptitiously, she didn¡¯t see anyone looking her way. ¡°I think this is the place,¡± Corec said, stopping outside a smithy that had several pieces of armor on display. The smithy had been built half indoors and half outdoors, and the heavy sound of metal clanging against metal could be heard coming from behind a partial wall. ¡°What do you need?¡± asked the thick-armed, middle-aged man who strode out to greet them, wiping his hands on his leather apron. The clanging hadn¡¯t stopped, so there must have been another smith working with him. Corec unstrapped the damaged breastplate from the mule and handed it over. ¡°Can you do something with this?¡± The man raised his eyebrows as he looked over the piece. ¡°This was expensive work. What the hell did you do to it?¡± ¡°Ogre with a club.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll do it, all right. What are these scratches?¡± ¡°A drake¡¯s claws.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± the smith said. ¡°I should be able to pound out the dent, mostly, but it¡¯s never going to be as strong as it was. A little dent is fine, but this is just too big¡ªtoo much stress on the metal. I can add something behind it as reinforcement, but if it fits tight, you¡¯ll have to wear less padding.¡± ¡°I can do that.¡± ¡°The scratches, not much I can do about those. I can buff and polish them a bit so they don¡¯t stand out so much, but I can¡¯t get rid of them, not unless you want to completely rework the whole thing, and it¡¯d be cheaper to replace it.¡± ¡°If you can buff them out, you might as well, but I don¡¯t care so much about how it looks as long as it works.¡± ¡°Good, because I can¡¯t save the etching. What was it?¡± ¡°Family crest, but don¡¯t worry about it. Just do what you have to do to save the armor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gonna cost you some.¡± While they were working out the price, Katrin heard a familiar voice coming from down the street. She stepped farther into the smithy and pulled her straw cloche hat down lower on her head, then peered around an armor stand toward the street. Two men she knew were walking past. ¡°I swear I saw her, boss,¡± Torse said. ¡°Right,¡± Dallo replied. ¡°Just like you saw her last time and let her get away.¡± ¡°She did something to me last time! Magicked me up.¡± ¡°If you really believed that, you wouldn¡¯t be so eager to find her again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get back the money she owes you.¡± ¡°No, you just remember that I promised to give her to you for your stable if you ever found her.¡± Katrin grimaced. No wonder Torse had been so interested in her the last time they¡¯d met¡ªhe¡¯d branched out from thieving to running whores. ¡°Well, sure, boss, but you¡¯d still get half the money, on top of what she owes you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it out of her hide if I ever see her again¡ªor Barz¡ªbut you¡¯re the only one who claims she¡¯s in the city. If she¡¯d been working here, we¡¯d know it by now. Why would she even come down this street?¡± The men¡¯s voices trailed off as they continued on their way. Katrin breathed a sigh of relief, but resolved to be more cautious. She¡¯d gotten used to spending most of her time in Tyrsall holed up in an inn, and it looked like this trip wasn¡¯t going to be any different. At least Dallo and his men were unlikely to visit the type of inn she played at. They preferred seedy taverns for themselves and upscale places for their targets. # Ellerie read through the end of the spell again and again. Learning a spell was more than just memorizing the words. A wizard had to know them, in and out, and know how they interacted with each other. More than that, the wizard had to be strong enough to actually cast the spell. It didn¡¯t help that her mind kept wandering. She felt the need to work off some stress, but that was awkward in her current situation. On the trip north, she¡¯d had a room to herself whenever they were able to find an inn, but the tiny places they¡¯d stayed in seldom had tavern whores¡ªat least not ones who were willing to accompany a woman. Now that the group had reached the city, she had more choices¡­but now she was sharing a room with Shavala, since Treya was staying at the Three Orders chapter house. Of course, Ellerie could have still paid for a private room, but the longer she could stretch out her money, the better. Which was another reason to stay away from the tavern girls. The Baron of Pavik had offered them a small fee for taking care of the ogres for him, but he would have had to send someone back to his own keep to get the coin. They¡¯d decided to continue on their way rather than waiting the extra two days it would have taken. She turned her attention back to her spell book just as someone knocked on the door. Opening it, she found Boktar on the other side. ¡°We¡¯re going downstairs to listen to Katrin play,¡± he said. ¡°Are you coming?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to keep working on this. Maybe later.¡± ¡°All right. Don¡¯t forget to eat this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that bad!¡± He just waited, staring at her. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll be down in an hour.¡± He nodded and left. She sighed and sat back down, taking up her book once again. Blanking her mind of everything else, she read through the entire banishing spell from beginning to end, and suddenly, it clicked into place. She could feel it take hold in her mind. She¡¯d have to study it again from time to time as a reminder, but now that she knew it, she could cast it at will. Almost at will, anyway¡ªshe could tell from the way it felt that casting it would take a lot out of her. Still, maybe now she could do something about the binding spell. She stood in front of the room¡¯s small mirror and whispered the words to her arcane sight spell, would would give her the ability to see magic. When it was complete, her regular vision grew fuzzy. Arcane sight affected each wizard differently, though her teachers had never been able to give her a reason why. But despite her difficulty in actually seeing herself in the mirror, she could now see the binding spell clearly. The ones she¡¯d seen during her training had been simple things¡ªthin, straight lines connecting one object to another, or an object to a person. This one was different. There was a glowing blue braided cord that disappeared after leaving her chest, though if Corec was in the room, she¡¯d have been able to see the other end appear in his. For some reason, the cord was invisible outside their bodies, even to her arcane sight. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Tiny tendrils extended outward from the cord, and even smaller tendrils grew from those, looking like a series of vines growing along a wall. The tendrils were anchored in place, but she couldn¡¯t see what they were anchored to. Every time she studied the binding spell, the pattern was slightly different, as if the tendrils had moved around. Her teachers had never mentioned anything like it. One of the tendrils extended up to her forehead, to the spot where the sigil would appear if she allowed it. Muttering the words to the banishing spell, she focused it on the cord, the tendrils, and the sigil. She could feel the spell take shape in her mind, but when she let it loose, it passed right through her, ignoring the binding spell as if it wasn¡¯t there. Which was exactly what Corec and the others said the result had been when they¡¯d asked other wizards for help. Having failed, Ellerie sat back down and put her head in her hands to cry. # After leaving Willowbranch groomed and happy in the Three Orders¡¯ stable, Treya entered the chapter house. She waved to people she knew and tried to ignore the curious stares they gave her for returning home yet again when she was supposed to be out journeying. Carrying her packs slung over her shoulder, she stopped at Ola¡¯s office first. ¡°Back again?¡± the woman said, raising her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother Ola. The group I¡¯m traveling with is heading north, so we came to Tyrsall to buy supplies and get our horses back. And I need to speak to Priest Telkin from the Temple of Allosur while I¡¯m here¡ªI never really got any training on how to use the healing magic, so I¡¯m hoping he can give me some advice. Is my room still available?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, it is. We got two more girls while you were out, but they¡¯re young, so I put them in the east wing. I trust you remember where the clean linens are?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, Mother Ola.¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s probably good you¡¯re paying a visit. Sister Shana was just asking me how you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Shana¡¯s here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s hunting a bounty and tracked him into the city, but at the moment, I believe she and Kelis are talking to the younger girls about the Order of Mystics. They¡¯re in the Little Hall.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go find them,¡± Treya said, then excused herself. She dropped her packs off in her familiar room, then went to the Little Hall, which was called that because it was a smaller mirror image of the Great Hall. The Great Hall was where the Sisters and students ate their meals, but the Little Hall was used for lectures and larger classes. Once she got there, she found Shana and Kelis facing a group of girls ranging between eight and twelve years old. It seemed the talk was over, and the women were taking questions. ¡°Ahh, and here¡¯s another mystic,¡± Kelis announced. ¡°Most of you should remember Sister Treya. She went off on her journeying, but she likes us so much, she keeps coming back.¡± Treya blushed as the students laughed. ¡°So, does anyone have any other questions, either for us or for Treya?¡± Shana asked. ¡°What¡¯s the scariest monster you ever fought?¡± one little girl asked. ¡°The scariest monster, huh?¡± Shana said. ¡°Well, the drake was pretty scary, especially since I was alone. She was full grown, and her scales were as hard as armor. I had to punch really, really hard.¡± The drake that Treya had fought hadn¡¯t quite been an adult yet, and she hadn¡¯t been able to hurt it at all, even with her divine magic strengthening her strikes. How had Shana been able to hit hard enough to break through an adult¡¯s scales? Shana was stronger than her, but she couldn¡¯t be that much stronger. ¡°Is a drake like a dragon?¡± another girl asked. ¡°It looks similar, but it¡¯s much, much smaller. A drake could fit here, between these two tables, but a dragon couldn¡¯t fit in this entire room. Kelis, what about you? Any scary monsters?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, girls,¡± Kelis said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my stories aren¡¯t as interesting as Shana¡¯s. I only fought bad people. I saw a snow beast once, from a distance, but I didn¡¯t have to fight it. Treya?¡± Treya couldn¡¯t tell if Shana was trying to recruit the girls into the Order or scare them away from it, and it took her a moment to decide what to talk about. The fight with the ogres had been over before she could get involved, and she didn¡¯t want to mention the red-eyed men to the little girls. Shana had already described a drake, so Treya went with the next best thing. ¡°I guess the scariest would be the skeleton¡­but it was a skeleton of a huge bear. It was twelve feet long, and even on all fours, its back was almost as tall as the top of my head.¡± ¡°How did you fight it?¡± a girl asked. ¡°Umm, well, I cast a spell to make it stop moving. Once it couldn¡¯t move anymore, my friend hit it with a sword.¡± Now that Treya thought about it, that story didn¡¯t exactly show off her mystic abilities. The same girl crinkled her brow. ¡°You¡¯re a wizard?¡± ¡°More like a priestess, but I¡¯m a mystic too. Sometimes I fight, and sometimes I do other things.¡± The students were dismissed after that, and Treya was left alone with the other women. Shana burst out laughing. ¡°You cast a spell and then your friend hit it with a sword? Do we need to take you back out to the practice yard?¡± Treya winced. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you both about. Do you have time?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Shana said. Kelis nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not teaching any more classes today.¡± Treya sat at one of the tables and took a deep breath, trying to put her thoughts in order. She hadn¡¯t decided on exactly what she wanted to say yet, but with Shana being in town, she didn¡¯t want to miss out on the chance to talk to her. ¡°I guess¡­I¡¯m having trouble being a mystic. You both know about my magic. It¡¯s getting stronger. That thing with the bear skeleton actually happened¡ªI told it to stop and it did, but after that, I was too tired to fight it myself. The healing is getting stronger too. About a week back, we were in a little village that got attacked by ogres. The people there needed healing, so I took care of that while my friends made plans to defend the town from another attack. I should have been with them, helping with the planning. You would have been with them, Shana. But I had to be where I was instead¡ªI couldn¡¯t not help those people.¡± Shana and Kelis had joined her at the table while she spoke. Shana said, ¡°That¡¯s a tough one. You still don¡¯t know which of the gods blessed you, or why?¡± ¡°No. I have no idea what I¡¯m supposed to be doing or how I¡¯m supposed to do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of leaving the Order, are you?¡± Kelis asked. ¡°No!¡± Treya protested. ¡°Being a mystic is everything I¡¯ve been working toward for years. I¡¯ve never wanted to be anything else.¡± ¡°Then maybe you need to think of yourself as a new kind of mystic,¡± Kelis said. ¡°If you¡¯re healing someone, you¡¯re fighting to save them, but in a different way. You just have more ways to fight than we do. You have to use your best judgment to decide when to fight one way and when to fight another way. That¡¯s what it always comes down to in the end¡ªuse your own judgment to make the best decisions you can.¡± Shana nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good way to think about it.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it a distraction?¡± Treya asked. ¡°You¡¯ve both said I need to eliminate all my distractions, so I can focus on learning who I am, but I¡¯m not making any progress. I can¡¯t do the kinds of things you can do, and I have to depend on my magic even for a simple fight.¡± ¡°Maybe that is who you are,¡± Shana said. ¡°Look, magic isn¡¯t the only distraction you have, right? What about the jobs you take, or the people here, or thinking about what you¡¯re going to have for supper tonight?¡± ¡°Well, sure, and also the friends I¡¯ve been traveling with. I like having company out on the road, but it¡¯s changed things for me. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to find myself when I¡¯m constantly thinking about everyone else. I don¡¯t have time to do my exercises; I don¡¯t even have time to meditate if I need to take a watch shift during the night.¡± ¡°Let me tell you how I do it. When I¡¯m here,¡± Shana circled her hand around to indicate the chapter house, ¡°I take interest in others. I have friends; I allow myself to be distracted. When I¡¯m out there, I¡¯m different. I travel alone. I carry nothing but the clothes on my back and a few coins for food. I don¡¯t bring a coat or a cloak because the weather doesn¡¯t bother me¡ªI don¡¯t allow it to. I don¡¯t ride a horse because I can run faster and longer on my own legs. There¡¯s just me and the next job. You could argue that the job is a distraction, but I would say that it¡¯s a purpose, and what¡¯s the point of life without a purpose?¡± ¡°But I know all that,¡± Treya said. ¡°That¡¯s how I know I¡¯m doing it wrong.¡± ¡°Ahh, but that¡¯s my purpose. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°For me, my purpose is the job. That is, until I get home, and I remember that my real purpose is the people here. I know myself by knowing my friends, so are those friends truly a distraction, or are they part of me? What¡¯s your purpose?¡± ¡°I guess I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°A smart answer,¡± Shana said with a grin. ¡°You¡¯ll learn your purpose as you learn yourself. Maybe your new friends are part of your purpose, or maybe they can teach you something about yourself, or maybe they¡¯re just a temporary distraction. Only you will be able to determine that. Kelis¡¯s purpose was to come back here and train the next generation.¡± ¡°No, I just decided my purpose was to not freeze to death in the middle of the wilderness,¡± Kelis said. ¡°Not all of us have mastered the mystic arts as well as you. Teaching students is actually my distraction¡ªit distracts me from my warm bed.¡± Shana laughed. ¡°Maybe. One thing though, Treya¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Make time to do the damned exercises. Kelis taught them to you for a reason. The meditation, too.¡± Treya grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Kelis cleared her throat and stared pointedly. ¡°All right, all right. I¡¯ll make time. Somehow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Shana said. ¡°Now, where are you off to next?¡± ¡°Up north to Lanport and the Storm Heights.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a job up there?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not getting paid for it, but there are some things I¡¯ve got to do. It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°Any plans after that, or are you just going to show up here again in a few weeks?¡± Apparently Treya¡¯s rather haphazard approach to journeying was going to be a source of amusement to her friends for a long time to come. ¡°We haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± she said. ¡°It depends what we find in the mountains. There was some talk about crossing the northern plains, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll really want to do that in the middle of winter.¡± ¡°I visited the plains during my journeying,¡± Kelis said. ¡°They can be strangely charming. The people are rough, but they don¡¯t mind outsiders¡ªmost of them are outsiders, one way or another. And when you¡¯re out on the real plains, the prairie, it can be desolate, with no trees or mountains anywhere in sight, and the sky is huge and overwhelming. It makes you realize how small you are.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t get involved with all the little wars up there,¡± Shana added. ¡°Just because you make friends in one town doesn¡¯t mean you should sign on when they decide to raid the next town over.¡± ¡°I¡¯d never do that!¡± Treya said. ¡°Sometimes it can be hard to say no, so just keep it in mind.¡± ¡°By the way,¡± Kelis said, ¡°what¡¯s this about some magic spell on your head, and why did I have to hear about it from Nina?¡± Treya sighed. ¡°That¡¯s the long story I mentioned¡­¡± # In a city as large as Tyrsall, almost anything could be found, even a tavern that catered to demonborn. Razai shed her disguise as she walked through the door. She headed to the bar, ignoring the boisterous mix of humans and demonborn gambling in the back of the room. ¡°Whiskey,¡± she said to the bartender, a man named Meklos, as she placed a coin on the counter. ¡°Don¡¯t I know you?¡± said another man who stood nearby. He was seven feet tall and well-muscled, with short horns sticking up from his temples. A blonde human woman hung off his side, smirking at Razai. ¡°Vash,¡± she acknowledged. ¡°Razai. It¡¯s been a long time. That Valaran job, right? I almost didn¡¯t recognize you. You did something with your hair.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I cut it.¡± Vash would flirt with any woman around, but at least he didn¡¯t take rejection badly. He never had a problem finding a bit of skirt. ¡°We made a lot of coin in Valara,¡± he said. ¡°You got a line on any more jobs like that?¡± ¡°I thought you were going legitimate.¡± ¡°I did, but some little worm convinced me to invest in his trading company. Or at least that¡¯s what he called it. The idiot didn¡¯t know what he was doing and ended up losing it all. He took off with everything he could get his hands on while I was out running one of our caravans.¡± Vash shrugged and patted a battle axe that was leaning up against the bar. ¡°He¡¯s dead now. I could have used you¡ªit took me a year to track him down.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know of any jobs,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not working for myself right now.¡± A hand grasped her shoulder and she whirled, grabbing the man behind her and slamming his face against the bar, then kneeing him in the chin on his way down. Vash¡¯s blonde screeched and clung to his arm. The noise in the back of the room stopped as everyone turned to watch. Growling, Razai drew her daggers and looked down to find an older demonborn man in tattered clothing, his nose bleeding and one of his protruding canine teeth broken off. ¡°Jus¡¯ wan¡¯ed some ale,¡± the man slurred, looking up at her. ¡°Hells of my fathers, Razai!¡± Vash exclaimed. ¡°He¡¯s just a beggar.¡± Razai grimaced and sheathed her daggers, forcing herself to calm down. Sometimes she thought the rage was the true curse of her people, more so than their appearance. ¡°That¡¯s old man Oldin,¡± the barkeep said, coming around to help the man up. ¡°He¡¯s harmless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Razai said to the beggar, pulling a handful of silver coins from her belt pouch and setting them on the counter. ¡°For your trouble and for a healer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯ need a healer. Jus¡¯ need some ale. Or whiskey¡¯s good. I¡¯ll have some whiskey.¡± Oldin blearily pushed one of the coins across the bar. ¡°You¡¯re in your cups already, and that blow to the head¡¯s just going to make it worse,¡± the bartender said, gathering up all the coins and tying them into a handkerchief before handing them to the man. Then he faced the back of the room and shouted, ¡°Someone take Oldin to find a healer!¡± ¡°I will if you cover my tab, Meklos!¡± another demonborn called back. The bartender growled, but then nodded curtly. Razai leaned her elbows on the bar and rested her head against her clasped hands as Oldin was prodded out of the bar by the other man. ¡°Hells,¡± Vash said once they were gone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She looked up. ¡°I don¡¯t like to be touched!¡± ¡°Oldin¡¯s one of us.¡± ¡°Then he should know better!¡± Vash shook his head. ¡°You need to relax. What have you been up to, anyway? I heard you¡¯d gone hellside for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working for my father.¡± He growled low in his throat. ¡°Bad business. I thought you were out of that.¡± ¡°Things change.¡± ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so tense.¡± The woman tugged on his sleeve. ¡°Vashi, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m tired of this place.¡± ¡°Yes, all right. Razai, take care, and try not to murder one of us by accident. If you hear of any decent jobs, I¡¯ll be around. Some gang¡¯s been going after the seaborn divers when they come in with their catch, so the divers have started hiring bodyguards. The pay¡¯s not great, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Vash left, with his blonde still hanging on his arm. Razai looked toward Meklos, but he just glared at her and shook his head. She didn¡¯t recognize anyone else in the place. She looked down at her untouched drink. So much for trying to catch up with old friends. Book 2: Chapter Five Priest Telkin said, ¡°I don¡¯t think about it the way you¡¯re describing it. If there¡¯s a serious injury, I just¡­heal it. The details have never really mattered. I¡¯m either strong enough to heal someone or I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°You mean the magic works even if you don¡¯t know what needs to be fixed, or how?¡± Treya asked. She¡¯d gone to visit him that morning to ask for advice about using her healing magic. The weather was chilly, so they¡¯d left the courtyard and moved to a side room off the main temple. ¡°For me, yes,¡± Telkin said, ¡°but magic works differently for everyone. I¡¯ve heard of healers that approach it the way you do, but I don¡¯t happen to know anyone like that personally. Besides you, I mean.¡± Treya sighed. ¡°I guess I was hoping there was some sort of class where you could teach me what I need to know.¡± ¡°Not a class, no, but experience makes the best teacher. I got most of my experience here at the temple, from the people who come to us for healing. That¡¯s not an option for you, but some of the city¡¯s almshouses are dedicated to serving the sick and the injured who won¡¯t get better on their own and can¡¯t pay for healing. All of the priesthoods volunteer their time, so you wouldn¡¯t be out of place.¡± Treya blinked in surprise. ¡°I never thought of that. The chapter house has herbalists of our own, and we always just hire a healer when we need one. I didn¡¯t think about what happens to the people who can¡¯t afford to. How do I¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you a list. Just pick one and show up, and ask the administrator if he needs your help.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m not really supposed to be back in Tyrsall this often, but I suppose other towns must have something similar.¡± Telkin nodded. ¡°The larger cities, anyway. I¡¯m glad I was able to address at least part of your concern.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been very helpful. Do you know if Bishop Lastal is in? Would it be possible for me to speak to him again?¡± ¡°The bishop? Why?¡± ¡°I was hoping he might have learned something more about the problem we brought to him last time, with the binding spells.¡± That wasn¡¯t the whole truth. Corec believed that the bishop knew more than he¡¯d told them, and Treya was hoping he¡¯d be more forthcoming if she talked to him again. The priest hesitated. ¡°He¡¯s a very busy man¡­but I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt for me to check.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± A few minutes later, Telkin returned and led her to the bishop¡¯s office, then left the two of them alone together. ¡°Treya, right?¡± Lastal said. ¡°How curious. I recently came across some information for you and your friends.¡± ¡°You mean about the runes?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a wizard in the city who may be able to help you. Yelena.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard that name before,¡± Treya said. ¡°That¡¯s quite likely. She works for Duke Voss.¡± Voss was the Duke of Tyrsall, responsible for the city itself. Unlike the other three duchies in the kingdom, there were no baronies within the city, so Voss had his hand in everything. In many ways, he was more powerful than the king. ¡°But she¡¯s willing to help us?¡± ¡°I would say, instead, that she¡¯s willing to speak to you. Anything beyond that is between you and her.¡± ¡°Where can I find her?¡± ¡°I can set up a meeting here, but it would be best if you were all present, particularly the w¡­the young man you were with last time.¡± Treya considered that. Corec didn¡¯t trust Lastal, and the offer of a meeting seemed like more than a coincidence. Was there a better way to approach Yelena? One of the girls Treya had grown up with was concubine to the duke¡¯s seneschal. Kirla lived in the palace and had surely met the duke¡¯s wizard by now¡ªperhaps she could provide an introduction. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them and let you know,¡± Treya said. ¡°Excellent. Now, what can I help you with today?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all I came about¡ªjust to see if you¡¯d learned anything more about the runes.¡± ¡°Yes? And why did you come alone? Surely you have another reason.¡± She suddenly felt nervous. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Those of our people who are called to the priesthoods must watch out for each other. You¡¯d do well in the Church of Allosur, and following the God of Knowledge is a worthy pursuit. Perhaps not here in Tyrsall, but I could find you a place. Simply claim that you had a vision that it was Allosur who granted your blessings, and the humans will never know the difference.¡± ¡°Our people? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t really think you¡¯d hidden your nature from me, did you? I thought I¡¯d made that clear at our last meeting. How could I not recognize another godborn, much less a trueborn who¡¯s inherited our ancestors¡¯ magic?¡± Treya backed away from him. ¡°Wh¡­wh¡­what?¡± Lastal stared at her curiously. ¡°You mean you really didn¡¯t know, even when you bear the stigma of a godborn so openly? Where did you think your magic came from?¡± Stigma? What did he mean? She could only think of the stigma the demonborn carried¡ªthe pointed teeth or horns or other deformities that marked them as something different. ¡°I¡­I thought that one of the gods gave me my blessings. That¡¯s what Telkin and the others said.¡± ¡°Well, Telkin doesn¡¯t know everything. He actually is one of the blessed¡ªa good man, dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But outside the priesthoods, the gods aren¡¯t in the habit of granting blessings to random passersby. Perhaps if you were some hero dedicated to their cause, they might take action to nudge you toward one of the orders, but they don¡¯t just go around picking girls off the street.¡± ¡°But my parents¡­they were farmers. Humans!¡± ¡°Likely one of them was a godborn whose abilities hadn¡¯t manifested, or at least had a godborn ancestor. Are you certain they were even your parents?¡± ¡°I need to go.¡± Lastal sighed. ¡°I suppose this must be overwhelming. I grew up knowing who I was, so the only surprise was when the magic came to me. Well, and one more surprise later on, but we can discuss that at another time. Would you like me to introduce you to some of the others in the city?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡°Very well, but I¡¯ll be here if you have questions. Please do let me know about the meeting with Yelena.¡± Treya ran out of his office, thankful that Telkin wasn¡¯t there waiting for her. Her mind was awhirl with thoughts that wouldn¡¯t stay still long enough for her to think them. Godborn were a myth. She knew, intellectually, that they existed, but she¡¯d never seen one before, and had never known anyone that had seen one. She certainly couldn¡¯t be one herself. Could she? # Katrin held a white blouse and a green dress up in front of the mirror, trying to decide between them. ¡°Which one should I wear tonight?¡± she asked, turning to where Corec was sitting up in bed, shirtless, braced against the wall with his hands behind his head as he watched her. ¡°I kind of like what you have on now,¡± he said. She smirked at him. Since they were stuck in town for at least one more day waiting on his armor to be repaired, they¡¯d spent half the afternoon in bed, and she hadn¡¯t put any clothes back on yet. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m serious. I haven¡¯t performed with anyone since Felix left, so I want to look good tonight.¡± Two traveling minstrels had shown up at the inn the night before, looking for a chance to play. The innkeeper had already made the offer to Katrin, so they¡¯d gone elsewhere for the evening, but before they left, they¡¯d made arrangements to play together tonight. It would mean Katrin would only get a discount on her room rather than getting it for free, but it would be worth it to play something different. The two men had a guitar and a fiddle, so she suspected she¡¯d spend a lot of time singing while they played. ¡°What about your blue dress?¡± Corec asked. ¡°That one¡¯s gotten too ragged to wear in front of an audience.¡± She couldn¡¯t wear it for traveling, either, since it wasn¡¯t cut for riding. It had been her favorite, but it was probably time to throw it out or sell it to a second-hand shop. ¡°Wear the green dress, then. It¡¯s a lot like the blue.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± she said, looking back at the mirror. ¡°But the rune will stand out more if I wear the white blouse with a dark skirt. I get more tips when they stare at the rune.¡± She¡¯d taken to telling people, when they asked, that it was a magical rune she¡¯d gotten from a wizard. The story was just mysterious enough to interest her audience, and had the benefit of being mostly true. Corec laughed. ¡°All right. The blouse looks good too.¡± There was a knock at the door. ¡°Yes?¡± Katrin called out. ¡°It¡¯s Treya. I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Give us a minute!¡± she replied. Corec jumped out of bed and the two of them scrambled into their clothes before opening the door. ¡°Oh, good, you¡¯re both here,¡± Treya said. ¡°Are the others around? Shavala and Ellerie, I mean.¡± ¡°I think Ellerie¡¯s here, but I¡¯m not sure if Shavala¡¯s back yet. She went back down to the harbor again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check.¡± Treya went to the next room over and knocked on the door. Both of the elven women were there, and Treya led them back to Katrin and Corec¡¯s room. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Corec asked her. ¡°I was at the Temple of Allosur, speaking to Priest Telkin, so I decided to see if Bishop Lastal had learned anything more about the runes. He said he knew someone who might be willing to help us.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°A wizard named Yelena.¡± ¡°The one who works for the Duke of Tyrsall?¡± ¡°You know her?¡± ¡°Just the name. A few people mentioned her when I was looking for a wizard. What about you?¡± Treya shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of her, but that¡¯s it. Lastal offered to set up a meeting, but I think you¡¯re right about him¡ªI don¡¯t trust him either.¡± ¡°How does he know she can help?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask. I figured he must have told her about us.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°If he can set up a meeting, we should do it. Why don¡¯t you trust him?¡± ¡°I just got the feeling he knew something that he wasn¡¯t telling us,¡± Corec said. Treya nodded in agreement. ¡°Perhaps about this Yelena person?¡± Ellerie suggested. ¡°Maybe he needed to speak to her first before mentioning her to you?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Corec said. ¡°That might explain it.¡± ¡°What if I can reach out to her another way?¡± Treya asked. ¡°There are Three Orders concubines living in the palace, and I know one of them. I could ask her to speak to Yelena. If Yelena already knows about us, we could request a meeting that way. I really don¡¯t want to talk to Lastal again.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Corec said, ¡°I guess it depends on whether it¡¯s Lastal we don¡¯t trust, or Yelena, or both. I wish I knew what he¡¯d said to her, and why she¡¯s willing to help.¡± ¡°If she¡¯s offered, we need to speak to her, at least,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I don¡¯t care how we go about it.¡± # Leena shivered in the chilly air as she trudged through the night, holding the old cloak she¡¯d bought more tightly around herself. The snow¡ªat least, she assumed it was snow¡ªwas starting to get deep enough for her shoes to leave footprints. Snow wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d expected it to be like. She¡¯d always imagined it to be like sand that was made out of ice rather than stone, but it wasn¡¯t. Not at all. The stream she¡¯d found that first night had led her to a tiny village. Nobody there spoke the trade tongue, but with enough pantomime, she¡¯d gotten them to understand that she was cold and hungry. They¡¯d given her a warm meal for free, then sold her the cloak, a blanket, a waterskin, a few days of food, and a tinderbox in exchange for half of her money. There¡¯d been a small path leading away from the village, roughly trailing the bank of the stream, so she¡¯d followed that out of town, but it had taken her three more days to reach the next village. There, she¡¯d spent most of her remaining coins on more food, some warm leggings to wear under her dress, and a pair of sturdy shoes. The shoes were a bargain for what she¡¯d paid for them, but it still left her nearly penniless. The second village did have someone who could speak the trade tongue, but all he¡¯d been able to tell her was that she was somewhere called Arin¡¯s Dale, on the plains, neither of which helped her pinpoint her location. She hadn¡¯t bothered asking if there was a baker looking for hired help¡ªthe village didn¡¯t even have a general store, much less a bakery. The townsfolk traded with each other in the tavern, which seemed to be the only place of business besides the smithy. That had been four days ago, and now she was running low on food again, and tired from traveling all night. Trees were rare here, and this was the second time on her journey that she hadn¡¯t been able to find any firewood. She¡¯d decided it was safer to keep moving than to stop for the night in the cold. As the sun came up over the horizon, she saw a group of shrubs growing near the stream. The snow encircled them, but there was clear ground directly below the branches, and she gathered up all the fallen twigs that looked like they¡¯d gone brown enough to burn. The green twigs were worthless, she¡¯d found. She¡¯d learned early on to collect any possible firewood when she saw it, to use the next time she camped. This small batch of twigs wasn¡¯t nearly enough to give her a real fire, but if she found more, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t freeze to death tonight. She was using her blanket as a makeshift travel pack, so she unbundled it to add the twigs to her dwindling pile of supplies. Hungry, she took the time to eat half of a loaf of small bread, leaving the other half as the last of her food. The waterskin had frozen solid, so she had to dip her hands into the icy water of the stream to take a drink. After that, she had to rub her hands together for several minutes to warm them up again, then she rolled the blanket back into a bundle and tested it to make sure nothing would fall out. Finally, an hour farther down the trail, she saw thin streams of smoke in the air, and thirty minutes after that, she reached another village, this one larger than the first two. She stumbled to the nearest group of people, three women who were standing near a well, talking amongst themselves. ¡°C¡­c¡­can you understand me?¡± she asked in trade tongue, trying to keep from shivering. ¡°You look frozen, girl,¡± one of the women said. ¡°Where did you come from?¡± ¡°I¡¯m l¡­lost. Is th¡­there a store here?¡± ¡°Come on,¡± the woman said, wrapping an arm around her. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to Barnabas. He runs the shop, and he keeps a fire going in the stove.¡± They made their way to a building and entered. The store was small, but completely packed with trade goods along all the walls and shelves. The woman spoke to the bald, bearded man behind the counter in a language Leena couldn¡¯t understand, then led her to a stove in one corner of the room. It was the type of stove meant for warmth rather than for cooking, of a style she¡¯d first seen during her unintended trip to Larso, but instead of a stack of firewood, there was a large pail filled with black rocks. Leena dropped her bundle to the floor and huddled over the heat, warming herself up as the man and the woman continued talking behind her. Once she¡¯d stopped shivering, she stood and turned to face them. The man said, ¡°Rana tells me you¡¯re lost. Where are you from? You¡¯re not a local.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Sanvar, but I was in Telfort most recently.¡± ¡°Telfort? You mean in Larso? That¡¯s near eight hundred miles away! How¡¯d you end up here?¡± Leena didn¡¯t want to talk about her magic. ¡°I was with a group and I got separated from them. Can you tell me what direction Telfort is from here?¡± ¡°Direction? I wager it¡¯s west by southwest, but there aren¡¯t no roads going that way. You¡¯d have to make your way west first, then south, but Rana says you came in from the west, so you¡¯ve been heading east.¡± ¡°Yes, we were traveling east, so I kept going that way. What¡¯s east from here? I don¡¯t know the route they were planning to take.¡± ¡°If you keep on east, you¡¯ll run into the populated part of the plains. Lots of places like this one, and some larger towns. Beyond that, you¡¯ve got the Storm Heights. Where were you headed?¡± While Leena wasn¡¯t particularly knowledgeable of the area, the information he¡¯d given her was enough to orient herself, so she tried to come up with an answer that would make sense. ¡°We were on our way to Lanport.¡± ¡°Lanport? Were you planning on cutting down through Tyrsall or crossing the Heights? Either way, you shouldn¡¯t try it on your own. Now that the snows have started, the snow beasts will be coming. They leave us alone out here, but they do a lot of damage in the east.¡± ¡°Oh. What if I go south instead?¡± South was where she wanted to go anyway, so it was convenient that he¡¯d given her a reason to ask about it. ¡°You¡¯ll hit the free lands eventually. There¡¯s a road you can catch just a day east of here that¡¯ll take you right down, but it¡¯s a long way until you reach any place worth visiting. What about your friends? Won¡¯t they be looking for you? Don¡¯t you want to wait for them here?¡± ¡°I think they¡¯ve already gone on without me.¡± The shopkeeper and the woman exchanged confused glances. ¡°You sure about that?¡± the man said. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen anyone come through lately.¡± ¡°They were cutting across the prairie, trying to save some time.¡± ¡°Seems like a damned fool idea. They¡¯re more likely to get lost out there than to reach Lanport.¡± Leena was beginning to regret the lie. Maybe the truth would have been more believable. ¡°They¡¯re reading the stars like sailors do. They¡¯ve done it before, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll come back for me. It¡¯s probably better to wait for them back in Telfort. Can I get there from the free lands?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can, but I don¡¯t have a map. Are you really planning to go all that way by yourself?¡± ¡°I am, but I need food¡ªdo you sell any? Or warm gloves?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got gloves, yes. As for food, I¡¯ve only got trail rations and staples. Rana, maybe the womenfolk could sell her something fresh?¡± ¡°We can do that, yes,¡± Rana replied, ¡°and the tavern has a hot stew. You need some warmer clothes too. Gloves and that cloak aren¡¯t going to be enough in this weather. Barnabas, what do you have in the way of scarves and hats and coats?¡± ¡°Well, let me see¡­¡± the shopkeeper started. Leena raised a hand in front of her. ¡°Wait! I only have five coppers left. I can¡¯t afford all that.¡± ¡°Five coppers? I can get you the gloves for that and a bit of hardtack, but not much else.¡± ¡°Now, Barnabas, you do right by this young lady, you hear?¡± Rana said. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯ll be telling your wife.¡± ¡°See here, Rana, I can¡¯t just give things away!¡± ¡°I can work!¡± Leena said. ¡°I¡¯m a baker. Do you have a bakery in town? I can sew, too.¡± ¡°Bakery?¡± Rana asked, obviously testing out the unfamiliar word in the trade tongue. ¡°A shop for baking? This is the only shop in town. We do our own baking around here. Then again, I wager if we all put our heads together, we could come up with some things that need doing. You stay here and have Barnabas get you everything we talked about. I¡¯ll go speak to the other women about how to pay for it.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Leena called after her, so grateful she could almost cry. Barnabas shook his head. ¡°Once she gets an idea in her head¡­ I suppose we should do your shopping. Gloves first?¡± Book 2: Chapter Six Corec followed as Treya led the group up the wide stone steps that stood before the ducal palace. It was just him and the four women. They¡¯d left Bobo and Boktar behind, but had decided that everyone who was affected by the runes should be present. The main entrance to the duke¡¯s palace was to the left of the ceremonial entrance, but was actually the larger of the two. There were three sets of double doors open to accommodate all the people going in and out. The guards who were standing there stopped them. ¡°Your name and your business?¡± one asked. ¡°I¡¯m Sister Treya of the Three Orders. We¡¯re here to see Sister Kirla of the Three Orders, concubine to Seneschal Ollis. She¡¯s expecting us.¡± ¡°You may enter,¡± said a minor functionary who was standing just inside. He dipped a pen into an ink bottle, then made a mark in a large book that was open before him on a lectern. ¡°I¡¯ll send a page for Mistress Kirla.¡± The guards stepped aside to let them pass. The men guarding the other doors just waved most of the visitors through, apparently recognizing the people who had regular business at the palace. The functionary pointed to a boy in a uniform, who took off running. ¡°Please clear the doorway,¡± the functionary said in a bored voice. ¡°You can wait in the sitting room, straight ahead.¡± They took his suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ve never watched the palace during the day before,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Who were all those people?¡± ¡°They have something to do with running the city,¡± Treya replied. ¡°All the work is coordinated from here, or so I¡¯m told. That¡¯s why it¡¯s larger than the king¡¯s palace.¡± There was a surprising amount of wealth on display considering this was the administrative side of the building. Paintings hung throughout the corridors and the sitting room, and there were ornate windows on all the external walls. The vaulted ceilings were fifteen feet tall. Corec wasn¡¯t a stranger to money, but his family¡¯s manor house was more utilitarian and much less ostentatious. He¡¯d never been inside a palace before, even on his brief visits to Telfort as a knight trainee, and what he saw in this place was much different than he was accustomed to. A young woman in an ornate gown entered the sitting room. ¡°Treya!¡± The two exchanged greetings, and Treya introduced everyone to her friend. ¡°Come this way,¡± Kirla said, then continued speaking as they walked. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Yelena actually agreed to see you. She doesn¡¯t usually take an audience unless she¡¯s the one who requested it. Or if Duke Voss asks her to, of course.¡± ¡°How well do you know her?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Not well. For formal meals, she sits at the great table, and Ollis¡¯s position puts us farther down. Plus, I don¡¯t really spend much time at court, except during ceremonies or when the bards are playing. The Sisters who sit at the great table would know her better.¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know them,¡± Treya pointed out. ¡°I do know you.¡± ¡°Oh, true. Anyway, here¡¯s her study.¡± Kirla knocked and poked her head in. ¡°Miss Yelena, they¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Send them in, please.¡± Kirla ushered them through the door into the study, which appeared to be a converted library. The walls to the left and right were lined with full bookshelves. The far well held a series of tall windows overlooking a garden. Three desks were arranged around the room, but only one was in use. It stood at the back of the room, near the windows, but was facing the entrance. The woman behind it rose when they entered. She was short, with long, straight black hair, and was much younger than Corec had expected¡ªsomewhere near his own age. Was this really Yelena? Kirla had addressed her as such, but how had she become the duke¡¯s wizard so young? She was wearing a long dress of a startling bright red. It had simple lines compared to the fancier gowns they¡¯d seen on Kirla and the other women in the palace, yet still looked elegant and expensive. The dress was sleeveless, but she had a matching red shawl over her shoulders. There were two men in the room as well. One was tall, wearing a long leather coat and a wide-brimmed hat. He stood to the woman¡¯s right, but was leaning back against the far wall, his arms crossed in front of him as he watched them enter. The other man was Bishop Lastal, who was on the woman¡¯s left. Treya drew in a sharp breath when she saw him. ¡°Come in,¡± the woman said, keeping her face expressionless. ¡°Kirla, would you mind closing the door on your way out?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, miss.¡± The door closed behind them. The woman spoke again. ¡°I suppose introductions are in order. I am Yelena.¡± ¡°My name is Corec.¡± He continued down the row, introducing his companions. ¡°I believe you know Bishop Lastal,¡± Yelena said, ¡°and this is my husband, Sarlo.¡± ¡°I remember you!¡± Katrin said. ¡°That day in the Tailors¡¯ Quarter!¡± Sarlo grinned. ¡°Yes. As I recall, you ran right into me and almost fell over.¡± ¡°You had a rune!¡± Yelena cleared her throat. ¡°Shall we get this out of the way?¡± She moved around to the front of her desk and slipped the shawl off her shoulders. Six glowing red runes appeared on her upper arms, three on each. A red triangle appeared on Sarlo¡¯s forehead, and a red square, rotated to look like a diamond, showed on Lastal¡¯s. ¡°There, that¡¯s better,¡± Yelena continued, as Corec exchanged shocked glances with his friends. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I met another warden in person.¡± ¡°A warden?¡± Treya asked. ¡°What¡¯s a warden?¡± ¡°He is,¡± Yelena said, pointing at Corec. ¡°According to Lastal, anyway.¡± Corec rolled up his sleeves to display his own runes while he tried to think of what to say. Bobo had thought the word warden might somehow be related to their runes at one point, but they¡¯d never found any further information on the topic and had given up looking for it. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what a warden is either. Are you like the First?¡± Yelena laughed. ¡°I hope not. He¡¯s a rather crotchety old man.¡± The First had appeared young in the dream, but Corec could understand Yelena¡¯s description. The man acted old, regardless of his apparent youth. ¡°But you know him. You¡¯re one of the others.¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re called wardens?¡± ¡°We are wardens,¡± she said, pointing back and forth between herself and him. ¡°You should already know that, from your choosing.¡± ¡°What choosing? I tried to tell the First, I don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going on, or how to stop it.¡± She frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t remember your choosing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what a choosing is!¡± ¡°For me, it was something like a wordless dream full of images. Not like the First¡¯s dream world¡ªit was something else entirely. When I woke up, I knew how to create the bond, and I knew I was something called a warden, though I¡¯d never heard the term before. Unfortunately, the choosing doesn¡¯t tell us much about what it means.¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to get any information out of the First, so I¡¯ve had to study it on my own,¡± Yelena said, leaning back against the edge of her desk. ¡°As best as I¡¯ve been able to figure out, some ancient civilization managed a rather incredible ritual spell that created a group of mage-guardians to protect their people. Somehow, the spell kept going even after their civilization came to an end. My guess is that the citizens all knew what a warden was, so the choosing didn¡¯t need to convey any more information than it does.¡± ¡°I never experienced any choosing,¡± Corec said, ¡°and I don¡¯t know how to use the binding spell. How do I stop it from happening?¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°The old man told me you bonded people without asking them. As a wizard, you should know how wrong that is. Didn¡¯t your teachers cover binding spells?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a wizard, and I didn¡¯t have any teachers. I¡¯d never have cast the spell if I knew how to avoid it.¡± She stared through him for a moment, her eyes going out of focus, then blinked and looked at him normally again. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s true,¡± she said, ¡°so I¡¯ll tell you that it¡¯s considered a great crime. The rules go back to the earliest binding spells, some of which were truly evil. The warden¡¯s bond is hardly one of those, but you¡¯re still lucky that Lastal spoke to me about your problem before the First did. If I¡¯d thought you were doing it on purpose, Sarlo would have tracked you down before now so I could kill you.¡± Corec swallowed as he realized who he was speaking to. ¡°You¡¯re Six, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yelena. The First just doesn¡¯t bother to learn anyone¡¯s names. But yes, I¡¯m the sixth warden, just as you¡¯re the eighth. That¡¯s simply how they track seniority¡ªwhen someone ahead of you dies, you¡¯ll be the seventh. Personally, I don¡¯t see much point to it. We don¡¯t interact with each other enough for seniority to matter.¡± ¡°How many of you are there?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I¡¯m a wizard, and I¡¯ve never heard of wardens before.¡± ¡°I keep the wardens a secret, even from my fellow wizards. Some of the others are more open about their abilities, but they don¡¯t go around discussing what we truly are. As for how many, there are just the eight of us, and even that seems like a lot. It¡¯s rare that a new one would come so soon. Seven¡ªI don¡¯t know his name¡ªwas chosen just four years ago, and before that, there were only six.¡± ¡°How do we undo the binding spell?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Lastal told me you¡¯d ask that,¡± Yelena said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible. Other binding spells can be banished, but this one is¡­more complicated. It was meant to be permanent. If you can¡¯t stand each other¡¯s company, simply go your separate ways. You may feel a faint pull drawing you toward the others, but you can ignore it.¡± Corec said, ¡°The First said there was a way. He said Three had done it.¡± ¡°Three? I suppose it¡¯s possible¡ªI¡¯ve never met her.¡± ¡°Where can we find her?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Somewhere across the sea¡­but I don¡¯t know which sea.¡± ¡°East,¡± Sarlo said. ¡°East and south. I couldn¡¯t tell you more without going myself.¡± ¡°There,¡± Yelena said. ¡°Sarlo¡¯s a Seeker. When I need to locate something, I send him. That¡¯s the true strength of a warden¡ªyour bondmates. They augment your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. I¡¯m a scholar myself, not a warrior, so I depend on Sarlo and my wife, Venni, to act as my hands. The others each have their own roles. Your friend Bishop Lastal provides eyes and ears into the inner workings of the city¡¯s temples, in exchange for the benefits he receives as a warden¡¯s bondmate.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Corec had never heard of a Seeker before, much less someone having both a husband and a wife, but he had too many other questions to ask about either. ¡°Benefits?¡± Yelena sighed. ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything about this, do you? Very well, then¡ªwhat does it mean to be a warden? First, you can only bond mages, but it works with any type of mage. You live longer, both you and your bondmates. Until Seven, I was the youngest of us, and I¡¯m two hundred seventy years old.¡± Katrin and Treya both glanced Corec¡¯s way, stunned looks on their faces. He¡¯d forgotten what the First had said about Yelena¡¯s age. He¡¯d assumed that Six was an elf, but she was clearly human. ¡°Two hundred seventy-four,¡± Sarlo reminded her with a wink. ¡°Seventy-four? Already?¡± She thought about that for a moment. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Anyway, beyond the longer lifespan, the bond also strengthens your magic.¡± ¡°How?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± ¡°Perhaps strengthens is the wrong word. I might say, instead, that it increases your potential, and makes it easier to achieve that potential.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°But you¡¯re claiming that if we don¡¯t undo the binding spell, my magic will be stronger?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have the potential to become stronger, at least.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an easy experiment. Find Three, end the binding spell, and let us know what happens. I¡¯m curious about the results myself.¡± Ellerie glared at her. ¡°Is there anything else we should know?¡± Corec asked, hoping to forestall an argument. ¡°I should think that¡¯s quite enough,¡± Yelena replied. ¡°You already know that you can track your bondmates¡¯ locations, and they yours, I trust?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That works over any distance, but it only gives you a general indication of the direction. It¡¯s something like Sarlo¡¯s seeking magic, I gather, but with less detail. I assume it¡¯s got something to do with how we feel pulled together.¡± ¡°How can I stop from casting the binding spell again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you ever managed to cast it unintentionally at all. Perhaps we can discuss that privately¡ªone of my areas of study is arcane mages who cast spells without wizardry. The topic may lead us to a solution regarding your binding spells.¡± ¡°I would appreciate that. I¡¯ve tried to be careful, but so far, I haven¡¯t had any luck.¡± ¡°You should be careful. Bonding four in so short a time, you¡¯re certain to run into problems. It takes a special kind of personality to work with the same people for decades or centuries, and still continue to get along with them. I¡¯ve spent over two hundred fifty years choosing my bondmates. Lastal here is the most recent, just a few years ago, but I knew him for ten years before that. I had to be sure I could trust him with my secrets.¡± Lastal nodded. ¡°I apologize for my earlier deception, but at the time, I had no idea who you were or what I should say. I wasn¡¯t aware there was a new warden, and Yelena likes to keep our identities quiet. I¡¯m somewhat new to this life myself, you see.¡± Yelena said, ¡°Sarlo had discovered there was a new warden, thanks to the incident in the Tailors¡¯ Quarter, but I hadn¡¯t thought to inform Lastal. It never occurred to me you¡¯d show up in his office.¡± ¡°How do you hide what you are if you¡¯re so old?¡± Katrin asked Yelena. ¡°I mean, if you¡¯ve lived for so long?¡± ¡°I move around and change my name and appearance. Again, some of the other wardens are in different situations, either remote enough or in such a position of power that people don¡¯t question things. But me, I¡¯ve always liked living in the city¡ªthe bigger the better. I¡¯ll have to move on in a few years, before the duke and his people start wondering about the fact that I¡¯m not growing any older.¡± ¡°The duke doesn¡¯t know about you?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I rather doubt Voss would tolerate me if he knew what I was. He doesn¡¯t like anyone to challenge what he thinks of as his own authority.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like him¡­¡± ¡°Why do I stay? He considers me to be a useful tool with useful friends¡­and I think the same about him. Tyrsall is the largest city on the continent, and from here, I can keep an eye on everything. I have no interest in becoming a ruler myself, but I can watch for threats, look for opportunities, and provide advice to both the duke and the king. Sometimes they even take my suggestions. It¡¯s a good place for now, and next, maybe Sanvar. It¡¯s been a hundred and fifty years since I lived in Sanvara City¡ªeven the stoneborn will have forgotten me by now.¡± ¡°What about the other wardens?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We tend to be territorial. The only one I¡¯ve met in person is Shayliel, one of the yanvasta.¡± ¡°Yanvasta?¡± Shavala exclaimed. ¡°Yes. She travels more than the other wardens.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s yanvasta? The word doesn¡¯t make any sense. There are other elves?¡± ¡°My mother told me about them,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°They¡¯re far away, well beyond the seaborn homeland.¡± ¡°Why have I not heard of them? Why don¡¯t my people know about them?¡± Ellerie looked uncomfortable. ¡°I think your people do know. The elders, at least.¡± ¡°Why would they keep it secret?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ellerie turned to Yelena. ¡°I thought even the seaborn were reluctant to sail to the yanvasta homeland, and that¡¯s why the yanvasta almost never come here.¡± ¡°Shayliel has her own ship, and her bondmates are her crew. I rather doubt she has trouble with any sea, no matter how rough it is.¡± Corec said, ¡°Who are the others? Do you know where any of them are?¡± ¡°Two is a seaborn, according to Shayliel. She¡¯s met with him quite a few times, though she wouldn¡¯t tell me his name. I don¡¯t know much about Three. Some decades ago, I discovered that Four is a human man, who was living north of Larso at the time. Shayliel is Five, and you¡¯ve already met the First. All I know about Seven is that the First hates him¡­but he hates you and me too, so take that for what it¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really all you know about them?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°The world is a big place, and it¡¯s easier to keep ourselves to ourselves. We command enough magic that we could find the others if we truly wished to, but what would we do then? I don¡¯t know any of them well enough to understand what they truly want, not even Shayliel. What would happen if we find ourselves at odds? Would we risk starting a war between a group of powerful mages? So, instead, we stick to our own territories. Between you and Four, I¡¯m starting to feel crowded here, but I¡¯ll attempt to stay away from your interests if you return the favor.¡± That seemed like a less-than-subtle suggestion that Corec not settle down in Tyrsall, at least as long as Yelena was still there. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t really have any plans other than looking for Three, and I¡¯m not involved in Tyrsall¡¯s politics at all.¡± She nodded. ¡°We can speak more in the future, but that will suffice for now.¡± # ¡°How much do you believe of what she said?¡± Ellerie asked. The five of them had gathered together back at the inn after speaking with Yelena. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Corec said, ¡°but if it¡¯s true, at least now we know what¡¯s happening, and why.¡± Treya said, ¡°I don¡¯t trust Lastal, so I don¡¯t trust Yelena either, but I can¡¯t think of any reason she¡¯d have to lie about it all.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, either,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Let¡¯s say it¡¯s true,¡± Corec said. ¡°What are we going to do about it?¡± ¡°She said we could go our separate ways,¡± Ellerie suggested. ¡°She also said we¡¯d be drawn together,¡± Treya said. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Corec said, ¡°I was considering that on the walk back. When I went after Katrin¡¯s bounty, I didn¡¯t know what I was doing and I didn¡¯t have any sort of plan. I think I just used the bounty as an excuse to see her again.¡± ¡°Sure you did,¡± Katrin said to him with a smirk. He winked at her. ¡°And after that, Shavala chose to travel with us even before we knew about her binding spell.¡± He pointed to Ellerie and Treya. ¡°You two are here because we¡¯ve been looking for a way to end the bond, but doesn¡¯t it seem just a bit too easy how we decided to continue traveling together?¡± ¡°It was time to start my travels,¡± Shavala said, looking embarrassed. ¡°Though, perhaps it was convenient to find traveling companions so easily.¡± ¡°Then, is the answer to just split up?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°If there is something drawing us together, Yelena said we could ignore it.¡± ¡°Well, I still want to find Three,¡± Corec said, ¡°or some other way to end the spell. We might need to be together for that.¡± ¡°And I still wish to visit the Storm Heights,¡± Shavala said. ¡°It seems silly to travel to the same place in two separate groups.¡± ¡°But are we doing those things because we¡¯re being pulled together?¡± Treya asked. They all looked around the room uncertainly. ¡°We can¡¯t second-guess everything we do,¡± Katrin said. ¡°If we all agree with a decision, does it matter if there¡¯s some extra reason involved?¡± ¡°Should we look for Three now?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°We can take a ship to the east.¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not enough information to find her. She could still be almost anywhere. Maybe there¡¯s a spell we could use to track her down, or maybe we¡¯ll find some other way to end the bond if we help you find Tir Yadar.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°I think Treya and Katrin are both right. I can¡¯t help feeling that something¡¯s pushing us to continue traveling together, but I can¡¯t think of a better choice either, especially if we all need to be together to end the binding spell.¡± ¡°Do you want to end the binding spell?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I never have. If Yelena was telling the truth about it making your magic stronger, do you still want to undo it?¡± Katrin said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about the magic, but I don¡¯t want to get rid of my rune anymore.¡± She grasped Corec¡¯s hand. ¡°I want to learn my magic on my own,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I don¡¯t want something¡­helping me, even if it makes me stronger.¡± They all looked at Treya. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t like how it happened, but I feel like my healing has improved. I¡¯m not sure how much of that is from practicing it and how much is from¡­this. Without the binding spell, would I have been able to help those people who were attacked by the ogres? What if we end the bond and I find I¡¯m back to only being able to heal sprains and pulled muscles? Can I justify not being able to help people that way anymore?¡± Ellerie looked down, shaking her head. Was she the only one who was still sane? Why would anyone want to be linked to some human mage who¡¯d bonded them against their will? Corec said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what I¡¯ve gotten you all into. I¡¯ll keep looking for a solution for anyone who wants it, and whether we find it or not, we can all go our separate ways once we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Some of us, anyway,¡± Katrin said. He nodded. ¡°Some of us can go our separate ways.¡± ¡°Is Yelena really almost three hundred years old?¡± Treya asked. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Ellerie shrugged. ¡°Three hundred isn¡¯t very old.¡± ¡°Not for an elf, maybe, but she wasn¡¯t an elf.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the part I have the hardest time believing,¡± Corec said. ¡°But if it¡¯s true, and she¡¯s the youngest of them other than Seven and me, then how old are the others?¡± # ¡°We¡¯ve now recruited two thousand mercenaries, Your Highness,¡± Captain Benis said. ¡°Good,¡± Rusol replied. ¡°My father has approved increasing that number by five hundred more. Please see to it.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. And I should mention that Captain Tark has asked to recruit from amongst them for the Royal Guard.¡± ¡°After he told me he didn¡¯t approve of allowing any mercenaries into the palace? Very well. If he sees any he likes the look of, he can recruit them, but only to his approved numbers. We¡¯re not increasing the size of the Guard. And make sure he doesn¡¯t find out about the¡­special troops.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± There was a knock at the door and Rusol¡¯s mother strode into his chambers. A concubine of the Three Orders, Sharra was still a striking woman at forty-six, though gray streaks now lined her hair. She spared a glance for the soldier. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed, Captain.¡± Benis bowed. ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± He left the room, closing the door behind him. ¡°Mother, always a pleasure,¡± Rusol said. ¡°To what do I owe the honor of having my work disrupted?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Rusol. I¡¯ve brought you a gift. You know the Duke of the Crows¡¯ investiture is coming up?¡± ¡°I am aware, yes.¡± The last duke had died over the summer. His son had inherited the title automatically, but to make it official, the king would have to confirm him during the investiture ceremony. It was the first dukedom in the kingdom to change hands in over ten years, and three days of parties and events had been planned around the ceremony. The dukes and barons who wintered in the city would all be attending, as would the more remote barons from the Black Crow Mountains¡ªTarwen, Tammerly, Highfell, and Deep Valley. Once the new duke had pledged fealty to the king, the four barons that held lands within the duchy would in turn pledge fealty to him, before renewing their vows to the king. ¡°The queen is still unwell. I¡¯ll be attending in her place, and I want you to look the part of heir to the throne. This is Larso, not Matagor, and you¡¯ll never have the people¡¯s respect if you continue dressing like a courtier.¡± Rusol sighed. ¡°What are you talking about, Mother?¡± She rapped on the door and two servants came in carrying a bundle of armor. A third followed with a sheathed sword in his hand, a sword belt hanging over his shoulder. Sharra directed them to lay their burdens on a nearby table. The armor gleamed and reflected the light, almost like a mirror. Rusol¡¯s mother dismissed the servants, then said, ¡°I¡¯m talking about this. I want you to wear it to the investiture.¡± ¡°Wearing plate armor at a ceremony? That¡¯s a little much even for Larso, don¡¯t you think, Mother?¡± ¡°Your father used to do it, and people respected him for it. Even now, he wears a knight¡¯s uniform so everyone remembers who he is.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t who I am. I¡¯m no warrior!¡± ¡°That was your own choice!¡± Sharra said. ¡°I indulged you, to my shame, and your father didn¡¯t mind because Rikard would become king. But now Rikard¡¯s dead, and you need to look like what you are¡ªa prince of Larso.¡± More likely, he¡¯d look like a fraud, trying to wear armor that he had no right to, but he doubted his mother would listen to that reasoning. Instead, he said, ¡°I can¡¯t wear this. It¡¯ll be too heavy for me to stand around with it for the whole ceremony.¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s enchanted, and I paid a great deal of money for it. The whole thing only weighs fifteen pounds, and it¡¯s stronger than steel. The man I bought it from hit it with a hammer and it didn¡¯t make a dent. The sword¡¯s enchanted too, and made out of the same metal.¡± Rusol looked over the armor again, this time with more interest. Magical weapons were rare, and magic armor even more so. Just how much gold had his mother spent? The spells for creating permanent enchantments had been lost to time¡­or, if anyone still remembered how, they were keeping quiet about it. Rusol¡¯s father owned a magic sword that had been passed down from king to king for generations. It was worth a fortune, even though its only enchantment was to never break or need sharpening. Rusol slid the first few inches of the sword out of its scabbard. It gleamed in the light, just as the armor did. Returning it to the table, he picked up the breastplate that formed the front half of the cuirass. It was indeed lighter than he¡¯d expected. ¡°I think it¡¯s too large,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯ll match your size once you put it on,¡± Sharra said. ¡°That¡¯s part of the enchantment. The man who sold it showed me how it works.¡± ¡°Why would anyone sell something like this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, but wherever he got it from, he looked like he needed the money.¡± Rusol held the breastplate up in front of himself and stared at his image in the mirror. The barons and dukes didn¡¯t need to know that he¡¯d never learned how to fight. Perhaps just appearing as if he could would be sufficient after all. He said, ¡°I suppose I can try it, but if it makes me look like a fool, I¡¯m not wearing it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll look very dashing, just like the next king should look.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± ¡°And Rusol? Don¡¯t bring any of your¡­friends to the ceremony. Let¡¯s not risk the populace finding out what you¡¯ve been up to. Not yet, anyway.¡± Book 2: Chapter Seven Yelena dipped her pen into a bottle of ink as she took notes. ¡°So, each spell feels different in your mind, but you don¡¯t necessarily know what it does when you first learn it?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Corec said. ¡°Sometimes, I don¡¯t even know that I¡¯m casting it. About three weeks ago, we were ambushed by¡­bandits. I felt strange during the fight, like everything was easier. At first, I thought it was just because the last time we were ambushed, they caught me without my armor, and this time, I was ready for them. But then, a week and a half ago, we were fighting ogres, and I felt the same thing again. I think it¡¯s a new spell.¡± ¡°Did your weapon feel lighter?¡± Venni asked. The tall, big-boned blonde woman stood where Sarlo had been the previous day. She wore a surcoat over a padded gambeson, and had an arming sword belted to her hip. ¡°Yes, it did.¡± ¡°It sounds like a strength spell. It¡¯s exhilarating the first few times you cast it, until you get used to the effect and learn to compensate for it.¡± ¡°I asked Venni to join us because she has experience with the types of spells you know,¡± Yelena said. ¡°She¡¯s a battle wizard.¡± Venni nodded. ¡°You sound like one yourself, except for not being a wizard.¡± ¡°Battle wizard?¡± Corec asked. ¡°A wizard that specializes in spells for fighting with weapons,¡± Yelena said. ¡°I suppose the term isn¡¯t used much these days.¡± ¡°Wizards can only master so many spells, so some of us choose an area to focus on,¡± Venni added. ¡°You sound like you don¡¯t have any choice over what you learn, but a real wizard does. My father had started teaching me to use a sword before we found out I was a wizard. I didn¡¯t want to give that up, so I decided to combine the two. There was actually a small group of us back in Matagor, where I grew up, but the others didn¡¯t bother recruiting new members, and the last of them passed away, oh, close to two hundred years ago.¡± Yelena said, ¡°Venni recovered some of their spell books, so every once in a while, she¡¯ll take on a promising student, but from what we learned this morning, I don¡¯t believe that will help you.¡± Corec nodded. Yelena had spent several hours testing him to see if he was a wizard, but she¡¯d concluded that he wasn¡¯t. ¡°This strength spell makes me stronger, I take it?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Venni said, ¡°but it can throw off your balance, so be careful. And you¡¯ll want to strengthen your sword, too, or you¡¯re liable to break it.¡± ¡°You can make a sword stronger?¡± ¡°With a different spell. I¡¯m not sure how to explain it for someone who doesn¡¯t learn magic like a wizard.¡± ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Yelena started, then paused. ¡°Maybe the spells he learns are based on the actions he takes. He¡¯s a warrior, so he learns battle wizard spells. If he was a sailor or a librarian, perhaps he¡¯d have learned completely different ones.¡± That theory appealed to Corec¡ªit at least provided an explanation that made sense. Venni shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s true,¡± she said to him, ¡°and you can control it to a degree, try to teach yourself the spell. If you know your sword won¡¯t break, you can even use it against plate armor. It still won¡¯t cut the armor, but if you miss a gap and hit the plate, the blade won¡¯t dull or chip. It¡¯s not as good as using a hammer or a bill, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Corec nodded. He¡¯d never faced an opponent wearing plate armor outside of practice sessions before he¡¯d left the knights, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be prepared. ¡°Is that what you do?¡± he asked. She patted the sword at her side. ¡°I used to, but Dart here doesn¡¯t need the spell. She¡¯s happy enough to go up against armor all on her own.¡± Before Corec could ask about that, Yelena said, ¡°We¡¯re getting off track. Let¡¯s get back to your spells. You¡¯re wearing a mail shirt today but you weren¡¯t wearing it yesterday. Do you prefer armor over being able to use magic?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t wear it yesterday because I figured I¡¯d need to show you my runes, but the metal doesn¡¯t stop me from casting spells. I wear plate armor when I¡¯m on the road, and I can still use magic.¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m jealous,¡± Venni said. ¡°My armor spells are good, but not that good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unusual,¡± Yelena said. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to two dozen arcane mages over the years, and most of them were affected by metal the same way a wizard is. There were only a few that weren¡¯t. Again, my guess is that the magic is conforming to your lifestyle. You wear armor regularly, so the magic has somehow compensated for that.¡± ¡°What were those other mages like?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Deshin¡ªhe¡¯s a wizard here in the city¡ªhe said that most only manage to learn one or two spells.¡± ¡°Some of them are like that. Like the boy who was caught in a burning house and figured out a spell to protect himself from the flames. A useful spell in very rare circumstances, but it was the only one he ever learned. He ended up working for a circus. Others learn a strange mishmash of spells without any rhyme or reason, as if someone took a spell book and chose a few pages at random. And then the last group pick up a pattern of related spells. I¡¯d say you¡¯re one of those.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s reassuring that there are others like me.¡± ¡°Well, a battle wizard is a strange choice, even for that group,¡± Yelena said. ¡°They¡¯re more often like Sarlo, though in his case, it didn¡¯t happen by accident. His people are sometimes born with unusual arcane gifts¡ªor at least his grandmother¡¯s people are. Seekers, Seers, Travelers...they¡¯re all related.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of those. Yesterday, you said he¡¯s a Seeker, right?¡± ¡°Mostly, though there¡¯s some overlap between the three abilities. He can find things or people, given enough time and information. It¡¯s fascinating, actually. To him, Seeking is just something he does, but as far as I can tell, there must be nine or ten different spells involved that he doesn¡¯t even know he¡¯s casting.¡± ¡°Can he help us find Three?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t spare him for the amount of time you¡¯d need for an ocean journey. Besides, I have another task for him¡ªsomeone who needs to be found. We¡¯re off track again. Let¡¯s get back to the binding spell. You said the last time you cast it, you felt something?¡± ¡°I think so, but it was hard to tell.¡± ¡°Cast it on me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t bond another warden, so you can cast it on me for practice. Or Venni, for that matter, since she¡¯s already bonded. Once you know how to cast it purposely, you¡¯ll also know how not to cast it.¡± Corec nodded. The idea made sense. ¡°How do I do it?¡± ¡°The same way you cast any other spell, I¡¯d assume. For me, the warden¡¯s binding spell isn¡¯t like one of my wizard spells. There are no words to say. I just feel it in my head, and I¡­it¡¯s difficult to explain. I know how it¡¯s supposed to feel, so I make it feel that way. I believe it¡¯s similar to how you cast all your spells, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, I can feel a shifting in my mind. If there¡¯s a fight, it all happens without me thinking about it, but if I¡¯ve used a spell enough times, I can usually cast it on purpose too.¡± ¡°So, remember what the binding spell felt like, then repeat it.¡± Corec tried but nothing happened. ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± Yelena said. ¡°Try again.¡± He did. ¡°Again.¡± # Katrin sat with her harp in the room she shared with Corec, practicing some different fingerings she¡¯d learned from the minstrels she¡¯d played with two nights earlier. The performance had been awkward, since nobody had been quite sure who should take the lead¡ªthe minstrels had much more experience, but they¡¯d recognized her as a bard shortly into the first song, and had then been reluctant to offer suggestions of their own. It had been fun to try new things, but the three of them hadn¡¯t repeated the experience. She looked up when Corec returned. ¡°You were gone for a long time.¡± ¡°Yelena had me practicing how to cast the binding spell,¡± he replied. ¡°We went until I could barely see straight.¡± ¡°Did it help?¡± ¡°Well, I think if I wanted to cast it now, I might be able to figure it out. The trick will be in seeing whether I can keep from casting when I don¡¯t want to do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something, I suppose, but you¡¯re not really going to cast it again, are you?¡± He sighed and sat down on the bed. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in. I¡¯ve spent the past day wondering if I can just ignore everything she told us. I don¡¯t really have to be a warden. They don¡¯t seem to serve any purpose, and I¡¯d just like to live my life. On the other hand, if someone wanted to be bonded, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt, if it was the right person.¡± ¡°Like who?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to give that some thought. Yelena took years to pick each of her¡­she called them bondmates. I suppose it takes that long to find the right people. The First said something about that as well, but I didn¡¯t really understand what he was talking about at the time.¡± Katrin set her harp to the side. ¡°So it¡¯s a choice between being a warden¡ªwhatever that means¡ªand us just going off and living our own life.¡± ¡°It seems like it. But also, I don¡¯t think Yelena wants me to settle down here in Tyrsall. You heard what she said yesterday about the wardens being territorial. Before I left today, she asked me to let her know any time I¡¯m in the city.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really think about what she meant by that. I was starting to like the idea of living here.¡± ¡°So was I. But she said she¡¯d be moving on in a few years, so maybe we could live here after that.¡± ¡°What do we do until then?¡± ¡°Follow Shavala around until she decides to return home?¡± Katrin laughed. ¡°That¡¯s a lot more traveling than I was planning on, but I guess we can make up our minds as we go. Maybe we¡¯ll find another city on the way. Matagor sounds nice from what Bobo says, and it¡¯s a long way from Yelena.¡± ¡°There are plenty of places we haven¡¯t visited yet, and it sounds like Shavala wants to see them all. I guess it won¡¯t be hard to find somewhere else to live until Tyrsall is available.¡± ¡°If we really are going to live as long as Yelena, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to made a decision.¡± Katrin didn¡¯t quite believe how old Yelena claimed to be, but then, why would the woman lie about it? ¡°What do you think the others will do?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Corec said. ¡°When we figure out how to end the bond, Ellerie will do that, then get as far away from me as possible. Treya might actually keep it, but I don¡¯t know what she¡¯ll do after that. Shavala will either go home someday, or she¡¯ll just keep right on traveling.¡± ¡°What about Bobo?¡± ¡°Fifty years from now, he¡¯ll still be snoring away in the next room. I¡¯m never going to be able to get rid of him.¡± Katrin laughed. There was a knock at the door, and Corec opened it to let in Ellerie and Boktar. ¡°Did you finish getting the supplies?¡± he asked. ¡°All stocked up,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Are we leaving tomorrow?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve learned what I can from Yelena, at least for now,¡± Corec said, ¡°and I¡¯m going to pick up my armor in an hour. I¡¯ll be ready to go.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send a messenger to Treya letting her know we¡¯re heading out first thing in the morning.¡± ¡°I asked Yelena if Sarlo could come with us to help find Three, but she said she needed him for something else right now.¡± ¡°Oh, that was a good idea. Maybe he¡¯ll be available the next time we¡¯re in town.¡± # Treya made it to the inn early in the morning. While the others were packing, she cornered Bobo alone. ¡°Do you have a few minutes to talk?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course, my dear. What would you like to talk about?¡± ¡°What are godborn?¡± ¡°Godborn? That¡¯s a departure from our usual topics. Why the interest?¡± ¡°The first time we met with Bishop Lastal, he insisted godborn were real, but I don¡¯t know much about them.¡± ¡°Ahh. Well, I¡¯m no expert, but to the best of my knowledge, they are distantly descended from a god just as demonborn are distantly¡ªor not so distantly¡ªdescended from a demon.¡± ¡°But¡­how?¡± ¡°I assume in the normal way. I thought that was the sort of thing they taught you in concubine school.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I meant. I meant¡­how?¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°The way I¡¯ve heard it said is that a mortal and a god have a child together, and that child is godborn. Some of the child¡¯s descendants may also be godborn. They might have something to mark them, just as demonborn do, but the stories aren¡¯t very clear on what that something is.¡± ¡°But how would a human¡­be with a god? Nobody can see or touch them. Only priests can communicate with them, and even then, only through visions.¡± ¡°Well, here, you¡¯re getting into legends. It¡¯s hard to know what¡¯s the truth and what¡¯s a myth when you¡¯re looking that far back, but some stories suggest the gods were once more involved in the world, and would interact with people.¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s right, and godborn and demonborn are descended from gods and demons, then are seaborn really descended from the sea?¡± Bobo laughed. ¡°So the legends say, but they sure look a lot more like an elf or a human than an ocean, don¡¯t they? The same with the stormborn and the stoneborn. I doubt very much that Boktar¡¯s ancestors were boulders.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s possible godborn aren¡¯t descended from gods at all.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± Treya breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°What do the godborn¡­do?¡± Bobo said, ¡°I¡¯ve never known one, but I imagine they do whatever they can to get by, just like the rest of us.¡± ¡°Lastal said that demonborn and godborn sometimes inherit magic from their ancestors. Is that true?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re well away from anything I¡¯ve read about. Ellerie¡¯s more likely to know something like that. You should ask her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all that important,¡± Treya said. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll talk to her some other time.¡± Then she had another thought. ¡°Why aren¡¯t lizardfolk called lizardborn?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t say. Perhaps the word changed gradually, like the stoneborn, who are more likely to be called dwarves these days. Maybe humans and elves had another name in the past, too.¡± # Corec was helping Boktar load the last of the pack mules when Venni rode into the stable yard, her horse fully loaded for traveling. ¡°Good, you haven¡¯t left yet,¡± she said. He cinched up the last strap on the pack mule. ¡°We¡¯re just heading out now. Boktar, this is Venni, a friend of Yelena¡¯s.¡± The two greeted each other, then Venni turned back to Corec. ¡°You¡¯re taking the North Road, right?¡± The North Road led northeast along the coast to High Cove, then roughly north to Lanport. The other option was to take the Mountain Road northwest, which skirted around the southern edge of the Storm Heights on its way to the plains. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°We think we¡¯ll make better time that way. We¡¯ve heard the roads are better.¡± ¡°How would you feel about some company? The Baron of High Cove is dealing with something that¡¯s been killing dogs and cats in the city. He thinks it might be imps. The baron sent a pigeon to the Duke of the North, who sent a pigeon to Duke Voss, who asked Yelena to take care of it. I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s nearby that she can spare right now.¡± ¡°Imps are demons, aren¡¯t they?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°Little demons. They can cross over easier than the big ones.¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± Corec asked. ¡°No, but I hate traveling alone. So, what do you think?¡± ¡°Will we get there in time?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We¡¯ve got to be twelve or thirteen days away from High Cove.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice. Yelena normally sends Sarlo for something like this, but he¡¯s off taking care of another matter. And the duke isn¡¯t going to give me a ship for a few dead animals.¡± Boktar said, ¡°They could ask someone in High Cove to take care of it. It¡¯s a big city. They¡¯ve got to have guardsmen and wizards.¡± ¡°True,¡± Venni replied. ¡°If that happens, I¡¯ll just head back here, but Yelena didn¡¯t want to wait for more pigeon messages back and forth before sending someone.¡± The dwarf nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go let the others know that we¡¯re ready to saddle up the horses¡­and that we¡¯ve got company.¡± After he¡¯d gone, Corec asked, ¡°What¡¯s this really about? Somehow I doubt you¡¯re all that concerned about traveling alone.¡± ¡°No,¡± Venni said, ¡°but it¡¯s not much fun, either. And¡­I thought it would be good to get to know you. Yelena is uncomfortable with the idea of another warden being so close by.¡± ¡°Well, I do sometimes have business in the city, but you can let her know I won¡¯t settle down here, at least not while she¡¯s still here. I¡¯m sure we can work out anything else.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll appreciate that. What sort of business?¡± ¡°I work for a few of the trading houses. Caravan guard. I was thinking about asking if they have any bodyguard work, but I guess I¡¯ll have to do that somewhere else now.¡± Venni laughed and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you really understand what it means to be a warden. Trust me, you¡¯re not a caravan guard anymore.¡± ¡°To be honest, I was thinking of ignoring all the warden stuff. If I can learn not to bond people anymore¡ªor even better, learn how to end the binding spells¡ªKatrin and I just want to settle down somewhere.¡± ¡°Katrin¡ªthat¡¯s your girl, right? The bard you mentioned?¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Look,¡± Venni said. ¡°Settling down, maybe. Not binding anyone else, maybe. But that doesn¡¯t change who you are. If there¡¯s nothing more important you¡¯d rather be doing, bodyguard work might be a good fit, as a bodyguard to a king or a duke. I¡¯ve done a bit of that myself over the years. You¡¯re a battle wizard, or something like it, and you shouldn¡¯t let your talents go to waste.¡± ¡°I suppose. I¡¯ve thought about looking for something more¡­meaningful, but I haven¡¯t figured out what that is yet.¡± That was something he¡¯d only discussed with Katrin and Shavala, so he didn¡¯t want to go into detail with a near-stranger. ¡°And I¡¯m not much of a battle wizard. I mean, sure, the spells help, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m any better of a fighter than, say, Boktar.¡± She laughed again. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how effective even the tiniest spell can be, especially when combined with your own training and equipment. Speaking of which, are you seriously telling me you can cast spells in that getup?¡± He was wearing his full panoply since they were preparing to ride out. The breastplate had been returned to working condition, though with the remaining dents and scratches, it looked well used. Venni wore the same surcoat and padded gambeson she¡¯d had on the day before. Corec shrugged and held his palm up between them, summoning a mage light to float above it. Venni just shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s simply not fair.¡± # Five nights into their journey north, they stayed in a little fishing village. The innkeeper wasn¡¯t interested in Katrin¡¯s offer of music, so they paid full price for their four rooms. Treya shared with Shavala, as she usually did, but the room only had one bed, so they had to share that too. Boktar had insisted that he and Bobo would get the room with the two beds¡ªthere was a limit to how much he could put up with the other man¡¯s snoring. Before going to sleep, Treya sat cross-legged on her side of the bed and closed her eyes. ¡°Meditating again?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°That¡¯s every night since we left.¡± ¡°My teachers said I need to get better about doing it.¡± ¡°Perhaps I will join you. Your meditating seems much like the exercises I¡¯m supposed to do to extend my elder senses.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that,¡± Treya said. ¡°I don¡¯t use my healing senses at all when I¡¯m meditating¡ªit would cause too many distractions when I¡¯m trying to focus on nothing. Doesn¡¯t that happen to you?¡± The elven girl cocked her head to the side. ¡°I¡¯ve never known the elder senses to be distracting. They represent the world around me, which was already there, so how can I be any more distracted by it than I was before? But perhaps it¡¯s not so similar to your meditation after all. I¡¯m supposed to focus on everything I can sense.¡± Treya decided to give Shavala¡¯s idea a try, but when she reached out with her healing senses, the mass of information she received made it impossible to meditate. In some ways, her different abilities worked together, such as when she was fighting, but in other ways, they were at odds with each other. Which seemed fitting, since she was at odds with herself. Ever since Shana had defeated the bandits who¡¯d killed Treya¡¯s parents, Treya had wanted to be like her. And she thought she could be, if she wasn¡¯t constantly being pulled in other directions. The day she¡¯d spent in the almshouse had been an eye-opening experience. There¡¯d been nearly a hundred sick and injured people in that house alone, including children. There were broken bones, infected cuts, and internal illnesses that she didn¡¯t even know the names for, and none of those people had been able to afford a healing priest on their own. The administrator had been thrilled to have her help, and he wasn¡¯t inclined to inquire too deeply about which temple she belonged to. Besides Treya, the volunteers for the day were two other healing priests, a chirurgeon, and an herbalist. That was enough that not only did they keep up with all the emergencies and serious problems, but they also made some progress on the patients with less serious conditions. Treya¡¯s own magic had given out after an hour. The other healers had warned her not to overextend herself, but she¡¯d continued working throughout the day, helping in other ways. She resolved to bring Bobo with her the next time, and to mention to Mother Ola that the Three Orders herbalists might spend some time there themselves. Being a healer wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d wanted for her life¡ªit didn¡¯t give her the same thrill she got from training as a mystic¡ªbut at the same time, she couldn¡¯t just ignore it. She needed to find a balance between the two parts of herself. That reminded her that she was supposed to be meditating. She shut off her healing senses and did her best to blank out all of her thoughts and concerns. A stray worry crossed her mind about what Lastal had said about godborn, but she pushed it away. As her thoughts quieted, she slowed her breathing and concentrated on the sensations her body was experiencing. The feel of her tunic on her skin, and then her leggings and the blanket she was sitting on. The strand of hair brushing against her eyelashes. The slight stress in her left thigh that would become painful if she stayed too long in the same position. The sound of Shavala¡¯s breathing. As each feeling and sensation came to her, she blocked it from her mind so she could look internally instead. She could feel her heart beating, but not in the same way she felt it with her healing senses. This was a sense that went deeper than the magic. She couldn¡¯t use it to heal, but she could use it to know. It was the thing that made the mystics what they were. They didn¡¯t have a name for it, though Shana sometimes referred to it as a sense of self. Treya slowed her heart beat, and felt the rest of her body slow down in response. In this state, she¡¯d always found it easier to ignore external stimuli and focus on the internal. She could trace the path of the blood as it left her heart and passed through her body. She could almost feel the muscles and tendons that lay beneath her skin, could almost feel the tingling of air against her body¡­but not quite. Somehow, Shana could regulate her body temperature, and harden her fists enough to punch through a drake¡¯s scales, but Treya couldn¡¯t. Very few mystics had ever mastered the arts as well as Shana. Was it just a matter of knowing her body, or was there a level beyond that? # Barnabas hadn¡¯t been lying when he¡¯d said it would be a long way south until she reached civilization again, Leena reflected as she walked on, trying to ignore her aching ankles. It was still just as cold out, but at least the snow was gone, and her new clothing was helping to keep her warm. It had been eight days since she¡¯d left Barnabas and Rana¡¯s village¡ªwhich she belatedly realized she¡¯d never asked the name of. Rana and the other women had found enough odd jobs for her to do to allow her to buy everything on the shopping list, but now her food was running low again. She¡¯d passed through a village on the third day out, but at the time she¡¯d still had plenty left, and since she didn¡¯t have any money, she hadn¡¯t stopped. That was the last time she¡¯d seen any sign of people. At least there were trees now to block the wind, and firewood was readily available. Here, it was water that took effort to find, since she¡¯d left the road that had been following the stream. She¡¯d crossed other streams on the way south, but she only had the one waterskin, and sometimes it ran empty before she found another source of water. Even when the skin was full, she had to keep it bundled inside her new thick coat so her body heat could keep it from freezing. To the south, she saw a faint stream of smoke curling above the trees. A chimney? Barnabas had said she¡¯d eventually reach farmland again. She rounded a curve in the road and saw a man standing near a campfire, looking her way. He was wearing a hat and a long coat, and was leaning on a quarterstaff. Leena stopped, not certain how to react. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello,¡± he replied. ¡°The name¡¯s Sarlo. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Leena.¡± ¡°Leena, care to join me? The fire¡¯s warm, and the food is good.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They sat on pieces of a fallen log near the fire, and he served the meal he¡¯d prepared. ¡°What brings you to the middle of nowhere?¡± Sarlo asked. ¡°I¡¯m meeting some friends to the south.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re Sanvarite¡ªZidari if I¡¯ve got your accent right. That¡¯s a long way south.¡± She blinked in surprise. ¡°How did you know?¡± He pulled up the sleeve of his coat to show a tattoo with three interlocking circles in a row on his wrist. ¡°You¡¯re not Zidari!¡± she exclaimed. He was as light-skinned as a northerner. ¡°My grandmother was,¡± he said in her native tongue. ¡°I got the tattoos when I went to Sanvar to be trained.¡± He rolled up his other sleeve to show the mark of a Seeker. Leena stared at it. What were the odds she¡¯d run into another Zidari mage here of all places? ¡°How¡­?¡± she started. ¡°I didn¡¯t know any outsiders had trained as a Seeker.¡± ¡°It was a long time ago,¡± he said. ¡°A very long time ago.¡± He couldn¡¯t have been more than twenty years her senior. Surely she¡¯d have heard about it if a northerner had sought training so recently. Was he lying? ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked. ¡°I thought you might need some help.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Seeking is a funny thing. Did you know that you don¡¯t have to search for something specific? Sometimes I seek out where I need to be, even if I don¡¯t know why I need to be there. It started pointing me in this direction a few weeks ago, but with no indication of why, so I had to seek out the reason. And then it told me about you. Not in words, but I eventually figured out that there was a lost Traveler out here. Why are you lost? Can¡¯t you just teleport yourself back to Sanvar?¡± ¡°I never completed my training¡ªI became a baker instead. Every time I teleport myself, I make things worse.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You gave up the life of a Traveler?¡± ¡°After nearly dying a few times? It was an easy decision.¡± ¡°Perhaps you just need a better teacher.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather go back to baking.¡± ¡°What if I help you get home? I can teach you how to do short, controlled hops.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Traveler too?¡± she asked. Sometimes the gifts crossed over. ¡°I can only teleport myself, and only at short range. It took me five days and twenty jumps to get here, but I can teach you how to do it safely.¡± Leena thought about that for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m scared. Are you sure it would be safe?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll take things slow, and I¡¯ll teach you the same way I learned how.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Great. And then in the future, perhaps you might be willing to do a favor for me someday.¡± # Shavala sat up in her bedroll when she heard the flap of her tent rustling. Katrin peered at her through the opening. ¡°How are you always awake before I wake you up?¡± the other girl asked as she squinted in the darkness. Shavala grinned. ¡°The camp sounds different when we¡¯re change shifts. I can hear the difference.¡± She stood and pulled on an extra tunic, then her long coat. ¡°Did anything happen on your watch?¡± she asked as she stepped outside the tent. ¡°No, it was quiet.¡± ¡°Is Treya awake?¡± ¡°Corec¡¯s waking her up. I¡¯m going back to bed; I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± When Shavala and Treya were on watch together, they usually stood on opposite sides of the camp and made a slow circuit around. They were discussing where to start when Venni crawled out of her own tent, buckled her sword belt around her waist, and strode over to join them. ¡°Hello, ladies. Nobody woke me up.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Treya said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were taking a shift.¡± This was the first time they¡¯d had to keep a watch since Venni had joined them, since villages and inns were plentiful along the North Road. ¡°I want to help,¡± Venni said, then looked at Shavala. ¡°Do you mind some company?¡± The tall woman had spent the trip talking to everyone, asking them probing questions. Corec and Boktar got along with her, but everyone else seemed mostly resigned to the conversations, hoping to keep a good relationship with their only link to another warden. Shavala had managed to avoid the questioning so far, but it looked like her turn had come. She nodded to Venni, and hid the grimace she made in Treya¡¯s direction. Treya just grinned at her, then pulled her coat and cloak more tightly around herself and strode across the camp. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± Venni said as she and Shavala started off on their route, ¡°how old are you?¡± ¡°A hundred and twenty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still young for an elf, yes? I¡¯m two hundred sixty-eight, which is something I never imagined when I was growing up. I met Yelena when I was, oh, twenty-five or twenty-six. It was so odd to stop aging after that¡ªsometimes I¡¯ve wondered if it¡¯s similar to being an elf.¡± ¡°You stopped aging?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten any older since Yelena bonded me.¡± ¡°My friends don¡¯t know whether to believe that part,¡± Shavala said. ¡°You don¡¯t seem that old to me, but the idea bothers them. What¡¯s it like?¡± ¡°It seems normal now, though I went through a period of adjustment when I was sixty or seventy. Something seemed¡­off at the time, but I eventually got over it.¡± ¡°How old are the other wardens?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure, but when we first met Shayliel, she claimed to have just celebrated her thousandth birthday¡­and that was quite a while ago now. Of course, she¡¯s an elf, but there are at least two humans ahead of her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an elf living more than seven or eight hundred years.¡± Venni said, ¡°Then I guess that part of the warden bond must affect elves, too. Well, not the bond itself, since she¡¯s a warden. Yelena stopped aging ten years before we met, even though she hadn¡¯t bonded anyone yet. I didn¡¯t really believe her, you know, back at the beginning. Oh, I knew she was a wizard, and I knew she wanted to cast a binding spell on us, but the rest of it seemed too silly to be true. But I was young and in love, so I went along with it. And here we are, two and a half centuries later.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve stayed together since then?¡± Shavala asked. She¡¯d originally planned to go home after a year or two of traveling, but after the meeting with Yelena, she hadn¡¯t been sure what to do. Corec and Katrin wouldn¡¯t be allowed into Terrillia. Of the entire group, only Ellerie would be granted entrance. ¡°Oh, no, not at all. I love Yelena, but two hundred forty-some years? We have to go our own way sometimes. Sarlo and me more than the rest, because of our relationships with her, but even the others go off on their own when they need to. Tarsi had her fill of the city three years ago and went away to be a hermit. Yelena can call her back if there¡¯s an emergency, but she tries not to disturb us while we¡¯re gone.¡± That sounded better, Shavala thought. Perhaps she could split her time between Terrillia and her new friends. ¡°Tarsi?¡± she asked. ¡°She¡¯s an elder witch,¡± Venni replied. ¡°I guess it must be something like a druid.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about other elder mages. Among the dorvasta, all elder mages are druids.¡± ¡°One of Shayliel¡¯s bondmates is a druid, but he¡¯s seaborn, not elven.¡± Shavala cocked her head to the side. ¡°There are seaborn druids?¡± Meritia had suggested there were rare cases of druids among humans and lizardfolk¡ªor at least elder mages who called themselves druids¡ªbut Shavala had never heard of any from the seaborn. ¡°That¡¯s what he said, anyway. Shayliel mentioned that he can change the wind and the storms to keep their ship safe and get it to where it¡¯s going quickly.¡± Shavala smiled to herself. She¡¯d been right after all¡ªa druid¡¯s magic could help move a ship. She just hadn¡¯t been strong enough the last time. She needed to practice more. She would do what she could on land, but hopefully they¡¯d travel on a ship again soon. Book 2: Chapter Eight They arrived in High Cove after dark. Ellerie was riding at the front of the procession with Boktar and Venni when they reached the outskirts. There was nobody out on the streets, but lights could be seen through windows. As they rode past a cottage, an old woman opened her shutters to stare out at the noise, then closed them with a bang. ¡°This is strange,¡± Venni said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it like this. Where is everyone?¡± ¡°Asleep?¡± Boktar guessed, though his voice was uneasy. ¡°It¡¯s late, but it¡¯s not that late. I suppose there aren¡¯t that many houses out here. It should be different when we reach the old city.¡± They continued on their way, but now Ellerie glanced from side to side, looking for any sign of people. They passed a tavern and she stopped her horse to peer through the open door. From where she sat, she could only see the tavern keeper and one patron at the bar. There was no window, so she couldn¡¯t tell if anyone else was inside, but she didn¡¯t hear any talking or laughing. On the next block down, a man scurried across the street in front of them. ¡°Hello?¡± Venni called out, but the man didn¡¯t stop. He continued down a side street until he was out of sight. Corec rode up to join them. ¡°It¡¯s quiet out for this time of night.¡± ¡°Maybe there were rumors about the imps?¡± Venni said. ¡°They don¡¯t usually attack people, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯d want to meet one in a dark alley.¡± The breeze shifted, and brought with it the scent of sea air. Corec said, ¡°If we can smell the harbor, we must be getting close to the old city. I¡¯ve only been here a few times though, so I¡¯m not sure I remember the way in the dark.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just up ahead,¡± Venni said. A few blocks later, they passed through an archway in what had once been a stone defensive wall, though the structure was crumbling now. On the other side of the arch, the street changed from granite pavers to rounded cobblestone. The group dismounted so the horses would have an easier time on the unfamiliar surface. ¡°Does anyone know of a good inn?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°There are some closer to the baron¡¯s palace, if you want to follow me a bit farther,¡± Venni said. ¡°I should probably head there now to find out what¡¯s happening.¡± Just then, a group of men carrying torches and lanterns turned onto the street and headed toward them. They waited until the men stopped in front of them. The one in the lead, who wore a constable¡¯s uniform, said, ¡°You can¡¯t be out on the streets after dark. There¡¯s a curfew in place.¡± ¡°A curfew?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Demons are killing people!¡± Venni said, ¡°Duke Voss of Tyrsall sent me to help. What¡¯s going on? I was told there were imps killing stray dogs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it started, but then old Marlo, the baron¡¯s wizard, tried to track them down. When they found him the next morning, he was in pieces.¡± ¡°Imps can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not imps. People have seen things walking the streets at night, things as big as humans, but they don¡¯t look human. They killed some beggars too, and after that, the baron said nobody can be out after dark unless they¡¯re in an armed group.¡± He motioned to his companions, all dressed as constables or guardsmen. ¡°We¡¯re trying to hunt them.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m armed, and I need to speak to Baron Anders as soon as possible.¡± Venni glanced Corec¡¯s way. ¡°I may need to take you up on your offer to help.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ellerie tightened her lips. She knew Corec was making that decision for himself, and would expect the others to decide on their own, but she doubted Venni would interpret it that way. Throughout the trip, it had been apparent that the other woman considered Corec to be in charge of everyone in the group besides herself. To his credit, Corec always conferred with everyone when a question came up, but that hadn¡¯t helped. Venni would make a decision or suggestion, then ask Corec what he thought. Even if he had little to say on the topic, Venni would wait until everyone else had spoken, then look to Corec for a final answer. He would simply repeat the most persuasive argument, regardless of who¡¯d presented it¡ªwhich was how they¡¯d made group decisions before Venni joined them. However, since she always waited for Corec to agree, it gave the impression that the others were merely advising him while he was making the decisions. It was done subtly enough that Boktar had told Ellerie she was imagining things, but it kept happening, and the more it happened, the more frustrated she grew. Katrin and Bobo seemed content to follow Corec¡¯s lead, and Shavala only chimed in if she had a suggestion. She never seemed particularly interested in making the decisions, and often didn¡¯t even appear to be paying attention to the discussion. Treya would continue debating if she didn¡¯t agree with a decision, but even she seemed to believe that Corec¡¯s statements were a decision. Ellerie figured it all came down to that warden nonsense. Venni clearly considered Yelena to be in charge of her own group, and she expected Corec to play a similar role. The sooner they found a way to end the binding spell, the better. ¡°We should all go,¡± Ellerie said pointedly, just to remind them that she was still there. Agreeing with Corec might play into Venni¡¯s plan, but at least her voice would be heard. And in any case, disagreeing would be petty, at least until they found out whether these people actually needed their help. ¡°I can take you to the palace,¡± one of the guardsmen said. ¡°If you were sent by Duke Voss, the baron may be willing to grant you an audience tonight.¡± ¡°Then lead on,¡± Venni said. They followed the guard east, down a narrow street with old buildings that were four or five stories tall, built so close to each other that they were touching. Shops and other businesses lined the first floor of the buildings, though most were closed for the night. The lights shining through the upper-floor windows suggested apartments. There were more people out and about here, which helped to relieve the eerie feeling they¡¯d had since arriving, but any time they encountered someone, the guard stopped to warn them to stay inside. ¡°This is the oldest street in the city,¡± Venni said. ¡°If we followed it all the way, we¡¯d reach the docks, but we¡¯ll turn north before then to go to the palace.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it when I was here,¡± Corec said. ¡°Is it really a palace?¡± ¡°Anders has High Cove all to himself, which makes him the richest baron in the kingdom. The only reason the Duke of the North doesn¡¯t make his home here is that when the duchy was established, High Cove was just a small fishing town, and the first duke thought Ironholt was more important with all those mines. And it probably was, but the mines had to sell their ore, and High Cove was the nearest port, whether you go by road or river barge.¡± ¡°You know a lot about Tyrsall¡¯s history for someone who grew up in Matagor.¡± ¡°After a few decades, you start to look for new things to occupy your time. I like to read. It¡¯s probably Yelena¡¯s influence.¡± They reached the palace fifteen minutes later. It wasn¡¯t as large as the Duke of Tyrsall¡¯s palace or the Glass Palace in Terevas, but it was still a respectably sized building. They stopped in the courtyard. ¡°Are we all going in?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°That¡¯s too many people, considering how late it is and that the baron doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re here,¡± Venni suggested. ¡°Corec and I can talk to him and find out what¡¯s going on, if the rest of you can watch the horses.¡± Ellerie clenched her fists, but before she could respond, Corec said, ¡°I think we should all hear what he has to say.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll watch the horses,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Perhaps Shavala could keep me company to help manage them?¡± The dorvasta nodded in agreement. Venni stared at them for a moment. ¡°All right.¡± She turned to the guard. ¡°If that¡¯s acceptable?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t speak for the baron, but if he¡¯s willing to see anyone this late, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡± The guard stopped to speak to two other guardsmen at the entrance, then led the group into a long entry room lined with marble columns. Once inside, he whispered something to a servant. The servant said, ¡°Please wait here in the vestibule. I¡¯ll inform the steward of your arrival.¡± ¡°This is a vestibule?¡± Corec said to Katrin after the man had left. ¡°It¡¯s a third the size of my father¡¯s manor house. Our vestibule was a mud room.¡± Ellerie shot him a look. She¡¯d once heard him introduce himself as being of House Tarwen, which Boktar had suggested was a barony in Larso, but he¡¯d never otherwise spoken of his family in her presence. A tall, gray-haired man dressed in something resembling a butler¡¯s suit came in. ¡°I am Sedwin, Chief Steward to Baron Anders. You arrived sooner than we expected. The baron will see you now, in the Council Chambers.¡± They followed him out of the vestibule and down an ornate hallway that ended in a wide set of double doors. Inside was a corpulent, balding man dressed in finery. ¡°Ahh, Miss Venni, welcome back to High Cove,¡± the man said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting your ship to arrive for another two days. But where is Miss Yelena?¡± Venni and Corec glanced at each other. ¡°A ship, Lord Anders?¡± Venni asked the man in surprise. ¡°Yelena¡¯s coming here?¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Ahh, I see. You must be the help she referred to her in her first note. When people started dying, I wrote to her again. I received a response back a few days ago that she was on her way. The duke found a ship for her.¡± Venni nodded. ¡°Could you tell me what¡¯s going on? The note we received¡ªthe first note¡ªdidn¡¯t include many details.¡± ¡°That¡¯s always the trouble with pigeon post; pigeons can¡¯t carry much. About a month ago, people started finding dead cats and dogs in the street, with bite and claw marks. Nobody thought much about it at first, but it kept happening, and the information eventually reached the Chief Constable, who informed me. There was a wizard I employed, a man named Marlo, who said the marks looked like imp attacks. Now, I don¡¯t have any experience with any sort of demons, imps or otherwise, and I certainly don¡¯t want them in my city. Marlo thought he could find them and take care of them, but when he didn¡¯t have any luck after the first few nights, I figured I should send for help. That¡¯s when I wrote to the duke.¡± ¡°But now there are real demons in the city?¡± Anders shrugged. ¡°Nobody knows for sure. People are panicking and seeing demons in every shadow. But something killed poor old Marlo, and while I don¡¯t know much about imps, I doubt they can¡­do what was done to him. There have been more victims each night. Always after dark, and always someone alone and defenseless. Last night, it was a fellow who¡¯d gone to a tavern with a group, but then got drunk and decided to leave by himself.¡± ¡°Is there any pattern to the victims or the locations?¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to ask the Chief Constable that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him in the morning, and then we¡¯ll see if we can do anything to help.¡± # Razai rode down the dark, empty street, wondering why it was so quiet. She¡¯d narrowly avoided running into a group of armed men with torches¡ªthey looked too much like a mob for her taste. Besides them, she¡¯d only seen a few people since arriving in the city, all of them in a rush to get to wherever they were going. Danger, the whispers said in her mind. Razai brought her horse to a halt and looked all around, but didn¡¯t see anyone. Danger? she asked. What sort of danger? There was silence for a moment, then, Cousins. You mean demons? Here? Who? Why? Little cousins and big cousins. Little cousins meant imps, but big cousins could mean almost anyone. Then again, crossing over to the mortal world was difficult. She couldn¡¯t manage it herself¡ªwhen her father wanted her to come hellside, he had to expend the effort to bring her over. The more powerful a demon was, the harder it became to cross the barrier between the two worlds, so it was more efficient for him to send her back and forth than to cross over himself. Where? she asked. Around. Back and forth. Side to side. Ahead. The demons had moved around a lot, but the whispers wanted her to continue forward, toward the docks. The whispers¡ªwhatever they were¡ªdidn¡¯t understand cardinal directions, but they could point her the right way as long as the target was interesting enough and had been in the area recently. Razai had never been able to figure out what the whispers did and didn¡¯t find interesting. It was that talent, as unreliable as it was, that made her a valuable asset to her father¡ªthough in all the time they¡¯d known each other, he¡¯d never shown any interest in how she did what she did. What about our target? she asked. Left. Can you tell me anything more? Death. She thought for a moment. The whispers hadn¡¯t shown any sign of losing interest in her quarry, so finding the warden again could wait until morning. She needed to know what the demons were doing in the city. Track the cousins, she said. But I need to find a place for my horse first. An hour later, after a stop to get a room at an inn, she was once again following the whispers¡¯ directions, this time on foot so that she¡¯d have an easier time hiding or changing disguises. She checked her current guise to make sure it was still in place. She¡¯d burned through three of them staying at the same inns as her quarry on the trip north. She didn¡¯t want to repeat the disguises in case he and his friends grew suspicious about why the same person kept showing up. She¡¯d started covering up her daggers with the illusory disguises too, so nobody could see them unless she drew them. The blades were distinctive enough to draw attention otherwise. After following the whispers almost as far as the harbor, she caught sight of what she was looking for. An imp flew erratically into the street ahead of Razai. It was nearly two feet tall, with green skin, and had horns growing from the side of its head. Razai froze in place¡ªimps could see in the dark as well as she could. Luckily, it didn¡¯t look her way. Instead, it turned in the same direction she¡¯d been heading, and continued down the street. She waited until it was farther ahead of her, then followed silently. Its bat-like wings pumped rapidly as it tried to stay aloft, but it had to stop and rest every so often, allowing her to keep up. Imps were deceptively agile, but they were still ungainly in flight. Finally, it reached what looked like an old warehouse, but instead of going inside, it landed on a railing in front of the building. Razai went invisible so she wouldn¡¯t be seen by anyone else who might be approaching. She disliked using her invisibility spell since moving any faster than a crawl would cause the illusion to dissipate, but sometimes it was the best choice. Her disguises were more robust, so she preferred to rely on those when she could. While she watched, two other imps joined the first one. The new ones looked darker than the first, but there wasn¡¯t enough light to see what color they were. One had fur and the other didn¡¯t, and neither had horns. Imps from three different tribes wouldn¡¯t have crossed over together unless someone more powerful had forced them to, but who? The three hissed and chattered back and forth with each other, but Razai wasn¡¯t close enough to hear what they were saying. She started to inch forward, slowly enough to avoid disrupting her illusion spell, but then a much larger figure approached¡ªsix feet tall, and wearing a cloak. With clawed talons, the figured removed its hood to reveal a demon foot soldier, its leathery face twisted into a permanent snarl. ¡°Did you find her?¡± it growled in the demonic tongue. ¡°Is she here yet?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t find her, Masster,¡± one of the imps replied. Another demon came out of the warehouse, this one taller and with large wings and a thick tail. Razai recognized the type¡ªthe wings wouldn¡¯t allow it to fly, but it could glide short distances if the air was hot enough. It had hands instead of claws, and wore a sword belted to its side. ¡°Then go find more bait,¡± the new one said in a raspy voice. The first demon growled again in response, and then it and the imps left in different directions while the second demon returned to the building. Razai held still as one of the imps passed within a few feet of her. Once it was out of sight, she allowed her invisibility spell to fade, then ducked behind a building so she couldn¡¯t be seen by anyone near the warehouse. ¡°Tifwa, can you hear me?¡± she whispered. After a moment, there was a faint shimmering and the imp appeared, hovering in the air before her. He was a foot and a half tall, with awkward-looking wings like the others, but his leathery skin was bright red and he had a third eye on his forehead that constantly peered around in different directions. ¡°Razsai!¡± the little imp hissed, his wings fluttering until he found a perch on a hitching post. ¡°Keep it down!¡± she said. ¡°Someone will hear you.¡± ¡°Masster wishes to know how the hunt goes.¡± ¡°How it goes? They never do anything. They go from one place to another, and I follow. Well, sometimes they do something, and I have to sit back and watch. Why am I even here? It¡¯s pointless!¡± ¡°Because Masster said sso.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m supposed to watch him, not kill him. Fine. But why? Is he a threat? Is he supposed to lead me somewhere?¡± ¡°Masster says Razsai has to watch the warden because Masster says so.¡± Tifwa was stupid, even for an imp. Razai just shook her head. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not why I called you here. Why are there demons in High Cove? Did Vatarxis send them?¡± ¡°Demons?¡± Tifwa peered around fearfully. ¡°And imps. I saw at least three tribes.¡± ¡°Why they here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I just asked you! Did Father send them?¡± ¡°No no no no no. Not Masster.¡± ¡°If he didn¡¯t send them, then who did?¡± Tifwa¡¯s mouth opened, but it wasn¡¯t his voice that came out. ¡°Razai!¡± Vatarxis said. ¡°Why did you summon Tifwa?¡± ¡°Talk quietly! I¡¯m in High Cove and there are demons and imps here.¡± ¡°What is High Cove?¡± Vatarxis had few dealings in the mortal world, since he mostly depended on Razai to act as his agent. As far as she knew, he hadn¡¯t crossed the barrier in over a century, when her human mother had been killed by an angry mob for having a demonborn child. Vatarxis had shown up then, slaughtering the villagers and taking Razai hellside for the first time. It was also the first time she¡¯d met him. ¡°It¡¯s a city five hundred miles north of Tyrsall,¡± she replied. The voice was silent for a full minute before speaking again. ¡°The demons serve Saristix. He¡¯s trying to lure Yelena out of her lair.¡± ¡°Yelena? Isn¡¯t she one of the wardens?¡± ¡°Yes. He can¡¯t get to her in Tyrsall. She¡¯s warded the entire city.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s hunting wardens, won¡¯t he be after the new one?¡± ¡°I doubt Saristix knows about him.¡± ¡°Is he going to cross over?¡± ¡°And spend all his strength passing through the barrier so he can risk his own life against her? He¡¯s a fool, but he¡¯s not that much of a fool. He sent a few servants, who¡¯ll probably fail, like usual. The way to defeat a warden is with overwhelming strength, but he got lucky once with a small strike force, so now he keeps trying to do it again. I don¡¯t know why he bothers.¡± Razai knew. Saristix¡¯s power had faded over the centuries, leaving him as one of the weaker demon lords, with few soldiers at his command. If he could eliminate the wardens, he could carve out a kingdom in the mortal world and not have to constantly contend with the other lords. But that wasn¡¯t what Vatarxis had meant¡ªhe simply didn¡¯t like the mortal world enough to expend much energy on it. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Do? This has nothing to do with your task. I don¡¯t care what happens to Yelena. Her warding spells killed the last two messengers I tried to send her. Your only concern is the new boy.¡± Razai shook her head, not sure she¡¯d heard that right. Vatarxis had tried to contact a warden? ¡°But what am I supposed to do with him?¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t want him dead, and you haven¡¯t given me any other instructions.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be more amusing if you figure that out on your own.¡± Tifwa shimmered and disappeared from sight, pulled back hellside. # The next morning, Corec and Katrin joined the group for breakfast in the inn¡¯s common room. ¡°Has anyone seen Venni?¡± Corec asked. ¡°She left for the constabulary building about an hour ago,¡± said Treya, who¡¯d stayed at the inn rather than trying to find the Three Orders chapter house in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar city. ¡°Is she going to wait for Yelena, or try to fight the demons herself?¡± Ellerie asked. A young man in laborer¡¯s clothing at the next table over jerked back in surprise and looked their way before returning to his meal. ¡°If she fights, I¡¯ve got to help her,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all help,¡± Boktar said, ¡°but I don¡¯t know anything about demons. I saw an imp once, but that was a long time ago.¡± Bobo said, ¡°There are different types of demons. Imps are the smallest, and not particularly dangerous. After that come the true demons. Most walk on two legs like a person, but otherwise, there¡¯s a wide variety. They can range up to about eight feet tall. And then there are the demon lords, who are¡­bigger, though most of the old stories about them are from when they take on human form.¡± ¡°Or elven,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Or elven,¡± Bobo agreed. ¡°If there¡¯s a demon lord, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything we can do about it. We¡¯d have to hope that Yelena gets here soon, and that she¡¯s as powerful as the people in Tyrsall say she is.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t know anything about her,¡± Corec said. ¡°When you decided to meet with her, I asked around. Most people only know her name, but the librarians had some interesting stories. In any case, I doubt it¡¯s a demon lord, but there are so many other types of demons, it¡¯s difficult to say what it might be.¡± ¡°How do you fight one?¡± ¡°The same way you¡¯d fight anyone else, but be aware that it might be stronger than you¡¯d expect, or faster, or have its own sort of magic.¡± Venni returned then, the tall woman joining them at their table. ¡°Two more people were killed last night,¡± she said. ¡°Including one woman who was dragged from her home. The demons aren¡¯t just sticking to the streets anymore, so I¡¯m going to try to track them down.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help,¡± Corec said. ¡°Do you have any idea how to find them?¡± ¡°The Chief Constable says that patrols have been searching day and night. During the day, they go door to door, checking each building, but so far they haven¡¯t had any luck. It¡¯s a big city. He did say that most of the attacks have been in the old section of town. I wish Sarlo were here, but we¡¯ll have to figure it out on our own. I suppose we could join the patrols for now, but we probably won¡¯t see anything until nightfall.¡± # Hells of my fathers, Razai thought to herself as the group left the common room. Now what am I supposed to do? She¡¯d woken up at first light and followed the whispers¡¯ directions to find her target, then sat near his friends once they¡¯d started coming down to the common room. Discovering that he knew Yelena had been almost as much of a shock as hearing that he intended to hunt down the demons. Her father didn¡¯t want the man dead, but Razai had no idea what he did want. Should she try to stop them from finding the demons? How would she manage that? And if she didn¡¯t stop them, how could she make sure he stayed alive? She considered trying to reach out to Tifwa, but it was unlikely the imp would have the power to return again so soon. And in any case, she was no longer sure she could trust her father. His last words to her the night before had been ominous, as if something was going to happen that he¡¯d been keeping secret from her. Book 2: Chapter Nine ¡°Maybe you should go back and wait at the inn with Bobo,¡± Corec said to Katrin as the group headed to the constabulary building. ¡°But what if I can help?¡± she said, hefting the flute she held in her left hand. He sighed. ¡°The only weapon you¡¯ve got is that dagger. I worry about you.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one that rushed straight at a group of five ogres.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I trained for that sort of thing, and you don¡¯t wear any armor.¡± ¡°The armor didn¡¯t seem to do you much good last time. Don¡¯t worry about me; I know how to stay out of the way. And I¡¯m not helpless anymore. Not completely, at least.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll stop pushing. I wish you¡¯d wear some armor, though.¡± Katrin frowned. ¡°Bards are supposed to be arcane mages, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Lastal said, anyway.¡± ¡°Well, if most arcane mages are affected by metal the way wizards are, wouldn¡¯t my bardic abilities stop working? Besides, your armor is heavy. Even your chainmail by itself. I don¡¯t think I could wear something like that.¡± ¡°What about a gambeson, like what Venni¡¯s wearing? It doesn¡¯t have metal, except for the buckles. She can still cast spells. It works pretty well against arrows and cuts, but you¡¯d have to be careful not to get stabbed.¡± Katrin glanced at the other woman¡¯s long, padded jacket. ¡°Oh, I guess that wouldn¡¯t be so bad. It¡¯s kind of bulky, though. I wouldn¡¯t want to wear it all the time.¡± ¡°It gets hot, too, but you could just put it on when we¡¯re doing something dangerous. Like now.¡± ¡°Where would we get one? That armor smith in Tyrsall?¡± ¡°No, not a smith. There are armorers that specialize in making them. I¡¯m sure High Cove has someone, but we probably won¡¯t be in town long enough. Women¡¯s gambesons are custom fitted, and it might take a week to finish.¡± ¡°How much would it cost?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad. A lot less than chainmail or plate armor, at least.¡± ¡°I guess the next time we stop somewhere for a while, we can look for one.¡± Venni led the group into a large brick building. It was almost deserted, but a few men in constable¡¯s uniforms hurried back and forth. ¡°Wait here,¡± she said. ¡°The Chief Constable is expecting us. I¡¯ll go see how he wants us to help.¡± Katrin muttered, ¡°Why do we keep ending up having to deal with constables and city guards?¡± Corec laughed. A few minutes later, Venni returned with a short, middle-aged man. ¡°This is Senior Constable Wendt,¡± she said, then introduced everyone. He looked them over with a frown. ¡°Hmm. Duke Voss sent more of you than I expected. We should probably split you into two groups. With a constable and one of the baron¡¯s guardsmen in each group, that¡¯ll make you the same size as our other search parties.¡± ¡°Have you had any luck yet?¡± Corec asked. The constable grunted. ¡°We know a lot of places where the demons aren¡¯t. That is, if there are any demons.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think there are?¡± ¡°Maybe some imps. As for the rest, it could just be the criminal element taking advantage of a city-wide panic to eliminate some of their rivals.¡± ¡°There are demons!¡± said a voice from behind them. ¡°I¡¯ve seen them.¡± Corec turned to find a plain-looking young man who¡¯d just come through the front entrance. ¡°You¡¯ve seen them?¡± Wendt asked skeptically. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°I can show you.¡± ¡°I recognize you,¡± Corec said. ¡°You were at the Seagull¡¯s Splendor earlier, at the table next to us.¡± ¡°Yes¡ªI overheard you say you were looking for the demons. That¡¯s why I came looking for you after I saw them. My name¡¯s Aden.¡± Venni said, ¡°Tell us where you saw them and we¡¯ll check it out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a warehouse down closer to the docks. I can show you which one.¡± Corec frowned. It hadn¡¯t been that long since they¡¯d left the inn. Even if Aden had left before them, had there really been enough time for him to make it to the docks, then turn back around and track the group down at the constabulary building? Corec¡¯s head felt funny each time he looked at the other man, as if he was supposed to know something about him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± Venni said. ¡°You stay here and let us handle it.¡± ¡°I can help you,¡± Aden insisted. Venni gave him a hard stare. ¡°It¡¯s your life. Who else is going?¡± # Ellerie took her turn peering around the corner of the building toward the warehouse. There were no windows, so it was impossible to see what was inside. ¡°You¡¯re sure they¡¯re in there?¡± Boktar asked. Aden shrugged. ¡°I saw one go in earlier. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s still there. It was big¡ªtaller than a man¡ªand it had wings.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who owns the building,¡± Constable Wendt said. ¡°I¡¯ve never been assigned to this district. I¡¯ll go to the palace and request a squad of the baron¡¯s guards.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Venni said. ¡°If they¡¯re there, we don¡¯t want them escaping, and if they¡¯re not, we¡¯d just be wasting the baron¡¯s time. We should go in and check.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want reinforcements?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want people panicking and getting in my way. I¡¯ve fought demons before, and I was sent here to make sure no more of your people get killed.¡± Hearing the lie, Ellerie scowled. Venni had been sent¡ªbefore any people had been killed¡ªto take care of a few imps. Yelena was on her way to handle the demons. Still, if Venni had actually fought demons before, perhaps she knew what she was talking about. ¡°Are we going in?¡± Corec asked. Ellerie was still considering how to respond when Venni said, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± and the two of them strode off, Boktar close behind. Ellerie sighed and followed them, with the others trailing her. While they approached the warehouse, Venni muttered one spell after another under her breath. Ellerie had never seen anyone cast that many spells in a row before, yet none of them had any visible effect. Corec and Boktar reached the building first. Boktar drew his warhammer while Corec detached his greatsword from its harness and tossed the scabbard to the side. Then, the two men burst through the door and moved to the sides to let Venni through. Ellerie came in right behind her. The section of the warehouse just in front of the door was nearly empty, but there were rows of stacked boxes at the far end and to either side. To their right, two monsters stepped out from behind a partial wall to investigate the noise. One was about six feet tall, with claws, while the other was a foot taller, with wings and a sword. Venni ran toward the beasts at full speed, shouting out the indistinct words to one last spell. Just before she reached them, she held her left arm out, and a shield of green light formed in front of it. The nearest demon, the one with the claws, tried to strike at her, but she got the shield up in time to block, then drew her sword, which glowed a dark red. She struck at the demon, and then again, allowing it to hit her shield while she attacked. Ellerie bided her time, not wanting to risk a spell since she couldn¡¯t predict whether Venni would get in the way at the last minute. While the tall blonde woman was focused on the first demon, the big one with the sword swung at her back. Venni ignored it, and the unmistakeable flash of a shield spell surrounded her body, blocking the strike with a loud clang. Despite how hard the demon had swung, the spell didn¡¯t dissipate. Ellerie¡¯s eyes widened¡ªjust how strong was the other woman? And that didn¡¯t even count the magic shield on her arm. What was that spell called, anyway, since the phrase shield spell was already taken? Before the second demon could swing again, Corec was there to block the attack with his own sword, Boktar following close behind. And then Aden, of all people. The man reached down to his sides and drew two curved daggers out of¡­somewhere. There weren¡¯t any sheathes on his belt, so the knives must have been hidden in his clothing. Which likely meant he was a thug or a thief rather than the dockworker he appeared to be. A new demon, eight feet tall and as thick around as an ogre, came lumbering toward the fray, but was far enough away that Ellerie saw her chance. She muttered the words to her beam spell, and the brilliant white light hit it in the chest. The demon didn¡¯t fall, though, instead turning toward her and howling. She cursed as she ran at it, drawing her rapier. There wasn¡¯t enough time to cast another spell before it reached her, so she needed more distance, but the fastest way to get more distance was to get on its other side. When she drew close, it tried to catch her between its massive, clawed talons. She ducked underneath and stabbed toward its crotch as she ran past. It howled again, but now she was beyond it, and it stopped to peer around, confused. Ellerie grinned to herself. And Boktar wondered why she refused to wear armor. Once she¡¯d opened up enough of a gap between them, she stopped running so she could cast her dart spell, but before she began, she realized she wasn¡¯t as drained as usual after casting the beam spell. She changed her plan and cast the beam spell again, this time aiming for the monster¡¯s face. The beam hit it across the eyes and its wrinkled snout. The demon stopped and made a noise, but this time it was more of a gurgle than a howl. Ellerie quickly cast her dart spell, sending three tiny darts of light toward the beast. It staggered, so she cast the same spell again, and this time it fell. Running over to it, she grasped her rapier firmly and tried to stab it in the neck, but she had a hard time piercing the skin. Taking a deep breath, she braced the hilt in both hands and stabbed down into its left eye instead, pushing her sword in as far as it would go. The beast finally stopped moving, but she repeated the process with its right eye just in case, then looked up at the rest of the battle. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. # Treya held back with Katrin, Shavala, and the constable. She wanted to help, but Corec and Venni were swinging their swords around without much regard to anything nearby. Then, a third demon showed up. Ellerie cast a spell, than ran at the beast with her rapier. Treya was about to go help her when five little demons flew awkwardly out from behind a row of boxes. The imps stared at the big battle for a moment before backing away. Then they saw Treya and her friends. The one in the lead opened its mouth in a sickly grin before hissing something to its companions and heading toward the group. One of Shavala¡¯s arrows suddenly sprouted from its chest. The imp squeaked and fell to the ground. Shavala fired again, but now that the imps were watching her, they managed to evade the arrow. Treya tried to dash toward the nearest, but it was able to keep out of reach. The imps were surprisingly good at dodging considering how awkward they looked in flight. She managed to hit one with a glancing blow, but it was only enough to knock the creature down briefly before it sprung back into the air. Katrin started playing her flute when one of the imps came near. It slowed as it approached, its head cocked to the side while it listened. Then it swiped its claws out and scratched her cheek. ¡°Hey!¡± she shouted, dropping the flute and drawing her dagger. She stabbed at the imp, but it dashed backwards, cackling. Shavala held her hand out in front of her, and a burst of flame extended from her fingertips to envelop the imp. It screeched as it burned, then fell to the floor, twitching as it died. Annoyed at being distracted from the main fight, Treya thrust her hands out to the front. ¡°Stop!¡± she shouted, and a nearly blinding white light flashed over everything nearby. The remaining imps¡¯ wings stopped beating, and all three fell to the ground, unable to move. # Corec grunted as he caught the demon¡¯s sword against his own, bracing his feet to steady himself. The demon was a foot taller than him, and even with Corec¡¯s strength spell, it was stronger. Its ugly sword of black metal had already broken through his shield spell and bounced off his armor twice. To Corec¡¯s side, Venni was still dancing back and forth with her opponent. Her own shield spell had finally flared out, but her magical shield of green light still blocked its strikes, and her glowing sword scored deep into its hide. Boktar had joined her, and together they were easily keeping the shorter beast at bay. When the tall demon lifted its arms again, Corec slashed down against its side, his sword barely slicing into the skin. The demon wasn¡¯t wearing any armor, but it didn¡¯t appear to need any. Then Aden was there, wielding two long, curved daggers. With the demon facing Corec, the other man came from behind and stabbed with both weapons, slashing down to cut a gash in each of the beast¡¯s wings. The demon shrieked and whirled around, its tail knocking Aden to the ground and almost hitting Corec. Corec ran closer, thrusting his sword in as hard as he could. Six inches of metal penetrated the demon¡¯s back, but that just seemed to make it angrier. When it spun back around, it almost yanked the blade out of his hands, but he managed to keep a tight grip and pull it out. Their swords met again, and this time, Corec¡¯s broke, the top of the blade snapping off to leave a half-sized sword with a jagged tip. The demon¡¯s weapon slammed into Corec¡¯s shoulder guard, but his armor spell kept the guard in one piece. He¡¯d tried to teach himself the spell to strengthen his sword, but he hadn¡¯t had any luck, and a glimpse at Venni¡¯s spell book had only given him a headache. He doubted it was his own strength spell that had caused the break, though¡ªthe demon was plenty strong enough on its own. There wasn¡¯t any time to mourn the sword, or to think about the fact that his spare blade was all the way back in Four Roads. He grasped the hilt in one hand and drew his long knife with the other, then rushed at the demon. Aden sprang back to his feet and attacked from behind again, this time ignoring the wings and stabbing at the beast¡¯s lower back just as Corec hit it from the front. The demon swung down again with its sword, but Boktar got there just in time and caught it on his shield, then swung the pointed end of his warhammer into the monster¡¯s kneecap, shattering it. Corec and Aden continued to distract the beast, stabbing it almost ineffectually over and over again, while Boktar broke one of its bones after another, the demon¡¯s armor-like skin not doing any good against the crushing weight of the hammer. As it collapsed, Venni joined them, and together, the four of them managed to finish it off. # Treya glanced toward the real demons, but it looked like Corec and the others had gotten things under control, so she approached the imps. The nearest, with horns and green skin, was facing her way, its eyes darting around fearfully. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°We can¡¯t just kill them when they¡¯re like this, can we?¡± Shavala drew closer, an arrow nocked to her bow but not drawn. ¡°They¡¯re sort of cute like this.¡± ¡°Cute?¡± Treya said. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re joking.¡± The elf girl just shrugged. Treya looked down at the imps, then back up at her friends. Katrin was gripping her dagger and Shavala still had her bow, but neither made a move to kill the imps. Treya¡¯s fists blazed with light, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish them off while they were defenseless. How would she do it, anyway? Squish them? The thought made her sick. ¡°Should we take them prisoner?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°How?¡± Treya said. ¡°I doubt High Cove has a prison designed for imps.¡± ¡°I guess we should ask Venni.¡± Treya looked down again, and felt something shift in her mind. Her hands still glowed with magic, but instead of attacking with it, she reached for the first imp, trying to control her revulsion as she touched it. She grasped it firmly in both hands, and a moment later, there was a faint shimmering. As the shimmering faded, so did the imp, and a moment later, she was holding onto nothing but air. A wave of weakness washed over her, but before it could overwhelm her, she quickly did the same thing to the other two. When she was done, she let herself fall to her knees, breathing heavily. ¡°What happened?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I think I sent them back to wherever they came from.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that,¡± Katrin said, reaching down to help her up. ¡°Neither did I,¡± Treya replied. For some reason, that caused the other two women to grin at each other. # Corec glanced around the warehouse, finding two other dead demons rather than the one he¡¯d expected. Ellerie was near the new one, her sword still drawn. Farther away, Katrin stood with Shavala and Treya around five small, grotesque figures on the ground. They could only be imps. Katrin smiled at him, so he figured they had things under control. Boktar and Venni were still facing the winged demon, making sure it was dead. Aden was nearby, but was no longer Aden. In the human man¡¯s spot stood a demonborn woman just a little taller than Katrin, with pure white hair. Her eyes were yellow, with black slits for pupils, and her ears were pointed like an elf¡¯s. ¡°What?¡± she said when she caught him staring at her, a flash of her elongated fangs visible as she spoke. When she heard her voice, her eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth in surprise. Corec felt the same eerie sense of familiarity he¡¯d felt earlier, when meeting Aden at the constabulary building. ¡°Who are you?¡± Venni demanded, her sword still drawn. ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy. I just came to help.¡± ¡°Then why appear as someone else?¡± The other woman growled low in her throat. ¡°Why do you think? The people here are so panicked they¡¯d probably hunt me instead of the demons. It¡¯s happened before.¡± Venni wiped the blood off her blade and sheathed it. ¡°I know the difference between demons and demonborn. And I do appreciate the help. What¡¯s your name?¡± The woman hesitated, then said, ¡°Razai.¡± Corec suddenly recognized what he was feeling. She was a mage. He¡¯d never realized it until then, but he¡¯d experienced the same sensation before. It made sense that wardens would be able to identify other mages, but why hadn¡¯t Yelena mentioned it? Distracted by the new sense, he almost missed another familiar feeling¡ªhe was casting the binding spell. He quickly clamped down on it, stopping himself. Just as he smiled at his success, his vision went black and the spell began again. He was helpless to stop it this time, and could feel each step of the spell force its way through his mind. He blinked as his sight returned to normal. A spot on his right arm started itching, just below Treya¡¯s rune. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± he said. ¡°Not again!¡± ¡°What?¡± Venni said sharply, then glanced between him and the demonborn girl. ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t what?¡± the girl asked, scratching at a spot on her forehead. Then she looked at him in shock and started laughing hysterically. # The new Duke of the Crows, Edmond, was a middle-aged man with thinning hair and a tendency to allow his eyes to dart around the room rather than looking at the person he was speaking with. Rusol detested him on sight, though Marten seemed to like him. The investiture ceremony was long and boring, but to Rusol¡¯s surprise, people had actually looked at him approvingly in his gleaming armor with the sword belted at his hip. It seemed his mother had known what she was talking about after all. It probably helped that despite its unusual appearance, the armor was clearly meant for use rather than for decoration. The reception after the ceremony was packed with nobles, courtiers, and even some rich merchants who¡¯d wrangled invitations. All of the kingdom¡¯s dukes had shown up, and even some of the border barons who didn¡¯t typically spend much time in Telfort. Duke Edmond¡¯s own backwoods barons mostly kept to themselves, the four men and their guests holding quiet conversations with each other other at the edges of the revelry. Eventually, though, Edmond remembered his duty, and brought the men over to Rusol one by one to introduce them. ¡°Prince Rusol,¡± the duke said, ¡°this is Lord Ansel, Baron of Tarwen.¡± ¡°Welcome to Telfort, Lord Tarwen,¡± Rusol said. ¡°I believe we¡¯ve met before, though it was some years ago.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I don¡¯t make it to Telfort often. I regret that my wife couldn¡¯t come with us¡ªher health makes traveling difficult¡ªbut I¡¯d like to present my oldest son and heir, Toman.¡± ¡°Your Highness,¡± Toman said with a bow. He was an unsmiling young man, about Rusol¡¯s age. Rusol inclined his head just slightly. ¡°Toman, is this your first time in Telfort?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve accompanied our caravans to the city a few times, but I¡¯ve never had call to visit the palace.¡± ¡°Your Highness,¡± Ansel said, interrupting them, ¡°if you have a moment, I¡¯d like to discuss something important with you.¡± ¡°Yes, Baron?¡± ¡°Many of the mercenaries that the kingdom is recruiting are from the hills, and rather than taking the road through the pass, they¡¯re coming straight through the mountains. It makes my people uneasy to have armed foreigners in the valley. And hillfolk, no less.¡± The new duke drew in a sharp breath, then looked toward Rusol with a worried frown on his face. Rusol said, ¡°Well, Lord Tarwen, you¡¯ll be happy to know that even now, we¡¯ve begun slowing the pace of our recruitment efforts. I trust visitors through the mountains have dwindled with the cold weather?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. There have been fewer in recent weeks.¡± ¡°I suspect that by the time the snows melt, we¡¯ll have finished recruiting, so you¡¯ll have nothing more to worry about.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. Might I ask why the kingdom needs mercenaries? We have the strongest army in the north.¡± Edmond grimaced again. If the new duke was too scared to speak his mind, was he truly a good choice to lead the region? Tarwen seemed much more forthright, even if the man¡¯s questions were forcing Rusol to keep tight hold on his anger. ¡°And I aim to keep it that way,¡± he said. ¡°There are threats on the horizon we must be prepared for. There are barbarians attacking some of the settlements north of Larso, and, of course, your friends from the hills. The hillfolk are less likely to attack if we¡¯re employing half of their fighting men, and by strengthening our numbers, we can make sure our neighbors have no interest in expanding their borders. We¡¯ll continue our current peace because nobody will be strong enough to make war against us.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you, Your Highness. My people will be reassured.¡± After Tarwen and his son had left, Edmond said, ¡°I apologize, Your Highness. I didn¡¯t know he was going to ask you about that.¡± Rusol stared at him. ¡°Why not, Your Grace? Because you weren¡¯t aware of your baron¡¯s concerns? Or because it was your responsibility to bring those concerns to my attention and you didn¡¯t?¡± Edmond¡¯s eyes bugged out. ¡°I¡­I¡­Your Highness¡­¡± Marten came up from the side and placed his arm around the duke¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What my son means to say is that when something comes up, you¡¯re welcome to send a letter or pigeon note so we can learn about it sooner. Just because a matter is important doesn¡¯t mean you need to wait until we see each other in person, though we do appreciate the fact that you felt it deserved the personal touch. Now, run along, Edmond. This is your party and you should enjoy it.¡± ¡°Y¡­yes, Your Majesty.¡± When the man was out of earshot, Marten turned to Rusol. ¡°Trying to turn our new duke against us so soon?¡± ¡°He¡¯s weak and foolish. Any of his barons would be a better choice, even the old one with the limp.¡± ¡°Foolish, perhaps, but it¡¯s his birthright. If I take away his title without cause, then every other duke in the kingdom will rise up in revolt. Still, now that you¡¯ve put a little fear into him, perhaps he¡¯ll be more diligent about his duty in the future. Good job.¡± Rusol blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re happy about it?¡± ¡°Happy¡¯s not the word I¡¯d use, but sometimes the peerage need a reminder about who¡¯s in charge. Just a small reminder, though¡ªwe¡¯re not tyrants, after all. Now, let me get a closer look at this armor your mother¡¯s been going on about.¡± Marten took a step back and looked his son up and down. ¡°That¡¯s some fine work. She¡¯s afraid to tell me how much she spent, but it must have been a fortune if it¡¯s truly mage-crafted.¡± ¡°She thought it would make me fit in better.¡± ¡°It certainly makes you stand out at least. Let¡¯s see¡­for a longsword, you should keep the belt where it¡¯s at, but you want the scabbard to rest lower on your hip so you can actually draw the blade. Let me show you.¡± Marten led him to an out-of-the-way alcove, where nobody could see them, and helped adjust the harness so the scabbard hung farther down and at more of an angle. ¡°There, that¡¯s better. You know, if you¡¯re going to start wearing a sword now, it wouldn¡¯t hurt you to learn a few things.¡± ¡°If I get into a fight, Father, the sword isn¡¯t what I¡¯m going to be depending on.¡± ¡°No, but you may end up in a situation where you need to fake it. I¡¯m not talking about sending you to the knights, but I can show you a few things in private. Nobody else needs to know that you never learned how before.¡± Book 2: Chapter Ten He did this on purpose, Razai fumed to herself after she¡¯d returned to the room she¡¯d rented. He wanted the warden to bond me! She was once again back in her Aden persona, since the cityfolk didn¡¯t know the demons were dead. Plus, that was how the innkeeper knew her. What was she going to do? She¡¯d spied on her target¡¯s conversations enough times to know that he and his friends were looking for a way to end the warden bond, but if she went with them, she¡¯d be playing her father¡¯s game. What did Vatarxis want? Surely he didn¡¯t think a warden would aid him in his schemes, did he? She scratched at the itch on her forehead until she realized what she was doing. There was a knock at her door and she opened it to find her quarry. After all the time she¡¯d spent tracking him in the shadows, it felt wrong to come face to face, despite the brief conversation they¡¯d had back at the warehouse. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked. He peered at her curiously. ¡°You look like Aden again.¡± Razai grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the room, then shut the door before releasing her disguise. ¡°Those people out there are scared, and I¡¯ve been chased by enough angry mobs in my lifetime. I¡¯m not the only demonborn keeping out of sight.¡± ¡°How are you doing that? Are you a wizard?¡± ¡°No.¡± She didn¡¯t elaborate. ¡°How did you find me?¡± ¡°The binding spell tells me where you are. Or what direction you¡¯re in, at least.¡± She stared at him. ¡°Please tell me that¡¯s a joke.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry. It works in reverse too, but it¡¯ll probably take you a few weeks to get a feel for it.¡± He looked uncertain. ¡°You rushed off earlier. I wanted to make sure you understood what happened.¡± ¡°I know what a warden is, all right? I told you that. I just don¡¯t want to have anything to do with one.¡± ¡°But how did you know about it before I told you?¡± ¡°What I know really isn¡¯t any of your business.¡± She had to keep him on the defensive so he wouldn¡¯t realize she¡¯d been following him. ¡°Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter¡ªwe¡¯ll never see each other again.¡± He sighed and nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want. I just wanted to apologize again, and make sure you¡¯re all right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, so you can go now.¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for a way to end the binding spells. If I can do it on my own, I will. If you need to be there for it, I¡¯ll find you.¡± She nodded curtly, not wanting to give away that she already knew about their plans. He waited, but when she didn¡¯t say anything else, he finally left. She closed the door behind him, then took a deep breath as she heard his footsteps move down the hall, toward the stairs. What game was Vatarxis playing at? She doubted the warden was in on it, though she couldn¡¯t dismiss the idea just yet. Whatever was going on, she didn¡¯t intend to be part of it. The warden was going north, and he didn¡¯t seem inclined to chase after her. Her decision seemed simple enough. She¡¯d go south at first light, as quickly as she could. # Two days later, Corec faced Yelena across a table, uncomfortably reminded of the way he¡¯d felt when he was a boy and had failed to do the reading his tutors had assigned him. Yelena¡¯s ship had arrived the night before, and Venni had told her the whole story. ¡°You¡¯ve got to get this under control,¡± the woman said with a resigned sigh. ¡°I know,¡± Corec said. ¡°I was so surprised that I was able to recognize her as a mage, I didn¡¯t realize what was going on. Why didn¡¯t you tell me wardens could identify mages?¡± She scowled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t try to pin this on me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just wasn¡¯t paying enough attention, and I should have been. I thought I¡¯d stopped the spell, but then it started again.¡± ¡°How did you not know we can recognize mages? I didn¡¯t mention it because there¡¯s no way you could have bonded four¡ªfive¡ªpeople without knowing they were mages first.¡± ¡°I guess I must have been doing it without realizing. It felt familiar, once I figured out what it was.¡± Yelena shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re doing everything backwards. I¡¯m starting to think the First is right¡ªsomeone¡¯s messing with the normal order of things.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve talked to the First?¡± ¡°Not recently, but between you and Seven being chosen so closely together and you not knowing what the hell you¡¯re doing, something odd is going on. I wonder if someone¡¯s figured out how to take control of the abandoned spell that chooses the wardens, so it¡¯s no longer picking people randomly.¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s not random, then why pick me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± Then she frowned at him. ¡°And what¡¯s with only bonding women? Young, attractive women¡­at least the ones I¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that if you¡¯re doing this without realizing it, you probably need to take a good look at yourself and figure out why. You¡¯ve almost certainly crossed paths with just as many male mages, so why pick the ones you did?¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know. I never thought about that.¡± The idea was disturbing. Corec had just assumed he¡¯d cast the binding spell on any mage he¡¯d encountered except for the ones he¡¯d already known were mages, like the wizards he¡¯d consulted. But if he¡¯d had enough control to only target women, he didn¡¯t like to think about what that suggested. Yelena gave him a moment, then said, ¡°Now, this demonborn¡­what did you say her name was?¡± ¡°Razai.¡± ¡°Razai, then. How did she react?¡± ¡°She laughed so hard she started crying,¡± Venni said, coming into the room and taking a seat. ¡°Laughed?¡± Yelena asked. ¡°She wasn¡¯t just laughing, though,¡± Corec said. ¡°She realized what happened before I told her. She knew I was a warden and that I¡¯d cast a binding spell on her.¡± ¡°She did? How?¡± ¡°She refused to tell me anything helpful.¡± Venni nodded. ¡°I got the impression that someone sent her to help with the demons, but I don¡¯t know how she recognized Corec as a warden. Especially since the rune didn¡¯t appear.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t appear?¡± Yelena said. ¡°Oh, that itch again? That¡¯s really not supposed to happen. The rune is meant to show up as soon as the spell is complete, not a week or two later. I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d be able to fix that after the practicing we did.¡± Corec said, ¡°Maybe if I¡¯d cast the spell on purpose, it would have worked right.¡± ¡°In any case, this is disturbing. There aren¡¯t many people who would know the signs of the warden bond, particularly without the rune. Where is she now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone. I went to speak to her again after the fight, but she didn¡¯t want to talk. She practically slammed the door in my face. The next morning, she went south, and she¡¯s still heading that way.¡± ¡°You may have to consider that she targeted you on purpose. She got you to bond her and now she¡¯s gone¡ªthat could be exactly what she wanted. That¡¯s one pick you wasted. Or maybe two or three, depending on what the others decide. Do you see why you need to be careful? You only get eight.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that, but the First had eight runes. Well, four runes and four scars.¡± ¡°He¡¯s lost a few over the years.¡± Yelena looked down. ¡°Don¡¯t ever ask him about them.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do you think Jakar might know Razai?¡± Venni asked Yelena. ¡°Jakar?¡± Corec said. ¡°He¡¯s one of my bondmates,¡± Yelena said. ¡°He keeps some contacts among the demonborn in Tyrsall. Their community is pretty tight-knit, so I can¡¯t just go talk to them myself, but he¡¯s in Terevas right now, trying to find out what¡¯s going on there. The queen is ill and she¡¯s named her younger daughter as heir. There have been rumors of infighting within the High Council.¡± Corec frowned. ¡°Does it matter? Terevas is two thousand miles away.¡± ¡°Everything is connected. The current queen has kept borders and trade open to outsiders, and both the duke and I have business interests there that¡¯ll be affected if there¡¯s a coup. You need to be aware of what¡¯s happening around you. Don¡¯t you have a concubine to keep track of this sort of thing?¡± ¡°You mean Treya? She¡¯s not my concubine.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still your bondmate, isn¡¯t she? You have to learn to take advantage of everyone¡¯s abilities¡ªthat¡¯s part of being a warden.¡± ¡°He needs a little time to get used to the idea,¡± Venni said. ¡°You remember what it was like back at the beginning.¡± ¡°Hmm. I suppose.¡± Yelena pulled out a coin pouch. ¡°Anyway, here you go. The baron gave me your pay this morning.¡± ¡°Pay?¡± Corec asked, taking the pouch and peeking inside. ¡°This is all gold!¡± ¡°Fifty gold pieces.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know we were getting paid. This is a lot of money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that much¡ªAnders is one of the richest men in the kingdom, and it¡¯s his responsibility to protect High Cove.¡± Venni grinned. ¡°I told you you weren¡¯t a caravan guard anymore. You need to remember you¡¯re a mage, and mages don¡¯t come cheap.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°There were eight of us there, so I guess that comes to six gold and ten silver each? I¡¯ll hold on to Razai¡¯s share in case I see her again.¡± He pulled six of the coins from the pouch and passed them to Venni, then dug in his own belt pouch for the silver. ¡°I hardly need the money,¡± Venni said. ¡°You did most of the work. You, Boktar, and Ellerie. The rest of us wouldn¡¯t have had a chance without you three.¡± ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Yelena said, glaring at her wife, ¡°you couldn¡¯t have waited one more day for me to get here?¡± ¡°And let more people die?¡± Venni asked. It sounded like an argument they¡¯d had before. Yelena shook her head in annoyance. ¡°What if there had been more demons?¡± ¡°I was with a warden and four of his bondmates.¡± ¡°All of them barely trained!¡± ¡°Nobody can live forever,¡± Venni said. Yelena¡¯s eyes flashed with anger. Corec stood up before she could reply. ¡°Why don¡¯t I leave the two of you alone,¡± he said, and quickly left the room. In the hallway, he found Boktar and showed him the coin purse. ¡°We got paid for taking care of the demons. It¡¯ll be enough to keep us going for quite a while.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯ll be helpful,¡± the dwarf said. ¡°Elle and I haven¡¯t had any money coming in since we left Matagor. Oh, and I asked around and got a recommendation for another weapon smith.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ll go check it out now.¡± # Corec browsed through the shop. ¡°Are these the only ones you have?¡± he asked the clerk, who was hovering by his side. There were only two greatswords, and one looked ceremonial¡ªtoo large and heavy to wield in a fight. ¡°If you need something special, you can ask the smith,¡± the clerk replied. ¡°I won¡¯t be in town long enough for that.¡± Corec pointed to the usable blade. ¡°What do you call that?¡± Near the end of the ricasso¡ªthe unsharpened part of the blade closest to the hilt¡ªthere was what looked like a second, smaller crossguard. ¡°Those are parrying hooks. Do you grip the ricasso when you¡¯re fighting close up?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll help you parry, and they¡¯ll protect your fingers on the ricasso. The style started in the northern plains, but it¡¯s been spreading for a few years now.¡± ¡°Do you have a scabbard for it?¡± ¡°For a sword this large? No. Who would carry it around like that?¡± ¡°I keep it attached to a harness on my back, and detach it when I need to draw it.¡± The clerk shook his head. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help you with that.¡± ¡°How much for just the sword, then?¡± ¡°Thirty-five silver.¡± Corec managed to keep from coughing in surprise. He could probably bargain that down to thirty, but he¡¯d only paid twenty for his last sword. The weapon looked impressive, but he didn¡¯t have enough knowledge about smithing to know if it was truly worth that much. There wasn¡¯t much choice though, since this was the first smith he¡¯d found who had a greatsword for sale. It wasn¡¯t a common weapon. Every smith he¡¯d spoken to had been willing to make one for him, but for a blade of the size he used, it would take at least a week, even without any decoration, and the group was planning to leave High Cove the next morning. ¡°I¡¯ll give you twenty-five.¡± ¡°Twenty-five?¡± the clerk said in an offended tone. ¡°Just look here at the metalwork¡­¡± # A few days after they¡¯d left High Cove, Boktar brought the procession to a halt in the middle of the afternoon. Shavala rode Socks up to the front of the group so she could listen in on his conversation with Corec and Ellerie. ¡°I saw a stream right up ahead,¡± Boktar said, ¡°and the map doesn¡¯t mention any settlements in the next twenty miles. I think we should go ahead and stop early for the day.¡± ¡°That sounds good to me,¡± Corec said. Shavala nodded. It was still light out, so she could do some foraging. The shorter the days grew, the less often she had a chance to do so. Ellerie sighed. ¡°I suppose we need to get used to camping in the cold anyway. There¡¯ll be fewer towns and villages once we get closer to the mountains.¡± After the group had moved to a clearing near the stream, Shavala dismounted and removed her saddle and tack, then ran her hands up and down Socks¡¯s legs and checked his shoes for pebbles and caked-up mud. When she was finished, she spoke to the horse. ¡°Go wait for Corec. He¡¯ll take you to water and brush you. Be good or he¡¯ll put your halter on. I¡¯ll be back after dark.¡± Socks gave her a look, but then trotted off in Corec¡¯s direction. While the horse couldn¡¯t understand other people the way he could with Shavala, he did know enough voice commands that Corec would let him stay loose as long as he behaved himself. Shavala leaned her bags against a tree, but didn¡¯t start setting up her tent. She could do that later, under the mage lights Corec and Ellerie would cast. If she wanted to get any foraging done, it was best to get to it while there was still light out. Bobo was busy setting up a fire pit, so she cast her eyes around for Katrin, finding the other woman laying out out the tent she shared with Corec. Shavala helped Katrin stretch the canvas to its full length, then said, ¡°Did you still want to go out foraging with me? I think Bobo¡¯s going to be too busy to come.¡± Katrin looked down at the disassembled tent. ¡°I suppose I can finish this later.¡± Before they left, Shavala picked up her bow, and slung her quiver over her shoulder once more. She liked to keep them with her when she was exploring, in case she ran into trouble or saw anything worth hunting. On their way out, they passed by Ellerie, who stood peering to the west through a break between the trees. ¡°I thought we¡¯d be able to see the mountains from here,¡± the nilvasta woman said. ¡°No,¡± Boktar said. ¡°We¡¯re two hundred miles away. There should be a road heading west once we reach Lanport.¡± ¡°Should we have taken the Mountain Road instead?¡± ¡°I figured it was better to approach from the east. If the city was here, it¡¯s more likely to have been between the mountains and the sea than out on the northern plains. We can head south along the mountains, and if we find it, it¡¯ll save us a trip up the other side. Otherwise, we¡¯ll go back up north along the plains side, and hopefully find a route through the Heights so we can avoid backtracking afterward.¡± Shavala waved to the two of them, and then she and Katrin continued out of the camp. ¡°What are we looking for?¡± Katrin asked once they¡¯d reached the tree line. ¡°Can you really find much in the winter?¡± ¡°Yes, many things. I¡¯m not looking for anything specific, but if there are crab apples, we should try them out.¡± ¡°Crab apples?¡± ¡°Some types become less sour after a few freezing nights, and even the sour ones are better if we cook them. It would give us some variety from the dried fruit we bought in High Cove. Stay away from the bitter ones, though.¡± ¡°Oh¡ª¡± Katrin started, but she¡¯d turned her head to reply, and walked straight into a branch full of pine needles. She grimaced with distaste and held it back with two fingers to keep it out of her way. ¡°You¡¯ve never wanted to come out here with me before,¡± Shavala mentioned, hiding a smile. Her friend preferred cities to wilderness. ¡°I wanted to talk to you without everyone else around. You¡¯ve been really quiet lately. More than usual, I mean.¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°Sometimes there¡¯s too much going on in the group,¡± she said. ¡°Too many people talking at once. I¡¯d rather not add to it unless I have something to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that many people. It¡¯s less than the place where we found you.¡± ¡°The border outpost? That was different.¡± Shavala wasn¡¯t sure how to explain it. In a group of dorvasta, everyone knew who would speak next¡­and they¡¯d have a good idea of what that person would say. It was different with these others¡ªeven with Ellerie, though Shavala wasn¡¯t sure if that was because the other woman was nilvasta or because she¡¯d lived among the humans for so long. Shavala enjoyed the differences when she was just speaking to Corec and Katrin, but the larger the group grew, the harder it was for her to figure out when to interject something. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re all right, though?¡± Shavala hugged her friend¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m fine. And look,¡± she said, pointing. ¡°A rose bush.¡± Katrin¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What about it?¡± The rose petals had long since died and fallen to the ground, but small, bulb-like fruits still adorned the bush. ¡°Bobo wanted me to look for rose hips. He thinks he can make a tea that¡¯ll help with an upset stomach.¡± ¡°Oh. How many does he need?¡± ¡°Probably not many, but we should get extra so we have them.¡± Shavala handed over one of the thin cloth bags she used for her gathering. ¡°Fill this about half full. I see some chicory, so I¡¯m going to dig up the roots.¡± ¡°For that drink you and Boktar like? I don¡¯t know how you can stand it.¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°It reminds me of home.¡± The chicory brew had been a favorite of hers since she¡¯d first gone to the border camp to study under Meritia. The rangers drank it all the time, and she¡¯d picked up the habit herself. Katrin was quiet for a moment as she worked, but then spoke up again. ¡°Is that what¡¯s been bothering you? If you want to go home, it would be all right. You don¡¯t have to stay just because of this whole warden thing. Corec would understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ready to go back yet¡ªI want to keep traveling. I miss home, but Meritia says that¡¯s normal. Maybe I¡¯ll send some letters to my family, letting them know what I¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°I was thinking of doing that too, but Barz and Felix will just get mad when I tell them I¡¯m not settling down in Tyrsall after all, so I¡¯ll probably wait a bit.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not worried about the binding spell,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Venni mentioned that she and the others don¡¯t spend all their time with Yelena. They go off on their own when they want to.¡± ¡°They do? That demonborn woman did, but I thought she was different. If it¡¯s normal, we should tell Treya and Ellerie. They¡¯ll be relieved.¡± Shavala cocked her head to the side. ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that. I should have mentioned it earlier.¡± To Shavala¡¯s mind, what was done was done, and there was no sense worrying about it, but she should have remembered that the others were less accepting of the warden bond. She needed to pay more attention to what was going on around her. ¡°We talked about something else, too¡ªabout how old she is.¡± Katrin grew still. When the redhead didn¡¯t reply, Shavala continued. ¡°I believe her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t believe them,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to think about it. What do you say to something like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that weird. Even that elven warden¡ªShayliel¡ªis only a thousand years old, according to Venni. It¡¯s not that much older than other elves.¡± Katrin laughed. ¡°I think you and I have a different perspective on that sort of thing. But if she is telling the truth¡­the reason you decided not to tell Corec you were interested in him was because humans don¡¯t live as long as elves.¡± ¡°And because you didn¡¯t like the idea,¡± Shavala pointed out. Katrin had been shocked to find out that elves sometimes shared their lovers with their friends. Apparently humans didn¡¯t usually follow the same custom. ¡°Umm, well, if you still want to, it might be all right.¡± Katrin looked down, blushing in embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± She was still attracted to Corec, but would it make things awkward if the warden bond linked them together for the next thousand years? And why had Katrin changed her mind? ¡°Perhaps we can discuss it later. Someone¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Shavala pointed toward a thicker batch of trees to the south. ¡°Not who. What. Don¡¯t make any sudden moves.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°There¡¯s a wolf out there.¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°Come closer!¡± Shavala called out to the animal. ¡°Not closer!¡± Katrin hissed. ¡°Scare it off!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be all right.¡± As the wolf approached, Shavala examined it with her elder senses. It was a male, nearly full grown, and seemed familiar somehow. When it came into view and saw her, it wagged its tail. ¡°You?¡± she said, startled. ¡°How did you get here?¡± The wolf didn¡¯t answer, of course, but Katrin said, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same one we saw before, but we¡¯re too far away. Wolves can go far when they¡¯re looking for a new territory, but not this far.¡± She spoke to the wolf again. ¡°Have you learned how to hunt yet?¡± He stretched his front legs out before him and wagged his tail again. ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°I suppose I could go with you for a little while.¡± She handed her bag of chicory root to Katrin. ¡°Could you take this back to the camp?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to hunt with him. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours, and if we find enough, I¡¯ll try to bring back something for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Shavala! Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve hunted with him before. He¡¯s not as scrawny as he was, so he must have learned something, but a single wolf can¡¯t bring down larger prey by himself. They like to hunt as a pack, and he hasn¡¯t started a pack yet. Save me some supper.¡± # Leena stalked out of the shallow marsh, glaring at Sarlo, who was trying to hide his laughter. ¡°You said that would be safe!¡± she exclaimed. She¡¯d followed him in teleporting across a meadow to a spot she¡¯d been able to see from where she started. Now, her feet and shoes were soaked up to the ankles with icy water. ¡°It was, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he replied. ¡°I admit, maybe we should have walked over here first to check out the ground more closely, but you ended up where you wanted to. Come on, we¡¯d better get a fire started so your feet don¡¯t freeze.¡± She just grunted and followed him to look for firewood. Hopefully if she dried her new shoes out soon enough, she¡¯d be able to save them. Once the fire was going, they took a break for their midday meal, though they stuck to cold trail rations rather than cooking. ¡°I¡¯m never going to learn this,¡± she complained. Being able to teleport at all had come as a surprise. This was their fifth day of attempting the small hops, and it was the first time she¡¯d been successful. Sarlo was convinced that she¡¯d built up a block in her mind due to fear after her previous attempts, so he¡¯d made her keep at it until it worked. ¡°Nonsense,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re learning the same way I did. If you stick to these short jumps so you can see where you¡¯re going, it eliminates the danger from the training. Uh¡­mostly.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the point? If I can only do it once or twice a day, I¡¯m saving, what, ten or twenty minutes of walking?¡± ¡°Once you get more comfortable, then you can start trying longer jumps. And it¡¯s easier to teleport to a place you know well. I can¡¯t go very far, but if you can go from Sanvar to Larso in a single jump, then you can return the same way.¡± She shivered in fear. ¡°Maybe these little hops are better after all.¡± ¡°With how much you hate Traveling, how did you end up in Larso at all? It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯d have just tried to teleport on a whim.¡± Leena stared into the fire, trying to ignore the images that flooded her mind. ¡°I was walking home from the bakery and a group of men chased me into an alley. They had knives, and they were wearing sand veils so I couldn¡¯t see their faces. I thought they were thieves, so I gave them my coin pouch, but then they tried to stab me.¡± She rubbed her shoulder in remembrance. She¡¯d jerked away, so the cut hadn¡¯t been deep, but when the same fellow had raised his knife again, she¡¯d teleported in desperation. She¡¯d been aiming for home, but had ended up about as far away from it as possible without crossing the sea. ¡°Sand veils?¡± Sarlo asked. ¡°I thought you lived in Sanvara City.¡± ¡°A town just outside there, but yes, it¡¯s nowhere near the desert. I don¡¯t know why they had the veils.¡± ¡°Except to make sure anyone who saw them couldn¡¯t identify them.¡± Sarlo shook his head. ¡°Which makes it even more important for you to learn this. What if you run into them again?¡± ¡°Matihar is a safe place,¡± Leena insisted, ¡°at least since the war ended. And they weren¡¯t dwarves or lizardfolk, so it wasn¡¯t that. It was just a random attack. Besides, it¡¯s not like Larso was any better.¡± Sarlo nodded. ¡°Larso doesn¡¯t like mages. You¡¯re sure the fellows who came for you said they were taking you to somebody who¡¯d protect you from the church?¡± ¡°Only if I served someone. They spoke in trade tongue, not Western, so I understood them fine.¡± ¡°But they were wearing guard uniforms?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I suppose one of the nobles in Telfort might be recruiting mages for some reason. I¡¯ll have to tell¡­some friends of mine. They like to keep an eye on things in the area. Speaking of that, I may know someone who could help you with your magic.¡± ¡°Another Traveler?¡± ¡°No, this is different. She¡¯s¡­another type of mage. She can make it so that it¡¯s easier for you to use your magic, and easier to learn how to use it. She did it for me a long time ago. I wasn¡¯t much of a Seeker or a Traveler before that. All she would ask in return is that after you master your skills, you help us out occasionally. As a Traveler, you¡¯d be able to do that even living in Sanvar, at least once we figured out a way to communicate with you. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°I just want to go home and never think about magic again.¡± Sarlo looked disappointed, but nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll write down how to find us in case you ever change your mind. For now, though, let¡¯s get back to it. I wonder if we might be going about this all wrong. What if we have you Seek a safe place to Travel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a Seeker.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Seeing, Seeking, and Traveling are related¡ªthey all rely on finding something far away. There¡¯s often some overlap between the three gifts. The Zidari just don¡¯t bother training the weak gifts because they usually have someone stronger nearby. You¡¯re on your own now, though, so if you can do a bit of Seeking, it would be a big help.¡± ¡°How do I do it?¡± she asked. Sarlo thought for a moment, then rummaged around in his belt pouch before holding his hands out in front of him, clenched into fists. ¡°Which hand is the coin in?¡± She pointed to the right. ¡°That one, maybe?¡± ¡°Are you guessing or Seeking?¡± ¡°Guessing.¡± ¡°Good, because you¡¯re wrong.¡± He opened his left hand to show her a copper coin. ¡°Where¡¯s your favorite hairbrush?¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s back home. No, wait, it¡¯s been more than a month, and I didn¡¯t pay my rent in advance. The landlord must have thrown my things out by now, unless my parents got there first.¡± ¡°That gives you three places it can be. Which one is the truth?¡± ¡°How do I tell?¡± ¡°More practice,¡± Sarlo said with a grin. Leena sighed. It looked like her run-in with magic was going to continue for a while longer. Book 2: Chapter Eleven ¡°Lanport isn¡¯t as big as I thought it¡¯d be,¡± Katrin said as they approached the city. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be larger than High Cove,¡± Corec said. ¡°I think it¡¯s just spread out farther along the coast, so we can¡¯t see it all from here.¡± The trip north from High Cove had been uneventful, other than the weather continuing to worsen. The light snow that had fallen the night before had melted, leaving the road muddy, and Katrin was looking forward to reaching the city and getting a hot bath. It took them another hour to get to the city itself, but even as the North Road turned into the main street leading through town, it stayed a muddy mess, without the granite pavers which were common in other large cities. Wooden walkways lined the buildings to either side, so foot traffic could avoid the mud. ¡°Why do they leave the streets like this?¡± Katrin asked. Corec said, ¡°The caravan guards who work the Lanport run say the government here doesn¡¯t do much. They don¡¯t do anything about bandits, so the caravans get attacked sometimes. There are pirates, too, when the traders come by ship.¡± Then he laughed. ¡°I was supposed to come here once on a ship, but I got too sick, so they put me off in High Cove. I didn¡¯t even get paid for the first half of the trip.¡± ¡°Bandits and pirates?¡± ¡°We should be fine,¡± Corec said. ¡°Most of them aren¡¯t stupid enough to attack two men in plate armor, and even if they are, they¡¯ll be scared off when Ellerie starts burning holes in them.¡± ¡°Unless they¡¯re those red-eyed men. They don¡¯t seem scared by anything.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I wish I knew where they came from. The West Road to south of Circle Bay¡­I can¡¯t figure out who they¡¯re working for in that area. Terril Forest is between there, but I doubt the red-eyes are being sent by the elves.¡± As they drew closer to the city center, Katrin heard a mournful tune being played on a gittern. She could just barely make out the lyrics, sung in a woman¡¯s voice. Listening to the words, she saw the same scene in her mind, the lament of a soldier who¡¯d survived a terrible battle. ¡°That¡¯s a bard!¡± Katrin exclaimed. She¡¯d never met another female bard before. ¡°Let¡¯s go that way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Corec said, and motioned to the others to go ahead without them. Katrin followed the sound of the music to a park-like square near a busy street filled with vendors. She brought Flower to a halt and dismounted behind a ring of people who stood around the singing woman. The bard was stocky, approaching her middle years, and her brown hair was starting to go gray. Instead of the fancy clothing typically worn by bards during a public performance, the woman wore a plain, sturdy dress that wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place on any other street musician. Corec joined Katrin after wrapping Flower¡¯s and Dot¡¯s reins around a nearby hitching post. They stood with the rest of the crowd and listened until the song was over, then Katrin made her way through the ring and dropped a coin in the wooden bowl the bard had set out in front of herself. The listeners thinned out during the next song, but Katrin remained, closing her eyes as she sensed the bard¡¯s deft touch in crafting the illusory visions. She spoke quietly to Corec. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here for a while if you want to go look for the others. I have a lot of questions I¡¯m hoping she can answer.¡± ¡°All right,¡± he said. ¡°I guess you know how to find us.¡± Katrin nodded. She could track him down through the warden bond, the same way he¡¯d be able to catch up to the others. She turned her attention back to the bard after Corec had ridden back in the direction they¡¯d come from. During the next break between songs, the woman looked her way. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, girl,¡± she said with a hillfolk accent. ¡°That¡¯s a harp case lashed to yon saddle, ain¡¯t it? Bring it on down and let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± # The group stayed in Lanport the next day to resupply, so Treya decided to bring Bobo to an almshouse if she could find one. They made a quick stop first so he could buy the last few ingredients he needed to make new batches of his salves. He¡¯d sold most of his first batch, and the ogre attack had taken up the rest. He and Shavala had foraged for as many of the herbs as they could find during the journey north, but this late in the year, they hadn¡¯t found everything he needed. When Bobo was finished, the clerk looked toward Treya. ¡°I just need directions,¡± she said. ¡°Does Lanport have any almshouses?¡± ¡°What, like where old people live when they can¡¯t afford anywhere else?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I meant almshouses for healing.¡± ¡°Ahh, you want the healing house, then. There¡¯s only one. Go out the door, two blocks west, then straight north for a quarter of a mile. You can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After they left the shop, Bobo sighed. ¡°Well, there goes the last of my money. I¡¯m going to have to borrow coin from Corec again until I can mix these salves up and start selling them again.¡± ¡°I can loan you some of my share from fighting the demons,¡± Treya said. ¡°Of course, if you had come with us¡­¡± ¡°Hah. No. I¡¯ll leave the fighting to those that know how to do it. But I haven¡¯t been able to find any translation or scribing jobs lately.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got enough coin now. If we keep getting jobs like that, I can start sending some back to the Orders.¡± Bobo nodded. ¡°Well, if you can help me out with food and lodging for a bit, I¡¯d appreciate it. I¡¯ll start brewing the salves as soon as we¡¯re on the road again, and pay you back as soon as I sell some. It would help if we¡¯d camp out more often. I doubt the cook at an inn will let me use her kitchen all night long.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you your own pot, too. Katrin says the last time you made something, the taste lingered in the food for two days.¡± ¡°Did it? I couldn¡¯t smell or taste anything after spending twelve hours stirring it.¡± While they walked, Treya cast her mind around for something else to talk about, because if she didn¡¯t, Bobo would bring up politics or philosophy again. He always took a position contrary to her own, just so he¡¯d have someone to debate with, and she needed a break from it. Corec and Katrin never showed any interest in the discussions, Shavala barely spoke about topics she was interested in, and Ellerie and Boktar weren¡¯t friendly enough with Bobo to humor him, so it usually fell to Treya to keep him amused. Finally, she settled on a more personal topic. ¡°Why are you so interested in finding Tir Yadar? Is it really just for the treasure?¡± ¡°My grandfather was a librarian before me, and he used to read me stories about treasure hunters and grand adventures. It always seemed like such an exciting, romantic life. I spent a few years learning things from books, but after a while, that wasn¡¯t enough anymore, so I started looking for my own grand adventure.¡± ¡°Tir Yadar?¡± ¡°Not at first, but it turns out that it¡¯s surprisingly difficult to create a great adventure out of nothing. I¡¯m no warrior or wizard, so I needed to find a task to which I could apply my own not inconsiderable skills. I wanted to do something that could only be done by a scholar or seeker of knowledge; I wanted to leave my mark on the world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that means.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never wanted to do something that nobody else has done, or discover something that nobody else knows about?¡± ¡°Not really. I just wanted to protect people who need protecting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just making a different type of mark. For me, I went back to my grandfather¡¯s stories. A lot of them were about finding ancient ruins or lost cities. The old histories discuss a number of cities that we don¡¯t know how to find anymore. Of those, Tir Yadar is more of a legend¡ªit¡¯s mentioned a lot, but nobody seemed to know for sure if it really existed. And then Ellerie brought that book and asked me if I was able to read it.¡± ¡°So you stole the translations.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t really feel like stealing, since I was the one who¡¯d translated them in the first place. I had a hunch about where to find the ruins, so I got greedy and took off. I didn¡¯t find anything, but I suppose you could say I spent that time in the hills having my own little adventures. It wasn¡¯t the epic quest I¡¯d dreamed of, but it was certainly a new experience. And I got the chance to learn how to actually do some of the things I¡¯d been reading about for all those years. You know the rest.¡± Treya nodded. Bobo had been chased out by the hillfolk over a misunderstanding about some farming advice he¡¯d given, and had eventually run into Corec and Katrin. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Why are you still here? Your reason before was to stay close in case you needed to be nearby when they found a way to end the bond¡­but now you¡¯re planning to keep it.¡± ¡°I said I was thinking about keeping it. I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± ¡°Still, it seems like if you really wanted to, you could go off on your own while you consider it. If they figure out a way to banish the binding spell, they can always track you down.¡± Treya sighed and shrugged. ¡°You all are my friends. Maybe Shana likes journeying by herself, but I like this better, and I think I can do just as much good traveling with everyone as I could do alone. Maybe more. Besides, people keep getting hurt. Even if Corec and Boktar handle all the fighting, who¡¯s going to heal them if I¡¯m not here?¡± ¡°Oh, I knew why you were here,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you knew it.¡± Treya rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes. Fine. I¡¯m here because I want to be. Are you happy?¡± ¡°Quite. This whole warden thing is fascinating business. It seems like it must have happened for a reason. Who chooses the wardens, and how? Why did they choose Corec? Or is he right, and he was never chosen at all, and somehow they got the wrong person?¡± ¡°He says Yelena had thought they were being chosen at random, but now she¡¯s not sure anymore.¡± ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s the one who stole the three books about wardens from the Tyrsall library. Perhaps the next time you see her, you could introduce me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you wanted to meet her. She¡¯s been helpful, but she¡¯s not really the sort of person you just¡­show up to talk to uninvited.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s not important,¡± Bobo said, then stopped in front of a ramshackle wooden building. ¡°This must be the place. I don¡¯t know what you think I can do. My salves are gone, and so are most of my herbs.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s anything like the places in Tyrsall, they¡¯ll take any help you can give them. You can talk to the newcomers and see which ones can be helped without healing magic.¡± # Katrin played her harp, listening closely to the words Anise sang. The song was about a brief, tempestuous romance between Borrisur, the God of Weather, and Irisis, the Goddess of the Sea. As the last words faded out, so too did the vision in Katrin¡¯s mind of Irisis slipping back beneath the waves while Borrisur flew up into the sky. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Thank you, everyone,¡± the hillfolk woman called out to the small group that had stopped to listen. Two men stepped forward to drop copper coins in the wooden bowls Katrin and Anise had laid out in front of themselves. The ground was still wet, so Katrin had followed Anise¡¯s lead rather than using her straw hat for tips. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard those lyrics,¡± Katrin said to the bard. ¡°The music is similar to something I¡¯ve played before, but the words were different.¡± ¡°It¡¯s popular up this way. They like the nature gods here. If you look around town, you¡¯ll see Borrisur, Irisis, and Demesis has themselves the biggest temples. Come on, let¡¯s go check out the street vendors afore it gets too dark.¡± The smells from the food stalls lining the street had kept wafting past while they¡¯d been playing, making Katrin¡¯s mouth water. The two of them gathered up their things and wandered down to investigate the vendors. Katrin only bought a handful of roasted nuts, since she planned to join her friends for supper, but Anise chose shredded, spiced mutton wrapped in flatbread. While they walked and ate, Katrin said, ¡°I¡¯ve never busked before. It¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°You ain¡¯t ever busked? How do you make money?¡± ¡°Circle Bay has laws against street performers. I¡¯ve always played in inns and taverns before.¡± ¡°Well, sure, I¡¯ll do that later tonight myself, but the problem is, they¡¯ll let you play for maybe two hours, and then you¡¯re done for the night. You ain¡¯t gonna make much of a living that way, so that¡¯s where the buskin¡¯ comes in.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a bard. Couldn¡¯t you play for noble houses or merchants?¡± ¡°I could, sure, but I¡¯d have to talk all fancy-like. Besides, where¡¯s the fun in playin¡¯ for people who¡¯s too stuffy to enjoy it? Is that what you want to do?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t really thought about it,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Bards can make good money¡ªthat¡¯s why I wanted to be one when I was growing up. We were poor, and it seemed like a way to a new life. Only, the schools wouldn¡¯t take me. Not the ones in Tyrsall or Circle Bay.¡± Anise said, ¡°For me, the music¡¯s always been the most important. Sure, the bardic talents are useful, but the music¡¯s more fun, and I like playing for people who appreciate it.¡± ¡°What about playing in a concert hall?¡± ¡°Oh, I suppose I could arrange that if I ask my old school for a reference, but I ain¡¯t often in a city big enough to have one. It¡¯s just not worth the effort.¡± ¡°Which school did you attend?¡± ¡°Valara. I was one of the first girls they allowed in there, nigh on thirty years ago.¡± ¡°What was it like?¡± Katrin asked as they found an empty hitching post to lean against. ¡°I was away from home for the first time, and it was a very long way away from home. Circle Bay was the first big city I ever saw, and then Valara was nearly as big. They was so different from my little village, I¡¯d have run away if I coulda figured out how to get back on my own. And the schoolmasters didn¡¯t like me much. Don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I was a girl or because I was from the hills. They said I couldn¡¯t talk right or sing right or play right.¡± ¡°That sounds unpleasant.¡± ¡°Well, to be fair, I suppose they was right about the singin¡¯ and the playin¡¯. We wasn¡¯t very formal about music back home. It¡¯s a wonder the elders figured out I was a bard at all. I had to learn to do it all the right way first, so I could get better from there. You don¡¯t got that problem, at least¡ªyou don¡¯t got any bad habits that I can see.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about my bardic abilities, though. Do you think the school in Valara would accept me? I really want to learn, and Corec and I are still trying to figure out where to settle down.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s the trick. I ain¡¯t sure how much the bardic abilities can be taught. Most of my schooling was about the music itself. Will the teachers actually be able to teach you anything? I wager you¡¯re as strong as I was when I graduated.¡± That made Katrin stand up straight. ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°Well, now,¡± the older woman said, ¡°you can make people see the songs every time you want them to, right? And not when you don¡¯t? And you¡¯re pretty good at makin¡¯ sure what they see is what you want ¡®em to see?¡± Katrin shrugged. ¡°Yes, I guess so.¡± ¡°That¡¯s about the time they let the students go out on their own, so I¡¯d say you¡¯re already there.¡± ¡°But what about the other things we can do?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like¡­fighting. Like, slowing down a group of ogres while they¡¯re trying to attack, or dazing a thief so he couldn¡¯t hurt me. It didn¡¯t work against the imps, though.¡± Anise shook her head. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve heard of things like that, but they don¡¯t teach ¡®em at the school, and I¡¯ve never had much call to try ¡®em out myself. I ain¡¯t ever been stupid enough to get in a fight with a batch of ogres. Shit¡ªI didn¡¯t mean to say you¡¯re stupid.¡± Katrin laughed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I was the one out there with a sword. I was on the roof of a building with some archers. It didn¡¯t occur to me until the ogres were already there that they were tall enough to actually reach us. But they slowed down, and I think it was because of my playing, and that gave the archers enough time to take them out.¡± ¡°That sounds right useful¡­at least, if you¡¯re in the habit of gettin¡¯ into fights. I prefer to avoid ¡®em myself.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be my luck lately.¡± ¡°Why are you all the way up here, anyway?¡± Anise asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯d need such a big group to find a bardic school. And besides, there ain¡¯t one in Lanport.¡± Katrin hesitated as she thought about what to say. ¡°We¡¯re looking for an old city. Or, I suppose, the ruins of one. Some of the people I¡¯m traveling with are scholars, and they think we can find it near some mountains, but they don¡¯t know which mountains.¡± ¡°Ahh, so you¡¯re headed to the Storm Heights?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to be careful not to anger the stormborn if you¡¯re messing around in the Heights. That¡¯s their territory.¡± ¡°We may not have to go into the mountains themselves, but we want to see them from both the east and the west, so it¡¯ll depend on the fastest route.¡± ¡°Tarvist Pass,¡± Anise said. ¡°It¡¯s almost straight west from here, and it¡¯s the easiest way through. Maybe the only way at this time of year.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you. I¡¯ll tell the others.¡± ¡°You know, if you¡¯re headin¡¯ that way anyway, you should visit the stormborn. They may know where that city of yours is.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been to the stormborn enclave? I¡¯ve seen more stormborn here in Lanport than anywhere else, but I¡¯ve never spoken to one before.¡± ¡°Enclave?¡± Anise chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting word for it. I spent a few months there¡ªleft before the snows started. I got to share some songs with their bards, and I learnt a few new ones from them¡­at least the ones that have been translated to trade tongue. Most of their songs are in their own language.¡± ¡°You think they¡¯ll know where the city is?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s in the Heights or nearby, they¡¯ll definitely know. If not, well, they can tell you that, too.¡± ¡°How do we find the enclave?¡± ¡°Head west through Tarvist Pass and look for a place called Snow Crown. I¡¯ve got a map I can show you, since it might be hard to find the road with all the snow. But once you¡¯re on the right track, they¡¯ll find you.¡± # ¡°No blonde today, eh?¡± Vash whirled around, the big man looking so startled that Razai would have laughed if she¡¯d been in a better mood. Despite the cool weather, Vash wore a tight, sleeveless vest which showed off the muscles in his chest and arms. His battle axe hung at his side, strapped to his belt. The people on the street had already been giving him a wide berth, and when he jumped, they did too. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± he said, after he¡¯d spotted her in the shadows between two buildings. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°You said the seaborn are hiring bodyguards?¡± ¡°I thought you were working for your father.¡± ¡°Things change. You were right¡ªit was bad business. I take it you¡¯re smart enough to stay away from the lords?¡± ¡°Hells,¡± Vash said, ¡°I¡¯m seventh generation, at least. Maybe more. As far as anyone in the family knows, our progenitor was some nameless nobody. You¡¯re the only person I know who¡¯s even met one of the lords.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got good sense about them, at least. So, the seaborn?¡± ¡°They might be willing to give you a try if I vouch for you. How¡¯d you find me?¡± She just stared at him. ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Right. I forgot.¡± ¡°Also,¡± she said, and pointed toward the docks. She¡¯d waited for him on the most likely route between the harbor and the part of town where most demonborn lived. ¡°I get the point. Let¡¯s get going or we¡¯ll be late. Today¡¯s a good day for you to show up¡ªthe divers are meeting to discuss business.¡± They moved off in the same direction he¡¯d been headed. As they walked, she asked, ¡°So, where¡¯s the blonde?¡± Vash looked puzzled. ¡°Which one?¡± Razai rolled her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s talk about the seaborn instead. Why are they hiring bodyguards?¡± ¡°A few of the street gangs have banded together and expanded into the docks. They run the whores and the beggars, and some of the gambling, but they decided that wasn¡¯t enough. They know they can¡¯t go after the fishing fleets, the fishmongers¡¯ guild, or the trading houses if they want to keep their heads, so instead, they¡¯re pressuring the divers for a share of their take.¡± ¡°Do the divers really bring in enough to interest them?¡± ¡°There are seven diver groups working the harbor and the bay, and each group makes two or three trips a day. It adds up, and most of what they catch sells for decent coin. The gangs went after them because they should have been an easy target to serve as an example to the other businesses around the docks, but the seaborn decided to fight back. The gangs are trying to save face by forcing them to back down, and a few of the divers have been killed.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s where you come in.¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re there to show everyone that the divers aren¡¯t easy targets. Some little gang maggot tried to shoot me with a crossbow a while back, but the bolt bounced off and I caught up to him. Ripped his head off. The gangs haven¡¯t come after me since.¡± ¡°Why not hunt them all down?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more your area than mine, but I doubt the constabulary would appreciate finding a few dozen dead bodies. Remember, the gang members are citizens here. The seaborn aren¡¯t, and they don¡¯t want that sort of trouble.¡± ¡°Who says anyone would ever find the bodies?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go getting any ideas,¡± Vash said. ¡°I need this job, and I doubt they¡¯ll keep paying me if there¡¯s no threat. Here we are.¡± He opened the door to a rundown tavern and waved her through. Other than an attractive human woman standing off to the side with two armed guards beside her, and a tall stormborn man carrying a staff-spear, most of the people in the room were seaborn. They were gathered in small groups, talking quietly amongst themselves. Vash approached the stormborn man. ¡°Wotar, this is Razai. She and I worked together a time or two, and she can handle herself in a fight. Do you know if Lanii¡¯s crew is still looking for a guard?¡± Wotar looked her over. ¡°I think so, but you know the divers are only hiring people that¡¯ll scare off the thugs.¡± Razai bristled, but Vash just said, ¡°Wait until they run into her in a dark alley.¡± The stormborn laughed, then looked at Razai more seriously. ¡°It can¡¯t hurt to ask, but Lanii¡¯s not here today. You should ask Sifoo.¡± He waved to one of the seaborn men, whose white hair suggested he¡¯d just come out of the water. Seaborn hair grew lighter when it was submerged, and then grew darker again the longer it had been dry. The man approached, and Vash said, ¡°Razai, this is Sifoo. He runs the crew that Wotar works for. Sifoo, I thought she could work for Lanii. I¡¯ll vouch for her.¡± Sifoo looked her up and down with the same interest Wotar had shown, pausing at her eyes, her ears, and her heavy, curved daggers in their belt sheathes. ¡°You are demonborn, yes?¡± he asked. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°The thugs are wary of demonborn after Vash killed several of them, but you are not so obvious as him, especially from a distance. It may not be enough.¡± Razai shrugged. ¡°I can kill some, too. Or I can do this.¡± She concentrated for a moment, then replaced her current disguise¡ªwhich was just herself, but without the blue rune that had appeared on her forehead the day before¡ªwith a new one that looked like Vash. The new illusion wasn¡¯t perfect, since she hadn¡¯t practiced it, but it was good enough for a demonstration. ¡°If you give me more time to prepare, I can be someone different, so they don¡¯t see two Vashes wandering around.¡± Her voice was still her own. Voices took longer to learn. Wotar burst out in startled laughter. ¡°That¡¯ll do the job.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sifoo agreed, ¡°but Lanii can¡¯t afford to pay a wizard¡¯s rates.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a wizard, and I¡¯ll work for the same rate you¡¯re paying Vash.¡± ¡°Then I think we have an understanding, as long as Lanii agrees. You¡¯ll need to speak to her later, though. She and her crew are heading out beyond the bay today, so they won¡¯t make it to the meeting.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this meeting for?¡± Vash asked. Sifoo said, ¡°I think the human girl with the bodyguards is from the Senshall family. The messenger said she had a business proposal, but didn¡¯t bring any details. Kolei knows something about it, but he isn¡¯t talking.¡± Just then, the woman in question moved to the front of the group. ¡°Is this everyone who¡¯s coming?¡± she asked, a look of disappointment on her face. A short seaborn man said, ¡°If your idea is worthwhile, we¡¯ll tell the others. If not, we won¡¯t.¡± She stared at him for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Thank you, Kolei. For those of you who don¡¯t know me, I am Sister Renny Senshall of the Three Orders. I asked you here so I could propose a plan for selling your catch each day.¡± A sister of the Three Orders with a family name suggested she was a concubine to a member of the Senshall family rather than being born to it. ¡°What is the plan?¡± a lanky woman asked. ¡°You¡¯ve been bothering me for weeks, but you haven¡¯t said anything worthwhile yet.¡± ¡°Right now,¡± Renny said, ¡°you sell your take to whatever fishmonger¡ªor jeweler, for pearls¡ªyou think will give you the best price, but those prices go up and down from day to day. What if I can give you a guaranteed price for each catch? You get the same income or higher, and you don¡¯t have to worry about finding different buyers each day.¡± ¡°What sort of prices?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got them here.¡± The concubine handed out small scrolls to Sifoo, Kolei, the lanky woman, and one other man. Razai decided they must be the leaders of the crews that were present. ¡°These are low,¡± Kolei said. ¡°They¡¯re ten percent higher than the average prices you and your friends gave me,¡± Renny said. ¡°And it may come out higher still because on any given day, I¡¯d ask you to go after a list of specific catches. Perhaps one day, a buyer¡¯s willing to pay more for lobsters or clams, and another day, he wants sponges or sea urchins.¡± ¡°And how do you make money in all this?¡± Kolei asked skeptically. ¡°It¡¯s like a farmers¡¯ cooperative. By negotiating prices at a larger scale, and finding buyers who know you¡¯ll bring in what they¡¯re asking for that week, the overall earnings will be higher. I can pay you a steady rate that¡¯s a bit higher than what you typically earn, and I¡¯ll still make a profit in the long term. Some days I may lose money, but you don¡¯t have to worry about that, because your rate is guaranteed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s to stop others from undercutting your prices?¡± the lanky woman asked. ¡°Nothing, but how many divers are there in Tyrsall besides the seaborn? Some fishermen put out lobster traps, but they may be willing to join the cooperative too, if their normal buyers aren¡¯t interested in lobster. My father¡¯s a fisherman, and he¡¯s talked to a few of the others about it¡ªthey already do something similar with their fishing catches.¡± ¡°This¡¯ll be backed by the Senshall trading company?¡± Kolei asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s an independent project, but I can guarantee the funds for up to a month. If it doesn¡¯t work out, we can shut it down in a single day and you can simply go back to what you¡¯re doing now. It doesn¡¯t require any investment from you.¡± ¡°Will you help pay for our bodyguards?¡± asked a man who hadn¡¯t spoken yet. ¡°Not if you want these rates, but the extra income should help cover what you¡¯re paying them. And if you¡¯d like, I can ask for a meeting with Duke Voss¡¯s concubine, to see if the constabulary can pay more attention to the gangs than they have in the past.¡± Vash frowned at that, but the divers seemed to approve of the idea. The meeting broke up then, with the crew leaders cornering Renny to ask more questions. If the Senshall girl actually got a response from the duke, Razai figured the job might end sooner than she¡¯d hoped, but it would give her something to do while she thought about a new plan. Book 2: Chapter Twelve It took Corec and his friends six days to get from Lanport to the Storm Heights, their pace slowing toward the end as a thin layer of snow built up on the road. They had to slow down even more once they reached Tarvist Pass. The pass may have been straight and flat in comparison to the other paths through the mountains, but it was still rougher going than a real road, and while the snow was still light, there was enough ice to make the footing treacherous. They had to make frequent stops to scrape snowpacks off the horses¡¯ shoes and apply a layer of bear grease to prevent buildup. Early on the third day into the mountains, they found what they thought was the trail to Snow Crown, though no signs were posted. The snow grew deeper almost immediately after they left the pass, and after just a couple miles, had reached eight inches. The sky was clear and the snow was at least two days old, but they hadn¡¯t seen any footprints or other signs of travelers along the path. ¡°Is this the right road?¡± Corec asked. Boktar, who was riding next to him, said, ¡°It matches the spot on the map. Folks in Lanport said the stormborn don¡¯t get many visitors. I guess they were telling the truth. Wait, here¡¯s something.¡± Down the trail in the distance, there were over a dozen figures standing and facing in their direction. Once Corec had drawn close enough to make out their features, it was apparent that the people waiting for them were all stormborn. They had pale skin with a faint tinge of blue, and darker blue and purple markings from their temples down to their necks. The group was a mix of men and women, all of them armed. They wore matching long, padded coats over chainmail, and had the look of soldiers or border guards. Half of the soldiers carried wicked-looking staff-spears with six-foot shafts. The weapons had curved blades mounted toward the end of the staff and extending six inches beyond it, and the rear of the blade had a hook for catching on armor. The weapon reminded Corec of a voulge, though it was shorter and the blade was slender, like a glaive¡¯s. The rest of the soldiers were aiming loaded crossbows at the group. Corec and Boktar stopped their horses, keeping their hands away from their weapons. The others came to a halt behind them. ¡°Visitors, I am Captain Restiv of the Stormborn High Guard,¡± said the man who stood at the front of the stormborn. He wore a rank insignia on the collar of his coat. ¡°You¡¯ve left Tarvist Pass. To find it, return two miles back the way you came. You must remain on the Tarvist Road at all times during the winter. Any other trails through the mountains are dangerous once the snows fall.¡± Ellerie rode forward. ¡°We hoped to visit Snow Crown to speak to your people about an ancient city I¡¯m searching for.¡± Restiv stared at her for a moment before speaking, eyeing her pointed ears and silver hair. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see nilvasta here, but other than traders, visitors are not allowed within the Snow Crown without permission. What¡¯s this city you¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°It was called Tir Yadar. I have something like a map to find it, but first I need to find where the map starts, which is near a mountain range. I don¡¯t know which one. I was hoping your people might be able to recognize it if it¡¯s nearby.¡± ¡°Wait here, please,¡± the captain said, then motioned to two other stormborn with less ornate rank insignia on their collars. One, an older man, joined him. The other was a young woman. She took Restiv¡¯s place facing Corec and his friends, bringing two of the crossbowmen with her. The men kept their bows cocked and loaded, but at least they were no longer aiming directly at them. When the girl rested the butt of her staff-spear against the ground, a flicker of white and blue light ran over it, looking like tiny strands of lightning. Corec¡¯s head felt funny, and he became aware of a faintly familiar sensation. The girl was a mage. He caught himself before he started casting the binding spell, and felt a sense of relief when it didn¡¯t force its way through his head the way it had with Razai. He nudged Dot closer to Ellerie. ¡°The girl in front is a mage,¡± he said in a low tone. ¡°I managed to keep from casting the binding spell.¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Too bad you couldn¡¯t have done that the last couple of times.¡± At least her tone was less biting tone than usual. Captain Restiv returned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send a messenger to the elders to see if they¡¯ll grant permission for your party to visit Snow Crown. It¡¯ll take three days to hear back, as long as the weather holds. In the meantime, you¡¯ll need to return to the Tarvist Road to make camp. If the Council of Elders permits your visit, Lieutenant Sarette will escort your group in.¡± He nodded toward the young woman, who frowned at him after he¡¯d looked away. ¡°Thank you,¡± Ellerie said. # Four days later, Sarette brought the procession to a halt after the sun had dipped below the western peaks. ¡°We¡¯ll make camp here. We should reach Snow Crown tomorrow afternoon, and then it¡¯ll take another day to reach the city.¡± She¡¯d gotten stuck with escort duty once word had come back that the Council of Elders would permit the strangers into the enclave. Her only consolation was that the trip would be brief. They¡¯d started out just that morning, and she¡¯d be back to her post in five days¡ªless if the elders didn¡¯t make her stay to escort the visitors back out again. She left her snowshoes on, but slid her heavy packframe off her back and leaned it against a tree, then turned to one of her men. ¡°Trooper Yegor, I¡¯ll set up your tent if you handle the cooking tonight.¡± ¡°Yes, miss,¡± he replied. He¡¯d tasted her cooking enough to know a good deal when he heard one. While Sarette and Trooper Andri set up the tents, Yegor worked with the strangers to get a fire started. Sarette actually liked the pemmican the High Guard used as trail rations¡ªmade up of dried meat, fat, berries, and seeds¡ªbut a hot meal would be good for variety. Done with the tents, she decided she should get to know the outsiders before bringing them to Snow Crown. She hadn¡¯t had time to speak with them while she traveled, since she¡¯d been at the front of the group all day, breaking the trail through the snow. She looked around for someone to talk to. The nearest of the visitors that wasn¡¯t already busy with something was the blonde human called Treya. She was off to the side, behind her own tent, but was standing on her left foot, her right foot braced against her left knee, holding her arms out to the sides. Her eyes were closed. The pose was so odd, Sarette couldn¡¯t help blurting out, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m practicing,¡± the girl replied. Sarette stared at her, confused. ¡°Practicing what?¡± Treya opened her eyes and set her other foot down. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain, but I¡¯m trying to find the right balance. Have you ever seen a circus contortionist? It¡¯s something like that. The more I know my body, the more I can do with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of a circus, but they don¡¯t visit here. Where did you learn it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mystic of the Three Orders.¡± Sarette shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡± ¡°The Orders take in orphan girls and teach them a profession. Most of the girls choose the concubines or scholars, but I chose the mystics. It¡¯s our job to protect the others.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°What¡¯s a concubine?¡± Treya laughed. ¡°That¡¯s something else that¡¯s hard to explain if you¡¯ve never heard of them before. You don¡¯t have concubines here? When a man of wealth seeks female companionship beyond his wife, he hires a concubine to join his family.¡± ¡°The wives allow it?¡± Sarette couldn¡¯t imagine what her mother would say if her father brought home another woman. ¡°It¡¯s better than having the men go behind their backs to street whores. As concubines, we bring status to the household, and we¡¯re trained in languages, diplomacy, and administration.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the girl said with a grimace. ¡°I trained with the concubines, so I sometimes talk as if I¡¯m one of them, but I¡¯m not. What about you? What¡¯s the High Guard?¡± ¡°We defend the enclave and other settlements in the Storm Heights from attacks by snow beasts or the human towns on the plains. And we watch for travelers that get lost or stranded in the mountains, especially in the winter. We watch over Tarvist Pass too, to make sure visitors stick to the road.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t see anyone in the pass, except a caravan that was heading in the other direction.¡± ¡°We always know who¡¯s coming through,¡± Sarette said. The outsiders didn¡¯t need to know about the watchtowers that were set up throughout the mountains, equipped with spyglasses to search for fires in the summer and lost travelers year round. The watchtowers had caught sight of the strangers two days earlier and sent a mirror signal to the scouting corps. The scouts had kept an eye on them from a distance, then warned the High Guard when they left the main road and turned toward Snow Crown. Trooper Andri came over to the two women. ¡°Lieutenant, your orders for night watch? Shall we coordinate with the visitors?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sarette said. ¡°They can do what they want, but the three of us will keep a standard three-shift watch. I¡¯ll take the middle shift.¡± She frowned at Andri as he left. Why would he ask something like that? Was he testing her? She once again regretted her decision to accept a commission. It hadn¡¯t been pleasant being put in charge of a group of men who all had five or ten years of experience in the High Guard when she herself only had ten weeks. The men all looked to Sergeant Hado over her¡ªhe was a twenty-year veteran, and Sarette suspected he¡¯d been assigned to her squad because of her own inexperience. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Treya asked. ¡°No, the men just don¡¯t like taking orders from someone so much younger. I¡¯m an officer, but I¡¯m the most junior officer in the entire Guard. That¡¯s why I was sent with you rather than staying on border patrol.¡± Sarette realized she probably shouldn¡¯t have said any of that, so she changed the subject. ¡°That, and because I trained as a stormrunner, so they don¡¯t really think of me as one of them.¡± ¡°Stormrunner?¡± Sarette hefted her staff-spear and charged it with lightning magic. White and blue strands of light crackled down its length, then faded out a few seconds later. Even with constant practice, the longest she¡¯d been able to maintain the charge had been half a minute. ¡°When Borrisur created Snow Crown, he also created the stormrunners to defend it,¡± she said. ¡°But the line is dying out. I failed out of the training because my gift wasn¡¯t strong enough.¡± She tried not to let the hurt show in her voice. ¡°Corec mentioned you were a mage,¡± Treya said. ¡°The human with the big sword? He knows? Anyway, I¡¯m not much of a mage. Since I couldn¡¯t be a stormrunner, I joined the High Guard, but they said I had to be an officer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How are you an officer if you¡¯re younger than them?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s either an officer or they¡¯re not. It usually depends on whether their family can afford to buy them a spot at the academy, but in my case, they decided my stormrunner training qualified me. Only, I didn¡¯t learn all the same things the cadets learn.¡± Sarette shook her head in irritation, wondering why she kept bringing up private matters with this stranger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t be telling you all this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m happy to talk. Do you want to meet the others?¡± # ¡°Samir!¡± Rusol exclaimed, clasping his friend¡¯s forearm. ¡°Welcome back. Yassi told me you were on your way¡­and that you were coming alone.¡± ¡°Your Highness, thank you for your welcome,¡± Samir said, glancing at his sister, who stood silently behind Rusol. ¡°Why so formal?¡± Rusol asked, then spoke to the servants in the room. ¡°Everyone, please excuse us. My friends and I wish to speak privately.¡± The servants bowed and withdrew, leaving Rusol alone with Samir and Yassi. ¡°Now,¡± Rusol continued, in a harsher tone, ¡°what happened?¡± ¡°The hunters are dead, Your Highness.¡± ¡°All of them?¡± Rusol had sent four squads¡ªtwenty-eight men. ¡°Tell me how. Yassi wasn¡¯t able to see anything that happened beyond the scrying ward.¡± Samir took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. ¡°The hunters are horrid, Rus. Even though we took plenty of food, they still went out in the middle of the night and caught wild animals and ate them¡­raw. I couldn¡¯t take them into any towns, and I couldn¡¯t stay with them when I had to go into town. I don¡¯t trust them for a minute¡ªI should have brought someone else with me to watch them. Why do you need them?¡± Rusol growled low in his throat. ¡°I can¡¯t send the regular mercenaries, and I certainly can¡¯t send the army or the royal guard. I don¡¯t want the other kingdoms¡ªor the other wardens¡ªto find out Larso is sending troops outside its borders. At least the hunters can¡¯t talk about what they¡¯ve seen or done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s wrong, Rus. They¡¯re wrong! Why send them in the first place? Why do you need the hunters at all?¡± ¡°If the other wardens come after me again, they won¡¯t stop at just me, will they?¡± Rusol pointed at Yassi, who still stood watching the two men expressionlessly. ¡°They¡¯ll kill my bondmates, too. Now tell me what happened!¡± Samir glowered with anger, but got himself under control. ¡°Lord Leonis is in Blue Vale, as you thought, but he doesn¡¯t just rule the city. All the towns in the basin¡ªthey call it the Carved Basin¡ªfollow him. He¡¯s practically a king.¡± Rusol frowned. There were no real kingdoms in the northern plains, and no governments larger than a single town, but according to the maps, the river basin was huge, almost a third the size of Larso. Blue Vale was the only major city in the area, but there had to be a dozen other towns and a hundred or more villages. ¡°How? Why do they look to him?¡± The plainsmen were insular, and not prone to following anyone who set themselves up as a leader. ¡°According to the people I spoke to, he¡¯s spent the past several years driving all the barbarians away. The other towns have started sending him tribute in exchange for protection.¡± When Larso had stopped the last barbarian incursion during the North Border War three decades earlier, half of the invading tribes had stayed behind in the basin afterward, raiding the scattered settlements there rather than returning to their homeland. That disarray had ensured that Larso¡¯s northern neighbors remained weak, so Rusol¡¯s father had been happy enough with the result. If things had changed, he¡¯d want to know. ¡°There have been rumors about Leonis for a lot longer than five years,¡± Rusol said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he do anything earlier?¡± ¡°The story I heard was that he didn¡¯t have a problem with the barbarians until they attacked the farming villages near Blue Vale. It was the first time they¡¯d gotten close to the city. That¡¯s when Leonis decided to act, but instead of just driving them away from Blue Vale, he and his army wiped out or drove away every tribe in the basin.¡± ¡°He has an army?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°Well, people claimed he did, but I didn¡¯t see any sign of one, not even in Blue Vale. Just a few guardsmen protecting the palace. They didn¡¯t last long against the hunters.¡± ¡°If there was no army, then what killed the hunters?¡± ¡°He did, I think. I didn¡¯t go into the palace with them, so I had to do a viewing. He just pointed at them and they all fell. Almost twenty of the hunters made it that far, but they were all dead within seconds.¡± ¡°He killed them all that easily?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°He must be the warden, then.¡± It was also another reminder that the hunters were a failure. They¡¯d been less effective than Rusol had hoped on every task he¡¯d sent them on so far. He simply didn¡¯t have enough control over them, and they didn¡¯t have enough control over their own minds. ¡°I don¡¯t know about a warden, but he¡¯s a priest. Of Pallisur.¡± ¡°A priest? How did a priest of Pallisur end up ruling a city? Is he a renegade from the Church here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he might be the son or the grandson of the original Leonis. The people say he¡¯s been in Blue Vale for fifty or sixty years, but the man I saw couldn¡¯t have been older than twenty-five.¡± That meant Leonis had to be the warden. Rusol hadn¡¯t told Samir about the long lifespan that accompanied the warden bond, not wanting the man to know all his secrets. Their friendship had been on shaky ground ever since Rusol had bonded Yassi, and Samir didn¡¯t even know the whole truth about that. Rusol had made sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell him. ¡°If he¡¯s a priest, that changes things,¡± Rusol said. ¡°He might not be that strong after all, but just has some sort of power over demons. Or those controlled by demonic magic.¡± Yassi broke her silence. ¡°The barbarians aren¡¯t demons, but he still defeated them.¡± She immediately looked as if she regretted speaking. Rusol clenched his fists but managed to keep from scowling at her. The woman seemed to take delight in pointing out his mistakes. ¡°I wasn¡¯t suggesting he was weak. Just not as strong as the story might have suggested. Divine magic works best against undead and demons¡ªit¡¯s unlikely his spell would have worked otherwise. As for the barbarians, most of the work could have been done by his bondmates, or the army your brother couldn¡¯t find. In any case, the hunters will be useless against him. I¡¯ll have to find some other task for the ones that are left. As for Leonis, I wonder¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Samir prompted him. ¡°I¡¯d like you to deliver a note for me asking him for a meeting, warden to warden. I don¡¯t know which of them was behind the attack, but he doesn¡¯t have to know I suspect him.¡± Rusol looked human, and he could disguise his demonborn nature enough that even a priest wouldn¡¯t be able to discern it. If he could get close to Leonis, he might be able to take care of the matter personally. Book 2: Chapter Thirteen Ellerie and her companions reached Snow Crown the next afternoon, still accompanied by the three stormborn soldiers. The snow had grown shallower as they traveled, and the soldiers removed their snowshoes when they stopped for the noon meal. The rest of the group decided to walk after that, giving the horses a break. An hour later, the trail was completely clear, making it apparent they¡¯d actually been traveling on a road constructed of flat paving stones fitted tightly together. Cresting the last rise before Snow Crown, Ellerie stopped in amazement, staring out over the wide expanse. The maps she¡¯d seen of the area had never indicated such a huge valley in the middle of the Storm Heights, and the green of the valley floor provided a stark contrast to the tall, snow-covered mountains surrounding it. The road stretched out ahead of them, winding through miles of rolling hills and farmland, the fields bare at this time of year. Sarette joined her, then turned back to the rest of the group and called out, ¡°We¡¯ll stay at a High Guard way station tonight. We¡¯ll reach the city tomorrow afternoon.¡± The stormborn woman strode off, and Ellerie hurried to catch up. ¡°Way station?¡± she asked. ¡°We overnight there when we¡¯re on foot, since we can¡¯t make the trip in and out of Snow Crown in a single day. There¡¯ll be food, and there are men¡¯s and women¡¯s barracks. It¡¯s a little rough, but it¡¯s free.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the snow melted so quickly.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t melt¡ªit just never snows within the crown. We only get rain here. If you go back to the pass, the snow¡¯s just as heavy as it was when we left. Probably heavier by now, if I¡¯m reading the clouds right.¡± ¡°Never?¡± That seemed unlikely. ¡°Well, not never, but only twice since I can remember.¡± They continued down the road as the day grew later. The sun was dipping below the western peaks when Sarette pointed out the way station in the distance. Ellerie took the opportunity for one last glance around the valley before it grew dark, and realized something she hadn¡¯t noticed before. ¡°Is it a circle?¡± she asked. ¡°Not quite, but close,¡± Sarette replied. ¡°That¡¯s where Snow Crown gets its name. The mountains are so tall, the snow at the top stays for nine months out of the year.¡± ¡°I had no idea there was a place like this here. How big is it?¡± ¡°Nearly fifty miles across. It¡¯s mostly farms, except for the city of course.¡± ¡°How many people live here?¡± ¡°About two hundred thousand within the city, plus others across Snow Crown and the rest of the Heights.¡± That put the stormborn settlement on the same scale as a city-state such as Circle Bay. Ellerie¡¯s schooling on the area had been nowhere near accurate. She shook her head. ¡°The nilvasta have always referred to this as the stormborn enclave. I thought it was like the seaborn enclave near Terevas, which has less than ten thousand people.¡± ¡°But those are just the seaborn who live here,¡± Sarette pointed out. ¡°Their own homeland is huge¡ªbigger than Terevas, according to the maps I¡¯ve seen. Most stormborn live here in the Heights.¡± ¡°This is where your people originally came from, then?¡± ¡°Borrisur created Snow Crown to shelter us. The storms were once much stronger than they are now, and we weren¡¯t prepared. He led us here and taught us the ways of the people who came before.¡± Ellerie struggled to contain her excitement. ¡°The first peoples? The Ancients?¡± ¡°No. Outsiders sometimes call them those things, but they were just the people.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re the ones who built Tir Yadar!¡± ¡°They built much which was lost, but I can¡¯t say more. The Council will speak to you tomorrow.¡± # They stayed the night at the way station. Corec¡¯s little cot in the men¡¯s barracks was softer than a bedroll on the ground, but not by much. He¡¯d grown accustomed to having company at night, and the bed felt empty without Katrin. She¡¯d ended up in the women¡¯s barracks on the other side of the building. The group reached the city the next afternoon. It reminded Corec of Circle Bay, but it took him a moment to figure out why. Much like Circle Bay¡¯s whitewashed facades, there was a sense of sameness throughout Snow Crown¡¯s buildings, nearly all of which were constructed of logs. It made sense¡ªthe stormborn were surrounded by heavy forest on all sides. Yet, despite the material they¡¯d chosen, the structures were clearly sturdy and built to last. The bark had been removed, and the wood had been polished and stained to retain its natural coloring rather than weathering to gray. The outside walls of many of the homes and businesses displayed carvings that appeared to have been made by different hands over long periods of time. The city was much larger than Corec had expected, and they spent an hour turning down one street after another until he¡¯d lost track of which way they¡¯d come. Sarette had no difficulty, though, and they finally reached their destination, a two-story building stained a brownish-red. Inside, they found an antechamber with benches lining the walls, apparently intended as a sitting room. ¡°This is the Council Hall,¡± the stormborn woman said. ¡°The elders suggested they were willing to meet with you today, which means they were likely intending to be in session this afternoon. Who¡¯ll be addressing them?¡± ¡°I will,¡± Ellerie replied, ¡°and Boktar.¡± Then she frowned and looked over the group. ¡°And Bobo, I suppose.¡± Sarette nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll check to see if the Council is in and ready for you.¡± Before she could leave, Corec said, ¡°The rest of us can go look for an inn. Do you have inns here?¡± ¡°Some, but they¡¯re on the other side of town. If you wait until we¡¯re done speaking with the Council, I can show you where to find them.¡± Corec glanced at Katrin, who shrugged. ¡°All right,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll wait.¡± He doubted he could find his way through the city on his own. The room had been empty when they¡¯d arrived, except for two guardsmen standing watch in front of the only corridor leading out of the room. Sarette greeted them in a language Corec didn¡¯t understand, then proceeded down the hall. With nothing else to do, her troopers struck up a conversation with the new men. Corec and his friends waited, growing more impatient as time went by. It was nearly half an hour before Sarette returned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the delay,¡± she said to Ellerie. ¡°The Council was occupied with other business, but they can see you now.¡± She led Ellerie, Boktar, and Bobo down the same corridor. Corec sighed. ¡°More waiting.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind not moving for a while,¡± Katrin said, leaning against him. They¡¯d taken a seat on one of the benches. ¡°My legs ache from all the walking.¡± The group had remained on foot that day since Sarette and her men didn¡¯t have horses with them. ¡°Mine, too,¡± Treya said. ¡°My teachers would be disappointed that I¡¯ve gotten so used to riding. Shana never rides at all¡ªshe¡¯s faster on her own.¡± ¡°How does she carry her gear?¡± Corec asked. Treya had mentioned Shana before¡ªa traveling mystic who moved around a lot. ¡°She doesn¡¯t take anything with her that she can¡¯t carry on her person.¡± ¡°This is tershaya,¡± Shavala said suddenly. She¡¯d been peering at the walls. ¡°Not the other buildings, just this one.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°It looks like tershaya, and it¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Alive? It¡¯s been chopped down.¡± ¡°Tershaya¡¯s like that sometimes. We can¡­¡± Shavala hesitated. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just like that sometimes.¡± ¡°How did they get it?¡± Corec asked her. ¡°We harvest some of the trees if they become unhealthy, or if they¡¯re overcrowding the shorter species we¡¯re cultivating.¡± Sarette returned again, alone, with a strange look on her face. ¡°Oracle Galina respectfully requests the presence of the warden and the remainder of your party,¡± she said, not meeting Corec¡¯s eyes. There was a tremor in her voice. Corec stood, surprised. ¡°Ellerie told you about that?¡± ¡°No, the oracle did.¡± ¡°What¡¯s an oracle?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Borrisur¡¯s senior priestess is granted a blessing to see things others cannot. Please, come with me.¡± They followed her, Corec wondering what was about to happen. It didn¡¯t seem like a prelude to being arrested or attacked, but with how certain Yelena was that the wardens had kept knowledge of their existence to a minimum, it was disconcerting to find out that someone he¡¯d never even met knew he was one. The council chamber held a wide table in the shape of a half circle. Arrayed behind it were nine stormborn¡ªpresumably the Council of Elders, though not all of them were elderly. In front of the table, Ellerie, Boktar, and Bobo stood waiting. ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, will you talk to us?¡± Ellerie asked the Council in an annoyed tone. At the far right of the table, a wizened old woman with pure white hair said, ¡°Come closer, warden, so I can get a look at you.¡± Corec stepped forward. ¡°I am Corec Tarwen, third son of Lord Ansel, Baron of Tarwen, in Larso,¡± he said, projecting his voice to the room as he¡¯d learned growing up. ¡°You know of wardens?¡± ¡°I am Galina, priestess of Borrisur and Fifth Seat of the Council. And yes, we know of wardens, though it¡¯s been more than a century since one last came to Snow Crown.¡± Curious, Corec asked, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Leonis was his name, but not many records exist of his time here. I hadn¡¯t yet learned to walk when he visited. Why do you hide your sigils?¡± Corec looked down at himself. He¡¯d never learned to conceal the runes the way the others had, but his were effectively covered by his armor and clothing. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Not you,¡± Galina said. ¡°The others.¡± The rest of the elders seemed content to let her handle the talking. ¡°This isn¡¯t why we came here!¡± Ellerie snapped. A man sitting at the left side of the table spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ve examined your amulet, nilvasta,¡± he said, holding up a piece of jewelry in the palm of his hand. ¡°There are no peaks arranged in this fashion in the Heights.¡± What amulet? Corec wondered. ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I was a scout for fifty years. I know every mountain in the range from all sides. The city you¡¯re looking for isn¡¯t here. The oracle will decide if we tell you anything more.¡± Ellerie ground her teeth together in frustration. Galina spoke to Corec again. ¡°Why do you let this one speak for you?¡± she asked, nodding in Ellerie¡¯s direction. ¡°Do the wardens no longer consider our people worthy of your time?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t speak for me,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m helping her on her search, but Ellerie and Bobo have all the details, so I didn¡¯t come in with them. I meant no disrespect.¡± ¡°Oh? And following another person¡¯s quest is the only reason a warden visits Snow Crown for the first time in over a hundred years? Do palaces of glass and metal count for so much to earn your aid?¡± Ellerie stepped back, her eyes widening in shock. ¡°Palaces?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. I¡¯m just helping out because we¡¯re¡­friends.¡± That wasn¡¯t the best way to describe their relationship, but it didn¡¯t seem like the right time to discuss the group¡¯s attempts to end the binding spell. ¡°Hmm,¡± Galina said, then turned to Ellerie. ¡°Let¡¯s see your sigil, girl, so the Council knows I¡¯m not just telling old stories again.¡± ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± Ellerie¡¯s arms were shaking, though from the look on her face, Corec didn¡¯t think it was from anger. ¡°Come, come, humor an old woman. I was too young to see it last time.¡± Ellerie took a deep breath, then stepped forward again, allowing her rune to become visible. Treya and Katrin glanced at each other and joined her, Katrin removing the hat she¡¯d been wearing since they¡¯d first encountered the stormborn patrol. Shavala blinked and looked around in surprise, then stepped over to the others. As all four runes glowed with pale blue light, Galina smiled and leaned back in her chair. ¡°Warden, do I have your word that seeking Tir Yadar is the only reason you¡¯ve come to the Storm Heights?¡± ¡°You do.¡± The priestess nodded to the man who sat at the center of the table. ¡°I am Rurik,¡± he said, ¡°First Seat of the Council. As Lesander told you, Tir Yadar is not here, but that wasn¡¯t the only city built by the people who came before. Near the south end of the range, you can find the ruins of another.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°We¡¯ve always just called it¡­you would translate it as South Valley. If it was one of the Tirs, we¡¯ve not been able to identify its original name.¡± Ellerie and Bobo both nodded, seeming to understand what he was talking about. ¡°Have you explored it?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Extensively. There¡¯s a museum with some of the more prominent artifacts we¡¯ve discovered, if Lieutenant Sarette will oblige us in accompanying you there.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to visit the ruins themselves, too,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The trip is too dangerous for outsiders in the winter. If you return this summer, it can be arranged.¡± Her face fell, but then the man on the left¡ªapparently Lesander¡ªspoke up. ¡°If they take Tarvist Pass through to the west and then follow the foothills south, it can be done. It¡¯s still difficult, but not nearly as dangerous. There¡¯s a trail you can pick up that leads back into the mountains. The snow will be deep, but you can make the trip with snowshoes or skis.¡± Rurik frowned. ¡°They couldn¡¯t do that on their own. They¡¯d have to have a guide who¡¯s gone that way before.¡± ¡°I believe that can be arranged,¡± said the woman to his left. ¡°One of Lesander¡¯s scouts in exchange for allowing our historians to speak to the warden.¡± Since the stormborn already knew about him, Corec didn¡¯t see any reason to avoid them. ¡°I agree, but I¡¯m new to being a warden. I probably can¡¯t tell you much you don¡¯t already know.¡± He hoped that would allow him to keep any secrets he needed to keep. ¡°The deal is still acceptable.¡± ¡°You,¡± Galina said, pointing at Sarette. ¡°Stormrunner. You will accompany them.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder, if you wish, but I¡¯m not a stormrunner.¡± The old woman stared at her. ¡°I must have been mistaken. You¡¯ll still go. They may run into trouble.¡± # That night, Ellerie sat alone in her darkened room in the sumptuous guest house the Council of Elders had insisted on providing for their use¡­in honor of the warden¡¯s visit. She tried to calm her nerves. To a wizard, control was everything, but she¡¯d almost lost it in the council chamber. She still wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d been about to yell or to cry. She wanted to be angry at the elders, but mostly she was just dismayed. It had been bad enough when Yelena and Venni treated Ellerie as an adjunct to Corec, but hearing it from people who¡¯d never even met a warden was too much. There was a knock on the door and Boktar came in. He didn¡¯t bother to light the lamp; he just sat down in the chair across from hers. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I was worried about you this afternoon. You were¡­rather unhappy.¡± ¡°Of course I was unhappy! They made us wait for over twenty minutes, and then as soon as that old biddy got a good look at me, she brushed us aside like we¡¯re nobody, so she could gush over Corec. We¡¯re not here because of him!¡± ¡°Why not tell them who you are?¡± Ellerie flinched. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want that life. I left it behind for a reason.¡± ¡°So, are you mad because you got what you wanted?¡± She stopped and thought about that. ¡°I didn¡¯t want anybody to know me¡­and now they don¡¯t. Except Galina. She knows who I am, and she still ignored me.¡± ¡°You mean what she said about palaces? How did she figure it out?¡± ¡°They called her an oracle. I¡¯ve heard that word before¡ªit¡¯s something like a Seer, I think. I guess I should be glad she was too interested in Corec to tell everyone about me.¡± ¡°Well, as far as the rest of the Council knows, you¡¯re just a treasure hunter who wants to poke around in their mountains. They had no reason to give you special treatment.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for special treatment, but we came here so I could meet with them. Not him.¡± ¡°They did still give you permission, of sorts.¡± ¡°Only because of Corec.¡± ¡°They may not know who you are, but they know you¡¯ve got important friends.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± she asked, stressing the plural. ¡°Sure. Corec and me.¡± She laughed, releasing some of the tension she¡¯d been feeling. ¡°Ahh, of course. Though I suspect they¡¯d have been less welcoming if Tir Yadar was really here.¡± ¡°Maybe, maybe not,¡± Boktar said. ¡°After all, the amulet just gives us the starting point. The directions never say to go into the mountains, so even if Tir Yadar was nearby, it wouldn¡¯t actually be in the Storm Heights. The stormborn probably don¡¯t care about what happens outside their borders.¡± ¡°I wonder if we can trust what they said about the amulet not matching any of the peaks. Maybe we should check it out ourselves, like we were planning to.¡± ¡°We still can, but it would take us weeks to go up and down both sides of the range on our own. If we take their word for it, we might be able to get out of here before my beard freezes off. We¡¯ll see part of it anyway, if I understand the route Lesander described. We¡¯ll check out the ruins, then decide from there.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± she said. ¡°And if this thing with Corec is going to keep bothering you, let¡¯s split up after that. There¡¯s no reason why we need to keep traveling with him. We¡¯ll ask Bobo to come with us, and maybe Treya if you want, and we¡¯ll keep searching.¡± ¡°Why Bobo?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯ll be useful if we¡¯re ever going to find Tir Yadar,¡± Boktar said. ¡°I thought you liked Corec.¡± ¡°I do, and he¡¯s right handy to have in a fight, but that doesn¡¯t mean we all need to stay together. If one of you finds a way to end the binding spell, you have a way to track each other down, right?¡± Ellerie considered the idea. The sense of violation she¡¯d felt about the binding spell was no longer as harsh as it had been at the beginning¡­and Corec had supported her in front of both Venni and the stormborn elders. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°but it would be faster if we stayed together. Right now, Tir Yadar is our best lead at finding a way to end the spell. Well, Tir Yadar or that other warden who¡¯s done it before. It makes more sense to work together, at least for now. Maybe the ruins here will have a clue.¡± Even as she repeated the reason the group had used in the past, she wondered if it was just an excuse. The logic remained sound, but she remembered Yelena¡¯s warning about them being drawn to each other. Still, Razai had managed to leave the group without a problem, and Yelena¡¯s own bondmates spent time away from her. Ellerie decided not to worry about it¡ªthey had enough trouble already without borrowing more. # Leena lay in the tub, resting her head back against the edge as she let the water warm her. She¡¯d had a bath the previous night too, in a little village inn Sarlo had found for them, but once they¡¯d gotten back on the road, it hadn¡¯t taken long for the cold to seep back into her bones. Now, though, they were in Four Roads, the first major town she¡¯d seen since leaving Telfort. The sight of civilization had brought with it a sense of relief, but the trip had taken longer than Sarlo thought it would¡ªthey¡¯d lost more time to training and practice than they¡¯d gained with the short jumps they were making. Leena shifted in the water and realized it was growing cool again. She considered calling the serving girl back in to request another pot of hot water, but decided three times was enough. If she kept going, the innkeeper would likely charge her for a second bath, and she already owed Sarlo too much money. She reluctantly climbed out of the tub, dried herself off, and dressed. Warm and clean, she joined Sarlo in the common room for the evening meal¡ªvenison steaks and roasted potatoes. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I was in Four Roads,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve never been here.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the least-traveled Traveler I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡± She smirked at him. ¡°Funny.¡± ¡°All right, practice time. The copper coin I showed you last night¡­where is it?¡± Sarlo liked to spring his tests on her whenever he could. She closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling a faint pinging sensation. ¡°Your belt pouch?¡± she asked. ¡°Uh, no,¡± he said. ¡°But my belt pouch is probably the closest copper coin, if you don¡¯t have any yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. How do I tell it apart from the others?¡± ¡°Normally you can¡¯t, but that¡¯s why I showed it to you yesterday. Every object has its own distinct signature. If you sense it once, you should be able to sense it again. Well, within limits. You can only remember so many signatures, and only for so long.¡± She frowned but tried again. It had seemed like any other coin to her. Maybe if he¡¯d told her why he was showing it to her, she¡¯d have paid more attention. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know. You¡¯ve got more than one copper piece in the pouch.¡± She was already growing tired; Seeking was significantly harder than Traveling for some reason. Sarlo insisted that the opposite was true for him. ¡°It¡¯s not any of them,¡± he said. ¡°Think farther away.¡± ¡°How far?¡± ¡°If I told you, you wouldn¡¯t be Seeking, would you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± she said, rubbing her fingers on her temples. ¡°Unless you gave it to the man at the next table over¡­or the man next to him. Everyone¡¯s got copper.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t recognize signatures yet, so that¡¯s the next thing to practice. I left the coin under the bed I slept in last night.¡± Then he chuckled. ¡°Though someone must have found it, because it¡¯s now downstairs and farther east.¡± ¡°How can you tell that from here?¡± ¡°By finding both the bed and the coin. They¡¯re farther apart than they were before. So, if you can¡¯t find the coin, what about the bed you slept in last night? That should be easier to do without a signature.¡± She sighed. He¡¯d been trying to get her to Seek at longer distances, but so far she hadn¡¯t had much luck. She closed her eyes again and reached out with her senses. She again felt a faint pinging, but this time it seemed to come from farther away. ¡°It¡¯s to the north,¡± she said. After all, they¡¯d come from the north. ¡°Is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Point in the exact direction.¡± She did so and he smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve got it,¡± he said. ¡°Though I¡¯d call that north by northeast.¡± ¡°But that village must be twenty miles away,¡± she said. They hadn¡¯t made great time for the day, but they¡¯d kept a steady pace. ¡°Yes, so let¡¯s try even farther. What about your scarf? Where is it?¡± Leena glared at him. ¡°You told me you¡¯d lost that!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Seeker. I don¡¯t lose things.¡± ¡°It was five days ago! That¡¯s too far away.¡± ¡°I just hid it in my bag at first. I wanted to see if you¡¯d find it on your own. I didn¡¯t leave it behind until later¡ªand no, I¡¯m not going to tell you how much later.¡± ¡°I liked that scarf!¡± she exclaimed. Rana had given it to her. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a new one. Now, concentrate. Where is it?¡± She tried, but couldn¡¯t sense anything. ¡°I can¡¯t feel it at all.¡± ¡°Ahh, well, perhaps sixty miles is too far, but if you keep practicing, you might be able to return for it someday. So, your limit is somewhere between twenty and sixty miles, at least for now. Tomorrow, it¡¯ll be time for you to Seek a safe place to Travel that¡¯s as far out as you can reach.¡± Leena nodded, trying to hide her nervousness. Up to this point, the farthest they¡¯d Traveled after a Seeking had been two miles. ¡°What then?¡± she asked. He handed her a coin pouch. ¡°Here, for food. First thing in the morning, I¡¯ll buy you a tent, a bedroll, and a travel pack. And a scarf.¡± She looked in the pouch and found it full of silver. ¡°Why are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s time to make some decisions. Depending how far your Seeking range is, you might be beyond my Traveling range. If you are, it doesn¡¯t make sense to hold back. Besides, I have to head home eventually, and Tyrsall¡¯s east from here. You¡¯re going south.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not coming with me?¡± ¡°I might go a bit farther, but if you go past my range, you shouldn¡¯t wait for me. If you can¡¯t make it at least twenty miles per jump, I¡¯ll stick around to help you practice some more.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, not sure how to respond. She¡¯d come to rely on Sarlo¡¯s guidance in the brief time they¡¯d traveled together. ¡°But your money¡­I can¡¯t take it. I already owe you a lot.¡± ¡°Not all that much, in the scheme of things. I¡¯d come farther, but I need to get back to Yelena. I really do think she can help you master your Traveling, if you ever decide to visit us. I¡¯ll leave it to her to talk about the details, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping to never Travel again after I make it home.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s your decision. By the way, when you head south, don¡¯t follow the road. There¡¯s a dragon that way.¡± ¡°A dragon!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find you a map. If you skirt around the western edge of the Terril Forest, that should keep you out of the dragon¡¯s territory, and since you¡¯ll be Traveling rather than walking, it won¡¯t matter too much that you¡¯ll be away from the road. Of course, if you could get over your fear of Traveling long distances, you could simply teleport straight to Sanvar and skip past the dragon entirely.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can,¡± she said, looking down. ¡°When I Seek a location first, at least I have some idea of where I¡¯ll end up.¡± ¡°Practice will help. Yelena would help more, if you ever reconsider. We¡¯ll be in Tyrsall for a few more years, and I¡¯ll let you know where we end up after that.¡± ¡°Let me know?¡± Sarlo laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll track you down and send you a letter or a messenger. I have some experience in finding people, after all.¡± Book 2: Chapter Fourteen The morning after they¡¯d met with the Council of Elders, Treya stood in the private yard behind the guest house, feeling the frozen ground beneath her bare feet. Since coming north, she¡¯d started wearing her lace-up boots to avoid frostbite, but for her exercises, she needed to be in contact with the world around her. Focusing her attention inward, she breathed in deeply, filling her lungs with the chilly air. Then she squared off against a yellow birch tree, standing close enough to the trunk that when she punched toward it, her knuckles just barely brushed up against the bark. She alternated arms, striking rapidly but never touching the tree with more than a slight graze. The goal of the exercise was to transfer all the energy of the blow into the tiniest, briefest bit of contact. Given a moment to prepare, Shana could hit just as hard with a single finger as she could with her entire fist. Treya had never managed it. A voice came from behind her. ¡°Are you trying to kill the tree?¡± She turned to find Sarette. ¡°You must think I¡¯m crazy. You keep watching me do strange things.¡± ¡°Was that more practicing to be a mystic?¡± ¡°Yes. Something one of my teachers has been trying to show me.¡± The other girl fidgeted with one of the straps on her coat. ¡°Is that why you wanted to be bonded by a warden? To get better at it?¡± ¡°What? No. The thing with Corec was an accident.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize. How did it happen?¡± Treya paused while she thought about what to say. The stormborn actually knew things about wardens, and she wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d react to the unintentional binding spells. ¡°We just weren¡¯t expecting it,¡± she said carefully. ¡°We didn¡¯t know what was happening back then. We didn¡¯t find out about wardens until later.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Is it like the stories say?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an old children¡¯s story about a stormborn wizard who wasn¡¯t very good at what he did,¡± Sarette said. ¡°He left Snow Crown after messing up too many spells, but while he was gone, he was bonded by a warden. He came back, and when the other wizards laughed at him, he challenged them to a contest. He won, and then he left forever. It¡¯s meant to be a parable about not making fun of someone, because you never know what they might be capable of, but when I was little, I just liked the story because of all the magic.¡± ¡°Another warden told us it¡¯s supposed to work that way, but we¡¯re still new to it, so I can¡¯t say for sure. I think it¡¯s helped me with my healing, though.¡± ¡°Healing? You¡¯re a priestess? I thought¡­¡± Sarette trailed off. Treya thought back to their earlier conversations. ¡°Oh, mystics aren¡¯t mages. Being a priestess is something different.¡± It was still easier to think of herself as a priestess. She wasn¡¯t sure how to talk to the others about being godborn. The other woman nodded. ¡°Do you think it could help me?¡± ¡°Could what help you? Wait, the binding spell? You want to do it?¡± Sarette glanced around to make sure nobody was listening. ¡°All I ever wanted to be was a stormrunner, but my gift isn¡¯t strong enough. I don¡¯t like being in the High Guard, especially as an officer, but my training doesn¡¯t really lend itself to anything else. I was thinking about leaving Snow Crown to find work as a caravan guard, but that¡¯s not any better.¡± Treya led her over to a bench. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to answer your question. None of us realized what was happening at the time, and I don¡¯t think any of us would have chosen this if we knew, even Corec. He¡¯s never actually cast the spell on someone on purpose¡ªit would be a big step.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯d do it for me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You could ask him, but there¡¯s a lot to consider. You¡¯re coming with us to the ruins, but what about after that? Would you go with us or stay here?¡± ¡°I thought if he bonded me, I¡¯d have to go with you.¡± ¡°Maybe, maybe not. But have you ever left the Storm Heights before? Do you really want to be away from home, at least for a while?¡± ¡°I would if it means I could fly the storms.¡± Treya shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, and I don¡¯t know how much it would help you. We really have no idea what the binding spell actually does. And it¡¯s not just the spell. We¡¯ve been attacked on the road a few times, and we keep ending up in fights. The other warden we met sent one of her bondmates to fight a group of demons. It could be dangerous.¡± Sarette shrugged. ¡°Being a soldier is dangerous too. There haven¡¯t been any raiders in the mountains this winter, but we had to do an avalanche rescue two weeks ago.¡± Treya sighed. She wasn¡¯t sure whether she should be warning the other woman away or welcoming her. Then, she thought about how she¡¯d felt when she¡¯d been told she couldn¡¯t be a mystic. What would she have done if Mother Ola hadn¡¯t changed her mind? ¡°If you decide to ask him, I¡¯ll support you.¡± # ¡°And then she asked me to cast the binding spell on her,¡± Corec said, relating the story to Katrin, Shavala, Treya, and Ellerie. They were in the library of the guest house the Council had provided. It was a governmental building, intended for visiting dignitaries, and the elders had made it clear they¡¯d offered it because of his status as a warden. He¡¯d attempted to refuse, since he¡¯d done nothing to deserve it, but the Council had insisted. Boktar and Sarette were out obtaining supplies for the journey through the mountains, and Corec hadn¡¯t mentioned the gathering to Bobo. He wanted to get opinions from the people he¡¯d bonded before telling the rest of the group. ¡°Are you going to do it?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I wanted to see what the rest of you thought about it first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not considering it, are you?¡± Ellerie said. Her mood was difficult to read, but she¡¯d spent the morning talking with the others rather than locked away in her room with a stack of books. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be as concerned if she actually asked me to do it.¡± ¡°No, I suppose I wouldn¡¯t be, but we hardly know her. Do you really want to be stuck with another stranger for a thousand years?¡± ¡°She just wants to be a stormrunner, and she thinks this¡¯ll let her do it,¡± Treya said. ¡°She¡¯s spoken to me about it a couple of times.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a stormrunner?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I gather they¡¯re something like knights, but with magic,¡± Corec said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ask too much about it until I¡¯d made a decision, but she moves like she knows how to fight.¡± ¡°You really need to know more about her than that. What if she just disappears like that demonborn woman did?¡± Treya said, ¡°She¡¯s willing to come with us if that¡¯s what it takes. Or at least that¡¯s what she said yesterday.¡± ¡°Is that what it takes, though?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Razai proved we don¡¯t have to stay together. I could just cast the binding spell, and then she could stay here when we leave.¡± He didn¡¯t mention the faint urge he¡¯d had to head south ever since Razai left. He wasn¡¯t sure whether it was real or his imagination. ¡°Yelena said you can only bond eight people,¡± Katrin reminded him. ¡°She did?¡± Ellerie asked, a startled look on her face. ¡°Oh, I guess I only told Katrin and Shavala about that,¡± Corec said, then shrugged. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what she said, but I don¡¯t know if it matters.¡± Shavala tilted her head to the side. ¡°That depends. Are you going to be a warden, or are you going to not be a warden?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You told Katrin you were thinking about ignoring it all. If you do that, then it doesn¡¯t matter who you cast the binding spell on, or what they do afterward.¡± Treya nodded. ¡°But if you¡¯re going to be an actual warden, like Yelena, then you¡¯ll need people like Venni¡ªpeople who know what they¡¯re doing. The rest of us...don¡¯t. Not really. Except for Boktar, but he¡¯s not a mage so he can¡¯t be one of us.¡± ¡°Venni didn¡¯t know what she was doing when she was first bonded,¡± Corec pointed out. ¡°She was just like us back then. And she¡¯s a friend, but honestly, I¡¯m just as happy she¡¯s with Yelena instead. I¡¯m not sure we¡¯d get along if we were stuck together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really their point,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Shavala¡¯s right¡ªare you going to set yourself up like Yelena did, or are you going to go back to working as a caravan guard?¡± Corec exhaled slowly as he thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d like to do something more important with my life than I¡¯ve been doing, but what would that mean? Work for some duke and spy on everyone, the way Yelena does? Is that what the rest of you want?¡± ¡°Not me,¡± Ellerie replied. ¡°As soon as we find a way to end the bond, I¡¯ll go my own way¡­unless you¡¯re still interested in helping to find Tir Yadar?¡± ¡°If you want me to, sure. It helps to have a goal while I think about everything else.¡± Ellerie nodded. She no longer seemed annoyed at the thought of their continued association, which Corec took as a good sign. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you want to be a warden,¡± Katrin said, ¡°but I¡¯m not like Venni. I can¡¯t go off on my own and fight demons. Maybe we do need to find someone like her.¡± ¡°What do you want to do, though?¡± Corec asked her. ¡°Are you still going to try to find a bard teacher?¡± ¡°Anise didn¡¯t think they could teach me much. Maybe if we¡¯re ever in Valara, I could ask at the school she attended.¡± He nodded. Shavala said, ¡°I have to return home someday, but I¡¯d like to come back and visit you. Perhaps if you need my help, I could divide my time between both places. Can you live somewhere near the forest?¡± ¡°Tyrsall¡¯s the closest major city,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t think Yelena would like that, at least while she¡¯s still there.¡± ¡°Circle Bay¡¯s not far, though,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Or Matagor,¡± Ellerie suggested. ¡°Matagor doesn¡¯t have a Three Orders chapter house,¡± Treya said. Corec raised his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re coming with us? I thought, even if you decided to keep the bond, you¡¯d want to go off and do your own thing.¡± ¡°Maybe this is my own thing. I¡¯d have to finish my journeying first, but not all mystics travel, and I could probably do more with my healing if I stayed in one place most of the time. There are rules I¡¯d have to follow, but I could find work like Enna does for the Princeps.¡± She blushed for some reason. ¡°As a bodyguard, I mean. But I¡¯d like to be near a chapter house.¡± Corec tapped the table with his fingers as he thought. Circle Bay, High Cove, and Ironholt were all possibilities, and if Katrin wanted to join a bardic school, Valara wasn¡¯t much farther south than Circle Bay. There were smaller towns too, like Four Roads, that were closer to the forest and had a Three Orders chapter house. He had to go back to Four Roads at some point anyway; he was still renting a room there. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to do things the way Yelena does, but if the rest of you are on board¡ªnot you, of course, Ellerie¡ªwe could look for a place where we can try to work together. I¡¯m still not entirely sure what that means, but I suppose I could find bodyguard work like Treya. Let¡¯s keep to our plan, though; we¡¯ll search for Tir Yadar first, and a way to end the binding spell. Then we¡¯ll decide.¡± ¡°What about Sarette?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Well, it seems I¡¯ve got some control over the binding spell now. If I¡¯m going to try to be a real warden, we should avoid any more situations like Razai. If I bond anyone else, they have to be willing to stick around. If nobody has a problem with it, I¡¯ll talk to Sarette to see how she feels. But we should take the time to get to know her first, to make sure she fits in.¡± ¡°I like her so far,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯ve barely spoken with her, but we should have more time on our way to the ruins.¡± ¡°What about Razai?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Are you going to look for her?¡± ¡°If I get close, I¡¯ll track her down¡ªI owe her some money for helping with the demons. But otherwise, if she wants to find us, she can. I don¡¯t think she will.¡± # Corec swung at the wooden practice dummy he¡¯d borrowed, avoiding actually hitting it since he didn¡¯t want to dull the edge of his new sword. He was still getting used to the balance. The ricasso was longer than he was accustomed to, giving him a bit more control when he was fighting in close and couldn¡¯t swing the blade in wider arcs. The air was still crisp, but the activity had warmed him up, so he removed his chain shirt, and the padding and undershirt below it. Five runes blazed on his upper arms. Razai¡¯s, a pair of crossed shapes similar to the curved blade of her daggers, had appeared just below Treya¡¯s the day they reached Lanport. Corec had been working out for an hour, and had just started incorporating his spells into the routine, when he realized Shavala had come out to watch. He took a break and went over to speak to her. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, ¡°you must be bored if you¡¯re out here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasant enough diversion,¡± she said, glancing at his bare chest with a smile. When they¡¯d first met, she¡¯d flirted openly with him, and he¡¯d thought there could have been something between them if he hadn¡¯t been pursuing Katrin at the time. Katrin had never seemed to mind the flirting, even after the two of them had started walking out together, but it had gradually died off. He¡¯d been disappointed¡ªthe flirting was fun, though he tried not to reciprocate much. He wasn¡¯t sure how far Katrin¡¯s tolerance extended, and he didn¡¯t want to do anything to hurt her. He and Shavala still had a close relationship, though. She was the person he spent the most time with besides Katrin, and it would be hard to see her go once she returned home. She was quiet when the whole group was together, but was good company when it was just the three of them. ¡°That seems unlikely,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°What¡¯s everyone up to?¡± ¡°Katrin¡¯s looking for that harpist Anise told her about, and Boktar is still out shopping with Sarette. I¡¯m not sure about the others.¡± ¡°We¡¯re back now,¡± Boktar said, coming around the side of the house with the stormborn woman. ¡°I think we¡¯ve got most of what we need, with a few surprises. You should see what they use for trail rations here.¡± ¡°Any problems?¡± Corec asked, scrambling for a towel to wipe off the sweat, then looking around for his shirt. He hadn¡¯t expected Sarette to show up in the yard. She stared at the runes on his arms. ¡°Prices are higher here,¡± the dwarf replied. ¡°About half again as much. I¡¯ll need some more coin from everyone.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°We found a stable too, with room for all the animals for the next two months.¡± Corec nodded. They couldn¡¯t take the horses and mules on the trails they¡¯d be following, at least not in the winter. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t take that long.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be on snowshoes for much of the trip,¡± Sarette said. ¡°It¡¯s slow going, and we¡¯ll have to pull sleds to make sure we¡¯ve got enough food along. There¡¯s a reason why we don¡¯t let outsiders travel the mountains in the winter¡ªthey¡¯re never prepared for it.¡± ¡°I wonder if we should come back in the summer,¡± Corec said. ¡°This sounds like it could get complicated.¡± Boktar shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re here now, and it took a while to get here. The other mountain ranges we need to look at are mostly well to the south. By the time we got down there, we¡¯d have to turn around and come back. If this place can give us a clue on where to go next, I¡¯d say it¡¯s worth it.¡± ¡°All right. Snowshoes and sleds, then.¡± Corec turned to Sarette. ¡°Are the shoes like the ones you had on our way in?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve got someone coming by tomorrow to fit you for them.¡± ¡°What about the other thing the councilor mentioned? Skis?¡± She laughed. ¡°The scout will have skis, and I may bring mine, but you don¡¯t want to try learning them on the trails we¡¯ll be following. You should stick with the snowshoes.¡± He nodded. ¡°Oh, I had a question for you¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°That coat you¡¯re wearing¡ªis it padded like a gambeson?¡± The coats were popular all around the city, not just with the High Guard. The High Guard¡¯s coats were a dark gray, but the citizenry wore a variety of colors. ¡°There are different styles. In the winter, everyone wears the padded kind, mostly because it¡¯s warmer. In the spring and fall, they switch to coats without padding. The High Guard always wear the padded armor or the chainmail, or both. There¡¯s also a coat with armor plates, like brigandine, except the plates are sewn into the inside.¡± ¡°How long would it take to get one of the gambesons for Katrin?¡± ¡°And anyone else who wants one?¡± Boktar said. ¡°Maybe I can convince Ellerie to try it.¡± ¡°We could get them quickly if you don¡¯t need a specific color or fabric for the outer layer. It only takes an hour to re-fit them.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Corec said. ¡°Shavala, do you want one?¡± ¡°My coat is warm enough.¡± ¡°I was thinking more for the armor padding.¡± She bit her lip, then made a motion as if she was drawing back a bowstring. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. They¡¯re too tight. It was hard enough to find this one.¡± Corec figured Treya would say the same thing. ¡°All right,¡± he said. ¡°Sarette, could you help with that tomorrow while I speak to the historians?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thank you. Boktar, will we be ready to go after that?¡± ¡°Yes, if the snowshoes can be done that soon.¡± ¡°I think they will be,¡± Sarette said. ¡°They¡¯re already made. You just need to be measured for the bindings.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s plan on leaving the day after tomorrow,¡± Corec said, then shook his head, irritated at himself. ¡°I mean, if Ellerie will be ready by then.¡± ¡°She should be,¡± Boktar said. ¡°She and Bobo were going to visit that museum today, to see the things the stormborn have found in the ruins.¡± ¡°I found an arrowhead there once,¡± Sarette said. ¡°Four-bladed broadhead. It must have been buried there for thousands of years, but it was still sharp and hadn¡¯t rusted at all.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d been there.¡± ¡°I was just a kid. My father took me with a big group. It was just for fun¡ªall the important parts had been mapped and explored years ago. I¡¯ve never been there in the winter before.¡± ¡°Still,¡± Corec said, ¡°it¡¯s good to know the scout won¡¯t be the only person on the trip who¡¯s been there before.¡± She nodded, then looked at him nervously. ¡°Have you thought about what I asked you earlier?¡± ¡°I spoke to the others and we made a few decisions. Let¡¯s go talk.¡± # ¡°Exalted,¡± Melithar said with a deep bow, after sneaking into Queen Revana¡¯s chambers through the secret passage she¡¯d tuned to him many years earlier. She sat propped up in her bed, looking thinner than the last time he¡¯d seen her. Her eyes were closed, but she opened them when he spoke. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing here?¡± she asked, her voice as strong as ever. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be watching over Ellerie!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t need me. Between her stoneborn friend and that new group I wrote to you about, she has more than enough protection.¡± The queen¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Did you annoy her enough that she sent you away? I thought you were trying to track down the assassins.¡± ¡°Circle Bay was a dead end. She killed the nilvasta, and nobody knew who¡¯d hired him.¡± ¡°Where is my daughter now?¡± Melithar sighed. He¡¯d been hoping she wouldn¡¯t ask any questions he couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Some demonborn woman got the drop on me when I caught her spying.¡± Revana sat up straighter. ¡°You think Ellerie¡¯s safe because you lost track of her after another assassination attempt?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°An assassin who bandaged my injuries and dragged me to a temple? No. She wasn¡¯t a hired killer, and I don¡¯t think she was looking for Ellerie. Maybe for someone in the new group.¡± Unfortunately, there hadn¡¯t been a real healer at the temple, and the gash in Melithar¡¯s side had become infected. It had been a week before he¡¯d been able to sit a saddle for even part of a day. He¡¯d tracked Ellerie back to Circle Bay, and discovered she¡¯d gone north from there, but he¡¯d been too far behind to catch up. ¡°I didn¡¯t give you permission to use her name!¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Melithar said, his jaw clenched. ¡°Her Exalted Highness, then.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what¡¯d he¡¯d ever seen in Revana. The woman had been beautiful once, but she¡¯d spent her life immersed in the backbiting politics of Terevas. It had turned her ruthless and spiteful, and as her illness progressed, she¡¯d grown almost cruel. And now Vilisa, who he¡¯d always had high hopes for, would be stuck taking over. It should have been Ellerie, but the queen¡¯s eldest daughter had abandoned her responsibilities, and Melithar had never been given permission to drag her back. ¡°You didn¡¯t stay long enough to find out where she¡¯d gone?¡± Revana asked, glaring at him. ¡°I suspect she¡¯s on her way to the Storm Heights. She should be safe enough there¡ªthe High Councilors¡¯ influence doesn¡¯t stretch that far. Her Exalted Highness is still convinced she¡¯s a historian¡­or a treasure hunter.¡± ¡°She¡¯s supposed to be helping to track down the assassins! That was the price I offered for her abdication!¡± ¡°Since when has she ever cared about what she¡¯s supposed to be doing? I admit, she helped me out in Circle Bay, but she wasn¡¯t happy about it, and I¡¯d rather work alone. Besides, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to find the trail on that end¡ªthe people who knew anything are all dead. We need to focus on this end. Have you had any luck?¡± Revana frowned. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any attacks since Vilisa¡­killed the last group. I made the councilors aware of the aftermath. In detail. That seems to have quelled any further direct attempts, but the sentinels discovered the body of a maid who was about to start working here. They think someone was going to try to take her place inside the palace, but abandoned the plan when the body was found. All of the councilors already have spies here, though, so I don¡¯t know who the replacement would have been working for.¡± ¡°A spy who¡¯s willing to pass along tidbits of information isn¡¯t the same as a spy who¡¯s willing to commit murder,¡± Melithar said. ¡°Did you hire another maid after the first one died?¡± ¡°Jorel recruited his own niece,¡± the queen said. Jorel was in charge of the royal family¡¯s security. ¡°He¡¯s also limited movement between the inner and outer palace. Only two dozen servants are allowed in the inner palace, and they¡¯ve all been with us for years, other than his niece.¡± Melithar nodded. ¡°Jorel can¡¯t be the one responsible; he¡¯s had too many opportunities in the past. The councilors are still the most likely suspects. We just need to figure out who¡¯ll gain the throne if something happens to you and¡­Their Exalted Highnesses.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no clear frontrunner. If the vote took place tomorrow, it could be anyone.¡± ¡°Publicly, perhaps, but in private, they must have started making deals by now. Are you attending the council meetings?¡± ¡°I can hardly walk anymore. Vilisa attends in my place.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start going with her. If I can watch the councilors interact, I might be able to figure out who¡¯s positioning themselves to take over.¡± ¡°Jorel¡¯s been watching them, and Vilisa¡¯s secretary is one of my own agents.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not as good as I am.¡± ¡°If I find out this is a ploy to tell her who her father is¡­¡± ¡°I know better than that,¡± Melithar replied. Vilisa was conscientious enough that if she discovered her father wasn¡¯t of noble blood, she¡¯d abdicate, and then there¡¯d be a race to get Ellerie back to Terevas before the High Council elected a new ruler. If Ellerie really was in the Storm Heights, she¡¯d lose that race, and that was if she was even willing to return. It was better for Vilisa to remain ignorant of her parentage. With an unknown father, only her mother¡¯s bloodline would be considered. Book 2: Interlude Four years earlier¡­ Winter came early to the Storm Heights, especially this high up. Sarette buckled her coat tightly, the cold winds at the summit whipping around her. When she reached the sheer cliff, she stopped and looked down at the clouds below¡ªstorm clouds, with the telltale flashes of lightning strikes. She stopped to take in the scent, then she sighed. She could feel the storm, but she couldn¡¯t call it. Not yet. A voice came from behind her. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not thinking of jumping.¡± She turned to face the older man. ¡°Isn¡¯t that how you did it, Vartus?¡± ¡°I had full command of my powers before I jumped off this cliff for the first time.¡± He waited expectantly. He knew why she¡¯d come¡ªand why she¡¯d come alone. It was the first time she¡¯d climbed Runner¡¯s Summit without her parents, but she couldn¡¯t expect them to hold her hand any longer. ¡°By right of blood, I submit myself to the stormrunners,¡± she said. It was difficult to keep her voice from wavering. ¡°The training is difficult, Sarette.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve told me about it before, Uncle.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t shown much skill.¡± ¡°You refused to teach me until I was older, and Mother never learned.¡± ¡°Still, you should have shown something by now.¡± ¡°I can sense it! Always. Even when I¡¯m not trying to. You allowed Sascha to complete the training, and he can only fly someone else¡¯s storm.¡± Vartus sighed. ¡°You realize you may fail.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She didn¡¯t truly believe that, but she had to tell him what he wanted to hear. ¡°You know you need me. There are only four stormrunners left.¡± ¡°If it is the will of Borrisur for the line to end, then so be it. Perhaps you or your cousin will bear a child with a stronger gift. There would be honor in that.¡± Sarette wrinkled her nose in distaste. Being married off to a boy from another stormrunner family and pushing out child after child in the hopes of reigniting the line wasn¡¯t her idea of a real life. She¡¯d wanted to fly the storms ever since she was six years old and her parents had taken her to see an aerial display put on by the order. It was one of the last public displays ever given¡ªin the ten years since, two stormrunners had died and another had grown too old for acrobatics¡ªbut Sarette still remembered it vividly. She¡¯d felt the storm for the first time that day as she watched Vartus and the others swoop through the clouds. ¡°I don¡¯t believe Borrisur wants the line to end,¡± she replied. ¡°I wish to undertake the training.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± # Rusol woke with a start, trying to process what had just happened. It hadn¡¯t quite been a dream, but instead image after image of people and places he didn¡¯t know. None of it meant anything to him, but it felt like the images had been trying to tell him something. He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side, but as he got to his feet, the visions returned, flashing through his mind faster than he could process them. He fell to his knees and closed his eyes but it didn¡¯t help¡ªit was all in his head. The images gradually slowed, leaving him gasping for breath, and with new knowledge in his head. What just happened? he asked himself. What¡¯s a warden? Chief among the things he¡¯d seen was a spell, one more subtle than any elder spell he¡¯d ever learned. It was more along the lines of certain demonic powers that could be used to influence people, but instead it was meant to bind two mages together, enhancing their gifts. Magic was dangerous in Larso, especially in Telfort, the seat of power for the Church of Pallisur. Even as princes of the realm, Rusol and his brother had grown up knowing they could never let anyone know they were mages. Rikard had grown frustrated early and given up on it, joining the knights instead, as their father had done. Rusol, though, embraced magic whole-heartedly. He¡¯d never done well at weapons training, tiring too quickly and too easily. Whether it was due to a demonborn stigma or an accident of birth, he simply wasn¡¯t capable of extended physical exertion. Magic only required his mind, and finding something he was actually good at had been exhilarating. His father had snuck an elder witch into the palace to train him, but Rusol had quickly outgrown the old woman¡¯s skills. Marten himself had undertaken Rusol¡¯s education on his demonborn powers, though demonic magic was more instinctive than learned. Rusol felt confident in his abilities, but he¡¯d always chafed at having to hide them in public. If this vision about wardens was true, it could completely change the future he¡¯d imagined for himself. Experimentation would have to wait, though¡ªhis manservant had come into the room to help him get ready for the day. An hour later, bathed and dressed, Rusol joined his family in the smallest of the three formal dining rooms¡ªthe one they used when they had no guests. He took his seat just as his brother entered the room. ¡°Good morning, everyone!¡± Rikard said with a wide grin, pausing to mess up Rusol¡¯s hair. ¡°Stop that,¡± Rusol said, pushing the hand away. He was twenty-two years old, but his brother still treated him like a child. Rikard was everything that Rusol wasn¡¯t. Not just heir to the throne, but also strong, smart, charming, and good at talking to women. Rusol could never decide whether he hated his brother or loved him. Sometimes he thought it might be both. ¡°Rikard,¡± King Marten said, ¡°we¡¯ve got the meeting with Lord Samuel in an hour. Rus, I think he¡¯s bringing his son with him, and maybe that daughter of his, too. Why don¡¯t you keep the two of them occupied? It would be good for you to get to know the girl.¡± ¡°If you wish,¡± Rusol said, hiding a smile. Lord Samuel, recently named Baron of Estwich after his father had passed away, had been Larso¡¯s ambassador to Sanvar when he was younger, even going so far as to marry a Sanvarite woman. After his return to Larso fifteen years earlier, Samuel had realized his son was the same age as the king¡¯s youngest. Even at seven years old, Rusol had been suspicious that their fathers had pushed the two boys together because he wasn¡¯t good at making friends on his own, but Samir had been sincere and genuine, and it made a nice change from having Rikard as his only playmate. Samir¡¯s sister was younger, and had only recently been introduced at court, but she was beautiful, with the bronze skin and black hair she¡¯d inherited from her mother. Rusol wouldn¡¯t object to spending more time with her, even if she didn¡¯t talk much. With two unmarried princes, there was only one reason for noble families with eligible daughters to parade them through the palace, but usually it was Rikard they were trying to impress. Rusol didn¡¯t mind being the target for a change. ¡°Good,¡± Marten said. ¡°And Rikard, we¡¯ve got three cases to sit in judgement of this afternoon. We can discuss the details at the midday meal.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± The family was silent as they ate, until Rusol spoke up. ¡°Father, have you heard of an order of mages called wardens?¡± Marten and Rikard glanced around quickly, worried, but the only servants in the family¡¯s quarters at this time of day were their longtime trusted employees, all of whom had been gradually manipulated to not notice the occasional discussion of¡ªor presence of¡ªmagic. ¡°No,¡± Marten said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I had a¡­dream about them, but I think they¡¯re a real group. I was hoping there¡¯d be something on them in the library.¡± ¡°A dream, huh?¡± Rikard said with a smirk. ¡°Shut up,¡± Rusol replied. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a normal dream. It was more like someone was telling me about them.¡± That didn¡¯t really describe the sensation, but he didn¡¯t want to open himself up to more teasing. ¡°They¡¯ve got a way to bond other mages and make their magic stronger. I think I figured out how to do the same thing.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Marten asked. Rusol wasn¡¯t prepared to come right out and tell them he was a warden, not until he figured out whether the dream had been real. Instead, he said, ¡°If I can find some mages, I know how to improve their gifts.¡± ¡°What good would that do?¡± Marten said. ¡°The spell would work on me, too. And if I did it for someone, I could ask them for favors in return. Different types of mages, who can do things we can¡¯t. We¡¯ve always been limited by the Church, but if there were mages we could trust¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of taking advice from a dream. Who sent it, and how do you know they were telling the truth? I¡¯ve never heard of these wardens before.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there are very many of them, but I can make sure it¡¯s real by finding a mage and casting the binding spell.¡± Rikard snickered. ¡°Good luck finding anyone in Telfort. Unless you¡¯re talking about a priest of Pallisur.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a mage,¡± Marten reminded his older son. He turned to Rusol. ¡°If this works, could you make it so your brother actually has some control over his powers, rather than just ignoring them like he does now?¡± The two younger men looked at each other, both grimacing at the thought. ¡°I¡¯d rather not, Father,¡± Rikard said. ¡°I¡¯m happy enough as a knight. If I don¡¯t know how to use magic, then I don¡¯t have to hide that I can use it.¡± ¡°If you insist. Rusol, I wonder if this has something to do with you being able to use two different types of magic. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone doing that before. I¡¯ve always thought there was something special about you.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Rusol blinked in surprise. True praise from his father was rare. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t be talking about magic here,¡± Queen Merice said suddenly. As usual, she was a few beats behind everyone else. Shara, Rusol¡¯s mother, rolled her eyes and shook her head, but only after making sure Marten wasn¡¯t looking her way. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course, dear,¡± Marten said to his wife. ¡°We¡¯ll take this conversation up again another time. For now, I¡¯m going to go prepare for my talk with Samuel. Rikard, join me when you¡¯re done here.¡± After Marten had gone, Rikard stood up and mussed Rusol¡¯s hair again. ¡°Ooh, you¡¯re special.¡± ¡°Rikard!¡± Shara said sharply. ¡°Be nice to your brother!¡± ¡°Oh, Shara,¡± Queen Merice said, ¡°the boys are are just teasing each other.¡± Merice didn¡¯t see the flash of hatred in Shara¡¯s eyes, but Rusol did. The relationship between Marten¡¯s wife and his concubine, never great to begin with, had been worsening, though the two of them hid that fact whenever the king was around. Their sons had learned not to take sides, either with their own mothers or each other¡¯s. # ¡°Your Highness, you remember my sister, Yassi?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Rusol stretched his memory to recall things his brother had said to various lady friends. ¡°Welcome back to the palace, Yassi. You should visit us more often.¡± She smiled and ducked her head shyly, but didn¡¯t reply. Samir said, ¡°I told her we could visit the trophy room if that¡¯s all right with you.¡± ¡°Sure. There shouldn¡¯t be anybody there at this time of day. How was your trip to Sanvar?¡± ¡°Long, and once we were there, Grandmother spent the whole time complaining that we don¡¯t follow Sanvarite customs. I think she meant clothing¡ªas if she thinks I¡¯m going to wear a shirt that goes down to my knees.¡± While they walked, Rusol sensed something strange from his two companions. It took him a moment to connect the feeling with the visions he¡¯d had during the strange dream. They reached the trophy room, which was filled with mounted animal heads, banners taken from the kingdom¡¯s enemies during past wars, and old weapons and armor. Once inside, Rusol closed the door behind them so nobody could hear their conversation. ¡°You¡¯re both mages,¡± he said, keeping his voice flat and even. Yassi¡¯s eyes widened fearfully, but Samir hid his shock well. ¡°What?¡± he said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me, Sam. I won¡¯t tell the priests.¡± Samir was silent for a long moment, his jaw moving from side to side in an old nervous habit. Finally, he said, ¡°How did you know?¡± Now it was Rusol¡¯s turn to hesitate. Samir was the only person he considered a friend, but in truth, they weren¡¯t particularly close. Could he trust him? He¡¯d have to, if he wanted to put his plan into action. ¡°Because I¡¯m one too.¡± ¡°Bloody hell, Rus! Are you serious?¡± Rusol held his palm out in front of him and summoned a tiny ball of fire. He kept it there for a moment before banishing it. ¡°There. See? Now tell me about you.¡± Samir took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m not a mage. Not really. Our mother¡¯s part Zidari, which is one of the old clans in Sanvar. Some Zidari have certain gifts. Mother didn¡¯t, though, and we didn¡¯t know about ours until after we¡¯d moved to Larso. What could we do then? Father was busy here. He considered asking the king to name him ambassador again and send us back, but then Grandfather grew ill and needed his help. So¡­we just hid it, and hoped no one would find out. I never trained my gift. I can¡¯t really do much with it.¡± ¡°And Yassi?¡± Rusol asked, looking straight at the girl. Sam winced, apparently realizing he¡¯d deflected attention away from himself to his sister. ¡°I¡¯m a Seer,¡± she said softly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Zidari, and of Seers. We have books here that the Church probably wouldn¡¯t approve of.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Samir asked. Rusol had come this far, but there were some secrets he wasn¡¯t prepared to share. ¡°I¡¯m an elder witch. There must have been some witch blood in my mother¡¯s line.¡± The blood had actually been in his father¡¯s line for hundreds of years, but he couldn¡¯t risk that information getting out. He didn¡¯t mention the demonic magic. ¡°Witches? Like the ones the Church used to¡­¡± Samir didn¡¯t finish the sentence. ¡°The word means something more specific than how the Church uses it, but yes.¡± ¡°I never knew. What do we do now?¡± Rusol could sense the magic in both of them, but something told him Sam would be a bad choice. Yassi, on the other hand, held promise, but he had to move slowly. He had to be sure he could trust her first. ¡°Tell me,¡± he said, ¡°what all can a Seer see?¡± # A month later, Rusol found himself in another strange dream, but this one was different. Instead of visions, he was surrounded by endless mists. He knew he was dreaming, but it felt real at the same time. A man stepped out of the mists to stand before him. He was young, with black hair, and a scar on his right cheek. His arms were bare, and there were four runes lining each of them¡ªsome glowing, some not. ¡°Who are you?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the place between dreams,¡± the man said, his eyes cold. The runes seemed familiar. ¡°You¡¯re a warden.¡± ¡°And so are you, apparently. You shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Rusol bristled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Too soon. It¡¯s too soon. You cheated.¡± ¡°Cheated? I didn¡¯t do anything! If your people didn¡¯t want me, maybe they shouldn¡¯t have chosen me!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t choose the chosen; the chosen are chosen by the choosing. But it¡¯s too soon¡ªyou shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°I have as much right as anyone! Who are you to say otherwise?¡± ¡°I was the Second, and now I¡¯m the First. I should have been the Third but the first First died.¡± The last bit was said in an almost sing-song voice. ¡°Stop talking in riddles, you blathering idiot!¡± Rusol snarled, unable to keep the demonborn rage in check any longer. He reached for the magic, but couldn¡¯t feel it. His elder senses saw nothing but emptiness. ¡°You think I¡¯m the idiot?¡± The man thrust his arms out to his sides and a burst of white light flashed over everything, knocking Rusol to the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve been fighting demons for four thousand years! I know how to deal with your kind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no demon!¡± Rusol yelled, struggling back to his feet. The light reminded him of divine magic, and some priests could recognize demonborn even when they were passing as humans. Rusol was able to hide his nature, but he¡¯d never thought to do so while asleep. The man spoke again. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m so far away. You¡¯re safe from me, for the moment, but the others have a longer reach. If they find out you¡¯ve got demon blood, they may simply kill you out of hand. Perhaps if you¡¯re a good boy, they¡¯ll leave you alone. Can you be good? Or are you twisted inside like your ancestors?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t threaten me!¡± ¡°Oh? Can¡¯t I? No demonborn has ever been a warden before. You¡¯ll have to prove yourself. Or would you prefer that I whisper in their dreams and tell them how to find you? Who knows which one I¡¯ll tell? Who knows what you¡¯ll wake up to?¡± The man cackled and faded from sight, leaving Rusol alone among the mists, which grew thicker, obscuring his vision. Now what do I do? He walked for what seemed like hours, but couldn¡¯t find any way out of the featureless existence. He didn¡¯t wake until someone shook his shoulder. ¡°Father?¡± he asked, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. ¡°Rus, there¡¯s¡­been an accident,¡± Marten said, a hollow look on his face. ¡°Rikard, he¡­he went for a ride early this morning. He fell. He was already¡­when we found him, it was too late.¡± # ¡°You can see, Your Majesty, Your Highness¡ªthe straps have been cut,¡± Captain Tark said in a tone that suggested he believed he was about to lose his job. As head of the Royal Guard, he was responsible for the family¡¯s safety. ¡°Then this was an assassination,¡± Marten said, slamming his fists on his desk, his eyes glowing red. He was far better at hiding his nature than Rusol was, but even for him, there were limits. Tark ignored it, of course. He¡¯d been conditioned to not notice things like that¡­and maybe that was part of the problem. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. You know how hard His Highness rides. According to the stablemaster, this is the tack the prince uses for jumping. It would have only taken a few jumps to make it snap apart.¡± ¡°But why would¡­¡± Rusol¡¯s father struggled to get his voice under control. Rikard had been the family¡¯s hope for the future, and everyone had taken the news hard. Queen Merice had collapsed. Shara was with her, having dosed her with something to calm her nerves. When Marten could speak again, he said, ¡°Why waste time with a method that could have just as easily failed?¡± Rusol wasn¡¯t sure whether his father expected an answer, but Tark said, ¡°Perhaps because other methods would have been more obvious? This could have easily been dismissed as an accident if the stablemaster hadn¡¯t noticed how clean the breaks were.¡± Marten growled low in his throat. ¡°Yes. Yes, that makes sense. An enemy who doesn¡¯t wish to announce himself. But an enemy of Larso? Or an enemy who wants to rule Larso? My cousin¡ªLenard. Bring him here so I can question him. In chains if you have to. He¡¯s next in line if Rusol and I are killed. But do it quietly. We¡¯ll announce Rikard¡¯s¡­¡± Marten had to pause again, struggling to regain his composure. ¡°We¡¯ll announce this as an accident. We won¡¯t show any weakness.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°And Captain Tark¡­¡± Marten¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°I expect you to discover how the assassin infiltrated the palace. If you fail to stop another attack, I¡¯ll have your head.¡± Tark bowed low and backed out of the room, his face pale. Rusol knew who had done it, of course, but he¡¯d have to admit to the threats the crazy warden had made against him. It was unlikely Marten would ever look at him kindly after realizing Rusol¡¯s part in it all, but what choice did he have? If he was going to figure out ways to fight back, he¡¯d need his father¡¯s support. Marten stood silently for a long time, staring off into nothing. Finally, he spoke. ¡°Rusol, you¡¯re the heir now. I know you weren¡¯t expecting this, but can I trust you to uphold the honor of our family and kingdom?¡± Rusol hadn¡¯t made that connection until his father mentioned it. ¡°I¡­yes, I understand. You can trust me, but I don¡¯t think Captain Tark will find anything.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°I think the attacker came here by magic.¡± Marten stared at him, an intense look in his eyes. ¡°Tell me what you know.¡± # ¡°¡­so, if you allow me to bond you, we can make sure that what happened to Rikard doesn¡¯t happen to anyone else,¡± Rusol said. ¡°And we can find other mages, so I can protect them, too. We can¡¯t go against the Church yet, but my father¡¯s working on a plan¡ªit¡¯ll just take more time.¡± ¡°But, Your Highness, why do you need to cast a binding spell for that?¡± Yassi asked. The two of them were alone in Rusol¡¯s private study. Or, rather, the heir¡¯s study¡ªit was still decorated to Rikard¡¯s taste. ¡°I¡¯ll help you without it.¡± ¡°Because the bond will make your gift stronger. You weren¡¯t able to find the wardens for me yesterday, but with this, maybe you can.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Please, Yassi. We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we? You know I need you for this. Who else can do what you do?¡± It took all of Rusol¡¯s effort to keep up the pleasant facade. He regretted never asking his brother for advice on how to speak to women. Or to other people in general. Yassi thought for a moment, then nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Rusol reached for her hand. As he prepared the spell in his mind for the first time, he realized something. Binding spells were usually arcane magic, according to the palace¡¯s secret stash of outlawed books, but the warden bond was different. It wasn¡¯t only used by wizards¡ªit could be cast by any type of mage, as long as that mage was also a warden. For some wardens, the spell would be channeled through divine magic, while for others, it would be elder magic. For Rusol, the spell aligned itself with his demonic side. With that realization came the knowledge that he could change how the bond worked. He wasn¡¯t as good as his father at controlling people, but the binding spell gave him a direct pathway to the target¡¯s mind. As he cast it, he laid a compulsion over it. He¡¯d never have to worry about whether he could trust his bondmates. Yassi screeched and fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as a yellow rune appeared on her forehead, in the shape of a stylized cat Rusol had sketched out earlier that morning. He pulled up his sleeve, confirming that the rune¡¯s twin had appeared on his upper arm. ¡°It hurts!¡± Yassi said, sobbing. ¡°What did you do to me?¡± ¡°The pain will fade in a few minutes. I simply made sure that you¡¯ll always do as you¡¯re told.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about that!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask. Don¡¯t mention that part to Samir. In fact, don¡¯t mention any of it. I¡¯ll figure out how to explain the rest. We¡¯ll need a story for your parents, too¡ªI didn¡¯t realize the rune would appear on your face.¡± ¡°What?¡± He helped her stand up and face a mirror mounted on the wall. Her eyes grew wide. She rubbed at the rune with her fingers but nothing happened. ¡°Stop that,¡± he said. Her arm dropped to her side immediately as the compulsion forced her obedience. He continued, ¡°I thought it would be on your arm, like mine, so your clothing would hide it. I think you can learn to conceal it, but for now, you¡¯ll have to stay in the palace. Perhaps we can say you¡¯re training to be a lady-in-waiting. We¡¯ll keep you in the inner quarters until you can control it¡ªthe family¡¯s personal servants won¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me it would hurt?¡± She wouldn¡¯t look at him directly, only meeting his eyes through the mirror. ¡°I changed the spell at the last minute. Now, I know I can always trust you. You¡¯ll never be able to betray me. Neither will the others, once we find them. As soon as you¡¯ve recovered, I need you to start looking for any other mages that are hiding here in Telfort, so I can decide if they¡¯re worth bonding. No priests of Pallisur, of course¡ªonly the mages that are here against the law.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a Seeker,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll still find them eventually. We need more time to prepare, anyway¡ªI have to hope that what happened to Rikard was just a warning. If the other wardens attack in force, I won¡¯t be ready for them. But once I am, I¡¯ll take the fight to them. They never should have killed my brother.¡± Book 2: Chapter Fifteen Present day¡­ ¡°It looks like you were right,¡± Fiodor said. The burly driver brought his team of draft horses to a halt, then signaled to the other wagon behind him. ¡°How did you know? The sky was completely clear four hours ago, and I didn¡¯t see any signals from the towers.¡± Sarette shrugged. The snowfall had been growing steadily heavier for the last hour. ¡°I just knew,¡± she said, not wanting to discuss it with a stranger. ¡°Let¡¯s get the sleds and supplies unloaded so we can get on our way. Will you be able to get the wagons back to Snow Crown?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to see how deep it gets. We may need to camp out here for a few days.¡± She nodded. The group had hired the two teamsters to haul the sleds and supplies out to Tarvist Pass, since there was no snow on the valley floor and they couldn¡¯t pull the sleds without it. Once they¡¯d reached the road, the snow had been shallow enough for the wagons to keep going, so they¡¯d paid the men extra to continue on. Now, though, the snow was up to a foot deep and continuing to fall, and Fiodor didn¡¯t want to risk injuring the horses. The teamsters had thought they¡¯d be able to get the group all the way through the pass, and then at least a hundred miles south before having to turn back, but Sarette had sensed a heavy storm coming in that morning. They still had twenty miles to go before they were out of the mountains, and that would take them at least a full day of travel pulling the sleds. Probably more than a day¡ªit was flat ground, but the outsiders weren¡¯t accustomed to wearing snowshoes, and the sleds would get tiring after a few hours. Fiodor climbed into the back of his wagon and lifted out one of the light sleds, then passed it to Sarette over the side. ¡°Let me get the other side,¡± Corec said, coming up behind her. He helped her steady the sled, and together, they set it down on its runners on the snow-covered road. Sarette smiled her thanks. The warden hadn¡¯t made a decision yet about bonding her, and she wasn¡¯t entirely sure whether she wanted him to say yes or no. She¡¯d always wanted to be a stormrunner, but leaving home would be a big step. She¡¯d seen Ironholt from a distance once, but the only time she¡¯d actually left the Storm Heights had been a trip to Lanport with her family when she was younger. Gregor approached, the weathered scout already wearing his skis and a light travel pack. There was a long, smooth, waxed ski on his left foot, meant for gliding, and his right foot was strapped onto a shorter ski covered in animal skin, that he¡¯d use to push himself along. He carried a tall pole to help control his direction. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out now,¡± he said in the stormborn language. ¡°Are you coming with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay with the outsiders,¡± she replied in the same language. ¡°They¡¯re not used to traveling in deep snow, and I think they¡¯ll need some help with the sleds.¡± They¡¯d brought five sleds, and enough food for a month. The plan was to regularly resupply in the human villages that lined the foothills between the mountains and the plains. That way, they¡¯d have extra food in case they got lost. The weight of the supplies might be a problem, though. Paradoxically, the narrow sleds were more efficient when pulled by a single person, but Sarette suspected that not everyone in the group had the strength and endurance to haul one for long. For that matter, she¡¯d have to be careful with how heavily she loaded her own sled, since she intended to leave her chainmail on it. The mail weighed twenty-five pounds by itself, and the bulk of that weight hung directly on her shoulders. It would be too exhausting to wear it and pull a sled at the same time. Her coat would still provide some protection if they were attacked. Gregor nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯m leaving my crossbow with you. It¡¯s too much trouble to carry while I¡¯m skiing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not taking a weapon?¡± ¡°I have my dagger and a sling. That¡¯s all I usually bring. I¡¯ll head to the end of the pass, then return to find where you¡¯ve set up camp. The western watchtowers haven¡¯t reported any issues along the Tarvist Road, but I¡¯ll make sure we don¡¯t run into anything unexpected. How far do you expect to get before stopping?¡± The day was already half over. ¡°Ten miles at the most,¡± Sarette said. ¡°While you¡¯re out, could you check the snow in the foothills? If it¡¯s not deep enough, we¡¯ll have problems with the sleds.¡± ¡°I will. Do you know signal code?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, slipping a mirror out of her pocket to show him. ¡°But it won¡¯t do much good if this storm doesn¡¯t pass.¡± Signal code worked best when the sun was shining. ¡°You may be able to signal the nearest tower at night using a campfire, as long as it¡¯s not snowing too much, but it¡¯s hard to get the signalman¡¯s attention that way. They can¡¯t always tell the difference between signal code and the flickering of the fire.¡± Sarette already knew that, but just said, ¡°I¡¯ll try it if I need to.¡± ¡°Twenty miles out and ten back,¡± Gregor said. ¡°If I make it back tonight, it¡¯ll be close to midnight. If not, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Fair travels.¡± ¡°And to you. Good luck with the outsiders.¡± # Treya had been pulling a sled behind her for two hours. She was starting to feel the strain in her thighs, but it wasn¡¯t as awkward as she¡¯d thought it would be. In each hand, she held a loop tied at the end of a lead rope. The lead ropes were tied back to the joints where the sled¡¯s runners met the brush bow in the front. The setup meant she could keep her arms even with her body as she walked. The only problem was that if she pulled too hard on a downhill slope, the sled sometimes caught up with her, and the brush bow hit her in the back of the legs. Sarette had given her shorter lead ropes than everyone else, to cut down on the weight and the drag, but Treya decided to switch them out for longer ropes at the next opportunity. She was musing about how long she¡¯d be able to pull the sled, when Corec, who¡¯d been at the tail end of the procession, drew even with her. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± he asked, dragging his own sled behind him, which was more heavily loaded than hers. He didn¡¯t show any signs of strain. ¡°I¡¯ll be all right,¡± she replied. ¡°I think Sarette gave me the lightest load, even though I¡¯m supposed to switch off with Katrin. I¡¯ll be sore tomorrow, though.¡± ¡°So will I. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done this. The knights used to make the trainees haul loads of firewood this way for exercise, even though they had oxen teams that could have handled it. I¡¯m more worried about Bobo. Next time we stop, I may take some of his load and distribute it between my sled and Boktar¡¯s.¡± ¡°Maybe Shavala and Ellerie could help him,¡± Treya said. Sarette hadn¡¯t given the two elven women a sled. ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s tricky to have multiple people work together on one of these unless you put them in harness like mules, and something tells me they wouldn¡¯t appreciate that.¡± Treya laughed, imagining the sight. ¡°The snowshoes are the problem anyway, more than the sleds. It¡¯s my legs that are bothering me.¡± ¡°Are you ready to give Katrin a turn?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it a little longer. I don¡¯t know that taking turns will help¡ªI¡¯ll still be wearing the shoes.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the snowshoes that were bothering her, but also the boots and her winter coat. A mystic needed to feel the world around her, and the extra layers weren¡¯t helping. Perhaps she could learn the concentration techniques that Shana used to ignore the cold. ¡°The shoes are new to me, too,¡± Corec said. ¡°We may need to take more breaks than Sarette had been planning on.¡± He hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about some of the things Yelena suggested.¡± Treya glanced his way, wondering about the change in topic. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned before that the mystics in the Three Orders aren¡¯t the same as concubines.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve also heard you say you trained with the concubines¡­¡± ¡°In some things,¡± Treya said warily. ¡°Mother Ola wanted me to have something to fall back on if being a mystic didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to take being a warden seriously, Yelena thinks I need to pay more attention to what¡¯s going on elsewhere. She suggested that I should ask for your help. I know concubines handle a lot of correspondence, and they keep in touch with other concubines to stay up to date on the latest news. Is that something you learned how to do?¡± Treya stopped moving and stared at him. ¡°You want me to be your concubine?¡± she asked, startled. Behind her, Katrin burst out laughing. Corec stopped too. ¡°No! I mean, that wasn¡¯t what I was talking about. I just meant helping with the correspondence and keeping track of things.¡± Treya suspected he¡¯d be blushing if his face wasn¡¯t already red from the cold. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no great trick to it. It¡¯s just writing letters back and forth. But it takes time¡ªmaybe years¡ªto build up a network of Sisters and other contacts, and the people you look for will depend on what sort of information you want to collect.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Katrin trudged past on her snowshoes, still snickering. ¡°Don¡¯t fall too far behind, you two.¡± Treya shrugged at Corec and they resumed pulling their sleds before she continued speaking. ¡°The King of Tyrsall¡¯s concubine would correspond with a different group of people than, say, my friend Nallee, whose patron is a blacksmith in a village south of Four Roads. If she writes to anyone at all, it¡¯s probably just someone who can give her a good deal on iron shipments.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s something you can do?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Mystics don¡¯t usually do it, other than keeping in touch with the chapter houses, but I suppose I could. What sort of information are you looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure myself. Yelena seems to keep an eye on everything, but I don¡¯t want to do things the same way she does. I guess we¡¯ll just have to figure it out as we go.¡± Treya started to get interested in the idea herself. It would give her something to do if she decided to stay in one place rather than travel. ¡°There are Sisters of the Three Orders from Telfort to Tyrsall, and from Lanport down to Sanvara City. I don¡¯t really know who keeps track of what, but there are people I could talk to about it. It can¡¯t happen until we find a place to settle, though. The Sisters I write to need to know where to send a reply.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Corec said, ¡°but I don¡¯t know where we¡¯ll end up settling down yet. I keep coming back to the idea of Four Roads, or somewhere else in the free lands. That would be near a chapter house and the Terril Forest, and I prefer smaller towns anyway.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Katrin called back to them over her shoulder. Treya laughed. ¡°I¡¯m from Four Roads originally. I wouldn¡¯t mind going back, but I¡¯m open to a larger city, too.¡± Corec said, ¡°The biggest problem with the free lands is finding jobs. We¡¯re not going to get any bodyguard work there, so how do we support ourselves? I don¡¯t plan to go back to working the caravans.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Shana does a job in the free lands every now and then, but not enough to keep her occupied all the time.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s something to think about while we help Ellerie find Tir Yadar. Maybe we¡¯ll find some other city along the way that everyone likes¡ªthere are still a lot of places we haven¡¯t been to yet.¡± # Early the next morning, Ellerie bundled up her camp tent and tied it down to one of the sleds. She was wearing a travel pack for her clothing and personal items, but without their horses and mules to help carry the load, much of their gear had been distributed across the five sleds. Sarette, Boktar, Bobo, and Corec had each been pulling a sled behind them as they traveled. Treya and Katrin shared the fifth one, taking turns. Ellerie had offered to help, but neither she nor Shavala could manage one for long. After leaving the wagons behind the day before, they¡¯d only managed to make another eight miles along the Tarvist Road before stopping for the night. The storm had continued until the early hours, and the snow was now over two feet deep. While Terevas didn¡¯t get much snow, it was the cold that bothered Ellerie. The only thing that made it bearable was the thick, gambeson-style coat Boktar had convinced her to buy. It constricted her movement more than she liked, but it did keep her warm. She¡¯d even bundled up in it overnight, since her tent and bedding weren¡¯t enough to keep the chilly night air from seeping in. As she finished packing, Bobo approached her, carrying the old book in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. ¡°I finished that little section in the middle last night,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks for the mage light.¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Your translators got better as they went, but the one who did this part is still messing up pronouns. Other than that, there were a few little issues, but nothing important. The entire section was about a trip the author had taken to the sea when he was young, plus a recipe for trail bread. Absolutely nothing about his journey to Tir Yadar.¡± She nodded. She¡¯d known that already, but they¡¯d decided to go over the entire book more carefully in case there were any hints they¡¯d missed before. ¡°You should let me look at the amulet,¡± Bobo said. Ellerie frowned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s important! What if I miss something because I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m looking for? You should have told me about it.¡± ¡°So you could steal it, too?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯re working together now, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she said with a sigh. She slipped the jewelry out of the inside pocket of her coat and handed it to him. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°And you think these seven mountains represent the starting point for the directions given in the book?¡± ¡°You remember how the author says he started from home? He always emphasizes home with the same larger symbols he uses for Tir Yadar. I think he¡¯s talking about Tir a Tir. I learned that much before I ever brought the book to you.¡± Bobo furrowed his brow. ¡°Home of Home? Or Land of Land? That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°We have records of it in Terevas. The nilvasta historian I spoke to before I left said it wouldn¡¯t have been translated literally. It would have been something more like First Home or The Home, but if someone was writing informally, it would have been written as Home, with the emphasis of a proper name. Just like it is in the book.¡± ¡°The Ancient¡¯s language doesn¡¯t distinguish between proper names and everything else.¡± ¡°Each author used their own method¡ªyou know that better than I do. This one used larger print.¡± ¡°True, true. You discovered the amulet and the book together?¡± ¡°No. The amulet had been in an old private collection for the last two thousand years, and the only thing anybody knew about it is what¡¯s written on the back. The View From Tir a Tir, according to the translator.¡± Bobo flipped the amulet over, then nodded. ¡°So¡­what? You stole it?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ellerie exclaimed, flushing. ¡°It belongs to my family.¡± Sort of, she amended in her mind. The collection was owned by the crown of Terevas, but her family had held the crown for fifteen hundred years. She¡¯d always planned to return the amulet when she was done with it. ¡°Your family has a private collection of ancient artifacts from the first peoples?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°The sort of artifacts that might be kept in a Glass Palace, perhaps?¡± She glared at him. Apparently he¡¯d paid attention to what the oracle had said. How much had he guessed? ¡°There¡¯s more than one glass palace, you know,¡± she said. ¡°Indeed. I visited Terevas once¡ªI remember what it¡¯s like. But we digress. The amulet and the book¡­don¡¯t you think the connection is rather tenuous?¡± ¡°As tenuous as you running off to the hills just because people have lived there for a long time?¡± ¡°I get your point, but that only affected me. There are seven of us now, and I understand Sarette may be joining us in the future?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome to leave. That would help keep our numbers down.¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m willing to see this through.¡± Bobo grinned. ¡°Imagine what the librarians back in Matagor would say if we bring back proof of Tir Yadar¡¯s existence.¡± Ellerie couldn¡¯t help smiling back at him. That was something she¡¯d thought about herself, more than once. Before she could reply, Gregor, the stormborn scout that had accompanied them on the trip, returned to the camp from the west, still on the slender wooden skis. He stopped to speak to Sarette in the stormborn language, but when he saw the others gathering close, he switched to the trade tongue. ¡°Was there a problem?¡± he asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t make it as far as I thought you would. The closest road marker is twelve-west.¡± ¡°No problems,¡± Sarette replied. ¡°Everyone¡¯s just getting used to the sleds. We¡¯ll probably be even slower today¡ªI don¡¯t know about the rest of you, but I¡¯m sore.¡± There were murmurs of agreement. ¡°Did you camp out alone last night?¡± Corec asked the scout. ¡°You didn¡¯t take your tent.¡± Gregor nodded. ¡°It was late by the time I made it back to the ten-mile marker. I went a little farther, but when I didn¡¯t find you, I stopped and made a snow cave. Just a little one, but it kept me warm.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a snow cave?¡± Ellerie asked. From the expressions around her, she wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted to know. ¡°It¡¯s something like a rabbit burrow or a beaver¡¯s den, but built out of snow. I¡¯ll show you when we pass it. I¡¯ll stick around today and help with the sleds.¡± How could sleeping in a cave made out of snow keep someone warm? Before Ellerie had a chance to ask, Sarette grasped the lead ropes on her sled and said, ¡°Are we ready to go?¡± # Leena stumbled as she appeared out of midair, then stumbled again after looking up at the immense trees in front of her. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d gotten used to the tall pine trees common to the north, but she¡¯d never imagined trees as large as the ones she saw now. A small house would fit within one of the trunks, and she had to crane her neck back to see the tops. Based on Sarlo¡¯s descriptions, this had to be the Terril Forest¡ªwhich was good, since that¡¯s where she¡¯d been aiming. To the west, there were fewer trees, most of them much smaller, and they quickly gave way to prairie grasses. The line between the grasslands and the forest was sharp and distinct enough to suggest that the trees had once been cleared out on purpose. Supposedly the prairie had all been farmland once, until the dragon came. Sarlo had suggested Leena would be safe if she set up camp near the forest. She eyed the trees with trepidation, but with the elves on one side and the dragon on the other, all she could do was take his recommendation. She¡¯d never met an elf before¡ªshe¡¯d never even seen one before arriving in Telfort¡ªbut growing up, she¡¯d heard tales of humans going into the elf forest and never returning. She¡¯d have made another jump if she could have, but between the Seeking and the Traveling, a single jump was enough to exhaust her. After she and Sarlo had gone their separate ways, she¡¯d taken to walking south each morning, then, at midday, Seeking a good spot as far out as she could reach, and teleporting to it. Her Seeking range seemed to be something over fifty miles, and added to the walking, she was making over sixty miles a day, which was certainly better progress than when she¡¯d first been stranded in the northern plains. Sarlo had considered sticking around longer¡ªwhile he couldn¡¯t go as far as Leena in a single jump, he could make several jumps per day, and after she teleported, he could Seek our her location to catch up to her. In the end, though, Leena had felt guilty about how much of a burden she¡¯d been to him, and had insisted she¡¯d be fine to continue on her own. He¡¯d already spent a great deal of time and money helping her, for no reason that she could determine. She had no idea how she¡¯d ever pay him back, but he¡¯d left her well equipped, and she was confident she could make it back to Sanvar. The first few moments after teleporting always left Leena with a momentary weakness, but once the feeling passed, she got started on setting up her camp. With a real tent and bedroll, plus plenty of food¡ªand money to buy more¡ªit almost felt like she was living in luxury. Even better, the temperature had remained above freezing for the past three days. Any other southerner might still consider it to be cold, but after her experience in the north, Leena understood what it meant to truly be cold, and the air here, which was merely chilly, seemed almost warm in comparison. She was an experienced hand now at setting up her tent, constructing a fire ring, gathering wood, and getting a campfire started. In less than an hour, she was warming her hands over the fire, debating whether to cook something or wait until nightfall. She happened to be facing away from the forest, looking out to the west, when a faint shadow passed over the prairie grass, barely visible in the pale winter sunlight. She looked up to see a small figure high in the sky. It had to be a bird, but it didn¡¯t look like any sort of bird she was familiar with. Then a voice suddenly spoke behind her, in broken trade tongue. ¡°Human. You come with we. No stay here.¡± Leena whirled around to find six people arrayed facing her, all carrying bows. She hadn¡¯t heard them approach. They were elves, she realized, as she got a better look. They were all men, most no taller than her, and their clothing was a mix of earth tones that blended into the forest behind them. Their skin was a light tan with a hint of green, and their hair was a mottled brown, like tree bark. ¡°Wh¡­wh¡­what?¡± she asked, stammering. Was she inside the forest after all? Had the elves come to steal her away? She reached for her magic but it slipped through her grasp. She wasn¡¯t strong enough to teleport again yet¡ªeven back to her camping spot from the previous night, which she wouldn¡¯t need to Seek first. The man in the lead pointed to the sky. ¡°Dragon. Come closer each moon. Danger. You come forest. Human talker at camp say more.¡± He motioned to the other men, two of whom started taking down her tent while another used a hand shovel to dig up dirt to extinguish the fire. Dragon? The figure in the sky was the dragon? With elves on one side and a dragon on the other, the choice turned out to be easy after all. Leena helped the men disassemble her camp, then followed them into the forest. Book 2: Chapter Sixteen Shavala woke up the other women, then rolled her bedding back into a tight bundle. She¡¯d volunteered to sleep on the floor the previous night after having gotten a look at the sorry state of the room¡¯s straw tick mattress. Sarette and Treya had joined her, leaving the bed, such as it was, for Katrin and Ellerie. The tiny inn they¡¯d found in the village of Elmsford only had two rooms for guests, but it was worth it to stay indoors and get out of the biting cold. In the nine days they¡¯d been heading south along the foothills, it was only the third time they¡¯d found a village to stay in. While the others were getting ready for the day, Shavala wandered down the hall to the inn¡¯s common room, finding Corec folding a blanket near the fireplace. She cocked her head curiously. ¡°Boktar and Gregor voted for me to share the bed with Bobo,¡± he explained. ¡°He doesn¡¯t just snore; he steals the covers. I gave up in the middle of the night and came out here, and slept in a chair by the fire.¡± Shavala laughed. ¡°Not as fun as sharing the bed with Katrin?¡± Corec looked embarrassed. ¡°Uhh, no, not really.¡± The others started coming into the room then, and Corec went to find the cook and wake him up to get started on the morning meal. An hour later, they were eating a breakfast of sausage, biscuits, and gravy. It was simple, but warm and filling, and a good way to start a cold day. As they ate, Sarette said, ¡°Should we try and resupply here, or wait until Jol¡¯s Brook?¡± ¡°Jol¡¯s Brook is too small,¡± Gregor replied. ¡°There¡¯s a good store here, so as soon as the sun is up, I¡¯ll head over there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Boktar said. ¡°How far away is Jol¡¯s Brook?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Only about fifteen miles,¡± the scout said. ¡°We¡¯ll reach it today.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been making a bit over twenty miles the last few days,¡± Sarette said. ¡°Should we stay there tonight or just pass through?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the last stop before we head back into the mountains, right?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Gregor said, ¡°and the route we¡¯ll be taking doesn¡¯t come near any of our own settlements. Jol¡¯s Brook is the last inn we¡¯ll see.¡± Ellerie glanced at Corec, who gave her a quick nod. ¡°Let¡¯s stay there, then,¡± she said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind one more hot bath.¡± ¡°There are some hot springs in the ruins, but it¡¯ll take us at least a week to get there,¡± Gregor said. ¡°What are hot springs?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Springs with hot water,¡± Corec said. ¡°You can bathe in some of them, if they¡¯re not too hot. There are supposed to be some in the Black Crow Mountains, but I¡¯ve never actually seen one before.¡± Sarette said, ¡°The people who lived in the city routed the springs into fountains and bathing facilities. Most of the stonework is broken now, but there are still a few spots where the water pools up.¡± Gregor nodded, then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the weather going to be like today?¡± Sarette looked up at the ceiling. ¡°There¡¯ll be some clouds, but we won¡¯t get any snow. There¡¯s a big storm coming, though. We might get snowed in for a day or two on our way to the ruins.¡± Shavala blinked in surprise. ¡°How do you know?¡± she asked. Her elder senses told her the weather was clear at the moment, but she couldn¡¯t see any farther than that. ¡°It¡¯s something stormrunners can do. I was always good at that part, just not the rest.¡± Sarette was wearing her chainmail, and she hadn¡¯t spoken any words to cast a spell, which meant she couldn¡¯t be a wizard. ¡°Is it elder magic, like a druid?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what a druid is, but it¡¯s elder magic.¡± ¡°I knew there were other elder mages, but you¡¯re the first I¡¯ve ever met. Could you show me how you see the weather?¡± Sarette smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± # Sarette shook her head as she walked. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel anything like that. I can¡¯t sense you or anyone else, just the weather.¡± Shavala frowned. ¡°I can sense people and animals and plants¡ªeven rocks, though they don¡¯t feel like much¡ªbut I can only see the weather directly overhead. How far do you have to reach to know there¡¯s a storm coming?¡± After the noon meal, the elven woman had joined Sarette at the front of the column and the two had tried to compare their experiences with elder magic. There were some similarities, such as how the wind or a raincloud felt, but most of the things Shavala talked about didn¡¯t sound familiar. ¡°It¡¯s not really a matter of distance,¡± Sarette said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the weather¡¯s doing to the east or the west unless I can see it, but I do know what it¡¯ll be like here the day after tomorrow, which is heavy snow.¡± ¡°It must be different than my elder senses,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I can only see what¡¯s happening right at the moment, even with the weather. I was able to make it rain once, though. Rain harder than it already was, at least.¡± Sarette sighed. ¡°I could never manage that. I can redirect a breeze, and charge my staff-spear, but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Charge your spear?¡± ¡°I can make it hold a bit of lightning, but only for a short time. If I could call real lightning, it would work better.¡± Shavala looked at her curiously. ¡°Why would you want to hold lightning in your spear?¡± ¡°If I were to hit someone with it, it would discharge, as if they¡¯re getting struck by lightning. Stormrunners do it when they fight snow beasts, since stabbing them isn¡¯t always enough. It works on metal armor, too.¡± Or, at least, that¡¯s what Sarette had been told. She¡¯d practiced it, but only against empty suits of chainmail, and there hadn¡¯t been any obvious effect other than the flash of light. ¡°What are snow beasts like?¡± the elven woman asked. ¡°I have a book that talks about them, but I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡± ¡°I saw some last year while my uncle was helping the High Guard fight off a group that invaded one of our ranching valleys. They¡¯re big, maybe ten or twelve feet tall, and covered with gray fur.¡± Sarette shivered, remembering the howls the creatures had made while they were hunting. She hadn¡¯t been close enough to see them well, but she still remembered the sound. It was enough to make her grateful she¡¯d only been allowed to watch. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll see them before we return south.¡± ¡°There haven¡¯t been any attacks yet this year, luckily.¡± Sarette checked the position of the sun in the sky, then came to a stop. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break. We must have come close to fifteen miles by now.¡± Shavala nodded, and waved to the others behind them. There were groans of relief as everyone let go of their sleds. They¡¯d all gotten used to pulling the loads, but Sarette would be grateful when the trip was over. If it hadn¡¯t been for the one snowstorm in Tarvist Pass, they could have brought the horses and wagons with them. That would change soon, when they reentered the mountains, but if they¡¯d just waited a few days for the pass to clear, they¡¯d have saved themselves eleven days of hard labor. Still, even with her gift, there hadn¡¯t been any guarantee the weather would hold as long as it had, and it would have been a bad idea to risk letting the horses get stranded this far from home. Plus, with the icy conditions, the wagons wouldn¡¯t have been any faster than the sleds, so the outsiders probably wouldn¡¯t have wanted to lose several days of travel time waiting for the pass to clear. Sarette shook her head, irritated at herself. She had to stop thinking of the others as outsiders if she wanted to convince Corec to bond her. Digging into her pockets, she found the small travel notebook she¡¯d been using to record their journey. There was no way to use pen and ink in freezing weather, but she¡¯d brought a square graphite stick for writing. The stick was wrapped tightly in spirals of string to keep it from smudging her hand, and she unwrapped two more spirals to free up more of the tip to write with. She marked the time of day based on the sun¡¯s position, then checked the angles to several prominent peaks. Gregor would be able to use that information to calculate how far they¡¯d come. If they reached Jol¡¯s Brook on time, the measurements wouldn¡¯t be necessary, but if not, the notebook would help them find their way. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A small glinting light on the southwest slope of the nearest mountain caught her attention. She retrieved her spyglass from her sled, then peered through the lens. At this distance, the structure was too small to be visible even with the glass, but Sarette had seen enough watchtowers to recognize the signs. The flashing light wasn¡¯t signal code¡ªthe attendants had simply left the main mirror pointing west, where it was now catching the mid-afternoon sun. Satisfied that she wasn¡¯t missing an important message, she returned the spyglass to its leather case, then marked the tower¡¯s position in her notes. She checked the measurements against her compass and map, then turned to face the group. ¡°I think we¡¯ve stayed on the right heading since our last stop. If so, then it¡¯s only another mile to Jol¡¯s Brook. I¡¯m not sure why Gregor isn¡¯t back yet, but I think we should continue on. If we make it a mile and haven¡¯t found the village yet, we can stop and wait for him, in case we got turned around.¡± The extra precautions probably weren¡¯t necessary. They were still near enough to the mountains to use them as guides, rather than out on the featureless prairie, but the road wasn¡¯t visible through the snow, and it was Sarette¡¯s responsibility to get the group to their destination safely. If the storm came in earlier than she was expecting, her notes might be the only way to find their next stop in the middle of a blizzard. She¡¯d worried that she was overdoing things, but Gregor hadn¡¯t shown any surprise the first time she handed him the notebook, and he¡¯d continued to ask for it each night since. She trusted that the experienced scout would warn her if she did anything wrong. ¡°Continuing sounds fine to me, if it works for everyone else,¡± Corec said. The others seemed to agree. ¡°All right,¡± Sarette said. ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡± She grabbed her sled¡¯s lead ropes and got started. They hadn¡¯t gone far before Gregor¡¯s familiar figure appeared ahead of them in the distance. They continued on until they reached him. ¡°Trouble,¡± he said in the stormborn language, then repeated the word in trade tongue as everyone gathered around him. ¡°Most of the buildings in Jol¡¯s Brook have burned down. I saw bodies laying in the streets.¡± The others exchanged glances. ¡°Do they need help?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t get close. Everyone I saw walking around town was wearing armor and carrying a weapon. They looked like soldiers, not locals. If there¡¯s anyone left from the village, I didn¡¯t see them.¡± ¡°Soldiers?¡± Corec asked. ¡°From where?¡± ¡°There are always little wars going on between the towns on the plains.¡± ¡°But why attack Jol¡¯s Brook?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Gregor said. ¡°The village is tiny; there¡¯s not much there. Maybe someone found a coal mine nearby?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to help, right?¡± Treya asked. Sarette almost missed the slight nod Ellerie gave Corec when he glanced her way. ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± Corec said, ¡°but we don¡¯t know if the soldiers attacked the town or if they¡¯re defending it. Or if it was already like that when they got there. We may have to fight them.¡± Sarette swallowed, gripping her staff-spear tightly. ¡°And if they attacked the town, there might not be anyone left for us to help,¡± Boktar added. Treya looked away. Gregor said, ¡°It¡¯s less than a mile from here, just over the next two hills. The fires have burnt out, so there¡¯s not much smoke; otherwise, you could probably see it from here.¡± ¡°Can we scout it out better before we get there?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°We can¡¯t get close without being seen, but there¡¯s a spot on the next rise that¡¯ll give us a good view with the spyglasses.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± Corec said. While the others got ready to continue on, Gregor unpacked his crossbow and quiver from Sarette¡¯s sled, then asked, ¡°Do you want me to pull it for a while?¡± Sarette considered that. Her arms and legs felt tired and dull from the exertion. She wanted to stretch out more before they reached the village. ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± she said. The scout exchanged his skis for his snowshoes, then they got under way. As they walked south, he switched back to the stormborn language. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything in front of the outsiders, but I know you¡¯re new to the High Guard,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Have you ever been in a fight before?¡± ¡°Not a real one,¡± she replied. He grunted. ¡°The academy¡¯s too light on practical experience for the cadets. A year isn¡¯t long enough.¡± ¡°I was never a cadet. They said my stormrunner training was enough.¡± ¡°You never even went through the training the cadets get?¡± He motioned to her staff-spear. ¡°Do you know how to use that thing?¡± She realized what he was getting at, and hid a smile¡ªit wasn¡¯t the thought of using the weapon that was making her nervous. ¡°Four years of stormrunner training.¡± Gregor stopped and stared at her, before shaking his head and moving forward again. ¡°Four years?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a stormrunner fight before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve hardly ever seen a stormrunner at all. I know they used to be warriors, but they¡¯re all old. I didn¡¯t know what the training was like.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a younger one now. Sort of.¡± ¡°But not you?¡± ¡°No, but we learn how to fight on the ground, too. I know what to do, I just don¡¯t know if I can do it when it¡¯s real.¡± It was almost a relief to tell him that, just so that someone in the group knew. ¡°Time will tell,¡± Gregor said. ¡°My first time, I dropped my bow, then stepped on it and broke it when I tried to pick it up.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Captain put me on latrine duty for a month. I made sure it didn¡¯t happen the next time.¡± Sarette laughed. The exchanged had calmed her nerves. Somewhat. Soon, they reached the hilltop that overlooked Jol¡¯s Brook. Sarette crouched low and took out her spyglass again, peering toward the remains of the village. Beside her, Gregor did the same, while the rest of the group remained below the rise so they wouldn¡¯t be spotted. Sarette had never been to Jol¡¯s Brook before, but the village was a sad sight. Only a few buildings remained standing. Most were just piles of ash and charred wood. Bodies lay in the mud and slush of the well-trampled streets, and the few figures roaming around town weren¡¯t making any effort to clean them up. She focused on the moving figures. They all carried weapons of one sort or another, and wore the same style of brigandine armor. ¡°They look odd,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re moving strangely.¡± ¡°Can I see?¡± Corec asked from behind her. She moved back down the hill and handed him the spyglass. He took her place, looking toward the village without a word. When he returned, his face was solemn. He handed the spyglass to Boktar. The stoneborn man took a look, then cursed. ¡°Bloody hell. The red-eyes.¡± ¡°You know who they are?¡± Gregor asked. ¡°No, but we¡¯ve run into them before,¡± Corec said. ¡°Or at least we¡¯ve run into people wearing the same armor. If it¡¯s the red-eyes, we won¡¯t be able to talk to them. There¡¯s something wrong with them.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°All they did was attack. They never spoke, and they wouldn¡¯t surrender.¡± ¡°What are they doing way out here?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°The free lands, Circle Bay, and now the Storm Heights,¡± Corec said. ¡°They get around. Maybe this group isn¡¯t affected, and can tell us what happened to the others.¡± Boktar said, ¡°If they killed those people, I doubt they¡¯ll have much to say that we want to listen to.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t see too many of them. Let¡¯s leave the sleds here and head down. Boktar and I will take the lead. Katrin, Bobo, do you want to stay here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Katrin said. Bobo sighed. ¡°I¡¯d better come, too.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Sarette said, and removed her gambeson, then retrieved her chainmail from her sled, where she¡¯d left it in a tightly rolled bundle. Unrolling it, she draped it back over her body, feeling the comfortingly familiar weight settle on her shoulders. After fastening the straps which kept it tight around her body, she put the gambeson back on over it, and buckled it closed. Then she drew on a pair of light, chain mesh gloves, meant to keep her hands safe if an opponent¡¯s weapon slid along the shaft of her staff-spear. While she was doing that, Treya took off her coat and snowshoes. Gregor braced his crossbow against his hip and used a goat¡¯s-foot lever to cock it before loading a bolt. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± the scout said, looking up at the rest of the group. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Corec said. They proceeded down the hill, Corec and Boktar out in front. Sarette and Treya were right behind them. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing any armor!¡± Sarette protested to the other woman. ¡°I can¡¯t fight in armor. Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± When they neared the village, Boktar unslung his warhammer from his belt, and Corec detached his scabbard, tossing it to the side after drawing his blade. Sarette took a deep breath and grasped her staff-spear in both hands, her right hand down near the bottom of the shaft and her left hand halfway up toward the blade. The men wandering through the village didn¡¯t take any notice them until they¡¯d reached the edge of town. Then, the nearest saw them and snarled loudly. His compatriots gathered in a group and drew their weapons. One stared at Sarette and growled, a red light glowing in his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re red-eyes, all right!¡± Corec shouted back to the rest of the group. The six nearest red-eyed men ran at them, and Corec and Boktar jogged forward awkwardly as the deeper snow gave way to slush and mud. In the distance, three more of the armored soldiers approached the battle, ignoring the bodies they were stepping over. Sarette froze. She knew what she needed to do, but she couldn¡¯t make her feet move forward. Her training had always been one-on-one, and well controlled, and the sudden burst of chaos was overwhelming. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Treya running past her toward the melee. Sarette wanted to join her, but she couldn¡¯t figure out where to begin. Corec was directly ahead of her, but just as she started in that direction, he drew his huge sword back to swing. She doubted he was aware of how close she was, so she looked around to find some other way to help. The spot where they¡¯d stopped was bracketed by two of the only four buildings which still stood intact. Suddenly, the doors on both sides opened and more of the soldiers came streaming out. ¡°Trap!¡± Boktar shouted, slamming his shield against one of the men hard enough to knock him down. Before she realized it, Sarette was surrounded, along with Treya, Corec, and Boktar. There had to be over twenty of the red-eyed men circling them. One of them rushed at her. She let her training take over, parrying his arming sword to the side, then charging her staff-spear with lightning and touching it to his brigandine. The armor had too much cloth padding for the attack to kill him, but as the flash of blue light hit him, he let out a high-pitched squeal and fell forward, collapsing to all fours. His helmet didn¡¯t cover the back of his neck, so she grasped her spear in both hands and plunged it down as hard as she could. He fell on his face, twitching. Then he stopped moving. Sarette pulled the blade out and stared down at the body. She froze again, suddenly wondering if he¡¯d had a family. A weight slammed into her back, and she went sprawling onto the dead man. Wincing in pain, she managed to roll over and look up, finding one of the red-eyes standing above her with a longsword. He was eerily silent as he prepared to strike another blow. Then a beam of white light hit him in the back of the head and he collapsed, still without ever making a sound. Sarette caught a glimpse of Ellerie aiming a hand in her direction before the swirling combatants blocked her from sight again. Sarette braced her staff-spear against the ground and forced herself to her feet. She doubted the sword had penetrated her gambeson, much less her chainmail, but the impact had somehow been more painful than anything she¡¯d experienced in her years of training. She charged her staff-spear again, but knew she wouldn¡¯t have the power to do it a third time. Fighting through the pain would be difficult, and once she¡¯d discharged her weapon, she¡¯d be at a disadvantage. Then, two more men charged at her, and there was no more time to think, only to react. Book 2: Chapter Seventeen Corec¡¯s shield spell flared out as one of the red-eyes got a horseman¡¯s pick past his sword. Corec stepped back and angled himself to the side to present a smaller target. The pick, which looked like an elongated version of Boktar¡¯s warhammer, was slow and unwieldy, but it was designed to fight men in heavy armor. If the red-eye got in a lucky shot, the pick could get caught in a gap between Corec¡¯s armor, effectively immobilizing him. Worse, if the man managed to hit him hard enough, it could penetrate the plating itself. Luckily, just like the red-eyes who carried shields, this man didn¡¯t seem to understand how to effectively use his own equipment. Corec blocked the next blow, then drew his sword back, preparing to strike. As he did so, he felt an unfamiliar shifting in his mind, a sensation he¡¯d come to recognize as a new spell. A faint blue glow appeared, lining the blade of his new sword¡ªthe same color blue as his warden runes. With the red-eye¡¯s weapon still out of position, Corec swung down diagonally at the man¡¯s neck, which wasn¡¯t covered by the armor. He missed his target, but it didn¡¯t matter. The sword bit deeply into the man¡¯s shoulder, through the lighter layer of the brigandine there. The red-eye dropped his weapon and fell to his knees, blood gushing over the tiny metal plates that covered the armor. Ignoring him, Corec saw another opponent to his left. After checking that none of his friends were nearby, he swung the glowing greatsword in a wide arc, aiming at the new target. The blade hit the man¡¯s torso, again biting into the armor. Was the blue glow similar to Venni¡¯s sword-strengthening spell? Before, even with Corec¡¯s strength spell, a slash like that would have been deflected by the armor¡ªonly a good thrust would have worked, with the tip of the blade finding its way between small metal plates. Corec had been trying to teach himself the spell ever since Venni had told him about it, but he¡¯d never managed to cast it before. He¡¯d begun to sympathize with Ellerie having to spend hours each day studying spells in her spell book. The second man had been hit too badly to recover, but the first was attempting to stand up. Corec punched the red-eye in the face with a gauntleted fist, and when he fell to the ground, stomped on his back, pushing him into the slush. Whirling the sword around, he stabbed down, killing the man. There was a clanging sound, and Corec felt a light impact on his left side, even through all the layers of armor. He looked over to find another red-eye, this one armed with a flanged mace and a shield. Whirling around, he took the man through the neck, beheading him. Behind him, he found Sarette struggling to defend herself from three of the men, and rushed to help her. Just as he did, though, the glow faded from his sword. Very well. Fighting the red-eyes would have been easier if he could cut through their armor, but he¡¯d fought them before without that, and he could do it again. # Shavala closed her eyes. There were too many people moving around to get a good aim if she tried to use both her vision and her elder senses at the same time. Reaching out and concentrating, she felt the distance between herself and the enemy; she felt the speed of the wind coming down from the mountains; she felt the chill in the air that would slow down her shot. She nocked an arrow, but bided her time¡ªthe red-eyed men had surrounded her friends, and if her target moved at the last moment, she might hit the wrong person. She waited for the right time. From experience, she knew her arrows would bounce off the men¡¯s armor, and the pull of her bow wasn¡¯t strong enough to penetrate bone unless she got lucky. The only good hits were to an eye, the throat, or the neck. Or a leg, since their armor didn¡¯t extend all the way down, but hitting a leg wouldn¡¯t take them out of the fight. There was a sharp clacking sound to her right as Gregor loosed a crossbow bolt, then he cursed in the stormborn language. Shavala opened her eyes to see the bolt sticking out of a red-eye¡¯s back. It had gone through the armor but only penetrated an inch or two into the man¡¯s body. The red-eye moved stiffly, but still stood, ignoring the injury. ¡°The legs,¡± Shavala said, ¡°but be careful.¡± The crossbow was strong enough to break through a man¡¯s skull, but she wasn¡¯t sure if Gregor was good enough to pull off a headshot, and she didn¡¯t want to suggest it while her friends were in the middle of the melee. He nodded but didn¡¯t reply, grabbing a metal claw-like device from his belt to cock his crossbow again. Shavala turned her attention back to the fight, and saw one of the red-eyed men far enough away from the others that she could risk a shot. He was facing to the side, so she quickly took aim at his neck and fired, then fired again before the first arrow reached its target. Her shots were a few inches low and to the left, so she closed her eyes and adjusted her aim with just her elder senses. Her third arrow ricocheted off the metal cap he wore, and the fourth hit him just below his right ear. He swayed, then fell to the ground. Shavala looked for another target, but found more than she wanted¡ªfive men had broken off from the main skirmish and were coming straight at them. Katrin lifted her flute to her lips and played, while Bobo stepped in front of her, clutching his cudgel with white knuckles. Ellerie whispered indistinct words, and launched three darts of light at the man in the lead. The red-eye paused but didn¡¯t fall, so she cast the same spell again, killing him. Gregor shot at the next man¡¯s leg. He hit, and his target collapsed to the ground, but continued crawling toward them. Katrin stopped playing. ¡°It¡¯s not working!¡± she exclaimed. Shavala glanced up at the sky, but there wasn¡¯t enough cloud cover to be of any help, so she handed her bow to Katrin and stepped in front of the group. Old Arvillin had once told her that fire was the most difficult to control out of all the elements, but Shavala had never found that to be the case. Fire was the only magic she used on a daily basis, even if it was usually limited to lighting the campfire. She¡¯d only used it as a weapon once before, but she was stronger now than she had been then. Holding her palms out, facing forward, she summoned flames, calling more than she¡¯d ever called in her life. The air directly in front of her caught fire, billowing out to catch the three red-eyes who still stood. Gregor cursed in surprise, stumbling backward and falling down as he stared at the conflagration. Shavala ignored him, keeping her attention on her opponents. Two of the red-eyes died soundlessly, burning and falling to the ground. The third screamed and tried to run to Shavala¡¯s left. She followed him with her hand, redirecting the stream of flame until he, too, collapsed and stopped moving. Ellerie drew her rapier and made quick work of the man Gregor had shot. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that,¡± she murmured. Shavala just sighed, staring down at the dead men. It seemed like such a waste. ¡°We¡¯d better help the others.¡± # Treya dodged out of the way of the red-eye¡¯s sword, then dashed in and punched his nose as hard she could, her fist blazing with white light. His head rocked back, and he stood stunned while she moved to the side and struck at a sensitive spot at the base of his skull, behind his ear. He dropped, but before she could find another target, there was a sharp, stinging pain in her left arm. The arm flopped uselessly at her side, bleeding on her tunic, but she channeled healing magic to it even as she spun around to find the swordsman behind her. He brought his sword back to swing again, but she¡¯d finished the healing and rushed at him. Rather than waste time lining up a shot at his head, she hit him directly in the armor instead, and then again and again. She continued hitting his chest, pushing him back, and when he tried to swing, she caught his sword arm in her hands and forced it down against her knee, cracking the bone. He didn¡¯t cry out¡ªthe red-eyes almost never did¡ªbut he dropped his weapon. She gave him one last punch to the jaw, knocking him out. Stopping to catch her breath, she looked around at the battlefield. Over half of the red-eyes were down, and the rest were already engaged. Then she saw two more approaching from the other side of the village. She squared her shoulders and ran toward them, but stopped suddenly. She knew them. They were dirty and gaunt, but still recognizable. One had brown hair and a missing front tooth; the other had long blond hair and a bushy beard. All of the red-eyes had gone without shaving for weeks, but this one¡¯s beard was longer than the others¡¯, and even more unkempt than the last time Treya had seen it. Focusing her strength and thrusting her hands out toward them, she yelled, ¡°Stop!¡± A white burst of light washed over the entire village as her shouted echoed and reverberated, growing louder before it faded out. Every red-eye that was still standing fell to the ground, unable to move. Corec had swung just as his opponent collapsed, and he stumbled as the blade passed through empty air. He caught his balance and looked over at her. ¡°Was that you?¡± he asked. ¡°We need to tie them up before they get loose!¡± she said. ¡°I know these two. I want to try to talk to them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the rope,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Sarette, could you help me? No, wait, you¡¯d better not try to move. Gregor?¡± Sarette was barely standing, propping herself up with her staff-spear. Treya quickly healed the stormborn woman, her healing senses finding cracked ribs, a broken shoulder blade, and contusions running across her upper back and left arm. The healing only took a moment. ¡°Thank you,¡± Sarette said, working her arm, then stretching it out. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt anything like that. I¡¯ve only visited a healer for a sore tooth before.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope you never need it again,¡± Treya replied. While the others were fetching the rope, Corec checked each of the red-eyed men. ¡°I think you knocked out eight of them, including your two,¡± he said to Treya. ¡°There are a few more that are injured but still alive. You¡¯ve met these two before?¡± ¡°Briefly. They¡¯re mercenaries, but they weren¡¯t like this then. Something changed them.¡± Katrin had grabbed several lengths of rope from Boktar and brought them over. Together, she and Treya tied up the two men. Once their feet were bound together and their arms tied behind them, Corec dragged them over to lean up against the last remaining wall of one of the burned-out buildings. Treya knelt in the snow beside the two men, laying a palm across each of their greasy foreheads. Unlike the imps, the men had fallen unconscious, so at least she didn¡¯t have to look into their disturbing red eyes while she worked. Extending her healing senses, she found an oily black aura coating their minds. It wasn¡¯t a physical injury that could be healed, but it was the source of the wrongness she¡¯d felt from the red-eyes in the past. Corec asked, ¡°Do you want me to wake them up so you can try to speak to them?¡± The rest of the group had gathered around, having finished binding the other attackers. Treya shivered at the thought of talking to the men in their current state. ¡°I don¡¯t think they could answer me right now. I¡¯m going to try something first. If they wake up in the middle of it, hold them still.¡± Corec nodded, and he and Boktar each braced themselves by one of the men. Treya extended her senses again and began a spell she¡¯d never tried before¡ªone she¡¯d never even thought of before, but it felt like the right thing to do. It was less like healing and more like she was back at the chapter house, scrubbing a dirty floor. She scoured the oily aura away from the men¡¯s minds until the sense of wrongness was gone. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Then she wiped her hands against her tunic and stood up, not wanting to be so close to the men when she spoke to them. Their parting hadn¡¯t been on good terms. ¡°All right,¡± she said, ¡°Corec, wake yours up, but don¡¯t untie him.¡± Corec shook the blond man awake. His eyes were clear as they darted back and forth, the red having faded back to his normal blue. ¡°Des,¡± Treya said in a cold voice. ¡°What happened?¡± he said, panicked. ¡°Where am I?¡± He struggled, then struggled more when he realized he was bound. ¡°Stop trying to move,¡± she said, standing directly in front of him. ¡°Do you remember me?¡± His eyes blinked rapidly until he managed to focus on her. ¡°You¡­the road. You hit me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do worse than that this time if you don¡¯t answer my questions. Do you know how you got here?¡± ¡°Running. I had to run a lot, even in the snow. I¡¯m so hungry!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you food if you tell me what happened. Why did you attack us?¡± ¡°He made me!¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The voice! He talks in my head and makes me do things!¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± Corec asked. Des stared at him, his eyes widening. ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the one I¡¯m supposed to kill!¡± ¡°Me?¡± Corec looked around at the rest of the group. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know! I just did what the voice told me!¡± Treya slapped the man in the face. ¡°Look at me! You were heading to Larso, right? Did you make it there?¡± Des calmed down. ¡°Yes. Arnol and me, we went to Telfort and joined up. There¡¯s a big group of us, almost two thousand.¡± ¡°Mercenaries?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Yes, a whole brigade, and we work for the prince. The real army, they don¡¯t like us. We get paid more ¡®an them.¡± ¡°How did you end up here? We¡¯re over a thousand miles away from Telfort.¡± ¡°I told you! The voice!¡± ¡°Des!¡± Treya said sharply. ¡°What happened after you joined the prince¡¯s mercenaries? Why did you leave?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t leave! Prince Rusol, he had contests and took the best squads for¡­¡± Des trailed off, squinting as he looked toward the horizon. ¡°He wanted us to do something special, he said. Double pay. I took it. Who¡¯s going to turn down double pay?¡± ¡°Then what happened?¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t remember. That¡¯s when the voice started. But there was food there, and it was warm. We stayed there for a long time. Then the voice made us run here, and it¡¯s so cold!¡± ¡°You killed the villagers,¡± Ellerie said flatly. Des¡¯s face grew shifty. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that. Maybe they were already dead. Maybe some ran away. The voice made us wait here for you.¡± Corec stood suddenly. ¡°Prince Rusol,¡± he said. ¡°Why would Prince Rusol be sending people to kill me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re from Larso,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Yes, but I can¡¯t think of any reason why he¡¯d want to kill me. I¡¯ve never even met the man.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t like magic there,¡± Boktar said. ¡°No, but hunting down mages who¡¯ve left the kingdom? They don¡¯t even kill mages in the kingdom anymore, not for centuries. They just chase them away. And this has to be magic, right?¡± Corec pointed toward the fallen red-eyes. ¡°Do you know anything about him?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Not much. I was in Telfort once or twice, but never near the palace, and he didn¡¯t join the knights. It was something of a scandal at the time. His brother joined, but I didn¡¯t meet him either. They kept him in Telfort to protect him, rather than letting him serve at the borders. Not that it did much good¡ªI heard he died a while back anyway. Rusol is the heir now.¡± ¡°Could it be something to do with your father?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back to check my mail since summer, but the last I heard, it sounded like things were fine at home. This doesn¡¯t make any sense. How can a prince of Larso be involved with magic?¡± ¡°It might be worse than that,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Treya¡¯s a priestess. If she was able to banish the spell, it may have been demonic magic.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a demon in Telfort?¡± Corec asked. He looked worried. ¡°Controlling the prince?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an expert¡ªmaybe we should ask Yelena. But you¡¯ve seen what the red-eyed men are like. If the heir to the throne was being controlled the same way, everyone around him would realize it. The demon might be working with him instead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse!¡± Corec said, pacing. ¡°What am I supposed to do about that? If the prince knows about it, I can¡¯t warn anyone.¡± ¡°I can write to the Highfell chapter house, to see if they¡¯ve heard of anything strange going on,¡± Treya said. Corec nodded. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ll write to my father to make sure things are all right with him. I can¡¯t tell him about this, though¡ªI don¡¯t know how he¡¯d react.¡± ¡°You should probably stay away from Larso in the meantime,¡± Boktar said. ¡°He can¡¯t send the whole army after you if you¡¯re way out here.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right, at least until I hear back from my father.¡± ¡°Will you untie me now?¡± Des asked, his eyes moving from person to person. ¡°Untie you?¡± Boktar said. ¡°After what you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! The voice made me!¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s true for the others,¡± Treya said, ¡°but I haven¡¯t forgotten what you did to me.¡± Des¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­I mean, we were just having fun!¡± ¡°These are the ones you told us about?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°From before we met you?¡± Treya nodded. The red-haired woman glared at Des and stepped forward, fingering the hilt of her dagger. ¡°I¡¯ve known men like him before. They never change.¡± She looked at Corec. ¡°We can¡¯t let him go, or he¡¯ll just hurt someone else.¡± Corec nodded. Des gulped. ¡°Please! I¡¯ll leave you alone! I¡¯m sorry!¡± The solution came to Treya in a flash of insight. She held off Katrin and Corec with a shake of her head, then shaped the magic in a way she¡¯d never attempted before. Des screamed in pain as a symbol burned itself onto his forehead. She waited until he stopped crying before she spoke again. ¡°Now,¡± she said, ¡°you¡¯ll never be able to hurt a woman again. If you even try it, you¡¯ll experience the same pain, and it¡¯ll grow worse each time.¡± He started sobbing again. ¡°Was that a binding spell?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I didn¡¯t bind him to anything. I just made sure he couldn¡¯t hurt any more women. As long as he doesn¡¯t, he can go about his life like normal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never knew.¡± Treya shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t give them a chance to do anything to me, but later, when I was thinking more clearly, I realized I probably wasn¡¯t the first woman they¡¯d tried it with. I should have done something more, but I don¡¯t know what that could have been. It¡¯s not like I could have dragged them back to Tyrsall on my own. This time, I knew what to do.¡± Des was still crying, but she ignored him, looking out over the unconscious red-eyes. ¡°Keep the rest of them tied up until I¡¯m finished,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m getting tired already, so I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to get to them all right now. But first, Boktar, could you wake up Des¡¯s friend here?¡± # ¡°Well? What¡¯s taking so long? Did the ambush work?¡± Yassi looked up from her scrying orb, trying to decide how to word her reply. ¡°You drew them into town and took them by surprise, but the hunters were still defeated, Your Highness.¡± After the hunters had been shown to have a weakness to Leonis and his priestly magic, Rusol had sent the last four squads away in a final attempt against the newest of the wardens. Yassi had been tracking the man as he traveled north, and learned he was heading toward the Storm Heights. The mountain range was far from Larso, but not as far as their previous attempt near Circle Bay, so Rusol had ordered the hunters to go after him. Yassi suspected it was as much to get rid of them as anything. The prince growled, but all he said was, ¡°I¡¯d hoped we¡¯d get lucky this time, but at least with the hunters dead, nobody will be able to connect them to me.¡± Yassi managed to keep her face expressionless. He¡¯d never actually asked her whether they were dead, so she hadn¡¯t been forced to tell him the truth. The warden and his bondmates had captured several of the men, and the priestess had freed one of them from demonic influence before Rusol had interrupted Yassi¡¯s viewing. She wasn¡¯t sure if the hunters would remember who was responsible for the state they were in, but if they did, it would give the wardens warning that Rusol was after them. She¡¯d have to be cautious in how she replied to his statement¡ªher bond might interpret agreement as a lie, and change her words. Luckily, he didn¡¯t wait for a response. ¡°I have some ideas on how to improve them,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯ll take time, though. I need to experiment.¡± ¡°More hunters, Your Highness?¡± she asked, not bothering to hide her distaste. This latest attempt had been a disaster. The hunters had killed half the village before she¡¯d realized what was happening and got Rusol to stop them. He¡¯d shown some remorse at first, but then decided to take advantage of the opportunity. He¡¯d ordered the men to chase the remaining villagers out of town, and then had most of them hide so he could spring his trap. ¡°If it works, the new ones will be different,¡± he said. ¡°Able to think for themselves, but completely loyal and obedient¡ªjust like you. It¡¯ll be easier to hide them amongst the other men, too. Magnus and I have been discussing it. Maybe the new warden will remain in the north long enough for us to make another attempt.¡± Yassi frowned. She despised Magnus. Of all of Rusol¡¯s bondmates, the priest of The Lady was the only one happy to be in the position he was in, claiming that a vision from his goddess had sent him to Telfort. He was willing to do anything Rusol asked in exchange for the chance to strike at the Church of Pallisur. He¡¯d been trying to convince Rusol and Marten that their plan to corrupt the Church didn¡¯t go far enough. Instead of just sending Pallisur¡¯s true priests away from the capital and using demonic influence on the unblessed ones that remained, Magnus wanted to destroy the Church entirely. Yassi didn¡¯t like the priests of Pallisur any better than Magnus did¡ªshe¡¯d spent her life in fear that they¡¯d learn of her magic¡ªbut Marten had pointed out that Larso¡¯s military might was backed by the Church. The knights answered directly to the priests, and half of the soldiers in the army were followers of Pallisur, as were half of the kingdom¡¯s citizens. A direct attack on the Church would cause a civil war. Rusol had reluctantly conceded his father¡¯s point, but Magnus still pressed. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you want to kill the new warden,¡± Yassi said. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have been responsible for the attack here.¡± She didn¡¯t mention Rikard¡¯s name, since that sometimes sent Rusol into a rage. ¡°They¡¯re all responsible! I¡¯ll find the one that killed Rikard, but we need to eliminate the rest to ensure our safety. Mages with that sort of power can¡¯t be allowed to hide among the people. Who knows what they¡¯ll do?¡± She didn¡¯t bother to argue with him. He sounded like a priest of Pallisur himself, railing against mages, but she didn¡¯t mention that out loud again, not wanting another black eye. There was a knock on the door to the study and Jasper stuck his head in. The skinny, elderly wizard had been Rusol¡¯s second bondmate, after only Yassi herself. He¡¯d been living in Westport rather than Telfort, plying his trade openly in a city where it wasn¡¯t technically against the law, though he was sometimes pelted with eggs or tomatoes. He¡¯d been both pleased and honored when the prince himself had offered him a position¡­right up until he¡¯d discovered what that truly meant. Yassi still couldn¡¯t forget the look of betrayal the old man had given her as the bond had taken hold. ¡°Your Highness,¡± Jasper said, ¡°Samir has returned and wishes to speak with you.¡± ¡°That was fast,¡± Rusol said. ¡°Send him in.¡± Yassi glared at her brother while he and the prince greeted each other. She might not be able to tell him the truth about Rusol¡¯s warden bond, but how could he not have figured it out on his own yet? Whenever they spoke, he just listened to the simple answers she was allowed to give him, and he never once questioned how little she said, or how much she¡¯d changed. Why couldn¡¯t he figure out she needed his help? ¡°Did you reach Blue Vale?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°I did,¡± Samir replied. ¡°I took three horses and switched off, made good time.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I thought Leonis was about to kill me when I called him a warden, but he got interested when I said you wanted to speak to him.¡± ¡°You told him I was a warden?¡± ¡°Yes. He was almost friendly after that. He wants to meet you. He suggested Fort Northtower as a middle ground.¡± ¡°Northtower? He¡¯s willing to meet in my territory?¡± Samir hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not sure he considers Fort Northtower to be your territory, Rus. He calls himself the High Priest of Pallisur. He sounded very familiar with the fort.¡± Rusol began pacing. ¡°High Priest? What about Cardinal Aldrich?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, but I got the idea he doesn¡¯t think very highly of the priests here.¡± ¡°Neither do I, but Larso has been the home of the Church ever since Telfort was founded. I don¡¯t like the thought of another branch believing they take precedence.¡± Yassi spoke up. ¡°Cardinal Aldrich isn¡¯t blessed by Pallisur, is he?¡± Rusol¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You think the blessed priests are gathering together under Leonis¡¯s banner? Could they have realized what Father¡¯s doing to the Church here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get that impression from him,¡± Samir said. ¡°He introduced me to a few other priests, but only a few. There are five or six normal-sized church buildings scattered around the city, but no grand temples.¡± ¡°No, of course,¡± Rusol said. ¡°And we haven¡¯t received any reports of the blessed priests abandoning their posts. They grumble about being sent away from Telfort, but they¡¯re still doing their duty. It¡¯s got to just be a separate branch up north¡ªone that doesn¡¯t take direction from the cardinal. I almost want to tell Aldrich that, just to see his face. Well, High Priest or not, Fort Northtower is still part of Larso, and Leonis would do well to remember that. When is the meeting supposed to take place?¡± ¡°He was planning to leave Blue Vale a week after I did. If he travels light, he might be at Northtower already.¡± Rusol frowned. ¡°It¡¯ll take my carriage at least a week to get there, and that¡¯s if fresh horses are available at every stop. You¡¯ll come with me. Yassi, you too, so go pack. And one more. It can¡¯t be Magnus, so maybe Kolvi. But we¡¯ll leave her outside the town¡ªshe¡¯s not good at hiding who she is. I don¡¯t know how Leonis squares being both a warden and a follower of Pallisur, so I¡¯m not sure how he¡¯ll react to other mages.¡± Dismissed, Yassi left the room to find Jasper in the corridor. ¡°You¡¯re going with them?¡± the old wizard asked as he fell in beside her. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And Samir?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going, too.¡± ¡°Can you talk to him?¡± Even when they were speaking with each other, the bond limited what they could say. ¡°I¡¯ve tried!¡± she said. ¡°For years. I don¡¯t know what else I can say to him.¡± Jasper sighed. ¡°Then maybe talking isn¡¯t the answer. Show him.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t spent any length of time with him since you were bonded, right?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve lived in the palace since then.¡± ¡°This trip will give you weeks together, and you¡¯ll be away from the guards. Show him what your life is like now. Show him¡­¡± Jasper grunted, unable to complete the sentence. Yassi nodded, understanding his intent. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± They turned a corner and almost ran into Queen Merise, who stood in the middle of the hall, still wearing a dressing gown. She was staring at a portrait of Prince Rikard. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Yassi said. ¡°Oh, hello there, dear,¡± the queen said with a smile. ¡°Have you seen my son? He hasn¡¯t been around all day.¡± Yassi shot a worried glance toward Jasper, but he just shrugged. The queen had been unwell ever since Rikard died, but lately, she¡¯d been growing worse. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen him, Your Majesty. Has Shara given you your medicine yet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that medicine. It makes me so tired.¡± ¡°Come with me, Your Majesty. I know where she keeps it.¡± Yassi took the queen¡¯s elbow. ¡°But I wanted to talk to Rikard first.¡± Merice pointed to the portrait. ¡°Look, there he is now. Through the window.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a painting, Your Majesty. Let¡¯s go take your medicine, and you¡¯ll feel better.¡± ¡°Oh, very well, if you insist,¡± the queen said. ¡°You know, I was so happy to see you and Rusol get together.¡± Yassi had to hide a shudder of revulsion. ¡°I wish Rikard would meet a nice girl. You don¡¯t have a sister, do you?¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t.¡± Book 2: Chapter Eighteen ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± said Cenric, a bulky, brown-haired man who¡¯d become the spokesman for the former red-eyes. He spoke in a dull, tired tone. He and his remaining men had spent the entire morning building two massive funeral pyres, one for the red-eyes who¡¯d died and another, larger one for the villagers. Corec looked up from where he¡¯d been conferring with Sarette. ¡°Then line everyone up. I want to speak to them.¡± Cenric trudged back to where the others were standing in a dispirited group, with Boktar keeping a close watch over them. Shavala leaned unobtrusively against a nearby building, her bow close at hand in case anyone tried running. Cenric had held the rank of sergeant in the mercenary army, and was the only squad leader to have survived the previous day¡¯s attack. Of the twenty-eight red-eyes who¡¯d come after them, only eight still lived. Treya had used the last of her strength the previous night banishing whatever magic had been controlling the ten men who¡¯d made it through the fight, but she¡¯d passed out before she could heal the four who¡¯d been wounded. Two had died of their injuries overnight, and she¡¯d healed the other two once she¡¯d woken up. While Corec waited for them, he turned back to Sarette. ¡°How bad is the storm tomorrow going to be? Will we be able to keep traveling?¡± ¡°At least for the next day or two. I¡¯m not sure what will happen after that.¡± ¡°When will it start?¡± ¡°Around noon, I think. I¡¯ll know better tomorrow.¡± The former red-eyes gathered in a rough semblance of a line, Cenric at one end, and Des and Arnol at the other. Nobody had told the other red-eyes what the scars burned into the two men¡¯s foreheads meant, but they gave them a wide berth anyway. ¡°We¡¯re setting you loose,¡± Corec told them, channeling the gruff tone that Armsmaster Javin had always used back at Fort Hightower. ¡°We¡¯ll give you two days of food, and you can have your armor back¡ªit¡¯s got enough padding that you won¡¯t freeze to death. But we want you gone immediately. You can keep your own coin pouches; you¡¯ve all got enough money to get wherever you¡¯re going.¡± ¡°What about our weapons?¡± one man asked. ¡°You¡¯re not getting your weapons back after what you did here. You can have your belt knives, I suppose.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to do it!¡± another man protested. ¡°The voice made us!¡± They¡¯d all given the same story as Des, about a voice forcing them to do things. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m letting you live, and why I¡¯m letting you go. Don¡¯t push your luck or you¡¯ll end up like the rest of your friends.¡± Corec had no way of knowing what sort of men they were, other than what Treya had told him about Des and Arnol, but he had no intention of arming a full squad of mercenaries and setting them loose to prey on the small villages that lined the foothills. He waited for the men to quiet down, then continued talking. ¡°How many of you are from around here? From anywhere in the plains?¡± He knew Des and Arnol were. Two other men raised their hands as well. Corec doubted Treya would want to say farewell to the men she knew, so he said, ¡°You four, get going. Head west and don¡¯t come back. There¡¯s a storm coming in tomorrow, so you¡¯ll want to be well clear of this place.¡± He pointed to Katrin and Ellerie, who were standing nearby with a pile of equipment. ¡°These two women have the armor and food we¡¯re allowing you to take. Don¡¯t give them any trouble or you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°What about them?¡± Arnol asked, pointing to the remaining men. ¡°They¡¯re not your concern. Go.¡± Corec waited while the four plainsmen gathered up their belongings and started out northwest, arguing about heading to some larger town they were familiar with. Before they were even out of earshot, one man had split away from the others to head due west instead. Once they were gone, Corec turned back to the others. ¡°Where are the rest of you from?¡± It turned out Cenric was Larsonian, two of the others were hillfolk, and the last was from Tyrsall. ¡°All right,¡± Corec said. ¡°You four, head south along the foothills. You¡¯ll eventually reach the Mountain Road, and that leads straight to Tyrsall. Or, after you¡¯re south of the mountains, the snow won¡¯t be so bad and you can cut southwest across the countryside to the Trade Road, and go west from there.¡± There was no guarantee the men wouldn¡¯t meet up together once they were out of sight, but by not giving the second group a chance to discuss it with the first, Corec hoped it wouldn¡¯t occur to them. Even without weapons, eight men together could be dangerous. He¡¯d divided them up and left them their own coin pouches on purpose¡ªif they could buy supplies, hopefully they wouldn¡¯t turn to theft or violence. ¡°Please don¡¯t make me go with them!¡± the man from Tyrsall protested, his voice cracking. He was barely a man, Corec realized. Underneath the wispy whiskers, he couldn¡¯t have been older than sixteen. ¡°Why not?¡± Corec asked. ¡°You¡¯ve got the easiest trip, right back to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! Not after what we¡­ I never wanted to join up in the first place, but my brother said we had to after Pa died. Please, don¡¯t make me go with them!¡± The two hillfolk looked at the boy with disdain. Corec sighed. One of the solutions he¡¯d discussed with Ellerie, Sarette, and Boktar during the night had been to hold the former red-eyes as prisoners until they could find some sort of authority to turn them over to, but they¡¯d decided it was too dangerous to keep that many men around. Still, one person was easier to watch over than eight. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Nedley.¡± ¡°Nedley, you can stay for now, as long as you make yourself useful. You do what Boktar tells you, and I don¡¯t want to hear any complaining.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the boy said, making an awkward salute as he tried to face Corec and Boktar at the same time. ¡°I guess you¡¯re my problem to deal with now,¡± Boktar told the boy. ¡°Let¡¯s go light those pyres so we can head out.¡± He strode off, and Nedley hurried to catch up. Corec shrugged at Cenric. ¡°I guess there¡¯ll be three of you. We¡¯ll take care of him. You know where you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a map of these parts before. I should be able to find the Mountain Road.¡± ¡°If you go back to Larso, stay away from Telfort. Treya thinks you¡¯ll be safe from the magic¡ªthe voice¡ªas long as you don¡¯t get too close to whoever cast the spell in the first place.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to go anywhere near that bastard prince after what he did to me,¡± Cenric said coldly. ¡°My wife and sister are in Highfell. I¡¯ll get them and then turn right around and head back to the free lands.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Good luck.¡± The three former red-eyes stalked off, leaving Corec alone with Sarette. ¡°That still leaves enough food for us to get to the ruins and back, right?¡± he asked. She was quiet for the moment as she did the math in her head. ¡°Yes. Enough to get there, spend some time, then get back to Elmsford to restock, plus a few extra days as a buffer.¡± She changed the subject. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll work, splitting them up like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best I can think of to make sure they don¡¯t cause any trouble, without dragging them back to the High Guard as prisoners. Would your people even take them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They didn¡¯t commit their crimes in the Heights.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what sort of crime they committed at all if the spell forced them to do it. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to kill them for that¡ªthey¡¯re victims, too. But I hope Treya¡¯s right, and that it can¡¯t take control of them again.¡± The men had all professed remorse over the things they¡¯d done, but Corec had no way to tell if any of them were lying. He¡¯d made them build the funeral pyres to reinforce any regret they felt. ¡°I wasn¡¯t much help yesterday,¡± Sarette said. ¡°You mean during the fight? You did fine. It wasn¡¯t your fault you got hurt.¡± ¡°Yes, it was. I froze, and I got hit.¡± ¡°You must have taken out, what, three of them by yourself?¡± ¡°Two. You helped me with the third. I could do better if you bonded me.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Corec finally realized where she¡¯d been leading the conversation. ¡°Even now that you know someone is trying to kill me?¡± ¡°You won the fight.¡± ¡°With a lot of help, including you.¡± ¡°I could help more if I was a stormrunner.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise that it¡¯ll help you with that.¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯m willing to take the risk.¡± ¡°And remember our deal¡ªyou¡¯d need to stay with us until we figure out what we¡¯re doing. After that, we¡¯ll have a better idea of how much time you¡¯ll need to spend with us. It¡¯ll depend on what sort of jobs we look for.¡± ¡°Even if I can only be here part of the time, I¡¯d still be of more use than I am now. And I¡¯ve been talking to the girls¡ªI think I¡¯d like to travel, and see other places besides the mountains.¡± She waited, staring at him with an earnest look on her face, but before he could respond, Gregor returned, and everyone gathered around. ¡°I followed the path the villagers took up into the mountains,¡± the scout said. ¡°It¡¯s like those red-eyed soldiers told us¡ªa lot of the people escaped.¡± ¡°Can we send them a messenger?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°To let them know it¡¯s safe to come back?¡± The few buildings that remained in the burned-out village weren¡¯t much to come back to, but they¡¯d be better than wandering around the mountains in the winter. ¡°They¡¯re following the same path we¡¯ll be taking,¡± Gregor said. ¡°The snow¡¯s deep and there are children with them, so we¡¯ll likely catch up.¡± Corec breathed a sigh of relief knowing that some of the village¡¯s children had survived. That was the other reason he¡¯d made the former red-eyes build the funeral pyres¡ªhe couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at the bodies any more than he had to. ¡°Then as soon as we¡¯re sure the pyres have burned down, we¡¯ll head out,¡± he said. Gregor scowled when he saw Boktar and Nedley return from their task. ¡°We¡¯ve picked up a new recruit? I thought you were going to send them away.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a boy,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯ll keep him under control, or send him on his way.¡± The scout shook his head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll help them pack the sleds.¡± He intercepted Boktar and the former red-eye, and the three men went into the building where the group had spent the night. Bobo was already inside, continuing his work on Ellerie¡¯s book, so Corec was left alone with the women. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± he asked Sarette. ¡°Whatever happens, it¡¯ll take time. It won¡¯t do anything right away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Treya about what it was like for her. But I trained as a stormrunner for years¡ªI know what to do, I¡¯m just not strong enough to do it.¡± Corec looked around at the others, but no one raised any objections. Katrin and Shavala shrugged, leaving the decision up to him, while Ellerie and Treya gave him slight nods. ¡°Then let me see if I can figure this out,¡± he said, closing his eyes and concentrating. He¡¯d never actually tried to cast the spell on purpose before, but Yelena had made him practice it over and over again. His other spells seemed to happen almost on their own, without any thought put into them, but this one required effort. It was something like tying together intricate knots using thread that only existed in his imagination. He followed the steps in his mind, and felt the familiar shifting that suggested he¡¯d finished casting a spell, but his arm didn¡¯t start itching. He thought he¡¯d failed, but when he opened his eyes, there were faint blue lights moving around on Sarette¡¯s brow, under the skin. They gradually took on the shape of three jagged, diagonal lines running parallel to each other. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything,¡± she replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go get my mirror, so you can see it,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Why did it show up already?¡± she asked Corec. ¡°I think it¡¯s because I cast it the right way this time. Yelena said the itching and the delay were never supposed to be part of it.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ve skipped the worst part already,¡± Treya told Sarette. ¡°Let¡¯s find Katrin¡¯s mirror, and then I can teach you to hide the rune.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to explain this to Gregor.¡± They led her away, leaving Corec alone with Ellerie. ¡°Thank you for dealing with the red-eyes,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think they would have listened to me.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I was the one they were after, so it was my responsibility. I just don¡¯t understand why Prince Rusol would be working with a demon. There¡¯s got to be something else going on, but for now, I need to decide what to do. I¡¯ll be putting everyone in danger if I stay here.¡± ¡°If you go, then you¡¯ll have to fight the next group by yourself,¡± Ellerie pointed out. ¡°I hate to admit it, but we¡¯re stronger together. Did you see what Shavala did? And Treya¡­I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before. If we stay far away from Larso, this prince of yours can¡¯t send a group much larger than this one, and now we know Treya can stop them.¡± ¡°What if he¡¯s smarter next time, and sends archers?¡± ¡°I can only cast my arrow shield on myself, but when we get back to Snow Crown, I¡¯ll see if there are any spell books for sale. I might be able to find a version that can cover us all. Maybe you can learn it too.¡± Corec nodded. It was a good idea. ¡°Well, I suppose we should help the others finish packing.¡± The two of them walked back in almost-companionable silence. # Leena pressed on through the underbrush, following the nearly silent elves. When Dalanis, the leader of the scouts, had said she¡¯d learn more at their camp, she¡¯d assumed it was no more than a few hours away. That had been seven days ago, and they were still traveling east. She was supposed to be going south. Were they spiriting her away, as the old stories suggested? She had a hard time believing that¡ªthey weren¡¯t as scary in person as they¡¯d been in the tales she¡¯d heard as a child. More than anything, they seemed embarrassed about not being able to speak to her in a language she could understand. She could simply Travel elsewhere, of course, but she had no way to tell them that. They didn¡¯t know enough of the trade tongue to discuss anything more than simple concepts. On their first day together, she¡¯d collapsed from exhaustion after only a few hours of brisk hiking through the forest, but she hadn¡¯t been able to explain why. Dalanis had understood the word magic, but he seemed to think someone else had done something to her. They¡¯d been concerned, and had gone at an easier pace the next day, but it hadn¡¯t been necessary. Without the fatigue that came from Seeking and Traveling, she¡¯d been able to keep up with them easily. Or, at least, she could keep up when the ground was flat and the way was clear. The elves seemed to be picking their path at random, and they were just as likely to scramble up a brush-covered hill as they were to take an established game trail. Each day, Leena had talked to Dalanis about letting her go south instead, preferably on her own, but he was insistent that she come back to their camp first. ¡°How much farther is it?¡± she asked him once again. ¡°Short,¡± he replied, but this time he added, ¡°Much short.¡± That was new. Perhaps they were finally getting close. And then, without any warning, they were there. The small but bustling village of wooden huts and log cabins wasn¡¯t what Leena had been expecting as a camp, but this was obviously the place Dalanis had been looking for. The scouts split away from the group one by one, calling out greetings to others in the camp, and soon only Dalanis was left. The elven onlookers watched Leena curiously, but without surprise, as if outsiders were a common sight. Dalanis waved to catch someone¡¯s attention. A moment later, another elven man approached. This one was older, with graying hair, but he wore an outfit similar to the scouts. He spoke to Dalanis in Elven before turning to Leena with a smile. ¡°Welcome to Terril Forest and the western border camp, Leena,¡± he said in trade tongue. ¡°My name is Gylvaren. Dalanis tells me he found you in the dragon¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I was told it would be safe.¡± ¡°Yes, the dragon is becoming a problem. You managed to make it quite far inside its territory, so perhaps you would have remained unnoticed, but it¡¯s best to be safe.¡± ¡°Are you the human talker?¡± Gylvaren laughed. ¡°I apologize. With the dragon roaming so near the forest, our rangers have been spread thin, and we haven¡¯t been able to include translators in every patrol. I speak several human languages. Not Sanvari, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°You know my people?¡± she asked. ¡°When I was young, I spent four years outside the forest on my travels. I didn¡¯t stay long in Sanvar, though¡ªI couldn¡¯t get used to the heat. But the food was¡­interesting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way home. I¡¯ve been trying to explain that I need to go south, but Dalanis insisted I come here instead.¡± Gylvaren spoke to Dalanis in Elven again before turning back to her. ¡°He wanted to provide you with directions away from the dragon. He couldn¡¯t leave his patrol area, but he didn¡¯t feel he could adequately describe a safe route through the forest for you to travel on your own. He brought you here because there¡¯s a road you can follow. It leads down to the southwest border camp, and then on to South Corner.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, then turned to Dalanis. ¡°Thank you.¡± He¡¯d mentioned the word road several times, but she hadn¡¯t understood what he meant. He nodded, grinning back at her. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay here for the night,¡± Gylvaren said. ¡°Do you need anything before you go?¡± ¡°I was planning to resupply in South Corner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still a long way from here, perhaps ten days if you make good time. Are you certain you¡¯ll have enough food?¡± ¡°I can go faster. I¡¯m a Traveler.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± he said, tilting his head to the side. It was obvious he didn¡¯t understand the emphasis she¡¯d used. ¡°I can teleport.¡± ¡°I do not know this word,¡± Gylvaren said. That made sense. The word teleport was Zidari in origin, and trade tongue didn¡¯t have a translation for it. Probably no trader had ever had need for one. ¡°It¡¯s magic,¡± she said. ¡°It lets me travel a long distance in an instant. That¡¯s how I ended up in the dragon¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that before. I didn¡¯t realize you were a mage.¡± He said something to Dalanis, who also seemed surprised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I tried to describe it, but I couldn¡¯t find the right words.¡± ¡°And this magic will let you reach South Corner quickly?¡± ¡°Yes. I can show you if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Leena Traveled. In the instant of blackness during her teleport, she realized she¡¯d made a mistake. She¡¯d only planned to move a few feet to demonstrate the skill, so she hadn¡¯t sought out a safe place first, but she¡¯d become so used to Seeking a target before Traveling, she hadn¡¯t bothered to fix a firm location in her mind. She ended up five feet above the steep, thatched roof of a cottage. She landed with a thump, but the thatching held together and she rolled down the roof. She hit the ground face-first with a louder thump, barely managing to get her arms out in time to break her fall. She lay there for a moment, trying to get her thoughts in order, then slowly climbed to her feet. Her left arm gave a jolt of pain when she used it to push herself up, and her whole body ached, but she managed to stand. Luckily, no one had seen her fall¡ªshe¡¯d ended up in an alley. She trudged to the street, then stared in surprise. This wasn¡¯t part of the elven camp. It was a human town, and a big one at that, judging by how busy it was. A few buildings to the south, the street intersected with another, even larger one, full of people walking, riding, or driving wagons. There was no sign of the forest anywhere. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said in trade tongue to an elderly woman who was walking past, carrying a bucket of water from a communal well, ¡°could you tell me what town this is?¡± The woman gave her an odd look. ¡°It¡¯s South Corner, of course,¡± she said, before going on her way. Leena stared after her, stunned. From what she remembered from her map, South Corner must have been at least two hundred miles away from the elven border camp. She¡¯d Traveled farther before, of course, but never to somewhere she¡¯d actually wanted to go. Appearing fifteen feet above the ground was hardly something to brag about, but she¡¯d just saved herself several days of travel, making up for the time she¡¯d lost hiking through the forest. Then she took stock of herself. She¡¯d left her pack and her supplies in the elven camp, and her left arm hurt too much to move it. Her coin pouch was still safe inside her coat, at least. It might be enough to get her home¡ªshe was far enough south now that she wouldn¡¯t need as much cold weather gear. With a sigh, she looked up and down the street for a temple. Before she did anything else, she needed to find a healer. Book 2: Chapter Nineteen ¡°No, not that way,¡± Gregor said as Sarette prepared to follow the villagers¡¯ tracks between two tall boulders. While it had been snowing steadily for the past day, the trail the refugees had broken into the snow was deep enough that it hadn¡¯t filled in yet. The two of them were at the head of the column, with Gregor pulling one of the sleds. Between Nedley and the scout, all of the sled haulers had been able to take breaks, which was necessary with how difficult the path had become. ¡°Why not?¡± she asked. ¡°There¡¯s a creek curving through there. I suspect they took that route because it¡¯s flat, but then they realized they were walking on ice, so you can see where they went back up the next rise. We¡¯ll just go around and meet up with the trail there.¡± Sarette nodded. The villagers hadn¡¯t broken through the ice, but it wasn¡¯t worth the risk, especially with the weight of the sleds. The refugees had gotten at least a day¡¯s head start. Nedley couldn¡¯t remember how much time had passed¡ªand started crying anytime someone asked him about it¡ªbut given the trail and the condition of the bodies, Gregor suspected that the attack on the village had happened the morning of the ambush. ¡°Where do you suppose they¡¯re going?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°That depends on whether they think they¡¯re being followed, but at least they¡¯re plainsmen, not southerners. They know how to live in the cold. We¡¯re the ones bringing along the southerners.¡± The last was said quietly, even though they were speaking the stormborn language. ¡°They¡¯ve been doing fine so far.¡± ¡°Yes, but you heard them talking,¡± Gregor said. ¡°The warden is the reason why Jol¡¯s Brook was attacked. We shouldn¡¯t be bringing them back into the mountains. What if it happens again?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll deal with it, or the High Guard will. You saw how those red-eyed men fought. They had no organization or tactics. They outnumbered us three to one, but even with their ambush, there was no way they could have won the battle. Even one of our ranching villages could have handled them. I was the only one who messed up, but I¡¯ll do better next time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking like you¡¯re one of them,¡± the scout said, facing her and staring at her sigil again. ¡°I guess I am.¡± ¡°You have an obligation to the High Guard,¡± he said. ¡°My first obligation is to the stormrunners. Besides, the High Guard will be glad to see me go. I never fit in there, and they only tolerated me because they had to.¡± ¡°I doubt that¡¯s true¡ªyou¡¯ve done a good job on this trip. Besides, why would you want to leave the mountains?¡± ¡°To see what¡¯s out there,¡± she said, still not sure that she actually did want to leave the mountains, despite what she¡¯d said to Corec. But she¡¯d committed to it, and intended to follow through. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the first person to ever go, and I¡¯ll be back.¡± Gregor stopped abruptly. ¡°That looks like smoke ahead.¡± ¡°I think I hear something, too,¡± Sarette said, stopping to listen. ¡°Are those axes?¡± ¡°It sounds like it. It must be the people from Jol¡¯s Brook.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have guards posted.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not soldiers.¡± Sarette frowned at that. After what had happened, even civilians should know enough to keep a watch. The others joined them, so Sarette switched back to the trade tongue to give them an update. Corec nodded and said, ¡°Nedley, get that armor off. Let¡¯s not scare them¡ªhopefully no one will recognize you. We¡¯ll need to find you something else to wear.¡± They¡¯d only let the boy keep the brigandine coat because it had enough padding to keep him warm. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Nedley said, his voice squeaking as he scrambled to get out of the oversized armor. He wasn¡¯t wearing his helmet. Neither were Corec or Boktar¡ªthe helmets didn¡¯t have enough padding to block the cold of the metal. ¡°One of my robes would fit over his clothing,¡± Bobo offered. ¡°And I think we¡¯ve got a spare cloak somewhere. A woman¡¯s cloak, but who¡¯ll notice that way out here?¡± When Nedley was dressed again, they approached the column of smoke visible on the horizon. Not sure what sort of welcome they¡¯d receive, they left the sleds behind, and Corec and Boktar took the lead. On the leeward side of the next hill, they found a large camp built around an area that had been mostly cleared of snow, with a bonfire in the center and four smaller cooking fires spaced around it. There were two tents set up at the periphery of the cleared area, and several temporary structures had been built by hollowing out openings in the three-foot-deep snow that surrounded the clearing. Pine branches had been layered over the tops of the openings to form roofs. There were blankets and bedrolls spread out near the big fire, and some of the villagers were sleeping there. Others sat nearby, staring off into nothingness. The rest of the camp was busy. Women were working at the fires or watching over the younger children, while the older children were building more of the snow structures. Half of the men were chopping up deadfall as firewood, and the rest were trimming branches from newly cut trees, then using those to construct a short wall of logs at one edge of the clearing. As the group approached, the people all stopped what they were doing and stared silently, worried looks on their faces. The men who¡¯d been working on the log wall approached, and some of the others crowded behind them. Corec came to a halt. ¡°Are you the folks from Jol¡¯s Brook?¡± he asked. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± asked the man who¡¯d stepped to the front. He was huge, with a bushy beard and wild red hair streaked with gray. He carried a felling axe in one hand, resting it against his shoulder. ¡°We just came from there. We saw what happened.¡± The man nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Fergus, the headman. It was an army of demonborn with red eyes. They came in before dawn, and killed half the town before anyone knew what was going on. Then they rounded up the rest of us from our homes and forced us to leave. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t run into them.¡± ¡°We did,¡± Corec said, projecting his voice so all of the refugees could hear. ¡°We killed them. It should be safe to return.¡± That announcement caused a murmuring throughout the crowd. Fergus stared silently for a moment, eyeing Corec¡¯s and Boktar¡¯s weapons and well-used armor as he evaluated the words. ¡°You really killed them?¡± he asked. ¡°We got most of them, and drove away the last few.¡± ¡°What if they come back?¡± a man in back shouted. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises, but I don¡¯t think they will.¡± ¡°Did they hit the farms?¡± someone else yelled from the crowd. ¡°My sister and her husband homestead a mile outside the village!¡± Others started calling out questions. While Sarette waited for things to calm down, she checked her weather sense once again. It had been two days since Corec had cast the warden binding spell, as he called it, and her senses seemed sharper and more detailed each time she looked. What she saw this time disturbed her, but there was too much commotion to interrupt. Corec held his hand up for quiet. ¡°We didn¡¯t stop to check any of the farms. I suspect they¡¯re safe, but you¡¯ll have to look in on them yourselves.¡± ¡°Please, do you have any food?¡± pleaded a blonde woman who¡¯d come to stand next to Fergus. He rested an arm on her shoulder. ¡°My wife, Winna. They didn¡¯t give us time to take much. A few of us were going to try to sneak back and see what we could find. But you say they¡¯re gone now?¡± ¡°They are, but there¡¯s not much left in the village. Only four buildings are still standing. I didn¡¯t see much in the way of foodstores.¡± ¡°We have food,¡± Ellerie announced, then glanced at Corec, who nodded. ¡°Plenty of it.¡± Looks of relief flashed across the people¡¯s faces. ¡°We can pay,¡± Fergus said. ¡°A bit, anyway. The demons didn¡¯t take our coin.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about paying,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯ll share what we¡¯ve got.¡± Fergus looked back at the log wall they¡¯d started building. ¡°If the village is safe, we should go. We can get a good start today. You¡¯ll let us have enough food to get home? I haven¡¯t been able to hunt without my bow.¡± Corec faced Ellerie and tilted his head to the west. She nodded. He said, ¡°We¡¯ll go back with you, to make sure you get there safely. We can help you take a run up to Elmsford to lay in supplies, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sarette couldn¡¯t remain silent anymore. ¡°You can¡¯t go back!¡± she exclaimed. Everyone stared at her in surprise. ¡°Pardon?¡± Fergus asked, then his eyes widened as he realized she was stormborn. ¡°M¡¯lady?¡± ¡°There¡¯ll be a blizzard bringing in a cold snap early tomorrow morning,¡± she said. ¡°If you¡¯re out on the trail without shelter, you¡¯ll never make it back.¡± The headman exchanged a worried glance with his wife. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Corec and Gregor both asked at the same time. ¡°Yes. I can feel it coming in.¡± Gregor looked up at the sky, pursing his lips. ¡°There won¡¯t be time to finish whatever you¡¯re building there,¡± he said, pointing to the short wall of logs. ¡°It¡¯s a windbreak for the fire, m¡¯lord,¡± Fergus said, ¡°and maybe the start of a defensive wall in case they came after us. But if the storm¡¯s coming in tomorrow, we¡¯ll need to build snow shelters instead.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Gregor nodded. ¡°A lot of them.¡± He turned to Sarette. ¡°How long will the cold snap last?¡± ¡°At least two days, I think. That¡¯s all I can see. The blizzard will come and go.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s coming in the morning, we need to get started now.¡± Gregor and Fergus started discussing locations for snow caves, waving some of the other villagers over to join them. Corec furrowed his brow, watching the commotion. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he asked Sarette. ¡°We need shelters for everyone before tomorrow morning. Real shelters, not tents. They¡¯re getting ready to build snow caves.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that bad? How did you convince them so quickly?¡± ¡°Gregor knows I trained as a stormrunner. I don¡¯t know why Fergus listened, but he¡¯s a northerner. His people know what a blizzard¡¯s like. They won¡¯t waste any time getting ready.¡± ¡°You look worried. What is a blizzard like here? Back home in the Black Crow Mountains, they weren¡¯t a problem.¡± ¡°The snow will be heavy and the wind¡¯ll blow hard enough to keep it in the air, so you won¡¯t be able to see more than ten feet in front of you, maybe less, and there¡¯s no way to tell what direction you¡¯re going. The cold snap will be worse than the blizzard¡ªa human caught without shelter will freeze to death, even dressed warmly. Even one of my people might die if it¡¯s too cold or lasts too long.¡± ¡°The mountains and the trees don¡¯t block the worst of it?¡± ¡°Maybe in other places, but we¡¯re in the Heights. This is where storms begin. It¡¯s why we don¡¯t let travelers into the mountains in the winter.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I knew we should have waited until summer.¡± Sarette¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she realized what she¡¯d said. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t mean you! You¡¯re a warden.¡± He chuckled. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really mean anything. I know your people think highly of the wardens, but the ones I¡¯ve met don¡¯t go around doing good deeds and helping people. Not for free, at least.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re helping these people!¡± ¡°Because they need help, not because I¡¯m a warden. You¡¯re helping them too.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sarette wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Corec had never really acted how she¡¯d expected a warden to act, but this was the first time he¡¯d spoken to her about it. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that wardens are regular people,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re not anything special.¡± ¡°You helped me.¡± ¡°Maybe I did, but it¡¯s too soon to tell. Like I said before, we don¡¯t know how the binding spell will affect you.¡± ¡°No, you did help. I¡¯ve never been able to read this much about a storm before. If I didn¡¯t know how bad it was going to get, we¡¯d be in trouble.¡± He nodded. ¡°I guess it¡¯s good we did it, then. It sounds like we¡¯ve got a lot of work to do.¡± While the two of them had been speaking, Fergus had assigned tasks to the village men who¡¯d gathered. After the group dispersed, Boktar said, ¡°The red-eyes didn¡¯t let you take your bow, but they let you take axes?¡± ¡°No, the tools were already here,¡± the headman said. ¡°We keep ¡®em in a shack around the bend. And some tents, some pots and pans. We¡¯re woodcutters, some of us. We¡¯ve been coming into the mountains for years now. Not enough trees left in the foothills.¡± He ducked his head in Gregor¡¯s direction, then Sarette¡¯s. ¡°Sorry, m¡¯lord, m¡¯lady.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t broken any laws yet, as far as I know,¡± Gregor said, ¡°but you have to be careful about how much you take.¡± ¡°As you say, m¡¯lord.¡± Fergus¡¯s voice had taken on a strangely formal tone that didn¡¯t sound natural coming from him. ¡°How many people are here?¡± the scout asked. ¡°Fifty-two of us made it out¡ªthey spared the east half of the village.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going to be snowed in for a few days, and then help get your people back home after that, we¡¯ll be using up our rations quickly. I should go hunting¡ªit sounds like today will be our last chance for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Shavala offered. She¡¯d been standing nearby with the rest of the group, who all seemed uncertain about what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll teach the rest of you how to help build shelters,¡± Sarette said. ¡°We¡¯ll need everyone.¡± # ¡°It¡¯s not as heavy here,¡± Shavala said to Gregor as they came to a stop. The sparse woods ahead of them were only dusted with snow. The largest drifts were less than a foot high, and some of the ground was completely bare. ¡°Yes, this looks like a good spot,¡± he replied. ¡°The nearest mountains are northeast and southwest, so they¡¯re blocking the storms rather than funneling them through. There may be deer, or even elk if we get lucky. The animals that stay in the mountains through the winter look for spots like this where it¡¯s easier for them to find food.¡± ¡°Should we tell the others? Would it be better to move the camp here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as cold here as back there, and there¡¯s less snow to build with. Let¡¯s keep this spot for hunting, so we don¡¯t scare off all the game.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here before,¡± he said, ¡°so I don¡¯t know if there are any good hunting grounds. I¡¯ll head east. You should look around here first, so if you catch something, it¡¯s nearby. If you manage to get an elk, remember that they¡¯re heavy. It¡¯ll have to be in a spot we can get the sled to, so we can haul it back out.¡± Shavala had been hunting for longer than Gregor had been alive, and she knew very well she¡¯d need help to haul a deer, much less an elk, but he was just doing his job, so she smiled and nodded without saying anything. He continued, ¡°It¡¯ll be dark in three hours, and it took us an hour to get here. That doesn¡¯t leave us much time. I¡¯d rather have a full day for it, but we can¡¯t come out here after the blizzard starts.¡± ¡°I can hunt in the dark,¡± Shavala said. Gregor stared at her for a moment. ¡°You can?¡± She nodded. ¡°Well, we have the torches and lantern to light our way back. I wouldn¡¯t mind making the return trip after dark if you want to stay out later. Our rations aren¡¯t going to last long with fifty extra people, and if Sarette¡¯s right about the blizzard, it¡¯ll be a few days until we can get them back to Jol¡¯s Brook. We should take any chance we get.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back here by midnight if I don¡¯t find any game sooner,¡± Shavala said. It would be a long night, but would give them time to return to camp before the storm worsened. Gregor nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be here as soon as night falls. If you get back early and the sled¡¯s gone, then I¡¯m out hauling back whatever I got.¡± He stalked off then, through the woods to the east, carrying his crossbow. Shavala decided to take his suggestion and stay nearby, in a thicker part of the woods, to see if anything crossed her path. If Gregor was right about the animals coming here to feed, waiting might be more productive than searching. While she waited, she found a batch of ironwood trees with dried-out, flowery catkins hanging down from the branches. Each of the pods held fifteen or twenty small seeds in papery husks. The catkins that had fallen to the ground had already rotted or been emptied by squirrels, but the ones still on the trees looked fine. Shavala filled two of her foraging bags, stuffing them as tightly as she could. Someone back at the camp could take the time to peel apart the husks and harvest the seeds. It wasn¡¯t a lot, given how many people there were to feed, but every bit counted. She left the bags on the sled, and decided to roam out farther. Since Gregor had gone east, she went west, using both her sight and her elder senses to search for any sign of movement. She soon found a game trail leading through a copse of birch trees covered with white bark, a variety she¡¯d never seen before. There were tracks on the trail, much larger than any deer could have made. She followed them. Beyond the birch trees, as the ground began to slope upward once more, was a mix of larch and fir. The tracks followed the rise, but the snow cover grew heavier, obscuring the trail. Then, in a clearing ahead of her, she felt a familiar presence before she saw it. ¡°It¡¯s you again,¡± she said to the wolf. ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised anymore. I¡¯d wonder if you were following me, but you always seem to get wherever we¡¯re going before I do.¡± He cocked his head to the side, staring at her curiously. It had only been a few weeks since she¡¯d seen him last, but he¡¯d filled out more, looking like a healthy adult. ¡°You¡¯re quieter than usual,¡± she said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He bounded over to a structure of tumbled stone, whining as he pawed at the snow surrounding it. ¡°Did you lose something?¡± Stepping closer, she realized the mass was an old shrine, even older than the Raven shrine she¡¯d found with Bobo. The wolf was clearing away the snow from its base. Shavala swiped her arm across the offering table, brushing it clean with her coat sleeve. The headpiece column had fallen over on its side, but if there had ever been a carving on it to indicate which god it belonged to, it had broken off or been worn away. ¡°What are we looking for?¡± she asked the wolf. He laid his front paws on the offering table and barked, looking at her. ¡°There was nothing there,¡± she told him. ¡°It was just snow, and dead leaves, and dirt.¡± He barked again. Shavala sighed, wishing that the druid¡¯s gift of speaking to animals also worked in reverse. She could only interpret his body language and sounds, and he wasn¡¯t acting like any wolf she¡¯d ever met before. Even for him, this was odd behavior. Then she had an idea. ¡°You want me to put something on there?¡± she asked. He yipped, and pranced around in the snow. Shavala set her bow down and pulled her belt pouch out from one of the inner pockets of her coat. Bobo had said that each of the old gods liked different offerings, but she didn¡¯t know which of them this shrine belonged to. She still had some of her shiny, smooth stones, but that was what she¡¯d offered the last time, and she thought the old gods might prefer some variety. She¡¯d given her squirrel carving away to Lorvalla, the dorvasta leatherworker in Tyrsall. Then she remembered that she still had the hawk feather she¡¯d found when she first left the forest. It was carefully wrapped, resting inside another of her pockets. Unwrapping the feather, she laid it on the center of the offering table, then added one of her shiny rocks to hold it down in case of wind. ¡°There,¡± she said to the wolf. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± He barked again and wagged his tail. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve done something for you, will you do something for me? This time, I need your help to hunt. You can smell what I can¡¯t see.¡± # Katrin tossed her coat to the side, too hot from exertion to continue wearing it. She shoveled the last of the snow off the sled, packing it on top of a large mound. Each mound had to be at least five feet high. Some of them had enough snow surrounding them that the builders could just shovel it up on top, but there weren¡¯t enough good spots like that, and Sarette and Fergus didn¡¯t want to build the snow caves too far away from the main fire, worried that people wouldn¡¯t be able to find their way during the blizzard. Despite the effort involved, Katrin had one of the easier jobs. All around her, people were working as quickly as they could to build up the mounds and construct the snow caves. Women were busy at the cooking fires, making major inroads on the supplies the group had brought with them, while Fergus and three of his men had returned to building their log wall higher to serve as a windbreak. The big fire was still burning, allowing the workers to warm themselves up when needed, but night was approaching fast, so Ellerie had scattered mage lights around the camp. Katrin pulled the sled back to another mound and waited at the entrance. Corec was inside, pushing snow out of a tunnel that was only tall enough for him to crawl through. When she got there, he took a break to help her shovel his newest load onto the sled. ¡°Remind me to never come north in the winter again,¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯m using my strength spell just to keep going.¡± ¡°You should see what Boktar¡¯s doing,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s taking his shield inside the cave with him, loading it up with snow, then sliding it back out again so Nedley can empty it.¡± Corec stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re kidding. I wonder if he¡¯ll let me borrow it? That would be a lot easier than going through the tunnel feet-first and kicking it out ahead of me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not using the shovel anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m using it to clear out space inside, but it¡¯s too hard to shovel the snow through the tunnel. Maybe if I shoveled it halfway into the tunnel and then you scraped it clear from the other side?¡± Katrin tried not to sigh at the thought of the extra work. ¡°We could do that,¡± she said. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Sarette asked, coming over to inspect their work. ¡°Are you two almost done with those shovels?¡± ¡°I think the new mound¡¯s high enough,¡± Katrin said. The stormborn woman glanced at it. ¡°I¡¯ll get some of the boys to tamp it down before we start digging into it, to make sure. What about this one?¡± Corec gestured to the entrance, so she crawled through, returning a moment later. ¡°That¡¯s big enough for now,¡± she said. ¡°Can you go ahead and round out the roof on the inside so water doesn¡¯t drip? And then dig out more of the tunnel so it slopes down as it reaches the outside. It should slope up into a small entrance inside the cave, and then beyond that is the sleeping platform, which should be another foot higher. That¡¯ll trap the warm air inside, and give the cold air somewhere to go.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how complicated these were,¡± Corec said. ¡°This is about as simple as we can go and still have them done tonight. There¡¯s no time to do anything fancy.¡± He laughed. ¡°Fancy?¡± ¡°The snowborn make larger domes of snow and ice for their winter hunting camps,¡± Sarette said absently as she looked out over the activity in the camp. ¡°Those can last for months, while we¡¯ll be lucky to get a few days out of these. We don¡¯t have the right type of snow.¡± ¡°Snowborn?¡± Katrin said, startled. The other woman turned her attention back to the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s just what they call themselves. They¡¯re actually stormborn who kept going north rather than stopping when our people reached Snow Crown. We trade with them sometimes.¡± There was a startled shout and then a flurry of activity on the far side of the camp, where some of the villagers were working. ¡°What happened?¡± Katrin asked, trying to make sense of the scene. ¡°One of the caves collapsed. They must have dug too close to the surface. They¡¯ll need to start a new one.¡± ¡°Should we help them?¡± Corec asked. ¡°They know what they¡¯re doing,¡± Sarette said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve only made these for practice, but most of them have done it for real when they¡¯re out hunting on the prairie. There¡¯s no other shelter out there.¡± ¡°What if one collapses happens while we¡¯re sleeping?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Someone in each shelter will need to stay awake at all times, with a shovel or some other tool close at hand. Gregor and I can keep watch from the outside, but it won¡¯t be safe for the rest of you to be out there for too long when the cold¡¯s at its worst.¡± Katrin looked nervously at Corec. Circle Bay suddenly seemed like a great place to live. Why had she ever decided to leave? Book 2: Chapter Twenty Razai waited for her contact at the rear of the tavern, tapping her finger on the table as she idly considered whether the seaborn were paying her enough to make it worth sticking around. Maybe it was time to consider moving on, back to High Cove, or even up to Lanport. They were smaller cities, but there was still plenty of work to be found. Then she realized what she was doing, and forced herself to stop. She had no desire to go north in the middle of winter, but lately, if she let her mind wander, she¡¯d start coming up with excuses to head that way. It was probably Vatarxis, trying to manipulate her into following his pet warden around. Without thinking about it, she checked Corec¡¯s direction. It had become an almost reflexive habit at this point. He was still north and a bit west. Possibly Ironholt, or somewhere in the Storm Heights or the northern plains. What kind of idiot would head that way at this time of year? Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t tell how far away he was. That would make it easier to avoid him, but all she could judge was the direction he was in. Someone stopped in front of her, blocking the light, and she looked up to find a hard-eyed man watching the pattern her fingers were tapping out on the table. ¡°Razai?¡± he asked uncertainly. She nodded, letting her Aden disguise flicker away for just a moment. He was blocking anyone else¡¯s view of her anyway. He sat down across from her. ¡°What¡¯s with the secrecy?¡± she asked. ¡°And why are you dressed like that? Does this have something to do with why the buyers came out to meet us today?¡± Stavo was one of the guards Renny Senshall had hired to help with her divers¡¯ cooperative until the gang threat had been dealt with, but instead of his normal armor and uniform, he was dressed as a dockworker, similar to the illusionary clothing that Razai¡¯s own Aden disguise was wearing. ¡°Talai¡¯s crew was ambushed and robbed last night after selling to us. Their bodyguard was killed. Mistress Senshall thinks we¡¯ve gotten too predictable, since the crews have all been coming to the same place for their sales. Talai got in after dark, and her crew went through an alley on their way home after we paid them. They¡¯ve been going the same way every night, and the gangs were lying in wait.¡± Razai growled. She¡¯d never spent any time with Talai¡¯s bodyguard¡ªa human who didn¡¯t seem to like demonborn¡ªbut she was beginning to hate these gangs. The thugs stayed away when she was on duty, but two of Lanii¡¯s men had been caught and beaten the previous week after the crew had split up for the day. Razai couldn¡¯t be everywhere at all times, and she wasn¡¯t getting paid enough even for the hours she was officially working, but she didn¡¯t like letting the gangs get away with what they were doing. Unfortunately, like Vash, the seaborn didn¡¯t want to upset the balance, fearing what the result would be. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain what we¡¯re doing here,¡± she said. ¡°Mistress Senshall sent the buyers out to the docks today instead, until she can come up with a better solution, but she didn¡¯t want them carrying too much coin with them, even though we were there to watch over them. Nobody realized Sifoo and Lanii were going to bring in pearls, so the buyers were short. I brought you the extra silver to take back.¡± He passed her a full coin pouch under the table. Razai sighed. ¡°Lanii could have just told me that. I was there!¡± Stavo shrugged. ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t want anyone overhearing. She¡¯s the one who suggested you and your disguises. I took the idea back to Mistress Senshall, who thought I should be in disguise too, so nobody would follow me to see the handoff.¡± ¡°This is stupid. They could have just brought the rest of the money tomorrow¡ªin public, in the daylight, when all the guards are on duty.¡± ¡°It has something to do with the contract, I think. Something about paying on the same day.¡± Razai shook her head, exasperated. They should have been dealing with the thugs, not grousing about contracts or playing children¡¯s games with disguises. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. I¡¯m seeing Lanii after this. I¡¯m sure she can get Sifoo¡¯s share to him if he¡¯s not there.¡± She left the tavern through the back door, shifting to the guise of an elderly drunk man. She staggered along to another tavern three doors down, again changing disguises as she entered, this time to the illusion she¡¯d chosen for her bodyguard work. She¡¯d modeled it after Vash, since the lucky bastard could intimidate people without even trying, but she¡¯d made enough changes for it to be apparent that they were two different people. Sitting down at a long, crowded table, she greeted Lanii, Sifoo, and Wotar. Before she could ask about Vash, he joined them, bringing a new pitcher of ale and the serving girl who was supposed to be carrying it. ¡°Well?¡± Lanii asked, the elderly stormborn woman staring a full foot above Razai¡¯s eye level. That was the only problem with the Vash-like disguise¡ªit was much larger than Razai herself, so it was sometimes difficult to coordinate her movement with the illusion. She passed the pouch over, and Lanii glanced through it before handing it to Sifoo. ¡°Was all this really necessary?¡± Razai asked. ¡°After last night¡¯s attack, that silly human girl wants to stop using the stall where we¡¯ve been selling our catches. She wants to vary the locations instead, so the gangs can¡¯t set a trap. But her buyers didn¡¯t bring enough money, and they didn¡¯t have the authority to accept a late payment penalty, so rather than sending messengers back and forth all afternoon, I figured I¡¯d annoy her a bit.¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡± Vash asked. He¡¯d swung the red-headed serving girl into his lap and hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the conversation. Razai rolled her eyes. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re busy. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± She turned back to Lanii. ¡°I don¡¯t think you annoyed the girl¡ªI think she liked the idea. She sent her own man in disguise, too.¡± Lanii cackled. ¡°We should be making better use of your ability, I suppose.¡± ¡°Not like this.¡± ¡°Oh, very well. We¡¯ll figure something else out next time. Personally, I think we should go back to using the stall, and just be more careful. Get back in daylight, for one.¡± ¡°But the days are so short right now,¡± Sifoo protested. Lanii waved that away. ¡°We¡¯ve got to do something.¡± ¡°We could always stop this nonsense with the human¡¯s plan and go back to what we used to do,¡± suggested Sozu with a dour expression. He was the crew leader that Vash worked for. ¡°We¡¯re making more money now than we were before,¡± Lanii said, ¡°and besides, the gangs were after us then, too.¡± Razai said, ¡°We need to actually deal with them. If this keeps up, they¡¯re liable to start following your crew members home.¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t risked coming into the warrens so far,¡± Sifoo said doubtfully, referring to the rat¡¯s nest of cheap, aging buildings where many of the docks¡¯ citizens and seaborn lived. When the new gangs took over, the docks¡¯ old gangs had been pushed back into the warrens, but they still kept tight control over their remaining neighborhoods. Razai sighed, knowing the crew leaders would once again talk themselves into doing nothing. The seaborn divers and sailors who worked out of human cities were a far cry from the real seaborn crews she¡¯d encountered a few times in the past, on their proud sailing ships. Seaborn ships rarely came this far east, and their people who lived in Tyrsall had been among the humans for too long. Just like her own people, Razai reflected. Vash had been whispering into the serving girl¡¯s ear, and she suddenly jumped up from his lap, giggling. He followed her up. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, folks,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to turn in for the night.¡± He took the girl¡¯s hand and they headed for the stairs. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he does it,¡± Wotar said, staring after him. ¡°Do you know, she doesn¡¯t charge him?¡± That gave Razai an idea, but it wasn¡¯t one she could voice to the group. Instead, she said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll head out, too. Lanii, you¡¯ll walk home with the others, right? Not by yourself?¡± Her shift was over, but she wanted to make sure her crew leader would stick with the big group of seaborn that would be heading back to the warrens together once they were done with their carousing for the night. ¡°Oh, go on, I¡¯ll be fine. You young folk should go have your fun.¡± Razai smirked. She¡¯d never told the woman how old she truly was¡ªolder than Lanii herself. ¡°I¡¯ll see them back safely,¡± Wotar promised. Razai nodded, then left the inn, sticking with her Vash-like disguise for the moment. She almost hoped that one of the gangs would recognize her from her bodyguard work, and try to attack her while she was alone. # An hour later, she entered yet another tavern, this one in the heart of the territory held by one of the gangs trying to take over the docks. She¡¯d had to stop at her rented apartment on the way, to change into a blouse and skirt that would at least roughly approximate the feel of the dress her new guise was wearing. With a self-confident swagger in her hips, she strode up to the bar and addressed the tavern keeper, a rough-looking bald man with a gold tooth. ¡°I¡¯m lookin¡¯ for work if ya got any,¡± she said. He eyed her disguise¡¯s mostly illusionary cleavage. In Tyrsall, the cut of a tavern girl¡¯s dress indicated how likely she was to be a whore, and her fake dress was cut very low indeed. ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Molly, boss.¡± ¡°Molly, you look like you done this before.¡± ¡°I used ta work for Miss Rosa¡¯s House of Comfort¡ªya know, over in the crafter¡¯s district?¡± There was no Miss Rosa¡¯s, at least as far as Razai knew, but she doubted the man would bother to check up on her story. ¡°Why¡¯d you leave?¡± ¡°Oh, uhh, no reason,¡± she said, stammering, as if she hadn¡¯t thought to come up with a lie in advance. ¡°I just wanted to try another place.¡± ¡°You skimmin¡¯ from her?¡± She looked down at her feet without saying anything. ¡°We won¡¯t have any of that here or you¡¯ll answer to me,¡± the man said with a glare. ¡°You charge at least a silver an hour, more if you can get it. Twenty percent goes to me and twenty to Eben, and that includes from your tips, you hear me?¡± ¡°Eben?¡± she asked, as if she didn¡¯t already know. ¡°He and his men spend some time here. You be nice to them. His boys get a ten percent discount, and that comes out of your share.¡± She scowled at that, as he would expect her to do, but then she nodded. ¡°Good,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand me. You can start tonight. Room four upstairs is open. You can work as many hours as you want, but you got to be upstairs at least three hours a night.¡± ¡°What if there aren¡¯t enough customers for that?¡± ¡°Then you better make it up by the end of the week. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said sullenly, looking down again. ¡°Then get to work. Ask Priss over there if you have any questions, and don¡¯t steal any of her customers.¡± Luckily, it was a busy evening, and the tavern keeper didn¡¯t insist on trying her out before she started. Or perhaps it was because Eben always liked to be the first to sample the goods. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Without telling Lanii, Razai had been scouting out the place in various disguises after she¡¯d realized that Eben was the stupidest of the gang leaders threatening the divers. She¡¯d mostly done it out of habit. She certainly wasn¡¯t getting paid for the extra work, but she couldn¡¯t help herself¡ªshe was good at what she did, and she hated to leave a job half done. At the Senshall girl¡¯s urging, the constabulary had increased its presence within the docks district, but so far they hadn¡¯t made much progress against the gangs. The thugs looked like any other dockworkers, and could split up and blend in with the crowd if they saw a constable coming. Razai, however, could come and go at will, and the gangs never knew. She spent her evenings amusing herself by looking for weaknesses, and Eben was the biggest weakness in the bunch. Where is he? she asked the whispers, but they didn¡¯t reply. They had little interest in the goings-on in the docks district, which was yet another sign that it was time for her to move on. Maybe somewhere north. She¡¯d never spent much time in Ironholt before; it might be interesting to¡­ She caught herself again, and pushed all thoughts of leaving Tyrsall from her mind. She had to concentrate on the task at hand. ¡°Hey, girly, why don¡¯t you come over here?¡± slurred a drunk fisherman, who still smelled like the catch of the day. The tavern keeper watched suspiciously while Razai tried to come up with a way to turn down her first potential customer. Then she realized Priss, a blonde wearing heavy makeup to cover the lines in her face, was glaring at her. The fisherman must belong to her, which gave Razai a convenient excuse. She pointed the drunk man to his regular girl, and went on her way. Before anyone else could accost her, Eben came in the front door, only a few minutes after his usual time. He was followed by two of his men. ¡°Hello, my friends!¡± he boomed. ¡°What a fine evening it is!¡± The gang leader couldn¡¯t have been more than forty years old, but he¡¯d let himself go. He was the width of two men, and was prone to excesses of food, drink, and women. From the sound of his voice, he¡¯d already gotten a good start on the first two, which meant he was looking for the third¡ªright on schedule. She sauntered in his direction, not quite aiming for him. When she was about to pass him by, he reached out and grabbed her by the arm. She had to keep a tight grip on herself to refrain from punching him in the face. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you before,¡± he said, looking her up and down. Or looking Molly up and down, at least. ¡°I¡¯m new here,¡± she replied, managing a bright smile. ¡°My name¡¯s Molly. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°They call me Eben, and I own half this place.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± she said, her eyes wide with what she hoped looked like awe. ¡°The boss told me about you. Would ya like some company?¡± She suspected he would. She¡¯d constructed the Molly disguise quickly, not having considered the idea until that evening, but she¡¯d based pieces of it on Vash¡¯s various lady friends. Vash had good taste¡ªin looks, if nothing else¡ªand not many men would be able to turn her down. She¡¯d used her own height and voice to make the work easier. ¡°Why not?¡± he said, slapping her ass. ¡°Go get us a pitcher and four mugs.¡± She managed to keep from growling, but found herself clutching her daggers¡ªhidden under her illusory dress¡ªall the way to the bar. When she returned, she served Eben and his men, then sat down next to him, but only took a few sips from her own mug. He was settling himself in for an evening of drinking and pawing at her body. Worried he¡¯d reach out for a bosom that appeared much larger than it actually was, she managed to convince him to come upstairs with her. There, she found the room she¡¯d been told to use¡ªthe number had been carved into the door. Inside, he said, ¡°All right, girl, get those clothes off and let¡¯s see you.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she said brightly, locking the door. There was no bar on it, so if she made too much noise, his men would be able to break it down. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get on the bed and get comfortable.¡± She faced him, slowly unlacing the fake dress strings while he undressed. She bared one shoulder, then paused to open the window and peer down at the street. They were on the second floor, so the window was ten or twelve feet from the ground. She¡¯d be able to make that, even if she had to leave in a rush and couldn¡¯t climb out carefully. One of Eben¡¯s weaknesses was that he didn¡¯t limit himself to a single base of operations. His men were spread out, and not just within the docks district but in his old territory as well. The two he¡¯d come in with were the only two downstairs, though it was possible there were others somewhere on the upper floor. She planned to be gone before they could react, but if something went wrong, she could probably take out the whole group by herself. ¡°What¡¯d you do that for?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s cold out there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll warm ya up,¡± she said, turning away from the window. ¡°I thought we might want some fresh air.¡± She stood at the foot of the bed, pretending to slip off a dress that didn¡¯t exist, but then ran into a problem. The dress was part of the disguise. She couldn¡¯t actually take it off or it would disappear, leaving her real clothing visible. She hadn¡¯t had time to come up with a naked version of the disguise. Figuring it was now or never, she leapt up onto the bed, switching to her Vash-like appearance as she jumped. She landed with one knee pressing down on the fat man¡¯s chest, holding a dagger in front of his face long enough for him to see it before she pressed it down against his throat. Eben¡¯s eyes grew wide, his drunk mind trying to process what had just happened. ¡°What¡­¡± he gurgled. ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound!¡± Razai growled in the deep voice she used for her bodyguard disguise. ¡°If you talk or move, I¡¯ll cut you.¡± She slid her other dagger down against his manhood. ¡°It¡¯s your choice where.¡± He squeaked and twitched, so she pushed her knee harder into his chest, making him gasp. She wasn¡¯t as strong as Vash, but she was strong enough to fake it. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± she continued. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m here?¡± His eyes blinked in recognition. ¡°You work for the divers,¡± he croaked. Razai pushed her fist down against his collarbone, the curved blade twisting in her hand and nicking his ear. ¡°I said don¡¯t talk!¡± She quickly shifted disguises, first to her own appearance, then to Aden, then back to Molly, then to one of Eben¡¯s men downstairs, then back to her Vash-like disguise. ¡°I can be anyone, anywhere, anytime,¡± she said coldly. ¡°If you ever bother the seaborn again, I¡¯ll become one of your own men and kill you. I won¡¯t tell you which one, though. Or maybe I won¡¯t kill you. Maybe I¡¯ll just use this other knife instead.¡± She wiggled the dagger she was holding against his crotch. ¡°Do you understand? Nod if you understand.¡± He nodded and she felt a warm wetness on her right wrist. Looking down, she realized he¡¯d pissed on her dagger. That pushed her over the edge, and unable to hold back her rage any longer, she backhanded him across the face, the hilt of the dagger in her fist adding weight to the strike. He cried out, so she held the blade up in front of his eyes again, before laying it back along his throat. ¡°Shut up!¡± she said. ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯ll tell Dallo and Kahlvin that you¡¯re out.¡± Those were the other two gang leaders who¡¯d been attacking the seaborn. ¡°If you or your men ever go after the divers again, I¡¯ll come for you and you¡¯ll never know who I am. Do you understand?¡± He nodded again, his head bobbing up and down rapidly. Razai was worried she hadn¡¯t scared him enough, so she decided to go further. ¡°Maybe I won¡¯t be one of your men when I come to kill you. Maybe I¡¯ll be your sister,¡± she shifted disguises again, and then again, ¡°or even your dear old mother, in that yellow dress she was wearing when you visited her last week.¡± She¡¯d only practiced those guises briefly, in case she¡¯d needed them to get close to him at some point, but they came in handy now. ¡°How funny would it be if your own mother slit your throat?¡± Eben started sobbing, so Razai figured her job was done. If she¡¯d been working for her father, she¡¯d have simply stabbed him in the heart, leaving his body in the room as a message. She debated doing that anyway, but as far as she knew, none of Eben¡¯s men had been involved in any of the actual deaths among the seaborn. Beatings and muggings, yes, but not deaths. She¡¯d still kill him if he didn¡¯t do as he¡¯d been told, but she had to at least give him a chance. Unfortunately, the other two gang leaders, Dallo and Kahlvin, wouldn¡¯t be so easy to scare away. If the Senshall girl and the constabulary didn¡¯t come through, Razai would have to start dropping bodies, and that would annoy Vash and Lanii. It occurred to her later, after she¡¯d slipped out the window and was walking back to her apartment wearing her drunk-man illusion, that she¡¯d changed disguises more often this night than she¡¯d ever done before in a single day. Perhaps there were some benefits to being bonded to a warden. # Corec stayed out by the fire until nearly midnight, when Shavala and Gregor trudged back into the camp, their sled holding a small elk. Small for an elk, anyway; it was still larger than a deer. Gregor was struggling to pull the sled while Shavala walked ahead of him, holding up a lantern to light their way. The two of them looked as exhausted as Corec felt. All the snow caves had been built¡ªmostly¡ªand the log wall was now twenty feet long and six feet high. It would hopefully provide enough protection so they could keep the big fire burning during the storm. They¡¯d allowed the smaller cook fires to die out once they were done with the evening meal, to make sure there was plenty of firewood left. The two hunters stopped to take in the changes that had been made to the camp. Corec joined them, and Sarette and Fergus showed up a moment later. ¡°You got a lot of work done,¡± Gregor said. Fergus nodded toward the sled. ¡°So did you, m¡¯lord.¡± ¡°Shavala got the elk. I found a brace of snowshoe hares. They¡¯re underneath, somewhere.¡± ¡°I can take care of skinning and quartering the elk before it freezes solid,¡± Fergus offered. ¡°It¡¯s too late to do anything else, but at least it¡¯ll be ready.¡± Shavala nodded, so Gregor said, ¡°We¡¯d appreciate that. It¡¯s for your people anyway.¡± Fergus hauled the sled off, and Sarette cornered Gregor to give him an update, so Corec led Shavala away. ¡°All these little hills are the snow caves?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s like a whole village. Which one are the girls sleeping in?¡± ¡°We ended up splitting into smaller groups. The bigger caves are harder to build. Some of them collapsed, and we gave the others to the larger families from Jol¡¯s Brook. Katrin insisted you should stay with the two of us. I¡¯ll show you.¡± She nodded. ¡°Which watch am I taking tonight?¡± ¡°It¡¯s late. You don¡¯t need to take a watch; it¡¯s all covered. Are you hungry?¡± ¡°We brought along some of that pemmican the stormborn make. It was filling.¡± Corec could barely stomach the stuff, but he had to agree that it quelled his hunger, especially in this weather. ¡°Here we are,¡± he said as they reached their snow cave. A pale silvery light shone out the entrance, from the mage light he¡¯d left inside for Katrin. ¡°Your pack is already in there.¡± Shavala knelt down and crawled inside, and he followed. Once they were in, Katrin greeted them, and they climbed up onto the sleeping platform to join her. There wasn¡¯t enough room to stand. The girls could sit up as long as they hunched over, but Corec was too tall and had to lean down. ¡°You must be frozen,¡± Katrin said to Shavala. ¡°Why did you stay out so late?¡± ¡°The wolf helped me track down a herd of elk, but it was some distance from where we¡¯d left the sled. It took us a long time to get back.¡± ¡°Wolf?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The one I keep running into.¡± ¡°You mean the one you showed me before?¡± Katrin said. ¡°You went hunting with him again?¡± Corec had heard the stories, but hadn¡¯t paid much attention to them. Shavala had always had an odd relationship with any animals she came across, but the horses listened to her well enough that he figured she knew what she was doing. ¡°Are you sure it was the same one?¡± he asked. ¡°We¡¯re a long way from the Terril Forest. Maybe it just looked similar.¡± ¡°No, it was him; I can tell. I¡¯d helped him before, so he helped me. I warned him about the storm too, but he didn¡¯t seem to care.¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure what wolves did during a heavy snow storm, but just said, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Shavala nodded and peered around at the cramped dwelling. ¡°It¡¯s smaller than I thought it would be from the outside.¡± ¡°The walls are thick,¡± Corec agreed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re all going to fit.¡± The place had looked tight even when it was empty, and now that the three of them were actually inside, it didn¡¯t seem big enough. ¡°We¡¯ll manage,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I was able to fit all the bedding.¡± Corec looked down at how the blankets were arranged and laughed. ¡°How small do you think I am?¡± She grinned at him. ¡°You can roll over on to my side. Or Shavala¡¯s. She doesn¡¯t take up much space.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re putting me in the middle?¡± he asked. ¡°Well, Sarette insists the room will warm up eventually from the heat of our bodies,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I figure that means you¡¯re our fireplace.¡± ¡°How about I take the spot nearest the entrance, instead?¡± he suggested. ¡°I think that¡¯s supposed to be the coldest.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± He turned to Shavala. ¡°This one was meant for two people, but we all have to make do with what we were able to build. Everyone¡¯s in tight quarters. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, though. I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to the two of you ever since Jol¡¯s Brook. I¡¯m worried that there might be another attack from the red-eyes. Those people died because of me.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Maybe not, but if I hadn¡¯t been here, they¡¯d still be alive. I¡¯m thinking of going back to Larso.¡± ¡°What? We can¡¯t fight the prince and his armies by ourselves!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean all of us. I was planning on going alone.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Katrin¡¯s right, and Boktar was right when he said you should stay as far away from Larso as you can, at least until we know more.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I just feel so guilty. And I don¡¯t like sitting around waiting for something to happen.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t go by yourself anyway,¡± the elven woman continued. ¡°You decided to be a real warden, which means we¡¯d have to come with you and help.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a rule that says that. I appreciate the thought, though. Ellerie said something similar.¡± ¡°She did?¡± Katrin asked, looking surprised. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mention going to Larso, but she thinks we should stay together in case there¡¯s another attack.¡± ¡°What if he¡¯s after you because you¡¯re a warden?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Perhaps we should ask Yelena about it.¡± That brought Corec up short. He¡¯d assumed the attacks were related to why he¡¯d left Larso, even though that made no sense, but if it was because he was a warden, it at least provided a reason for why he¡¯d been singled out. And his experience in Snow Crown proved that there were people who could recognize him as one. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re right. Yelena might have an idea. It would mean another trip to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°After these mountains, I think I might like staying in a city for a while,¡± she admitted. ¡°A warm inn, with beds. Does it snow in Tyrsall?¡± ¡°Sometimes, but nothing like this,¡± Katrin said. ¡°We¡¯ll make a city girl out of you yet.¡± In the pale light, Corec thought he saw Shavala hiding a smile. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Ellerie and the others about returning to Tyrsall once we¡¯re done here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and her, anyway?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed it too,¡± Shavala said. ¡°The two of you are taking turns making decisions.¡± ¡°And you each wait for the other person to give some sort of signal,¡± Katrin said. ¡°It¡¯s been happening since we left Snow Crown.¡± ¡°Oh, that,¡± Corec said. ¡°It turns out that Ellerie and I actually agree on what needs to be done most of the time. This way, whoever¡¯s most convenient can just decide.¡± ¡°So the two of you worked out a scheme to signal each other?¡± ¡°Uh, well, we¡¯ve never actually talked about it. It just started happening. But we should probably go back to having discussions with the group. Treya and Boktar haven¡¯t said anything about it yet, but I know they¡¯d like to have their opinions heard. I assume you two would as well.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Katrin said, ¡°but it has been more peaceful lately, with you and Ellerie getting along.¡± Shavala said, ¡°Perhaps instead of group discussions, we just need to figure out who makes which decisions. You and Ellerie already trust Sarette and Gregor to make decisions here in the mountains. And neither of you has ever complained about how I handle the hunting, or about how Boktar buys supplies or organizes the camp.¡± ¡°That might work,¡± Corec said. ¡°The group just keeps getting bigger. It makes sense for each person to have their own area of responsibility. I hadn¡¯t considered that. With the knights, things were more tightly regimented, and there was always one person in charge of any group.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Ellerie complains about Boktar all the time.¡± ¡°Not for real, though,¡± Shavala said. ¡°They complain about each other the way Corec complains about Bobo. That¡¯s just how they show their friendship.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Corec exclaimed. ¡°Have you heard his snoring?¡± The girls laughed. Book 2: Chapter Twenty-One The blizzard arrived just before dawn, with enough force that it almost extinguished the bonfire despite the windbreak. Fergus trudged over to Sarette. ¡°Come help me!¡± he shouted over the howling of the wind. ¡°If we move the firewood and build another wall closer to the fire, it¡¯ll keep it from going out!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± she yelled back. ¡°You should be in your shelter!¡± ¡°The work will keep me warm!¡± Other than Sarette, Fergus was the last person still out and about. A few of the other refugees had stayed up all night or drawn the early morning shift to watch over the camp, but she¡¯d convinced them to take shelter before the storm hit. It turned out she was lucky Fergus was still awake¡ªthere was no way she could have moved the woodpile on her own. They worked for five minutes before he went to the nearest snow cave and woke up two of his men, a pair of broad-shouldered young brothers. The four of them toiled back and forth, passing each other as they carried armfuls of wood from the old pile to the new, then returned. All three men were huge, and carried twice as much per trip as Sarette, but she kept at it, and finally they¡¯d moved the entire stack. The fire had stabilized with the extra protection, and they took the opportunity to feed it and build it up again. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hope the wind dies down before we use up too much of the wood!¡± Sarette yelled to the men. ¡°It usually does after the first few hours!¡± Fergus called back. ¡°You did good!¡± She couldn¡¯t see his face¡ªhis hood and wraps were covering up everything but his eyes in an attempt to ward off frostbite¡ªbut she thought she detected a note of admiration in his voice. ¡°Thank you!¡± she said. She wanted to praise him in return, but he was older than her, and she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to do it. ¡°You should get to your shelters now!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s got to watch the fire! Go!¡± She¡¯d explained the plan to him earlier, and Gregor had agreed once he¡¯d returned from hunting, but Fergus still hesitated. At least he¡¯d stopped calling her m¡¯lady. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s worse than I thought it would be!¡± ¡°I¡¯m stormborn! I¡¯ll be fine!¡± That was overstating things, but the people of Jol¡¯s Brook seemed to hold the stormborn in high regard, and she¡¯d used that to keep them from panicking during the long day of preparations. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go! Come get me if you need anything!¡± ¡°I will!¡± she assured him, while privately planning to do nothing of the sort. He¡¯d been up for a full day and night working at heavy labor. If she needed anything, she¡¯d wake Corec or Boktar, who should have managed to get at least a few hours of sleep by now. Once he was gone, Sarette did a full circuit around the camp. At times, to keep moving forward, she had to bend so far into the wind that she¡¯d have fallen over if it hadn¡¯t been pushing back at her so hard. She stopped to check the snow caves along the way. Each of the shelters had something partially blocking the entrance¡ªpersonal belongings or a plug of snow¡ªto cut down on cold drafts, but she made sure that the new snowfall wasn¡¯t blocking off the rest of the opening. Air still needed to get through so the people inside wouldn¡¯t suffocate. By the time she reached the shelters farthest from the center of the camp, she could no longer see the glow of the fire through the swirling snow. They¡¯d been intending for the fire to provide a beacon to guide anyone who went outside during the blizzard. Without it, people could get easily lost and disoriented. If they went the wrong direction, they might die before anyone realized they were missing. Sarette considered her options, then went to find the supplies they¡¯d unloaded from the sleds, so she could set up guide ropes throughout the camp. Between what they¡¯d brought with them and what the woodcutters had kept in their equipment shack, there was plenty of rope, but she¡¯d need to find something to fasten it to. She started with an obvious choice, tying one end of a rope to a tree that stood sheltering two snow caves, and the other end to the log windbreak Fergus and his men had constructed. Anyone near that part of the camp would be able to follow the rope until they were close enough to see the fire. Finished with the first guide rope, she returned to the bonfire to add more wood, then started a large pot of tea, setting it up at the outer edge. The bonfire made cooking awkward, but it wasn¡¯t feasible to keep the smaller fires burning during the storm. They planned to limit cooking, and stick to trail rations as much as possible, but there would still be a need for hot drink and hot food to help keep people going in the cold. A voice came from right behind her. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Sarette whirled around, her heart pounding. She hadn¡¯t heard anyone approaching over the wind. ¡°Shavala! What are you doing out here?¡± The elven woman was too slender to be out in the weather, and she wasn¡¯t wearing enough layers. She¡¯d decided against buying a heavier coat in Snow Crown, and she hadn¡¯t covered her head or her face. ¡°I¡¯ll be all right for a little while,¡± Shavala assured her, leaning in to make sure she could be heard. ¡°Like you. My teacher can ignore the cold entirely.¡± Sarette hesitated, then nodded. It wasn¡¯t her place to judge the other woman¡¯s abilities. ¡°Did you need something? There¡¯ll be tea soon.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep with all this,¡± Shavala said, pointing up at the sky. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt so¡­much of a storm before. Is it always like this?¡± ¡°No, but it happens. This is why most of our people live in Snow Crown¡ªit¡¯s sheltered from the worst of it.¡± A blast of wind came from the direction opposite the two windbreaks, causing the bonfire to sputter and blow almost sideways. The elven woman shivered. ¡°I guess it is colder than I expected.¡± ¡°You should get closer to the fire to warm up. I need to figure out a way to keep it burning if the wind¡¯s going to change directions.¡± Shavala closed her eyes, then opened them again. ¡°The wind is too strong; I can¡¯t stop it.¡± ¡°No one could,¡± Sarette said in disbelief. ¡°Not for the length of a blizzard.¡± The other woman shrugged. ¡°I thought I¡¯d give it a try. But if I can¡¯t change the wind, maybe I can do something else.¡± She squatted down near the bonfire and held her hands out, looking as if she was warming them. Parts of the fire that had been blown out by the wind suddenly sprang back to life. The flames were still being blown in one direction after another, but they no longer sputtered. Shavala stood up. ¡°That should hold it for a while. I may have to do it again later.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I asked it to keep burning, and it agreed. It wants more wood, though.¡± Sarette blinked, not sure how to respond. ¡°You asked it?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like talking to a person, or even an animal. It doesn¡¯t actually think for itself, but I called out to it, and it responded. I¡¯ve always liked fire; it¡¯s so much easier than wind. But it¡¯s hungry.¡± ¡°Back in Jol¡¯s Brook, when you burned those men¡­¡± Sarette wasn¡¯t sure what her question was¡ªshe hadn¡¯t seen the spell itself, only seen the aftermath. ¡°I called fire out of nothing. It¡¯s harder to do it that way, but it still came. It¡¯s easier like this, when it¡¯s already here.¡± The more Sarette learned about druidic magic, the less similar it seemed to stormrunner magic. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll feed the fire then,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll help you, but then I think I should go back inside. You were right about the cold.¡± They added more wood, then Shavala returned to her shelter and Sarette set up three more of the guide ropes. She tied the third to a tree beyond the edge of the camp. From where she stood, she could see only the nearest of the mounds indicating a snow cave. With just a few more steps, even that was gone, and she was alone in the storm. Unraveling the scarf from around her face, she looked up at the sky and took a deep breath of the icy air. She spread her arms out wide to feel the full strength of the winds, closing her eyes and spinning around like a child at play. Despite the cold and the lack of sleep, the storm was somehow invigorating. When she opened her eyes, Gregor was standing before her. Like Shavala, he hadn¡¯t bothered to cover his face. ¡°First time on blizzard watch?¡± he shouted over the noise, grinning at her. ¡°My first time doing it for real,¡± she called back to him. ¡°Is it your shift already?¡± ¡°Not yet. I just thought I¡¯d check on things.¡± He was checking up on her, and on her ability to manage the situation, but somehow it was easier to take coming from the experienced scout than from her own squad. ¡°No one¡¯s come out yet for food,¡± she said, ¡°but I¡¯ve got a pot of tea going. It¡¯s time to do another round of the camp to make sure the air holes aren¡¯t getting blocked, and the shelters that are farthest away can¡¯t see the fire, so I¡¯ve been setting up guide ropes. I¡¯ve got two left, but I can¡¯t figure out what to tie them to.¡± ¡°You check the air holes. I¡¯ve got some metal poles that might be sturdy enough to hold the ropes, if I pound them into the ground.¡± As they worked, two of the village women came out to the fire, had mugs of tea, then started putting together a pot of stew. Until Sarette¡¯s shift ended, it would be her responsibility to make sure the humans either stayed near the fire or limited the amount of time they spent outside. The blizzard would last for two days, but so far, things were going as well as could be expected. If they were lucky, and everyone was careful, they might all make it through the storm alive. # ¡°You aren¡¯t from Tyrsall originally? Where were you before that?¡± ¡°Four Roads,¡± Treya said. She and Ellerie were talking quietly in their snow cave, wrapped in coats and blankets, while Sarette slept next to them on the mattress of pine boughs they¡¯d constructed. After over a day in the cramped shelter, with only occasional brief trips out and nothing else to do but talk and sleep, the experience had become surreal. There was little to judge the passing of time except for Sarette and Gregor trading shifts every four hours. Well, that, and the fact that the swirling mass of snow outside was slightly brighter during the day than at night. Sarette had been right about the snow caves, though¡ªsomehow they trapped heat inside and made the blizzard almost bearable, despite the deep, biting cold outside. ¡°In the free lands? Why did you leave?¡± ¡°Mother Yewen thought I would have more opportunities in Tyrsall. There was a teacher for the Order of Mystics there, and more opportunities for concubines.¡± Ellerie shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why your people allow concubines. Letting men buy women? It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Treya shrugged uncomfortably. She¡¯d had similar thoughts, but she felt compelled to defend the Three Orders. ¡°That¡¯s not really how it works. Or, at least, we try to make sure it doesn¡¯t turn into that. It¡¯s supposed to be more of a partnership. Besides, it¡¯s up to the girls to choose it for themselves; they aren¡¯t forced into it.¡± ¡°Why would they choose it?¡± ¡°The idea of concubines is engrained in the culture. No, that¡¯s not what I mean. It¡¯s¡­romanticized within the culture.¡± Treya had given the idea a great deal of thought, but she¡¯d never tried to put it into words before. ¡°There¡¯s a mystique about being the other woman, about a wealthy man seeking you out.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Ellerie harrumphed. ¡°If you like that sort of thing.¡± Treya laughed. The elven woman got along with men just fine, if her relationship with Boktar was any indication, but she¡¯d made her romantic preferences clear. ¡°You also have to remember that rich orphans don¡¯t end up in orphanages. We¡¯re all from poor families, so there¡¯s the allure of living in a noble household, or even a successful shopkeeper¡¯s home. And there¡¯s some gratitude involved, too. The Orders took me in and raised me after my parents died. They taught me a lot.¡± She smiled at the memory. ¡°The first thing they taught me was how to read. I hated it so much back then, but I eventually learned.¡± ¡°Where do boy orphans go?¡± ¡°Apprenticeships with tradesmen, mostly, even if they¡¯re too young to do much work yet. Some are adopted.¡± ¡°The girls aren¡¯t adopted?¡± ¡°Not as often, but it happens. Sometimes even after the Orders take them in. Babies mostly, and the younger girls. How is it handled in Terevas?¡± ¡°Terevas doesn¡¯t have many orphans. My people live for a long time, and they¡¯re careful.¡± Ellerie frowned. ¡°Sometimes they¡¯re careful. Anyway, there¡¯s always some family willing to adopt.¡± Ellerie rarely spoke about her homeland, so Treya tried to remember what she¡¯d been taught about the place. ¡°Is Revana di¡¯Valla still queen?¡± ¡°Her Exalted Majesty,¡± Ellerie said absently, then her eyes shot to Treya¡¯s. ¡°She¡¯s very formal. And unpleasant.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve met the queen?¡± ¡°I guess you could say we¡¯ve met, but I¡¯d rather not talk about her.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Is it true what Bobo said about the palace being made of glass?¡± ¡°What else did he say?¡± Ellerie asked, tensing. ¡°Not much. It was just an offhand comment he made a long time ago.¡± The other woman nodded, seeming to relax. ¡°There are glass palaces¡ªmore than one¡ªbut they¡¯re not all that interesting, to be honest. It¡¯s a pretty place on the surface, but¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend visiting.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t imagine I ever will, though I guess it depends where we end up settling down.¡± ¡°Settle down? Oh, you mean with Corec and the others?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m still getting used to the idea. I¡¯d always intended to keep traveling, like one of my teachers does, but then the healing magic came out of nowhere. I can help more people if they know where to find me.¡± There was a scraping sound from the entrance of their shelter as someone moved the pile of snow they¡¯d been using to block the worst of the wind. A moment later, Gregor crawled through the tunnel. He looked up at Treya. ¡°You¡¯re a healer, yes?¡± ¡°I am,¡± she said, wanting to spring to her feet, but there was no room with Gregor kneeling in the entrance area. ¡°We¡¯ve got a little girl with the freezing sickness. We¡¯re warming her by the fire, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll be enough.¡± Treya didn¡¯t know much about freezing sickness. Yet another problem with never having received any training in healing. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything I can do, but I¡¯ll try.¡± Gregor nodded and backed carefully out of the tunnel. Treya was already wearing her coat, but she buckled it up tightly, then put on her cloak and hood and wrapped a scarf around her face before following him into the much colder air outside. A small group of villagers were between the bonfire and the new woodpile, standing close together to block the wind. The girl was about six years old, wrapped in blankets, and was being held by her kneeling parents as close to the fire as they dared. She was unconscious and her skin was pale, almost blue. Treya knelt beside them, then laid her hands on the girl¡¯s head and chest, checking her over with her healing senses. ¡°What happened?¡± The mother was crying, but the father said, ¡°She hid some snowballs inside her coat to surprise her brother with, but she fell asleep and they melted and got her clothes wet. She was sleeping that way for hours before we realized. She told us about it while we were getting her wet things off, but then she fell back asleep and now she won¡¯t wake up.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got hot tea,¡± Gregor said, holding a mug. ¡°We tried, but she wasn¡¯t swallowing,¡± the father said. The girl¡¯s body was colder than it should be, of course, but also everything inside her seemed to be moving too slowly. That information didn¡¯t tell Treya what to do, though. The girl didn¡¯t need healing so much as she needed warming up. ¡°What do you normally do for freezing sickness?¡± Treya asked Gregor. ¡°What about hot water?¡± He shook his head, as did some of the villagers standing nearby. ¡°Not hot water,¡± he said sharply. ¡°It can harm the skin when it¡¯s like this. The fire, the dry blankets, something hot to drink¡ªusually that¡¯s enough if we have better shelter, but the priests can do more.¡± Ellerie had followed them, but she just grimaced and shrugged when Treya looked her way. The elven woman probably knew less about freezing sickness than Treya did. Terevas was farther south even than Circle Bay. Treya closed her eyes to cut down on distractions. She focused back on what she could sense, and tried to think of a way to help. Even if she figured out how to warm the girl up, she could only do so from inside her body, and that seemed dangerous. It would have to be the blood. Blood traveled everywhere. Just as she was about to attempt it, though, something jolted her out of her trance. Warming the blood too quickly would be dangerous. Warming it in the wrong spot could push colder blood into the heart, and that would be dangerous too. Where had the new knowledge come from? When she closed her eyes again, her sense of the girl¡¯s body had changed. Some blood vessels glowed brightly, some glowed more dimly, and some didn¡¯t glow at all. Treya realized the glowing was telling her which blood vessels to warm up, and by how much. She got to work. # When Corec woke, something was different. It took him a moment to realize the howling winds had stopped. The only sounds he could hear were of people getting ready for the day. Something else had changed, too¡ªhe was warm. With two layers of clothing, the blankets, and the tight press of bodies, the sleeping platform was almost too warm. He tried to disentangle himself from Katrin without waking her, but she opened her eyes. ¡°Is it morning?¡± she mumbled, yawning. ¡°Yes, and I think the blizzard¡¯s over.¡± ¡°It died down over the last hour,¡± Shavala said, sitting up on Katrin¡¯s other side. She¡¯d already been awake, since one person had stayed up at all times to watch the shelter for signs of collapse. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you out there,¡± Corec said. He crawled through the tunnel to the outside world, pushing his travel pack away from the entrance, where he¡¯d left it to block the wind. It was covered with snow, but not enough to block off the tunnel entirely. They¡¯d checked regularly to make sure an air hole remained, and Sarette and Gregor had done the same during their patrols. Fergus, Bobo, and Gregor were standing near the fire, so Corec joined them. ¡°I guess we made it through well enough,¡± Fergus said, staring around the camp with dark circles under his eyes. Another two feet of snow had been piled on top of the shelters, and the fire rings for the cooking fires had been completely buried on the first day. Only the area immediately surrounding the bonfire was still bare. ¡°I heard there was another case of freezing sickness last night?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gregor said, ¡°and frostbite along with it. One of the men. The priestess, Treya, says he¡¯ll regain the use of his fingers. The family wasn¡¯t wearing enough layers to keep warm. It happened during my shift, so I gave them my blankets. And Bobo¡¯s.¡± ¡°Thank you m¡¯lord,¡± Fergus said, then turned to Bobo and ducked his head. ¡°And you as well.¡± Bobo shrugged off the praise. ¡°In truth, I slept so much during the day, I just couldn¡¯t sleep last night on top of it. The blankets might as well see some use.¡± Fergus sighed. ¡°I suppose we should get started back to Jol¡¯s Brook. We¡¯ll have to break the trail all over again, and the snow¡¯s deeper now.¡± ¡°We can do that, can¡¯t we?¡± Corec asked. ¡°If we go first with the snowshoes, and pack it all down, the rest of you can just walk on top.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still coming with us?¡± the man asked. ¡°After losing three days here, I didn¡¯t want to presume.¡± Gregor said, ¡°I can¡¯t speak for our visitors, but it¡¯s my job to see that no one gets lost or stuck here in the mountains.¡± ¡°The rest of us are coming too,¡± Corec added. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure that there aren¡¯t any more of those men who attacked you.¡± ¡°We appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for us,¡± the headman said. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t known about that storm¡­¡± He shook his head and sighed. Just then, a howling could be heard faintly in the distance, but this time, it wasn¡¯t the wind. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like wolves,¡± Corec said. ¡°Snow beasts,¡± Fergus said flatly. ¡°Must have come down during the blizzard.¡± The other refugees had all stopped what they were doing, and now stood with concerned looks on their faces. ¡°It sounds like they¡¯re to the west,¡± Gregor said. ¡°Do you get many attacks?¡± he asked the plainsman. ¡°No, we keep our ranches well isolated, so they don¡¯t usually bother the village. They mostly head into the mountains.¡± The scout pursed his lips. ¡°If we can hear them, they can¡¯t be more than fifteen miles away, and the trail we took is the only good one around here.¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming this way?¡± Corec asked. Gregor shrugged. ¡°Even if they¡¯re heading up the slopes to hunt, the trail will funnel them in this direction eventually, unless they decide to turn back on their own. At least the storm covered our tracks, so they don¡¯t know we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Was that a snow beast?¡± Sarette asked, rushing over to the group, still buckling her coat. ¡°Yes,¡± Gregor replied, ¡°and if he¡¯s calling out, there are others.¡± As if in response, more howls came from the same direction, answering the first. ¡°They¡¯re not hunting,¡± Fergus said, listening to the sound. ¡°They¡¯re just telling the others where they are.¡± Gregor nodded. ¡°Which means they¡¯ll be moving slow for now, but we can¡¯t go back to Jol¡¯s Brook or we¡¯ll risk running into them. We have to stay here.¡± Corec said, ¡°Will we need to fight them? What are they like?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re as tall as ogres,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Never seen an ogre,¡± Fergus said, ¡°but they¡¯re big, about twice as tall as a man.¡± ¡°They¡¯re strong, and their fur is thick, almost like armor,¡± Gregor said. ¡°How many do you think there are?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Can we stop them before they get here?¡± ¡°I heard at least five. That could be all there are, or there could be fifty. I would need to go look to tell you for sure.¡± ¡°By yourself?¡± Sarette said. ¡°We need to¡­¡± She paused, then said something in the stormborn language. Gregor peered up at the nearest mountain, then spoke to her in the same language. She replied. They stared at each other, tense, but finally the scout nodded. Sarette told Corec, ¡°Even for a small group of snow beasts, the High Guard usually sends out at least two patrols¡ªfour full squads¡ªall armed with crossbows. We only have one crossbow. I don¡¯t think we can stay here; we should go east instead.¡± ¡°To keep ahead of them?¡± ¡°Yes, but I meant we should go to the ruins. There are stone walls there, and the people can hide in the buildings. We can¡¯t protect them here. If the snow beasts come after us, even five of them could flank us before we can stop them. If there are more¡­¡± Corec nodded. ¡°If there are buildings, we can set up defenses, but I thought we were still four days away.¡± ¡°Closer to five,¡± Gregor said, ¡°but they¡¯re not tracking us yet. As long as they¡¯re exploring the mountains, we can keep ahead of them. Once they get here, though, and see our tracks¡­ They can move twice as fast as us, so we need to be over halfway to the ruins before they figure out we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if the women and children can keep up that pace,¡± Fergus said. ¡°They¡¯ve been through so much already.¡± Corec said, ¡°If we need to, we¡¯ll send the rest of you on ahead, and we¡¯ll stay back and ambush them.¡± He¡¯d felt useless for the past few days, depending on Sarette and Gregor to know what they were doing, but a fight was something he could handle. Fergus nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll bring the axes. I¡¯d better get everyone ready before they start panicking.¡± A number of the villagers had gathered around during the conversation, and when he rushed off, they did too, gathering up their meager belongings and passing word along to those who hadn¡¯t heard. ¡°I¡¯ll go wake the others,¡± Katrin said. She and Shavala had made it out in time to hear most of the conversation. ¡°Boktar first,¡± Corec suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll go dig the sleds out from under the snow, but I¡¯ll need his help to get everything packed again.¡± # Sarette checked her map again, then surreptitiously aimed her spyglass north. Their blizzard camp had been out of view of any watchtowers, and in the day since they¡¯d left, they¡¯d been skirting around a massive slope. Finally, another peak came into view beyond it, and she found what she¡¯d been looking for. ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± she murmured to Gregor. The two of them were at the head of the procession, neither hauling a sled. Fergus had detailed several of his men to help, so that the people carrying weapons could keep them close at hand. Corec and Boktar, as the most heavily armored, were serving as rear guard. The scout immediately stopped and turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s take a meal break and give the children a chance to rest,¡± he announced to the group. There were sighs of relief up and down the line, and not just from the children and their parents. Everyone was tired from the pace they were setting. Fergus approached. ¡°Did you see any sign of them?¡± he asked, indicating the spyglass. Sarette had stopped several times throughout the morning to look behind them for the snow beasts, giving her an excuse to carry it. ¡°No, but it wasn¡¯t likely. We haven¡¯t heard them since yesterday.¡± ¡°Maybe they won¡¯t come this way.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± she said, but Gregor had warned everyone that they weren¡¯t safe just because they were too far away to hear the calls. If the snow beasts discovered the camp, they could close the distance quickly, and there was no sign of a snowstorm coming that would be heavy enough to hide their trail. With everyone stopped, Boktar, Nedley, Ellerie, and Winna distributed hardtack and dried meat up and down the line. Sarette snuck away from the group, beyond a line of trees, and found a spot that was getting sun through a break in the clouds. She pulled two signal mirrors from her pocket, using one to catch the sunlight and angle it toward the other, which she aimed at the watchtower. Tower One Sixty-Two, acknowledge, she signaled. She waited a minute, then did it again, then again. Finally, there was a response. One Sixty-Two here. Unknown party, acknowledge. Two High Guard, sixty outsiders, including children, she sent back. Low supplies¡ªfood, blankets. Heading east by south-east to South Valley ruins. Snow beast incursion behind. Unknown numbers, unknown distance. Requesting assistance. Bouncing nearest, the tower signaled, meaning they would check with the other nearby towers to find out what sort of assistance could be provided. Three minutes later, there was a response. Nearest help six days from South Valley, eight days with supplies. Single patrol. Outside of signal view. Sarette bit her lip. Was it better to get help sooner, or give the patrol two extra days to stop somewhere for supplies? Food was holding out, but it would soon run low with the number of extra mouths they were feeding. And the patrol was currently out of sight, so unless the closest signaler could bounce the message off of yet another tower, it could take another day or more to even get word to them. If there was a fight with the snow beasts, it would likely already be over in six days, one way or another. She signaled back, Supplies needed urgent. Bounce west to locate snow beasts. Request intercession, all available. Acknowledged. Tower officer assuming command. There. It was out of her hands now. The tower would watch for any more signals from her, but with how often they¡¯d be out of sight, and how often the weather would prevent signaling, the watchtowers were in a better position to make command decisions. She returned to the group and joined Gregor. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she said in the stormborn language. ¡°A patrol will meet us at the ruins in eight to ten days with supplies.¡± ¡°No help with the snow beasts?¡± he asked. ¡°The tower didn¡¯t indicate any patrols near enough. I asked them to bounce the message to the western towers to find the snow beasts, and requested help from all available.¡± He nodded. The all-available request would mobilize help from scouts, hunting parties, and any nearby settlements, with the tower captain using the best information available to decide what level of response was safe and appropriate. It might not result in any help at all, but if the group of snow beasts was small enough, and there was a ranching settlement nearby, the people there might decide to take care of the matter themselves whether any of the High Guard were present or not. ¡°Then we¡¯ve done what we can,¡± the scout said. Book 2: Chapter Twenty-Two ¡°How long until we reach the ruins?¡± Corec asked, his words punctuated by the eerie howls of the snow beasts calling out behind them. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Gregor said, pointing to a stone marker at the side of a trail. He¡¯d joined Corec and Boktar at the rear of the column so he could listen to the creatures. ¡°We¡¯ve got two hours, maybe three, before they catch up to us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Corec said, staring at the trees ahead of them. ¡°The city¡¯s all around us.¡± ¡°The forest grew up over it?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that, even with how old Ellerie said the place must be.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been thousands of years since anyone lived here,¡± Gregor said. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t all stonework, there wouldn¡¯t be anything left today.¡± He pointed to the left. ¡°I think that hill over there is a building; it¡¯s just covered with snow.¡± The procession came to a halt in front of them, and everyone gathered together around Sarette and Fergus, who¡¯d been in the lead. ¡°Where should we go?¡± Sarette asked Gregor. ¡°I don¡¯t remember much from when I was here before.¡± ¡°There are some big buildings farther in, some that even still have roofs. Fergus, you and your people come with me and we¡¯ll find a spot for you.¡± ¡°What about the snow beasts?¡± the headman asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have any armor or bows,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the snow beasts. Those of you with axes, could you make some long spears, and something to brace them against? It doesn¡¯t have to be fancy; anything will do.¡± He didn¡¯t have a line of men armed with pitchforks, like he¡¯d had against the ogres, but perhaps he could fake it. Fergus frowned, but nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can.¡± Corec turned to Gregor. ¡°Do your people keep any weapons around?¡± ¡°No. A High Guard patrol passes by once a month, but we don¡¯t store supplies here.¡± Well, it had been a long shot. ¡°We¡¯ll need a good spot to fight them. They¡¯re following our trail, right?¡± ¡°Yes; when they see tracks in the snow, they follow. It seems to be instinct.¡± ¡°Then wherever you take these people should pass by where we want to lead them. This snow is too deep to fight in. Can you think of a spot where it won¡¯t be so bad? And with high ground nearby for the archers and mages?¡± Gregor pursed his lips. ¡°There¡¯s a courtyard with a hot spring running close below it. It melts the snow above. There are a lot of buildings nearby, and not too many trees.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s where everyone should go first, so the tracks lead where we want them to go.¡± # Two hours later, Corec, Sarette, and Ellerie were standing on top of a tall building that had a partial view of the trail leading to the ruins. Corec had had to remove his plate armor so he could carefully crawl up the crumbling stairs, but he wanted to see the snow beasts for himself. He kept Gregor¡¯s spyglass trained on the trail, while Sarette did the same with her own. ¡°There they are,¡± she said, as the howls grew louder once again. There were more of them this time. Corec aimed the spyglass in the same direction she was looking, and finally caught his first glimpse of the beasts. It was difficult to judge their size through the lens, but they seemed just as large as Bobo and Fergus had suggested. They walked upright, like ogres, but their entire bodies were covered with curly gray fur. They carried clubs or spears, and some wore satchels made of animal hide, which suggested a level of intelligence. They ran with a strange hopping gait, not bothering to use the trail that had been broken. With their long legs, they simply leapt through the deep snow. And they kept coming, one after another. Sarette handed her spyglass to Ellerie, but Corec kept watching and counting. ¡°They¡¯re too far away,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can reach them from here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s got to be twenty of them, and they¡¯re less than a mile out,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯d better hurry if you¡¯re going to try.¡± She held the spyglass up to her eye with one hand, reaching out with the other as she whispered the words to a spell. A white beam of light shot out, but it faded before it reached the target. The snow beasts didn¡¯t even notice. Ellerie cursed in Elven, then said, ¡°That was a waste of a spell. I should have saved it. Sorry.¡± ¡°It was still a good idea to try. I just wish there¡¯d been time to construct catapults, but we¡¯ll have to make do. Let¡¯s go.¡± They made their way back down the stairs again as quickly as they dared, and Sarette helped Corec strap his armor back on before they ran to the courtyard they¡¯d chosen as their battle ground. ¡°They¡¯re almost here!¡± Corec shouted out to everyone as he joined Boktar. ¡°There are a lot of them!¡± He detached his scabbard from its harness and tossed it well out of the way after drawing the blade. Ellerie peeled away from the group and ran to a hill where Gregor and Shavala stood waiting with their bows. The dirt mound looked out of place among the buildings surrounding the courtyard, but Gregor had suggested it was likely a structure that just hadn¡¯t been excavated yet. Katrin and Bobo were there too, having refused the suggestion of hiding with Nedley and the villagers from Jol¡¯s Brook. Corec turned to Sarette, and to Treya, who¡¯d been waiting with Boktar. ¡°You should join them,¡± he said, pointing to the others. ¡°How are we supposed to help from there?¡± Sarette asked, a faint blue light flickering over her staff-spear. ¡°Those things look like ogres to me, and I¡¯ve seen what an ogre¡¯s club can do close up. My armor barely stopped it. Yours won¡¯t do much good. Treya, I know you don¡¯t like armor, but all it would take is one lucky hit, and who else do we have that can heal you?¡± ¡°My people fight snow beasts all the time!¡± Sarette protested, looking up at the heavy clouds above them and biting her lip. ¡°You said yourself that they use crossbows if they can. It¡¯d be different if you had more men, but you can¡¯t form a spear wall with a single spear.¡± The howling was close now, and getting closer by the moment. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Treya said to the other woman, tugging at her wrist. ¡°If we see a way to help, we will, but we shouldn¡¯t be in the middle of it.¡± Sarette still looked reluctant, but she jogged to the hill with Treya. ¡°Just you and me then, eh?¡± Boktar said, unslinging his warhammer from his belt. He pulled his helmet on, lowering the face guard, and Corec did the same. ¡°Oh, I suspect Ellerie and the others are planning some surprises.¡± Corec concentrated, casting his combat spells, but held off on the new one that strengthened his sword. It didn¡¯t last long, so he wanted to save it for when it would do the most good. The dwarf chuckled. ¡°She does have a few tricks up her sleeve. Looks like we¡¯ve got company.¡± The snow beasts rounded a bend and headed straight for the courtyard, through what had likely once been a street. They ran two abreast, and suddenly went silent when they saw their prey before them. One reached into its satchel and pulled out a stone the size of Corec¡¯s head, hurling it at them. The aim was good, and Boktar had to dodge to the side to avoid it. The stone slammed into the ground and rolled. Corec waited a moment more, as the beasts drew closer to the courtyard, then shouted, ¡°Now!¡± Hidden by partly tumbled walls, two men on each side of the street pulled back hard on the ropes they were gripping. A row of spears rose up diagonally from the snow, strapped together in a line and bound to some sort of wooden contraption the villagers had constructed. The base of the device was braced against a row of rocks they¡¯d gathered, and the men nearest the street risked sticking their feet out behind it to make it sturdier as the first rank of the creatures crashed into it. The spears were just pointed branches, prepared in a hurry, and weren¡¯t particularly hard or sharp, but the snow beasts themselves provided the necessary force, the points piercing deep into their torsos. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. They squealed then, an even more haunting sound than their howls. The spear contraption disintegrated into sticks and splinters as the beasts twisted and writhed in an attempt to free themselves. The villagers fled from the commotion, but one¡ªFergus¡ªwas hit in the head by a flying spear handle and fell to the ground. The man nearest him dragged him back out of the way. The next group of the creatures pushed the injured two to the side and streamed into the courtyard, one falling almost immediately to Ellerie¡¯s beam spell. Corec cast the strengthening spell on his sword and charged forward, Boktar at his side. # Shavala waited as the beasts approached the courtyard. She couldn¡¯t see them from her angle, but she could hear them running. She nocked an arrow, though Gregor had warned her that her bow wasn¡¯t likely to do any good. Sarette shifted impatiently at her side, continually looking up at the sky. ¡°I should be down there,¡± she fretted. ¡°If I could only call lightning. It¡¯s so close¡­¡± The clouds above were snow clouds, but they could still cause lightning under the right conditions. Shavala lowered her bow and reached up to the sky. The other woman was right¡ªit was close. A rush of warm air upward would cause the necessary chaos to form a lightning strike. Wind was difficult to manipulate, but she wouldn¡¯t need to hold it for long. Once it started, it would keep going. Before them, the snow beasts crashed through the spear trap, and Corec and Boktar rushed forward. Ellerie cast her beam spell, taking out one of the creatures. Gregor fired his crossbow, then grabbed his metal claw device to cock it again. Ellerie launched a second beam, and a third, but then stumbled and fell to one knee. Treya ran to her side. Shavala continued pushing warm air upward until the conditions were right. ¡°You wanted lightning?¡± she asked Sarette. ¡°I can feel it!¡± the other woman exclaimed. ¡°But you¡¯re too close! I need to¡­¡± She ran back down the hill, holding her staff-spear up high. Shavala hoped she knew what she was doing. Lightning struck, hitting the spear and flashing over Sarette¡¯s body. The searing boom of the thunder was immediate¡ªand far too close for comfort. Katrin squeaked and stepped back in surprise. Sarette never stopped running. One of the snow beasts saw her coming and swung its club. She leapt over the creature, landing behind it and spinning around to stab it in the back. A flash of blue energy crackled and the beast fell to the ground. ¡°Huh,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I guess we found our Venni.¡± Shavala couldn¡¯t spare the time to reply. She loosed an arrow, then another, but Gregor had been right¡ªher bow didn¡¯t have the power to penetrate through the snow beasts¡¯ thick fur, especially from this distance. The scout was doing better, with the creatures reacting in pain to his crossbow bolts, but so far he hadn¡¯t managed to take one down. It would be pointless to waste time trying to line up a shot against an eye or some other vulnerable spot from this distance, and with the creatures running around as quickly as they were. Shavala set her bow down behind her. She¡¯d have to be closer to the battle to call fire. She was about to run down the hill after Sarette when another thought occurred to her. The storm was still building above the courtyard, and another lightning strike was imminent. Meritia had taught her a way to guide a lightning bolt to a target by manipulating the air. She tried it now, and the bolt struck a tree south of the courtyard, splintering the trunk. Branches showered the ground. Between the thunder and the explosion, the sound was deafening, and this time, all the combatants in the courtyard stopped what they were doing to stare. The pause was only momentary, though, and soon the snow beasts renewed their attacks. The storm was too dangerous to play around with, but it wasn¡¯t over yet. More lightning would fall whether Shavala wanted it to or not. Perhaps Sarette could have controlled it better, but she was otherwise occupied, ducking and weaving her way through the battle. Shavala couldn¡¯t let the storm just do what it wanted¡ªCorec and Boktar were wearing metal armor, and the rest of her friends were standing at the top of a hill. To prevent them from attracting the lightning themselves, she¡¯d have to keep control over it. She was able to direct the next blast away from the battle, to a taller tree, but she got lucky on the third. One of the snow beasts had ranged away from the fight, pulling a large stone out of the rubble of a collapsed wall. As it prepared to throw it, Shavala took aim and let loose. If the creature made a sound as it died, it was impossible to hear over the thunder. It dropped to the ground immediately, its fur on fire and its arm a mangled mess. The storm was already building up the power for another strike. Shavala could do nothing other than manage it as best she could. # The hair on Katrin¡¯s arms tingled, and for a brief instant, she thought she saw a flash of white trailing up from the ground ahead of her before lightning struck at the exact same spot, the thundering boom so intense it almost knocked her backward. What was Sarette doing? Or was it Shavala? The elven woman shouted something, but all Katrin could hear was the ringing in her ears. The next lightning bolt was on the far side of the battle, giving her a chance to recover. It struck in between two of the snow beasts, knocking them off their feet. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ellerie yelled. Treya had helped her back to her feet after she¡¯d collapsed. ¡°I¡¯m trying to stop it!¡± Shavala said. ¡°Maybe cold air?¡± The other three women shared looks of confused concern, but there was nothing they could do to help, and the battle was still raging. Ellerie shrugged, then said, ¡°Gregor, the tall one on the right!¡± She whispered the words to a spell. Three small darts of light shot from her fingers, striking the snow beast in the back, and Gregor¡¯s crossbow bolt followed soon after, hitting its leg. It whirled around, searching, then roared when it saw the group on the hill. Ellerie cast her spell again and hit it in the face, knocking it to the ground, but its cries had caught the attention of others nearby. Four of the beasts charged the hill, two coming straight at them and the others running wide out to each side, trying to flank them. There was no time for the flute, so Katrin sang as loudly as she could. It was a children¡¯s lullaby, one her mother had sung to her when she was a child. She felt silly singing a lullaby at the top of her lungs, but she had to make sure the snow beasts could hear her over the noise of the battle. It wasn¡¯t the delivery of the song that mattered, but the intent behind it. The two beasts ahead of her slowed down and stopped, swaying back and forth. Their eyes blinked closed, and they slammed into the ground with heavy thuds. Katrin kept singing, hoping the fall wouldn¡¯t wake them up. Treya ran for the one coming around to the right. She¡¯d removed her boots and coat before the battle, despite the cold, and now her fists and feet glowed with white light. She dove into a roll just as she reached the snow beast, its swing passing above her. Coming up, she punched at its knee with both hands, causing it to stumble. Ellerie¡¯s face had gone gray from the effort of her spellcasting, but she extended her hand toward the creature coming from the left. Before she could start another spell, lightning struck again, hitting the beast at the back of its neck and streaking down to its right foot, which started smoking as the creature fell. Katrin turned back to her own opponents to make sure they were still down. She continued her song, not sure how long the effect would last if she stopped. Shavala sat down on the ground abruptly beside her, crossing her legs and putting her face in her hands. The lightning had finally stopped, and the storm clouds were lighter than before. Treya¡¯s opponent was the only threat remaining nearby. Gregor turned his crossbow on it, calling out to warn her. Bobo¡¯s cudgel was shaking in his hand, but he drew Katrin¡¯s dagger from its sheath. ¡°If you can keep those two down, I¡¯ll go¡­take care of them,¡± he said. She nodded, not able to reply and sing at the same time. # Corec swung his glowing blue blade into the snow beast¡¯s side as thunder rolled over the courtyard yet again, echoing off the buildings. The sky had been cloudy all day, but the lightning storm had seemed to come out of nowhere just as the battle began. With how close the strikes were falling, someone was likely to get hit if they didn¡¯t take shelter soon. His opponent fell, and another jumped over it to take its place. Corec deflected a wild stab from its spear, then swung but missed, the tip of his blade brushing through the beast¡¯s curly fur. The creatures had a longer reach than any opponent he¡¯d fought before, even a bit taller than the ogres. He and Boktar had been lucky so far, but they were at risk of being overwhelmed. The only point in their favor was that the snow beasts were so large, they got in each other¡¯s way. Only a few could crowd around at one time. Corec blocked the monster¡¯s spear again, but then Sarette came out of nowhere, slashing her own spear¡ªwhich was crackling with blue light¡ªagainst its leg. There was a flash and the beast collapsed, already dead. The stormborn woman was gone just as quickly. Boktar grunted to Corec¡¯s right, dropping his hammer and using both hands to brace his shield against a blow from a club. The force drove him to his knees and the shield fell to the ground. Corec rushed between the two combatants, whipping his sword around in an arc to parry the club as it fell again. The blade cut through the thick wooden handle, snapping the club into two pieces. The snow beast stopped to look at it in confusion, and Corec thrust his sword into the creature¡¯s gut. Sarette rejoined them, her spear no longer glowing, and helped Boktar to his feet. He was gripping his left elbow and made no move to retrieve his hammer or shield. Corec ran for the next snow beast, dodging away from its swinging club. As it charged past him, heading for Sarette and Boktar, he slashed at the back of its ankle. The beast crashed to the ground, and Corec stabbed down into its back, killing it. Another of the creatures came near. Corec tried to block its club, but the glow of the strengthening spell faded from his blade, and the snow beast¡¯s weapon found some weakness in the metal. Corec¡¯s sword shattered into a dozen pieces, and he was left holding just the hilt. Tossing it to the side, he ran to get inside the beast¡¯s reach, making it harder for it to swing at him. He grabbed the creature¡¯s arms, his strength spell strained to the limit. Sarette swung her staff-spear at the back of the snow beast¡¯s knee, hamstringing it, and as it collapsed, Corec wrestled it to the ground. Boktar¡¯s hammer was nearby. Corec grabbed it and swung the pointed end down into the creature¡¯s head, stilling it. He stood, gasping, just as another snow beast came for him. Three of the village men who¡¯d sprung the spear trap rushed in behind it, felling axes in hand. Fergus wasn¡¯t with them. They attacked the beast from behind, overwhelming it before it even knew they were there. There was an eerie silence across the courtyard. After the thunder and the howling, the quiet seemed almost unnatural. ¡°Is it over?¡± Sarette asked, peering around. The creatures were all down, either dead or dying. ¡°We finished off the two that got caught in the spear trap,¡± one of the refugees said. Corec thought his name was Tomas. ¡°How¡¯s Fergus?¡± Corec asked him, peering around for the headman. Tomas exchanged glances with the other two men. ¡°He didn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°But¡­I saw it. He just got knocked out!¡± ¡°Whatever hit him got him on the temple.¡± Corec looked away, leaning over and resting his hands on his thighs. Fergus¡¯s role had been simple¡ªjust trigger the trap and run. He and his people were never supposed to have been in any real danger. More of the villagers had offered to help, but Corec had turned them down since they weren¡¯t trained fighters and had no weapons. The red-eyes¡¯ weapons were still back in Jol¡¯s Brook, since there hadn¡¯t been any room for them on the sleds. The men who¡¯d triggered the spear trap weren¡¯t supposed to have joined the fight either, but they¡¯d insisted on keeping their axes nearby just in case. At least those three were still alive, but Fergus was dead, after Corec had promised to take care of things. Book 2: Chapter Twenty-Three The refugees had set themselves up in family groups in the cavernous building in which they¡¯d taken shelter. Ellerie made her way between them, careful not to step on the few who were still sleeping. The villagers¡¯ mood was subdued after everything they¡¯d been through. Their headman¡¯s death the previous afternoon had just been one more shock added onto all the others, but the plainsmen were a hard people, and they were already organizing the indoor camp for an extended stay. They were in no shape to attempt the journey back to Jol¡¯s Brook yet, and no one knew if more snow beasts were waiting for them along the trail. Ellerie should have been resting after the mild drain shock she¡¯d suffered during the fight, but she¡¯d slept enough that she¡¯d mostly recovered, and now that she was actually in the ruins of one of the Ancients¡¯ cities, she couldn¡¯t resist looking around. Before leaving Terevas, she¡¯d visited a few other small ruins that were thought to be Ancient in origin, dotted around the western edge of the nation near the seaborn enclave, but those structures had no distinguishing features. This place, on the other hand, matched what she¡¯d read about other Ancient cities that had been discovered. Many of the buildings had ornate designs carved into the stonework, even if they¡¯d partly faded with time. The structure they were in now was more utilitarian¡ªit seemed to have been something like a warehouse, and the Ancients hadn¡¯t spent any effort decorating it. Ellerie slipped out through the empty doorway¡ªno doors had survived the millennia of abandonment¡ªand tried to figure out where to go next. The deep snow would make exploration a problem. Other than the courtyard where they¡¯d fought, the entire city was buried. The courtyard seemed like as good a place to start as any. When she got there, she found Boktar, Gregor, and Nedley working with some of the village men to tie ropes around the shoulders of one of the snow beasts. They paused when they saw her. ¡°Should you be up?¡± Boktar asked, quiet concern in his voice. ¡°I slept as much as I could¡ªI¡¯ll be careful not to cast any spells today. What about your arm?¡± ¡°Treya fixed it all up yesterday.¡± Ellerie nodded, having expected that answer. After the battle, with the drain shock setting in, she¡¯d had a hard time concentrating on what was going on around her, but Treya wasn¡¯t the sort of person to leave her friends in pain when she could help them. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Hauling these things out into the forest. They¡¯re too damned big to burn or bury, especially with the ground frozen, but we can¡¯t just leave them here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to look around. Do you want to come?¡± He paused for a moment, considering, but he¡¯d been involved in Ellerie¡¯s search for years. It didn¡¯t take him long to decide. ¡°Sure, why not? One more person won¡¯t matter that much. Nedley, you stay here and help.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the boy said. ¡°Is there anything we should watch out for?¡± Ellerie asked Gregor. ¡°The buildings that are open have already been explored and mapped, so you¡¯ll be safe enough if you¡¯re careful. If you manage to find a way into a building that hasn¡¯t been excavated yet, you shouldn¡¯t go in. Not without more planning.¡± ¡°You said there¡¯s a hot spring below the courtyard, right? Should we move the people closer?¡± A hot bath would be nice¡ªshe didn¡¯t even want to think about what she must smell like after the past week. ¡°Not here. What¡¯s below us are tunnels for moving the water around. If you go¡­that way, I think,¡± he said, pointing roughly south, ¡°about half a mile, there¡¯s an old bathhouse that still has a roof. That might be a good spot.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll check it out.¡± # Shavala leaned against one of the partial buildings surrounding the courtyard, watching as the refugees from Jol¡¯s Brook hauled away the last of the snow beasts. Twenty-one of the creatures had died, as had Fergus, and it had all been for nothing. She¡¯d been so eager to see snow beasts for the first time. Not even Meritia had encountered one before! And now she¡¯d seen them. She¡¯d killed two herself, and helped Sarette to kill more. Life and death happened all the time, of course. One creature eats another creature, and then is itself eaten by a third. The third creature dies and its body fertilizes the land to feed the plants that support the next generation. Shavala was a hunter herself, and knew that better than anyone. But the fights against the snow beasts and the red-eyed men had been different¡ªviolence without purpose. She sighed and looked down. What else could they have done? Sarette¡¯s voice came from beside her. ¡°Katrin said I might find you here.¡± Shavala nodded but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Thank you for what you did yesterday,¡± the stormborn woman said. ¡°I could feel it, but I couldn¡¯t do anything. When you called the lightning for me¡­that¡¯s the closest I¡¯ve ever come to running a storm. I was right! The warden bond is helping!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you got what you wanted.¡± Shavala tried to sound happy for the other woman, but knew she¡¯d failed. Sarette tilted her head to the side, concern etched on her face. ¡°Are you worried about what happened? Don¡¯t feel bad¡ªit¡¯s hard to control lightning the first time. You managed to keep it from hitting any of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I underestimated the storm, but people make mistakes all the time. I¡¯ll know better in the future.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°Did they have to die? Gregor said they were following their instincts.¡± ¡°They¡¯re snow beasts! They killed Fergus!¡± ¡°They reminded me of ogres. Ogres aren¡¯t evil, usually; they just think differently than we do. They trade with my people sometimes. They don¡¯t always fight us.¡± ¡°Snow beasts kill. If we¡¯re lucky, and they hit one of the ranches, then they¡¯ll stop with the cattle and not move on to the people. Killing is all they do.¡± Sarette hesitated. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all they do when they come south.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°They hibernate up north in the summer, near the snowborn. Someone told me they don¡¯t attack the snowborn.¡± ¡°So maybe they are like ogres after all, and they just don¡¯t understand that what they¡¯re doing is wrong.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can let them invade the Heights!¡± ¡°No, you have to defend yourselves,¡± Shavala agreed. ¡°We had to defend ourselves.¡± It somehow made her feel better to learn that the beasts weren¡¯t always violent. There must be some logic that allowed them to fit into their natural place in the world, no matter how foreign it might be to her mind. In the distance, a wolf howled. Shavala had no way of knowing which wolf was calling out, but she liked the idea that it was her friendly visitor. Life would go on. Not for everyone, but for most. # ¡°That¡¯ll be a mark for the night and a penny for each meal,¡± the dwarven innkeeper said. ¡°You want the nooning?¡± ¡°What is nooning?¡± Leena asked, having a hard time following the man¡¯s speech even though he was speaking trade tongue. She already knew that mark and penny were their terms for silver and copper coins, after having stopped at a shop to purchase supplies when she¡¯d first arrived in the small town. The man glared up at her. ¡°The nooning! Nooning meal!¡± ¡°Oh, no thank you. I¡¯ve already had it.¡± She¡¯d taken to eating before Traveling, in case she ended up in another unexpected situation. ¡°Can you look at my map and tell me where I am?¡± The dwarf waved his hands in irritation. ¡°Fine, fine. Show me.¡± He was the least friendly innkeeper she¡¯d ever met. Unlike elves, she was used to dwarves. Sanvar was a human nation built over the top of three lizardfolk kingdoms and numerous dwarven settlements. The result had been centuries of war between the three races, the last one ending when she was still a child. The dwarves she¡¯d encountered in her home town of Matihar generally eyed her with distrust, except for the few who frequented the bakery she worked at. Here in Stone Home, the dwarves were different. The children playing in the streets had watched her curiously, while the adults walking past had politely ignored her. The shopkeepers had been friendly and welcoming so far. The innkeeper was an exception to that, but she didn¡¯t think it was because she was human. He¡¯d been screaming at his dwarven customers in their own language when she¡¯d first entered. They¡¯d ignored his ranting. Leena unrolled the new map she¡¯d bought in South Corner, laying it out on the bar. Unfortunately, the map didn¡¯t show anything south of Stone Home, and Stone Home itself was just shown as an outline, without any distinguishing features or towns. The innkeeper frowned as he looked over it. ¡°Here,¡± he said, stabbing a spot with his thumb. ¡°Rakovar. Map¡¯s wrong. It doesn¡¯t show all of Stone Home.¡± ¡°How far south does it go? I¡¯m heading that way.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ve got a long trip ahead. South border¡¯s another four hundred miles. Here,¡± he said, and grabbed the knife he¡¯d been using to slice a roast for his patrons. He held the map still, and extended it by carving marks directly into the wooden bar top. ¡°There. That¡¯s Stone Home. Stick to the road. Don¡¯t go west, that¡¯s the Stone Top Mountains, then Terevas. East is ogre territory.¡± ¡°What about Sanvar? Can you tell me how far away Sanvar is?¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s another thousand miles south of the border.¡± Leena sighed. It would still take her weeks to get back home then, through lands she only vaguely remembered from her Traveler training. Geography had never been her strongest subject. Just how far had she teleported, to get all the way from Matihar to Telfort? She should have asked Sarlo more questions while he¡¯d been around. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to the dwarf. He stalked off without acknowledging her, already haranguing another group of customers who were eating in the common room. Leena rolled up the map and stuffed it back in the small pack she¡¯d purchased in South Corner, then went to find her room. A nap before supper would be good¡ªshe was still tired from the jump she¡¯d made earlier. She stripped off her dress and climbed into the bed, which turned out to be dwarven in size. Even with her head pressed up against the headboard, her feet still dangled over the edge. She turned on her side and curled up instead, trying to get comfortable. Unfortunately, her nap wasn¡¯t restful, ending with a nightmare where the men who¡¯d attacked her in Matihar had returned, chasing her to the bakery where she¡¯d once worked. As nightmares often go, she¡¯d run and she¡¯d run, but she¡¯d known all along that once she reached the bakery, they would catch her. She woke with a gasp just as they found her hiding in the bakery¡¯s storeroom. Even after realizing it had been a dream, she felt a vague sense of disorientation. The room was startlingly warm and completely dark, and the bed was much harder than she remembered it being. She must have slept all afternoon if there was no light coming in through the window. It was so dark, she couldn¡¯t even see the window. She threw the sheet and blanket to the side, trying to cool down, then sat up and stretched. The sweet smell of fresh-baked bread permeated the room. If the innkeeper had a decent baker, perhaps that was how he managed to keep his clientele despite his attitude. Strangely, she thought she heard people in the streets calling out to each other in Sanvari. She¡¯d just shaken that thought off, deciding it must be a memory left over from the dream, when someone threw open the door, allowing daylight to flood in. ¡°Leena!¡± came a familiar shriek. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the voice continued in Sanvari. ¡°Sleeping on the floor in the middle of the day! Where have you been all this time? Where are your clothes? Are those tattoos?¡± ¡°Sanja?¡± Leena asked, using her forearm to shield the sunlight from her eyes. ¡°Is that you? Where am I?¡± Was she still dreaming? She was sitting on the floor of the bakery¡¯s storeroom back in Matihar, dressed only in her undergarments, surrounded by the bedding from the inn in Stone Home. She¡¯d just realized it wasn¡¯t a dream when a man¡¯s voice called out. ¡°Sanja! What¡¯s going on?¡± It was Madi, Sanja¡¯s husband¡ªthe owner of the shop. Leena was home! She¡¯d Traveled in her sleep, but she¡¯d somehow made it safely! ¡°Don¡¯t let Madi see me like this!¡± she pleaded, gathering the sheets up and draping them over herself. The dwarven innkeeper would be mad when he discovered she¡¯d stolen them, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care. She was actually home! ¡°Where are your clothes?¡± Sanja whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know how I got here!¡± Sanja and Madi weren¡¯t Zidari. They knew Leena was, but she¡¯d never told them she was a mage. Most non-Zidari had little understanding of the clan¡¯s magic to begin with, and this didn¡¯t seem like the best time to explain. ¡°But¡­then how¡­?¡± ¡°Can I borrow a dress?¡± Leena interrupted her. ¡°I¡­yes, but I don¡¯t have one in the Zidari style. Have you always had those tattoos?¡± Outside their own encampments, the Zidari covered up their tattoos. Sanja had never seen her in anything other than clothing that covered her arms and body entirely. Most other Sanvarites wore clothing that showed more skin. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always had them. I¡¯ll wear whatever you have; it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Leena!¡± Madi shouted, rounding the corner. ¡°Where have you been? Why did you leave without telling us? Is that a sheet you¡¯re wearing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madi. I had to leave without any warning. I didn¡¯t want to go without telling you, but I didn¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯m back now, though.¡± ¡°Are you in some sort of trouble?¡± he asked, concerned. ¡°No. Not anymore, anyway. It¡¯s over now. I¡¯ll tell you all about it. Did my parents ever come by looking for me? ¡± ¡°Your parents?¡± Madi exchanged a glance with Sanja, who shrugged. ¡°Not that I recall, but I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d recognize them to see them again. We only met them the one time.¡± Leena frowned. That was strange. Her parents and her little brother knew where she worked. They wouldn¡¯t come all the way across town just to visit a bakery, but she¡¯d expected them to look for her when she didn¡¯t show up for her weekly visit. Perhaps not after the first week, but she¡¯d been gone for months now. Had they spoken to the Zidari elders first, and figured out what had happened? Then, she had a sudden horrible thought. What if someone had seen the men attack her, and had told her parents, and they¡¯d assumed she¡¯d been killed? She¡¯d always hoped they¡¯d have continued to ask around until they realized her Traveling had gone awry. ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to them if Sanja can loan me a dress, then I¡¯ll come back and tell you what happened to me. Have you already hired someone to take my place?¡± # Rusol strode across the Fort Northtower courtyard, the walkways brushed clear of snow in preparation for a visit from a member of the royal family. Samir and Yassi followed him, along with the honor guard his father had insisted he take¡ªtwo knights and two royal guardsmen. The four men and Samir had ridden on horseback, accompanying Rusol¡¯s carriage. One member of their party wasn¡¯t with them. Rusol had left Kolvi¡ªan elder witch and distant cousin¡ªoutside the town. He didn¡¯t trust her to avoid using magic in plain view. She was forced to obey him, like his other bondmates, but her interpretation of his orders was always unpredictable. Unlike the royal palace, where Marten had influenced the servants and guardsmen to not see magic, the priests and knights at Fort Northtower would notice anything out of the ordinary. Rusol wasn¡¯t as good at influencing people as his father, and there was no way he could affect a large number at once. He¡¯d have preferred to bring Magnus rather than Kolvi, especially for an encounter with a priest, but the man absolutely hated the Order of Pallisur and was even more likely than Kolvi to do something stupid. And in any case, if the meeting with Leonis came to violence, Kolvi was the better choice. With the warden bond, she¡¯d become nearly as strong as Rusol himself. There was a delegation waiting for them in front of the main doors leading into the fortress. The tower itself stood tall above them, casting a long afternoon shadow to the northeast. ¡°Is that Leonis?¡± Rusol asked Samir quietly, steeling himself for a confrontation. Before leaving the carriage, he¡¯d strapped on the armor and sword his mother had given him, hoping to make a good impression with the knights, but if there was a fight, he¡¯d have to depend on Samir and his honor guard to protect him. And if Leonis himself joined the fight, Rusol would have no choice but to use magic in front of everyone. His heart pounded in his chest. He¡¯d never killed anyone before. He should have had Kolvi follow them in, just in case. Could he take out the entire group while they were still close together? Fire would be easiest. Lightning would require more effort to get them all. ¡°No, Your Highness,¡± Samir replied. ¡°I think these are the locals.¡± Rusol let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding. The entire delegation bowed deeply as he approached, and the two men in front stepped forward. One, a fat priest with a supercilious expression, said, ¡°Your Highness, on behalf of the Order of Pallisur, welcome to Fort Northtower. My name is Calwell. Sir Barat and I will see to all of your needs while you are here.¡± He indicated the other man, a young knight in full panoply. The knight, Sir Barat, bowed again. ¡°Your Highness, welcome to Northtower,¡± he said in a thick northern freeholder accent. ¡°We make rooms ready for you. The priests from Blue Vale arrived yesterday.¡± Rusol eyed the young man, wondering how he¡¯d ended up in Larso, and as a knight of Pallisur no less. The freeholders lived across the border to the northeast. After the North Border War, one group of barbarians had settled down there, realizing they could claim land for themselves rather than raiding those who¡¯d already done so. Marten had left them there rather than going in to clear them out, happy for his northern neighbors to fight each other, weakening both sides. The freeholders, though, had turned to ranching rather than making war, integrating with the other villages in their region. ¡°And have you met this Priest Leonis?¡± Rusol asked the knight. ¡°What do you think of him?¡± Priest Calwell¡¯s lips tightened at the question. Sir Barat shrugged. ¡°He is priest, Your Highness. I do not know him except to greet him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care that he chased the clans out of the basin?¡± The official story they¡¯d used for holding the conclave with Leonis was to give the man a commendation for his victory over the barbarians, as well as make overtures to open up diplomatic relations. The knight shrugged again. ¡°Is different clans, Your Highness. They do not settle like we do. Is best they are gone.¡± Barat would likely change his mind if Leonis extended his conquests outside of the basin, but Rusol decided not to press the man. ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°Show us to our rooms.¡± # Two hours later, Rusol had eaten, bathed, and changed clothes. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to wear the armor except for ceremonial reasons, but he strapped the sword belt back on. It was strange how comforting it was to feel the blade at his side, considering how little he knew about using it. ¡°Have any arrangements been made for the conclave with Priest Leonis?¡± he asked the manservant who¡¯d been assigned to him. ¡°No, Your Highness, but I was instructed to inform you that the Great Hall is available to you at any time, as well as the cooks and the servants. If you tell me what your needs are, Priest Calwell will see that they are met.¡± Rusol nodded. Calwell had the same inflated sense of self-importance as many of the other unblessed priests, but at least he¡¯d handled the preparations appropriately. ¡°Do you know how large his retinue is?¡± ¡°He brought eight men with him, Your Highness, all fellow priests of the Order.¡± Nine priests of Pallisur traveling together? That was enough to make Rusol¡¯s skin crawl. Leonis knew Rusol was a warden, which meant he knew he wielded magic that the Order of Pallisur had outlawed. Had becoming a warden himself made the man more tolerant of other mages? ¡°Our numbers should be equal for the initial greeting,¡± Rusol said. ¡°I brought six with me, so ask Sir Barat and Priest Calwell to join us. I¡¯ll write a note for you to take to Priest Leonis, asking him his preference for a time and day.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± A few minutes after the manservant left, there was a quiet knock at the door. With no other servants in the suite, there was no one to answer it. ¡°Enter!¡± Rusol called out. A young man with short blond hair came in, closing the door behind him. He wore the black robe of a priest of Pallisur, less ornate than Priest Calwell¡¯s. He didn¡¯t speak; he just stared at Rusol as if measuring him. ¡°Well?¡± Rusol asked, trying to keep his annoyance in check. ¡°Your Highness,¡± the man said in a deeper voice than Rusol had expected, ¡°it¡¯s good to meet you at last. This is a momentous occasion. It¡¯s not often I meet another warden, though I knew the time was coming soon.¡± Rusol took a step back before he realized it. ¡°Leonis.¡± The man nodded his head just slightly in acknowledgement. ¡°That is indeed the name I¡¯m currently using. My tenth name, I believe, but I rather like it. And you are Rusol, heir to the throne of Larso.¡± ¡°I expected to meet in a¡­more formal environment.¡± ¡°We can do that later if you wish to keep up appearances, but I thought it best for us to get our own discussion out of the way first, and without any observers. To be honest, Fort Northtower is not as I remember it. There are far too many of the unblessed here. They should never have been allowed in the priesthood to begin with, much less to hold such positions of power.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been here before?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Leonis said with a small smile, staring off into the distance. ¡°Many times. I thought this visit would bring back good memories, but it¡¯s disturbing to see how far the Order of Pallisur has fallen. It was glorious, once.¡± ¡°We have problems with the unblessed ourselves,¡± Rusol said, hoping to draw the man out. Leonis didn¡¯t appear to know that Marten had been deliberately exacerbating the issue for years. The priest shook his head and sighed. ¡°A matter I¡¯ll have to deal with in the future, I suppose. Now, you don¡¯t strike me as the wizardly type, and I watched you in the courtyard. You were wearing metal armor. Elder magic, then?¡± Something about the way Leonis spoke reminded Rusol uncomfortably of the First. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, readying a spell in his mind. ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°One must make allowances, though I never thought the House of Larse would allow witch blood to pollute its line. Still, very soon, that will no longer matter.¡± ¡°Is that a threat?¡± ¡°A threat?¡± Leonis said with a laugh. ¡°I have no desire to harm my own kin, no matter how distant.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Your man told you I was the high priest of Pallisur, didn¡¯t he? Who did you think I was? I may go by Leonis now, but my true name is Torwin Larse.¡± Rusol tried to control his shock. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. King Torwin died nearly sixteen hundred years ago.¡± ¡°When I became a warden, I stopped aging. People eventually started asking questions, so I thought it best to fake my death and disappear. My eldest boy was well able to carry on the family line. Your family line.¡± Leonis stepped over to the window and looked down at the courtyard. ¡°What you call Larso was all untamed wilderness once, filled with the unenlightened and the uneducated. It was worse than the northern plains, with constant warfare. I chased out the barbarian clans and burned their witches. I built Telfort as a shining beacon to the glory of Pallisur. The people who remained either swore to my banner or were put to the sword. Through war, I brought peace, just as Pallisur decrees.¡± He turned back around, his face shining with triumph. Rusol knew the history of Larso, but somehow the tales that had seemed glorious in books sounded disturbing coming from this young-looking, fresh-faced zealot who claimed to be the person responsible. Were all of the wardens insane? Whether Leonis was involved in Rikard¡¯s death or not, Rusol was more certain than ever about his plan to kill the man. But first, he needed more information. If Leonis was truly over a thousand years old, he was likely more dangerous than he looked. ¡°What did you mean about my witch blood no longer mattering?¡± Rusol asked, still not certain whether the other man had threatened him. ¡°Pallisur sent you to me, my son. You are going to help me change the world.¡± Book 2: Chapter Twenty-Four ¡°Change the world how?¡± Rusol asked, narrowing his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a son of Larso,¡± Leonis said. ¡°You know the scripture. Magic is too dangerous to be allowed loose, uncontrolled. It¡¯s only safe when it¡¯s granted as priestly blessings.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Leonis smiled again. ¡°What if all magic was priestly magic, given only to those the gods deem worthy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The gods have no say over elder or arcane magic.¡± He just barely stopped himself from mentioning demonic magic. ¡°There would no longer be any elder or arcane magic. All four sources of magic will be merged into one, and controlled by the gods.¡± Could that really happen? It would have been helpful to have Magnus or Kolvi listening in. Or even Jasper, though the old man only helped when forced to. ¡°Even if that¡¯s true,¡± Rusol said, ¡°why do you think I¡¯d help you give the Church even more power than it already has?¡± That was the most direct challenge he¡¯d made to anything Leonis had said, but the man didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°No, not the Church¡ªof course not. Not this sad, fallen order it¡¯s become. It will be Pallisur himself! He will decide who is worthy.¡± The man truly was a lunatic. ¡°And just what are the other gods going to be doing while all this is going on?¡± Leonis hesitated, as if confused by the question. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re making their own arrangements. They¡¯re not our concern. All that matters now is the ritual. Pallisur told me to wait for this day. There are eight wardens now. Finally enough to cast the spell.¡± That drew Rusol¡¯s interest. ¡°You¡¯re going to gather all the wardens together?¡± It would be easier to kill them if they were all in one place. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not necessary. We just need enough strength to draw them all in. Besides the two of us, one more might be enough. I¡¯ve spoken with the First¡ªdo you know him? He¡¯s considering it, but he¡¯s reluctant to travel. We could try gathering together in his dream world and casting the spell that way.¡± Rusol tensed. If the First were to tell Leonis that Rusol was demonborn, it could ruin everything. ¡°You¡¯ve talked to the First?¡± ¡°Yes, recently¡ªjust seven or eight years ago, once I knew all the pieces were finally coming together.¡± Rusol breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Does he follow Pallisur as well?¡± Hopefully the question wouldn¡¯t seem out of place. He needed as much information as possible before he made any moves. ¡°The First isn¡¯t a priest; he¡¯s trueborn.¡± ¡°Trueborn?¡± ¡°A godborn who¡¯s inherited his ancestor¡¯s gift for divine magic.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was possible.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s unfortunate, but it¡¯ll be corrected as soon as we complete the ritual.¡± ¡°What happens after that?¡± ¡°We will be raised above all others, blessed with all the power of the four magics. All other mages will have to earn their blessings from the gods.¡± ¡°We? The wardens?¡± Leonis hesitated again. ¡°The ones who participate in the ritual, at least. I¡¯m not sure about the others¡ªthe visions are unclear. But it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be wise to wait for more clarity?¡± ¡°No¡ªPallisur told me that this is the time. There are eight wardens now, and you¡¯ve sought me out. It¡¯s all happening just as he predicted. But I don¡¯t know if the First will agree, so we should try to find another. I sent messages to Kono and the stoneborn woman, but I haven¡¯t received replies yet.¡± Kono sounded like a seaborn name. ¡°I don¡¯t know the other wardens,¡± Rusol admitted. If Leonis could give him more information about each one, it would be easier for Yassi to track them down. ¡°I met Kono once, a long time ago. The stoneborn¡­I¡¯ve only seen her in the First¡¯s dream world. She never told me her name, but the First calls her Three.¡± ¡°That sounds like it¡¯ll take time to arrange,¡± Rusol said. If he could get two or three of the wardens together, maybe he could kill them before they warned the others. He¡¯d have to be careful, though¡ªthey were likely to be powerful, and whichever one had killed his brother would be even more wary than the others. ¡°Weeks or months,¡± Leonis said. ¡°Unless they can find a Traveler.¡± Rusol nodded. Once they¡¯d assembled, his best bet would be to launch a surprise attack, catching them in between Kolvi and himself. But what if they had defenses against magic? Perhaps poison would be a better choice. He¡¯d have to find one that acted quickly¡ªLeonis might be able to heal a poisoning if it didn¡¯t kill immediately. Would it be better to allow the ritual to happen first? Rusol could already use both elder and demonic magic. What would it be like to wield all four magics? No one would ever dare threaten him again. He¡¯d no longer have to pretend to follow the teachings of Pallisur. He could be himself, and rule Larso without fear. But no. The more power he allowed the other wardens to gather, the harder his task would be. He¡¯d have to walk a careful line. He¡¯d wait until the time was right, but not so long as to allow the ritual to go forward. He smiled at Leonis. ¡°We should begin our preparations now. What do you need from me?¡± # Leena dashed tears from her eyes as she trudged down the trail that led to the spot where her extended family camped during the dry season. She¡¯d never made the trip as slowly as she did now, not wanting to know what she was going to find at the end. It had been four hours since she¡¯d discovered her parents¡¯ home in Matihar had burned to the ground¡ªthe home where she¡¯d spent her teenage years after her family had moved into the city. The neighbors had been shocked to see her. When she hadn¡¯t shown up after the fire, they¡¯d assumed she¡¯d been killed along with the rest of her family. She¡¯d left town in a daze, not bothering to return to her friends at the bakery. She hadn¡¯t even realized she was heading to the encampment until she was halfway there. Ahead of her came the sound of voices¡ªvoices speaking Zidari rather than Sanvari. The camp was still there, at least. She picked up her pace and ran down the slope as it curved around behind a sheltering cliff. The tents she¡¯d known all her life were there, but some were missing. ¡°Leena! Leena! Leena!¡± A small streak raced toward her, hugging her midsection tightly. Her brother Udit. He was alive! Leena fell to her knees, crying even harder as she hugged him back. ¡°Are Mami and Papi here too?¡± she asked, after composing herself. Tears came to his eyes, and she knew the answer. ¡°Leena!¡± came a shout. ¡°You¡¯re alive! We thought they¡¯d gotten you!¡± She looked up to find her uncle and former teacher, Rohav. Behind him was Grandmother Aruna. Aruna leaned over to kiss the top of Leena¡¯s head. ¡°Come Udit, let your sister stand up.¡± Leena got to her feet. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Men in sand veils,¡± Rohav said. ¡°They came after all the Travelers and their families.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s only you and me!¡± ¡°Not just us. Every Zidari camp, every city. Some of the camps were wiped out. Half of the Travelers are dead, as well as anyone else that got in the way. Rima¡­¡± Rohav paused to swallow his grief. He¡¯d married Rima two years earlier, after his first wife had died of yellow fever. ¡°Varush, Tovar.¡± ¡°How did you stop them?¡± Leena asked. The Zidari weren¡¯t a violent people. ¡°They may have been looking for Travelers, but they didn¡¯t like Traveling.¡± Rohav¡¯s face was cold and menacing. ¡°Or maybe it was the landing they didn¡¯t like.¡± ¡°What happened to you, Leena?¡± Aruna asked. ¡°We rushed to the city as soon as Udit warned us, but your parents¡­ We were too late. And then when you never showed up at your apartment or the camp, we thought you must have been killed too. I tried Seeking you, but I found nothing.¡± Aruna had come from a Seeker family, but her own gift wasn¡¯t very strong. ¡°Udit warned you?¡± ¡°We think he Traveled.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s only ten!¡± Rohav shrugged. ¡°Nobody saw him arrive, and he doesn¡¯t remember how he got here. We were still trying to save the injured, and hadn¡¯t realized anyone else had been attacked. He told us men blocked the doors and set the house on fire.¡± The tears welled up again, but Leena forced them back. ¡°Men wearing veils came after me too. Humans, not dwarves or lizardfolk. I thought they were thieves. I couldn¡¯t get away from them, so I teleported. I ended up in Larso.¡± ¡°Larso!¡± Rohav exclaimed. As a Traveler, he was likely the only other person in the family who¡¯d ever been there and knew how far away it was. ¡°Why would anyone attack the Zidari?¡± Leena asked. ¡°The empress protects us!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. We didn¡¯t even realize it was the Travelers they¡¯d targeted until we spoke to the other families. Nobody knows who they were. There haven¡¯t been any more attacks yet, but some of them got away. They might come back.¡± ¡°Have the Seekers found them? Or the Seers?¡± Aruna scowled. ¡°Something¡¯s blocking them. My family found one of the knives in a pile of old weapons in the marketplace, but everything else they¡¯ve tried has been warded.¡± ¡°What knives?¡± ¡°Each of the men carried a knife with a sigil on it,¡± Rohav explained. ¡°A snake. Kartik! Do you still have the one you took?¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Leena¡¯s cousin Kartik ran to his tent, returning with a sheathed blade. He passed it to her, ruffling her hair the same way he had when they¡¯d played together as children. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe,¡± he said. She managed a smile for him, then pulled the knife from its sheath. It was longer than a belt knife, single-edged but coming to a point, so it could be used for cutting or stabbing. There was nothing special about it other than the symbol of a snake etched into the handle. The man who¡¯d stabbed her had used a knife, too, but she hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at it. ¡°What does it mean?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯ve asked around but nobody recognizes it.¡± Leena looked up, taking in the camp around her. Her aunts and uncles, her cousins and second cousins, young and old. They all wore belt knives, and a few had daggers or longer knives. There were old ceremonial spears propped up against some of the tents. Kartik wore a cheap-looking sword on his belt. Leena was certain he didn¡¯t know how to use it. Of everyone there, only Rohav was truly capable of defending himself. The camp wasn¡¯t safe. Those men had killed her parents because of her¡ªbecause she was a Traveler. Udit was safe for now, but if he was a Traveler, they might come back for him. The Zidari weren¡¯t a violent people, but sometimes exceptions had to be made. ¡°I declare blood feud,¡± Leena said. # ¡°I just heard you haven¡¯t made plans to leave tomorrow,¡± Corec said to Sarette and Gregor. ¡°I know we had to give these folks a day to rest, but aren¡¯t we running low on supplies?¡± Sarette grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Gregor said. ¡°What if there are more snow beasts coming? Give me a few days to scout the trail first to make sure it¡¯s safe.¡± Boktar had been close enough to overhear, and spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving? I was just out looking over the supplies with the women who¡¯ve been doing the cooking. We¡¯ve only got about four days of food left. We need to get back to Jol¡¯s Brook as fast as we can. Elmsford, actually, so we can stock up.¡± ¡°Four days?¡± Corec had known things were running low, but hadn¡¯t realized how bad it had gotten. It would take longer than that to reach civilization. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone tell us?¡± ¡°They were more concerned about getting away from the snow beasts. Today¡¯s the first day they had a chance to take stock.¡± ¡°Shavala¡¯s out hunting again.¡± ¡°Even if she gets a deer, or another elk, it won¡¯t change things by that much. We still need to hurry.¡± Corec nodded, thinking. ¡°Elmsford is eight days away if we¡¯re lucky, but people aren¡¯t going to move as fast if we put them on half rations. What if some of us run ahead with empty sleds, then meet up with everyone else however far along the trail they¡¯ve managed to get? You, me, three others.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to, I think,¡± Boktar agreed. ¡°We won¡¯t make it back to them in four days, but if we leave our armor behind and both groups make good time, maybe we can do better than eight. Shavala and Gregor can stay with the group and continue hunting.¡± ¡°We have to tell them,¡± Sarette said to Gregor. He scowled but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Tell us what?¡± Corec asked. Sarette said, ¡°We¡¯ll be all right. I just got word this morning¡ªthere¡¯ll be a relief patrol here in three days. Ten sleds of food and blankets, plus some spare clothing and extra snowshoes.¡± Corec stared at her. ¡°What are you talking about? Got word from who?¡± ¡°We have watchtowers throughout the mountains. I signaled for help the day after the blizzard ended.¡± ¡°Watchtowers?¡± ¡°They keep an eye out for fires or lost travelers, and they can send messages back and forth.¡± She retrieved two small mirrors from her pocket. ¡°I can signal them with these if the sun¡¯s out, or a campfire might work in an emergency. There weren¡¯t any High Guard soldiers near enough to help with the snow beasts, but the towers found a patrol near one of our mining towns. They stopped there to pick up supplies, and now they¡¯re on their way.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± She looked down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s against the law to mention the towers to outsiders. Besides, I wasn¡¯t sure until today that it was actually going to arrive. I can only sense the weather two or three days out, and I didn¡¯t want to get anyone¡¯s hopes up.¡± Corec frowned. She should have told them, but it all came back to his discussion with Katrin and Shavala over how to organize each person¡¯s responsibilities. Sarette and Gregor had handled all the decisions regarding traveling in the mountains. He and Ellerie had both taken a step back, not wanting to interfere with their expertise. But if the group was going to continue traveling together, they¡¯d all have to do better at determining when something was important enough to discuss with everyone. That discussion could happen later, though, when Gregor wasn¡¯t around. ¡°Then if you¡¯re certain the supplies are going to arrive, let¡¯s go tell the cooks before they cause a panic,¡± Corec said. # Using the writing stick she¡¯d borrowed from Sarette, Ellerie sketched the last of the symbols that had been carved into the side of the building. This one was a stylized image of the sun. Then she sighed. Did the symbols even mean anything? If they did, the stormborn historians likely had a full record of them already. She was hardly breaking new ground here. The symbols weren¡¯t writing¡ªEllerie was familiar enough with how the Ancients wrote from the books she¡¯d seen. A few of the markings repeated across multiple buildings, but many seemed to be unique. Perhaps they were simply a form of art. They reminded her of the symbols carved into the wooden buildings in Snow Crown, though those were typically smaller. If that¡¯s all they were, though, Sarette had mentioned that it would be difficult for an outsider to interpret them. In Snow Crown, a commonly recognized symbol might indicate a particular type of business, but most were private messages to family and neighbors, representing events like the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, or sometimes simply a design that someone came up with and wanted to show off. If that were the case here, no matter how many sketches Ellerie made, it was unlikely she¡¯d learn anything new. She closed her notebook. ¡°You might as well say it.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± Boktar asked. He¡¯d made several circuits around the building, and was now peering through the open doorway. ¡°What you¡¯ve been wanting to tell me for the past two days.¡± ¡°Elle, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Was he smirking at her? ¡°Tell me how stupid I was for going to the Storm Heights in the winter! For insisting on coming here, even after they told us how dangerous it was! For thinking I could find something new even though the stormborn have been exploring and documenting this place for the past two hundred years! For thinking I could find anything when the whole damned place is covered in three feet of snow!¡± ¡°If you remember, I never argued against doing any of that.¡± Ellerie rubbed her temples. ¡°Maybe you should have. Maybe I¡¯d have even listened. I don¡¯t know what I thought we were going to accomplish here.¡± ¡°Each step of the way was perfectly logical,¡± Boktar said. ¡°We knew it would be cold, but I¡¯ve traveled in snow before. Not this much, I¡¯ll admit, but it¡¯s not a big deal. We heard the stormborn might know something, so we visited them. They knew the location of one of the old cities, so we came here. So what if it doesn¡¯t lead us to Tir Yadar? It¡¯s still one of the Ancients¡¯ cities, and one that nobody but the stormborn knew about before now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, I suppose. And it¡¯s large enough that it¡¯s got to be one of the Tirs. I¡¯m just mad at myself for not thinking things through. If we¡¯d come in the summer, we¡¯d actually be able to see the ruins. And we wouldn¡¯t have been attacked by snow beasts.¡± ¡°We can still see some things. Like this one¡ªit¡¯s got a roof, so it¡¯s not filled with snow. Do you want to go in?¡± ¡°We might as well.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any windows. Could you light the lantern?¡± Ellerie whispered the words to her mage light spell, trapping the light within the lantern Boktar carried. He went in first and she followed. The snow was over two feet deep outside the entrance, but it sloped down gradually inside, so she was able to walk through rather than hop down. The building was empty, like every other structure she¡¯d visited within the ruins. The stormborn had cleared out anything of note, carefully cataloging their finds back in Snow Crown. When she returned to the city, she planned to spend more time looking through their records. Boktar held up the lantern so he could examine the wall¡¯s stonework. The structures that had survived seemed to be of two types. Some were made of large slabs of stone, somehow cut intact to form an entire wall or section, while others were constructed of carefully fitted blocks of stone, more uniform than modern stonemasons could manage, but still larger and less even than bricks. The walls here were of the larger slabs. How did the Ancients find deposits of stone solid enough to cut such wide pieces? Was it even real stone? It looked real, and these particular walls appeared to be made of granite. There was another room, but like the first, it was long, narrow, and windowless. It led to nowhere. What could this building have possibly been used for? Storage seemed like the only possibility, but why such an odd shape? Ellerie had a sudden strange feeling, and quickly cast her arcane sight spell. As the veil fell over her vision, the stone floor below her feet lit up brightly. ¡°Don¡¯t come in here!¡± she shouted to Boktar. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked from the archway between the two rooms. ¡°I think I¡¯m standing on a warded trap.¡± How could a magic field still exist after thousands of years? The spell must have been cast before the secret of permanent enchantments was lost. ¡°Get out of there!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is! I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen if I move!¡± ¡°The stormborn have mapped this all out, haven¡¯t they? They must have been in there before, and come out safely.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Some wards only work on mages. I think I can banish it.¡± She whispered the words to the banishing spell she¡¯d learned during the trip north. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good¡ª¡± The floor collapsed with a roar, and Ellerie fell with it. She landed hard amidst the rubble, fifteen feet below. ¡°Elle!¡± Boktar shouted. ¡°Are you all right?¡± He was peering down into the opening, waving dust away from his face. ¡°It hurts,¡± she managed to gasp out. ¡°Something fell on my leg.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go get Treya and some rope! Stay there!¡± Where did he think she was going to go? # ¡°Lift it higher!¡± Tomas said. Corec grunted, bringing his end of the log up to his chest. Then he cheated and cast his strength spell. He pushed the log up above his head and nudged it until it was centered over the log below it, then held it there while the man on the other end did the same thing. ¡°Now, add the braces!¡± Tomas called out, and two other men shoved smaller logs into place diagonally, with one end braced against the ground and the other holding the larger log up tight against the remains of the stone wall. The bracing beams were a short-term solution. The woodcutters had brought their axes with them, but they didn¡¯t have the chisels necessary to create well-fitted notched joints. After Ellerie and Boktar had found the hot spring bathhouse, the refugees had decided to move closer, but the only building nearby suitable to hold the group was missing part of a wall. Now, with the new log barrier in place, the work was nearly done. When Corec stepped back to take a look at the structure, he saw Shavala trudging in from the south, pulling an empty sled behind her. ¡°Can you handle the rest without me?¡± he asked Tomas. ¡°Sure. The boys already gathered pine boughs for the hole in the roof, and the rest of us can handle daubing in some mud to fill the gaps between the logs.¡± Corec nodded, then made his way to Shavala. ¡°No luck?¡± he asked her. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think many deer stay in the mountains over the winter.¡± There was a puzzled expression on her face. ¡°Why are you building a wall? Aren¡¯t we leaving tomorrow?¡± Corec sighed. ¡°It turns out Sarette and Gregor were keeping secrets from us. There¡¯s a group of stormborn coming here in a few days with enough food for the folks from Jol¡¯s Brook. I guess we¡¯ll leave after that.¡± ¡°Oh. Should I stop trying to hunt, then?¡± ¡°Well, the more food we can give the Jol¡¯s Brook people, the better off they¡¯ll be. There¡¯s nothing left back at their village. Even if they dig around in the ashes and find whatever coin they didn¡¯t manage to bring with them, they¡¯ll have to go farther than Elmsford to buy enough to last them through the whole winter.¡± ¡°In that case, I found an entire clearing full of wild potatoes. I can show them where to dig.¡± ¡°I thought potatoes froze and died in the winter,¡± Corec said. ¡°These are buried deeper than usual, and there¡¯s three feet of snow above them. It kept the ground from freezing.¡± ¡°Then how did you find them?¡± ¡°My elder senses aren¡¯t blocked by snow. Or soil. I usually need to see a plant with my eyes to know for sure what it is, but a tuber is a tuber. I dug down to find out what kind it was. I also saw some mushrooms, but I¡¯ll have to check with Gregor to see if they¡¯re safe to eat.¡± ¡°Every bit helps. I¡¯m sorry we keep saddling you with so much extra work.¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°I like getting out on my own. Is everyone moving over here?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s closer to the hot springs. Katrin already carried your things over for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go find her.¡± Just then, Boktar came running. ¡°Ellerie needs help! Where¡¯s Treya?¡± # When Ellerie opened her eyes next, Treya and Corec were kneeling over her. ¡°Can you move that big rock off her left leg?¡± Treya murmured. Corec did as she asked, and Ellerie gasped as pain shot up her leg. Then it receded, Treya¡¯s hands glowing as she ran them over Ellerie¡¯s body. ¡°I thought Boktar was just getting Treya,¡± Ellerie said, her mind still fuzzy as she tried to piece together what had happened. The room glowed from mage lights¡ªher own and two more which must have come from Corec. There was a rope hanging over the ledge. ¡°She couldn¡¯t come down here alone,¡± Corec said. ¡°Boktar said he¡¯d watch the rope from above, so you had a choice of me or Nedley. I chose me.¡± Ellerie laughed, then winced at the pain in her ribs. ¡°Boktar¡¯s love of rope doesn¡¯t extend to climbing it. Thank you.¡± Treya moved her hands, and the tightness in Ellerie¡¯s chest relaxed. She took a deep breath and there was no pain. ¡°He said it was a trap?¡± Corec asked. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I was an idiot. It was a spell designed to keep the floor from collapsing. I banished the spell, so, of course, it collapsed. With me standing on it.¡± ¡°What is this place?¡± Treya asked, helping her to sit up. Ellerie looked around. The cavern they were in was artificial, a tunnel constructed below the city. It continued east and west as far as the glow of the mage lights extended, parallel with the building above. Thirty feet to the east, there was a dark opening suggesting another branch leading north, and to the west, there were two metal doors along the south wall. ¡°Is it an old hot spring tunnel that isn¡¯t used anymore?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see any channel for the water to flow through,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I think it¡¯s part of the city.¡± ¡°Is everything all right down there?¡± Boktar shouted from above. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± she called back. ¡°We¡¯re in a tunnel! I want to explore for a bit.¡± ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s getting late.¡± ¡°Treya healed me. I just want to see how far this goes. Why don¡¯t you come down?¡± ¡°Uhh, I¡¯ll see if I can put together a rope ladder.¡± Ellerie snickered, then turned to her companions. ¡°Do you two want to come?¡± Book 2: Chapter Twenty-Five Constables escorted a line of gang members down the street toward the city center, past a row of jeering citizens. Razai stood amongst the crowd in her Vash-like disguise, grinning widely at any of the thugs who looked her way. She¡¯d had nothing to do with their arrests, but if they were set free, she wanted them to come for her rather than the divers. As the last of them passed, she saw a flash of a familiar face through a window across the street. Renny Senshall¡ªand if the girl had known in advance where the raid was taking place, that could only mean one thing. Razai ducked into an alley, shedding her disguise when no one was watching. It drew too much attention. Wearing her own face, she entered the teahouse and stepped over to where the concubine was still looking out the window. ¡°How¡¯d you manage it?¡± Renny jumped, startled. Stavo and the other bodyguard jerked around too, reaching for their weapons. They stopped once they recognized Razai. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Renny said to her guards, ¡°the lady and I have some business to discuss. Would you please excuse us?¡± Stavo nodded and dragged his partner away. Once they were out of earshot, Renny said, ¡°One of my closest friends warms the seneschal¡¯s bed. It just required some nudging.¡± ¡°Then why did it take so damned long?¡± Speaking like that to a member of one of the most powerful families in the city was dangerous, but the words came out before Razai could stop them. Renny frowned and looked down. ¡°When Talai¡¯s bodyguard was killed, I complained again. Before that, the deaths had been seaborn and thugs, and the constabulary doesn¡¯t see much difference between the two. But with another death, Kirla was able to convince Seneschal Ollis to force them to take it seriously.¡± Razai rolled her eyes. It sounded like politics, and she hated politics. ¡°Why did you bother making a deal with the seaborn anyway? You¡¯re sleeping with one of the richest men in the city. I¡¯ve seen the numbers¡ªafter your expenses, you can¡¯t be making any more profit than a shopkeeper. One with a very small shop.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for the money,¡± Renny said, ¡°though it¡¯s good to know I can make a living on my own if I have to. I did it to prove to Varsin that I¡¯m capable enough to help him with his business. Besides, I still had my share of my bond price, and I needed something to do with my time. It turns out that having servants do everything for you isn¡¯t as fun as it sounds.¡± This was only the third time Razai had spoken to Renny directly, but the concubine wasn¡¯t quite what she¡¯d expected. Still silly and naive, for sure, but perhaps smarter than Razai had assumed. ¡°You got Kahlvin, but Dallo got away, and some of his men,¡± Razai said. ¡°Those are the names of the gang leaders?¡± the girl asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I thought there were three.¡± Razai hid a smirk. ¡°The third ended his association with them weeks ago. He¡¯s been selling off his holdings in the docks.¡± ¡°Well, the other one¡ªDallo?¡ªmay have gotten away, but I don¡¯t believe he¡¯ll be able to start up his operation again. The constabulary will be keeping a closer watch on things from now on. I understand Ollis was quite¡­emphatic when he spoke to the Chief Constable the second time. Kirla can be very persuasive when she needs to be. Besides, the investigation discovered that the gangs had started to put pressure on the port tax authority, and the constabulary never should have allowed that to happen. Duke Voss is involved now, and he¡¯s informed the king. There¡¯ll likely be a new Chief Constable soon.¡± Razai couldn¡¯t help glancing around the room, just to make sure the duke hadn¡¯t decided to spy on the proceedings himself. A whispered word to a bedmate could make its way to the king? The Senshall girl lived in a different world. ¡°I should leave,¡± Razai said. ¡°Lanii¡¯s crew will be surfacing in an hour, and I need to tell her the news.¡± ¡°A moment, before you go?¡± Razai stopped. ¡°I have some time.¡± ¡°If the seaborn decide they no longer need your services, Senshall Trading Company would like to hire you and your friends¡ªVash and that stormborn fellow. I don¡¯t recall his name.¡± ¡°Senshall doesn¡¯t hire demonborn,¡± Razai said, narrowing her gaze. Vash had told her that. ¡°In the past, maybe, but Varsin is in charge of hiring guardsmen. I recommended you, and he¡¯s willing to give it a try.¡± Give it a try. As if demonborn couldn¡¯t be trusted as a group, and only one or two were worthy of receiving scraps from the humans¡¯ table. It would be pointless to take her annoyance out on Renny, though¡ªthe girl was trying to do them a favor. And, in truth, Razai would probably be looking for employment before the week was out. The bodyguards¡¯ wages had been cutting deep into the divers¡¯ profits. If they were no longer needed, they¡¯d be let loose. ¡°Vash is more than just a caravan guard,¡± Razai pointed out. ¡°He¡¯s run his own caravans before.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. We have enough caravan masters at the moment, but perhaps he could work his way up. I¡¯d have to ask Varsin what the rules are.¡± ¡°And me?¡± Renny hesitated. ¡°I have a job for you if you want it, and if you can keep a secret. Five silver pieces a day.¡± ¡°Five?¡± That was a lot of money. ¡°Senshall offers three silver for specialist pay, and you¡¯re a wizard on top of it.¡± Why did people always assume mages were wizards? ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡± Razai asked. ¡°I want to know if Varsin¡¯s brothers are abusing their concubines.¡± # Bobo sighed as he checked the translation. This was yet another section he¡¯d barely skimmed over before. While it described the author¡¯s journey, it didn¡¯t actually detail which part of the journey, and it didn¡¯t mention any distinguishing landmarks. But the translator Ellerie had assigned to these pages was the worst of the bunch, providing the gist of the passage but getting even the simplest of words wrong, so Bobo had no choice but to go through it line by line. It was easier to rewrite the entire section than to correct the other translator¡¯s work. Double-checking the diacritical marks, he replaced The sun warmed the field with The morning sun shone over the meadow. Then he stretched, rubbing at a kink in his neck. Translating was tedious work, especially without a desk, but it was part of the deal he¡¯d struck with Ellerie to be allowed access to the book again. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t learned anything useful yet. Going on an adventure of his own hadn¡¯t turned out quite the way he¡¯d expected. His grandfather¡¯s stories never mentioned the cold, the fatigue, or the terror of waiting to be attacked by monsters. The stories skipped over that sort of thing, going straight ahead to the exciting parts. Of course, now that he¡¯d experienced the exciting parts for himself, Bobo rather thought he preferred the boring parts. Ellerie had shown him the tunnel she¡¯d found the night before, but after peering down into it, he¡¯d opted to stay on the surface. The others could trudge around in musty caverns¡ªhe¡¯d join them if they found anything interesting. In the meantime, there was plenty to explore above ground. Whenever his eyes needed a break, he went outside to examine another of the stone structures. He¡¯d looked through a dozen buildings the day before, and already five today, sketching out a map for himself. When he returned to Snow Crown, he planned to compare his map to the one the stormborn kept, and read up on what they¡¯d been able to learn about each structure, to see how closely it matched his own deductions. He¡¯d started to get a sense of how the city was laid out. Despite the numerous buildings that remained, it was clear that even more were missing. Either the stones used to build them had been carried off at some point in the distant past, or the first peoples had done much of their construction work with wood after all, and that wood had gradually rotted away over the thousands of years in which the city had stood uninhabited. If there hadn¡¯t been so much snow on the ground, he suspected he¡¯d be able to see foundations or other groundwork where the missing buildings had once stood. For now, it would have to remain another question for the stormborn. Imagining the city full of life, Bobo found it easy to agree with Ellerie¡¯s belief that it was one of the capitals of the first peoples¡¯ empire¡ªor empires. Despite the common language, it had always been unclear whether the wide-ranging civilization had been united under a single government or whether each Tir was the capital of an independent nation. The next line in the book caught his eye. Winged snakes cavort in the air above the meadow, darting hither and yon. Winged snakes. Something about that tickled Bobo¡¯s memory. Where had he seen it before? He grabbed the book Shavala had bought in Tyrsall, Karsin¡¯s Guide to Rare Wildlife, from his pack and thumbed through it until he found the page he wanted. Then he shot to his feet. He had to find Ellerie. # Corec sneezed. ¡°I think there¡¯s mold down here.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Boktar said, kicking at the dust and dirt lining the floor. ¡°I saw water marks along the tunnel walls. This area must have flooded over and over again.¡± ¡°Flooded how? Snowmelt? Or the hot springs overflowing their channels? I haven¡¯t seen any other water down here.¡± ¡°Probably heavy rainstorms,¡± Sarette said. ¡°They cause flooding throughout the mountains in the spring. Sometimes entire slopes wash away.¡± She¡¯d accompanied them for their second day of searching the underground tunnels. ¡°This one¡¯s just like the others,¡± Ellerie said, peering around the room. ¡°I think they¡¯re living quarters. Why else would there be so many of them?¡± They¡¯d spent all morning searching through one set of rooms after another, all connected to a series of parallel corridors branching off the main tunnel, half a mile south from where she¡¯d fallen through a day earlier. Corec nodded. ¡°The main chamber and three sleeping chambers. The smallest rooms could have been for storage, or bathing, or an indoor privy.¡± ¡°Who would want to live underground, though?¡± Treya asked. ¡°There are no windows, and there¡¯s no chimney for a cooking fire or stove.¡± ¡°Living underground isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Boktar said. ¡°I did it for half my life. And if there isn¡¯t a place to cook, there might have been a communal meal area nearby. That¡¯s how we do it in Stone Home, at least for those of us who stay underhill.¡± ¡°Sarette, what do your people say these tunnels were used for?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I¡¯d always heard that most of the tunnels we¡¯d discovered were either blocked with rubble and too dangerous to excavate, or were aqueducts for the hot springs. I¡¯m not sure my people have seen this spot yet. Look.¡± She bent down to pick up a heavily tarnished spoon that had lain half uncovered in the detritus. ¡°They¡¯d have found this when they were searching, unless it washed through from somewhere else.¡± ¡°Which it may have, since there aren¡¯t any doors in this section,¡± Boktar said. ¡°They must have been wooden,¡± Corec said. After thousands of years, and with wet conditions, almost anything not made of stone or metal would have rotted away. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any hinges either. I think the rings on either side of the doorways are for hanging curtains across the opening. We do that in Stone Home too.¡± Ellerie raised an eyebrow. ¡°You think the Ancients were stoneborn?¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°If so, the ceilings are a lot higher than they need to be.¡± He pointed to the spoon. ¡°Can I see that?¡± Sarette handed it to him. Ellerie said, ¡°Whatever these rooms are, they¡¯re all the same and they¡¯re all empty. Should we give up on this section and try another direction?¡± ¡°What if we follow this corridor to the end, but skip past all the living quarters?¡± Corec suggested. ¡°Just to make sure we¡¯re not missing anything else before we double back.¡± Everyone seemed agreeable to that. Moving much faster now, they reached the end of the corridor in less than ten minutes. They¡¯d passed by two junctions, but left exploring the cross tunnels for another time. ¡°This is different,¡± Treya said. They gathered around her in front of a large archway leading into a cavernous room. Their lights only extended part of the way in, so Ellerie cast another mage light spell. It appeared ahead of them, illuminating the area around it. ¡°It looks like they left some things behind this time,¡± Boktar said. There were dark shadows and mounds of debris throughout the room. Ellerie said, ¡°If there¡¯s anything significant in there, we¡¯ll need to catalog it for the historians back in Snow Crown. They want to know the location of any object, and if it¡¯s too large to bring back with us, they also requested a detailed description of the item and the condition it¡¯s in.¡± ¡°What about the spoon?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°The museum has a number of spoons already, so I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll consider it significant, but we¡¯ll take it back to them anyway. I already made a note of which room we found it in.¡± Sarette nodded, and the group went through the archway, splitting up to explore. Corec found a curved pry bar lying on the ground twenty paces to the right of the entrance. He wiped the grime from the straight end, and found the metal itself to be unblemished. ¡°Check this out,¡± he said, handing it to Boktar. ¡°I wish I knew what sort of metal this was,¡± the dwarf replied, looking it over. Then he passed Corec a long metal bar, partly rusted through. ¡°But they didn¡¯t use it for everything. This one looks like iron, though I don¡¯t think iron would have lasted this long. Can¡¯t tell what it was used for.¡± ¡°There are a lot of wood fragments left in here too,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Either this room stayed very dry until recently, or the Ancients had some way of treating wood to make it last longer. I can¡¯t tell for sure what it was, but the pieces I can see remind me of furniture. Could this have been the communal meal room Boktar suggested?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see any sign of a kitchen,¡± Treya said. ¡°And no chimneys.¡± ¡°There are metal hooks all along the back wall,¡± Sarette said. ¡°Two rows of them, high and low. Maybe for clothing, but I¡¯ve seen hooks like that used to hang crossbows.¡± ¡°I think it was for the crossbows,¡± Boktar said, stooping down. When he stood back up, he was holding a bodkin-point arrowhead. ¡°Why?¡± Ellerie started as she followed his gaze. ¡°Oh.¡± The arrowhead shone under the mage lights, the unknown metal still gleaming after the thousands of years since the city had been abandoned. ¡°There are arrowheads like that in the museum,¡± Sarette said. ¡°The one I found was a broadhead, but they used both types.¡± ¡°Look over here,¡± Treya said. She was shining her lantern on the left wall, where half a dozen weapons were mounted. Boktar whistled. ¡°Why did they leave all that? They took everything else interesting.¡± ¡°Not always,¡± Sarette said. ¡°We¡¯ve found other weapons here. Not many, but in a city this size, some things were left behind. Armor, too. Pots and pans. Anything made of metal.¡± ¡°These look like plaques,¡± Ellerie said, peering at the wall. Near each of the weapons was a small, rectangular sheet of metal affixed to the wall, completely rusted over. Below each plaque, brownish red streaks ran down the wall. ¡°No way to tell what they said, though.¡± ¡°Can you read the big one?¡± Treya asked, pointing up. Near the top of the wall was a much larger sign, and this one hadn¡¯t rusted. Symbols were etched onto it. ¡°Do you want me to go get Bobo?¡± Boktar asked Ellerie. ¡°Let me give it a try first,¡± she replied. ¡°I brought my translation dictionary.¡± She pulled a book out of her coat pocket and flipped through the pages, looking back and forth between it and the wall. While she did that, Corec said, ¡°So, what do you think? An armory? They took their regular weapons with them, but left the decorative ones behind?¡± ¡°Not all of them,¡± Boktar said, shining his lantern across the entire side of the room. There were additional mounts at various spots across the wall, along with more of the rusted metal plaques. ¡°Either they took some of these too, or there was an earthquake that knocked them to the floor, and then they washed away when it flooded.¡± Corec grasped the hilt of a heavily pitted longsword. The rust from the crossguard had sealed itself over the mounting hooks. When he jiggled it, flakes fell off. He left it where it was. The stormborn historians probably wouldn¡¯t be happy if he broke something. Ellerie said, ¡°The top row says¡­tall knights?¡± Sarette furrowed her brow. ¡°How do you pronounce it in the original tongue?¡± Ellerie told her. ¡°That sounds closer to our word for guard than our word for knights,¡± the stormborn woman said. ¡°Your language is descended from theirs?¡± Ellerie asked. Sarette shrugged. ¡°Most languages are. Maybe not Elven.¡± ¡°Tall guard,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got the emphasis wrong. High Guard? Like your own people.¡± ¡°Perhaps. Borrisur gifted us with bits of their knowledge. Some people think we modeled the High Guard after their armies.¡± ¡°Does anyone know why the city was abandoned?¡± Sarette hesitated, fidgeting with the strap on her coat. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened to the people who came before, but we know that when Borrisur led the first stormborn to Snow Crown, he went north. Some historians think this is where we started from, and that the people who lived here before had already fled. Borrisur created the stormborn to take their place, but we weren¡¯t strong enough yet to survive the storms, so we left the city too, and took most of what the others had left behind.¡± ¡°Why would the Ancients build a city here if the storms were that bad?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The storms are weaker now than they used to be. Maybe it goes in cycles.¡± Corec said, ¡°If that blizzard was a weak storm, I don¡¯t blame them for running.¡± ¡°The next word is Tir!¡± Ellerie suddenly exclaimed, after holding her mage light back up to the sign. ¡°This is one of the Tirs!¡± ¡°Unless the sign is labeling the weapons of their vanquished foes,¡± Boktar said with a wink. ¡°The Tir that they conquered.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Very funny. Let me finish translating it.¡± ¡°This one¡¯s in better shape than the others,¡± Corec said, looking more closely at a massive greatsword hanging in the center of the wall. The blade appeared to be steel, rather than the same unknown metal as the arrowhead, but it was still free of rust or corrosion. There was no sheath, though metal bands on the ground below suggested there¡¯d been one in the past. ¡°Is that real or ornamental?¡± Boktar asked. He reached out to touch the blade, but a green spark arced out and hit his hand. He jerked back. ¡°Ah! What was that?¡± ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Ellerie asked. He held his hand in front of his mage-light lantern to examine it. ¡°It stung, but I¡¯ll be all right. It didn¡¯t leave a mark.¡± ¡°Let me see your hand,¡± Treya said. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t take it with them,¡± Ellerie said. She whispered the words to a spell, and her eyes grew white and filmy. She peered at the sword, then spun in a slow circle to look around the room. ¡°It¡¯s enchanted, but it¡¯s the only magical aura in the room. Everything else is normal.¡± She tentatively stretched a finger toward the blade, but it sparked green again and she drew her hand back, shaking it off. ¡°That does sting.¡± ¡°Why did you touch it?¡± Treya asked, dropping Boktar¡¯s hand and reaching for Ellerie¡¯s. The elven woman shrugged. ¡°Some warded items can be safely handled by mages. Not this one, apparently.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just leave it down here,¡± Sarette said. ¡°The historians will want to see it. What if we wrap it in something?¡± Corec took off his cloak and wrapped it around his hand, then grasped the hilt of the sword, lifting it off the pegs the crossguard was resting on. Green light glowed down the length of the blade as sparks shot toward his body. He dropped the sword in surprise, and it landed on the floor with a clang. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine, actually. It didn¡¯t hurt. I was just expecting it to.¡± He reached down and pulled the cloak away, then grabbed the hilt with his bare hand. Green sparks danced up and down the blade, then streaked across to his body, flitting over his chain shirt. They gradually slowed and stopped, leaving the sword glowing with a pale green light. ¡°It¡¯s like Venni¡¯s sword, other than the color,¡± Boktar said. ¡°It still doesn¡¯t hurt?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± Corec grasped the hilt in both hands and took a few practice swings. ¡°It¡¯s a little heavier and a little longer than I¡¯m used to, but it¡¯s a real sword.¡± It didn¡¯t have the parrying hooks that he¡¯d grown to appreciate on his newer sword, but it still had an unsharpened ricasso he could grab to guide the blade with more care. ¡°Sarette, I¡¯m going to hold onto this for a bit, just in case more snow beasts show up. I need a sword, and there aren¡¯t any weapon smiths nearby. I¡¯ll give it back to your people when we return to Snow Crown.¡± Hopefully it would fit in his sheath. ¡°I¡­guess that would be all right,¡± Sarette said. Ellerie said, ¡°That next word on the sign, the letter in the middle¡­is that a perfect circle, or is it stretched out to the sides? It¡¯s hard to read this language at an angle.¡± ¡°It looks stretched out to me,¡± Treya said, checking it from the side. ¡°Then¡­Tir Nashis? No, that can¡¯t be right. It¡¯s got to be¡­¡± She thumbed through her translation dictionary. ¡°Tir Navis!¡± Then her face fell. ¡°Oh, no!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Tir Navis,¡± Ellerie said, rubbing her temple. ¡°Nobody knows much about it, but its name means Mountain Home, or Land of the Mountains; possibly Land of the Tall Mountains. Which certainly fits this place.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Tir Navis is thought to be one of the first great colonies founded when the Ancients spread out from their homeland. It was the first colony they sent across the ocean. It¡¯s no wonder we haven¡¯t found Tir Yadar. We¡¯ve been looking in the wrong place. It¡¯s not in Aravor at all.¡± She slumped, appearing as if the life had gone out of her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this good news?¡± Corec asked. ¡°You had no idea where it was before, and now you know it¡¯s across the sea.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know which sea. Everyone thinks the Ancients came from here, this continent. If they didn¡¯t¡­ They sent their colonies out in all directions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still more than we knew before,¡± Boktar said. Ellerie stood up straighter. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve only been to the libraries in Terevas and Matagor. We can check in Snow Crown, Tyrsall, maybe even Sanvar. Just the fact that Tir Navis exists proves that some of those old records about Tir Yadar must be true. We can still find it.¡± ¡°Hellooo?¡± a voice called out in the distance. ¡°Bobo?¡± Corec shouted back. ¡°Is that you?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± the voice called back. If they could hear him, he must already be close. Corec yelled, ¡°End of the hall!¡± Then he cast another mage light out through the main door to light the way. A moment later, Bobo came into the room, carrying one of the regular oil lanterns. He had two books bundled under his arm. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking¡­¡± He paused, panting. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for two hours!¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, I was just reading through the book and¡ªwhy is your sword glowing? Wait, didn¡¯t it break when you fought the snow beasts?¡± For lack of anywhere else to put it, Corec was still holding the sword braced over his right shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not mine. We found it down here.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s glowing? Magic? Fascinating¡ªyou¡¯ll have to let me examine it. The first peoples knew how to create enchanted weapons, but I¡¯ve never managed to get a close look at one. Other than Venni¡¯s, but she said she didn¡¯t know who made hers.¡± ¡°We found something else,¡± Ellerie put in. She pointed to the sign. ¡°High Army of Tir¡­those letters don¡¯t look right. Is that Navis?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Hmm, that fits. High Army of Tir Navis, in memoriam, Battle of¡­I can¡¯t read that word; I think it¡¯s a different language. Then, the next line has got to be¡­twelve? Yes. The letters are still wrong, but it¡¯s Twelve Year¡ªno, Twelfth Year¡ªof the Reign of King Milos. Never heard of him.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°I meant the part about Tir Navis. Doesn¡¯t that suggest something to you?¡± ¡°Mountain Home? It makes sense, given where we¡¯re at. I don¡¯t know much about it, though. Tir Navis isn¡¯t mentioned much after its founding. Why?¡± ¡°I meant that we¡¯re on the wrong continent!¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s what I came down here for.¡± He handed Corec his lantern. ¡°Hold this. Now, let¡¯s see¡­¡± He opened one of the books, which Corec recognized as the one Ellerie had hired Bobo to translate. ¡°Winged snakes cavort in the air above the meadow,¡± Bobo said. ¡°What about it?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Hold on.¡± He switched books, then read, ¡°The feathered serpent resembles a snake with feathery wings. Commonly referred to as a winged snake, it¡¯s not a true snake at all, and is, in fact, warm of blood. Adults range from three to four feet in length, with a wingspan of two to three feet. The feathered serpent is only found in the Vansaira region.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that from?¡± ¡°Shavala¡¯s book on rare wildlife.¡± ¡°Vansaira region?¡± Corec asked. ¡°An old name for Bancyra.¡± Corec shook his head. That didn¡¯t sound familiar either. ¡°It¡¯s east of Nysa.¡± ¡°The port of Nysa?¡± Treya asked. ¡°In Cordaea?¡± Bobo nodded, grinning widely. ¡°Do you mean to tell me you found Tir Yadar?¡± Ellerie exclaimed. ¡°Well,¡± Bobo said, ¡°the route passes through some part of Bancyra at some point. It¡¯s not a lot to go on, but it¡¯s more than we had before.¡± Corec grimaced when Treya glanced his way. They both got sick on boats, and the continent of Cordaea was a long ocean voyage from Tyrsall, across the Gilded Sea. He said, ¡°If that¡¯s the book Shavala found in Tyrsall, the fellow who sold it said he wasn¡¯t sure how reliable it is.¡± ¡°It should be easy enough to find other sources about winged snakes when we get back to Tyrsall,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I assume we¡¯ll be returning to Tyrsall now?¡± Ellerie still looked stunned, and didn¡¯t respond. Boktar said, ¡°Lanport¡¯s closer, and ships sail to Cordaea from there.¡± ¡°Not in the winter. Besides, there¡¯s no library in Lanport. Perhaps we could find someone who¡¯s seen a winged snake, but I¡¯d like to have more information than just that. I know almost nothing about any of the lands east of Nysa.¡± ¡°I have to go back to Tyrsall anyway,¡± Corec said. ¡°I need to tell Yelena about Prince Rusol.¡± ¡°A good point,¡± Bobo said. ¡°And we¡¯ll need to hire a translator, too.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t speak trade tongue?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure a few people do, but I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s not widely used outside of Nysa.¡± ¡°We need to make plans!¡± Ellerie said. ¡°How long is the voyage? What will it cost to get there?¡± ¡°I think it takes a couple of months,¡± Boktar said. ¡°With nine people, it won¡¯t be cheap.¡± ¡°Eight people, wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Nedley¡¯s from Tyrsall, so we can leave him there.¡± ¡°I feel bad for the kid. He doesn¡¯t have anyone left except for his brother, who¡¯s back in Larso. That is, if he wasn¡¯t turned into one of those red-eyed men.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°If you have work for him and he wants to come, I don¡¯t have a problem with it.¡± Maybe he can take my place, he added silently. He was already feeling seasick just thinking about the trip. Ellerie said, ¡°Research, ship passage for nine people, mounts¡­ Even if we find a ship large enough for them, we can¡¯t take our horses on a two-month journey. They¡¯d need another month to recover afterward. Supplies, for who knows how long. And it¡¯ll be hard to find work if we can¡¯t speak the language. I don¡¯t think I can afford to finance the whole thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m running low too,¡± Corec said. ¡°Maybe Yelena will have another job for us.¡± Ellerie suddenly laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we actually know where to go!¡± ¡°Cordaea¡¯s a big place,¡± Bobo cautioned her. ¡°So is Bancyra. And this passage doesn¡¯t indicate at which point in the journey it takes place. We may not be any better off than we were, other than knowing which continent we need to be on.¡± She nodded. ¡°When we get to Tyrsall, we¡¯ll look for any maps that show the mountain ranges, so we can decide where to start.¡± Bobo said, ¡°The sad part about all this is that we can¡¯t publish anything about Tir Navis. Nobody will believe us if we tell them civilization arose outside of Aravor.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t have published it anyway,¡± Ellerie pointed out. ¡°The stormborn aren¡¯t going to want a bunch of outsiders crawling all over their mountains to find this place. When we find Tir Yadar, that¡¯s the proof we¡¯ll need.¡± ¡°Publish?¡± Corec asked. ¡°You mean writing a book? I thought you were looking for treasure.¡± Bobo laughed. ¡°I told you before, treasure means different things to different people.¡± Book 2: Chapter Twenty-Six ¡°And the big slimy frog jumped on the¡ª¡± Katrin sang, then pointed to the boys on her right. ¡°Rock!¡± one of them shouted. She laughed. She¡¯d been expecting lily pad. ¡°And the big slimy frog jumped on the rock¡ª¡± She pointed to the girls on her left, who chorused, ¡°and then he fell off!¡± She pointed to the boys again. As a group, they yelled out ¡°Plop!¡± then fell over themselves laughing when Katrin showed them a vision of the frog falling into the pond with a splash. ¡°How do you make it do that?¡± one little girl asked. ¡°I¡¯m a bard, so when I sing something, I can let you see it.¡± ¡°But how?¡± ¡°I¡­hmm. I don¡¯t really know. Anyway, it looks like the food is ready, so you should all go eat.¡± ¡°Can we sing more later?¡± a boy asked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m running out of songs. Do you have some new songs you can teach me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Katrin had spent the morning entertaining the younger children. Luckily, they spoke Eastern; none of them knew trade tongue well enough to sing in it. With Katrin occupying the children who were too young to look after themselves, the adults were able to get some work done. The men had divided into groups, cutting firewood, setting rabbit snares, or searching for already seasoned wood that was appropriate for fashioning into bow staves. Shavala had frowned at the snares¡ªshe¡¯d convinced Corec to stop using his when she took over the hunting duties¡ªbut she¡¯d let them pass without comment. The women were cooking, or helping Shavala forage, or washing clothing in the bathhouse. The cooks had retreated to the far side of the room once Katrin had started applying her bardic skills to the repetitive children¡¯s songs. She couldn¡¯t blame them. She¡¯d had fun, but one could only watch various animals fall off of different objects so many times before needing a break. The adults had been more appreciative of her skills the night before, when she¡¯d played for everyone. Until encountering the refugees, Katrin hadn¡¯t spent any time with young children since she¡¯d been one herself. They seemed more resilient than the adults. They knew something was very wrong and they wanted to go home, but unlike their parents, they could forget about it for brief periods of time while they played. None of the children knew how dangerously low the food supplies had gotten, but at least the stormborn patrol was due to arrive soon. The youngest of the children didn¡¯t seem aware that half their village was dead, though in some cases, they knew that not all of their friends had come with them when they¡¯d fled Jol¡¯s Brook. Katrin was just relieved she could plead ignorance and leave those discussions to the parents. There was a commotion outside and two of the older boys ran into the building, accompanied by Nedley, who was closer to their age than to the adults. Boktar had told him to watch over the older children, more to give him something to do than out of any real need. One of the boys shouted, ¡°The mountain lords are here!¡± That was how the refugees referred to the stormborn when Sarette and Gregor weren¡¯t around to hear them. ¡°Nedley!¡± Katrin said. ¡°Go find Corec, Sarette, and the others.¡± Everyone had stayed near the camp for the day, waiting for the stormborn patrol. ¡°Yes, miss!¡± he replied. ¡°Alfin, Edgar, come on. Split up and we can find ¡®em faster.¡± Katrin headed for the door too, but had to wait while the women and children all filed out, more interested in seeing the new group of stormborn than finishing their midday meal. Outside, Gregor and Tomas had already greeted the patrol, fifteen armed and armored stormborn with ten full supply sleds. Katrin breathed a sigh of relief. They¡¯d brought enough food for the villagers to return to Jol¡¯s Brook safely, and fifteen soldiers would give pause even to snow beasts. She hadn¡¯t realized until then how anxious she¡¯d been. ¡°Will you look at that?¡± Corec said, coming up behind her and dropping an arm around her shoulders. ¡°If we¡¯re attacked again, we have a choice of a spear wall or an entire company of crossbowmen. Hell, we could split them up and do both.¡± She laughed. Apparently he¡¯d been thinking along the same lines. ¡°Are we going to leave now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what those soldiers are going to want to do. If I get a vote, I think tomorrow¡¯s soon enough to head back to Jol¡¯s Brook¡ªor Elmsford, or wherever they¡¯ll be able to buy enough supplies. Then we can retrace our route back to Snow Crown and pick up the horses. I think Ellerie and Bobo want to talk to the historians some more before we head out, and I need to buy a new sword and give this one back.¡± He was referring to the strange, glowing sword he¡¯d found below the ruins. It wasn¡¯t glowing now, though¡ªonly when he drew it. He¡¯d placed it in his old sheath, attached to the harness on his back, where it stuck up two inches higher than his previous sword. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Sarette?¡± Katrin asked. The stormborn woman had joined Gregor and the patrol, but had suddenly stepped back, looking pale, as if she might faint. # ¡°Captain,¡± Sarette said, saluting the officer. ¡°Thank you for coming. I¡¯m Lieutenant Sarette. I was the one who signaled for help.¡± She¡¯d arrived while Gregor, Boktar, and Tomas were explaining which items they needed most urgently. The captain, whose name she didn¡¯t know, glanced at her, then turned away and issued orders to his men to start unpacking and distributing the supplies. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Sarette was accustomed to the High Guard not taking her seriously¡ªthe ones who knew her history, at least¡ªbut she¡¯d never been completely ignored before. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do about it, though, without being taken to task for insubordination. She waited to see if the man intended to include her in the orders he was giving. ¡°Just a moment, Scout,¡± the captain said when Gregor made a move to help haul a crate from one of the sleds. ¡°I¡¯d like you to remain here.¡± Gregor nodded and waited. Once everyone else was busy with their tasks, the captain switched to the stormborn language. ¡°Junior Lieutenant Sarette, Senior Scout Gregor, you are both hereby relieved of duty.¡± Sarette stepped back in shock. ¡°What?¡± Gregor exclaimed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m told that you were assigned to accompany the warden¡¯s party to South Valley, not to bring an entire village of humans here. And certainly not to make them aware of the watchtowers.¡± ¡°What were we supposed to do? Leave them to be killed by snow beasts? To go hungry?¡± Sarette kept silent. Scouts were outside the traditional chain of command, and with his rank, Gregor could get away with talking back to the captain like that, but she couldn¡¯t. ¡°If you have a defense, you can present it at your trial. In the meantime, I¡¯m taking command of your expedition. Someone¡¯s got to clean up your mess.¡± # Kartik removed the wrap he¡¯d left around Leena¡¯s upper chest, covering her new tattoo. She winced as he gently washed the area. ¡°Let it get air, but not direct sunlight,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re in the sun, wear something loose. Your normal dresses will irritate it.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°A friend in the city loaned me a blouse.¡± She didn¡¯t have any of her own clothing left anyway, other than the undergarments she¡¯d been wearing when she Traveled from Stone Home to Matihar. After she¡¯d disappeared without paying the rent, her landlord had sold everything she¡¯d owned. She¡¯d had to borrow dresses from Kartik¡¯s sisters to prepare for her next journey. Before checking on her apartment, she¡¯d stopped back at the bakery to tell Sanja and Madi that she wouldn¡¯t be able to return to work after all. They¡¯d been concerned, not understanding her odd behavior, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell them the truth. She didn¡¯t want to break down in front of them. After her experiences of the past few months, it had seemed almost strange to say goodbye rather than simply disappearing again without a word. She stared at the tattoo in the mirror. The design she¡¯d chosen to signify her blood feud was a dagger above her left breast, aimed toward her heart. With her arms and chest bared, most of her tattoos were visible, but the new one stood out, still red and irritated from the procedure. The unhealed skin lining the ink almost looked like blood along the edges of the blade. Aruna entered the tent, frowning when she caught sight of the tattoo. ¡°Please reconsider, Leena. We just got you back! Udit needs you here!¡± ¡°And I need to know that he¡¯s safe! That I¡¯m safe! What if they come back for us?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know where to find them!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask around until I find someone who recognizes the sigil,¡± Leena said, putting her blouse back on. ¡°I¡¯m taking one of the knives with me. I¡¯ll check with the other camps. I¡¯ll search Sanvara City. Whatever it takes.¡± It might take a long time to find a clue, but Sarlo had taught Leena a few tricks about Seeking. ¡°Even if you find them, what will you do about it? You¡¯re no fighter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not looking for them yet. There¡¯s somewhere else I need to go first.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Leena closed her eyes. Her plan was to Travel bit by bit until she reached Tyrsall, then ask Sarlo for help. He¡¯d been convinced that his friend could help her master her magic. If she could learn to kill her enemies with Traveling, the way Rohav had done, it would be better than a weapon. Just as she was about to Seek a safe spot to teleport, she had a completely different thought. Give me a way to avenge my parents¡¯ deaths, a way to defeat my enemies, a way to protect my brother. The Seeking failed. Either she wasn¡¯t strong enough or she wasn¡¯t close enough. Then show me where I need to be next to do so. It shouldn¡¯t have worked, but it did. There was a faint twinge, north by northeast. She checked the compass and map she¡¯d borrowed from Rohav. She could only Seek a short distance, and she couldn¡¯t see where it would take her next, but the sensation was coming roughly from the direction of Tyrsall. Even her new plan might be sending her to Sarlo, which just strengthened her resolve. There was a safe Traveling spot within her Seeking range. It would take over a month to get to Tyrsall that way, but it was safer than trying to teleport to a city she¡¯d never been to. Leena folded up the map and put it and the compass in her new travel pack, then slung the pack over her right shoulder, avoiding the tattoo on her left side. ¡°Goodbye, Grandmother,¡± she said. ¡°Say goodbye to everyone else for me, and watch over Udit.¡± ¡°Wait¡ª¡° Aruna started. Leena Traveled. # Once again, Rusol woke in a dream world of mists. He growled, looking around for the First. ¡°Where are you?¡± he shouted. There was no answer. Had the man just left him here alone, as some new form of torment? The mists swirled, and then a voice spoke in his head. I can help you. I can give you what you want. ¡°Who are you? Show yourself!¡± A shifting shadow appeared in the mists before him, too indistinct to make out any details. I know what you want. ¡°Oh? And what¡¯s that?¡± You want to kill them both. Leoniss, and the man who calls himsself the Firsst. But you will fail. Was this some sort of test? Were the two wardens working together to discover his intentions? ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone,¡± Rusol said. Sibilant laughter surrounded him, seeming to come from all directions. You should. Leoniss lies to you, as his masster lies to him. The ritual will kill you. ¡°What do you mean?¡± If this was a test, would Leonis actually be encouraging Rusol to kill him? He believes the power will be his alone, but he lies about lies. Pallissur wantss it for himsself. ¡°Pallisur¡¯s a god, if he even exists. He already has power!¡± Not enough. It¡¯sss never enough for him, and he¡¯ll spend your life to take it. But you can sstop him. ¡°How?¡± You must kill Leoniss, but you won¡¯t ssuccseed without my help. ¡°I don¡¯t need any help.¡± You¡¯ll not be able to hide your true nature from him for much longer. He will desstroy you¡ªno demon-blooded can face the magic Pallissur granted him. Rusol thought back to Samir¡¯s description of how easily Leonis had defeated the hunters. They¡¯d been controlled through demonic magic. Could he do the same to a demonborn? ¡°What sort of help are you suggesting?¡± You can¡¯t sstop him¡­unlesss you are protected by that ssame magic. Rusol shook his head, confused. ¡°Pallisur¡¯s magic? You want me to become a priest of Pallisur?¡± Not Pallissur¡¯s. Mine. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to deal with riddles, and I have no reason to trust you.¡± Why trusst anyone? The others are using you to further their own ends, but you and I have the ssame goal. The wardens musst be eliminated. ¡°Then show yourself. Tell me who you are!¡± I have no form or name. I was here before the wardens, before Pallissur and the other falsse gods. Accept my gift and help me put things right. You¡¯ll have the power to sstop the wardens, to end their control over these lands. You¡¯ll be the lasst of them, and no one will be sstrong enough to stand in your way. ¡°No,¡± Rusol said. ¡°I¡¯m not your errand boy. I won¡¯t do your bidding.¡± The hissing laughter came again. It¡¯ss not my bidding, but your own. And sso¡­ The pain came without warning. Rusol fell to the ground, screaming as divine blessings burned themselves into his mind, along with the knowledge of how to use them. Book 2: Epilogue The Lady strode, unafraid, through the domain of the demon lord Vatarxis. The few demons who could see her cowered back, while the rest went about their business unknowing. An imp careened into her and was obliterated in an instant, its companion squawking in fright and fleeing back the opposite way. Vatarxis¡¯s throne room was constructed entirely of black granite, lined with veins of gold. Typical demonic pretentiousness. He stood peering out a window, but at what, The Lady didn¡¯t know. There was nothing worth seeing in this dark place. ¡°To what do I owe the honor of a visit?¡± he asked, not bothering to turn around. ¡°Why are you interfering?¡± she demanded. ¡°You violated our accord. I provided a demonic bloodline for the royal family of Larso, and in exchange, you were supposed to stop Pallisur. You failed.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t by choice. Fox interfered.¡± ¡°And the child?¡± Vatarxis asked, spinning his bulk around to face her. His voice was deep and heavy enough that she could feel the vibration within her own body. She¡¯d learned to ignore the sensation on the blood-drenched Field of Van Kir, when she¡¯d defeated him and brought an end to the Third Demon War. She¡¯d earned great accolades that day, but if she¡¯d known what the cost would be, she¡¯d never have accepted the reward. Then again, if it hadn¡¯t been her, it would have been someone else. On that day in Van Kir, she and Vatarxis had made their first agreement. He¡¯d returned to the hells, never to wage war against the mortal realm again. He¡¯d seemed almost amused at her demands, but in the years since, he¡¯d mostly kept to his side of the bargain, except when he grew bored. Today, though, she was here to speak to him about a more recent agreement. ¡°The child will still be born,¡± she said. ¡°I just need more time, and a way to delay Pallisur. That doesn¡¯t explain what you¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°When Fox severed your plan, you ended up with two pawns rather than one. I¡¯m familiar with Rusol¡ªhe¡¯s my own blood, after all¡ªbut the other one is different. It¡¯s amazing that you managed to fail at even that half of the plan. How is he not godborn?¡± ¡°Leave him out of this. He¡¯s no threat to you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he? You made him a warden¡ªyou made them both wardens. How did you manage that, anyway?¡± The Lady raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re asking me, of all people? When the wardens figured out how to choose their own members, I paid attention. I was there, remember. Now, tell me, why did you send the girl?¡± ¡°I wanted to keep an eye on the other half of your failure, and make sure he didn¡¯t return to Larso. He can still be dangerous, whether you think so or not. He was trained as a knight of Pallisur¡ªwhat if Leonis convinces him to participate in the ritual?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. He may have trained as a knight, but he has little love for the order. And that doesn¡¯t excuse your interference. His blessing was meant to ensure that he always finds the right bondmates, but now he¡¯s bonded your daughter!¡± Vatarxis laughed so hard the room shook. ¡°You blessed him to¡­! Well, that explains things. In that case, you¡¯ll be pleased to know he was about to bond her himself before he stopped the spell. I simply made sure he completed the process.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The Lady stopped and considered that. This changed things. She¡¯d assumed the demonborn girl was a mistake. The blessing was the only real gift she¡¯d been able to give Corec. It wasn¡¯t the sort of blessing that would turn him into a priest¡ªthat had been against the rules for over a millenia and a half, ever since Leonis had somehow become a warden¡ªbut it was still dangerously close to crossing the line. Close enough that she hadn¡¯t given Rusol the same blessing. ¡°He was truly bonding her on his own?¡± she asked. ¡°Until he stopped himself. I merely nudged him along. He was strangely resistant to my influence. It took a lot more power than it should have. Was that your doing, too?¡± ¡°Each warden has his or her own gift,¡± she said absently as she considered the ramifications. ¡°I told you why I¡¯m interested in the boy. Why are you? You¡¯ve already failed. What role is he meant to play?¡± The Lady didn¡¯t like showing weakness in front of her ancient enemy, but she had to tell him something. ¡°I can no longer see how it will all unravel. I¡¯ve got to trust that Fox knew what he was doing, and that either Rusol or Corec will do something to prevent the ritual.¡± That wasn¡¯t the real reason, of course. Rusol would serve as her weapon. Corec wasn¡¯t involved with any of it, but he was still Moira¡¯s son. The Lady couldn¡¯t pretend he didn¡¯t exist. Vatarxis laughed again. ¡°Trusting Fox is an exercise in futility. Why do you even bother with this plan? You¡¯re closer than anyone to mastering all four magics, yet you still insist on giving the power to a mortal child. You and your friends managed to steal the secret of divine magic from the totems. Why not let Pallisur have his little ritual? It¡¯s likely to serve you more than it does him.¡± ¡°You really want me to learn demonic magic? Do you want Pallisur to master it? Besides, he¡¯s changed the ritual to only affect himself. And I already have more power than I need. No, the Master of Four Magics must be mortal. That will prevent Pallisur¡ªor any of us¡ªfrom ascending over the others.¡± ¡°You think the child won¡¯t ascend?¡± ¡°The ascension ritual requires merging the magics, so if the child is born with all four, it won¡¯t be possible. He or she will live and die a mortal life, and the ritual will cease to work.¡± ¡°You hope. Just as you hope Pallisur won¡¯t discover some other way to ascend.¡± She acknowledged his point with a nod. ¡°And where exactly do you plan for this mortal baby to come from?¡± Vatarxis asked. ¡°The pieces of the plan are still out there, unanchored. Someday, with proper nudging, I can bring them back together.¡± # Fox ran. The chase had begun in southern Sanvar, where he¡¯d been looking for any sign that Snake was alive and part of the game. After discovering half of the Travelers dead, he¡¯d been chased by human cultists who¡¯d found him skulking around their hidden temples. He outdistanced them easily enough, but more appeared, somehow alerted to his presence. In the deserts of northern Sanvar, he was chased by snakes. Not real snakes, but ones that never grew tired¡ªspiritual constructs of a sort he hadn¡¯t seen before. In the Tablelands, one of the snakes managed to bite his hind leg, and now he understood what had happened to Bear and Raven. Perhaps he¡¯d had it wrong all along, and that¡¯s how his other brothers had been lost as well. Maybe they hadn¡¯t died because they¡¯d been forgotten, but had been forgotten because they¡¯d died. He ran through the garden kingdom of Abildgard and then into ogre territory, and still the snakes chased him. In the Terril Forest, far north of where he¡¯d started, the spirit snakes stopped pursuing him, blocked by the protective boundary of the tershaya. Instead, real snakes found him. Those bites were less dangerous, but they never stopped coming. He had to keep moving. His destination was to the east, but he ran west to throw off his pursuers. As soon as he left the forest¡¯s borders, the spirit snakes returned, giving him no respite. Could they track him if he Traveled from one location to another? It wasn¡¯t worth the risk. Instead, he gathered as much power as he could and Traveled across the barrier to the realm he¡¯d once considered home. That gave him time to catch his breath, but he couldn¡¯t stay long. In this world, Pallisur or The Lady might find him and demand answers. He used the last of his strength to hide his aura and disguise himself as a normal fox, then he passed back into the mortal world, to a land far across the sea from where he¡¯d started. He¡¯d arrived much too early, but he had an appointment to keep. To be continued¡­ Book 3: Prologue The woman who called herself Mara gazed into the steaming washbasin at an image of a blonde girl in a snowstorm. When footsteps sounded behind her, she banished the vision and turned to greet her husband. Otho looked upon her body with desire in his eyes. ¡°What did I ever do to deserve you?¡± he asked, pulling her to him with a smile and kissing her forehead. Mara laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, so you¡¯d better come up with something soon.¡± He grinned down at her. ¡°Perhaps we should take a real bath, and you can give me a chance to come up with something right now.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯d miss Tullia¡¯s party. Go get dressed. I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± With good-natured grumbling, Otho left the bathing chamber. Mara stared after him for a moment, her smile slipping. She¡¯d enjoyed her time with him, but her current self was rapidly approaching thirty-five years of age, and she hated seeing herself grow old. It would be time for her to go soon, leaving behind another grieving husband. They¡¯d met fifteen years earlier, when she was posing as one of her own priestesses. She¡¯d just created the new body after spending several years away from the mortal realm, mourning her previous self¡¯s husband. Devlin had only been a farmer, but he''d also been a good man, and his death from infection had been difficult for her. He¡¯d been too young, and their time together had been much too short. Mara¡¯s previous self hadn¡¯t been a priestess, so it was against the rules to save him. She¡¯d left their newborn daughter behind with their closest neighbors and vanished into the woods, shedding her mortal self. When she¡¯d returned as Mara three years later, Otho had been the first man to greet her in the temple, and it hadn¡¯t taken long to seduce him. He¡¯d been new to lovemaking, but he was an apt pupil and learned quickly. A month later, he¡¯d proposed, and Mara, a priestess who¡¯d had no other identity besides her name, had become a member of Valara¡¯s high society. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was the life she was accustomed to, but she still missed her little farm cabin with Devlin. She sighed. She would miss Otho too, but unlike Devlin, he was alive and young enough to marry again. With his wealth and position in the city, he wouldn¡¯t have any problem finding another wife. Mara would have to hold back her jealousy, but she¡¯d done that before. And soon, she¡¯d find another lover for herself, and would eventually stop missing her old life. With a few notable exceptions, she¡¯d always been good at choosing new men. A shadow grew over the room and a deep voice sounded in her head, interrupting her musing. Arodisis, the voice said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she hissed. ¡°I can¡¯t talk! My husband¡¯s in the next room!¡± Your human toy can¡¯t hear me. I need to know where you stand. Whose side are you on? ¡°I¡¯m not on anyone¡¯s side,¡± she said, keeping her voice low. ¡°What you¡¯re doing is dangerous. What she¡¯s doing is dangerous.¡± I¡¯ve changed the ritual. I can prevent another Burning, but if you¡¯re not with me, you¡¯ll be left behind with the others. If you join me, you can rule at my side. She quickly cast a ward against listening, then raised her voice. ¡°If you want me, then tell me why Zachal died that day. Was it because he was the only human among us? Or was it because he was sharing my bed?¡± You¡¯re accusing me of killing one of our own? Pallisur asked, avoiding the question¡ªjust as he had in the past. ¡°Herasis lived, and she was new. She had no idea what she was doing. Irisis lived. Why did Zachal die?¡± I won¡¯t dignify that with a response. ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep my own counsel, as I always have.¡± A lack of a decision is still a decision. You¡¯ve made your choice. Pallisur¡¯s presence faded from the room, and Arodisis composed herself. Herasis and Pallisur were spending all their efforts on their secret plans and machinations, while never seeing the truth that was right in front of them. Events wouldn¡¯t happen the way they expected. Nor would they happen the way Arodisis expected¡ªthere was too much interference to see clearly, too much manipulation of potential futures. She summoned the vision of the blonde girl again. What would her role be? Would she prevent any of the less desirable outcomes? By herself, that wasn¡¯t likely, but she wasn¡¯t the only pawn in the game. The vision faded and Arodisis became Mara once more. She¡¯d have to dress quickly or she¡¯d be late to the party. Book 3: Chapter One Corec paced back and forth in the front hall of the High Guard administration building. The troopers posted as guards hadn¡¯t allowed him to proceed any farther. He¡¯d been waiting for over an hour when Sarette arrived, coming from the direction of the military court. She was alone and dressed in civilian clothing now, no longer wearing her uniform or her gambeson-style padded overcoat with its rank insignia on the collar. She did, however, have her chainmail and padded doublet rolled up in a bundle under her arm. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were here,¡± she said, seeing him. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t want us to come, but someone had to be here in case you needed us to give evidence.¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was worried my parents would be here, and I wanted to focus on the hearing first before I tell them I¡¯m leaving Snow Crown. If they saw you, they¡¯d want to talk, and I just wasn¡¯t ready to deal with that yet. But then I found out no one outside the High Guard would be allowed in, so I convinced them to stay home.¡± ¡°Yes, I learned that too after I got here. What happened in there?¡± ¡°Pretty much what I was hoping would happen, I guess. Gregor has his commission back. While he technically outranks me, scouts are usually considered to be outside the chain of command, and I was the one in charge of the expedition. I was the one who made the decisions that the High Guard is unhappy with.¡± ¡°Decisions that saved lives,¡± Corec pointed out. It had been Sarette who¡¯d convinced the refugees from Jol¡¯s Brook to flee to the ruins of Tir Navis in South Valley to take shelter from the snow beasts, and it had been Sarette who¡¯d signaled the High Guard¡¯s secret watchtowers for help when supplies had run low. Those seemed to be the two main issues that the High Guard was concerned about. ¡°I know, but that¡¯ll require a full trial. If that ass of a captain had¡­¡± Sarette trailed off. Captain Mikhal, who¡¯d led the patrol that brought the supplies, was also the man who¡¯d relieved Sarette and Gregor of their duties. He¡¯d refused to take statements from the refugees about what had happened to them, and he¡¯d refused to allow any of them to come to Snow Crown as witnesses. He¡¯d also attempted to force the refugees to return home on their own, so that the rest of the expedition could head back to Snow Crown immediately, but Corec had insisted on accompanying them back to Jol¡¯s Brook. The Council of Elders had already given Corec and his friends permission to travel within the mountains and visit the ruins, and had charged Sarette and Gregor with accompanying them. Since Mikhal had relieved the two soldiers of their responsibilities, he was forced to take on those duties himself, which meant his patrol was stuck accompanying the group back to Jol¡¯s Brook. Corec had kept everyone at the village¡ªor what was left of it¡ªfor an extra five days, mostly to ensure the refugees were able to obtain enough supplies from neighboring villages and farms to last through the winter, but also partly to annoy Mikhal. ¡°What happens next?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I¡¯m still relieved of duty pending a full investigation, but they¡¯ve agreed that the trial can take place when I return to Snow Crown. In the meantime, I can¡¯t draw pay or act as a member of the High Guard, but I haven¡¯t been discharged and I¡¯m not guilty of any crimes. A legist will come around to the inn tomorrow to take everyone¡¯s statements so the rest of you don¡¯t have to come back to Snow Crown with me.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we just stay for the trial?¡± ¡°That could take months, between the trial itself and waiting for statements to come back from Jol¡¯s Brook.¡± She smirked. ¡°General Rodon insisted that Captain Mikhal¡¯s patrol will accompany the legist to the village. Mikhal won¡¯t like that, but the general wasn¡¯t happy when Gregor pointed out that he refused our request to take the refugees¡¯ statements while we were there.¡± ¡°This Rodon was on your side, then?¡± Sarette shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°It wasn¡¯t so much that there were different sides, but the judges have to follow the laws and procedures. They weren¡¯t willing to say it out loud, but I got the impression I¡¯d be cleared of any wrongdoing if the story is confirmed. Well, not entirely¡ªI still broke the law. I¡¯ll probably be discharged, but with honor.¡± Corec nodded, understanding the distinction. The Knights of Pallisur he¡¯d trained with were organized differently than the stormborn High Guard, but he was familiar with Larso¡¯s army since the knights were expected to lead units during times of war. The High Guard seemed to be a more advanced version of the Larsonian army. There were no knights or nobles in stormborn society, so the High Guard had a full command structure of its own, with rules to ensure everything ran smoothly regardless of circumstances. An older man came into the room then, dressed in a style reminiscent of the High Guard¡¯s winter uniform but in darker colors and without any rank insignia. He greeted Sarette in the stormborn language, then glanced at Corec and switched to trade tongue. ¡°Sorry it took me so long,¡± he said. ¡°I was just telling Rodon about a new ice-fishing spot I found.¡± ¡°Corec,¡± Sarette said, ¡°this is my Uncle Vartus. He¡¯s the one that trained me as a stormrunner.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Our family has produced a lot of stormrunners over the years. It doesn¡¯t hurt to remind them of that. Sarette tells me you¡¯re a warden?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Corec said. It still felt odd to claim a title he knew so little about, and that most people had never heard of. It was as if he was pretending to be something he wasn¡¯t. ¡°What does that mean, exactly? All I¡¯ve heard are all children¡¯s stories, and yet that¡¯s apparently enough for the Council of Elders to go out of their way to help you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that, Vartus,¡± Sarette said. ¡°All they asked for was permission to visit South Valley. The Council agreed and sent a scout to make sure they didn¡¯t get lost. That¡¯s all that happened.¡± ¡°Then how did you get involved?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that had anything to do with Corec being a warden. It was the oracle who insisted that I go.¡± Vartus harrumphed. ¡°Galina? Did she say why?¡± ¡°No.¡± Corec said, ¡°I¡¯ll answer any questions you have, but I don¡¯t know much about wardens myself. I haven¡¯t been one for very long.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re new to it, then how do you expect to help Sarette with her training? You¡¯re not a stormrunner yourself.¡± Corec exchanged a glance with Sarette. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works,¡± he said. ¡°All I know is that the binding spell is supposed to strengthen someone¡¯s magic.¡± He thought back to how Yelena had worded it. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that right. It improves their potential, whatever that means. I don¡¯t have any control over it¡ªI can¡¯t turn her into a stormrunner. All we can do is wait and see what happens. If she needs training, that¡¯s something she¡¯ll have to take care of herself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already been trained,¡± Sarette told her uncle. ¡°Now I just need to take what you taught me and learn how to do it for real. And the binding spell is working! You heard what I said in there about fighting the snow beasts. I couldn¡¯t have done that before.¡± ¡°Unless it just took you longer than normal to master your skills,¡± Vartus said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°If that was possible, you wouldn¡¯t have released me from my training in the first place.¡± Vartus was silent for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Fine, but we should at least test you again to see what¡¯s changed, if anything.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t spend two days riding out to Runner¡¯s Summit and back!¡± Sarette protested. ¡°We¡¯ll do it here in town at my lodge. Tomorrow. I imagine you¡¯ll be busy with your parents tonight.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve got to tell them about delaying the trial, and about leaving Snow Crown. They¡¯re not going to be happy.¡± A young woman that Corec recognized stopped in front of the group. Her name was Yana, and she ran errands for the historians at the Museum of the Before¡ªor at least that was how the name translated into the trade tongue. The group was dedicated to learning as much as possible about the ruins in the southern part of the Storm Heights. Yana gave him a small bow. ¡°Warden Corec, Magister Nadza requests your presence. She would like your help with the sword.¡± # The museum was located at the eastern end of a group of buildings that the stormborn referred to as a civil academy, which was a companion to the military academy that the High Guard officer cadets attended. The civil academy taught historians, engineers, and other professions that the stormborn felt required more training than a traditional apprenticeship would provide. Corec had never heard of the concept before, but according to Bobo, there was a similar school in Matagor. It would have taken over an hour to walk there, so Corec and Yana hired a carriage. When they arrived, Yana led him through the front entrance, which opened up into a public room lined with objects taken from earlier expeditions to the South Valley ruins. The most impressive were the statues of various animals, most of which were made of marble, bronze, or the strange metal the Ancients used that didn¡¯t rust or tarnish. Oddly, no statues had been found of the people themselves. The rest of the room was filled with pottery covered with geometric shapes, which was the only other art form that had survived the centuries. Corec followed Yana past a row of vases and into a corridor with different weapons hanging from the walls, the most common being staff-spears in the same style the stormborn used. Some of the weapons were still in good shape while others were barely recognizable. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The corridor led to a room filled with glass display cases, each one presenting a weapon made from the special metal, still in perfect condition. A side door took them to Magister Nadza¡¯s workroom, which she used for examining and documenting the artifacts that would be displayed in the museum. The room had two long, narrow tables. The one on the left, where Corec had left the sword he¡¯d found in the ruins, was now covered with heavy blankets. The other table held the spoon Sarette had found, along with the half dozen rusted weapons they¡¯d discovered near the sword. Two young men were diligently attempting to clean off the rust without causing further damage. ¡°Warden, thank you for coming so quickly,¡± Nadza said. The elderly woman was wearing nondescript work clothes and had her gray hair pulled back in a severe bun. She tugged the blankets off the table, revealing the sword. ¡°Can I trouble you to do something with this?¡± The greatsword still lay exactly as Corec had left it, but the blade now glowed with an intense green light that was almost painful to look at. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, shielding his eyes. ¡°It just started doing that this morning, for no reason that I could determine. When it got too bright, I had to cover it up.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± She tossed her hands up in frustration. ¡°Move it! Please! Get it out of my workroom. Even before it started doing this, nobody could use the table for fear of getting too close. No one can touch it. We¡¯ve tried cloth and leather wrappings. We¡¯ve tried pushing it with wooden sticks and metal poles, but the instant anything touches it, it stings us. If we attempt to move the table, the same thing happens. I had a wizard try to lift it with magic¡ªwe needed healers for him, and he was nowhere near it.¡± ¡°Where do you want it?¡± ¡°The display case won¡¯t be ready for another two days. Can you put it in that storage closet behind you until then?¡± Corec lifted the weapon by the hilt. Green sparks danced along the length of the blade before disappearing, and the bright light faded to the pale green glow he was used to. Each time he handled the sword, the sparks vanished more quickly than before. ¡°You really want it in the closet?¡± he asked. It seemed disrespectful, somehow. ¡°Better than leaving it out where someone can hurt themselves,¡± Nadza said. ¡°How do you carry it so easily? One of my students managed to grab the hilt with both hands, but he could barely budge it. We needed the healers for him, too. He said it must weigh close to two hundred pounds.¡± Corec furrowed his brow. ¡°Two hundred? It can¡¯t be any more than eight pounds. It¡¯s heavier than I¡¯m used to, but not out of the ordinary for a blade this size.¡± ¡°Curious,¡± Nadza said with a speculative frown. ¡°The pain isn¡¯t its only defense mechanism, then.¡± She opened the door to the storage closet, then backed well out of Corec¡¯s way as he carried it inside. The shelves were filled with shards of broken pottery and various other odds and ends that Nadza had apparently deemed not worthy of public display. He leaned the sword up against the wall. When he let go of the hilt, the pale green glow disappeared, as it always did. He left it there and closed the door behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll probably still be here in two days,¡± he said. ¡°When the display case is ready, do you want me to come back and move it again?¡± ¡°Yes, please,¡± Nadza said. ¡°Otherwise, my closet will be as useless as the table was. I suppose we¡¯ll need to add some sort of cloth draping to the case, if the sword is going to start glowing so brightly at random times. This is more trouble than I¡¯d hoped, but it¡¯s still a major find. I wish we knew more about it. You said there were plaques for each weapon?¡± ¡°Yes, but they were rusted over. We couldn¡¯t read them.¡± ¡°If the words were etched into the metal rather than painted on, there are ways to clean them. I¡¯ll have to send someone to the ruins to retrieve them all. Let me see¡­¡± She thumbed through a stack of papers. ¡°Yes, one of the scholars you took with you sketched out where each of the weapons was placed on the wall. We should be able to match the plaques to the correct items.¡± ¡°That was Ellerie, the nilvasta woman. It was her idea to visit the ruins.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­she was reasonably thorough for someone I didn¡¯t train myself. Not many elves visit Snow Crown. I¡¯d like to have her as one of my students.¡± Corec chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll pass that along, but I think she¡¯s planning to leave with us.¡± Just then, a high-pitched screeching noise came from the direction of the closet, and green light showed around the edges of the door. Nadza and her students all covered their ears and hunched over. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Nadza shouted over the noise. Corec opened the door and found the sword glowing as brightly as before. When he grasped the hilt, the screeching ended and the light faded back to its normal levels. There were no sparks this time. Everyone in the room stared at him in shock as they tentatively moved their hands away from their ears. ¡°Has it ever done that before?¡± Nadza asked. ¡°No. It always glows when I draw it¡ªjust a little bit, like it is now¡ªbut that¡¯s all. I¡¯ve been practicing with it every day since my own sword broke, and it¡¯s always seemed like a normal blade other than that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about enchanted weapons,¡± Nadza said. ¡°There aren¡¯t many in Snow Crown, and this is the only one we¡¯ve ever retrieved from the ruins. Could it be that only a warden can touch it?¡± Corec stared down at the sword for a moment, trying to decide what to do. He needed a new blade before he left the city. He¡¯d visited three smiths since returning, but none of them were familiar with how to craft a greatsword. The weapon was typically used for war rather than for personal protection, but with the High Guard¡¯s forested, mountainous terrain, they preferred small, mobile units armed with staff-spears and crossbows. According to Sarette, they also trained with smaller swords, shields, and pikes in case they ever needed to fight in tight formation, but they didn¡¯t use greatswords. The weapon smiths did most of their business directly with the High Guard, or with the mining and ranching communities the stormborn had established throughout the Storm Heights. There were few threats within Snow Crown itself, so most citizens didn¡¯t carry arms. The smiths did sell arming swords and other weapons to caravan guards and travelers, but there wasn¡¯t a market for greatswords in the city. ¡°Perhaps I should take it with me,¡± Corec said. ¡°I can find out if the other wardens know anything about it.¡± ¡°You know of other wardens?¡± the woman asked, an excited look on her face. ¡°Who are they? Where do they live? I¡¯ve heard of Leonis, of course, since records were kept of his visit, but that was a long time ago. He must be dead by now. I wasn¡¯t aware that there even were any others until you showed up.¡± When the Nadza and the other historians had interviewed Corec, back before he and his friends had left to find the ruins, it had become clear that the stormborn¡¯s stories about wardens didn¡¯t mention the long lifespan Yelena had described. He hadn¡¯t brought it up, not sure whether he believed it himself. He said, ¡°The only one I know is the woman I mentioned the first time we spoke¡ªthe one who told me about being a warden¡ªbut she said there were others.¡± Nadza frowned. ¡°You still won¡¯t tell me who she is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my secret to tell. When I see her next, I¡¯ll give her your name and tell her your people know about wardens, but I can¡¯t promise she¡¯ll contact you. I also know a woman who carries an enchanted blade like this one. I¡¯ll talk to her too, and send you whatever I learn.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll pass your request along. I can¡¯t authorize it myself, but the Head Magister sits on the Council of Elders. She can decide whether to loan you the sword on a long-term basis. For now, just please take it away so we can have our workroom back.¡± Corec nodded, and wrapped the blade in his cloak before leaving. He¡¯d need to get a new scabbard made; the old one had worked temporarily, but it wasn¡¯t a good fit. Perhaps he could find a leatherworker¡¯s shop on the way back to the inn. No¡ªon second thought, it would be better to return to the inn and take the measurements himself. The leatherworker wouldn¡¯t be able to touch the sword any more than anyone else could. # ¡°You¡¯re certain it said Tir Navis?¡± Magister Borya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see what else it could have been,¡± Ellerie replied. ¡°The letters looked different than I¡¯m used to, but they were still readable.¡± ¡°I wrote them out exactly as I saw them,¡± Bobo added, pulling a folded sheet of paper from his satchel and handing it over. ¡°Incredible,¡± Borya said, reading the page and then standing up to pace around his office at the rear of the Archives room in the museum. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve learned that the people who lived in South Valley must have spoken a variant of what other scholars have identified as the people¡¯s language. If it truly is Tir Navis, that makes sense. It was one of the first colonies to be settled; it could also have been one of the first to be abandoned, while the language continued to change.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve found other writings?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°A few, a few. Sadly, no books would have survived for long under such conditions. But this¡­you say it was from a sign in an armory?¡± ¡°An armory is one option,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Or it could have been a museum, like you have here. It¡¯s the same room where we found the weapons.¡± ¡°Ahh, yes, Nadza showed those to me. What a find!¡± Borya read the page again. ¡°Regent Milos. I haven¡¯t heard that name before, but that¡¯s not a surprise. We have very few stories from the people who came before¡ªnothing other than fables with no real truth attached to them.¡± ¡°I translated it as King Milos,¡± Bobo said. Borya chewed on his lip as he thought. ¡°That would depend on whether you ascribe to Dimartes¡¯s theory that each of the Tirs represented a separate nation, or Evgeni¡¯s work linking them as fiefdoms under a common emperor.¡± Bobo opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Ellerie cleared her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to solve that question today,¡± she said. If she didn¡¯t stop them, the two men would talk for hours. She¡¯d been feeling more generous toward Bobo ever since he¡¯d discovered the route to Tir Yadar, but her patience would only last for so long. ¡°Oh, of course,¡± the magister said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see this armory for myself once the weather improves. Will you be joining us?¡± Ellerie shook her head. ¡°No, we¡¯re leaving soon. But you should know, there¡¯s more than just the armory. We found miles of tunnels. Living quarters, channels for water¡ªSarette called them aqueducts¡ª and other rooms we didn¡¯t have a chance to explore. We had to leave sooner than we¡¯d planned, but I mapped out what I could.¡± She nodded to Bobo, and he gave Borya another stack of papers. ¡°Miles?¡± the magister asked, thumbing through the maps. ¡°And living quarters? We thought the undercity was only used for the aqueducts and maintenance tunnels. We¡¯ve discovered seven different entrances so far, and none of them led to anything but cave-ins. We¡¯ve never risked clearing out the rock because we thought it might collapse the buildings above.¡± He set the papers down on his desk with a wide smile. ¡°With this much to explore, I may have to spend all summer in the valley. My students will be quite annoyed to be dragged into the wilderness for so long.¡± ¡°I hope what we found is helpful.¡± Ellerie hesitated, not sure whether to leave or to ask the question that had been in her thoughts for weeks now. Finally, she spoke. ¡°Magister Borya, are the stormborn the Ancients? The people who came before?¡± Bobo winced. ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Borya asked. ¡°You follow many of the same customs, your language is descended from theirs, your military is modeled after theirs. Some of your own scholars believe your people came from Tir Navis originally, before going north to Snow Crown. The Ancients must have gone somewhere. Why not here?¡± Borya was silent for a moment, staring at her. ¡°Who were the people who came before?¡± he asked ponderously, as if lecturing his students. ¡°Were they humans? Elves? Some other race lost to time? Or were they a common ancestor of us all? Your own people, with their long lives, should remember better than any of us. What do they say?¡± ¡°Our records don¡¯t go back that far,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We have nothing from before the founding of Terrillia, neither written nor oral.¡± ¡°Then your historians suffer the same curse of time that we must all deal with¡ªwe simply don¡¯t know. There are few records from the time before. We know the names of a few of the Tirs and a few of the people, some details about daily life, and that¡¯s it. As to your question¡­no. We call them the people who came before because they came before us. There are too many odnovremennyy¡­how do I say this in trade tongue? Happening at the same time. Contemporaneous¡ªthat¡¯s it. There are too many contemporaneous records from the time when Borrisur created the first stormborn and led them to Snow Crown. For that not to be the truth, our people would have had to have perpetrated a great hoax on their own descendants. No. We are not the people who came before. I¡¯m certain of that.¡± # After they¡¯d left the Archives, Bobo sighed. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± he asked. ¡°Arguing against religious dogma rarely goes well. We¡¯ll be lucky if he ever talks to us again.¡± ¡°I had to ask,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°There were too many pieces fitting together. Do you really think one of the gods just created people out of storms? They must have come from somewhere.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll probably never know. What does Boktar say about the origins of the stoneborn?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t care to speculate.¡± Book 3: Chapter Two Katrin hummed to herself, then played the same tune on her harp before marking it down on the sheet of paper before her. While she hummed the next few notes, Shavala came into the room and greeted her. ¡°Back to trying to write a song?¡± the elven woman asked. ¡°Now that my fingers aren¡¯t constantly frozen, I figured I should. I just can¡¯t think of the lyrics. I¡¯ve finally got two decent melodies, but they¡¯re not good enough to stand by themselves. I need to put words to them, and I just can¡¯t come up with any.¡± ¡°What sort of songs?¡± ¡°One sounds almost heroic, the other is sort of sad. I tried to write something about Fergus for the sad one, but what can I say? He died when a tree branch hit his head after the snow beasts broke our spear trap. I can¡¯t put that in a song. He deserves better.¡± Shavala bit her lower lip as she thought. ¡°Why not write about his life rather than his death?¡± Katrin considered that. The leader of the Jol¡¯s Brook refugees had been a decent person and a hard worker, a man who was just trying to get by in a situation that kept growing steadily worse. He wasn¡¯t some great hero out of legend, but then, he didn¡¯t have to be. He was what the refugees had needed at the time. Maybe she could work with that somehow¡ªa requiem rather than a lament. He deserved to be memorialized. She just hoped he wouldn¡¯t mind if she was the person to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll try that,¡± she said. ¡°What have you been up to?¡± ¡°I went to see the horses.¡± ¡°How are they doing?¡± ¡°Socks and Dot want to leave. They¡¯re tired of being in the same place for so long. The others are happy enough¡ªthey¡¯ve got plenty to eat, the stable is warmer than outdoors, and the stable boys are exercising them every day.¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°I wonder if Sarette has a horse.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of giving her Duchess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we brought her¡ªin case we needed another,¡± Katrin said. Duchess had been her own mount for the ride from Circle Bay to Tyrsall. They¡¯d sold the other extra animals from that trip, but Katrin had kept her as a spare, though she herself usually rode Flower, the mule Corec had bought for her the day after they¡¯d met. ¡°Though I suppose, even if Sarette¡¯s already got a horse, Nedley still needs one.¡± ¡°Either way, I¡¯m sure Duchess will be happy. She¡¯s been feeling left out.¡± Katrin laughed. ¡°I thought you could talk to animals but they couldn¡¯t talk back to you?¡± ¡°You can learn a lot from their body language. Horses are very expressive if you know what to look for.¡± Shavala glanced out the window to check the position of the sun. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to go downstairs?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth the bother. Yesterday, I only made six coppers for the whole afternoon.¡± ¡°You get a free room, too,¡± Shavala pointed out. ¡°I suppose, but it¡¯s still not much.¡± Despite her words, Katrin gathered up her harp and her flute. There weren¡¯t many inns in Snow Crown, and they were mostly frequented by outside visitors and traders rather than locals. The stormborn themselves rarely left the mountains, so they seldom had need for temporary accommodations. This particular inn was small, and Katrin and her friends took up half the rooms. While the music had attracted others to come inside, business had been slow. ¡°Maybe if you ask him again, he¡¯ll let you play in the evenings,¡± Shavala said. The innkeeper did good business at night, mostly among Snow Crown¡¯s tiny community of foreigners, but he didn¡¯t allow music after the sun went down. He made more money selling food than ale, so he focused on moving patrons in and out rather than having them linger around for hours. The city had plenty of taverns that allowed minstrels to play, but the customers were almost all stormborn. Katrin had visited two different places, but with the looks of surprise she¡¯d received from everyone in the room, she hadn¡¯t felt comfortable asking for work. The stormborn preferred their music to be in their own language, which she didn¡¯t speak, and she¡¯d only learned a few of their songs so far. ¡°No, it¡¯s not worth it,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll be gone in a day or two, and I¡¯ll do better once we get back to Tyrsall. I don¡¯t know about the trip to Cordaea though. Maybe I should stay in Tyrsall while everyone else goes.¡± ¡°What? Why wouldn¡¯t you come with us?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be able to work there at all. Bobo says they don¡¯t even speak trade tongue; it¡¯ll be like here but worse.¡± ¡°The others won¡¯t care about that,¡± Shavala said. ¡°We¡¯ll just pay for our rooms the normal way.¡± Katrin sighed. ¡°I just feel so useless compared to everyone else. What am I contributing?¡± It was the first time she¡¯d spoken out about the concerns that had been building up in her mind over the past few months. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like you or the others. You¡¯ve got your bow and your magic, Treya can hit a man hard enough to knock him out, Ellerie casts spells. And now there¡¯s Sarette¡ªCorec and Boktar already trust her to fight alongside them. What do I do? I¡¯m no help in a fight.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve helped before. You stopped two of the snow beasts.¡± ¡°I sang to them and made them fall asleep. It¡¯s not the same thing. You hit them with lightning.¡± Shavala stared into the distance. ¡°I wish I hadn¡¯t. It¡¯s good that we can defend ourselves, but being able to kill someone¡­ It shouldn¡¯t have been necessary. Why do you feel like this now? When you killed that man in Circle Bay, you were sad for days.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Seeing Sarette jump into the fight like that¡­ She¡¯s the sort of person Corec should be recruiting, not me. He cast the binding spell for her on purpose, but for me, it was an accident.¡± ¡°It was an accident for the rest of us too, but he still spends most of his time with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Katrin said, allowing herself to smile. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about my relationship with him; I just feel like I¡¯m not contributing enough. If I stay in Tyrsall while you¡¯re gone, I could support myself, plus make enough money to get us started in Four Roads or wherever we end up.¡± Shavala frowned. ¡°We could be away for half a year, maybe more. You can¡¯t stay by yourself for that long.¡± Katrin hadn¡¯t considered how long the trip would take. Circle Bay might be better than Tyrsall if she didn¡¯t want to be alone, but she wasn¡¯t ready to see her brother and uncle again yet. ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll go, but I wish I could do more to help. My singing didn¡¯t work on the red-eyes.¡± ¡°The red-eyes shouldn¡¯t be a problem now that Treya knows how to deal with them.¡± ¡°See? That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. She can do things I never knew were possible. You all can, except for me. All I can do is sing.¡± ¡°Do you remember what Yelena said about wardens and their bondmates? One person¡¯s strength compensates for another¡¯s weakness.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have a strength.¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°Sometimes you sing to get us free rooms, sometimes you make snow beasts fall asleep, sometimes you cook or gather firewood. Not everything has to be about magic or killing.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. # The royal guards bowed as Rusol approached. He ignored them, passing through the archway that led to the palace¡¯s inner quarters, followed by Yassi, Kolvi, and Samir. Kolvi peeled away wordlessly when they passed the corridor leading to her apartment, and soon they reached another pair of guards outside the royal family¡¯s quarters. Rusol paused there and looked back at Samir. ¡°It¡¯ll likely be weeks before we hear anything, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you remained in Telfort while we wait.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± his old friend said with a bow. He usually remembered to follow protocol when others were watching. ¡°Have a pleasant evening, Yassi,¡± Rusol said to Samir¡¯s sister, while giving her a look of warning. She¡¯d been acting stranger than usual on their trip to Northtower. If she wasn¡¯t careful, Samir might grow suspicious. She stared at him expressionlessly with those dark eyes of hers until he passed through the double doors to his family¡¯s private domain. His manservant was there waiting for him. ¡°Your Highness,¡± the man said with a bow. ¡°Welcome back. Would you like me to have the cooks make up a meal for you? Or perhaps you¡¯d prefer a bath? Fresh clothing?¡± ¡°Draw a bath for me, but first, I¡¯d like to see my father. Where is he?¡± ¡°His study, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go speak with him now. Start that bath, and see to it that someone is supervising the servants unloading our things from the carriage.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The man left the room, and Rusol proceeded to his father¡¯s study, surprised to find his mother Sharra¡ªhis father¡¯s concubine¡ªthere as well. ¡°Mother, Father, I¡¯ve returned from Fort Northtower.¡± ¡°So I can see,¡± King Marten said. ¡°What did you find out? Is Leonis dead? Is he the one that killed Rikard?¡± Rusol sprawled on one of the chairs facing his father¡¯s desk. ¡°I doubt he was directly involved, but he may have known about it. He¡¯s more dangerous than I thought, though. He claims to be Torwin Larse.¡± Marten leaned forward in his chair. ¡°Torwin Larse? Which one? Our family hasn¡¯t used that name in over two hundred years.¡± ¡°Torwin the First.¡± Sharra drew in a sharp breath. Marten barked a laugh. ¡°What sort of game is he playing?¡± ¡°He seems to believe it himself.¡± ¡°A madman, then?¡± ¡°Yes, but not necessarily about this. There¡¯s something you should know¡ªin the dream where I learned about wardens, some of the visions suggested they could live for a long time.¡± ¡°Sixteen hundred years long?¡± his father said doubtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but would it be that crazy? Grandmother told me that some demonborn lines have a long lifespan.¡± ¡°Not hers, unfortunately. I wouldn¡¯t mind some motherly wisdom right about now. Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before?¡± ¡°Because everything about the dream seemed so ludicrous, and Rikard didn¡¯t believe me about any of it to begin with. Later, after he¡­ I just never brought it up again.¡± ¡°Your brother should have believed you,¡± Sharra said, frowning. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair how he treated you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s in the past now,¡± Marten told her firmly. He turned back to Rusol. ¡°You think Leonis is telling the truth?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that; I just don¡¯t think we can discount the possibility.¡± ¡°But you still think he¡¯s a madman?¡± ¡°He believes there¡¯s a ritual that will give Pallisur control over all the sources of magic, not just divine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Marten said. ¡°Think about what it would mean if wizards could only cast spells if they¡¯d received a blessing from Pallisur, like a priest.¡± ¡°There¡¯d be fewer wizards,¡± Sharra put in. Rusol nodded. He¡¯d had plenty of time to think about the ramifications during the journey back to Telfort. ¡°It sounds like nonsense,¡± Marten said, ¡°but even if it were true, it would only strengthen Larso. We don¡¯t depend on magic. Matagor and Terevas do.¡± ¡°That depends on who Pallisur chooses to receive those blessings,¡± Rusol said. ¡°It would make the Church stronger, at our expense.¡± ¡°A good point,¡± Marten replied with a scowl. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough control over the Church yet as it is. Cardinal Aldrich might not be able to overcome the conditioning I¡¯ve placed on him, but he¡¯s still clamoring to bring more of the blessed priests back to the city, if for no other reason than to have more healers here. But if I allow too many, they may realize what I¡¯ve done to the unblessed priests.¡± ¡°Why do you allow them so much power?¡± Sharra said. ¡°You¡¯re the king, Marten. If the priests won¡¯t do as you say, they should suffer the consequences.¡± Marten shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, it doesn¡¯t work like that. A kingdom, or even a small city, can¡¯t run on one man¡¯s whims alone. It¡¯s a balancing act. The king, the dukes and barons, the army, the knights, the merchants and guilds, the Church. Every element of society wields its own sort of power, no matter how small that might be. What would happen if the lamplighters all refused to work tonight? It would be chaos. Granted, it would be a small and short-lived chaos, because they hold very little power, but it¡¯s still power of a sort. My job is to balance them all against each other so that I have final say on the important issues.¡± Sharra rolled her eyes when Marten wasn¡¯t looking. Rusol wasn¡¯t interested in hearing his parents argue about the subject again. To head them off, he said, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t just be wizards, either. Leonis claims the same would hold true for elder and demonic magic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how any of this could be true,¡± Marten said. ¡°The gods grant divine blessings, and only divine blessings. That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been.¡± Rusol shrugged. ¡°Leonis believed what he was saying. He¡¯s almost certainly insane, but I can¡¯t say whether he was lying or not. I don¡¯t trust him, and I don¡¯t think we should let him proceed.¡± ¡°And yet, you left him alive.¡± ¡°I need more time to plan. He¡¯s a true priest, and he brought more priests with him. I need a way to kill him and his men quickly enough that they can¡¯t heal themselves and retaliate. Besides, he plans to bring more of the wardens together for the ritual. If I can get two or three of them at once, without warning¡­¡± ¡°Smart boy,¡± Marten said with a smile of approval. ¡°I was thinking perhaps a fast-acting poison rather than risking a fight.¡± Marten sighed. ¡°I¡¯m tempted to remind you about honor in battle, but I suppose talk won¡¯t do you much good when you¡¯re outnumbered. Yassi and Jasper are no warriors. If he¡¯s willing to return to Northtower, we could surround him with archers, but it would be hard to keep that quiet. Poison may be the safest option. Ask Kolvi to send word to her father. He knows poisons.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Rusol said, then made his excuses so he could go wash off the grime from the journey. Stepping into his own quarters, he experienced a wave of pain and dizziness. He stumbled and grasped his head, bracing himself against a wall. The symptoms had started during that strange dream. The shadowy creature in the dream world had granted him divine blessings, as if he was a priest¡­but with those blessings had come the pain. It had lessened on the carriage ride back to Telfort, but it hadn¡¯t gone away entirely. Most priests received just one or two blessings, if that. Rusol had been given many, along with instructions on how to use them. He knew how to heal, how to protect himself from physical attacks, and how to block magical attacks. Most importantly, he knew how to stop other priests from striking at him through his demonic side. Demonborn were susceptible to divine magic, but now he had a way to negate that disadvantage. But at what cost? So far, he¡¯d resisted the temptation to try those new spells, worried it would somehow give the shadow creature a hold on him. That wasn¡¯t how it worked with the real gods¡ªonce a blessing was granted, the priest had full control over it¡ªbut the shadow creature wasn¡¯t any sort of god Rusol had ever heard of. What if the rules were different? He didn¡¯t want to risk it, but Leonis and the First could both wield divine magic. If he was to face them, he might not have a choice. # After her master headed for his quarters, Yassi continued on toward her own apartment. Samir walked with her, but he¡¯d be leaving soon, and despite their time together during the long trip to Fort Northtower and back, she still hadn¡¯t gotten through to him. She couldn¡¯t tell him what Rusol had done to her, and he just couldn¡¯t see it on his own. He still thought of Rusol as a childhood friend¡ªperhaps one who¡¯d grown more curt and distant than in their youth, but still the same boy underneath it all. ¡°I wish you¡¯d speak to me,¡± Samir said. ¡°About what?¡± Yassi asked. Perhaps being silent wasn¡¯t the way to go about it. ¡°About anything! Are you mad at me?¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Because we never talk anymore! Mother and Father ask about you, but I can¡¯t tell them anything because you never tell me anything. Why did you stop visiting home?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been busy lately. I¡¯ll visit them soon. I promise.¡± When she broke that promise, it might lead him to ask more questions. ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Yassi said, then had a thought. Could she say something generic enough that it wouldn¡¯t trigger the compulsion Rusol had laid over the warden bond, but specific enough that Samir would understand it? ¡°I just think that sometimes, the people we grew up with aren¡¯t who we think they are.¡± Samir¡¯s eyes darted in the direction of Rusol¡¯s quarters. ¡°Did he¡­do something to you? Did he hurt you?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± she said with a wide smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I love it here.¡± She screamed in her own mind as the lie came out before she could stop it. The spell Rusol had cast on her was insidious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Samir said. ¡°I know he wouldn¡¯t do anything like that. I just don¡¯t understand the way you¡¯ve been acting.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me; I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll come visit soon.¡± Yassi wanted to cry, but the compulsion wouldn¡¯t allow it. She¡¯d need to find some other way to reach out to her brother. They came to a stop outside her rooms. ¡°I¡¯d like to get some rest now. It was a long trip.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll head home, then, but at some point, you¡¯ll need to tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± She just smiled and hugged him, though she managed to avoid saying nothing was wrong. After Samir had left, there was a knock at her door. She opened it expecting to find him, but instead it was Jasper. ¡°Well?¡± the elderly wizard asked. ¡°Did you have any luck?¡± He didn¡¯t have to explain what he meant, and he probably couldn¡¯t have even if he¡¯d wanted to. He was under the same compulsion as Yassi. ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m still working on it,¡± she said. ¡°What happened in Northtower?¡± ¡°Rusol met with Leonis. He didn¡¯t tell me much, but I think he¡¯s going to kill him.¡± ¡°Should we try to w¡­w¡­w¡­¡± Jasper grunted. ¡°Should we try to w¡­¡± He gave up and slammed his fist into the wall. Should we try to warn him? Yassi thought to herself. That must be what Jasper had tried to say. ¡°I don¡¯t see how we can,¡± she said, cradling the old man¡¯s bleeding hand in hers. ¡°We¡¯d better go have Kolvi bandage this up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like Kolvi.¡± ¡°It¡¯s either her, or we ask Magnus to heal it.¡± Jasper grunted. ¡°Fine. Kolvi.¡± Book 3: Chapter Three ¡°Pay attention, you silly girl,¡± the cook said. Razai grimaced. She¡¯d been listening for any sounds coming from upstairs, but the noise of the footmen clomping through the hallway outside the kitchen had drowned out anything else. ¡°Yes, Cook,¡± she said, appropriately obsequious. ¡°Sorry, Cook.¡± The job Renny Senshall had given her, determining whether two of her sister concubines were being abused by their patrons, had proven surprisingly difficult. The first problem had just been getting into the households. The concubines in question¡ªpaired with the older brothers of Renny¡¯s own patron, Varsin Senshall¡ªrarely left their homes, which meant the easiest option to watch over them had been to seek employment with the families. Burton, the eldest brother, didn¡¯t have any openings within his household, so Razai was still working out an alternate plan to spy on him. In the meantime, though, a position had become available in the middle brother¡¯s home. Tobin Senshall¡¯s housekeeper had been looking for a serving maid. After securing a fake letter of recommendation from Renny, Razai had managed to get herself hired. She was going by the name Molly, the same name she¡¯d used when masquerading as a prostitute, but she¡¯d switched to a much homelier illusionary disguise, not wanting to attract Tobin¡¯s attention herself. The cook¡ªa stout, ruddy-faced woman who went by no name other than Cook¡ªshook her head and rolled her eyes. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m finished with you for tonight. But mark my words, you¡¯ll never become a kitchen maid if you can¡¯t even handle the simplest of tasks. I¡¯ve had girls like you before, always watching the men, sneaking down to their rooms in the middle of the night. It¡¯s a good way to get yourself booted out the door. Now, I¡¯ve finished warming the milk. Can you at least manage to pour it?¡± ¡°Yes, Cook,¡± Razai said. It wouldn¡¯t do her any good to protest that she wasn¡¯t interested in the footmen. She poured the warmed milk into the three mugs that were already waiting on a tray, quickly wiping up a spill while the cook¡¯s back was turned. ¡°Now, then,¡± Cook said, returning with a jar in her hand, ¡°just a dollop of honey in each.¡± She bent to her task, then handed the platter to Razai. ¡°I trust you can manage to get that upstairs?¡± ¡°Yes, Cook. Thank you.¡± ¡°Go on with you, then,¡± the cook said, smiling as she waved Razai away. Cook pretended to be a harsh taskmistress, but her jovial nature always showed through eventually, even when she was reprimanding the girls. ¡°I¡¯ll wash the pot this one time, since Sara¡¯s not feeling well. You make sure she drinks the whole thing, though.¡± Razai nodded and carried the tray down the hall to the rear of the basement, then up the back stairs that led to the servant¡¯s quarters. She shared a room in the attic with the other maids who worked in the kitchen¡ªEdina, the kitchen maid, who handled the lesser cooking tasks, and Sara, the scullery maid. Razai¡¯s own position as serving maid ranked somewhere in between the two, but for some unspoken reason, Sara hadn¡¯t been considered for the promotion. Likely because the serving maid needed to be quick on her feet, and Sara was anything but. There was a small table outside the room, so Razai set the tray down. Checking the hall to make sure none of the other maids had come out of their rooms, she slid a packet of gray powder out from where she¡¯d hidden it inside her sleeve, then poured one spoonful each into two of the three mugs and stirred it in thoroughly. Slipping the packet back into her sleeve, Razai picked up the tray and opened the door without knocking. ¡°Warm milk and honey from Cook,¡± she announced. ¡°Sara, you¡¯re to drink it all.¡± ¡°Why bother?¡± Edina said. ¡°She¡¯s faking again.¡± ¡°I am not!¡± Sara said from where she was sitting up in her cot. She didn¡¯t look sick, but Cook and the housekeeper had both believed her, and the housekeeper was much stricter than Cook. Razai trusted their instincts over Edina¡¯s. ¡°Cook gave me enough for all of us,¡± Razai said, handing them each a mug. Sara sipped from hers, then glanced at Edina and smiled mischievously. ¡°I heard that the young master paid a call on a lady friend this afternoon,¡± she said, referring to Tobin¡¯s oldest son. ¡°Oh, he did not!¡± Edina said. ¡°He¡¯s far too young for that sort of thing.¡± ¡°I heard it from Nell!¡± Sara insisted. Nell was one of the chambermaids. ¡°And what would Nell know about it?¡± As they continued to snipe at each other, Razai drank from her own mug, then grimaced at the taste. She preferred whiskey for a nightcap, but the servants were only allowed watered-down ale at best. She pretended to drink the rest, then set it aside to wait. Soon, the two women started yawning and stumbling over their words. ¡°I¡¯m more tired than I thought,¡± Edina said, sitting down on her cot and trying to keep her eyes open. ¡°Molly, can you take the mugs back down?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Razai replied. Sara didn¡¯t say anything; she just set her mug to the side and stretched out under the covers. After the two maids fell asleep, Razai checked their breathing to make sure they were all right. Herbalists sold the sleeping powder to customers who had trouble falling asleep, but it was strong enough that chirurgeons used it to keep their patients unconscious during surgery, when there was no healer around who could do so. It was supposed to be safe, but she¡¯d only used it a few times in the past and she didn¡¯t want to take chances. She wouldn¡¯t have used it at all if she¡¯d had a choice, but the two women were light sleepers. If either of them woke up and saw her missing for any length of time, they¡¯d assume she¡¯d snuck away from the house to visit a man, and then they¡¯d gossip to everyone about it the next morning. The powder would keep them asleep for at least six hours, and Razai would finally have the chance to do the job she was there to do. Razai waited another hour to ensure the housekeeper and butler had turned in for the night, then took the tray and mugs back down to the basement kitchen and washed them in the scullery. She¡¯d learned early on that the kitchen staff didn¡¯t allow anything to stay dirty for long. With the dishes clean, she no longer had an excuse to be away from her room. She headed back to the servants¡¯ stairs, allowing her footsteps to be heard. Checking the men¡¯s apartments as she passed, she saw a flickering light coming from underneath the butler¡¯s door, but even as she watched, it went out. She climbed the first flight of stairs, making sure to step on all the ones that creaked. Then she silently made her way back down to the basement and disguised herself as Greta, Mistress Elba¡¯s lady¡¯s maid. Elba was Tobin¡¯s concubine, and nobody other than the housekeeper or butler would dare to question Greta if she claimed her mistress had sent her downstairs on an errand. Using the key she¡¯d stolen from the butler¡¯s pantry earlier that evening, she snuck into the wine cellar and retrieved a bottle of port, Elba¡¯s favorite evening drink. She poured a glass and returned the bottle to its place, then went up the kitchen stairs to the dining room, and from there to the mansion¡¯s ornate front staircase. She¡¯d practiced Greta¡¯s voice and mannerisms for days, just in case, but nobody disturbed her along the way. Elba¡¯s quarters were on the third floor, but it was too dangerous to remain in disguise there since Greta¡¯s own room was nearby. Razai dropped the illusion and cast her invisibility spell. The spell was as frustrating as it was useful¡ªshe had to move painfully slow or it would end, leaving her visible. Hidden from any prying eyes, she carefully, and slowly, made her way to the door that led to Elba¡¯s apartment. There was a chair just outside, but it was a little too convenient. Razai couldn¡¯t risk someone unknowingly sitting on her lap. She stood next to it instead, leaning back against the wall. Settling in to wait, she drank the glass of port. It wasn¡¯t whiskey, but it was better than warm milk. # When Ellerie arrived at the Council Building, she found Sarette waiting with a man she introduced as her Uncle Vartus. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were going to be here,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I thought it was just Corec and me.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t want me to leave,¡± Sarette said, scowling at the doors that led to the council chamber. ¡°My mother complained to someone who complained to the Council.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t particularly want you to go either,¡± Vartus said, ¡°but since you insist, I believe we can convince them.¡± They waited in somewhat awkward silence. Ellerie didn¡¯t know Sarette very well. The weather on the journey to the ruins hadn¡¯t been conducive to socializing, and the stormborn woman had spent most of her time with Treya and Corec. If Ellerie had been waiting with Katrin or Shavala instead, at least the awkwardness would have been comfortably familiar. It was a relief when Corec arrived. He had an annoyingly useful ability to bridge gaps between different groups. ¡°Did I make it on time?¡± he asked. ¡°I stopped on the way and picked up my new scabbard.¡± He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the sheathed sword attached to the harness on his back. ¡°We haven¡¯t been called in yet,¡± Sarette said. ¡°There was someone else ahead of us.¡± He nodded, then turned to Ellerie. ¡°We found another pack mule, so I think Boktar¡¯s got everything ready to go for tomorrow. I feel bad sticking him with all the work.¡± ¡°So do I, but we¡¯ve been busy. If I¡¯m not careful, he always just goes out and gets stuff done without waiting for me. I¡¯ve gotten used to it. At least he has Nedley now to help.¡± That was all they had time for before being summoned into the council chamber. A wide, half-circle table took up the far third of the room. Behind it sat the nine men and women that made up the stormborn Council of Elders. Although the Council ruled Snow Crown and the rest of the Storm Heights, the chamber was surprisingly sparse. The building might have been constructed of tershaya wood, but it was still a log structure at its heart, like most other buildings in Snow Crown. It was no match for the Glass Palace in Terevas. In addition to the Council, there was another stormborn man standing off to the side who hadn¡¯t been in attendance the last time. He seemed vaguely familiar. The man at the middle of the table, Rurik, First Seat of the Council, stood and addressed them. ¡°Thank you for attending this session, Lieutenant Sarette, Stormrunner Vartus, Warden Corec.¡± Each title was accompanied by a nod to the bearer. Then he faced Ellerie. ¡°I must apologize for our previous meeting, Your Exalted Highness. We didn¡¯t realize that a member of the di¡¯Valla family had come to Snow Crown. Not many of your people visit the Storm Heights.¡± Ellerie froze. She¡¯d suspected that Oracle Galina, the Fifth Seat, had guessed who she was, but for some reason, she hadn¡¯t expected the strange woman to tell the others. Corec stared at Ellerie, stunned, but she couldn¡¯t spare any time to explain herself to him. She had to come up with a response that didn¡¯t embarrass herself, her mother, or Terevas. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Quickly translating political courtesies from Elven to trade tongue, she said, ¡°No apologies are necessary, Councilor Rurik. No titles are necessary, either, but if you insist, then Exalted will be sufficient. I¡¯ve abdicated, and I¡¯m no longer in the line of succession.¡± The councilors exchanged concerned glances with each other and with the familiar-looking man at the side of the room. He stepped forward. ¡°Exalted,¡± he said with a small bow. ¡°Lady Ellerie, I am Ambassador Tomek. We¡¯ve met before. I apologize¡ªwhile I haven¡¯t seen you around the Glass Palace recently, I wasn¡¯t aware of your abdication. If I had been, I would have let the councilors know of the appropriate term of address. I just this morning found out you were visiting Snow Crown, and I immediately informed the Council. I understand your intention is to leave tomorrow, but would you allow us to hold a reception this evening in your honor?¡± So it hadn¡¯t been Galina that had told the others after all. Ellerie recognized the ambassador now. The stormborn were an insular people and didn¡¯t keep a full embassy in Terevas, but Tomek spent two months of the year there, splitting the rest of his time between Matagor, Larso, and Stone Home. ¡°It¡¯s hardly necessary, Ambassador, but if you¡¯d like to hold a reception, I¡¯d be delighted to attend.¡± The flowery language still rolled off her tongue even after her years away from Terevas. She would have rather gone unnoticed, but now that they knew who she was, she had no choice but to play the role. ¡°I must offer my own apologies. I had no intention of deceiving anyone about my identity. I didn¡¯t use my title because I¡¯m not here on official crown business, merely my own scholarly interest. I didn¡¯t want to force any obligations on your people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an obligation but an honor,¡± Tomek assured her before turning to Corec. ¡°And Warden, you¡¯ll attend as well, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Uhh, sure. I guess.¡± Corec was usually more eloquent than that, at least in official situations, but he was still staring at Ellerie. The woman to Rurik¡¯s left spoke up. ¡°Exalted¡­or Lady Ellerie? I am Head Magister Inessa. I would like to thank you for your discoveries in South Valley. Even as we speak, Magister Borya is searching our old records for any mention of Tir Navis, and there are at least three expeditions already planned to search through the new tunnel complex you found.¡± ¡°It was just a matter of luck,¡± Ellerie replied uncomfortably, ¡°building upon your people¡¯s own work.¡± Was falling through a floor really worthy of praise? Hopefully the details of her escapade hadn¡¯t made their way to the Council. She kept a fake smile on her face, trying to seem appropriately diplomatic. Why couldn¡¯t Corec interrupt and distract them with warden business? The first time she¡¯d met with the Council of Elders, they¡¯d been more interested in him and had practically ignored her. She¡¯d been angry at the time, but now it would have been a relief. Not wanting to be the center of attention was one of the reasons she¡¯d left Terevas in the first place. Not the biggest reason, but well up on the list. Boktar would laugh his head off when she told him the story. ¡°Nevertheless, the information you brought back is invaluable,¡± Inessa said. ¡°Perhaps we can discuss it tonight at the reception,¡± Ellerie said. It would be easier to avoid the woman at a large party than when facing her in the council chamber. ¡°Of course.¡± Inessa turned her attention to Corec. ¡°Warden, Magister Nadza has informed me of her troubles with the sword, and your request to take it with you when you leave.¡± Rurik raised a finger in the air. ¡°Point of¡­osvetleniye?¡± ¡°Clarification,¡± Inessa supplied. ¡°Point of clarification¡ªyou refer to the enchanted sword taken from the South Valley ruins?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°In our last session, you said the magisters were enthusiastic about the find. We¡¯ve never recovered an enchanted object in the ruins before. Why would we allow something of such historical significance to leave Snow Crown?¡± ¡°According to the latest report from Magister Nadza, the sword is completely immovable by any force we¡¯ve tried, including magic. Only Warden Corec can touch it safely. Two of the men that examined it were seriously injured and required healing. In addition, it¡¯s begun to emit light and sound at unbearable levels when it¡¯s not in the warden¡¯s possession, which obviously interferes with our plan to display it in the museum. The warden can move it for us, but what do we do once he leaves?¡± Corec cleared his throat. ¡°Magister Nadza suggested the museum could loan me the sword until we learn more. She thinks it¡¯s possible that only wardens can touch it. There are people I can ask who may know more about it, or at least know more about enchanted weapons in general. I¡¯ll send Nadza any information I find out, and if I learn how to make the sword safer for your people to handle, I¡¯ll return it. The Ancients were able to leave it on display in Tir Navis, so it must be possible.¡± Rurik looked to an elderly woman who sat at the far right end of the table. ¡°Galina, what do you think?¡± ¡°The sword is an unusual find, but I¡¯ve had no visions about it,¡± the oracle said. ¡°It¡¯s not important enough for Borrisur to make his will heard. I¡¯ll trust Inessa¡¯s advice.¡± ¡°Is that the weapon there?¡± Lesander asked, pointing to the sword. The councilor was a former scout, and it was he who¡¯d suggested a route that allowed the expedition to reach the ruins in the middle of winter. ¡°Yes,¡± Corec said, drawing the blade and holding it across his palms to show to the councilors. It glowed with a pale green light. Unlike the previous times Ellerie had seen him handle it, there were no sparks. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look all that dangerous,¡± Rurik said. Then he chuckled. ¡°Other than in the obvious ways, of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯d warn you not to touch it, Rurik,¡± Inessa said. ¡°It¡¯s hurt a number of people already, and not just the two who needed healers.¡± Rurik slowly nodded. ¡°I suppose it would be acceptable to loan the sword to Warden Corec, given that one of our own will be accompanying him.¡± ¡°That has yet to be decided,¡± Lesander said. ¡°We still need to discuss Lieutenant Sarette¡¯s status. Vartus, you told me she now qualifies as a stormrunner?¡± ¡°As a trainee, at least,¡± Vartus agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t pretend to understand how this warden bond works, but it appears to match the stories. She¡¯s still new to it, but my testing suggests she¡¯ll likely be able to complete the training this time around.¡± ¡°Then she should remain here and do so.¡± Sarette said, ¡°I gave my word that I¡¯d travel with Corec and his companions, and offer them my services as a stormrunner, at least temporarily. That was what I agreed to in exchange for the binding spell.¡± Ellerie kept her face expressionless. Corec had suggested the arrangement simply because, if he was going to attempt to act as a real warden the way Yelena did, he thought he¡¯d need help from the people he¡¯d bonded. But he didn¡¯t have any firm plans for the future, and if Sarette really wanted to change her mind, he wouldn¡¯t care. She hadn¡¯t quite lied to the Council, but she¡¯d come close. ¡°You¡¯re a stormrunner and a member of the High Guard,¡± Lesander said. ¡°Your place is in Snow Crown.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been relieved of duty, and I have no obligations keeping me here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still the trial¡ª¡° Oracle Galina¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Your own judges have already said she doesn¡¯t need to wait around for that, Lesander. Now, I don¡¯t know anything about the girl besides what you told the Council this morning, but it seems to me that you and Vartus both missed your chances. The stormrunners released her from any responsibilities, and so has the High Guard. You already know what the result of the trial will be.¡± ¡°We have to follow procedure, Galina,¡± Lesander said in a placating tone. ¡°I know I¡¯ll be discharged,¡± Sarette said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it happens now or later. I¡¯d planned to resign my commission anyway.¡± Lesander sat back in his chair with a scowl. ¡°Did you really think you¡¯d keep a stormrunner in the High Guard, Les?¡± Vartus asked him. ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t put her on trial, she¡¯d have rejoined us at Runner¡¯s Summit.¡± Another councilor raised a finger. ¡°I have question,¡± he said in halting trade tongue, then switched to the stormborn language. Inessa translated. ¡°Zigor asks, if the warden bond can help a failed stormrunner, what about Sascha? He¡¯s the only other young stormrunner left, and his powers are¡­not as strong as we¡¯d like them to be. Vartus, you and the others won¡¯t be around forever, and Sascha can¡¯t continue the order by himself. Can the warden help him become a full stormrunner?¡± They all looked at Corec expectantly. ¡°No,¡± he said firmly. ¡°A warden can only bond a small number of people. Sarette was a special case. She came to me, and to the others, and we all agreed to accept her. Besides, she¡¯ll be able to return to your people. I won¡¯t keep her away forever.¡± Galina said, ¡°Then I think we¡¯ve talked about this enough, and I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything for us to vote on. The girl can make her own choices. In the long run, we¡¯re getting a stormrunner out of the deal, and that¡¯s something we desperately need.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Rurik said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lesander, but this isn¡¯t a matter for the Council.¡± # Leena draped her veil across her face as a gust of wind blew sand into the air. She¡¯d been in the vast Wadalli Desert for three days now, and couldn¡¯t decide whether sand was better or worse than snow. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she was still in Sanvar¡ªthe desert extended past the border, and her method of travel made it difficult to find herself on a map. She¡¯d been teleporting once each day after Seeking a safe destination. She usually ended up going north, northeast, or somewhere in between, but she had no way to identify her exact location. She trudged through the sand as the wind picked up, died down, then picked up again. At this rate, she¡¯d likely only make ten miles for the day, in addition to the forty or fifty miles she¡¯d come from Traveling, but that would still put her ten miles closer to her goal. Plus, walking gave her something to do other than thinking about her parents¡¯ deaths. She¡¯d spent months trying to get home, but after learning what had happened, all she¡¯d wanted to do was leave. Perhaps it would have been better to stay and watch over her brother, but there¡¯d be time for that later, once she¡¯d made certain he was safe. Could Sarlo¡¯s friend Yelena really help her? He¡¯d seemed sure of it, but now that Leena was traveling on her own again, doubts had started to creep into her mind. Was her Seeking even sending her to Sarlo? She¡¯d been alternating targets. Some days, she would take out her map and compass and Seek a safe spot for Traveling, roughly in the direction she thought Tyrsall could be found. Other days, she¡¯d Seek vengeance. So far, both routes were pointing her in the same direction. The air finally grew still, and Leena thankfully removed her veil. She wasn¡¯t accustomed to wearing one, and it had grown too hot to keep it on under the afternoon sun, especially while also wearing the traditional Zidari dress she¡¯d borrowed from her cousin, with its long sleeves and high neckline. Being too hot was a concept she¡¯d almost forgotten when she¡¯d been stranded far to the north during winter. In Sanvar, there were only two seasons, dry and wet. Both were hot, especially in the southern region where she¡¯d grown up, just outside Sanvara City. The Wadalli Desert was hot too, at least during the day. At night, it could grow chilly, though nothing like what she¡¯d experienced when she¡¯d been lost on the northern plains. It would still be cold in Tyrsall when she arrived, but she was better prepared for it now. She¡¯d borrowed enough money from her grandmother to buy warmer clothing when she arrived. Her musings were interrupted when a shape suddenly burst out of the sand in front of her. ¡°Human not allowed!¡± it said in high-pitched, broken Sanvari. ¡°Human empress agreed! These lands belong to vhithiss.¡± The lizardman was huge¡ªseven feet tall and twice as wide as Leena. Of the three lizardfolk tribes in Sanvar, the desertfolk were the largest. The creature¡¯s scales were brown and black, and it carried a spear and a leather buckler. Its parietal eye, indicated by a patch of gray scales in the middle of its forehead, stayed focused on her, while its regular eyes, on either side of its head, darted back and forth independently of each other. The pose suggested that it thought she wasn¡¯t alone, and was looking for her companions. She swallowed down her fright and took a deep breath. She had little experience with the desertfolk. The swampfolk and junglefolk were more common in the south. ¡°I am Zidari,¡± she said. ¡°I have right of passage.¡± ¡°Zidari?¡± it asked, its tongue darting out to taste the air. ¡°Prove it.¡± She rolled her sleeves up to show the tattoos along her forearms. The Zidari normally kept their tattoos hidden from outsiders, but the lizardman wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish Leena¡¯s accent or clothing well enough to identify her clan any other way. ¡°Hehh,¡± the creature said with a long, exhaled breath¡ªa sign of doubt. ¡°Skin marks can be fake.¡± ¡°They¡¯re real,¡± she said. She untied her waterskin from her pack and poured water over her left arm, then scrubbed at it with her sand veil. ¡°See?¡± She needed him to believe her. The last war between the humans, dwarves, and lizardfolk had ended twenty years earlier, but all three sides still attacked each other from time to time. The Zidari could hold themselves apart from the wars¡ªthe empress protected them from the other human clans, and the lizardfolk wouldn¡¯t kill them without a good reason¡ªbut it only worked if people knew they were Zidari. ¡°Magic shaman?¡± Leena bit her lip. The lizardfolk considered Zidari mages to be something akin to their own shaman. The Zidari had held right of passage through lizardfolk lands for longer than Sanvar had even existed, but in exchange, they were required to offer their services when asked. If she lied, she¡¯d be violating a treaty older than anyone could remember. She had to tell the truth. ¡°I am, but I¡¯m still in training. My abilities are limited.¡± ¡°Abi¡­abili¡­¡± The lizardman struggled with the unfamiliar word. ¡°My magic is weak.¡± ¡°Shaman lost his magic. You finder?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said. ¡°What do you mean, he lost his magic?¡± ¡°Lost! Had it, then it went away. You find his magic?¡± ¡°I can try.¡± What would they do to her if she failed? ¡°Come,¡± the creature said, motioning with its spear as it turned and strode away. She moved to follow, and half a dozen more of the lizardmen rose up from the sand surrounding her. She jerked back in surprise, but they didn¡¯t seem to notice, just falling in line behind their leader. Gathering her nerve again, she caught up to the one who¡¯d first greeted her. ¡°Can you tell me more? How did the shaman lose his magic?¡± ¡°Pulled magic from bag to heal hatchlings who have blood-scale. Later, goes back, but bag is lost. Magic is lost.¡± The shaman must have been an herbalist rather than an actual mage. Leena almost laughed, but she didn¡¯t want to offend the lizardmen. They might seem primitive, especially the ones that lived this far from their cities, but the lizardfolk were as smart as anyone else. Their intelligence was masked by the funny accent they took on when attempting to speak human languages, but they could tell when someone was making fun of them. The fact that they could talk to her in Sanvari was proof that they were more than they seemed¡ªshe couldn¡¯t speak the lizardfolk tongue at all, and understood less than a dozen of their words. But she still breathed a sigh of relief to know they just wanted her to find a pouch of herbs and medicines rather than something more abstract. She might actually succeed. Book 3: Chapter Four ¡°This feels too tight,¡± Corec said, looking at himself in a mirror. He was wearing a gray shopkeeper-style suit, but he¡¯d insisted on pants rather than breeches, and a coat without tails. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to dress in anything fancier than that. His father might have been a baron, but Tarwen was a small barony, tucked away deep in the Black Crow Mountains. There hadn¡¯t been many formal occasions, and Corec had left home before he¡¯d been old enough to dress up for them. ¡°It looks good,¡± Katrin said, tugging on his coat to straighten it. ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t bring my sword.¡± ¡°I think it would be out of place,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to come?¡± ¡°Not if they didn¡¯t say anything about bringing guests. I don¡¯t want to show up and not be expected. Besides, I don¡¯t have a gown.¡± ¡°What about your green dress?¡± She laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t wear that! It¡¯s fine for playing in the common room, but not for something like this. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m going to teach Shavala and Treya how to play cards tonight.¡± Corec added his sheathed long knife to his belt, not wanting to be completely unarmed. ¡°That sounds more fun than this. Have a good time.¡± ¡°You, too.¡± She kissed him, then waved him out the door. In the stableyard, he found Ellerie already waiting near a carriage. She was wearing a sleek red dress with flowing sleeves, and hadn¡¯t brought her own sword, either. ¡°Where¡¯s Sarette?¡± she asked. ¡°Ambassador Tomek didn¡¯t invite her, only her uncle. I asked Katrin, but she insists she doesn¡¯t have anything to wear.¡± ¡°Oh, I should have taken her with me this afternoon¡ªI didn¡¯t think about that. I tried to convince Boktar he should come with us tonight, but he just laughed at me.¡± She looked at the carriage, then down at her dress, and frowned. ¡°Do you need help getting in?¡± he asked. ¡°I can¡¯t move in this bloody thing,¡± she said. ¡°They don¡¯t have Terevassian robes here, but this is elven silk. It was the best I could come up with on short notice¡ªand much too expensive.¡± Corec lifted her into the carriage and climbed in behind her, then signaled to the driver. As they got underway, he said, ¡°Are we going to talk about what happened earlier?¡± Ellerie had snuck out of the council chamber while Vartus and the Councilors were crowding around to get a better look at the sword. Before Corec had made it back to the inn, she was already gone, either avoiding him or just shopping for the dress she was now wearing. She looked out the small window in the carriage door. ¡°Have you already told everyone?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°Not yet, but Sarette heard it, too. You won¡¯t be able to keep it a secret.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She turned back but didn¡¯t meet his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t quite follow what they were saying. You¡¯re related to the Terevassian royal family?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± She hesitated, but then her voice grew more firm. ¡°I am Princess Ellerie di¡¯Valla, eldest daughter of Her Exalted Majesty, Queen Revana. Until I left, I was heir to the throne.¡± A princess? Ellerie was well-educated, and Corec had always suspected she¡¯d come from a wealthy family, but being a princess just didn¡¯t match the image of her he had in his mind. He¡¯d always assumed her family was more like his own¡ªlesser nobles, or perhaps rich merchants. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. Why did you leave?¡± He didn¡¯t use the titles she¡¯d gone by in the council chamber. She¡¯d never asked for any titles before, and it seemed wrong to start using them now. ¡°A lot of reasons, and I really don¡¯t want to talk about them,¡± she said. Corec was silent for a moment. ¡°I was kicked out of the Knights of Pallisur for using magic. I don¡¯t think I ever told you that. My family follows Pallisur, and you know what the Church says about mages. So, I left Larso. I¡¯ve only been back a couple of times since.¡± She finally looked at him, a confused expression on her face. ¡°I knew some of that already, but why are you telling me?¡± ¡°I spent six years not telling anyone who I was. It got to be a habit, until I finally realized there really wasn¡¯t a reason for it.¡± Then he laughed, hearing how self-righteous he sounded. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s different for you, of course.¡± ¡°Yes, well, I left because I didn¡¯t want that life, and now everyone¡¯s going to treat me differently. Like tonight, I¡¯ll be stuck talking to a bunch of people I don¡¯t know, pretending I¡¯m still that person. How do you do it?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Talk to people. You always seem comfortable no matter who you¡¯re with.¡± ¡°Do I? I never really thought about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s so frustrating! It¡¯s so easy for you to talk to people, and you don¡¯t even realize it. How do you think our first meeting with Yelena would have gone if I was the warden?¡± Corec chuckled. ¡°You seemed a little annoyed with her.¡± ¡°Because she was annoying! But you got along with her just fine. All right, another example¡ªwe¡¯ve all been traveling together for months now, and Katrin still barely speaks to me.¡± ¡°I think that has something to do with you threatening to kill me back when we first met.¡± She looked abashed. ¡°Oh. I forgot about that. Why doesn¡¯t it bother you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the first person who¡¯s threatened to kill me, and since you never actually tried to do it, I figured it wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± ¡°I guess I should apologize to her.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t bring it up at this point. Just talk to her, and she¡¯ll talk to you. She¡¯s not avoiding you; she¡¯s just not going out of her way to be friends, so you¡¯ll have to do that part.¡± ¡°Or she¡¯ll avoid me more, once she knows who I am.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t be that person. Just be who you¡¯ve been since we met, and that¡¯s how people will treat you.¡± ¡°You make it sound easy.¡± Ellerie usually responded well to Boktar¡¯s sense of humor, so Corec risked a joke. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not the one who has to do it.¡± ¡°Very funny,¡± she said, but she laughed anyway. With the tension broken, Corec said, ¡°I¡¯ve got a question. If you were trying to hide who you are, why did you use your own name?¡± ¡°Ellerie isn¡¯t an uncommon name in Terevas, and my sister and I aren¡¯t well known outside of the city. Until Shavala figured out who I was, it had been a couple of years since anyone had recognized me. You should ask Boktar about it¡ªhe loves that story.¡± ¡°Shavala knows? She didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°I asked her not to. She didn¡¯t seem to think it was that important. But as long as we¡¯re asking personal questions, I¡¯ve got one for you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Why have you only cast the warden binding spell on women? Six binding spells, and not a single man.¡± Corec grimaced. He¡¯d managed to put that out of his mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any control over it until recently.¡± ¡°You must have, or you¡¯d have cast the spell on those wizards you spoke to. Three men, right? And how many other mages have you passed on the street?¡± Corec exhaled slowly. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m worried about it too, but I don¡¯t know how to get any answers. At least I can control it now.¡± ¡°Why not cast the spell on that other stormrunner they asked about, just to see if you can actually bond a man?¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Because I¡¯ve already bonded six people in just a few months, which is as many as Yelena¡¯s bonded in over two hundred years. She and the First both warned me that I had to be more careful about that. Razai¡¯s already gone and you¡¯re not planning to stick around. Shavala may visit us from time to time, but she wants to return home. Sarette will probably do the same. Katrin and Treya are the only ones planning on staying, and I wouldn¡¯t lay odds on Treya. I may not know much about wardens yet, but Yelena seems to send her bondmates out as her agents when she needs something done¡­and I¡¯m not going to have any left.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were actually worried about that,¡± Ellerie said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t necessarily say worried, because I¡¯ve got other options, but I think I want to do something more important with my life than bodyguard work or protecting caravans. I liked helping those villagers against the ogres, and protecting the folks from Jol¡¯s Brook when the snow beasts attacked. But with each person that leaves, I¡¯m more likely to find myself back on the road with the caravans. According to Yelena, I can only cast the binding spell two more times.¡± Ellerie stared at him for a moment. ¡°I suppose if you ever need a wizard and I¡¯m nearby, I could help out.¡± ¡°You¡¯d do that? I thought after we found Tir Yadar, we¡¯d never see you again.¡± ¡°Well, it depends on where you¡¯re at. South Corner isn¡¯t that far from Matagor. Four Roads would be harder, since the dragon¡¯s in the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, but I probably won¡¯t make any decisions until we¡¯re back from Cordaea. Four Roads and South Corner are both too close to Larso if Prince Rusol is still trying to hunt me down. I hope Yelena will have some ideas on what to do about him.¡± # Ellerie¡¯s jaw hurt from all the fake smiling. The reception wasn¡¯t as bad as she¡¯d feared, but it was difficult to be friendly all the time, and she was out of practice. ¡°You¡¯re from the Black Crows?¡± Vartus was asking Corec. ¡°Mountains are nothing new for you, then.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°There¡¯s a big difference between the Black Crows and the Storm Heights. Not just the mountains but the weather. I¡¯ve never seen a snowstorm as heavy as the one we ran into here. If Sarette and Gregor hadn¡¯t been with us, everyone would have died.¡± ¡°Which I pointed out to Les, but he¡¯s a stickler for the rules.¡± Vartus waved to Councilor Lesander, who was on the other side of the room talking to a woman Ellerie didn¡¯t recognize. Councilor Rurik said, ¡°The High Guard¡¯s much larger than the stormrunner order, and the rules are there for a reason. Let¡¯s not spend the whole night debating something that¡¯s already been resolved.¡± He turned to Corec. ¡°You¡¯ve got maple trees in the Black Crows, right? We make an¡­interesting rum out of our own syrup. I think there¡¯s a bottle here somewhere.¡± He peered around the room. ¡°That sounds expensive,¡± Corec said. ¡°Oh, it is. It¡¯s cheaper to import rum from down south, even after paying for shipping, but we like to have something local for special occasions. There, I see it, over by the wines.¡± The three of them wandered off, leaving Ellerie alone with Ambassador Tomek. ¡°I hope you¡¯re having a pleasant evening, Exalted,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s been wonderful, Ambassador,¡± she lied. ¡°Tell me, have you seen my mother lately? I haven¡¯t been home in a few years.¡± ¡°Years? I hadn¡¯t realized you¡¯d been away for so long. I last saw Her Exalted Majesty when I was in Terevas six months ago. It¡¯s a shame about her health¡ªI didn¡¯t think I¡¯d even be permitted to meet with her this time, but before I left, she allowed a single audience to discuss import taxes.¡± ¡°Was she well, other than the illness?¡± Tomek shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Her mind seemed strong, Exalted. I couldn¡¯t say anything beyond that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to know.¡± ¡°Tell me, Exalted, does the rest of your family share Queen Revana¡¯s favorable views on outside trade?¡± ¡°You mean, will my sister close our borders after Mother dies?¡± The ambassador winced. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be indelicate, but Terevas hasn¡¯t historically been open to foreign business.¡± ¡°That was before my time. I don¡¯t claim to know Vilisa¡¯s mind, but my mother put the reforms in place over a hundred years ago, and I imagine ending them would cause some concern from our merchants and craftsmen.¡± ¡°Of course. It was before my time, too, but it¡¯s my job to look to the future.¡± ¡°Naturally, Vilisa will review the terms we offer each of our trading partners, to see if any of the agreements need to be renegotiated¡­or if they¡¯re even worth continuing at all. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll make the best decisions for our people.¡± Tomek swallowed. ¡°Of course,¡± he repeated. ¡°Ahh, here you are, Exalted,¡± Head Magister Inessa said, coming up from behind Tomek. ¡°Ambassador, if you don¡¯t mind, this is my last chance to discuss the South Valley findings with Lady Ellerie.¡± ¡°Certainly, Councilor. I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Tomek looked relieved to escape before Ellerie could push him into offering more favorable trade terms on his next visit to Terevas. ¡°What would you like to know, Councilor?¡± Ellerie asked after he was gone. ¡°Borya showed me the maps of the underground tunnel system. When I was younger, I tried to follow one of the hot spring aqueducts to its source, but it got too small for a person to pass through. I never realized people might have lived in the undercity. How did you find it?¡± ¡°It was just an accident,¡± she said, blushing. ¡°I fell through the floor of a building.¡± Inessa laughed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not the first time. You got luckier than the others, though.¡± Just then, Magister Borya entered the room carrying a thick tome in his arms. He looked around until he saw them, then hustled over. ¡°Nessa, Ellerie! Guess what I found? Entire paragraphs on Tir Navis! And even better, listen to this.¡± He opened the book and read. ¡°From their first port of landing after crossing the sea, the people headed south and west and founded a new home in the tall mountains. That last part, of course, is written out in the narrative, but if you were to emphasize it as a name, it sounds much like Tir Navis. Home of the Tall Mountains.¡± Borya wasn¡¯t treating Ellerie any differently than before. Apparently he hadn¡¯t heard the news¡ªor been offended by her questions about his people. ¡°South and west from their port of landing?¡± she asked. ¡°Lanport is almost directly northeast from the ruins.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± he said. ¡°Though I¡¯m curious as to how it later became a human city. Unless, of course, the people themselves were human. If so, perhaps that was where they fled when they left the mountains.¡± Inessa shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s never stated outright, but the sources I¡¯ve read didn¡¯t give the impression that the people were human.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know for sure. I have my students pulling more books from the library and the Archives. I came to see if you two wanted to help. I already sent a messenger to Bobo.¡± Ellerie glanced around the room. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can. I¡¯m supposed to be here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two hours,¡± Inessa said with a sly grin. ¡°That¡¯s enough to be polite, and the party won¡¯t break up until you leave. Just make your apologies and tell them you¡¯ve got to get on the road early tomorrow.¡± Ellerie found herself smiling back at the woman. Maybe Corec was right. Maybe she could still be herself even among people who knew her identity. # Leena woke, her head pounding from the harsh liquor she¡¯d consumed the night before. Peering around blearily, she tried to figure out where she was. It was a tent¡ªmuch too large to be her own¡ªconstructed of leather hides draped over wooden and bone stakes that had been tied together to form a rectangular, hut-like structure. The shape was familiar, and thinking about what it must look like from the outside, she suddenly remembered her first glimpse of the lizardfolk village, full of dozens of similar tents. There were gaps between the hides at regular intervals, allowing the bright light of morning to shine through, and the air inside was already starting to heat up. Leena struggled to her feet from the bed of furs she¡¯d been sleeping on. The only other occupant of the tent was a lizardfolk hatchling, who was watching her intently from where it was strapped into a carry basket nearby. When she stood, it squawked, and another lizardman¡ªor lizardwoman; she couldn¡¯t tell the difference¡ªentered through a flap in one side. ¡°Magic finder wake?¡± it said in its high-pitched attempt at Sanvari. ¡°Lazy like youngling!¡± ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± she muttered. ¡°Do you have any water?¡± She couldn¡¯t see her waterskin or the rest of her things. ¡°Will get. Will get.¡± The lizard slung the child¡¯s carry basket over its shoulder before leaving the tent. Finding the shaman¡¯s bag of medicines had been easy enough. A young boy had stolen it and buried it in the sand outside the village, thinking that owning it would make him the shaman. He¡¯d confessed after Leena had dug it up. The adults were still debating whether to punish him or apprentice him to the real shaman, but they¡¯d decided that between finding the bag and having an outsider visit, there was enough excitement to warrant a celebration. Leena had gotten the impression that not much happened out in this corner of the Wadalli Desert. Her vague memories of the previous night mostly involved drums and drinking. She wasn¡¯t sure what the brew had been made of, but it was the strongest drink she¡¯d ever had in her life, and the lizards consumed it in full-sized mugs. She stepped outside the tent. Looking down to shield her eyes from the direct sunlight, she found her pack and her other belongings leaning against the hide wall to her left. The lizardman with the hatchling on its back approached with a full mug. ¡°Here, water!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Leena said, accepting it and taking a long gulp. Another lizardman approached¡ªthe shaman, if Leena remembered his scale patterns correctly. ¡°Bright morning, shaman Zidari,¡± he said. ¡°Bright morning, shaman vhithiss,¡± she attempted. He made a rasping noise, which she wasn¡¯t sure whether to interpret as a growl or a laugh. It wasn¡¯t a sound she¡¯d ever heard from the lizardfolk who occasionally visited Matihar. ¡°Food?¡± he asked. He held out a hunk of unidentifiable dried meat. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, taking it. As far as she knew, the lizards didn¡¯t eat anything humans couldn¡¯t eat, though they cared little about how it tasted. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help you, but I have to go now.¡± ¡°Go like Zidari magic shaman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can watch?¡± ¡°Ahh, yes, if you want to.¡± He shouted something in his own language, and dozens of other lizardfolk crowded around, staring at her. Self-consciously, she retrieved her pack and drew out her map and compass. Doing her best to guess at her current location, she considered where to go next. She¡¯d been heading roughly northeast, but if she continued in that direction, she¡¯d be in the desert for at least four more days. This group of lizardfolk had been friendly, but the next might not be. If she headed straight east instead, it would make her overall route longer, but she could be out of the desert in a day or two. She cast her mind east, Seeking a spot to Travel. Somewhere safe and with plenty of water, and as far east as her Seeking range allowed. There was a twinge, and a location came to her mind. She couldn¡¯t tell how far away it was, but she¡¯d be able to arrive safely, which was as much as she could hope for from her half-trained Traveling skill. ¡°Goodbye!¡± she called out to the watching lizardfolk. They shouted back to her, some in their native language and some in Sanvari. Taking a deep breath, she Traveled. When she reappeared, she stumbled, staring in shock. She¡¯d landed on sand, as expected, but it wasn¡¯t the sand of the desert. Directly ahead of her, waves crashed onto the desolate shore. The sea. Judging by the position of the sun, she¡¯d come due east, but it had to have been hundreds of miles farther than she¡¯d expected. Her mind still held the location she¡¯d found through her Seeking, but it now pointed back west. It was fading rapidly, no longer within her Seeking range. She¡¯d overshot her mark. She could Travel much farther than she could Seek, but she¡¯d never been able to control the longer jumps. If she wasn¡¯t careful, she¡¯d end up in the middle of the ocean again, and this time, with no passing fisherman to save her. But there was nothing she could do about it other than continue on, and attempt to be more cautious. Her destination was now more northwest than northeast, but she would need to rest before she¡¯d have the strength to Seek it again. She tightened the straps of her pack and started walking along the shore line. There was still a long way to go. Book 3: Chapter Five ¡°I remember there being more people here,¡± Sarette said as she and Katrin wandered through the market stalls. ¡°You¡¯ve been to Lanport before?¡± the other woman asked. ¡°Once, years ago.¡± Her parents had taken her so she could see the ocean. ¡°Well, it¡¯s cold and wet today. It¡¯s not a surprise that the market¡¯s quiet.¡± Sarette hadn¡¯t considered that. She hadn¡¯t even noticed it was raining, and the temperature would have to drop much lower before she¡¯d be bothered by it. Cold rain was a fact of life in Snow Crown¡ªthe price they paid for the valley keeping the worst of the snowstorms out. She nodded to a stormborn man as they passed him in the street, his pale, slightly blue skin and the purple markings along the sides of his head standing out even here, in the one human city that her people regularly visited. He nodded in return but didn¡¯t stop to talk, intent on his business. Like her, he was armed, but with a quarterstaff rather than the more common staff-spear of their people. Stormborn always went armed in Lanport. The city guards were ineffective at dealing with the pirates and bandits that made their home here, far away from the laws of Tyrsall and the other southern kingdoms. Often, the guards were allied with them. ¡°How long does it take to reach Tyrsall from here?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°If we don¡¯t stay over in High Cove this time, it should be about twenty days, but it depends how muddy the roads are.¡± ¡°Are there really a million people there, all in one place?¡± That would make Tyrsall five times the size of Snow Crown. ¡°That¡¯s what they say. It¡¯s huge¡ªfrom north to south, it¡¯s over twenty miles long.¡± Katrin stopped, facing a row of shops lined with a covered wooden walkway. A lone man was there playing a lively tune on the fiddle, using the walkway to stay out of the muddy street. ¡°This is where she used to play when it was raining. If she¡¯s not here and she¡¯s no longer at the inn she was staying at, she¡¯s probably left the city. I was hoping to convince her to come with us.¡± ¡°Is this the same bard that told you about Snow Crown?¡± ¡°Yes. Anise visited there before us, and knew more about your people. Without her, we would have probably gone straight through Tarvist Pass. Ellerie wanted to get a look at the mountains from both the east and the west.¡± Sarette laughed. ¡°That¡¯s what Tarvist Pass is there for¡ªso outsiders have an easy way through the mountains without getting stranded or stopping to visit Snow Crown. Other than traders, we try to discourage visitors.¡± ¡°I guess it worked out despite that. Her Royal Bitchiness seems excited, at least.¡± It had been a week since the revelation that Ellerie was the daughter of the queen of Terevas, and of everyone in the group, Katrin had had the hardest time adjusting to the news. Sarette didn¡¯t know either of the women well enough to speak up about it, so she changed the subject. ¡°How did you and Corec meet?¡± Katrin frowned. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Then she sighed. ¡°Everyone else does, so I guess I might as well tell you. Let¡¯s head back, though. I think we can reach our inn by heading directly west from here.¡± She was quiet at first as they walked, but then said, ¡°Corec and I met when he captured me for a bounty that had been put out on me for theft.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Sarette replied, not sure how to reply. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I needed the money to get my brother out of prison. I¡¯d stopped stealing before that, but I took it up one last time to get him out, and it didn¡¯t go well. Or maybe it did go well¡ªCorec ended up paying Barz¡¯s penalty fee and my own. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll ever repay him. Maybe I should forgive him for not telling me about Ellerie right away. Anyway, we¡¯d actually run into each other before that, and he¡¯d cast the binding spell without realizing it, so the day after he caught me, the runes showed up. We were near the Terril Forest, so we went to ask the elves about it, and that¡¯s where we met Shavala.¡± ¡°I remember Treya saying something about the runes taking a long time to appear.¡± ¡°Yes, over a week, and they itched the whole time, so be glad it didn¡¯t happen to you. I scratched my head so much, it almost started bleeding. Be glad you can hide it, too. It¡¯s no fun having people stare at you all the time.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sarette said. ¡°You¡¯re hiding yours.¡± Katrin hadn¡¯t bothered to conceal her rune when they were in the mountains, but she was doing so now. ¡°Only because it¡¯s raining. I had to get better at hiding it because I¡¯m not supposed to get my hat wet¡ªit¡¯s made out of straw. But it¡¯s still easier to wear the hat than focus on concealing the rune all the time. I don¡¯t know how the rest of you were able to figure it out so easily.¡± ¡°It reminds me of the concentration exercises I learned during my stormrunner training.¡± ¡°Treya said something like that, too. So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m bad at concentrating?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Sarette glanced at the other woman, worried she¡¯d offended her, but was relieved to find her grinning. ¡°No, but how does the warden bond work for you? You¡¯ve never mentioned being a mage.¡± ¡°Bardic abilities are magic of a sort, but I honestly don¡¯t know if the rune¡¯s done anything for me. Other than singing for an audience, I never tried to use those abilities much until after I had it, so I don¡¯t know what I was able to do before that.¡± They were following a quieter street away from the market when two rough-dressed men stepped out in front of them. ¡°Hello, ladies,¡± one said with a grin. ¡°Looking for company?¡± ¡°No,¡± Katrin said flatly. They tried to walk around, but the men blocked them. Katrin drew in a deep breath, but before she could do anything, Sarette rapped the butt of her staff-spear against the ground, charging it. The clouds in the sky provided extra power, despite the lack of a lightning storm. Strands of blue and white light flickered over the spear, and the men backed away, their eyes wide. One fell into the mud and scrambled backwards, trying to get to his feet. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Storm witch!¡± the other said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! We weren¡¯t gonna do nothing!¡± He turned and ran, and his friend managed to stand and follow after. ¡°They must be locals if they know about stormrunners,¡± Sarette said, staring after them. ¡°They were afraid of you.¡± ¡°Vartus says the people around here still tell stories about the wars. It was a long time ago, but humans used to try to conquer the Heights. I hope I didn¡¯t interfere with whatever you were going to do.¡± ¡°It was pretty much the same as what you did,¡± Katrin said. Then she grinned. ¡°Except they wouldn¡¯t have known why they were running.¡± # ¡°Burton isn¡¯t hurting Kerris?¡± ¡°Or, at least, he didn¡¯t do so on the days I spent watching,¡± Razai replied. After she¡¯d gotten the information she needed from Tobin Senshall¡¯s home, she¡¯d moved on to his brother. ¡°Their problems aren¡¯t much better, though. Everyone in that family hates each other. Burton, Kerris, the wife. There¡¯s a lot of yelling at night.¡± Renny chewed on her lip. ¡°I suppose that might explain Kerris¡¯s behavior. Do you think seven days is enough time to know for sure?¡± ¡°How would I know? But if I keep going back, I¡¯ll get caught.¡± Without a job opening up in Burton¡¯s home, or any other legitimate reason to be there, she¡¯d been forced to sneak in, spending long stretches of time invisible while spying on the family. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll only report Tobin, then,¡± the concubine said. ¡°To who?¡± ¡°Mother Ola. She¡¯s in charge of the Three Orders chapter house here in Tyrsall. She can terminate Elba¡¯s contract and assess Tobin with a penalty. If she convinces Elba to complain to the constabulary, he might even get arrested, though that¡¯s not likely¡ªthe family holds too much power. But if we let people know why the contract was terminated, he¡¯ll be publicly humiliated. That¡¯s probably the best we can hope for.¡± ¡°If you can do all that, then why didn¡¯t Elba complain before now?¡± ¡°And admit that her relationship is a failure? They warn us about this sort of thing in our classes, but even with the warnings, not everyone comes forward. You should listen to my old roommate sometime. She can talk for hours about the problems with the institution of concubinage.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to do anything about Burton?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll report that too, but if nobody¡¯s at fault, it gets messy. Especially because Kerris has two children with him. She or Burton can end the contract, but they may not want to. Someone will talk to her, though, to see if she needs any help. Not me¡ªthere¡¯s too much of an age difference. She doesn¡¯t think much of me.¡± Razai hadn¡¯t thought much of Renny at first either, but the girl was more than she seemed. ¡°The job¡¯s over, then?¡± ¡°Yes, but please don¡¯t say anything to anyone. I¡¯m obligated to watch out for my sisters, but Varsin may not appreciate it if he finds out I¡¯m the one who reported his brother. I haven¡¯t been able to bring myself to ask him about it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t talk,¡± Razai said, standing up. ¡°That¡¯s why you hired me, after all.¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t go. I still have work for you.¡± ¡°I thought Senshall doesn¡¯t hire women to work the caravans.¡± Vash and Wotar had accepted Renny¡¯s offer to be caravan guards, but the girl hadn¡¯t sent Razai with them. ¡°We don¡¯t, but something else might open up. The caravans aren¡¯t our only business, and you¡¯re good at what you do. In the meantime, how about being one of my bodyguards? It doesn¡¯t pay as much as the last job, but it¡¯s something.¡± ¡°What about Stavo and the others?¡± ¡°Stavo works for me; I pay him out of my earnings from the divers¡¯ collective. The others work for Varsin. He didn¡¯t think one guard was enough when the gangs were active. Now that the gangs are gone, I¡¯m down to one guard at a time, but Stavo can¡¯t work all day every day. I told Varsin I¡¯d like him to hire you to take the other shifts. It would be handy to have a female guard¡ªStavo can¡¯t go everywhere with me. And it would get you on Senshall¡¯s payroll, which would help in finding you a better position.¡± Yes, the whispers said in Razai¡¯s mind. They¡¯d been absent for weeks, uninterested in the gangs or spying on the Senshall brothers. She considered the offer. There wasn¡¯t anywhere else she needed to be, other than avoiding Corec. According to the new sense from the warden bond, he was somewhere due north of her now. He was on the move, so she¡¯d have to check more frequently in case he headed back to Tyrsall, but she wasn¡¯t likely to run into him working as Renny¡¯s bodyguard, and it would provide a steady income. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡± # ¡°No,¡± Corec said. ¡°Keep the shield in front of your body when you attack. Turn it so it¡¯s protecting your arm as you extend, but keep it near your chest. Don¡¯t swing it out to the side.¡± Nedley repositioned his shield as he faced off against Boktar, his brown hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. They¡¯d picked up the shield and an arming sword for him from the stash of red-eye weapons they¡¯d left in Jol¡¯s Brook, but they¡¯d soon realized the boy didn¡¯t know how to use either. Boktar bashed Nedley¡¯s shield to the side with his own, then whacked his arm with the stick he held in place of his warhammer. ¡°Do something! Don¡¯t just wait for me to hit you.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the boy said, panting from the exertion. He slashed forward and down, and Boktar deflected the blow with his shield but didn¡¯t counter. Nedley tried again and again to get around Boktar¡¯s defenses, while his own shield gradually swung back to his side and behind him. ¡°It¡¯s not a dueling sword!¡± Corec said. ¡°Lead with the shield, not the weapon!¡± He had to keep himself from laughing¡ªhe understood the use of a shield just fine, but he¡¯d never mastered it himself. Nedley wasn¡¯t that much worse with it than he was. Ellerie cleared her throat from the side of the stable yard. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for today,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Nedley, go get a bath and put on some clean clothes before supper.¡± With the boy gone, the two men joined Ellerie. ¡°What¡¯d you find out?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I went to the constabulary building, but they said there haven¡¯t been any more demon attacks since we dealt with the last group.¡± They¡¯d reached High Cove that morning, and Ellerie had gone to make sure the demons hadn¡¯t returned. ¡°Since you two and Venni dealt with them, you mean,¡± Corec said. ¡°Maybe this new sword will work better than the last one if we ever run into them again.¡± ¡°Did you find any sign of that demonborn woman?¡± ¡°I went to the edge of the city, but Razai¡¯s still farther south. I don¡¯t think she returned here after we left.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Why bother looking for her? She¡¯s the one who ran away.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t go out of my way to find her, but I¡¯ve still got her share of the demon bounty. If she¡¯s nearby, it¡¯s only fair to give it to her.¡± ¡°I suppose. I was almost hoping the demons had come back, so we could get paid again. I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to afford the trip to Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Boktar said. ¡°For nine people? Ten, if we hire a translator? Are you sure Nedley still wants to come?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask him again, but I promised him a job if he wants one.¡± Ellerie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Doing what? We can¡¯t put him out in a fight¡ªhe¡¯d get killed.¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­getting better,¡± Corec said. ¡°A little. If we find him some armor in Tyrsall, he could probably handle an untrained bandit. He can stay in the back and keep people away from Katrin and Shavala.¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing better with his numbers and letters, too,¡± Boktar said. ¡°And he can help out around the camp¡ªthe group is getting big enough that we need the help. I just wish he could cook.¡± ¡°If you insist,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°But ten people¡­are there any ships that even have room for that many passengers?¡± Corec said, ¡°The ship we took to Circle Bay had eight passenger bunks, but they were four to a cabin, and the cabins were small. That would be awfully tight quarters if we¡¯re talking about being at sea for a month or two.¡± His stomach roiled at the thought. ¡°What we need is a ship that doesn¡¯t transport cargo, just people,¡± Boktar said. ¡°It¡¯d be faster, too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any ships like that working privately,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Those are mostly diplomatic and naval vessels, and I doubt the King of Tyrsall would lend us a ship and crew.¡± ¡°What about your mother?¡± She glared at him. ¡°Terevas has an ambassadorial ship, but it¡¯s on the other side of the continent. And she wouldn¡¯t help even if I asked, which I won¡¯t.¡± It had taken some time, but everyone had mostly gotten used to the idea of Ellerie¡¯s true identity. Boktar and Shavala had already known, so their behavior had remained the same. Most of the others had eventually adopted Corec¡¯s method of pretending nothing had changed, except for Bobo, who¡¯d started cornering Ellerie for long debates about Terevassian politics when she couldn¡¯t think of an excuse to avoid him. Katrin was taking the longest to come around, but at least she¡¯d stopped blaming Corec for the few hours where he¡¯d known about it without telling her. ¡°What about Venni¡¯s wife?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°Yelena was her name, right?¡± Corec hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t keep going to Yelena with every question I have. If there¡¯s a good time to ask about it when I¡¯m talking to her, I guess I could, but this feels like a problem we should be able to handle on our own.¡± Book 3: Chapter Six Corec stretched out in the bath, glad to finally be in a place where he could leave his heavy armor off for a few days. His mail shirt would be sufficient for walking around town. The trip from Snow Crown to Tyrsall had been long and boring, with the only high point being that the farther south they went, the less cold it got. There was a knock on the door and Katrin peeked in. ¡°Hey, everyone¡¯s ready.¡± She was already clean and dressed, with her hair done up. ¡°Now?¡± he asked, looking down at the comfortably warm water. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for drawing the short straw,¡± she said, snickering. Corec groaned. ¡°Let me at least wash a little first.¡± He grabbed the bar of Valaran olive oil soap and stood up to lather his body. Katrin stood in the doorway with a smirk on her face, tapping on the doorframe as if she was waiting impatiently. Then Shavala appeared. ¡°Ellerie¡¯s looking for you,¡± she said to him. Corec splashed back into the water. Katrin burst out laughing. ¡°I already told him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a minute,¡± he said, feeling his skin heat up¡ªfrom blushing, he suspected, rather than the warmth of the bath. ¡°Good,¡± Shavala said. She turned to Katrin. ¡°Do you still want to go shopping tomorrow?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re not needed for anything else. We don¡¯t really have to invite Ellerie, do we?¡± ¡°The rest of us are going, so it would be a nice gesture,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Treya isn¡¯t going.¡± ¡°Because Treya only wears those gray tunics. She says she can get more at her chapter house.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Katrin said with a sigh. ¡°I suppose I can deal with it for one day.¡± Corec said, ¡°I¡¯ll be busy tomorrow.¡± Katrin raised her eyebrows. ¡°We¡¯re only going to the Tailors¡¯ Quarter. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to come anyway.¡± ¡°Oh, no, I guess not. Pick up a couple of shirts for me, will you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Corec waited, but the two women kept talking. Finally, he said, ¡°Uh, Shavala?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± she asked him. Katrin laughed again. ¡°He¡¯s embarrassed that you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± With the women gone and the door once again safely closed, Corec splashed water over himself to rinse the soap off, then climbed out of the tub, dried himself off, and got dressed. He found everyone gathered in a private dining room the innkeeper had allowed them to use. It was after dark, but flickering lights from the oil lamps danced around the room. One lamp stood at the center of the table and two more hung from the walls. Corec took a seat next to Katrin. ¡°Razai is here,¡± he said. ¡°Here?¡± Ellerie asked, glancing around. ¡°In Tyrsall, not in the building. She was to the west earlier, now she¡¯s to the east. She¡¯s got to be in the city. I¡¯ll try to find her tomorrow after I talk to Yelena.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°When you see Yelena, are you going to ask if she has any work for us?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not likely she¡¯d have anything that could pay for the whole trip.¡± ¡°Do you have any other contacts here for possible jobs?¡± ¡°Bounty hunting, maybe, but from my small experience with that, it¡¯s probably not worth the trouble.¡± He winked at Katrin. She rolled her eyes and poked him in the arm. Treya said, ¡°I could ask at the chapter house if there¡¯s any work that Shana or Kelis haven¡¯t already taken care of.¡± Bobo raised a finger. ¡°I¡¯ve got some more salves and ointments and herbs I can sell off, but it¡¯ll only come to about two gold total.¡± ¡°Are you going to the library tomorrow to look for maps?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to get started on planning our route.¡± ¡°Maps, and I still need to look for another source confirming that winged snakes can only be found in Cordaea, to make sure we¡¯re going to the right place. Why not come with me? It would help to have two pairs of eyes.¡± The dwarf nodded. As Ellerie had relaxed around Bobo, Boktar had as well. They¡¯d begun treating him more like a member of the group rather than a man who¡¯d stolen from them. ¡°We still need a translator,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°A friend of mine is concubine to a member of the Senshall family,¡± Treya said. ¡°She might be able to find someone for us.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Senshall is the largest trading house in Tyrsall. They have regular routes to Cordaea, so they must have people who speak the language. They might have some ideas about how we can find a ship, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask.¡± Ellerie counted on her fingers. ¡°Yelena, jobs, maps, ship. Is there anything else we need to talk about tonight? What about supplies?¡± Boktar said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that, but I can¡¯t get started until we know more. First off, whether we can actually afford to go now, or if we have to wait. Then, I need to know our budget, the route, the cities we¡¯ll be passing through, and how long it¡¯ll take to reach them. A big question is the ship¡ªwill we need to bring our own supplies for the trip?¡± ¡°I would,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Sailors eat the cheapest slop the captain thinks he can get away with. But we¡¯ll have to negotiate use of the galley if we want to cook anything.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°Come shopping with us tomorrow,¡± Katrin replied. ¡°We¡¯ll find you some clothing you can wear as the weather warms up.¡± ¡°I meant, is there anything I can do to help us get ready for the trip?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be here for a few days,¡± Corec said. ¡°Rest up, and we¡¯ll let you know if we need anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s everything for now, then,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Is there music tonight?¡± Katrin shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too late to get started now, but the innkeeper promised I could have the common room tomorrow evening.¡± The meeting broke up then, with the others heading out to the common room for supper, or upstairs to their rooms. Katrin and Shavala stayed behind with Corec. Katrin said, ¡°You were quiet. Ellerie did most of the talking.¡± ¡°Finding Tir Yadar has always been her idea,¡± Corec replied. ¡°I don¡¯t want to interfere with that. She and I have a good balance right now. I¡¯ll take care of the things I¡¯ve always taken care of, and she¡¯ll take care of finding the city.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not because she¡¯s a¡­¡± Katrin glanced around to make sure no one was listening, but didn¡¯t complete her sentence. Corec shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m trying to follow Boktar¡¯s example. He¡¯s known her longer than anyone, and he doesn¡¯t treat her any differently.¡± She smirked. ¡°You may not want to make fun of her the way he does.¡± ¡°No, that probably wouldn¡¯t be a good idea.¡± ¡°Have you decided about coming to Cordaea?¡± Shavala asked Katrin. ¡°Shavala!¡± Katrin exclaimed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Corec asked. Giving Shavala an annoyed look, Katrin said, ¡°I¡¯d thought about staying behind when you left, until I realized how long you¡¯d be gone.¡± ¡°Why would you stay? Why didn¡¯t you say anything before now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you until I¡¯d decided, but I just don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve been helping out very much.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree with that, but Katrin, you and I are together. If you stay, I stay. I¡¯d like to go, though¡ªI feel like I owe Ellerie that much.¡± She looked up at him silently for a moment, then smiled. ¡°You should say things like that more often. Not the part about Ellerie, but the rest of it. Anyway, I¡¯d already decided to go. That¡¯s why I never told you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± He kissed the top of her head. ¡°I should leave you two alone,¡± Shavala said. ¡°No, wait.¡± Katrin reached for the elven woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t the three of us go get something to eat, and talk about what we¡¯re going to do when we get back from Cordaea? Treya, too, if she hasn¡¯t already left for the chapter house.¡± # Shavala dipped her pen in the ink, then stared at the page, wondering if she had the description right. She looked over at Sarette, who was standing and staring out the window that overlooked the dark street. On their trip south, Shavala had roomed with Treya as usual, and Sarette had been sharing with Ellerie, but since they were back in Tyrsall, Treya had gone to her chapter house for the night. Ellerie had volunteered to pay full price for a room of her own, which left Shavala sharing a room with Sarette for the first time. ¡°Do snow beasts ever get larger than the ones we saw?¡± she asked the stormborn woman. Sarette turned away from the window to face her. ¡°That was the first time I ever saw them close up. I think they were the normal size.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll list it as ten to twelve feet then. Are they related to ogres?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªI¡¯ve never heard anyone mention that. What are you writing?¡± ¡°When I trained as a druid, my teacher lectured me over and over again about every plant and animal she could think of, whether they could be found in the Terril Forest or not. But there are some she missed¡ªdid you know there are fish that can fly?¡± Sarette laughed. ¡°How? Fish don¡¯t have wings.¡± ¡°They have special fins. They push themselves out of the water, then glide in the air.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see that.¡± ¡°We might, once we find a ship.¡± Shavala pointed to the sheet of paper before her. ¡°Snow beasts were another that Meritia couldn¡¯t teach me about. She knew they existed, but she¡¯d never seen one, and had never met anyone who had. I¡¯m writing up what I know about them, and about the flying fish, and I¡¯ll send her a copy.¡± Sarette nodded, then returned to looking out the window. Shavala recognized the expression. ¡°Are you all right?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s strange to be surrounded by outsiders¡ªhumans, I mean¡ªand in a city so large. At least Lanport and High Cove were smaller than Snow Crown, but this place is different.¡± ¡°Just wait until you see it tomorrow, when the city¡¯s awake. We came in after dark, and approached from the north, but Tyrsall is built along the coastline. You can¡¯t really understand it until you see it from the west, and realize how big it truly is.¡± ¡°Why did you come here? The first time, I mean.¡± ¡°That was after I¡¯d met Corec and Katrin, but I¡¯d planned to come anyway. I¡¯d always wanted to see Tyrsall and the sailing ships.¡± She laughed lightly. ¡°I was scared at first. Human cities are so different than Terrillia, so crowded¡ªlike Snow Crown, actually. Terrillia is spread out; people don¡¯t live so close together. But I got used to it eventually.¡± Sarette nodded. ¡°Are there any other elves here in Tyrsall?¡± ¡°Some¡ªmore than I expected. And I saw one of your people here once.¡± ¡°Really? I was wondering if I was the only one.¡± ¡°He was near the docks, with a spear like yours, guarding a group of seaborn.¡± ¡°I wonder why he left the Heights.¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t talk to him, but he was the first stormborn I¡¯d ever seen.¡± ¡°Can we visit the docks tomorrow?¡± ¡°You want to look for him?¡± ¡°No, not exactly, but it would be nice to know there are others here.¡± ¡°I like to go there to watch the ships,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any other plans, besides shopping. Maybe Katrin will go with us.¡± # Treya¡¯s first stop the next morning was at the Temple of Allosur, the God of Knowledge. The courtyard garden was dormant for the winter, with only the evergreen shrubs still showing life. The priest watching the main door recognized her and waved her through without question. Inside, she wandered through the ornate halls until she found Priest Telkin in a classroom, teaching a group of young children how to read. He shrugged helplessly and pointed to his students, so she just smiled and leaned back against the wall to watch. Priests of Allosur often served as itinerant teachers, bringing bits of learning to children whose parents couldn¡¯t teach them themselves, but if these students were being taught within the temple, they had to have some connection to the church. They were too young to have already been identified as potential scholars and priests themselves, so perhaps they were children of the clergy. When Telkin broke the class into small groups to practice on their own, Treya joined him in wandering around the room, helping the students who needed help. It brought back memories of her own first attempts at reading, back in the Three Orders orphanage in Four Roads. Finally, Telkin dismissed the class and turned to her. ¡°It¡¯s always a pleasure to see you, Treya. Unfortunately, you came on a bad day. I¡¯m afraid Bishop Lastal is away on business of his own.¡± ¡°Actually, I came to talk to you this time. Do you remember when I asked you about healing?¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to be of more help.¡± ¡°No, I think the problem was that I was asking the wrong question. I shouldn¡¯t have asked you how to heal; I should have asked what can be healed. When I was up north, I had to help a little girl dying of freezing sickness. I had no idea what to do, but, somehow, it came to me. If I hadn¡¯t tried¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, I see your point. If you don¡¯t know what¡¯s possible, you may never think to attempt it.¡± ¡°Yes, and not just with healing. You know that one of my blessings is healing, and another helps me fight. I think I have more. We were attacked by men under the control of some sort of demonic spell, but I was able to stop them and cleanse the spell from their minds.¡± Telkin looked shocked. ¡°You¡¯re certain of that?¡± ¡°As certain as I can be. We brought one of them back with us, if you¡¯d like to talk to him. Despite trying to kill us, he was an innocent victim.¡± She left out what she¡¯d done to Des and Arnol. That had been divine magic too, but she wasn¡¯t sure what Telkin would think of it. ¡°Banishing a demonic spell is an impressive skill. I don¡¯t have that blessing myself, but there are other priests here¡­¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°We should gather any of the blessed who are here at the temple, and see if we can discover which blessings you¡¯ve been granted. Perhaps you can even learn from my own blessing of protection.¡± Treya nodded. Godborn or not, maybe now she could find out more about who she truly was¡­without having to speak to Bishop Lastal again. # ¡°Corec!¡± Venni said with a wide grin, grasping his hand. ¡°Come on in.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She showed him into Yelena¡¯s elegantly appointed public room, which was called a study but which doubled as a library, the walls on either side lined with massive bookshelves. Yelena was short, with long, black hair. She was a stark contrast to Venni, her wife, who was tall and blonde. Both women appeared young, around Corec¡¯s age, but they claimed to be over two hundred years old, attributing their long life to the warden bond. Yelena was wearing a simple tunic and leggings this time, unlike the expensive dresses he¡¯d seen her in before. The tunic was still bright red, though, matching the warden runes she kept hidden from almost everyone. Yelena¡¯s husband Sarlo was in the room too, leaning back in a chair with his feet propped up on one of the desks, his fingers laced together behind his head. He appeared older than the women, having been bonded later in life. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to see me,¡± Corec said. Yelena¡¯s quarters were in the heart of the ducal palace, so he¡¯d had to send a messenger to her, then wait for the man to return with an invitation to visit. ¡°Thank you for holding to our agreement about notifying me when you¡¯re in Tyrsall,¡± Yelena replied, sitting down behind her own desk. ¡°What brings you back?¡± ¡°We¡¯re planning to sail to Cordaea, but I also needed to speak to you. I¡¯ve got a few questions, and I was hoping you might know the answers.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Corec considered where to begin, and decided to start with the easiest question first. ¡°You said Three was to the southeast, right?¡± he asked Sarlo. ¡°Could she be in Cordaea?¡± The First had claimed that Three knew how to banish the binding spell. Sarlo glanced at Yelena, who nodded. He swung his legs off the desk and stood up to walk to the bookshelf behind him, which held a globe. He spun the orb, then stopped it and closed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± he said after a moment, opening his eyes again. ¡°The southern part of the continent, or perhaps an island in that direction, or some other land beyond Cordaea. She¡¯s outside my direct range, so I can¡¯t tell you more than that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still looking to find a way to end the bond?¡± Yelena asked. ¡°Or is this something different?¡± ¡°I promised some of the women I bonded that I¡¯d keep looking.¡± ¡°And yet, even before you asked about Three, you¡¯d already said you were planning to go to Cordaea.¡± Yelena waited, staring at him intently. ¡°Do you remember Ellerie, the nilvasta woman? She¡¯s looking for an old city that used to be somewhere in Cordaea. Since we¡¯re going there anyway, and Three is in the same direction, I figured I should find out more.¡± ¡°An old city?¡± Corec hesitated. How would Ellerie feel if Sarlo found the city before her? And yet, if Sarlo could find it, it would be silly not to ask. ¡°A place called Tir Yadar.¡± Yelena raised an eyebrow. ¡°Tir? One of the Chosar cities?¡± ¡°Chosar?¡± ¡°Chosar, or Ancients, or first peoples, whatever you want to call them. They all mean the same thing, or close enough.¡± That wasn¡¯t what Bobo had said, but Corec couldn¡¯t remember the details well enough to ask. ¡°Yes, I suppose. Ellerie knows more about it than I do. Do you know where it is?¡± Sarlo shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t help with that.¡± Yelena said, ¡°The Tirs are either warded against scrying or they simply no longer exist at all. That¡¯s why so few have ever been found. You¡¯re likely wasting your time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one in the Storm Heights.¡± She leaned forward in her chair. ¡°Snow Crown is a Tir?¡± ¡°No. There are ruins farther south in the mountains. The stormborn have been exploring them.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve kept that quiet, but that¡¯s not a surprise. They don¡¯t talk to outsiders much.¡± ¡°They know about wardens, too.¡± ¡°What? Who told them?¡± Yelena¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t a happy one. ¡°They say they¡¯ve had stories about wardens for as long as they can remember¡ªmostly children¡¯s tales. And a warden named Leonis visited them a hundred years ago.¡± ¡°Leonis¡­Leonis¡­it sounds made up, but masculine. A man?¡± Corec nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a seaborn name, and I doubt the First has been doing any traveling. That¡¯s got to be Four. I knew he was north of Larso at one point. It¡¯s easy enough to reach the Storm Heights from there.¡± She stood and paced back and forth behind her desk. ¡°What have they heard about us?¡± ¡°They knew I was a warden, and they know a little about how the warden bond works. I couldn¡¯t answer many of their questions. I didn¡¯t tell them who you are, but they¡¯d like to talk to someone who knows more than I do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Yelena said firmly. ¡°I suppose I should be thankful, now, that they don¡¯t speak much with outsiders. There aren¡¯t many written references to wardens, but I hadn¡¯t considered the idea of stories passed down orally.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t mean us any harm.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± She sighed. ¡°Was there anything else?¡± ¡°Yes¡ªhave you ever heard of Prince Rusol of Larso?¡± ¡°Second son of King Marten, now the only son? What about him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been sending men to kill me. We think they¡¯re affected by some sort of demonic magic, but none of us know much about that sort of thing. I was hoping you could tell us more.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been to Larso since before Marten¡¯s father was born,¡± Yelena said. ¡°Describe this demonic magic.¡± ¡°The men who attacked us, their eyes glowed red, and they acted like feral animals. They don¡¯t speak, and they don¡¯t seem to understand when anyone else speaks, but after Treya freed them from the spell, they claimed there was a voice that told them what to do. This was the third time they came after us¡ªonce in the free lands, once south of Circle Bay, and now west of the Storm Heights.¡± ¡°Treya is the priestess?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why we think it¡¯s demonic magic. Ellerie said divine magic could break a demonic spell.¡± Yelena tapped the side of her cheek thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s true. I have experience with demons, but none recently, other than that business in High Cove. I don¡¯t allow them to enter Tyrsall. But yes, it could be demonic magic. Demons have ways to compel others to their will. Why do you think the prince is involved?¡± ¡°The men were from the mercenary army that he¡¯s raising. He recruited the group we spoke to for some special task, and that was their last memory, other than the voice.¡± ¡°What did you do to anger him?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ve never even met him before. Could it have something to do with the wardens? The stormborn recognized me as one. Others could as well.¡± ¡°Larso doesn¡¯t like magic, so if he knows about wardens, it¡¯s possible. But I don¡¯t keep any agents in Larso, and this is the first I¡¯ve heard of it. Do you intend to move against him?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Taking down a royal family is difficult, but it can be done. In this case, you already have a wedge you can use to drive away his popular support. Larso doesn¡¯t like mages, and he¡¯s using magic himself. Prove that to the people, and you¡¯re halfway to forcing a civil war. Then you just need to make sure your side wins. Difficult, in this case, since it¡¯s the side that hates magic, but possible.¡± Corec stared at her in shock. ¡°I don¡¯t want to start a war! I was planning to stay as far from him as possible, at least until I figure out what he wants.¡± ¡°How do you intend to do that if you¡¯re staying away from him?¡± He slumped. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d have an idea. I sent a letter to my father this morning¡ªhe¡¯s in the Black Crow Mountains¡ªand Treya¡¯s writing to the Three Orders chapter house in Highfell, but it¡¯ll take us months to hear back, and I doubt they¡¯ll know anything about it.¡± Venni muffled a laugh. ¡°You wrote to your father telling him that his crown prince is trying to kill you?¡± ¡°No, I just asked what Rusol¡¯s doing with his mercenary army, and whether there¡¯d be any problems if I tried to visit home sometime in the next year. Hopefully we¡¯ll be back from Cordaea by then.¡± Yelena said, ¡°When you return, stop by and I¡¯ll let you know if I¡¯ve heard anything, but don¡¯t expect much. My nearest agents are in Matagor, and they¡¯re merchants, not spies. I¡¯m not going to set up an operation in Larso unless you intend to fund it.¡± She waited expectantly. ¡°You mean hire someone? We can¡¯t even afford the trip to Cordaea yet. Do you know of any jobs we can take on?¡± Sarlo and Venni both laughed. Venni said, ¡°You¡¯ve got to learn to think like a warden. Wardens make jobs, they don¡¯t take them. You¡¯re not a caravan guard anymore. Go find some king and tell him you¡¯re his new advisor¡ªor, better yet, find a place in the free lands or down south that nobody¡¯s laid claim to, and make it your own. I keep telling Yelena we should do that, but she¡¯s a city girl.¡± Yelena allowed a brief smile to flicker across her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know of any jobs appropriate for your particular skills, but Venni¡¯s right. You work for yourself now, or if you work for someone else, then you do so on your own terms.¡± Corec sighed. Their advice didn¡¯t seem particularly helpful for the situation. ¡°All right,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks. Oh, one last thing.¡± He reached for the scabbard on his back, but froze when Venni tensed and laid her hand on the hilt of her sword. Even Sarlo had edged backward to where his staff was leaning up against a bookshelf. Corec moved his hand away from the sword harness. ¡°I just wanted to show you something.¡± Venni relaxed. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s part of the job, you know.¡± ¡°Show us what?¡± Yelena asked. She¡¯d remained expressionless and unmoving the whole time. Corec reached for the scabbard again, this time more slowly. After detaching it from the harness, he drew the sword, then set the scabbard on an empty desk nearby. The blade glowed its familiar pale green as he held it out. ¡°We found it in those ruins in the Storm Heights, but I¡¯m the only person who¡¯s able to touch it. Is there such a thing as a weapon that can only be touched by a warden?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s happening,¡± Venni said. ¡°It¡¯s attuned to you. It won¡¯t accept another bearer while you¡¯re still alive. What did it do?¡± ¡°It hurts anyone else who touches it¡ªthey say it¡¯s a stinging sensation that quickly gets worse. But then when I tried, it didn¡¯t hurt at all, and it started glowing like this. I¡¯d planned to leave it behind in Snow Crown, but it made a horrible screeching sound and started glowing too brightly to look at. Oh, and they told me that one person managed to hold on long enough to grab the hilt, but he claimed the sword was too heavy to move.¡± Venni chewed her lower lip. ¡°That¡¯s warded more strongly than usual. It stung other people before you¡¯d ever touched it? Did the attunement begin from a distance, or was there some other reason it didn¡¯t like them?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Normally, the protections don¡¯t activate until the sword attunes to someone, and it shouldn¡¯t have been able to do that until you touched it. But there might be an additional ward that seeks a specific type of bearer and prevents anyone else from getting close. Here, try this.¡± Venni drew her own sword, Dart, which glowed dark red just as it had that day in High Cove. She laid it out on the desk near his scabbard, the glow fading as her hand left the hilt. ¡°Touch her.¡± ¡°What?¡± Would her sword react the same way his had? ¡°Trust me,¡± Venni said. Corec tentatively poked the hilt with his finger, but nothing happened. There was no spark and no pain. ¡°Now, try to pick it up.¡± He set his own sword down and grasped Dart¡¯s hilt, but when he tried to lift it, it barely moved. Struggling to pull it up with both hands, he managed to raise the sword at an angle, the tip of the blade still resting on the desk. He looked at Venni. ¡°What does that mean?¡± he asked, setting it back down again. ¡°Dart is attuned to me, so nobody else can carry her. Not easily, anyway. Before I found her, anyone could have taken her. Even now, someone could steal her if they really wanted to, but it¡¯s more trouble than it¡¯s worth. They wouldn¡¯t be able to attune her until I die.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was possible.¡± ¡°Attuned weapons are rare, even among other magic weapons. Most enchantments are simpler¡ªtypically to keep the blade sharp at all times and prevent it from breaking.¡± ¡°Then where did these two come from? Are they related?¡± Venni shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yelena said, ¡°The secret of creating a permanent enchantment has been lost for a long time, but we don¡¯t know how long. Your sword came from a Chosar city, which is more than we know about Venni¡¯s.¡± ¡°Why can I touch Venni¡¯s, but no one can touch this one?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Why did it act differently when I tried to leave it behind?¡± ¡°Your sword has a more complex enchantment,¡± Venni said. She reached out for the blade, but a green spark arced toward her fingers. She gasped in pain and drew her hand back, then grinned at Yelena. ¡°Do you want to try it? Just so we can prove it¡¯s not warded to look for wardens?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, no,¡± Yelena replied. ¡°I¡¯ll bow to your expertise that now that it¡¯s been attuned, it will harm anyone but him¡­regardless of what sort of bearer the initial ward was seeking.¡± # Razai gazed out over the plaza in her Aden disguise, trying to catch a glimpse of Dallo or any of his few remaining men. With Kahlvin in prison and Eben having abandoned his holdings, Dallo was the last of the three gang leaders who¡¯d tried to take over the docks. He¡¯d escaped the constabulary¡ªor had possibly been tipped off¡ªbut she¡¯d heard rumors that he¡¯d shown his face in his old territory a few times. She¡¯d caught one of his lieutenants a week earlier, the man who¡¯d murdered Talai¡¯s bodyguard. Unfortunately, he¡¯d screamed too loudly when she¡¯d started breaking his fingers, so rather than getting any information out of him, she¡¯d had to kill him before he drew attention. She¡¯d left his body draped over a decorative fountain in front of Dallo¡¯s old headquarters. Razai didn¡¯t know if the gang leader still owned the building, but the people who lived around there would certainly recognize the body¡­and the warning. She was no longer being paid by the divers, but she hated to leave a job half done. Or perhaps she was just bored. She had the day off since Renny was planning to stay home to visit with an old friend, but Vash and Wotar were both out with the caravans. There was no one to go drinking with until Lanii¡¯s crew surfaced for the day. Razai had been guarding Renny for three weeks now, and the concubine was still a puzzle¡ªflighty as a bird one moment and as serious as a scholar the next. The real problem was that with the gangs out of the way, the girl didn¡¯t need one bodyguard, much less two. Razai¡¯s position seemed more a sinecure than anything. Eliminating Dallo would ensure the last of the threat was gone. Perhaps that was the real reason she was waiting in the plaza. She didn¡¯t want to accept Renny¡¯s charity, but she didn¡¯t want to leave town until the job was truly done. There was movement in front of her, and suddenly Corec was standing there. ¡°Razai?¡± he asked, staring at the Aden disguise, which he¡¯d seen before. She froze. He¡¯d been to the north for so long, she¡¯d grown complacent. The warden bond didn¡¯t tell her how far away he was, only what direction he was in, and she hadn¡¯t checked in over a day. She checked now, reflexively, and almost snarled when she realized he was standing north of her, so it felt the same as it had before. Useless bloody spell. ¡°What do you want?¡± she snapped. ¡°Just to talk,¡± he said, holding his hands up in front of him. ¡°We got paid for taking care of the demons.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got your share. Six gold and some silver.¡± He counted the coins out of a pouch. She hesitated, but gold was gold. She took it. ¡°Now, could you leave? I¡¯m trying to work here.¡± He looked back at the plaza, obviously trying to figure out what she was doing. ¡°First, tell me how you knew about wardens,¡± he said. ¡°And about me.¡± Razai sighed. ¡°Someone asked me to watch you, and tell him what you were doing.¡± ¡°Who was it? Prince Rusol?¡± ¡°You mean from Larso? The one that killed his brother?¡± Corec had been about to say something, but instead had a coughing fit. ¡°Rusol killed Prince Rikard?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see him do it, but it¡¯s got to be him. Younger brother, son of a concubine, but only one person stood between him and becoming heir to the throne. It wasn¡¯t an accident, you know. The saddle¡¯s straps were cut¡ªI saw them.¡± ¡°You were there?¡± ¡°My employer¡ªmy former employer¡ªwas curious about what had happened, just like he was curious about you. I was nearby, so I snuck into the palace grounds and took a look.¡± That was understating the amount of interest Vatarxis had shown in Rusol and his family. Razai had been there specifically to spy on them, to see how they reacted after Rusol became a warden. The family had kept things quiet, though, and Vatarxis had been pleased with Rikard¡¯s death, so Razai had eventually been given another task that led her away from Larso. ¡°Who is your employer?¡± Corec asked. ¡°He¡¯s nobody you¡¯d have ever heard of. Don¡¯t worry about him¡ªhe never asked me to kill you, just to watch. I quit when you bonded me. I didn¡¯t sign up for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯re still looking for a way to end the spell.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better be.¡± Corec¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Why did he want you to watch me? Is he another warden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why, and no, he¡¯s not a warden.¡± Razai managed to keep herself from laughing at the thought. ¡°But he is the one who told you about them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What else do you know about Rusol? Why is he trying to kill me?¡± She stared at him, wondering about the change in topic. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°He¡¯s working with some sort of demon to send men with red eyes to attack me.¡± ¡°Red eyes?¡± ¡°Humans with eyes that glow red. They turn back to normal when we kill them or free them from the spell. They said there was a voice that told them what to do.¡± That did sound like one of the clumsier types of demonic compulsion. Glowing eyes could sometimes be a side effect. ¡°There weren¡¯t any demons in Telfort when I was there, but that was a few years ago. I don¡¯t know what Rusol¡¯s up to now. I never even saw him¡ªI was in and out in less than a day.¡± The lie came easily. Whatever Vatarxis¡¯s interest was in the two newest wardens, he was more concerned with Rusol. Corec was merely an afterthought. But if Corec discovered she knew more about the prince, he¡¯d never leave her alone. ¡°Do you think he might know about wardens, like your employer does?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± The discussion was getting into dangerous territory. Luckily, just then, Razai saw her prey working his way through the crowd. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve answered your questions and I¡¯ve got better things to do with my time. Don¡¯t look for me again unless you find a way to end the warden bond.¡± She stalked off, trailing Dallo but taking care to keep out of his sight. Corec didn¡¯t follow her, but if he was in Tyrsall, it was time for her to leave. Six gold pieces was a significant amount of money, and on top of what she¡¯d already saved, she could make it to Matagor in comfort. No, not Matagor¡ªsome of Corec¡¯s friends were from there. Farther away. Southwest through Abildgar, and then on to Chondor or Deece. Maybe even directly south to Nobitar or Sanvar. But first, she had to deal with Dallo, then tell Renny she was leaving. The girl deserved that much. Perhaps she would know of a job outside the city. # As soon as they were alone, Treya hugged her old roommate. ¡°I like your new butler.¡± Renny smirked. ¡°Varsin warned Mr. Jovan about his behavior, but he didn¡¯t stop. I only complained about how he treated you, not how he treated me, but Varsin and Kelsa caught him at it a few times, so now he¡¯s gone. Mr. Halson is a big improvement. Did you just get back?¡± ¡°We made it in last night. The Storm Heights were cold.¡± ¡°Well, of course they were,¡± Renny said, laughing. ¡°If you¡¯d switch to the Order of Concubines, you could just stay here. You wouldn¡¯t have to keep journeying.¡± ¡°Most of the time, I like it¡ªjust not in the mountains in the middle of winter. I might stop soon, though.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Renny clapped her hands together. ¡°Your journeying is over? You¡¯re coming back?¡± ¡°Not back here, probably. We¡¯re thinking of Four Roads or South Corner, maybe Circle Bay.¡± ¡°South Corner? Four Roads? Those are in the middle of nowhere! Why would you go there? Wait! We?¡± ¡°Remember that group I¡¯ve been traveling with? We¡¯re thinking about settling down and finding work. My healing magic keeps getting stronger, and it just seems like I should be doing more with it. If I stay in one place, people who need me will know how to find me.¡± ¡°The group with the baron¡¯s son?¡± Renny said eagerly. ¡°House Tarwen of Larso, right?¡± Treya snickered. ¡°Trust you to remember a man¡¯s rank. Yes, him, his girl Katrin¡ªshe¡¯s a bard¡ªand a dorvasta woman named Shavala, but she wants to be close to the Terril Forest. That¡¯s why we¡¯re looking at Four Roads and South Corner.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already got a girl?¡± Renny sounded disappointed. ¡°Yes, so you can stop dreaming about some great romance for me.¡± Treya decided not to mention that Corec had asked her to help him with correspondence and information-gathering, two duties that typically fell to concubines. It would just give Renny ideas. ¡°Oh, fah! All right. But I thought you¡¯d mentioned more people than that.¡± ¡°The rest of them aren¡¯t staying with us.¡± ¡°When are you leaving?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re not going there right away. We¡¯re sailing to Cordaea first.¡± Renny¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°Cordaea! Why?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for an old city¡ªor probably the ruins of one, since nobody¡¯s heard of it in a long time. We think it¡¯s in Cordaea somewhere. After we find it, we¡¯ll come back here and look for a place to live.¡± ¡°Why look for old ruins?¡± ¡°Do you remember that spell I told you about?¡± Treya allowed her rune to shine for a moment before hiding it again. ¡°The people who created it might have once lived in that city, and maybe they left behind a way to undo it. Ellerie¡ªshe¡¯s a silver elf¡ªshe¡¯s hoping so, anyway. I¡¯m not sure about it anymore. The spell might be what¡¯s making my healing magic stronger, and I don¡¯t want to go back to how it was before.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going all the way to Cordaea for that?¡± ¡°Not exactly. Ellerie was already looking for the city even before the spell. She wants to find it because nobody else has found it. The rest of the group is going, so I might as well.¡± ¡°Treasure!¡± Renny exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re going on a treasure hunt!¡± Treya couldn¡¯t help laughing at her old roommate¡¯s exuberance. ¡°Maybe, but I think Ellerie just wants to find the city.¡± ¡°I wish I could go!¡± ¡°If you really want to¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just being silly. I¡¯ll leave the journeying to you. I¡¯m happy here.¡± ¡°If you want to help, I know the Senshall Trading Company works in Cordaea. Do you know anyone who speaks the language?¡± ¡°Which language? Nysan, Doravi, or Stoneborn?¡± ¡°Nysan, I think, since we¡¯re going to the southern region. One of my friends is a dwarf, and he already speaks Stoneborn.¡± Renny said, ¡°I¡¯m sure Varsin knows somebody who speaks Nysan. We have regular shipping routes to Ankarov Dor and Nysa. We even run our own caravans there to haul things from the inner kingdoms.¡± Treya thought about that for a moment. ¡°Then maybe you can help us find maps, too. If Senshall has caravans actually going into the interior, your maps might be better than what we can find at the library.¡± ¡°Maybe. Varsin¡¯s brother Burton handles Cordaea, but I could ask Varsin to ask him.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Treya said, hugging her roommate. ¡°And you know more about boats than I do¡­we need to find a cheap way across the ocean. Do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°How cheap?¡± ¡°Very cheap. We¡¯ll be gone for months, and we¡¯ll need to pay for food, horses, and supplies. At the moment, I think we¡¯ve only got enough for about a third of what we need, and that doesn¡¯t include the ship. We¡¯re looking for work, but we need to keep the cost down as much as we can.¡± Renny smiled widely. ¡°I could loan you the money.¡± ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°Oh, I never told you! I started my own company! It¡¯s like a farmers¡¯ collective, but for the seaborn divers.¡± Treya stared at her in surprise. ¡°A farmers¡¯ collective? How did you come up with that idea?¡± ¡°Well, you told me to talk to my father about investing in fishing boats, but he said I¡¯d just lose my money doing that. But then he said the divers make decent money for no investment at all, other than their time. Only, the fishmongers¡¯ guild and the other buyers don¡¯t always give them a good price, so I thought we could centralize that, like we learned in our classes. And it worked! I don¡¯t make very much money, but I have more than I started with, and I¡¯ve still got my bond price. I could loan you half of what I¡¯ve got without affecting my operations.¡± Treya laughed. Renny was so excitable, it was sometimes hard to remember that she¡¯d been at the top of all their classes. ¡°Congratulations! But I¡¯d hate to take money from you. I have no idea when I¡¯d be able to pay it back. Or if I¡¯d be able to pay it back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a treasure hunt! You¡¯ll find treasure!¡± ¡°We probably won¡¯t, you know. We already searched one set of ruins in the Storm Heights, and there was no treasure there¡ªeven in the parts that the stormborn hadn¡¯t explored yet.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Renny said, looking so downcast that Treya had to hug her again. ¡°I still appreciate the offer. Bobo thinks we might find some pottery or other things left behind, and if we do, he says he could find buyers, but I just don¡¯t know if it would be enough to pay you back.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll still talk to Varsin about the other things, and maybe he¡¯ll have an idea about the ship as well.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°This place you¡¯re looking for¡ªdoes it have a name?¡± ¡°Tir Yadar.¡± Book 3: Chapter Seven Someone crashed into Katrin from behind, knocking her against the wooden corner post of a fishmonger¡¯s stall. ¡°Hey!¡± she exclaimed, but the man didn¡¯t stop. He stumbled forward, looking back over his shoulder, his eyes searching the crowd. It was Dallo, she realized with a sudden burst of recognition. Sarette helped her steady herself. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I know him!¡± Katrin said. What was he running from that had him so scared? ¡°You do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Dallo! Shavala, remember, the gang leader who tried to turn me into a whore? You met one of his men once, Torse.¡± ¡°The one who followed us?¡± the elven woman asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Come on, I want to see where he¡¯s going.¡± The look on Dallo¡¯s face¡ªone of fear¡ªhad made her curious. From the time her mother had died until Katrin and her brother Barz had run away to Circle Bay, Dallo had been the only authority that mattered. She¡¯d always been afraid of him before, but, she suddenly realized, that was no longer true. She could protect herself now. Maybe not from everything, but certainly from someone like him. If she could make howling snow beasts fall asleep in the middle of a battle, Dallo wasn¡¯t a threat. And she wasn¡¯t alone, either. Katrin almost laughed, wondering what Dallo would do when faced with people who could actually fight back. Shavala and Sarette followed her. Although Ellerie had joined them that morning for their shopping expedition to find clothing more appropriate for the warming weather, she¡¯d left at midday to help Bobo and Boktar look through maps at the library, so it was only the three of them. They chased after Dallo, dodging through the crowds on the promenade that surrounded the harbor, managing to keep up with him since he couldn¡¯t run and look back at the same time. Whatever he was searching for, he didn¡¯t seem to find it, but it didn¡¯t take long before he caught sight of them. His eyes passed over Katrin without recognition, but when he saw Sarette, he turned and sprinted for the nearest pier. Katrin ran after him, cursing the heeled boots she¡¯d worn for the day in the city. Before he could get away, though, he ran headfirst into a group of seaborn fishermen untangling a net. He struggled free in a panic, but when he looked back again, it was still Sarette that his gaze settled on. Why would he fear the stormborn woman so much? He managed to pull his arm out of the net and ran down the pier, which was almost empty. Most of the fishing boats were still out for the day, and only a few remained in dock. Dallo reached the first corner, and Katrin worried she¡¯d lose him in the maze of the docks. ¡°Dallo!¡± she shouted. ¡°Jump!¡± She put all the force of her bardic magic behind it. It had worked before without singing or playing. Maybe it would again. Instead of taking the corner, he ran right off the end of the pier, landing in the harbor with a splash. She jogged after him and peered over the edge. He¡¯d grabbed hold of the nearest piling and was trying to climb back up. ¡°Let go!¡± she said. His hands slipped off and he fell back into the water. When he tried to paddle farther down the pier, she yelled, ¡°Stay where you are!¡± ¡°What are you doing to me?¡± he cried out, trying to keep his head above water as a wave rolled by. ¡°Who are you?¡± Two fishermen were close enough to overhear, sorting their catch on a nearby boat, but they just gave Dallo an odd look and then ignored him. ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me? I¡¯m Katrin, Barz¡¯s sister.¡± He finally seemed to see her. ¡°Katrin!¡± He sounded almost hopeful. ¡°Help me! Someone¡¯s trying to kill me! I can¡¯t swim!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to kill you, you idiot. Not yet. But don¡¯t ever send Torse or anyone else after me again! Or after Barz! We don¡¯t owe you anything.¡± ¡°Torse is dead!¡± he shouted back. He slipped under the water, and when he came back up, his paddling was more frantic. ¡°The seaborn killed him and left him outside the old building!¡± Seaborn? Why would Torse have dealings with the seaborn? ¡°Then I guess he got what was coming to him,¡± she said. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave us alone, you¡¯ll be next!¡± ¡°I will! I¡¯ll leave you alone. Just help me up! Please!¡± ¡°Fine. You can get up now.¡± She turned and left. Without the bardic magic to keep him in the water, he¡¯d probably be able to climb out on his own, but she had no intention of offering him a hand. Shavala and Sarette followed after her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Sarette said. ¡°This man tried to force you into prostitution? Why does he have any say in it?¡± It took Katrin a moment to compose herself. She hadn¡¯t realized how tense she¡¯d been during the confrontation. Her stomach was queasy and her legs felt rubbery. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°You said that before, back in Lanport.¡± ¡°She tells everyone that,¡± Shavala said, hiding a grin when Katrin glanced her way. The elven woman was the only one who¡¯d ever heard all the details. Even Corec only knew parts of it. ¡°I guess I do,¡± Katrin said. ¡°It started when my mother died and my brother had to find work to support us¡­¡± # Razai tensed as the three women walked past her, away from the pier, but they¡¯d never seen her Molly disguise before and she didn¡¯t attract their interest. Razai didn¡¯t know the stormborn girl, but she recognized the singer and the wood elf from her time following Corec. Had he and his friends infested the entire city? After speaking with Corec back at the plaza, she¡¯d spent the next two hours following Dallo. He¡¯d realized early on that someone was after him, but she¡¯d switched back and forth between disguises to throw him off the scent, enjoying the increasingly panicked looks on his face. Once he¡¯d reached the docks district, though, she¡¯d decided it was time to bring the game to an end. The promenade was too crowded and there was a chance he¡¯d get away from her. She¡¯d just started closing in on him when the three women had suddenly run out ahead of her, apparently chasing after the former gang leader themselves. What was their business with him? Why had he jumped into the water? She hadn¡¯t risked getting close enough to hear what they were saying. At the end of the pier, Dallo was pulling himself up onto the wooden planking, his hair and clothes dripping with seawater. Razai stalked down the walkway toward him. She assumed her Vash-like disguise as she went, no longer caring if anyone saw the change. By the time she reached him, he¡¯d made it back up onto the pier and was on his hands and knees, gasping for air. When her shadow crossed in front of him, he looked up at her and his eyes grew wide with recognition. This was the one disguise that he knew very well. He jerked away, but she grabbed him by the hair and slammed her knee into his nose. He fell onto his side, blood streaming over his upper lip. ¡°No! Please!¡± he whimpered, then raised his voice and cried out, ¡°Katrin, help me!¡± Why he thought Corec¡¯s redhead would intervene was a mystery, but in any case, the girl was gone and couldn¡¯t hear his shout. ¡°Stop your whining,¡± Razai snapped, using the disguise¡¯s deep, masculine voice. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to kill you right out in the open while everyone¡¯s watching. Besides, it turns out I¡¯m suddenly in need of coin, and there¡¯s a bounty on your head. I guess you¡¯ll get to live a little longer. Stand up!¡± Dallo pushed himself to his feet, his eyes darting around. He would almost certainly try to run before they reached the constabulary building, but chasing him down again would be fun. A quick stop at the bounty office, a chat with Renny, and then she just needed to drop by her apartment to pick up her things. She could be out of the city by midnight. # Corec rolled over onto his back, still breathing heavily. ¡°Wow. What brought that on?¡± Katrin giggled next to him. ¡°I¡¯m just in a good mood.¡± ¡°I like this good mood of yours.¡± ¡°I went down to the docks this afternoon with Shavala and Sarette, and we ran into Dallo.¡± ¡°Dallo?¡± Corec said, sitting up in concern. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the thief you used to work for?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m all right, and he won¡¯t bother me again.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°You killed him?¡± She burst out laughing. ¡°No, of course not. But I made it clear that Barz and I are done with him. I think I scared him enough to keep him away.¡± ¡°Maybe I should have a talk with this fellow anyway,¡± Corec said. ¡°Make sure he understands.¡± Katrin sat up too, letting the sheet slip away from her body. It gave him a nice view. ¡°I took care of it,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve been protecting me since we met, and I love you for it, but Dallo isn¡¯t a threat; not anymore. I¡¯ll always need your help with the big things, but I wanted to handle this one on my own.¡± Corec stared at her, still worried, but she looked completely earnest. He blew out his breath. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°All right, though I¡¯m not sure I like the idea that you got all worked up from talking to another man.¡± She giggled again and flopped back down onto the bed. ¡°Then come help me forget all about him.¡± ¡°I can do that.¡± Someone knocked on the door. Corec looked over at it, then back down at Katrin. He sighed. Ignoring the smirk on her face, he climbed out of bed and pulled his pants back on. Opening the door, he found Treya standing there, out of breath. She froze when she saw him. Her gaze dropped to his bare chest, then climbed back up to his face. ¡°Oh! Were you two¡­?¡± She blushed. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Katrin said. ¡°We can take a break¡­for now.¡± She¡¯d pulled the sheets back up over her body. Treya nodded, then turned back to Corec. ¡°My old roommate, Renny, just sent a message to the chapter house. Her patron wants to meet with us. Varsin Senshall.¡± ¡°Varsin?¡± Corec said. ¡°I know him. What does he want?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s about a ship. I told Renny we were looking for one, and the Senshall Trading Company owns a whole fleet.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great, but why would Varsin involve himself with something like that? He¡¯s got to be a busy man.¡± ¡°I suppose he¡¯s doing it as a favor for Renny. I don¡¯t know; I only met him a few times, back when he first contracted with her.¡± Corec nodded. He didn¡¯t know Varsin well either. Katrin said, ¡°Can we even afford passage on a ship?¡± Still under the covers, she pulled her shift back on over head, then got out of the bed to finish dressing. ¡°The ship, yes,¡± Corec said. ¡°If it costs the same as the one we took to Circle Bay. What we can¡¯t afford is everything else¡ªfood and lodging for the whole journey, stabling the horses here, buying new ones when we get to Cordaea, all the expenses that¡¯ll come up along the way. Even if we use up the last of Ellerie¡¯s money and take advantage of Shavala¡¯s offer, we don¡¯t have anywhere near enough.¡± Shavala had been saving her money, doing all of the group¡¯s hunting and most of the foraging as her contribution. Adding in the amount she¡¯d earned from the bounties for the drake and the demons, and her share of the coin they¡¯d taken from the dead red-eyes, she¡¯d amassed a decent sum. ¡°We should at least hear them out,¡± Treya said. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t afford it yet.¡± ¡°True, and I¡¯ve worked for Senshall before. Our biggest problem has been that we¡¯re worried about finding work in Cordaea because we don¡¯t speak the language, but Varsin might actually be able to point us to some jobs. I don¡¯t know what their operations over there are like, but there¡¯s got to be something.¡± ¡°Renny made it sound like they¡¯ve got a big presence in Cordaea; they¡¯ve even got caravans that run from the ports to the inner kingdoms.¡± ¡°That would be perfect,¡± Corec said with a grin. ¡°If they hire three or four of us as caravan guards to Bancyra, we¡¯d earn enough to support the rest. It¡¯d be slow going, but it solves a big part of our problem. When does Varsin want to meet?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go find Ellerie, then, and make some plans.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Katrin exclaimed. ¡°You and I already have plans.¡± He winked at her. ¡°I need some time to catch my breath.¡± She rolled her eyes, but followed after the two of them. # At the Senshall Trading Company¡¯s main office, the duty agent led Ellerie and her companions into an inner room where an attractive young human woman in an elegant dress stood next to a distinguished-looking man who was somewhat older. Ellerie had never been good at judging human ages. Treya stepped to the center of the room to make introductions. ¡°Ellerie, Corec, this is Sister Renny Senshall of the Three Orders, and her patron, Varsin Senshall, of the Senshall Trading Company.¡± Varsin spoke to Corec. ¡°House Tarwen of Larso, right? I never forget a face.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± The two men clasped forearms. ¡°I see you didn¡¯t return to us after all,¡± Varsin said, the corner of his mouth quirking up into a half-smile. ¡°I¡¯d intended to, but some things came up. Perhaps we¡¯ll have a chance to work together again in the future.¡± Corec spoke with an authoritative note in his voice, a tone Ellerie had rarely heard from him. He gave her a quick nod and she stepped forward. Addressing both Varsin and Renny, she said, ¡°Thank you for your invitation, though I must confess, we¡¯re not entirely certain what it¡¯s in regard to.¡± She¡¯d asked Treya not to include her title in the introductions, but following Corec¡¯s lead, she projected confidence in her words. She¡¯d learned that much in Terevas¡ªpeople with power or wealth responded better to their own kind. ¡°Did you find a ship?¡± Treya asked Renny. The girl opened her mouth, but then bit her lip and turned to Varsin, waiting for him to speak. ¡°We could talk about a ship,¡± the man said, ¡°but I¡¯m more interested in discussing your expedition to Tir Yadar. I¡¯m a student of history myself, and I¡¯ve always been fascinated with the idea of the Ancients¡¯ civilization.¡± Renny beamed at Treya. ¡°I told you I could help!¡± ¡°Renny, what¡¯s this about?¡± Treya asked. ¡°She informed me of an opportunity,¡± Varsin said. ¡°I asked you here to see if we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.¡± ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Ellerie found herself saying. If he could offer them a way to Tir Yadar that wouldn¡¯t require any further delays, she was willing to listen. ¡°Senshall Trading Company has a four-masted galleon designed for speed, the Peregrine. She hauls lighter loads of goods that are either perishable or too expensive to risk pirate attacks, and she¡¯s outfitted for taking passengers. My brother Burton uses the ship himself when he needs to visit Cordaea, and she can reach Nysa in less than four weeks. I understand that¡¯s where you¡¯re headed?¡± ¡°It is,¡± she replied, but didn¡¯t add more. Varsin had already said he wanted to discuss more than just the ship, and she wanted to hear his full offer before accepting any part of it. ¡°And you¡¯re looking for investments before you can launch the expedition?¡± He looked back and forth between her and Corec, apparently unsure who was in charge. Ellerie was about to tell him they were looking for employment instead, but then hesitated. She and Corec had discussed different options, but Varsin¡¯s offer might be better than what Corec had suggested asking for. ¡°That depends on the investment,¡± she said. Varsin grinned. ¡°As it turns out, I¡¯m looking for a new venture to participate in. I recently made a gamble to redirect iron shipments to Larso. It was profitable, but only in the short term. Unfortunately, King Marten is already scaling back his purchases. I¡¯m looking to take my share of those profits and put them into something that¡¯ll make more of an impression.¡± ¡°Why this?¡± Corec asked him bluntly. ¡°We¡¯re not exactly expecting to make a profit ourselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Tir Yadar,¡± Varsin replied. ¡°The location alone might be worth enough to pay for the expedition, and if you find it, Senshall¡¯s name would be known around the world. Anything beyond that would be a bonus.¡± ¡°But only if we find it,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We have a good lead, but there¡¯s no guarantee. And I can¡¯t imagine that news of Tir Yadar would make its way to very many people.¡± She didn¡¯t want to scare him off, but she didn¡¯t want to seem too eager, either. ¡°Ahh, but they¡¯d be the right people, especially if I put the word out myself. Besides, the investment isn¡¯t very large compared to the potential gain, and the risk wouldn¡¯t solely be on me. My brother Burton will insist on participating in exchange for allowing us to use the Peregrine, and, of course, Renny should be part of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to help,¡± Renny said. ¡°Treya, I know you don¡¯t want me to lose my money, but if I¡¯m not the only one, then it¡¯s not as big of a risk.¡± ¡°What terms are you looking for?¡± Corec asked Varsin. ¡°How large of an investment do you need?¡± the other man countered. Ellerie said, ¡°I don¡¯t think we can answer that yet. We still need to find a translator, and I don¡¯t know how much things cost in Cordaea, or how long the trip will take.¡± ¡°I can help with that. We would of course need to send along our own representatives, and I¡¯d like to include my factor, Marco. He¡¯s an expert at appraising antiquities, and he was stationed in Nysa for twelve years. He speaks both Nysan and Doravi.¡± ¡°I have someone in mind as well,¡± Renny said. ¡°She can handle herself in a fight, and she¡¯s good at dealing with unusual situations. I¡¯ve worked with her before.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°We need to have some idea of the terms before we can discuss this any further.¡± She¡¯d had a sudden flash of anxiety when Varsin suggested sending his own people. If she wasn¡¯t careful, the trading company would end up taking over her search. Varsin nodded. ¡°Once we know more of the details, we can negotiate the specifics for the contract, but as a starting point, let¡¯s say this. Any revenue is first applied to paying back the investments. Beyond that amount, it¡¯s divided into a number of shares. Investors receive two shares. Your charter members who accompany the expedition will receive one share plus expenses in exchange for their services, but no wages. Our representatives will receive wages plus a much smaller share.¡± ¡°The money isn¡¯t an equal contribution,¡± Ellerie pointed out. ¡°I know how to find Tir Yadar, and you don¡¯t. If the expedition doesn¡¯t make a profit, it sounds like you want my friends to work for free.¡± Varsin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to changing the distribution¡ªtwo shares for your knowledge, perhaps. As for your friends, it¡¯s a gamble. A share of unknown value, or a much smaller share plus regular pay? My understanding from Renny is that you¡¯re talking about a large group, so that dilutes the value of each share. On the other hand, if we pay wages to every member of the expedition, it¡¯ll drastically increase our costs. We¡¯d likely need at least two more investors. That would also dilute the value of each share, and would make it much less likely that there¡¯d be any profit at all.¡± ¡°There are eight of us,¡± Corec said, ¡°plus one more that we promised wages to. I¡¯m not necessarily opposed to working for expenses, as long as it¡¯s clear that any money made outside Tir Yadar is separate.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ellerie asked him. He was risking going a long time without pay. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to earn any coin on this trip anyway. If food and lodging is covered, we¡¯re ahead of where we were.¡± She glanced at Treya, who shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d need to think about it more,¡± the other woman said. Ellerie nodded, then faced Varsin. ¡°I¡¯d want first rights for any written works about Tir Yadar or the expedition itself.¡± She thought of Bobo. ¡°Me and one other person.¡± Varsin looked at her curiously. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that means. You want to write a book?¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯d want my story out first before anyone else¡¯s. I¡¯ve been searching for Tir Yadar for a long time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with that, as long as anything you say about Senshall¡¯s role is true, and provided I can correspond with others about it.¡± ¡°Letters are fine. As for the book, I¡¯d give you appropriate credit, but I¡¯m not going to write about your company for you. How many other people would you plan on sending?¡± Hopefully she could limit the number of Senshall employees. ¡°Marco, plus Renny¡¯s friend. Burton will want one of his own men to accompany you¡ªperhaps one of his local caravan guards to serve as a guide. For a group this big, you¡¯ll want a quartermaster, a cook, perhaps someone to handle the horses. Do you need guardsmen?¡± Corec said, ¡°No, and we have a quartermaster already. Nedley can take care of the animals. That¡¯ll give him something to do to earn his pay.¡± ¡°Do you mean Boktar for the quartermaster?¡± Ellerie asked. He nodded. ¡°All right, but he¡¯s been helping me search for Tir Yadar for years. He should have a full share, plus draw quartermaster pay.¡± Maybe she could finally pay Boktar back for all the support he¡¯d given her over the years. ¡°We can work out the specifics once we have more information,¡± Varsin said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring in Burton and Marco, and have them find the maps you asked for. Have you decided on a route yet?¡± ¡°No, and we need to talk to our friends before we make any deals.¡± ¡°Of course, but let¡¯s discuss a few more details first, while you¡¯re here.¡± Book 3: Chapter Eight Everyone gathered around the wooden table in the private dining room they¡¯d used the day before. Corec waited while Ellerie described the proposal. He and Treya occasionally interjected comments when they thought of something important. Boktar had paced around the room while Ellerie was speaking. When she was done, he asked Corec, ¡°What¡¯s this Varsin fellow like? Can we trust him?¡± ¡°I guess you could say I¡¯ve been working for him for years, but only in the sense that he¡¯s in charge of Senshall¡¯s local caravans. Before today, I¡¯d only met him once. The company¡¯s always paid me on time and I¡¯ve never had any real problems with them, but as for Varsin personally, I just don¡¯t know. If he decides to stab us in the back, his family¡¯s powerful enough that he could get away with it. I didn¡¯t get the impression he would, but I can¡¯t promise he wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°If he does, we¡¯re not exactly helpless,¡± Ellerie pointed out. ¡°No, but I¡¯d rather not have to avoid Tyrsall for the rest of my life.¡± Treya said, ¡°I don¡¯t think Varsin would do anything like that. I don¡¯t know him any better than you do, but Renny trusts him. Plus, his other brother¡ªnot Burton¡ªis having some trouble with the Three Orders. The company wouldn¡¯t want to risk another incident by breaking a contract that was brokered by two Sisters.¡± ¡°Trouble?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°What sort of trouble?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­a personal matter, but it¡¯s caused some embarrassment for the family. It doesn¡¯t affect Varsin, though. Renny insists he wasn¡¯t involved.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with him either,¡± Corec said. ¡°I just want to make sure everyone¡¯s aware of how much influence he has before we go making a deal with him.¡± ¡°Should we make a deal?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°It seems like he gets everything he wants first, while we do all the work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Is he loaning us the money or is he investing in the search? Why does he get the loan paid back while still earning shares of anything we find?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we can change that part, but the other terms are generous,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°If we don¡¯t find anything, we don¡¯t have to pay back the money, and between the three investors, they¡¯re willing to cover the full cost of the expedition.¡± ¡°Plus, we don¡¯t have to give him what we know about Tir Yadar,¡± Corec added. Ellerie nodded. ¡°I insisted on that, so Varsin can¡¯t cut us out of the deal. He wanted to know the route we were planning to take, but I told him that couldn¡¯t be part of the bargain. He knows we¡¯re headed east of Nysa, and that we have directions that may or may not get us to Tir Yadar, but he doesn¡¯t know the details and he doesn¡¯t know about the amulet.¡± Boktar frowned. ¡°He¡¯s willing to give you that much money without knowing where we¡¯re going?¡± ¡°To a man like him, it¡¯s not much money. He must have decided it¡¯s worth the risk.¡± ¡°How will he pay for everything if we don¡¯t know what our expenses will be yet?¡± ¡°His factor, Marco, will be able to borrow money from Senshall¡¯s operations in Cordaea. Up to two hundred gold, minus whatever we spend before we get there.¡± ¡°Two hundred?¡± Boktar asked, his eyebrows raised. ¡°That¡¯s more than twice my highest estimate.¡± ¡°Some of the extra will be used to pay the other people he¡¯s sending along, and the rest is meant to cover delays or unexpected expenses.¡± ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s worth it?¡± the dwarf asked her seriously. ¡°This has always been your plan. If you want to bring in someone else, I¡¯ll back your decision.¡± Ellerie hesitated. ¡°The truth is, we still don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll ever find Tir Yadar, and if we do, whether it¡¯ll be worth it. Do we spend months trying to scrape together enough money to actually go, or do we take the offer and go now? We¡¯re not really giving up anything to let him be part of it.¡± ¡°We were going to do the work anyway,¡± Corec said. ¡°This just means we¡¯re not paying for it ourselves.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°How will the shares be divided?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Evenly, of course,¡± Ellerie said, ¡°though the Senshall employees will get partial shares rather than full shares.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Who decides the worth of everything? Varsin? Or this Marco fellow, who works for him? If you find a bunch of pottery shards and a single intact vase, how is it divided up? Do you sell everything before cashing out the shares? Do you sell things in Cordaea, where the prices may be lower, or haul them back to Tyrsall? What if you find something you want to keep? Is it Marco, again, who decides how to count that against your share?¡± ¡°You know as well as I do that we¡¯re not likely to find anything worth arguing about. Varsin just wants bragging rights in front of the other trading houses.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remind you that we found that in Tar Navis,¡± Bobo said, pointing to Corec¡¯s sheathed sword, which he¡¯d left propped up against the wall behind him. ¡°Now, I¡¯m no expert on enchanted weapons, but I¡¯m reasonably certain something like that could pay for the expedition ten times over¡­provided you can find someone who¡¯s got that much coin to spend. If you¡¯re in a rush to sell it just so you can pay back the investments, you¡¯ll have to take less than it¡¯s worth. The investors might get their money back while the rest of us end up with nothing.¡± Corec shared a concerned look with Ellerie. They hadn¡¯t considered that. ¡°Varsin kept saying we could discuss the details when we negotiate the contract,¡± he said. ¡°We should probably bring you along for that.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± # ¡°Well?¡± Razai asked. When she¡¯d told Renny she was leaving, and that she needed a job that would take her away from Tyrsall, the girl had begged her to stay for a few more days. She¡¯d insisted she had a big deal in the works, and could provide the escape from the city Razai was looking for. ¡°The contract is signed,¡± Renny said. ¡°You¡¯ll go along to represent my interests, as well as serving as an extra guard and mage. Four silver per day plus expenses, and if the expedition makes a profit after paying off its loans, you¡¯ll earn an eighth of a share as a bonus.¡± ¡°That¡¯s generous.¡± ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t count on the bonus, but your pay is guaranteed regardless of what happens, and there¡¯ll be someone along from Senshall to ensure you get it. We expect the trip to last four to six months. You¡¯ll be paid until you land back in Tyrsall, even if the search fails. It should come out to a fair amount.¡± Razai nodded. ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°The ship is due to arrive in three days, but then it¡¯ll take another three to unload, resupply, and give the sailors shore leave.¡± Razai grunted. Another week stuck in the city, with Corec possibly hiding just around the corner. She could still leave instead, but Renny was a useful employer¡­and a friendly one. Razai didn¡¯t want to burn that bridge unless she had to. ¡°I guess that¡¯ll do,¡± she said. ¡°I wish you would tell me who you¡¯re trying to get away from,¡± Renny said. ¡°If someone¡¯s trying to hurt you, maybe I can help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s just someone I¡¯d rather avoid running into.¡± ¡°I think I understand,¡± the girl said with a knowing smile. Razai very much doubted that, but she¡¯d found it was sometimes easier to let Renny believe what she wanted to believe. ¡°Do you want me to keep working as your bodyguard until I leave?¡± ¡°You might as well,¡± Renny said, ¡°though I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need to look for a replacement after you¡¯re gone. Stavo should be enough. Did you know that someone caught Dallo and turned him in for the bounty?¡± Razai hid a smirk. ¡°I heard something about that.¡± The concubine suddenly ran forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Razai. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you! It¡¯s been so fun having you around!¡± Razai stiffened, forcing herself to take her hands off the hilts of her knives. ¡°I¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t think of anything to say, so she awkwardly patted the other woman¡¯s back. ¡°It was great having another girl to talk to! Kelsa¡¯s nice, but she and I don¡¯t really talk much, so normally it¡¯s just Eva.¡± Eva was Renny¡¯s lady¡¯s maid, and Kelsa was Varsin¡¯s wife. Razai hadn¡¯t considered herself as being good company. In the weeks she¡¯d been guarding Renny, she¡¯d mostly just listened to the girl chatter nonstop. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, too,¡± she said, trying to be polite. But it wasn¡¯t entirely a lie. The concubine was more interesting to spend time with than Vash, who was always focused on finding his next woman, or Wotar, who rarely spoke about anything other than work. Renny said, ¡°With you around, it¡¯s been like having my old roommate Treya back. You¡¯ll like her. I¡¯ve met some of her friends too, and they seem nice.¡± Razai nodded, then froze, her blood running cold. ¡°Did you say Treya?¡± # Ellerie found the bookshop in the middle of the Tailors¡¯ Quarter, wedged between a cobbler¡¯s stand and a seamstress¡¯s shop. Inside, a young human man was dusting the bookshelves. He smiled at her. ¡°Welcome to Deshin¡¯s Rare Books, Lady Elf. I am Deshin. How may I help you?¡± ¡°Someone told me you sell spell books.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my stock in trade, but I do have a few¡­for qualified buyers. May I ask who sent you?¡± ¡°Corec. Corec Tarwen of Larso. Tall human with dark hair and a big sword.¡± ¡°Ahh, yes, I remember Corec. You¡¯re a friend of his, then?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Was she? She didn¡¯t think of him as an enemy anymore, but a friend? That was hard to say. ¡°Then tell me, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°Are you familiar with an arrow shield spell?¡± ¡°I believe so. It¡¯s similar to a regular shield spell. It can be maintained longer, but it only stops arrows, crossbow bolts, and the like, yes?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m hoping to find a version that can be cast on others. Or on a large group of people at once.¡± ¡°Arrow shield spells tend to be passed down from battle wizards, who weren¡¯t known for being generous with their spell-casting. But let me think¡­ I do have part of a spell book that once belonged to a Nobitari mage who rode to war with his king¡¯s army. If I remember right, that may have what you¡¯re looking for.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Part of a spell book?¡± He shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t completely warded from the magical flames that killed the wizard. That was back during the last war between Nobitar and Valara. Let me go in the back and find it.¡± He left through a door in the far wall, and Ellerie took the opportunity to explore the bookshelves. She laughed when she reached a row of historical treatises and found a complete copy of the nilvasta scholar Yishara¡¯s works, all in original handwritten Elven. She considered buying it, but she¡¯d already read the complete set, and it was seven volumes long¡ªseven heavy volumes. Deshin returned then, thumbing through a scorch-marked tome bound in leather. ¡°It was partly protected, so it¡¯s still intact, but the first two-thirds of the pages are mostly unreadable due to fire damage. You can see a few words here and there, but certainly not enough to reconstruct the spells. Let¡¯s see¡­ Oh, a mage lock spell. That¡¯s always handy.¡± ¡°I already know a locking spell,¡± Ellerie said, hiding her impatience. He flipped through more pages. ¡°Hmm, a few wards, a lore spell¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The lore spell? It gives you impressions of an artifact¡¯s history. I use a similar spell when I¡¯m hired to examine the authenticity of a piece of art.¡± He flipped to the next page. ¡°And here we go, just as I thought. An arrow shield spell that works in a circle surrounding you, and protects anyone within that circle. It takes a great deal of power to be useful, though. It was designed for protecting small military units, and it wouldn¡¯t do much good if it only blocked two or three hits like a normal shield spell.¡± That made sense. Even a regular shield spell could be strengthened to last longer, though Venni was the only person Ellerie had ever seen do so. ¡°Let me see it,¡± she said. The shopkeeper handed over the book. Ellerie read the description of the arrow shield, then glanced over the first page of the spell itself. It looked complicated, but she thought she could manage it. Whether she had the strength to make it worthwhile would be another question. ¡°Is there anything else in here?¡± she asked, skipping over the next few pages. ¡°What¡¯s this? Magic opposition field?¡± It was the most complex spell she¡¯d ever seen, but the description merely said, ¡®for stopping enemy mages.¡¯ ¡°I tried reading through that one when I first bought the book, but I wasn¡¯t able to figure it out.¡± She nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡± ¡°I suppose I could let it go for three gold.¡± ¡°Three gold? For less than half of a book?¡± ¡°Spell books don¡¯t come cheap, I¡¯m afraid, and this one has several rare spells.¡± Ellerie stared down at the book, frowning at the cost. Corec had suggested that Deshin¡¯s services came cheap, but apparently the man still knew the worth of his goods. If she¡¯d been in Terevas, she could have simply gone into the wizardry archive in the Glass Palace and copied the spells she needed¡ªthat was how she¡¯d painstakingly constructed her own spell book during her apprenticeship. But she wasn¡¯t in Terevas. She¡¯d tried to find a better arrow shield spell in Snow Crown, but the stormborn didn¡¯t sell spell books. They only traded them amongst their own wizards. Sighing, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you two and a half.¡± # Nina kicked, her foot extending up toward Treya¡¯s head. Treya brushed the kick to the side, and while the girl was off-balance, dashed forward and poked her under the ribs. When Treya¡¯s magic had first started affecting her sparring, Kelis had ruled that she shouldn¡¯t fight full out when sparring Nina, who¡¯d only been thirteen at the time. Treya had better control over her magic now, and Nina had grown to be taller than her, but Treya still stuck to the old rules, not willing to risk an accident. Nina backed away, then ran forward, feinting to the left before aiming a strike at Treya¡¯s jaw. Treya twisted and spun around to the side, then tapped the lanky girl behind her ear. ¡°Ten points, you¡¯re out.¡± ¡°No!¡± Nina cried out in disappointment. ¡°I almost got you that time!¡± She bent down and braced her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Treya laughed. ¡°It was ten to one!¡± ¡°I meant right there at the end. I figured out what you were going to do and I almost got turned around in time to stop you.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± ¡°Honest!¡± Treya grinned at the trainee. ¡°I believe you, but I think that¡¯s enough for today.¡± She grabbed the clean towels they¡¯d left hanging from a rack at the side of the practice yard and tossed one to Nina. ¡°Don¡¯t you have other classes?¡± ¡°I guess, but have you found out how long you¡¯ll be here?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll still be a few more days until the ship¡¯s ready to go.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s been so boring with Kelis off chasing that bounty. If I¡¯d known how long she¡¯d be gone, I¡¯d have taken a ship to Circle Bay to visit Enna.¡± ¡°Mother Ola would never let you go off on your own; certainly not as far as Circle Bay.¡± ¡°She might if one of the Sisters ever heads that way and could chaperone me. Enna says there¡¯s another mystic teacher at the chapter house down there.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any new students who need you here while Kelis is gone?¡± ¡°A couple of girls are interested, but Kelis won¡¯t let them start the training until they turn twelve.¡± ¡°Well, you can ask Ola about Circle Bay, but I doubt you¡¯ll like the answer. Maybe Shana or one of the others will show up here.¡± Shana wasn¡¯t the only traveling mystic, just the one who spent the most time in the northeast. ¡°Shana¡¯s been gone as long as you have,¡± Nina complained. ¡°I think she went west somewhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find something to occupy your time,¡± Treya said. She spied her former roommate entering the practice yard. ¡°I need to talk to Renny. You do your stretches, then go get washed up.¡± Nina nodded and started her cooldown routine, leaving the two women alone. ¡°It¡¯s chilly out here,¡± Renny said, rubbing her arms. Then she wrinkled her nose. ¡°You stink!¡± ¡°If you¡¯d been sparring for two hours, you¡¯d stink too.¡± ¡°You¡¯d never get me out here for any amount of time. Of course, sometimes Varsin and I can go for hours, but you keep insisting you don¡¯t want to hear about that¡­¡± Treya rolled her eyes. ¡°Funny. You got my message?¡± ¡°Yes. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Why did you do it? I asked you not to.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Renny asked, with a fake look of innocence. ¡°You know what.¡± ¡°I wanted to help.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have that kind of money! Do you know how guilty I¡¯ll feel if we don¡¯t find anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only in for thirty gold. I can put up that much without a problem. If your total budget goes above ninety and I have to put in more, Varsin will cover the extra for me, with shares to be divided appropriately. He¡¯s the one that really wants this to happen¡ªI only talked to him about the other stuff, like you said to. I didn¡¯t ask him to do this, I promise.¡± ¡°Yet you were first in line when he was looking for investors.¡± Renny shrugged. ¡°I still wanted to help, and now I can. Please don¡¯t be mad at me. Varsin was thinking of funding it himself, but when we added up the numbers, it was too high for that.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he one of the richest men in the city?¡± ¡°Fifth, I think, after his father, his brothers, and Duke Voss, but if he wants to maintain his status in the company, he can¡¯t just fling money around. Everything¡¯s already invested. Finding Tir Yadar is more of a gamble than his other investments, so the gold is coming from the extra profits he made last year on his side projects, but he wouldn¡¯t have made the offer if he didn¡¯t think it was worth the risk. He and I both know there might not be anything to show for it. That¡¯s not something you should feel guilty about.¡± Treya looked down and exhaled. ¡°All right, fine. I¡¯m not mad at you. I just wish you¡¯d warned me first.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d like the surprise.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who likes surprises.¡± Renny grinned. ¡°I need to have some fun. You¡¯re the one who gets to go on all the adventures. And this is a real adventure, like the ones in the stories.¡± ¡°Trust me, they¡¯re nothing like the stories,¡± Treya said. Especially the stories Renny liked, which focused on romantic interludes with dashing princes rather than on the practical implications of riding all day long and camping outdoors night after night. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me all about it anyway. Send a letter back when you reach Nysa?¡± ¡°I will.¡± # Leena appeared in the middle of a busy marketplace, startling a mule team that was pulling a wagon through the crowded street. The mules shied back and Leena dashed out of the way, taking shelter near the market stalls lining the way. The driver shouted at her but she couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she called back in trade tongue, but he was already gone and didn¡¯t hear. The merchants in the stalls hawked their wares in Eastern, a language she didn¡¯t know but had grown to recognize as she traveled north along the coast, through Nobitar, Valara, and Circle Bay. The woman closest to her was selling decorative knickknacks and cheap jewelry. Leena smiled at her, politely pretending to browse the wares before moving on. She¡¯d finally reached Tyrsall. It had taken weeks, walking as much as twenty or thirty miles a day, plus Traveling when she could, and she was exhausted. Her back and shoulders hurt from the pack she wore, and her feet and ankles ached worse than they did after standing up all day in the bakery. But she¡¯d made it, and now she had to figure out what to do next. Her magic had grown easier to use over time and she felt strong enough to try another Seeking, despite having just done one before Traveling to this spot. Find Sarlo, she thought to herself. If he was in the city, then he was close enough that she could finally Seek him directly. The responding ping came almost immediately. He was to the northwest, perhaps two miles from where she was standing. She could finally talk to him and the friend he¡¯d mentioned, and see if they could teach her how to use her magic as a weapon. But first, she had to try one more thing. Where do I need to be next to protect my brother and avenge my parents? The twinge came from the east, and Leena froze in the middle of the street, trying not to cry in despair. This whole time, both routes had led her to Tyrsall, but now that she was here, they were sending her in different directions. She¡¯d thought¡ªshe¡¯d hoped¡ªthat her blood feud would send her to Sarlo, so his friend Yelena could help her master her magic. She knew Sarlo and trusted him. But that wasn¡¯t where she was supposed to go. She found a street leading east and followed it, not knowing where it would take her. She knew little about Tyrsall, other than the fact that it was even larger than Sanvara City. She found herself passing through a neighborhood full of elegant houses¡ªnot mansions, but obviously owned by the well-to-do. Half a mile later, she ended up in another business district, but this one didn¡¯t have market stalls. The building she was looking for was huge, but it was functional rather than fancy. It wasn¡¯t a shop, but obviously wasn¡¯t a home either. Unfortunately, the sign over the door was in Eastern, and she couldn¡¯t read it. Checking the location she held in her mind, she realized her target wasn¡¯t the building itself but a message board that had been constructed off to the side, with a small overhang to keep rain away. An armed man stood there, looking over the weathered notices. Shaking his head and muttering, he turned and clomped away in his heavy boots. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± he said in trade tongue as he passed her. ¡°They¡¯re not hiring.¡± Hiring? She looked more closely. The notices were all written in trade tongue, which she could read well enough to get by. Each of the notices was for a different trade caravan, indicating a starting location and an ending location, as well as the jobs they¡¯d been hiring for at some point¡ªdrivers and guards, mostly. On each announcement, the list of jobs had been crossed out and someone had written in ¡®All positions filled.¡¯ But there was one new posting down in the corner, recent enough that the paper hadn¡¯t had time to age and weather like the others. Senshall Trading Company seeks cook for long-term expedition to Cordaea, traveling by sail and horseback. Pay is 1s 1c per day, food and lodging included. Inquire within. Leena stared at it. The notice was posted in the exact location her Seeking had sent her. Had the magic failed? How could working as a cook and sailing across the ocean help her hunt down those responsible for her parents¡¯ deaths? Cordaea was even farther from home than Tyrsall! Had her family figured out some way to sabotage her Seeking in order to send her away somewhere safe? No, that couldn¡¯t be it¡­her grandmother had begged her not to leave. Besides, while Leena had taken along one of the attackers¡¯ knives, hinting that she¡¯d use it to track them down, she¡¯d never actually told her family that she could Seek. As far as they knew, she was nothing more than a failed Traveler. Give me a way to protect my brother and avenge my parents! she shouted in her mind. Her senses pinged again, directly on the job posting itself. Leena slumped in disappointment, then turned around and started walking in Sarlo¡¯s direction. She¡¯d come this far; she might as well talk to him and salvage what she could of her plan. She hadn¡¯t made it twenty steps away before she stopped and marched back, entering the trading company¡¯s office. The man behind the counter looked up at her. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you still hiring for the cook¡¯s job? The one going to Cordaea?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t hire women for caravans,¡± he said promptly, but then hesitated. ¡°Though I suppose it¡¯s not a caravan, and there are other women going along. You¡¯re Sanvari?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know how to cook anything other than Sanvari food?¡± he asked, his lip curling up in distaste. ¡°I¡¯ve learned northern dishes.¡± A few, anyway, but she¡¯d been at the boarding house in Telfort long enough to know that northern cooking and southern cooking weren¡¯t all that different, other than in the way the dishes were prepared. She hadn¡¯t done any of the cooking at the boarding house, but Sarlo had shown her how to prepare a few simple things. Buying a book of recipes would be enough to let her get by, and if she ever ran out of ideas, she could make a Sanvari dish and leave off the spices that made it taste good. Northerners liked bland food. ¡°You¡¯d be gone for at least four months, likely more. You understand?¡± How could being away for so long possibly help protect her brother or find her parents¡¯ killers? Was this all a mistake? She quickly nodded before she could change her mind. ¡°Ever cook for twelve or thirteen people at once?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, thinking of the long days she¡¯d spent working nonstop in the bakery. Cooking and baking weren¡¯t quite the same thing, but they weren¡¯t all that different. ¡°You¡¯d be cooking over a campfire most of the time, but there and back, you¡¯d be on board the Peregrine, sharing the galley with the ship¡¯s cook. Done any shipboard cooking before?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t really expect you had, but it would have been helpful.¡± Worried her chance was slipping away, she said, ¡°I can bake!¡± ¡°Not much call for baking over a campfire, though I suppose the Peregrine might have an oven.¡± ¡°I know how to bake bread in an iron pot over a fire, and there are flatbreads and pastries that can be made on a frying pan or griddle.¡± ¡°I suppose that might be useful. You know how to ride a horse?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she lied. If she was supposed to take the job, she had to ensure the man didn¡¯t have any other reasons not to hire her. ¡°I¡¯ll send a runner to the group¡¯s quartermaster. He¡¯s the one you¡¯ll have to convince, and if you want any particular supplies, he¡¯s the one to talk to. Peregrine¡¯s shipping out tomorrow. Can you be ready?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not much time to buy supplies for that many people,¡± Leena said. ¡°They¡¯re already provisioned for the first leg¡ªthey¡¯d just about given up on finding a cook for the trip. You¡¯ll resupply at Kitish in two weeks, fresh food only, then again when you reach Nysa.¡± ¡°I can leave tomorrow.¡± It wouldn¡¯t leave her any time to visit Sarlo. That would have to wait. Now she just had to hope her Seeking wasn¡¯t sending her to the wrong place. Book 3: Chapter Nine Peregrine may not have been as large as the massive cargo carracks that formed the bulk of the Senshall fleet, but at over a hundred and fifty feet long, and thirty feet across at her widest point, she was still a big ship. And busy, too. Corec had to wait his turn to ascend the ramp from the pier to the main deck, while the sailors ahead of him rolled a heavy barrel up the incline. When he made it to the deck, he greeted Boktar, who was crossing items off a checklist. ¡°There was nothing left to haul, so I took the mules back to the stable,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯re paid up four months in advance, and Treya left extra coin with Renny Senshall to pay the stablemaster more if we¡¯re gone longer.¡± The group had pooled their money together to stable their animals in Tyrsall, since that wasn¡¯t included in the expenses Senshall was paying for. The dwarf nodded. ¡°Then I think we can cast off as soon as the crew is finished loading whatever it is they¡¯re loading.¡± A large swell passed below, a wave on its way to the shore. The ship rocked just slightly. Corec closed his eyes and grasped the railing, trying to keep his stomach steady. They hadn¡¯t even set sail yet, and it was already starting. Normally he could ignore the smell of the ocean, but now that he was on board, all it did was make him think of how sick he was about to get. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like boats.¡± The other man laughed. ¡°And you¡¯re coming with us? We¡¯re going to be at sea for almost a month.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll probably spend the first week below decks trying to keep from getting sick. Is everyone on board?¡± ¡°Our people are. Captain Valen is keeping track of his crew and the Senshall folks, but I think most of them are here.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Corec asked, eyeing a woman who was helping Marco tally up crates of food before the sailors hauled them below. ¡°I thought the crew were all men.¡± The woman had the bronze skin and dark eyes of a Sanvarite. Her black hair was long, falling to the middle of her back, and she wore a modest white dress with a high neckline, and sleeves that covered her arms to the wrist. ¡°That¡¯s Leena, our new cook. I hired her yesterday. To be honest, I doubt she¡¯s done much campfire cooking, but I love Sanvari food. Plus, we didn¡¯t have a lot of choice¡ªnobody else wanted to sign on at cook¡¯s wages for a trip across the sea without knowing when they¡¯d return.¡± ¡°Can she cook at all?¡± ¡°She said all the right things, I just got the impression she hasn¡¯t spent much time living rough. She seems a bit too¡­cultured. Oh, and she doesn¡¯t speak Eastern. Just trade tongue, Western, and her own language.¡± Corec nodded. They usually spoke trade tongue anyway, since Shavala¡¯s Eastern wasn¡¯t strong. He wasn¡¯t sure if Sarette spoke Eastern either. Another large swell passed by and he steadied himself again, his head feeling funny. Could he really handle a cross-ocean voyage? Abruptly, he realized it wasn¡¯t seasickness he was feeling¡ªor at least that wasn¡¯t the only thing he was feeling. There was a mage nearby. Casting his mind out, Corec¡¯s eyes fell on the cook again. Any time he looked her way, he felt an oddly familiar sensation. He hurriedly clamped down on his magic, but it wasn¡¯t necessary. His mind wasn¡¯t forcing him to cast the warden binding spell the way it had with Razai. Instead, it was more like a gentle suggestion. Had he finally gotten control over the spell? If Leena was a mage, why was she working as a cook? Was she spying for Varsin? Marco was along as Senshall¡¯s official representative, but the trader may have sent someone less obvious too. Then again, Corec was a mage, and he¡¯d been working as a caravan guard. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t that strange after all. He¡¯d keep an eye on her, but if she didn¡¯t cause any problems, he¡¯d leave her alone. Something had been nagging at Corec¡¯s mind ever since he¡¯d met with Yelena a few days earlier. Wardens were supposed to be able to sense other mages. He¡¯d felt something¡ªthat strange sense of familiarity¡ªwhen he¡¯d first encountered Razai and Sarette, and now Leena, but he¡¯d never felt it with Yelena or her bondmates, or with Priest Telkin, or Vartus or Galina back in Snow Crown. And he¡¯d never felt it randomly on the street, though he must have passed by other mages along the way. After he¡¯d bonded Sarette and Razai, the feeling had stopped, and he¡¯d never noticed it at all from Katrin or the others, though he wouldn¡¯t have been able to recognize it back in the early days. If it really was a warden¡¯s ability to sense other mages, then why had it only worked three times? The only possible answer was that he¡¯d been wrong. The oddly familiar sensation wasn¡¯t how wardens identified other mages after all. But then, what was it? Could it have something to do with how he¡¯d accidentally cast the binding spell five times? And had it truly been accidental? Katrin, Ellerie, and Yelena had all pointed that he was only bonding women. At this point, it had to be deliberate. The sensation he was feeling from Leena might provide him with a clue, if he could just figure out what it meant. And how did wardens recognize other mages? Yelena had confirmed that they could, but she¡¯d never actually mentioned how it worked. Corec glanced back at the raised deck to the rear of the ship, where Katrin and Shavala were standing. They were mages, so why couldn¡¯t he sense anything different about them? If he concentrated, the warden bond would tell him what direction they were in, but that was the only unusual feeling he could identify. He stared at Katrin, focusing until he could almost feel his eyes crossing. Luckily, she was facing the other way, and wouldn¡¯t see him making a fool of himself. Then he felt it¡ªjust a slight tingling sensation. He tried again with Shavala, and it happened faster this time. When he focused on Leena, it happened almost immediately. It was getting easier. He had to concentrate on a specific person, but it only took a moment. All he¡¯d had to do was try, rather than expecting it to happen on its own. One mystery had been solved, though it still didn¡¯t explain the other sensation he was feeling from Leena. If the ship hadn¡¯t been preparing to leave, he¡¯d have tried to talk to Yelena about it. ¡°Captain Valen,¡± Boktar said suddenly from behind him, ¡°this is Corec Tarwen of Larso, the last member of our party. We¡¯re all aboard and ready to go as soon as you are.¡± Valen was short, hardly taller than Boktar, but he had the self-assured air of someone who knew what he was doing. ¡°Captain,¡± Corec said, greeting him with a nod. ¡°Can you tell us when we¡¯ll be leaving?¡± Asking the question made his stomach churn. ¡°We¡¯ve got a good wind at the moment for getting out of the harbor,¡± Valen replied. ¡°If it keeps up, we¡¯ll set out when the purser returns from the company office, though I think we¡¯re waiting for one more member of the Senshall group.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be here on time,¡± Boktar said. Corec furrowed his brow. ¡°Who¡¯s missing?¡± ¡°Renny Senshall¡¯s representative. I never caught her name¡ªoh.¡± The dwarf stopped talking and stared past him. Corec turned to the loading ramp to see who Boktar was looking at. # Razai was waiting two berths away from the Peregrine when Corec strode past on his way to the ship. He didn¡¯t notice her in the sailor disguise she was wearing. She couldn¡¯t help laughing. Her father had won after all. Why hadn¡¯t she gone somewhere farther away? Why had she stayed in a city Corec visited regularly? Sure, Vash was here, but he wasn¡¯t that close of a friend. Instead of Tyrsall, she could have gone to¡­ Her mind drew a blank. She knew people across the entire continent, but they were all like Vash. Acquaintances, or people she¡¯d worked with once or twice. Hells, half of them were probably dead of old age by now. Humans aged quickly, and most demonborn did as well. In the distance, Corec climbed the steep ramp leading to Peregrine¡¯s deck. She shook her head, still laughing at the futility of it all. All those times Renny had talked about her former roommate, but until she¡¯d mentioned the name, Razai hadn¡¯t made the connection. In the weeks she¡¯d spent following the group, she¡¯d never realized Treya was a Sister of the Three Orders. The girl certainly wasn¡¯t a concubine, and that was the limit of what Razai knew about the Orders. She could still run¡ªsimply tell Renny she wasn¡¯t going to take the job after all¡ªbut she had never run from a threat before, so why continue trying to escape from inevitability? Vatarxis always got his way in the end. Besides, it was hard to turn down four or more months of good, steady pay, and if she knew where Corec was at all times, she could stop worrying about him turning up unexpectedly. It wasn¡¯t him she had a problem with. Razai composed herself and rubbed at her eyes. Her laughter must have crossed over into hysterics, judging by the strange look she was getting from a nearby fisherman, who was staring up at her from where he¡¯d been scrubbing the deck of his boat. She winked at him and shed her illusion, taking on her own appearance. There wasn¡¯t any point in hiding her identity. It wouldn¡¯t take long for Corec to realize who she was. The fisherman gaped and jerked erect at the sudden change. When she gave him a wide smile, showing her fangs, he stumbled backward and fell into the harbor with a splash. Razai peered down into the water, checking to make sure he hadn¡¯t hit his head when he went over the side. After reassuring herself he¡¯d be able to climb back up on his own, she hefted her pack over her shoulder and headed down the pier, mentally preparing herself. She¡¯d known this moment was coming for six days now¡ªever since Renny had told her the names of the group she¡¯d be traveling with¡ªbut she¡¯d put it off as long as possible, resisting the concubine¡¯s suggestion of an earlier meeting. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. At the top of the ramp, she found Corec talking to the stoneborn man, Boktar. The redhead and the wood elf were up on the quarterdeck, standing at the railing and looking down into the water of the harbor. The rest of the group must have been below decks. Boktar saw her first and stopped talking. Corec turned her way, his eyes widening. ¡°Razai! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Renny Senshall sent me,¡± she said flatly. ¡°That¡¯s the only reason I came, so don¡¯t go getting any ideas. I work for her, not for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the woman she mentioned? I thought you didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near me.¡± Razai shrugged. ¡°I gave her my word before I knew you¡¯d be here, but the pay¡¯s good.¡± He stared at her suspiciously. ¡°Are you really working for Senshall, or for someone else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no longer associated with my former employer,¡± she said. Her father may have tricked her into following Corec again, but if Vatarxis wanted any information out of her, she¡¯d make him work for it. ¡°I¡¯m here to make sure Renny¡¯s investment is used wisely.¡± Corec had the gall to laugh at that. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m glad it¡¯s someone we know. Welcome aboard.¡± What did he mean by that? Did he think she¡¯d go easy on him? She grunted in response. ¡°Where¡¯s my cabin?¡± ¡°Ahh, I haven¡¯t actually seen mine yet either. Boktar, what do we have?¡± ¡°We¡¯re taking up all six passenger cabins,¡± the stoneborn man said. ¡°Two people per cabin. Razai, we¡¯ve never really spoken before, but thank you for your help back in High Cove. If you¡¯re the woman Mistress Senshall is sending along, you¡¯ll be sharing with the cook we hired. We couldn¡¯t put her in with the crew. The cabins are small and cramped, but at least we each have our own cots.¡± ¡°I thought Varsin said his brother used this ship himself?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I imagine he takes over the captain¡¯s chamber and stateroom when he does, but this is still better than being in hammocks with the crew. These ships just aren¡¯t built for comfort.¡± ¡°I suppose we don¡¯t have a choice at this point,¡± Corec said. ¡°Let¡¯s go see what we¡¯ve got.¡± Razai followed the two men. Out of habit, she eyed them for weaknesses. She knew from experience that Corec carried his sword almost everywhere, but neither he nor Boktar were wearing their plate armor, and their mail didn¡¯t protect the whole body. They didn¡¯t have their helmets either, probably not expecting any threats within the city. She could kill them both easily enough if she took them by surprise. That would still leave the women, though¡ªall mages. Treya in particular was a problem. As a priestess, if she was strong enough, she could stop Razai where she stood. Treya would have to be first, but if Razai were to ever kill Treya, Renny would never forgive her, even if there was a good reason for it. The others could be a problem too. Razai didn¡¯t know much about what they were capable of. And the stormborn woman was new. She carried a staff-spear like Wotar¡¯s, but if she was traveling with a warden, she was likely a mage as well. What could she do? Razai pondered different scenarios as Boktar showed her and Corec around the ship. # Sarette carefully stepped onto the wooden beam, wrapping one arm around the mizzenmast for support as she let go of the rigging. A huge, square sail hung from the beam below, while a smaller one billowed out directly ahead of her, attached to another beam above. From her perch, she could see the ocean spreading out in all directions. ¡°I like it up here!¡± Shavala called out from the other side of the mast. ¡°But none of the others will come with me.¡± ¡°I can see why!¡± Sarette was no stranger to heights, but the swaying caused by the wind was different than looking down from Runner¡¯s Summit. It was more like how Vartus had described flying a storm, but Sarette had never been strong enough to try that. Yet, she amended in her mind. ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re allowed to be here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll need to adjust the square sails again until the wind changes. I hope that¡¯s soon¡ªwe¡¯re going slower now than we were yesterday.¡± The elven woman sounded disappointed. ¡°Because the wind¡¯s at the wrong angle?¡± Sarette asked. She didn¡¯t know anything about sailing, but it seemed obvious. ¡°Yes. We shouldn¡¯t have to wait for it, but I tried to change the direction of the wind once and almost passed out.¡± ¡°With wind, you always have to be careful. How did you do it?¡± ¡°I grabbed hold of the wind blowing in my hair and tried to push it away, but there was too much¡ªit just kept coming, and I couldn¡¯t hold on.¡± ¡°Wind is dangerous. Do you remember the lightning storm? It¡¯s like that, but it has its own rules. When you move wind, what takes its place?¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± Shavala suggested. ¡°It¡¯s just air.¡± ¡°No, there can¡¯t be nothing. The air behind it fills in the gap. And then the air farther behind fills in that gap.¡± ¡°It moves like water, then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite the same thing,¡± Sarette said. She¡¯d never been able to master the weather during her training, but she¡¯d spent four years learning how it worked. ¡°Water is either there or not, but when you move wind, you create more wind. The air around you never ends, and each bit of it is connected to more. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll use up your strength and go into drain shock. Instead, push it just a little bit at a time, and then more will follow on its own. It won¡¯t keep going for long, but it¡¯s enough to save your strength. When it dies down, you can do it again and again.¡± Shavala peered at her from around the mizzenmast and nodded. ¡°So I push the wind toward the sails, then let go and wait?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that. If the wind isn¡¯t already blowing in the direction you want, you have to counter its force first. If it blows diagonally from the right, then you match the angle and strength from the left.¡± Sarette let go of the mast to demonstrate, with her hands coming together in the shape of an arrowhead. ¡°What¡¯s left over is pushed forward. And then, if you want more strength, you can add a second air stream blowing straight ahead. But all of that only works if the angle is already close to what you want, like it is now. The rules change depending on the angle of the wind and what you¡¯re trying to do. If the wind¡¯s coming toward you, you have to push directly against it, and you may have to counter your own blowback too. You¡¯ll be working against yourself, so you won¡¯t be able to maintain it long enough to push the ship.¡± Shavala tilted her head to the side. ¡°I see why Meritia said to wait before trying to affect the weather. Can you teach me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Sarette said. She needed to practice it herself now that her magic was getting stronger. She understood the concepts but had never been able to apply them before. ¡°To get started, use your weather sense¡ªI mean, your elder senses¡ªto measure how strong the wind is blowing¡­¡± # Treya knocked on the door to Corec¡¯s cabin, then entered, finding him lying on his back on a cot, with his left arm draped over his eyes. There was a bucket near the cot, just in case. ¡°Katrin tells me you had a bad night,¡± she said. ¡°No worse than during the day,¡± he muttered, without looking her way. ¡°I just had a hard time falling asleep.¡± She sat on the cot and laid a glowing hand against his chest. While she couldn¡¯t eliminate the seasickness entirely, either from him or from herself, she¡¯d grown adept at lessening the symptoms. ¡°There,¡± she said. ¡°That should help for a few hours.¡± He drew in a deep breath, then sat up next to her, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. ¡°Thanks. How are you doing?¡± ¡°Not as bad as you. I really think you¡¯d feel better if you¡¯d come up on deck. The sailors say that looking at the ship makes it worse. You have to look away instead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he said. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m just hoping it wears off like it did last time. Five days, right? I just have to make it three more days. Unless it takes longer because we¡¯re crossing the ocean this time rather than following the coast.¡± Treya winced. She hadn¡¯t even considered that. ¡°I hope not.¡± The idea of being sick for four weeks wasn¡¯t pleasant. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Captain Valen. He must have had seasick passengers before.¡± ¡°How¡¯s everyone else?¡± Corec had started to sound more like his old self, but he kept his eyes closed and didn¡¯t stand up from the bed. ¡°Bored, I think, but Katrin would know more than me. I¡¯m not doing that much better than you.¡± ¡°Ahh, well, I wasn¡¯t really in the mood to talk by the time she came to bed last night.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Treya said with a grin. ¡°She wants to trade cabins with me. She says Shavala will be better company than you.¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked, opening one eye and peering at her. ¡°She¡¯ll stay with Shavala for the next few nights and I¡¯ll stay here. There are separate cots, so it¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s worried you¡¯ll need a healer in the middle of the night.¡± He snorted. ¡°Sure, I guess we can make each other miserable for a few days. But you have to bring your own bucket.¡± Treya laughed, then had to force herself to stop before the laughter made her queasy. ¡°Are you ready to eat? I don¡¯t think I could stomach whatever it was the sailors had this morning, but Leena baked fresh bread and made a sausage gravy. I didn¡¯t risk the gravy, but the bread was good.¡± ¡°I need a little more time before I try standing up. Did you know she¡¯s a mage?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Leena¡ªshe¡¯s a mage. I told Ellerie and Katrin about her, but I thought you¡¯d want to know too. Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t cast the binding spell.¡± ¡°Why is a mage working as a cook?¡± Treya asked. Leena hadn¡¯t said much about herself in the two days since the ship had set sail. She¡¯d mostly kept to herself, other than conversations with Boktar and Marco about their food supplies. ¡°I wondered that too, but then I realized she¡¯s not much different than us. We¡¯re mages and we¡¯re here. Everyone needs to make a living.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but does Boktar know?¡± ¡°Ellerie was going to tell him. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re going to talk to her about it or not.¡± From above them came the sound of the ship¡¯s master shouting out commands to trim the sails. As always, the words sounded like gibberish, but the sailors never seemed to have a problem understanding them. ¡°Why are they changing the sails so often?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t been up much today, but yesterday, Captain Valen said the winds keep shifting. We haven¡¯t lost any time because they¡¯re stronger than normal for this time of year, but it means we have to keep making adjustments.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Have you given any more thought to Four Roads?¡± Treya asked, changing the subject. Of all the plans they¡¯d discussed, that was the option she liked the best. She still had a few friends in Four Roads, and wouldn¡¯t mind settling down there with Corec, Katrin, and Shavala. Perhaps Bobo and Sarette would stick around too. Things had changed since Treya had first met Corec. She¡¯d been angry about the binding spell in the beginning, but once they¡¯d discovered what it was, and that it was likely the reason her healing magic had gotten stronger, she¡¯d come to appreciate it. And she enjoyed traveling with the group. Perhaps Shana liked to work alone, but Treya¡¯s traveling companions had become her friends, as close as anyone she¡¯d ever known except perhaps for Renny. ¡°Four Roads isn¡¯t very far from Larso,¡± Corec said. ¡°We need to figure out what to do about Prince Rusol first. I still have no idea why he¡¯s trying to kill me. Maybe Yelena will discover something while we¡¯re gone, or maybe my father will have an idea. Oh, in the letter I sent him, I told him to send his reply to Sister Treya at the Three Orders chapter house in Tyrsall. You¡¯re the only one I know who lives in the city. Well, other than Yelena and Varsin Senshall, but I didn¡¯t think I could ask them to hold onto my mail for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Treya said, then bit her lip. She took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°I told Mother Ola everything. About wardens and the red-eyes, and about Rusol and how he¡¯s trying to kill you.¡± Corec turned to face her. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She¡¯s worried. She doesn¡¯t know you, but Rusol is heir to the throne of Larso. His mother is a Three Orders concubine.¡± ¡°So was mine.¡± ¡°I told her that, and I think it helped, but she asked me not to write to the Highfell chapter house. Rusol¡¯s mother grew up there. If we ask the wrong questions, word might get back to her¡­or to him.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°My mother was from the Highfell chapter house too. I never thought about that¡ªI wonder if they knew each other. But she died a long time ago. I suppose no one at the chapter house is likely to remember her.¡± His eyes had grown distant while he talked. Treya laid her hand over his, and he gave her a small smile. ¡°Mother Ola wasn¡¯t aware of any problems in Larso,¡± she said, ¡°but she¡¯s going to ask around discreetly to see if she can find out what¡¯s going on. She¡¯s also going to try to find Shana, who may have a better idea.¡± ¡°Shana¡¯s your teacher, right?¡± ¡°Sometimes. She¡¯s the reason I joined the Order of Mystics. I met her when I was young, back when she was hunting down a band of hillfolk bandits who¡¯d been raiding the farms west of Four Roads.¡± Treya couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to mention that it was those bandits who¡¯d killed her own parents. If they¡¯d even been her parents. Godborn or not, she couldn¡¯t forgive Bishop Lastal for raising those doubts in her mind. ¡°Thank you for helping,¡± Corec said. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find someone who can tell us what¡¯s going on.¡± Treya nodded. ¡°Come on,¡± she said, standing up. ¡°You¡¯d better get some food before the healing wears off.¡± Book 3: Chapter Ten ¡°No!¡± Ellerie snapped, after Marco had asked her the same question for the third time. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you where we¡¯re going when you need to know, and not before.¡± ¡°Then how do you expect me to plan for the trip?¡± the factor asked. He was a tall, slender man with a carefully groomed mustache and black hair that had started to gray. ¡°I don¡¯t. You¡¯re here to handle the finances and to translate. We¡¯ll listen to any advice you want to give, but Boktar and I will take care of the planning, with help from the guide we¡¯re picking up in Nysa. For the first leg, we¡¯re heading east to one of the border towns between Nysar and Bancyra. Once we get there, we¡¯ll decide where we¡¯re going next, and let you know.¡± It had turned out that Nysa was just the name of the port city they were heading to. Nysar was the kingdom in which it fell. ¡°Fine,¡± Marco said, and stalked off. Ellerie forced herself to calm down. She¡¯d known from the beginning that making a deal with Senshall was a risk. Varsin had been eager to sign the contract, and had agreed to most of Ellerie¡¯s¡ªand Bobo¡¯s¡ªterms, but that wasn¡¯t a guarantee that everything would go smoothly. Marco was a high-ranking agent within the company, accustomed to managing large deals on his own. He seemed to believe the group was working for Senshall rather than the other way around. It didn¡¯t help that, rather than naming his own representative, Burton Senshall had authorized Marco to act for him, voting Burton¡¯s shares in addition to Varsin¡¯s. That gave Marco four votes, or six if he could convince Razai to join him. She represented Renny¡¯s shares. Luckily, the contract was explicit¡ªEllerie was in charge of the expedition itself. Most decisions came down to her alone, without any need for a vote. Voting was limited to specific clauses that Bobo had convinced Varsin to add, clauses that would allow the group to react to unanticipated events. Plus, Ellerie and her friends controlled more shares, and thus more votes, than the Senshall group. As long as she could convince Corec and Boktar to vote with her, everyone else would likely follow along. She was more concerned with Marco¡¯s meddling. In addition to his attempts to discover the location of the ruins, the contract gave him the authority to block certain types of spending if he disagreed with it. If he did so too often, Ellerie was free to break off the deal without penalty, but if he did it at all, it could hurt their chances of success. Razai had the same rights as Marco, but the demonborn woman was a puzzle. She¡¯d disappeared after Corec had cast the warden binding spell on her back in High Cove. Corec had spoken to her since, but no one else in the group had seen her again until she¡¯d shown up just as the ship was about to leave port. Ellerie knew little about her, other than the fact that she¡¯d somehow become friends with Varsin¡¯s concubine. Razai hadn¡¯t shown any interest in getting to know the group, instead spending her time gambling and drinking with the crew. The third new person that had joined the expedition was Leena, the cook. Unlike Marco and Razai, who were serving as company representatives, Leena was just an employee and had no voting rights. Another employee, a guide, would be joining them once they reached Cordaea, though they didn¡¯t know who it would be yet. Burton had sent a letter along with Marco, asking his agent in Nysa to choose someone. Putting Marco out of her mind, Ellerie decided it was time to get to know Leena. The expedition was Ellerie¡¯s responsibility, after all, and it wasn¡¯t fair to saddle Boktar with managing the cook on top of his own duties. Plus, mage or not, Ellerie suspected Leena would be the easiest of the Senshall group to deal with. She found the cook washing pots and pans in the ship¡¯s galley. The woman was wearing one of her high-necked dresses, this one in a bright yellow, but she had an apron on over it. Her long black hair was loosely tied together behind her back. There was a smudge of flour on her left cheek, but it served to highlight her striking features rather than mar them. Her sleeves were pulled halfway up her forearms to keep them out of the water, and there were tattoos on both of her wrists. The one on the left had three circles linked together in a row, ranging from larger to smaller. Ellerie didn¡¯t have a good view of the one on the right. ¡°Leena? Hello. I¡¯m Ellerie.¡± The woman turned to face her, her eyes dark pools. She dried her hands and pulled her sleeves down, covering the tattoos, before speaking. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard your name.¡± She seemed more self-assured than Ellerie had expected. ¡°Boktar tells me you¡¯re from Sanvar?¡± Ellerie asked, then hid a wince. That was a stupid thing to say¡ªthe woman¡¯s clothing wasn¡¯t traditional Sanvari, but she was clearly Sanvarite. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Has anyone told you where we¡¯re going?¡± ¡°To Cordaea,¡± Leena replied. ¡°Boktar said you¡¯re searching for an old city.¡± ¡°Yes, Tir Yadar, one of the Ancients¡¯ lost cities. The capital of their empire.¡± Leena nodded but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°What brought you to Tyrsall?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I needed to be there for another reason, but then I saw the posting for the job.¡± She wasn¡¯t giving Ellerie any openings to ask her about being a mage. ¡°How do you like it so far?¡± Ellerie said instead. ¡°I am still learning how to use the ship¡¯s galley, but the cook here has been helpful. I¡¯m more accustomed to baking; I was a baker once.¡± That was the first information Leena had volunteered, and it explained the variety of bread rolls the woman had managed to produce in the four days they¡¯d been on board the ship. ¡°You don¡¯t mind being away from home for this long?¡± Leena hesitated. ¡°I will stay as long as I can. But for now, I must finish the washing. The ship¡¯s cook will need to start the beans soon for the crew¡¯s supper.¡± Ellerie glanced at the pile of pots, pans, and plates. The group had always split up cooking and cleaning duties before, but now Leena was handling it all for twelve people. ¡°Would you like some help?¡± ¡°If you wish.¡± They worked in companionable silence, which was more comfortable than the awkward conversation had been. # ¡°I just talked to that elf woman again,¡± Marco said. ¡°She still refuses to tell me anything about the route we¡¯ll be taking past Nysa. I need you to find out whatever you can. A map, or anything else.¡± Razai narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because right now, we¡¯ve got nothing to go on except their word. What happens if they fail? Where does that leave us?¡± ¡°Did Varsin put you up to this?¡± Razai had read the contract before signing on, and knew the secrecy had been deliberate. Marco certainly knew that as well. He sidestepped the question. ¡°It¡¯s our duty to look after Senshall¡¯s interests, and Varsin has invested a great deal of money into this venture. There¡¯s no sense in leaving things to chance. Ellerie won¡¯t talk to me about it, but perhaps she¡¯ll talk to you. Or, if you happen to overhear something¡­¡± Marco trailed off, giving her a pointed look. How much did he know about her abilities? Renny had certainly had to tell Varsin something in order to get Razai included in the trip, but Renny didn¡¯t know everything. ¡°I don¡¯t work for you,¡± Razai said. ¡°Or Varsin, for that matter. I work for Renny.¡± ¡°And how will she feel if the expedition fails and she loses her money, and the elf disappears with the secrets? We¡¯ll give them their chance, but if they don¡¯t succeed, then Senshall needs to be able to take over the search so we can recover our losses. Don¡¯t forget, you and I have something riding on this too.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. He had a point. The contract was missing a lot of details about what would happen if the expedition was unsuccessful. Razai was under the impression that the negotiations had been rushed, with Varsin not wanting to risk the group seeking out a different trading house for a better deal. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she said. ¡°How about this? If we fail to find Tir Yadar, then I¡¯ll torture the elf until she gives us everything she knows about the location. Will that do?¡± Razai drew one of her heavy knives and trimmed a fingernail which had grown too long and was starting to curve into the shape of a claw. She looked up at Marco expectantly. His mouth gaped open. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll ask her politely first, before the torture. But for now, I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡± She nudged Marco out of her cabin and closed the door in his face. Returning to what she¡¯d been doing before the interruption, she unfurled the spare hammock she¡¯d borrowed from Captain Valen and strung it above her cot, on the hooks that were already bolted into the wall for that purpose. She preferred hammocks on board a ship. She¡¯d rather not fall out of bed if the weather grew rough. Life on the Peregrine wasn¡¯t bad. They¡¯d be at sea for another three weeks, and she was getting paid good wages for doing nothing at all. It was a welcome break after the constant stress of watching for threats against Renny or the seaborn diving crews. Best of all, Vatarxis hadn¡¯t sent Tifwa across the barrier to gloat about Razai ending up exactly where he¡¯d wanted her all along. Even Corec was leaving her alone¡ªthough that could be because he had the worst case of seasickness she¡¯d ever seen. The others in the group were giving her a wide berth, apparently unsure whether to count her as one of them. Razai¡¯s real work would start once the ship reached land, but until then, her only worry was boredom. She could only play so many games of dice each day. She¡¯d just stretched out in the hammock when Leena returned to the cabin. Razai¡¯s roommate was a polite but enigmatic woman, obviously hiding something about her past. That was fine; it gave Razai a mystery to ponder when she didn¡¯t have anything better to do. ¡°You¡¯re back earlier than usual today,¡± she said. ¡°Ellerie came to talk to me, and stayed to help with the dishes.¡± Ellerie had helped clean up? Razai had barely spoken to the nilvasta woman, but she¡¯d gotten the impression she came from a well-off family. Washing dishes didn¡¯t match the image of the elf that Razai had in her head. ¡°I can help, too,¡± she said, suddenly feeling guilty for doing nothing while her roommate worked. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to see my cooking, but I can help wash up.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary,¡± the other woman said. ¡°She says, starting tomorrow, I will have help. She¡¯s sending the boy. Nedley? She also says that once we reach land, I¡¯ll only need to prepare two meals each day, and everyone will do their own washing. We¡¯ll eat trail rations for the midday meal rather than cooking.¡± Razai nodded. ¡°What did she want to talk about?¡± ¡°She asked how I was doing, and why I came on this trip.¡± ¡°Why did you come?¡± Razai asked. ¡°I¡¯ve known plenty of camp cooks, and you¡¯re no camp cook.¡± The meals Leena made were fine, particularly her Sanvari dishes, but everything she prepared was too complicated and time-consuming for feeding a large group of people in a limited amount of time. If they¡¯d been on the road rather than on a ship, they¡¯d be losing hours of traveling time each day. ¡°I¡¯ll learn.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re a baker. Wouldn¡¯t you have gotten better pay by staying in Tyrsall and working at a bakery?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go to Cordaea.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Leena hesitated for a moment before kneeling down and sliding her pack out from underneath her cot. Digging around inside it, she fished out a sheathed knife and handed it to Razai. A symbol of a snake had been etched into the handle. Razai drew the blade, but there was nothing unusual about it. It was just a normal, single-edged knife, somewhat longer than a belt knife. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the men who carry these,¡± Leena said. ¡°They were in Sanvar some months ago, but my people weren¡¯t able to find them. I think they may have sailed to Cordaea. Do you recognize it?¡± ¡°The blade¡¯s cheap,¡± Razai said. ¡°The hilt probably cost more, particularly with that etching on it. It looks like a weapon, but why did they make the hilt out of metal? It gives you a lousy grip for fighting, especially if you get blood on it. The blade¡¯s too long to be a belt knife and too sturdy to be a cooking knife, but it¡¯s thin enough to fit between gaps in plate armor. It¡¯s probably a second weapon¡ªeven for a knife fight, I¡¯d want a heavier blade than this.¡± ¡°Some had other weapons when they attacked our camp, but they all had these. My people aren¡¯t warriors. We weren¡¯t ready.¡± ¡°These men attacked your people, and now you¡¯re hunting them?¡± Leena nodded. Razai didn¡¯t like the look she saw in the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you tell Ellerie?¡± ¡°No. If she knew I planned to leave soon, she wouldn¡¯t allow me to come with them, and I can¡¯t afford to travel this far on my own. Please don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°So, as soon as you find these men, you¡¯re going to leave¡­and then what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for something. A way to stop them. I¡¯ll know when I find it.¡± ¡°Find what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but the magic sent me here, to this ship. I¡¯m supposed to go to Cordaea.¡± ¡°Magic? What magic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Traveler, but I never completed my training. I apprenticed to a baker instead.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what a Traveler is, but I can¡¯t let you just go after these men on your own. You don¡¯t even carry a weapon!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t look for them until I know how to fight them. There¡¯s someone in Tyrsall who can teach me, but I¡¯m supposed to go to Cordaea first. There must be something I¡¯m supposed to do there, or maybe that¡¯s where they went when they left Sanvar. All I know is that this is where I¡¯m supposed to be.¡± Hells of my fathers, Razai thought. She¡¯s even more naive than Renny. At least when Renny had needed to track down a group of armed men, she¡¯d sent the constabulary rather than go after them herself. ¡°I won¡¯t tell the others as long as you promise you won¡¯t leave the group without talking to me first, all right?¡± Razai said. ¡°I know my way around a fight.¡± ¡°I may have to leave quickly. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do in Cordaea.¡± ¡°Just talk to me first. And tell me, what¡¯s a Traveler?¡± # ¡°Feeling better today?¡± Katrin asked, looking up at Corec who was standing over her. She was sitting on the main deck, resting her back against the railing. She¡¯d checked in on him several times each day, but this was the first time he¡¯d come up on deck without being coaxed. ¡°I was able to eat something without Treya healing me,¡± he replied. ¡°She¡¯s doing better too.¡± ¡°Join me,¡± she said, patting the deck next to her. ¡°Are you sure those posts are sturdy enough to lean against?¡± She laughed. ¡°They¡¯re here to keep anyone from going over the edge, but if they break and we fall overboard, I¡¯m sure Captain Valen will toss a rope down for us.¡± Corec grimaced, apparently still not in a joking mood, but he sat with her anyway. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± ¡°Trying to stay out of the crew¡¯s way, mostly. Ellerie and Boktar are usually in the captain¡¯s stateroom. Bobo will be with them or in his cabin. Shavala and Sarette are in their cabins right now, but they¡¯ll spend part of the day halfway up the mizzenmast. They¡¯re crazy, but there¡¯s not much else to do. I sang for the sailors last night.¡± ¡°I heard you from below, but I was too dizzy to come up. I listened, though.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°So, how was it being Treya¡¯s roommate the last few days?¡± ¡°Heh. Why¡¯d you switch cabins?¡± ¡°I figured you two were going to be in a bad mood anyway, but that didn¡¯t mean Shavala and I had to suffer.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I think my mood was worse than hers.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re a big grump when you¡¯re sick. Did you two talk much?¡± ¡°Some. Why?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s going to live with us, you should get to know her better. You¡¯ve asked her to help, but you haven¡¯t really spent a lot of time with her.¡± ¡°Live with us? Why would she do that?¡± ¡°Once we figure out wherever we¡¯re settling down.¡± ¡°I assumed she¡¯d stay at whatever Three Orders chapter house was closest.¡± Katrin shrugged. ¡°Maybe, but she wants to help you with your plan¡ªwhatever that plan is. It¡¯s easier to do that if she¡¯s nearby.¡± So far, other than Treya¡¯s healing magic, the plan was vague. Corec and Treya both liked the idea of helping people, but nobody was sure how to make that happen. Corec expected to spend most of his time working just to support them, and Katrin planned to do the same. Corec nodded but frowned. ¡°I suppose we need rooms for Shavala and Sarette too, for when they visit. That¡¯s going to be a bigger place than I was thinking.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget Bobo,¡± Katrin said with a grin. Corec grunted. ¡°Bobo can have my old room at Mama Wenna¡¯s boarding house.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re still thinking of Four Roads?¡± Katrin asked. That wasn¡¯t much of a surprise¡ªCorec and Treya both considered Four Roads to be home, and Shavala liked the idea because the town was near the Terril Forest. ¡°Yes, but not right away. It¡¯s too close to Larso. I can¡¯t go there while Prince Rusol is still trying to kill me. What if the red-eyes attack the town, like they did to Jol¡¯s Brook?¡± ¡°Treya can stop them again.¡± ¡°Not until she knows they¡¯re there. How much damage could they do in the meantime?¡± Katrin nodded. She¡¯d been thinking about that too. ¡°What if we lived outside Four Roads? On the Larso side, so the red-eyes wouldn¡¯t need to go through the town to reach us?¡± Corec gave her an odd look. ¡°You want to draw them to us on purpose?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said with a shiver. She thought about the children she¡¯d sung to, who¡¯d lost half of their friends in the attack. ¡°I just don¡¯t want another Jol¡¯s Brook. And Treya could heal them so they wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone else, like she did for Nedley and the others.¡± Corec looked off into the distance, considering. ¡°You might be right. If we stay that close to Larso, it might keep the red-eyes from attacking any other villages. But it also means Rusol could send the army or the knights after us. We can¡¯t fight them all. We need to know more.¡± Katrin slumped. ¡°I know, but I¡¯m getting tired of traveling and looking over our shoulders all the time. I was hoping we could stop after this. Sailing is just making Shavala want to travel even more, but she says she doesn¡¯t mind if you and I take a break from it. She plans to come with us if we go to Four Roads, but then she wants to continue on to Terevas, and then visit those other elves Yelena told her about.¡± Corec chuckled. ¡°I wonder if she¡¯ll ever actually go back to the forest. Are you sure you don¡¯t mind living in the free lands? I know you prefer the city.¡± ¡°I do, but we¡¯re still planning to move to Tyrsall once Yelena leaves, right?¡± ¡°If everyone wants to, sure.¡± ¡°Then I can stand living in the country for a few years. I just want to live somewhere.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Book 3: Chapter Eleven ¡°It reminds me of Circle Bay or Valara,¡± Leena said, gazing at the whitewashed buildings surrounding the market square. ¡°I think settlers from Circle Bay built up Kitish after they drove the pirates out a hundred years ago,¡± Boktar said. Leena nodded. Kitish was one of the larger islands in this part of the Gilded Sea, and the only one with a deepwater port, making it a frequent stop for ships heading between Tyrsall and Nysa. There were other islands where ships could stop along the way, particularly for fresh water, but only if they anchored out at sea while sailors rowed a boat to shore. The convenience of having a real port at Kitish had resulted in a town that was entirely dependent on business from passing ships. Leena held up a head of cabbage and looked questioningly at Boktar. The dwarf nodded, so she piled several more on the counter, along with the squash, onions, and garlic they¡¯d already picked out. This early in the year, no local fruits or vegetables were available yet, so the only fresh produce came from farther south, where the growing season lasted longer. The selection was limited to crops that could travel long distances by ship without going bad, and everything was more expensive than Leena was accustomed to. ¡°Seventeen copper,¡± the seller said. Leena winced, but Boktar paid it without complaint. They loaded everything into the carry bags they¡¯d brought, then placed the bags in the two-wheeled, hand-drawn cart they¡¯d rented. The cart merchant seemed to do brisk business¡ªLeena had seen three more carts just like theirs. ¡°What else do we need?¡± Boktar asked, grabbing the handles. ¡°Most things are holding out, but I¡¯ve used up a lot of the flour already,¡± Leena admitted. She was teaching herself new northern dishes with help from the ship¡¯s cook and the recipe book she¡¯d bought, but to compensate for her shortcomings, she found herself falling back to baking time and time again, producing breads or pastries for most meals. That would have to stop soon. Peregrine had an oven, but once they reached land, baking over a campfire would be too time-consuming. She¡¯d need to improve her other cooking before then. That is, if she was even supposed to stay with the group after they reached Cordaea. Her Seeking hadn¡¯t told her anything useful since the ship had left Tyrsall. ¡°Flour will be expensive here. Can you hold out until Nysa?¡± ¡°I¡­yes. I¡¯ll make it last.¡± ¡°What about those dried hot peppers?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think your friends would like them,¡± she said. The dwarf nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll just get enough for you and me. And I bet Shavala would try them.¡± ¡°We should buy eggs too. The cook will sell me a few cockerels for roasting, but all the eggs go to the crew.¡± She¡¯d been surprised to discover that the ship¡¯s crew kept chickens and pigs on board, though the pigs were treated more like pets than food. ¡°Eggs and peppers. Anything else?¡± ¡°Do you know how to butcher a goat?¡± she asked. She could slaughter a chicken, but she¡¯d never learned anything larger. Boktar raised his bushy eyebrows. ¡°A goat?¡± ¡°There are only so many things I can make with salted pork or dried beef. Fresh meat would be good.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find a butcher here on the island, and get something fresh for tonight. We¡¯ll wait to do our own butchering until we¡¯re back on land. Shavala hunts rabbits for us, or sometimes deer if we think we can use it up or sell the rest before it goes bad, but you¡¯ll want to keep things simple when we¡¯re on the road¡ªroasting it over a fire or adding it to a stew.¡± Leena nodded. It wasn¡¯t the first time Boktar had hinted that he knew she wasn¡¯t really a camp cook. He¡¯d hired her because she¡¯d been the only person to inquire about the job. ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± she said. She still had no idea what she was supposed to be doing here. Her best guess was that she needed to be in Cordaea and this ship was the easiest way, but why had the Seeking provided her with a job rather than a route? Becoming a cook certainly wasn¡¯t going to help her avenge her parents. Should she give up and Travel back to Tyrsall? It was outside her Seeking range, but she¡¯d Traveled farther before, and if she was ever going to master her skills, she had to stop depending on Seeking as an aid. The ship had reached Kitish in twelve days, a day and a half earlier than expected. Was twelve days too long for her to remember Tyrsall¡¯s signature and get back there? Would she end up in the ocean again? Or what if she did make it back, and her Seeking told her to get on another ship headed to Cordaea? Leena sighed. She¡¯d come this far¡ªshe might as well see it through. Things could have been worse. The job was a lot of work, but no worse than the bakery, and Ellerie, the elven woman who seemed to be in charge, had come through on her promise. After every meal, Nedley now stayed behind to help wash up. Officially, the young man was employed as the expedition¡¯s groom, but since they wouldn¡¯t be buying horses until they reached Nysa, he had nothing else to do on board the ship. Ellerie herself had sought Leena out a few more times for brief, awkward conversations. The silver elf was exotically attractive, but Leena just couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to her. It was easier to speak to Boktar. As the group¡¯s quartermaster, he was in charge of buying the food and supplies she needed for her duties, and he limited their conversations to business. He seemed to sense her reticence in talking about herself. Leena¡¯s demonborn roommate was the only person around who knew about her past, or at least part of it. Leena had never spent much time around demonborn before, and Razai reminded her of a pit viper, waiting patiently until it was time to strike. She was friendly enough, but in an intense and vaguely frightening sort of way, and Leena hadn¡¯t felt comfortable outright lying to her. She didn¡¯t want to draw the woman¡¯s ire. The others were polite, but Leena hadn¡¯t made any effort to get to know them. What was the point, if her Seeking was going to send her in a different direction as soon as they arrived in Nysa? She felt guilty about lying to them, but they could always hire another cook¡ªprobably someone better suited for the task. That was at least a week and a half away, though. For now, the job would provide her with free passage across the sea. Once they arrived, she¡¯d try Seeking again so she could figure out what to do next. # Melithar was startled out of sleep when a resounding boom rattled the Glass Palace, reverberating from the inner windows in the Stone Wall out to the Glass Wall and back again. He rolled out of bed and ran for the door, not bothering to find a shirt or shoes. As he sprinted down the corridor in the ambassadorial wing, various residents and visiting dignitaries poked their heads out of their rooms. He almost ran headlong into the Chondoran ambassador, dodging around the man and ignoring his shouted questions. A few turns later, Melithar reached his destination. Four sentinels still stood armed and ready at the high arch leading through the Heart Wall into the inner palace. The two men in front carried tower shields, which they¡¯d braced on the floor in front of them, and they¡¯d drawn their arming swords in preparation for an attack. The men behind them carried halberds which were long enough to reach around the shields from the rear position. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Good. The barrier sentinels had kept to their post, waiting while the other squads searched for the source of the commotion. Melithar had a good idea where it was coming from. He¡¯d heard it before. The sentinels recognized him just as another boom sounded. They nudged their shields apart enough for him to run through the gap, then closed it again behind him. He stopped at Princess Vilisa¡¯s quarters first, but they were empty, showing signs of a struggle. One of the sentinels assigned to Vilisa¡¯s night guard lay dead in front of the door, his eyes staring glassily up at the ceiling. Melithar turned and dashed in the direction of Queen Revana¡¯s chambers. If his daughter¡¯s personal guards had been killed, he wasn¡¯t sure he could stop what was happening. He passed a squad of sentinels headed in the opposite direction. ¡°With me!¡± he shouted. They turned and followed. The sentinels might not know his name¡ªor at least not his real name¡ªbut they knew he was one of Her Exalted Majesty¡¯s advisors. Halfway between Vilisa¡¯s quarters and Revana¡¯s, Melithar slipped on something wet. He fell and slid across a sheet of blood, slamming into a wall. The sentinels helped him to his feet, and he tried to piece together what had happened. Blood was splattered from the floor to the walls for thirty feet around, and even up to the high ceiling. He turned his gaze away from the small bits of flesh and bone mixed in with the mess. Vilisa¡¯s second night guard lay to one side, and near him were the bodies of two men dressed in all black. Idiots, Melithar thought to himself. Idiots or amateurs. Black was fine for sneaking around outside, but once they¡¯d made it into the palace, the intruders should have switched to the uniforms worn by the servants or the sentinels if they didn¡¯t want to attract attention. No matter¡ªat least it would make his job easier. ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°To the queen¡¯s chambers.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± one of the sentinels exclaimed. ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡± He¡¯d been checking the night guard¡¯s body. ¡°One of you stay with him and one of you go look for a healer,¡± Melithar said. ¡°The rest of you, come with me.¡± He could spare two of them. They wouldn¡¯t be able to help with what was happening anyway. Another squad plus Revana¡¯s two night guards were gathered at the queen¡¯s door, staring inside, but they hadn¡¯t gone in themselves. Or someone had ordered them out. ¡°Let me through!¡± Melithar said, pushing his way past them. Like the corridor outside, the sitting room was bathed in blood and body parts. Vilisa stood at the center of the room, blood coating her face and nightgown as she stared down coldly at two men kneeling before her, both dressed in black. Their arms were bound behind their backs with a glowing golden light. Their ankles were bound and their mouths gagged in the same way. Smart girl, Melithar thought. If they were wizards, she¡¯d neutralized their ability to cast spells. A gag wouldn¡¯t stop other mages, though. He¡¯d have to have a talk with her about that. On the other side of the sitting room, Queen Revana stood at the door to her bedchamber, clutching at the doorframe for support. It was difficult for her to walk so she rarely left her bed these days, but no one could have ignored what was happening in her sitting room. Her own dressing gown was clear of blood, so she couldn¡¯t have been there for long. Vilisa had been muttering under her breath when Melithar entered the room. Before he could stop her, there was another boom, and one of the kneeling men exploded outward in a shower of blood and tiny pieces. The sound was far louder than could be accounted for by the body itself, and must have had something to do with how the spell worked. Melithar got his hands up in front of his face to block the worst of the blood spray, but Revana was splattered with it. She spit, then rubbed her eyes, grimacing with distaste. Vilisa turned to the last man and started whispering again. ¡°Exalted, wait!¡± Melithar shouted at her. She turned, a snarl on her face, but then recognized him. ¡°Ambassador,¡± she said, ice in her voice. ¡°Can we deal with your interruption later?¡± She had no idea he was her father, but she was normally polite to him, or at least civil. ¡°We need to question him, Exalted. Remember? Like we talked about last time?¡± She stared at him expressionlessly for a moment before the spell¡¯s hold over her loosened. ¡°Fine. Question him.¡± ¡°The gag?¡± he reminded her. ¡°And your mother needs your help.¡± Vilisa waved her hand and the band of light gagging the man¡¯s mouth dissolved. She turned away and gave Revana her arm, leading her to a chair away from the blood. Melithar stood in front of the last intruder. ¡°Answer my questions truthfully if you want to live. If you lie, I¡¯ll give you back to Her Exalted Highness. Understand?¡± The man¡¯s eyes were wide at the sight of all the blood, but he didn¡¯t respond. Melithar sighed. ¡°Are you certain you don¡¯t want to save your life?¡± The intruder just glared at him. ¡°Shall I try?¡± The voice belonged to Eloina, the priestess assigned to the palace. She was tall for an elven woman. She carried the ceremonial staff of her position, and had taken the time to dress in the purple and white robes favored by the local order of Irisis. Melithar had never seen her less than perfectly prepared. ¡°There¡¯s an injured sentinel that needs help,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m no healer,¡± Eloina said briskly. ¡°There are others on the way.¡± She laid a glowing hand on the intruder¡¯s head. He tried to cringe away but his bonds didn¡¯t allow him to move far. ¡°Ask him your questions,¡± she told Melithar. ¡°How many of you are there?¡± The man struggled, trying not to speak, but he couldn¡¯t resist the priestess¡¯s truth spell. ¡°S-s-six.¡± If that was true, then this was the only one left. ¡°You¡¯re nilvasta. So was that one.¡± Melithar pointed to what was left. ¡°What about the others?¡± The man glared but nodded. ¡°How did you get in?¡± ¡°W-w-wizard with a phasing spell.¡± Melithar gave the sentinels a curt nod. Half of them scattered to search all the palace walls, to make sure they¡¯d phased solid again. ¡°Did this wizard come with you?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°A man or a woman?¡± ¡°A woman.¡± ¡°Was she the one who hired you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then who did?¡± ¡°A m-m-man. I don¡¯t know his name.¡± ¡°You expect me to believe that? I told you what would happen if you lied.¡± The intruder didn¡¯t reply. Melithar hadn¡¯t asked a question, so the spell didn¡¯t force him to speak. ¡°If you don¡¯t know who he is, why are you working for him?¡± ¡°I was p-p-paid.¡± ¡°Did he come with you tonight?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°A stranger hired you and your friends, and you never bothered to learn who he was before doing his bidding?¡± Melithar rolled his eyes. Were all the decent assassins busy somewhere else, or did this particular employer not know how to find them? Perhaps he just wanted everyone to think he didn¡¯t have access to real assassins? And if that was the case, had he wanted the attack to succeed or fail? ¡°I didn¡¯t know them,¡± the man said. ¡°I never met them or the wizard until tonight.¡± Apparently the truth spell had forced the fellow to respond to the first part of Melithar¡¯s statement, rather than to the actual question. ¡°Enough,¡± Eloina said, stepping back as the glow faded from her hand. She took a deep breath and looked around the room. Frowning at the blood-stained furniture, she leaned against her staff for support. ¡°I need descriptions,¡± Melithar told her. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until I can rest.¡± ¡°Can I kill him now?¡± Vilisa asked, rejoining them. Melithar shivered at the dispassionate look on his daughter¡¯s face. It was just like the last time she¡¯d cast the spell. It seemed to affect her somehow. The intruder glared at them defiantly. ¡°No, Exalted,¡± Melithar said. ¡°He may still be useful. Have the sentinels take him to the dungeon.¡± She scowled, but finally acquiesced. Melithar had been accompanying Vilisa to High Council meetings for months now, and Revana had convinced her to take his advice, but she still got touchy when he tried to tell her what to do. When she stepped away, Melithar turned to the queen. ¡°Exalted, who is responsible for maintaining the wards on the palace walls?¡± ¡°Jorel will know.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Eloina said. ¡°It¡¯s one of my own priests.¡± Melithar nodded. ¡°Find him and wake him up. We need to learn whether the wards were breached or if he failed to renew them. Or if he was paid to sabotage them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t presume to give orders in my own chambers,¡± the queen said harshly. ¡°I apologize, Your Exalted Majesty,¡± Melithar said with a courtly bow. ¡°My concern for your safety caused me to overstep my bounds.¡± He waited, staring at her pointedly. Revana sighed, but there was a hint of her old smile, the one he¡¯d been so enchanted with when they were younger. She nodded to Eloina, who turned and left without another word. The queen turned back to Melithar. ¡°Go find the servants to clean this mess up.¡± ¡°Exalted, I recommend leaving it as it is until morning. Parade the High Councilors through here to see the results firsthand. Last time, you just described it. Obviously that wasn¡¯t sufficient to deter them. It¡¯s even better that this happened in your own chambers. The councilors know the last attack was on Vilisa. Let them believe that you¡¯re still fully capable of defending yourself. The sentinels will back your story.¡± ¡°I am still fully capable of defending myself. But fine, have the servants prepare another room for me.¡± Melithar bowed, but before leaving, he said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have given her your spell book.¡± He spoke quietly, not wanting the sentinels to haul him away for his tone. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think you can tell me what to do,¡± Revana said coldly but just as quietly. ¡°She needed the tools to protect herself, especially with Ellerie gone. She must produce an heir.¡± ¡°There are other ways she can protect herself,¡± he replied. Last time, the spell had only affected Vilisa¡¯s personality for a short while, but Melithar couldn¡¯t escape the feeling that his daughter was becoming more and more like her mother. Book 3: Chapter Twelve Corec stood on the quarterdeck, staring out at the horizon. To the south, three smudges of land indicated the tail end of the Kitish island chain the ship had been following for the past few days. Once they were past the islands, it would only take another week to reach the port of Nysa if the weather grew favorable again. At the moment, though, the wind had died down to nothing, and the crew was attempting to keep the ship in place so it didn¡¯t drift off course. Corec breathed in deeply. It had been ten days since the last of his nausea had faded away, and even the smell no longer bothered him¡ªout on the open ocean, it didn¡¯t seem nearly as bad as he remembered. Perhaps it was the smell of the docks that he disliked, rather than the smell of the sea. A voice suddenly spoke. ¡°So, what¡¯s this Tir Yadar place, anyway?¡± Startled, he turned to see Razai standing next to him. He hadn¡¯t heard her come up. They¡¯d been on the ship for two and a half weeks, and it was the first time she¡¯d approached him to talk. ¡°It¡¯s an ancient city, or probably the remains of one,¡± he said. She sighed, her gazing flickering upward in annoyance. ¡°I got that much from Renny.¡± ¡°Sorry. Ellerie and Bobo know more, but I gather it¡¯s supposed to be the center of the Ancients¡¯ civilization. Or Bobo calls them the first peoples. They¡¯re the ones who first learned how to use magic, so we think they¡¯re also the ones who created the wardens. We might be able to find a way to undo the binding spell.¡± Razai smirked. ¡°Looking for treasure and getting rid of you? This job might not be so bad after all. Something tells me you didn¡¯t mention the bit about wardens to Varsin Senshall.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not part of our deal with him. Everything we told Varsin was true, and Ellerie was planning to make this trip anyway; there¡¯s just more of us coming along than there would have been otherwise.¡± ¡°But the place is supposed to be thousands of years old, right?¡± ¡°Something like that. Ellerie would know better than me.¡± ¡°Then there can¡¯t be much left. What makes you think you¡¯ll find anything about wardens there?¡± ¡°We probably won¡¯t, but we¡¯ve got to try,¡± Corec said with a shrug. ¡°There¡¯s another, more likely option. One of the wardens¡ªthey call her Three¡ªknows how to end the binding spell. She might be in Cordaea, but I have no idea how to find her. Do you know who she is?¡± ¡°No, and I don¡¯t know where she is either. I don¡¯t know as much about wardens as you seem to think I do.¡± ¡°But you knew I was one,¡± Corec pointed out. ¡°You said your employer was curious about me. Is that why?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t give me a reason,¡± Razai said. Was she telling the truth? How could he trust her? ¡°You were spying in Telfort too,¡± he said. ¡°Was it really only because of Prince Rikard¡¯s death?¡± Suddenly, the pieces started to make sense. ¡°Rusol¡¯s a warden, isn¡¯t he? Is that why he¡¯s trying to kill me?¡± ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t even know he was trying to kill you, much less why.¡± What she¡¯d left unsaid was more important than what she¡¯d said¡ªshe hadn¡¯t denied that Rusol was a warden. Yelena had been worried the wardens might come into conflict if they intruded on each other¡¯s territory, but Corec had been away from Larso for years. If he¡¯d intruded on anyone¡¯s territory, it was Yelena¡¯s, and she hadn¡¯t attempted to kill him. Rusol being a warden raised more questions than it answered, but it couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. It didn¡¯t explain why he¡¯d attacked Corec and his friends, but maybe it was the beginnings of a reason. ¡°I wish you¡¯d tell me what you know,¡± Corec said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to tell. You know as much as I do.¡± A shout came from the crow¡¯s nest. ¡°Ships starboard!¡± When they¡¯d encountered ships in the past, the crew hadn¡¯t shown much interest, but this time, everyone tried to get a look. Corec peered south, toward the islands, but couldn¡¯t see anything yet. Captain Valen came out onto the quarterdeck from his stateroom and aimed a spyglass in the same direction. Finally, he said, ¡°I see them.¡± ¡°See who?¡± Ellerie asked. She and Boktar had joined the group. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure yet, but it¡¯s best to be safe.¡± He raised his voice, shouting, ¡°All hands, weapons out!¡± The master officer repeated the call, and sailors rushed back and forth, clearing the deck. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Those islands are the Lower Kitish,¡± Valen said. ¡°Pirates are active around here. The trading houses usually send their ships east from Kitish to Cordaea, and then travel down the coast, but that adds a week or more to the journey. Peregrine sails straight through because the smaller pirate ships aren¡¯t a threat and she can outrun the larger ones, but she can¡¯t do that without a wind.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no wind, doesn¡¯t that mean the pirates won¡¯t be able to reach us?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Those ships are galleys. They¡¯ve got oars. We¡¯ll have to fight. You had a sword when we first met¡ªyou know how to use it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go get it.¡± Corec had to dodge the sailors who were still scrambling around, preparing the ship for an attack. In his cabin, he slipped his chain shirt on over his head and strapped the sword harness to his back. He left his plate armor behind, not wanting to think about what would happen if he fell overboard while wearing it. At least with his mail, he could probably pull it off before he drowned. On his way back up, he ran into Boktar and Sarette. Like Corec, Boktar had stuck to just his chainmail. Sarette had left her own mail behind, but was awkwardly buckling her heavy, padded overcoat with one hand while carrying her staff-spear in the other. Topside, the deck had been cleared and men were wheeling small catapults into place along both sides of the ship, aiming outward. When they had them where they wanted, they used short lengths of rope to secure the weapons tightly to the railing, keeping them from rolling around on the deck. A few men were stringing bows. ¡°Catapult crews, alternate iron and pitch!¡± the captain shouted. ¡°Get those ballistae up! Archers, don¡¯t light your arrows until my mark!¡± Ballistae? Corec blinked in surprise and looked around. Above and to the rear of the quarterdeck, on the small deck above the captain¡¯s stateroom, two men were assembling a huge mounted crossbow. Like the catapults, it was smaller than the ballistae Corec had trained on during his time with the knights, but it also seemed to be more maneuverable¡ªas he watched, the sailors swiveled it around to test its movement. Another ballista was being pieced together on the forecastle deck at the front of the ship. To the south, three boats had closed in close enough to make out their shapes, their bows aimed toward the Peregrine. Corec, Boktar, and Sarette joined Ellerie, who¡¯d found time to strap her sword belt on, and Razai, who¡¯d never stopped carrying her knives around. Valen gave the armed group an approving nod, but looked worried. ¡°Can you stop them?¡± Ellerie asked him. ¡°They¡¯ve got rams,¡± he replied, looking through his spyglass again. ¡°They¡¯ll try to board. Their ships would normally be no match for Peregrine, but we¡¯re dead in the water, and they¡¯ve got a lot more men. They took their sails down, so it¡¯ll be harder to light their boats on fire.¡± Corec looked up at the sails hanging limply above his head. ¡°What about ours?¡± ¡°No time to furl them, and if the wind comes back up, they¡¯ll be our best weapon. I guess we¡¯ll find out if the fire-protection wards that Senshall¡¯s been paying for are any good.¡± Everyone waited and watched, but there was nothing Corec could do to help while the pirate ships were so far away. He¡¯d learned how to use crossbows during his time training with the Knights of Pallisur, but he didn¡¯t have one with him, and the catapults and ballistae were already manned by others who likely had more experience. The ships drew closer. They were long and narrow, with rows of oars dipping into the water on each side, moving in unison. ¡°Are you certain they¡¯re pirates?¡± Ellerie asked the captain. ¡°Yes¡ªcan¡¯t you see they¡¯re not flying any colors? They¡¯re heading straight at us!¡± The elven woman nodded, then muttered under her breath and held her hand out, aiming at the ship in the lead. A beam of white light burst from her fingers and struck the hull. Corec couldn¡¯t see any damage at this distance, but a muttering of mixed fear and excitement spread through the sailors on the Peregrine. ¡°Bloody hell!¡± Captain Valen exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re a wizard?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He stared at her, then back at the pirate ships. ¡°Can you hit them below the water line?¡± ¡°The spell¡¯s designed to kill a person or cut through armor; it¡¯s not meant for thick wooden planking. I need to¡­¡± Ellerie trailed off, staring at her target. She started whispering again, the words indistinct. This time, the beam was bigger and brighter than Corec had ever seen it. It shot below the water line just before it reached the ship, hiding its impact, but Ellerie nodded curtly. ¡°That worked,¡± she said, putting one hand on the railing to steady herself. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She opened her eyes again and whispered the words to a spell. The beam hit again, just above the previous spot, and even stronger than before. The effect was visible this time, the wood splintering apart as the spell blew a two-foot hole in the hull just at the water line. Water poured in. Corec caught Ellerie in his arms as she collapsed. He passed her off to Boktar, who helped her sit down on the quarterdeck, leaning back against the outer wall of the captain¡¯s stateroom. Treya rushed over to check on her. The lead ship slowed down as it took on water, the oarsmen in the front half of the boat no longer rowing. Corec could hear the faint sounds of shouting coming from that direction. ¡°The oar deck is flooding,¡± Valen announced. ¡°The oarsmen are abandoning their posts.¡± But even if that ship dropped out of the fight, there were still two more. # Shavala strung her bow and chose a spot on the main deck where she wouldn¡¯t get in the crew¡¯s way, then watched the three ships through the spyglass she¡¯d borrowed from Sarette. The two galleys in the rear soon passed the one that had been hit by Ellerie¡¯s spells. Sarette left the quarterdeck and joined her, carrying her staff-spear and wearing her armored overcoat. ¡°They¡¯re saying we could get away from them if there was a wind,¡± the stormborn woman said. ¡°Should we try?¡± The two of them had been taking turns manipulating the weather from their perch on the mizzenmast, pushing more wind against the sails hanging from the mainmast and foremast. They¡¯d managed to trim a day or two from the trip, but they hadn¡¯t told anyone what they were doing because the sailors were superstitious about magic. The sailors still muttered about the wind¡¯s strange behavior, though¡ªfor a few hours each day, the wind changed directions in odd ways and hit the sails on the mainmast harder than the other masts. When the wind died down that morning, Shavala and Sarette had stopped their attempts, not wanting to frighten the crew. It would have been too obvious that something unnatural was happening. Was it worth trying now, if it meant avoiding a fight? Shavala glanced through the spyglass again, attempting to measure how fast the galleys were coming. She shook her head. ¡°Just the two of us wouldn¡¯t be enough,¡± she said. ¡°We can¡¯t move the ship very fast on our own.¡± Sarette frowned and looked up. ¡°I wish there was a storm. I¡¯m not strong enough to do much without one.¡± The sky was completely clear, a pure blue that seemed to go on forever. Just then, the captain shouted from the quarterdeck. ¡°Starboard, weapons alight!¡± The archers scattered around the ship were all kneeling and facing starboard already, toward the pirate galleys. Next to each was a pile of strange arrows, each with a thick wooden shaft and a bundle of cloth near the tip. On the captain¡¯s order, the archers each grabbed an arrow and lit the cloth bundle on fire, then nocked their bows. Half of the catapult crews on the starboard side took action too. They¡¯d loaded ceramic containers into the buckets, and now they removed the lids to those containers and lit the contents, a flickering flame dancing up from the opening. The other catapult crews had loaded heavy iron balls, and didn¡¯t appear to need any further preparation. ¡°Starboard, loose weapons!¡± the captain shouted. The archers launched their flaming arrows up into the air at a steep angle. The heavy arrows curved downward quickly, most not reaching the enemy boats. One struck the hull that Ellerie had damaged, but the flame went out before it hit. Another skittered across the deck of a ship. A pirate grabbed it and tossed it overboard before it could set anything alight. The catapults had better luck. A load of iron balls pounded a hole into the hull of the third ship, and one of the ceramic containers shattered across the deck of the second, spreading burning pitch. The men closest to the fire rushed over to put it out while the archers on the third pirate ship launched their own volley. These, too, were bulky fire arrows. The pirates had no better aim than the sailors on the Peregrine, but they had a lot more men. An arrow struck the main course sail¡ªthe lowest sail on the mainmast¡ªand got caught in the canvas. The arrow continued burning, but the fabric didn¡¯t catch fire. Then another arrow, its flame extinguished midair, hit one of the catapult men in the chest. He fell to the ground without a sound. His companion shouted for the ship¡¯s chirurgeon, but it was too late. Shavala set her bow to the side while the captain was calling out more orders to his men. Her regular arrows wouldn¡¯t have much effect on the battle, and she hadn¡¯t trained with the odd fire arrows. If the goal of the fight was to set the other boats on fire, she had a better way to do that. She concentrated on the hull and deck of the second ship, just behind the ram. She needed a bigger flame than she¡¯d ever summoned before, but she also had a huge wooden target ready to feed it. In the past, she¡¯d had to call it out of midair, feeding it only with the magic itself, but now, she just needed to teach it to feed itself. She¡¯d never tried to call flame at a distance before, but after her experience learning to control the lightning storm at Tir Navis, it seemed almost easy. Fire had always been more eager to come at her call than the other elements. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The fire started up just where she asked it to, spreading from the hull to the deck. It was small at first, but once she was comfortable controlling it, she let it grow. There were cries of alarm from the burning ship. Two pirates rolled a water barrel over to the flames and hacked it open with axes. As the water gushed out, Shavala called to it and forced it away from her fire. The water rose into the air in a column, drenching the two men before splashing over the side of the ship. She allowed the fire to engulf the bow of the ship, convincing it to grow steadily until the pirates gave up trying to put it out, but not letting it grow so quickly it would kill everyone on board. With that ship under control, she turned to the last one, which was still approaching. Soon, it too was burning. The pirates quickly abandoned the two ships, some fighting over the rowboats while others jumped into the sea and made their way to the vessel Ellerie had disabled. ¡°We got lucky,¡± Captain Valen announced from up on the quarterdeck. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a ship catch fire so quickly. Was it the archers or the catapult men that did that?¡± Shavala¡¯s friends looked her way, but she just nodded and shrugged. She¡¯d managed to end the fight without killing anyone¡ªor at least without killing too many of them. Surely not all of the pirates could swim, but it wasn¡¯t her responsibility to save everyone. She¡¯d done what she could. ¡°Should we help them?¡± Treya asked as one man after another leapt into the water in a panic. ¡°If they weren¡¯t pirates, we¡¯d be required to lend aid,¡± Valen said. ¡°But that first ship of theirs won¡¯t sink all the way. Galleys don¡¯t carry ballast, so the hull will keep floating¡ªenough for them to hang onto it, at least. Most of them will live, and make it back to the islands.¡± ¡°Most?¡± Treya said. Corec frowned. ¡°You¡¯re just letting them go?¡± he asked Valen. ¡°Pirates aren¡¯t worth capturing. Nobody will pay ransom for them, and we can¡¯t keep that many men under guard. Even if the wind picks up, the only place we could take them is back to their own islands, and the only authority there is the pirates themselves. Besides, this was just the home fleet. We don¡¯t want to be caught at anchor when their sail fleet returns. As soon as the wind picks up, we need to leave.¡± # Treya returned to her cabin, relieved to find it empty. She needed to meditate, and it was easier to do that without distractions. Once she and Corec had gotten over their seasickness, she¡¯d returned to sharing a room with Shavala, but the elven woman hadn¡¯t come below decks yet after the battle. Shavala wasn¡¯t a particularly distracting person, but it was still easier to concentrate when she wasn¡¯t around. Ellerie and Shavala had ended the fight with the pirates before it began, but Treya¡¯s body was still poised for battle, tense in anticipation of a conflict that never happened. Even her healing magic had been of little use. A sailor had been struck by an arrow, dying before she could reach him, but other than that, the crew had only suffered a single sprained wrist. Ellerie¡¯s drain shock had been minor enough to not require any healing. Treya hoped meditating and performing her exercises would help her regain her balance. She sat crosslegged in the middle of the floor, facing two empty wooden crates she¡¯d borrowed and stacked together. A bell would have been better, but the only bells on the ship were fixed in place, and she didn¡¯t want to do her exercises in full view of the sailors. The crates would have to do. Closing her eyes and leaning her head back, she gradually blanked out each of the worries and stresses of the battle, one after another. She quieted the physical sensations too¡ªthe feeling of her clothing, the deck below her, the slight sway of the ship. She slowed her heart beat, then followed the blood as it pulsed throughout her body, from her heart to her extremities and then back again, constantly renewing itself. Then she dove deeper, feeling the smaller bits that made up the blood¡ªthe bits that nobody had a name for because only a mystic could sense them. Her entire body tingled, every part vibrating in unison. Reaching out, she lightly touched her fingertip to the crate on top of the stack. It hurled violently away from her, slamming into the wall with a heavy crash. Treya came out of her meditation in shock. It had finally worked. ¡°You did it!¡± She twisted around to find Shavala standing at the door, watching. Treya hadn¡¯t heard the door open¡ªit was difficult to focus both inward and outward at the same time. ¡°I guess I did,¡± she replied. ¡°You¡¯ve been trying that one since the Storm Heights,¡± Shavala said. Treya looked back at the crates. ¡°Kelis and Shana said I needed to practice more, but I think there¡¯s more to it than what I just did. I had to touch it, but I don¡¯t think the touch is the important part.¡± It was always hard to describe her mystic exercises¡ªthere were no words for much of what she did. ¡°I need to keep trying.¡± ¡°Do you want me to leave?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m done for now. I¡¯m just going to stretch.¡± Shavala came into the cabin and sat on her cot. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving soon. The wind is starting to pick up. Captain Valen was right¡ªthe first ship only sank part of the way. A few of the pirates weren¡¯t strong enough swimmers to reach it, so he lowered the rowboat for them and sent them over to join their friends. They found enough of the oars that they¡¯re using it like a raft to go back to the islands.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who started the fires, right?¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that. Not that much, at least.¡± ¡°The fire arrows weren¡¯t working. It was easier than I thought it would be.¡± There was a knock on the cabin door. Treya rose to her feet and answered it, finding Corec on the other side. ¡°Ahh, good, you¡¯re both here,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got some news.¡± She stood aside to let him enter. ¡°News?¡± ¡°Razai told me Prince Rusol is a warden.¡± He paused and shrugged. ¡°She hinted at it, anyway.¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t say for certain?¡± Corec laughed. ¡°Have you ever tried talking to her? It¡¯s like trying to pull information from a stone. I get the impression she thinks of it like a game. Maybe if I don¡¯t annoy her too much, she¡¯ll say more.¡± ¡°Why would a warden attack us? Yelena didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, but Yelena was afraid of what might happen if the wardens came together¡ªnot because they¡¯re wardens, but because they¡¯re all mages and she doesn¡¯t know what the others want. She didn¡¯t want to risk a war breaking out. That¡¯s why she asked me not to stay in Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Then Prince Rusol is a mage, right?¡± Treya said. ¡°With other mages around him? His bondmates, I mean?¡± ¡°He must be.¡± ¡°How are we going to fight mages? The red-eyes were bad enough!¡± The red-eyes¡¯ fighting skills had been inhibited by whatever magic was used to control them, but in a way, that made them even worse. Rusol had thrown away dozens of lives in his failed attacks. ¡°If they¡¯re wizards, we can stop them from casting spells,¡± Corec said. ¡°We just have to interrupt them. That¡¯s what the knights told me, anyway.¡± ¡°You can do that to any mage,¡± Shavala said. ¡°It¡¯s just easier to know when a wizard is casting a spell.¡± ¡°You know how to fight mages?¡± Corec asked her, his eyebrows raised. ¡°Not much, but Meritia mentioned it a few times. A wizard once tried to kill her when she was on her travels. She fed him to the plants.¡± Corec opened his mouth to speak, but then he stopped and turned back to Shavala. ¡°Fed him to the plants?¡± he asked incredulously. ¡°Like what I did with the drake and the blackberry bush, but with more vines, and the wizard wasn¡¯t strong enough to break free. Meritia bound his mouth with roots to keep him from casting any spells. If she¡¯d let him go, he¡¯d have tried to kill her again, so she let the plants keep him.¡± Corec just stared at her. ¡°Can you do that?¡± Treya asked the elven woman. ¡°No, Meritia¡¯s always been better than me with plants. Maybe I could do it in the Terril Forest. It¡¯s easier with the¡­¡± Shavala hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s easier there. That would only stop a wizard, though. You¡¯d need to do something else for other mages.¡± Corec said, ¡°The knights say the best option is to surprise them before they can cast a spell, but it¡¯s dangerous if you don¡¯t know what they can do. Maybe Ellerie will have some ideas.¡± Treya shivered. Her mystic training hadn¡¯t covered how to fight against magic. ¡°So we need to learn about the mages with him?¡± ¡°Yes. I wonder if Rusol bonded the demon that¡¯s been creating the red-eyes for him. Does the warden bond work on demons?¡± ¡°It could be a demonborn,¡± Treya suggested. ¡°Bishop Lastal said that demonborn sometimes inherit the same abilities that demons have.¡± He¡¯d said the same thing about godborn. ¡°True,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Razai the next time she¡¯s feeling talkative. Rusol must have other bondmates, too, and he¡¯s got to be a mage himself. How has he managed to hide it for so long? Magic is illegal in Telfort. After we get back to Aravor, maybe I should sneak over the border and see what I can find out.¡± ¡°That seems more dangerous than waiting for them to come to us,¡± Treya pointed out. Corec wasn¡¯t any good at sneaking around. ¡°Yes, but if I manage to learn what they can do, it¡¯d be worth it.¡± ¡°Something about all of this feels wrong,¡± Treya said with a sigh. ¡°Maybe we should avoid the other wardens entirely. Yelena spies on everyone, Prince Rusol is trying to kill us, and from what you said, the First sounds like he¡¯s gone mad. What are the rest of them like? Do you really want to be one of them them?¡± ¡°We can decide for ourselves what we want to do. The wardens don¡¯t have any sort of real purpose, or at least they don¡¯t have a shared purpose. The First is crazy, but he claims he protects his people. Maybe he does. Yelena¡­after she suggested starting a civil war to get rid of Rusol, I don¡¯t know what to think about her. Still, people come to her for advice and for help. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s necessarily a bad person.¡± Treya nodded. ¡°What about us?¡± She and Corec, together with Katrin and Shavala, had talked several times about what they planned to do in the future, but they¡¯d carefully skirted around discussing what being a warden actually meant. ¡°For me, I¡¯d be happy to just live my life, and to help a few people along the way,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe someday, I¡¯ll take on a more official position, like Yelena, but not right now. What about you?¡± ¡°Shana says I need to figure out my own purpose. I like what we¡¯ve talked about before. A place where people can find me if they need healing. But I don¡¯t want to forget that I¡¯m a mystic first.¡± Corec said, ¡°Then let¡¯s stick with the plan, but whatever we decide to do, I need to deal with Rusol first¡ªunless we go so far away that he won¡¯t bother to follow us. Maybe that¡¯s in Cordaea.¡± ¡°Stay?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I can¡¯t stay in Cordaea. I have to return to Terrillia someday. I thought you were considering towns near the forest.¡± ¡°We are. I was just thinking out loud. Should we wait and see if Rusol gives up, or should we return as soon as we¡¯re done helping Ellerie? I guess we need to return if we¡¯re ever going to figure out what to do about him.¡± Treya said, ¡°Maybe Yelena will figure it out before we get back.¡± ¡°Oh, bloody hell,¡± Corec said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s a warden. I¡¯m going to go ask Captain Valen if he can take a letter back to her for me on his return trip. I hope she hasn¡¯t done anything to draw attention to herself.¡± Treya nodded. She¡¯d have to update the letter she was writing to Mother Ola as well. Corec left to find the captain, but Treya couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the conversation. Her talk with Priest Telkin about the different divine blessings had been enlightening, but since then, she¡¯d spent all of her time practicing her mystic abilities. If Rusol was a mage, and had other mages backing him, being a mystic wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡°Shavala,¡± she said, ¡°after the pirates, are you too tired to make a flame? A little one, like you use for lighting the campfire?¡± Shavala raised a finger and a tiny flame sprang from it. ¡°Why?¡± Treya closed her eyes and tried to construct one of the protection spells Telkin had described. In her mind, she felt something shift into place around her. It was weak and wavering, but it was there. ¡°Try to touch me with it,¡± she said. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Because if we¡¯re going to fight mages, we need to be able to protect ourselves from their magic.¡± ¡°But what if I burn you?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll heal myself.¡± # Corec walked hand-in-hand with Katrin through the streets of Nysa, taking in the unfamiliar sights and sounds. They¡¯d arrived the evening before, and he¡¯d gotten sick again briefly at the sudden transition back to a surface that didn¡¯t constantly sway and roll. He¡¯d been fine by morning, though, so the two of them had decided to take the time to explore before the group got together to plan. Nysa wasn¡¯t quite as big as Tyrsall, but Marco had claimed there were six hundred thousand people in the city, making it larger than Telfort. Bobo had been right, too¡ªvery few people spoke trade tongue or Eastern, and nobody spoke Western. The street vendors called out to the crowd in languages Corec had never heard before. Few people were carrying weapons out on the streets. Laborers scurried past, eyeing Corec¡¯s sword fearfully, but even the wealthy gave him plenty of space. The only people who didn¡¯t seem concerned were other armed men. It wasn¡¯t clear why everyone was so frightened; both Valen and Marco had said that Nysa was as peaceful as Tyrsall. Most buildings were constructed of yellow stone bricks, fitted together so tightly that no mortar was necessary. The bricks came in a variety of sizes, but were too regular in shape to be naturally occurring. Smaller buildings, such as homes, were often completely round, with high-sloped roofs that curved inward before coming up to an open point in the center, which appeared to be used as a chimney. Larger rectangular buildings often had rounded protuberances at each corner following the same style. A gray haze hung over the city, keeping the temperature chilly. It was raining out, but the rain was so light that it felt more like mist or fog. After they¡¯d been walking for an hour, Corec and Katrin came to a stop in front of a pen. ¡°I guess we¡¯ve found where to buy the horses,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I think these are for eating,¡± Corec replied. There were butchers¡¯ tools hanging in the window of a small shack off to the side of the yard. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. ¡°They eat horses here?¡± ¡°The hillfolk back home do, too. And others.¡± ¡°Yuck. Can we buy riding horses here?¡± She peered down the street, where more animal pens could be seen. ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t think we have enough time to look right now. We need to be getting back. Do you remember which way the Senshall building is?¡± ¡°That way to start with,¡± Katrin said, pointing at the street they¡¯d just come down. ¡°After that¡­umm, somewhere toward the ocean?¡± Corec laughed. ¡°I forgot we wouldn¡¯t be able to ask directions. Maybe I remember enough Stoneborn to ask one of the dwarves.¡± While dwarves weren¡¯t an uncommon sight in Tyrsall, they made up at least a third of the people Corec had encountered in Nysa so far. Strangely, there hadn¡¯t been any elves or seaborn at all outside the docks. He managed to say, ¡°Where is Senshall?¡± in Stoneborn to a dwarven merchant. The woman tried to give him directions, but when it became obvious he couldn¡¯t understand her, she simply pointed. He smiled and nodded his thanks. After a few wrong turns, they made it back to the harbor. From there, they remembered the way to the Senshall offices. As they walked, Corec glanced west across the ocean. Summer would arrive before the group returned to Tyrsall, which meant that he and Katrin would soon have known each other for a year. He¡¯d never have believed that back when he¡¯d first chased after her for the bounty. ¡°We should get married,¡± he said suddenly. ¡°Not here, but when we get back to Aravor.¡± Katrin burst out laughing. ¡°That¡¯s how you ask me to marry you?¡± Laughter wasn¡¯t the response he¡¯d expected. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I love you, Corec, but I swear, you¡¯ve got to be the least romantic man I¡¯ve ever met. Treya¡¯s got a book of love stories that Renny Senshall gave her before we left. It¡¯s good. You should read it and get some ideas.¡± ¡°Uhh, I¡¯ll think about it, but are you going to answer?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll marry you,¡± she said, still laughing. Then she hesitated. ¡°Not right away, though. Let¡¯s get settled first. What do you think of Shavala?¡± ¡°What?¡± Corec was confused by the sudden change in topic. ¡°She¡¯s a good friend. Why?¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I know you find her attractive. She thinks the same of you.¡± Corec shrugged. Neither of them had made a secret of that, but he wasn¡¯t sure it was wise to admit it out loud. They¡¯d been careful not to do anything that would hurt Katrin¡¯s feelings. Shavala just liked to tease him, knowing he couldn¡¯t react. Katrin continued, ¡°You should ask her about the elven custom of sharing. Tell her I said it¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°What¡¯s all right?¡± He looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Trust me,¡± she said innocently. By the time they reached the Senshall building, their friends had gathered together in a room that didn¡¯t have enough chairs for everyone. Corec stood out of the way, while Katrin worked her way through the crowd so she could whisper something in Shavala¡¯s ear. She gave the surprised woman a mischievous grin. Marco entered the room with a bearded man in rough brown clothing, who had a hand axe slung through a loop on the left side of his belt and a small pickaxe on the right side. ¡°Ellerie,¡± Marco said, ¡°this is Josip, who¡¯ll be our guide. He was Burton¡¯s first choice, and we were lucky to find him still in the city.¡± Ellerie nodded and greeted the man, then introduced everyone else. ¡°We might as well get started,¡± she said. She pointed to a large, stylized map painted on one of the walls, showing Senshall¡¯s caravan routes in Cordaea. ¡°First, we¡¯ll be heading east to Lato, a town that sits on the border between Nysar and Bancyra. I understand there¡¯s a good road, and the company¡¯s got a way station there?¡± Josip nodded. ¡°We do. It¡¯s a nine-day leg if the weather¡¯s favorable, though the next run to Lato is seven days out if you plan to wait for it. If you want wagons of your own to carry supplies, Senshall can spare two that aren¡¯t in use right now.¡± Marco frowned. ¡°Wagons are slow,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯d planned to take a string of pack mules. I don¡¯t see any reason to travel with the caravans.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°We¡¯d need twelve mules to haul two wagons anyway. If we take twelve mules without the wagons, and we¡¯re careful not to overload them, they can go as fast as the horses. We¡¯ll need to plan our route so we can resupply more often, but it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Marco said. ¡°It¡¯ll be cheaper and faster, at the cost of a little convenience.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re looking at five days out,¡± Josip said. ¡°We can overnight at the way station, but Senshall doesn¡¯t have a counting house there.¡± Marco gave Ellerie a look. ¡°I can¡¯t withdraw funds in Lato, and if I don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going next, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to withdraw funds there, either.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going next,¡± she said. ¡°There are three likely options based on what we¡¯ve learned so far. I¡¯d like to talk to Josip about them, and Bobo¡¯s going to check the library here to see if he can find any clues. Would you accompany him to translate?¡± Marco nodded. ¡°There are three possible sites where we might find Tir Yadar?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re looking for the beginning of the route, not the end. There are three likely locations to start at, but it¡¯s possible none of them will be the right one. If so, we¡¯ll need Josip¡¯s help to identify other choices. For now, just withdraw enough coin to get us started.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be cheap,¡± Boktar warned the factor. ¡°Thirteen horses, twelve mules. We brought our own camping gear, but we¡¯ll need as much food as we can carry without slowing us down.¡± Ellerie added, ¡°If we end up in a place where we need money and you can¡¯t get to any, we can put in enough to get by. You can pay us back when we return to Senshall territory.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to have a couple of crossbows on hand, just in case we need them,¡± Corec said. ¡°And Boktar and I need warhorses that aren¡¯t going to get spooked if we run into a fight.¡± ¡°Warhorses are too expensive,¡± Marco protested. ¡°You can sell them when we¡¯re done. You won¡¯t be out any money at all.¡± The man considered that, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll withdraw sixty gold, with the expectation that getting outfitted won¡¯t cost more than forty to forty-five. The remainder will be used for expenses until we need to make another withdrawal.¡± ¡°That should be enough,¡± Boktar said, ¡°unless prices here are wildly different than I¡¯m used to. We¡¯ll need two or three days to get everything in order. Corec will be helping me purchase the horses and mules. Ellerie may ask some of the rest of you to help her get all the food¡ªLeena and I worked up a full list while we were on the Peregrine. Oh, and Leena will need camping gear.¡± The cook wasn¡¯t in the room, but Ellerie nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that, since she and I will be working together.¡± Boktar said, ¡°Josip, Marco, if you need anything, be sure to let us know.¡± Ellerie and Boktar continued switching back and forth as they spoke, one of them taking charge, then standing to the side while the other seamlessly took over. It was the same way Corec and Ellerie had worked together in the Storm Heights. Had she simply substituted him for Boktar in her mind? Regardless of the reason, the two of them got along much better now than they had before, and Corec didn¡¯t mind someone else taking the lead for a while. It would give him time to watch how Boktar organized the expedition¡ªthose skills might come in handy in the future. Book 3: Chapter Thirteen Sarette blocked Corec¡¯s strike, then dashed away before he could close in. They were both wielding wooden staves for their sparring session, but if they¡¯d been using their normal weapons, her staff-spear didn¡¯t have a crossguard, and his sword blade could have slid along the shaft and hit her hand. She wore gloves made of a light chain mesh for protection, but she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to test them against a blade as heavy as the one Corec typically carried. ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°Do you want to grab your spear and practice taking down someone in heavy armor?¡± ¡°For armor with enough metal in it, I¡¯d normally just charge my weapon and shock them,¡± Sarette said, retrieving her staff-spear from where it stood leaning against the stable wall. Corec grabbed his helmet from a nearby bench and put it on. ¡°Let¡¯s wait on that until Treya gets here, and just focus on using the weapon by itself. They taught you how to use the hook on the back, right?¡± Including the blade, Sarette¡¯s staff-spear stood six and a half feet tall¡ªnearly a foot taller than she herself was. The blade was a foot and a half long, affixed to the side of the spear, with the last six inches tapering to a point beyond the end of the shaft. Opposite the blade was a hook that curved backward. ¡°Some,¡± she said. ¡°The High Guard practice with it, but the stormrunners don¡¯t use it much because we move around too quickly, and have other ways of dealing with armor.¡± He stood facing her, gripping his wooden staff as if it was a greatsword, his feet braced for an attack. ¡°If you¡¯re too tired to cast any more spells, how would you take me down?¡± Sarette looked him over, considering the question. Even with a fake weapon, Corec was imposing, especially with the helmet hiding his face. People who could afford the kind of armor he wore usually had others to do their fighting for them. ¡°If you were mounted, I could hook it around your ankle and pull you from your horse,¡± she said. Corec nodded. ¡°If Rusol sends the knights after us, they¡¯ll likely try to mount a charge. Knock one from his horse and he¡¯ll hit the ground hard. You should have a few seconds to move in before he recovers.¡± ¡°They¡¯re your friends, aren¡¯t they?¡± Sarette asked. She knew he¡¯d trained with the Knights of Pallisur, but he hadn¡¯t told her much about his past, or anything else personal. He didn¡¯t seem to know how to act around her. It was clear he still felt guilty about casting the warden bonding spell on the others, but Sarette was the only one who¡¯d actually asked for it. That put her in a different category than the rest of the group. She wasn¡¯t sure how to act around him, either. Wardens were tales out of legends in Snow Crown, but Corec seemed too normal for the old stories to apply. ¡°A few,¡± he said. ¡°Some of the boys I trained with. And, the last I heard, my uncle is still with the Order. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to fight the knights, not if we can prove Rusol is using magic. The Order may not like me anymore, but they¡¯re not going to attack one mage on the orders of another. They¡¯re loyal to Pallisur first, before the royal family. Still, we need to be ready for them. So, you knocked me off my horse, but I got up before you could deal with me. What do you do next?¡± ¡°Knock you down again?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Give it a try.¡± She swung the blade end of her staff-spear down toward his foot and attempted to lodge the hook around the back of his ankle. He changed his stance and batted her weapon away with his own. ¡°Try here,¡± he suggested, holding his arm up and patting underneath at a gap in the plate armor where his chain shirt showed through. She snagged the hook against the edge of the plate below his underarm, but when she tried to pull on it, he wrapped his arm around her spear and yanked it away from her. With his other hand, he tapped her on the shoulder with his staff. ¡°Most people wearing plate armor will be heavier and stronger than you,¡± he said. ¡°You can still knock them down if you catch them by surprise, but if they¡¯re aware of you, they can brace themselves ¡­ and they can defend themselves. It would help if you wore a helmet.¡± ¡°The Heights are so cold in the winter, nobody wears helmets. Not ones made out of metal, anyway.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not in the Heights anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± she said. She wasn¡¯t ready to mention the other reason¡ªa helmet would cut down on her peripheral vision too much. She¡¯d only mentioned flying the storms to Treya, and she wasn¡¯t sure the other woman realized that it involved actual flying. Now that her dream was so close, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell everyone what she was waiting for. She didn¡¯t want to see their pity if she failed. ¡°Are you ready to try again?¡± he asked, handing back her spear. ¡°How would you do it?¡± Sarette asked. A sword, even a large one, didn¡¯t seem particularly useful against plate armor. A hammer or bill would work better. ¡°That depends. If I was sparring in front of my teachers back when I was with the knights, I¡¯d grab my sword like this,¡± he said, sliding his left hand two-thirds of the way along where the blade would be, ¡°and try to stab into the gaps. Neck, knees, underarms. But in an actual fight, unless the fellow was a lot bigger than me, I¡¯d probably just knock him over and pull his helmet off. If the helmet won¡¯t come off, I¡¯d stab him through the eye slits with my knife.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re distracted and you think you can knock them off balance, use the hook. If they¡¯re ready for you, and wearing heavier armor, don¡¯t try to face them directly. Use the tip of your blade like a halberd¡¯s spike. Aim for the gaps, then dodge out of the way.¡± Sarette nodded. Stormrunners depended on flight for combat, and even the ground-fighting style she¡¯d learned during her training was still highly mobile, intended to take advantage of the same skills she would later need for stormrunning. The High Guard taught techniques for going head-to-head with heavily armored opponents, but Sarette had never attended the High Guard¡¯s military academy. A voice came from behind her. ¡°Are you ready for me?¡± She turned to find that Treya had joined them. Corec said, ¡°If you¡¯re ready, we are.¡± Sarette bit her lower lip, then tightened a coat strap that didn¡¯t need to be tightened. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± she asked him. ¡°We tried it with fire and it worked,¡± Corec said. Then he shrugged. ¡°Mostly.¡± He rubbed at the singed hair behind his right ear. Treya winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it was good practice. We needed to know.¡± To Sarette, he said, ¡°But you can control how strong it is, right?¡± ¡°Somewhat, yes.¡± ¡°Then make it as weak as possible for this first try.¡± ¡°What if you took off your breastplate? We could prop it up and practice against that instead.¡± ¡°I can only cast the protection spell on a person,¡± Treya said. ¡°It won¡¯t work on just his armor.¡± Sarette sighed and nodded, then rapped the butt of her staff-spear against the ground, charging it. Blue and white light flickered over the weapon. Corec cocked his head in Treya¡¯s direction. She touched his shoulder, then stepped back. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she said. He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled noisily. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s try it.¡± He pointed to Sarette. She grasped her weapon in both hands and tentatively thrust toward his chest. Just before the blade made contact, the lightning magic it carried discharged into the air around him, shimmering across the surface of a rounded barrier. The blade continued on, tapping against his breastplate. ¡°It worked,¡± Treya said, sounding relieved. Corec nodded. ¡°It blocked the magic but let the spear through. I thought it might stop them both as long as Sarette¡¯s spell was active.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°No, the barrier only blocks the lightning itself,¡± Treya said. ¡°It should work against regular lightning, too, not just magic. Though it probably won¡¯t be strong enough to block an entire lightning strike.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Your fire barrier stayed up for five or ten seconds after Shavala started.¡± ¡°I think the two spells work differently. If you swing your hand through a campfire quickly enough, you¡¯ll feel the heat, but you won¡¯t burn yourself. Burning takes time. Lightning happens all at once, but in that instant, it¡¯s much stronger than fire. Shavala¡¯s flame drained the fire protection spell over time, but if Sarette hit you with something as strong as real lightning, it would drain it all at once.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s not do that just yet. But I think we can try again¡ªa little stronger this time.¡± # Leena was in a spare room at the inn, inventorying the supplies that the others were bringing back, then crossing them off the master list. Waiting for the next delivery, she started separating out twelve piles by weight and size, to be distributed across the pack saddles for the twelve mules. There would be saddlebags on the horses too, but those would mostly be filled with personal items, with only a little room for excess supplies. She¡¯d never had to organize a load for a pack mule before, but it seemed simple enough and Boktar had given her some tips. She hadn¡¯t anticipated remaining with the group this long. She¡¯d expected to part ways as soon as they arrived in port, but ever since reaching Nysa, her Seeking had told her she needed to go roughly east, in the exact same direction as the road leading to Lato. Perhaps that was why the magic had paired her up with these people. Maybe they were going to the place where she needed to be. There was the sound of light footsteps coming down the stairs, and then Ellerie stood in the doorway. ¡°Leena, would you saddle a horse and ride out to find Boktar and Corec? Let them know we only need six more horses, not seven. Josip has his own. Take Razai¡ªshe knows where they went, and I¡¯d be more comfortable if you had some protection.¡± Leena looked down uncertainly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to ride.¡± Ellerie stared at her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything? We¡¯re riding out in two days.¡± ¡°I was going to watch how the rest of you did it.¡± A flicker of emotions crossed the elven woman¡¯s face¡ªannoyance, then amusement, then something Leena couldn¡¯t identify. ¡°That won¡¯t be enough,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Not for a full day of riding; you¡¯ll just make yourself and the horse miserable. Come with me and I¡¯ll teach you. Marco can run these messages back to the Senshall office without my help.¡± After stopping to talk to Marco, the two of them headed out to the stable. Ellerie demonstrated how to saddle the horse she¡¯d chosen for herself, then helped Leena with one of the others before showing her how to mount the beast. Leena managed to get onto the horse¡¯s back, but then she made the mistake of looking down. The ground was much farther away than she¡¯d expected. She swayed with dizziness, locking her body tight and grasping the saddle and reins for support. ¡°You¡¯ve really never been on a horse before?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Keep the reins loose. Sit up straight and push your weight down into the stirrups. Use your legs for balance, but don¡¯t squeeze the horse unless you want her to move.¡± ¡°My uncle had a horse when I was little,¡± Leena said, attempting to follow the other woman¡¯s directions. ¡°He helped me up and let me ride it for a few minutes, but I cried until he set me back down again.¡± Ellerie snickered. ¡°You should practice here in the city today and tomorrow. I learned to ride, oh, about eighty years ago, I think¡ªI was still very young. I rode regularly, but it was still nothing like the first time I spent a whole day in the saddle. You¡¯re going to be sore. Treya can heal you if it gets bad.¡± The stories said that elves lived for a long time, but Ellerie seemed quite young, barely into adulthood. Finding out she was older than Leena¡¯s grandmother was unsettling. ¡°Thank you, but why are you helping me? You could have just told me to leave.¡± The elven woman had been looking her way, but turned the other direction before replying. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been on the road for a long time, and I can¡¯t take my friends¡¯ cooking anymore,¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°Or my own. Variety is good. Why did you join up? Didn¡¯t Boktar tell you we¡¯d be riding?¡± ¡°He did, but I needed the job. I thought I could learn.¡± ¡°You will. Let¡¯s get on our way. We¡¯ll keep it slow.¡± Ellerie continued giving her directions as they rode out into the city. With a topic to focus on, the awkwardness of their previous conversations disappeared, and Leena felt more comfortable asking questions. ¡°Why does everyone look at you like that?¡± she said. The people out on the street had stayed clear of them, eyeing Ellerie¡¯s rapier fearfully. ¡°Marco says the Lords¡¯ Council only allows nobles and their guards to have weapons, plus foreign visitors, and both groups are allowed to get away with a lot. The people in the city are worried we¡¯ll push them around. Josip can only carry his own weapons here because they¡¯re not really weapons. The city guards still give him a hard time, but working for a foreign trading house gives him some protection.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Leena said, not having any other response. ¡°What is Sanvar like?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never been there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ like anywhere, I suppose,¡± Leena said. ¡°Everywhere I go, the people dress differently and talk differently and eat different things, but underneath, it¡¯s all the same. It¡¯s hot, though. I never thought it was hot until I came north for the first time, and found out what cold actually meant.¡± ¡°You should try Terevas. The weather¡¯s perfect, not too hot and not too cold. After the Storm Heights, I¡¯m almost tempted to go back there myself.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± Leena asked. The group talked about their trip to the Storm Heights frequently, but Ellerie had never mentioned Terevas to her before. The other woman was silent for a moment. ¡°Unfriendly. Polite on the surface, but unpleasant underneath. Or maybe that was just the people I knew. They wanted me to be something I¡¯m not, and do something I can¡¯t do.¡± Her tone was quiet and wistful. It didn¡¯t sound like she wanted Leena to inquire any further. ¡°I think I know how you feel. I was supposed to do something but I wasn¡¯t any good at it. My family was disappointed in me for quitting. But now, I guess I¡¯ll have to do it anyway.¡± ¡°There are some things I won¡¯t ever do,¡± Ellerie said flatly. The mask slipped back into place and the easy conversation disappeared. They rode on in silence, except when the elven woman was correcting Leena¡¯s riding technique. # ¡°The Bancyra Mountains,¡± Josip said when Ellerie joined him at the top of the rise. He pointed along the road. ¡°You can see Lato below. We should reach it tomorrow.¡± Ellerie frowned, staring at the gently rounded mountains. ¡°They¡¯re not as tall as I expected.¡± ¡°Not as tall as some, but they¡¯re rougher going than they look. This is the best route through them¡ªLato marks the start of Vansaira Pass. It winds around quite a bit, but it¡¯s flat enough to get wagons through.¡± Ellerie had planned on going around the mountains rather than through them, but now she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Vansaira Pass?¡± she said. ¡°Not Bancyra?¡± ¡°In Nysan, Bancyra and Vansaira are the same word, but in Doravi¡ªand trade tongue¡ªthe pass kept the old pronunciation because it¡¯s a major trade route for foreigners. Bancyrans speak Nysan, mostly, so it doesn¡¯t matter, but the Doravi use the new pronunciation for both the kingdom and the mountains.¡± ¡°Are all the Bancyra Mountains similar to these?¡± Ellerie asked. Perhaps they could rule out this range already and move on to the next. ¡°Or are there spots where they¡¯re taller and more jagged?¡± Josip¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Sure, some, I guess.¡± ¡°To the north or south?¡± ¡°Both, I think. I don¡¯t really follow the north-south road much.¡± Ellerie wanted to snap at him, but it wasn¡¯t his fault. He was knowledgeable about local terrain and wildlife, and about roads and Senshall¡¯s trading caravans, but she couldn¡¯t expect him to have memorized over five hundred miles of mountain range. He wasn¡¯t a dorvasta ranger, who could spend hundreds of years learning every tree in the Terril Forest. She¡¯d never told Varsin she¡¯d prefer a guide who knew the local mountains. She hadn¡¯t wanted him to guess why. Should she risk showing Josip the amulet? It would save them weeks of travel time if they could skip the Bancyra Mountains and just head through the pass, but it would mean she¡¯d have to tell a Senshall employee what they were looking for. Worse, Josip hadn¡¯t sounded too certain about what the mountains looked like. Even if he said there weren¡¯t any peaks that matched the amulet, she¡¯d never be sure she¡¯d made the right choice unless she checked it out for herself. ¡°But there is a north-south road?¡± she asked instead. ¡°Does it follow the mountains in both directions?¡± Josip furrowed his brow. ¡°We¡¯re not going through the pass? I thought that¡¯s why we came to Lato.¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for a clue on where to start our search,¡± she said. Marco and Josip already knew that much. ¡°The clue might be in the mountains.¡± She wouldn¡¯t be able to keep that part a secret any longer, but she still didn¡¯t want to draw any attention to the amulet. ¡°Well, on this side, it¡¯s more a path than a road. It doesn¡¯t even have a name. It does take you all the way from the northern hills to the southern hills, and from there you can get around over to the Bancyra side, but we¡¯re in the worst spot for that. We¡¯re about in the middle of the range¡ªwe¡¯d have to backtrack quite a bit if you want to see both the north and south ends.¡± Ellerie nodded. The location was why she¡¯d chosen Lato. ¡°We¡¯re going to split up and meet again on the other end of Vansaira Pass. There¡¯s a road on that side too, right?¡± ¡°Yes, a good road there, but it¡¯s still mostly just villages. Some bigger towns near the major rivers, but not as big as Lato. Bancyra¡¯s huge, but the real cities are farther in.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get back to the others.¡± They returned half a mile back along the way they¡¯d come, finding that the rest of the group had finished setting up camp. Ellerie dismounted and passed her reins to Nedley, then sought out Corec and drew him away from the group. She wanted to talk to him privately while Josip was gossiping with Marco about what she¡¯d been up to. ¡°It¡¯s probably not these mountains,¡± she said in a low voice, ¡°but I¡¯m not sure of it enough to skip them. I think we have to check them over just in case.¡± Corec patted his side, where she knew he kept an extra coin pouch hidden. ¡°I¡¯ve got the sketch you gave me. I¡¯m just looking for matching peaks, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but the shape of the mountains may have changed over time, so pay more attention to the relative heights and locations. Oh, and the road you¡¯ll be following is likely too close to the mountains to match the size and angle you see on the sketch. If the nearest peaks seem like good possibilities, you¡¯ll probably have to ride out quite a ways to see if the whole thing is a match.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got the idea.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll resupply in Lato, then split up and meet again in two or three weeks. I¡¯ll take Josip if you¡¯ll take Marco, so we¡¯ll each have a translator.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re already taking Leena, aren¡¯t you? You get the guide and the cook, and I¡¯m stuck with Marco?¡± He¡¯d kept his voice down so nobody could overhear. ¡°Well, I figured Shavala would want to go with you,¡± she said. Until Leena had joined the group, Corec, Shavala, and Boktar had been the best camp cooks they had. They probably still were. Leena was a better cook, but she was having to adapt to cooking for large groups over a campfire. Intricate meals were giving way to stews and roasts. He laughed again. ¡°I suppose we can take care of ourselves for a few weeks.¡± Book 3: Chapter Fourteen The morning sun hadn¡¯t crested the horizon yet, but the sky had already lightened to gray. Shavala stood quietly, listening to the unfamiliar sounds and smelling the unfamiliar scents. The eastern half of Nysar had a climate similar to the Terril Forest, but the plants and animals were just different enough from what she knew to be disorienting. The bird calls were especially strange. The dawn chorus had begun, and even the few familiar species of birds sounded different in this place. It was as if they spoke different languages just like people did. Shavala had left the camp while it was still dark out. When the whole group had still been together, there were enough people that she no longer needed to keep a watch shift during the night, giving her more time for her hunting and foraging duties. Even after the groups had split up, Corec had suggested that she continue the practice. Shavala appreciated the gesture¡ªhunting and foraging both took longer here where she was less familiar with the wildlife. She¡¯d found fresh deer tracks by moonlight, and had followed them for half an hour as day approached and it grew easier to see. Now she waited, staring at the large figure that stood at the top of a gentle rise. The stag rubbed his head against an overhanging branch, then licked the branch before pawing at the ground just below it. He moved on, following a game trail, and paused to nibble on some vines growing over an outcropping of rock. Shavala nocked an arrow and took careful aim, but then hesitated as a sliver of sun appeared from over the mountains to the east, bathing the deer in light. He was larger than the deer she was used to, with longer ears. The tip of his tail was black rather than white. Strangely, he hadn¡¯t shed his antlers yet. They still stood tall and proud upon his head. Did this species keep them all year? She lowered her bow. The beast was too magnificent to shoot. The stag suddenly looked up from his meal, peering east while he stamped his front hooves¡ªfirst one, then the other. It meant he sensed danger, and not from Shavala¡¯s direction. He snorted and bounded away, not sticking around long enough to find out what it was that had spooked him. Curious, Shavala reached out with her elder senses to make sure there was nothing dangerous nearby, then approached where he¡¯d been standing. Pushing the vines aside, she found that the outcropping was actually multiple stones piled together, half buried. The size and the straight edges were reminiscent of the shrines to the old gods, but this one had tumbled down decades ago. There was no way to tell which of the gods it had once been dedicated to. She checked her elder senses again and this time found an animal approaching, but not one she was familiar with. She waited behind a tree to see what it was. She¡¯d just barely gotten out of sight when a bear appeared out of the tree line to the east, making no sound as it approached the game trail. It sniffed around, then stared in the direction the deer had run. Unlike the brown and black bears Shavala knew of, this one had gray fur. It was also massive, far larger than any other bear she¡¯d seen. Its back stood taller than her head. The creature reminded her of the huge bear skeleton Corec had fought when they were searching for the wizard Lodarin. Was this where he¡¯d found it? The wind shifted and the bear jerked its head around, staring directly at Shavala. She grimaced. Bears had an even better sense of smell than wolves, and were able to track prey for miles, but they sometimes didn¡¯t notice people until they were right upon them. She hadn¡¯t expected it to see her peering around the tree. The bear was far enough away that it shouldn¡¯t have felt threatened, but it blew its breath out, then charged at her. Bears usually weren¡¯t so aggressive. The charge might have been a bluff, but the creature didn¡¯t show any signs of stopping. ¡°No!¡± Shavala shouted. ¡°Stop. I¡¯ll leave!¡± The bear stopped in its tracks, looking at her with an expression that could only be interpreted as surprise. She was making a gamble. Animals could understand what a druid said if they were smart enough, but that didn¡¯t mean they were forced to obey. The bear seemed startled she could talk to it, though, and hopefully that would be enough. It stood up on its hind legs, over twice her height, and peered down at her. The pose appeared threatening, but usually expressed curiosity rather than menace. ¡°I¡¯ll leave,¡± she repeated. ¡°You can stay here and I¡¯ll go.¡± The bears she knew weren¡¯t particularly territorial, but that didn¡¯t mean they were comfortable with strange people walking around the areas they frequented. She slowly backed away, using her elder senses to watch for stones and tree roots behind her so she didn¡¯t trip. It wouldn¡¯t do to show weakness in front of a bear species she¡¯d never encountered before. As she withdrew from its sight, the bear gradually relaxed until it dropped back to all fours. She waited until it turned its back before she did the same. So much for that hunting ground. They¡¯d passed an overgrown field just before making camp the night before. Perhaps she could hunt pheasant instead, or some similar bird local to the area. The males would be easy to spot at this time of year, competing for female attention for the mating season. She headed that way. # Yassi stared into the scrying orb, tears running down her face as she watched her youngest cousins playing in the warm surf along the shoreline of Sanvara City, under the attentive eyes of her aunt and her grandmother. She¡¯d give anything to be there with them instead of in dismal Telfort. She couldn¡¯t remember actually living in Sanvar¡ªshe¡¯d been too young then¡ªbut she¡¯d visited several times over the years. Her grandmother would complain that Yassi didn¡¯t follow Zidari customs, and the younger children would constantly pester her for attention, but anything was better than living in the same palace as Prince Rusol. No matter what she tried, though, she couldn¡¯t think of any way out of her situation. There was a knock at the door, and then Kolvi¡¯s voice. ¡°Yassi?¡± ¡°Come in,¡± she called back, allowing her Seeing to fade. Kolvi entered, then closed the door behind her. ¡°I heard what happened,¡± the older woman said. ¡°Do you want help?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yassi replied, in too much pain to turn down the offer. Kolvi drew closer, then winced. ¡°Are you sure? That¡¯s worse than I thought. When Rusol sees what he ¡­ what you look like, he¡¯ll make Magnus heal you before anyone else finds out. We might as well just go find Magnus now.¡± ¡°Could you try first?¡± Yassi asked. The wild-haired elder witch was frightening, but she wasn¡¯t hateful in the same way that Magnus was. ¡°After you¡¯re done, I can see if makeup will hide it.¡± The compulsion required her to protect Rusol, which meant she¡¯d have to avoid everyone¡ªespecially Marten and Samir¡ªuntil the marks faded enough to be hidden. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Kolvi went to work, starting by pouring cool water from a nearby pitcher into a bowl, then using a wet rag to dab at Yassi¡¯s face. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Yassi asked, wincing when Kolvi touched a tender spot near her eye. ¡°I told you, I heard what happened.¡± ¡°No, I mean here in Telfort. Why did you agree to help him?¡± ¡°Hmm, the skin¡¯s broken. I¡¯ve got a salve that should help it heal without leaving a mark.¡± Kolvi rummaged around in a bag she¡¯d brought with her. ¡°As for your question, I¡¯m here for the same reason you are, I imagine. Unless you actually enjoy this sort of thing.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re his cousin, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not really. Some old king married a girl from my clan three hundred years ago, but any blood connections are too far back to say we¡¯re related. Supposedly Marten¡¯s grandfather¡¯s sister had too strong of a gift to remain in Telfort, so they bundled her away to my village, but I¡¯m not descended from her. I was the one who came because I¡¯m the strongest witch in our clan. When the prince asked for a volunteer, my father urged me to go.¡± Kolvi laughed mirthlessly. ¡°Nobody told us what he was going to do to me.¡± ¡°I knew about the warden bond but not the rest,¡± Yassi admitted. ¡°He convinced me he needed my help to track down the wardens who¡¯d killed his brother.¡± Rusol had also used her to look for mages, but she didn¡¯t want to admit that out loud. She¡¯d found Jasper and, more recently, a young wizard who went by the name Rodulf, but she¡¯d also found others who¡¯d refused to serve. Rusol had given them to the priests, imprisoning them for using magic illegally ¡­ though only after he¡¯d influenced their minds so they couldn¡¯t tell the Church about the offer he¡¯d made. Only one had gotten away¡ªa Zidari like Yassi. A Traveler who¡¯d teleported as soon as she¡¯d been captured. Kolvi said, ¡°For us, he claimed he needed our help against the Church. At the time he sounded like he was ready to move against it, but since then, there¡¯s been nothing but delays. King Marten doesn¡¯t want to risk it. But if Rusol truly drives the priests out of Larso, then maybe this all will have been worth it.¡± It was the first time the two women had truly spoken to each other for something other than a task Rusol had set them. ¡°You hate the Church as much as Magnus does,¡± Yassi realized. ¡°More, and with better reason. It wasn¡¯t all that long ago that the priests were burning my people at the stake. But the elderfolk were here before Larso existed and we¡¯ll be here after it falls. The Church may think they drove us all out because a few clans went north, but they¡¯ll learn otherwise.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Yassi said with a shiver. Kolvi¡¯s eyes had taken on a fervent gleam. Perhaps the elder witch wasn¡¯t much better than Magnus after all. The Church certainly deserved to fall for the things that had been done in its name, but what sort of chaos would come to Larso and its people afterward? The king was keeping everything stable for the moment, but it was like watching a very slow-moving avalanche, knowing nothing could be done to stop it. There was another knock on the door, but before Yassi could do anything, Samir burst in. ¡°Yassi! What did he do to you?¡± He rushed over to her and cupped her chin in his hand, tilting her head to get a better look. ¡°Wh ¡­ what? He didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°I saw it!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yassi asked. ¡°Saw what?¡± The compulsion was forcing her to fumble for a response. She had to protect Rusol, but the abrupt interruption had startled her and she couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. ¡°I did a Seeing! You were supposed to visit Mother and Father today, and when you didn¡¯t show up, I wanted to see why! I didn¡¯t want to hear your excuses again. I saw him hit you!¡± Yassi¡¯s jaw worked as the compulsion tried to come up with an excuse. She sometimes forgot her brother was a Seer too. ¡°I ¡­ uh ¡­ it¡¯s not what it looked like. He didn¡¯t actually hurt me. That happened later¡ªI was trying to move the big mirror by myself and it fell.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Where is he?¡± Samir strode back out the door and looked up and down the hall. ¡°His study?¡± She followed him. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± This was what she¡¯d been hoping for ever since the trip to Northtower, but now that it was actually happening, she felt a sense of foreboding. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m going to find out what¡¯s going on! You¡¯ve been lying to me for months! Years!¡± Kolvi had left the room, too. ¡°I need to go,¡± the woman said in a rush before sprinting in the opposite direction. It was obvious why. Samir intended to confront Rusol, and Kolvi¡¯s compulsion would force her to protect the prince. If she thought Rusol was in danger, she¡¯d kill Samir without a moment¡¯s hesitation. It was amazing she was able to leave at all, but Kolvi had always stretched the bounds of the compulsion further than the rest of them could. Yassi¡¯s compulsion didn¡¯t extend that far, at least. Rusol had never considered that she¡¯d be of any use in a fight. She hurried after her brother, hoping now that he¡¯d seen the truth, he¡¯d finally be able to help her. # Rusol sat at his desk going over grain shipments from the previous year and trying to estimate what the kingdom¡¯s needs would be for the coming year. It was pointless, tedious work that had already been completed by the experts, but Marten insisted that the king had to know enough to check their figures. That meant Rusol, as heir, was also forced to learn. It was a waste of time, like many of the tasks Marten had insisted he take on since Rikard¡¯s death. The door slammed open. ¡°What the hell did you do to her?¡± Samir shouted, storming into the room. He was a frequent visitor to the palace and allowed into the inner quarters without being accompanied. Rusol jerked back in his chair. ¡°Do? What?¡± Then he saw Yassi trail in, a fearful look on her face. Why was she starting to bruise? He hadn¡¯t hit her that hard, had he? ¡°I ¡­ Sam, it wasn¡¯t me!¡± ¡°I saw you!¡± Samir grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up out of his chair. The other man had always been stronger¡ªRusol had to be cautious with any physical exertion. Sam shoved him against the wall. ¡°I¡¯m a Seer, remember? I saw what you did to her! You like to hurt people? How do you like being on the other end?¡± Rusol¡¯s mind went blank in a panic. He¡¯d never been in any sort of fight before. But as Samir¡¯s fist drew back, Rusol¡¯s vision went red. ¡°No!¡± he shouted, pushing Sam away. His hands crackled with energy, lightning dancing around his fingertips. Sam screeched in pain, stumbling back, and Rusol let loose with the elder magic, streamers of lightning stretching from his outstretched hands to the other man¡¯s chest. Then it was over, and he sagged back against the wall. Yassi was crouched in the corner, crying hysterically. Four guards rushed into the room but it was too late. Samir¡¯s body lay draped across Rusol¡¯s desk, curls of smoke drifting up. ¡°Get out!¡± Rusol shouted at them. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone!¡± The guardsmen in this part of the palace had been heavily influenced by Marten to not notice anything unusual about the family. They turned and left without a word. Samir. Until Magnus had shown up, he¡¯d been Rusol¡¯s only real friend. They¡¯d known each other since they were boys. And now he was dead. Rusol stared at the body. Why lightning? Why hadn¡¯t he tried demonic compulsion instead? It would have been difficult with emotions running high, but he¡¯d grown stronger since becoming a warden. Maybe Sam would still be alive. Rusol needed to think fast, but all he could hear was the sound of Yassi sobbing. ¡°Shut up!¡± he screamed at her. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault! He attacked me!¡± Yassi didn¡¯t respond. She moaned and cried, her hands covering her eyes as she shook her head back and forth. Rusol¡¯s father wouldn¡¯t accept the truth. If Marten knew why the fight had happened, he¡¯d never trust Rusol again. The first priority was to get Magnus to heal Yassi before anyone else caught sight of her face. After that, Rusol needed a lie his father would believe. Magic¡ªthat had to be the answer. Marten knew Yassi was one of Rusol¡¯s bondmates, but he didn¡¯t know Samir was also a mage. Rusol could tell him that Samir had discovered Yassi and Rusol were mages, and had gone mad with rage. Sam wasn¡¯t religious, but Marten didn¡¯t know that, and the Church of Pallisur¡¯s influence was pervasive in Telfort. Rusol would have to force Yassi to lie, but her state of despair would be understandable given the circumstances. They¡¯d need another story later, for Sam¡¯s parents, but Marten could help come up with that lie. Something heroic. Rusol wouldn¡¯t allow his friend¡¯s reputation to be tarnished in death. # Corec sat listening to Katrin sing in the inn¡¯s common room. They were in Tir Shar, which wasn¡¯t a Tir at all but a small town on the Bancyra side of Vansaira Pass. It had taken his group two and a half weeks to head north around the mountains and back down the other side, but they hadn¡¯t had any luck in their search. The Bancyra Mountains were too smooth and short to match the stark peaks from the sketch Ellerie had made of her amulet. They¡¯d gotten to Tir Shar, the agreed-upon meeting place, three days earlier, but were still waiting for Ellerie¡¯s group to arrive. Marco and his coin pouch were with them, so Corec had gotten a head start on resupplying, but Boktar, Leena, and the shopping lists were all with Ellerie, so he¡¯d had to work from memory. It was a small oversight that they hadn¡¯t considered when the two groups had gone their separate ways. With the resupply as complete as they could manage on their own, there hadn¡¯t been much else to do in town. The innkeeper had been reluctant to let Katrin sing since she didn¡¯t know any songs in the local language, but Marco, who¡¯d been translating between them, had managed to convince him by mentioning she was a bard. The patrons seemed to like the music either way, but when Katrin used her bardic skills, they could see the scenes in their head even if they couldn¡¯t understand the words. She¡¯d just started a new song when a weary-looking Ellerie trudged in the door, followed by the rest of her group. She said something to Boktar, then handed her saddlebags to Nedley before coming over to sit next to Corec. ¡°Any luck?¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°No, nothing,¡± he replied. It was obvious there was no point in asking her how her own search had gone. ¡°Is this the song about Fergus?¡± He nodded. Katrin had only played the whole song¡ªquietly¡ªfor him and Shavala, but the rest of the group had heard bits and pieces. Katrin insisted it still needed work though it seemed just as good as any other song Corec had heard from a minstrel. The tone was quietly triumphant, and the lyrics focused on Fergus leading his people to safety through one danger after another. It didn¡¯t mention his death much, which was a relief. Corec still felt guilty for allowing the man anywhere near the fight with the snow beasts. The song ended and Katrin stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a short break,¡± she said to the room of people who couldn¡¯t understand her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in half an hour.¡± She joined Corec and Ellerie at the table. ¡°I liked the song,¡± the elven woman told her. Katrin hesitated for a moment, then smiled. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. Ellerie had been making an effort¡ªoff and on¡ªto make peace with Katrin, but had only been partly successful. Any time an overture failed, Ellerie would give up for days or even weeks at a time, allowing the relationship between the two to sour again. Katrin had asked Corec to keep out of it, insisting that she¡¯d deal with Ellerie in her own way. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°No. That was a waste of three weeks. We had to know for sure, though.¡± ¡°Did you get delayed?¡± Corec asked. They¡¯d suspected Ellerie¡¯s route would be slightly shorter than his own. The warden bond hadn¡¯t been of much help, simply telling him that the others were still to the south. ¡°All the rain we¡¯ve been getting caused some flooding¡ªin Josip¡¯s cousin¡¯s home town, no less. We stayed to help out.¡± ¡°It hardly rained at all for us.¡± Ellerie rolled her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Be glad.¡± ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°There are two choices,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The closest option is the Belepetra Range to the northeast. Or, directly east from here is the northern tip of the Skotinos Mountains.¡± ¡°We¡¯re taking the closest first, then?¡± Corec guessed. ¡°Maybe. That was the original plan. But in my book, the author says he went south from Tir a Tir to visit a shrine, and from there, he went east, following something he called the valtos road. Bobo hadn¡¯t been able to translate that¡ªhe doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s from the Ancient language¡ªbut Josip has been teaching him how to speak Nysan. Now, Bobo¡¯s convinced that valtos means swamp, so he asked Josip about swamps near the mountains. Do you remember Black Lake on the map, southeast of the Skotinos? Josip says there¡¯s a swamp between the mountains and the lake. It would translate as something like Silent Waters.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s a road through it?¡± ¡°Josip doesn¡¯t know. But southeast from here, near the Skotinos Mountains, is Aencyr. It¡¯s the second largest city in Bancyra, and Senshall has a big outpost there. Josip says the caravans go north or south from there, or they¡¯ll take boats across Black Lake to the settlements on the other side, but they don¡¯t really go through the mountains or the swamp. There isn¡¯t enough trade to make it worth the effort.¡± ¡°Will we be able to find supplies there?¡± ¡°Sure. There are people and towns; it¡¯s just not as heavily populated until you get closer to Black Lake.¡± Corec nodded. From what he remembered from the map, the lake was huge¡ªmore like an inland sea¡ªbut there hadn¡¯t been much detail about the area just north of it. ¡°It seems like a good lead,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, but even if Bobo¡¯s translation is correct, it¡¯s not uncommon for swamps to occur near mountains, and swampland from thousands of years ago may not be swampland today. If these aren¡¯t the right mountains, we¡¯ll have to backtrack all the way to the Belepetras.¡± ¡°We¡¯d be going back that way anyway, right?¡± Katrin pointed out. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve thought of another mountain range to look at?¡± ¡°These three are the only good choices if we assume part of the route needs to pass through Bancyra at some point, but Bobo says the winged snakes may have migrated over time. If we don¡¯t find a match in the Skotinos or the Belepetras, we¡¯ll have to look farther out.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°Things might have changed or they might not have. If there¡¯s a swamp now, there¡¯s a good chance it was a swamp in the past. It seems like we should go with what we know first, and leave what we don¡¯t know for later.¡± Ellerie laughed. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what Boktar said, but he was less polite and used fewer words. I guess we¡¯re headed to Aencyr next.¡± # ¡°I thought you¡¯d have left by now,¡± Razai said quietly. She was riding close to Leena. They were a day outside of Tir Shar, on the road to Aencyr. ¡°I take it your Seeking magic is sending you in the same direction as the rest of us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that,¡± the other woman replied. ¡°When Ellerie was planning on going to the Belepetra Range, my Seeking suggested I go that way. When she changed her mind and decided to visit the Skotinos Mountains first, my Seeking changed too.¡± ¡°Wait¡ªyou knew about that? I didn¡¯t hear anything about the other mountain ranges until we got to Tir Shar.¡± Razai had accompanied Ellerie¡¯s group, partly due to Marco¡¯s insistence, but nobody had said anything about the next leg of their journey. ¡°Ellerie told me,¡± Leena said, ¡°but she hadn¡¯t decided yet, so I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d want me to mention it to anyone.¡± Razai frowned. She had little interest in spying on Ellerie, despite Marco¡¯s proddings, but she hadn¡¯t expected Leena to start keeping secrets from her. Shaking her head, she focused on the conversation at hand. ¡°Then the magic isn¡¯t sending you to a specific place? It wants you to stay with us.¡± ¡°Seeking can be hard to interpret, and I haven¡¯t had much training. Maybe it just thinks this is the easiest way to get to where I¡¯m going.¡± Out of nowhere, the whispers spoke in Razai¡¯s mind. Danger. What danger? Razai asked. Where? Enemies. All around. Ahead. ¡°Something¡¯s happening,¡± she murmured to Leena. ¡°Get behind everyone.¡± ¡°What?¡± Leena asked. Razai didn¡¯t stay to reply. She urged her horse ahead, drawing even with Corec. ¡°There¡¯s trouble,¡± she told him. ¡°People watching us.¡± He peered around. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Some are ahead of us. I¡¯m not sure about the others.¡± He turned his head. ¡°Shavala?¡± he asked. The elven woman was riding on his other side. ¡°I sense them,¡± she said. ¡°A lot of them. They¡¯re off to the sides, too.¡± ¡°Everyone, hold here!¡± he shouted. ¡°Boktar, Nedley, shields out!¡± He pulled his helmet on and flipped the visor down. The group came to a halt. In the distance, a line of men armed with hunting bows came out from behind the trees where they¡¯d been hidden, apparently realizing they¡¯d been detected. They quickly nocked their bows and launched a volley. A dozen arrows arced up and then down, but suddenly slowed and came to a halt in mid-air as they met an invisible barrier. Each hit caused a flash of flickering light. With the arrows¡¯ momentum arrested, they fell to the ground. Razai recognized the telltale signs of an arrow shield spell. ¡°I can¡¯t hold the barrier any longer!¡± Ellerie shouted. Boktar spurred his horse toward her, covering her with his shield. The archers launched a second volley, but a heavy wind sprang up out of nowhere, pushing the arrows off course to the south. ¡°I¡¯m going after them!¡± Corec yelled, his warhorse charging forward. Sarette followed him. No more arrows came, though. Instead, the rest of the ambushers burst out of the bushes lining the sides of the road. Some screamed while they rushed the group, the commotion frightening the animals. Only Corec and Boktar had warhorses, trained to ignore the chaos of a battlefield. Razai¡¯s own horse reared. She dove off and hit the ground with her shoulder, then rolled smoothly to her feet, drawing her heavy, curved knives. As she stood up, she slashed one man¡¯s throat and stabbed another in the gut, then faced off against a third. Unlike the first two, who¡¯d been armed only with daggers and hadn¡¯t realized she was attacking them until it was too late, the third man seemed to know how to fight. He held his buckler out in front of himself and gripped his arming sword, preparing to strike. Abruptly, Katrin¡¯s voice cut across the battle, singing some nonsense song in a discordant tone. Half a dozen men screamed in terror and ran back the way they¡¯d come, then kept going. Razai¡¯s opponent wasn¡¯t one of them. He smiled when he realized he was facing a woman. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t noticed she was demonborn yet, or perhaps it didn¡¯t worry him. Growling, she threw one of her knives at him. They weren¡¯t designed for throwing, but he looked startled when the weapon hit his buckler with a clang. While he was distracted, she closed the distance. With her free hand, she grabbed him by the throat and slammed his body backward to the ground. Humans always underestimated how strong she was. Most demonborn did as well¡ªshe didn¡¯t have Vash¡¯s muscles. She held him down, tightening her grip on his throat and kneeling on his sword arm to prevent him from attacking. He was wearing chainmail over his upper body, so she quickly slashed deep gashes across his inner thighs, severing the blood vessels there. It would take him a few minutes to bleed out, but he wouldn¡¯t be doing any fighting in the meantime. Razai grabbed her fallen knife and turned to face the battle. She was tempted to call forth a disguise she liked to use when facing a large number of opponents, but she hadn¡¯t told her companions about it. It was too risky to try it¡ªthey were likely to take her for an enemy. She¡¯d have to do it the hard way then. She bared her fangs and ran up behind the nearest opponent, wrapping one arm around his neck while she stabbed repeatedly at his kidney. Letting him fall, she searched for her next target. Book 3: Chapter Fifteen Corec galloped toward the line of archers, cursing himself for not having a lance. He¡¯d finally given in and bought a crossbow, but he¡¯d never had need for a lance in real life before, not having used the bulky weapon since training with the knights. He¡¯d have to make do with his sword. He detached the weapon from the harness on his back and tossed the sheathe aside after drawing the blade. He cast his combat spells as he rode¡ªshield spell, armor spell, and strength spell. Then, without thinking about it, he cast the spell to enhance his weapon. Just as he finished, he remembered that Venni had said she¡¯d stopped using that one once she¡¯d found Dart, her own enchanted sword. A blue light, matching the runes on his arms, slowly traveled up the blade, replacing the green light that normally shone from it. The sounds of fighting erupted behind him, but he couldn¡¯t spare the time to turn and see what was happening. The archers had to be stopped¡ªarchers could turn the tide of any battle. Katrin, at least, was wearing the padded overcoat she¡¯d bought in Snow Crown, which would provide some protection. But she didn¡¯t have a helmet, and most of the others didn¡¯t wear any armor at all. They were all at risk until the bowmen were dealt with. Luckily, the archers didn¡¯t attempt a third volley, probably not wanting to hit their own men. As Corec drew close, they parted ranks to avoid his charge, tossing their bows to the side and drawing melee weapons. He wheeled his gray warhorse¡ªwho Katrin had named Felix, after deciding it looked like her uncle¡ªtoward the nearest group, scattering them. In the confusion, he dismounted, not wanting to risk the animal in battle. A full set of armored horse barding was too heavy and expensive to be practical outside of warfare, but without it, any well-placed blow could cripple or kill the beast. The nearest target was within sword¡¯s reach. Corec swung his glowing blade in a wide arc, decapitating the man. Then a spearman appeared, wearing brigandine armor and a helmet. He hadn¡¯t been one of the archers, which meant he¡¯d stayed behind to protect them. That suggested that some thought had been put into the ambush. Corec ignored the spear as it bounced off his barrier shield. He swung down at an angle toward the man¡¯s neck, aiming for the gap between the armor and helmet. He hit the shoulder instead, his magic sword cutting through the armored plates and padding of the brigandine, and then into the flesh and bone. The spearman dropped his weapon and staggered back in shock. Sarette arrived then, her staff-spear crackling with energy. She jumped from her saddle, somehow landing on her feet, then swung her weapon straight into a man¡¯s head with a flash of blue light. He collapsed, his face a burned mess. Another of the ambushers snuck close, carrying a flanged mace. ¡°Behind you!¡± Corec yelled. Sarette leapt up, backwards, over the man¡¯s head. She landed behind him and thrust her blade deep into his back. There was another flash of light and he fell to the ground. Corec was sure the lightning magic was overkill. The wounds were deep and the men would have been out of the fight magic or not. But then her next opponent was one of the guards wearing brigandine. Rather than trying to stab through the armor, Sarette simply touched her staff-spear¡¯s blade against it. The man screeched in pain, his body twitching in place before falling. The crackling energy faded from Sarette¡¯s spear. She joined Corec and they fought back to back as more of the enemies surrounded them. Without their bows, the archers weren¡¯t difficult opponents, seeming more like hunters than trained warriors. The armsmen were trickier, at least for Sarette. With the magic gone from her spear, she had to face them as one soldier to another, and her weapon was better suited for offense than defense. A competent leader would have ordered the armsmen to protect the archers as they retrieved their bows and withdrew to a safe distance, but no one was issuing any commands. It didn¡¯t take Corec and Sarette long to come up with a system to switch places when one of the armsmen got too close. Between his plate armor and his defensive spells, Corec was in little danger from their weapons, and their armor and shields couldn¡¯t stand up to his enchanted and bespelled sword. The hardest part of the fight was making sure Sarette was directly behind him before he swung his sword out to the side. Suddenly, three small darts of light struck Corec in the stomach, stinging despite his armor. He looked around, confused. Had Ellerie missed her target? Then he saw a man in a black robe who¡¯d been standing well clear of the battle. The man¡¯s lips moved and he raised a hand, pointing at Corec. A wizard. ¡°Mage!¡± Corec yelled to Sarette before charging. As he ran, he cast the spell that let him move faster in armor. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to get him there before the wizard finished his own spell, but the darts didn¡¯t seem to have done any lasting damage the first time. Perhaps once more wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Then a wide beam of light shot from the wizard¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t the dart spell. The beam hit Corec¡¯s chest with a burning unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before. He stopped in his tracks. ¡°Corec!¡± Sarette shouted. A lighting bolt struck out of the clear sky, knocking the wizard onto his back. Corec dropped to his knees, staring down at the hole melted through his breastplate. His vision went black as he collapsed. A voice called out before he lost consciousness. ¡°Treya! We need help!¡± # Treya¡¯s horse panicked when the men rushed them. She hopped off the saddle before the beast could run away, then quickly glanced around. Despite the chaos of the sudden battle, none of her friends appeared to be hurt. Shavala was already calling out to the animals, trying to calm them. With a tingling of her senses, Treya dodged to the left, barely evading a battle axe that swung through the space she¡¯d just been occupying. She twisted around to see a huge, gap-toothed man grinning evilly at her. He lifted the axe up for another swing. Without thinking about it, Treya called on her second blessing. Her hands blazed with white light, and she thrust her palm against the man¡¯s chest. He flew off his feet, landing twenty feet away in a broken heap. He didn¡¯t move. Stunned, Treya could only stare at what she¡¯d done. It wasn¡¯t supposed to work like that. Shana had insisted that transferring kinetic energy in that way required intense concentration, and doing so in the middle of a fight was difficult. The glow on Treya¡¯s hands faded back to its normal level. Had her divine magic interfered with her mystic abilities? Shaking off her surprise, she ran toward a group of ambushers to her right, finding Josip there before her. He threw his hand axe at one of the men, splitting his head open, then waded into the fight with his pickaxe in one hand and a belt knife in the other. The man nearest Treya wasn¡¯t wearing any armor, so she struck at his radial nerve. With his arm numb, he couldn¡¯t swing his weapon. She punched him in the throat as hard as she could and he fell to the ground. The next man backed away, staring at her glowing fists in fear. Treya planted her right foot and spun around, kicking his jaw in. He fell to his knees and she kicked him again, this time in the temple. He collapsed. She moved on to the next man but one of Shavala¡¯s arrows suddenly sprouted from his chest, and then Ellerie¡¯s beam spell took the head off of another. Josip had already killed the last one in that group. Farther out, Boktar had dismounted, bashing one man down with his shield while hitting another in the knee with his warhammer. A third ambusher approached him from behind but suddenly burst into a pillar of flame, screaming as he died. Treya¡¯s friends had things under control here, and Kelis and Shana had always insisted that, tactically, archers should be eliminated first. Treya turned and ran after Corec and Sarette, who¡¯d reached the line of bowmen and dismounted to fight them. Reaching deep inside herself, she called on a reserve of power and found herself moving faster than she¡¯d ever run before. She soon caught up, but most of the enemies were already down. Still running, she barreled into a man who was facing Sarette, knocking him to the ground. She straddled his chest and hit him in the face, her magic-powered strikes knocking his head from side to side. Then there was a flash of light and a thundering boom. Sarette shouted, ¡°Treya! We need help!¡± Corec was collapsing onto his side. Treya rushed over to him. ¡°There was a wizard,¡± Sarette said. ¡°It was one of those beam spells Ellerie uses.¡± She thrust her spear out, keeping the last two men at bay. Treya rolled Corec over onto his back, not sure she wanted to see the injury. She knew what Ellerie¡¯s beam spell did to a person, and she couldn¡¯t control the wave of fear and sorrow that washed over her. Treya had come to look forward to the future she and Corec had discussed, building a life with Katrin and Shavala as the four of them decided what being a warden meant to them. If Corec died, would that future die with him? And it was her own fault. Priest Telkin had told her about a magical protection spell, but she hadn¡¯t managed to cast it yet. She¡¯d learned the spells to protect against flame and lightning first, thinking they¡¯d be more useful, but even with those, she had to touch the target first. She hadn¡¯t taught herself the right spell, and she hadn¡¯t learned how to cast any of the protection spells in a way that would actually be useful in the middle of a fight. There was a wide hole burnt through the center of Corec¡¯s breastplate, the edges still glowing red. Beneath it was a mess of still-molten metal and shredded padding. Ellerie¡¯s beam spell was pure magical energy, and the damage it caused wasn¡¯t due to heat, but the result was similar to burning¡ªor in the case of metal, melting. Treya¡¯s healing senses told her Corec was still alive, but she wanted to see the damage with her own eyes. She scraped away the remains of his armor and clothing, healing her fingers as they burned from the hot metal. His chest was red, with angry scorch marks where the metal had burned into the skin, but there was far less damage than she¡¯d expected. Had this other wizard¡¯s spell been weaker than Ellerie¡¯s? She healed the skin, then dove deeper with her senses. There was more damage underneath¡ªnot any one specific injury, but general trauma to his body. That was what had caused him to fall unconscious. She lost track of time as she set about healing him bit by bit. # Ellerie pulled her rapier from the blond man¡¯s stomach, then stabbed him in the heart for good measure. Dismissing him as a threat, she spun to look around the battlefield, but there didn¡¯t appear to be anyone left to fight. ¡°Is it over?¡± she called out to Boktar. He nodded, then shouted, ¡°Nedley, I¡¯ve got a live one here. Bring me some rope!¡± The boy limped over to one of the pack mules that hadn¡¯t run away. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯ll go after the animals,¡± Shavala said, then whispered to her horse before the two of them trotted off. She¡¯d managed to stay seated during the battle. Strangely, Ellerie¡¯s own horse hadn¡¯t panicked with the others, and was now standing calmly but alertly near Boktar¡¯s warhorse and the smarter of the mules. Ellerie pulled a rag out of her saddlebag to wipe off her rapier so she could sheathe it. ¡°Somebody help me!¡± Marco called out, holding his left arm. His sleeve was bloody. He hadn¡¯t been in the fight, and Ellerie had never seen him carry a weapon. ¡°What happened to you?¡± she asked. ¡°One of those lunatics stabbed me with a knife! Were they bandits?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said flatly. ¡°How did you get away?¡± ¡°Oh, Bobo was there. If they aren¡¯t bandits, who are they?¡± Bobo, still carrying his heavy walking cudgel, shrugged and rolled his eyes when Marco wasn¡¯t looking. That at least explained where Marco had been¡ªBobo had stayed back with Katrin and Leena to keep out of everyone¡¯s way. Nedley had been with them too, under orders from Corec and Boktar to protect Katrin. At least the boy had done what he was told, but Ellerie had heard Katrin singing during the battle just before several of the enemies ran away. It had probably been Katrin who¡¯d done most of the protecting. Ellerie ignored Marco¡¯s last question. ¡°We need Treya. Where is she?¡± ¡°She went after the archers,¡± Razai replied, patting dust out of her clothing. Ellerie saw Treya¡¯s form in the distance, kneeling over a man in plate armor. Was that Corec? Katrin must have seen them, too¡ªshe was already running that way. Ellerie froze for a second, then checked the warden bond in her mind, finding Corec still alive. She breathed a sigh of relief. It had been less than a year since she¡¯d wanted to kill him herself, but things had changed in the Storm Heights. She¡¯d gotten used to him. ¡°Boktar, will you watch over things here?¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on them. Bobo, take a look at Marco¡¯s arm, will you? Treya¡¯s busy.¡± By the time she reached the others, Corec was sitting up, but he was leaning back against Katrin and his eyes were unfocused. There was a gaping hole in his breastplate. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Ellerie asked. He tried to look up at her, but turned away when the sun got in his eyes. ¡°I ¡­ uh ¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°He will be, but give me a few more minutes,¡± Treya said. ¡°There was a wizard,¡± Sarette added. ¡°It was one of those beam spells, like yours.¡± The stormborn woman was standing over one of the archers with her staff-spear, keeping him from running. Ellerie¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He¡¯d be dead.¡± ¡°His armor protected him,¡± Katrin said. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. Armor wouldn¡¯t have helped at all. Look at what it did to his breastplate. Are you sure it was the same spell?¡± Sarette shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looked like what you did to the pirate ship.¡± ¡°Maybe he had some way to stop it,¡± Treya said. ¡°Like those protection spells I¡¯ve been practicing. Maybe he learned a new spell of his own.¡± Ellerie nodded. She didn¡¯t know of any arcane spell that could block direct magical attacks, but it wasn¡¯t impossible. She¡¯d heard of one that could deflect them. ¡°Not a new spell,¡± Corec murmured, then had a coughing fit. ¡°Or maybe there was. I don¡¯t always know right away when I learn one. What happened?¡± ¡°You went up against a wizard, apparently,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Oh. Right.¡± He looked down at himself. ¡°Shit. That¡¯s a waste of an expensive suit of armor. My father won¡¯t be happy.¡± He scratched at his chest. ¡°It itches. It got my mail, too?¡± ¡°Be glad your armor is all it got,¡± Treya said. ¡°It could have been a lot worse.¡± ¡°What happened to the wizard?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Sarette said. ¡°Good. Help me up.¡± Treya and Katrin helped Corec to his feet. He stooped to pick up his sword, which immediately began glowing with a green light. As he held it, the green was replaced by blue, moving down the blade from the hilt to the tip. Corec walked unsteadily over to the kneeling man Sarette was holding prisoner and kicked him in the chest, knocking him onto his back. Then he stomped on his stomach. The man exhaled with a wailing grunt. ¡°Talk!¡± Corec ordered, pointing his sword at the archer¡¯s face. ¡°Why did you attack us? Who sent you?¡± The man glared at them but didn¡¯t speak. ¡°I don¡¯t think he can understand you,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Bloody hell. Where are Marco and Josip?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get them,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And Boktar captured another one.¡± In short order, everyone had gathered together other than Shavala, who was rounding up the horses and mules, and Nedley, who¡¯d gone to help her. ¡°Are these the only survivors?¡± Corec asked. He¡¯d removed his armor and pulled on a clean shirt from out of his saddlebag, but was holding onto Katrin¡¯s shoulder for support. ¡°Some of them ran away, and there are a few wounded that Treya might be able to heal,¡± Boktar said. ¡°These are the only two that are conscious.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Ask them who they¡¯re working for,¡± he told the translators. ¡°Why did they attack us?¡± Marco did the speaking. The archer, kneeling under Sarette¡¯s watchful gaze, replied first, repeating the same phrase over and over until he was screaming. He frothed at the mouth and spasmed, his arms jerking around. Then he fell back and his body grew still, his eyes staring blankly up at the sky. Even the second prisoner¡ªone of the better armed men¡ªlooked shocked. He backed away from the first man. ¡°He just kept saying a snake will protect me from the infidels,¡± Marco said, his voice wavering. ¡°Not a snake,¡± Josip contradicted. ¡°Just snake.¡± Marco shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°I think he was poisoned,¡± Treya said, standing up from the body. ¡°I¡¯ve never sensed a poisoning before, but I can¡¯t think of what else it might be.¡± ¡°What about the other one?¡± Corec said. Marco prompted the second prisoner again. The man replied quickly, still staring at the dead archer. ¡°He¡¯s a mercenary,¡± Marco said. He pointed to a dead man in a black robe. ¡°That one over there hired him to stop a group of bandits that he claimed were attacking the local villages.¡± ¡°How do we know he¡¯s telling the truth?¡± Boktar asked. Razai growled. ¡°Who cares? He tried to kill us. Slit his throat and leave him with the rest.¡± ¡°Well?¡± Corec asked Marco. ¡°Is he telling the truth or not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I think he is,¡± Josip said. ¡°Then we¡¯ll let him go,¡± Corec said. He ignored Razai¡¯s exasperated sigh. ¡°First, make sure he understands we¡¯re not bandits. I don¡¯t want him leading another group back to us. Let him know he was the one working with bandits.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t bandits,¡± Ellerie pointed out. ¡°No, but let¡¯s make sure he believes they were.¡± ¡°Who were they actually?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corec said, giving Ellerie and Boktar meaningful glances. Ellerie got the message¡ªCorec was worried Rusol had sent them, but didn¡¯t want to discuss it in front of outsiders. ¡°Did he mean a snake was going to bite him?¡± Bobo asked, still pushing for answers. ¡°Is that what poisoned him? I didn¡¯t see a snake. Does infidel mean the same thing in Nysan that it means in Western?¡± A new voice spoke up. ¡°I think they were after me.¡± # Leena forced herself to look everyone in the eye when they turned to her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Why would they be after you?¡± Leena held up the knife she¡¯d found after the battle, with the snake etched into the handle. ¡°Men with these knives attacked my clan in Sanvar. That¡¯s why I came here.¡± ¡°You knew about this?¡± Marco said. ¡°I only knew I was supposed to come here; I didn¡¯t know they¡¯d attack us. I didn¡¯t even know I¡¯d still be traveling with you. I thought I would ¡­ well, it doesn¡¯t matter now. There are more of these knives over there.¡± She pointed back to the main ambush. ¡°Why were you supposed to come?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I can¡¯t let them attack my people again. The Seeking sent me here to find a way to stop them.¡± She was about to explain what she meant by that when Corec spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re a Seeker?¡± he asked. There were looks of recognition on some of the faces. They knew of her people¡¯s abilities? Corec didn¡¯t seem angry with her, but she hadn¡¯t had much interaction with him before. ¡°A Traveler and a Seeker, but I never finished my training. I went to Tyrsall because I know someone there who has a friend who can help me learn, but when I got there, the Seeking sent me here instead.¡± ¡°The person in Tyrsall who can train you¡ªwhat¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Her name. I think it was Yelena. The man I met is called Sarlo.¡± Corec shared a concerned glance with Ellerie. ¡°Sarlo¡¯s the Seeker,¡± he said. ¡°Not Yelena. Did he tell you how she was going to train you?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Marco said. ¡°Are you talking about the duke¡¯s wizard? That Yelena? What¡¯s a Seeker?¡± Leena couldn¡¯t control her surprise. Tyrsall was even larger than Sanvara City. What were the chances they¡¯d know the people she¡¯d gone there to find? ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t know who she is,¡± she said. ¡°I never met her. Sarlo didn¡¯t really say she could train me. He said she had a way to help me learn.¡± ¡°I think I know how,¡± Corec said. ¡°I could¡ª¡± He stopped abruptly. ¡°We knew you were a mage,¡± Ellerie admitted. ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it so I didn¡¯t ask, but if we¡¯d known that you knew Yelena and Sarlo, we¡¯d have said something.¡± They¡¯d already known she was a mage? Leena glanced at Razai, who shook her head discreetly. The demonborn woman hadn¡¯t told them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Leena said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°No,¡± Corec said. ¡°They weren¡¯t after you. They wouldn¡¯t send this many men for one person. If they¡¯d just wanted to kill you, they could have done that easily enough back in Tir Shar, or once we reach Aencyr. They were after all of us.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Marco asked. ¡°Senshall¡¯s never had any trouble in Bancyra other than the occasional bandit.¡± ¡°We¡¯re obviously not a Senshall caravan. Maybe these fellows don¡¯t like what we¡¯re doing here. Leena, do you know who they are?¡± ¡°No, none of the Zidari camps recognized them. Other Seekers are looking for them too, but they hadn¡¯t found anything by the time I left Sanvar.¡± ¡°Why did they attack your people?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°They came after the Travelers. They killed as many as they could before we fought back.¡± The others stared at her blankly, and Leena realized what had happened. It was the same problem she¡¯d had when speaking to Gylvaren in the elven outpost in Terril Forest. In trade tongue, the word Traveler was indistinguishable from its mundane counterpart. ¡°Travelers,¡± she repeated. ¡°They can move from one place to another with magic.¡± Ellerie nodded as if recognizing the concept. ¡°You said Traveler earlier, too. That¡¯s why you think they¡¯re after you?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve come for me before.¡± ¡°Then you need to leave,¡± Marco said. ¡°No!¡± Ellerie replied. ¡°We¡¯re not going to leave her out here alone!¡± ¡°Besides,¡± Corec added, ¡°I told you, they¡¯re after all of us. If Leena¡¯s run into them before, she may be our best chance at finding out why.¡± Boktar said, ¡°Maybe one of the others will tell us something. Treya, I can show you where the wounded ones are. Marco, we¡¯ll need you to translate.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come too, if you can wait for me,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m not up to moving too quickly just yet.¡± As the group split up, Ellerie stayed nearby. ¡°Boktar distracted Marco so I could speak to you privately,¡± the elven woman murmured. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know how you¡¯d react,¡± Leena said. Ellerie¡¯s mood had remained mercurial as they¡¯d traveled¡ªsometimes she was friendly and sometimes she was distant, focused on the task at hand. ¡°I only came with you because the Seeking told me to, and I wasn¡¯t sure when I¡¯d have to leave.¡± Razai had taken a spot not far away, ostensibly helping Sarette guard the remaining prisoner, but keeping a watchful eye on the conversation. ¡°We can make sure they don¡¯t hurt you,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°You had to fight them before?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t really a fight. I was in Matihar, outside Sanvara City. They caught me alone, and I Traveled to get away. I ended up in Larso. It took me months to get home.¡± Leena didn¡¯t mention her parents¡¯ deaths. She¡¯d told Razai¡ªeventually¡ªbut she wasn¡¯t ready to open up about it to Ellerie. ¡°Why not just ¡­ Travel back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, and I quit my training before I could do it safely. I met Sarlo on my way home and he taught me a few things, but I still have to be very careful or I¡¯ll end up somewhere I wasn¡¯t expecting. I¡¯ve fallen twice and I broke my arm both times. Once, I ended up in the ocean.¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s why you were looking for Yelena?¡± Leena nodded. ¡°Will you stay with us?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Do you really want me to?¡± Leena¡¯s Seeking was still sending her in the same direction as the group. She could move faster on her own, but what if she got to Aencyr and the magic wanted her to return to the others? ¡°Yes. We can protect you, and maybe Treya and Marco will find out who these people are.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay for as long as I can.¡± # Ellerie led the group through the streets of Aencyr, trying to find a better view. As they¡¯d approached the city, the Skotinos Mountains had loomed in the distance. She¡¯d grown more and more hopeful, exchanging meaningful glances with Corec and Bobo, who were both familiar with the design on the amulet. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Marco asked her. ¡°What are you looking for? We¡¯ve passed a dozen inns.¡± They¡¯d been wandering eastward into the city for three hours, leading the horses and mules, but Ellerie refused to stop. Not when she was so close. ¡°I¡¯ll know it when I see it,¡± she said. Aencyr rivaled Tyrsall in size. While it wasn¡¯t near the sea, it stood in approximately the geographic center of Cordaea, with major trade roads to the north, south, and west. Waterways provided another trade route. Two parallel rivers bracketed Aencyr to the north and south, merging together just southwest of the city and continuing south to the ocean. River barges floated downstream, and were then towed back upstream by draft horses following a towpath. The city was filled with rotundas of gleaming white stone, complete with towers, domed roofs, and gilded spires, as impressive as anything back in Terevas. The buildings obstructed most views of the mountains, but there were enough glimpses to lead Ellerie in the right direction. She pushed through the crowd, wishing she was taller¡ªhumans and stoneborn alike wore conical hats that blocked her view. The men¡¯s hats had brims to keep the rain off, while the women¡¯s trailed colorful scarves behind them. She had to wait for gaps between groups of people to see what she was looking for. Finally, she came to a stop in front of a massive temple to Allosur, its huge domed roof towering over them. ¡°This is it,¡± she said. ¡°If the temple wasn¡¯t blocking the view, it would be a perfect match. Aencyr is Tir a Tir.¡± Book 3: Chapter Sixteen ¡°Now, tell me what the hell is going on,¡± Marco said. ¡°What is Tir a Tir? We¡¯re supposed to be looking for Tir Yadar!¡± He¡¯d been crankier than usual ever since getting stabbed. ¡°We are,¡± Ellerie replied. She¡¯d refused to speak openly while they were still out on the streets, so Josip had found an inn that had enough rooms for everyone, plus a private dining room for the group to get together. ¡°We have a good idea of the route to Tir Yadar, but we didn¡¯t know where to begin. Now we do. Tir a Tir is the starting point.¡± ¡°We think it¡¯s the starting point,¡± Bobo said. Ellerie glared at him, but had to concede the point. The book had been ambiguous about where the author¡¯s journey had begun. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°We think the road starts in Tir a Tir, but we don¡¯t know for certain. This is Tir a Tir, though. The amulet I was holding earlier shows a skyline with seven mountain peaks that could be seen from the city. It matches the mountains we saw here. The heights, the silhouettes, the relative positions¡ªit¡¯s an exact match, or it would be if there weren¡¯t so many buildings in the way. The city must have been smaller once.¡± Josip said, ¡°I grew up in Bancyra and I¡¯ve never heard of Tir a Tir.¡± ¡°It was a very long time ago,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Names and languages change over the centuries. It¡¯s possible the entire city fell to dust, and Aencyr was built in the same location.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°Now that we know where to start our search, we need to plan the next steps. According to the route we¡¯re following ¡­¡± She hesitated. Marco didn¡¯t know about the book yet, but she couldn¡¯t keep it secret any longer. It was too difficult to explain what they were doing without it. ¡°In the book we¡¯re following, the author went due south first, to a shrine of some sort. Bobo translates it as the all-shrine, but we¡¯re not sure what that means, and it¡¯s unlikely that it still exists. Josip, do you know of any shrines to the south?¡± ¡°You mean a shrine to the old gods?¡± the man asked. ¡°There are still a few around if you know where to look. I don¡¯t know of any in that direction, but there are some people here I could ask.¡± ¡°It would be good to know for sure so we can decide how far south to go, but if you can¡¯t find anything, we might be able to skip that part. After the author visited the shrine, he went east along something called the valtos road.¡± ¡°A swamp road? That¡¯s why you asked me about swamps?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bobo said. ¡°We¡¯ve found the mountains we were looking for, so if this is the right spot, the swamp is probably the one you showed us on the map. Silent Waters, you called it?¡± ¡°Nera Athoryvos, yes, but I don¡¯t know of any road going through it.¡± ¡°Can you ask around and see if you can find someone who¡¯s crossed it?¡± Ellerie said. Josip nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to go on?¡± Marco asked Ellerie. ¡°What if you¡¯re wrong?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m wrong,¡± she said. ¡°Varsin knew this whole expedition was a risk. I didn¡¯t make any promises that we¡¯d find what we¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Then what happens? You¡¯d just give up and waste our entire investment?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be wasted,¡± Ellerie said with sudden certainy. ¡°We still know more than we¡¯ve ever known before. Regardless of whether this is the starting point, Tir a Tir and Tir Yadar must be on the same continent. I found other sources to corroborate that even before I left Terevas. And the winged snakes just confirm it.¡± ¡°The what?¡± Bobo said, ¡°The book we¡¯re following mentions winged snakes during the author¡¯s journey to Tir Yadar. According to every book I can find on the topic, winged snakes only live in Cordaea, mostly around Bancyra. Even if Aencyr isn¡¯t the right starting point, we¡¯re still close.¡± ¡°But it would be a guessing game after that,¡± Ellerie told Marco. ¡°If this isn¡¯t the right place, you can send a message to Varsin asking him what he¡¯d like to do. I wouldn¡¯t mind continuing on, but I can¡¯t speak for everyone else. I don¡¯t know how long it would take.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something else we should all consider,¡± Bobo said. ¡°If Aencyr is Tir a Tir, then Tir Yadar might still be settled as well.¡± ¡°That was always a possibility,¡± Ellerie said with a shrug. ¡°Varsin would get what he wants, and it would still be an important find among historians, but for the rest of you, I don¡¯t think there would be any shares to distribute.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯d all understand,¡± Corec said. ¡°Though we might need to look for paying jobs on the way back home if you don¡¯t need us anymore.¡± Ellerie nodded, then turned back to Marco. ¡°To be honest, finding Tir a Tir itself should be considered an important discovery, but, unfortunately, only a few elven historians have ever heard of it. And while the architecture here is old, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s old enough to be original. It might be like Bobo said, that Aencyr was built over the top of Tir a Tir. If we don¡¯t find Tir Yadar, I might come back here and study the city in more detail. Perhaps some of the old structures are still around, but buried.¡± It could take years to learn anything significant, but it would be a worthy topic of study, and finding Tir a Tir was an accomplishment she could be proud of¡ªeven if it had required some help from Bobo. The two of them could write a book and release it in several languages, and make names for themselves among the scholars and historians who studied the Ancients¡¯ civilization. Even if they did succeed in finding Tir Yadar, Tir a Tir would still be worth investigating. Before anyone responded, a stoneborn man entered the room, dressed in fine clothing. He gave an elegant bow and looked around, glancing at a compass he was holding in his left hand. His eyes stopped at Corec¡ªor, perhaps, at the sword that was propped up against the wall behind him. The man slipped the compass into his pocket, then said something in Nysan. Josip¡¯s eyes grew wide. Marco translated. ¡°He begs pardon for the interruption. He¡¯s a messenger for the Lady Hildra. She requests the honor of your presence at her estate tomorrow.¡± Corec shared a confused glance with Katrin. ¡°Who is Lady Hildra?¡± he asked. ¡°She¡¯s one of the leaders among the dwarves in Aencyr and the Skotinos Mountains,¡± Josip said. He looked like he wanted to add more, but then he eyed the messenger and closed his mouth. The stoneborn man switched to heavily accented trade tongue. ¡°Yes, yes, many apologies for wrong language. Lady Hildra requests your visit tomorrow. If tomorrow not good, perhaps another day?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t know this Lady Hildra. Why does she want to see me?¡± ¡°The Lady is expert in ¡­ how you say ¡­ relics?¡± The messenger pointed to the sword. ¡°She knew you were coming. Since you stop here, she sends me to invite you. She asks that you bring sword.¡± ¡°What does she want with it?¡± ¡°Only to look, only to look. If not sure, some sort of ¡­ compensation, perhaps?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just here briefly,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have time. Let me think about it, and discuss it with my friends.¡± ¡°Of course. I go now, and wait for your response.¡± ¡°Will the carriage drivers know how to find her?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. All know where to find Lady Hildra.¡± The messenger bowed to Corec again, then to the rest of the group. ¡°Good day.¡± He left the room. Corec frowned. ¡°That was odd. She wants to see the sword? How did she know about it?¡± ¡°Lady Hildra knows all sorts of things,¡± Josip said. ¡°If she wants to see you, you should go. She holds a lot of power in the city; she could cause problems for us if she feels slighted.¡± ¡°The stoneborn here have lords and ladies?¡± Boktar asked with distaste. Ellerie held back a laugh. He¡¯d teased her before about the nilvasta using human titles of nobility. Josip nodded. ¡°Half of the Bancyran noble houses are dwarven. Hildra doesn¡¯t belong to any of them, but everyone calls her Lady Hildra anyway, and she oversees the city¡¯s dwarven council. Even the queen, up in Desat, sometimes asks her for advice.¡± He paused. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Why would she care about the sword?¡± Corec asked. ¡°She¡¯s a wizard now, but they say she used to be a weapon smith¡ªthe best in all of Bancyra.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s just professional curiosity?¡± Ellerie suggested. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain how she knew about it, or that we were coming.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste time with this, but I suppose we should stay on good terms with the locals. The sword can protect itself if she tries anything.¡± ¡°Unless you¡¯re dead,¡± Katrin pointed out. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what Venni told you?¡± ¡°Ahh, true, I suppose, but I don¡¯t imagine she¡¯d go to the trouble of a formal invitation if she¡¯s planning to kill me.¡± Katrin rolled her eyes at him. ¡°We can handle the resupply without you,¡± Boktar told Corec. ¡°We¡¯d planned three nights here, so we¡¯ve got plenty of time.¡± He turned to Ellerie. ¡°Unless you want to leave sooner now that you know we¡¯re in the right place?¡± Ellerie was tempted, but everyone needed a rest. There was also a nagging worry that the sooner they headed out, the sooner they might learn that she¡¯d been wrong after all. It was easy enough to tell Marco that the search might fail, but she wasn¡¯t eager to lose the sense of hope she¡¯d felt ever since the mountains came into view. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Three nights is fine.¡± # Lady Hildra¡¯s manor house was in an upscale neighborhood just beyond the north river, outside the official city boundaries. Opulent villas and mansions lined the waterway, each estate surrounded by enough land that the neighboring homes couldn¡¯t be seen. Hildra¡¯s own manor was more rustic, reminding Corec of his father¡¯s ancestral home. The servants showed him to a room they referred to as the workshop, where weapons were hanging from the walls and suits of armor in various states of repair lay disassembled on work tables. There was a rolling door on the far side of the room which opened into an outdoor smithy. The fires were cold, but it was clear that Hildra hadn¡¯t given up smithing when she became a wizard. Given the way Josip had spoken of her, Hildra was much younger than Corec had expected. She appeared younger than Boktar, who, despite being in his eighties, was still south of his middle years. Hildra was shorter than Boktar, at four and a half feet tall, but she was just as stocky. She wore a man¡¯s loose blouse and leggings, and she was hanging a leather apron over the back of a chair when Corec entered. There were heavy steel bands around her wrists. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Welcome to Aencyr, traveler,¡± she said in trade tongue. ¡°Corec Tarwen, if I¡¯m pronouncing it correctly?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± He¡¯d included his name in the note he¡¯d sent her. ¡°And I am Hildra.¡± She didn¡¯t mention any titles. ¡°Thank you for coming. I¡¯m happy to compensate you for your time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more interested in learning why you invited me. Your messenger said you¡¯re interested in my sword?¡± ¡°I study enchanted weapons and armor, among other things. I trust you know that the sword carries a magical enchantment? I felt it coming this way days ago. Might I ask where you obtained it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not mine,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m safeguarding it for the stormborn.¡± That was as much as he was comfortable saying. The stormborn didn¡¯t like to discuss the South Valley ruins with strangers. Hildra raised an eyebrow. ¡°The stormborn can craft enchantments? I¡¯m afraid I know little about their people¡ªI don¡¯t often leave Bancyra.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t create the sword, but it was found in their territory in the Storm Heights Mountains.¡± ¡°How did you come to be in possession of it?¡± ¡°Nobody else can touch it safely. Someone told me it¡¯s attuned to me.¡± She cocked her head to the side. ¡°Fascinating. Bonded weapons are rare. Including your sword, there are only three in the city right now, and two are in this room. Might I examine it?¡± Corec shrugged and detached the scabbard from its harness. With his breastplate and chain shirt destroyed, he no longer wore his armor, but he¡¯d strapped the harness on over his clothing. He drew the blade and laid both it and the scabbard on one of the work tables. Hildra approached and looked over the weapon, then reached for it. ¡°Wait!¡± Corec exclaimed. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± She lifted the sword by the hilt, hefting it in both hands. ¡°Stronger defenses than I¡¯ve seen before,¡± she said. ¡°Good balance, but too unwieldy for my taste.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hurting you? How can you lift it?¡± ¡°I have a gift for enchantments,¡± she said. When she turned to face him, her eyes had gone completely black. She dropped the sword and it fell to the stone floor with a loud clang. ¡°You¡¯re a warden!¡± The black faded and her eyes returned to normal. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She seemed tensed for a fight. Corec held his hands out for peace. ¡°Only because you invited me. I came to Aencyr to help a friend with something.¡± ¡°Who are you? Seven? Four¡¯s a priest, and you¡¯re no priest. That just leaves Seven.¡± Not only did she know that the wardens existed, but she also knew details about their identities? ¡°I¡¯m Eight, I guess.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t an eighth. There¡¯s never been an eighth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ¡­ new. How did you know I was a warden?¡± ¡°Arcane sight,¡± she replied, getting over her surprise and picking up his sword. She laid it carefully back on the table, then polished off a smudge with her shirt sleeve. ¡°You must have seen your own bonds. Any warden or bondmate with arcane sight can see them too.¡± Corec had never learned an arcane sight spell, but that was the least important part of what she¡¯d said. ¡°You¡¯re Three?¡± he guessed. ¡°Or you work with her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the third warden. I was the fourth when I was chosen, but the last third passed away some time ago. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen another of us in person. Badru usually tells me when there¡¯s a new one.¡± ¡°Badru?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the first among those of us who are left. You should know he might show up in your dreams someday. That¡¯s how he talks to us.¡± ¡°The First? He never told me his real name.¡± ¡°He¡¯s ¡­ not well. He¡¯s been at this for a long time. I offered to send him help once, but he¡¯s stubborn.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re Three ¡­¡± Corec started. Then he laughed and shook his head. ¡°We came here for another reason, but I was hoping to find you too.¡± As he spoke, he realized it had never occurred to him to ask Leena to search for Three. ¡°Oh?¡± Hildra asked. ¡°The First said you could help me. If you can answer my questions, I¡¯d be happy to let you examine the sword.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so mercenary as that,¡± the dwarven woman said. ¡°I¡¯ll answer your questions either way. If you¡¯re even newer than Seven, I imagine things must still seem very strange.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Corec said. He was about to ask how to end the warden binding spell when another thought occurred to him. ¡°You¡¯re right¡ªthis is all new to us. My friends and I are still trying to figure out what to do. It seems like the wardens don¡¯t really have any sort of real purpose.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a question,¡± Hildra pointed out. ¡°As for a purpose, would you really want some ancient spell forcing you to serve it? You should always live your life on your own terms. Maybe the wardens once served a higher cause, or maybe that¡¯s just a story we tell each other; I don¡¯t know. I provide guidance for those who will listen, and I conduct my studies.¡± She hefted his sword again, and gestured to the other weapons around the room. ¡°That¡¯s enough for me. It should be enough for anyone.¡± Hildra¡¯s choices sounded a lot like Yelena¡¯s. Maybe the wardens weren¡¯t so unusual after all. ¡°I think I understand,¡± Corec said. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Not yet.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hildra gave him a serious look. ¡°You can go about your life however you want, but, together with your bondmates, you¡¯ll represent a great deal of power. Eventually you¡¯ll be tempted to interfere, to do something to help the people around you. And you should¡ªbut not everyone will want the help you think they need. One person can only help so much. Can you stand aside and let people make their own decisions, even when you know the outcome will be a disaster? Or will you force them to do what you think is best?¡± ¡°I¡¯d never force anyone to do what I want.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be tempted. You¡¯ll watch nations rise and fall; you¡¯ll see them make the same mistakes time and time again. You¡¯ll want to save them from themselves, but where does it end? You conquer a small kingdom and you rule over it for, what, a hundred years? A thousand? You crush its enemies and you conquer its neighbors, because wouldn¡¯t it be good if they, too, could benefit from your wisdom? Soon, you have an empire, and your word is law. People are afraid to speak their own minds because you think you know more than anyone else, even your own bondmates.¡± She paused, looking off into the distance. ¡°That¡¯s what you did,¡± Corec said with sudden realization. ¡°Bancyra didn¡¯t become the most powerful kingdom in Cordaea by accident. But that was a long time ago and I¡¯ve learned better. As far as anyone knows, the Sorceress Queen has been dead for eight hundred years. Let the people find their own destiny. Stick to gentle advice and subtle guidance. A simple word here and there can change the course of a nation¡¯s future for the better. The wisdom is in knowing what that word is, and when you should say it.¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. He hadn¡¯t planned anything more ambitious than building a small home near Four Roads. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll learn¡ªgive it a few centuries. Now, you said you had other questions?¡± Corec nodded. ¡°The First told me you know of a way to end the warden bond?¡± ¡°I do. You¡¯ve run into problems with your bondmates already?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have any control over the binding spell until recently. I had no idea what I was doing. The first five people I cast it on didn¡¯t have any choice in the matter, and I promised them I¡¯d find a way to end it. The two who want to end it, at least.¡± Hildra nodded. Unlike Yelena and the First, she didn¡¯t lecture him about the appropriate use of binding spells. ¡°This life isn¡¯t for everyone. For me, it was my husband. My first husband, I mean. We married before I was chosen, and he didn¡¯t like how close I grew to my other bondmates. He was also jealous that I bonded my sister before I¡¯d even told him about being a warden. I suppose that should have been a warning sign¡ªthough whether for him or me, I couldn¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Can you teach me how to do it?¡± She hesitated. ¡°I can, but it may not be everything you¡¯re hoping for.¡± She rolled up her left sleeve and pointed to the uppermost rune on her arm. Unlike the other three, which glowed with a purple light, the top rune was just a white outline, barely visible on her skin. ¡°The bond is severed on the other person¡¯s side, but it doesn¡¯t go away completely from your end. You¡¯re limited to eight bondmates, and that bond can never be used for someone else. You might be able to bond the same person again, though. I haven¡¯t tried it, but there¡¯s no reason why it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°What happened to your husband?¡± ¡°We separated, and he went his own way. He grew old and died, like any other stoneborn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It was a long time ago. In truth, I can barely remember him, but our son and daughter live on.¡± She tapped two spots on her right arm, where the two lowest runes would be hidden by her sleeve. ¡°One of my bondmates died in a cave-in two hundred years ago, but the others are still around. My daughter is in Desat, serving as an advisor to the queen. My son lives in Aencyr from time to time, but he¡¯s somewhere down south at the moment.¡± ¡°Your bondmates don¡¯t stay nearby?¡± Corec asked. Yelena¡¯s bondmates had seemed to remain in Tyrsall most of the time. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, but your sense of time changes when you¡¯ve been around as long as we have. We go where we¡¯re needed. Right now, Bancyra is peaceful, which allows us to follow our own pursuits. I conduct my research, my son writes his books, and my sister¡¯s probably out in the orchard checking our fruit trees. I¡¯ll introduce you to her before you leave.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about the limitations. I¡¯d like to learn how to end the binding spell.¡± Being limited to six bondmates didn¡¯t seem like much of a sacrifice, considering he¡¯d never intended to have any at all. ¡°Then watch what I do with your arcane sight. I can demonstrate it on my husband¡¯s inactive bond.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know an arcane sight spell.¡± Hildra frowned at him. ¡°You should have learned one by now. You¡¯re not a wizard, but you¡¯re not a trifler either.¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°Maybe that doesn¡¯t translate well,¡± she said. ¡°A dabbler? They¡¯re arcane mages who can¡¯t control which spells they learn. But you and I are wardens. We have some control over it, and arcane sight is too useful to ignore¡ªlike mage lights.¡± She paused. ¡°You know a mage light spell, don¡¯t you?¡± Corec held his palm up and released a mage light. It floated up to hover near the ceiling as he thought over her words. Was she saying she wasn¡¯t a wizard after all? She was like him? Hildra smiled. ¡°Good. If you can learn that, then maybe I can teach you an arcane sight spell. Let¡¯s start there, and then I¡¯ll show you how to sever the bond.¡± # ¡°You can end the binding spell?¡± Razai asked, hoping she hadn¡¯t misheard. ¡°She showed me how, but I haven¡¯t tried it yet,¡± Corec replied. ¡°I wanted to tell everyone at once.¡± He looked around the room at his other bondmates. ¡°Not just Razai and Ellerie, but all of you. For anyone who wants out, if Hildra¡¯s right, I should be able to undo it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want out,¡± Treya said clearly. Katrin didn¡¯t speak; she simply grasped Corec¡¯s hand. Shavala shook her head. Sarette didn¡¯t react at all, but then, of all of them, she was the only one who¡¯d chosen the warden bond for herself. Ellerie frowned. ¡°Lady Hildra just happened to be Three, who we didn¡¯t know how to find?¡± she asked. ¡°And she just happened to send for you without knowing you were also a warden? Doesn¡¯t that seem too convenient?¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°We knew she was somewhere in this direction. She¡¯s definitely a warden, if that arcane sight spell is working right. She and I have the same ¡­ I don¡¯t know what to call them. Those lines or tendrils that are linked to the runes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying she¡¯s not a warden; I¡¯m saying maybe she¡¯s not the real Hildra.¡± ¡°The servants seemed to believe she was. Unless you think she replaced the entire household? I suppose that¡¯s possible, but why bother? If she wanted to talk to me, she could have done so without the pretense.¡± Ellerie relaxed. ¡°No, I just get nervous when things are too easy. It makes me wonder why.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°Easy? I¡¯ve been trying to fix this for almost a year now. Maybe we just got lucky for a change.¡± He turned to Razai. ¡°Do you want to try?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s something I should tell you first. Hildra said her husband grew old and died. He lost the long life that the bondmates receive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that!¡± Razai snapped. Then she had a worrying thought. ¡°Wait. When you say he grew old, you don¡¯t mean all at once, do you?¡± ¡°Uhh, no. He lived a normal lifespan. Normal for a dwarf, anyway.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. I just want it gone.¡± Razai was a hundred thirty-seven years old and hadn¡¯t noticed herself aging since her early twenties. At this rate, she¡¯d live to be as old as an elf. She hardly needed to extend that any further. Corec said, ¡°She also thinks I might be able to cast the spell on you again if you ever change your mind.¡± ¡°Why would I ever want to do that?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just telling you what she told me.¡± ¡°Just try it, will you?¡± Corec nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating. A moment later, he looked up. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Razai hadn¡¯t felt anything. She checked the extra sense that had come with the warden bond, but could no longer feel Corec¡¯s location in her mind. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± she asked. ¡°Is it gone?¡± She held her hand up in front of her forehead to see if it reflected any light. ¡°I stopped trying to conceal the rune. Did it go away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± Corec confirmed. He rolled up his right sleeve. The third rune down¡ªtwin to Razai¡¯s own, approximating a pair of curved knives¡ªhad faded to a faint white outline against his skin. Above it, Treya¡¯s circle with a curved line through it and Katrin¡¯s odd horseshoe rune still glowed a brilliant blue. ¡°She said your side should go away completely, but mine will stay like this.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t track me anymore?¡± Razai asked. ¡°No, the link is dead.¡± Razai took in a deep breath. She¡¯d suspected Corec¡¯s promises to find a way to end the spell would come to nothing, and now that it had happened so suddenly, she hadn¡¯t had a chance to figure out how she felt about it. ¡°You did what you said you¡¯d do,¡± she admitted. ¡°I suppose I should thank you for that.¡± She didn¡¯t actually thank him though, wondering if he¡¯d notice the wordplay. So there, Father, Razai thought to herself, hiding a wild grin. You¡¯ll have to find someone else to do your bidding. Vatarxis hadn¡¯t contacted her since she¡¯d been bonded, so she¡¯d never even learned why he¡¯d wanted it to happen in the first place. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Corec said. ¡°Ellerie?¡± The elven woman looked uncertain. ¡°Will it affect anything else? I still don¡¯t know what Yelena meant about the warden bond strengthening our magic. Will I be able to cast the larger arrow shield? It takes more power than I could have managed when we first met. And there are some other spells I¡¯m trying to learn.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t really discuss that. I got the impression Hildra didn¡¯t talk to her husband much after they severed the bond. She might not know.¡± ¡°Then maybe I should wait. Let¡¯s find Tir Yadar, and then see if there¡¯s anything I can do to help you with Prince Rusol. After that we can end it.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Before, you didn¡¯t want any help from the binding spell.¡± ¡°We¡¯re finally close to Tir Yadar, and we¡¯re more likely to succeed if we use all of our resources. It won¡¯t hurt to wait a while.¡± Razai snorted. The elf was as crazy as the rest of them. As for herself, Razai still had a job to do¡ªa well-paying job that she¡¯d promised Renny she¡¯d finish¡ªbut in a few more months, she¡¯d be done with it, and she¡¯d never have to deal with the rest of the group again. Except Leena. Leena was all right. And Treya was Renny¡¯s friend, so she¡¯d probably meet her again. And Boktar wasn¡¯t too annoying. But that was it, definitely. Book 3: Chapter Seventeen Hildra finally looked up from her intense examination of the sword, removing the strange eyepiece she¡¯d worn. The black faded from her eyes as she ended her arcane sight spell. ¡°There is a warding spell outside of the attunement,¡± she said, ¡°but not for wardens. It¡¯s looking for a specific type of mage.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Some arcane mages have a natural affinity for certain spells. Even wizards, who can learn any spell they want, will build up that sort of affinity over time if they focus on a specific area. There¡¯s no way for me to see what it¡¯s looking for, but it¡¯s looking for something. Whatever your affinity is, apparently.¡± ¡°A friend told me I¡¯m something like a battle wizard.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Hildra said. ¡°It¡¯s a sword, after all. The warding spell is the reason it reacted negatively to the people who touched it before you; they weren¡¯t its preferred bearer. As for the other enchantments, it¡¯s got the typical ones¡ªstrengthening the blade, always sharp, and never breaking. There¡¯s one I don¡¯t recognize. Has the sword ever done anything unusual?¡± Corec couldn¡¯t hold in his laugh. ¡°Everything it does is unusual.¡± ¡°I mean beyond the behaviors you¡¯ve described.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything else.¡± ¡°Then be careful with it. If you don¡¯t know what it can do, it might be dangerous. I won¡¯t try to replicate it without knowing.¡± ¡°Replicate?¡± Hildra tapped her wrist bands together and a shimmering barrier formed around her. She then held out her arm and a curved backsword flew off the wall toward her, the hilt thumping into her hand. A pale purple light slowly limned the blade. ¡°For my own work,¡± she said. She swished the sword back and forth through the air, leaving behind glowing purple streaks. ¡°Don¡¯t touch the light¡ªit¡¯s sharp. Quite useful when you¡¯re ambushed by a dozen footpads who don¡¯t realize the blade can still cut them half a minute after you swing it. I found this enchantment on a dagger almost two thousand years ago, and liked it so much, I copied it for myself.¡± Corec could only stare at the sight. ¡°Someone told me nobody knew how to create permanent enchantments anymore,¡± he said. Hildra smirked. ¡°Every warden has their own gift. Have you discovered yours yet?¡± The First had mentioned gifts too, when he was discussing how he¡¯d found Corec in a dream. ¡°Uhh, no. I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°You will in time. As for your sword, you say it was found in the Storm Heights? That¡¯s in northeastern Aravor, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, north of Tyrsall.¡± Hildra nodded. ¡°It¡¯s ancient work. How long has it been since the sword had another bearer?¡± ¡°Thousands of years, easily,¡± Corec said. With Hildra being a warden, he decided to be more forthcoming than he¡¯d been before. ¡°It was in the ruins of a place called Tir Navis.¡± ¡°From the name, that must be a Chosar city? Not many civilizations could have created something like this. The Chosar. The first peoples. Perhaps one or two others.¡± ¡°I thought the Chosar were the first peoples.¡± ¡°Modern historians consider them to be one tribe among many, and perhaps they were, but I¡¯ve seen two different sources from before the Burning that suggested the Chosar drove the other tribes out of the Tirs.¡± ¡°Could I see those? My friends would be interested in that.¡± Hildra sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, my library burned to the ground during the rebellion that took down Queen Malda. That¡¯s the name I went by back then. It was the rebels who first started calling me the Sorceress Queen. I started the war against myself, hoping a small bit of violence would sate the people enough that they could move on, but the rebels were angrier than I¡¯d thought. They destroyed everything. I haven¡¯t found any other writings from before the Burning.¡± ¡°What was the Burning? The First mentioned it too.¡± ¡°Nobody knows,¡± Hildra said. ¡°We don¡¯t even know how long ago it happened because there were so many different calendars in use. It was before Badru¡¯s time, and he¡¯s fairly certain he¡¯s over four thousand years old. There was another warden before him who knew more, but he¡¯s long dead. What we do know is that very few books and scrolls survived the Burning, and most of those were in bad shape. The Tirs were abandoned, and I suspect there was a long gap¡ªperhaps a few hundred years¡ªwhere little new writing was produced. Personally, I believe the people descended into barbarism, though I have no idea what could cause that on such a wide scale. Something involving burning, I imagine.¡± The First was over four thousand years old? Corec had no idea how to react to that information. He focused on the small part of Hildra¡¯s statement that he understood. ¡°Not all the Tirs were abandoned,¡± he said. ¡°Aencyr is Tir a Tir.¡± ¡°Tir a Tir?¡± Hildra asked. ¡°What would that mean? The First Home? It sounds significant, but I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever come across the name before. The city¡¯s been rebuilt so many times, it¡¯s hard to say if anything would be left from so long ago. That¡¯s why you came here?¡± ¡°Not exactly. We¡¯re looking for a place called Tir Yadar.¡± Hildra smirked again. ¡°The center of Chosar civilization. You¡¯re not the first to seek it out. You think it¡¯s in Cordaea?¡± ¡°Maybe. A friend has a possible lead, and I came to help. Do you know of anything on the other side of Silent Waters?¡± ¡°Silent what?¡± Hildra asked, wrinkling her brow. ¡°Oh, Nera Athoryvos? I¡¯ve never heard anyone translate the name before. I¡¯ve been to the other side, but never through the swamp. I always crossed the lake or the mountains. There isn¡¯t much directly east of the swamp¡ªjust a few independent towns before you reach the barrens.¡± ¡°Barrens?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wide area where not much grows. If you¡¯re trying to cross, make sure to bring plenty of food.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a desert?¡± ¡°Not really. It gets enough rain, but you shouldn¡¯t travel too close to the rivers. Without any vegetation to hold the rainwater, they flood quickly. People have tried to set up farms there, but they can¡¯t get anything worthwhile to grow. There are some shrubs and bushes that the birds like, but not much else. Plenty of old ruins, though, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Do you think Tir Yadar might be there? I¡¯m not sure what direction we¡¯re headed after we make it through the swamp.¡± ¡°My son¡¯s gone in farther than I have, but he didn¡¯t see anything that looked like it might be a city. Still, if you find it, I¡¯d like to see it for myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we could let you know.¡± # ¡°Barrens?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing anything like that on the maps.¡± She unrolled her own map and laid it out on the table. ¡°East of the swamp?¡± ¡°Yes, about a hundred miles beyond the swamp and the mountains,¡± Corec said. ¡°It¡¯s a large area.¡± With his finger, he circled a spot that extended halfway down the eastern side of the swamp. ¡°Hildra¡¯s map didn¡¯t show it either, but I think this is about where she said we¡¯d find it.¡± ¡°All of our maps are from Nysa,¡± Josip mentioned. ¡°The mapmakers here in Aencyr may have something more accurate. I¡¯ve heard of the barrens, but I¡¯ve never been beyond the mountains.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s look for a better map, then,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We need to know where we¡¯ll be leaving the swamp, and how far south the barrens extend. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll need to go through there or not.¡± ¡°Are you sure Tir Yadar is on the other side?¡± Marco asked. ¡°Senshall doesn¡¯t have any outposts east of Aencyr.¡± ¡°If Nera Athoryvos is the right swamp, then we¡¯ll end up somewhere east of the mountains. If it¡¯s not, we¡¯ll have to look farther south and see if we can find that all-shrine that the book mentions. But the swamp is a better choice¡ªit¡¯s less likely to have changed over years.¡± The factor sighed. ¡°I suppose I can withdraw some extra coin so we can resupply on the other side, then.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Ellerie said, not wanting to antagonize the man when he was being helpful for a change. ¡°Once we do make it across, we¡¯ll still have farther to go, and I¡¯m not sure how far or in which direction. The author didn¡¯t mention the barrens, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s because the land has changed or because we¡¯ll be going south of there.¡± ¡°Our other clues aren¡¯t going to be of any help,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Nobody knows of any notable shrines to the south, and the only winged snakes we¡¯re likely to find are in a sanctuary just south of the city. The rest were hunted as trophies.¡± ¡°That still means we¡¯re in the right region, though,¡± Ellerie pointed out. Between discovering Tir a Tir and learning of a way to end the warden bond, she was in too good of a mood to be dismayed by minor setbacks. ¡°I just wish I knew where the swamp road ends. Or if it even still exists.¡± ¡°No one I spoke to knows of a road through the swamp,¡± Josip said. ¡°Getting the horses and mules through will be a problem. We¡¯ll need a local guide to avoid getting lost¡ªone of the swamp people.¡± ¡°Swamp people?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°The folks who live there. Mostly humans, but there are a few dwarves too.¡± ¡°Will you be able to talk to them?¡± Josip nodded. ¡°They speak Nysan.¡± He hesitated. ¡°Uhh, there are boggarts in the swamp, too.¡± ¡°Boggarts are just children¡¯s stories,¡± Marco said. ¡°My cousin saw one!¡± Josip protested. ¡°He was in the fens east of the Bancyra Mountains, and came back to camp to find it stealing his food.¡± ¡°It was probably just a bear or a mountain lion.¡± ¡°Taking his supper right off the fire?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a boggart?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°They¡¯re little creatures who live in swamps and marshes,¡± Josip said. ¡°If we set out some food for them each night as a gift, and sprinkle salt around the camp, they¡¯ll leave us alone. If we don¡¯t, they¡¯ll steal things¡ªbelt buckles, harness straps, bits of cloth.¡± Marco rolled his eyes. ¡°Or they¡¯ll steal children from their beds. Or they¡¯ll lead men to their deaths in the swamps. Or they¡¯ll cause milk to go sour and horses to go lame. Or they¡¯re twelve-foot tall monsters, but the only part anyone ever sees is their hands poking up out of the water.¡± Josip glared at him. Ellerie forced herself to keep a straight face. She liked Josip more than Marco, but it all sounded like superstition. ¡°We¡¯ll be careful,¡± she said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to leave a little food out. Do you think we can get the horses and mules to the other side?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The swamp people mostly use rowboats to get around.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s not the only way. We¡¯d have to pay to stable all the animals here, and then buy new ones when we¡¯re across.¡± She ignored Marco¡¯s wince. ¡°We need to find out more about the road that the book mentions.¡± # ¡°It doesn¡¯t really work that way,¡± Leena said. ¡°I can¡¯t Seek the swamp road because I don¡¯t know what it is. I¡¯d need to know more about it first.¡± That rule didn¡¯t always seem to apply, but, luckily, Ellerie didn¡¯t press her on it. The elven woman sighed. ¡°Well, it was just a thought.¡± Ellerie had become a friend, and Leena hated to disappoint her twice in a row¡ªshe hadn¡¯t had any luck in Seeking Tir Yadar either. She had a sudden thought. ¡°You¡¯re worried about how to get the animals through the swamp, right?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yes,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°If we have to turn back to find a place to stable them, we could waste days or weeks.¡± ¡°What if I Seek a safe way through?¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± ¡°I can try. It¡¯s an idea rather than a location, so it might not work, but if I can see the swamp, I may be able to do it. We¡¯ll have to be closer, though. My Seeking range is short, and I need to see the area.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Ellerie said, then grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I keep bothering you about this. I know you¡¯re more worried about those men who attacked. You¡¯re still planning to come with us, right?¡± ¡°The Seeking is sending me in the same direction you¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Why did your ¡­ clan? Is that the right word? Why did they choose you to go after these men? You¡¯re not a fighter.¡± ¡°You mean my camp¡ªmy clan is all the Zidari. They didn¡¯t send me. I came because those men killed my parents.¡± Ellerie looked down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I had to do something. My brother¡¯s a Traveler too. What if they come back?¡± ¡°What will you do if you find them?¡± ¡°If I can get better at Traveling, there are ways to fight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you were looking for Yelena?¡± Leena nodded. ¡°I need help; I haven¡¯t been able to do it on my own. But she¡¯s back in Tyrsall, and I don¡¯t know why the Seeking sent me this way.¡± Ellerie bit her lower lip. ¡°I think I do. And it might be the same reason the magic is keeping you with us. Corec is like Yelena.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°They¡¯re called wardens.¡± Ellerie paused. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to explain it. Wardens are mages who can somehow strengthen other mages¡¯ abilities.¡± ¡°Sarlo said she could make it easier to use my magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it. I don¡¯t know how it works, but Treya insists she¡¯s gotten much better at healing since she met Corec. My spells have improved too, but I don¡¯t know how much is thanks to him and how much is from practice and studying.¡± ¡°You and Treya?¡± Leena said. ¡°If I asked, would he ¡­ ?¡± It seemed too good to be true. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. He¡¯s already done it for six of us, and Yelena told him it will only work eight times. I¡¯m surprised she made the offer without meeting you. She told us she spent a lot of time getting to know her ¡­ other friends ¡­ before asking them.¡± ¡°Sarlo said something about helping them out once I was trained as a Traveler.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°That makes sense. As a Traveler, you can move from one place to another, right? Maybe Yelena wanted you to take messages back and forth for her.¡± Realization washed over Leena. Traveling was why Sarlo had sought her out in the first place. It was what the mysterious man in Telfort had been after, too. The north wasn¡¯t like Sanvar, where the Zidari provided a network of Travelers to the empress in exchange for her protection. Northerners didn¡¯t have Travelers. Not many of them, anyway. ¡°No, not messages,¡± she said slowly. ¡°When I master Traveling, I¡¯ll be able to take other people with me. I went from Matihar to Telfort in a single jump¡ªthat¡¯s thousands of miles. That¡¯s what Yelena wanted. I¡¯m so stupid. I thought Sarlo was just being friendly.¡± She¡¯d trusted him, too. Not that he¡¯d lied to her about it, but it almost felt like he had. ¡°Thousands of miles?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I had no idea. Yes, I can understand why Yelena would want that.¡± Leena took a deep breath. If that¡¯s what it took to protect her brother, she¡¯d accept the price. ¡°Would Corec?¡± Ellerie was silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten to know Corec fairly well. I think, if it¡¯s that important to you, he¡¯d help you without asking anything in return.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Sometimes he jumps into things without thinking them through, but he does usually at least try to do the right thing.¡± Leena stood up and paced. ¡°I should ask him. Do you think he¡¯s still awake?¡± ¡°He was going to play cards with the others, but before you talk to him, there¡¯s more you should know.¡± A blue light flickered on Ellerie¡¯s brow, resolving into an image of three rounded arcs arranged near each other. ¡°It requires a binding spell that links you to him. He¡¯d always know where you were, or what direction you were in at least. You¡¯d know the same about him. And you¡¯d have a sigil like this one. You can learn to hide it but it¡¯s always there.¡± Leena considered that. ¡°So if he ever did want my help, I could always find him. I could live in Sanvar and just Travel to wherever he is.¡± ¡°I suppose, yes, but that wasn¡¯t what I meant. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d make you do that.¡± ¡°I have to protect my brother and the other Travelers first, but afterward, I¡¯d be willing to repay a favor.¡± Leena stopped her pacing and turned to face Ellerie. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± The elven woman shook her head, an embarrassed grimace on her face. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my choice; it was just an accident. In the beginning, he didn¡¯t know what he was doing. He¡¯s gotten better, though. He didn¡¯t bond Sarette until she asked him to, and we finally found a way to undo it¡ªhere in Aencyr, actually. That Lady Hildra we were talking about yesterday is another warden, and she taught him how. He already removed Razai¡¯s bond, but I¡¯m going to keep mine for now, in case I need the extra help while we search for Tir Yadar.¡± Leena blinked. ¡°Razai, too?¡± She¡¯d known the demonborn woman had met the others before, but she¡¯d gotten the impression they hadn¡¯t spent much time together. ¡°It was another accident. She wasn¡¯t happy about it and she didn¡¯t want anything to do with us, so it was a surprise to see her show up on the ship.¡± ¡°Maybe I should talk to her first before I ask him,¡± Leena said. Just then, the door opened and Razai stumbled into the room. ¡°Boktar can¡¯t hold his whiskey,¡± the demonborn woman slurred, her eyes staring around blearily. ¡°Whiskey?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°He usually sticks to ale.¡± ¡°He and Josip were the only ones who¡¯d drink with me. The rest of you people are boring.¡± Razai stepped unsteadily over to her bed, then sat down to unlace her boots. ¡°Josip fell asleep in the common room, so I bet Boktar he couldn¡¯t match me drink-for-drink. I won.¡± She flopped back onto the mattress. Ellerie rubbed her temples. ¡°I suppose that won¡¯t hurt anything. We¡¯re not leaving until tomorrow.¡± To Leena, she said, ¡°It looks like you¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow to talk to Razai.¡± ¡°Talk to me about what?¡± a voice muttered from the other side of the room. ¡°Asking Corec to bond me,¡± Leena said. Razai sat straight up. ¡°What!¡± # Melithar tugged on his uncomfortable ambassadorial robes, making sure the lines were straight before he entered the High Council chamber. Perfectly flowing robes were supposed to indicate that the wearer was both relaxed and composed, but he preferred the less formal clothing of his other profession. Passing through the doors, he was surprised to find twelve sentinels already in the chamber, their gleaming mail reflecting sunlight from the glass ceiling. Each sentinel bore a small, round shield strapped to one arm, and carried a sheathed sword on his belt. The High Council chamber and the large table inside were both perfectly circular, supposedly built that way to indicate that all of the great houses were equals, a pretense that had been ignored ever since. The sentinels were arrayed in even intervals around the far half of the table, where the councilors would sit, one guard standing behind each of the chairs. There were no sentinels at the near side of the table, where Vilisa and her advisers would sit¡ªnot even the two that typically stood guard behind her own seat. Melithar had entered the room from the inner palace entrance, more to annoy the councilors than for any other reason. Ever since Jorel, the head of security, had locked them out of the inner palace, the councilors had been required to enter from the other side of the room. They were filing through the door but seemed hesitant to take their seats, staring at the sentinels standing nearby. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Melithar?¡± the elderly Councilor Avaro di¡¯Taris asked. The councilors knew Melithar¡¯s current name, but they¡¯d all been around long enough to have seen him in other guises. They were aware he wasn¡¯t who he claimed to be. ¡°Why ask me, Avaro?¡± Melithar replied, with calculated insult. It was one thing for a High Councilor to leave off Melithar¡¯s obviously fake title, and quite another for Melithar to ignore Avaro¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll find out at the same time you do.¡± The short man¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not in on it this time? There are some that worry about how much influence you have over Her Exalted Highness, you know.¡± The councilors nearest to Avaro each took a step away, eyeing the sentinels nervously. Avaro was widely considered to be the frontrunner to become the next king if the di¡¯Valla line died out, but there were still limits to what sort of behavior could be tolerated. Melithar kept his expression calm. ¡°I¡¯d be cautious about saying anything like that where Princess Vilisa might overhear.¡± In truth, he was just as uneasy as the others. What was Vilisa up to? She couldn¡¯t be thinking of dismantling the High Council, could she? The positioning of the sentinels was clearly intended as a threat. The two months since the attack on the Glass Palace had tested Vilisa¡¯s patience. While the attack itself had been clumsy, whoever had masterminded it was careful, leaving Melithar with a conundrum. Had more than one person been involved? He was gradually working his way back through the chain of hirelings, taking things slow with each target, waiting for a time when he could make them disappear without anyone important taking notice. His most recent lead, the man who¡¯d been hired to set everything in motion, had been a dead end. By the time Melithar had reached him, someone else had already killed him¡ªprobably whoever had hired him. The dead man, however, always worked with the same money man, a merchant of sorts by the name of Torolo. Torolo most likely knew who the perpetrator was, but Melithar hadn¡¯t figured out how to approach him yet. The man was too well known among the houses to just disappear off the streets, and there was too great a risk of him talking if Melithar were to question him and release him. If he was arrested formally, word would make it out to the councilors, giving the perpetrator a chance to escape. Perhaps some sort of bribe would work. Melithar¡¯s musings were interrupted when Jorel and Eloina entered the room, followed by Vilisa. She was accompanied by her secretary¡ªwho happened to be one of the queen¡¯s own spies, though Melithar doubted Vilisa knew that. Trailing the group were two battle wizards wearing rapiers. That explained why there were no sentinels behind Vilisa¡¯s chair. She¡¯d chosen more imposing guards for this meeting. In her mind, she was making a show of power to the councilors, but by doing so, she was ignoring the political statement it sent to her own sentinels. When it really mattered, she hadn¡¯t chosen them to serve as her protection. Melithar sighed. His daughter was intelligent, but far too young and naive for the role she was playing. Ellerie had been right when she¡¯d said Vilisa was better suited for the position, but neither of them was capable of matching their mother¡¯s cunning. The councilors all bowed or curtseyed. ¡°Sit, everyone,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°Please.¡± By custom, she¡¯d be the last to take her seat. Some of the councilors moved toward their chairs, but then stopped and eyed the armed guards who¡¯d be standing right behind them if they sat down. When Avaro spoke, his voice was slightly more respectful than it had been a few minutes earlier. ¡°Exalted, are the sentinels necessary? We can hardly be expected to conduct council business like this.¡± Vilisa stared at him for a moment before answering. ¡°Are the sentinels necessary? I suppose that depends on what you think is necessary. There¡¯s a traitor in this room, and the sentinels are here for your protection. Personally, yes, I think it¡¯s important to protect the lives of our esteemed High Councilors. Perhaps you do not?¡± Traitor? What was she playing at? Had she learned something new? The councilors all eyed each other nervously at Vilisa¡¯s announcement, but her barb worked, and they had no choice but to take their seats. Melithar¡¯s own seat was to Vilisa¡¯s right, but he stood next to her instead. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he hissed into her ear. ¡°Exalted.¡± ¡°Your methods were too slow,¡± she murmured. Then she raised her voice. ¡°We¡¯ll skip over any other council business. An hour ago, Commandant Jorel arrested a man I¡¯m sure you all know, a purveyor of mood-altering powders and potions who goes by the name of Torolo. He was quite informative under the influence of a truth spell.¡± Melithar grunted. He didn¡¯t have a problem with making the investigation official; he just wished Vilisa had consulted with him first. He¡¯d been working from the shadows out of habit, assuming Queen Revana would want to keep his activities quiet like usual. He shot glares at Jorel and Eloina for not warning him. They ignored him, watching the councilors¡¯ side of the table intently. A whispering sound came from the far side of the table, but Vilisa was ready for it. The sentinel behind Councilor Retavin di¡¯Yedda rested his sword against the man¡¯s neck, interrupting his spell. ¡°Lord Retavin, would you care to explain your reasons for the assassination attempts against my family?¡± Vilisa asked. ¡°You¡¯re not even eligible for the vote of succession.¡± ¡°I had nothing to do with those attempts,¡± Retavin said. ¡°All I know is what you¡¯ve shared with us.¡± ¡°Priestess?¡± Vilisa asked. Eloina stood and walked over to the councilor, laying a glowing hand on his head. Vilisa repeated her question. Retavin struggled to keep from speaking. ¡°I had nothing ¡­ I had nothing to do with ¡­ It had to be done for the future of Terevas.¡± It was the closest Melithar had seen anyone ever come to resisting a truth spell. Avaro¡¯s eyes had gone wide. ¡°My granddaughter is betrothed to his son. She¡¯s my only heir¡ªif, forbid, something were to happen to Her Exalted Majesty and Their Exalted Highnesses, and I¡¯m crowned king, she would be the next queen, and Retavin¡¯s son would be the consort.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that, Councilor,¡± Vilisa said, menace in her voice. ¡°You¡¯ll never be king.¡± ¡°Your granddaughter is a blathering idiot, Avaro,¡± Retavin said. ¡°She¡¯s useless. All I cared about was your promise to close the borders and regrow the tershaya forests.¡± Melithar rolled his eyes. Whatever Retavin had intended to say to Avaro, the truth spell had loosened his tongue enough to provide a real answer, but the two men¡¯s political goals were pointless. The more conservative councilors had been trying to get Queen Revana to close the borders ever since she¡¯d first opened them over a hundred years ago. At this point, reversing that decision would be a catastrophe. The people of Terevas had long ago adjusted to the change, and the nation now exported more goods than it imported. Outlawing foreign traders and returning to a time of high tariffs and border outposts would destroy the economy. Even the insular dorvasta allowed traders partway into the forest, though not to Terrillia itself. As for the tershaya, every ruler promised to regrow them. Other than a few scattered trees, no one had ever been successful. The nilvasta simply didn¡¯t have the same bond with the tershaya that their forest-dwelling cousins had. Whatever they¡¯d once had was long lost. Vilisa barked a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s what this was about? You couldn¡¯t even bother to come up with a good reason?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the only reasons that matter!¡± Retavin exclaimed, no longer trying to fight the spell. ¡°Our people have lost their way since leaving the forest!¡± ¡°What way is that, exactly? Living up the side of a tree? Hiding from the rest of the world?¡± Melithar winced. He didn¡¯t disagree with his daughter¡¯s point, but insulting the dorvasta was never a good idea politically. The nilvasta still honored their origins. ¡°We¡¯ve forgotten what it means to be elven!¡± Retavin protested. Vilisa said, ¡°That¡¯s a question for the philosophers, Lord Retavin, but thank you for your confession. You¡¯ve made this much easier. By my authority as heir, I find you guilty and sentence you to death.¡± She started whispering the words to a spell. Even for a wizard, it was impossible to tell what spell another wizard was casting, but Melithar knew what it would be. Vilisa was putting on a strong front, but there had been two attempts on her life and she was scared that the next one would succeed. Drenching the entire High Council in blood and body parts would certainly tell the other councilors to back off, but it was going too far. ¡°Wait, Exalted!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Not like this.¡± Distracted, she stopped casting. ¡°You think to contradict me, Ambassador?¡± she asked. Her voice wavered slightly, not yet having taken on the icy tone it always had after she¡¯d cast the spell. ¡°Never, Exalted,¡± Melithar said with a deep bow. ¡°But Her Exalted Majesty has requested to observe the execution of any persons responsible, under the headsman¡¯s axe as tradition demands. I apologize for not relaying that message sooner. The fault is my own.¡± Vilisa and Eloina knew he was lying, but the councilors couldn¡¯t be certain¡ªit was the type of request Revana had made in the past. It would allow Vilisa to back down in front of an underling without losing any status. She stared at him for a long moment, and he worried she¡¯d go forward with the execution anyway, but then she nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s what Mother wants, then of course we should obey her wishes.¡± Melithar breathed a sigh of relief. He had to get that spell book away from his daughter before she learned any more of its spells. More importantly, he had to teach her how to be queen¡ªa real queen¡ªbefore Revana finally gave in to her wasting illness. Book 3: Chapter Eighteen Birds called out a constant cacophony as Corec followed the pebble-lined trail into the village of Betan. With fewer than two hundred residents, Betan was still somehow the largest settlement along the western edge of the swamp. In contrast to the wildlife, the villagers themselves were quiet, staring in silence when Corec, Ellerie, Leena, and Josip passed by. Half of the huts were built on land, while others perched on stilts over the murky water. A series of wooden bridges connected the stilt houses to each other and to the rest of the village, and small rowboats were bobbing in the water, tied up to the houses. Tall trees shaded the area, only allowing scattered beams of sunlight through. A bellowing growl came from just out of sight, followed by a loud splash. None of the villagers reacted, and a short time later, the growling started again. ¡°It¡¯s right up here,¡± Josip said. ¡°They told me he¡¯d be back by now.¡± They stopped at what appeared to be an outdoor tavern¡ªa hut with a bar in place of one wall. Three customers, all smelling strongly of fish, sat in rickety chairs under an awning. Josip spoke to them in rapid Nysan. ¡°Aye,¡± an elderly man answered. He wore grimy clothes and a hat with a flap that covered the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m Niklo. What ye want?¡± ¡°You speak trade tongue?¡± Josip asked, surprised. ¡°I¡¯m speaking it, eh?¡± Ellerie said, ¡°Mr. Niklo, we¡¯d like to hire you to help guide us across the swamp. We¡¯re going east.¡± The man looked them over, paying close attention to Corec¡¯s greatsword and the cheap brigandine armor he was wearing. Corec had convinced Marco to pay for it before they¡¯d left Aencyr. ¡°Aye, I can do that,¡± Niklo said, ¡°but it¡¯ll cost ye. Five¡¯s too many for me boat. I¡¯ll have ta borrow another.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just us. We¡¯ve got thirteen people, plus horses and mules.¡± ¡°Ye want ta take horses across de waters?¡± the man asked. ¡°Ye daft?¡± ¡°We can find a way to bring them across,¡± Ellerie said, glancing at Leena, who nodded. ¡°We¡¯d like to hire you to get us there safely. None of us are familiar with the area. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Not making any promises about de horses. I could git ye across de swamp without dem.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way,¡± Leena said. ¡°We need to go north first. Just a few miles.¡± She was wearing one of her usual modest dresses, and had borrowed Katrin¡¯s tight-fitting straw hat to hide the new rune on her forehead, an eight-pointed star similar to a compass rose. After hearing Leena¡¯s story, Corec hadn¡¯t been entirely surprised when she¡¯d asked him to bond her, but the fact that Ellerie supported the decision had come as a shock. Even Razai hadn¡¯t tried very hard to convince her otherwise. ¡°Nord?¡± Niklo asked doubtfully. ¡°Thought ye wanted east, eh? Nord don¡¯t go across de waters.¡± Leena said, ¡°If we want to take the horses east, we have to go north first. There¡¯s a way to get through.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take care of finding the route,¡± Ellerie told Niklo. ¡°Can you help us make it through the swamp?¡± ¡°It¡¯s yer money ta waste. A silver a day.¡± Corec shared a glance with Ellerie. It was less than they¡¯d expected to pay. When no one objected, Niklo quickly added, ¡°And five coppers. A silver and five coppers a day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± Ellerie replied. Niklo nodded and stood up. He appeared spry despite his age. ¡°What¡¯s de swords for?¡± he asked, pointing to Corec¡¯s sword and Ellerie¡¯s rapier. ¡°Hopefully nothing,¡± Corec said. ¡°Is there anything dangerous in the swamp?¡± The man laughed. ¡°Aye, lots, but I don¡¯t know what good a sword¡¯ll do ye. Stick with old Niklo; I¡¯ll get ye through.¡± ¡°What kind of dangers?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°To start with, ye¡¯ll need something to cover yer neck so when de spiders and snakes drop from de branches, dey don¡¯t get inside yer clothing.¡± Corec¡¯s skin crawled. Ellerie just nodded. ¡°What about those sounds?¡± ¡°Ye mean de birds or de gators?¡± ¡°Gators?¡± ¡°De alligators. Big lizards. Dem growls are de boys looking for girls ta make de babies.¡± That deep bellowing noise was coming from a lizard? Just how big were they? ¡°Are they dangerous?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Only if ye¡¯re stupid¡ªor if dey are. Stay away from de water at night, watch carefully during de day. If one comes at ye, run de other way as fast as ye can. Dey get tired fast. One of de stupid ones might try to eat a horse, so don¡¯t let it.¡± A lizard that could eat a horse? ¡°What about boggarts?¡± Josip asked. Niklo scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about de boggarts. Ye talk about dem, it might bring dem.¡± # ¡°Look at this,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Niklo calls them pitcher plants. The smell attracts insects and then the plant eats them.¡± The tall green stalks growing near the water had reddish, cup-like protuberances that were partly filled with pungent-smelling water. ¡°What?¡± Katrin said, peering inside at the dead flies and ants floating in the liquid. ¡°That¡¯s gross!¡± ¡°Why? Plants always live on decomposing matter. But I¡¯ve never seen one that actually hunts before. How tall do these look? Three to four feet?¡± Shavala pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket, along with one of the stormborn writing sticks she¡¯d bought in Snow Crown. She scribbled down enough notes to help jog her memory later when she¡¯d have time to write about the plants in more detail. ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t get so close to the water. It¡¯s almost dark. Remember what Niklo said.¡± Shavala checked her elder senses. ¡°It¡¯ll be all right. The only alligator nearby is that one,¡± she said, pointing to the creature they¡¯d both seen earlier, floating like a log in the water thirty feet away. She called out to it. ¡°Hello! Are you awake?¡± ¡°Shavala!¡± Shavala grinned back at her. It was easy to tease Katrin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t listen to me. I know it can hear what I¡¯m saying; it¡¯s just not interested. That¡¯s how reptiles are. I keep trying to get them to come closer, but they refuse.¡± ¡°Why would you want them closer?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to get a better description for my book.¡± Shavala had originally planned to just write individual summaries of any new plants or animals she¡¯d encountered, but the trip to Cordaea had changed things. By the time they returned, she¡¯d have enough for an entire book¡ªand that was just counting the more unusual creatures. It wouldn¡¯t be feasible to include all the minor variants she¡¯d come across; doing so would take years, or maybe decades. The alligators were unlike any lizard Shavala had ever encountered. She wasn¡¯t sure they were lizards at all. They were short and squat and covered with dark green or brown scales, and had long tails, a long snout, and a mouth filled with pointed teeth. From the glimpses she¡¯d seen, they could reach lengths of ten to twelve feet. They moved slowly most of the time, but could lurch forward quickly when hunting a meal. They didn¡¯t do much during the day, but were more active after dark. Between their mating bellows, the constant birdcalls, and all the other sounds of the swamp¡ªmany of which even Niklo couldn¡¯t explain¡ªit was sometimes hard to fall asleep at night. The group had been in Nera Athoryvos for a week now, seeking a route that would be safe for the horses. Each time they thought they¡¯d run into a dead end, Leena had managed to find a way forward. There were islands of dry land throughout the swamp, sometimes connected by old bridges. Three times, they¡¯d had to lead the horses through the water, but Leena had found shallow spots where the mud wasn¡¯t thick enough to trap them in place. The third time, though, they¡¯d found leeches on the horses¡¯ legs ¡­ and then on their own. The worm-like parasites had worked their way up under everyone¡¯s clothing. On the second day, Leena had discovered an ancient, mile-long section of a raised stone road. Ellerie was convinced it was part of the swamp road she¡¯d been looking for, but when they reached the end, there was no further sign of it, and Leena had led them off along a different path. They were making progress, but it was slow going¡ªLeena could only use her magic a few times a day, and the ground was moist enough that they had to be careful where the horses stepped. It had gradually become apparent why the village of Betan was so small. The swamp people didn¡¯t like congregating in one place, instead living independently all throughout the area. It was common to come across a single stilt house in the middle of nowhere, the owner staring at the group silently. Sometimes Niklo greeted them, even buying fish from a few, while other times he ignored them completely, as if they weren¡¯t there. Shavala finished writing her notes and returned them to her pocket. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got enough for tonight,¡± she said. ¡°Are you ready to head back?¡± She started off in the direction of the camp. Katrin didn¡¯t follow, and when Shavala stopped to look back at her, the other woman woman suddenly blurted out, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer Corec when I told him to ask you about elven sharing customs?¡± Shavala hesitated, not sure how to respond. Finally, she said, ¡°Because I¡¯m not sure what you want. You¡¯re planning to marry him¡ªdo you just feel guilty that you met him first? You don¡¯t have to be, you know. I¡¯m not in love with him. I¡¯m happy for you.¡± ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t love him, but you like him.¡± ¡°Sure. He¡¯s a good friend, and those muscles ¡­ elven men don¡¯t have muscles like that.¡± Katrin snickered. ¡°So, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Shavala tilted her head to the side. ¡°You two are both humans. Don¡¯t you want to follow human marriage customs?¡± ¡°Which human marriage customs? Corec¡¯s the son of a baron¡ªthere¡¯s a good chance he¡¯ll take a concubine someday. His brother already did, and having a concubine in the family would make people take us more seriously. That might be useful for whatever he wants to do as a warden.¡± ¡°Treya?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°She insists she¡¯s not a concubine. I don¡¯t think the two of them have ever talked about it. But whoever it is, I need some time to get used to the idea. It would be easier if you were first.¡± ¡°Why are you so interested in this happening? He and I flirt, but you¡¯re always the one suggesting I take it further.¡± Katrin looked down. ¡°I guess I just want you to be happier. Sometimes you seem so sad and quiet, and lonely.¡± ¡°Then you do feel guilty,¡± Shavala said. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°No, I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Shavala wasn¡¯t sure how to explain everything in a way Katrin could understand. ¡°I¡¯m quiet because it¡¯s hard to talk when so many people are around. By the time there¡¯s an opening for me to say something, someone else has already said it. But I¡¯m not sad¡ªnot about Corec, anyway. I¡¯m sad when people try to hurt us and we have to kill them. Don¡¯t they know what a waste it all is? I¡¯m sad because I couldn¡¯t talk to the snow beasts to stop them. They aren¡¯t animals, but they were following an animal instinct to find food. It¡¯s not their fault they attacked, but now they¡¯re dead, and Fergus is dead, and it was all just so stupid!¡± She stopped talking, embarrassed. It had been a long time since she¡¯d said that much all at once. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. Why didn¡¯t you tell me any of that before?¡± Shavala shrugged. ¡°We did what we had to do. At least with the pirates, most of them lived, but I couldn¡¯t think of any way to save the men who attacked us outside Tir Shar. There wasn¡¯t enough time. They had to be stopped before they killed someone.¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else we could have done. I made some of them run away¡ªI could try that again next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I¡¯d like it more if we don¡¯t need to fight them at all. It¡¯s not how things are supposed to work.¡± ¡°Sometimes people just don¡¯t have a choice. Don¡¯t elves ever fight with each other? From the things Ellerie has said about Terevas, I thought they did.¡± ¡°The dorvasta and nilvasta are different,¡± Shavala said. ¡°The tree bond makes ¡­¡± She snapped her mouth closed. ¡°Tree bond?¡± ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s not important.¡± She couldn¡¯t talk about that with an outsider¡ªnot even with Katrin. ¡°It still sounds like you feel guilty.¡± ¡°No, not guilty,¡± Katrin said, ¡°but the three of us spend a lot of time together. Doesn¡¯t it feel like something¡¯s missing?¡± ¡°Sometimes, maybe,¡± Shavala admitted. She¡¯d grown closer to Corec and Katrin than to anyone else besides her family. It would be nice if there was more to it. ¡°You should come to our tent tonight.¡± Shavala bit her lower lip, then nodded. Before she could say anything, though, she noticed a shifting movement near a cypress tree behind Katrin, almost as if the tree bark itself was moving. ¡°Katrin, stay still,¡± Shavala warned, keeping her voice low. Katrin¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°What?¡± she whispered. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it a snake?¡± She tugged at the scarf Shavala had loaned her, making sure it was still in place protecting her head and neck from anything that might drop down on her. It was difficult to tell the creature apart from the tree. It was two feet tall and stood upright like a person, but its arms reached all the way to the ground, its hands resting on the dirt. Its skin was mottled and gray, matching the bark of the cypress trees that grew everywhere throughout the swamp. Its eyes were solid black, and it stared unblinking at the two women. It had pointed ears that had swiveled toward the sound of their talking, like a cat¡¯s. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Shavala asked softly. The creature didn¡¯t react other than to turn its gaze her way, moving slowly enough that she wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything if she hadn¡¯t already been watching it. Whatever it was, her elder senses could barely distinguish it from the surrounding plant life. ¡°Can what hear you?¡± Katrin hissed. ¡°If it¡¯s a snake, don¡¯t talk to it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a snake. I think it might be one of those boggarts Josip keeps talking about.¡± Katrin jerked around and looked down where Shavala had been staring. When she caught sight of the creature, she shrieked and jumped away. The boggart¡ªif that¡¯s what it was¡ªjumped too, and in a quick flurry of motion, it was gone. Josip and Niklo had insisted on leaving out small amounts of food each each night for the boggarts, just beyond the range of the mage lights and as far from the water as possible to avoid attracting alligators. The food was always gone in the morning, but for two nights in a row, Shavala had watched from up in a nearby tree as a medium-sized cat of a species she wasn¡¯t familiar with stole the meal from off the plate. She¡¯d begun to believe the boggarts were a hoax, but now she¡¯d seen the evidence with her own eyes. She laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. The others probably have supper ready by now, and you can tell them all about your adventure.¡± Katrin glared at her. # Although the daylight was gone and the fire had burned down to embers, the camp was still brightly lit. Katrin had convinced Corec to add more mage lights than usual after her encounter with the boggart. She sat with him and Shavala on a fallen log, quietly tuning her harp and listening in as the others made plans. ¡°If we keep going de way we¡¯re going, we should reach de mere tomorrow,¡± Niklo was saying. ¡°Mere?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°One of de lakes in de center of de swamp. Ye¡¯ll not get de horses across dat.¡± ¡°Is there a way around?¡± Ellerie asked, looking back and forth between Niklo and Leena. Niklo shrugged. ¡°We can try nord or sout, but it¡¯ll take days. Dere¡¯s a ferry dat goes to all de villages around de mere, for dem dat don¡¯t have boats, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll take de horses.¡± ¡°Leena?¡± Ellerie asked. The Sanvari woman checked the map she held in her lap, then closed her eyes to concentrate, a blue rune glowing on her brow. Katrin had been grateful to finally find someone else who was just as bad at concealing the mark as she¡¯d been in the beginning. Katrin had gotten better at it¡ªeventually¡ªbut it had never seemed fair how easy it was for the others to learn to hide theirs. ¡°The fastest way is to continue east,¡± Leena said. ¡°If we go north ¡­¡± She opened her eyes and checked the map again. ¡°If we go north, I think we¡¯d have to go all the way up into the mountains before we¡¯d find another route the horses can follow. I can¡¯t find anything to the south.¡± Corec said, ¡°You can take horses on a ferry if you¡¯re careful and the deck is flat. If the boat¡¯s not big enough, we can make several trips and take a few across at a time. We¡¯ll just have to hold onto the lead ropes so the horses don¡¯t step off into the water. Some of them might need blinders to keep them calm.¡± ¡°Shavala, could you help with the animals?¡± Ellerie asked. Shavala nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s continue east and get a look at this ferryboat. If it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯ll work, we¡¯ll go the long way around.¡± The discussion broke up then, and everyone went their separate ways. ¡°I¡¯m going to go talk to Leena before she heads to her tent,¡± Corec said. ¡°I want to know if the men who attacked her in Sanvar were Sanvarites. The ones here were locals. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s worse, Cordaeans traveling all the way to Sanvar to try and kill her, or a group that has members on both continents.¡± He sighed. ¡°I hate how we never know what the hell is going on. We¡¯d just started to get a handle on Rusol, and now there¡¯s something new.¡± Katrin nodded. None of them had really gotten to know the Sanvari woman yet. She spent most of her time with Ellerie or Razai, neither of whom were at the top of Katrin¡¯s list of people to socialize with. ¡°Are you going to play tonight?¡± Shavala asked Katrin, nodding to the harp. ¡°No, but I need to practice,¡± Katrin said, feeling guilty. With the general eeriness of the swamp, she hadn¡¯t been in the mood for playing, but they¡¯d been there for a week now. She needed to get some practice in soon. Shavala nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go help Nedley move the picket lines, then.¡± Between the alligators and the mud, they couldn¡¯t risk using hobbles on the horses and mules, but picketing them in one spot wouldn¡¯t provide enough vegetation to subsist on. The picket lines had to be moved repeatedly whenever the group stopped, to ensure the animals could find enough to eat. Once she was alone, Katrin tried strumming her harp, but it wasn¡¯t the right instrument for what she really wanted to play. Throughout the day, she¡¯d found herself growing more and more inspired by the constant birdcalls that had surrounded them ever since they¡¯d entered the swamp. The noises were discordant, but there was something almost musical hidden underneath. The problem was that there were too many different birds calling out at once, with nothing to link them together as parts of a whole. Katrin set aside the harp and picked up her flute instead. Putting it to her lips, she blew a few experimental notes, then tried to play along with the birdcalls she could hear. They were different now, quieter after dark, but they never stopped entirely. In the distance, a songbird trilled, while close by, another bird cawed repeatedly and a third made a rapid hooting noise. Over it all was the sound of repeated shrieks. Even Niklo hadn¡¯t been able to say if the shrieks were from a bird or something else. Katrin picked out the melodies of the different calls, replicating the sounds as closely as she could with the flute. But repeating sounds that were already present was pointless. What she needed to do was to weave them all together into one song. She began a new melodic line, playing from one birdcall to another and bridging the gaps in between. It helped, but it wasn¡¯t enough. There were several melodies, but none of them harmonized with the others. If only she could play the harp and the flute at the same time. In Circle Bay, she¡¯d once seen a bard make an audience hear an entire orchestra and choir, even though he was only playing a single instrument. Could she do the same thing? In her head, she imagined adding harp music to the song she was constructing, then used her bardic abilities to push the sound out to anyone who could hear. It took her several attempts to get it right. In the past, her bardic illusions had always been intended for her listeners, not for herself. She¡¯d never before had to listen to her own illusory sound in order to adjust her playing. The flute danced between the different melodies, adding in the missing beats, but it was the sound of the harp that took everything and turned it into a new, harmonious whole. As Katrin continued to play, she got better at predicting how the birds would vary their calls over time, and the song improved. She caught a flicker of movement from the corner of her eye. Turning her head slowly, she saw the faint outline of another boggart standing near a cypress tree, its gray skin almost indistinguishable from the bark. Katrin suppressed her sudden burst of fright and continued playing. The creature didn¡¯t seem like it was going to attack. It just stood there, its pointed ears swiveled toward her as it listened. Then another boggart crawled out from behind a leafy bush and sat cross-legged on the ground as if it was a person. This one was easier to see, not blending in as well against the dark green leaves. Its eyes met Katrin¡¯s, but it didn¡¯t react. Farther away, a third boggart stood up out of a pool of water. It crouched down on drier ground, its head swaying as it listened. Was the entire camp surrounded by the creatures? Katrin laughed at the thought, interrupting her song. Then she started playing again. If the creatures wanted to hear her music, she¡¯d let them. # Corec opened his eyes to the darkness of the tent. Something felt odd¡ªand it wasn¡¯t just the extra person sleeping next to him. There was a whisper of movement, and he slowly reached over Shavala¡¯s chest to the side of the tent where he kept his weapons. Passing over the sword, he grabbed his knife as quietly as he could. Then he sat up in a rush and cast a mage light spell, the sudden brightness almost blinding. There was a small, gray-skinned creature crouching over Katrin. With a scrabbling motion, it disappeared, leaving the tent flap swaying behind it. ¡°What ¡­ ?¡± Katrin asked groggily, using her hand to shield her eyes from the light. A garland of yellow flowers lay across her stomach. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Shavala asked. She¡¯d propped herself up on her elbow, and looked awake and alert. ¡°There was something in here,¡± Corec said, his heart pounding. ¡°Some sort of animal.¡± Katrin sat up, clutching the flowers. ¡°Where did these come from?¡± ¡°They were here when I cast the light spell.¡± She held up the garland. ¡°The stems are tied together,¡± she said. ¡°Are you sure it was an animal? Did it have long arms?¡± Corec blinked. The sleep hadn¡¯t completely left his mind, and he was having trouble following her thoughts. ¡°It was small. I didn¡¯t see its arms. It was next to you, and then it was gone.¡± ¡°It must have been one of the boggarts from earlier.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°What else would it be? An animal isn¡¯t going to bring me flowers.¡± She draped the garland around her neck. ¡°The boggarts liked my music. I guess this is their way of tipping me.¡± ¡°It was creepy,¡± Corec said. Katrin grinned. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re not that bad. They were very polite.¡± Corec tossed his knife back over to the side of the tent. ¡°If you say so.¡± ¡°They seem intelligent,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re animals at all.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re allowed to come into our tent.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll tie the flap closed next time,¡± Katrin said. Corec raised his eyebrows. ¡°Next time?¡± ¡°Well, they liked my bird song. I wonder if they¡¯d like my other music. The rest of you have already heard everything dozens of times. It¡¯s nice to have a new audience.¡± Corec shook his head and laughed, letting go of the tenseness he¡¯d felt since seeing the strange creature. Then he suddenly remembered why Shavala was in the tent with them. Katrin seemed to know where his thoughts had gone, giving him an embarrassed smile. Only Shavala seemed unfazed. ¡°I ¡­ uh ¡­¡± Corec started. ¡°Is everything all right?¡± He watched Katrin closely. It was the first time he¡¯d been with another woman since he¡¯d met her, and he didn¡¯t want to hurt her. She¡¯d never seemed to mind the flirting Shavala had done, but this was something else entirely. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°It was ¡­ different, but fun.¡± ¡°I had a good time,¡± Shavala said simply. ¡°Should I go to my tent now so you two can be alone?¡± ¡°No, you should stay,¡± Katrin insisted. ¡°But we need to get a bigger tent. It¡¯s too cramped in here.¡± ¡°A tent?¡± Corec asked. ¡°You want to keep doing this?¡± The two women had never really explained what they wanted. Katrin had mumbled something about elven customs, then convinced him to kiss Shavala, and after that, things had just happened. Katrin said, ¡°Maybe not every night, but I don¡¯t want this to be our last time.¡± There was a scratching noise at the tent flap, and then Treya poked her head in. ¡°Corec, Katrin, it¡¯s your shift.¡± Her eyes widened when she saw Shavala. ¡°Oh, ahh, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± She ducked back out. Corec grimaced. Treya wasn¡¯t likely to gossip to the others, but how was he going to explain it to her? # It took twenty days to make it across the swamp, but according to Ellerie¡¯s map, they¡¯d ended up less than a hundred and fifty miles from where they¡¯d started. The route they¡¯d taken was circuitous, sometimes requiring them to almost double back to find a way through. Ellerie brought her horse to a halt once she¡¯d cleared the tree line. It felt strange to be riding again after almost three weeks of leading the animals. Gazing across the landscape, she could see farms directly ahead of her, their fields already tilled and planted for the year. The high peaks of the southern Skotinos Mountains lay to the northwest. She checked the map again, and then her compass. ¡°We¡¯re still heading northeast,¡± she said. ¡°That old stone road we found led northeast, too. How far from Betan was it?¡± ¡°About fifteen miles, I think,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Here, take a look at this.¡± Ellerie nudged her horse close to his and handed him the map. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that line up with the road we¡¯re on now, if it had gone straight through the swamp from where we found it?¡± ¡°You think we¡¯re on the same road?¡± he asked. Leena was close enough to hear them. ¡°I can¡¯t find the road anywhere, but there are a few of those same paving stones buried below us,¡± she said. ¡°It must have fallen apart,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Maybe people hauled away most of the stones to build something else, and you¡¯re feeling the ones that got left behind.¡± Bobo rode up to join them, using his hand to block the sun from his eyes as he looked to the east. ¡°How about that?¡± he said. ¡°I guess not all of the winged snakes were hunted down after all.¡± In the distance, the unusual creatures could be seen darting back and forth as they chased each other playfully in the sky above the fields. From this far away, they really did look like snakes with feathered wings. ¡°We¡¯ve got to be in the right place,¡± Ellerie said, more certain than ever. ¡°But we¡¯re farther north than I was expecting, and we¡¯re heading northeast rather than east. If this really is what¡¯s left of the swamp road, I think the route were following is going to lead us straight into the barrens.¡± Book 3: Chapter Nineteen ¡°Let¡¯s just go up that next rise before we head back,¡± Corec said to Josip. ¡°It¡¯ll give us a better view.¡± ¡°Do you really think anything¡¯s going to change?¡± the guide asked. The scouting party had been in the barrens for two hours and had seen little other than scraggly bushes, weeds, and flat, dry land. ¡°No, but we¡¯re close enough that we might as well take a look.¡± They nudged their horses forward, Leena and Nedley following behind them. The Sanvari woman had accompanied the scouting group just in case her skills were needed, but Corec had brought Nedley along to get the boy more accustomed to taking on new responsibilities. Nedley was sixteen, the same age Corec had been when he was expelled from the Knights of Pallisur, but while Corec had had four years of training by then and had been comfortable taking care of himself on the road, Nedley didn¡¯t seem confident enough to do anything without someone else telling him to do it. He was eager to please and attentive to his duties as the group¡¯s groom, but the only time he¡¯d shown much of a personality had been back with the refugees from Jol¡¯s Brook, when he¡¯d been able to spend time with other children near his own age. Treya had privately mentioned her fear that the demonic magic had affected him in ways she couldn¡¯t heal. At the top of the small hill, Corec stopped his horse and gazed out over the desolate landscape. ¡°Is the whole place like this?¡± he said to Josip. ¡°The mapmaker said it was,¡± the other man replied. Corec had borrowed Sarette¡¯s collapsible spyglass for the trip. He pulled it out of its leather case and spun the cylinders to open the device to its full width, then peered through, adjusting the focusing lens until the view was clear. To the north, as far as he could see, it looked just the same as the miles they¡¯d already traveled, but when he scanned to the east, he noticed a faint smudge of green. ¡°There¡¯s something over there,¡± he said. Josip had his own spyglass out. He aimed it in the same direction. ¡°We¡¯ve got time to check it out, I think.¡± It took the four of them half an hour to reach the spot. The green growth turned out to be short, wispy grass at the edge of a small creek flowing south. Corec¡¯s horse started grazing. ¡°Hildra was right, there¡¯s water here,¡± Corec said. He turned to Leena. ¡°Do you think you can find more? This place may not be a desert, but it makes me nervous to have no towns or trees.¡± He felt guilty asking her to use her magic, even though she didn¡¯t appear to mind. He¡¯d only cast the warden binding spell on her because she thought it was the best way to protect her people. He¡¯d told her he wouldn¡¯t ask for anything in return, but she insisted she needed the practice. Her eyes unfocused for a moment. ¡°The creek comes from the northwest,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s more water to the east, maybe seven miles? I¡¯m not used to measuring distances this way. In the past, I only had just a general sense of where something was.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t need to know exactly where it is right now, as long as we know we can find it. Food will still be a problem, though, both for us and the horses. This grass isn¡¯t going to be enough, and it¡¯s the first we¡¯ve seen since we got here.¡± He and Boktar had discussed options for traversing the barrens, but now that he¡¯d seen the place for himself, there was only one possibility. They¡¯d have to take wagons with feed for the animals, and that would cause its own problems. ¡°Nedley, could you go cut some of the smaller, greener branches from those bushes? Get ones with plenty of leaves. Try to collect some of each type, and some of the weeds as well. When we get back, we¡¯ll see if the mules will eat any of it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the boy replied. ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t have to keep calling me sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize, either.¡± Nedley stared at him, apparently unsure what to say in response. After a moment, the boy nodded, then dismounted and headed to the nearest shrub, drawing his belt knife. ¡°Wagons?¡± Josip guessed. ¡°I don¡¯t see any other choice,¡± Corec said. ¡°But even with wagons, I¡¯m worried about how much weight we¡¯ll be able to carry with us. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll be enough.¡± ¡°I have an idea,¡± Leena said. # Ellerie glanced at her list. ¡°Did you pay out this week¡¯s wages?¡± she asked Marco. ¡°This morning,¡± he said, looking at his own notes. ¡°Were there any other expenses for the week? How much was the new horse?¡± Boktar said, ¡°Forty-five silver, but I only got twenty-five selling the old one.¡± Katrin¡¯s horse had thrown a shoe and injured its hoof the day before they¡¯d arrived in the small village of Perga, a two-hour ride from the barrens. ¡°We lost twenty on the deal?¡± Marco asked. ¡°It was a four-year-old horse in good shape! We should have gotten more than that.¡± ¡°The farrier¡¯s the only person I could find who was willing to buy an injured horse, and that¡¯s as high as he would go.¡± ¡°Then you should have let me do the selling.¡± ¡°Let it go, Marco,¡± Razai said with an annoyed sigh. The demonborn woman was a reluctant participant in the accounting meetings, only attending because, as Renny¡¯s representative, she had to agree to the expenditures. It was useful to have her around, though¡ªMarco seemed slightly afraid of her, and was unwilling to push too hard when she disagreed with him. Marco grunted. ¡°Fine. I suppose we¡¯ve saved some money by camping out so often. If we subtract the horse, Corec¡¯s armor, and how long it took us to get through that damned swamp, then we¡¯re just about even with my initial estimates.¡± ¡°Corec¡¯s armor?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°You mean that cheap brigandine you paid for? We still owe him for his real armor.¡± ¡°The contract doesn¡¯t call for anything like that!¡± ¡°The damage happened while he was fighting to save the lives of everyone here,¡± she pointed out. ¡°A fight he wouldn¡¯t have been in if he hadn¡¯t accompanied us.¡± ¡°Let it go, Ellerie,¡± Razai said in that same annoyed tone. ¡°We all take care of our own gear. Corec¡¯s the one who agreed to sign on for no pay. A new breastplate and mail would have cost way too much, and we¡¯d have been stuck in Aencyr for another week to have them fitted.¡± Sometimes it was useful to have her around. This time, though, her disagreement played into Ellerie¡¯s hand. ¡°How about this?¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll stop bringing up the armor, but we need to make a change in the wages we¡¯re paying out.¡± The armor issue had been settled a month earlier, but it was easier to get Marco to agree to one proposal if he¡¯d already turned down another. ¡°We¡¯re not paying your friends,¡± he said. ¡°The charter members have all agreed to the share distribution.¡± ¡°Not them. Leena. She needs to be paid the same as Razai. Four silver a day and one-eighth of a share.¡± Razai raised her eyebrows, then sat back in her chair with her arms crossed, an amused smirk on her face as she waited for Marco¡¯s response. ¡°What?¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a mage, Razai¡¯s a mage. It¡¯s a fair deal. We¡¯ve been depending on Leena more than anyone else. Without her, we¡¯d have had to stable the horses back in Aencyr and buy new ones on this side of the swamp.¡± ¡°Razai¡¯s also a guard!¡± Marco protested. ¡°And she¡¯s serving as Mistress Renny¡¯s representative!¡± Razai snorted. ¡°If that¡¯s what you call listening to you two argue, then signing my name on the ledger.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Marco,¡± Ellerie said, unperturbed. ¡°Razai¡¯s a guard, but Leena¡¯s still our cook. We¡¯ve only been in one fight in Cordaea, but we eat every single day. If we want her to keep helping, we need to pay the going rate for a mage. She¡¯s not a charter member, but she¡¯s doing the work of one.¡± The man sighed. ¡°All right, fine, maybe the wages, but you can¡¯t just add a share!¡± ¡°Yes, I can. Article twenty-two of the contract. Charter members may vote to add up to four non-voting shares to individuals who provide worthwhile contributions to the expedition, as long as the recipients have not already been allocated shares.¡± ¡°We still have to vote!¡± Ellerie shrugged. ¡°Sure. We will. What do you think the result will be?¡± She¡¯d already talked to her friends, and they¡¯d all agreed to it. Marco only controlled four votes, two each for Varsin¡¯s and Burton¡¯s shares. He wouldn¡¯t have enough even if Razai added Renny¡¯s votes to his, and that seemed unlikely. The quiet cook and the acerbic demonborn woman had struck up an odd sort of friendship. Marco glared. ¡°If she¡¯s so good at finding things, why can¡¯t she just find Tir Yadar?¡± ¡°Yelena says the Tirs are warded against scrying,¡± Ellerie replied. Marco didn¡¯t know about wardens, but he accepted Yelena as an expert on all things magical. It seemed that the Senshall Trading Company consulted with her regularly. Before he could reply, the inn¡¯s front door opened and Corec came inside, stopping to brush dust off his clothing. The rest of his scouting party followed him¡ªLeena, Josip, and Nedley. ¡°How were the barrens?¡± Ellerie asked them. ¡°Barren,¡± Corec said. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know.¡± Sometimes she thought he was taking lessons from Boktar on how to tease her. ¡°It¡¯s just like Hildra described it. The land is flat and easy for traveling, but there¡¯s no firewood and there¡¯s nothing for the animals to graze on. There¡¯s water, at least, but anything else we need we¡¯ll have to bring with us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s got to be wagons, then,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Nothing for the animals at all?¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°The mules will eat some of it. There¡¯s not much for the horses.¡± Boktar sighed. ¡°Thirteen horses and twelve mules. That¡¯s a lot of feed to carry around with us. How long will we be there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going, and if it¡¯s as¡ª¡± she smirked ¡°¡ªbarren as Corec says, it¡¯ll be harder to find our way.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to find any freight wagons around here, or anyone who knows how to make one. We¡¯ll have to make do with farm wagons, but they¡¯re too small.¡± Boktar scribbled down some figures on the sheet of notes he¡¯d brought to the meeting. ¡°Hay bales here are a hundred pounds, and four feet long¡ªI already checked. We need to find the biggest farm wagons in town and extend them to twelve feet long, then build railings up along the side like a hay wagon.¡± ¡°How much will that carry?¡± she asked. ¡°We need about twenty pounds of feed per day per horse, a bit less for the mules. Let¡¯s say eighty percent hay and twenty percent oats. Stack the hay bales four levels high, and then put bags of oats on top. Twenty-five animals ¡­ with large enough wagons, we¡¯ll have about six days of feed per wagon. We¡¯ll probably need three wagons if we¡¯re going to make any progress. That would be twenty, twenty-one days depending on how much grazing the mules can do. We¡¯ll leave the pack saddles here, but the wagons will have to be large enough to hold all the gear the mules have been carrying. Either four feet wide, or we can extend them longer than twelve feet.¡± Corec frowned. ¡°That¡¯s only four mules per wagon. That¡¯s not enough¡ªthe load will be too heavy.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be slow for the first few days, but we¡¯ll be emptying them out fast. If everyone walks, we can add two horses per wagon, and move the saddlebags over to the other horses. If the land¡¯s as flat as you say, we should be able to make it work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still heavy. That¡¯s three thousand pounds of feed, not counting the wagon itself or the rest of our gear. What if we take twenty-five hundred pounds of feed per wagon instead? With the mules grazing, we¡¯d probably still get about eighteen days, but we¡¯d be moving faster.¡± Ellerie waited for Boktar¡¯s response. She trusted his planning, but Corec had years of experience working with trading caravans. Boktar considered the suggestion, looking down at his notes. ¡°It¡¯ll mean fewer days, but I suppose it would be safer. We might get up to twenty miles each day doing it that way. A bit less at the beginning. Is that enough?¡± Ellerie did the math in her head. Three hundred sixty miles, and according to the map, the barrens were only two hundred fifty miles across at their widest point. She said, ¡°That would get us across, but it wouldn¡¯t leave us much time to explore. We only have a general idea of where we¡¯re going.¡± ¡°We can make more than one trip,¡± Corec said. ¡°When we run low on supplies, we¡¯ll just head out of the barrens to the nearest town.¡± ¡°What if something delays us? We¡¯ll need to build in extra time in case of any problems, and that means less time to explore. Or we buy a fourth wagon and more mules.¡± Boktar said, ¡°Another wagon would help, but we¡¯d need so much food for the new animals, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s worth the extra two or three days it would give us.¡± Leena spoke up then. ¡°I can Travel and buy more food. I can¡¯t carry a bale of hay, but I can bring whatever else we need. If I go every day, we won¡¯t run low so quickly.¡± Razai frowned at her. ¡°I thought you said it wasn¡¯t safe to Travel that far.¡± ¡°Other Travelers do it all the time. My Seeking is better than it ever was, but I need to practice teleporting too.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Marco asked. He¡¯d been excluded from most of the conversations about Leena¡¯s abilities. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t do that¡ªyou said you never finished your training.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, but I can do it,¡± Leena said calmly. ¡°I think I should try again to see if I¡¯ve gotten better.¡± She didn¡¯t mention the warden bond. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ellerie asked her. Leena had told her about her early experiments with Traveling. ¡°I have to try it sometime. I have to know. I can practice before we leave.¡± The Sanvari woman seemed determined, so Ellerie nodded. Marco glanced around the room, scowling when nobody else seemed surprised. Even Josip and Nedley appeared to understand what was going on, which suggested Leena had mentioned it during the scouting trip. ¡°You all knew?¡± Marco asked. He glared at Leena. ¡°You could have done this all along? You should have told me!¡± ¡°Most of us are mages, Marco,¡± Corec said in a carefully neutral tone. ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever telling you what I can do, either.¡± The man threw his hands up in exasperation. ¡°Fine. Do what you want. You¡¯re going to anyway.¡± Ellerie held back a sigh. The wagons were going to be a major expense, big enough that Marco could veto it. She couldn¡¯t risk losing his support. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t talk to you about it earlier,¡± she said to him, keeping her tone apologetic rather than annoyed. ¡°We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s going to work, and this is the first time we¡¯ve ever considered actually risking it. We didn¡¯t realize we¡¯d encounter a situation where it would be necessary. We can all cast spells that are only helpful in certain situations¡ªwe just don¡¯t talk about them until they become important.¡± The man¡¯s jaw worked, but he didn¡¯t seem to know how to respond. Finally, he said, ¡°I suppose that makes sense.¡± Leena opened her mouth, perhaps to add to the apology, but Ellerie quickly shook her head. It wasn¡¯t the other woman¡¯s job to keep Marco happy or informed. ¡°What else?¡± Ellerie asked the group, changing the subject. ¡°What about firewood? The weather¡¯s warming up, but how are we going to cook?¡± ¡°Cold camps,¡± Corec said. ¡°Dried fruit, dried meat, hardtack. Only bring things we can eat without cooking. Sell or store all of our other food so we¡¯re not hauling it with us. Leave behind most of the cookware too, so we¡¯re carrying less weight.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the best way. If we brought a fourth wagon for firewood, we¡¯d need a fifth just to feed the extra animals. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± Ellerie grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s not going to give us much variety.¡± Boktar said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget nuts, cheese, dried mushrooms, sausages. We can live with it. I think we still have some of the trail rations the stormborn use. Pemmican?¡± Corec made a face. ¡°All right,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to cost us,¡± Boktar warned. ¡°The early haying season hasn¡¯t quite started here yet, so we¡¯ll be buying last year¡¯s crop. Plus, there¡¯s no wagonmaker here in town. We¡¯ve either got to work with the smith and build our own wagons, or find some farmers who¡¯ve finished the spring planting and are willing to part with theirs. Building our own takes longer, but buying from the farmers will cost more. We¡¯d have to give them enough to build new ones, plus extra for the inconvenience.¡± Ellerie looked toward Marco, tilting her head questioningly. The factor cleared his throat. ¡°Are you sure we need to cross into the barrens?¡± ¡°I¡¯m as certain as I can be, but I can¡¯t promise that we¡¯ll find what we¡¯re looking for there,¡± she replied. Marco nodded. ¡°Boktar, go ahead and find out how much everything will cost and let me know. Let¡¯s just hope I brought enough coin.¡± Ellerie hid her smile. # Leena¡¯s old travel pack was still in her saddlebags. She moved her clothing and personal items back into it, then added her coin pouch and five days worth of food. If everything went well, none of it would be necessary, but she was tired of ending up in strange new places unprepared. ¡°Here,¡± Razai said from the other side of the room, tossing one of her curved knives onto Leena¡¯s bed, still in its sheath. ¡°You need to take a weapon.¡± Leena picked it up. It was heavier than she¡¯d expected. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what to do with it.¡± ¡°If someone wants to hurt you, hit them with the sharp side or stab them with the pointy end.¡± Leena managed a nervous chuckle. She wasn¡¯t always certain when Razai was being serious. ¡°I saw what you did during the fight outside Tir Shar¡ªit looked more complicated than that. Besides, I¡¯ll only be gone for a few minutes, and I¡¯ll have that snake knife with me.¡± ¡°If you really thought you¡¯d be back that quickly, you wouldn¡¯t be packing all your things. And that other knife isn¡¯t much of a weapon, especially if you¡¯re going to keep it buried in the bottom of your pack. Just take this one, all right? I¡¯ll feel better if you have it.¡± Leena gave in and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± It had been over a month since Corec had cast the warden binding spell on her, and Leena still wasn¡¯t sure what she was supposed to be doing in Cordaea. If the warden bond was the only reason she was there, shouldn¡¯t her Seeking have sent her somewhere else by now? Instead, it was still suggesting that she accompany the group. Were they on their way to wherever it was that she needed to be? Or did the Seeking magic just feel she¡¯d be safer with their help? It was disconcerting to consider the idea that the magic might be able to think in that way¡ªthat it might have some otherworldly intelligence behind it. For now, she could only do what it told her, and hope that her family would stay safe until she could get back to them. Her plan was to Travel to Betan, the village on the western side of the swamp where they¡¯d met Niklo. It would make a good practice attempt¡ªit was outside her Seeking range but still well within her Traveling range. Any fully trained Traveler would be able to cross those two hundred fifty miles easily, but it was the first time Leena would have ever deliberately tried to teleport that far. To do so, she¡¯d have to target the village¡¯s location signature, and since it was too far away to Seek, she¡¯d be depending on her memories of the place. She was confident she could return to a location she¡¯d visited a day or two in the past, but they¡¯d left Betan nearly a month ago. Hefting her bag over her shoulder, she said, ¡°I guess that¡¯s everything.¡± There was a knock at the door and Ellerie came in. She blinked when she saw Leena carrying the pack. ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯ll take us a few days before we¡¯re ready to go. There¡¯s still plenty of time.¡± ¡°I thought it would be good to know as soon as possible whether it¡¯ll work, to help Boktar with the planning,¡± Leena said. In truth, she wanted to get it over with before her nerves got the better of her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± the elven woman said. ¡°We can get by without extra supplies.¡± ¡°What happens if the wagons break down?¡± Leena asked. ¡°Or if we get delayed and run out of feed for the horses? We can carry enough food for ourselves, but are we going to abandon the animals?¡± ¡°We can make several trips, like Corec suggested, and we¡¯ll build in enough leeway that we don¡¯t run into any problems. We can keep the animals safe.¡± ¡°You know it¡¯ll be better if I can go back and forth, and I need to try it,¡± Leena said. ¡°Corec and I talked about it on the way back from the barrens.¡± Like Ellerie, Corec had suggested that she wait, saying he wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take the binding spell to affect her. But she¡¯d put it off long enough. If she delayed any longer, it would be fear guiding her actions rather than caution. ¡°What if something happens?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll never learn, and that¡¯s why I came here in the first place.¡± The group had proven to be disturbingly efficient at killing the men who¡¯d attacked them, but Leena couldn¡¯t depend on their help forever. If she was going to protect her brother and the rest of her family, she needed to be able to go where the threat was. Being able to teleport herself reliably would be the first step in learning how to fight back. Ellerie sighed. ¡°At least tell me you¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Leena¡¯s mind flashed over all the unintended Traveling she¡¯d done. She¡¯d certainly try, but would it be enough? ¡°If I¡¯m not back in five minutes, I¡¯ll track you down as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± Razai said. ¡°Don¡¯t lose my knife.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Just like that? You¡¯re just ¡­ going?¡± Leena gave her a small smile. ¡°That¡¯s how it works.¡± She pieced together Betan¡¯s signature in her mind as best she could, and then she Traveled. She found herself on the rock-covered trail that led into the village, the familiar sounds of the bird calls washing over her. She took a deep breath, almost welcoming the pungent smell of the swamp. She¡¯d done it. Now she just had to find her way back. There was no reason for her to stick around in Betan¡ªNiklo probably hadn¡¯t even made it back to the village yet from the other side of the swamp. Luckily, no one had seen her, so she didn¡¯t have to try to explain where she¡¯d come from. In her mind, she pictured the inn back in Perga where the group was staying. Returning shouldn¡¯t be a problem since she¡¯d just been there, and the location signature was still firmly fixed within her mind. Before she Traveled, though, she wanted to try something. Corec and the others had said the warden bond would give her a sense of the direction he was in, but it had worked differently for her. Ever since he¡¯d cast the binding spell on her, she¡¯d been able to fix his location in her mind just as if she¡¯d cast a Seeking on him. As her Seeking grew more precise, so did the warden sense. She reached out with that sense now. He was well beyond her normal Seeking range, but instead of just the general sense of direction that the others had claimed, the pinging sensation in her mind was still giving her a precise location signature. She wasn¡¯t a Seer so she couldn¡¯t say for sure which room of the inn he was in, or if he¡¯d gone out to the stables, but if she Traveled to his location, she¡¯d end up right next to him. Apparently the warden sense worked differently for Seekers. Even if she¡¯d forgotten the inn¡¯s signature, she thought she¡¯d be able to find Corec whether he was within her Seeking range or not. Satisfied with what she¡¯d learned from her Traveling attempt, she prepared to return, but then she had a different thought. Corec had cast the warden binding spell on her in Aencyr, and she¡¯d taken more care than usual to try to lock the feel of the city into her memories. Aencyr was about as far from Betan as Betan was from the border of the barrens. If she could reach the village, she could probably reach the city. She wasn¡¯t tired yet¡ªTraveling had always been easier on her than Seeking, even over longer distances. The question was whether she could then return from Aencyr directly to the barrens. It was farther away, but she¡¯d Traveled longer distances before. If they needed extra supplies while they were in the barrens, it would be far more useful for her to visit Aencyr rather than teleporting to Betan or any of the little farming villages they¡¯d encountered. In Aencyr, she could even communicate with the Senshall Trading Company¡¯s office if the group ran into trouble. There was nothing to do but try. Even if she got lost and was wrong about how the warden sense worked, she¡¯d probably be able to find her way back to the group eventually. She focused her thoughts on Aencyr, trying to piece together the location signature from her memories. Taking a deep breath, she Traveled again. Book 3: Chapter Twenty The first night in the barrens, they camped in the shelter of a dozen twenty-foot-tall stone pillars arranged in a semi-circle. ¡°What do you think they were used for?¡± Ellerie asked Bobo, gazing up at the nearest column. It was too evenly shaped to be natural, but there were no markings on it to suggest its purpose or origin. ¡°I have no idea. Shelter from the wind, or perhaps they were once part of a larger structure? The rear wall of an amphitheater?¡± Corec was close enough to have overheard them. ¡°Hildra said there were a lot of old ruins scattered around the barrens,¡± he called out from where he was casting mage lights around the camp. ¡°No cities that she saw, but she hasn¡¯t gone all the way through.¡± Ellerie nodded. He¡¯d already told her that, but Bobo hadn¡¯t been part of the conversation. ¡°Interesting,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I might do a bit of digging just to see if there¡¯s anything else.¡± ¡°Not too close to the stones,¡± Ellerie warned. ¡°Let¡¯s not have one falling on the camp.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± He headed for the wagon that held all their tools. There was a flickering near Corec and then Leena suddenly appeared. She stumbled and he reached out to steady her. She was always a bit disoriented immediately after Traveling. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to him, then swung her travel pack off her shoulder. ¡°Fresh-baked bread and dried apples,¡± she told Ellerie. ¡°I can go again if you want. I¡¯m feeling fine, and most of the shops in Aencyr stay open late.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gone twice today already,¡± Ellerie said. Leena had brought back a large bag of oats for the horses during their midday break. ¡°Maybe we should take it slow. The wagons are still full.¡± They¡¯d filled the wagons with bales of hay, which were too big and heavy for Leena to carry, but they¡¯d gone light on the rest of the supplies. Their plan was for Leena to supplement those supplies as the wagons¡¯ loads grew lighter. Marco had seen her arrive, and came over to join them. ¡°Did you make it in time to cash in the letter of credit I gave you?¡± he said. He¡¯d asked Leena to stop by the Senshall office while she was in Aencyr. ¡°I did.¡± She handed him a coin pouch. ¡°I got there just before they closed the doors for the night.¡± The man nodded, counting out the coins in his palm. ¡°This¡¯ll cover what we spent on the wagons. I had no idea that this Traveling was possible. How would you like to work for the Senshall Trading Company when we return to Aravor? We¡¯re paying you four silver a day now. I can promise eight silver when we get back. You¡¯d be stationed in Tyrsall, running messages and smaller packages to ¡­ wherever you can reach. I¡¯ll even guarantee daily pay whether we have something for you that day or not.¡± Leena hesitated, tilting her head to the side. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯ve got some things to take care of first. Once that¡¯s done, I¡¯m not sure what will happen, but I¡¯ll have duties in Sanvar for part of the year.¡± She glanced at Corec, then turned back to Marco. ¡°If I have time, I¡¯ll consider your suggestion.¡± ¡°Please do. We¡¯d be happy to have you with us. I¡¯m sure Varsin would agree.¡± She nodded. After Marco had wandered away, Ellerie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Duties in Sanvar?¡± she asked. ¡°There are twelve Travelers serving the empress at all times, spread across the empire. My uncle, Rohav, usually serves for four months out of each year, but with so many Travelers dead, I should help too.¡± ¡°But you think you might work for Senshall the rest of the time? I mean, after we deal with those men?¡± Leena looked at her curiously. ¡°No; I was just being polite. If Corec needs help, I¡¯ll do my best, but otherwise I should remain home with my brother. Besides, I know how much Travelers can charge for their work. It seems Marco does not.¡± Ellerie nodded, an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of the Sanvari woman returning home. Impulsively, she made a decision. ¡°If we haven¡¯t figured out how to deal with those men who attacked us by the time we find Tir Yadar, I¡¯ll stick around until we do,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to do that,¡± Leena said. ¡°It¡¯s not your fight.¡± ¡°Corec thinks they¡¯re after all of us, but even if they aren¡¯t, I¡¯ll still help. You¡¯ve helped me, and I¡¯ve already promised to help Corec figure out a way to deal with Prince Rusol. We¡¯re stronger as a group.¡± Leena nodded. They¡¯d told her about the red-eyed men Rusol had sent after them. She¡¯d already been familiar with the prince¡¯s name from her time in Telfort. Ellerie may have made the decision on an impulse, but the longer she thought about it, the more certain she was. These people had become her friends, and returning to Matagor while they were still in danger seemed wrong. What was in Matagor for her anyway, unless Boktar decided to go back? The only reason she¡¯d been there was because it was a major center of learning ¡­ and because it wasn¡¯t Terevas. The big question would be what to do next after finding Tir Yadar. Or, perhaps, if they failed to find Tir Yadar. Corec wanted to return to Aravor and then go on to Four Roads, but Leena¡¯s problems were more pressing. Ellerie suspected that Corec would do what he could to help Leena, but if the threat from Rusol continued, he might be pulled in another direction. Regardless of what happened, Ellerie resolved to accompany the Sanvari woman. She wanted to help them both, but if it came down to a choice, Leena needed the help more. # Treya leaned back against the tall stone column, staring out into the quiet night. She¡¯d begun her journeying nearly a year ago and had grown accustomed to the sounds of the wilderness at night, but here, there weren¡¯t even crickets to interrupt the silence. During the day, a few birds had flitted between the scrawny bushes that dotted the landscape, but they¡¯d flown away once the sun dipped down below the horizon. Treya was assigned to the first watch shift for the night, along with Razai, who was on the other side of the tents, and Josip, who was circling around the camp. Ever since the attack outside Tir Shar, Corec had assigned three people per watch shift, but he liked to switch the shifts and the partners around, claiming it was to keep everyone on their toes. When Josip shuffled past during his next circuit around the camp, he nodded to Treya. He was rubbing his left hand and grimacing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she called out quietly, not wanting to wake the others. He approached her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My knife slipped yesterday and I cut myself, and it¡¯s bothering me a bit.¡± Treya frowned and held out her hands. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a healer before. Never saw the need. Besides, they cost too much.¡± He showed her his hand, which had an ugly slice across the palm. Treya sighed. Some people were superstitious about magic. She grabbed his wrist and examined him with her healing senses. ¡°You know I don¡¯t charge anything, and now you¡¯ve waited too long. It¡¯s gotten infected.¡± ¡°Infected?¡± He looked worried. ¡°Can you do anything?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She closed her eyes and focused her attention on killing the infection, then sealing up the injured flesh. It didn¡¯t take long. She let go of him, opening her eyes. ¡°There, it¡¯s done. Go wash that off¡ªsoap and water.¡± Josip stared down at his newly healed palm. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, flexing his fingers, then making a fist. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± He looked up at her. ¡°You¡¯re ¡­ umm ¡­ you¡¯re really pretty. Would you like to take a walk around the camp with me?¡± Treya blinked in surprise, not sure how to respond. Josip stared at her sometimes¡ªmost men did¡ªbut she hadn¡¯t expected him to ask to spend time together. He was twenty years older than her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s very sweet, but the oaths I took when I joined the Order of Mystics don¡¯t allow that sort of thing.¡± She hated lying, but she didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings. Would it be better to tell him that she simply wasn¡¯t interested in him? What purpose would that serve other than to hurt him? It was unlikely Josip would realize she was lying. Even in Aravor, hardly anyone knew about the Order of Mystics, and he was from Cordaea. He wouldn¡¯t have any way to know that mystics didn¡¯t take oaths. ¡°Oh, uh, I guess I¡¯ll go then. Sorry.¡± He turned and went back the way he¡¯d come. Treya winced. She¡¯d handled the situation badly, but she wasn¡¯t sure how to handle it well. For some reason, turning a man down wasn¡¯t covered much in concubine training. Maybe that meant there wasn¡¯t a good way. Concubines had it easier¡ªthe negotiations were always handled through the chapter house. Concubines had a limited right of refusal, but they didn¡¯t have to refuse right to the man¡¯s face. The negotiators could handle that for them. Luckily, the problem hadn¡¯t come up very often since she¡¯d begun her journeying. Most men looked at her, but she¡¯d grown accustomed to that and could ignore it. There hadn¡¯t been any other incidents since she¡¯d dealt with Des and Arnol shortly after she¡¯d left Tyrsall for the first time. There wasn¡¯t really much opportunity for the situation to arise. She spent all her time traveling with the same group of people. Boktar wasn¡¯t interested in women, Bobo would rather argue with her about politics, and Nedley, who was closest to her in age, was frightened of her. It didn¡¯t help that Treya had completed most of the Three Orders concubine training, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from evaluating any man she met through those eyes. Even if she had been interested in Josip, it would have been hard to take him seriously as a suitor. Marco might be acceptable to the Tyrsall chapter house¡ªhe held a high-ranking position within the Senshall Trading Company¡ªbut Treya was even less interested in him than she was in Josip. Unfortunately, while she had a good idea of what she didn¡¯t want, she wasn¡¯t sure what she did want. Perhaps Shana was happy spending much of her time alone, but Treya preferred having friends and companionship. Did she want something more than companionship? After spending years pushing back against the idea of becoming a concubine, she¡¯d assumed she¡¯d never have a relationship, but Enna had proven it was possible. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Treya hated that her first instinct upon meeting a man was to judge his wealth and status. She¡¯d grown up with the benefits of concubinage drilled into her head, but sometimes the entire concept seemed little more than an excuse for rich men to bed women other than their wives in a socially acceptable way. Certainly, concubines were trained in other skills that could improve their patrons¡¯ lives, but it wasn¡¯t as if those skills couldn¡¯t be provided in some alternative way. The entire notion of concubines seemed outdated and wrong, and yet, underneath it all, the idea was still somehow exciting and romantic. Not that Treya would ever admit that to Renny. But what did it all mean? Treya had done her best to push all thoughts of men and relationships aside when she¡¯d chosen to become a mystic, but was that really what she wanted? If everything went well, she hoped to stop traveling soon. Perhaps it was time to seriously consider her future. # ¡°Have you decided on Four Roads for sure?¡± Sarette asked. She and Corec were walking together as rearguard at the tail end of the column, scarves covering their mouths and noses to block the dust being raised by the rest of the group. Directly ahead of them, Nedley was leading seven of the horses, all loaded down with too much gear for anyone to ride them. The other six horses were helping the mules pull the wagons, which were being driven by Razai, Bobo, and Marco. Boktar and Josip were at the head of the group, serving as the forward guard. ¡°It seems like the best choice, at least for now,¡± Corec said. ¡°But I¡¯ve been doing some thinking. When I bonded Leena, I didn¡¯t ask her for anything in return. You¡¯re the only person I insisted had to come along, and I shouldn¡¯t have. When we get back to Aravor, if you want to return to Snow Crown, you can. You don¡¯t have to go to Four Roads with us.¡± It took Sarette a moment to connect all the pieces. She and Corec fought well together, but outside of fights and sparring sessions, there¡¯d always been some distance between them, and now she realized why. ¡°You¡¯re worried about our agreement?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s always seemed fair to me.¡± ¡°Fair or not, you shouldn¡¯t be the only person forced to stay with us. The others are here because they want to be. Except for Leena, but I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll stay until we figure out how to deal with those men who came after us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m being forced to be here,¡± Sarette said. ¡°Leena¡¯s a special case. My people aren¡¯t being hunted down, and they don¡¯t need me back right away. I¡¯ll have to go someday, but, to be honest, I¡¯m not sure I want to. The stormrunners kicked me out; the High Guard kicked me out. And now that they want me back, it¡¯s not because of anything I did. It¡¯s just because of the warden bond, and I¡¯m not sure they¡¯re the ones who should benefit from that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to push you into leaving,¡± Corec assured her. ¡°If you want to come with us, we¡¯d be happy to have you along. I just didn¡¯t know if you were happy here. I know you miss your family.¡± ¡°I do,¡± she admitted, ¡°but I¡¯ll see them again. How long does it take to get from Four Roads to Snow Crown?¡± ¡°I suppose the fastest route would be to take the Farm Road up to the northern plains and then go east. I don¡¯t know what the roads are like up there, though. Maybe twenty, twenty-five days by horse?¡± It would be a lot of traveling, but nothing compared to what they¡¯d done so far. She could schedule her trips for the more pleasant months. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to Four Roads first,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll visit home after that, but I don¡¯t want to leave if you might be attacked by those red-eyes again.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°At first, I thought we should deal with Rusol before stopping and staying in one location, but Katrin suggested just finding a place west of town. That way, if he sends more red-eyes, or even soldiers, they¡¯d reach us before they reach Four Roads. I think she¡¯s right. It¡¯s better to make ourselves into a target than someone else. None of us want what happened in Jol¡¯s Brook to happen again.¡± Sarette knew what he meant. She still had nightmares about finding the dead, frozen bodies in the village. Even if the red-eyed men were victims of whatever demonic magic Prince Rusol was using, they had to be stopped. Nedley was so painfully eager to be helpful, it was hard to think of him as a red-eye, but before Treya had healed him, he¡¯d been just as much of a merciless killer as the rest of them. ¡°What about the towns between Larso and Four Roads?¡± Sarette asked. Corec sighed. ¡°I¡¯m hoping the red-eyes only attacked Jol¡¯s Brook because they knew that¡¯s where we were headed. If we can stay in one spot, they¡¯ll have to come to us, and maybe they won¡¯t attack anyone else.¡± Sarette nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll stick around for as long as you need me. I can wait to visit home until we¡¯re sure it¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, that¡¯s a relief. You¡¯re the only other trained soldier besides me.¡± ¡°What about Boktar?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to him about it yet. I imagine he¡¯ll go wherever Ellerie goes. She¡¯s offered to help us out, but I don¡¯t know if that would be from Four Roads or from Matagor.¡± ¡°What is Four Roads like?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never lived anywhere other than Snow Crown. Even when I was in the High Guard, the patrols rotated back to the city regularly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like any other town in the free lands, I suppose,¡± he said. ¡°Mostly farming with a bit of ranching and mining. It¡¯s a lot smaller than Snow Crown, about thirty thousand people. They¡¯re a bit like the plainsmen we ran into west of the Storm Heights¡ªvery independent. They¡¯ve got to be. There¡¯s no government larger than a town council, so each town has to take care of itself.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s where you want to live?¡± Sarette asked doubtfully. He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not used to big cities. I grew up in Tarwen Village, which is tiny. Even Fort Hightower, where I trained with the knights, is smaller than Four Roads.¡± ¡°Still, it sounds like an odd place. Lonely, to not be able to depend on your neighbors.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. The people in the free lands mostly come from Larso and Tyrsall, both of which have their own problems. And some are from Matagor, I suppose. Matagor actually built some of the major trade roads in the area, but when the dragon took over their keep and destroyed the toll bridge, they abandoned it all. I guess they decided it wasn¡¯t worth building new roads that bypassed the dragon¡¯s territory.¡± There was a commotion ahead of them and the wagons slowed to a stop. ¡°Whoa!¡± Nedley said, stopping his string of horses. After checking to make sure there weren¡¯t any threats on the horizon, Sarette and Corec approached the front of the column, where everyone was gathering around Boktar. ¡°Josip found a river just up ahead of us,¡± the dwarven man said, pointing to a streak of green growth to the east. The sound of rushing water could just barely be heard in the distance. ¡°And I don¡¯t like the look of those clouds. Is that a thunderstorm? It seems a little early in the year for that.¡± Dark, heavy clouds were approaching from the northeast. Sarette took a deep breath. There was the scent of an oncoming storm in the air. The barrens were the complete opposite of the Storm Heights, but something about them reminded her of home. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s thunder,¡± she said. She didn¡¯t need to check her weather sense. The air just felt right. Boktar grunted. ¡°Elle, how do you feel about stopping early? We¡¯ve got water here, and I don¡¯t see any reason to spend the next few hours getting wet just to get a few more miles in.¡± ¡°Stopping sounds good to me,¡± Ellerie replied. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get the camp set up.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Shavala said unexpectedly. The elven woman rarely spoke up when the whole group was together. ¡°Aren¡¯t we too close to the river?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Boktar asked. With Hildra¡¯s warning about flooding, the group had been careful to stay a hundred feet away from any creeks or riverbeds except when they were watering the animals or filling their own waterskins. ¡°Look at the patterns in the dirt.¡± There was a series of wavy, graduated lines in the earth, running parallel to the river. ¡°We need to be higher, or farther away.¡± Boktar frowned. ¡°You mean flooding? It can¡¯t reach this far, can it?¡± ¡°The land is very flat,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Once the water rises over the banks, it can come far. The storm is heavy and the soil is packed too hard to absorb the moisture.¡± Corec looked to the northwest. ¡°The ground is higher over that way.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry,¡± Boktar said. Everyone rushed to get the animals and wagons farther from the river. The spot Corec had found turned out to be a gently sloping hill with a pile of boulders stacked up on its northern side. It was over two hundred yards from the river, and the wavy lines in the dirt had gradually faded as they¡¯d approached it. Sarette helped Corec check the wagons to make sure the waxed canvas coverings were in place, then she stood facing the clouds. As the others assembled the camp behind her, she embraced her weather sense, letting the feel of the storm flood into her body. It was approaching fast, but before it could reach them, there was a sudden loud roar from the north. A rushing wave of water crashed over the land, flooding the banks of the river. Everyone paused what they were doing to stare, stunned into silence. The new edge of the river couldn¡¯t have been more than fifty feet away. It may have only been an inch or two deep there, but the flooding had seemed to come out of nowhere, happening faster than they¡¯d imagined. A flash of lightning and a booming crash of thunder reminded everyone of the storm. ¡°Oh, bloody hell,¡± Boktar exclaimed. ¡°There are no trees or high ground for the lightning to hit. Nedley, help me get this armor off! Yours too!¡± Corec quickly shed the brigandine armor he¡¯d purchased in Aencyr, then added his sword to the pile. Sarette left her own armor on. Lightning didn¡¯t worry her. ¡°Will the wagons be a problem?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°They¡¯re tall¡ªwill they attract lightning?¡± Boktar frowned, still unstrapping his breastplate. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Most of the metal in them is lower down. I¡¯m more worried about the horses, but those boulders are tall. Maybe that¡¯ll be enough to protect everything.¡± Another lightning strike was coming. Sarette didn¡¯t have time to warn her friends about what she was going to do. She hefted her staff-spear and ran toward the storm. Just as the blast was about to hit, she leapt up, meeting it in midair. The power filled her and charged her staff, blue and white light crackling up and down the length of the weapon. She landed fifty feet away, splashing into the shallow flooding water. It was the farthest she¡¯d ever jumped. The last time she¡¯d tried actually using the abilities the storm magic gave her had been shortly after Corec had cast the binding spell on her, but she¡¯d had months of practice since then. She could feel the power surging through her. She held her spear up, preparing to pull any other nearby lightning strikes her way rather than risk them hitting her friends. When she faced the camp, she found Shavala standing between her and the rest of the group, staring up at the sky. Instead of pushing the lightning bolts away from the others, like she had that day in the South Valley ruins, the elven woman was trying to redistribute the charge in the air and stop the lightning completely. It was an impossible task for a storm this large, but perhaps she¡¯d be able to protect the camp. Sarette could have helped her, reinforcing what Shavala was attempting, but she thought it best to keep doing what she was doing. The charge was building up again in the sky above her, and she called out to it, providing an opposing charge through her spear. All of her hair stood up on end for a split second before lightning struck again with a searing crack, arcing into her weapon, then her body. It was more power than she¡¯d ever held before. Could she do it? She¡¯d spent four years learning the theoretical fundamentals of stormrunning, but she¡¯d never been able to put that knowledge to use before. There was no Runner¡¯s Summit here, no mountain to leap from, but that was merely an aid, not a requirement. She made a running start through the shallow water, extending her opposing charge from the blade of her spear to cover her entire body. As soon as she reached dry land, she jumped. This time, she didn¡¯t land. She flew into the air just as the rain reached her, the storm welcoming her as part of it. The power she was holding drained far more quickly than she was expecting, but just as she thought it would run out, another lightning bolt struck her. The additional rush was enough to push her up to the lowest level of cloud cover. There, the swirling chaos of the storm grew more intense, her weather sense almost overwhelmed with information. There was a mix of different charges swirling throughout the clouds, fighting against each other and the ground. Sarette hovered in the air, extending her arms out wide as she directed the two opposing charges to either side of her body. Now, rather than wait for lightning to strike, she could force it to form early and in smaller bolts, creating a balance as she simultaneously drained the power of the storm and then redistributed that energy back into it. Flashes of light danced between the clouds, the lightning no longer being directed toward the ground. Sarette laughed in exhilaration. After all this time, she was finally flying a storm. She attempted one of the swooping maneuvers Vartus had taught her, ducking below cloud level and then back up again, but had to close her eyes when a wave of dizziness set in. Once she recovered, she tried it again, this time with more success. She grinned wildly as she flew, carefully avoiding the area just over the camp where Shavala had been realigning the charges. It wouldn¡¯t do to end up in a spot where she couldn¡¯t replenish her power. The lightning was focused at the front edge of the storm. Sarette followed it until it was past the camp. She was tempted to fly the storm farther but she was already feeling the warning signs of drain shock. It was time to land. Vartus and the other stormrunners had been insistent about that. If a stormrunner lost consciousness while flying, there was nothing that could be done about it but to retrieve whatever remained of their body from wherever it had fallen to the ground. As Sarette dropped below the cloud cover, and the power she held began draining out of her once more, she had a sudden worrying thought. All of her training had been on the theory only, because she wasn¡¯t strong enough to practice any of it. How was she going to land? Book 3: Chapter Twenty-One ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Ellerie exclaimed, shutting the ancient book and setting it to the side. ¡°I have no idea if we¡¯re in the right place or not. It¡¯s just miles and miles of dead land!¡± ¡°Things change over time,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Not this much! There aren¡¯t any landmarks left. I don¡¯t even know if the river we crossed yesterday is the right one. There was no bridge, and it was miles from where it should have been.¡± ¡°Rivers can change course,¡± Josip said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it happen.¡± ¡°I know, but that doesn¡¯t help! The river that the author crossed might not even exist anymore. Now we¡¯re supposed to head east through prairies and farmland until we reach a forest, and then we turn north. But there are no prairies and no farmland, and I doubt there¡¯s any forest. I knew this part would be difficult, but I thought there¡¯d be something to go on.¡± ¡°Should we just turn north now?¡± Bobo asked. Ellerie rubbed her temples. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe we came the wrong way. Maybe there used to be two roads through the swamp. If we¡¯d exited to the southeast, we¡¯d have gone around the barrens entirely. There was definitely farmland to the south. We could have followed that, and maybe there¡¯s a forest on the other side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s worth looking into if we don¡¯t find anything here, but it doesn¡¯t make sense to stop searching until we know there¡¯s nothing to find.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose,¡± Ellerie said, sighing. ¡°You¡¯re right. But where do we search? The barrens are huge, and there¡¯s nothing to go on.¡± She opened up the well-worn map they¡¯d found in Aencyr that showed the lands east of the Skotinos Mountains. Tapping her finger on their current location, she said, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m missing something.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, are we sure the map is accurate? It doesn¡¯t show the rivers. What else is missing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Josip said. ¡°It was the only map I could find that showed the true shape of the barrens. The mapmaker insists he circled around the entire area, taking measurements the whole time.¡± ¡°You said these were flood plains, right?¡± Ellerie asked, pointing just beyond the jagged eastern edge of the barrens. ¡°That¡¯s what the writing says.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s like the flooding from the storm the other day, but wider? It¡¯s got to be from more than one river. Look at the pattern. There are four big wedges eating into the barrens, and then they all join together into the flood plains beyond that. Four rivers flowing east to the coast. And there¡¯s a smaller wedge south of us¡ªthat must be from the river we crossed yesterday.¡± ¡°Sediment,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Even in the barrens, the rivers are transporting soil from one place to another. Better soil, it seems, if the flood plains aren¡¯t considered part of the barrens.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Exactly. And what if the flood plains weren¡¯t there?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ignore all the little irregularities around the border. Ignore the wedges, and extend the barrens about halfway into the flood plains.¡± Ellerie traced a perfect circle on the map with her finger. ¡°The barrens used to be larger ¡­ and round.¡± Bobo furrowed his brow. ¡°There¡¯s no way to know if that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Look at the borders. Before the flood plains existed, what would the barrens have looked like?¡± The two men stared at the map. ¡°I suppose it could have been round once,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Not just round. A circle.¡± Ellerie traced her finger around the map again. ¡°The borders have changed over time, maybe for different reasons in different spots, but the barrens were once a circle.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that the interesting part will be at the center.¡± Ellerie pointed to a mark on the map that matched where she imagined the middle of the barrens had once been. ¡°What¡¯s that? A mountain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s labeled Lone Peak,¡± Josip said. ¡°I think that¡¯s just a description, not an actual name.¡± ¡°The book doesn¡¯t mention any mountains on the way to Tir Yadar,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°What about the hills you said were in the city itself?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not described in any detail. The author says he went up the hill to visit his cousin, or down the hill to watch the horse races. A few other spots like that; nothing useful.¡± Ellerie tapped the map again. Bobo said, ¡°You think the city was built on the side of the mountain?¡± She shrugged. ¡°What I think is that we should go there and see if we can find anything interesting. But first, let¡¯s head out of the barrens and resupply, so if we do find something, there¡¯ll be time to explore.¡± # ¡°You look lovely, my dear,¡± Queen Merice said, brushing imaginary flecks of dust off of Yassi¡¯s wedding gown. It was cut modestly, like a Zidari dress, but was bright red, befitting a wedding ceremony conducted by the Church of Pallisur. Yassi hated it. She stared at herself in the mirror, wishing the compulsion magic would allow her to cry. She¡¯d tried to kill herself after Rusol had decided she was going to marry him, but he¡¯d caught her at it and ordered her not to make another attempt. ¡°She¡¯ll do, I suppose,¡± Sharra said. ¡°Though she¡¯d never have been allowed to graduate from the Three Orders with that posture. Stand up straight, girl!¡± ¡°I just wish Rikard could be here today,¡± Merice said. ¡°He¡¯ll be so surprised when he finds out his little brother got married before him.¡± She whispered to Yassi conspiratorially, ¡°He¡¯s stationed with the knights in Fort Hightower, you know.¡± Sharra rolled her eyes, and Yassi couldn¡¯t bring herself to remind the queen of the truth. The Hightower story was a new one Merice had come up with to explain her son¡¯s continued absence. Everything seemed hopeless. Samir was dead, and it was all Yassi¡¯s fault. She¡¯d tried and tried to get him to see what was happening, hoping that if he knew the truth, he¡¯d somehow make it all go away. He and Rusol had been friends for years¡ªsurely he could have made the prince see reason. But once he did learn the truth, everything happened too quickly. Before Yassi had even realized what was going on, Samir was dead. She¡¯d killed her brother just as surely as if she¡¯d been the one to cast the spell that did it. If only she could speak to King Marten about what Rusol had done, he would put a stop to it all, but Rusol¡¯s orders ensured she could never tell the king the truth. As far as Marten knew, Samir had gone mad and tried to kill both Rusol and Yassi when he discovered they were mages. The story given out to the public was that Sam had died stopping a crazed intruder from killing Rusol. Marten hadn¡¯t been happy with that decision, not wanting the family to show weakness¡ªeven now, most people believed Rikard¡¯s death had been an accident. Rusol had prevailed, however, insisting that Samir be remembered as a hero. He¡¯d told his father it was to help Yassi and her parents, and that they didn¡¯t deserve what people would think of them if the truth, as Marten knew it, came out. Yassi despised the lie, but it gave her parents a small amount of comfort. Even if she¡¯d been capable of telling them the truth, she couldn¡¯t take that away from them. Marten was the one who needed to hear the truth, but Rusol had made sure that would never happen. And then, after the month of mourning, he¡¯d decided to carry the lie even further by insisting she marry him¡ªannounced publicly as a reward for her brother¡¯s heroism. Marten had thought it was an excellent idea, seemingly happy to see his son settle down, and now Yassi was being forced to wed the one person she hated more than any other. Her entire life was in ruins, and there was no possible way to escape. Sharra snapped her fingers at one of the servants. ¡°You! Take the queen and give her her medicine.¡± ¡°But I wanted to go to the ceremony, Sharra!¡± Merice protested. ¡°That medicine makes me so tired.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my son¡¯s wedding, you old bat. I won¡¯t have you ruining it with one of your episodes.¡± The queen continued complaining as the servant led her out of the room. Before the door could close, Rusol strode through, wearing a dark suit. ¡°Hello, my dearest!¡± he said grandly, giving Yassi an elegant bow. Then he turned to Sharra. ¡°And Mother, of course.¡± ¡°Why are you here, Rusol?¡± the concubine asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with Cardinal Aldrich right now?¡± ¡°Soon. I just came to tell my bride that her parents have arrived.¡± He faced Yassi. ¡°They¡¯ve taken their seats already, but they¡¯ll speak to you after the ceremony.¡± She nodded curtly, not meeting his eyes. How could he pretend nothing was wrong? How could he act like she wanted this? Rusol sighed. ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to Yassi alone, Mother. Everyone, please leave us.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Right now?¡± Sharra asked. ¡°The wedding¡¯s about to start!¡± ¡°Please, Mother!¡± ¡°Fine, but you¡¯d better not be long. It took me a great deal of effort to prepare this wedding in so short a time.¡± Sharra led the remaining servants out of the room. When they were alone, Rusol grasped Yassi by the arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± he hissed. ¡°I¡¯ve let you mope around this place for two months, but it has to stop! This is our wedding day. If you can¡¯t be happy, then at least pretend to be when others are around!¡± Yassi grimaced. Now the compulsion would force her to act like she was enjoying herself. ¡°How can I be happy?¡± she said. ¡°You killed my brother!¡± She wanted to complain about the wedding too, but after the third time she¡¯d begged him not to go through with it, he¡¯d ordered her to stop bringing it up. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my fault!¡± he said. ¡°He attacked me¡ªyou saw it!¡± ¡°You could have talked to him! You didn¡¯t have to kill him!¡± ¡°It never would have happened if you hadn¡¯t let him see¡ª¡° Rusol stopped short, growling deep in his throat and shaking his head angrily. He never spoke out loud about the things he¡¯d done to her. ¡°We¡¯re not going to discuss this again. From now on, you¡¯re never to talk about Samir¡¯s death to anyone, including me, other than to say how much you miss him or to confirm the story we told everyone.¡± Yassi drew in her breath, an icy feeling in her chest. Rusol had already been the only person with whom she could discuss Samir¡¯s death truthfully, and now he was taking away even that. Bit by bit, he was removing everything that made her who she was. ¡°Please¡­¡± she begged, unable to say any more. ¡°Enough,¡± he said. ¡°When you get out there, you¡¯d better act like it¡¯s the happiest day of your life. Make everyone believe it.¡± He headed for the door, but stopped and turned back. ¡°I suppose I should tell you I¡¯ve received a messenger from Leonis. Tomorrow, once this wedding is behind us, I¡¯ll be returning to Fort Northtower to deal with him. I¡¯ll take the others with me, but you can stay here. When I get back, I expect your attitude to have improved. You¡¯ll be queen one day. Learn to act like it.¡± # Ellerie found it easier to navigate during their second trip into the barrens, after they¡¯d stopped to resupply in a village by the name of Livadi. From there, they¡¯d headed almost due north, hoping to catch sight of the mountain. On the fourth day, it had appeared on the horizon, and after that, all they had to do was aim in that direction. It took three more days to reach it. By the third morning, they could see man-made structures near its base. Ellerie¡¯s hopes had risen, but had then been dashed a few hours later when she was close enough to get a better look. The collection of buildings had been a town, possibly even a large one, but it was no great city. She walked through the ruins in silence, down a narrow street lined with walls of pale yellow sandstone blocks. The structures¡ªor what was left of them¡ªwere more primitive than what they¡¯d seen in Tir Navis. Bobo and Boktar, who were closest to her, seemed to sense her mood. They didn¡¯t point out the obvious¡ªthat she¡¯d brought them to the wrong place. She¡¯d been so certain she¡¯d finally figured it out, but this couldn¡¯t be what she was looking for. She ignored the quiet murmuring behind her as the others talked about what they were seeing. She came to a stop in front of the remains of a tall building. The nearest wall had partly collapsed, odd lumps under the hard-packed dirt suggesting the old stonework still lay there buried. The remainder of the wall formed an almost perfect staircase, the stone blocks layered diagonally like a series of steps. Ellerie climbed the blocks, reaching a ledge thirty feet up. Bobo followed her but everyone else stayed on the ground. The ledge only had enough room for two people. From her perch, Ellerie could see half the town. The mountain loomed over them to the north. She sighed in disappointment. ¡°What is this place?¡± she asked. ¡°It might still be Tir Yadar,¡± Bobo replied. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really?¡± she asked, gesturing. ¡°Look at it.¡± ¡°I am. We¡¯re standing near the top of a building that was at least four stories tall. The flooring must have rotted away, but you can still see the braces and support pillars. There are a dozen other buildings that are even taller, and that¡¯s just the ones that haven¡¯t collapsed. You don¡¯t find this sort of stonework in a little farming town.¡± ¡°Stone buildings or not, it¡¯s too small to be a Tir, and the stonework isn¡¯t all that great. Compare it to what we saw in Tir Navis!¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking at what¡¯s here. You need to look at what isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°When you build with stone, you work with what you¡¯ve got. The stonework in Tir Navis was meant to be seen. This stuff ¡­ I think it was painted, or maybe covered in wood paneling or brickwork. You¡¯re just seeing the raw building materials right now, but it would have looked a lot different back then.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why it¡¯s so small.¡± Bobo shrugged. ¡°The book talks about huge forests nearby. Maybe the rest of the city was built from wood, and they just put all the stonework in the center of town. Tir Navis was missing a lot of wooden buildings too.¡± ¡°And the stone walls of Tir Yadar? That came from your translation. Stone walls aren¡¯t going to rot away.¡± His face fell. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it is Tir Yadar, but let¡¯s not jump to conclusions. People may have hauled the stones away to build elsewhere.¡± Ellerie nodded. There was still a chance. ¡°Well, Tir Yadar or not, I suppose we found something. We¡¯ve got four days before we have to head back. We should explore. If there were once wooden buildings, there may still be artifacts left buried under the dirt. Or maybe there are underground caverns like the ones we found in Tir Navis.¡± As they climbed back down the wall of stairs, Ellerie was already planning how to organize the exploration. # ¡°This looks odd,¡± Corec said. He hefted his shovel and dug around the base of a pointed stone sticking up from the ground. ¡°It¡¯s too even to be natural.¡± He continued scraping away, exposing more of the surface. ¡°Maybe someone took a wagonload of blocks away from what¡¯s left of the town, and this one fell out?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more over here,¡± Treya said. ¡°A lot of them.¡± Corec joined her. The two of them were exploring the western base of the mountain, over a mile away from where the group had made camp. Treya was standing at the edge of a rocky field, excavating another of the stone blocks with the small camp shovel she¡¯d brought. Corec couldn¡¯t help but wince as he watched her working her way around the rocky ground, her feet bare like always. He didn¡¯t know how she could stand it, but she never complained. ¡°I think that¡¯s one of the big ones,¡± he said. ¡°Let me help.¡± The two worked quickly, unburying it enough to show that it was one of the larger blocks that had been used to form the supporting structure for most of the buildings. This one was shattered, leaving the top half intact and the rest broken into shards. Corec exchanged glances with Treya, then gazed out across the wide field full of stone and rubble. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s all like this?¡± Treya asked. ¡°We should try a few more before going back.¡± They worked for an hour to uncover more of the pale yellow sandstone, weathered from age and darkened from the soil. Many of the pieces were irregular in shape, making it impossible to tell whether they¡¯d ever been used as building material, but others matched the stone building blocks from the town. ¡°This is too much to have just been abandoned by someone hauling away the stones,¡± Corec said. He¡¯d dug two feet down around his nearest find only to discover another layer of the blocks below that. ¡°I think this was part of the town.¡± ¡°What would have done this, though?¡± Treya asked. ¡°An earthquake?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never felt an earthquake strong enough to knock over heavy stone buildings, but I suppose it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been through an earthquake at all; I¡¯ve just read stories about them.¡± ¡°We had a few back in the Black Crow Mountains. But if this was from an earthquake, why didn¡¯t it take out the part of the town where we made camp?¡± ¡°A lot of the buildings have collapsed.¡± ¡°Maybe, but things are still mostly intact over there. Here, we can hardly find two stones touching each other. We¡¯d better show Ellerie.¡± They gathered their things and headed back to the boulder-strewn western side of the mountain, hiking up the first slope to return to the path they¡¯d taken to get there. The path wasn¡¯t quite a trail, since there wasn¡¯t enough wildlife in the barrens to create a trail, but it was a flat surface between the first and second slopes that would give them an easy route back to camp. ¡°Wait, Corec, look at this,¡± Treya said. She was staring back at the rocky field. Corec stood next to her. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Look at the pattern.¡± She pointed to the rubble. ¡°Does it get wider the farther out it goes?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± he said. ¡°I should have brought Sarette¡¯s spyglass. I suppose if the town¡ªthe city¡ªwas built around the mountain, it makes sense there¡¯d be more rock the farther away you go.¡± ¡°But it almost looks like a cone. What if this was a separate town? And then the earthquake ¡­ maybe there was an avalanche that destroyed everything?¡± She gazed at the fallen rocks and boulders that had filled in the dips between the eastern slopes. ¡°Maybe,¡± Corec said. ¡°It looks like most of the falling rocks got caught between the lower slopes, though, and all we saw down there was the sandstone.¡± He stared at the massive rockfall. It continued at least a quarter of a mile up the western side of the mountain. Just on the other side, to the north, there was a glinting light, something shiny reflecting the afternoon sun. ¡°Was anyone else going to be on this side of the mountain today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Why?¡± He pointed. ¡°Do you see that? Let¡¯s check it out before we go back. Maybe the north-side group has made their way over here.¡± They carefully picked their way around the boulders trapped between the first and second slopes. Once they were past the rocks, they hiked up the second slope, heading in the direction the light had come from. When they crested the third rise, they stopped and stared in surprise. Straight ahead of them was what could only be a walkway, bracketed by two parallel rows of statues mounted on stone pillars. Each statue represented a different animal, and they were all constructed of the unusual metal the Ancients used that didn¡¯t rust or tarnish. The left row had four pillars, while the right only had three. There was an empty spot at the end where it looked like another statue should stand, but there was nothing there. The pillars were weathered and pitted but the animal figures were in perfect condition, glinting in the sun. ¡°I saw statues just like these back in the museum in Snow Crown,¡± Corec said as they walked between the two rows, staring up at the statues. The stone pillars were taller than the top of his head, and the statues themselves were almost as tall as the pillars. ¡°The same animals too, I think.¡± The columns on the left held statues of a bear, a stag, some sort of eagle or falcon, and a fox. On the right side were an owl, a raven or a crow, and a wolf. The figures were all of roughly the same size, rather than being built to scale. The raven and the fox were just as tall as the bear and the stag. The fox was the last statue on the left, looking across at the empty spot. For a moment, Corec thought he saw an actual fox standing there, staring up at its giant cousin, but then he blinked and it was gone. Just a trick of the light. No fox could have lived in this desolate place. ¡°Was this a road?¡± Treya asked. ¡°If it was, it¡¯s got to lead somewhere,¡± Corec said. There were no other markers past the last statue to indicate which way the road went, and if it was paved, the paving stones were buried. The ground didn¡¯t look any different than the rest of the slope. The likeliest option was that the road had continued straight east, up the mountain. The incline was gentle, at least at this elevation, and walking or riding it would have been possible. But the rockfall was wider here, blocking the way. Without discussing it, Corec and Treya went north again to skirt around the rockfall, then resumed their hike up and to the east. They¡¯d only followed the edge of the rockfall for a short while before they encountered a low stone wall off to their left. The rocks were stacked on top of each other haphazardly, with no mortar to hold them together. ¡°These didn¡¯t fall with the others?¡± Treya asked. ¡°It reminds me of a farmer¡¯s wall,¡± Corec said. When farmers cleared new fields of rocks, they would stack them together just beyond their property, forming a wall which would slowly grow over time. ¡°It¡¯s a strange spot for one.¡± Corec stared up the slope. From where he stood, he could see where the wall ended. ¡°There,¡± he said, pointing. ¡°Look on this side of the rockfall, near the end of the wall. Is that a cave?¡± They hurried up the slope to find a crevice leading into the side of the mountain. Some of the fallen rock had been cleared away, making it obvious where the farmer¡¯s wall had come from. The rest had been shored up with timber. The opening was twice as tall as Corec, but it was only wide enough for one person to walk through at a time. ¡°Someone dug it out after the rocks fell,¡± he said. ¡°I think this entrance was wider once, but they didn¡¯t clear out the whole thing.¡± ¡°The wood is old,¡± Treya said, trying to peer through the opening. ¡°It looks like it might fall apart. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to go in.¡± ¡°No; we should go get the others. And the wood¡¯s old, but it¡¯s not ancient. Whoever did this, it was in the last hundred years or so. We¡¯re not the first people to come here.¡± Book 3: Chapter Twenty-Two Leena appeared near the mouth of the cave. Her head felt fuzzy and she had to stop and take a few deep breaths to steady herself. Her third trip of the day was always more tiring than the first two. ¡°Ahh, good, you¡¯re back,¡± Boktar said. He and Josip took the bundle of wooden boards she was holding. She could only carry a small stack at a time, so she¡¯d been bringing some back on each trip. ¡°That took a while.¡± ¡°It was hard to find an ironmonger¡¯s shop without being able to speak the language. I had to get help from the desk clerk at the Senshall office.¡± She took her bag from her shoulder and handed it to Josip. It held the nails and iron brackets the two men had requested so they could finish reinforcing the wooden supports that were keeping the fallen rocks from collapsing into the cave entrance. They¡¯d already disassembled one of the wagons for parts. ¡°Will this be enough?¡± Ellerie asked, coming over to join them. She smiled at Leena, touching the back of her hand. Leena smiled back, but then looked down. She couldn¡¯t risk any complications in her life right now. Boktar said, ¡°We¡¯ve got enough to finish shoring up the existing timber. We¡¯re just building it alongside the old stuff. I didn¡¯t want to risk removing and replacing the old boards.¡± ¡°But it¡¯ll be safe to use?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an expert,¡± the dwarven man said. ¡°If I¡¯d wanted to spend my time digging around in caves, I¡¯d have stayed in Stone Home. Yes, I think it¡¯ll hold, but I also think half of us should stay out here at all times just in case it doesn¡¯t. If it collapses, we¡¯ll have to do some fast digging.¡± He frowned as he thought. ¡°Take Corec with you in case there¡¯s trouble, but leave the other men here to handle any heavy lifting. And leave Leena here, so we can find you if we need to.¡± ¡°She could tell you where we are just as easily if she comes with us.¡± ¡°Not if it collapses on her.¡± Leena shivered at the thought. ¡°It¡¯s that dangerous?¡± ¡°Probably not. Josip and I have gone through a dozen times already, working on the barrier. Elle¡¯s peeked inside too. There¡¯s about twenty feet of rubble to climb over once you¡¯re past the barrier, but then there¡¯s an open tunnel. The mountain¡¯s stood for all these years; it¡¯s not likely to fall apart now.¡± Leena nodded. ¡°And it¡¯s a man-made tunnel,¡± Ellerie told her. ¡°It¡¯s not natural, which means it must go somewhere. We haven¡¯t found anything interesting at the other campsite, so I think it¡¯s time to move everyone over here. I¡¯ll go tell the others.¡± She turned to Boktar. ¡°Can you finish this tonight?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be done before you finish moving the camp,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Great. Then, tomorrow, we can go in and see if there¡¯s anything to see.¡± The elven woman left to organize the move, but Leena stayed behind with Boktar and Josip. With three trips to Aencyr and back, she¡¯d teleported six times in less than half a day. She wasn¡¯t feeling up to walking over a mile back to the old camp. She took a seat on a large stone the men had rolled out of the cave. The bulk of the work seemed to have already been completed. The new barrier, constructed mostly of lumber and nails from the wagon they¡¯d taken apart, was layered directly against the old barrier. Using the nails she¡¯d brought with her, they went back and doubled up on the work they¡¯d already finished. The new boards went to strengthening the entrance itself. With that done, Boktar and Josip started fastening the iron brackets to all the right-angled joints. While they worked, Leena started to feel more like herself. Lately she¡¯d been Traveling to Aencyr three times a day, which took a lot out of her. Luckily, though, she hadn¡¯t needed to do any Seeking on top of it. She hadn¡¯t had any problems remembering the location signatures, and her modified version of the warden sense to find Corec didn¡¯t require an actual Seeking. But that meant it had been a week and a half since she¡¯d last attempted to Seek her target, and she was starting to grow nervous. Ever since reaching Cordaea, the Seeking kept pointing her in the direction the group intended to travel, but right now, they didn¡¯t have any plans on where to go next. It all depended on whether they found anything here. She decided to risk it. She didn¡¯t have any more work to do for the day except to hand out trail rations for supper, so if she was more tired than usual, it shouldn¡¯t matter. Tell me where I need to go next to protect my brother, she thought to herself. The Seeking failed, and icy fear gripped her chest. How could it fail? Even if she was supposed to stay where she was, it should have told her that. To get nothing at all ¡­ Had something happened to Udit? In desperation, she tried the only thing she could think of. Picturing her family¡¯s camp outside Matihar, she Traveled. # ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s gone?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Gone where?¡± When she¡¯d returned to the cave with the rest of the group, she¡¯d found Boktar and Josip alone. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Boktar replied. ¡°She was sitting right there,¡± he pointed to a nearby rock, ¡°and then she just disappeared.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you what she was doing? She¡¯s already been to Aencyr three times today. I thought she was going to wait here.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say a word. She was watching us work on the barrier, and then she was gone. That was over two hours ago.¡± Ellerie frowned. Leena was rarely gone for more than an hour unless she had trouble finding whatever she was shopping for. She hadn¡¯t been scheduled to go out again, and the sun was starting to dip down below the horizon. Had she decided to take an extra trip to buy food, after having to waste three trips hauling lumber for the barrier? If so, why wasn¡¯t she back yet? ¡°Corec!¡± Ellerie called out, looking around only to find him already making his way over from where the rest of the group had started setting up the new campsite. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, looking from her face to Boktar¡¯s to Josip¡¯s. Boktar told him what had happened. ¡°Can you find her?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Is she in Aencyr?¡± Corec¡¯s eyes unfocused for a moment. ¡°No. Aencyr¡¯s too far north. She¡¯s somewhere to the southwest.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°You know it doesn¡¯t work like that.¡± His tone was oddly gentle, but she glared at him anyway. ¡°Maps!¡± she said. ¡°Wait here.¡± She ran down the slope to where Nedley was unloading the horses, and searched through her saddlebags for her stack of maps. She thumbed through them until she found one that showed the Gilded Sea, with Aravor to the west, Cordaea to the east, and Vestath to the south. Returning to the cave entrance, she handed the map to Corec. ¡°Can you find her?¡± He opened his mouth to speak, but then he hesitated. All he said was, ¡°I¡¯ll try. Josip, can I borrow your compass?¡± The guide slipped the compass out of his pocket and handed it over. ¡°This map doesn¡¯t actually show the barrens,¡± Corec said, after checking the compass and the position of the sun, ¡°but if I had to guess, she¡¯s either still in Cordaea or she¡¯s in Sanvar, if she can Travel that far.¡± ¡°She went from Sanvar to Larso once,¡± Ellerie murmured thoughtfully. ¡°Do you think she went home? Why? And why not tell anyone she was leaving? Boktar was standing right there!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we know she¡¯s alive, and she told you if she ever got lost, she¡¯d find her way back eventually, right?¡± Ellerie forced herself to calm down. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. And she said it would be easy to find you. Something about the warden sense combined with her Seeking.¡± ¡°Well, then, we just have to wait. She¡¯ll be better at finding us than we¡¯d be at finding her.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait too long,¡± Boktar warned. ¡°We were depending on her for supplies. If she¡¯s not back in a day or two, we¡¯ll need to head out of the barrens.¡± # When Corec left his tent the next morning, Ellerie was waiting for him. He quickly dropped the tent flap to block the view inside. Shavala had stayed in his and Katrin¡¯s tent again. As far as he knew, Treya was still the only person who¡¯d discovered the arrangement, and he hoped to keep it that way. He had no idea what the others would think about it. ¡°She¡¯s still not back!¡± Ellerie said, agitated. ¡°Is she all right? Where is she?¡± Corec checked Leena¡¯s warden bond. ¡°She¡¯s still to the southwest. I can¡¯t say whether she¡¯s moved or not, but she¡¯s still in the same direction. Did you get any sleep after your watch shift?¡± ¡°Treya did something that knocked me out. Where is she?¡± Corec didn¡¯t reply. Her question was obviously about Leena rather than Treya, and was just as obviously rhetorical. They¡¯d talked about it late into the night as Leena¡¯s absence had continued, but they hadn¡¯t come to any conclusion. To distract Ellerie from her worrying, he said, ¡°What¡¯s the plan for today? Are we going to wait here?¡± She bit her lip, then glanced up the slope to the cave entrance. ¡°If we might have to leave tomorrow to resupply, I suppose we should still explore today, to see if it¡¯s worth coming back. Will you ask around and see who¡¯s coming with us? I¡¯ll go put something together for the morning meal. Oh, Boktar wants to keep most of the men out here. He wants to clear away more of the rockfall, so that if it collapses, there¡¯s not as much to dig out.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Corec said. ¡°We should probably leave some sort of guard presence here too, if Boktar¡¯s going to be busy. Someone to keep watch, at least.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°That makes sense. I¡¯m going to go see if I can figure out where Leena packed the rest of the food that we didn¡¯t find last night.¡± An hour later, they assembled at the cave entrance. Katrin and Razai had agreed to keep watch, while Bobo had hemmed and hawed before deciding to stay in camp. He¡¯d claimed he wasn¡¯t interested in exploring underground unless he knew there was something worth seeing. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Corec and Ellerie were taking Shavala, Treya, and Sarette with them. ¡°Stay together,¡± Boktar told the group. ¡°Don¡¯t get separated. Watch where you put your feet. If someone needs to explore a tunnel or crevice alone, tie a rope around them. If an area doesn¡¯t look safe, don¡¯t risk it. I can check it out later.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just a cave, I don¡¯t plan to spend too much time in there,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping it¡¯ll be similar to the tunnels below Tir Navis.¡± Boktar eyed the mountain. ¡°That would be like going back to Stone Home.¡± ¡°Maybe the Ancients were stoneborn,¡± she said, smirking at him. Planning for the trip had seemed to calm her down. ¡°There are a lot of them here in Cordaea, after all.¡± ¡°You know more about the Ancients than I do,¡± he said. ¡°I know my people didn¡¯t come from Stone Home originally.¡± Ellerie patted the coil of rope she¡¯d looped over her shoulder, then looked back at the group. ¡°I guess we¡¯re ready to go.¡± ¡°Wait for me!¡± came a shout. Bobo was jogging up the slope from camp, grasping his walking cudgel. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t coming.¡± ¡°I changed my mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take point,¡± Corec said. ¡°Sarette, will you bring up the rear?¡± The stormborn woman nodded. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± Ellerie asked. Boktar frowned at her. ¡°Remember the giant spider? Take Corec¡¯s advice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just until we see what it¡¯s like in there,¡± Corec assured her. ¡°If it¡¯s similar to Tir Navis, we won¡¯t have to be as careful. But I want to hear the story about the spider.¡± She rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Corec laughed, then made his way through the newly reinforced barrier, which was keeping the rockfall from collapsing back into the entrance. As the tunnel opened up wider, it became clear that a lot of the rocks had fallen inside, either during the initial avalanche or more recently when someone had first dug out the entrance. Corec stepped carefully over the uneven ground, bracing one hand against the side of the tunnel. As the others followed behind him, they blocked the sun coming through the opening. He summoned a mage light and left it floating in the air, then captured a second one in the empty lantern he¡¯d brought with him. Ellerie joined him at the front with her own lantern. ¡°The rocks don¡¯t go much farther,¡± she said. ¡°Boktar¡¯s been past them already.¡± Twenty feet from the entrance, they were past the worst of it, walking on a flat dirt surface rather than jagged rocks. ¡°The walls are smooth, like the tunnels below the South Valley ruins,¡± Sarette said. ¡°These black lines are new, though. I don¡¯t remember seeing them there.¡± The sides of the tunnel curved up, meeting in an arch. The walls were a light gray, but there was a thin black line running along each side at head height. A third line ran along the exact center of the ceiling arch. ¡°Decoration, perhaps?¡± Bobo suggested. Ellerie said, ¡°The tunnel continues around that curve ahead of us, but Boktar didn¡¯t go any farther than that. Are we ready?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Corec said, moving back into the lead and holding the lantern up ahead of him. The tunnel curved to the left for a hundred feet, then gradually curved back to the right. As they walked, the height of the arch seemed to increase. The black lines, which had originally been even with Corec¡¯s eyes, were now above his head. ¡°Wait,¡± he said. ¡°Treya, can I borrow the shovel?¡± She handed him the small camp shovel they¡¯d brought along. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ellerie asked. The others were shorter than he was, Corec realized, and may not have noticed the change to the lines. ¡°I think either the tunnel¡¯s getting taller or there¡¯s less dirt on the ground,¡± he said. He dug down until he hit something hard, then scraped the dirt away enough to see what was below it. As he worked, the sound echoed down the tunnel. ¡°The floor¡¯s artificial, just like the walls,¡± Ellerie said, peering at what he was doing. ¡°And just like Tir Navis. I forgot to ask the stormborn if they know what it¡¯s made out of. It¡¯s not polished stone blocks like they use in Stone Home.¡± Corec said, ¡°The dirt¡¯s about three inches deep here. I think it was about a foot deep back where we started. Either that or the tunnel actually did get taller.¡± ¡°It makes sense if it was deeper closer to the entrance,¡± Bobo said. ¡°The dirt had to come from somewhere.¡± ¡°We can check the entrance on our way out,¡± Ellerie suggested. Corec nodded and passed the shovel back to Treya. Picking up his lantern, he continued down the tunnel, the others following along behind. The curve to the right continued much farther than the curve to the left. It finally came to a stop nearly a quarter of a mile from where it had begun, opening out into a cavern. The mage-light lanterns didn¡¯t pierce far enough into the darkness to see the other side. Ellerie summoned another mage light, sending it fifty feet straight ahead. It showed a few shapes marring the mostly flat ground, but still didn¡¯t illuminate the far end. ¡°How big is it?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Big,¡± Shavala murmured, her eyes unfocused. ¡°I can¡¯t see the top,¡± Treya said. She was looking up. Corec summoned a mage light and sent it floating into the air. Along the wall nearest them, just above the tunnel¡¯s exit, the light illuminated a balcony of sorts, with elaborate stonework pillars at each end and a metal railing between them. The light continued floating up, and another balcony appeared above the first. Corec exchanged glances with Ellerie, and then they each summoned more mage lights, sending them up and out as far as the spell would reach. Everyone stared without speaking at the sight looming above them. The balconies weren¡¯t balconies after all. Each was merely one small section of a vast colonnade that curved around the chamber. In total, the whole thing extended seven levels high, though the stone pillars on the seventh level were slender and spaced more closely together. Corec sent a mage light up over the railing on the first level. It illuminated what appeared to be a walkway¡ªa promenade¡ªextending around the room as far as he could see. Beyond it, there was a corridor leading away from the promenade and the cavern. Ellerie suddenly laughed. ¡°The stone walls of Tir Yadar. I didn¡¯t realize, even after seeing the tunnels in Tir Navis. It was never referring to a defensive wall around the city. The mountain is the city. We found it.¡± ¡°Does that mean the Ancients were dwarves after all?¡± Corec asked. Up on the first level of the promenade, there was a flickering as if something had passed in front of his mage light, but when he looked, there was nothing there. He decided he must have imagined it. ¡°Not necessarily. Boktar said the proportions in Tir Navis didn¡¯t feel right. They might have been related, though.¡± ¡°But most of South Valley¡ªI mean Tir Navis¡ªwas above ground,¡± Sarette said. ¡°The other Tirs were too, at least the few that we know anything about. They must not have always lived below ground. The stoneborn don¡¯t, either.¡± ¡°Yathal!¡± Bobo said. ¡°The consonant shift!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ellerie asked. She looked as confused as everyone else. ¡°Some of the sounds in the language changed over time. The word yadar doesn¡¯t mean anything in the version of the language that survived, but yathal means fortress. It could have been yadar once. Fortress Home. They kept the old name as the language continued to evolve.¡± ¡°This place doesn¡¯t look much like a fortress,¡± Corec said. ¡°Maybe not here, but if most of the city was underground, they¡¯d need space for civilians too.¡± Bobo stared through the darkness ahead of them. ¡°Do the walkways go all the way across? How do we get up there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out,¡± Ellerie said. # ¡°Do you want me to take over now?¡± Katrin called out to Razai. The demonborn woman had perched herself on a boulder overlooking the camp and the cave. Below them, Boktar, Josip, and Nedley were carefully removing stones from the rockfall on the slope above the cave, tossing them off to the side so that if it collapsed over the entrance, there¡¯d be less to dig through. ¡°Come on up,¡± Razai said. Katrin scrambled up the slope, joining her on top of the boulder. Razai was sitting cross-legged, throwing one of her knives into the air then catching the flat of the blade between her palms on its way down. ¡°Have you seen anything?¡± Katrin asked, eyeing the knife nervously. She hadn¡¯t spent much time talking to the demonborn woman before. ¡°There¡¯s nothing out here for miles,¡± Razai said, pointing to the spyglass resting next to her. She switched to catching the knife one-handed. ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡± Katrin fumbled with the spyglass. Sarette had shown her how to use one before, but that had been months ago. Finally, she managed to get a clear view. Razai was right¡ªthere was nothing to see except for more of the same dusty landscape they¡¯d been faced with for days. The other woman continued tossing her knife, not giving any indication she planned to leave. The silence was awkward. ¡°What was it like to end the warden bond?¡± Katrin asked, just to make conversation. It was the only topic she could think of. ¡°I hardly noticed,¡± Razai said. ¡°The only annoying bit is that I got in the habit of looking for him, and now I keep doing it even though it doesn¡¯t work anymore. At least it¡¯s over and done with.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t mean to bond you,¡± Katrin felt compelled to say. ¡°It was an accident.¡± ¡°Probably less of an accident than he thinks, but I¡¯m out of it now, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Razai frowned, staring to the southwest. ¡°Leena had better get back soon. What¡¯s taking so long?¡± ¡°Corec said she¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°He said she¡¯s alive; there¡¯s a difference. But I suppose he¡¯s good for something.¡± Razai abruptly changed the subject. ¡°What¡¯s your deal with Dallo, anyway?¡± she asked. ¡°What? How do you know about him?¡± ¡°I was the one who turned him in for the bounty. I saw what you and your friends did to him at the docks. How¡¯d you manage that?¡± ¡°Wait¡ªthere was a bounty?¡± Katrin said. Dallo was usually careful enough to avoid the authorities. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°He and some of his friends tried to take over the docks district. Got in some fights with the seaborn.¡± ¡°The seaborn? Not the fishermen?¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t stupid enough to go up against the fishermen. A pity. Things would have been over a lot sooner. You didn¡¯t answer my questions.¡± ¡°Questions? Oh. I told him to jump and he did. It¡¯s a bardic thing. I don¡¯t always have to use music.¡± ¡°Huh. If you told Marco to take off all his clothes and dance around naked, would he do it?¡± Katrin blinked, picturing the sight. ¡°I can¡¯t do that! I mean, I don¡¯t think I can. I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Razai snickered. ¡°You should try it just to see if it works.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Bah, fine, be boring. You still didn¡¯t tell me what you were doing with Dallo.¡± Katrin grimaced. How many more times was she going to have to tell someone about her past? ¡°I grew up in Tyrsall. My brother and I were part of Dallo¡¯s gang until he decided he wanted me out walking the streets. He was going to give me to one of his men, Torse.¡± She sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have minded making Torse jump off the pier, too, but Dallo told me he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°I know. I was the one who killed him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He murdered one of the bodyguards the seaborn hired. I was only planning to break a few fingers to make him talk, but he started screaming like a madman and I couldn¡¯t have him attracting any attention. I left him draped over that fountain¡ªyou know the one with the statues, in front of Dallo¡¯s old building? The red one?¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°I left him propped against one of the statues with his guts at his feet. I figured that would get Dallo¡¯s attention.¡± Katrin winced. She didn¡¯t have any love for Torse, but it still seemed excessive. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that look,¡± Razai said. ¡°I killed him first, then I spilled his guts. It¡¯s not like I made him bleed out that way.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I guess that¡¯s better. So Dallo¡¯s in prison?¡± ¡°Along with most of his men. They might have even sent him to the hangman by now. He was smart enough to leave the fishermen alone, but stupid enough to start pressuring a couple of the tax men. Renny Senshall says the duke was not amused. She¡¯s the one that got the constabulary to take down the gangs that were involved.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know about any of that,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have to worry about him anymore.¡± It was almost disappointing. She¡¯d had fantasies about what she was going to do to him¡ªor make him to do himself¡ªif he came after her or Barz again. ¡°If he¡¯s still alive when we get back, I could help you sneak into the prison.¡± ¡°Why would I want to do that?¡± Razai drew a finger across her own neck. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind finishing the job. They already paid out the bounty. It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll take it away if he dies mysteriously before he can be executed.¡± ¡°Ahh, no, I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s enough to know he¡¯s not out there anymore.¡± The demonborn woman rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever. Too bad, though. I¡¯ve been working on a new disguise, a Tyrsall constable. I was hoping to try it out.¡± ¡°How do you do that, anyway?¡± Katrin asked, eager to change the subject. ¡°Back in High Cove, you were a man, and then you weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°I call that one Aden,¡± Razai said, briefly taking on the larger form, clothing and all. In a man¡¯s voice, she said, ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion. It¡¯s fake. This one¡¯s a dockworker I saw once, but with enough practice, I can create new people too. It¡¯s no different than what you do when you sing.¡± She reverted back to her own image. ¡°But that¡¯s just in the listeners¡¯ minds,¡± Katrin said. ¡°They can picture it in their heads, but they don¡¯t actually see it for real.¡± ¡°Either way, you¡¯re crafting an image and using it to fool someone else¡¯s senses. The only difference is which part of the mind it affects. Well, that, plus I can only change myself. A bard can build an entire scene to be whatever they want.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never really done that,¡± Katrin mentioned. ¡°I just use what I¡¯ve seen in real life, or copy a vision that I¡¯ve seen another bard use.¡± ¡°You should try it. It can be fun.¡± Suddenly, Razai was gone, and a slavering, eight-foot tall demon stood in her place. It had horns coming out of its temples, and two broken tusks growing from its misshapen mouth. It carried a curved sword in each hand. Katrin shrieked and stumbled back, then noticed Razai¡¯s legs sticking out from the figure¡¯s feet. The demonborn woman was still sitting, and the illusion didn¡¯t extend to cover her entirely. ¡°That¡¯s not funny!¡± Katrin exclaimed. ¡°I said fun, not funny. I use this disguise when I¡¯m outnumbered and need to scare away a few of my opponents.¡± Katrin couldn¡¯t help imagining the sight. ¡°It must work pretty well.¡± ¡°Usually too well, and then I¡¯ve got to track them all down. Annoying, but it¡¯s always better to be the hunter than the hunted.¡± [Note: I plan to start switching through the different book covers for the thumbnail image on this site. If you find the new chapters each week by looking for the green cover with Corec and Katrin, you may wish to follow the story instead, or look for the title rather than the image, at least until you get used to seeing the new covers.] Book 3: Chapter Twenty-Three Treya heard a metallic clicking sound as she scraped the shovel through the layer of dirt and grime on the floor. ¡°I think I found something,¡± she said, then looked up. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Sarette was leaning against a collapsed stone structure. Her eyes were closed and she was rubbing her temples. The two of them were exploring the middle of the cavernous room while the rest of the group navigated around the edges, searching for tunnels and stairs. ¡°I just don¡¯t like all this rock over our heads,¡± the other woman said. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be above the mountains, not below them.¡± Treya nodded. She¡¯d felt a vague sense of unease herself ever since they¡¯d reached the cavern. ¡°Let me know if it gets worse,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Sarette said, standing up straight. ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Treya brushed her hand through the soil she¡¯d turned over, pushing aside several pebbles. Two of them glinted in the illumination from the mage light trapped in the lantern resting nearby. She rubbed the dirt off. ¡°Buttons, I think. That metal that doesn¡¯t rust.¡± Sarette gazed out across the cavern. ¡°How many little bits and pieces do you think there are in a room this big? I hope Ellerie doesn¡¯t want to dig the whole thing up.¡± Treya laughed. ¡°Probably only if we don¡¯t find anything more interesting.¡± ¡°Did you hear something?¡± ¡°Just the others. Why?¡± ¡°I thought ¡­ never mind. It must have been an echo. Shall we try over that way?¡± Sarette pointed to some lumps on the ground about thirty feet away. The two of them headed in that direction. ¡°Is that cloth?¡± Treya asked as they drew closer. ¡°Clothing?¡± The shape was disturbingly familiar, but something about it wasn¡¯t quite right. They stared for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ve got to know,¡± Sarette said. She used her staff-spear to push the cloth to the side, uncovering a skeletal hand. They exchanged glances, and then Treya held the lantern directly over the body so they could get a better look. ¡°Where¡¯s the head?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but look, there are more of them.¡± The new bodies, three of them, did have heads¡ªor rather skulls. Then, farther away, Treya saw a round object. The missing skull was staring at her, standing upright on the ground. The jaw had separated, but it was otherwise intact. ¡°I found it,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°How did they die?¡± Sarette asked. Before Treya could respond, she saw lights heading their way, and soon the others had joined them. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Corec said. ¡°Are those bodies?¡± ¡°Four of them,¡± Treya said. ¡°One¡¯s missing its head. It¡¯s over there.¡± She pointed it out. Sarette said, ¡°Clothing wouldn¡¯t have survived for thousands of years, would it? Are these the people who dug out the rockfall?¡± ¡°Possibly, but possibly not,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Look around this place. It¡¯s a bit of a mess right now, but I don¡¯t see any indication that the structure itself has collapsed. Ellerie and I found stairs and tunnels around the north and east sides, and most of it still looks perfectly usable to me.¡± ¡°We found them along the south side, too,¡± Corec said. He¡¯d been partnered with Shavala. ¡°What does that have to do with the bodies?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Simple,¡± Bobo said. ¡°The people who were capable of building this place wouldn¡¯t have been bothered by some rocks covering up an entrance. They¡¯d have just unburied it, rigged some contraption to prevent it from happening again, and then gone about their normal lives. The avalanche must have happened after they abandoned the city¡ªpossibly a long time after.¡± ¡°So, this group may have discovered the tunnel before it was buried?¡± Bobo gave one of his expressive shrugs. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but it¡¯s not like the mountain is hard to find. It was on the map. Over thousands of years, hundreds of people must have reached it, even if they didn¡¯t know what it was. Most probably stopped at the buildings to the south¡ªmaybe that¡¯s why we didn¡¯t find anything there¡ªbut some of them must have explored the mountain. And I doubt the cave we came in by is the only entrance. We¡¯re not that far into the mountain. If the city extends throughout, there must be other ways in.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°Then this place may be just as empty as the buildings outside.¡± ¡°Not completely,¡± Treya said, showing her the buttons. ¡°And we saw a lot of things lying around. Some of it looked like stone from a distance, but not all of it.¡± Corec said, ¡°We saw stuff too, but I think rainwater has been flowing down the tunnel into this room and rotting everything away. The upper levels may be better preserved.¡± Bobo nodded. ¡°There¡¯s plenty to explore, especially if there are other sections of the city through those tunnels.¡± ¡°What do you think happened to them?¡± Ellerie said, glancing at the bodies. ¡°Some sort of disagreement?¡± Corec suggested. ¡°Perhaps they ran into another group that didn¡¯t want them here.¡± They stared silently at the bodies for a moment. Finally, Treya said, ¡°You found stairs?¡± ¡°Four large stairways leading up to the first landing,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°They seemed to be spaced evenly, about every hundred yards. I thought this chamber was a circle at first, but now I think it might be more of an oval. It¡¯s hard to tell without more light.¡± ¡°We only found two stairways, but we didn¡¯t make it as far as you did,¡± Corec said. ¡°We stopped to look around a few times. Just one tunnel, and it was smaller than the one we came in through.¡± ¡°We found a smaller tunnel to the north and two larger ones to the east,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I can¡¯t decide whether it would be better to go up and see what we can find here, or go east and try to figure out just how big this place is.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°There¡¯s a lot to do, but we should plan it out carefully. For today, I¡¯d like to check out the upper levels. We know there¡¯s something to explore there. The tunnels might not lead anywhere.¡± ¡°I hear something,¡± Shavala said. She peered to the south. ¡°So do I,¡± Sarette said, holding up one of the mage-light lanterns. Shavala said, ¡°I just saw something moving, out past the lights.¡± ¡°An animal?¡± Corec asked, detaching his scabbard from its harness and drawing his sword. The blade glowed green, shifting to blue as he held it. Shavala shook her head. ¡°No. I can¡¯t feel it with my elder senses. It¡¯s like there¡¯s nothing there.¡± ¡°I see it,¡± Ellerie said. She summoned another mage light and sent it to the south. A dark figure stood in the distance, beyond even the new light. It looked like a person. ¡°Hello!¡± Corec called out. He stepped in front of the others. ¡°Who are you? Can you understand me?¡± The figure didn¡¯t speak, but slowly shuffled closer to the light. Treya drew in a sharp breath. It was a man, but he was naked and his left arm was missing. His skin was darkened and bruised. He was looking their way, but with a blank stare, not focusing on anything. ¡°Bloody hell,¡± Corec muttered. He raised his voice. ¡°Do you need help?¡± The uneasy sensation Treya had felt since reaching the chamber grew stronger. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± she said. Her healing senses usually only worked at close range, but she could still feel something unnatural about the man. Unnatural, but familiar. ¡°I can¡¯t sense him,¡± Shavala added. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone behind us!¡± Bobo exclaimed. They whirled around to find a woman lurching toward them. She, too, was naked, though she wore a tarnished metal bracelet on one arm. Her neck was tilted at unnatural angle, and her skin was battered and bruised like the man¡¯s. She was close enough to make out her features. Her ears were angular, with a point to them, but not as much as an elf¡¯s. Her stare was blank and her eyes were white, as if she had severe cataracts. ¡°They¡¯re already dead,¡± Treya said, her mouth going dry as she realized why the sensation of wrongness felt familiar. It was the same feeling she¡¯d had with the skeletons she and her friends had encountered outside the wizard Lodarin¡¯s home. ¡°Zombies,¡± Bobo said, his voice wavering. He clutched his cudgel close to his chest. Zombies were creatures out of old stories and legends¡ªdead bodies returned to a false life so they could take revenge on whoever had wronged them. Of course, skeletons had been legends too until Treya saw one for the first time. She heard faint padded thumps behind her, as if someone was running across the dirt floor, and then a commotion and Corec¡¯s startled shout. Turning back, she found that another of the creatures had grabbed Corec¡¯s arm and was attempting to chew through his brigandine armor. ¡°What the ¡­¡± Corec exclaimed. He pushed the figure away but it sprang back, clawing at his face. This one was another man, with no obvious injuries other than its bruised gray skin. Corec wrestled with it and forced it down to the ground. Standing up, he reversed his grip on his sword and stabbed down into the zombie¡¯s chest. The creature didn¡¯t stop moving, instead grabbing the blade and trying to pull itself up. Corec kicked at it, then stomped on its neck to hold it down as he pulled his sword out. Stepping back from the zombie, he swung down, beheading it. The blade struck sparks as it cut through the layer of dirt and then an inch into the stone flooring below. ¡°This one¡¯s getting closer!¡± Bobo shouted in panic. Ellerie whispered the words to a spell, and one of her beams of light hit the woman in the face. The creature collapsed. Shavala extended her hand and flames billowed out toward the first one they¡¯d seen. Its skin burned but it didn¡¯t otherwise react, continuing to take short steps in their direction. Shavala kept the fire burning, and finally the zombie fell, too damaged to continue moving. More of the creatures appeared at the edges of the light, some moving faster than others. ¡°Sarette, guard our backs!¡± Corec yelled. The two of them took positions at opposite sides of the group. As the zombies approached, Corec stepped away from the others, clearing enough room to maneuver his sword. He swung at the first of the creatures, hacking its arm off and cutting into its side. The zombie kept coming, not appearing to notice the injuries. Corec grunted, then swung the glowing sword in a wide arc, slamming it deep into the creature¡¯s torso. The zombie went slack and slid off the blade, collapsing. On Sarette¡¯s side, one of the faster ones ran close, but she rapped the butt of her staff-spear against the ground, charging it, then thrust the blade into the zombie¡¯s stomach. A flash of blue and white light flickered over the creature and it fell to the ground twitching. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. More creatures neared and Corec waded into their midst, swinging with strength rather than finesse and taking down one target after another. Sarette danced fluidly between the zombies, the creatures collapsing when she touched them with her weapon. But then the lightning magic on her staff-spear faded and she was forced to fight them normally. Stabbing them with her spear didn¡¯t have much of an effect, and she was soon surrounded. Then she tripped over something and fell to the ground. One of the zombies loomed over her, but Ellerie killed it with another beam spell. Treya rushed at the nearest of the creatures, striking its throat. It didn¡¯t react. She kicked it in the back of its leg and it fell to its knees, but despite her continued assault, it managed to stand back up. Letting her breath out, she focused all her energy and reached out to lightly tap the creature¡¯s chest. She heard the sound of the zombie¡¯s ribs cracking at the center of impact, and it flew backward, falling and rolling until it came to a stop lying face down. It pushed itself up on its hands and tried to pull its body back to her, clawing at the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t hurt them!¡± Ellerie shouted as she pulled her rapier from a zombie¡¯s throat. She started whispering the words to a spell but the creature came at her again and she had to dash away. Then Bobo was there, crushing the thing¡¯s head with his cudgel. ¡°Neither can I!¡± Shavala said. She lowered her bow, facing a zombie with three of her arrows embedded in its chest. She cast her flame spell again, enveloping her new opponent. ¡°Their heads or their spines!¡± Corec called back. ¡°That stops them!¡± Sarette had clambered back to her feet and switched to a new tactic¡ªhamstringing the zombies by cutting the tendons at the back of their knees. It didn¡¯t kill them, but it knocked them down, giving her time to hack at their necks. Treya faced off with another of the creatures, a smaller woman. She grabbed it by the shoulders to stop its advance, forcing herself to hold on despite the cold clamminess of its skin. Then she swept her leg against its ankles, tripping it and forcing it down to the ground. Straddling its chest, she grabbed its head and slammed it repeatedly against the floor, shattering the skull into fragments. The zombie finally stopped moving. Treya stumbled back and wiped her hands against her tunic, trying to get the gooey black blood off her fingers¡ªand trying not to think about what she¡¯d just done. It felt wrong, but then, so did the zombies. And there were dozens of them, maybe hundreds, coming into view at the edge of the light. There had to be a better way. Centering herself, Treya tried to shout, as she¡¯d done that day with the skeletons, but all that came out was a clear bell tone. A white burst of light rushed outward from her body, and the sound of the bell tolling echoed back and forth across the chamber, growing louder and louder. Her entire body was glowing with a white light, she realized. She flung her arms out to her sides, not knowing why. With each ring of the bell, another flash of light pulsed out from her body in a perfect circle, and as the light and sound intersected, the zombies collapsed to the ground. The rush of magic was beyond anything Treya had ever experienced, and she tried to scream¡ªwhether in pain or in exhilaration, she didn¡¯t know¡ªbut the only sound she could produce was the ringing of the bell. She could no longer feel the floor beneath her feet. Her posture had gradually arched backward, her face pointing up, and she had to force herself to straighten her head and look down to find out why. She was hovering a foot off the floor. She stretched her legs out as far as she could, but the ground was too far to reach. The pulses of light and the echoes of the bell gradually started to fade, and suddenly Treya was more tired than she¡¯d ever been before in her life. She fell, landing on her hands and knees. Vaguely, in the back of her mind, she could feel her healing magic already attacking the worst symptoms of her drain shock. She briefly considered trying to stand, but it was too overwhelming to think about the effort that would be required. Instead, she rolled onto her side and fell asleep. # Corec struck down yet another zombie, then wiped away the blood that had begun dripping down into his left eye from the scratches across his forehead. The creatures¡¯ fingernails were sharp, and he¡¯d been mobbed by too many at once. He¡¯d cast his shield spell after the first of the zombies had attacked him, but he hadn¡¯t been able to keep it up for long during the repeated attacks. He cursed himself for leaving his helmet back at the camp. His armor spell lasted longer than the shield spell, but it didn¡¯t work in spots where he wasn¡¯t wearing armor. Able to see clearly again, he faced the next wave of slower zombies. He was tempted to rush them, but he had to keep a careful balance¡ªfar enough away from his friends that he could swing his sword without worrying about hitting them, but close enough to provide them with protection. Without warning, a bell tolled, sounding as if it was coming from every direction at once. White light washed over everything, so bright it was almost blinding. Then it disappeared, and with it, the nearest ranks of the zombie horde fell, no longer moving. The bells, or the bell¡ªit was hard to tell how many there were with all the echoes¡ªcontinued tolling, and more flashes of light washed over the room. They were weaker than the first, but zombies still fell each time in outwardly expanding waves. Corec spun around to find everyone staring at Treya, who was floating in the air and glowing with a white light. Her arms were spread out to her sides and her head was thrown back, her eyes closed. The bursts of light were coming from her. Corec realized he could feel the light as it washed over him. It felt ¡­ good, reinvigorating him to continue the fight. The scratches on his forehead had stopped hurting. He rubbed at them, but only dried flecks of blood came away. The skin felt smooth. Treya opened her eyes and looked down, seemingly a bit panicked, and then the lights and sounds faded out. She fell to the ground and rolled over on her side, unconscious. Corec rushed to her and checked her pulse. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked Ellerie. ¡°What did she do?¡± The elven woman was still staring. ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen anything like that.¡± She shook her head as if to clear it. ¡°She¡¯s gone into drain shock. We need to keep her warm.¡± ¡°Here,¡± Sarette said, unbuckling her padded overcoat and shrugging it off of her shoulders. ¡°Wrap this around her.¡± Corec did as she suggested, then quickly sheathed his sword and reattached it to its harness so he could pick Treya up in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to camp. We might not be able to light a fire, but the sun was shining when we left and we¡¯ve got blankets there. Sarette, take point. Shavala, can you watch our backs?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shavala replied. ¡°Wait,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Look at them.¡± The zombies were collapsing into black dust. Everyone stared at the sight. ¡°Centuries of decay happening all at once,¡± Bobo suggested. ¡°That must be why they weren¡¯t wearing anything. Whatever magic was animating them preserved the bodies, but their clothing rotted away.¡± Ellerie grimaced. ¡°Some of them had jewelry, but let¡¯s not mention that to Marco. I¡¯d rather just leave it where it is.¡± ¡°We should get going,¡± Corec said. ¡°There may be more of them, and we¡¯re not in any shape for another fight.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± She spun around, looking for the first mage lights they¡¯d cast. ¡°That way,¡± she said, pointing. Sarette headed for the lights. Corec followed her, carrying Treya. She was lighter than he¡¯d expected, but he was still grateful they didn¡¯t have far to go. He¡¯d never had to carry a person for any great distance before. It was a hundred yards back to the tunnel, and then a quarter of a mile from there to the entrance. As they walked, they spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll have to be more careful next time,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We should all stay together in one group.¡± Splitting up had been her idea, but Corec hadn¡¯t contradicted her. The place had seemed safe enough¡ªone vast room with a sturdy floor, and no twists or turns to block their view. But they¡¯d been far enough apart that they couldn¡¯t see each other through the darkness, just the bobbing of lights in the distance. Had the zombies been in the cavern with them the whole time? Or had they come from the other tunnels? ¡°We can bring Boktar and Josip,¡± Bobo suggested. ¡°Katrin and Nedley can watch over Treya.¡± ¡°No,¡± Corec said firmly. ¡°No one¡¯s going back in until Treya¡¯s feeling better.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡° Ellerie started, then paused. Bobo said, ¡°That won¡¯t be until tomorrow if it¡¯s anything like the last time she had drain shock.¡± ¡°So we won¡¯t go back in until tomorrow,¡± Corec said. ¡°There were too many of those things for us to fight them all off on our own. If Treya hadn¡¯t done ¡­ whatever that was, I don¡¯t know what would have happened.¡± ¡°But she already killed them all,¡± Bobo said. Then he furrowed his brow. ¡°If the word kill can be applied to the undead. I¡¯m not sure what the proper terminology would be.¡± Corec eyed him. ¡°She killed the ones we could see. I¡¯ve never known you to be so eager to walk into danger before.¡± Bobo harrumphed. ¡°It¡¯s Tir Yadar. I¡¯ve been searching for it¡ªor something like it, at least¡ªeven longer than Ellerie has. But, fine, I get your point.¡± # Leena woke slowly, her head pounding. Leaning up on her elbows, she found herself on a cot in a Zidari tent. Grandmother Aruna was sitting nearby, pouring tea into two cups. ¡°I see you¡¯re finally up,¡± Aruna said, pursing her lips. ¡°You gave us all a scare, showing up in the middle of camp like that, with that blue thing on your head, and then passing out. Drain shock. I thought we¡¯d need to send to Matihar for a healer, but we got you warmed up and that seemed to do the trick.¡± ¡°Am I really here?¡± Leena muttered. ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s about time you came back. What is that thing?¡± Aruna was staring at Leena¡¯s forehead. Leena suddenly remembered why she¡¯d come. ¡°Udit! Where is he? Is he safe?¡± ¡°Udit? He¡¯s fine. Hopefully he¡¯s still asleep¡ªhe stayed up half the night watching over you. He¡¯s been living with Rohav in case those men come again.¡± Leena lay back on the pillow and rubbed her temples. ¡°I was so worried. I thought something had happened to him.¡± ¡°Something could have. You should have stayed here with him. Where have you been? I checked with my family every week. They said you went to Tyrsall, and then across the sea.¡± Aruna had come from a family of Seekers. Leena hesitated, but Corec had never asked her to keep it a secret, and Aruna was family. ¡°I can¡¯t protect Udit if I can¡¯t Travel. I went north to find a way to learn. There¡¯s a type of mage that can help other mages improve their skills. One lives in Tyrsall, but when I got there, the Seeking sent me to Cordaea instead.¡± Aruna¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°You¡¯re a Seeker?¡± ¡°Yes, sort of, but my range is short, like yours.¡± ¡°Then how did you end up in Cordaea? There¡¯s no way I could reach Cordaea. Or Tyrsall for that matter.¡± ¡°I did a Seeking on where I should go next to find a way to protect Udit. It sent me north until I reached Tyrsall, and then it sent me to a ship.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that,¡± Aruna said. ¡°It¡¯s hard enough to Seek out a concept rather than an object, but you can¡¯t Seek something beyond your range. Directional Seeking gives you a longer range than precise Seeking, but not that much longer.¡± Leena frowned. Once she¡¯d reached Tyrsall, Corec had always been within a few miles of her¡ªif that was where her Seeking had been sending her¡ªbut that didn¡¯t explain how it had sent her to Tyrsall initially. Had she messed up somehow? She¡¯d still been new to it at that point. ¡°I ¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°But I found what I was looking for¡ªanother of those mages. They call themselves wardens. I asked him for his help and he agreed. That¡¯s where the rune on my head came from. Usually I can make it disappear, but my head hurts too much right now.¡± ¡°Here,¡± Aruna said, holding out a cup of tea. ¡°This will help.¡± Leena sat up on the edge of the cot and took it. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°So you found what you were looking for? No more of this blood feud nonsense?¡± Leena shook her head. ¡°No, Grandmother. I¡ª¡° The tent flap opened and Udit ran inside. ¡°Leena! You¡¯re awake!¡± he shouted, hugging her. She winced at the noise and held the cup away from him to keep the tea from sloshing over the side. Rohav followed him in more sedately. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± her uncle asked, concern in his voice. ¡°Whatever possessed you to Travel far enough to give yourself drain shock? What were you thinking? The last we heard, you were across the sea!¡± She held up a hand to ward him off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle. I thought ¡­¡± She looked down at Udit, not wanting to scare him. ¡°I thought something had happened here. I¡¯d already teleported six times, and was too tired, but I had to try.¡± ¡°Six times! Leena! It takes years to build up to that sort of Traveling. You¡¯re going to get yourself ¡­¡± Rohav, too, glanced at Udit and changed what he was going to say. ¡°You¡¯re going to give yourself a headache.¡± ¡°I did. Nothing happened here? Those men didn¡¯t come back?¡± ¡°Not here. They tried a few of the other camps, but we were ready for them this time. The empress is allowing her Travelers to work from their own camps to aid in the defense, and she¡¯s assigned guards to the camps that were attacked twice.¡± Leena breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You killed some the first time, right? Were they Sanvarites?¡± ¡°Yes. Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still trying to track them down.¡± Leena ignored the scowl on her grandmother¡¯s face. ¡°I ran into them again in Cordaea.¡± ¡°Cordaea!¡± Rohav said. ¡°What were they doing there?¡± ¡°They were locals¡ªCordaeans, I mean, from a place called Bancyra¡ªbut they had the same knives.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been to Bancyra before,¡± her uncle mentioned. ¡°It takes me three jumps to get there. You teleported away from them? Is that how you ended up here?¡± ¡°No. The group I¡¯ve been traveling with killed them all.¡± She had to stop and tell Rohav her story about wardens and Seeking. Afterward, she continued, ¡°The ones with the snake knives hired mercenaries this time, and told them we were bandits. We let a couple of the mercenaries go, but the ones with the knives are all dead.¡± Her uncle had been shaking his head while she talked. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. This warden fellow isn¡¯t the first person to try to control a Traveler. We have rules about that for a reason. You know that.¡± ¡°I asked him, and he didn¡¯t ask for anything in return.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Rohav said with a scowl. ¡°So, these people are helping you track down the men with the knives?¡± ¡°Not exactly. We weren¡¯t expecting to get attacked, and we don¡¯t know why it happened.¡± ¡°They were probably coming for you, if they¡¯re anything like the ones here.¡± ¡°The warden¡ªCorec¡ªthinks they were after us all. The Seekers haven¡¯t found anything yet?¡± ¡°No. Someone¡¯s still warding them.¡± Leena sighed. Her brother was safe for the moment, but she still didn¡¯t have any idea how to keep him that way. Why had her Seeking failed? Tell me where I need to go next to protect my brother. She felt a wave of dizziness and had to close her eyes. She shouldn¡¯t have tried Seeking again so soon. It worked, though. There was a faint pinging fifty miles to the northeast, at the edge of her Seeking range. It was in precisely the same direction as Corec, though he was much farther away. The Seeking wasn¡¯t sending her to Tyrsall to catch a ship this time. It knew she didn¡¯t need one. She shivered. Aruna said, ¡°Well, now that you¡¯re back, you don¡¯t have to worry about it any longer. Let the Seekers deal with them.¡± ¡°Grandmother, I still swore blood feud,¡± Leena said. ¡°I have to finish it.¡± Plus, she had an obligation to Corec and Ellerie, and she liked the idea of exploring the ruins they¡¯d discovered. She¡¯d never done anything like that before. ¡°No!¡± Udit exclaimed. ¡°Don¡¯t go away again!¡± ¡°Just for a little longer,¡± she promised. ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you what. Now that I¡¯m learning to Travel, I¡¯ll come visit you as much as I can, all right?¡± She had to continue her resupply trips to Aencyr for another week or two, but after that, she could take a day where she wasn¡¯t doing any other Traveling. Hopefully that would be enough to get her home without any ill effects. Udit nodded reluctantly. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere today,¡± Rohav told her. ¡°Not after your drain shock. You need to rest¡ªthe whole day.¡± Leena was tempted to protest, but she knew he was right. The dizziness from her Seeking had told her that. ¡°I¡¯ll stay for the day,¡± she said. ¡°Udit, you can show me what you¡¯ve been up to since I left.¡± ¡°Uncle Rohav is teaching me Traveling!¡± her brother exclaimed. ¡°The theory only,¡± Rohav insisted. ¡°We¡¯ll wait a few years before we try it for real.¡± ¡°And today isn¡¯t Traveling day,¡± Aruna said. ¡°Today is reading and mathematics, with your cousins.¡± ¡°Grandmother!¡± Udit protested. ¡°I wanted to show her!¡± Leena smiled. Her brother had recovered quite a bit since she¡¯d seen him last. He almost seemed like his old self. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me how you¡¯re doing on your reading and mathematics first,¡± she said. ¡°Then you can show me what Rohav is teaching you.¡± Book 3: Chapter Twenty-Four ¡°There¡¯s too much to explore, and now we¡¯ve missed the whole afternoon,¡± Ellerie said, speaking to a small group after the sun had fallen. ¡°Without Leena, I guess we¡¯ll have to go back and resupply before we can do any more looking around.¡± Boktar said, ¡°Even if Leena was here, we couldn¡¯t stay much longer. She can only carry so much, and we¡¯re already running low on oats for the horses again.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°We need to have more time. Even another trip would only give us a few days. It¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°We can bring more wagons next time,¡± Marco suggested. ¡°How long could we stay here with five wagons full of supplies?¡± ¡°Eight to ten days,¡± Boktar said. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to find that many mules for sale nearby, though. We might have to go back to Perga.¡± ¡°Ten days still won¡¯t be enough,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°There¡¯s an entire city in there. At least, I think there is. Bobo and I need to take measurements and write up descriptions of everything we see. We¡¯ve barely started exploring. If we go back to Tyrsall with just the location and a few small details, someone else might get here and do the real work before we can return. I¡¯m not sure I can convince Varsin that the knowledge is more important than the location.¡± Marco gave a half-shrug but didn¡¯t contradict her. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve reached Tir Yadar, it¡¯s worth staying here as long as we need to. If there¡¯s anything of monetary value, it¡¯s better that we find it before we tell anyone where this place is. Those statues alone could make the whole trip worth it, but I don¡¯t know how we¡¯d go about getting them back to Tyrsall.¡± Ellerie felt vaguely uncomfortable at the thought of moving the animal statues. The stormborn had done so in Tir Navis, relocating a number of statues to their museum, but Ellerie preferred keeping this batch where they were. Hopefully she could find something else inside the city to distract Marco. ¡°We¡¯re thinking about this wrong,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯re not still searching for Tir Yadar; we¡¯ve already found it. The next step is to ¡­ claim it. That¡¯s not quite what I mean, but we should establish an outpost here. There¡¯s no reason for us all to leave the barrens. A small group would be enough. If we need a second or third trip after this, we don¡¯t even have to bring the mules and wagons with us¡ªwe¡¯ll just walk to Livadi or Perga and get more wagons to haul back what we need. The only reason we¡¯ve got to take the animals this time is because they don¡¯t have enough feed to wait for us to get back.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t take our mules with us on the second trip, we¡¯re not going to find enough new ones to haul five wagons,¡± Boktar said. ¡°To buy them, no, but we don¡¯t need to buy them; we can hire them¡ªthe mules and the wagons. The spring planting¡¯s done. The farmers can spare their older boys to drive a wagon here and back.¡± Ellerie grinned. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to leave; we could stay as long as we need to.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Who will go?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°Me, I suppose? Nedley to help with the animals, at least on this first trip. Josip, how about you?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the guide said with a shrug. ¡°Then I¡¯d say we¡¯ve got a plan.¡± # Leena kissed the top of Udit¡¯s head, then stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll visit again as soon as I can, but it¡¯ll be at least a week, maybe two. You be good for Grandmother and Uncle Rohav, all right?¡± He grumbled under his breath. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked, giving him a pointed look. ¡°I will,¡± he said reluctantly, ¡°but they never let me visit my friends. When can we go back to town?¡± Leena pushed away the thought of her parents¡¯ burned home. ¡°How about when I return for good, we¡¯ll move back there?¡± she suggested. Four silver a day was more than she¡¯d ever made before, and once she returned to Sanvar, the pay for a Traveler was even higher. She could save up enough money to buy a place rather than having to rent another apartment. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, but it may be a long time. I¡¯ve still got some things I need to do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for the bad men.¡± Udit had overheard a number of conversations, but Leena hadn¡¯t been sure how much he¡¯d understood. ¡°I am, but then I¡¯ll come back.¡± ¡°What if they hurt you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let them do that. I¡¯ll Travel away if they try.¡± She hugged him one last time. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go. Why don¡¯t you run along so I can talk to Uncle Rohav? Grandmother said she¡¯d save you some coconut rice pudding.¡± After he was gone, Leena turned to her uncle. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, at least to visit. I¡¯ll let you know if we run into those men again.¡± ¡°You should stay tonight and get a good night¡¯s rest before trying to Travel again,¡± he said. ¡°I slept for over twenty hours, and then sat around all day doing nothing. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She didn¡¯t mention the Seeking she¡¯d done that morning. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get back. I never told them I was leaving.¡± He scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t make any promises to those people. Traveling belongs to the Zidari.¡± ¡°Not only the Zidari,¡± she said. Sarlo was part Zidari and wasn¡¯t much of a Traveler, but if he was out there, there had to be others. ¡°And I couldn¡¯t have made it back here this quickly without Corec¡¯s help.¡± ¡°Yes, you could have. You made it to Telfort on your own without even trying. All you ever had to do was believe you could actually go where you wanted to go.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± she said, staring in the direction Udit had gone. ¡°Or maybe this was what I needed so I could believe it. I chose this.¡± Rohav sighed. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll be careful. If you find the men who attacked the camps, let the clan know. Don¡¯t try to do anything yourself.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s like the last time, I won¡¯t have time to do anything¡ªthe people I¡¯m traveling with can protect themselves just fine. But I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Giving her uncle one last nod, she Traveled. She still remembered the location signature for the cave entrance, but she followed Corec¡¯s signature through the warden sense instead, in case the group had moved on. She appeared behind him. She felt drained and was momentarily disoriented, as usual, but she didn¡¯t fall or faint. Apparently the distance to home wouldn¡¯t be an issue as long as she hadn¡¯t already spent the day Traveling back and forth. This far east, it was later at night. The camp was mostly quiet, but Corec was talking to Ellerie, Boktar, and Josip. They hadn¡¯t seen her yet. ¡°I take it nothing interesting happened?¡± he asked them. ¡°It was all quiet,¡± Boktar said. Corec nodded. ¡°You can go off shift. I¡¯ll wake up Katrin and Bobo.¡± ¡°Bobo?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°He volunteered, since I didn¡¯t think Treya would be up for it yet. I moved Sarette to third shift to help Razai and Shavala.¡± ¡°Is she still all right?¡± It wasn¡¯t obvious who Ellerie was referring to. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s still¡ª¡± Corec stopped talking and spun around. ¡°Leena!¡± ¡°Leena!¡± Ellerie exclaimed, coming around Corec¡¯s side to get a better look at her. ¡°What happened? Where did you go?¡± Leena took a deep breath. She was suddenly embarrassed about the way she¡¯d left. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªI should have told someone. My Seeking failed, and I thought something had happened to my brother. I had to go home to check on him, but it was too much Traveling. I passed out from drain shock.¡± ¡°You just came all the way from ¡­ it¡¯s called Matihar, right?¡± ¡°Yes, just outside Sanvara City.¡± ¡°But your brother¡¯s all right?¡± Ellerie¡¯s eyes searched her face. ¡°He must be, if you¡¯re here?¡± Leena smiled. ¡°He¡¯s fine. I told him about you all. He wants to meet Sarette¡ªI may have mentioned that she could fly.¡± Corec chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m glad everything¡¯s all right. But what did you mean about your Seeking failing?¡± ¡°I came here because I¡¯m looking for a way to protect my brother,¡± Leena said. Corec nodded; she¡¯d told him that much already. ¡°Before, the Seeking always sent me with you, but this time, nothing happened. I panicked. I thought he might have ¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to finish that sentence. ¡°I had to go see him, so I did.¡± ¡°The Tirs are warded against scrying,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And this really is Tir Yadar. We haven¡¯t found anything mentioning the name, but it¡¯s got to be. There¡¯s an entire city inside the mountain!¡± The elven woman was more excited than Leena had ever seen her. ¡°A city?¡± Leena glanced at the cave entrance. ¡°Like the dwarves build?¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Boktar replied. ¡°And the warding is why my Seeking didn¡¯t work?¡± Certain wards could block Zidari magic, but Leena had never studied the concept in any great detail. ¡°It could be,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know why it worked before. It should have blocked you the whole time.¡± ¡°My Seeking range was too short to reach here. I always asked where to go next. Maybe that¡¯s why.¡± Leena didn¡¯t mention what her grandmother had said about Seeking not working that way, or her own feeling that some intelligence was guiding her. The thought made her uncomfortable. Ellerie pursed her lips. ¡°After what you told me about your Traveling, I really thought the magic was keeping you with us so Corec could help you. I guess I was wrong.¡± ¡°Or maybe it wanted me here for more than one reason.¡± Leena wasn¡¯t sure why she said that, but it felt right. The fact that she¡¯d been able to visit Udit and the rest of her family so easily proved she¡¯d made the right decision, despite the drain shock. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Corec said, ¡°Either way, we¡¯re happy to have you along.¡± She gave him a brief smile. She hadn¡¯t gotten to know him well yet, but Ellerie seemed to trust him. Hopefully Rohav¡¯s concerns were unfounded. ¡°You should come with us when we go in tomorrow,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Some wards are fields, and cover a wide area, but others are barriers. Once you¡¯re past them, they no longer affect you. Maybe you can find what you¡¯re looking for.¡± Leena was tempted, but she still had responsibilities to take care of first. ¡°Won¡¯t you need me to go to Aencyr?¡± she asked. Boktar shook his head. ¡°Josip and I are going to take the animals and wagons back to Livadi and hire some more wagons and drivers to haul supplies for us, for as long as we need to be here.¡± Leena nodded, estimating how much feed was left for the animals. ¡°If you¡¯re hiring more wagons anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be faster to send me rather than go yourselves? Doing it that way, the new wagons could arrive before we run out of supplies.¡± The others exchanged glances. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°You don¡¯t speak Nysan. Buying something from a shopkeeper in Aencyr is one thing, but for this, I don¡¯t think you could explain what we need.¡± ¡°Josip can write it out for me.¡± ¡°I can do better than that,¡± the guide said. ¡°When we were in Livadi, I got to talking to a man by the name of Lufton. He¡¯s an old caravan guard from before my time. He speaks trade tongue. You could hire him to help get everything organized.¡± ¡°That would work,¡± Boktar said. Then he grunted. ¡°But it leaves a group of farmers driving wagons through the barrens without anyone to watch over them.¡± Corec said, ¡°There¡¯s not much out there to hurt them, but you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t want to risk it. What about this? Leena can go to Livadi first thing in the morning. If Josip¡¯s friend thinks he can arrange everything, then you and Josip head out on horseback right after Leena returns. Without the wagons slowing you down, you can get there in four days, and the horses can carry that much feed for themselves. It¡¯ll take time for the drivers to get everything ready. You can meet them in Livadi and escort them back here.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll leave Nedley here, then, to watch over the animals.¡± ¡°And the rest of us can explore Tir Yadar,¡± Ellerie said. # ¡°More living quarters,¡± Katrin said, glancing through the rooms. She¡¯d decided to accompany the group exploring the city, at least for one day. Shavala had agreed to take her place back at the camp to help Razai keep watch. The quarters were similar to the ones in Tir Navis, though not as grimy. Being a level above the ground floor had prevented any flooding. There was plenty of dust, though. Katrin sneezed. ¡°It seems like the family-sized ones are farther away from the promenade and the smaller ones are closer,¡± Treya said. ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t want children running around the walkways.¡± Corec joined them. ¡°I found a frying pan in the other room,¡± he said, showing it to them. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to use it, though. It¡¯s rusted almost completely through.¡± ¡°Then they cooked in here after all?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Where? There¡¯s no chimney.¡± ¡°You know the countertop that¡¯s part stone and part metal? I wiped all the dust off the metal part and there are two circles on it. They remind me of the burner lids on an iron cookstove, though I didn¡¯t see any way to open them. No firebox or oven either.¡± ¡°How would it work without a firebox?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯m wrong, and the frying pan came from somewhere else. But that¡¯s all I found. Did you two see anything interesting?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just as empty as the rest.¡± ¡°Then I think we¡¯ve seen enough down this hall, at least for now. Let¡¯s go find the others.¡± As the day had progressed without any sign of danger, Corec and Ellerie had eventually decided it was all right to split into two groups to cover more ground. The three of them followed the corridor back to the main junction, and then made a right turn which took them back to the main promenade overlooking the cavern. Corec added the frying pan to the small pile of objects they¡¯d been collecting. They only had to wait for a few minutes before Ellerie, Bobo, Sarette, and Leena joined them. Bobo set a broken ceramic plate down near the frying pan. ¡°There¡¯s not much left behind,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯d think there¡¯d be more, even if most things would have rotted away. Either the people took everything with them when they left, or someone else has already hauled away anything of value.¡± ¡°What about the zombies?¡± Treya asked. ¡°They¡¯d have stopped anyone else who came here. That must be what killed the other group we found.¡± ¡°Perhaps the zombies came later, after the place had been emptied.¡± ¡°Marco will be disappointed there¡¯s no treasure,¡± Ellerie said with a wry grin. ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Bobo said, picking up the frying pan to examine it. ¡°I still know some buyers who¡¯d be interested in this sort of thing as long as we can prove where it all came from. If we scour the whole place, I bet we could pay back the investors, at least.¡± Ellerie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to spend weeks here going through empty rooms. If Marco wants to, that¡¯s up to him, but I want to explore and map out the rest of the city. We¡¯ll check the other levels just to see if they¡¯re the same, but then I want to start looking down those tunnels.¡± ¡°A good point,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Our book will be rather boring if it primarily consists of our attempts to find buttons and belt buckles.¡± Ellerie laughed. ¡°Hopefully we can manage something more interesting than that.¡± ¡°What do you suppose they needed this much open space for?¡± Corec asked, peering down over the railing into the darkness of the oval cavern. ¡°The living quarters are packed in tight, but then they left a huge gap in the middle.¡± ¡°I think it was a plaza,¡± Katrin said. ¡°An open-air market. Well, not open-air, I suppose, but you know what I mean.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°A common area that everyone shared. It would explain why we haven¡¯t seen anything that looks like a shop.¡± ¡°Could they see in the dark?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Or did they have some way to light the whole thing up?¡± ¡°Maybe something like this,¡± Katrin said. She sang a series of scales, and suddenly, in her head, she could see a vision of the massive chamber completely lit with mage lights, nearly as bright as day. People¡ªKatrin used humans as her models¡ªwalked in small groups around the second-level promenade, while below them, a huge bazaar stretched out, with merchants hawking their wares from stalls. Parts of the vision were hazy and almost dreamlike since she¡¯d never practiced it before, but Katrin had been imagining the sight all day as she wandered through the ruins, wondering if she could turn her ideas about the place into a song. Visions from bardic magic were similar to a thought or a memory. They didn¡¯t replace what someone saw through their own eyes, but if Katrin closed hers, it was almost as if the illusion was overlaying the chamber. ¡°Oh!¡± Ellerie exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s incredible! I didn¡¯t know you could do that.¡± Katrin nodded at her, allowing the song to fade. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got for now, but I can add more later.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°How did you come up with that?¡± The elven woman had tried to make peace with Katrin several times, and maybe there wasn¡¯t any point in continuing to hold a grudge. Katrin had resented the idea of some noble laughing at everyone else behind their backs during the months she¡¯d kept her identity secret, but Ellerie didn¡¯t really act any differently now than she had before. In fact, she¡¯d become easier to live with over time. Well, slightly easier. She was still Ellerie. ¡°It¡¯s just what I thought about when I saw it,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that they might be able to see in the dark.¡± ¡°I like your idea better,¡± Bobo said. Ellerie nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why the Ancients would leave a place like this,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s still in good shape even now, despite its age.¡± ¡°I think you already answered that question,¡± Bobo said. ¡°If the barrens were perfectly round at one time, and Tir Yadar was in the exact center ¡­¡± He paused and waited expectantly. ¡°Then the barrens aren¡¯t natural. Something caused them.¡± ¡°Exactly. Something happened to the land, and once it became worthless, they moved on.¡± ¡°The Burning,¡± Corec suggested. ¡°Nobody knows what it is, but if there were once forests here, maybe they burned down? Hildra thinks the word might have been used literally.¡± Bobo said, ¡°We¡¯re talking about thousands of years of history. Just because it¡¯s something we¡¯ve heard of doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that it happened at the same time as something else we¡¯ve heard of.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence, but it still seems logical,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The First claimed that the people who created the wardens scattered after the Burning, right?¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Something like that, yes.¡± ¡°And we suspect it was the Ancients who created the wardens. Abandoning Tir Yadar could certainly be considered scattering. Bobo, you already suggested they left because the land grew barren.¡± ¡°I suppose. Yes. That doesn¡¯t mean it was an actual fire, though.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°A forest fire would have promoted new growth, not killed everything for centuries. Why didn¡¯t anything grow back?¡± Bobo shrugged. ¡°We may never know the answer.¡± # ¡°Miss Ellerie, Corec said to tell you that the supply wagons are almost here.¡± ¡°Thank you, Nedley.¡± The boy hesitated. ¡°Umm, Ellerie?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can I go in and see what¡¯s inside the mountain?¡± he asked in a rush. ¡°Not by yourself¡ªit¡¯s too dangerous¡ªbut if you can convince someone to take care of the animals for a day, you can come in with us on our next trip.¡± Nedley bobbed his head up and down. ¡°I¡¯ll ask! Thank you!¡± He left, and Ellerie turned her attention back to Bobo. ¡°Do you think the northern colonnade and the western colonnade are at the same elevation?¡± she asked, staring down at the pages of the multi-level map the two of them had been carefully constructing. ¡°It seemed like it, but they must be at least a third of a mile apart. It could have changed gradually and we wouldn¡¯t have noticed.¡± They¡¯d discovered two separate tunnels leading to a colonnade chamber on the north side of the mountain that was similar in size and structure to the one they¡¯d already found, though the northern colonnade only had five levels of living quarters rather than seven. In both cases, the quarters at the top level had been larger, and seemed likely to have been more opulent at one time. They¡¯d even found a few small metallic etchings made from the Ancients¡¯ special metal. The artwork had gotten Marco excited enough that he¡¯d stopped trying to figure out a way to haul the statues back to Tyrsall. Ellerie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave it on the same level for the map. What about the tunnel you found below it?¡± ¡°I think that was an aqueduct,¡± Bobo said. ¡°There¡¯s no water now, but there was a channel running through the middle, and I saw what I believe were pieces of ceramic piping.¡± ¡°Did you take measurements?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t want to be away from the group for too long. I figured I can go back in later with more people if we decide we need to map out the aqueducts. It would take a long time.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°We could spend years here and not learn everything.¡± ¡°Something tells me Varsin and Burton aren¡¯t going to pay for that.¡± ¡°I suppose not. We really need to spend more time exploring the south section. If we¡¯re going to find anything interesting, that seems like the spot.¡± Instead of another colonnade, the south side of the mountain was a maze of odd rooms and structures. Some areas seemed designed for storage, such as several rows of cylindrical towers that Corec insisted were grain silos, while others were unfamiliar. There was a huge chamber which appeared to have been designed for metal smithing, but there hadn¡¯t been any obvious way to light a fire in the forges. Bobo said, ¡°I want to find a way through those sealed tunnels too. Why were they sealed? Where do they go?¡± Situated between the two colonnades and the southern section, roughly in the center of the mountain, there was a busy junction where numerous tunnels came together. The largest of them led north, west, and south. There was a similar indentation to the east, but it was sealed off with the same stone-like substance the other walls were made of. There were also several ramps leading up and one going down. One of the upper ramps led to a viewing platform overlooking the junction, while the others they¡¯d investigated so far had led to the upper colonnade levels. The ramp that led down became a tunnel which came to an unexpected end shortly after it began. The ceiling, walls, and floor appeared to have melted together. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t go east from the northern colonnade. I think our best bet to find a way east is by searching the southern section. We might find another downward tunnel there, too.¡± Boktar strode over to them, pulling off his gauntlets and tossing them aside. ¡°The farmboys can empty the wagons. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Fine, but Josip and I had made it three days south before we saw rain clouds in the distance and realized we should have brought Sarette.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that. I take it you didn¡¯t have any problems?¡± ¡°Not this time¡ªit was just rain, not a lightning storm¡ªbut if you want me to make another trip, I¡¯ll need her along.¡± Ellerie pondered that. ¡°We¡¯re not really protected from lightning here, either. I suppose we can move the camp back to the town site. Some of the buildings there still had roofs.¡± The walk back and forth would be inconvenient, but inconvenience was better than death, or risking the loss of a supply wagon. ¡°Not inside the mountain?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. There haven¡¯t been any more attacks, but it gets too oppressive being below ground all the time. I don¡¯t know how your people do it. Sarette won¡¯t mind going with you¡ªshe says being under the mountain makes her dizzy. The farther in we go, the worse she gets.¡± Marco approached the group. ¡°Any problems?¡± ¡°No, but we used up all the coin you sent, and then some,¡± Boktar said. ¡°You owe me fifty-five silver.¡± Marco frowned. ¡°On top of the deposit Leena already paid?¡± ¡°Yes. I made sure to stock up while we were there.¡± The factor shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t consider that we¡¯d be paying for all the feed for the drivers¡¯ mules here and back. I¡¯ll need Leena to deposit another letter of credit in Aencyr.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask her,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Five wagons. That¡¯ll get us ten more days, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s call it eight days,¡± Boktar said. ¡°We need to give the mules a break before we head back, and they¡¯ll have to eat while they¡¯re here. Besides, I want to see this underground city.¡± ¡°Eight days won¡¯t leave enough time to make another trip to Livadi and back, will it?¡± Marco asked. ¡°No, but neither would ten,¡± Boktar said. ¡°I had to change the plan to make the logistics work. We¡¯ll meet Josip¡¯s friend Lufton on the way back. He¡¯s bringing three more wagons to keep us going until this group has time to get there and back. I tried to get five, but there just weren¡¯t that many available and willing.¡± ¡°Wait¡ªyou already paid for the next three wagons? Drivers, mules, and supplies?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Boktar answered with a grin. Marco broke into a smile. ¡°Well, then, I guess I don¡¯t mind the fifty-five silver after all. Have you ever considered a career with the Senshall Trading Company?¡± Book 3: Chapter Twenty-Five Ellerie shined her lantern over the fallen stone and dirt. ¡°This one¡¯s blocked too,¡± she said with a sigh. It was the third tunnel they¡¯d found leading away from the southern area of the city to what they expected would be another section on the east side of the mountain, but just like the first two, it was blocked by a cave-in. Boktar rapped on the tunnel wall, then shouted and listened for the echoes. ¡°This one¡¯s man-made, so it sounds different, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any point in trying to dig it out. It feels like the collapsed section goes on for quite a distance. If we try to move any of it, I suspect more will fall.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back then, and see if we can find another way,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Bobo, were there any other routes that would get us to the eastern side?¡± ¡°Not that I remember, but we haven¡¯t explored any of the tunnels on the upper colonnade levels. Some of those might bypass the cave-in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to the colonnades today. Let¡¯s stay on the southern side for now, and we can try that tomorrow.¡± ¡°Maybe I can see the colonnades on my next trip,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Why not tomorrow?¡± Ellerie asked. He¡¯d said he planned to give the mules and drivers a two-day break before leaving again. ¡°The wagons need work, especially our two,¡± he replied as they returned the way they¡¯d come. ¡°Nothing too serious, but I do want to replace an axle with one of the ones we took from the wagon we disassembled. It¡¯ll all take some time.¡± Ellerie grimaced. She was depending too much on Boktar again, like she always did, but he was the best choice for leading the drivers back to Livadi. Maybe after they had the routine down, Josip could handle the trips on his own. It was a quarter of a mile back to the chamber where the tunnel began. Four other corridors led away from there. ¡°This one, right?¡± Corec asked, checking the chalk marks Bobo had left. ¡°That¡¯ll get us back to the southern junction room, if that¡¯s where we¡¯re going,¡± Bobo said. That was what they¡¯d named the chamber they¡¯d found directly south of the central junction. It had a dozen tunnels leading to all corners of the southern portion of the city. ¡°Where do the others go?¡± Boktar asked. Ellerie said, ¡°The one to the south leads down to part of the aqueduct system. I don¡¯t know what it was used for, but there were dozens of rectangular ponds carved into the stone. There must be an underground river or lake feeding into them.¡± She suppressed a shiver. That immense, dark cavern with the sound of dripping water had been more eerie than any other part of the ruins. ¡°North was ¡­ I¡¯m not sure what it was, but we didn¡¯t find anything interesting there.¡± Boktar pointed to the last tunnel in the room. It led west, like the tunnel Corec had indicated. ¡°What about that one?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t gone that way yet,¡± Bobo said. He held his map up in front of his lantern. ¡°Although, that might take us back to tunnel five in the southern junction room.¡± They¡¯d numbered all the tunnels at the junction to help keep track of which ones they¡¯d followed. ¡°Should we try it, so we can cross that one off our list? If it doesn¡¯t go back, we can return here and take tunnel four instead.¡± ¡°We might as well,¡± Ellerie said. It didn¡¯t take long to discover that the new tunnel wasn¡¯t leading them back to the junction. It sloped downward instead. Soon, they were in a new chamber they hadn¡¯t seen before. It reminded Ellerie of the junction room, but it was smaller and only had eight tunnels leading out instead of a dozen. Treya spun in a slow circle to take it all in. ¡°Where are we? Why haven¡¯t we seen this spot before?¡± ¡°And how far down did we go?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Where¡¯s the southern junction?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just below it,¡± Leena said. ¡°We¡¯re on a new level, then?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Seven more tunnels. The one to the north looks interesting.¡± The only tunnel along the northern wall was larger than the rest, twenty feet wide, with an ornate stone arch at the entrance. Ellerie glanced around at her companions, but it was still early in the afternoon and it was clear that everyone wanted to continue. Even Nedley¡¯s smile had returned. He¡¯d been excited about his first chance to visit the ruins, but had grown discouraged when they hadn¡¯t found anything interesting all morning. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± Ellerie said. Corec took the lead again and headed into the north tunnel, the rest of the group following behind. At regular intervals, they passed alcoves along the right wall and rusted metal doors on the left. Boktar stopped at one of the doors. ¡°Should we try to open it?¡± he asked. ¡°Try this one instead,¡± Corec called out from up ahead. ¡°It¡¯s in better shape.¡± They joined him, Boktar using his hammer to pound off the worst patches of rust sealing the door shut. When he pulled it open, it made a horrible screeching noise. Inside, they found a tiny room piled high with rusted metal and other detritus. Bobo poked through the mess with his cudgel. ¡°Is that wood?¡± he asked. There were pieces left that hadn¡¯t completely rotted away yet. Ellerie said, ¡°We found the remains of wooden furniture back in Tir Navis, too. It must have stayed drier down here.¡± Bobo nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s not enough left to say what any of it was.¡± He marked a note on his copy of the map. They tried three more of the doors before Ellerie put a stop to it. Some of the rooms were larger, and sometimes there were several grouped together, but none held anything particularly interesting. ¡°We can come back to the rest of these later,¡± she said. ¡°This corridor is obviously going somewhere. Let¡¯s follow it and see where it takes us.¡± Soon, the tunnel, which had continued almost directly north according to Ellerie¡¯s compass, turned abruptly to the northwest. It remained just as wide, but several ranks of four-foot-tall metal walls had been placed along either side, leaving a narrower walkway in between. ¡°I think those are shields,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Like a small defensive wall.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Archers or pikemen could stand behind them and hold off advancing troops.¡± ¡°All the way down here?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Who¡¯d be attacking them here?¡± Corec examined the nearest of the barriers. ¡°They¡¯re curved to deflect arrows and spears, and the curve is facing the way we came in, from the city, but they look like they¡¯re permanently fixed in place, not portable. They might just be the Ancients¡¯ version of the defenses you¡¯d see around a king¡¯s palace.¡± Bobo said, ¡°Or it¡¯s like a fortress. You build it, then a village grows up around it. You build a wall around the village, but then the village becomes a town and grows beyond the wall again.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re heading toward the fortress?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Or the palace?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just guessing,¡± Bobo said, ¡°but it seems logical.¡± ¡°Is that a light up ahead?¡± Treya asked. Ellerie followed her gaze and saw a faint blue glow outlining the corridor. Nobody needed any prompting to continue on. Beyond the last of the metal barriers, the tunnel opened out into a larger area. Corec summoned mage lights overhead to make the chamber easier to see. It was roughly in the shape of a diamond, and spacious but not nearly as large as the colonnades¡ªperhaps forty yards across at its widest point. The tunnel had brought them to the southern tip of the room, and there was another tunnel leading away from the eastern tip. Three doorways lined the wall in between the two tunnels, though one of the metal doors had, at some point, fallen off its hinges and now lay on the ground. The western side of the room was misshapen, appearing as if the stone of the walls had melted and flowed into distorted shapes before becoming solid again. It was similar to the blocked tunnel they¡¯d encountered at the central junction room. Was this where that tunnel had led? There were two doors along the southwest wall before the melted section began, but the one closest to it was hanging open, a crack down its middle. Blocking the view to the north was a wide basin holding a ten-foot-tall metal sphere. The metal gleamed, reflecting the mage lights. ¡°What do you suppose it was?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°A sculpture?¡± Ellerie suggested. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly round. How did they make it without any seams?¡± ¡°Not quite round,¡± Corec said, craning his neck up. ¡°There¡¯s something at the top. A flat section, or maybe an opening?¡± Before they could look more closely, they heard Nedley¡¯s excited shout. ¡°I found the lights!¡± They followed his voice around the orb to find him standing by seven more of the animal statues, this time constructed from marble rather than metal. This group wasn¡¯t mounted on pillars, but even standing on their own, the statues were over eight feet tall. A blue light shone from the ground in front of each one, illuminating it. Like the statues outside the cave, they were arranged in two rows facing each other, with the fox statue facing an empty spot at the far end. ¡°Those are mage lights,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°They must have made them permanent somehow.¡± ¡°Hildra said the Chosar and the first peoples could create permanent enchantments,¡± Corec mentioned. ¡°But which of the two groups lived here, and how were they related?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°I always thought of the Tirs as belonging to the first peoples, which might or might not include the Chosar. But you said she called them Chosar cities?¡± ¡°She said the Chosar drove the other tribes out of the Tirs.¡± Bobo shook his head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never read anything like that. What I would have given to have seen her library. It¡¯s a pity it was lost.¡± Ellerie followed the pathway lined by the statues to the northern tip of the chamber, where she found a set of ornate double doors more than twice her height. They were made from wood, but showed no sign of rot or disrepair. There was a small metal plate affixed to the stone wall left of the doors. It looked like a plaque but there was nothing written on it. The group gathered around her as she tried the vertical metal handle on the left door. It didn¡¯t budge, so she tried the right side, with the same result. Muttering, she stepped back and waved toward the door. ¡°Could one of you ¡­ ?¡± Corec and Boktar didn¡¯t have any better luck, even when they both pulled at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s not moving at all,¡± Corec said. ¡°There must be something holding it closed.¡± ¡°Do you want to get an axe from camp and break it down?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°Wait,¡± Ellerie said, and cast her arcane sight spell. A white haze descended over her vision, but in front of her, the door lit up with an intricate defensive warding. She turned to tell the others but stopped in surprise. The blue mage lights near the statues glowed to her sight, as she¡¯d expected, but so did the massive sphere. Its entire surface was lined by an enchantment more complex than she¡¯d ever seen before. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. She banished the arcane sight spell and her vision returned to normal. ¡°The door is warded,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to open it. And the orb is enchanted.¡± ¡°To do what?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Maybe Hildra could tell us,¡± Corec said. ¡°She said she has a knack for enchantments, and she wanted to see this place if we found anything.¡± Ellerie shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bring anyone else in right now.¡± ¡°I meant that we could tell her about it on our way back, and ask her to send us a letter if she learns anything.¡± ¡°I suppose that would be all right. People are going to show up here as soon as Varsin puts the word out¡ªI guess it¡¯s better if it¡¯s someone we know. But let¡¯s make sure we learn everything we can before we leave. I want to make sure our book is the first.¡± ¡°Can you get us through the door?¡± Boktar asked her. ¡°I have a banishing spell, but warding spells can be tricky, especially if you don¡¯t know what they¡¯re warding against. If it¡¯s warded against spells, it¡¯ll be dangerous to even try, and if it¡¯s lasted this long, I don¡¯t want to risk it unless there isn¡¯t any other choice. Maybe we can get around it through one of these other doors or that tunnel.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve still got a few hours before we need to head back,¡± Corec said. ¡°How about you take the doors and I take the tunnel?¡± # ¡°More cots,¡± Corec said. The rusted furniture had mostly collapsed, but it was apparent enough what it had once been. ¡°That¡¯s ten of these rooms so far, two dozen cots per room. This is a barracks.¡± ¡°For an army?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Yes, for new recruits or maybe for young soldiers who didn¡¯t have a family yet. Older soldiers and officers were probably housed elsewhere in the city.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve skipped more doors than we checked,¡± Bobo said. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of recruits for an army.¡± ¡°How big was the kingdom?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Not the city, but the rest of it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t really know. We don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s all one kingdom or separate kingdoms or an empire that spanned all of them. Each Tir was a city-state, like Tyrsall once was, or like Circle Bay is now. I imagine the surrounding lands looked to the nearest Tir for governance. If Aencyr was the next closest Tir, then I suppose Tir Yadar must have been quite large. Bigger than Tyrsall, perhaps.¡± ¡°Big enough to support an army the size of Larso¡¯s, then. Tir Yadar could have been where they trained the recruits and housed most of the soldiers. Those smaller rooms have got to be bathing chambers, and the empty rooms we found before we reached the barracks could have been used for training. Practice yards and the like.¡± ¡°Why is there so much more furniture left down here than up above?¡± Treya asked. Bobo said, ¡°Maybe what was here wasn¡¯t worth hauling away, or maybe they just preferred wooden furniture up in the colonnade sections. There was a lot more dust up there; it might have simply all rotted away.¡± ¡°Or it could have been more deliberate than that,¡± Corec said. ¡°What was up above belonged to the people. These cots belonged to the army, the government. Maybe everything on this level did. Perhaps the army wasn¡¯t able to take everything with them when they left.¡± ¡°Suggesting they had to leave in a hurry.¡± ¡°Or that there wasn¡¯t much of a government left to tell them what to do.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have anything to indicate that.¡± Corec thought back to his conversation with Hildra. ¡°Every kingdom falls eventually. If the people left because the land grew barren, that means there were no crops. Not nearby, at least. You know how difficult it was just to get our small group out here. I doubt any government that could survive that.¡± ¡°True, true. It¡¯s not so much the distance¡ªmany of Matagor¡¯s crops come from the free lands, which are farther away¡ªbut the difficulty in transporting them when there¡¯s nothing for the animals to graze on. But if that¡¯s the case, how did they haul everything else away?¡± ¡°The river?¡± Corec suggested. ¡°Or maybe the process was gradual,¡± Treya said. Bobo said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re finding more answers or more questions.¡± The eastern tunnel Corec had volunteered to explore hadn¡¯t been a tunnel at all but an entire complex, with corridors leading off to both the north and south. He, Treya, and Bobo were exploring the northern part, but hadn¡¯t found any route back to the west. Each of the corridors they¡¯d attempted had led them two hundred yards north before coming to an abrupt end. They returned to the main tunnel and went farther east, but before they could find another corridor leading north, the light from the lanterns illuminated a mountain of rubble blocking the way. ¡°The cave-in,¡± Bobo said. ¡°It¡¯s got to be the same one as above.¡± He held his lantern above his head and peered up. ¡°It broke through the ceiling¡ªor, I suppose, the floor above us¡ªand then stopped here. I don¡¯t see a way through.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head back, then,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to tell Ellerie there isn¡¯t a way behind those locked doors from here. We can look through these other rooms later.¡± They¡¯d just started back down the tunnel when Bobo stopped and stared at the first door along the southern wall. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Treya asked. ¡°The lettering above the door,¡± he replied. ¡°It says Armory Three West. Should we take a look?¡± Corec couldn¡¯t resist. The door was stuck in place, but he managed to get it loose by wedging the blade of his sword between the door and doorjamb and prying it open. The rusted hinges gave way and the entire door popped loose from its frame. Corec caught it with a grunt, dropping his sword so he could carefully slide the heavy door out of the way, leaning it up against the wall. He returned his sword to its harness, then retrieved his lantern and followed the other two into the room. There was a metallic clanging noise and Bobo exclaimed, ¡°Bloody hell!¡± A gleaming breastplate lay on the ground before him, and next to it was its accompanying backplate. ¡°Why¡¯d they leave it down there?¡± he asked in an annoyed tone, wincing and flexing the toes he¡¯d stubbed. He¡¯d switched back to wearing his sandals after the weather had warmed up. ¡°I think the stand rotted away,¡± Corec said. There was debris nearby that looked as if it could have been wood at one time. Treya lifted the breastplate. ¡°It¡¯s light. Is it real armor, or ceremonial?¡± ¡°Let me see it,¡± Corec said, trading her his lantern for the breastplate. It was light, less than half the weight he¡¯d have expected from a steel breastplate. ¡°This is that metal that doesn¡¯t rust. The stormborn say it¡¯s stronger than it looks.¡± ¡°Is there more?¡± Bobo asked. Corec summoned half a dozen mage lights, sending them as far out as the spell could reach. ¡°Oh,¡± Treya said, her eyes going wide. The room was wider than it was deep, wide enough that the mage lights didn¡¯t reach the far ends. The area in front of them was full of weapon racks. They were mostly empty, but there was enough remaining to be impressive. The closest rack held dozens of arming swords, and on the opposite side of it was a row of what looked like pikes. More cuirasses lay scattered in a row along the wall where Bobo had stumbled over the first one. Corec pulled one of the swords from the rack and examined it. ¡°It¡¯s not the same metal. It looks like steel, but there¡¯s no rust. I think it¡¯s the same thing my sword is made out of.¡± ¡°Is it enchanted like yours?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Wait.¡± Corec cast the arcane sight spell Hildra had taught him. His vision went almost black. He glanced at the sword, but couldn¡¯t see anything unusual, so he gazed around the room. The only magical auras he saw were coming from Treya¡ªher side of the warden bond, plus a faint aura he suspected indicated she was a mage. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Nothing in here is enchanted.¡± Bobo sighed. ¡°I suppose it was too much to hope for. If we could just find something like your sword, it would pay for the expedition.¡± Corec gave the blade a few experimental swings. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we need to worry about that. A sword that¡¯s lasted thousands of years without any sort of corrosion? This should be worth a fair bit. If that armor actually works, it¡¯ll be worth even more.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Treya asked, holding up a small, slightly curved oblong metal plate. ¡°Armor plating,¡± he replied. ¡°Maybe from brigandine or a coat of plates, but the cloth or leather has rotted away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad the armor didn¡¯t survive,¡± Bobo said. ¡°The metal¡¯s the expensive part. If this stuff is any good, the plates are still worth something. Did you see any more of it?¡± ¡°Yes, over there,¡± Treya said, indicating a wide scattering of black dirt mixed with the gleam of metal. ¡°An armorer might buy the pieces to reconstruct whatever it was,¡± Corec said, putting the sword back in its place. When he tried to lift one of the pikes from the stand behind it, the shaft crumbled in his hands. The long, heavy spear point fell to the floor with a clang. ¡°Was that wood?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Corec said, brushing the dust from his hands. He stooped down to pick up the point, which was made from the same metal as the arming swords. ¡°Pikes are usually built cheaply, out of whatever¡¯s available. I suppose they didn¡¯t want to waste money on them.¡± ¡°They did on these,¡± Treya said. ¡°They look like Sarette¡¯s.¡± She¡¯d found a stack of staff-spears piled up on the floor. Unlike Sarette¡¯s weapon, which had a wooden shaft, these were constructed entirely of metal. ¡°The stormborn believe their military traditions were passed down from the first peoples,¡± Bobo said. ¡°This could be evidence of that.¡± ¡°We should send them one of these for their museum,¡± Corec said. Maybe it would make up for the sword he¡¯d borrowed. He hadn¡¯t had a chance yet to tell the stormborn that their sword was bonded to him, and would remain so until he died. He wasn¡¯t sure how they would take the news. Bobo nodded. ¡°Some of the other pieces, too, if Varsin Senshall doesn¡¯t mind.¡± To the west, they found racks with long swords and flanged maces, and beyond those, along the western wall, were piles of metal arrows and crossbow bolts, mixed in with debris that suggested the projectiles had been stored in wooden crates. The shafts were made from the lighter metal that didn¡¯t rust or tarnish, while the tips were made from the metal that looked like steel. They were sharper and more uniform than any arrowheads Corec had seen before. There were rows of mounting hooks along that wall, but the weapons themselves were gone, either taken or rotted away. The east side of the room held four metal crates full of daggers. For soldiers, they¡¯d likely been a secondary weapon, much like Corec¡¯s own long knife¡ªuseful for stabbing through gaps in armor, or when there wasn¡¯t enough room to wield something larger. Shields were propped up along the far wall, both large tower shields and smaller rounded shields. There were also several suits of plate armor made from the special metal. Unlike the cuirasses, these armor stands were still intact, but the armor itself had fallen to the ground after the straps had rotted away. Nearby were messy piles of mail, as if it had been sorted through and left in heaps on the floor. The mail was thinner than usual, intended to be worn under heavier armor. Bobo said, ¡°I would have expected a wider variety of weapons.¡± ¡°An army will standardize on as few as they can manage,¡± Corec said. ¡°They¡¯ve covered most of the major needs. I would have wanted something in between the pikes and the staff-spears, and some hammers and bills to take care of opponents in heavy armor, but maybe they took all those with them when they left.¡± ¡°Well, then, does anyone want to start an army?¡± Bobo asked jokingly. Judging by the size of the room, less than a tenth of the contents remained, but even excluding the arrows, that still left hundreds of pieces. Corec didn¡¯t reply, but he shared a glance with Treya. During their conversations with Katrin and Shavala about what to do after returning to Aravor, they¡¯d discussed different ideas for dealing with Rusol. Katrin had suggested hiring mercenaries, so they¡¯d be on even footing if the prince sent soldiers or more red-eyes after them. They¡¯d put that suggestion aside since they didn¡¯t have the money to hire and equip their own troops, but perhaps this armory changed things. The room had three doors along the northern wall, including the one they¡¯d come in by, and all three led back to the eastern tunnel. There was only one other exit leading out of the armory. It took them to a short hallway ending in a strange circular contraption which was locked into metal rails at the top and the bottom. The rails extended off to the right. On the left side, there was a small metal plate affixed to the wall. ¡°I think it might be another room,¡± Bobo said. ¡°This is like a door, but it rolls to the side instead of opening outward.¡± Corec grabbed the vertical handle and pulled, but nothing moved. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. ¡°Am I sure there¡¯s a room on the other side?¡± the other man said. ¡°No. But I¡¯m certain it¡¯s supposed to move. Just look at it. That¡¯s the only reason for it to be built like this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s dirt in the tracks,¡± Treya said. Bobo crouched down and wiped dust and dirt out of the lower railing. ¡°Try it now.¡± Corec tried again, but didn¡¯t have any luck. ¡°I can¡¯t get it to budge,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s rusted in place.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see any rust. Could it be warded like that other door we found?¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Corec cast the arcane sight spell again, then had to close his eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He felt a warm hand against his brow, and opened his eyes to find Treya standing in front of him, barely visible behind the veil of his arcane sight. ¡°You need to stop casting spells for a while,¡± she said ¡°You¡¯re starting to go into drain shock.¡± He¡¯d only cast the arcane sight spell twice that day, but he¡¯d summoned more mage lights than he ever had before. ¡°Can you help?¡± he asked. ¡°Not until you¡¯re a lot worse off than you are now. Just don¡¯t use any more magic today. I can¡¯t carry you out if you fall unconscious.¡± He grinned at her, then glanced at the door. It was covered in glowing golden lines laid out in geometric shapes. ¡°There¡¯s some sort of magic on it,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell if it¡¯s a warding spell or something else.¡± Bobo sighed. ¡°Another door we can¡¯t open. At least we actually found something this time. I¡¯m sure Ellerie will be interested in the armory.¡± Corec tried the handle one last time, but the door still didn¡¯t move. When he let go, a faint golden line extending from the door to the metal plate pulsed brightly. ¡°Did you see that?¡± he said. ¡°See what?¡± Treya asked. ¡°It must have been part of the spell.¡± Corec touched the plate to see if anything else would happen. It felt cold and smooth. Like the one they¡¯d found earlier near the big doors, there was no writing on it. When he took his hand away, the glowing symbols all turned green. He wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but if the spell was intended to lock the door, and the spell had changed, perhaps the door would open. He grasped the handle again. This time when he pulled to the right, the door rolled with the screech of metal rubbing against metal. ¡°Help me,¡± he said to Bobo. Together, the two of them were able to roll the door halfway open, wide enough for one person to slip through at a time. Treya had stepped away, covering her ears with her hands. ¡°How did you do that?¡± Bobo asked. Corec didn¡¯t answer. He hadn¡¯t released the arcane sight spell yet, and he¡¯d seen a glow coming through the opening. Stepping inside, his eyes widened. There was a small assortment of weapons there, and each one was lit up. He laughed. ¡°Bobo, you were asking for enchanted weapons?¡± ¡°What?¡± Bobo asked, joining him. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± Corec¡¯s eyes were growing strained, so he banished the arcane sight spell and his vision returned to normal. The glowing auras disappeared. The weapons were mounted on the wall, reminding him of the armory in Tir Navis where he¡¯d found his sword. Taking pride of place in the center were two crossed arming swords. To the right of those were two staff-spears, and to the left were a longsword and a heavy mace. A tower shield hung from the east wall, and near it was a shirt that glimmered as if made from metal. ¡°Really?¡± Bobo said, a smile growing on his face. ¡°Well, how about that? But how did you open the door?¡± ¡°I just touched that metal plate and it changed the spell that was holding it closed. There was one of those plates by the other door too. We should go tell Ellerie.¡± ¡°What about all this? Should we bring it with us?¡± ¡°Maybe Ellerie should check it first for warding spells. None of it looked as ¡­ I¡¯m not sure of the right word. None of it looked as complicated as my sword, but I don¡¯t know enough to say if any of it is dangerous.¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± Bobo said, ¡°though I suddenly find myself worried the door will close while we¡¯re gone, and we won¡¯t be able to open it again.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°We can wedge it open. Go grab one of those swords from the other room.¡± Book 3: Chapter Twenty-Six Ellerie rubbed her temples, trying to hold back a headache. It was growing late, much later than she¡¯d anticipated staying within the mountain, and they¡¯d spent hours searching through rooms empty of anything other than rusted or rotting furniture and miscellaneous odds and ends. Even an empty room was an important find to add to their knowledge of Tir Yadar, but somehow, after the giant sphere and the blue lights illuminating the animal statues, Ellerie had been expecting something more. The latest find was the worst¡ªa library, made obvious by the wooden bookshelves that had somehow been preserved against the ravages of time. There was enough space for tens of thousands of books, yet every shelf was empty, every book was gone. There was little debris, suggesting the contents had been carried away rather than falling to pieces, but it almost seemed like a deliberate insult that so much knowledge had eluded her grasp. ¡°Shall we head back?¡± Boktar asked her. ¡°We might as well. It must be after dark by now, and it¡¯ll take us at least an hour to get back to camp. Let¡¯s go find the others.¡± ¡°They¡¯re on their way here now,¡± Leena said. Sure enough, a voice called out, ¡°Ellerie?¡± and Corec, Bobo, and Treya rounded a corner. ¡°We were just about to head back,¡± Ellerie told them. Bobo exclaimed, ¡°We found an armory! With weapons!¡± Ellerie¡¯s gloom lifted. ¡°You found something? What was it like?¡± Corec said, ¡°A lot like the room we found in Tir Navis, if it hadn¡¯t been emptied. There¡¯s enough left to see how their army must have been organized¡ªthat¡¯s the sort of information you¡¯re interested in, right? And we know how to open the warded doors. Do you remember that little metal plate? All you have to do is touch it. We found one in the armory, locking away a handful of enchanted weapons.¡± ¡°Can you take me there? Leena, could you let the others know we¡¯ll be late getting back?¡± ¡°I will,¡± Leena said, and disappeared. The group made their way out of the library. They were passing by the sphere on their way to the eastern tunnel when Corec stopped. ¡°We should try the other door while we¡¯re here,¡± he said. Ellerie nodded and headed in that direction. ¡°All I have to do is touch it?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s how it worked on the other door.¡± She reached the doors and pressed her fingers to the metal plate, but nothing happened. Corec¡¯s face fell. ¡°I hoped it would work here, too.¡± He laid his palm against the plate and there was a clicking noise. Ellerie pulled on the nearest of the doors. It swung open smoothly. The light from her lantern danced around the darkened room beyond. ¡°Why did it work for me and not you?¡± Corec asked. ¡°It must be the warding spell. It accepted you for some reason.¡± Treya said, ¡°The people who lived here, aren¡¯t they the ones you think created the wardens? Maybe this area was reserved for them.¡± ¡°That makes as much sense as anything,¡± Bobo said. Leena reappeared nearby, a bag slung over her shoulder. ¡°I brought food. It¡¯s well after dark, and I wasn¡¯t sure how long we¡¯d be down here.¡± ¡°Is everything all right up there?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everyone¡¯s eaten already, and Katrin¡¯s singing to the wagon drivers now.¡± ¡°Then we can stay down here for a while longer.¡± Ellerie bit her lip, looking first through the open doorway, then to the eastern tunnel. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to look at first,¡± she admitted. ¡°We can¡¯t explore the whole city tonight,¡± Boktar said. ¡°We¡¯ll still be here tomorrow.¡± She nodded. ¡°The armory now, since we know there¡¯s something there. We¡¯ll try these doors tomorrow.¡± # Corec carefully trudged down the slope from the cave, trying not to trip. In the dark, with his arms full, he couldn¡¯t see where he was putting his feet. The people in the camp stood to greet them. ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯re carrying?¡± Marco called out, squinting. Ellerie surrounded the camp with mage lights, then jerked her head to the side. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk,¡± she said to Marco, and drew him away from the farmboys who¡¯d driven the wagons. Corec followed them, then dropped the tower shield he was carrying to the ground, propping it up against a boulder. ¡°There¡¯s no way anyone carried that thing into battle,¡± he said, trying to work out the kinks in his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s too damned heavy.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have enchanted it without a reason,¡± Ellerie pointed out as she laid the two arming swords next to it, still bundled in her coat. Anytime someone grasped them by the hilt, they started glowing red. ¡°Enchanted?¡± Marco asked, sounding hopeful. ¡°All of it; everything we brought out.¡± Boktar and Nedley set the other weapons nearby, including nine arrows in a case that had enough space for twelve. The case had been propped up near the door, and Corec had missed it on his first examination of the room. The metal shirt had turned out to be mail, but made from chain links so fine they weren¡¯t any thicker than cloth. Enchanted or not, it seemed unlikely the mail would provide much protection, but they¡¯d brought it out with the other items. Ellerie told Marco about their find while the rest of the group joined them. Josip stayed back with the wagon drivers, trying to distract them. ¡°There¡¯s more still down there?¡± Marco asked when the story was over. Corec said, ¡°The rest of it isn¡¯t enchanted, but it¡¯s still in good condition. We¡¯ll need several wagons just to haul it all with us, though.¡± ¡°I have to admit, I don¡¯t know how to appraise magical items,¡± the factor said, looking over the weapons. ¡°We usually hire a wizard by the name of Deshin for that. What do these do? Are they like your sword?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe Hildra can help us look at them if we stop by Aencyr on our way back.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°There¡¯s a lore spell in that spell book I bought in Tyrsall. If I can learn it, we won¡¯t have to depend on Hildra.¡± The elven woman still seemed suspicious of any other wardens they encountered. ¡°It won¡¯t help us with prices, though.¡± ¡°I looked into it a bit before we left,¡± Bobo said. ¡°If we find the right buyer, just one of these might pay for this entire trip.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Marco said. ¡°Not many people have that sort of money.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to proceed carefully. It¡¯s better to take time and do it right, even if that means going farther than Tyrsall.¡± ¡°I know some people down south,¡± Razai said. ¡°Collectors with more money than brains. I¡¯ve had to sell certain items in Deece before, and in Valara. And there¡¯s a fellow in Abildgar, but it¡¯s been a few years. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s still around.¡± ¡°I figured you¡¯d be gone as soon as we got back to Tyrsall,¡± Corec said. The demonborn woman smirked. ¡°You owe me an eighth of a share. I¡¯ll be gone as soon as Senshall pays out, and not a moment before.¡± Sarette lifted one of the staff-spears out of the pile. ¡°Vartus has one like this, with the metal shaft,¡± she said. ¡°The museum holds onto most of the weapons from South Valley, but the stormrunners were able to requisition a few.¡± ¡°There are more below if you want one,¡± Corec said. ¡°I do. The metal shafts don¡¯t break, and they carry a charge longer.¡± She rapped the butt of the spear against the ground. Jagged lines of white and blue light flickered over the weapon. Sarette swayed and grabbed Boktar¡¯s shoulder to steady herself. ¡°Oh! That was ¡­ Vartus¡¯s never felt like that.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it. It was just different than usual.¡± She swung the weapon back and forth, then stepped forward with a thrusting motion. ¡°The charge isn¡¯t fading. I like this.¡± Shavala held up one of the arrows. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an arrow with a metal shaft before. These are magical?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes,¡± Corec said. ¡°Can you use them?¡± Marco cleared his throat and stared at the two of them pointedly. ¡°No,¡± Shavala said. ¡°They¡¯re too long for my bow.¡± ¡°I think there were different sizes back in the main armory,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Not the magical ones but the other ones.¡± ¡°There are more?¡± He nodded. ¡°A lot.¡± ¡°I will look tomorrow, then.¡± ¡°Should we all go in tomorrow, to help haul the other items out?¡± Marco asked. Ellerie said, ¡°I¡¯d like to wait on that. There¡¯s another warded door that Corec was able to open, but we didn¡¯t have time to explore it tonight. Let¡¯s start there in the morning, and then we¡¯ll decide what to do next.¡± Josip came over then. ¡°I could hear what you were saying. The boys don¡¯t speak trade tongue, but they¡¯re getting curious. They saw you carrying things out of the cave. I didn¡¯t tell them what they were.¡± ¡°For now, just tell them we found some old weapons buried in there,¡± Boktar said. ¡°They already know we¡¯re exploring the ruins, so that shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise. We may need to offer the village something to keep folks from coming out here before we¡¯re finished.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Whatever we do, this may be our only chance to explore Tir Yadar without being disturbed, whether it¡¯s curious villagers or other historians. We¡¯ll have to get all of the information we need for our book before we leave. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to make it back here again.¡± Leena opened her mouth as if to say something, but then bit her lip and kept quiet. # Shavala poked through the debris, examining the piles of metal arrows that had been left in the armory. ¡°These are shorter than the others,¡± Katrin said, showing her several arrows. Each had a broadhead tip with four sharp, wicked-looking blades. ¡°Are they the right size?¡± Shavala took one from her and examined it. ¡°This will work. I wonder why the different sizes, though. Did elves live here, too? Or did the Ancients just use different types of bows?¡± ¡°Corec said none of the bows survived.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°Perhaps Ellerie will know. But I¡¯ve never heard of anyone using metal arrows before. Even in the Storm Heights, Sarette said they only found arrowheads in the ruins.¡± ¡°Will these work?¡± ¡°I think so. The weight feels fine, and they¡¯re perfectly straight. I¡¯ll have to practice with them, though. Are there more?¡± ¡°Yes, this whole stack.¡± Shavala pulled one of her foraging bags out of her coat pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll take a few dozen. See if you can find some bodkin points too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a bodkin point?¡± ¡°The long, thin ones,¡± Shavala said, and pulled one of the larger arrows from the pile she¡¯d just been looking through. ¡°Like this.¡± In the end, they didn¡¯t find any bodkin points among the shorter arrows, but they discovered that the arrowheads could be twisted off and replaced. Shavala removed a handful of the slender bodkin points from the longer arrows and slipped them into her bag. When they were done, they joined the others who¡¯d come with them to look at the armory. Sarette was leaning against a wall, holding onto the new staff-spear she¡¯d come down to retrieve. Her eyes were closed and there was a grimace on her face. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like being down here,¡± the stormborn woman replied, not opening her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s too much stone above us.¡± ¡°We should help you back to the surface,¡± Corec said. ¡°Ellerie¡¯s waiting for you. I can make it on my own.¡± ¡°I can go with her,¡± Katrin offered. ¡°I¡¯d rather be outside than down here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± Josip said. ¡°Boktar may need me to translate.¡± Boktar and Nedley had remained at the camp with the drivers, to keep watch as well as to check over the wagons, making sure they were in good condition before leaving for Livadi the next morning. Corec nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Josip held up a gleaming blade and said, ¡°Hey, Marco, can I take one of these daggers?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll have to come out of your share,¡± the factor replied. He was taking notes while he circled the armory. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Josip said, slipping the weapon into his pocket. Marco finished his circuit of the room. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not quite what I expected to find, but well-made arms and armor always go for decent coin. We could probably sell this stuff in Aencyr. There¡¯s no reason to haul it back to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m thinking of keeping some of it,¡± Corec said. ¡°Maybe most of it.¡± ¡°What? You can¡¯t do that. We¡¯ve got to sell it so we can divide the shares.¡± ¡°You know this won¡¯t sell for anywhere near what the enchanted weapons will go for. We can work out a deal.¡± The factor frowned. ¡°I suppose after we figure out the value of each item, we could take it out of your share, but you¡¯ve only got the one share. That won¡¯t be enough to pay for all of this.¡± ¡°Not just his share,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Mine, Shavala¡¯s, Treya¡¯s, Sarette¡¯s.¡± The five of them had spoken about it late into the night. Between Leena¡¯s enemies, the red-eyed men, and any other forces Prince Rusol might send after them, there were plenty of potential threats, and Corec insisted he was tired of never being prepared for an attack. With the discovery of the armory, he¡¯d agreed to an idea Katrin had suggested¡ªhiring their own soldiers. The weapons and armor would give them a good start on equipping the men, and if the five of them split the armory between their shares, it would hopefully still leave them with enough money to pay the soldiers¡¯ wages. Shavala had little interest in metal coins. If she received anything from their trip to Cordaea, she had no objection to spending it to protect her friends. Marco¡¯s jaw worked as he considered the suggestion. ¡°It¡¯s your money, I suppose, but we can¡¯t finalize anything until we¡¯ve sold the other items. And don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go easy on you for the prices. I know damned well that weapons that have lasted this long will sell for more than something made out of steel.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Marco. I¡¯d never suspect you of going easy on us. Are you ready to head back to Ellerie?¡± The factor frowned, as if unsure whether he¡¯d been complimented or insulted. ¡°I should really take an inventory here first.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to do that after we haul it all to the surface. Let¡¯s go find out what¡¯s behind the other door.¡± # After the other group left for the armory, Ellerie waited for a few minutes but then grew impatient. ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± she said. ¡°The others can find us when they get back.¡± She passed through the large double doors Corec had unlocked the night before. Leena, Treya, and Bobo followed her. Inside, they found themselves in a vestibule or greeting room. There were two archways in the east wall and two more in the west wall, plus a wider walkway leading straight north. ¡°They left their artwork behind,¡± Razai said, nudging an empty picture frame that had fallen to the floor. The wood had survived, but the painting had fallen to dust. ¡°I think these were vases,¡± Bobo said, sifting through a pile of ceramic shards, then moving on to another. The debris lined a central aisle that divided the room into halves. ¡°Yes, here¡¯s one!¡± He lifted a dented brass urn and held it up to Ellerie¡¯s lantern to get a better view. ¡°I know some people in Matagor who¡¯d be interested in something like this.¡± ¡°Maybe we should keep it,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We can sell those weapons, but the vase is like the statues. We should leave it here, or find out if there¡¯s a museum like the one in Snow Crown.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± She shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°It just seems like we should try to preserve the place the way it is.¡± The more they discussed what would happen to the city after they left, the more worried she¡¯d become. Razai gave her an odd look. ¡°What¡¯s to stop the next person who comes here from taking everything?¡± ¡°I think Corec can reset the wards on the door. If we¡¯re right about how it works, only another warden would be able to get in.¡± ¡°The statues are outside the wards.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m not sure what to do about those.¡± Bobo said, ¡°You want to preserve things the way they are? Or restore them to how they used to be?¡± Ellerie hesitated. She hadn¡¯t considered that. She thought back to the vision Katrin had shown her of what the western colonnade might have looked like. ¡°That would be a lot of work,¡± she said. ¡°I just don¡¯t want anyone coming here and ruining the place.¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to convince Varsin Senshall to not announce the location. And bribe the folks in Livadi to leave things alone. Those wagon drivers are going to gossip when they get home.¡± ¡°If the profit on Varsin¡¯s shares is high enough, I might be able to convince him to renegotiate.¡± ¡°And our book?¡± ¡°We can leave the location out, and wait to tell people until we¡¯re we¡¯re ready. We wouldn¡¯t be the first to do that.¡± Bobo nodded slowly but didn¡¯t reply. Ellerie couldn¡¯t tell what he thought of the idea. ¡°The floor feels different,¡± Treya said suddenly. She was standing on the balls of her feet, flexing her toes. As usual, she was barefoot. She knelt down and wiped the floor with her sleeve. ¡°Is that marble? It¡¯s not the same stone stuff they used for everything else.¡± By now, they¡¯d seen enough of the stone-like material to know it wasn¡¯t natural. There was too much of it, and it was too even and too uniform. Ellerie said, ¡°If this section was warded against entry, it¡¯s probably the central part of the fortress. It makes sense if it¡¯s better appointed. It might have been something like a palace.¡± ¡°We should explore the rest,¡± Bobo said. ¡°North, I think,¡± Ellerie said. In a palace, the most important public rooms usually followed the widest corridor. They passed through the archway to find themselves in an empty chamber, again with multiple exits. There was nothing left to indicate its purpose, but Ellerie suspected it was a reception area or sitting room. The next room was larger. Ellerie summoned a mage light so they could see the far end. It illuminated a carved wooden throne, with two smaller chairs to either side. The five thrones were on a dais overlooking the rest of the chamber. The group walked toward the dais, stopping to stare at a series of weapons hanging from the walls. Unlike the weapons in the armory, these were rusted and pitted. One shield had corroded to the point that the lower half had broken off and now lay on the floor below. ¡°If their other weapons are so much better, why would they display these?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Trophies,¡± Razai said. ¡°You display your enemies¡¯ weapons as trophies, not your own.¡± Ellerie took the three short steps up to the dais and ran her fingers over the intricate carvings on the center throne. Like the double doors or the bookshelves in the library, it hadn¡¯t rotted away. The Ancients¡ªor the Chosar, if that¡¯s who they were¡ªmust have had some way to preserve wood in good condition. Bobo joined her. ¡°This is where the king of Tir Yadar must have sat. Or maybe the emperor of all the Tirs.¡± He shivered and rubbed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s been here all along and nobody knew.¡± ¡°We needed Corec to open the doors.¡± ¡°To get into the palace, yes, but not to find the rest of the city. At least one group made it here before us, and there were almost certainly more. Why didn¡¯t word of this place ever get out?¡± ¡°Think about it,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°How many stories have you heard about people finding old ruins, but when you ask about it, nobody seems to know where it happened? How many centuries was the cave buried before it was dug out? If someone found this place, they were either killed by the zombies or they explored the upper levels and didn¡¯t find anything. Or maybe someone did find something and make off with it, and then didn¡¯t tell anyone because they wanted to come back someday.¡± ¡°It still feels wrong that it¡¯s just been sitting right here all along and nobody knew.¡± Razai snorted and rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what lost cities are. If people knew where they were, they wouldn¡¯t be lost.¡± Ellerie held back her snicker. There wasn¡¯t much to look at in the throne room, so they followed another corridor leading away from it, exploring more rooms as they passed them. The most significant find was a formal dining hall, with the table still set as if for a meal. Bobo examined the plates and cutlery, rubbing at the grime and tarnish with his finger. ¡°Why would they just leave it like this? They had time to empty the upper levels and most of the armory, but they left this and the artwork behind?¡± ¡°Maybe it just wasn¡¯t worth taking,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Perhaps.¡± They were about to move on when Corec and the others joined them. ¡°Where are Sarette and Katrin? And Josip?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°They went back up to the camp,¡± Corec said. ¡°Sarette wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡± ¡°Does she need help?¡± Treya asked. ¡°It¡¯s just the mountain again.¡± The human woman nodded. Her healing hadn¡¯t been able to do anything about Sarette¡¯s dislike of being underground. ¡°Is that silver?¡± Marco asked, peering at the table. ¡°The serving platters are,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Have you found anything else?¡± ¡°Did you see the throne room?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°This must have been the king¡¯s palace.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Marco said impatiently. ¡°I meant something we could take with us.¡± Now wasn¡¯t the time to tell him about her new idea. She needed to have a better idea of what she was proposing first. Instead, she said, ¡°This is a big place, and there¡¯s a lot to explore. We should probably split up.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to go back to the eastern tunnel,¡± Corec said. ¡°We didn¡¯t finish looking there yesterday.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Treya offered. Bobo said, ¡°Ahh, Corec, I think I¡¯ll stay here this time. Between an army barracks and a palace, I can be more helpful here.¡± Corec chuckled. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine.¡± Book 3: Chapter Twenty-Seven Treya held the glass bottle up to her nose and sniffed, but whatever liquid it once held had long since evaporated. The gray powder left over at the bottom didn¡¯t have a scent. She set the bottle back near the pile of broken glass and metal where she¡¯d found it. Judging by the mess, a shelf or table had collapsed, spilling its contents to the floor. Only a few of the bottles had survived the fall. They were coated with a layer of grime, but the glass was otherwise still in good condition. ¡°That room was empty too,¡± Corec said, poking his head in through the door. ¡°What did you find?¡± The two of them were exploring the sections of the eastern tunnel they¡¯d skipped during their first trip. The area they were in now was south of the barracks but west of the armory, closer to the chamber with the statues. ¡°Some glass bottles and another of those metal tables,¡± Treya said. The table was over six feet long but only three feet wide, like the others they¡¯d found in the area. ¡°Let me mark it down,¡± he said, and scribbled some notes with one of the stormborn writing sticks. ¡°Have you been through that other door yet?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a look.¡± They found themselves in a short corridor which led to yet another room. Corec sent a mage light in, then stepped through the open archway. Treya followed, stopping in surprise once she¡¯d entered. All four walls were lined with metallic tubes taller than a person, standing upright in rows around the edge of the room. The upper half of each tube had a glass panel in front. Treya approached the nearest of the tubes and peered through the glass. The tube was hollow, and seemed to be empty. Her skin prickled, as if her mind had expected to see something inside that wasn¡¯t there. Corec summoned two more mage lights to brighten the far edges of the room, then set his lantern to the side. ¡°What do you suppose they are?¡± he asked her quietly. ¡°They remind me of caskets.¡± ¡°Could the Ancients have buried their people in rooms like this? Standing upright, for some reason?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see anything in this one. At least not in the top half.¡± There was a seam running along the edges, and what appeared to be a handle on the right side. Treya pulled on it. At first it was stuck, but she gave it a sharp tug and the front half of the tube swung open with a creak. ¡°It¡¯s empty,¡± she said. Corec peered inside. ¡°It¡¯s a strange way to bury someone. Maybe it was used for storage instead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never heard of caskets with windows, but it still feels like a mausoleum in here.¡± She went one direction and Corec went the other, each of them peeking through the glass panels as they walked around the room. ¡°Bloody hell!¡± Corec suddenly exclaimed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°They are caskets. This one¡¯s got a dead body in it.¡± Treya joined him and they peered through the window at the skeletal remains, still covered by mummified flesh. The figure was wearing a suit of gleaming armor that reflected the light shining in. ¡°What should we do?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to rob the dead,¡± he said. ¡°That armor looks expensive, but Marco doesn¡¯t need to know about it. Let¡¯s check the rest of them, though.¡± They continued down the row, finding eight more bodies and two empty caskets. When Treya glanced inside the last casket on that side of the room, she jerked back in shock. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Look!¡± she said, pointing. The body of a young woman stood inside, appearing as if she was peacefully sleeping while standing up. She had short brown hair and was wearing the same armor as the dead bodies. Like the zombies they¡¯d encountered above, her ears were somewhat pointed, in between a human¡¯s and an elf¡¯s¡ªsimilar to Sarette¡¯s. Corec stared through the glass for a long moment. ¡°Is this one sealed better than the others?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that would help. She doesn¡¯t look dead at all.¡± ¡°Maybe there was some sort of magic to preserve the body.¡± Treya peered into the casket, wondering how the woman had died. She couldn¡¯t have been too much older than Treya herself. Without really meaning to, Treya reached out with her healing senses, then gasped in surprise. ¡°I think she¡¯s alive,¡± she said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Corec asked. ¡°How could she be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s very faint, like she¡¯s not there at all, just an echo of where she once was. But the echo is alive.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just the magic that kept her looking like this. There¡¯s no way she could be alive after all this time.¡± ¡°But what if she is?¡± Treya protested. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave her here.¡± ¡°If we open the casket, we might break the enchantment that¡¯s kept her like this. It would be like desecrating a body.¡± ¡°But if she¡¯s alive ¡­¡± Corec took a deep breath and exhaled. ¡°If she¡¯s alive, you¡¯re right. We can¡¯t leave her here. And if she¡¯s dead, I don¡¯t suppose she cares too much what she looks like. All right, let¡¯s do it.¡± He motioned Treya to the side, then carefully grasped the handle and pulled. Unlike the other casket they¡¯d opened, this one moved smoothly and easily, without any sound. In addition to the shiny armor, the girl had a sword sheathed at her side. She was taller than Treya, only a few inches shorter than Corec. There was a helmet resting between her feet. There was a moment of silence and then her eyes opened. She looked at them, then around the room, her expression frantic. She said something in a language Treya couldn¡¯t understand, speaking so quickly the individual words couldn¡¯t be distinguished. Treya was too shocked to respond, and from his expression, so was Corec. When no one said anything, a look of panic and fear crossed the girl¡¯s face. Suddenly she disappeared from the casket and reappeared behind them, stumbling around the room and peering through the glass panels, all the while shouting in that unknown language. Corec gathered himself enough to speak. ¡°Hello! We don¡¯t mean you any harm!¡± The girl ignored him, not appearing to understand his words any better than they understood hers. She returned to the side of the room with the bodies. Seeing one of the skeletal figures, she shrieked, then shouted, ¡°Nak! Nak!¡± She turned to face them and drew her sword. Like her armor, the blade shimmered in the light. ¡°Oh, hell,¡± Corec said, drawing his own sword and stepping in front of Treya. The girl, seeing a target, ran at him. Just as he raised his sword to block her blow, she blinked out of sight and appeared at his side, striking at his back. His shield barrier spell flared out. The girl disappeared again, reappearing on the far side of the room. Corec stood facing her, but didn¡¯t make any aggressive moves except when she attacked. When she came at him straight on, he could overpower her blows easily, but half the time, she disappeared just as he swung, only to strike him from the side unexpectedly. ¡°I can¡¯t stop her without killing her!¡± Corec exclaimed the next time the girl retreated to the other side of the room. ¡°As soon as my armor spell fades, that sword of hers is going to get through.¡± He was wearing the cheap brigandine armor he¡¯d purchased in Aencyr. ¡°She¡¯s getting tired,¡± Treya said. She¡¯d been watching the girl fight. Disappearing and reappearing had to be magic, something like Leena¡¯s Traveling, and it was obviously starting to wear her down. ¡°Just keep it going a little longer.¡± While the girl¡¯s attention was focused on Corec, Treya took the opportunity to slip off to the side. The girl charged at him again, and Treya slowly circled around until she was out of sight. When the time was right, she charged, reaching the melee just as the girl disappeared again. When she reappeared, Treya was in position. Her hand blazed with white light as she slammed her palm against the armor plating covering the girl¡¯s stomach. The armor held, but the impact shoved the girl back against the nearest row of caskets. She hit her head and fell to the ground. Treya rushed to her, healing the head injury even as she forced the girl into a healing sleep. She¡¯d learned about the sleep trick from Priest Telkin when she¡¯d spoken to him about divine magic, but she¡¯d only had the opportunity to use it once before, to help Ellerie sleep when she was panicking about Leena¡¯s disappearance. With the threat over, Treya turned to Corec. He was stooped down, holding his hand tight against his calf. Blood was seeping through his fingers. ¡°She got you?¡± she asked, touching her fingers to his shoulder so she could heal him. ¡°On that last exchange, yes. Is she all right?¡± ¡°She should be, but she¡¯ll be out for a while.¡± Corec let go of his healed leg and stared down at the girl. ¡°How is she still alive? Is she really one of the Ancients?¡± ¡°I think they were all supposed to live. She panicked when she saw the bodies. We can¡¯t leave her here¡ªshe has no idea what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ll have to take her back to the palace with us. I¡¯m not sure I can carry her in that armor by myself, though, and I don¡¯t see a way to remove it. If I hold her under her arms, can you get her feet?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Wait here for a minute and watch her.¡± Corec quickly circled the room, checking all of the caskets¡ªor whatever they were. ¡°Only the ones along the east wall have bodies inside, and she¡¯s the only one still alive. I¡¯ll come back for her sword and helmet later. Or maybe I¡¯ll hide the sword until we can convince her to stop attacking us.¡± # ¡°¡­ and so we brought her here,¡± Corec said. The others had gathered around the spot where he and Treya had carefully laid the strange girl out on the floor of the throne room. ¡°She can¡¯t be one of the Chosar, or the Ancients, can she?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°It¡¯s been thousands of years. There¡¯s no magic that would keep someone alive for that long.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure she was alive,¡± Treya said. ¡°Until we opened the ¡­ the casket, it was like she wasn¡¯t there at all. I could barely sense her.¡± Corec said, ¡°What if she¡¯s a warden? Or bonded to one? Hildra told me the First is over four thousand years old.¡± Ellerie rubbed her temples. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think. This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°She has the same point to her ears that the zombies had,¡± Treya said. ¡°So do the stormborn and the seaborn. She could be seaborn¡ªtheir hair is brown if they haven¡¯t been underwater in a while.¡± ¡°She¡¯s tall for a seaborn,¡± Corec said, ¡°and what would a seaborn be doing locked in a casket below a mountain, hundreds of miles away from the ocean?¡± ¡°What would anyone be doing locked in a casket below a mountain? You said there are more of them?¡± ¡°Just the dead ones. Nine of them, all wearing the same armor as her. The other caskets are empty.¡± Corec had hoped to avoid mentioning the armor in front of Marco, but if it came down to it, he was sure he could convince his friends to vote against stealing from the dead. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°We need to talk to her and find out who she really is,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°When will she wake up?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be hours still,¡± Treya said. ¡°We tried to talk, but we couldn¡¯t understand anything she was saying.¡± ¡°Bobo, what do you think?¡± Bobo had been quiet so far, crouched down so he could peer at the girl. The almost mirror-like effect of her armor reflected all the different mage lights in the room, making it hard to stare directly at her. ¡°What?¡± he asked, looking up. ¡°Oh, talking to her? I¡¯m not sure. Languages change over time, and we¡¯re just guessing at how the first peoples¡¯ language was pronounced. I can try.¡± ¡°I meant if she was seaborn,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I don¡¯t speak the seaborn language.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Ellerie snapped. Then she stopped and closed her eyes, visibly trying to get her annoyance under control. Corec had gotten to know her well enough to tell when the stress of unexpected events was getting to her. Usually Boktar could calm her down, but he was back at the camp. Then Leena laid a hand on her arm. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to see what happens when she wakes up. There¡¯s nothing that can be done until then.¡± The elven woman nodded and relaxed. ¡°I¡¯d like to see the others. The room with the caskets.¡± ¡°What about the door?¡± Marco said. ¡°Door?¡± Corec asked. Ellerie said, ¡°We found another of those warded doors. Could you try opening it?¡± ¡°Sure. Where is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you. I guess the caskets can wait.¡± Corec met Treya¡¯s eyes and tilted his head toward the girl on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll watch over her,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you,¡± Razai said. ¡°Just in case.¡± She brushed the dust from the seat of the large throne in the center of the dais, then sat down on it. ¡°This thing¡¯s not very comfortable.¡± ¡°It probably had a cushion,¡± Bobo said. Corec followed Ellerie through a maze of rooms and corridors to the northeast corner of the palace. Shavala, Leena, Bobo, and Marco came with them. The door they¡¯d found proved to be another of the circular ones, like the one in the armory. ¡°Did you try the metal plate?¡± he asked. ¡°We all did, but it didn¡¯t work for any of us,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping they allowed the wardens to open any of them.¡± There were gouges and scratches in the stone surrounding the door. Corec ran his fingers over the abrasions. ¡°We saw that,¡± Bobo said. ¡°It looks like someone tried to break through.¡± ¡°A warding like this protects more than just the door,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°It would have kept anyone from getting through the walls.¡± ¡°Was it recent?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We don¡¯t know. We haven¡¯t seen any other sign of people being down here since it was first abandoned.¡± Corec nodded and touched his palm to the plate, then grabbed the door¡¯s handle and rolled it to the right. It didn¡¯t stick as badly as the one in the armory, and he was able to move it on his own. On the other side of the door was a hexagonal chamber. The three walls on the far side of the room each had an archway that opened into a short tunnel. The tunnel on the left led to a circular room lined with rows of metal shelves, but every shelf was empty. The other two tunnels ended in metal doors. The one in the middle tunnel was streaked with rust while the one on the right was pristine. Ellerie muttered the words to a spell and a white film descended over her eyes. ¡°Neither of the doors are warded,¡± she said after peering down each tunnel. ¡°Let¡¯s try them,¡± Corec said. The rusted door was stuck, and he had to pull on it sharply. It came free with a burst of musty air and a scattering of glowing purple moths¡ªthe first living creatures they¡¯d seen under the mountain. There was a buildup of soil wedged tightly around the lower edges of the doorframe, and the entire room was covered with mosses, lichens, and strange mushrooms that gave off a green light which faded away any time the light from a lantern passed over them. The mushrooms were thickest in the center of the room, where they were growing from a mound of soil that had been piled up two feet higher than the rest of the floor. A crooked rod or a tree branch was sticking up from the center of the mound. Corec sneezed and stepped back, waving the moths away from his face. ¡°What¡¯s that light coming from?¡± he asked. ¡°Some funguses glow in the dark,¡± Shavala replied, peering around him into the room. ¡°Why are there funguses?¡± Bobo said. ¡°And moths? We haven¡¯t seen anything else alive down here.¡± ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s water,¡± she said. ¡°Is there anything else in there?¡± Ellerie asked. Her eyes were still whitened from her arcane sight spell. If it was like Corec¡¯s, she would have a hard time seeing anything other than spells and enchantments. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± he said. He moved aside to give her a look. ¡°There aren¡¯t any magical auras,¡± she said before releasing the spell. Her eyes returned to normal. ¡°It¡¯s just those plants.¡± Corec summoned a mage light and sent it inside to give everyone a better view. The green glow from the mushrooms and the purple glow from the moths disappeared, but the moths followed the mage light and swirled around it. ¡°There could be something underneath all that,¡± Marco said. The dirt in the room was at least half a foot thick, and Corec didn¡¯t want to dig it all up. ¡°Shavala, you can tell when things are buried, right?¡± he asked. ¡°You found those potatoes in South Valley.¡± ¡°Sometimes I know, if I look. I don¡¯t see anything here. Just soil, and then the stone of the floor.¡± ¡°Why were they growing mushrooms here?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Medicinal, perhaps?¡± Bobo suggested. ¡°Or maybe the mushrooms grew on their own.¡± Marco said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of locking the door if there¡¯s nothing here? I¡¯m going to check the other tunnel.¡± They followed him to the last door. ¡°Wait,¡± Bobo said. ¡°That word above the door¡ªis that repository? Archive?¡± It was the only one of the three chambers that had been labeled. ¡°An archive?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°For books?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t say.¡± Marco grunted. ¡°Books. Wonderful.¡± He pulled the door open and shined his lantern inside, then shouted a startled oath and scrambled back. ¡°There¡¯s someone in there!¡± Corec pushed him out of the way and summoned a mage light, sending it into the room as he reached for his sword. Then he stopped and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a statue.¡± Unlike the other statues they¡¯d found, this one was in the shape of a man, but the stone was roughly carved and nearly featureless. It had an almost rectangular head with no hair, ears, or mouth, and just the barest hint of a nose. Its eyes were glass orbs set into the stone. ¡°What is all this?¡± Ellerie asked. The statue was in the center of the room, but around the edges were four glass cases containing small items. She whispered another spell, and once again her eyes turned white. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything! Especially that statue. It¡¯s all enchanted.¡± Corec cast his arcane sight spell. His regular vision grew dark, and he was almost blinded by the magical aura emanating from the statue. It made it difficult to see anything else. He stepped closer to the nearest of the glass cases, turning away from the statue so he could get a better look. The case held several pieces of jewelry, all displayed on small stands. On the next case over, a brass lamp stood on the top shelf. Below it were four gemstones cut into spherical shapes, and a pair of spectacles with yellow lenses. The third case was nearly empty, holding just a stiletto, which rested among the remains of its sheath. ¡°What are these?¡± Leena asked, standing before the last case. ¡°They look like children¡¯s toys, but they¡¯re so realistic.¡± The shelves held a number of tiny figurines¡ªwagons and siege weapons, and even two small wooden bridges. Despite the toy-like appearance, they too were glowing. ¡°Don¡¯t touch them,¡± Ellerie warned again. ¡°I think the statue is the only one that¡¯s warded, but I want to look at everything more carefully.¡± Corec let his vision return to normal, blinking away the strain of the arcane sight spell. ¡°These are magical like the weapons?¡± Marco asked, staring at the jewelry. ¡°They¡¯re enchanted,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they do, so they might be dangerous.¡± Bobo said, ¡°What could possibly have happened that would allow most of the city to be evacuated, while leaving behind the enchanted weapons we found, and everything in this room? They valued them enough to lock them up. Why not take them?¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why,¡± Corec said. ¡°The doors were locked and warded.¡± Bobo furrowed his brow. ¡°Then what happened to the people who could open them?¡± Nobody answered. # When the others started discussing how to handle the enchanted items, Shavala returned to the room with the moths and the mushrooms. Something about it appealed to her. They hadn¡¯t seen the plants or the moths anywhere else under the mountain, only here. It was an entire self-contained ecosystem in a single room. How had it happened? The moths must have been feeding on the plants, but where had the plants come from? Had the Ancients placed them there on purpose? How did they sustain themselves? ¡°Shavala?¡± came a voice from behind her. Corec had followed her. ¡°We were heading back and I didn¡¯t see you.¡± ¡°I wanted to get a better look.¡± ¡°For your book?¡± Shavala¡¯s friends wouldn¡¯t understand the true wonders of the room. She could explain it to them, and they would listen attentively, but there were no words she could use that would relay how unusual and unique it was. The book was an excuse they could understand. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°Could you take away the mage light so I can see the luminescence?¡± ¡°The what?¡± ¡°The glowing.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± he said. ¡°Sure.¡± The mage light disappeared, and he set his lantern off to the side so it wouldn¡¯t shine through the open door. The mushrooms began glowing green again. The moths¡¯ purple glow returned as they dispersed from the spot where they¡¯d been flitting around the mage light, and instead flew down closer to the ground. Shavala stepped into the room, walking on the springy moss around the edges. The smell and feel of the air suggested a dampness that hadn¡¯t been present anywhere else under the mountain. She reached out with her elder senses, searching for any explanation for what she saw. Despite the moisture in the air, she couldn¡¯t find any source of water. And then she felt something familiar. The tree branch in the center of the room was tershaya. And not only that, but it was still alive. With proper harvesting from a druid, tershaya wood could live for hundreds or even thousands of years after it was cut, but this piece felt far older than anything she¡¯d encountered before. She approached cautiously. The mushrooms became more numerous as she neared the mound, but she stepped between them, taking care not to crush any. Close up, the green glow illuminated the tershaya branch. It stood upright, thinner toward the base while the top was thicker and knotted, appearing like an elongated version of Bobo¡¯s cudgel. Her elder senses told her it wasn¡¯t actually standing atop the mound, but instead pierced all the way through it, down to the stone floor. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Corec called from behind her. ¡°I think it¡¯s a staff,¡± she said. She laid her hand against the shaft. Images in her head. Flashes. An oasis in the middle of a desert springing to life before her eyes. A dying tree restored to health. A view from a plateau surrounded on all sides by a massive forest. She let go with a gasp. The forest had looked familiar. She didn¡¯t recognize the plateau, but the trees were tershaya. Where had the visions come from? Taking a deep breath, she grasped the staff with both hands and pulled up on it. She¡¯d expected it to be stuck inside the mound, but it came free easily, causing her to stumble backwards. The images came again, more of them this time. Vast swathes of farmland, full of healthy crops. A forest with large fronds and ferns growing up and toward each other between two trees, forming a small shelter from the rain. Under clear blue water, a field of strange, spiky figures gradually shifting from white to red. ¡°Shavala, are you all right?¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m coming out.¡± The images were slowing down. In many of them, she could see part of the staff in her peripheral vision. Sometimes she could see the whole staff, with an arm holding it out in her field of view. Sometimes a man¡¯s arm, sometimes a woman¡¯s. The images had to have come from people who¡¯d carried the staff before. She could concentrate now, enough to return to the doorway. The staff was over six feet tall, well above the top of her head, but it wasn¡¯t particularly heavy. ¡°You brought it out?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Ellerie said it wasn¡¯t enchanted, but could you check again?¡± ¡°You think it is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tershaya, and it hasn¡¯t rotted away. They must have kept it for a reason.¡± Corec stared at the staff, his eyes going black before returning to normal. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll hold onto it anyway,¡± she said. She wasn¡¯t ready to talk about the visions yet. The staff was trying to tell her something, but if Corec knew, he would try to convince her to leave it alone until they learned more about it. Sometimes he was too cautious. # ¡°I¡¯ll take over the watch if you want to help with the wagons,¡± Sarette told Boktar. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re up to it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling better now,¡± she said, embarrassed. She¡¯d known that some of her people, especially those with stormrunner blood, had a bad reaction if they went too far below ground¡ªit was why the deeper mines near the southern edge of the Storm Heights had been leased to Tyrsall¡ªbut she¡¯d never experienced it for herself before. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you up on the offer,¡± he said. ¡°I think Nedley and the boys have the wagons ready to go, but I¡¯ll start packing up the camp. Ellerie wants to move everyone back to the buildings south of the mountain since you¡¯re coming with us tomorrow.¡± Sarette nodded. Boktar had asked her to accompany him to Livadi in case they encountered another lightning storm while out in the open barrens. Keeping watch didn¡¯t require all of her attention. From the slope above the camp, she could see for miles around even without her spyglass. No one would be able to sneak up on them here. To occupy the rest of her time, she practiced with her new staff-spear, familiarizing herself with the weight and balance. This one was similar to her uncle¡¯s, though the blade was longer. When she charged it, the metal shaft meant that the magic faded more slowly than it did with a wooden shaft. It was an excellent weapon, better than her old one, but it couldn¡¯t match the feel of the enchanted staff-spear she¡¯d tried the night before. She returned to the camp. Boktar had already packed the magic weapons into one of the wagons, so she slid the two staff-spears out and weighed them in her hands. Finding the one she liked, she returned the other to its spot. ¡°Hey, Nedley!¡± she called out. ¡°Do you want to spar?¡± The boy looked around for Boktar, who nodded. ¡°We¡¯re just about done here, Ned. You can go.¡± Nedley retrieved his sword and shield, as well as his brigandine coat, which he¡¯d taken off while packing the wagons. He joined Sarette and they walked back up the slope so she could take another quick look around the horizon. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get some better armor when we start hauling everything out,¡± she said. ¡°One of those breastplates or even a full set of plate.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he asked. ¡°Can I do that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got an eighth of a share, right?¡± ¡°Boktar says I do. It was in the contract he had me sign back in Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m sure you could, unless you¡¯d rather have the money. We don¡¯t know how much each share will be worth yet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If it¡¯s enough money, then I can write to my brother and get him to leave Larso. Treya says I can¡¯t go there myself to get him because the voice might take me again.¡± Nedley and his older brother were from Tyrsall originally, but had joined Prince Rusol¡¯s mercenary army after their father died. Nedley believed his brother was still there. Everyone was careful not to mention the possibility that he, too, might have been turned into one of the red-eyed men. ¡°After what Rusol did to you, it seems like you should write to your brother either way.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know anything about magic. He won¡¯t believe me. It¡¯ll be hard enough to get him to believe me about my new job.¡± Sarette nodded and didn¡¯t push him any further. Out of habit, she rapped the butt of the spear against the ground, charging it. Then she grimaced. The charge didn¡¯t fade with this weapon, and she certainly couldn¡¯t spar Nedley with it active. That was one downside she hadn¡¯t considered. She touched the blade against her other staff-spear to discharge it. ¡°Is that one of the magic ones?¡± Nedley asked. She winked. ¡°Yes, so don¡¯t tell anyone. I¡¯ll be careful not to hurt you. I just want to get a feel for it.¡± She went through her practice routine, using Nedley more as a training dummy than a sparring partner, but taking care not to strike too hard. Then she gave him a chance to do the same, correcting his form as best she could. She wasn¡¯t as good of a teacher as Corec or Boktar, but she¡¯d sparred with the three men enough to know the habits they were trying to get Nedley to break. After an hour, they took a break so she could check the surrounding area again. There were no figures to be seen, but there was a strange-looking haze to the southeast. Sarette frowned. She couldn¡¯t sense any oncoming storms, or even a slight change in the weather; it hadn¡¯t rained in days, and the land had dried out again. She found her spyglass and took a closer look. The haze was tinged with brown¡ªa dust cloud. The barrens were dusty when dry, but for the cloud to be visible from this distance suggested either strong winds or a large group of people. ¡°What is it?¡± Nedley asked. ¡°Probably just some wind, but you¡¯d better tell Boktar just in case. I¡¯m going to try to get a better view from the south side of the mountain.¡± Book 3: Chapter Twenty-Eight The sun had set by the time Corec and Ellerie made it back to the surface. When Boktar let them know Sarette had seen people in the barrens, they¡¯d decided to head back to camp rather than waiting for the stranger to wake up. Leena came as well, in case they needed to send a message to those who¡¯d remained inside the ruins. Exiting the cave, they met Sarette and Katrin returning from the southern side of the mountain. ¡°Where¡¯s everyone else?¡± Katrin asked. Corec told her what had happened. ¡°You found one of the Ancients?¡± she said, her voice rising. ¡°We¡¯re not sure about that,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Whoever she is, she¡¯s unconscious. Treya and the others stayed below to watch her and to watch over the other things we found.¡± ¡°Sarette, can you show us what you saw?¡± Corec asked. The stormborn woman shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too dark now, but I think they stopped just after Boktar left to find you.¡± ¡°Stopped?¡± Corec asked. ¡°They made camp? Or you just couldn¡¯t see them?¡± ¡°I could see them when there was still some light, but they didn¡¯t seem to be coming any closer. Or going in any other direction.¡± ¡°Do they have horses?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t even say for sure that they¡¯re actually people¡ªit¡¯s just a tiny bit of movement in the distance. But it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯d be a group of wild animals in the barrens.¡± ¡°How far away are they?¡± Ellerie asked. Sarette thought for a moment, then pulled her writing stick out of her pocket. ¡°I need paper.¡± Ellerie handed over the stack of notes she¡¯d been working on inside the ruins. Sarette found a blank page, then looked around and chose the back of Boktar¡¯s armor as the nearest hard surface. Corec held his mage-light lantern up so she could see what she was writing, while the dwarven man grumbled about being used as a table. Sarette scratched out a series of marks on the page, then turned back to the group. ¡°This isn¡¯t exact, because I¡¯m just estimating my elevation relative to theirs, but I think they¡¯re somewhere around twenty-five miles away. It could be as low as twenty, but I think it¡¯s closer to twenty-five.¡± Corec relaxed. ¡°That¡¯ll give us plenty of time to see if they¡¯re coming this way. Even if they¡¯re traveling light and marching straight for us, it would take them most of a day. Are we still moving the camp tonight?¡± With Sarette leaving to accompany the wagons the next morning, it wasn¡¯t safe to leave the camp out in the open since they¡¯d have no protection in the event of another lightning storm. They¡¯d planned to move back to the abandoned buildings south of the mountain. ¡°The wagons are already packed,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Good. Chances are, these folks are just passing by, but let¡¯s avoid attracting their attention. We can hide the camp inside the buildings, and if Rusol or someone else sent this group after us, it¡¯ll be easier to defend ourselves there too.¡± ¡°Should we just move inside the mountain after all?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to stay underground all the time, but it¡¯d be easier than going back and forth.¡± ¡°No. We¡¯ve only found one way in or out. They could trap us there.¡± Boktar said, ¡°Maybe I should wait another day before heading south with the wagons. Just until we know for sure.¡± ¡°Will the supplies hold out if you do that?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°With the extra supply caravan, yes. The problem is that they¡¯re expecting us to meet them. Leena, could you go to Livadi tomorrow and tell Lufton we¡¯ll be late? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s left yet.¡± The Sanvari woman didn¡¯t respond right away. She was staring off to the southeast. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to know for sure, right now?¡± she said. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Twenty-five miles is within my Seeking range and my Traveling range.¡± ¡°Can you do that?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We don¡¯t know who they are. I thought you said you had to know something about what you¡¯re Seeking.¡± ¡°We know where Sarette saw them, or just about. I used that to Seek them.¡± Ellerie blinked. ¡°You already found them?¡± ¡°Yes. I can go there right now if you want.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous! What if they¡¯re red-eyes? Or those people who¡¯ve been attacking your clan?¡± ¡°I can Seek a spot a mile away and walk closer in the dark. If they see me and they don¡¯t look friendly, I¡¯ll just Travel back here.¡± ¡°How far away are they?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Leena said. ¡°I¡¯m still not very good at measuring distances like this. Sarette¡¯s estimate sounds right.¡± ¡°Ellerie¡¯s right. It¡¯s dangerous. That¡¯s a long way away if something happens and you need help.¡± ¡°If these might be the men who attacked us before, then I have to go. I have a duty to my people.¡± Ellerie scowled and looked away. Corec sighed. He didn¡¯t have any right to stop Leena from doing what she wanted. ¡°If you¡¯re going to try sneaking up on them, you¡¯ll at least need to wear something dark.¡± She looked down at herself. She had on one of her modest dresses, this one in bright yellow. ¡°I could wear a cloak,¡± she suggested. Her other dresses were all light colors too. ¡°You can borrow my dark blue dress,¡± Katrin said. ¡°We¡¯re close to the same size¡ªI think it would fit.¡± # Treya laid her hand over the girl¡¯s forehead to see how she was doing. There didn¡¯t seem to be any change; she was simply asleep. It was getting late, and Corec and Ellerie had been gone for an hour. It would be at least two more before they returned¡ªpossibly longer, if the people Sarette had seen turned out to be a problem. ¡°Maybe we should wake her up rather than waiting,¡± Treya murmured to Shavala, who was sitting nearby. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here all night.¡± The elven woman wasn¡¯t paying attention, seemingly distracted by the wooden staff she held in her lap. After a moment, she blinked and looked up. ¡°Can you wake her?¡± she asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt her that badly, and I can just heal the rest of it normally instead. I mostly only cast the spell to keep her unconscious. I should be able to undo it.¡± ¡°What if she tries to kill you again?¡± Razai called out from the other side of the room, where she was pacing back and forth. ¡°I stopped her before. Besides, I thought that¡¯s why you stayed here.¡± ¡°If you want her dead, talk to me. If you want to keep her alive, she¡¯s yours to deal with.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to die. She has no idea what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°So you think.¡± Marco came into the throne room carrying his cloak in his arms, using it to hold the jewelry from the room with the enchanted items. ¡°Is anyone going to help me?¡± he asked, glaring at the rest of the group. ¡°Should you be doing that?¡± Razai asked. ¡°Ellerie said only the statue was warded. For the rest, she just said not to touch them until we know they¡¯re safe. So I didn¡¯t touch them. But we might as well get it all inventoried and ready to go.¡± He carefully laid the cloak and the items it held out on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Bobo said. He¡¯d been making sketches of the five thrones. ¡°Shavala, did you bring your gathering sacks?¡± There was no response. ¡°Shavala?¡± ¡°What? Oh, yes, I did.¡± Shavala put the staff to the side, then stood up and pulled two of her thin cloth sacks from a coat pocket. ¡°Wait, Bobo, can you stay here?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to wake her up and I¡¯ll need your help to talk to her. Marco, maybe Razai can go with you.¡± Razai rolled her eyes, but took the sacks Shavala offered her. It wasn¡¯t that Treya distrusted the demonborn woman, but she was hoping to avoid another fight. She waited until Razai and Marco had left, then said, ¡°I¡¯m going to do it now. It¡¯s probably better to have fewer people around.¡± She put her hand on the girl¡¯s forehead again and checked to make sure she was fully healed, then removed the healing sleep before backing away. The girl¡¯s eyes opened slowly at first, then shot wide open as she saw them standing above her. She jerked up into a sitting position and backed away, jabbering incomprehensibly. Treya held her hands up to show she was unarmed. ¡°I can¡¯t tell what she¡¯s saying,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Wait¡ªthat was fortress, I think. She¡¯s talking so fast, and all the sounds are different from what I learned. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the first peoples¡¯ language or not.¡± ¡°She said vasta,¡± Shavala mentioned. ¡°Elf.¡± The girl pushed herself to her feet, moving easily in her mirror-like plate armor. She stopped and stared when she saw the thrones, seeming to recognize where she was, then renewed her harangue more stridently. She reached for her sword, and when she found the scabbard empty, she spun in a circle, her eyes darting around the room. Treya said, ¡°Bobo, she¡¯s looking for her sword. Tell her it¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± He spoke a few words, but the girl showed no sign of comprehension. He tried again, varying the pronunciation, and she tilted her head to the side, staring at him with a puzzled look on her face. On his third attempt, she rushed at him and shoved him up against the wall, shouting. Treya separated them, nudging the girl back with one arm. Luckily, she allowed it. Treya doubted she could have forced her back if she didn¡¯t want to move¡ªnot without hitting her as hard as she had before. Bobo said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I told her, but she¡¯s not happy about it. Is she saying where?¡± ¡°Where what? Is she asking where the sword is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I can¡¯t translate entire sentences when I¡¯ve only understood two words, and I¡¯m not even sure about those!¡± It was rare to see Bobo so flustered. ¡°Tell her we want to talk.¡± Bobo said something. The girl, in the midst of one of her tirades, stopped to listen. ¡°I think she understood me,¡± he said. She abruptly stalked over to the wall and ran her fingers across it in a pattern. The black lines in the room¡ªthe one that ran across the center of the ceiling and the ones that lined each of the walls, just above eye height¡ªsuddenly began to glow, illuminating the entire room more brightly and evenly than the mage lights Ellerie had left. ¡°Those are lights?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Could they do that all along? Or is it something she did?¡± The black lines had appeared in nearly every tunnel and room they¡¯d found so far. If the lights worked for anyone, it would have saved them a great deal of effort with mage lights and lanterns. The girl stared down at the tracks she¡¯d left in the dust on the floor. She spoke a single, sharp sentence¡ªobviously a demand. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Bobo shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure. I think she said what and you and where, but I didn¡¯t catch the rest. It would help if she spoke more slowly.¡± ¡°So tell her that, and let¡¯s start with something easy.¡± Treya pointed to herself, then her friends. ¡°Treya, Bobo, Shavala.¡± She repeated the gesture. ¡°Treya, Bobo, Shavala.¡± The girl glowered at her, but then pointed at herself and spoke a rush of sounds. ¡°Aridna?¡± Treya attempted. The girl shook her head and repeated her name, this time more slowly. ¡°Ariadne?¡± Treya asked. The girl nodded. ¡°Ariadne, we don¡¯t mean you any harm.¡± Ariadne looked to Bobo, who attempted to translate. She shook her head, apparently not understanding. Then she disappeared, reappearing behind them and running south out of the throne room. ¡°Where¡ª¡± Bobo started, but Treya didn¡¯t wait to hear what he said. She sprinted after the girl, Shavala following her. They caught sight of her in the vestibule, where she¡¯d stopped to stare at the destroyed vases, but before they could reach her, she changed directions and headed east. She ran through a group of rooms Ellerie had suggested looked like administrative offices, and then into an area with a series of residential suites. She stopped at one in particular, running into the nearly empty room, then shaking her head and covering her eyes. When she looked again, she saw Treya and screamed at her, then launched into another diatribe. This time she sounded nearly hysterical. Tears gathered in her eyes, and her voice cracked as she spoke. Bobo reached them, panting from the run. ¡°What ¡­¡± He stopped to catch his breath. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Tell her ¡­¡± Treya trailed off. What could they tell her that would make any sense? ¡°Ask her to come back to the throne room with us so we can talk.¡± Ariadne seemed to agree, but when they got back to the vestibule, she broke away again, leaving through the main double doors, which had been left open so they didn¡¯t lock again. Outside, though, she stopped, her breath catching in her throat. She gazed across the chamber, at the animal statues and the metal sphere. She was silent for a moment, and then she caught sight of the melted stone on the west side. She shrieked and ran to it, scraping at the substance with her fingers. When that didn¡¯t work, she detached the metal scabbard from her armor and used it to pound at the stone. Ariadne yelled at them, obviously an exhortation to assist her, but she wasn¡¯t making any progress with the scabbard and Treya had left the shovel back in the throne room. It wouldn¡¯t have done much good anyway¡ªif they were going to dig into solid stone, they would need a lot more help. Finally, the girl stepped back, dropping the scabbard as her legs gave out beneath her. She collapsed to her knees and stayed there, staring silently at the melted wall. Treya gave her a moment, then murmured, ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can convince her to come back. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll talk to us out here. She¡¯s too upset.¡± She offered Ariadne her hand. The girl ignored it at first, but finally pulled herself to her feet. Without speaking, they returned to the throne room. Marco and Razai were there waiting for them. ¡°There you are,¡± Marco said. ¡°Where did these lights¡ª¡± His eyes widened when he caught sight of Ariadne. ¡°So, she didn¡¯t kill you after all,¡± Razai said. ¡°What does she have to say for herself?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t understand her,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Not much, anyway.¡± Ariadne glared suspiciously at the newcomers, but then her attention was drawn to the blanket lying at their feet. She blinked out of sight and reappeared next to them, snatching up a simple necklace made of copper links that rested there amongst the other objects. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± Marco exclaimed. She disappeared again, then showed up in front of Treya. Draping the necklace over her own head, she grabbed Treya¡¯s hand. Treya felt a sudden overwhelming weakness. She stumbled to the side, and Bobo caught her, steadying her shoulders. Ariadne didn¡¯t let go. She, too, seemed to be affected, her other hand clutching her head as she winced in pain. And then Razai was there, forcing them apart. She tripped Ariadne and pushed her to the ground, then drew her knives. ¡°Wait!¡± Treya said. The word seemed to echo. Razai spun to face her, her fangs bared. ¡°Wait for what?¡± she asked with a snarl. ¡°Wait for her to kill you?¡± And then Ariadne spoke. ¡°Who are you?¡± she demanded loudly in the Eastern tongue. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± She stood up while everyone stared at her in surprise. ¡°You can understand us?¡± Bobo asked. She pointed to the copper chain around her neck. ¡°Why are there humans and elves in the fortress? I don¡¯t recognize you. What happened?¡± Treya said, ¡°We¡¯re not here to hurt you. This is Razai and Marco. If you didn¡¯t hear our names earlier, I¡¯m Treya, and this is Shavala and Bobo.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your names! Answer my questions! What happened to Fortress West? Where are the kni ¡­¡± She stopped and screwed her eyes tightly shut, shaking her head. Then she looked at them again. ¡°Where are the knights?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to answer your questions, but we don¡¯t know what happened. We found you here in the room with the caskets ¡­ the room with the metal tubes. You were sleeping.¡± ¡°The stasis room ¡­ you¡¯re the one who hit me!¡± ¡°I had to. You were trying to kill my friend and he didn¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± ¡°A human shouldn¡¯t have been in Fortress East without a badge of rank, whether he¡¯s a war mage or not. None of you should be here! I ¡­ the knights, I saw¡­¡± She swayed. ¡°The Mage Knights! What happened to them?¡± ¡°Who are the Mage Knights?¡± Bobo asked. Treya suspected what the answer would be, but was reluctant to say it. ¡°Everyone knows of the Mage Knights!¡± Ariadne exclaimed. ¡°I saw ¡­ I thought I saw ¡­ no! Where are the others?¡± ¡°Do you mean the people who were in the room with you?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Yes! We all went into stasis together.¡± With Corec on the surface, Treya had to be the one to tell her. They were the only two who¡¯d been there. ¡°There were nine other people in that room wearing the same armor as you, but they didn¡¯t survive,¡± she said as gently as she could. Ariadne closed her eyes and bowed her head. ¡°Then only two others lived? They told us the stasis pods would keep us safe.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened to the others. The rest of the room was empty.¡± ¡°They must be nearby,¡± the girl insisted, opening her eyes and looking up again. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have gone far. What happened to Fortress West? Where is everyone? Did the ritual fail? I don¡¯t feel any different.¡± ¡°What ritual?¡± Bobo asked. Ariadne glared. ¡°Everyone knows about the ritual! The one to combine the four sources.¡± ¡°Four sources?¡± ¡°Sources of magic! There¡¯s only supposed to be one now, but I still feel two.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that,¡± Bobo said. ¡°We¡¯re not from here. Can you tell me who your people are?¡± The girl stared at him, confused. ¡°My people? The People! I mean, The Peop ¡­¡± She stopped, looking frustrated. She grabbed the necklace in her hand, then slowly said, ¡°The Chosar! All these lands are ours, from the sea to the sea and farther! All know this! Where is everyone? Why are you here?¡± ¡°We came to explore this place, but you¡¯re the only person we¡¯ve seen here,¡± Treya said. ¡°Do you know what happened?¡± ¡°The only person? What nonsense is this? You¡¯ve been caught somewhere you don¡¯t belong, so you make up lies?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth. We came here to¡ª¡± Bobo interrupted her. ¡°Is this Tir Yadar?¡± he asked the girl. ¡°Of course it¡¯s Tir Yadar!¡± she replied, giving it a slightly different pronunciation. ¡°No! You¡¯ve taken me somewhere else. A fake fortress! That¡¯s why The People aren¡¯t here. Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in Tir Yadar,¡± Razai cut in. ¡°It¡¯s been abandoned for thousands of years, and you¡¯re the only person we¡¯ve found. The Chosar are long gone. Hardly anyone has ever even heard of them.¡± Everyone froze at those words. Treya shot her a frustrated glare. ¡°Razai!¡± ¡°What?¡± Razai said to her. ¡°You were just making it worse, dragging it out like that. She deserves to know.¡± There was a hint of compassion in her voice. ¡°It would have been better if you¡¯d let me ¡­¡± She growled and stalked off without finishing the sentence. ¡°You have eyes like a demon!¡± Ariadne called after her. ¡°You tell lies. You all tell lies!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the truth,¡± Treya said. ¡°Bobo¡¯s a historian, and there¡¯s another, Ellerie. We came here with them searching for the remains of Tir Yadar, and we found you.¡± ¡°The dust ¡­¡± the girl said, trailing her gauntlets across the grime on the wall. ¡°No. It¡¯s a lie.¡± She didn¡¯t sound so certain anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We don¡¯t know what happened, but it looks like everyone left. The city¡¯s empty.¡± ¡°My parents? My sisters?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Treya said. Of course, she did know. Even if Ariadne¡¯s family survived whatever had happened to this place, they¡¯d certainly died long since. The girl seemed to realize it anyway, slumping down against the wall, her armor scratching across the stone. She sat on the floor and stared straight ahead, ignoring any further attempts to talk to her. # ¡°How does it fit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little tight, but it¡¯ll do,¡± Leena said, coming out from behind the wagon where she¡¯d changed clothes. All the tents had already been packed up. ¡°Is that a tattoo?¡± Katrin asked, peering at her upper chest. ¡°Yes.¡± Leena didn¡¯t elaborate. The other woman¡¯s dresses were less modest than her own. This one had long sleeves, but it showed a bit of cleavage¡ªmore on Leena than it did on Katrin. The Zidari weren¡¯t body-shy, but they kept their tattoos covered around outsiders. ¡°Why a dagger?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to mark my blood feud against the men who murdered my parents,¡± Leena said curtly. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry¡ªI didn¡¯t mean to be rude, but my tattoos are private. I don¡¯t like people to see them.¡± ¡°You have more than one? Never mind, you don¡¯t have to answer. Wait here, I¡¯ll go find one of Shavala¡¯s scarves to cover it up.¡± She was back a moment later, and helped Leena drape the scarf around her neck and chest. Leena breathed easier once the tattoo was hidden. She thanked Katrin and apologized again for snapping at her, then went to find Ellerie and Corec. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she told them. ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t go,¡± Ellerie said, running her fingers across the back of Leena¡¯s hand. ¡°I need to find out if it¡¯s them,¡± Leena replied, returning the gesture. It was the only intimacy they allowed themselves. They¡¯d never spoken of it, but Ellerie seemed to understand that Leena wouldn¡¯t allow herself to be distracted from her task. Corec didn¡¯t notice the interchange. ¡°Do you know how to recognize the red-eyes?¡± he asked. Leena thought back to the stories Ellerie had told her about the encounters. ¡°They have armor like Nedley¡¯s, and their eyes are red. They glow red, I mean.¡± ¡°Look for the armor; don¡¯t get close enough to see their eyes. They also don¡¯t speak, and they act strange¡ªnot like people.¡± ¡°Do you need a light?¡± Ellerie asked, picking up a rock and whispering the indistinct words to a spell. The rock started glowing. ¡°You could cover it up with something when you get close.¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s dark enough out that they¡¯ll see it.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be all right without it,¡± Leena said. They¡¯d asked her to wait until it was fully dark out before she left, so there¡¯d be less chance of being spotted. There was a sliver of moonlight, though. Perhaps it would be enough. ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is a good idea,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what to do, but it seems too dangerous. It would be different if it was Sarette or Razai, but you¡¯re not a fighter. We still have plenty of time to figure out who they are.¡± ¡°But you want to know now, don¡¯t you?¡± Corec exhaled. ¡°Yes. If they¡¯re just passing by, we can ignore them. Mostly. But if they¡¯re coming here, we need to set up defenses.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. If there¡¯s trouble, I¡¯ll teleport away. I¡¯ve had plenty of practice now. If something happens, you¡¯ll know where to find me.¡± He nodded. ¡°Good luck. We¡¯ll send the wagons on ahead to the old ruins, but I¡¯ll wait here for you.¡± ¡°I can find you wherever you go,¡± she reminded him. ¡°Oh, right. Well, I¡¯ve still got to fetch the others from inside the mountain as soon as we¡¯re done here, so I¡¯ll stay anyway.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too close,¡± Ellerie told her. Leena nodded, then Traveled, ending up in almost complete darkness. She had to wait for her eyes to adjust. She¡¯d gotten used to the mage lights that lit up the camp each night. She¡¯d teleported to a spot over a mile away from the visitors, so she couldn¡¯t see them yet. She started off east toward their camp, but after barely a dozen yards, she slipped on a rock she hadn¡¯t seen. The slender crescent moon helped her make out her surroundings, but objects on the ground were still indistinct. Testing her weight on her ankle, she considered how to proceed. Should she go back and get the mage light from Ellerie after all? How close could she get to the visitors before it was seen? Then the answer occurred to her. She allowed her warden rune to shine. She was able to hide it now most of the time, though it sometimes reappeared if she wasn¡¯t paying close attention. Now, she let it show on purpose. The pale blue glow wouldn¡¯t carry as far as a mage light did, and it provided just enough illumination for her to see where she was putting her feet. Her ankle seemed fine, so she continued east. Sounds echoed over the barren landscape, growing steadily louder as she approached¡ªpeople talking and shouting and laughing. Finally, after nearly half an hour, she could see movement ahead of her. She immediately hid her rune again and crept closer in the dark. It can¡¯t really be them, she tried to convince herself. None of the trained Seekers had been able to find the men who¡¯d attacked the Zidari, so she certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to. But then, she hadn¡¯t been Seeking those men¡ªnot this time, at least. She¡¯d tried it before, and had failed like all the other Seekers. But this time, she¡¯d simply been looking for a group of people to the southeast, within her Seeking range. Would that change things? It shouldn¡¯t, as far as she was aware. A warding against scrying should block all scrying. But the more she learned about her abilities, the more she realized she didn¡¯t know. She hadn¡¯t been trained as a Seeker¡ªshe¡¯d hardly even been trained as a Traveler. The camp was mostly dark. Like Leena¡¯s companions, this group hadn¡¯t found any firewood in the barrens, or brought any with them. There was a light hovering over a large, square tent that was tall enough to stand up in. Leena had seen enough mage lights by now to recognize one. A wizard? Ellerie and Corec would want to know that. She stayed well away from the light, not wanting to risk being seen. Instead, she decided to circle around the camp to see if she could find anything else useful. Her first impression was that it was much too big. The talking and shouting were constant, coming from the numerous small groups scattered around. She couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying. They were speaking Nysan, she thought, the same language spoken elsewhere in southern Cordaea. Why had such a large group entered the barrens? A trading caravan would have gone around, and she hadn¡¯t seen any sign of horses or mules. There was movement in the darkness ahead of her and she stopped, her heart pounding. A bulky figure, but she¡¯d only seen it because it blocked her view of the stars in the night sky. The figure walked away from the camp, then turned and walked back. The mage light briefly reflected off the metal bands of a shield. An armed guard. Not unusual, but Leena hadn¡¯t considered the idea until he¡¯d been right in front of her. She crept farther away from the camp before continuing her circuit. There were several boxy shapes just beyond the southernmost cluster of tents. After checking for more guards, Leena crept closer for a better look. The shapes turned out to be hand-drawn carts, which must have been how the group was hauling their supplies. Without animals to feed, they didn¡¯t need to carry as much as Leena¡¯s companions did. She was between two of the carts when someone else walked past in the dark. She froze, hoping he hadn¡¯t seen her, then ducked down after he¡¯d passed by. It wasn¡¯t an armed guard this time, but just a man going out to water the dirt. She stayed down and waited until he returned. He was wearing simple, sturdy clothes, and had a knife on his belt. It was too dark to get a good look at it. Back in the camp, he sat down with several others who also wore simple clothing. Next to them was a boisterous group of men with armor and weapons. The two groups didn¡¯t mingle, and appeared to be ignoring each other. Then, farther in, someone walked past the mage light, making it easier to see his features. He looked like a Sanvarite, but he wore long sleeves. His shirt was laced up to his neck. A Zidari? What would another Zidari be doing all the way out here? Except for him, the group reminded Leena of the men who¡¯d attacked them outside Tir Shar. She¡¯d know for certain if she could just get a closer look at the knife she¡¯d seen, but she couldn¡¯t think of any way to do that without alerting the camp to her presence. She Traveled back, finding just Corec and Ellerie. The others were gone, along with the wagons, heading back to the ruined buildings south of the mountain. ¡°How did it go?¡± Ellerie asked, relief in her voice. Leena relayed what she¡¯d seen. ¡°Carts?¡± Corec asked. ¡°What did they look like?¡± ¡°Two-wheeled, hand-drawn. They were half full, but I couldn¡¯t risk looking through them.¡± ¡°And no animals, you said?¡± ¡°None that I saw, just a lot of men. If the rest of the camp is like the eastern and southern sides, there must be over a hundred of them.¡± He nodded. ¡°That could be trouble, especially if the knife you saw is one of those snake knives, but the carts will give us a chance to watch them more carefully. They won¡¯t be able to go more than ten or fifteen miles a day with those. We¡¯ll have time to get ready.¡± [Note: Next week, I plan to switch the story''s thumbnail image to the Book 3 cover, so if you find the updates each week by looking for the cover, I''d recommend following the story instead.] Book 3: Chapter Twenty-Nine The visions from the staff had repeated themselves several times before Shavala realized they were gradually being stretched out over longer periods. Now, after carrying it for hours, a scene that had once been just a brief glimpse might last for over a minute, without showing anything more than it had the first time. The things she was seeing had to be elder magic, and likely druidic, but the visions didn¡¯t give her any indication of their purpose. The arms she occasionally saw holding the staff were usually slender, like an elf¡¯s, but the visions always came from the bearers¡¯ eyes, so she never saw the bearers themselves. And then, suddenly, there was a new vision she hadn¡¯t seen before. The staff, still green wood, stood upright in the center of a clearing ahead of her. It balanced on its own without any support, only the narrow end touching the ground. As she¡ªor the her that was in the vision¡ªapproached, an eagle passed overhead, crying out as it flew off into the distance. A raven fluttered down from the sky, landing on a nearby branch and cocking its head to the side as she walked by. A black-tailed stag, like the one she¡¯d seen near the Bancyra Mountains, bounded down the trail toward her, then veered away into the forest at the last second. Just as she got to the clearing, a flash of red fur, low to the ground, disappeared into the brush. A brown bear and a gray wolf remained, sitting on their haunches on opposite sides of the staff and eyeing her closely. A great tufted owl with mottled brown feathers watched from across the clearing. She reached out and grasped the staff, but it wasn¡¯t her. This arm, though still elven, was a man¡¯s. As he cradled the staff in his palms, the bear huffed and then rose to its feet before lumbering away. The owl took flight, leaving only the wolf, who waited as if wondering what would happen next. The man bowed to him, then turned and walked back the way he¡¯d come. The vision ended. ¡°Shavala!¡± The voice was Treya¡¯s. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shavala shook off the visions and forced herself back into the real world. She stood and set the staff aside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; my mind was wandering.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been acting like Ariadne,¡± Treya said. The Ancient woman was still sitting against the wall, not responding to anyone. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, I was just thinking.¡± ¡°Well, we need to leave.¡± Treya raised her voice. ¡°Marco, we have to get going. We can¡¯t keep waiting for the others to get back; it¡¯ll take too long.¡± ¡°I need something to carry that lamp. I ran out of room in the sacks.¡± Shavala didn¡¯t have any other bags with her, so she set her quiver near the staff and shrugged off her coat, handing it to him. ¡°Here, use this.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Treya said. ¡°Where¡¯s Bobo?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°He went to look at the rooms on the western side that we haven¡¯t gotten to yet,¡± Razai said. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that. Will you go find him?¡± Razai stared at her for a moment, as if deciding whether to agree to her request, but then gave a curt nod and left the room. Treya turned back to the Ancient woman. ¡°Ariadne, we need to go,¡± she said gently. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± The girl continued staring ahead at nothing. ¡°Shavala, get her other hand. If we can get her to stand, hopefully we can convince her to come along.¡± ¡°Is something wrong with her?¡± ¡°Not physically, but her mind isn¡¯t completely with us. I don¡¯t want to think about what she¡¯s going through right now.¡± They were able to tug Ariadne to her feet. Fortunately, she stood up when they tried. There was no way Shavala and Treya could have actually lifted her¡ªstill wearing her armor¡ªup off the floor. She had no expression on her face, but she stood waiting with them rather than slumping down again. Marco made it back first, with Shavala¡¯s coat wrapped around the old lamp. He set it down next to the other things he¡¯d brought out of the room they¡¯d found. ¡°We¡¯re bringing her with us?¡± he asked when he saw Ariadne on her feet. ¡°We have to,¡± Treya said. ¡°We can¡¯t leave her here by herself.¡± ¡°What are we going to do about that necklace she took?¡± ¡°The necklace is what¡¯s letting her talk to us. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting it back. And I¡¯m not sure what she¡¯s going to think about everything else you¡¯ve got there.¡± Marco frowned and looked down at his pile of enchanted items. ¡°What are you talking about? These things aren¡¯t hers.¡± ¡°We found them with her.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t there!¡± ¡°You know what I mean, Marco.¡± Before he could argue, Razai returned with Bobo. ¡°I found another locked door!¡± he said. ¡°We need to get Corec down to open it.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow,¡± Treya said. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°The northwest corner of the palace¡ªI think it¡¯s got to be the royal quarters. There¡¯s a big bed frame there, and a lot of dust and dirt. Judging from what¡¯s left, there must have been plenty of wooden furniture and clothing at one time, and what I think were some tapestries hanging from the walls. Oh, and I found some small ceramic figurines of those animal statues, but five of them fell and were smashed to pieces. Only two are still whole, the fox and the owl.¡± That reminded Shavala of the animals she¡¯d seen in her vision. Was it a coincidence that so many of them mirrored the animal statues? What did the vision mean? ¡°We¡¯ll ask Corec to look at it tomorrow,¡± Treya said. ¡°It¡¯s too late tonight, and if they¡¯ve already moved the camp, it¡¯ll take us over two hours to reach them as it is. Shavala, could you help me?¡± She¡¯d taken Ariadne¡¯s arm to lead her. Shavala strapped her unstrung bow to her quiver to free up one of her hands, then picked up the staff and took hold of Ariadne¡¯s other arm. The group gathered their things and left the palace, continuing into the tunnel that would lead them to the southern junction, and from there to the central junction and the western colonnade. ¡°What do you suppose will happen if the mage lights go out while we¡¯re down here without Corec or Ellerie?¡± Bobo asked while they walked. They hadn¡¯t figured out how Ariadne had turned on the lights in the throne room, and she hadn¡¯t responded to any of their questions about it. Marco, in the lead, stopped and whirled around. ¡°Could they?¡± he asked, shocked. ¡°They last for a while, but we¡¯ve been down here all day,¡± Treya said, her voice hesitant. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice if Ellerie replaced the lights in the lanterns before she left. Shavala, you can see in the dark, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Only movement, but I can manage well enough with my elder senses if I have to.¡± She could carry a flame in her hand, too, but not for long enough to lead everyone out of the mountain. She decided not to mention it. ¡°There, see?¡± Treya said. ¡°And we¡¯ve got the rope. We¡¯ll get by.¡± Only Shavala was close enough to see the anxiety in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up,¡± Marco said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to put that to the test.¡± ¡°Relax, will you?¡± Razai said. ¡°I can see just fine in the dark.¡± She gave him an evil grin. ¡°I can tie you all up in a row and tug you along.¡± Marco muttered and set off at a faster pace, but then had to stop and wait for the rest of them to catch up. Shavala and Treya were bringing up the rear with Ariadne, and she wasn¡¯t moving any faster than before. The mage lights didn¡¯t go out, and an hour and a half later, they made it to the final tunnel leading out of the mountain. Ariadne had drawn in a ragged breath when they reached the colonnade room, but otherwise she showed no reaction to their surroundings. Outside, they found Corec, Ellerie, and Leena in the empty campsite, lit up by fewer mage lights than normal. ¡°I was just heading in to find you,¡± Corec told them. ¡°You could have sent Leena,¡± Treya said. ¡°No, I wanted to check on¡ª¡± His eyes landed on Ariadne. ¡°She¡¯s awake?¡± ¡°This is Ariadne. Ariadne, this is Corec, Ellerie, and Leena.¡± The Ancient girl didn¡¯t show any sign that she¡¯d heard the introductions, or even noticed the new people. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°She¡¯s one of the Chosar!¡± Bobo said in a rush. ¡°Or at least she claims to be. That necklace she¡¯s wearing lets her talk to us, but, uhh, she stopped talking a while back.¡± Treya said, ¡°We tried to explain what happened, but she didn¡¯t take it very well. She says she and the others were put in those metal caskets to protect them from some magical ritual, but that¡¯s the last thing she remembers. She doesn¡¯t know what happened to everyone else.¡± ¡°Can she hear us?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I think so, but she¡¯s not responding to anything. I¡¯ve only worked with physical injuries before. I¡¯m not sure how to help her.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s her sword and helmet?¡± ¡°I left them back ¡­ well, you know. We can get them for her when she¡¯s feeling better.¡± ¡°Corec, I found another locked door,¡± Bobo said. ¡°We need you to open it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Maybe. We¡¯ll see. We¡¯ve got some visitors headed our way. We need to get a closer look at them.¡± ¡°What sort of visitors?¡± Razai asked. ¡°They might be the same people who attacked us before,¡± Leena said. ¡°I saw armed men and villagers. There¡¯s a wizard, I think, and one of my people. I couldn¡¯t get close enough to see more.¡± Corec said, ¡°They¡¯re a couple of days out so it gives us some time to get ready. Razai, those disguises of yours¡ªcan you be anyone you want?¡± She grinned, showing her fangs. ¡°You want me to spy on them?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind. Mostly to see if they have those daggers with the snake etchings on the hilts.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll head out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She just smirked at him. ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯re carrying?¡± Ellerie asked, staring at the bundles that Marco, Razai, and Bobo held in their arms. ¡°The things from that room with the enchantments,¡± Marco said. ¡°I told you not to touch them yet!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t. We wrapped them up before taking them out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant and you know it!¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Bobo gave Ellerie an apologetic grimace, but Marco¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°You brought out the weapons,¡± he pointed out. ¡°Weapons are meant to be held! We don¡¯t know about these things!¡± ¡°What else could you have learned by staring at them longer?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m trying to learn that lore spell!¡± she said, glaring at him. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later. Right now, we should catch up to the others.¡± # ¡°Did you have any luck?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°No,¡± Ellerie said, sitting down with a sigh. ¡°She still won¡¯t talk.¡± After getting everyone settled in at the new campsite, she¡¯d tried to get Ariadne to answer some questions, but the woman had seemed almost catatonic. ¡°Treya thinks it would be better to leave her alone for now.¡± ¡°Just imagine what she knows. She actually lived in Tir Yadar.¡± Ellerie was still having a hard time believing that. ¡°You talked to her earlier,¡± she said. ¡°Do you really think she¡¯s one of the Ancients? The Chosar?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t faking her distress,¡± Bobo said. ¡°She was honestly disturbed to see us, and to learn her people were missing. As for the rest of it, you know I don¡¯t like to use the term Ancients, and I¡¯m not entirely sure who the Chosar were. I¡¯d always thought they were just one tribe, and probably one of the first peoples, but she certainly seems to believe the city belonged to the Chosar. She wasn¡¯t happy to find humans and elves there.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°That matches what Hildra told Corec, that the Tirs were Chosar cities. Maybe the first peoples and the Ancients aren¡¯t the same thing after all. Ancients could refer to the Chosar specifically. First peoples could mean the Chosar, plus the elves, the humans, and any others who lived nearby. Maybe the stoneborn? They live as close as the Skotinos Mountains.¡± ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like imprecise words,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Ancients doesn¡¯t mean anything. No one has ever called themselves that.¡± Then he snorted. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m being pedantic. Nobody ever called themselves the first peoples, either. Both terms came into use much later, referring to cultures we never really knew much about. So, what do we know now?¡± ¡°The Chosar ruled over the Tirs,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°They aren¡¯t elven or human, but, from what you told me, Ariadne recognized both. She wasn¡¯t surprised to see you, but only by your presence in ¡­ what did she call it?¡± ¡°The fortress. She also mentioned something about Corec not having a badge of rank, which suggests humans could serve in their military.¡± ¡°And Shavala found arrows that were sized for elven bows. Or, at least, something smaller than a modern human longbow.¡± ¡°So elves may have served with them as well.¡± Ellerie nodded, then thought back to what Bobo and Treya had told her about the conversation. ¡°Everything comes back to that ritual,¡± she said. ¡°That must be what caused the Burning.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making assumptions again,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Though, I admit, it had to be something big for the people to abandon the city.¡± ¡°Especially while leaving her and the others behind, and some of the things we¡¯ve found. Did she say anything else about the ritual?¡± ¡°She said they were trying to combine the four sources of magic.¡± That made Ellerie sit up straight. ¡°What? How? That shouldn¡¯t be possible!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What does it mean?¡± ¡°The sources are separate, distinct¡ªelder, arcane, divine, demonic. My arcane sight and Shavala¡¯s elder senses and Treya¡¯s healing senses all see the world very differently, because they work in completely different ways. There was a theory for a while among my people that if you could combine two magics, they could do things that neither could do on its own. But we tried it. It doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°You tried?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°How?¡± ¡°The nilvasta lean more toward arcane magic, but we¡¯re still elves. Elder magic is in our blood, and when it chooses someone, it shows itself whether that person has trained it or not. Every once in a while, the elder magic will appear in someone who also has the gift for wizardry. It¡¯s very rare¡ªit hasn¡¯t happened in my lifetime, but some of my teachers knew mages who could wield both.¡± ¡°I thought you said it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Combining the two into a single spell doesn¡¯t work. They could cast an arcane spell and they could cast an elder spell, and, if they were lucky, they could learn spells that would complement each other. But they couldn¡¯t cast a spell that used both, and they tended to be weaker in both magics than a mage who only learned one or the other. There are always limits on a mage¡¯s strength. Unless ¡­¡± Ellerie paused, thinking. ¡°Unless what?¡± ¡°Any mage can only progress so far until they hit the limit of their potential. But Yelena said the warden bond increases your potential. If they were able to remove those limits ¡­ Are you sure she said the intent of the ritual was to combine the magics? Limits or not, that still shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± ¡°Apparently it wasn¡¯t. Ariadne seemed to think the ritual had failed. She said she still felt two sources of magic.¡± Ellerie¡¯s eyes went wide. The Chosar woman could wield two magics? ¡°What?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that earlier?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize what she meant until you explained it,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Is she a warden? Or bonded by one?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t mention wardens. She didn¡¯t really say who was conducting the ritual, just that she and the others were put in those caskets to keep them safe. Safe from the ritual, I suppose, though she didn¡¯t specify.¡± Ellerie pressed her fingers to her temples. ¡°There¡¯s so much I need to ask her.¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll talk tomorrow. And don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s still that other door. We may find more information there.¡± # As the sun rose, Ariadne sat on the roof of the currency exchange building in Old Town, her legs dangling over the side. At least, she thought it was the currency exchange building. Everything looked different now, just raw stone. Old Town hadn¡¯t been built with shaped stone, which was easier to manipulate, but with simple blocks of yellow sandstone. Without shaping magic, the builders had used columns, arches, and other tricks of engineering to allow the roof to be constructed of the same material. Ariadne had stayed awake all night wondering when the bad dream would end, barely cognizant of the intruders checking on her. The dream hadn¡¯t ended, though, and at the first hint of dawn, she¡¯d snuck out of the structure in which the group had set up their camp, blinking through the outer wall so they wouldn¡¯t see her leaving the room they¡¯d stuck her in. What she saw outside was worse than her earlier nightmares. Was this really Tir Yadar? Where was the rest of the outer city? What had happened to the prairies to the south and west? Or the tershaya forests to the east and north? The land was dead for as far as the eye could see. The mountain itself was bare, denuded of all life, making it unrecognizable. The intruders had mentioned taking their animals to a river to drink. Was it the same one she¡¯d known growing up? She should have been able to catch a glimpse of it from here, but she couldn¡¯t. Lake Van Kir was gone too¡ªnot just the water, but the dam and even the basin itself. Where the deep lake had once been, the land was now flat. There was a commotion behind her, from the direction of the building in which the intruders had set up camp. Ariadne drew her feet back from the ledge and scrambled to the center of the roof, far enough that someone walking down the street below wouldn¡¯t be able to see her. She couldn¡¯t avoid them forever, not while she was still in this nightmare, but a little longer would be nice. She couldn¡¯t think when they were around. They were too ¡­ wrong. Were stasis dreams different than sleeping dreams? This one seemed so real, but she¡¯d never been in stasis before. The pods were normally only used to hold injured soldiers when the surgeons and healing wizards were overwhelmed with wounded. They hadn¡¯t been needed at all in the weeks since the war had ended. A woman with golden-brown skin and black hair suddenly appeared out of nowhere, carrying a plate. She said something incomprehensible. ¡°I can¡¯t understand you,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Speak the same language as the others.¡± The woman gave her an apologetic look. ¡°Talk Eastern not good.¡± Apparently the nightmare intended to offer more torture. Ariadne took the plate¡ªit held dried fruit, dried meat, and some things she didn¡¯t recognize¡ªand set it aside, then grasped the woman¡¯s wrist. The pain came immediately, almost overwhelming in its intensity, but she didn¡¯t let go until it was over. The woman stared at her, startled, but if the stories Ariadne had heard were true, the target wasn¡¯t affected as badly as the wearer. ¡°Can you understand me now?¡± she asked. The woman¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°You speak the language of my people?¡± Ariadne fingered the copper chain around her neck. ¡°The Necklace of Tongues. When I touched you, it gave me your language. But only one at a time.¡± ¡°I understand, I think. My name is Leena. I brought food, but the others are looking for you¡ªI must tell them where you are.¡± While she was speaking, a blue light flickered on the woman¡¯s brow, resolving into a glowing sigil in a geometric shape. Ariadne felt a sudden wave of relief. Had the wardens sent someone to rescue her? ¡°I apologize, bondmate,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize you. Did you come for me, or did these humans take you, too?¡± ¡°Recognize me?¡± The woman seemed confused. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize any of the wardens had bonded a human of the Vestathi tribes. We rarely see your people in these lands.¡± Leena covered her forehead with her palm, as if she hadn¡¯t known her sigil was showing. ¡°Vestathi? Vestath is to the south of the Gilded Sea. I am of the Zidari clan of the Sanvari people.¡± ¡°I do not understand these words,¡± Ariadne said. Apparently there were some things the necklace couldn¡¯t translate. ¡°We live southwest, across the ocean. Sanvar is at the southern tip of Aravor.¡± Ariadne heard Aravor, but in her head, it was translated as Aravadora, the continent to the west. Yet, settlements had only been established in the northern part of Aravadora, not in the south. She ignored that, though. Strange inconsistencies were normal in dreams. ¡°To which warden are you bound?¡± she asked. ¡°You know about wardens?¡± ¡°Everyone knows of wardens, bondmate.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t until a few weeks ago. It was Corec who cast the binding spell on me.¡± Ariadne remembered Corec, though she hadn¡¯t realized she remembered him until they¡¯d gotten to the building where they¡¯d made camp. Under the new mage lights they¡¯d cast, she¡¯d recognized him as the war mage she¡¯d fought in the stasis room. ¡°What lie is this?¡± she said. ¡°He is no warden. I know them all.¡± She knew them by their names and faces, at least. She¡¯d only ever spoken to one of them. Leena tilted her head to the side, her eyes sad. ¡°Do you remember what happened inside the mountain? Treya said they told you how long it¡¯s been.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I ¡­¡± Was it really just a dream? Or was she trying to fool herself? If it was real, that would mean ¡­ her mind shied away from the thought. ¡°Go away. Tell the other intruders to leave me alone. I do not wish to speak to them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go, but I¡¯ll leave the food. When you get hungry again, come find me.¡± # Corec lowered the spyglass. ¡°They¡¯re still too far away to make out any details, but I think they¡¯re coming this way.¡± ¡°Slowly, though,¡± Razai said, still looking through her own glass. ¡°They won¡¯t reach us today. I should be able to meet them somewhere in the middle. I¡¯ll pack up a few things and get going.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to wait until tonight?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t make it very far today, I¡¯d get stuck trying to go the rest of the distance before the sun comes back up. No thanks. I¡¯ll head out about ten miles, and then I¡¯ll look for them and try to guess where they¡¯ll camp.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t they see you coming?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Why would they? No one else ever does.¡± Razai¡¯s form shimmered, and then she was wearing a tan and brown robe that blended in with the dry soil. ¡°Besides, once I¡¯m down there, they won¡¯t be able to catch sight of me until I¡¯m less than three miles away. The land¡¯s too flat to see farther.¡± The three of them had hiked back up the mountain to search for the visitors, since none of the buildings were tall enough to give them a view. ¡°That means you won¡¯t be able to see them until you¡¯re three miles away, too,¡± Corec pointed out. ¡°Of course, but they won¡¯t know I¡¯m out there. I won¡¯t get close to them until after dark.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to go alone? I could go with you.¡± ¡°You? The idea is to not be seen, remember? I hunt better on my own.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°And you¡¯ll pretend to be one of them and sneak into the camp?¡± ¡°If I need to. I have other ways.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Ellerie glanced at Corec, but he just shrugged. When Razai didn¡¯t want to answer a question, he¡¯d never been able to convince her to change her mind. He had to trust that she knew what she was doing. The plan seemed dangerous, but it had been his idea after all, and Razai wasn¡¯t Leena. She could protect herself. The three of them returned to the ruins where they¡¯d moved their camp, finding most of the others gathering for the midday meal. After Razai left to get ready, Boktar and Sarette came up. ¡°What did you see?¡± the dwarven man asked. ¡°They¡¯re coming this way, so Razai¡¯s going to head out and try to meet up with them after dark,¡± Corec said. ¡°Should we stay here?¡± Sarette asked. She, Boktar, and Josip had originally planned to leave that morning with the supply wagons. It was a good question. Sarette and Boktar were the best front-line fighters in the group other than Corec, and if there were over a hundred potential enemies on the way, he needed as much help as he could get. If they were gone, Treya and Razai would have to take their place, and neither woman wore armor. ¡°Will the supplies hold out long enough if you stay for a few more days?¡± Corec asked Boktar. ¡°Only if the three wagons in Livadi head out without waiting for us. They were going to leave today anyway if the weather looked clear, but we were planning to meet them and bring them the rest of the way here, while these seven wagons go on to the village. If we stay here, those three wagons will have to come most of the way on their own.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel any storms coming, but I only know what¡¯s going to happen around here,¡± Sarette said. ¡°If there¡¯s a storm closer to Livadi, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sense it.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d better go,¡± Corec said. ¡°We can¡¯t put the drivers in danger just so we can protect ourselves, especially when we don¡¯t know if the people headed our way will be a problem.¡± ¡°What if the drivers had a lightning rod?¡± Sarette suggested. ¡°Or several of them?¡± ¡°A lightning rod?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Like the ones on tall buildings? Would that work?¡± ¡°It should help.¡± ¡°Do you know how to make one?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to make the good ones, but a thin copper pole would be a start. Bury one end in the dirt, and build something to keep it propped up so the wind doesn¡¯t knock it over.¡± ¡°And it would protect them?¡± Corec asked. Sarette shrugged. ¡°It won¡¯t be perfect, but neither would I. We got lucky last time¡ªthe lightning was only following the leading edge of the storm. If it had lasted any longer, I couldn¡¯t have done anything about it.¡± ¡°Then I guess this is a better choice. We¡¯ll keep the other wagons here, and you can stay here for a few more days in case we need you.¡± ¡°Can you write down some instructions so Leena can take them to Josip¡¯s friend in the village?¡± Ellerie asked the stormborn woman. ¡°She may have to buy the copper poles in Aencyr,¡± Boktar said. ¡°I doubt Livadi has them. They¡¯ll cost a fair bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let her know, and then see if I can convince Marco to give up some more coin,¡± Ellerie said. Then she sighed. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to apologize for yelling at him last night.¡± The conversation broke up after that, so Corec joined the rest of the group sitting nearby. ¡°Sarette and Boktar are staying here?¡± Katrin asked. They¡¯d been close enough to hear part of the conversation. ¡°Just until we know whether the people heading here are a threat. Razai¡¯s going to try to find out tonight.¡± ¡°By herself?¡± ¡°I offered to go with her, but she turned me down.¡± Shavala tried to hide her snicker. ¡°You¡¯re not very stealthy.¡± ¡°Yes, well, she didn¡¯t think much of the idea either.¡± Treya said, ¡°I¡¯m worried about Ariadne. We tried to talk to her again, but she ignored us. She hasn¡¯t spoken to anyone since Leena this morning.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do about her,¡± Corec said. ¡°The priests at a temple might have some ideas. Maybe that big temple of Allosur back in Aencyr, if we can convince her to come with us.¡± ¡°Just think about what she could tell us!¡± Bobo said. ¡°One of the first peoples, still alive!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother her,¡± Treya said. It sounded like the continuation of an ongoing argument. ¡°I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t, but maybe she¡¯ll be willing to answer a few questions.¡± ¡°No, Bobo,¡± Treya said, sounding exasperated. ¡°She¡¯s not up to it, and you¡¯re just going to make things worse.¡± He sighed. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait. But if those people won¡¯t be here today, that means we can go back into the mountain, right?¡± ¡°I certainly plan to,¡± Ellerie said, rejoining the group. ¡°We¡¯ve already lost most of the morning. I¡¯m not going to waste the whole day.¡± ¡°Corec?¡± Bobo said. ¡°Are you coming? There¡¯s that other door ¡­¡± Corec frowned. He¡¯d planned to spend the day figuring out how to defend their position, but to do so, it would be helpful to retrieve some things from the armory. ¡°I¡¯ll go in long enough to open the door, but then I need your help hauling stuff out. You, Nedley, Marco, and Boktar.¡± Book 3: Chapter Thirty Shavala accompanied the group that went back into the mountain, but peeled away when they reached the palace. She wanted to pay another visit to the room with the glowing mushrooms and moths, to take notes on the unusual lifeforms for her book. When she got there, though, she discovered to her dismay that the moths were lethargic, hardly showing any interest in the mage-light lantern she carried. Most didn¡¯t even leave their perches. She set the lantern down so she could slip a finger underneath one of the creatures, lifting it off of the mushroom where it had been resting. Examining it with her elder senses, she didn¡¯t notice anything wrong, but it was difficult to learn anything useful about insects that way, especially unfamiliar ones. She brought her hand back down to the mushroom and let the moth climb off her finger. The light from the lantern had hidden the luminescent glow, giving her a good closeup view of the mushroom cap. It was wrinkled. Glancing around the room, she realized they all were. They¡¯d been smooth the day before, but now they were wilting, drying out. It must have been the staff that had kept the enclosed ecosystem alive, and without it, the strange room couldn¡¯t continue as it was. If she didn¡¯t return the staff to its spot, something unique and special would be destroyed. But if she left it, what would stop someone else from coming along and taking it? Maybe there was another way. Most of the visions the staff had shown her followed a similar theme¡ªrestoring plant life or creating a new environment for it. The staff had already built this environment on its own. Could she find a way to make it permanent? With her elder senses, she delved deep into the mushrooms, the lichens, and the mosses, following them into the earth. She knew now, somehow, that the soil hadn¡¯t been present in the room originally. The first plants had grown from nothing, and then died and decomposed, thus supporting future generations. The soil was nearly self-sustaining at this point, but there was no source of water in the room. Was it the staff itself that provided the moisture that allowed everything to live? The visions hadn¡¯t given any indication of how the staff did what it did, or how the bearers had controlled it. Or even if they had controlled it. Shavala examined it with her elder senses. It felt like a normal tershaya scaffold branch, but small enough that it was either from a young tree or near the top of an old one. The bark and lateral branches had been removed by someone who knew what they were doing, leaving the wood uneven but smooth. The collar¡ªthe larger knobby end of the branch, where it had been removed from the tree¡ªhad been carefully harvested to keep the wood alive even as it dried out and hardened. Tershaya wood could be easily shaped while it was fresh, and the hardened form would remain sturdy for hundreds of years afterward even if the wood was dead. If the wood remained alive, it could last indefinitely. The staff didn¡¯t offer any clues, so she returned her attention to the room. Perhaps she could handle the problem on her own. Moisture could be pulled from the air, and, in fact, that¡¯s where it seemed to be coming from. Was there a source she could use to ensure it remained there? Some hidden drip of water she¡¯d missed before? If so, she still couldn¡¯t find it. Could she cast a spell to duplicate what the staff had been doing? She couldn¡¯t stay here to maintain it, but what if she could cause an ongoing reaction, like the wind magic Sarette had taught her? Of course, that had only lasted for moments, and here she needed something that would endure for years. It seemed unlikely to work, but perhaps the staff had already set everything up, and she could just reactivate it. She pulled moisture from the corridor outside the room, increasing the humidity inside. That wouldn¡¯t be enough. She stretched farther, but not too far. Too dry and the mushrooms would continue to wilt; too humid and the moths wouldn¡¯t be able to fly. And even if she came up with the right balance, how could she ensure it would stay that way after she was gone? There was a sudden pulling sensation, as if control of the spell was being wrested away from her. It was like using her elder senses while another druid was nearby, manipulating the elements she was sensing. A new spell was being crafted, but she could only follow a small part of it. The elder magic she¡¯d started with was still present, but it was mixed in with something else that she didn¡¯t recognize. The two magics writhed and roiled in her mind, simultaneously fighting with and complementing each other. They battled to a standstill, a balance that would keep the moisture at its previous level. Somehow Shavala knew it wouldn¡¯t last forever¡ªthe room wasn¡¯t sustainable on its own¡ªbut it would last for a long while. When the time was right, she could return to check on it again. ¡°Thank you,¡± she told the staff. It couldn¡¯t understand her, but it felt appropriate to say. She left the room and closed the door behind her, then went to find the others. # Ellerie had to agree with Bobo¡¯s assessment¡ªthe chambers at the northwest corner of the palace could only have been the royal quarters. They were the largest residential quarters in the palace, and the remnants of the furnishings suggested the rooms had been well appointed at one time. She peered into a partly collapsed wooden wardrobe. None of the clothing remained, but the layer of grime caking the bottom suggested something had been left in there when the place was abandoned. A stone-like nodule lay half embedded in the detritus. Ellerie picked it up and wiped off the dirt, revealing a rounded button made of gold. She handed it to Marco, who was examining the two figurines Bobo had mentioned. They rested on a small oval table, with the shards of the other figurines scattered nearby. ¡°Here,¡± she said. ¡°There are probably more buttons if you want to dig for them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more interested in these at the moment,¡± the factor said, lifting the owl statuette. ¡°Leave those,¡± Corec said as he passed by. ¡°You can come back for them another time. I need you to help carry some other things out today.¡± Marco frowned but returned the figurine to its place. He was always more reluctant to argue with Corec than with Ellerie. Bobo showed the group to the locked door at the rear of the chambers, another of the round doors on rails. Corec touched the metal plate, and was then able to roll the door to the right. Behind it was a small alcove divided into two sections. On the left side, a suit of dull, brownish-gray plate armor hung in place on an armor stand. Behind it, three weapons lay horizontally on a rack. The top two were longswords, one bejeweled and ornate, still in a scabbard made of a silvery metal with gold filigree, while the other was plain and unadorned. Its own scabbard appeared to have deteriorated, but there were metal bands still hanging from the blade, showing that there had once been one. The third weapon was some kind of long-handled sledgehammer made from the same dull metal as the armor. The right side of the alcove was different. A permanent mage light, like those near the animal statues, hung from the ceiling. Instead of an armor stand, there was a clothing stand with simulated shoulders and torso, for clothing that was too delicate to store any other way without losing its shape. Ellerie had once used similar stands to hold her robes of state. A few wisps of cloth still dangled from it, but when she tried to touch one of the pieces, it fell apart in her hand. There was a shelf set against the wall, and on it was a small jewelry stand displaying an intricate platinum necklace set with dozens of small, pale blue diamonds and darker blue sapphires. Ellerie had seen plenty of extravagant jewelry during her time in Terevas, but the only necklace she¡¯d ever seen that surpassed this one was a piece her mother had commissioned for her own coronation. But the necklace didn¡¯t hold Ellerie¡¯s attention. Right next to it were two books. She carefully ran her finger along the spine of the nearest, hoping it wouldn¡¯t disintegrate. It seemed to be intact. She quickly cast a spell, and under her arcane sight, the two books glowed with an enchantment similar to a preservation warding, the same warding many wizards used to protect their spell books. She opened the first one and thumbed through it, releasing her arcane sight so she could see the pages better. It really was a spell book, but the preamble notes for each spell were written in the Ancient tongue, so she couldn¡¯t read them to learn what the spells did. She¡¯d need more time to decipher it. The second book had a title written across the front, which was unusual for spell books. Opening it, instead of spells, she found page after page of notes in cramped handwriting, intermixed with symbols, numbers, and formulae. At the very end, she finally found pages written in the wizard language, but there were fewer spells than she¡¯d expected. She passed the book to Bobo. ¡°Can you read that?¡± she asked him, showing him the cover. ¡°Hmm, foundational? No. Fundamental Materials, I think.¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± Bobo flipped through the first few pages. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. I don¡¯t recognize half these words. Are they even words?¡± He stopped on a page. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ve seen this symbol before. It¡¯s an abbreviation that¡¯s sometimes used for iron. Do all these symbols refer to different metals or minerals?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Will you help me translate it? The parts that aren¡¯t spells, I mean?¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± Then he chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d always hoped to find books or writings that had somehow survived, but now that we found one of the people themselves, a book is almost a letdown.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not very talkative so far,¡± Ellerie reminded him. ¡°The books may be more informative.¡± ¡°Are these warded?¡± Corec asked from behind them. Ellerie turned around. Corec¡¯s eyes had gone dark from his own arcane sight, and he was staring at the armor and weapons. She cast her spell again to see what he was looking at, and found that the hammer and the suit of armor both glowed with complex enchantments. ¡°Yes, they are,¡± she said. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re safe to touch?¡± Ellerie looked them over carefully. She¡¯d been trying to teach herself what the different types of wards looked like, but it was difficult without access to the wizardry archive in the Glass Palace. She¡¯d learned as much as she could from the warding spells in her own spell book and the partial book she¡¯d purchased in Tyrsall, and from examining Corec¡¯s sword, but there were a lot of different warding spells and she didn¡¯t know them all. ¡°The ward on the armor looks dangerous,¡± she said. ¡°I think you should leave it there. I don¡¯t think the hammer will hurt you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a maul,¡± he replied. ¡°They¡¯re useful for dealing with heavy armor, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone actually use one before. Warhammers and pole weapons are more practical.¡± ¡°Why would they layer so many enchantments on a weapon that¡¯s not used very much? It looks as complicated as your sword.¡± ¡°Maybe they were more common back then,¡± he said, grasping the long handle in both hands and lifting. ¡°It¡¯s heavier than I thought it would be. It¡¯s got to be close to thirty pounds. I don¡¯t think anyone could swing this in the middle of a fight. It would throw you off balance.¡± A humming sound came out of nowhere, and then the weapon began glowing with a faint yellow light. Sparks swirled around Corec¡¯s hands and then up his arms before disappearing. ¡°Bloody hell,¡± he said, letting go of the weapon. It fell to the floor with a clang, and the light and the sparks slowly faded away. ¡°Is it another bonded weapon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Did Hildra show you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think to ask. Bobo, can you pick it up?¡± Bobo frowned. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt me. I just don¡¯t want to deal with it if it¡¯s anything like the sword.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Boktar offered. He¡¯d been crowding around the door with Marco and Nedley. He nudged Bobo out of the way and lifted the maul. ¡°Oof, that¡¯s more than thirty pounds.¡± It started humming and glowing again, and then more yellow sparks streaked from the head of the weapon to where Corec was standing. Straining, Boktar said, ¡°It¡¯s getting heavier. I can¡¯t carry it anymore.¡± He set it back down. ¡°Why did it ¡­ ?¡± Corec said, looking down at his hands as the sparks faded away again. He picked up the hammer by its handle. ¡°It feels the same as before.¡± He ignored the lights as they started up for a third time. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°It must be like your sword, too heavy for anyone else to carry,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to haul it out.¡± ¡°Maybe some other time.¡± He placed the maul back on its stand. ¡°I still need to stop by the armory before we head back.¡± Marco had slipped into the room and was examining the necklace. He started to reach for it, then stopped. ¡°Is this safe?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s not enchanted,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°It looks expensive, though.¡± ¡°If the gems are real, yes,¡± he said, slipping the necklace into his coat pocket. It pained Ellerie to see another piece of art removed from the city, but she didn¡¯t say anything. If she wanted to convince Varsin and the other investors to agree to her plan, they would first need to make a solid profit on the expedition. Marco reached for the bejeweled sword, but Corec stopped him. ¡°You¡¯re going to need your hands free for real weapons, remember? Not gaudy junk.¡± # ¡°Leonis, welcome back to Fort Northtower. I trust you have good news?¡± Rusol had chosen his words carefully to make it clear he was an equal. Descendant or not, he had no intention of being subservient to the other man. ¡°Right to the point, I see,¡± Leonis replied. ¡°You seem to be in a better mood now than you were the last time we met.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll admit, your plan came as quite a shock. I needed some time to consider it.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re in agreement?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Rusol said. ¡°Have the other wardens decided to participate?¡± What he really wanted to know was whether Leonis had spoken to the First. ¡°Emperor Kono declined the invitation, and I don¡¯t know if my message ever reached the stoneborn woman. The First prefers not to travel, but he¡¯s agreed to take part through the dream. He sent a message, of sorts, requesting a dream meeting with any participants a week from now. I¡¯m not sure why he didn¡¯t reach out directly, but it¡¯s the first time he¡¯s responded in years, so we need to make use of it.¡± A week. One week until the First would tell Leonis that Rusol was demonborn. The plan was already in motion, but Rusol wished there was more time to prepare. With just one week to go, it had to happen as soon as possible. It was a pity he¡¯d only be able to target a single warden, but perhaps it was better¡ªsafer¡ªthis way. With fewer targets, there was less of a chance of something going wrong. ¡°I can remain here for a week. Any longer than that may be difficult.¡± Best not to seem too eager. ¡°I do have duties back in Telfort, of course. But, since we¡¯re here, we should make use of the time. The priests have invited us to dine with the order tonight, but perhaps tomorrow we can have a private meal to discuss other ways in which Larso and Blue Vale can support each other. Just the two of us and our bondmates. Living in Telfort, it¡¯s not often I get a chance to speak freely.¡± ¡°You brought your bondmates this time?¡± ¡°Two of them¡ªa pair of wizards. I hope that won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Rusol already knew from Sir Barat that Leonis had once again brought along eight priests of Pallisur. ¡°Allowances must be made when dealing with wardens. Do they know what we¡¯re attempting?¡± ¡°No, only that it¡¯s important.¡± Leonis smirked. ¡°Then I suppose we shouldn¡¯t speak too freely, but yes, I agree.¡± After the other warden left, Rusol sought out Priest Calwell and Sir Barat, who¡¯d returned to Calwell¡¯s office after completing the tasks he¡¯d assigned them. Both men were standing and staring ahead aimlessly, with glassy-eyed expressions on their faces. Rusol was getting better at manipulating minds, but his touch still wasn¡¯t as deft as his father¡¯s. ¡°Is it done?¡± he asked them. It was Barat who replied. ¡°Your other two guests entered the fort disguised as ale merchants, and are now in the suite you selected. The two servants you spoke to earlier then drove their wagon away, wearing your guests¡¯ cloaks. They returned on foot dressed as themselves. I don¡¯t believe any of Leonis¡¯s men took notice.¡± ¡°Good. Calwell, set up a private supper for tomorrow, in the small formal dining hall with the musicians¡¯ balcony, but don¡¯t invite any musicians. I¡¯ll be attending, along with Leonis and his companions, and the two guests that entered the fort with me. Not the other two. Find out which servers will be working, and then bring them to me in my chambers. I have a little something extra for them to add to one of the dishes.¡± Rusol and his bondmates would then just need to avoid that dish during the meal and wait for the poison to take effect. ¡°When you¡¯re done with your tasks, I want you both to forget anything unusual I¡¯ve said or asked you to do. It¡¯s been a normal day, with nothing out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Priest Calwell bowed, then left to complete his final task. Barat stood in place for a moment more, then winced and put his fingers to his temple. ¡°I apologize, Your Highness. I didn¡¯t hear what you just said.¡± ¡°It was nothing, Sir Barat, but you look pale. Perhaps you should go see one of the healers.¡± ¡°I ¡­ Yes, Your Highness. As you command.¡± Alone, Rusol went over the plan in his mind one last time to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything. It was a pity he¡¯d had to leave Yassi behind in Telfort so soon after their wedding, but she¡¯d be useless in a fight, and she¡¯d have spent the whole trip finding new ways to anger him. Even when he ordered her to pretend to be happy, there was always that look of sorrow and disappointment in her eyes¡ªthe look she reserved just for him. Of his remaining four bondmates, the biggest question was whether Jasper would be of any help. He¡¯d been an old man before Rusol had bonded him, and the warden bond didn¡¯t restore youth; it merely allowed the bearers to keep what youth they still had. More importantly, he was new to combat spells¡ªhe¡¯d never had the desire nor the strength to learn them before. But he¡¯d been a warden¡¯s bondmate for nearly four years now, and that would provide the strength. As for desire, Rusol¡¯s orders eliminated the need for that. Being in Telfort, though, they¡¯d had a difficult time getting their hands on useful spells. Their luck didn¡¯t improve until Rusol had bonded Rodulf, his newest bondmate. The boy¡ªhe was just eighteen¡ªhad stolen two spell books from his teacher before running away from his apprenticeship in Matagor. The books included a variety of different types of war magic. Rusol had ordered both wizards to learn as many of the combat spells as they could. It was a gamble, but Jasper and Rodulf were only meant to serve as a distraction. If they did well, he could give them more responsibility in the future. He left Calwell¡¯s office to find Kolvi and Magnus in the suite where they¡¯d been hidden away, to give them the final details. # Hiking into the barrens alone gave Razai a chance to clear her head. It had been years since she¡¯d spent so much time with so many people. Working for the seaborn and later for Renny, she¡¯d always had nights to herself, and one day off each week. And even when she was working, she was on her own in some ways, responsible for making the decisions on how best to protect her clients. She liked working alone. It meant she didn¡¯t have to deal with other people¡¯s stupidity. The last time she¡¯d worked with a crew was on the Valara job where she¡¯d met Vash. That group had spent a lot of time together, but mostly just because none of them had trusted any of the others. There had only been six of them, the job had taken less than two weeks, and when they were done, they¡¯d all gone their separate ways. Now, though, it had been months with the same people and she was getting soft. She had someone to share watch shifts with, someone to prepare her meals, even someone who made sure her horse was fed and watered. Marco paid her promptly each week, and there was little to spend that money on since most of her expenses were taken care of. Plus, in all the time she¡¯d been traveling with the group, she¡¯d only been in a single fight. Other than the incident outside Tir Shar, the only battles she¡¯d had to deal with were Marco and Ellerie arguing with each other about the expedition¡¯s budget. If things continued on like this, she would lose her edge. But perhaps that was about to change. She kept still as the scout passed by. He didn¡¯t notice her presence. She was invisible, but that was no excuse for his inattention. Although the ground was hard-packed, there was enough dust layered over the top that she¡¯d left faint tracks behind her. Even with the sun setting, he should have noticed her trail, but he never looked down. Instead, he trudged to the nearest rise and aimed a spyglass toward the mountain. That suggested potential trouble. Whether these people knew Razai¡¯s companions were at the mountain or not, they were clearly headed that way themselves. Maybe they only intended to pass by, but if they noticed people in the ruins, their plans might change. Still, there was nothing yet to indicate their intentions. She had to get closer. The scout returned the way he¡¯d come, and once he¡¯d passed out of sight, she released her invisibility spell and followed him, stepping in his tracks. The last time she¡¯d been on high enough ground to catch sight of the visitors, they¡¯d stopped to make camp, so it wouldn¡¯t take long to reach them. With the sky darkening, she dropped the illusionary tan and brown robe she¡¯d donned. At night, her own clothing¡ªa mix of black and gray¡ªwould be better suited to the task of sneaking around. Razai heard the camp before she saw it, the typical rowdiness of guardsmen without enough to occupy their time. They weren¡¯t drunk, though, which was a shame. Her task would be easier if they¡¯d been drinking. She crouched low and crept toward the camp. When she was close enough to see movement, she cast her invisibility spell, then inched forward slowly, waiting for full dark. She stopped a safe distance from the nearest tents, far enough out that no one would run into her by accident. The camp was much as Leena had described it, with numerous groups of people¡ªall men as far as Razai could tell¡ªscattered around talking and eating. There were three mage lights this time, though. There was one hovering above a tent in the center of camp, as Leena had mentioned, but now there were two more, illuminating the largest clusters of people. With no fires, perhaps the men had complained about the limited light from the waning moon. There was a commotion ahead, an older man in plain garb berating a group of armed men. One of the guardsmen argued back, and then the group as a whole turned away, apparently deciding to ignore whatever had been said. Razai had only learned a few words of Nysan, but it seemed that the first man was angry the guards hadn¡¯t posted a watch yet, while the guards felt it could wait until later. In a place this empty, there was little need to start a watch shift while everyone was still awake, but the first man seemed to feel the others weren¡¯t taking their duties seriously. If they were anything like the scout, Razai couldn¡¯t blame him. He finally walked off in a huff, heading almost straight for her¡ªapparently intending to keep watch himself. She edged away from him, but as he passed by, she caught sight of the knife strapped to his belt. It had a snake etched onto the hilt. Her grip tightened on her own knives. This man belonged to the group that had killed Leena¡¯s parents. If she killed him and dragged his body away, she could take his place in the camp. It would give her a recognizable face, and she wouldn¡¯t be at risk of the original suddenly showing up. It would also mean she wouldn¡¯t have to waste time dealing with her invisibility spell. But how long could she keep up the illusion when surrounded by others? She didn¡¯t speak enough of the language to pass as a local, and she hadn¡¯t heard his normal tone of voice enough to replicate it. Besides, once she left and people discovered he was missing, it would raise an alert. No, she¡¯d have to let him go for now. But just for now. While it was too risky to truly masquerade as him, she could use his clothing and appearance as a model to create a new disguise. With a camp this large, even if everyone knew everyone else by sight, they likely wouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to someone hurrying by in the dark. She switched to the new disguise, using the face from her old Aden disguise as a shortcut. As soon as the man with the knife was far enough away, facing the other direction, she dropped her invisibility spell and quickly strode into the camp. She stuck to the shadows, sneaking between tents and keeping away from the mage lights as much as possible. When she reached the large tent in the center of camp, she switched back to her invisibility spell. Listening through the canvas, she could hear parts of a murmured conversation, but they were speaking Nysan. She couldn¡¯t make out enough words to understand what they were saying. If she could get inside the tent, she could look to see if anything had been written down. Unfortunately, the front flap was closed and she couldn¡¯t figure out a way to enter without being noticed. Perhaps the occupants would leave soon, allowing her to snoop around. Then, the Sanvari man Leena had mentioned strode over to the tent and called to someone inside. A middle-aged bald man lifted the flap from the inside, then exited the tent. He muttered the words to a spell and added a second mage light above the tent, making the area brighter. The wizard. ¡°Where is she now, Sanvarite?¡± he asked in badly accented trade tongue. ¡°Has she disappeared beyond your reach again?¡± The Sanvari man scowled. ¡°Nowhere is beyond my reach. Someone¡¯s been warding her, but not today. Today, she¡¯s mostly stayed in the same place, about a mile and a half southeast of her previous location. I did detect her in Aencyr once, but she returned quickly, as usual.¡± They could only be referring to Leena. ¡°Then we¡¯ll find her tomorrow.¡± ¡°Find her? You don¡¯t bring an army to find someone. How do you think you¡¯re going to kill her when she can disappear the moment she sees you?¡± Two cowled forms came from the tent to join them, their faces half-hidden within the hoods of their robes. Razai¡¯s skin prickled when she saw them. Priests. Or trueborn, like Treya¡ªthough Treya was masquerading as a priest for some reason. Could these two sense Razai the way she could sense them? Some priests could. One spoke. ¡°She is protected by the others. Even if she gets away, we can still kill her protectors. It will then be easier to take her the next time you track her down.¡± ¡°And killing her is secondary,¡± said the other. ¡°Our Lord has sent us a new vision, a more urgent task. There¡¯s something here in the barrens we must find and destroy, and something else we must take for ourselves.¡± What lord was he referring to? The gods didn¡¯t involve themselves this closely in the mortal realm, but who else could send a vision? Too dangerous, the whispers said in her mind. Leave quickly. ¡°What are they?¡± the Sanvari man asked the two priests. ¡°We¡¯ll know when it¡¯s time, and then you¡¯ll help us find them. They¡¯re near the mountain.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d better hurry, because that¡¯s where the woman is.¡± The priests exchanged glances. ¡°You didn¡¯t think to tell us this before?¡± one asked. ¡°Tell you what? We¡¯ve been heading toward the mountain for two days, and I told you how far away she was. Where did you think we¡¯d find her? If you had ever bothered to mention the mountain was important, I¡¯d have looked more carefully before now.¡± The priests and the wizard broke into a rapid conversation in Nysan, the Sanvari man seemingly annoyed at being excluded from the conversation. Apparently he was the reason they¡¯d been speaking trade tongue. Razai drew one of her curved knives and crept forward, slowly enough to not disrupt the invisibility spell. She could kill the wizard now, and possibly end the threat. But could she kill the two priests before they reacted? A priest could potentially stop her in her tracks. Treya had done so accidentally the day before, when she¡¯d prevented Razai from killing the Chosar girl. If the priests stopped her, there¡¯d be no one to carry word back to the others. Razai backed away. It wasn¡¯t time to kill them yet. She snuck out of the camp, switching from the invisibility spell to her newest disguise when no one was looking her way. She argued silently with herself on the way out¡ªshe hated leaving an enemy alive behind her. She really was going soft. By the time she left the outer ring of tents behind, she was fuming. These people were trying to kill Leena and she¡¯d allowed them to continue living. Ahead of her, one of the plain-garbed men was standing watch. Not the same one as before, but a new one. He raised a hand to greet her, unable to see her face in the dark. Without thinking about it, Razai grabbed him by the hair, jerked his head back, and slit his throat. The shouts and laughter from the camp hid the gurgling noises as he died. She stared down at the man she¡¯d killed. So much for worrying about alerting them. She¡¯d lost control again, allowing the rage¡ªthe curse of the demonborn¡ªto control her actions. Now she had to deal with the consequences. She dragged him far enough away from the camp that no one would be able to see him in the dim light. How long would it be before his body was discovered? Could the Seeker figure out who¡¯d killed him¡ªor at least where she was? Would he bother to try? As long as Razai got a decent head start, she¡¯d be able to stay ahead of them until she reached her companions, but she didn¡¯t like the idea of being hunted along the way. Perhaps she could sow some confusion before leaving. She snuck back into the camp and found one of the armed guards who¡¯d taken his weapon belt off so he could sit more comfortably. Invisible, she slowly drew his secondary weapon, a long dagger, from its sheath. She left the camp and returned to the body, then stuck the dagger into the wound and left it there. Maybe it would throw them off her scent and maybe it wouldn¡¯t. Either way, now they would get an idea of what it felt like to be hunted. Book 3: Chapter Thirty-One Corec stared, frowning, at the four tower shields¡ªthe three they¡¯d hauled up from the armory the day before, and the heavy one he¡¯d found with the enchanted weapons. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Katrin asked, joining him. ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what to do with them,¡± he admitted. She snickered. ¡°Then why did you bring them out?¡± ¡°I was hoping something would occur to me,¡± Corec said. Boktar had refused to carry one, preferring to stick with his heater shield so he could remain more mobile. Nedley didn¡¯t have the experience or the upper body strength to use one effectively. Setting all four together in a row could have made a decent shield wall for Katrin and Shavala, protecting them from arrows while they participated in the battle from a distance, except for the fact that there were over a hundred thick-walled stone buildings available, many of which were still intact. Some even had openings for windows, which could serve as the crenels in a parapet, offering the women a chance to see their targets while staying mostly out of sight. The buildings would provide much better protection than a shield wall could, especially if there was a wizard looking for obvious targets. ¡°What about giving them to the wagon drivers?¡± Katrin said. ¡°If the fight reaches them, the shields won¡¯t help. They¡¯ll have better luck if they can prove they¡¯re locals, and not part of our group.¡± Corec intended to position the five farmboys from Livadi well away from the battle. He¡¯d given them each a staff-spear in case they had to defend themselves, but it was his job to keep them safe. Perhaps he should have sent them home after all, but he couldn¡¯t have let them go off alone into the barrens without protection, and he couldn¡¯t spare enough people to watch over them. Katrin seemed to sense his concern. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re worried about nothing and there even won¡¯t be a fight,¡± she said. A voice came from behind them. ¡°There will be.¡± Corec turned to find Razai brushing dust off her clothing. ¡°They¡¯re coming here?¡± he asked. She nodded. ¡°You moved the camp farther back.¡± ¡°I wanted to make sure they couldn¡¯t see us if they looked this way,¡± he said. ¡°No mage lights outside the buildings, either. What did you find?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be here this afternoon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Sarette thought the last time she went up the mountain to check on them. Do they know we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes; they¡¯ve got a Seeker with them, tracking us down. It¡¯s the same group that attacked us outside Tir Shar. They¡¯ve got the knives with the snakes on the hilt.¡± Corec exhaled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what we¡¯ve been preparing for. Farmers and villagers again? The ones with the knives, I mean?¡± ¡°Looks like it, but they had bows last time. I¡¯m sure they will this time, too.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see any?¡± Razai rolled her eyes. ¡°Why would they be carrying bows in the dark, in the middle of nowhere, while sitting around their own camp?¡± Corec waved that off. ¡°Did you figure out why they¡¯re after us? Did Rusol send them?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t mention him. They just said they planned to kill us, and they¡¯re looking for something here.¡± ¡°Something from the ruins?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t seem to know.¡± ¡°What about their numbers?¡± ¡°Over a hundred, like Leena said. An even mix of the armed guards and the men with the knives. I only saw one wizard, but there were two priests.¡± ¡°Priests? Priests of Pallisur?¡± What would priests be doing there? Had Rusol sent them? Corec wasn¡¯t sure whether the Church in Cordaea was independent, or if it was bound to follow orders from Cardinal Aldrich. ¡°I didn¡¯t stop to ask,¡± Razai said in an annoyed tone. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get lucky and they won¡¯t be blessed,¡± Corec said. Blessed priests¡ªthose who¡¯d been granted divine magic¡ªweren¡¯t as common as the unblessed. His home town of Tarwen Village had never rated one; they¡¯d just had the fraud Calwell, who¡¯d allowed Corec¡¯s mother to die. Even in Fort Hightower, blessed priests had been in the minority. ¡°If they weren¡¯t blessed, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to sense them.¡± Corec paused. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that,¡± he said. ¡°Good,¡± Razai said. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t tell you things¡ªso you won¡¯t know them.¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure if that was supposed to be a joke or just a simple statement of fact. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Can we really fight them?¡± Corec said, ¡°If they¡¯re coming after us, we have to. We can¡¯t just hide and hope they pass by, and if there¡¯s a Seeker following us, running will just delay things. At least this time, we¡¯ll be able to prepare.¡± ¡°But there are over a hundred men!¡± Corec was worried too, but it wouldn¡¯t do any good to show it. ¡°They sent thirty last time, and that was an ambush. Here, we can use the buildings as fortifications. With any luck, Ellerie and Shavala will be able to take out their archers before they find any targets. Then we just need to hit the mercenaries hard enough that they surrender.¡± When he said it that way, it almost sounded easy. Razai growled deep in her throat. ¡°You¡¯re going to let them go again?¡± ¡°After we question them. If they¡¯re actually mercenaries, then the others probably lied to them, like they did last time.¡± ¡°Mercenaries who are willing to murder one group of people just because another group says so? You¡¯re too easy on them. Better to kill them than to set them loose.¡± Corec frowned. If a Senshall caravan master hadn¡¯t given him a chance as a guardsman on a caravan leaving Larso for the free lands, he might have ended up as a mercenary himself. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he said. ¡°We do need to try to take some as prisoners, so we can find out what¡¯s going on. And I¡¯d like to capture the priests and the Seeker if we can.¡± Taking the wizard alive would be too dangerous. Their best chance was to kill him before he killed anyone else. Hopefully Ellerie, Sarette, or Shavala would be able to pick him out from a distance. If not, Corec would have to rush him before he could cast a spell. ¡°Good luck trying to take a priest prisoner,¡± Razai said. ¡°I¡¯m going to go get some sleep¡ªI¡¯ve been awake all night. Wake me up when it¡¯s time to kill people.¡± She strode off without another word. Corec stared after her. It felt like he should try to ask her more questions about what she¡¯d seen, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything else he needed to know. He was no general¡ªhe¡¯d barely passed his classes on tactics. Shaking his head, he turned back to Katrin. ¡°Well, at least we know for sure,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me honestly,¡± she said. ¡°Can we win? I usually like it better when you tell me everything¡¯s going to be all right, but this time I want to know the truth.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. He sighed and took her in his arms, resting his chin on top of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. If it was soldiers fighting soldiers, the fortifications should be enough to tip the balance, but the truth is, we only have three soldiers and one archer. That¡¯s not enough, regardless of the circumstances. We¡¯ll have to depend on magic, and I don¡¯t know how to measure that. How many of them do you think you can scare away?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she said. ¡°It depends how close they have to get before they can hear me. Maybe five? Ten if we¡¯re lucky?¡± Corec had never tried to plan his strategies around the use of magic before. He¡¯d rarely been given enough time to plan any sort of strategy at all. He sorted through the possibilities in his mind. Their best bet was to strike first, before the enemy had figured out their positions. That meant he¡¯d have to take Razai¡¯s word that the other group intended to attack. He couldn¡¯t wait and try to talk it out, because doing so would give up their biggest advantage. ¡°This is just about the best battleground we could have hoped for,¡± he said. ¡°The only thing better would be an actual fortress, but this will work fine. We can lead them to exactly where we want them. And if they¡¯re like the last group, half of their men will be useless in a fight once we take out their archers. We may not be soldiers, but neither are they. They took us by surprise last time and we still beat them.¡± Katrin stepped back and looked up at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± she said. He stared into her eyes. Could he send her away before the battle, to keep her safe? Perhaps with Shavala to watch over her? But if the Seeker was searching for all of them, that would leave the two of them alone and unprotected. It was safer to stay together. ¡°You asked me for the truth,¡± he said, ¡°and that¡¯s as much of it as I¡¯ve figured out so far.¡± She nodded, then glanced at the last two items he¡¯d brought back from the ruins. ¡°Are you going to give those to her?¡± ¡°Yes, I should probably do that now. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll help, but it can¡¯t hurt to ask.¡± ¡°Do you want me to come with you?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to want to talk to anyone. Maybe it would be better if I went alone.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go let Ellerie and the others know what Razai said, in case she didn¡¯t bother to tell them.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Corec said. Katrin headed back to the main camp. Corec went in the opposite direction. He found Ariadne dropping pebbles into what appeared to have once been a communal well, though there was no water and it was now nearly filled in with the same dry, dusty soil as the rest of the barrens. ¡°I brought your sword and helmet,¡± he said, holding them out to her. She snatched the weapon away and sheathed it, speaking in a language that sounded almost like Sanvari. ¡°I can¡¯t understand you,¡± he said, setting the helmet down on the rim of the well. She grimaced, then pointed to his hand. Treya had told him what to expect. He held his arm out, and Ariadne grasped his wrist. She moaned in pain and dashed tears from her eyes as Corec¡¯s strength drained away. He had to sit down to make sure he didn¡¯t fall. Then it was over. He drew in a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Blood had dripped from Ariadne¡¯s nose. She wiped it away. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked in Corec¡¯s birth tongue. ¡°Another language? How many must I deal with?¡± ¡°You¡¯re speaking Western,¡± he said. It seemed like a strange topic for his first conversation with one of the Ancients, but Leena had warned him that Ariadne didn¡¯t seem to fully understand what had happened to her. ¡°Do none of you speak the same language?¡± ¡°When we¡¯re all together, we speak trade tongue. It¡¯s the only language we all share. Can you learn it?¡± ¡°I have no desire to speak to more of you. I demand that you return me to my people!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can help with that,¡± he said. ¡°Unless your people are the seaborn.¡± ¡°I do not know this word. My people are The People.¡± She grunted. ¡°The Chosar, I mean.¡± ¡°I wish I could tell you what happened to them, but I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You cannot continue lying to me forever. Go away.¡± ¡°I will, but first I need to tell you that there¡¯s a big group headed this way. They¡¯ll be here in a few hours. We expect them to attack us.¡± ¡°Humans?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do I care about one group of human invaders fighting another? You fought each other before the war, and now that it¡¯s over, you already start back up again.¡± ¡°War? What war?¡± She scowled at him. ¡°Everyone knows of the war, human. Don¡¯t play games.¡± She didn¡¯t seem willing to accept what had happened. Was there any way to get through to her? According to Treya, she claimed to be a knight, but perhaps the word meant something different to her. Corec was no longer even sure what it meant to him. As a child, it had represented a new future; as an adult, it was a past he wanted to leave behind¡ªhe certainly didn¡¯t see himself as a warrior of Pallisur. But beyond the religious trappings and cultural differences, knighthood had to mean something. All he could do was try. ¡°Whatever you think about the rest of us,¡± he said, ¡°the drivers are innocent. They¡¯re just farmboys we hired to haul supplies. You can fight¡ªI saw it. Would you watch over them, and make sure our enemies don¡¯t harm them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sworn to protect The People and Tir Yadar, not barbarians and thieves.¡± ¡°You¡¯d let innocent people suffer just because they¡¯re human?¡± She drew in a sharp breath, then turned her back to him. ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± Corec gave up and left. # Leena dug through the remaining bags of food, trying to decide what to serve for the midday meal. The next supply caravan¡ªthe small one¡ªwas still a week away, and she would have to portion everything out to make sure it lasted. They hadn¡¯t expected to be feeding the wagon drivers for this long. She debated teleporting to Aencyr and buying a whole cooked roast, but she needed to preserve her strength. ¡°Hey,¡± Razai said from the doorway. Leena hadn¡¯t realized she was back. ¡°Was it them?¡± she asked, trying to keep her voice from wavering. ¡°Yes. Same knives. I made sure of it. And I listened in¡ªthey¡¯re after you, but I didn¡¯t tell the others that.¡± Leena swallowed. ¡°Me? Why?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t say, and I¡¯m not sure they know your name, but they definitely know you¡¯re here. They¡¯ve been tracking your trips to Aencyr. The Sanvarite, he¡¯s a Seeker.¡± A Seeker was helping them? Leena felt like she should be shocked, but it made a lot of sense. How else had they known where all the Travelers and their families lived? How else had they tracked her down, twice, on a completely different continent? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell the others they¡¯re coming for me?¡± she asked. ¡°After Marco suggested we should kick you off the expedition because of the last attack? The only reason he didn¡¯t keep pushing for it was because Corec convinced him they were after the whole group.¡± ¡°Marco is Marco, but I don¡¯t think Ellerie or Corec would let him leave me behind.¡± ¡°Then you have more faith in them than I do.¡± Leena shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway. If they¡¯re after me and they have a Seeker working for them, I¡¯ll just go back home. Well, not home, but somewhere in Sanvar where they can¡¯t get to me.¡± Maybe she could lead them on a chase into the Wadalli Desert. As long as they didn¡¯t have a Traveler, she could stay ahead of anyone trying to follow her. ¡°If the Seeker learns I¡¯m not here, they won¡¯t have any reason to attack you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming whether you stick around or not. They know we¡¯re protecting you, so they want to get rid of us, too. And they¡¯re looking for something here.¡± ¡°Looking for what?¡± ¡°Two things, I guess. Something to take and something to destroy. They didn¡¯t seem to know what they were. It sounded like they were going to get more information once they arrive.¡± Leena frowned, considering that. Tell me where the things are that my enemies are looking for. She didn¡¯t get a response, but she hadn¡¯t really expected one. The question was too imprecise. But then, so were the Seekings she¡¯d done that had led her here. Whatever intelligence had been guiding her would only allow her to break the rules enough to bring her to this spot. Beyond that, her Seeking was more limited. Then she had a thought. Tell me where to go to protect my brother and avenge my parents. She hadn¡¯t tried in days, not having had any luck since they¡¯d arrived at the ruins. This time, though, there was a response. It was coming from less than ten feet away. The next room over. ¡°Come with me,¡± she said. ¡°What?¡± Razai asked. ¡°Watch the hall,¡± Leena said. ¡°Warn me if someone¡¯s coming.¡± She stepped through an empty doorway into a dark room without windows. They¡¯d chosen this room as the most secure place to store the things they¡¯d hauled out of the mountain, but they hadn¡¯t posted a guard. They didn¡¯t have enough people for that, and it was unlikely anyone could approach their position without being observed. The mage-light lanterns were also kept here when they weren¡¯t being used, and one still had a light shining inside. Leena picked it up and uncovered the glass, illuminating the supplies and other bundles stacked around the room. This close, she didn¡¯t have to repeat her Seeking. She could still feel precisely where the pinging sensation had come from. Reaching into a wooden crate, she pulled out a tightly bundled blanket, then unrolled it on the floor. Several pieces of jewelry lay on the cloth. Since she¡¯d moved the bundle, her Seeking was no longer accurate, but she remembered the signature of the object she¡¯d felt. It matched a solid jade bracelet with a band approximately an inch wide. ¡°This is what I came here for,¡± she said. ¡°This is how I¡¯m supposed to protect my brother.¡± The bracelet had been locked behind a warded door. The warding must have been designed to do more than just keep people out. The Seeking had sent her to Tir Yadar because she had asked it where to go next, but once she was within range of the bracelet, the warding spell had blocked her from actually finding it. ¡°A bracelet?¡± Razai asked skeptically. ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Do you think Marco¡¯s catalogued it already? Will he notice if it¡¯s missing?¡± ¡°Of course he has, and of course he will. Are you going to steal it?¡± Leena slid the bracelet onto her wrist. Without warning, it tightened in place, flush with her skin. She drew in a sharp, startled breath, but then relaxed. It was magic, after all, and the tighter fit would ensure it didn¡¯t fall off. She slid her long sleeve back down to cover it. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°For now, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m borrowing it until I learn what I¡¯m supposed to do with it. Please don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± She rolled the blanket up into a bundle once more, and put it back in the crate where she¡¯d found it. ¡°I won¡¯t, but it¡¯s not going to take them long to find out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll figure out what to do about it before then. For now, I need to go talk to Corec.¡± Razai furrowed her brow. ¡°He¡¯s not going to keep it a secret.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling him about the bracelet. I¡¯m telling him about the Seeker looking for me. Maybe we can use that against them.¡± Book 3: Chapter Thirty-Two Corec waited impatiently, checking the fit of the new cuirass he was wearing. It was comforting to feel the full weight of heavy armor once more, even if it wasn¡¯t quite so heavy as before. He was wearing a mail shirt and cuirass from the armory, but he¡¯d had to pair that with the remnants of his old armor¡ªthe helmet, gauntlets, greaves, and vambraces. It looked odd with the mix of styles and metals, but it seemed functional enough. None of the full suits of plate in the armory had fit him, and he¡¯d tried each one. It had taken nearly an hour, even with Nedley¡¯s help, since all the straps had rotted away. When the people had abandoned the place, they¡¯d apparently taken most of the full suits of armor, leaving only the smallest and largest sizes, and the large ones were too big even for Corec. Luckily, there was a full range of sizes available for the separate cuirasses and mail. One of the small suits of plate would fit Nedley, but Corec had convinced him it would take too long to learn to fight in it. Boktar had promised to teach him, but there wasn¡¯t enough time before the enemy arrived. For now, Nedley, too, was wearing a new chain shirt and cuirass in place of his old red-eye brigandine. They¡¯d taken the time to test the new armor to make sure it was real and not ceremonial. Despite being half the weight Corec was used to, it had held up well against their weapons. Neither Nedley¡¯s old steel sword nor his new one, made of the Ancient¡¯s darker metal, could pierce it, and the attempt had chipped a section of the old blade. Boktar¡¯s warhammer had fared better, denting the metal if he applied enough strength, but the armor plating held up better than steel would have. Only Corec¡¯s enchanted sword had been able to penetrate the metal, and doing so had required several powerful, well-aimed strokes at the exact same spot. Sarette had decided to keep her old mail. She wasn¡¯t sure whether the new metal would affect her abilities, and wanted more time to experiment with it before using it in a fight. She was standing nearby, along with the others who would be helping Corec hold off the oncoming group. Leena was positioned in a building two blocks to the north, hoping to attract the Seeker¡¯s attention. If he led the enemy forces toward her position, they would most likely follow one of the two streets that led straight there from the south. Given how narrow the streets were, Corec suspected they might take both. He and his friends were hidden on a cross-street between the two. Once the enemy had committed to the approach, Corec and Sarette planned to block off the intersection to the west and Boktar and Razai would guard the one to the east, hopefully bottlenecking their opponents and making sure their greater numbers couldn¡¯t come to bear. Treya and Josip would support whichever pair needed them the most. The entrances to the nearest structures lining the approach had been blocked off with boulders and fallen stone blocks, so their opponents wouldn¡¯t be able to use them for cover. Corec poked his head around the corner of the building to check the street again, finally finding Razai running his way. She¡¯d been out scouting the oncoming forces, since Corec¡¯s group was positioned too far back in the ruins to see their opponents approach amongst all the buildings. It was inconvenient, but it also meant their enemies couldn¡¯t see them. Not yet, at least. Corec¡¯s biggest worry was whether their enemies had a crafty commander. They had to know their arrival wasn¡¯t a secret. If they were smart, they¡¯d treat the entire area as enemy territory. To be cautious, they might send a small scouting party toward the decoy building to find out where everyone was located. If the scouts were attacked, their archers could retaliate from a distance, and then the rest of the forces could follow a different route before Corec could reposition his own people. The only way he could think of to counter that was to remain hidden until the bulk of the enemy forces had been deployed. The buildings near Corec¡¯s position had entrances along the cross street, so if a scouting party came by, he and his friends could take cover in those without being observed. Whether the enemy sent a scouting party or not, Corec was hoping the rest of their forces would commit to the approach before anyone reached Leena¡¯s position. If she was attacked, she¡¯d Travel to a secondary location and try again, but it would mean Corec and his friends would have a harder time trying to block off the route. ¡°Well?¡± Corec asked Razai as she darted into the cross street, out of view of anyone who might be following her. ¡°They¡¯re all mixed together,¡± she said. ¡°The archers, the armsmen, the ones with the knives. They¡¯re headed for Leena¡¯s position and they¡¯re watching for us, but they¡¯re not organized at all.¡± ¡°The mercenaries must not be taking the threat seriously,¡± Corec said. ¡°Or they think we¡¯re farther away. If they¡¯re still like that when they reach us, it¡¯ll be difficult to take out their archers, but it¡¯ll also be difficult for their archers to target us. Could you tell which route they¡¯ll take?¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t reached the spot yet where they¡¯ll need to decide, and I couldn¡¯t stay any longer and still get back in time. I think we should stay here. Once they hit the plaza, these are the only two streets that lead directly to Leena.¡± Corec nodded. He¡¯d considered facing their opponents in the plaza they¡¯d found in the center of the ruins, where Shavala¡¯s spells might have greater effect, but the wide open location would have allowed the enemy to overwhelm them with their greater numbers. These two narrow streets would offer a better chance for a small number of people to hold off a larger force. He went over the plan again in his head, worried he¡¯d missed something. Finally, he said, ¡°Nedley, let Shavala and Katrin know about the archers, then stay there like we discussed. Josip, can you get to Ellerie and back in time?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Josip replied. The two men took off, Josip heading to the building overlooking the western intersection, where Ellerie was hidden on the top floor. Her role was to target the archers¡ªand the wizard, if she could find him. Her arrow shield would extend to cover Corec¡¯s intersection, but it wouldn¡¯t reach as far as Boktar¡¯s. To balance that, Shavala and Katrin were in a different building on the east side. Shavala¡¯s spells could, in theory, hit more targets at once than Ellerie¡¯s, and Katrin could affect multiple people as long as they could hear her. Boktar¡¯s armor and shield would protect him from arrows. Corec was more worried about Razai, who didn¡¯t wear armor, but she hadn¡¯t shown any concern. Treya touched his shoulder and concentrated for a moment. ¡°This should protect you from fire and lightning magic.¡± ¡°What about something like Ellerie¡¯s spells?¡± he asked as she moved on to Boktar. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure that one out. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Corec nodded. It was better than nothing, but hopefully Ellerie or Shavala would be able to find the wizard quickly. Treya finished with the others, then cast the spell on Josip once he returned. While Boktar and Razai headed to the eastern end of the cross street, Corec joined Sarette at the western end, near the intersection the two of them would be guarding. She was using one of her small signal mirrors to peer around the corner. ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± she murmured. ¡°Still all bunched up. No advance scouts.¡± Corec used hand signals to let Boktar know. Razai faded from view, then returned a moment later and repeated Corec¡¯s signals. Their opponents were coming down both streets. And hopefully only those two streets, since those were the only routes Corec and his friends were guarding. Treya and Josip, who¡¯d been standing near the center of the cross street until they knew where they were needed, split up. Treya joined Boktar and Razai, and Josip came over to Corec¡¯s side. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close,¡± Corec said to him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk hitting you.¡± He needed plenty of space to swing his sword. Sarette was used to fighting near him, and she wore armor that would protect her from a stray swing, but Josip didn¡¯t. The guide nodded, and drew his hand axe and pickaxe from his belt. Sarette rapped the butt of her spear on the ground, charging it with lightning magic¡ªshe was using one of the enchanted staff-spears for the battle, since the charge didn¡¯t fade. Corec detached his sword harness and slid the blade out, leaving the harness and scabbard leaning up against a stone wall. He cast his combat spells in preparation. ¡°At least we¡¯re not the ones getting ambushed for once,¡± he muttered, then nodded to Sarette and charged into the intersection, crashing into the first man to arrive¡ªa mercenary with a mace and a shield¡ªand knocking him to the ground. Before Sarette could join him, Corec whipped his sword around in an arc, slicing the side of another man¡¯s face, and then lodging in the ribs of one of the archers¡ªwho was up in front of the advance for some reason. Corec pulled his blade free, then swung down at the man he¡¯d knocked over. The fellow was wearing armor, but as he¡¯d climbed back up to his hands and knees, he¡¯d exposed a gap between his helmet and mail. Corec struck him there, cutting into his neck. Two more men saw Corec¡¯s glowing sword and attempted to turn and run, but the press of bodies pushed them forward instead. Sarette reached the intersection and tapped a mercenary¡¯s brigandine armor with the blade of her staff-spear, discharging the lightning magic into his body. She quickly charged the weapon again, and took a position at Corec¡¯s back. A few archers had managed to group together farther down the street, but before they could take aim, one of Ellerie¡¯s beam spells hit the middle one in the chest. The other two scrambled away, but several darts of light followed, hitting the second one in the back. And then there was no time to think about anything other than the ebb and flow of the battle. # ¡°Miss Shavala,¡± Nedley was saying, ¡°Razai says the archers are mixed in with the others. Corec says if they stay that way, they¡¯ll be harder for you to pick out.¡± Shavala nodded. Regardless of the circumstances, she was supposed to do whatever she judged would have the most impact on the battle, but it was still helpful to know in advance. ¡°Did he tell you what to do?¡± she asked. Nedley frowned. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to stay here. Can¡¯t I go back down?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so eager to jump into the middle of a fight,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯m older now than Corec was when he left the knights!¡± the boy protested. He¡¯d turned seventeen a few days earlier. ¡°When he left the knights before completing his training, you mean. And that was after he¡¯d been training constantly for six years. And Boktar¡¯s been fighting for decades. What about you?¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°But what if they need help?¡± ¡°If they need help down there, we¡¯ll need help here too.¡± ¡°Stay with us, Ned,¡± Bobo said. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure no one sneaks up on the ladies while they¡¯re busy. You can watch the stairs.¡± Nedley looked down and sighed, but then nodded, moving over to stand in front of the stairwell. He¡¯d been coming out of his shell over the past few weeks, finally expressing himself more, but Shavala agreed with the decision to keep him away from the fighting. He could handle himself against poorly trained opponents, but a few months of training with Rusol¡¯s mercenary army and a few months more with Corec and Boktar didn¡¯t make him a soldier. Seventeen was just so young. Of course, to Shavala, even Corec seemed dreadfully young. On the nights she shared his bed, she had to remind herself that humans aged at different rates than elves. Sometimes she considered staying away from his tent until he turned one hundred and eleven, the elven age of majority. That might actually be possible with what they knew about the warden bond. But then she would decide she was just being silly, and join him anyway. ¡°You¡¯re stringing your bow?¡± Katrin asked her. ¡°Corec wants us to stay out of sight.¡± They were hoping to avoid attracting the attention of the enemy archers and wizard. ¡°I just want it ready if I need it.¡± Even if she wasn¡¯t intending to use it, it would have been strange to go into a fight without her bow close at hand. Shavala had been an archer for forty years, much longer than she¡¯d been training as a druid. The unfortunate truth was that she simply wasn¡¯t strong enough for her arrows to pierce armor. The new arrows were better in that regard, especially the darker-tipped ones, but they still weren¡¯t enough. She could make incredible shots when she needed to, mostly while hunting, but it was harder in the middle of a battle, with her opponents swirling around the field. To be effective, she¡¯d practically need to know where her targets were planning to move before they knew it themselves. She finished with her bow and propped it up against the wall, near her quiver and the strange tershaya staff she¡¯d found below the mountain. All that was left to do was wait. It didn¡¯t take long. They heard the enemy before they saw them, and then they appeared, streaming down the street that would lead them to Boktar¡¯s position. He, Razai, and Treya were staying hidden along the cross street until the time was right. Katrin peered through the window at an angle, trying to keep from being seen. ¡°They¡¯re still bunched up. I think ¡­ I think they¡¯re coming down both streets. Can you reach the archers?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shavala said. With how the streets twisted and turned, their opponents were only visible along a three-block stretch south from her position, which put them close enough for her spells. ¡°I don¡¯t know which one the wizard is. Should I wait for them to reach Boktar, or start now?¡± There was a commotion to the west as Corec and Sarette charged into the intersection they were guarding, surprising the enemy armsmen who were coming down the other street. The ones along the eastern side realized what was happening and rushed forward, looking for a way west to support their compatriots. They ran into Boktar and Razai, who suddenly appeared from behind a building, surprising them. The two quickly took out their first opponents, then settled in for a longer battle. Treya took a position behind them to keep them from being surrounded. Katrin burst into song, and the next rank of men turned and fled in a panic, trampling their companions in their haste to get away. Then Razai disappeared, and in her place was an eight-foot-tall demon with horns and tusks, wielding two curved swords. She¡¯d warned everyone about her plan, but it was still startling to see it appear so suddenly. The beast roared and more men tried to run, but then there was a strange, echoing shout from farther back in the ranks. The runners stopped and turned back to the front, confused expressions on their faces. A moment later, the illusion disappeared. The men who¡¯d run from Katrin hadn¡¯t returned, but Razai looked frustrated as she attacked the ones she¡¯d been trying to frighten away. In the absence of finding the wizard, Corec had hoped Shavala could catch the archers in a single massive fire, but with them all spread out like this, it wasn¡¯t possible. The most effective option would probably be a wall of flame to the south, tall enough to prevent any archers behind it from finding a target, while also blocking off enough of the others to keep them from overwhelming the intersection. Shavala prepared the spell in her mind, along with the spells that would follow it¡ªpillars of flame, as she identified any archers who weren¡¯t blocked behind the larger wall of fire. If she could eliminate the worst of the threats, perhaps the others would surrender or flee and she wouldn¡¯t have to kill them. She stepped up to the window and began casting the first spell, and then ¡­ Pain. She cried out and fell to the floor, her head in agony. A splitting headache, far worse than any she¡¯d ever imagined, and it had spiked just as she¡¯d tried to loose the wall of flame. No, she felt. It wasn¡¯t a word so much as a concept, a feeling. It repeated itself. No. It was the staff, she realized. It was trying to communicate with her. ¡°Shavala!¡± Katrin exclaimed, abandoning her song. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Bobo, help!¡± Shavala tried to crawl to the staff, hampered by the pain and by Katrin crouching down and grabbing her by the shoulders. She finally reached it, grasping the wooden shaft in her hands. ¡°I have to!¡± she said to it. ¡°Have to what?¡± Katrin asked. No, the staff expressed again. I have to protect my friends! she insisted. Uncertainty. Then, no. Why? They need me! If she didn¡¯t help, Boktar and Razai could be overrun or targeted by too many archers. Ellerie¡¯s arrow shield didn¡¯t extend far enough to reach Boktar¡¯s position. It was Shavala¡¯s responsibility to deal with the archers on this side. Uncertainty. Life. Death. The pain grew more intense, and Shavala curled up on the floor, still clutching the staff. ¡°What does that mean?¡± she cried out in Elven. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying!¡± Katrin said, a look of fear on her face as she pulled Shavala¡¯s body close to her. ¡°I can¡¯t find any injuries!¡± Bobo said, prodding at her. ¡°Was she hit with something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Katrin said. Shavala attempted the spell again, but the pain was even sharper this time. Why are you doing this? she asked. Confusion. She sobbed quietly as Katrin held her, the battle raging on below them. # Treya sidestepped the knife and grabbed the man¡¯s arm, twisting it out of its socket. As he doubled over in pain, she slammed her knee into his face. The knife men weren¡¯t trained fighters¡ªthey seemed more like farmers than anything¡ªbut they could still be dangerous, and some of them were picking up other weapons that their armsmen had lost on the battlefield. Worse, there seemed to be no end to them. Treya had joined Boktar and Razai to help them against the overwhelming numbers, but no other support had come their way. Katrin¡¯s singing had trailed off early on, and Shavala hadn¡¯t made any attempts to stop the archers. Had the enemy found where they were hiding so quickly? Boktar wouldn¡¯t be in danger from the archers, but neither Treya nor Razai wore armor. The only thing that had saved them so far was that the bowmen were stuck in the crush of the melee, and would have a difficult time making a shot with their own people in the way. Then, twenty feet down the street, one of the archers scrambled up a half-collapsed wall to give himself room to use his bow. He nocked an arrow and drew, aiming for Razai. Treya couldn¡¯t get to him through the press of people. Without stopping to think about it, she braced her feet in a fighting stance and thrust her palms out as if she was striking his chest. She was too far away to reach him, but, somehow, he went flying backward off the wall, his bowstave snapping in two. Before she could figure out what she¡¯d just done, there was a cry of pain from the other intersection. Josip had fallen. Treya needed to get to him, but there was a man sneaking up behind Boktar with a cudgel. She slipped around him, then spun back and slammed her glowing palm into his nose, causing an awful crunching sound. As he stumbled back, shouting in pain, she kicked him between the legs as hard as she could. With her way clear, she dashed to the western side of the block, where Corec and Sarette had moved to shield Josip. Treya grasped his shoulders and used all of her strength to pull him away from the melee. Even after years of training, she wasn¡¯t particularly strong, but the divine blessing that helped her fight also helped with this. Once she had him a safe distance away, she laid her hands on his head and reached out with her healing senses. He¡¯d been stabbed in the chest, and his arm had been hit hard enough to shatter the bone. Both were serious injuries, but it was the chest wound that was killing him. She focused on that first, directing healing magic to knit his organs and ribs back together. There was a flurry of movement as Corec charged forward so he could swing his blade in wider arcs. He managed to push the armsmen back, giving Sarette and himself a bit of breathing room, but it didn¡¯t take long before they were swarmed again. From this vantage point, it was obvious there were more of the trained mercenaries here than in Boktar¡¯s intersection. Corec and Sarette were holding them back while Ellerie¡¯s spells streaked overhead, but there were too many of them, and Treya¡¯s friends were stuck fighting just to defend themselves. They needed help, but Josip¡¯s wounds were severe, and Treya needed more time to heal him. He was awake now, though. ¡°My axe and pick,¡± he muttered, pushing himself up so he could lean against the nearest wall. ¡°They¡¯re buried in there somewhere,¡± Treya said, indicating the mass of people in the intersection. ¡°And you¡¯re not in any shape to do anything anyway. You need to stay here.¡± He grunted but didn¡¯t argue, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. She pushed another surge of healing magic into his body, but at that moment, one of the mercenaries broke through while Corec and Sarette were distracted by the others. He saw her and grinned, raising his sword. Treya jumped to her feet and tried a risky maneuver, brushing her hand against the blade as he struck at her. She managed to guide it away from her body, then she advanced on him, striking faster than he could block, pushing him back toward the intersection. Just as they reached it, Sarette¡¯s staff-spear slashed down against his metal armor, releasing the charge of lightning magic it held. The mercenary fell to the ground. Sarette had blood running down her cheek, but even if she¡¯d been able to step away from the fight, Treya couldn¡¯t heal her and watch over Josip at the same time. And what would she do if Razai or Boktar needed healing? She couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once. Then she remembered the day they¡¯d fought the zombies. She¡¯d done something to the zombies, but she¡¯d done something else that day, too. If she could just remember how ¡­ Taking a deep breath, she gathered as much healing magic as she could, then thrust her arms out to the sides, trying to extend her spell as wide as possible. There was no bell tone this time, but the pulses of light still came, washing over her allies. As the first reached Josip, he drew in a sharp breath and opened his eyes, looking more alert. The pulses continued emanating from Treya¡¯s body even after she lowered her arms to her sides. It was a healing spell, of sorts. Without an intelligence to guide it, she doubted it was as good as directly healing someone, but it would continue on its own and work at a distance. It would have to do. Even with Ellerie¡¯s help, Corec and Sarette were close to being overwhelmed as they tried to fight off dozens of the mercenaries. Treya would have to take Josip¡¯s place on this side of the battle, leaving Boktar and Razai to manage on their own. Hopefully Shavala and Katrin would be able to help them. But even if they did, she wasn¡¯t sure it would be enough. # Fox watched the battle from the roof of an empty building, waiting for the right moment. He¡¯d been anticipating this day for months, ever since he¡¯d first learned Snake might still be alive. Now, the evidence was here before his eyes, and he could no longer deny it. The two priests below bore his brother¡¯s scent. That meant there was a new player in the game, a player who¡¯d remained hidden for thousands of years. It changed the delicate balance between the other players, throwing all the potential futures into chaos. What did Snake want? Up until now, Fox had tried to stay out of the game, making only tiny adjustments when they were needed. He¡¯d taken direct action just once, when he, Bear, and Raven had determined that The Lady¡¯s plan had to be stopped. She¡¯d been so blinded by her hatred for Pallisur, she hadn¡¯t seen that she¡¯d be creating something even worse¡ªa semi-immortal godling unbound by either the rules the gods placed on themselves or by the strictures that governed the connections between the realms. Fox hoped The Lady had found wisdom since that day, but he doubted it. After all, it was she who had killed Wisdom. Ironically, her plan would have reinforced the structural integrity of the Collision, at least for a while. That should have been Fox¡¯s primary concern, ensuring the realms remained stable. But he¡¯d watched the mortal world for millennia, since the people were first learning to use tools. He¡¯d constructed his identity based on one of the creatures that lived there. Without stimuli to provoke change and creation, his own world had once been a featureless void consisting only of thought, but within the mortal realm, he and his brothers had found purpose. His first duty was to safeguard the Collision, but if it was possible, he would save the mortal world too¡ªat least from the worst of the potential fates that might befall it. And with any luck, neither the demon lords nor these new gods would ever realize the truth about their linked realms. The demons were too destructive to be trusted with the knowledge, while the gods seemed intent on taking power for themselves without bothering to first understand the consequences. But that was a worry for another day. Today, in this place, the fight was much smaller¡ªa tiny piece of a very large puzzle. The first part of Fox¡¯s plan to counter Snake had already been put in place, though he hoped it would never be needed. The second part was needed now. He chose his target and struck. Book 3: Chapter Thirty-Three Bobo was a coward. He¡¯d accepted that long ago. Whenever he was confronted with a choice to run or fight, he¡¯d always chosen to run. Life as a librarian had suited him fine for a while¡ªthere was little danger to be had there¡ªbut his grandfather¡¯s stories of great adventures had eventually proven too enticing to ignore. Bobo simply needed to find an adventure that required knowledge and intellect rather than brawn. His first adventure had proven less adventurous and rather more greedy than he liked to remember¡ªgathering up all the notes and translations he¡¯d made from Ellerie¡¯s book, then slipping out of town in the dead of night. He¡¯d considered asking her to let him participate in the search, but he¡¯d expected her to turn him down, and worse, he¡¯d feared that once she knew he wanted to find the ancient city himself, she¡¯d take the book away and not allow him to translate any more of it. So he¡¯d finished translating the important parts for himself, then ran away. He¡¯d left the book itself, so it wasn¡¯t theft, exactly, except for the wages she¡¯d paid him, but it certainly wasn¡¯t the grand start to his adventuring life that he¡¯d always dreamed of. In the hills east of the Black Crow Mountains, where he¡¯d hoped to find evidence of old ruins that might lead him to Tir Yadar, he¡¯d pretended to be a priest of the Fox. That, too, had been cowardice. He could put fancy words on it, pretending he¡¯d done just as much for the people as any of the other fake priests roaming the hills, but the truth was, the hillfolk were a rough lot and he¡¯d been scared of them. To keep himself safe, he¡¯d decided to take advantage of the respect they showed their priests. While there, he¡¯d come to realize that he liked being thought of as an important man, rather than just a bookish librarian with a talent for languages, so he¡¯d remained in the hills even after it became clear his search had failed. But, eventually, he¡¯d had to run again. When Ellerie caught up with him in Circle Bay, he¡¯d wanted to flee that time too, but Corec had forced him to make things right with her. It was hard to say no to Corec, especially after the man had saved his life. That incident had turned out better than Bobo could have hoped¡ªworking together, he and Ellerie had succeeded in finding Tir Yadar¡ªbut it hadn¡¯t changed who he was inside. Despite his fear, though, he usually managed to find some way to contribute when his friends were threatened, even if it was typically just to stand in the back with Nedley and try to keep anyone from attacking Katrin or Shavala while the two women did whatever it was they did during a fight. But this time, he couldn¡¯t see a way to help. They were on the third floor of a building, with Nedley guarding the stairwell. Katrin was cradling Shavala in her arms, the elven woman still moaning in pain from whatever had happened. Bobo hadn¡¯t been able to find anything wrong with her, but she still hadn¡¯t managed to get to her feet. Marco stood in the corner, looking as scared as Bobo felt. He wasn¡¯t a fighter either. The enemy hadn¡¯t caught sight of the group inside the building yet, so there was nothing for Bobo to do other than watch as his other friends were surrounded. There were simply too many attackers for Corec and the rest to stop them all. Shavala¡¯s role in the plan had been pivotal, and when she¡¯d collapsed, everything had started to unravel. Some parts of the plan had worked. The enemies were still headed toward the decoy building, where Leena would remain until the last minute. And they were mostly following the two routes Corec had expected them to take. But other parts hadn¡¯t worked. In addition to whatever had happened to Shavala, Josip had been injured, and Treya had been forced to leave Boktar and Razai to fend for themselves. Something else odd was happening down there too that Bobo couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on¡ªsomething to do with the two men in heavy armor that were now facing off against them. What could Bobo do, though? His salves wouldn¡¯t help Shavala. Did she need a healer? He should go fetch Treya, but that would mean he had to run into the battle. Could Treya even be spared from the fight? There were so many men down there. Corec would need her help. No. It was better to stay here. After all, if the enemy discovered where they were, Nedley wouldn¡¯t be able to fight them all off on his own. Yes, that¡¯s what he¡¯d do. He¡¯d stay right where Corec had asked him to stay. He wasn¡¯t abandoning his friends. He was simply sticking to the plan. Bobo waited for the wave of relief he usually experienced when avoiding a fight, but this time, it didn¡¯t come. Below him, Boktar was being forced back by the two heavily armored men, whose weapons¡ªone carried a warhammer, the other a sword¡ªwere now glowing. The white glow reminded Bobo of the light that often surrounded Treya¡¯s fists when she was fighting. Were these the priests? Boktar was trying to fight back, but his strikes seemed to be blocked by a flickering aura that overlaid the men¡¯s armor. Nearby, Razai was crouched down, her hands over her ears. Her curved knives lay abandoned on the ground. There were stories that priests sometimes had powers over demonborn. Still watching over Shavala, Katrin began singing again, but the battle had grown so loud, it was impossible to tell if it had any effect. Josip was sitting up now, leaning against a wall, and Treya was helping Corec and Sarette guard the intersection. Bobo glanced uncertainly from the melee to the stairwell and back again. He¡¯d turned down Corec¡¯s offers to teach him how to use a crossbow. He¡¯d turned down the occasional suggestions to buy some armor and learn how to use his walking cudgel as the weapon it truly was. Part of the reason he¡¯d stayed with the group for so long was because they¡¯d always protected him when he needed it, but now they were the ones who needed help, and there was nothing he could do. It didn¡¯t matter, he decided. He had to try anyway. Taking a firm grasp on his cudgel, he jogged to the stairwell. He¡¯d have to hurry if he was going to get to Boktar before the priests wore him down. If Bobo could distract them, the dwarven man might still be able to win the fight. Then, something ¡­ changed. Bobo¡¯s vision flashed with different images that went by too fast to see. His cudgel suddenly burst with white light as new knowledge forced its way into his brain. He didn¡¯t understand it all, not yet, but he knew enough. He couldn¡¯t do anything for Shavala, but he could help the others, and now he knew how. He changed direction and took a running leap out of one of the openings that had once served as a window¡ªthough if it had ever held any glass, it was long since gone. He landed on the street two floors below with barely a stumble, his legs feeling sturdier than they¡¯d ever been. Then he waded into the battle, swinging his glowing cudgel back and forth against the men with the knives, knocking them away with each hit. Had he always been this strong? ¡°Release her!¡± he shouted as he approached the priests, his words echoing strangely. They ignored him, but Razai suddenly looked up, an expression of intense surprise on her face, which then grew into an evil grin. Snarling, she grabbed her knives and tackled the nearest priest, knocking the armored man to the ground. She straddled his chest and pressed her knee against his sword arm, pinning his weapon down, then rammed one of her knives up under his helmet, into the underside of his jaw. Bobo gripped his cudgel with both hands and swung at the other man, hitting his shield hard enough to force him back. The protective aura flickered one last time and faded away. While the priest was off-balance, Boktar slammed his warhammer into the man¡¯s knee. The priest cried out in pain and collapsed, and Boktar finished him off by piercing his helmet with the spiked end of the hammer¡¯s head. Bobo flinched as a spurt of blood hit him in the face. Cowardice wasn¡¯t the only reason he tried to avoid fighting. ¡°What was that?¡± Boktar called out, facing off against two more of the knife men. Bobo said, ¡°I ¡­ I think something strange just happened.¡± The strength he¡¯d experienced faded away, and his legs suddenly felt wobbly. His vision went gray. Razai caught him as he fell. # Ariadne ignored the sound of the battle. How could she take sides when she knew nothing about the combatants, other than the fact that one group was looting her home? Wait. Looting? That part wasn¡¯t real, was it? Wasn¡¯t that part of the dream? Nothing made sense anymore. She couldn¡¯t tell what was real and what was fake. The fortress was wrong. The ruins of Old Town were wrong, as was the view of the surrounding area. Even the people were wrong¡ªhumans and elves, but different somehow, and not just in the languages they spoke. If the looting hadn¡¯t happened, where had the Necklace of Tongues come from? When it wasn¡¯t in use by an envoy to a distant land, it should have been stored in the Enchantment Repository. How had she gotten it? Could everything be a dream? Everything she¡¯d experienced since going into stasis? That had been one of her theories, but some things seemed too real for it all to be a dream. Wrong, but real. Using the necklace to interpret an unknown language had been unlike anything she¡¯d ever felt before. How would a dream have come up with such a sensation? Had she gone insane? Maybe she was still at home, awake but unable to recognize anything or anybody. And yet, the pain from the necklace had been real. She was certain of that. And the necklace had been looted from the Enchantment Repository. But if the looting was real, that meant she was awake, and this was truly Tir Yadar. Her breath quickened, and her arms and fingers grew numb and tingly. She recognized the symptoms¡ªshe¡¯d felt them before. She was hyperventilating. Forcing all thoughts from her mind, she took a deep, slow breath, waited, then took another. It didn¡¯t take long for the numbness to disappear, at least now that she knew how to deal with it. The first time it had happened, after learning of her brother¡¯s death, she hadn¡¯t realized what was going on. The numbness had caused her to panic, making her hyperventilate even more. She¡¯d nearly passed out before a nurse had explained that she was doing it to herself. Calmer now, she patted the hilt of her longsword, reassuring herself that it was back. It gave her an anchor to hold onto. She¡¯d only worn the panoply and blade of a Mage Knight for a week, but after seven years of training for the position, she¡¯d grown accustomed to staying armed for most of her waking hours. She took another deep breath, then forced herself to face the truth. There was no dreaming in stasis. If the body was placed outside of time, the mind must be outside time as well. If there was no time, there could be no dreams. Which left two possibilities. Either she truly had gone mad, or everything she saw was real. If this was Tir Yadar, what had happened to her people? Where had they gone? The amount of time that had passed¡ªno, she had to ignore that. There were still limits to what her sanity could process. Was she truly the last of the Mage Knights? What had happened to the two who¡¯d managed to leave the pods? She would need to return to the stasis room to determine who they were, but she had her suspicions. Thinking about that was better than thinking about being alone amongst warring tribes of human looters. Her mind would slip again if she spent too much time considering her situation. She had to do something else instead. She had to find the Chosar and the Mage Knights. She had to find the wardens¡ªthe real wardens, not this false one. Ariadne¡¯s mind felt clearer than it had since she¡¯d first entered the stasis pod. She was still hiding things from herself, she knew, but it was the best she could do for now. The noise of the battle surged closer. Shouts and cries, and metal clanging against metal. Perhaps she should have positioned herself farther away, to not risk getting involved. Yet, she kept thinking about what the false warden had said. Non-combatant civilians¡ªfarmboys who¡¯d been hired to drive wagons¡ªwere hiding in a former granary nearby. She could see the structure from where she stood. One of the boys was staring at her from the entrance, but ducked back inside when he realized she¡¯d seen him. Ariadne had no desire to get in between two warring barbarian factions, and she certainly had no intention of protecting the group that was looting her home, but if she didn¡¯t want to fight, why had she placed herself between the battle and the civilians? As she slipped that question into the pile of things she was trying not to think about, a squadron of five armed men rounded the corner. Their eyes went wide when they saw her standing before them. They approached carefully, eyeing her armor with suspicion. She didn¡¯t recognize them from among the looters, which meant they must have accompanied the new group. They wore no uniforms and their armor had seen better days, but they appeared to know what they were doing. Warriors, then, but not soldiers. ¡°I have no quarrel with you, humans,¡± Ariadne said, in the language she¡¯d received from the false warden. ¡°Kill the others if you wish.¡± If they returned to the battle, they wouldn¡¯t find the hidden farmboys. They didn¡¯t seem to understand her words, so she repeated them in The People¡¯s tongue. It didn¡¯t help. Instead of trying to communicate, they hefted their weapons and circled around her. If they were smart enough not to rush a knight in plate armor, they had the potential to be dangerous. So be it. Ariadne drew her longsword in a spinning motion, activating her combat spells as she blinked behind a man with no helmet. She finished her draw by slamming her blade halfway through his neck. Kicking his body off her weapon, she blinked again, reappearing behind a man wearing a coat lined with thin metal plates¡ªregular steel, she thought, and perhaps thin enough that they couldn¡¯t block her sword. She rammed the tip through his armor and into his chest. Her elder senses warned her of a presence closing in. She whirled around, parrying a strike from a third man¡¯s side sword. His two remaining compatriots turned to run. Unfortunately, they ran in the wrong direction, toward the granary. She blinked and appeared in front of them in a crouch, swinging at one man¡¯s knees. His armor didn¡¯t extend that far down, and her cut went deep into the bones in his leg. She jerked her sword out, then stood and batted the other man¡¯s spear away, striking his armor again and again until she broke through, leaving a deep slash into his torso. Leaving those two to die from blood loss, she blinked again, returning to the third man. Not bothering with any niceties, she appeared behind him and swung her sword in a wide, overhead arc, down onto the thin metal of his helmet, splitting it in two. His body collapsed as if it was boneless. Ariadne took a moment to catch her breath, then walked back to the bleeding men to finish them off. Now that the immediate danger had passed, it would be cruel to make them die slowly. Even demons were granted that much mercy on the battlefield. She was already starting to feel the effects of her spells. Mage Knights faced limitations on their magic, especially on the arcane side, since burning out one¡¯s own gift of wizardry came with consequences. It allowed her to cast her spells nearly instantaneously, and without regard for the metal armor she wore, but it meant the number of spells she could learn was extremely limited. Every Mage Knight had to make difficult choices. Blinking was a spell used for making quick strikes, but the downside was the hefty amount of magical power it consumed. Other knights made different decisions. The knight who¡¯d worn the panoply before her had specialized in durability, able to remain on the battlefield for hours on end. Ariadne had figured that if she needed to fight for longer, she could simply avoid the blinking spell, but that was easier to say than do. She would need to learn self-control. Just as she finished killing her two bleeding opponents, another man, this one bald, crept out of a gap between buildings, glancing back to make sure he hadn¡¯t been followed. She watched him, curious. She¡¯d never seen him before, so he must have been one of the newcomers, but he wasn¡¯t armed. He stopped in surprise when he encountered the first of the bodies, then looked up and saw her. He whispered something under his breath. Too late, Ariadne realized it was a spell. Three darts of light hit her in the chest, dissipating against the mirrorsteel plating. A wizard, and one that didn¡¯t understand how to fight a Mage Knight. His eyes grew wide when his spell didn¡¯t affect her, and he quickly began muttering the words to another. His first spell may have been ineffectual, but he might get lucky the next time, or he might choose a spell that her armor wouldn¡¯t block. Ariadne was growing tired, but one more time wouldn¡¯t hurt. She blinked, reappearing directly in front of him. He was a regular wizard and wasn¡¯t wearing any armor, so she thrust her blade through his lung, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish his casting. The look of surprise never left his face as he died. She pulled her sword from his body but didn¡¯t bother cleaning or sheathing it. Instead, she stepped into a shadowed alleyway and watched the entrance to the granary. She was growing too lethargic to continue using magic. If any others came close to the civilians, she¡¯d have to fight them the old-fashioned way. # Leena waited, tense, as the battle raged. Her role was to play the decoy, making sure the Seeker sent the enemy troops toward her position so the others could take them by surprise. If they reached her, or if the wizard tried to target the building she was in, she was supposed to teleport far enough away to stay safe. The plan had started well, with their opponents¡¯ initial approach coming along the expected paths, but their greater numbers now threatened to overwhelm Corec and the others. There was a disturbance in the distance as someone¡ªwas that Bobo?¡ªleapt out of a window onto the street below and started swinging wildly. Leena blinked, not sure she was actually seeing what she was seeing. Then, suddenly, Leena¡¯s Uncle Rohav appeared next to her, struggling with another Sanvarite dressed in the Zidari style. The man reared back and hit Rohav in the jaw, knocking him away, but a younger Traveler appeared out of nowhere, running at the man and tackling him to the ground. Rohav joined the younger man, and together, they were able to hold the enemy¡¯s Seeker down. ¡°Where¡¯s the rope?¡± Rohav shouted. Leena ran to grab it, hoping their efforts wouldn¡¯t be in vain. If the Seeker was also a Traveler, the bonds wouldn¡¯t hold him, but it was rare for someone to be trained in both. While the three gifts were closely intertwined, usually only one was strong enough to be taught. Leena hadn¡¯t even realized she was a Seeker until she¡¯d met Sarlo. The three of them managed to bind the struggling man¡¯s feet together, and then tie his hands behind his back. Rohav removed his shoes and tossed them out the window, so that if he did escape his bonds, it would be harder for him to run away. Despite fighting their efforts the whole time, the Seeker didn¡¯t teleport. Either he wasn¡¯t a Traveler, or he was too exhausted to use the gift. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Or perhaps he was just pretending. Unfortunately, the rope was the best they could manage at the moment. Leena had asked Ellerie, but the elven woman didn¡¯t know any warding spells that would block Traveling. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Leena told her uncle. ¡°I was worried something had happened.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t give me enough time. I had to gather everyone, then make sure they memorized the descriptions you gave me so we didn¡¯t take one of your friends by mistake.¡± He leaned back against the wall, coughing and rubbing at the red spot on his jaw where he¡¯d been hit. ¡°But you¡¯re right. It took me too much effort to get here on top of everything else. Maybe some of us should have stayed behind and let the strongest come without us. We held them back. Some of them could have gotten here in a single hop.¡± The younger Traveler stood over the Seeker¡¯s bound form. ¡°Who are you?¡± he demanded. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The Seeker just sneered at him. ¡°We¡¯ll have time to get it out of him later,¡± Rohav said. ¡°There¡¯s a more pressing matter right now.¡± The Traveler nodded. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t manage any more teleporting today. I¡¯ll stay here and watch the traitor.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going,¡± the younger man said. He looked out the window at the melee below, then disappeared, reappearing in the midst of the battle. He wrapped his arms around one of the archers, and they both disappeared. The Traveler reappeared alone, bracing himself as if landing from a jump. A moment later, a body came falling from a great height, slamming into the corner of a building and then bouncing off. The Traveler grabbed another man and disappeared again. A dozen other Zidari joined him, and soon more bodies were falling as the Travelers winked in and out. Others returned wet, having left their opponents in the middle of some distant body of water. A young woman Leena had never met misjudged her return, falling at least ten feet to the ground below. She screamed in pain as she landed wrong and collapsed, then disappeared. She¡¯d either be nearby, hiding until she could be healed, or, if she could, she might have returned home. Leena would try Seeking the girl after the battle. For now, she was supposed to save her strength in case she was needed to send messages back to Sanvar. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t know how to fight like the others. She wasn¡¯t yet skilled enough to teleport someone else along with her. The Travelers made heavy inroads on the archers and the men with the snake knives, but, one by one, they began disappearing from the fight as they ran out of strength or were injured. And then, in the center of the melee, an elderly woman with pure white hair appeared. Despite her age and her long Zidari dress, she ducked effortlessly under the swing of a sword, then tapped her assailant, sending him elsewhere in the blink of an eye. Unlike the other Travelers, she didn¡¯t teleport along with him. Instead, she touched two more men who hadn¡¯t seen her yet, sending them away, too. Satyana, Leena realized. The most powerful Traveler in living memory, a legend amongst the clan. Leena had never met her before, but there was no one else it could be. The old woman danced gracefully through the battle, narrowly avoiding her enemies¡¯ weapons¡ªand sometimes seeming to teleport right through them. Where she touched, her targets disappeared, and unlike the other Travelers, she went after the armed mercenaries rather than the men with the knives. More bodies came plummeting down from above, landing far enough away to not risk hitting any allies, but close enough that the attackers could see their screaming companions slamming into the ground and dying. After sending eleven men to their deaths, Satyana stumbled, dropping to one knee. Was it an accident? Or had she used too much magic? Whatever the reason, one of the mercenaries charged her, raising his spear in a two-handed grip to strike. The old woman made a rude gesture and disappeared just before he reached her. She didn¡¯t return to the battle. The mercenary stopped and stared at where she¡¯d been, too surprised at her disappearance to notice Corec coming up behind him, raising his glowing blade. # Corec struck down one of the mercenaries, then charged another, shoving him back and forcing him to trip over the bodies of two more sprawled behind him. Reversing his grip, Corec stabbed down, piercing through the padded armor the man was wearing, then stepped back to look for a new opponent. His arms and shoulders ached¡ªthe fight had raged longer than any he¡¯d seen before, and only his armor and spells had kept him alive, along with the occasional flashes of light from Treya that seemed to reinvigorate him somehow. He¡¯d tried to take the brunt of the enemy¡¯s attacks, knowing he was better protected than Sarette, but now Treya and Ellerie had joined them, and together, the four were managing to hold the intersection. The last of the Travelers had disappeared from the battle, but they¡¯d been more effective than Corec had hoped based on what Leena had told him. There were no archers left that he could see, and Leena¡¯s countrymen had taken many of the other attackers as well, lessening the pressure. There hadn¡¯t been any sign of the wizard, at least on Corec¡¯s end of the fight. Perhaps he was still out there, waiting, or perhaps Ellerie or Shavala had managed to find him. The men with the knives posed little danger one on one, but they fought to the death, almost suicidal in their attacks. What could have possessed untrained villagers and farmers to join this sort of battle? The mercenaries, far more capable than the knife men, hadn¡¯t surrendered, but most of the ones who still lived had begun to flee back into the barrens, frightened away when they realized magic was being used against them. Between Ellerie¡¯s spells, Corec¡¯s and Sarette¡¯s weapons, and the Travelers, the armsmen had gotten a glimpse of something they weren¡¯t prepared to face. Not all had been scared off, though. A mountain of a man in full plate rushed at Corec. The mercenary was big enough to grip a longsword in one hand, and he carried a metal-plated heater shield in the other. Worse, he must have come from the rear ranks¡ªhe didn¡¯t seem tired at all, and he swung his blade fast enough that Corec was forced back, parrying rather than attacking. Corec¡¯s shield and armor spells had run out long ago. His armor itself would hold against a strike from a sword, but against an opponent so strong, he¡¯d have to take care to prevent a hit to his helmet or a gap in his armor, or simply being pushed to the ground where it would be harder to defend himself. Then a strange buzzing noise, like hundreds of bees, came out of nowhere. The green glow of the enchantment on Corec¡¯s sword resurfaced, growing brighter until it overwhelmed the blue glow of his sword-strengthening spell. The mercenary struck again, but when Corec blocked the blow, his sword sheared through his opponent¡¯s, cutting the blade in two. The buzzing grew louder, and he reversed his swing, striking diagonally down at the man¡¯s side. The weapon cut clean through the mercenary¡¯s vambrace, severing his arm, then bit into his cuirass and his ribs. The buzzing noise faded as the man died, the green glow disappearing under the blue once more. The last of the mercenaries turned and fled. Corec didn¡¯t give chase. To his left, Ellerie whipped the tip of her rapier across a knife man¡¯s face, then stabbed him through the heart. There were no other enemies left standing nearby. Treya and Sarette were still trying to catch their breath, watching the fleeing men with looks of relief. There was a smudge of dried blood on Sarette¡¯s cheek, and more blood splatted across Treya¡¯s tunic, but both women appeared to be standing without a problem. Glancing to the other end of the block, Corec found that Boktar and Razai still fought. Josip had joined them, apparently recovered from his injuries, though the weapons he was using weren¡¯t his. And was that Bobo leaning against a nearby wall, his eyes closed? What was he doing there? Corec jogged in that direction, the others following him. There was still a fight to finish. # ¡°Act normal,¡± Rusol hissed as he, Jasper, and Rodulf reached the entrance to the dining hall. ¡°If you look nervous, they¡¯ll know something¡¯s wrong.¡± The two frightened wizards were forced to obey any orders he gave them, thanks to the modified warden bond, but an order could only go so far. Neither of the men were actors. Rodulf pasted a rictus of a smile across his face, while Jasper attempted to project confidence, though his eyes still darted back and forth as if wondering when he would be attacked. It would have to do. Kolvi and Magnus would have been better choices for companions, but Leonis was unlikely to tolerate an elder witch, and Magnus would have refused to sit down with priests of Pallisur. Besides, those two had another role to play this evening. Rusol glanced up at the musicians¡¯ balcony overlooking the dining hall. Kolvi nodded to him, then disappeared again behind the curtain. Magnus would be with her, the two of them prepared to strike when Rusol gave the order. Leonis and his men hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but the hall was busy with servants setting the table. Rusol had come early on purpose. ¡°Avoid the peppered beans,¡± he said, ¡°and pay close attention to see if any of Leonis¡¯s men do so as well. If they do, kill them first, as soon as the poison starts taking hold in the others. Then, focus on those who are least affected. The poison will likely hit them at different times so we¡¯ll have to work quickly once they figure out what¡¯s going on. Remember, they¡¯re priests, so they might be able to heal themselves if we¡¯re not fast enough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Jasper muttered. ¡°Killing them in cold blood.¡± ¡°I told you what Leonis is trying to do. Do you really want to swear obedience to Pallisur and his teachings to get your spells back?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± the old man said. ¡°He can¡¯t really do that, can he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, so let¡¯s make sure we don¡¯t have to find out.¡± Rusol eyed the room, looking for anything out of place. Except for Samir, he¡¯d never killed anyone before, and tonight he would have to kill nine men. Was he up to the task? Leonis and his men were battle-hardened warrior priests with centuries of experience fighting elder witches. True, it was unlikely they¡¯d faced many witches as strong as Kolvi or Rusol, but there were nine of them. Had Rusol overestimated his own capabilities? Would the poison really be enough to give them an edge? The word warden suggested some sort of guardianship or protection, but the dreams Rusol had received when he was chosen hadn¡¯t indicated how to go about that. After his brother¡¯s death, protecting his family had been an obvious choice, and he couldn¡¯t afford to wait for the threat to come to him. The other wardens had struck first. He had to hunt them down before they could strike again. But killing Leonis went beyond protecting Rusol¡¯s own family, or even the nation of Larso. The Church of Pallisur was a blight, and anything that gave the Church or the god himself more power had to be prevented. Leonis may have been a madman, but if there was any chance his scheme might actually work, it had to be stopped. Was this what it meant to be a warden? Rikard had always been the golden child of the family, beloved by commoners and nobles alike. Rusol had preferred to stay in the background, uncomfortable around other people. Rather than helping to administer his family¡¯s own kingdom, he¡¯d spent most of his time learning to master magics that were illegal there. He hadn¡¯t had a choice, of course¡ªhe¡¯d been born with demon blood, and the elder magic had affected him far more than it had his brother¡ªbut it meant he¡¯d never held much of a position of importance in either the family or the kingdom. Not until Rikard¡¯s death, and even then, there had only been grudging acceptance of Rusol as the new heir. Now, though, he felt a sense of significance, momentousness. He would finally do something that mattered. The people of Larso had no idea of the threat they faced, but Rusol was going to save them from it. It was almost enough to help him forget his terror at the knowledge that failure would end in his death. Almost, but not quite. How could Leonis actually go through with his plan? He was a warden, too. Shouldn¡¯t he know how wrong it was? His insanity must have pushed him over the edge. There was no other explanation that made sense. The sound of stomping boots came from the corridor, and Leonis and his eight priests filed into the room. They all wore full armor and had their weapons at their sides. Some had shields strapped to their backs. Rusol swallowed. He had his own sword belted at his waist¡ªhe was in Fort Northtower after all¡ªbut he¡¯d left his armor back in his suite. Heavy armor wasn¡¯t appropriate for a formal supper. Leonis¡¯s men apparently didn¡¯t follow the same custom. Then they fanned out across the room into a half-circle, making it obvious they hadn¡¯t come for supper. The last few servants, sensing trouble, slipped out through the kitchen entrance. Rusol felt a sudden spike of fear in his gut. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± he asked, trying to keep his voice from wavering. Just because they were armed and armored didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d discovered he was trying to kill them. It was still possible the priests were chasing after some other threat, real or imagined. ¡°Did you really think you could use demonic magic under my nose and I wouldn¡¯t learn of it?¡± Leonis asked, his voice full of quiet menace. ¡°It was bad enough when I thought you were an elder witch, but a demonborn? You are no kin of mine.¡± He clenched his fist and Rusol fell to his knees, feeling like a puppet with its strings cut. He tried to stand, but he couldn¡¯t move his limbs; he could barely breathe. His mind raced. He¡¯d known, in theory, that some priests had power over demonborn, but he¡¯d never experienced it for himself¡ªnever realized how overwhelming it was. He needed time to think. ¡°You ¡­ would ¡­¡± He had to pause, gasping for air. ¡°You would blame me ¡­ for an ¡­ accident of birth?¡± The Church wavered back and forth on its stance regarding demonborn. It was unlikely that Leonis¡¯s thoughts on the matter were so indecisive, but if Rusol could delay for just a bit longer, it would give his bondmates time to react. ¡°Demonborn are no accident,¡± the other warden said. ¡°The only question is what to do with you. The Order of Pallisur in Larso has lost its way. I doubt I can trust them for anything, and I¡¯m too close to my goal to deal with a war right now. We¡¯ll have to make it look like an accident.¡± Why wasn¡¯t anyone doing anything? True, if Jasper or Rodulf started casting a spell while surrounded by armed men, they¡¯d be cut down before they could finish, but why hadn¡¯t Kolvi or Magnus taken action? They were still hidden, undiscovered. They could take Leonis by surprise. Could they be waiting for a signal? Surely they could see Rusol couldn¡¯t move. Why weren¡¯t they helping? Without them, there was only one option. Rusol embraced the divine blessings the shadow creature had granted him. Leonis¡¯s spell might prevent Rusol from using demonic or elder magic, but it didn¡¯t block divine magic. With a moment¡¯s thought, he banished the other warden¡¯s spell, freeing himself, then switched to elder magic and thrust his hands forward, sending a wall of towering flame toward the priests directly ahead of him. The quick change in fortune startled them, giving him time to jump to his feet. The inferno reached his enemies, but they¡¯d taken precautions. The fire washed over them without harm¡ªall except one, who burst alight, squealing in agony as he burned to death. Leonis rushed forward, his warhammer in a double-handed grip. Rusol targeted him with a direct bolt of lightning to the chest. The priest¡¯s protection spells held but he was still knocked off his feet from the impact. Rusol hit him again while he was down, then tried to figure out how to adapt the old plan to the new situation. The original idea had been for Rusol, Jasper, and Rodulf to sit at the far end of the table so Rusol and Kolvi could catch Leonis and his men in between them. Surrounded as they were, that wasn¡¯t an option, which meant Rusol and the two wizards were in danger from friendly fire. He quickly cast three more divine spells, shielding himself and his allies from fire, lightning, and even physical attacks, though he knew that last one would be of limited effectiveness. The priest to Leonis¡¯s right shook off his surprise, then waded through the fire to bash Rusol to the ground with his shield. Rusol¡¯s protective aura held, though, and the pain wasn¡¯t as great as he¡¯d expected. The priest raised his sword to strike, but a beam of light suddenly took him in the face, melting away his features. There was a sharp cry from Rodulf, and then the wizard fell silent. ¡°Now!¡± Rusol shouted, and Kolvi joined the battle, streaks of lightning bursting from the balcony. She focused her attack on the priests nearest to her, not realizing Rusol and the wizards were protected from her magic, so Rusol spun around to check on the others. Rodulf had been knocked to the ground and wasn¡¯t moving, but his physical protection spell still held. Jasper, though, was hit by a glowing white sword before he could complete his first spell. The first strike shattered the protective aura and the second bit deeply into his torso. His eyes went blank as he fell. Rusol launched streamers of lightning toward the priests who¡¯d taken out his wizards, following up with more bursts of flame, hoping Kolvi was keeping the others away from his back. It was a matter of speed and endurance now. Would the protection spells give out before the priests could reach them? Kolvi extended her lightning storm to cover the entire room, apparently realizing the wild bursts of elder magic weren¡¯t harming Rusol or his bondmates. Or maybe she just didn¡¯t care. The priest who¡¯d hit Rodulf was knocked to the ground by a bolt. The protective aura faded away from the one who¡¯d attacked Jasper just as Rusol hit him again, the lightning frying his body and leaving a smoking corpse. Magnus shouted a word of warning and Rusol whirled back the other way to find Leonis climbing to his feet. Rusol threw balls of flame which exploded when they hit him, but the man¡¯s shielding spells remained strong. Above them, Magnus stepped to the edge of the balcony and drew his war bow to its full strength, putting his whole body into it. He aimed at one of the priests and loosed an arrow that glowed with the brilliant white light of divine magic. The projectile hit its target, blasting through the man¡¯s divine protection spell and steel breastplate. Rusol crouched down and slapped the floor in front of him, transforming the stone into something viscous, almost as if it had melted but without the heat. The stone changed in a wave rolling out from Rusol¡¯s position, trapping Leonis and two of his men before becoming solid once more. One of the priests had tripped and was swallowed completely, no longer a threat, but Leonis and the other were merely sealed up to their waists. Leonis pounded frantically at the stone with his glowing warhammer, chipping away at it. ¡°Stop, demon!¡± the man shouted. ¡°I command you!¡± His words echoed around the room, growing louder with each iteration, but they had no effect. Rusol¡¯s demonborn nature was still protected by his own divine magic. Magnus released a second gleaming arrow, which took the other half-buried priest in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. Rusol blasted Leonis with a lightning bolt, then another, trying to break down his protective spells. Just as one wore off, the priest replaced it with another. Kolvi joined the attack, but Rusol felt himself weakening. Even bound in place, the other man seemed easily capable of protecting himself from their spells. Rusol¡¯s vision went red with demon rage, and he drew the mirror-like sword his mother had gifted him. Leonis had left the face guard up on his helmet, and the longsword had a longer reach than the priest¡¯s warhammer. Rusol had never fought with a weapon before, though, and his first stab was tentative. Leonis blocked the thrust, knocking the blade from his hands. Rusol scrambled for it, and as he laid his hands on the hilt, something within the enchanted sword spoke to him. Without quite understanding how he was doing it, he pushed fire magic into the weapon. The blade burst alight, flames flickering along the edges. Snarling, he struck again, avoiding Leonis¡¯s parry but hitting his aura of protection. It was like trying to stab through dozens of layers of cloth, but the aura flickered wildly when the sword of fire hit it. He thrust a third time. The flickering was lighter now, and didn¡¯t last as long. Growling deep in his throat, he raised his weapon once more just as Kolvi¡¯s next bolt knocked the warhammer out of Leonis¡¯s hand. ¡°No!¡± the warden wailed. ¡°Pallisur promised!¡± Rusol rammed the flaming blade through the last of the protective aura and into Leonis¡¯s face. The tip scraped against the man¡¯s cheekbone, burning the flesh, before sliding into his eye. Leonis¡¯s body jerked back and then slumped over, his lower half still encased in stone. The flames on the sword slowly died out. Breathing heavily, Rusol stepped back to find Sir Barat staring at him in shock, surrounded by the bodies of two other knights and three servants who appeared to have been struck down by fire and wild lightning strikes. How long had they been there? Rusol had never noticed them entering the room. ¡°Obey me!¡± he shouted. There wasn¡¯t time for finesse¡ªhe needed the compulsion spell to take effect quickly. ¡°Guard the doors! Don¡¯t let anyone in! If they ask, tell them that the foreigners tried to kill us.¡± Barat hit his clenched fist to his chest in a salute and went to do his master¡¯s bidding, while Rusol turned to survey the rest of the dining hall. All of Leonis¡¯s men were down, not moving. There were three with Magnus¡¯s arrows sticking from their bodies, plus the remains of several more arrows that had shattered against protective spells or armor. Apparently Magnus had been helping more than it had appeared at the time. The other priests were dead from lightning or fire, plus the one buried beneath the stone floor and the one Rodulf had managed to kill. Rusol rushed over to the young wizard, finding him still breathing but bleeding from a wound to his temple. ¡°Get down here!¡± Rusol called out to Magnus and Kolvi, and they disappeared from the musicians¡¯ balcony, heading to the stairs that led down to the dining hall. While they were on the way, Rusol checked on Jasper, but it was too late for the old man. He was already dead. Magnus strode into the room, a broad smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, my friend,¡± he said. ¡°The Lady will be pleased. A great victory against Pallisur!¡± ¡°A victory against the wardens,¡± Rusol snapped. ¡°Hurry, Rodulf needs healing.¡± A brief flash of anger crossed Magnus¡¯s face, but then it was gone and he crouched down near the boy. As the excitement of the battle wore off, Rusol¡¯s knees went weak. He found a fallen chair near the remnants of the table, and set it right side up so he could take a seat. Kolvi had stopped near Leonis¡¯s body. ¡°Do you think he was really Torwin Larse?¡± she asked, staring down at it. ¡°Does it matter?¡± Rusol said. ¡°If it was truly him, he¡¯s been hunting the elderfolk for centuries. Our own people, Rusol. It wasn¡¯t enough for him to slaughter us here in Larso? He had to follow after the clans he chased to the north to continue his work?¡± She spit on the body. ¡°He was an evil man.¡± Rusol was descended from the elderfolk himself, but he didn¡¯t have the same connection to them that Kolvi did. She¡¯d grown up among them, one of the clans that had remained hidden within Larso. Still, he supposed she and Magnus were right. There was more than one reason to have killed Leonis. And he¡¯d done it. He¡¯d managed to kill an experienced warden and his bondmates. He hadn¡¯t even needed the poison. Rusol started laughing, then found he couldn¡¯t stop. He laughed so loud that even Sir Barat poked his head back in through the door to see what was happening. Hiccups set in, and Rusol¡¯s stomach began to ache, but he still couldn¡¯t stop laughing. Magnus laid a hand on his back and the pressure eased. ¡°A warrior never knows how battle will affect him until it happens. Don¡¯t worry about how you react after the fight is over.¡± Rusol drew in a long breath, trying to recover from his hysterics. Perhaps Magnus¡¯s words were meant to sound kind, but Rusol was supposed to be the one in charge. It was time to remind them of that. ¡°This was too easy,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think all of the priests were Leonis¡¯s bondmates. He might have left some behind in Blue Vale. Let¡¯s get his vambraces off and check his runes.¡± Judging by the First¡¯s runes, if a bondmate died before a warden, it would leave behind a permanent scar. Even if the other runes had disappeared when Leonis died, it might still help them determine how many of the dead priests the man had bonded. Or maybe not¡ªa dead rune could just as easily have belonged to a bondmate who¡¯d died long ago. But some information was better than none, and Rusol needed to know if there would be any further threat coming from Blue Vale. In the meantime, it would take days to clean up this mess. It would be easy to influence the knights and priests to believe the battle had been justified, but much harder to convince the entire tower that no magic had been involved. To do so, Rusol would need to use his demonic magic on a scale he¡¯d never attempted before. It was time to try the new type of compulsion he and Magnus had been experimenting with, intended to create servants as obedient as his red-eyed hunters, while still allowing them to retain their human intelligence. Then, he needed to return to Telfort and order Yassi to double her efforts to find mages for him to bond. He¡¯d gotten lucky this time. Leonis and his men were used to fighting physically, depending on their divine defenses to protect them from magic¡ªbut those defenses could only protect against so much at once. Despite being a warden, Leonis had recruited only priests, rather than finding those who could have made up for his own weaknesses. Rusol wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake. This time, he wouldn¡¯t bond the first random mage Yassi found, like Jasper. This time, he¡¯d look for ones who could fight. Perhaps it was time to look outside Larso for his recruiting, maybe south to Matagor. There were wizards there who trained in the art of war. There was a lot to do, but now he was certain he could do it¡ªas long as the shadow creature didn¡¯t ask for any payment for its help. Book 3: Chapter Thirty-Four The battle was over, but Katrin and Shavala hadn¡¯t made an appearance yet. As soon as Corec could get away, he went looking for them, heading into the building where they¡¯d been positioned, taking the stairs as quickly as he could in his armor. Reaching the top, he found Marco sitting alone on the floor with his head in his hands. ¡°Where are they?¡± Corec barked. Had something happened? ¡°Katrin¡¯s helping Shavala back to the camp. She got hurt during the fighting.¡± ¡°Hurt how?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She said she¡¯s fine, and that Katrin¡¯s worrying about nothing.¡± Corec let himself relax. It couldn¡¯t have been serious, then. ¡°Where¡¯s Nedley?¡± he asked in a calmer tone. ¡°He went with them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Marco¡¯s eyes met his. ¡°Are you serious? We could have all died today! I work for a trading company, not a bloody army! What the hell is going on?¡± Corec couldn¡¯t blame him for his reaction. The mercenaries had been more capable than Corec had expected, and the rest of their opponents had been completely unwilling to surrender or flee. He¡¯d underestimated the true scale of the battle, and only the arrival of the Travelers had saved the day. ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll find out soon,¡± he said. ¡°Boktar and Treya are looking for any wounded that we might be able to save. We should have some prisoners.¡± And, with any luck, perhaps the Travelers had been successful too. If they¡¯d managed to catch the Seeker, he was likely to know more than the mercenaries did. The priests wouldn¡¯t be an option¡ªthey were both dead. Marco grunted but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I need to go back down and help. Can you get back to camp on your own?¡± They¡¯d positioned the battle several blocks east of the structure where they¡¯d set up their camp. Marco sighed. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, getting to his feet. Corec nodded and left him to it, returning outside to find Treya checking on Bobo again. The other man was still sprawled out, unconscious, in the cross street. ¡°How is he?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I still don¡¯t see any major injuries,¡± Treya said. ¡°He¡¯s just asleep. Razai insists it¡¯s drain shock.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s not a mage.¡± ¡°She says he¡¯s a priest.¡± Treya hesitated. ¡°Or, at least, that he was using divine magic.¡± Before Corec could respond, Nedley came jogging up. ¡°I found the carts and their packs,¡± he said. ¡°They left them in the plaza.¡± Corec grimaced. ¡°Ned, some of the mercenaries escaped. What would have happened if you¡¯d run into them? I thought you were with Katrin.¡± ¡°I was careful!¡± the boy insisted. ¡°Katrin didn¡¯t need me, but on my way back here, I saw some of them getting away, so I followed them. They grabbed their packs and some things out of the carts, and then went east. They didn¡¯t see me.¡± Well, Corec had wanted Nedley to start taking more initiative. And regardless of the boy¡¯s questionable judgement, the information was useful. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure more than that got away. You didn¡¯t see any others?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That must have been the last group, then,¡± Corec said. ¡°Or maybe some of them forgot to stop and grab their things. They¡¯ll have a rough trip back to civilization if they didn¡¯t take any food. We¡¯ll need to watch and make sure they don¡¯t try to sneak back here.¡± Sarette would know more once she returned. She¡¯d gone up the mountain slope for a better view, to count how many mercenaries were fleeing and track which direction they were headed. Just then, Josip returned from checking on the wagon drivers. ¡°That woman from the ruins was there,¡± he said. ¡°I thought she was going to take my head off. Couldn¡¯t understand a word she was saying. Looks like a group of mercenaries tried to head her way and she dealt with them.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s something, I suppose,¡± Corec said. Ariadne had done as he¡¯d asked after all. ¡°The drivers are safe?¡± ¡°Seemed to be, but I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to tell their fathers. The boys are all excited¡ªI guess they watched the woman fight¡ªbut something scared them enough to keep them hiding in the building, at least.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I should have figured out a way to get them home. At least they¡¯re alive.¡± Leena joined the little group then, but before she could speak, there was a shout from the far end of the block. ¡°Hey!¡± Boktar called out. ¡°I¡¯ve got another live one here!¡± He¡¯d been checking through the bodies. Treya looked worried. ¡°I¡¯m about to pass out. I don¡¯t think I can do much more healing.¡± ¡°Then stick bandages on them and see if they make it until morning,¡± Corec said. ¡°Focus on the ones who have a chance, and check on Shavala as soon as you can. She might have been hurt, but it doesn¡¯t sound serious.¡± It was standard battlefield triage¡ªhelp the ones you could help, and help your own people first. She nodded. ¡°I wish Bobo was awake. He¡¯s better at this sort of thing.¡± She headed in Boktar¡¯s direction. Leena got Corec¡¯s attention then. ¡°We captured the Seeker,¡± she said. He blew out his breath. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m not sure any of the others we¡¯ve found will know anything. Is he talking?¡± ¡°Not yet, but we were going to try again. Do you want to be there?¡± ¡°Yes, but ¡­¡± he gazed around the battlefield. ¡°Josip, Nedley, we need to start getting these bodies farther away from our camp. Help Boktar look for live ones, but don¡¯t get too close to any buildings until he checks to make sure no one¡¯s hiding in them. Drag the dead ones as far as you can manage. Take them to the plaza if you can, and bring the carts and packs back here. Belt pouches, too.¡± ¡°What about the rest?¡± Josip asked. ¡°Armor, weapons?¡± ¡°Leave the weapons where they are; I¡¯ll look them over later. If the armor¡¯s heavy, you might as well take it off before you try to drag the fellow. See if you can get Sarette and Razai to help you. Sarette¡¯s looking for high ground to watch the mercenaries who got away. I¡¯m not sure about Razai. She was here earlier.¡± He tried searching for Razai through the warden bond, then remembered her bond was no longer active. The guide shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her either. We can get the mules and some rope, though. That¡¯ll be easier than dragging the bodies ourselves.¡± ¡°Oh, right. That makes sense. I¡¯ll join you as soon as I can.¡± Corec turned to Leena. ¡°Let¡¯s go find Ellerie and then see what your Seeker has to say.¡± # Leena introduced Corec and Ellerie to her Uncle Rohav and to Pavan, the younger Traveler who¡¯d helped catch the Seeker. The rest of her people were gone. Those with enough strength remaining had teleported the others back to Sanvar. ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± Corec said. ¡°Without your help, I don¡¯t think we could have succeeded.¡± Rohav stared at him expressionlessly. ¡°We didn¡¯t come here to help you, northerner. We came because these men, or others like them, slaughtered hundreds of our people.¡± Then he sighed. ¡°But for your aid, you have our gratitude.¡± ¡°And the gratitude of all the Zidari people,¡± Pavan added. Corec nodded, then glanced down at the prisoner, who was lying on his side, still tied up. ¡°Have you learned anything?¡± ¡°The traitor refuses even to tell us his name or what camp he¡¯s from,¡± Pavan said. They¡¯d checked the man¡¯s tattoos before Leena had fetched Corec and Ellerie, but the ones to identify his camp and family had been removed, scarred and abraded enough to leave only indistinct smudges. Ellerie drew her rapier and rested the tip against the Seeker¡¯s throat. ¡°What if, for every question he answers, he gets to live a little longer? If he stops answering questions, he dies.¡± The prisoner swallowed, and his eyes darted back and forth between those standing over him, but he didn¡¯t speak. Ellerie pressed down just enough to draw blood. ¡°If he¡¯s dead, he won¡¯t be able to talk,¡± Corec pointed out. ¡°We can find a place to lock him up inside the ruins. He¡¯ll have plenty of time to change his mind. There¡¯s nothing else to do down there.¡± Leena wasn¡¯t sure whether Corec was playing along with Ellerie¡¯s bluff, or if he didn¡¯t realize it was a bluff. Was it a bluff? Leena had grown closer to the elven woman, but she didn¡¯t actually know that much about her. They spoke frequently, but they¡¯d always kept their conversations from becoming too personal. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Rohav said. ¡°We¡¯ll take him back to Sanvar. The empress¡¯s palace has warded cells. He won¡¯t be able to get out, and no Traveler will be able to get in. No Seer or Seeker will ever be able to find him. In the meantime, our own Seekers can track down his family and friends. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be interested to know he¡¯s responsible for murdering so many of our own people. They¡¯ll probably be willing to tell us what else he¡¯s been up to.¡± ¡°No, wait!¡± the man said, his eyes going wide. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you anything you want! Just don¡¯t tell my family what I did!¡± Ellerie pulled her sword away from his neck. Rohav glanced around at the others, then back down at the prisoner. ¡°Then who are you?¡± he asked. ¡°Davir of the Parsha camp, but I grew up in Sebin Township,¡± the Seeker replied in Zidari. Sebin was a rural region in western Sanvar. ¡°Trade tongue,¡± Pavan said sharply, ¡°so our new friends can understand you.¡± The prisoner repeated his statement in the trade language. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Who are the people that attacked us?¡± Corec asked. ¡°You attacked us!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid!¡± Ellerie snapped. ¡°We knew you were trying to kill Leena before you ever got here.¡± The man¡¯s eyes darted to Leena, but he didn¡¯t speak. Rohav said, ¡°If you lie, the deal¡¯s off. Shall I head back to Sanvar now and look for your family?¡± ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll tell the truth, but you have to protect me! They¡¯ll kill me if they know I told you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to worry about. If the empress allows you to live, no one will ever find you.¡± Davir swallowed, and screwed his eyes tightly closed. ¡°They¡¯re followers of the Snake.¡± Rohav and Pavan exchanged confused glances. ¡°Who?¡± Pavan asked. ¡°It¡¯s one of the countryside sects, but bigger than most,¡± the man said, opening his eyes again. That made sense¡ªthere were always little religions springing up outside the cities. The empress had functionaries dedicated to tracking them to make sure they weren¡¯t up to any mischief. Pavan seemed to realize that too. When he spoke next, his voice was cold. ¡°If there¡¯s a cult that worships a snake, why didn¡¯t anyone in Sanvara City tell us that when we found those knives?¡± He¡¯d been talking to Rohav, but it was Davir who answered. ¡°Their wizards and priests have warded all their members. No one can find them.¡± Rohav shook his head. ¡°That would stop us. It wouldn¡¯t stop her Imperial Majesty¡¯s government. Not for a cult that¡¯s large enough to have wizards working for them. Either our questions didn¡¯t make their way to the right people, or ¡­¡± He left the obvious unsaid. If someone in the government was a member of the sect, he or she could have made sure the Zidari didn¡¯t get the answers they¡¯d sought. ¡°Where did the priests come from?¡± Corec asked Davir. ¡°Which god did they follow?¡± ¡°They said they followed the Snake. Their people believe there were four old gods, not three.¡± Corec snorted. ¡°Even if there were, the old gods don¡¯t have priests.¡± ¡°I only know what they told me.¡± Rohav¡¯s voice cut through the conversation. ¡°Why murder the Travelers?¡± Davir¡¯s face grew anxious. ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me what they were going to do! I swear! They just wanted to know where they all were.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked!¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t say why! The priests said it had to happen, but they wouldn¡¯t tell me anything else!¡± Leena spoke up for the first time. ¡°You claim you didn¡¯t know they were going to kill the Travelers, but then you kept working with them afterward?¡± She had to discover what he knew, and when he knew it. ¡°They forced me to! They would have killed me if I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°What did I tell you about lying?¡± Rohav asked him. ¡°We found this on him when you went to get the others,¡± Pavan told Leena, holding up a coin pouch. He untied it and turned it over, letting dozens of golden coins fall to the floor. ¡°Money?¡± Leena asked, feeling sick. ¡°You betrayed the Zidari for money?¡± ¡°It was that or a knife through the ribs!¡± the Seeker said. ¡°Then you picked the wrong choice,¡± Rohav said. ¡°Razai overheard part of a conversation while she was scouting their camp,¡± Ellerie added. ¡°From what she told us, it didn¡¯t sound like he was there against his will.¡± Rohav nodded. ¡°Men like him will spin any lie they can, even to themselves, if they think it¡¯ll make them look better.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth!¡± Davir protested. Pavan said, ¡°Why did the attacks in Sanvar stop? Why did you come here?¡± ¡°The Travelers killed most of the church members the priests had recruited for the job in Sanvar,¡± the Seeker said. ¡°And something scared the priests when she went to Cordaea.¡± He pointed his chin in Leena¡¯s direction, his hands still tied behind his back. ¡°What was it that scared them?¡± Leena ran her fingers over the bracelet that was still hidden under her sleeve. But Razai had thought they¡¯d come for two things, not one. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they decided to send me here,¡± Davir said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know they had people in Cordaea until then. My cousin¡¯s a Traveler¡ªI didn¡¯t include her on the list when they asked me to find them all. She brought me to Renfar, on the east coast, but I didn¡¯t tell her why.¡± Leena tensed. If he hadn¡¯t mentioned his cousin to the priests, then he must have known something bad might happen to the Travelers despite his protestations to the contrary. That meant he was responsible for her parents¡¯ deaths. She clenched her fists tightly, her fingernails biting into her palms. Corec frowned. ¡°If you started in the east, how did they catch up to us outside Tir Shar?¡± ¡°They have some way of talking to each other from a distance. They didn¡¯t tell me how.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re not strong enough to Seek something in Cordaea from Sanvar?¡± Rohav asked. ¡°I am!¡± the man said, sounding offended. ¡°It takes them time to talk from a distance. Days, maybe more. They wanted me here so they could track her more quickly.¡± ¡°Then you should have said that! If you hold back information, I¡¯ll consider it to be the same as lying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just answering your questions! I don¡¯t know what you want to know!¡± ¡°I want to know something,¡± Corec said. ¡°Why send farmers? Villagers? Those men died for nothing. They had no business being on a battlefield.¡± Davir sneered. ¡°How many people do you think are stupid enough to worship a snake? The priests recruit from areas with no schools or real temples. None of the men have any education. Most can¡¯t read. All they know is what the priests tell them.¡± His cavalier attitude toward the cult members would have been unsettling, except those were the men who¡¯d wielded the knives against the camps. Those were the men who¡¯d burned Leena¡¯s mother and father to death. They were just as much targets of Leena¡¯s blood feud as Davir was. ¡°Are the priests the ones that poisoned them?¡± Corec asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The poison! The injured ones died of poison! Who did it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°It happened to dozens of them. You didn¡¯t see it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here the whole time!¡± Corec scowled and stepped forward to loom over the man. ¡°If I find out you¡¯re lying ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°What about the wizards?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°If they¡¯re so uneducated, where are the wizards coming from?¡± ¡°They¡¯re just hired to do a job, like me.¡± It seemed unlikely that a rural cult would be able to hire multiple wizards, but before Leena could question the statement, Pavan held up one of the knives with a snake etched into the hilt. ¡°Why the knives?¡± he asked. ¡°Why risk losing a weapon that identifies them? Why use a knife at all if you¡¯re going into battle?¡± Davir hesitated. ¡°Answer the question,¡± Rohav said. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I overheard some things. The priests gave them the knives and told them to leave one at each attack. I guess they left a lot more than one once they started dying. Nobody told them not to take other weapons, but other than the hunters with their bows, most of them didn¡¯t have any. They can¡¯t afford swords, and they wouldn¡¯t know how to use them anyway. The priests didn¡¯t care what they brought¡ªthe Zidari don¡¯t fight, and the knives were enough. Here, they hired the mercenaries to do the actual work.¡± ¡°They wanted people to know who they were?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Why else would they leave the knives on purpose?¡± Davir shrugged. ¡°The knives are warded. I tried Seeking them but I couldn¡¯t. Nobody could find them that way.¡± ¡°They wanted someone to know,¡± Rohav said. ¡°A message for someone who¡¯d recognize it without a Seeking.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Pavan asked. No one had an answer. ¡°We¡¯ll ask all the camps again,¡± Rohav said. ¡°And the palace. Perhaps somebody will have an idea.¡± ¡°Is there another group headed this way?¡± Corec asked Davir. ¡°Are we going to be attacked again?¡± ¡°Not from Renfar,¡± the prisoner said. ¡°Mercenaries don¡¯t come cheap, and you just killed most of their own people who were of fighting age. I don¡¯t know how many members they have in the rest of Cordaea. The other group that attacked you, they might still have more people. They didn¡¯t tell me how big that church was¡ªthey just wanted to know how to find you.¡± Leena¡¯s uncle turned to Pavan and cocked his head to the side. The younger man nodded. Rohav spoke to Corec. ¡°If that takes care of what you need to know, we should be getting this one back to Sanvara City. There¡¯s a cell waiting for him.¡± Pavan leaned down, about to help Davir to his feet. They were going to take him away. ¡°No!¡± Leena shouted, grasping her own snake knife¡ªthe one that had been left behind in her family¡¯s camp after the attack. Razai had insisted she keep it with her during the battle. ¡°I claim right of blood feud! By his actions, he killed my mother and father!¡± ¡°Put that away!¡± Rohav snapped. ¡°He needs to return to Sanvar and face justice.¡± ¡°He killed Rima!¡± she said, to remind her uncle of his own pain. ¡°He deserves to die!¡± A look of sorrow passed over Rohav¡¯s face, but he held firm. ¡°The empress will make that decision. Either way, he¡¯ll never see the light of day again. Killing him now would be foolish. We may need him to answer more questions.¡± ¡°Blood feud takes precedence by the old laws!¡± Leena said, her heart pounding in her chest. She crouched down over the traitor and held her knife to his face. Her hand wouldn¡¯t stop trembling. Despite Rohav¡¯s words, her uncle didn¡¯t make any move to stop her. Neither did anyone else. She traced the blade down Davir¡¯s cheek to his neck as he cringed back. But staring into his frightened eyes, Leena realized she couldn¡¯t bring herself to kill him in cold blood, regardless of the reason. She stood up, her body feeling as weak as if she¡¯d been running for hours. ¡°But I¡¯ll let you take him if he does something for me.¡± ¡°Does what?¡± Leena looked down at Davir. ¡°You¡¯re a Seeker. Tell me where the priests of the Snake are. All of them!¡± ¡°They¡¯re warded! I already told you that!¡± ¡°Then the ones you know. Their names, locations, temples, everything.¡± His jaw worked as he thought through that, and then a small smile crossed his face. ¡°I can do that.¡± ¡°And the wizards,¡± Leena said. She turned to Ellerie. ¡°The warding spells will go away, right? They¡¯re not like the doors we found?¡± ¡°Yes. Warding spells fade over time if they¡¯re not renewed. Some can last years, like mage locks and preservation wards, but most will fade much faster than that¡ªdays or weeks¡ªunless they¡¯re permanently enchanted, and no one knows how to do that anymore. Well, almost no one.¡± Leena nodded, then spoke to Davir again. ¡°The wizards and the priests. We¡¯ll kill them, and after the wards go away, you can Seek every single person responsible for the attacks on our people.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know all the priests and wizards. There have to be more than the ones I met.¡± ¡°Then the ones you do know will have to tell us about the others.¡± ¡°Ask the priests,¡± Corec suggested. ¡°Wizards are too dangerous to take alive.¡± Leena shrugged. ¡°Whoever can tell us. We¡¯ll keep them alive long enough to find out what they know.¡± Despite the bravado of her words, she doubted she¡¯d be amongst those doing the hunting. If she couldn¡¯t kill Davir, how could she kill anyone else? But there were plenty more of her people who would want vengeance for their losses. She wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d sworn blood feud. Rohav gave her a grim smile. ¡°We will. And we¡¯ll find out if they¡¯re working for anyone else or if the priests took action on their own.¡± He sighed, glancing around the room. ¡°But for now, we should be going. If you Travel directly to the camp, I can join you there once I¡¯m done at the palace.¡± She switched to the Zidari tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t return yet, Uncle¡ªI¡¯ve still got responsibilities here.¡± He frowned. ¡°I thought this was the reason you¡¯d left. I thought you were coming back with us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s why I left, but I promised to help out here.¡± And, in truth, exploring an ancient city had been exciting. Perhaps she could enjoy it more now that she knew her brother would be safe. ¡°I¡¯ll visit home each week. If you need my help tracking them down, I¡¯ll try to come back sooner, but I¡¯m not much of a Seeker.¡± She could accept it if her revenge was meted out by other, more competent hands, just so long as it was done. She did need to ask Rohav about the bracelet, but she couldn¡¯t do that here where someone else might see them. ¡°You should learn from this man¡¯s mistake,¡± Rohav said, glancing down at the prisoner. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why the Zidari don¡¯t work for outsiders.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± she promised. He nodded. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve earned some leeway, but don¡¯t forget our laws. Our gifts are too dangerous in the wrong hands.¡± He turned to speak to Pavan. Leena faced Ellerie with an embarrassed grimace. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it,¡± she admitted quietly, so only the elven woman could hear. Ellerie held Leena¡¯s hands in hers for a brief moment. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing.¡± Leena wanted to say more, but she wasn¡¯t ready to make any promises. Not yet. But the Seeker was captured. Soon, everyone responsible for the attacks on the Zidari would be dealt with. Perhaps they¡¯d be arrested by the authorities, or perhaps they¡¯d be killed out of hand by angry Travelers. Either option was acceptable. Leena¡¯s blood feud wasn¡¯t over, but the end was within her reach. Once it was done, she¡¯d be able to look to the future, and perhaps have a more personal discussion with the elven woman. Pavan joined them then. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving soon, but could I speak to you for a moment first?¡± the young Traveler asked in Zidari. ¡°Of course.¡± Pavan nodded to Ellerie, then drew Leena away from the others. ¡°Your uncle tells me that, even half-trained, you managed to teleport from here to Sanvar in a single jump. That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, thank you.¡± ¡°Even among the fully trained Travelers, fewer than half of us can manage that. We should consider positioning our two families better for the future. I would like to propose an alliance.¡± His expression was sincere, and Leena wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. It was obvious he was referring to strengthening the bloodlines by marriage. She¡¯d never considered marrying a man before¡ªshe¡¯d known since she was young that she preferred women. She glanced at Ellerie, but the elven woman hadn¡¯t heard, and, in any case, didn¡¯t speak Zidari. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect an answer so soon, of course. Even if you were in agreement, the families would still have to discuss it. Your uncle wasn¡¯t aware if you were entertaining other offers.¡± She could have just told him she liked women, but that was her personal life. She shouldn¡¯t have to talk about it with a stranger. Besides, if she ever wanted to have children, it would be something to consider. When the clan intermarried to merge their bloodlines, it wasn¡¯t unheard of for those to be marriages of convenience only. It would be up to Leena, or her family, to return to Pavan with terms for negotiation. ¡°I¡¯ll think about what you¡¯ve said,¡± she replied. ¡°I have obligations that will keep me busy here for the near future, though.¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± Pavan said with a ready smile, ¡°but I do hope to hear from you soon.¡± He returned to Rohav and the prisoner. Rohav gave Leena one last nod, and then Pavan laid his hands on their shoulders. The three men disappeared, either back in Sanvara City already or at some point in between. Book 3: Chapter Thirty-Five ¡°I wish you¡¯d stop messing with that thing.¡± Shavala looked up from where she was sitting cross-legged with the staff laid across her lap. ¡°It¡¯s not saying anything now,¡± she told Katrin. ¡°It¡¯s a hunk of wood¡ªit shouldn¡¯t have said anything at all! It¡¯s creepy.¡± Shavala stood and leaned the staff against the wall, then went to sit next to the other woman. ¡°It was more like it was thinking than talking. It just didn¡¯t like what I was doing.¡± ¡°What if it happens again?¡± She didn¡¯t have an answer. Corec peered through the open doorway, then came in when he saw them there. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked Shavala. ¡°Marco said you were injured, and Boktar said he didn¡¯t see you cast any spells during the fight. He was worried something had happened to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine now. It was nothing, but I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to help.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t nothing,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Tell him what happened.¡± Shavala sighed and looked down. ¡°It was the staff.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Corec asked. ¡°What sta¡ª ¡­ the staff you found in the ruins?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t want me to cast any spells.¡± ¡°It hurt her!¡± Katrin said. Corec furrowed his brow. ¡°Wait. Why? How? It isn¡¯t magic; I checked it myself.¡± ¡°It must be some sort of magic!¡± Katrin exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s been talking to her!¡± ¡°Not talking, exactly,¡± Shavala said. ¡°When I first took it, it was showing me visions of things it¡¯s seen in the past. I think it¡¯s druid magic. Elven druid magic.¡± ¡°Then why would it hurt you?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I think it just didn¡¯t want me to kill anyone. I¡¯m not sure it understood what was going on.¡± Corec¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°It didn¡¯t want you to kill anyone? Or you didn¡¯t want to kill anyone? I know you weren¡¯t happy about the last time we fought them.¡± Shavala hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d known. Or had Katrin told him? ¡°They had to be stopped,¡± she said. ¡°I hate that they didn¡¯t give us a choice, but we couldn¡¯t let them hurt us or anyone else. I understood. The staff didn¡¯t, but I think I can talk to it, teach it.¡± ¡°Teach it?¡± Katrin said. ¡°You should get rid of it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hurting me now, and it¡¯s also helped me.¡± ¡°Helped how?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The room it was in, with the mushrooms and the moths¡ªthey were all dying. The staff helped me save them.¡± ¡°The moths?¡± He exchanged a confused glance with Katrin. ¡°What do they matter?¡± ¡°I think they might be unique. I¡¯m not sure anything like them exists anywhere else. Not just the moths but everything else growing in that room.¡± Shavala had known he wouldn¡¯t understand, and from his expression, it was clear she¡¯d been right. But he tried. ¡°Why were they dying?¡± he asked. ¡°It was the staff that let them live the way they had been. It created an environment to support them.¡± ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you leave it here?¡± She considered that. Was she being selfish by removing the staff from where it had rested for thousands of years? But she¡¯d seen the visions of what it had done in the past. It felt wrong to let it languish underground rather than serving its purpose, whatever that purpose might be. ¡°It¡¯s important,¡± she said. ¡°It has to be. Why else would it have been locked in there?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Katrin exclaimed. Shavala shrugged. ¡°Maybe, but so is Corec¡¯s sword,¡± she said. Katrin threw her hands up in frustration, so she added, ¡°And your voice. But I don¡¯t just mean it¡¯s important; it¡¯s also important to me. The things it¡¯s shown me¡ªI think the staff was used by the early elven druids. We always say elder magic was the first to be discovered, and the dorvasta believe the druids were the first of the elder mages. I think the staff knew those druids.¡± ¡°But if it hurt you ¡­¡± Corec started. ¡°Then maybe it will again. At least until I can get it to understand me. Didn¡¯t you ever get hurt when you were learning to fight?¡± ¡°Sometimes, but that¡¯s not the same thing. And a staff that talks? That¡¯s like something out of a story. Some of those stories don¡¯t have nice endings.¡± ¡°It thinks; it doesn¡¯t talk. Didn¡¯t your sword have to think to choose you over everyone else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that was due to a warding spell.¡± ¡°This is just a different kind of magic. My magic.¡± He sighed. ¡°I just worry about you.¡± She gave him a small smile. He and Katrin worried too much, but sometimes it was nice to have them around to worry about her. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what was going on between the three of them. She¡¯d only intended to join Corec¡¯s bed for a short fling before he married Katrin, but somehow that fling was still going. Shavala wasn¡¯t looking forward to ending things when it was time for her to return home. ¡°I know you do,¡± she said, ¡°but I need to at least try to learn more about it before I give up. Sometimes you two treat me like a child, but I¡¯m not; I¡¯m older than either of you, and I¡¯m responsible for my own decisions. But I¡¯m sorry about today. I know I messed up. I could have gotten everyone killed.¡± ¡°No, I messed up,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯d never try to defend a position with a single archer or a single infantryman, but then I put together a plan that placed all the heavy work on you and Ellerie, with no fallback plan if something happened to either of you. I need to get better at this, but none of my training covered it. The knights told me a few things about how to fight mages, but never about how to work with them. I misjudged things, thinking our enemies couldn¡¯t stand up to magic, and the Travelers had to come in and save us.¡± ¡°Are they still here?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°They¡¯re gone now, but they caught the Seeker. He says the men with the knives are part of some cult that worships a snake, claiming it¡¯s one of the old gods. He insists they wouldn¡¯t tell him why they¡¯re hunting Leena and the other Travelers.¡± ¡°What are we going to do with him?¡± ¡°Leena¡¯s uncle and another fellow already took him back to Sanvar to lock him up. Their people are the ones who were killed, so I wasn¡¯t going to interfere. It doesn¡¯t sound like there¡¯s another group heading our way right this moment, but that could change. Losing their Seeker might stop them for a moment, but they already know where we are. Oh, that reminds me, have either of you seen Razai?¡± ¡°Sarette saw her through the spyglass when she was up on the slope. She says she was following the mercenaries who ran away.¡± ¡°What? On her own? What¡¯s she thinking?¡± Katrin shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sarette figured you¡¯d sent her after them.¡± Corec frowned. ¡°It¡¯ll be dark soon. I¡¯m not going to be able to find her after the sun goes down, even with a mage light. If she¡¯s not back by morning, I¡¯ll go look for her.¡± He paused, then said, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s good she¡¯s tracking them, though¡ªshe can make sure they don¡¯t sneak back here.¡± ¡°I can go after her,¡± Shavala offered. ¡°I can make my way in the dark well enough.¡± Corec hesitated, seeming to consider the idea, but then shook his head. ¡°After what happened today? I think you should stay here and rest. Razai knows how to take care of herself. If she wanted our help, she¡¯d have told someone she was leaving. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be careful.¡± # Razai crept closer to the men she¡¯d been following, mercenaries who¡¯d fled from the battle. There¡¯d been three when she first caught sight of them back at the ruins, but they¡¯d met up with others as they¡¯d traveled east. She¡¯d stayed a mile behind the group while the sun was still up, following their trail, but as the evening turned dark, she¡¯d gradually closed the distance. It was late now, well past sundown, and the mercenaries had stopped to make camp¡ªif it could be called that. There was no moon, and the stars only provided a small bit of light, mostly blocked by a light covering of clouds. There was no wizard this time, and no mage lights. The men had scrounged up two torches before leaving, using them as they¡¯d made their way in the dark, but they¡¯d extinguished them once they¡¯d stopped for the night. Razai, though, could see just fine. The mercenaries were gathered in a rough semblance of a circle. They¡¯d eaten a meal of cold trail rations, and now their eyes darted back and forth at every little sound their companions made. They spoke quietly, quickly, occasionally glancing back in the direction of the mountain. She couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying, but it was obvious they were frightened. What right did they have to be frightened? They were the ones who¡¯d chosen to wage a battle against a much smaller group. Now, they had to face the consequences of their actions. She waited until they began bedding down for the night, then inched closer, invisibly, until she was only a few feet away from the nearest man. There were eleven of them, but most had taken off their armor and were trying to get some sleep. It appeared that only three were staying up to keep watch. She could handle eleven under those circumstances. She gripped the hilts of her curved knives as she waited for the best moment. She would stab the nearest mercenary through the heart as he lay atop his bedroll, then grab the next closest¡ªwho was standing watch, still wearing a mail shirt¡ªand slit his throat. She¡¯d have two of them down before the rest even realized they were under attack, and the others would hardly be able to see her in the dark. If she got lucky, they might even start killing each other by accident. Slowly, she unsheathed her knives, taking care not to break the invisibility spell. Then she hesitated. Corec¡¯s words came back to her. He¡¯d wanted to let the mercenaries go free if they weren¡¯t complicit. It was idealistic foolishness¡ªthey were the prey and she was the hunter. They¡¯d crossed the line, taking money to kill Leena and the rest of the group. But was Razai really any better than them? She¡¯d been a mercenary on occasion. She¡¯d done the same as them, and she¡¯d done worse. She¡¯d killed people in cold blood if she felt they deserved it. Or, sometimes, if her father had ordered her to. What would the others think if she killed these men? Corec¡¯s opinion didn¡¯t matter, but what would Leena think of her? What about Boktar? Would Treya tell Renny? Razai slid her knives back into their sheaths. She wanted to scream at herself for growing soft, but she kept quiet. If she made any noise, it would give away her position. She forced herself to calm down, pushing the rage back deep inside where it belonged. Fine. She wouldn¡¯t kill them, but that didn¡¯t mean she could let them go free, with no punishment for their actions. They¡¯d tried to kill Leena. Summoning her demon disguise, Razai let loose with a wild howl, then leapt forward, stomping on the stomach of the man who¡¯d been trying to sleep nearby. She snarled, then howled again, this time with a different tone. In the dark, the humans would see nothing but a huge black shadow with glowing red eyes, but if she made enough noise, she might convince them that more than one demon had come for them. They screamed and shouted, scrambling up out of their bedding in a panicked frenzy. One man kept his nerve enough to try to face her, but she snatched the spear out of his hands and snapped it in two, then grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him to the ground. They all ran after that, fleeing into the night in different directions. When one of the mercenaries tried to grab his pack on the way out, Razai stomped on the strap, catching the man¡¯s fingers under her heel. He screamed in pain and she lifted her foot to let him scurry away without his supplies. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Moments later, she was alone in the remains of the camp, surrounded by bedrolls and packs, and discarded armor. About half the men had escaped with their weapons, she estimated, but the only ones who¡¯d managed to take their armor were the three who¡¯d still been wearing it. None of them had taken the time to grab their bedding. There were only ten packs, but Razai was pretty sure one of the eleven men hadn¡¯t brought one with him, which meant the mercenaries were now all stranded in the middle of the barrens without any food or supplies. It would take them at least three to four days to reach any sort of civilization, and that was only if they knew where to find the nearest village. Still, there was water in the barrens, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt them to go without food for a while. They were trained mercenaries¡ªthey would probably live through the ordeal. If they didn¡¯t, Razai wouldn¡¯t shed any tears, but at least she could say truthfully that she hadn¡¯t killed them. She remained in her demon disguise in case any of the men tried to return, but she picked through their belongings to look for anything interesting. After transferring all the food into two of the packs, she stacked the other packs together with the bedding and spare clothing, then lit the pile on fire with a tinderbox she¡¯d found. While it burned, she dug through the four coin pouches she¡¯d discovered, finding quite a bit of silver and even a few gold pieces. Those four men would learn a valuable lesson, she figured, and would keep their coin pouches closer to their person the next time they slept in the wilderness. She left the weapons and armor where they were, not wanting to haul them away. If the mercenaries came back for them, so be it. Cold steel would offer little comfort when what they really wanted was something to eat. Slinging the two packs of food over her shoulders, she headed back in the direction of the mountain. It would be her second all-night journey in a row. Good thing she¡¯d caught a nap before the fight. # Bobo was still unconscious, but Treya couldn¡¯t find any injuries other than a few small abrasions. She didn¡¯t bother to heal those¡ªshe was exhausted, having used the last of her strength to patch up a few of the enemy mercenaries just enough that they might survive for another day. Before disappearing, Razai had claimed Bobo was suffering from drain shock¡ªshe and Boktar had both seen him wielding magic. Razai insisted it was divine magic, as if he was a priest, but he wasn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t any other sort of mage either, as far as Treya knew. Was he godborn, like her? Bishop Lastal had been able to identify mages just by looking at them, but Treya hadn¡¯t figured out the trick yet. Of course, if someone was going to suddenly start using magic out of nowhere, being a priest was the most likely answer¡ªit would just require being blessed by one of the gods. The gods usually chose their blessed priests from among the ranks of the unblessed priests and their students, but that wasn¡¯t always the case. Sometimes they chose an outsider. But which had chosen Bobo? In the past, he¡¯d masqueraded as a priest of Fox, but Fox didn¡¯t have priests. None of the old gods did. For Bobo, Allosur seemed a likely choice¡ªthe God of Knowledge. It was Allosur¡¯s priests who¡¯d tried to teach Treya what they could about her abilities. ¡°What to happen us?¡± a voice asked in badly accented trade tongue, interrupting her musings. The question came from the only injured mercenary who was currently awake¡ªa man who¡¯d lost his right hand during the battle. Based on his descriptions, he¡¯d been fighting Sarette. His compatriots had helped him away from the fight and tied a strip of cloth tightly around his lower arm, keeping him from bleeding out, but he¡¯d lost consciousness anyway. His friends had either left him behind or died in the fighting. Treya and Boktar hadn¡¯t allowed him to check the bodies to find out for sure. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied. ¡°Why did you attack us?¡± ¡°They tell us you, uhh, how say, thieves?¡± ¡°Bandits? Brigands?¡± He shrugged, apparently not recognizing those words in trade tongue. ¡°Bad thieves.¡± She grasped his arm to check his injury, though there nothing more she could do about it. She¡¯d healed it enough to keep it from killing him. ¡°Did you believe them?¡± she asked, feeling a tiny hint of power behind her words. ¡°Yes. Then no.¡± He blinked and worked his jaw, looking surprised to have admitted that. ¡°Very very, uhh ¡­¡± He grunted, unable to find the words to complete his thought. ¡°They bad.¡± ¡°But you attacked us anyway.¡± ¡°They pay.¡± She let go of his arm after assuring herself the injury wasn¡¯t showing any signs of getting worse or becoming infected. ¡°Well, they¡¯re not going to pay you any longer,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to figure out what passes for the law around here, and ask them what to do with you.¡± He furrowed his brow, not seeming to understand her. ¡°Never mind,¡± she said. She left the room they¡¯d set up as a makeshift infirmary, nodding to Nedley, who was standing guard over the prisoners. He was alone, but Josip was scheduled to join him soon, after catching a few hours of sleep. It would have to be enough¡ªeveryone else was too busy. The two of them should be able to handle four unconscious, heavily wounded men, and a single man with one hand and no weapons. The rest of the mercenaries were dead, other than an unknown number who¡¯d managed to flee. Sarette had seen five through her spyglass from her perch partway up the mountain, but she was certain others had gotten away before she¡¯d made it there. The men with the knives were dead too. Those who¡¯d lived through the battle had died just like the one outside Tir Shar¡ªtheir mouths foaming and their bodies convulsing. There had been a lot of death that day, more than Treya had seen in her life. It had been worse than anything since the day the raiders had murdered her parents while she hid behind a pile of firewood. But her friends had all lived. That counted for something. She took a deep breath of the crisp night air, then found a fallen stone block to sit on. The camp was mostly quiet, other than the faint, distant sound of Corec and Boktar still dealing with the bodies. Treya was tired but she wasn¡¯t ready to sleep, still too worked up from the events of the day. She needed to relax. Maybe some meditation. That would have required her to move, though, and she didn¡¯t want to. She¡¯d just sit, instead. There was a scraping sound of metal on stone, and the presence of another person nearby. ¡°My people are dead, aren¡¯t they?¡± Ariadne asked, taking a seat next to her. ¡°All of them.¡± She spoke Western this time, but Treya had learned Western at the Four Roads chapter house. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied. ¡°Whatever happened here, we think the people were able to leave. The city seems to have been evacuated in good order.¡± ¡°In good order? With Fortress West destroyed, and leaving me¡ª¡± Ariadne clamped her mouth closed, not finishing the sentence. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened, but isn¡¯t it good they were able to flee? Maybe they found a new home somewhere.¡± ¡°Even if they did, they¡¯re not my people anymore. The people that I knew would still be dead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Ariadne was silent for a moment. ¡°Van Kir was forests and grasslands as far as the eye could see. I don¡¯t recognize anything anymore. There used to be a lake just south of the outer city. How can so much have changed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but you should talk to Ellerie and Bobo. They know more than I do.¡± The tall woman didn¡¯t make any move to do as Treya had suggested. Instead, she said, ¡°Do humans rule over my people¡¯s lands now?¡± ¡°You said your lands extended from here to the seas?¡± Ariadne nodded. ¡°Mostly humans and dwarves, then. The closest settlements are human villages.¡± ¡°Dwarves?¡± ¡°The stoneborn?¡± Treya said, thinking the girl might be more familiar with the older term. Ariadne just shook her head in confusion. ¡°You¡¯ve seen Boktar in the camp? The strong, short man with the beard?¡± ¡°Yes. He is dwarve?¡± ¡°A dwarf, yes.¡± ¡°I have never heard of his kind before,¡± Ariadne said. How could the Ancients not have known about dwarves? She was talking, though. Maybe Treya could learn something about her before she went quiet again. ¡°You seemed surprised to see humans in the ¡­ the fortress, you called it?¡± Treya said. ¡°Were there no humans here when you went to sleep?¡± ¡°Some in the outer city who prefer life in Tir Yadar rather than among the human tribes, and, of course, many in the refugee camps. But few humans live in the inner city, and even fewer work in the fortress. Only Zachal is allowed into Fortress Central without authorization.¡± ¡°Zachal?¡± ¡°The human warden,¡± Ariadne said. Leena had mentioned that the woman knew about wardens. Treya said, ¡°I know that Ellerie would really like to talk to you about your people and Tir Yadar. And the wardens. She might be able to help you learn what happened here.¡± ¡°She talks and she talks and she talks. Her and the fat man. Sometimes I understand what they say, sometimes I don¡¯t, but I won¡¯t put myself on display for their amusement. Let them pose their questions to someone else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there is anyone else,¡± Treya pointed out. Ariadne ignored that, changing the subject. ¡°I require assistance,¡± she said. ¡°I must lay the other Mage Knights to rest.¡± ¡°We were reluctant to disturb them,¡± Treya said. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I cannot leave them in the stasis pods. It isn¡¯t right. They should be buried beneath the earth.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯d like to do, we¡¯ll help. I¡¯m sorry about your friends.¡± Ariadne tilted her head to the side. ¡°Friends? They are the heroes who won the war, but I had only just met most of them. I wasn¡¯t truly one of them yet¡ªI was the newest recruit, earning the armor when the previous bearer was chosen to become a warden.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I will also need help in recovering and transporting their blades and armor. I must safeguard them until I can find my people.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Treya said, surprised. ¡°You don¡¯t wish to bury them with their belongings?¡± ¡°The blade and panoply belong to The People, not to the knight who bears them. I¡¯m not blind¡ªI know what you are doing here. I cannot bury the weapons and armor, but I won¡¯t allow your people to take them either.¡± Treya nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll help you. We¡¯ll figure out a way to haul them back to Aencyr.¡± Corec had already started talking about taking some of the wagons back with them so they could carry the contents of the armory. Now that they knew the route, they wouldn¡¯t have to cross the swamp. They could follow the passes through the mountains instead. ¡°Aencyr is where you are from?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s the nearest large city. We came from across the sea in Aravor. I¡¯m from a city called Tyrsall.¡± Ariadne drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Tir Sal still stands?¡± The pronunciation wasn¡¯t quite the same. ¡°There¡¯s a city called Tyrsall on the northeast coast of Aravor,¡± Treya said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the one you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Aravadora, we call it. Yes. But there are no Chosar there?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s a human city, mostly.¡± ¡°That was the agreement. Two hundred years ago, the human tribes were given a Tir of their own in exchange for sending farmers, miners, and fishermen to the continent to aid in colonization efforts. But if Tir Sal still exists, The People should have a presence there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Treya said. The other woman looked down, silent for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Much of Aravor was destroyed during the war. Only a few of the great cities still stand. Still stood. What about Tir Navis? Does it yet remain? Tir Illia?¡± ¡°Tir Navis is in the Storm Height Mountains, but it¡¯s been abandoned. The mountains belong to the stormborn now. Tir Illia ¡­ do you mean Terrillia? The dorvasta city?¡± Ariadne frowned. ¡°I do not know these words, stormborn and dorvasta, and the necklace does not translate, but vasta is the elves¡¯ name for themselves, and Tir Illia was granted to them in the same way Tir Sal was granted to the humans. The vasta had to flee Cordaea ¡­¡± She paused, her brow furrowing in concentration. ¡°They had to flee Van Kiradaea when the demons attacked their forest homes. A new forest had already been grown for them in Aravadora, so they went there.¡± Treya wasn¡¯t sure what to say. The woman¡¯s story raised so many new questions, it was hard to keep track of them all. ¡°I really think you should talk to Ellerie and Bobo about this. If you tell them what you know, they may be able to help you learn what happened.¡± Ariadne didn¡¯t reply at first, just staring off into the night. Finally, she said, ¡°I will consider it.¡± # ¡°Five hundred gold?¡± Ellerie exclaimed. ¡°Five hundred twenty-two all told, though a lot of that¡¯s in silver,¡± Corec said. ¡°Half of it was in a lockbox in one of their supply carts. I suppose they must have been using it to pay the mercenaries. The cultists weren¡¯t carrying much in the way of coin.¡± ¡°How many of Leena¡¯s people did she say were here?¡± The expedition¡¯s charter specified that spoils of war were divided evenly between participants rather than becoming part of the expedition¡¯s profit. ¡°Fourteen, I think, not counting her or the man they took prisoner. But I want to offer the wagon drivers something for putting them in danger. I imagine we¡¯ll want to stay on good terms with Livadi if you ever plan to return here.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± ¡°Five gold each, and give them their pick of the mercenaries¡¯ weapons. There are a few suits of armor worth salvaging, but I don¡¯t want to bother with the weapons. They¡¯re just not worth as much as the stuff from the armory.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone will object to that,¡± Ellerie said, calculating the numbers in her head. ¡°So, subtract twenty-five, and divide by twenty-eight.¡± ¡°Twenty-eight? I counted twenty-seven.¡± She lowered her voice. ¡°I think we should include Marco. I don¡¯t want to single him out as not helping in the fight. I don¡¯t want him to think he¡¯s not part of the group.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°That makes sense. There are some things I want to do, and I¡¯m going to need him in a good mood.¡± ¡°So will I,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about Ariadne?¡± Treya had told the two of them about the Chosar woman¡¯s request for help in retrieving her comrades¡¯ weapons and armor. ¡°To start with, yes,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t know which nation¡¯s laws apply here, but I think scavenging rights get complicated when a resident is still around to make a claim. We need to make sure she¡¯s taken care of. She¡¯s claimed her friends¡¯ weapons and armor, and she took that necklace. Let¡¯s say those are hers by right, and if she takes something else, I¡¯m not going to complain. But I think we should grant her two shares on top of it.¡± Ellerie nodded. She¡¯d been considering the same idea. ¡°That seems fair. When we return to Aencyr, we¡¯ll look up whatever laws we can find about it. And there are some other ideas I want to convince Senshall to agree to. So, we¡¯ll include Marco in the spoils. Sort of ¡­ a bribe we can all politely pretend isn¡¯t a bribe. That brings it to, what, seventeen gold and some silver per person? I guess it¡¯s not that much after it¡¯s split up.¡± ¡°It still seems like a lot to me,¡± Corec said with a wry grin. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Leena to take the Travelers¡¯ shares back to Sanvar the next time she visits home. How¡¯s everything else going?¡± ¡°Bobo¡¯s still unconscious and Razai¡¯s still missing,¡± he said, ¡°but we managed to clear the streets and haul all the bodies to the plaza. I¡¯m not sure what else to do with them. We can¡¯t bury them all, and we don¡¯t have any wood for a pyre. We may just have to leave them, but if so, we¡¯ll need to move the camp farther away. And upwind.¡± ¡°How much wood do we need?¡± ¡°More than Leena can bring, and more than we can realistically transport in the wagons. And, honestly, by the time they got here, I wouldn¡¯t want to go anywhere near that plaza.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have a choice, then. We¡¯ll have to leave them where they are. We can move the camp tomorrow.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We also went through their supplies. We¡¯ve got plenty of food now, but only for ourselves, not the animals. And these carts of theirs will be useful for hauling stuff up from the armory.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s plan on heading back inside the mountain tomorrow.¡± # Bobo opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by endless mists. Was this some sort of dream? The last thing he could remember was the fighting. There¡¯d been a sense of hopelessness, and then a sense of hope. And a sudden realization¡ªbut of what? He sat up abruptly as the memories returned. Magic. Not from his friends or from the enemy priests, but from himself. You weren¡¯t supposed to suffer from drain shock, a voice said, echoing in his mind. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± he asked. A blessing is meant to control the amount of power a priest can use, preventing drain shock, but I¡¯m new to this and you didn¡¯t have years to spend learning to master your abilities. You¡¯ll have to be more cautious than other priests. Bobo couldn¡¯t see anyone talking. He couldn¡¯t see anyone at all. ¡°Who are you?¡± he said. You already know, but keep your suspicions to yourself. It¡¯s too soon to let the others realize I¡¯ve joined the game. If this was really who Bobo thought it was, there was so much he needed to ask ¡­ ¡°You saved my friends, didn¡¯t you?¡± Did I? Or did you? ¡°I wasn¡¯t afraid.¡± That wasn¡¯t my doing. Bobo opened his mouth, then closed it, not sure how to respond. Finally, he said, ¡°Why me?¡± Why not? But my time here grows short. The laws they imposed upon themselves, to prevent interference, have somehow affected the actual strictures governing the ascended. Now I understand why they only send visions. Ask the question to which you actually need to know the answer. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Nothing you wouldn¡¯t have done on your own. I learned that much from watching the others. Be yourself. Perhaps someday you and I will speak again. Bobo woke up with a startled gasp. Book 3: Chapter Thirty-Six ¡°So are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?¡± Corec asked Bobo the day after the battle, as the two men loaded weapons from the armory into the hand-drawn carts their attackers had used for carrying supplies. It had been a busy morning. They¡¯d moved their camp again at first light, farther away from the bodies, and then Razai had shown up a short time later saying she¡¯d tracked eleven of the mercenaries east before scaring them off. Then, Boktar, Sarette, and Josip had left to accompany the wagon drivers on their trip back to Livadi, along with one of the group¡¯s own wagons. They planned to meet up with the smaller caravan on the way. Boktar and Sarette would lead the small group to Tir Yadar while Josip and Lufton took the five original drivers, and the extra wagon, back to the village to resupply for another trip. Bobo had regained consciousness just before noon. He¡¯d seemed mostly recovered, so Corec had recruited him to help with the armory. ¡°It was wonderful!¡± the man replied. ¡°For a short time, I knew exactly what to do and I wasn¡¯t afraid to do it. I don¡¯t remember everything¡ªit¡¯s starting to fade¡ªbut I think I could do it again if I had to. Some of it, anyway. Maybe.¡± ¡°But what was it? Razai thinks you¡¯re a priest.¡± Corec had already used his warden senses to confirm that Bobo was indeed a mage now. ¡°I always told you I was a priest of the Fox.¡± ¡°You were a fake priest¡ª¡± Corec stopped talking when he saw Bobo¡¯s wide grin. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that to annoy me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Bobo laughed. ¡°Of course I am. But whatever happened, it was a divine blessing. I¡¯m certain of that, though I couldn¡¯t tell you how I know.¡± ¡°Then one of the gods did choose you as a priest?¡± ¡°It appears so,¡± Bobo said. Then he chuckled. ¡°I guess whoever it was doesn¡¯t have very good judgement. Or maybe I was the only one available.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know which god it was?¡± ¡°Who can say? Treya never did find out which god chose her. I tried to get her to talk about her own experience, but she was reluctant.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised by any of this,¡± Corec said. ¡°Oh, I was and I am. But yesterday, there was a moment of ¡­ I guess I¡¯d call it clarity. For that brief bit of time, everything felt right, like the world was exactly how it was supposed to be. It hasn¡¯t quite worn off yet. Later, I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll go over the battle in my mind and realize how insanely stupid I acted, but for now, I¡¯m able to put that to the side.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°So, you can heal people, like Treya does?¡± ¡°Sadly, healing isn¡¯t one of my blessings. I only received what I needed in that precise moment. I could fight and defend myself, and banish the priests¡¯ spells. It¡¯s more complicated than that, but I¡¯ve forgotten a lot of it already. I hope I¡¯ll remember it if I ever need it again.¡± ¡°Well, from what Boktar and Razai told me, if it wasn¡¯t for you, they couldn¡¯t have held the line against those priests. Those other priests. Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Bobo said, giving Corec a contented smile before continuing his work of loading up the carts. Corec returned to the job too. He had a lot of thinking to do. His warden senses could identify a mage if he concentrated, but he had another sense that he wasn¡¯t sure how to explain¡ªthat strange sense of familiarity he¡¯d experienced when meeting Razai, Sarette, and Leena. He suspected it had begun before that, but he hadn¡¯t been experienced enough to distinguish it until he¡¯d met Razai. It didn¡¯t always happen. Some mages, like the enemy Seeker or Leena¡¯s fellow Travelers, didn¡¯t trigger the feeling at all. He believed it had something to do with choosing mages for the warden binding spell, even though Yelena and Hildra hadn¡¯t mentioned anything like it. Now, he was experiencing the same sensation again, with Bobo. And with Ariadne. # The next day, Corec and Ellerie headed to the palace to retrieve the armor and weapons from the room where they¡¯d found the two spell books. They were both carrying lanterns, and Corec was holding a stack of blankets under one arm. ¡°How long do you think you¡¯ll stay here in the barrens?¡± he asked her. ¡°You¡¯re worried about another attack?¡± ¡°Yes. We got lucky this time, but the snake cult knows where to find us now. Taking away their Seeker won¡¯t help if we stay in the same spot.¡± ¡°Boktar and Sarette will be back in five days with the small caravan. The big caravan will take ten or twelve days, I think. Nine wagons total. How much time will that give us?¡± ¡°Maybe twenty days, including what we have on hand,¡± Corec said. ¡°The small caravan¡¯s only bringing enough to stretch our supplies until the big caravan arrives, and if you¡¯re thinking of leaving soon, we¡¯ll need to keep those wagons here, which means we¡¯ll have to keep feeding all those mules.¡± Once they set aside space for enough hay and oats to feed over sixty horses and mules, it would only leave them with, at most, three empty wagons¡ªtwo of which would be needed just to transport the equipment from the armory. ¡°Twenty days, and it¡¯ll take seven to return to Livadi,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the big caravan to return, then head back. That should leave us an extra day or two in case there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°Will that give you enough time here?¡± She sighed. ¡°I could stay for months and not discover everything there is to know. Or Ariadne might tell me more in five minutes than I could ever have hoped to learn on my own.¡± Treya had passed along several revelations from her conversation with the Chosar woman. Ellerie and Bobo hadn¡¯t seemed too shocked about Tyrsall being one of the Ancient cities, saying the idea had already been theorized by some historians, if only because of the name. They¡¯d been more surprised about Terrillia, and about the fact that Ariadne had never seen a dwarf before. ¡°Has she spoken to you at all?¡± Corec asked. ¡°No. I looked for her yesterday, but she was never around.¡± ¡°I ran into her near the barracks, and then I saw her again when I escorted Marco to the northern colonnade. She¡¯d turned on the lights on the third level. We really need to find out how she does that.¡± ¡°Did she tell anyone where she was going?¡± ¡°Not that I know of, but it¡¯s not like we can stop her. This was her home.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Hopefully she¡¯ll come with us and answer some questions. In the meantime, ten days will give me enough time to finish mapping out the southern section. I¡¯d like to explore the city in more depth, but I¡¯ll just have to hope I can come back someday to continue the work.¡± They¡¯d reached the royal quarters, so Corec passed his lantern to Ellerie and summoned two mage lights, lighting up the chambers. As they made their way to the formerly locked alcove, they passed a small oval table surrounded by ceramic shards. The table itself was empty. ¡°Did someone take the fox and the owl figurines?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Marco wanted them so I brought them out last night, but I convinced him to leave the two sets of big statues alone¡ªand what¡¯s left of the furniture. It¡¯s not like we could have hauled that stuff anyway. He¡¯s willing to negotiate on some of the other artwork he¡¯s found.¡± ¡°So you told him about your plan?¡± Corec said, stopping near the alcove. He added another mage light, illuminating the suit of armor on its stand, and the weapons that still hung from the wall. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s really a plan yet, but yes,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°He was willing to listen.¡± ¡°Do you think Varsin and Burton will agree to it?¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯ll receive a nice profit from the expedition, but they¡¯re already wealthy. The money may not mean that much to them, and Varsin really wants to push the Senshall name as being responsible for the discovery of the city. He won¡¯t be able to do that if he can¡¯t provide the location.¡± She hesitated before continuing. ¡°I may have something that¡¯ll convince him, though.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell Marco yet, but those spell books I found, I think they might be worth more than I thought. One of them in particular.¡± ¡°Enough to change Varsin¡¯s mind? I didn¡¯t realize spell books were so expensive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so much the spells but the other information. Bobo thinks it gives instructions on how to create the metals the Ancients used. The Chosar, I suppose I should say.¡± ¡°The ones from their weapons and armor?¡± ¡°Maybe. The descriptions seem to match.¡± ¡°A light-weight metal that¡¯s stronger than steel? You¡¯re right, that¡¯d be worth a lot.¡± ¡°Not as much as it sounds¡ªthe part we¡¯ve translated so far seems rather complicated, and it requires a wizard¡ªbut it¡¯s got to be worth something. It might be enough. But we want to make sure it works before we say anything about it.¡± ¡°Hildra might be able to help,¡± Corec suggested. Ellerie frowned, but nodded. ¡°If she¡¯s a mage and a smith, I suppose she might have some ideas. We¡¯ll have to be careful, though¡ªthe book won¡¯t be worth anything if we give away the information for free.¡± ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re worried that if she sees the book, she could create the metal herself?¡± ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m still trying to figure out how we¡¯d actually sell something like this. How much is the book worth? And is it worth more if we sell it just one time, or if we make copies?¡± ¡°Senshall buys and sells iron and copper. They have contracts with the mines and the forges.¡± Ellerie appeared deep in thought. ¡°Sell it to Senshall? Or sell our share of it, I mean? That might work. Let¡¯s not say anything yet, though. Not until we know more.¡± Corec nodded, then turned his attention back to the alcove, dropping the blankets to the floor and unrolling them. He lifted the maul from the weapon rack first. It started humming, and yellow sparks of light swirled around it. ¡°I think it¡¯s lighter than before,¡± he said, setting it to the side. The hammer¡¯s hum and glow faded while he took the two longswords from the rack. One of the swords was ornate, still in its metallic scabbard. The other was plain, with no scabbard, though the two metal bands ringing the blade suggested there had been one originally. Corec slid the bands off, then laid the two weapons on one of the blankets and rolled them up into a bundle. Ellerie tried to lift the maul, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°It got heavier for Boktar. Maybe it got lighter for you because it¡¯s bonded to you the way the sword is.¡± ¡°What am I going to do with two weapons nobody else can carry?¡± he asked. ¡°The sword¡¯s bad enough. I can¡¯t even strap the damned thing to my horse.¡± Despite the awkward length of the blade, Corec was forced to wear his sword harness while riding, which required angling it in such a way that the scabbard wasn¡¯t bouncing against the horse¡¯s side. If he tied the harness and scabbard to the saddle, it triggered the warding that made the sword much heavier. The horse could carry it, but not if Corec intended to ride as well. Luckily, the horse didn¡¯t activate the weapon¡¯s pain warding. Ellerie snickered. ¡°I can¡¯t help you with that. Are you ready for the armor?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t touch it, right?¡± Corec asked, eyeing the panoply. It was made from the same dull, brownish-gray metal as the hammer. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. Its warding looks similar to your sword¡¯s.¡± Ellerie pulled one of the blankets closer, then picked up another to cover her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t see any straps,¡± she said, peering at the armor. Corec had been examining it too. ¡°No. If it had straps, they¡¯d have rotted by now, and the armor would have fallen off the stand. I think some of these little square plates are latches.¡± Ellerie handed him the blanket she was holding, and he used it to lift the helmet off the stand and move it out of the way. Then he unfastened one of the metallic latches holding the breastplate to the backplate. ¡°Yes, that did it,¡± he said. He reached for the next latch, but his hand slipped off the blanket and brushed against the armor. There was an immediate shock of pain shooting from his hand up to his elbow, and then a burning sensation, as if he¡¯d pulled a hot cooking pan from the fire. ¡°Aaugh!¡± he shouted, jerking his hand away. The blanket fell from his grasp. ¡°Bloody hell!¡± There was a scorch mark running from his thumb down to his palm and wrist, and another crossing his next three fingers. He could smell burned flesh. ¡°Shit!¡± he said, wincing in pain. ¡°Is that what it was like when you touched my sword?¡± He showed Ellerie his hand. Her eyes widened. ¡°No, nothing like that. That looks bad. We should get back to Treya.¡± Corec didn¡¯t argue. The pain wasn¡¯t getting any better. ¡°I¡¯ll come back tomorrow with my chain gloves and gauntlets,¡± he said, grabbing the shaft of the maul with his uninjured hand and bracing the weapon over his shoulder. ¡°Maybe that¡¯ll work.¡± Ellerie gathered up the bundle with the swords and the two of them left the alcove, finding Marco entering the royal quarters. ¡°I thought I¡¯d collect the pieces of the other figurines, in case we can put them back together,¡± the factor said. Then he nodded in the direction of the maul, which had started glowing again when Corec picked it up. ¡°If you want to keep that, it has to come out of your share.¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure why he did what he did next¡ªthe other man was just doing his job, and Corec actually sort of liked the fellow most of the time¡ªbut he was still in a lot of pain. Plus, he had plans for his share. He needed money and the weapons and armor from the armory if he was going to hire and equip a group of armsmen to counter Rusol¡¯s red-eyes. He couldn¡¯t do that if he had to spend his entire share on an enchanted weapon he had no use for¡ªone that likely couldn¡¯t be sold, if no one else could even lift it. ¡°Here you go,¡± he said, swinging the maul off his shoulder and dropping it headfirst to the floor, leaving the shaft pointing up. ¡°It¡¯s all yours. If you or anyone else can take it, then we¡¯ll sell it and divide up the shares. If not, I¡¯m coming back tomorrow and taking it for myself, since it apparently wants me to. And no, it won¡¯t be coming out of my share.¡± Marco stood there, his mouth gaping open as Corec strode off, Ellerie following him. By the time they reached the doorway, they could hear the other man grunting as he strained to lift the hammer. # Treya rubbed Corec¡¯s hand with a damp cloth, brushing away the last of the burn marks to reveal the healed skin beneath. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you,¡± he replied. ¡°Maybe you should go in with me tomorrow in case my gauntlets and gloves don¡¯t help.¡± ¡°Why not just leave the armor where it is? We¡¯re leaving that statue because it¡¯s warded.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°Well, the statue¡¯s also bigger and harder to move, but you¡¯re probably right. Who¡¯s going to buy a suit of armor they can¡¯t even wear? I might as well give it one more try, though. I¡¯ve got to go back to grab the maul anyway.¡± She snickered. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that to Marco.¡± ¡°I should probably go apologize to him, but I¡¯m not going to pay for the maul out of my share. If he¡¯s going to be an ass about it, I¡¯ll just leave it here.¡± Treya nodded. The two of them planned to pool their shares with Katrin, Shavala, and Sarette so they could afford to hire armsmen to help face any other attack Prince Rusol might send their way. ¡°What should I do with the prisoners?¡± she asked, changing the subject. ¡°If I heal them any further, they¡¯ll be up and about. Nedley and Razai traded off watching them today while I was busy, but with Boktar, Josip, and Sarette gone, it doesn¡¯t leave us with many people to pull guard duty.¡± Corec glanced at the building where they were keeping the wounded mercenaries. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ned¡¯s got to take care of the animals, too, and everyone needs to take watch shifts at night. We really don¡¯t have enough people to be watching over prisoners. What about that thing you did to those two red-eyes to make sure they couldn¡¯t hurt anyone? With the runes?¡± ¡°Des and Arnol? I don¡¯t think it works like that. Whatever it was that I did, it was to stop them from ever again committing a specific crime that I witnessed them committing. I don¡¯t think I can just ¡­ do it anytime I want, for any reason. I¡¯m not sure this group did anything wrong other than believing the others¡¯ lies.¡± She didn¡¯t mention that one of them had admitted he¡¯d realized the cult members were lying. Corec wasn¡¯t likely to kill the men for that, but Treya wasn¡¯t sure how Ellerie or Razai would feel. Or Leena. Corec sighed. ¡°I guess we need to find a way to lock them up. Maybe one of the rooms inside the mountain that has a working door.¡± ¡°One of the warded doors?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if air can get through those, but there are some other metal doors that are still intact. Ellerie knows a mage lock spell¡ªI think those can be used on doors.¡± Then he chuckled. ¡°Or if Leena¡¯s strong enough to carry a wooden door, she could buy one for us and bring it here, and we could use it for the room they¡¯re in now. We¡¯d just need some lumber to frame it.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be easier to carry meals to them if they¡¯re inside our camp than if they¡¯re under the mountain.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it. For now, see if Katrin can help keep watch. I think she could stop them if they tried to get away.¡± Ariadne approached then, still wearing her armor, and gave them both a solemn nod. ¡°I have found an appropriate spot to lay the Mage Knights to rest,¡± she said. ¡°On the eastern slope of Mount Yadar, near the marshaling yards, there was once a memorial honoring the dead of the Second Demon War. The memorial and the yards are gone now, but it¡¯s a fitting place to honor the heroes of the Third Demon War.¡± Treya glanced at Corec. The wars were something Ellerie would want to know about, but it didn¡¯t seem like the right time to ask. ¡°Nedley and I will dig the graves tonight,¡± Corec said. ¡°Tomorrow, we can start ¡­¡± He trailed off, apparently uncomfortable speaking to the Chosar woman about her dead compatriots. Treya could understand how he felt. As she understood it, in Ariadne¡¯s mind, they¡¯d been alive just a few days ago. ¡°I will bring them out from the stasis pods,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°The carts will suffice, but I will require assistance.¡± ¡°Just let us know what you need.¡± She stared off into the distance. ¡°Will Owl be able to find us here? He should really attend the ceremony, but if people no longer live here, perhaps we won¡¯t attract his attention.¡± ¡°Owl?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Of course. The Mage Knights defeated the demon armies. It¡¯s only appropriate for Owl to attend the burial ceremony.¡± ¡°No¡ªI mean, who is Owl?¡± Ariadne grew still. ¡°You do not know Owl?¡± Her voice wavered. ¡°Do people no longer follow the ways of Wisdom?¡± ¡°Is he like the old gods?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Fox and Bear and Raven?¡± ¡°You know them, but not Owl?¡± The Chosar woman swayed, bracing her hand against a wall for support. ¡°What happened to him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve only heard of those three. So he is one of the old gods?¡± ¡°Only your people call them gods, as if they were made-up stories like all the other gods you invent any time you wish. But your gods offer no proof of their existence. Only the totems make themselves known to us.¡± The animal statues Treya and Corec had first found on the western slope of the mountain had included a fox and a bear, as well as a bird that might have been a raven. One of the others had been an owl. The same seven animals had been depicted near the palace. ¡°Your totems,¡± Treya said, ¡°are there seven of them? Like the statues in your fortress?¡± ¡°Eight,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°You refer to the totem walk in the courtyard. There are eight totems, but Snake isn¡¯t welcome in Tir Yadar.¡± Corec drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Snake?¡± Book 3: Epilogue Centuries of work had been wasted. Leonis had been a tool, but a useful one, and now he was dead. Unable to control his anger, Pallisur Traveled into The Lady¡¯s domain, which had changed since the last time he¡¯d seen it. It now resembled one of the expensive apartments on the top level of West Tower in Tir Yadar. In the totemic realm, reality was subject to the whims of those who had mastered its magics. ¡°Hera!¡± he shouted. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said I would,¡± said a voice from behind him. ¡°I stopped you.¡± He spun to face her, gathering arcane power to strike and sheathing it within divine power to break through her defenses. She struck first, shattering his spell even as it formed, then flinging him back against a wall. He¡¯d forgotten how strong Herasis was, especially on her own ground. With the possible exception of the totems, who remained tight-lipped about their own abilities, she was the only being who¡¯d ever wielded three magics. ¡°Do you think to violate our laws now?¡± she demanded. ¡°At this juncture? Do you remember what happened the last time we fought?¡± The reminder brought him up short. When they waged war in the divine realm, their powers were reflected to the mortal realm, but magnified in such a way as to cause great destruction. After the first few incidents, the others had imposed rules on their behavior to prevent further damage. As if anything could be worse than the crime they¡¯d already committed¡ªthe crime Pallisur was trying to undo. ¡°The ritual must proceed!¡± he said. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°And risk another Burning?¡± she asked. ¡°Never.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed the spell. There won¡¯t be another Burning.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, your new ritual, the one that makes you the final arbiter of all who wield magic. What gives you the right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate but necessary,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°It¡¯s the only way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly a convenient side effect, giving you supreme power over all mages. Do you really think anyone¡¯s stupid enough to believe that story?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t particularly matter whether you believe it or not.¡± ¡°And what will happen to the human and elven mages if you take over? You might try to hide it, but I know how much you hate them.¡± Pallisur growled. ¡°They don¡¯t deserve your concern. They enslaved our people!¡± ¡°So you claim,¡± Hera said. ¡°But the Chosar I knew ruled over all the peoples.¡± ¡°Just because you don¡¯t want to believe a thing doesn¡¯t make it untrue,¡± Pallisur said. But even if she did believe him, she¡¯d never truly understand the reality of it. She¡¯d been born long after The People had overthrown their oppressors. The Chosar hadn¡¯t been intended as slaves; they¡¯d originally been created as a symbol of the alliance between the two races. The agility, quickness of mind, and elder magic of the elves; the strength, inventiveness, and arcane magic of the humans. It was the humans and elves who¡¯d named them Chosar, the people. But then the Second Demon War had begun. Their creators had remembered fear, and they¡¯d sent their children to fight in their place. That had been their undoing. By the end of the war, enough Chosar had been born and trained as soldiers to vastly outnumber the warriors of the other races. After The People had pushed the demons out of their lands, it had been almost easy to continue the process with the humans and elves. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Herasis shook her head. ¡°Even if they once treated us as slaves¡ªseven thousand years ago¡ªyou¡¯re the one who doomed the Chosar, Pallis, not them. You caused the Burning, not them.¡± ¡°I can bring The People back! I just need the four magics to do it.¡± ¡°And I suppose the fact that you¡¯ll gain supreme power has nothing to do with it?¡± She gave him a look of disdain. ¡°If you¡¯re telling the truth, then we were created using only arcane and elder magic. You could have come to me at any time¡ªor Demesis, or Borrisur, or Irisis¡ªand we could have tried it. Now that the wildstorms are gone, with your help, we could have attempted to reverse the changes we made. But you didn¡¯t come to us because that¡¯s not what you truly want. You want to rule over everything.¡± He scowled. Why did she constantly question things she knew nothing about? ¡°The ancient knowledge is lost,¡± he said. ¡°It would take millennia to recover the old methods. With the four magics, I can bring our people back! Our people, Hera! Not scattered creatures who look like us yet know nothing of our ways.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Even if I believed you, the Chosar had our chance and we failed¡ªbecause of you, and our own hubris. Our blood is scattered to the winds. Take pride in our children; don¡¯t dwell on our failures.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t won yet, Hera.¡± She stared at him pitilessly. ¡°You¡¯re no longer my biggest concern. We¡¯ve got another problem. Rusol fought Leonis head on. That shouldn¡¯t have been possible. Someone granted him divine power. I don¡¯t recognize the aura¡ªit¡¯s not one of us. There¡¯s now a mortal wielding three of the four magics.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your mortal,¡± Pallisur said coldly, hiding his sudden burst of fear. Rusol hadn¡¯t ascended and shouldn¡¯t be able to merge the magics together, but he was a warden. Who knew what was possible? ¡°This is what you wanted.¡± ¡°Not like this. And I certainly didn¡¯t intend to lose my pawn to an unknown opponent. Someone is interfering. Who can grant divine blessings, besides one of us? A demon lord must have ascended somehow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Then you explain it!¡± she snapped. ¡°That¡¯s not my responsibility,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s yours. You messed up again. You clean it up.¡± And while Hera was busy with that problem, Pallisur could develop a new plan. She thought he¡¯d been defeated, but she was wrong. If a mortal wielded three magics, it was time to break the rules, which meant Leonis was no longer necessary. After all, even if most of Pallisur¡¯s bondmates had died in the Burning, or during the difficult years that followed, he was still a warden. # The hare had been fast, but the wolf was faster. He gorged, eating the whole thing. His hunting had been more successful lately, since he¡¯d met the female of the tree-dwellers, but he still conserved his energy between hunts. It had been nearly three days since he¡¯d last eaten, and now the hare would let him go another three days. It tasted fine, though it would have been better roasted over a fire. Roasted? That was a strange thought. Wolves didn¡¯t cook their food with fire. It was the tree-dweller female who¡¯d offered him cooked meat once. He¡¯d somehow understood the noises she made, which was another strange thing. It had been a long time since he¡¯d understood the noises of the tree-dwellers and the other tall ones. A very long time. She wouldn¡¯t let him hunt the horses though. They¡¯d been standing right there, yet he hadn¡¯t been allowed to eat even one. How could horses be part of her pack? It was nonsense. But he liked the tree-dweller, so he¡¯d left the horses alone. No. Horses were a distraction. What had he been thinking about? Cooking. Such a very strange thought. Thinking about strange thoughts was an odd thing for a wolf to do. Of course, thinking about things a wolf might find odd was also an odd thing for a wolf to do. His mind was going in circles. Strange thoughts had come to him more often as of late. He felt like he was missing something important. Something about the tree-dweller. He¡¯d followed her for a time, but why? No. He hadn¡¯t followed her. He¡¯d followed her potential futures, to discover where she might be. Potential futures? That wasn¡¯t a wolf thought. That was a ¡­ Wolf jumped to his feet, ignoring the discomfort of his overly full belly. How long had he been like this? How far had he regressed? He had to find Raven and Bear and Eagle. Owl was dead, murdered by one of the wardens after their insane attempt to sever the bonds that kept the Collision stable, but Wolf had to warn the rest of his brothers about Snake. To be continued¡­ Book 4: Prologue Five thousand one hundred thirty-two years earlier ¡­ The ceremony was brief but well attended. The young woman¡¯s parents and sisters had come to show their support, along with all the current members of the Mage Knights and several former members who¡¯d been serving as instructors. There were also a number of High Guard soldiers and quite a few young civilians Hera didn¡¯t recognize¡ªmost likely friends of the guest of honor. Ariadne, if she remembered the name correctly. Hera quietly greeted a few of her comrades, then stood at the back of the chamber, not wanting her presence to distract the attendees. Today was meant to celebrate the girl¡¯s achievement. Hera had suffered through more than enough celebrations of her own in the weeks since the war had ended. A wave of whispers rolled over the room when Bear appeared, lumbering in through the door and taking a seat on his haunches in the middle of the central aisle. He was too large to fit between the rows of chairs. Every soldier and knight in the room stood and bowed to him, but Bear merely let out a grunt and watched the stage intently, making it apparent why he¡¯d come. His presence, though unexpected, prompted the ceremony to begin. The new leader of the Mage Knights, Captain Thedan, inducted Ariadne into the order, the young woman wearing Hera¡¯s own panoply and bearing her longsword. The ceremony brought back memories. Hera had conducted it herself a dozen times in the seven years she¡¯d led the order. Many of those recipients were dead now. The rest were with her in the audience. It was strange to watch the proceedings from this end, and she felt naked without the equipment she¡¯d borne for the past sixteen years. Unfortunately, mirrorsteel was expensive, and the enchantments used to construct a Mage Knight¡¯s equipment were difficult and time-consuming. The order itself only owned a dozen complete sets, each of which was passed down from one bearer to the next. Hera was still considering whether to requisition a new suit of armor and a new sword from the shaper wizards and the enchanters. With the rebuilding efforts having barely begun, it might take years before her requests reached the top of the list, but wardens did have certain rights. After the ceremony, she waited for the crowd of well-wishers to die down, then stopped the young woman before she could leave the hall. ¡°The armor looks good on you,¡± Hera said. ¡°How does it feel?¡± Ariadne¡¯s eyes went wide when she realized who¡¯d stepped in front of her. The two of them had only spoken once before. ¡°Captain!¡± the girl said, standing up straight. ¡°It adjusted itself, like the instructors said it would.¡± Hera gave her a ghost of a smile. ¡°Not a captain anymore, and that¡¯s not quite what I meant. You wear it well, but how does it feel now that you bear the panoply?¡± ¡°Today was the first time I wore it in public. A woman came up to me and thanked me for ending the war. I had to tell her I wasn¡¯t there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a symbol now. You represent something greater than yourself.¡± ¡°I promise I¡¯ll bring honor to your blade, Captain Hera.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡± Hera was about to take her leave, but then decided to ask a question which had been troubling her. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± ¡°Do what, Captain?¡± ¡°You burned out your gift of wizardry, even knowing your elementalism was too weak for you to be seriously considered as a candidate. You had the potential to be a promising wizard, but you chose this instead.¡± In the heat of a melee battle, every second counted. Mage Knights burned their arcane spells into their minds so they could cast them instantaneously and eliminate interference from metal armor, but it came at a steep price. They lost much of a wizard¡¯s flexibility in learning new spells. Ariadne had gone through the entire process, even though, in normal times, she¡¯d never have been selected for the order at all. But the Mage Knights had suffered heavy losses during the war, and Ariadne was the last trained candidate left. Even now, there¡¯d been talk about leaving one spot open, but the king had worried that doing so would show weakness at a time when they needed to project strength. A flash of pain crossed the girl¡¯s face. ¡°My brother was stationed at Tir Nok when it fell. Heavy infantry.¡± There was no need to say what had happened to him. ¡°I made my decision seven years ago, during the worst of the fighting. If the Mage Knights hadn¡¯t chosen me, I would have joined the High Guard as a war mage. My abilities would have still been of use on the battlefield. A war mage doesn¡¯t need a mirrorsteel blade.¡± ¡°And now that there are no more battlefields?¡± ¡°I will stand ready until I¡¯m needed.¡± Hera nodded. The girl was determined, at least. She was also a talented arcane mage ¡­ and an incredibly weak elder mage. She might make a good choice for Hera¡¯s first bondmate. Her training to master one magic would help when learning the other. But the war was over, and there was no need to rush into anything. Hera would have to get to know her first. It took effort and luck to find bondmates who could be tolerated as the centuries passed. Hera was a warden now¡ªshe had all the time in the world to make her choices. # The bright lights of the World Fountain livened up the courtyard, but they no longer held Hera¡¯s attention as they once had. She hurried past and stopped along the totem walk just long enough to give Owl a quick bow. It was only a statue, of course, and didn¡¯t respond, but today of all days, it seemed appropriate to pay heed to Wisdom. The guards standing at the entrance to Fortress Central didn¡¯t stop her, or even question her. They recognized her. These days, everyone seemed to recognize her. In the council chamber, she started toward her normal seat before she saw Thedan already sitting there. Of course. Hera would be on the other side of the table now. A new chair had been added for her to the right of Demea, the next-youngest warden. Youth was relative, though; Demea was over four hundred years old. Hera had to push down a quick burst of anger at that. Other than Thedan and Ephrenia, who were bonded to wardens, the remaining Mage Knights were quite young. The war hadn¡¯t been kind to their numbers. The wardens¡ªwho¡¯d almost single-handedly won the Second Demon War¡ªhad seldom placed themselves at risk during the Third. Instead, they¡¯d allowed the High Guard, the Mage Knights, and sometimes even their own bondmates to fight and die in their place. In fairness, Demea was no fighter, but after four hundred years, it seemed like anyone could have learned enough to be helpful. Even Pallis himself, the greatest warrior the people had ever known, had seldom taken to the battlefield this time around. He¡¯d insisted the wardens were working on something too important to delay¡ªsome new magic that would end the war, end all wars. And then Hera and her Mage Knights had won the war for them, defeating Vatarxis and his lieutenants, while the remnants of the High Guard, bolstered by refugees from Tir a Tir and Tir Ankara, had fought the demon forces to a bloody standstill. Hera hadn¡¯t killed Vatarxis¡ªshe wasn¡¯t even sure if that was possible¡ªbut somehow, after hours of single combat, she¡¯d forced him to yield. She couldn¡¯t help but feel he¡¯d been secretly laughing at her while she¡¯d insisted on the terms of surrender, but so far, he¡¯d held to them. It had been nearly a month and there¡¯d been no further incursions. The People had gradually begun to realize the fighting was finally over. It had been a major embarrassment for the wardens, but when they¡¯d announced that they¡¯d learned how to control the Choosing and would be selecting a new member for their order, Hera herself had been the only choice the people would accept. Some of the wardens had taken it with better grace than others. She had to cease her ruminating when King Argyros called the meeting to order. At the far ends of the table, two Sendings were activated. Boreas¡¯s and Iris¡¯s illusionary heads appeared, looking down at everyone else. The two wardens were away from Tir Yadar. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Argyros skipped over the pleasantries and went straight to the matters of the day. ¡°What news of the refugees?¡± he asked in a tired voice. Fifteen years of war had aged him. It was the seneschal who answered. ¡°The Ankarans have begun returning west, but the Tirians are requesting further aid. Tir a Tir was razed to the ground. They have no foodstores and won¡¯t be able to build sufficient shelters before the weather turns.¡± General Straton frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve barely begun to rebuild Van Kir,¡± he said. ¡°We can spare ten shaper wizards,¡± Prince Lydos told him. ¡°It¡¯s either that or we need to try to find room for them all here.¡± The king nodded. ¡°What about crops? Can the elder mages speed up the growing cycle any further?¡± ¡°It would be difficult, Sire,¡± Demea said. ¡°Most of the farmland in Van Kir is either already accelerated or it was ruined by the fighting. Perhaps with the Staff of Life ¡­¡± ¡°The Staff would kill you, Demea,¡± Iris said, her voice coming through the Sending clearly, despite the haziness of her face. ¡°What a pity that someone sent away all the druids.¡± ¡°You insisted on new forests for the vasta, Iris, and that¡¯s what I gave you,¡± the king said. ¡°It¡¯s away from our own lands as well as any known demon incursions into Aravadora, just as you requested. You grew the damned forest yourself!¡± ¡°Yes, I wanted new forests. I didn¡¯t want you to forcibly remove my people from their old ones!¡± The tree bond made it difficult for the elven people to show much anger, but Iris had been a warden for a long time. She¡¯d learned from the best. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. It got them away from the fighting, didn¡¯t it? They would have died if they hadn¡¯t been evacuated, and Tir Illia was the only destination that made sense. We¡¯ll send the remaining archer companies over as soon as enough ships are available. Unless you want me to send them your way instead?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Send them to their families. This island chain isn¡¯t suitable for tershaya¡ªthe good soil doesn¡¯t extend deep enough for the root system. I¡¯ve already sent the Chosar fleet on ahead to investigate Target Two. That¡¯s the big island the navy refers to as Paraido. My people will remain here a little longer to continue their study of the wildlife, in case you want to build your own colony here.¡± After establishing Tir Illia and its surrounding forest for the elves, Iris had volunteered to lead a second colony expedition, this one ranging well outside the regions already claimed by the Chosar. She¡¯d hand-selected colonists that weren¡¯t needed for the war effort¡ªyoung vasta who wished to see more of the world, and elven hybrids that weren¡¯t comfortable living within the traditional confines of the forests. ¡°Donvar is between Targets One and Two,¡± First Admiral Myrrhine mentioned, a note of warning in her voice. ¡°Admiral Nereus assured me he would skirt around the continent, staying out of sight of land,¡± Iris replied. ¡°The scourlings don¡¯t have ships of their own, so as long as we don¡¯t attempt to make contact, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. If the fleet reports that Paraido is worth investigating, my teams will join them there. Otherwise, we¡¯ll continue on to Target Three. Once we find a good location, I¡¯ll return for the Staff of Life. The tershaya saplings we¡¯re carrying won¡¯t be enough to grow a new forest.¡± ¡°The Staff will be waiting for you,¡± the king said, but he didn¡¯t look happy about it. ¡°Now, can we get back to the refugees?¡± Zachal stood. ¡°The human tribal council wishes to make a formal complaint,¡± he said. He was the only human among the wardens, and thus the only human on the council. He often got stuck speaking for his people even though he had no official position among them. ¡°When the fighting reached Van Kir, the tribes weren¡¯t permitted to retreat inside the city, even though the Chosar who live in the outer city did so.¡± The king glanced almost imperceptibly at Pallis before replying. ¡°The city was already inundated with refugees,¡± he said. ¡°If the fighting had drawn close to Tir Yadar, I would have let them in, but as long as they were safe outside, there was no reason to overcrowd the city. Captain Hera¡ªI¡¯m sorry; Warden Hera¡ªstopped the demons well before the tribes were in any danger.¡± He inclined his head toward her. Whatever the wardens thought of Hera, the king had made his gratitude clear. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Not from the praise, but because there was an undercurrent going on that she didn¡¯t fully understand. It wasn¡¯t an accident that Zachal had spoken immediately after Iris. More and more, those two presented a unified front, despite the difference in their ages. Iris was one of the older wardens¡ªshe¡¯d fought in the Second Demon War two thousand years earlier, along with Pallis, Boreas, and Arodi. Those four often acted as if they were above the others, but Hera couldn¡¯t remember ever seeing Iris or Pallis address each other directly. The elven woman was still friendly with Boreas, and she agreed with the wardens¡¯ new plan, but outside of that, she¡¯d grown distant from the older wardens. It had become more apparent recently. Iris¡¯s unhappiness had increased the more she¡¯d learned about the forced evacuation¡ªan evacuation that hadn¡¯t started until after her new expedition had set sail. Immediately after, if Hera remembered correctly. But what did Iris expect? The humans and elves always complained about how they were treated by the Chosar, but they were primitives, dependent on The People to guide and protect them. The war had proven that yet again, with the Chosar having taken the brunt of the fighting in nearly every engagement with the enemy. Still, something felt different now. With the danger over, there were cracks showing in the ancient alliances between the three peoples. The king moved on to the next topic. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in Tir Navis?¡± he said to Boreas¡¯s Sending. ¡°The rebellion is over. The human hybrids sued for peace once they learned the war had come to an end and that a warden had been sent to deal with them. They¡¯ve agreed to go west, and to stay out of Chosar territory for all time. All other humans in Tir Navis have been expelled along with them.¡± ¡°But the Chosar hybrids haven¡¯t caused any trouble?¡± the king asked. Tir Navis was one of the oldest settlements across the sea, and in the centuries since its founding, a portion of the population had interbred with the human tribe that had accompanied the colony. ¡°Of course not,¡± Boreas answered. ¡°Our people are designed for it.¡± Hera furrowed her brow. That statement didn¡¯t make any sense. From the looks around the table, she wasn¡¯t the only one confused. Argyros just nodded. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s move on. I¡¯d like to postpone our regular topics until our next meeting, so we can discuss the real reason we¡¯re here today.¡± He pointed to Pallis, who stood. ¡°As you know, we¡¯ve been designing a ritual to combine the four sources of magic into one,¡± the First Warden said. ¡°We raised Captain Hera because the ritual requires eight wardens to anchor it.¡± General Straton snorted. ¡°Your ritual¡¯s coming a little too late, don¡¯t you think?¡± Pallis glowered at him. ¡°The war may be over¡ªfor the moment¡ªbut there are other reasons to continue our work. For the first time, mortals will be able to wield demonic and totemic magic. We¡¯ll be able to defend ourselves against future demonic incursions. When we¡¯re in dire need of aid, we won¡¯t have to hope that one of the totems happens to notice.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of using the demons¡¯ magic,¡± Prince Lydos said. ¡°Especially with the war just over.¡± ¡°A tool is just a tool,¡± Arodi said in that irritatingly perfect voice of hers as she pushed a strand of long, blonde hair behind one of her delicate ears. ¡°What matters is the intention of the one who wields it.¡± The prince gazed into her eyes and nodded. Arodi seldom had trouble convincing a man of anything. ¡°If you can create new wardens now, why not just turn all mages into wardens instead?¡± Straton asked. Pallis stared at him expressionlessly long enough that people started to fidget. Finally, he said, ¡°We¡¯ve learned to select those who will be chosen. We can¡¯t just create more wardens out of nothing. The choosing spell takes hundreds of years to build up enough power to activate a warden, and then it waits until someone comes along who matches its criteria¡ªcriteria known only to the original creators. But they couldn¡¯t see the future, or know what our needs would be, so now we can choose the warden who will serve our people best.¡± That was mostly true, Hera knew, but she was skeptical about the details. The wardens guarded their power jealously. Serving a warden was the only way weaker mages could remove the limitations on their abilities, and controlling that much magic gave the wardens a great deal of influence among The People. Hera herself had never had any reason to seek out the bond; she¡¯d been born unusually strong in both elder and arcane magic. Becoming a warden hadn¡¯t changed much for her other than the promise of a long lifespan. It was her bondmates that would be her true contribution to her people. Just as soon as she figured out who to choose. Gaiana, the king¡¯s consort, spoke up. ¡°How, exactly, is this going to work?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯ll just wake up the next morning and ¡­ what?¡± A powerful enchantress and shaper wizard, Gaiana had repeatedly expressed concern about the plan. Arodi said, ¡°Where once there were four sources of magic, there will now be just one, a mix of them all¡ªand abilities that were formerly out of reach will now be possible. Of course, you¡¯ll still have to take time to master your new talents. We suspect it will be more complicated to learn spells that would have once fallen under the purview of demonic or totemic magics, since none of our people have experience with those.¡± ¡°And spells that merge the magics together?¡± Lydos asked, almost eagerly. ¡°Remember,¡± Pallis said, ¡°when we¡¯re done, there will only be one magic. Those spells will, in theory, be possible, but we can¡¯t say for sure how they might work.¡± ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ll be less restrictive about it than the Staff of Life,¡± Demea muttered. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Pallis said. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll be ready tomorrow. Provided, of course, that our newest member thinks she can manage it.¡± Hera ignored the snide comment. Mage Knights were notoriously bad at ritual magic due to the way they burned out their gift of wizardry, but that didn¡¯t matter because her role in the ritual involved elder magic rather than arcane. ¡°I know my part,¡± she said. ¡°A word of caution,¡± Allos said, raising a finger. He was in charge of the research laboratories, and had done the bulk of the work in designing the ritual. ¡°We don¡¯t know how the spell will impact those who can already wield both arcane and elder magic. We¡¯ve sent the others away from the city, but the Mage Knights, of course, must remain here. Captain Thedan, we¡¯d like you and your order to go into stasis for the duration of the ritual. Once it¡¯s complete, the danger will be over, whether we¡¯re successful or not.¡± The warning applied to Hera as well, but she¡¯d already agreed to accept the risk. Thedan nodded, likely having already heard about it from Pallis. ¡°Understood, Warden.¡± ¡°Whether you¡¯re successful?¡± Argyros asked. ¡°I was assured there wouldn¡¯t be any more failures.¡± ¡°There¡¯s never a guarantee for something like this,¡± Allos said, ignoring Pallis¡¯s frown and subtle headshake. The younger warden liked to talk about his research. ¡°There are still things we don¡¯t know, like why we need eight wardens to perform the ritual rather than seven. But we¡¯re optimistic about our chances this time, and we¡¯re ready to move forward.¡± ¡°Then proceed.¡± Book 4: Chapter One Present day ¡­ ¡°Please wait here and I will inform the Mistress of your arrival,¡± the butler said, after showing Leena to the sitting room. ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied. She¡¯d never been inside a house as opulent as this one before, even after her family had moved from the camp into town. The furniture in the room was all made from matching wood, delicately carved and polished to a golden sheen. There were paintings on the wall, a woven rug covering most of the floor, and other pieces of art scattered around every surface and nook. Large windows made from real glass lined the east wall, some of which were cracked open to allow the summer breeze to circulate. Glass windows were rare in warm Sanvar, and most windows were simply open to the outside air. During a heavy rainstorm, wooden shutters could be set in the openings to block them off. Leena hadn¡¯t seen glass windows that could be opened and closed in place until she¡¯d come north. She laid her bundles on a nearby table and sat down. The chairs all had permanent cushions built into them, rather than separate cushions that could simply be replaced when they wore out. A young and very beautiful woman entered the room, followed by an armed bodyguard. ¡°Welcome to my home,¡± the woman said. ¡°I¡¯m Renny Senshall. Mr. Halson tells me you bring a message from the Cordaea expedition? Have they returned?¡± She eyed the packages on the table but didn¡¯t ask about them. Leena stood. ¡°They¡¯re still in Cordaea, but they sent me on ahead to inform you¡ªand your patron and his brother¡ªof the expedition¡¯s success.¡± ¡°Success? That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Renny exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. ¡°And everyone¡¯s all right? Treya and Razai and the others? Varsin¡¯s at his office. Would you like me to send for him? And Burton?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I must be going soon, but yes, everyone¡¯s all right. I brought personal messages.¡± Leena separated out the stack of letters from the other packages and passed them over to the girl. ¡°Messages from Treya and Razai to you, and from Ellerie and Marco to Varsin Senshall and Burton Senshall. And there¡¯s one more message in there from Treya to a Mother Ola. She said you¡¯d be able to deliver it for her.¡± ¡°Of course, and thank you so much! But might I ask your name? I don¡¯t recall seeing you with the others.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m Leena. I was hired on as the cook.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, Leena. They sent you on ahead? Were they delayed in returning?¡± ¡°Not delayed, but we found the ruins of Tir Yadar, and there are a lot of details to take care of. They¡¯re still there now, and they plan to head west back to Aencyr soon. That¡¯s a city in Bancyra.¡± ¡°Yes, Burton has mentioned the name,¡± Renny said, then glanced down at the bundles again, her curiosity apparently piqued. ¡°And what are these?¡± Leena unrolled the cloth wrapping around the two long and narrow bundles, revealing the twin magical arming swords Corec had discovered in the room beyond the armory. She lifted one up, holding it across her palms, and the blade began glowing with a soft red light. ¡°Oh, my! Is that magic?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re enchanted,¡± Leena said before setting the sword back down. ¡°One for your patron and one for his brother.¡± She unrolled the other, much smaller bundle, and carefully lifted out the platinum necklace set with diamonds and sapphires. ¡°And this is for you. Marco says the gems are real.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes grew wide. She took the bejeweled necklace and held it up, the gemstones reflecting sunlight from the windows. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ lovely. It¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡°These are the first payments on your shares,¡± Leena said, ¡°but we don¡¯t know yet what the total value of each share will be. Marco asked me to tell you and the other investors that this right here could end up being the major portion of your profit. He and Ellerie intend to negotiate a final agreement once they reach Aencyr and can get some help in appraising the rest. I¡¯ll then bring the agreement here for your approval.¡± Renny didn¡¯t appear to have heard her at first, still staring at the necklace, but then she blinked and looked up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand. You intend to sail back to Cordaea then all the way back here again before the others return? Do you really expect them to be delayed for that long?¡± Leena had decided in advance what to say. Marco already knew about her abilities, and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to keep quiet. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m a mage, of sorts, and I can cross distances quickly if I need to. I was in Cordaea with the others this morning. I came straight from there to Tyrsall, and Treya told me how to find your home.¡± The Seeking had helped too, but there was no need to mention that. ¡°Oh?¡± Renny said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know much about magic.¡± There was a hint of skepticism in her voice until she looked down at the swords. Then she laughed lightly and shook her head. ¡°I thought you said you signed on as a cook.¡± ¡°Once the others learned I was a mage, they hired me for that instead. There hasn¡¯t been much need for cooking during the past weeks anyway¡ªthere¡¯s no firewood near the ruins.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear all about it,¡± Renny said. Then her voice grew more hesitant. ¡°When you see Her Exalted Highness, please relay Varsin¡¯s apologies. We were not aware of her identity when we met with her. If we¡¯d known, we certainly would have arranged for a better meeting place than an old office at the company building.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean,¡± Leena said, puzzled. ¡°Lady Ellerie¡ªis that the right term of address? Our contacts in Terevas were uncertain of her status. There are rumors she removed herself from the succession. We weren¡¯t checking up on her, I promise!¡± Renny was speaking in a rush. ¡°We simply wanted to learn more about our new business partner. It was such a shock to discover she was Queen Revana¡¯s daughter. We have dealings with House di¡¯Valla.¡± Leena wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. Ellerie was a princess? The daughter of the queen of Terevas? In all this time, as she and Leena had been growing closer, she¡¯d never once mentioned that. Leena had shied away from personal entanglements while her brother and her people were still in danger, but with what they¡¯d learned after the battle, she¡¯d begun to hope that wouldn¡¯t always be the case¡ªthat someday soon, perhaps, she and Ellerie could discuss a future together. Why had the elven woman toyed with her? Had Leena misinterpreted her signals? Had Ellerie only intended friendship after all, or not even that? Or were elves truly as capricious as the old tales suggested? ¡°I¡¯ll pass your message along,¡± Leena said, burning with embarrassment. ¡°Will you please inform the other investors of my visit? I need to go.¡± ¡°So soon? Won¡¯t you please stay for supper? I¡¯m sure Varsin would like to discuss the expedition with you in person.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I can¡¯t. There¡¯s another task I must take care of today. Perhaps I can speak with you more when I return with the agreement?¡± Renny looked disappointed. ¡°Oh, very well, but I¡¯ll hold you to that. We¡¯ll be looking forward to your next visit.¡± ¡°I believe Marco and Ellerie will have more details for you by then as well.¡± Or, rather, Leena hoped to have a better idea of what Ellerie wanted her to tell them, and right now, she didn¡¯t want to return to Tir Yadar to ask her. She didn¡¯t bother to leave the house first. After bidding farewell to Renny, she Traveled directly from the sitting room to her family¡¯s camp. Nobody noticed her at first, and she took the opportunity to steady her breathing and wipe the moisture from her eyes. She¡¯d only intended on a short visit to spend some time with Udit, but perhaps a few days away would help her get her emotions under control, to make sure she didn¡¯t say something to Ellerie that she¡¯d regret later. She could hear the laughter and shouts of the children playing outside the camp. Rather than interrupt them to find Udit, she decided to track down her uncle first. She found him reading outside his tent. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Uncle Rohav,¡± she said. ¡°Leena!¡± He set the book aside and climbed to his feet. ¡°Is there more trouble?¡± ¡°No, we haven¡¯t seen any sign of another attack. That¡¯s not why I came. I¡¯m here because I¡¯d like to complete my training.¡± # Ariadne sat on the rim of the World Fountain, brooding as she stared out across the courtyard. Behind her, the fountain was dead and silent. Water no longer flowed over the silvery globe, and the magical lights that had once displayed the lands and seas of the world had faded. But the fountain was, at least, something familiar, and she had no other place to be. Her new suite in the Mage Knight quarters¡ªthe one she¡¯d been given just a few weeks ago when she¡¯d received Hera¡¯s panoply¡ªwas now empty of anything other than piles of dust and grime and a few rusted metal bits that had once held the bed together. Her family¡¯s apartment in North Tower was empty too, except for a ceramic cup she¡¯d never seen before. It made her feel like an intruder in her own home. The vast fortress complex was no better. In some ways, it was worse. Beyond the totem walk, Fortress Central¡¯s doors stood wide open, the intruders going in and out as they mapped and measured, inventorying the contents that remained. Fortress East appeared intact, but only if she didn¡¯t look too closely. The barracks, the administration offices, the military hospital, and one of the armories had survived. Everything beyond that appeared to have been crushed in a massive cave-in. That wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible. The entire mountain was warded against it. Ariadne had hiked to the eastern side of Mount Yadar to find some other way in, but nothing was recognizable and she hadn¡¯t managed to find any of the eastern entrances into the city. The roads and trails were gone, the signs and markers were gone; even the trees were gone. There was no sign of the marshaling yards or the cavalry stables. The cave-in had certainly destroyed the mess halls and the officers¡¯ quarters, but had it reached the military academy and the rationing depot too? Had her people still been here when it collapsed? She¡¯d buried the bodies of the Mage Knights there on the eastern slope, in a spot where, as best she could determine, a war memorial had once stood. She¡¯d had to request help from the intruders to dig through the hard ground. The outer city was in even worse shape than the inner city. Nothing was left other than the thick stone walls of Old Town¡ªthe area that was said to have marked the boundaries of the original fortress, long before the mountain itself had been shaped and made habitable. Yet, for all the destruction elsewhere, it was Fortress West that was the most frightening. The wardens¡¯ quarters, the laboratories, the ritual rooms, the wizardry academy, the spell book archive¡ªall gone, as if the shaped stone had melted together and reformed. Another impossible thing. And the Royal Library was empty, the lack of any remains besides dust making it clear the books had been removed at some point. The library was empty. That was what confused her. The library was empty. The towers were empty. The one armory that had survived the cave-in had been partly emptied. But Ariadne had been left behind. Surely that meant raiders had come later and stolen everything, didn¡¯t it? The People wouldn¡¯t have carted away books while leaving the Mage Knights in stasis. Would they? Fortress Central had only been partly emptied, but according to the intruders, it had been warded. And the Enchantment Repository had been locked behind a warded door as well. But the hospital and the stasis room weren¡¯t warded. Why had she been left behind? And what had happened to the dozens of people authorized to open those wards? The destruction of the ritual room suggested the wardens had met some terrible fate, but what about the king and his consort? Their son, Prince Lydos, who¡¯d once smiled at Ariadne when he¡¯d visited the Mage Knight trainees? What about the rest of the Governmental Council? Had they all died? Or had they fled the city in haste, with no choice but to leave the knights behind? And yet, the library was empty. Someone had taken the time to haul away all the books and scrolls, but hadn¡¯t bothered with the stasis room. Thedan and Ephrenia¡ªthe only two Mage Knights who were bonded to wardens¡ªweren¡¯t in their stasis pods. Had they escaped and left Ariadne behind? Or had they died too? But even if they¡¯d died, that would still mean someone else had removed their bodies and left Ariadne there. Her parents and sisters wouldn¡¯t have left her. Of course, they probably wouldn¡¯t have known she was in stasis, and they wouldn¡¯t have been permitted to enter the Fortress without special permission, but they would have done something. They would have kept pressing until they discovered her whereabouts, unless they weren¡¯t able to. Or unless they¡¯d had to flee quickly. And yet ¡­ and yet ¡­ someone had taken the time to empty the library. Ariadne sat and brooded. # Corec traced his finger along the map. ¡°This looks like the shortest route through the mountains, but it doesn¡¯t say whether the road is any good. We¡¯ll have wagons with us.¡± Boktar frowned. ¡°We can ask Josip when he returns with the last supply caravan. He¡¯s been through the Skotinos a few times. He says there are some decent roads, but the stoneborn charge tolls to pass through them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still better than going through the swamp again,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°That took too long even without the wagons. How high is the toll?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too bad¡ªthey charge per wagon, not per person. I guess the mountains are the fastest route between the eastern and western kingdoms, so it¡¯s mostly merchant caravans. Are we still planning on taking three wagons?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯ll be enough,¡± Corec said. ¡°It depends on whether Marco wants to take anything else with us. The things we¡¯ve got now will be a tight fit, but we can make it work.¡± The equipment from the armory was the biggest portion of what they were bringing, but the armor was all lightweight and the weapons wouldn¡¯t take up much space. The largest weapons were the pikes, but their shafts were wooden and were falling apart to the touch so Corec was only taking the heads. Of all the weapons, it was actually the arrows and crossbow bolts that needed the most space¡ªnearly as much as the cuirasses and mail stacked together. Aside from the armory and the enchanted items they¡¯d found, they weren¡¯t actually bringing much with them. Marco had several crates full of small art objects, ceramics, and metalwork he¡¯d collected, mostly from the residential areas of the city, and Ellerie was holding on to the two spell books she¡¯d discovered, but they¡¯d avoided hauling anything large to the surface. That included the enchanted statue they¡¯d found with the other magical items. Ellerie had worried that the wards on it were too dangerous to risk moving it. They¡¯d resealed the warded door that led to the statue, but were still debating whether to seal the palace doors as well. Ellerie didn¡¯t like the idea of other people showing up in the ruins before she was able to return to complete her research, but as far as they knew, the door could only be opened by a warden, and Corec wasn¡¯t eager to return to Cordaea right away. He¡¯d been traveling for a long time and wanted to stay in one place for a while. Plus, he needed to settle things with Rusol one way or another. Hildra could possibly help with the door, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to ask her until they reached Aencyr. Corec had considered sending her a message by way of Leena and the Senshall office in the city, but since the message would have to mention wardens, he¡¯d figured it would be better to talk to her in person instead. ¡°Are we going to drive the wagons ourselves, or hire some of the farmboys to do it?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got to say, I¡¯d be happy to not sit on those wooden seats over a mountain road, but Aencyr¡ªor Nysa¡ªis probably too long of a trip for them.¡± He and Sarette had just returned earlier that morning from their supply run. They¡¯d accompanied the three new wagons back, while the larger group had continued on to the nearest village to resupply. ¡°Make the prisoners do it,¡± Corec suggested. ¡°At least as far as Aencyr.¡± They¡¯d captured five wounded mercenaries after the battle. One had lost a hand, but Treya had been able to fully heal the others. Corec wasn¡¯t willing to execute the men for their part in the fight, since their employers hadn¡¯t told them the full truth about why they¡¯d been hired, but he wasn¡¯t going to just let them go free either. He planned to take them back to Aencyr to see what sort of justice could be found. Boktar nodded. ¡°Livadi first, and then take the long way around?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ellerie said, with a glance at the mules on the picket lines. ¡°It¡¯ll be worth it even if it takes longer.¡± By going around the barrens on their way back rather than going through them, they wouldn¡¯t have to carry feed for the animals, except for a few bags of oats. They¡¯d be able to leave most of the wagons and mules behind. ¡°Then I guess we have a plan,¡± Boktar said, then peered around the camp. ¡°Is Leena here? I haven¡¯t seen her since we got back. I wanted to ask her to buy a better map of the mountains the next time she goes to Aencyr.¡± ¡°She¡¯s in ¡­ Sanvar?¡± Corec said, checking on Leena¡¯s end of the warden bond. ¡°Is that right? I thought she was going to Tyrsall.¡± ¡°She wanted to visit her brother after,¡± Ellerie replied. ¡°She wasn¡¯t sure how tired she¡¯d be from the long-distance Traveling, so she might stay there for an extra day or two.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Why Tyrsall?¡± Boktar asked. Ellerie snickered. ¡°Marco couldn¡¯t wait any longer to tell the investors the good news. Once he found out Leena could Travel as far as Sanvar, it didn¡¯t take him long to realize she could also make it to Tyrsall. I wanted to wait to send news back until we¡¯d figured out more of the details, but he was so happy about the idea, I couldn¡¯t say no.¡± As if his name had summoned him, Marco stormed out of the building where they¡¯d set up their camp. Glowering, he approached the three of them. ¡°Someone stole a bracelet from the crates!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure!¡± the man said, agitated. ¡°I took inventory the day before the battle, and I checked it again just now. Everything else from that crate is still there. It had to be one of those wagon drivers!¡± ¡°I never saw them anywhere near the room where we keep your things,¡± Corec said. ¡°Either in the old building or the new one.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°And the boys seemed thrilled with the gold and the swords we gave them. I doubt they stole anything.¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s not one of them, it¡¯s got to be her,¡± Marco insisted. ¡°Ariadne. She¡¯s done it before.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Do you mean one of the enchanted bracelets?¡± ¡°Yes! The small jade one.¡± Suddenly Marco¡¯s worry made more sense. Corec said, ¡°If she wants it, I say we give it to her. She hasn¡¯t asked for all that much, considering the circumstances.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s she going to take next?¡± Marco said. ¡°What if she wants everything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll go that far,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°She¡¯s never asked us to stop what we¡¯re doing. But I¡¯ll talk to her about the bracelet¡ªI¡¯d like to know why she took it.¡± Book 4: Chapter Two ¡°Thank you for being willing to talk to me again,¡± Ellerie said to Ariadne. She spoke in Western, since that was the most recent language the woman had been given by the necklace. It seemed it could only handle one at a time. Ariadne gave a curt nod of her head. Their previous conversation, several days earlier, hadn¡¯t gone well. After only a few questions from Ellerie and Bobo, the Chosar woman had stood up and stalked away, refusing to say anything more. She¡¯d returned to hiking around the mountain and wandering through the ancient ruins inside, not speaking to anyone unless she had to. Ellerie had decided to try again with just the two of them, hoping that having fewer people around would help. Bobo had reluctantly agreed. When Ariadne didn¡¯t say anything, Ellerie spoke again. ¡°The last time we talked, it seemed like you were suggesting that all the Tirs belonged to the Chosar. Is that right? Except for Terrillia and Tyrsall, I mean?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Who else could build them? We had to build Tir Sal for the humans¡ªthey don¡¯t know shaping magic. Tir Illia isn¡¯t even a real Tir. The elves just built their homes in the trees, like they always do.¡± Shaping magic was mentioned frequently in one of the books Ellerie had found in the ruins, but she didn¡¯t ask about it. She didn¡¯t want to let herself get distracted from the topic at hand. ¡°The wood elves build homes in trees,¡± she said instead. ¡°What about silver elves? Nilvasta?¡± ¡°I do not know these words. What are silver elves?¡± Ellerie ran her fingers through her silvery hair, holding it out to the side of her head. ¡°Like me. The silver elves used to live among the tershaya, just like the wood elves. Did they still do so when you knew them?¡± ¡°Some hybrids have hair like that,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Hybrids? What¡¯s a hybrid?¡± ¡°The necklace doesn¡¯t give a word for it in this language. Elves with some human or Chosar blood in their past.¡± Ellerie drew in a sharp breath. The most commonly accepted theory among her people was that the nilvasta had lost the tree bond because they couldn¡¯t get the tershaya trees to grow, and there was always pressure among the great houses to keep trying. Some scholars, though, had opened themselves up to ridicule by suggesting it was because there was too much human blood in their ancestry. Ariadne¡¯s statement alone wouldn¡¯t confirm it, but it made the second option more likely. ¡°Were there many hybrids in your time? What do you know about them?¡± Ariadne glared at her. ¡°I¡¯m here to learn what happened to my people. Not to tell you what happened to yours.¡± Ellerie managed to keep from snapping at the woman. The origin of the nilvasta was important, but if she¡¯d been in Ariadne¡¯s place, she, too, would have been desperate about news of her own people. Luckily, dealing with Marco had been a lesson in patience. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°Let me tell you what I know, and then if you tell me more, perhaps we can find where the two ends meet.¡± Ariadne considered that for a moment before nodding. ¡°Agreed.¡± Ellerie considered where to begin. ¡°Have you ever heard of the phrase the first peoples? Or the Ancients?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Those are words used by modern scholars to refer to what we think might be your people, and possibly to others who were around at the same time. You know of humans and elves, but you¡¯ve said you aren¡¯t familiar with stoneborn, right? Or seaborn or stormborn?¡± ¡°Your short friend is stoneborn, yes? The one with the beard? Boktar?¡± ¡°Yes. And Sarette is stormborn.¡± ¡°Treya told me.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve never seen their kinds before?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about lizardfolk?¡± Ariadne tilted her head to the side. ¡°Lizards who are like people?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re from the southern tip of Aravor.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t fully explored the southern half of Aravadora yet. There is still much to claim in the north, and the demons have delayed our plans.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the war you mentioned? The Third Demon War?¡± The idea of demons crossing the barriers between worlds in numbers vast enough to wage war was frightening. In all her reading, Ellerie had never heard of anything like it. Individual demons might cross from time to time, but even groups as small as the one they¡¯d fought in High Cove were rare. Ariadne nodded. ¡°So there were two other wars with the demons before that?¡± ¡°The war is over and done with, elf,¡± the Chosar woman said, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Talking about it doesn¡¯t help me find my people.¡± Ellerie grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Have you ever heard of something called the Burning?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure what it was, but we think the Burning is what caused your people to leave Tir Yadar. That¡¯s just a guess, though. We don¡¯t know for sure.¡± Ariadne stood to leave. ¡°You don¡¯t know much. This was a waste of time.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We can still help each other.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°There has to be a clue that¡¯ll let us figure out what happened. Like the reason why you¡¯ve never heard of the stoneborn or seaborn. The stormborn I can understand¡ªtheir own histories say they were created later¡ªbut the stoneborn are too widespread here in Cordaea for you to have missed them. Did they come here after your people were gone? Are humans and elves really the only other people you knew of?¡± Ariadne shrugged. ¡°The scourlings, if they count.¡± She sat down again. ¡°Scourlings? Who are they?¡± ¡°They inhabit Donvar, but we don¡¯t know much about them. No one¡¯s gotten a close look at them and lived. Our sailors can see them at a distance from our ships, and say they sometimes walk on two legs like a person, but if the ships get too close, the scourlings swarm them and kill everyone onboard. When I was young, we sent an expeditionary force, but they never returned. We stay clear of Donvar now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them before, or of a place called Donvar.¡± ¡°You should avoid it. As soon as we¡¯ve recovered from the war, the High Guard will deal with¡ª¡± Ariadne stopped talking suddenly. Looking off into the distance, she took in a slow, deep breath, then let it out even more slowly. ¡°The High Guard had planned to deal with them. I wonder if they ever got the chance.¡± Ellerie gave her a moment to recover, then said, ¡°Do you know anything else about the scourlings?¡± ¡°Why do you keep asking these questions? How does it help?¡± ¡°If we want to find out where your people are, we have to determine where they¡¯re not. And who they¡¯re not. Can you breathe underwater?¡± Ariadne blinked. ¡°What? No, of course not.¡± ¡°You remind me of the seaborn, but they can breathe underwater. Do all your people have brown hair?¡± ¡°No, not all, but it¡¯s common.¡± ¡°The seaborn¡ªat least the ones that I¡¯ve met¡ªall have brown hair, but it turns lighter the longer it¡¯s been underwater. Does your hair do that?¡± ¡°No. You think my people changed into something else? These seaborn?¡± ¡°If my people can change, perhaps yours can as well.¡± Ellerie found herself wanting to give the other woman some reason to believe her people had continued on rather than being lost forever. ¡°The Chosar can¡¯t breathe underwater, hybrid or not.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that if they did change somehow, that would explain why I haven¡¯t heard any stories of your people still being around. Or, for that matter, maybe they simply sailed farther away. I barely know anything about Cordaea or Vestath, much less the lands on the other side of the world. When we get to Aencyr, we could find a map of all the seas and you can show me where the Chosar settlements were.¡± Ariadne looked down for a moment, not speaking. Then she stood up again. ¡°You can¡¯t help me, can you? You don¡¯t know anything. Always you want to know more from me, while you tell me nothing but guesses.¡± ¡°How do you expect me to figure it out when you¡¯re barely willing to speak to me, and you leave any time you don¡¯t like what you hear?¡± Ellerie retorted, unable to keep her temper in check any longer. ¡°The more I know, the more I¡¯ll be able to help.¡± Ariadne hesitated, then gave a small nod. ¡°Perhaps. We¡¯ll see.¡± She turned to leave. ¡°Wait¡ªwe¡¯re missing something from the storage room. A small, green bracelet made of jade. Did you take it?¡± The Chosar woman whirled back around, her eyes flashing with anger. ¡°You come here and you loot my city, and then you call me the thief?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t call you a thief! If you took it, that¡¯s fine. I just want to know why.¡± ¡°What I do is none of your concern, elf.¡± She strode away. Ellerie sighed. At least this conversation had gone better than their last one. # The barrens weren¡¯t completely barren. The frequent rain supported the growth of scattered weeds and scrawny bushes, and grasses sometimes grew near the streams and rivers. There was more life in the river itself, Shavala found, as she sat on the bank with her eyes closed, her elder senses stretched out in all directions. Not as much life as a regular river, but more than was indicated by the surroundings. There were algae and mosses, and underwater species of worms and snails. There were even a few fish in the deeper, darker waters in the middle of the river. She decided not to mention the fish to anyone else. There weren¡¯t enough to support any amount of fishing, and her friends were growing tired of trail rations. Perhaps Leena could buy some already-cooked fish the next time she visited Aencyr. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Shavala hadn¡¯t had any luck so far in figuring out why the land was mostly dead. The dirt was packed too hard to be welcoming to new plants taking root, and it only partially softened during the frequent storms, but that wasn¡¯t the reason. The ground was like that because there was so little plant life, not the other way around. ¡°Why does nothing grow here?¡± she asked the staff, which she was holding across her lap. ¡°There¡¯s water to support life, but there¡¯s hardly any life.¡± There was no response. The staff hadn¡¯t communicated with her in any way since stopping her from helping during the battle. She turned her attention back to the task at hand. Could the land be barren simply because the normal cycles of life had been interrupted for so long that the ecosystem couldn¡¯t repair itself? The sun-baked, dusty ground was much different than the rich, dark soil within the Terril Forest. It was missing most of the creatures¡ªthe earthworms and woodlice and fungi¡ªthat helped to break down plant and animal matter, turning it into new soil to support the next generation of life. But that didn¡¯t mean all those creatures were gone. According to Meritia, some were so tiny they couldn¡¯t be seen, even with elder senses. Some must still remain, since some plants did still grow, but perhaps there weren¡¯t enough to restart the growth cycle at a larger scale. Or perhaps the few seeds that made it this far into the barrens, dropped by the wind or high-flying birds, weren¡¯t capable of growing in the hard ground. Or maybe the soil itself was too damaged to support anything more. ¡°Can it be fixed?¡± she asked the staff. It didn¡¯t reply. She frowned down at it, but then remembered it hadn¡¯t communicated with her the one time she¡¯d used it either. ¡°I think I understand,¡± she said. ¡°You only spoke to me during the battle because you didn¡¯t like what I was doing. You don¡¯t want to tell me anything else except for those visions. So, what do you want to do?¡± She thought back to the most unusual of the scenes the staff had shown her, and what it might mean after Ariadne¡¯s revelations. ¡°Were those really the old gods watching when that druid found you? Why were they so interested?¡± There was still no response. ¡°Fine, be stubborn about it,¡± she said, ¡°but you have to let me help my friends when they¡¯re in danger. If you try to hurt me again, I¡¯ll throw you down a deep well, and then what are you going to do? Or I could just leave you here, locked in that room, for thousands more years.¡± She waited longer this time, but the staff didn¡¯t seem to have an opinion either way. It sat across her legs as if it was nothing more than any other tershaya branch. ¡°Would it help if I showed that you can trust me?¡± she asked. ¡°In the visions, you seem to like fixing things.¡± Most of the visions had shown the staff and its bearer repairing an existing ecosystem or creating a new one. ¡°Help me fix the soil here. The mules have eaten up all the grass near the river, but they¡¯re getting tired of hay and oats all the time. They¡¯d like to have something fresh.¡± The staff didn¡¯t complain, so Shavala climbed to her feet, then held it out in front of her and rested its tip on the ground, narrow end down. Taking her hand away, she smiled when it remained standing upright, as it had in the room where she¡¯d found it, and in the vision with the old gods. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any suggestions?¡± she asked, glancing at the land around her. She wasn¡¯t sure how to begin. The visions had shown what was possible, but not how to achieve it. Closing her eyes, she stretched her elder senses out once again, but didn¡¯t find anything more than she had before. It was pointless to keep searching for what wasn¡¯t there. If she was going to attempt to provide any sort of lasting effect, she¡¯d have to concentrate on what was. The small bit of grass between the ruins and the river had been trampled and overgrazed, but much of it was still alive, both in the root systems and in the blades and stalks cropped close to the ground. Even without any help, some of it would grow back once the horses and mules left the area. A druid could grow it back faster. Leaving the staff where it was, Shavala knelt down and laid her palms against the earth, then reached out with her magic as far as she could, calling to the plants and encouraging them to grow. The spell was similar to the one she¡¯d used on the blackberry brambles to trap the drake, but there were subtle differences. The blackberry spell had taken advantage of the plant¡¯s innate property of strong, fast-growing vines, and had simply accelerated the process, encouraging them to twine around the drake¡¯s legs and wings. She encouraged the grass, too, to follow its nature, and soon the existing blades were growing taller and new blades were springing up in a half-circle surrounding her, thirty feet in all directions except south, where the growth ended at the river¡¯s edge. The grass was fuller now than when they¡¯d arrived at the ruins, but it was still patchy. She hadn¡¯t grown any new life; she¡¯d only restored and enhanced what was there, and if the soil couldn¡¯t support it, the extra growth would be temporary. In fact, the small field of grass could die out completely if she¡¯d allowed the length to grow beyond what the soil could nourish, but she wasn¡¯t worried about that¡ªthe animals would chew it back down the next time they visited the river. Shavala surveyed her work with satisfaction, but she hadn¡¯t actually done anything to change the environment. It would continue on as it had been. Could she go further? This close to the river, the ground was softer and the moisture was closer to the surface. As long as the soil itself wasn¡¯t bad, it seemed like it should be able to support more life. But accelerating a plant¡¯s entire life cycle was very different than accelerating growth. Could she do it? She modified the spell, providing the grass with additional energy until taller stems shot up, growing a flowering, spiked seedhead, while the root system simultaneously grew outward, allowing the plant to bud. As she poured more magic into the spell, the seedheads matured and the seeds fell to the earth, but not before she distributed them around the area with a light whirl of wind. She pulled water up from the deeper soil to the surface, making the ground more welcoming for the seeds and buds to grow into new plants. The work was tedious. There was little nourishment in the soil, and the growth was too rapid to take advantage of the summer sun, so all of the energy was coming from her magic. She would have to keep it up until the first plants aged and died and decomposed. If she was successful, the modified ecosystem might eventually attract new plants and animals, resulting in a self-perpetuating cycle, but that was a long time away. For now, the grass itself would be the only way to replenish the soil, but that nourishment couldn¡¯t spring out of nothing. It all had to come from her. She¡¯d almost forgotten about the staff, but it had been paying attention after all. It joined her spell, though its aid was more subtle than before. Instead of yanking control of the spell away, its own magic fighting with hers, this time the two magics danced around each other in a delicate balance. There was a slight trembling beneath Shavala¡¯s feet. Examining the ground below her with her elder senses, she found the root systems for the grass growing far larger and deeper than they normally would, churning the soil and bringing the richer earth closer to the surface. The plants went through another full growth cycle, then another, and another, and another. The patchy field of wispy grass grew into a full and lush¡ªif small¡ªmeadow. The spell ended, and Shavala drew in a deep breath. Once the staff had begun helping, she hadn¡¯t had to expend as much energy, but the process had still been tiring. She¡¯d never been as good with plants as Meritia. But it had worked. The staff¡¯s magic had discovered better soil, and the plants¡¯ life cycle had been accelerated enough that the first two generations had already decomposed, further enriching the earth. The extra nourishment might be enough to sustain the additional growth, at least until the system could be expanded. She took hold of the staff once again. ¡°The mules will probably eat all of this,¡± she told it. ¡°Maybe tomorrow we should do it again further down the river.¡± Perhaps the next time, she¡¯d try to draw in some of the weeds and scraggly bushes that grew nearby. They were hardy enough to survive here. What could they do if the soil was improved? And the mules had provided plenty of manure that could be turned into mulch, if she could convince Nedley or Corec to help her haul it. They could use the hand-drawn carts the attackers had left behind. There wouldn¡¯t be time to age it properly, especially in this environment, but the spell to accelerate its aging process wasn¡¯t that much different than the spell to accelerate the grass growth. She returned to the ruins as she considered other ways to improve her efforts. # Ariadne rose well before dawn and buckled her armor on, then quietly made her way out of the building where the group had made camp. Treya was on watch nearby, but the woman was used to Ariadne¡¯s early morning ritual and simply nodded to her. It was still dark out, but once Ariadne was beyond the perimeter of mage lights surrounding the camp, her vision adjusted to the lower light levels. As clouds drifted in front of the crescent moon, her vision adjusted itself again to show heat differentials between different surfaces. Away from the other people, the differences were small, but it was enough to stay sure of her footing. She left the ruins and headed for the river, but aimed for a spot a mile upstream from where they typically watered the animals. It wouldn¡¯t do to have another incident with the boy, Nedley, while he was trying to take care of the mules. But with a twenty-minute walk from the normal watering hole, she wouldn¡¯t run into him. Or anyone else. She unlatched her armor and removed it, then quickly stripped off the padded layer and her bodysuits. The garments, designed to be worn under armor, were the only clothing she had. Luckily, to prevent chafing, she¡¯d been wearing two of them when she¡¯d gone into stasis. She¡¯d washed the outer bodysuit the day before, so she left it on the bank of the river and brought the inner garment with her into the flowing water. Suppressing a shiver from the chilly early morning temperature, she waded to the deeper water in the middle and quickly submerged herself. Then, surfacing, she swished the suit around in the river to rinse it out. Some sort of soap would be helpful, but the fewer things she requested of the intruders, the better. Working together to bury the Mage Knights was one thing, but she didn¡¯t want to be indebted to the people who were looting her city. Finished bathing, Ariadne left the river and wrung out the bodysuit, then used it as a towel to dry herself off as well as possible. She waited in the night air for the rest of the water on her body to evaporate, then pulled on her dry bodysuit and padding before reequipping her plate armor. Carrying the wet bodysuit, she returned to the camp. By the time she made it back, the sun had crested the horizon and everyone was up and about. Leena, who seemed to be responsible for the group¡¯s provisions, was still away for some reason nobody had bothered to explain to Ariadne, so the morning¡¯s cold camp rations were distributed by Ellerie and the redheaded human woman. Ariadne ignored the elven woman and accepted a plate from the redhead. The woman gave her a quick smile but didn¡¯t attempt to engage her in conversation. It was difficult to know what was happening around the camp when nobody ever spoke a language Ariadne could understand, and she refused to ask any questions unless absolutely necessary. It had taken her several days to realize that the reason the group wasn¡¯t cooking their meals was simply due to the lack of firewood, thanks to this strange, dead version of Van Kir where nothing grew. Like the human barbarian tribes, their only means of cooking seemed to be over a campfire. Ariadne had tried several of the cookers in North Tower to see if she could get them working, but either the enchantments had failed or the magic that powered the devices had been drained. She was accustomed to trail rations from her days in training, though, so she accepted her plate without complaint. She glanced around for a spot to eat away from the others, but her attention was drawn to the men, who¡¯d apparently decided to delay their meal. The war mage who claimed to be a warden, Corec, and the short, bearded man, Boktar, were sparring with Nedley. The boy was wearing a suit of silversteel plate, and the other men were teaching him how to move and fight in the armor. Ariadne watched the training session, paying close attention to how it differed from what she¡¯d learned. It was obvious they weren¡¯t accustomed to how light silversteel was, or how mobile the young man would be while wearing it. It wasn¡¯t quite as light as Ariadne¡¯s own mirrorsteel plate, but it was close enough that she¡¯d been trained on silversteel while waiting to be accepted into the Mage Knights. The woman called Sarette joined her, speaking words Ariadne couldn¡¯t understand. She carried a staff-spear in one hand, the shaft made of silversteel and the blade of fortisteel. It looked like standard High Guard equipment, much like the armor Nedley was wearing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying,¡± Ariadne said in the language she¡¯d gotten from Corec. ¡°Can you understand me?¡± Sarette grimaced. ¡°I no ¡­ uhh ¡­ speak? I no speak Western. Only little.¡± Ariadne sighed, but it had been eight days since she¡¯d used the Necklace of Tongues. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be so bad this time. She gave the other woman a questioning look and held out her hand. Sarette nodded, then grasped her fingers. Ariadne gasped as the necklace did its work, violently shoving the new language into her head. The pain was as bad as ever, but at least this time her nose didn¡¯t start bleeding. While she was recovering, Sarette spoke again, but Ariadne still didn¡¯t understand her. ¡°Not that language,¡± she said. ¡°Speak this one.¡± ¡°You learned the stormborn language? I thought ¡­¡± Sarette paused, furrowing her brow. ¡°I was trying to talk in trade tongue.¡± ¡°I can only learn your language.¡± These new words felt both familiar and strange at the same time. The vocabulary was different, but the verb forms matched The People¡¯s language. ¡°Oh! Well, I just asked if you wanted to join in. I could use a sparring partner. They¡¯ll be busy with Nedley for a while.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ariadne said, but then softened. Other than the bluish tinge to her skin and the markings along the side of her face, the woman reminded Ariadne of her own people. ¡°Perhaps another time.¡± Sarette nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Ariadne hesitated before speaking again, but the similarities in the languages and the other woman¡¯s appearance were too much for her to ignore. ¡°Treya says you are of the stormborn?¡± she asked. ¡°Where do your people come from? I¡¯ve never seen your kind before.¡± ¡°Most of us live in Snow Crown, a valley in the Storm Heights, across the sea to the west. I¡¯m not sure if any stormborn has ever come this far east before.¡± ¡°What does it mean, this word, stormborn?¡± Sarette grinned. ¡°The legends say that Borrisur created us out of storms, and that¡¯s where the name comes from. We were born from the storm.¡± Ariadne nodded as the necklace connected the two words together in her mind. ¡°Who is Borrisur?¡± ¡°The God of Weather. He protected us from the storms in the Heights, and granted us safe refuge in Snow Crown.¡± A god? Or a fable? Ariadne had never heard of any god called Borrisur, but it was impossible to keep track of the hundreds of gods the human tribes made up to explain everyday phenomena. This one¡¯s name seemed familiar, though. Had it been taken from the Chosar language? Ending a name in -sur meant brother, but with an inflection of nobility and honor. In this new language the necklace had given her, it might translate as lordly brother. Book 4: Chapter Three Treya sat cross-legged in the center of the room she¡¯d claimed for herself, laying her hands on her knees and calming her breathing after finishing her stretching exercises. Closing her eyes, she slowly blanked out one thought after another. Her concern about being away from home for so long. Her worries about how they were going to deal with Prince Rusol, and whether it was appropriate for her to fight against the son of a Three Orders concubine. The long-standing question in the back of her mind about whether she should remain with Corec and his friends for the long term simply because of the warden bond¡ªan accident that neither she nor Corec had asked for¡ªor whether she should return to the Orders. She could instead continue traveling, like Shana, or find bodyguard work like Enna, or ¡­ no. That was a thought for another time. For now, she emptied her mind. The sounds of the camp were the next to go, and then physical sensations, and then she turned her attention inward. Her heartbeat slowed, and all of her perception lived between the beats. Treya rolled forward out of her cross-legged position into a handstand, then held herself there until she achieved a stable balance. She was wearing loose clothing, but she¡¯d learned to belt her tunic around her waist so it didn¡¯t fall down over her head while she was upside down. She spread her weight out across her fingertips, then carefully lifted her right hand off the ground one finger at a time. She was right-handed, but she chose to balance on her left hand this time because it required more effort and concentration. She adjusted her legs to the sides without thinking about it, using them to help keep her balance, but then slowly brought them back together, trying to keep her body as straight as possible, centered over her left arm. Clearing her mind of the effort that had been needed to take her new position, she reentered her meditative trance, then stretched her free arm out to see how much movement she could make without toppling over. Satisfied she could keep her balance, she formed a fist, then opened her eyes to identify a target. There was a pebble lying on the ground on the other side of the room, farther than she could reach. It would do. There was something she wanted to try. During the battle with the snake cultists, Treya had managed to hit one of the enemy archers from twenty feet away. She hadn¡¯t even realized that was possible until she¡¯d done it¡ªShana had never mentioned it. It had felt much the same as releasing all of the kinetic energy of a strike into the briefest brush of a finger, but without actually making contact. She hadn¡¯t been able to reproduce the effect since then, but she hoped the meditation and the one-handed pose would help replicate the same feeling as being in battle, with her focus necessarily narrowed down to only the things that mattered. She took a deep breath, then released it. She was about to strike when there was movement at her doorway. ¡°Oh!¡± Bobo said. ¡°How do you do that?¡± Sighing, Treya dropped out of the handstand into a controlled roll, ending up in a standing position. ¡°Carefully,¡± she said. There was a reason she preferred to do her exercises out of sight, and it wasn¡¯t only because she looked strange doing them. ¡°Well, uh, sorry to disturb you, but do you have today¡¯s notes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, taking four sheets of paper from the board she¡¯d been using as a makeshift desk. ¡°The ink should be dry by now.¡± She handed them over. Thanks to influence from the Order of Scholars, students of the Three Orders were trained in formal writing, logic and rhetoric, and accountancy. The concubines took full advantage of that expertise, often handling correspondence and negotiations for their patrons. The mystics had less need for those particular skills, but after Treya had described her schooling one night, Ellerie and Bobo had requested her help. With the initial exploration finished, the two of them were now spending their days measuring and documenting different parts of the city, making abbreviated notes with writing sticks while they worked, since it wasn¡¯t practical to use pen and ink while traipsing around the ruins. They then returned to camp in the evening to write their notes out more fully, but as the exploration continued, it had become difficult for them to keep up with the pace. Treya didn¡¯t mind helping. It gave her something to do besides delivering meals to the prisoners, or healing the occasional bump or scrape. By accompanying the exploration group each day, she understood the notes well enough to expand on them. That allowed her to write up the new pages while Ellerie and Bobo caught up on the old ones. The two of them planned to take those notes and further expand them into a book during their journey back to Tyrsall. Bobo glanced through the sheets, then nodded. ¡°Thanks. These are the ones Ellerie¡¯s looking for.¡± He hesitated before leaving. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like talking about it, but I wonder if you might be willing to answer a few more questions about priesthood. If I¡¯m supposed to be a priest now, it seems silly not to avail myself of your knowledge.¡± ¡°I probably don¡¯t know much more than you,¡± Treya said carefully. She wasn¡¯t actually a priest herself, and she hadn¡¯t figured out how to tell her friends about being godborn. She¡¯d never intended to keep it a secret, exactly, but she¡¯d been quiet about it for so long, it felt as if she had. ¡°But you must know some things, right?¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°How common do you think it is to not know which god has blessed you?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have gotten a vision of some sort by now?¡± ¡°Visions are rare,¡± Treya said. ¡°Most blessed priests are chosen from the ranks of the unblessed priests and trainees. They don¡¯t need a vision because they already belong to the order.¡± ¡°Ahh, I didn¡¯t consider that. What about drain shock? Someone once told me priests don¡¯t suffer from it, but I experienced it after the battle, and I¡¯ve seen you go through it before.¡± Priest Telkin had never mentioned drain shock to Treya. The healing priests at the first almshouse Treya had visited had both warned her to not overextend herself, but they¡¯d never explicitly referred to drain shock. Did priests actually suffer from it? More importantly, why was Bobo asking the question? Was he hinting that he, too, was godborn, and had been hiding it all this time? But no, that couldn¡¯t be possible. Corec had mentioned that Bobo hadn¡¯t appeared as a mage to his warden senses until after the battle. Bobo had to have been blessed during the battle, which meant priests experienced drain shock after all. So why hadn¡¯t Telkin mentioned it? ¡°I can¡¯t help you with that,¡± she said. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just curious,¡± he said, with an innocent look on his face. ¡°I¡¯d better get these notes to Ellerie. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± # Ellerie checked over the loaded wagon, comparing the contents to her notes. It was one of the two the group still owned after disassembling the third to shore up the entrance to the mountain. After Boktar had returned with the small supply caravan, he and Corec had packed the wagon full of weapons and armor from the armory. The remainder of the armory had also been hauled to the surface and was now stored in the building where they¡¯d made camp, along with the enchanted items and Marco¡¯s finds. They would need two more wagons to haul it all. Josip was bringing the group¡¯s last wagon back along with the larger caravan, but that still left one more to purchase before their trip back to Aencyr. There were three supply wagons nearby, each still partly full of hay, but the drivers had told Marco they weren¡¯t interested in selling. With Josip gone, Marco was the only person who spoke the local language, and he spent much of his time exploring the ruins. Everyone else had to communicate with the drivers via hand gestures. It was inconvenient, but Josip and Corec had felt it was important to send someone back to the village to apologize to the parents of the other drivers for allowing them near a battle, and to explain how they¡¯d kept the boys safe. Ellerie had agreed, since she would need to stay on good terms with the people of Livadi if she was going to return to Tir Yadar in the future. It was those boys, in fact, who might cause the most complications for her research. They weren¡¯t likely to keep quiet about anything they¡¯d seen, and she was concerned about just how far their stories would travel. The locals avoided the barrens as much as possible, aware of the dangers of getting lost or having no shelter during the frequent thunderstorms, but eventually someone would make their way to the ruins. Ellerie wanted to come back soon to complete her work before someone else did it, but she had to balance that desire with her promises to help Leena and Corec with the dangers they were facing. For Corec, that was the red-eyes and Prince Rusol of Larso. For Leena, it was the snake cultists and the priests who led them. Corec had a plan to draw out Rusol¡¯s forces, but it would take time. Leena¡¯s people planned to track down the remaining cultists one by one, but the priests were still a concern. No one knew what their goal was or why they were hunting the Travelers. They claimed to follow an old god known as Snake, and Ariadne had confirmed there¡¯d once been an old god by that name¡ªthough she referred to the old gods as totems. But even if Snake was still around after all this time, everyone knew the old gods didn¡¯t have priests. Ariadne hadn¡¯t seemed to understand Treya¡¯s questions about it, insisting the totems were revered by her people but not worshipped by them. There was a flicker out of the corner of Ellerie¡¯s eye, and suddenly Leena reappeared in the camp. Ellerie approached her. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I got worried when you didn¡¯t return the other day, but Corec said you were still in Sanvar.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Leena kept her expression blank. ¡°I had things to take care of,¡± she said curtly. She didn¡¯t return Ellerie¡¯s smile, or reach out to stroke her hand as she often did when they¡¯d been apart. Ellerie felt her own smile slip from her face. What was wrong? Leena had never been so cold to her before, even back at the beginning before they¡¯d come to know each other. ¡°I ¡­ umm ¡­¡± Ellerie swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She adopted a more formal tone. ¡°Did you see Varsin Senshall?¡± ¡°No; just the young woman, Renny. I left the messages and packages with her.¡± ¡°Did she say anything?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°She was happy to hear you¡¯d been successful. She wanted more information, but I wasn¡¯t sure what to tell her. I promised I¡¯d answer their questions when I returned with the final agreement, so you¡¯ll have to decide what you want me to say.¡± There was still no expression on the Sanvari woman¡¯s face. ¡°Leena, is something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long trip and I¡¯m tired. I¡¯d like to go rest now if that¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, of course.¡± Taking a deep breath, Leena said, ¡°My people have rules¡ªlaws¡ªabout not allowing outsiders to use our magic. We can¡¯t risk any more traitors like Davir.¡± That was the name of the Seeker who¡¯d been helping the snake cultists. ¡°The only reason I came on this trip was to find out who was behind the attacks and figure out a way to stop them. Now that that¡¯s done, I can¡¯t keep breaking the rules. I¡¯ve already agreed to help you until we return to Tyrsall, but after that, it¡¯ll be time for me to return home.¡± ¡°Home?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Alone? I thought ...¡± She paused. ¡°I was going to help you with the cult.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. My people will take care of the matter.¡± Leena¡¯s tone made it sound like she was talking to a stranger. What had happened? The two of them had never spoken of their feelings, but they¡¯d both made clear through their actions that they wanted more from their relationship. Ellerie had thought they were just waiting until Leena¡¯s people were safe before taking the next step. She gazed into the Sanvari woman¡¯s dark eyes, but there were no clues there. ¡°I ... if that¡¯s what you want,¡± she said, looking down. ¡°It is.¡± Leena turned and left without another word. # The knight-trainee¡¯s eyes flashed red as the spell took hold, then returned to their normal blue. ¡°Return to your duties,¡± Rusol said. ¡°Y ¡­ yes, Your Highness,¡± the boy stammered, bowing awkwardly. He was obviously anxious in the presence of his prince, not understanding why he¡¯d been summoned. And be ready when I call for you, Rusol said to the young man¡¯s mind. The trainee¡¯s eyes went blank and he bowed again, more smoothly this time. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The new compulsion spell for the hunters was far more delicate and refined than the old one. Most of the time, the recipients acted like nothing had changed, and even when they were obeying direct orders, they stood out less than the old hunters did. The knight that had brought the boy into the room escorted him back out, leaving Rusol alone with Magnus and Sir Barat. ¡°Is that the last of them?¡± he asked. There was no answer. Rusol looked to his side to find Barat staring off into the distance. The young knight was still under the effects of multiple compulsion spells, and wasn¡¯t always aware of what was happening around him. He must have thought the question was intended for Magnus. ¡°Sir Barat!¡± Rusol snapped. ¡°Is that all of them?¡± Barat jerked back in surprise. Blinking, he looked down through his notes. ¡°Yes, Highness,¡± he said in his thick accent. ¡°Last of trainees, last of knights. Some soldiers still out on patrol, but rest are finished.¡± ¡°I believe the last patrol is due to return tomorrow morning,¡± Magnus added. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to deal with them before we return to Telfort.¡± Rusol nodded. It had taken him two weeks to lay the new compulsions on the soldiers and knights stationed at Fort Northtower. He hadn¡¯t yet reached his limit on the number of people he could control at once, but he could feel it approaching. The work had gone mostly unnoticed. The results of the new spell were subtle enough that he¡¯d simply asked to speak to the men one by one, and when he was finished with them, he¡¯d released them. His new subjects were completely loyal, while still retaining as much of their own minds and thoughts as possible. Even the red glow of their eyes could be hidden, ensuring their identities would remain secret. Like his earlier attempts, he could control them from a distance, but he hadn¡¯t managed to come up with a way to see what they were doing, and the hunters had no way to communicate back to him. He¡¯d still be dependent on Yassi¡¯s Seeing magic if he wanted to give more than the simplest of commands. The hunter compulsion offered more complete control over its subjects than the subdued influence Rusol¡¯s father had been weaving among the priesthood for decades. Marten had more finesse with compulsion magic than Rusol, and his overriding concern had always been to avoid detection, but if full control was possible, it seemed stupid not to use it. Only a blessed priest might realize something was wrong, but the three stationed at Northtower weren¡¯t strong enough to overcome Rusol¡¯s compulsion magic. He hadn¡¯t risked adding them to the ranks of his hunters, but he¡¯d overwhelmed their minds with enough other spells that they wouldn¡¯t be asking any questions. He would, however, have to keep his new men away from other more powerful priests. To make that easier, he¡¯d turned the twelve unblessed priests at the fortress into hunters. Most priests of Pallisur were trained as warriors, but even those who weren¡¯t, like Calwell, could be useful in other ways, such as continuing Marten¡¯s work in assigning the blessed priests to remote territories. ¡°Sir Barat,¡± Rusol said, ¡°do you understand what I¡¯ve been doing?¡± In the aftermath of the battle against Leonis, Rusol had laid compulsion magic so heavily on the young knight that it hadn¡¯t been necessary to turn him into a hunter right away. ¡°You wish ¡­ obedience, Sire?¡± Barat asked. His eyes had glazed over again. ¡°Yes, and I must have it from you as well.¡± ¡°Am ¡­ am sworn to Order of Pallisur,¡± the knight said. ¡°And your oaths include obedience to the crown, do they not?¡± ¡°Y ¡­ yes, Highness.¡± ¡°Then this is no different than before. I¡¯m simply ensuring you¡¯ll follow your own oaths.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t ¡­ isn¡¯t right.¡± That was the first time the young man had spoken out against the compulsion. ¡°In a moment, you won¡¯t care,¡± Rusol said. Out of caution, Rusol had used his warden senses to check each knight and soldier before turning them into hunters. It wouldn¡¯t be unheard of for Pallisur to provide his blessings to a knight rather than a priest trainee. There hadn¡¯t been any hidden surprises among the others, but when Rusol opened his senses to Barat, he felt a tingling sensation. ¡°You¡¯re a priest!¡± he barked, preparing a spell to strike the man down. Magnus stepped back, drawing the long knife he kept on his belt. The blade began to glow with a white light. Barat shook his head wildly. ¡°No, Highness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a mage!¡± Rusol said. ¡°I ¡­¡± Barat struggled against the compulsion, sweat beading on his brow. ¡°No!¡± Rusol reinforced the truthfulness layer of the compulsion spell. ¡°You¡¯re a mage! Tell me who you really are!¡± Barat¡¯s eyes went blank once more and his shoulders fell slack as he gave in to the spell. ¡°Am Barat of the freeholders. Mother was of clan. Father didn¡¯t like magic. He sent me to Pallisur when Mother died.¡± Rusol allowed himself to relax. He¡¯d known Barat was of the elderfolk clan that had settled north of the border after the war, but hadn¡¯t realized the man was a witch. ¡°The witches allowed you to leave?¡± Rusol asked. Unlike wizardry, elder magic presented itself whether the bearer was trained or not. The witches would have known he was one of them, unless his father had shuffled him away when he was very young. ¡°They say gift too weak to bother training.¡± Rusol considered that. Kolvi was a good teacher, and the weakness of Barat¡¯s magic wouldn¡¯t be an issue for a warden¡¯s bondmate. Rusol had planned to recruit three wizards from Matagor, but his battle against Leonis had proven the worth of elder magic. Another witch might be useful. ¡°Show me,¡± he said. Barat held his palm out with his fingers curled up. Tiny flames danced from one fingertip to another until each finger looked like a candle. ¡°For such a weak spell, you have good control,¡± Rusol said. ¡°Must hide magic from knights. For years.¡± ¡°What if you didn¡¯t have to hide anymore?¡± # Leena filled her plate, then looked for somewhere to sit. She ignored the spot Ellerie had left for her¡ªand the look the other woman gave her¡ªand instead dragged an empty crate over near Razai, who was leaning against one of the stone buildings, using it to block the blowing wind. Reaching for the crate caused Leena¡¯s sleeve to pull up her arm, partially exposing the jade bracelet. She quickly hid it again. She¡¯d asked her uncle about the bracelet, but he hadn¡¯t had any ideas about what it was. ¡°How was Renny?¡± Razai asked. ¡°She was happy to hear from you,¡± Leena said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t stay long enough to wait for a reply.¡± Razai shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll talk when we talk. She¡¯s a good kid. Can¡¯t keep her mouth shut for more than a minute at a time, but a good kid.¡± Corec approached, giving Razai a quick nod before turning to face Leena. ¡°Leena,¡± he said, ¡°Ellerie told me what you told her. If you¡¯re not comfortable Traveling for us, we can get by without it. I know your uncle wasn¡¯t happy that you stayed here.¡± Leena muttered under her breath. She¡¯d been mad at Ellerie for not being truthful with her, and had spoken without thinking, but now she¡¯d have to smooth things over with Corec. ¡°I only meant the Senshall expedition,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s against our customs to use Zidari magic for the benefit of a northern trading house. I¡¯ve already agreed to work for them until we return to Tyrsall, but after that, I need to be more careful. That¡¯s all I meant. I still owe you for the binding spell.¡± She ignored Razai¡¯s snort. ¡°I have to return home when we get back, but if you need me for something, I¡¯ll try to help.¡± ¡°Actually, I think you should come with us, at least for a while,¡± Corec said. Leena blinked in surprise. Was he calling in the favor so soon? ¡°Why?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been away for a long time, and I might be able to help my people track down the cultists.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Tracking them down will take a while, and how will you protect yourself in the meantime? They¡¯re specifically looking for you now, not the other Travelers, and we still don¡¯t know why. It won¡¯t be safe for you to go back until they¡¯ve all been dealt with.¡± Leena hadn¡¯t considered that. Would she be luring more attackers to her family¡¯s camp? While she was thinking, Corec spoke again. ¡°You and I have the same problem,¡± he said. ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly what we¡¯re facing, so we can¡¯t attack them directly. We need to draw them to us without getting innocent people killed. We¡¯ll be far away from Sanvar, so we can let the cultists waste their time traveling all the way up to the free lands, and while your people are hunting down the ones they can find, we can figure out how to fight the rest. Ellerie said it best¡ªwe¡¯re stronger when we work together.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going with you?¡± Leena wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that. ¡°She and Boktar haven¡¯t decided yet. She wants to come back here as soon as she can, or they might go on to Matagor.¡± ¡°You should do it,¡± Razai said to Leena. They both looked at her in surprise. It was unusual for the demonborn woman to voluntarily agree with Corec¡ªsometimes she seemed to disagree with him just on general principle. ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, and I¡¯d be happier if you were with someone who knew how to fight.¡± She smirked. ¡°Besides, imagine how annoyed the cultists will be while they try to hunt you down. Even if they have another Seeker, they¡¯ll find you thousands of miles away from Sanvar, and then they¡¯ll have to try to get to you while you can jump around anywhere you want. And if they don¡¯t have a Seeker, they won¡¯t even know where to begin. It¡¯ll give your people plenty of time to pick them off one by one.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°But what if they know what camp I¡¯m from?¡± Leena asked. ¡°What if they go after my family anyway?¡± Corec and Razai shared a glance. ¡°Could you really help them if you were there?¡± he asked. Leena stiffened. She couldn¡¯t, not yet, but if her family was attacked, she wanted to be there for them anyway. Then again, even if she agreed to the plan, she could still visit home and warn Rohav about Corec¡¯s concerns. Her uncle would know how to protect the camp, and perhaps Udit could join her in the free lands until things were safe again. Corec and his friends had proven themselves capable of fighting the cult. Udit would be safer with them than back home. She made her decision. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡± Book 4: Chapter Four Sarette soared through the storm, the ground below barely visible through the hazy mist of the lowest clouds. This was the fifth lightning storm she¡¯d encountered since they¡¯d first come to the barrens, and it was the strongest one yet. She took a deep breath, welcoming the smell of the rain on the dusty surface of the barrens. The water dripping down her face didn¡¯t bother her¡ªrain was common in Snow Crown, to the point that she barely noticed it. She stopped to hover in place, feeling almost as if she herself was part of the storm. Surrounded by sparks, she fed on the lightning, allowing the power to suffuse her body before directing it back into the air around her. It was that power, not magic, that allowed her to fly or to leap over her opponents. Magic was merely the tool that let her channel the strength of the storm. Flying was most efficient here within the clouds themselves, where she could balance herself between the chaos of the opposed charges in the air. She didn¡¯t need to fly the storm to keep the group safe from the lightning¡ªthey were camped indoors¡ªbut she¡¯d taken every opportunity she could to practice. In the dusky evening light, she made out a small encampment below, surrounded by six wagons. It had to be the larger supply caravan, on its way back to the ruins. She dropped to greet them, her strength draining more quickly once she left the cloud cover. Landing was always the hardest part of flying. The first time she¡¯d tried it, she¡¯d broken a toe and bruised her knee, but, luckily, Treya had been nearby. Sarette had gotten better since then. She thought she could handle it without a healer now. Coming straight down was the hardest, she¡¯d found, though that was how the other stormrunners always did it. For her, the safest option was to come in at a shallow angle, and end with a running finish. Josip and the drivers were busy pitching tents so they could get out of the rain, and didn¡¯t see her until she was almost upon them. She swooped low and aimed for the circle of wagons, hitting the ground thirty feet out. Her momentum was enough that she had to sprint to keep from falling over. She managed to come to a stop just before slamming into the nearest man, who yelled and backed away, his eyes wide with fright. He was unfamiliar¡ªSarette had never seen him before. Josip shouted something in Nysan, calming the drivers who¡¯d seen her arrival. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, coming over to her. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± she said. ¡°I just saw you here, so I thought I¡¯d stop. Are the lightning rods working?¡± Now that she was closer, she could see the three copper poles scattered around the camp at a distance. Each had a wooden platform to keep it steady despite the high winds. If Josip had followed her instructions, the bottom ends of the poles would be buried into the ground. It seemed he¡¯d assembled them before working on the tents. ¡°Nothing¡¯s come close enough today, but there was a storm right out of Livadi,¡± he said. ¡°The rods helped some, but one of the wagons still got hit. It scorched the side and some of the hay, but it didn¡¯t start a fire, so we decided to continue on. We were lucky it didn¡¯t hit the mules¡ªthey keep trying to huddle together when it rains.¡± ¡°I can stay here just in case,¡± she offered. Judging by her elder senses, the worst of the storm would pass north of the camp, but it was better to remain than to risk anyone getting hurt. She could walk to the ruins with the caravan in the morning. If anyone grew worried about her absence, Corec would be able to determine what direction she¡¯d gone, and she was close enough to be within Leena¡¯s Seeking distance. Josip nodded. Five men had gathered behind him, staring at Sarette curiously. She only recognized the two youngest, who grinned back at her¡ªthey¡¯d seen her fly before. The other men were older. ¡°New drivers?¡± she asked. ¡°Most of their parents wouldn¡¯t let them come back after I told them about the battle,¡± Josip said. ¡°Even after I promised extra pay. One boy¡¯s father took his place, but Lufton had to find two other men to help out.¡± ¡°Everyone will be relieved to see you. Ellerie¡¯s been exploring, but there hasn¡¯t been much for the rest of us to do. She says we¡¯re going to leave once you get back.¡± ¡°Yes, Leena came and let me know,¡± Josip said, ¡°but between the storms and finding new drivers, we¡¯re a day behind schedule.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the extra day will hurt anything. We¡¯ve got plenty of food from the group that attacked us, and Shavala¡¯s been growing grass for the mules.¡± ¡°Growing grass?¡± he asked, confused. Sarette laughed. ¡°Just wait and see.¡± # Humming a new melody she was working on, Katrin carefully folded her clothes and repacked them back into her saddlebags. Over the weeks they¡¯d been camped in the same building, her things and Corec¡¯s had all migrated out of their bags, ending up spread out across the room they shared. Her nicer dresses were hanging on nails she¡¯d pounded into the wall. She saved those for last, so they wouldn¡¯t be packed in as tightly. Just as she was finishing, Corec came in. ¡°All done?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯m going to get, I suppose. I can¡¯t get my cloak to fit back in the bag.¡± He chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s spare room on the wagons. You can put it there.¡± ¡°Are we leaving now?¡± It was getting late in the morning on the day after Josip had returned with the wagons. Everyone had needed more time to get ready than they¡¯d expected¡ªKatrin wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d made herself at home. ¡°Leena¡¯s going to hand out some food so we don¡¯t have to stop later, then we¡¯ll get the mules hitched and the horses saddled. Probably an hour, I¡¯d say. Is Shavala ready? I didn¡¯t see her.¡± The elven woman had the small room next to theirs, though she spent half her nights with the two of them. ¡°She was all packed last night. She said she¡¯d be back in a bit¡ªthere was something she wanted to do. She had that thing with her again.¡± Katrin didn¡¯t think much of the staff after what it had done to Shavala during the battle, but her friend had made it clear she was going to keep it. Corec nodded, then glanced around the now nearly empty room and spotted his shaving kit. Katrin had found it and placed it near his saddlebags while she was packing her own things. He slipped it into one of his bags, then said, ¡°I guess that¡¯s everything.¡± ¡°Do you realize we¡¯ve been living together in this room longer than we¡¯ve ever stayed anywhere else?¡± Katrin asked. He furrowed his brow. ¡°I guess we have,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s been, what, more than three weeks since we moved the camp here?¡± ¡°It was starting to feel like home,¡± she replied. ¡°But not a very pleasant home. We need to find a place with plumbing, or at least our own well with a hand pump. And we need some plants and trees¡ªI can¡¯t take looking at bare dirt anymore. I went down to the river with Shavala yesterday just to watch her grow some more grass.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. There aren¡¯t too many places in the free lands with indoor plumbing, but digging a well shouldn¡¯t be a problem if we¡¯re away from town. I was talking to Treya, and she thinks one of the farmsteads outside Four Roads might work for us. Her family¡¯s place was several days outside the town, and the area wasn¡¯t heavily populated.¡± ¡°Is anyone living there?¡± ¡°Ahh, I got the impression she was just using it as an example. I don¡¯t think she wants to go back there.¡± Katrin nodded. Treya didn¡¯t talk about her early years much, but everyone knew her parents had been killed by raiders when she was very young. ¡°Will a farmhouse be big enough? Even if we only live there temporarily, we¡¯ll have Shavala, Treya, and Sarette, at least for a little while. And what if Ellerie and Boktar stay long enough to help with the red-eyes?¡± ¡°True. We may have to look for something more like a small manor house.¡± ¡°In the free lands?¡± ¡°They¡¯re rare, but they exist. You just need the right circumstances. Say, if some idiot third son of a border baron thought he could make a living as a gentleman farmer, and then had to abandon the place when he failed.¡± Katrin snickered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the third son of a border baron?¡± ¡°Yes, so if I ever start pretending I know how to be a farmer, remind me not to be an idiot. But the manor house itself might be what we need. I just don¡¯t know how much it would cost.¡± ¡°Is land near Four Roads really that expensive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably not as expensive as farmland in Larso, but I¡¯ve never looked into it. The problem is that I¡¯m not sure how much will be left over from our shares after we pay for everything else. Even if Prince Rusol sticks to only sending small squads, we¡¯ll still need some sort of defensive fortifications¡ªa wooden wall, at least. And the sort of armed guards we¡¯ll be able to hire in the free lands will mostly be half-trained mercenaries, so I¡¯d say at least a dozen men, plus an armsmaster to train them. A few extra archers. Figure on paying their wages for a year or more. It adds up. And, to be honest, I¡¯m getting tired of campfire cooking. If we can afford it, I¡¯d like to have a cook and a housekeeper.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about all that,¡± Katrin admitted. ¡°How much does a defensive wall cost?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not cheap. We¡¯re going to end up spending a lot of money for a place we¡¯re only planning to live in for a few years, if we move to Tyrsall once Yelena leaves.¡± Katrin considered that. She liked living in a city, and had hoped to settle down in Tyrsall or Circle Bay eventually. Of the two, Corec preferred Tyrsall, but Yelena had seemed nervous about having another warden nearby, so Corec had promised the woman he wouldn¡¯t stay there while she was still present. She wouldn¡¯t be there much longer, though. As a warden, neither she nor her bondmates were aging, so to avoid suspicion, they planned to leave the city soon and assume new identities elsewhere. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I suppose we don¡¯t have to move to Tyrsall right away,¡± Katrin said. ¡°If we¡¯re close enough to Four Roads to visit, I wouldn¡¯t mind trying out the free lands for a while to see how it feels.¡± ¡°Really? I know you wanted to live somewhere bigger.¡± ¡°I just need an audience that hasn¡¯t heard all my songs a hundred times. After this place, even Four Roads will seem like a major city. We¡¯ll still have plenty of time to try Tyrsall.¡± Corec frowned. ¡°Listen,¡± he said, ¡°Rusol¡¯s after me, not the rest of you. Maybe you should stay in Tyrsall. You¡¯re not a fighter¡ªyou¡¯ll be safer there. I can come back for you when everything¡¯s been dealt with.¡± Katrin was tempted, but only for a moment. She shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s after you because you¡¯re a warden,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re all in this together. The five of us, at least.¡± And she intended to have a private talk with Ellerie. The woman was one of them, even if she didn¡¯t want to admit it. Razai and Leena were different. Razai had ended the warden bond, and would be going her own way once they returned to Aravor. Leena had her own issues to deal with down in Sanvar¡ªshe was only coming with them because Corec was worried it wasn¡¯t safe for her to return yet. Bobo, on the other hand, had taken advantage of Corec¡¯s hospitality and protection for months when they¡¯d first met. Katrin resolved to talk with him as well. ¡°Well, I would rather have you with me,¡± Corec said, ¡°but if another big group comes after us, I¡¯d like you to go to Four Roads until it¡¯s over. I don¡¯t like how close we came this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to go hide while everyone else is fighting for their lives!¡± ¡°Katrin ¡­¡± ¡°How about this?¡± she said. ¡°If you convince me there¡¯s no way I can help, then I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Maybe, she added silently. Corec sighed, but nodded. # Shavala stared across the plaza, two scarves across her face in a failed attempt to block out the smell. Decomposition was a natural part of the life cycle, but that didn¡¯t mean the side effects were pleasant. Ever since dragging the bodies here after the battle, everyone had avoided this spot. Corec seemed to feel some sort of guilt that he hadn¡¯t been able to lay their enemies to rest, but there was no realistic way to bury more than a hundred bodies in the hard-packed earth of the barrens¡ªit had been difficult enough burying Ariadne¡¯s Mage Knight compatriots, and there had only been nine of those. Burning them wasn¡¯t possible either, not without firewood, and there hadn¡¯t been any way to obtain enough wood before they¡¯d begun to decompose. Now, of course, it was too late to even consider it. No one could approach the plaza without gagging. Shavala had thought about trying to burn the bodies with magic, but that would have taken hours, and she couldn¡¯t maintain a spell for that length of time. But she¡¯d spent nearly two weeks now regrowing small patches of grass and weeds down near the river. It was too soon to tell whether her changes would last after she was gone, but it felt good to see some hints of green against the vast swathes of brown. And it had given her an idea. These deaths had been meaningless and stupid, but did they have to remain that way? Could they be given a purpose? She wanted to try to grow greenery in a ring all around the plaza, surrounding the bodies. Then, as they decomposed, they would feed the soil, and the plants might eventually grow to cover the place the corpses had once been. It would be difficult here. There was a layer of paving stones¡ªthe original city streets¡ªtwo feet below the surface, and the river was too far away to draw water from. But there were old community wells on the east and west ends of the plaza, and she could sense water deep underground. She just needed a way to bring it up. Pulling one of her gathering sacks from her pocket, she turned it inside out and shook out the extra seeds she¡¯d been collecting from her work down by the river. With quick, controlled flurries of wind, she blew them all around the near edge of the plaza. There were barely enough seeds to provide even a light scattering across a thirty-foot-wide area. It was all she¡¯d been able to spare from her other efforts, but the plaza seemed much larger when viewed close up. It was better than nothing, though, so she began the process she¡¯d been practicing over the past weeks, convincing the seeds to sprout and grow, and then accelerating the life cycles, using bursts of wind to pollinate between the grasses, and then repeating everything once the new seeds matured. She hadn¡¯t worked out a way to draw water up through the paving stones, but the rain from two days earlier hadn¡¯t completely dried out yet. The staff started to help, but its own magic seemed sluggish, as if it wasn¡¯t sure what she was attempting to do. She rested the butt of the staff against the ground, then tried to imagine the entire plaza as a grassy field. According to Treya, Ariadne had claimed that the land near the city had once supported vast forests. A small meadow shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Just as Shavala completed the thought, the staff suddenly jerked upright, nearly jumping out of her hand as it fastened itself tightly to the earth. The shaft trembled, and small cracks spread out in the ground surrounding it. Shavala cast her elder senses downward and found tree roots growing out from the bottom of the staff. The roots were familiar¡ªtershaya. Dorvasta druids often grew new tershaya trees by transplanting a cutting. The cutting would then grow its own roots, eventually joining with the combined root system underlying the Terril Forest. Had the staff simply been a cutting all along, intended for growing a new tree? It was tershaya wood, after all, and was still alive despite its age. If it wanted to become a tree, who was she to say no? But though the root system continued to expand down and outward, the staff itself didn¡¯t grow into a sapling. It remained as it was, a bare branch cleared of bark, thick and knotted at the top, thin at the base. The spell continued, and Shavala lost what little control she had over it. It was still pulling a trickle of power from her, but most was coming from somewhere else, far in excess of anything the staff had demonstrated so far. The roots directly below the staff broke through a gap in the buried paving stones, continuing to grow downward, while the bulk of the tendrils snaked toward the center of the plaza, where the bodies were stacked. The ground trembled, and then a small sapling suddenly burst up near the pile. A second sapling sprouted just ten feet from Shavala, and then a third on the far side of the plaza. It wasn¡¯t like transplanting a cutting after all. It was the opposite, with trees springing from the root system rather than the roots growing from the tree. And unlike a cutting, which would grow a duplicate of the original tree, thus making it incompatible for cross-pollination, each of these new saplings looked different enough that Shavala suspected they were originals. While the first three saplings grew taller, a dozen more shot up all around the plaza. Below each tree, the roots grew stronger and thicker, bursting through the buried paving stones and stretching far enough down to reach the underground stream. Smaller tendrils surrounded the pavers and crushed them into pieces, a process that would normally have taken centuries. As the saplings grew into juvenile trees, the ground began shaking strongly enough to knock Shavala off of her feet. Dirt-covered roots suddenly sprouted from the earth in hundreds of spots across the plaza, stretching briefly up into the air before curling back down to wrap themselves tightly around the corpses. More roots burst up, breaking the hard ground and churning the soil, and then the bodies were pulled under, leaving a lumpy, uneven surface covered with loose earth and pieces of broken paving stones. The roots had returned underground, taking the bodies with them. Feeding them to the plants, as Meritia called it. Shavala¡¯s teacher had once killed a man that way. It could be done with any sufficiently strong bushes or trees, but it worked best with tershaya and their massive joined root systems. It was the reason the humans had never been able to conquer the elven forest. With all the druids working together, an entire small army could be made to disappear, with no clue left as to why. The earthquake died down, but the trees continued to grow, casting new shade over the plaza. The stone walls of a nearby structure collapsed as another tershaya grew up from within it, expanding outward. The falling stone gouged the bark, but it healed as it grew, as if it had had years to recover from the damage. The trees didn¡¯t stop growing until they reached what Shavala would consider to be young adult age, with trunks ten feet across and the crowns topping out over a hundred feet above her head. They were still small for tershaya, but they looked and smelled like home. The spell came to an end. With her elder senses, Shavala could feel the root system directly below the staff wither and die, as if it was a dead tree, but the staff itself remained alive and unharmed. As the roots below it were reabsorbed back into the soil, the staff came loose, no longer attached to the system it had created. Shavala held it steady, using it to brace herself as she climbed back to her feet. She stared out at the tiny forest. It wasn¡¯t much in the scheme of things, but in such a desolate place, even this small start was enough to provide a sense of hope. There was noise behind her, and she turned to find Corec, Katrin, and Ellerie staring at the tershaya trees in shock. Most of the others were running up behind them. They all looked at her, questions in their eyes. She shrugged. ¡°I wanted to try something,¡± she told them. Life. Death. Life. Not words but concepts. Feelings. It was the first time the staff had communicated since the battle. Yes, Shavala agreed. # Ellerie didn¡¯t have a chance to corner Shavala alone until after the group had gotten underway. She found her walking near the front of the procession to avoid the dust clouds raised by the wagons. ¡°How did you do it?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t really me,¡± Shavala said. ¡°The staff did all the work.¡± She¡¯d said that right after growing the trees too, but Ellerie had been too stunned to question her about it then. Shavala had admitted that the staff was enchanted, but it didn¡¯t glow to arcane sight, and Ellerie had never heard of an enchantment constructed from elder magic. She hadn¡¯t known it was possible. ¡°How did the Chosar manage to create something that can grow tershaya?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°The nilvasta have been trying for thousands of years and we haven¡¯t had any luck.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it belonged to the Chosar. It¡¯s elven magic, and it was elves that carried it in the visions. It was around for a long time before it ended up in that mountain.¡± ¡°The Chosar took it from us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That wasn¡¯t one of the visions.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°It seems like the more we learn, the less we know. Do you think you could do it again? Grow tershaya, I mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I wasn¡¯t trying to grow them this time. I accidentally thought about a forest, and it just happened.¡± ¡°Would you be willing to try?¡± Shavala cocked her head to the side. ¡°Here?¡± she asked, her tone puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Not here. In Terevas. My mother has invited dorvasta druids to try to grow a new forest, but we only ended up with some small groves and scattered trees.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult to cultivate new tershaya trees.¡± Shavala looked down at the staff. ¡°Or it always has been before. They¡¯re capable of growing on their own, but if there¡¯s a fire or if they¡¯re being harvested, they don¡¯t grow fast enough to replenish their own numbers, so we have to help them along. We normally plant just enough cuttings or fertilized seeds each year to compensate for the number of trees that have been lost. The druids might not have had enough to spare for you.¡± ¡°In the last five hundred years, Terevas has lost just as many trees as we¡¯ve planted,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We keep records at the Glass Palace.¡± ¡°Tershaya have always done better in the Terril Forest, since they can join the existing root system.¡± Ellerie furrowed her brow. ¡°You mean the tree bond?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shavala paused. ¡°No, and yes. The shared root system is how the trees bond with each other, but it also makes it easier for individual trees to stay healthy regardless of the condition of the nearby soil. But yes, the tree bond is important too¡ªboth the bond between the trees themselves and their bond with the people. We always know when one of the tershaya is unhealthy.¡± Ellerie sighed. ¡°Then it¡¯s pointless? How can we keep them alive without the tree bond?¡± Shavala glanced at her. ¡°Nilvasta are still elves. The tree bond isn¡¯t gone, it¡¯s just ¡­ different. I still feel it in you, but I can¡¯t predict when you¡¯re going to talk, or whether you¡¯re going to agree or disagree with whatever¡¯s been said. The bond is there, but it doesn¡¯t work the same way.¡± ¡°Ariadne thinks it¡¯s because we have too much human blood. Well, human or Chosar.¡± ¡°Do you believe her?¡± ¡°It makes as much sense as anything,¡± Ellerie said. She doubted her people would accept the idea, though, and she had no intention of being the one to tell them. ¡°If there¡¯s something of the tree bond left in the nilvasta, do you think we could take care of a forest if you grew one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ll try if you¡¯d like. I do want to see Terevas before my travels are over.¡± Ellerie had a sudden thought. ¡°What about the trees you grew here? Will they be all right on their own?¡± ¡°For now, but the ecosystem isn¡¯t large enough or diverse enough to sustain them, tree bond or not, and the barren soil is still mixed in with the better soil from below the surface. The trees will need help. I¡¯d like to return here with you when you come back.¡± Ellerie hadn¡¯t considered that any of the others might come with her, other than Boktar perhaps, and the vague hope that she and Leena would have a closer relationship by then. Shavala was enigmatic, but she was also a capable companion on the road, and she had the calming presence of a dorvasta. ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Ellerie said. Book 4: Chapter Five Ariadne lay on her side, staring at the canvas wall of the tent Leena had bought for her in Aencyr. Closing her eyes, she tried to force herself to fall back asleep, but it was useless, and soon she was staring at the canvas again. She didn¡¯t like sleeping outdoors. A tent couldn¡¯t compare to the thick stone walls of Tir Yadar. At least when they¡¯d been camping in the remains of Old Town, there¡¯d been a stone roof overhead and Mount Yadar itself had loomed comfortingly nearby. A thin sheet of canvas just wasn¡¯t the same. She¡¯d lived in the inner city her entire life, and had only stayed outdoors overnight a few times during training exercises, always secure in the knowledge that she¡¯d be returning to Tir Yadar soon. Now, though, she was leaving her mountain fortress home for good. What point was there in returning to a place that could only serve as a reminder of what she¡¯d lost? Despite the logic of that reasoning, she still had to fight the urge to run back to the mountain and hide in her family¡¯s apartment. There was nothing left for her there, but it was hard to give up those last few links to the world she knew. Outside the tent, the sound of the third watch making their passes around the camp finally gave way to the sound of people getting up and ready for the day. Giving up on her attempt to sleep, Ariadne crawled out of her bedroll and put on a garment Sarette had loaned her. It was cut similarly to a soldier¡¯s uniform, and provided some sense of normalcy. It was certainly a better option than the dress Katrin had offered. Over the clothing, she strapped on a simple silversteel cuirass. Her mirrorsteel plate armor was packed away on one of the wagons, along with the Mage Knights¡¯ equipment. Corec and Boktar didn¡¯t seem to feel any need to wear heavy armor with no enemies in sight, and with the hot summer sun overhead, Ariadne had finally decided to follow their example. After bundling up her bedroll and tent and tossing them into one of the wagons, she ate a quick meal of cold camp rations and then waited while the others hitched the mules to the wagons and loaded up the horses¡¯ packsaddles. Once the preparations were complete, she headed to her normal spot in the procession, joining Treya and Sarette. Treya greeted her, while Sarette just gave her a nod and a smile, not attempting to speak the Western language. The two women were the friendliest of the group, and by walking with them, Ariadne could avoid ending up in conversation with Ellerie or Bobo. The others in the party were polite, but they all seemed uncertain how to act around her, and the language barrier didn¡¯t help. ¡°Will you teach me trade tongue?¡± she asked Treya. It was frustrating to only be able to speak to her or Sarette, and never both at the same time. When the three of them attempted to have a conversation, the other two had to translate for each other. ¡°Of course,¡± Treya replied. She¡¯d offered to do so before, and Ariadne had turned her down. Ariadne felt herself flushing in embarrassment. ¡°I can¡¯t understand anything anyone says,¡± she explained. Trade tongue was the only language shared by everyone in the group, so it was used for most conversations, but she couldn¡¯t learn it from the Necklace of Tongues. It seemed that no one spoke it natively. Treya nodded. ¡°I understand,¡± she said, then turned to Sarette and spoke a quick sentence. She turned back to Ariadne. ¡°I just told her, in trade tongue, that we¡¯re going to teach you how to speak trade tongue. Do you remember what I said?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Try repeating it, and I¡¯ll tell you what each word means.¡± While they practiced getting the pronunciation right, the woman called Razai walked by. She was leading her horse to the front of the line, where she would share scouting duties with Josip. Ariadne glared at her back as she passed. Razai had eyes like a snake or a demon, as well as pointed fangs that were visible when she spoke. Nobody seemed to consider her a demon, but Ariadne didn¡¯t trust her. ¡°Miss Treya!¡± The language lesson was interrupted by the arrival of the boy Nedley, who was leading a limping mule. He stared at Ariadne for a moment, then flushed and looked away. On the first night of her bathing ritual, he¡¯d shown up unexpectedly. She hadn¡¯t realized he took the animals to the watering hole during the night. She¡¯d made sure to go farther away from the camp for her later trips. Nedley was speaking trade tongue, but Ariadne recognized the title of Miss, which the boy used when speaking to most of the women in the group. Treya responded to him in the same language, and Ariadne rolled her eyes at being excluded from yet another conversation. Not that it seemed particularly interesting¡ªthey were obviously talking about the injured mule. Sarette joined them, running her hands down the lame leg before saying something. Treya took her place, laying her hands on the horse. Her eyes went out of focus and she shook her head, spoke to Nedley and Sarette again, and then her hands began to glow with a white light. Ariadne blinked in surprise. What was happening? A moment later, the glow subsided, and Nedley led the mule away. The animal now walked normally, without a limp. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Treya said. ¡°Nedley doesn¡¯t speak Western. He grew up in Tyrsall.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a healing wizard?¡± Ariadne asked, confused. Treya, unarmed and unarmored, had managed to defeat her in combat with a single strike. She¡¯d assumed the younger woman was some sort of war mage¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t a skill typically seen in healing wizards. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a healing wizard. I¡¯m a ¡­¡± Treya hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. ¡°I¡¯m a divine mage, like a priest.¡± ¡°I do not know these words, divine and priest, but you asked about priests the other day when we were talking about Snake.¡± ¡°Priests are followers of the gods, and some are blessed with gifts of divine magic. One of my blessings is healing.¡± ¡°Like the shamans of the human tribes, you mean? But they have no magic. Where does yours come from if you¡¯re not a wizard?¡± Treya shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the word shaman before, but I think it means something different now. Priestly blessings are granted by the gods themselves.¡± Ariadne eyed the other woman. ¡°You think the human gods are real? Hundreds of them?¡± ¡°Hundreds?¡± Treya asked, giving her a puzzled look. ¡°There are only seven. Seven new gods, I mean. Some people still worship the old gods, but they don¡¯t have priests. Not real ones, anyway.¡± These people referred to the totems as old gods, but they¡¯d only seemed to know about three of them¡ªRaven, Bear, and Fox. Bear had just attended Ariadne¡¯s induction ceremony a few weeks earlier. Everyone had said it was a great honor. No, she reminded herself. Not a few weeks. She pushed the memory aside and focused on the conversation. ¡°You follow one of these gods, then?¡± she asked. ¡°Not exactly,¡± Treya said, glancing at Sarette, who didn¡¯t appear to understand what they were saying. ¡°You know how wizards aren¡¯t the only kind of arcane mage? There are other divine mages besides priests.¡± ¡°But you still think these gods of yours give people magic?¡± It was the same sort of silly story the human shamans had always told about their gods. Ariadne had been under the impression that Treya was better educated than that. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why Corec and I were asking you about Snake and the priests that attacked us. He¡¯s worried they might be followers of Pallisur. We¡¯ve had trouble with, well, not the Church exactly, but with someone in Larso, a kingdom that follows the Church.¡± Ariadne drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Pallisur?¡± she asked, ignoring the rest of Treya¡¯s statement. Only that one word mattered. ¡°Yes, the God of War.¡± It had to be a coincidence. ¡°Who are the others?¡± she asked urgently. ¡°Is one called Hera?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s Allosur, Arodisis, Demesis, Borrisur, Irisis, and The Lady.¡± With each name, Ariadne felt her blood grow colder. Sarette had spoken of Borrisur, but Ariadne hadn¡¯t connected the name to Boreas before. That meant Demesis could only be referring to Demea. There was no mention of Zachal or Hera¡ªZachalsur or Herasis as they would have been called if they followed the same pattern¡ªbut the other names, as a group, were too similar to mean anything else. These people had taken the names of the lost wardens, added an honorific, and propped them up as gods. Ariadne had held out some hope that the real wardens¡ªher wardens¡ªhad somehow survived the destruction of Fortress West, but that hope faded now. The wardens would never have let themselves be used as barbarian superstitions. ¡°I think I¡¯d like to walk alone today,¡± she said, trying to maintain her composure. She turned to head to the back of the column. Corec would be rear guard today. He was usually willing to leave her alone when she wasn¡¯t interested in talking. ¡°You don¡¯t want to learn trade tongue?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Perhaps another time.¡± # One of the biggest historical questions of our time is whether the ancient city of Tir Yadar actually existed. Enough references have been documented to say that it almost certainly must have, but if so, where could it have been located? Muttering, Ellerie swiped her finger across the line, smearing the fresh ink to remind herself not to include the words in her next draft. She¡¯d always assumed writing a book would be easy, but her sentences sounded pompous and amateurish to her own ears. This book¡ªand the next, if Ariadne was willing to cooperate with her¡ªwould be how she was remembered by other historians, and now she feared it would turn out so bad that she wouldn¡¯t be able to bring herself to publish it. How did Bobo do it? He didn¡¯t seem to have any problems with the sections he was writing. Was it a matter of the topics they¡¯d chosen? He was focused on relating the facts of their discoveries, while Ellerie had taken it upon herself to frame the narrative and provide her own interpretation. In her head, that narrative flowed smoothly, but somehow that never seemed to be the case once she actually sat down with pen and paper. Perhaps the problem was due to language. Maybe instead of Elven, she should try writing her first draft in Western, as Bobo was doing. The Elven language sometimes took longer to come to the point than it should. Writing in a human language might improve the clarity. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. She started again, but before she could finish her first sentence, a voice spoke up behind her. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told Corec what you plan to do after we return to Tyrsall?¡± Katrin asked. They were still in the barrens, just four days out from Tir Yadar. Ellerie had found a spot away from the camp to cut down on distractions, hoping it would help her concentrate better. She was sitting on a big rock, her lap desk across her knees, and had been so engrossed in her work that she hadn¡¯t heard the other woman approach. She blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. ¡°I haven¡¯t told him because I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do.¡± ¡°You must have some idea.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose we have to finish things off with Varsin Senshall first, and then Bobo and I need to find a printer for our book.¡± If we finish writing it, she added silently. ¡°After that, I guess I¡¯ll go back to Matagor.¡± Katrin frowned. ¡°You know what we¡¯re facing with Prince Rusol, and you¡¯ve overheard us talking about our plans. You say you want to help, but you¡¯ve never offered to come with us.¡± The conversation seemed to have come out of nowhere, but Ellerie had gotten better at masking her more irritated reactions. She set her lap desk aside, careful not to spill the inkwell, and looked up at the other woman. ¡°No one ever asked me to,¡± she pointed out carefully. ¡°We didn¡¯t ask Sarette either, but she agreed anyway. Leena¡¯s the only person Corec has asked outright, though that¡¯s more for her sake than anything.¡± ¡°Leena¡¯s going?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°We ¡­ don¡¯t really talk anymore.¡± Katrin¡¯s expression softened. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The other woman seemed to realize Ellerie didn¡¯t want to talk about it, and didn¡¯t press her. Instead, she said, ¡°She¡¯s going because Corec¡¯s worried she¡¯ll draw more attacks to her family if she returns home too soon. He won¡¯t ask you because he doesn¡¯t want you to feel obligated. But you owe him.¡± ¡°Owe him for what?¡± ¡°Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°I would have found it without him,¡± Ellerie said before she could stop herself. It was true, but Corec pressuring Bobo to help had likely sped up the search by years, not to mention his and Treya¡¯s contacts with the Senshall Trading Company. ¡°Probably,¡± Katrin agreed, ¡°but you wouldn¡¯t have been able to get through the wards. You wouldn¡¯t have even known what a warden was if you hadn¡¯t met him, so you wouldn¡¯t have known you needed one to open the doors.¡± Ellerie nodded. The scholarly aspects of the expedition might have been a success without Corec, but the treasures they¡¯d found would still be locked away behind the warding spells. Ellerie would have found Ariadne, but how would that meeting have gone if she was the person trying to talk sense into the woman? Treya and Corec were better suited for the job. ¡°So you think I should come to Four Roads with you?¡± she asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want me there.¡± Katrin sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you, Ellerie¡ªI just wish you¡¯d been more truthful when we met.¡± ¡°I tried to leave my old life behind. I didn¡¯t talk about it because I didn¡¯t want to think about it.¡± ¡°I realized that eventually, but we shouldn¡¯t have had to find out from the stormborn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Katrin shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s in the past; I didn¡¯t mean to bring it up again. But Corec never cared about any of that to begin with. He considers you a friend, and I know you think of him the same way.¡± ¡°I do,¡± Ellerie said. It had taken her a while to realize it, but despite the circumstances of their first meeting, she¡¯d eventually come to trust him. It was freeing, in a way, to know that there were others she could count on just as much as she counted on Boktar. Freeing to know that the two of them didn¡¯t have to do everything themselves. ¡°I¡¯ll consider Four Roads. I hadn¡¯t really thought about it. I suppose I¡¯ve been thinking of Matagor as home.¡± ¡°You were only in Matagor for a few years, weren¡¯t you? Do you have anything waiting for you there?¡± It took a moment for Ellerie to decide how to answer that question. ¡°Some friends, and I might need to visit the library. That¡¯s it, really. Boktar and I had rooms in Duke Lorvis¡¯s palace for our last job, so I don¡¯t even have an apartment.¡± Ellerie¡¯s friends in Matagor were more like acquaintances. Her closest friends were all here, she realized. And if Leena was going to Four Roads, perhaps there might still be time to fix whatever had gone wrong between the two of them. Katrin shrugged. ¡°So it¡¯s not a problem, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Boktar,¡± Ellerie said. It wouldn¡¯t be as simple as Katrin was suggesting. Once the book was printed, she¡¯d have to do some traveling¡ªTyrsall and Matagor at least, and perhaps farther south. And she¡¯d have to visit home and meet with the scholars there, which meant dealing with her mother. But if Varsin Senshall agreed to her idea of keeping the location of Tir Yadar quiet for a bit longer, there was no reason why the book had to be released immediately. She and Bobo could take the time to do it right. # Corec tightened the straps fastening the breastplate and backplate together, then held out his arms so Sarette could strap the vambraces on. Stretching, he tried out his range of movement. ¡°How is it?¡± Sarette asked. The two of them were standing next to the wagon where most of the armor was stored. ¡°I think it¡¯ll work,¡± he replied. ¡°I might remove a layer of padding, but this fellow was pretty close to my size.¡± He was trying on a suit of plate armor that had been worn by one of the priests who¡¯d attacked them. ¡°Why are you switching?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll work better if all the pieces come from the same suit.¡± During the battle, Corec had worn one of the new cuirasses from the armory, paired with the vambraces, greaves, gauntlets, and helmet from his old suit of plate. The breastplate of his old cuirass had been destroyed by a wizard¡¯s spell, and he hadn¡¯t been able to replace it yet. Sarette furrowed her brow. ¡°It looked like it all fit together well enough. And wasn¡¯t the new cuirass supposed to be better?¡± Then her eyes widened and she started laughing. ¡°Oh, you want it to match!¡± Corec flushed. It wouldn¡¯t have been so bad if the new cuirass had been made out of steel, but whatever the metal was, it was a different shade of color than the rest of his armor, almost silver. ¡°All right, fine, yes,¡± he admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll look like a fool if I go back to Aencyr or Tyrsall wearing mismatched armor, and none of the complete sets from the armory will fit.¡± Still snickering, Sarette said, ¡°I never thought of you as vain.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not just vanity. A knight¡¯s armor says something about him, even if he¡¯s no longer a knight.¡± It was more complicated than that. Corec had been a baron¡¯s son as well as a knight trainee. How could he explain the years of expectations that had been drilled into him about his appearance and behavior? The same expectations that had caused his father to pay for four custom-built suits of armor during Corec¡¯s six years of training. The first three, which he¡¯d grown out of, were still in storage with his family, in case his brothers had any sons go into the knighthood. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± Sarette said with a grin. ¡°I just wore what the High Guard gave me.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, are you going to try the new mail?¡± She glanced at the pile of armor in the wagon. ¡°I suppose I should.¡± Together, they managed to find a mail shirt that would fit her. She slipped it on over her padded doublet, then twisted her shoulders back and forth to see how it felt. ¡°This seems really light,¡± she said. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s better?¡± ¡°We tested it. It¡¯s stronger than steel.¡± Corec was wearing one of the shirts himself. It was half the weight of his old mail. When he didn¡¯t have plate armor over it, he barely noticed it was there. She frowned down at it, but left it on. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try during the next storm, to make sure it doesn¡¯t interfere with my magic.¡± ¡°While we¡¯re here, I¡¯m going to grab the hammer,¡± Corec said. He lifted it out from the next wagon over, where he¡¯d left it near the side with its handle sticking up. The enchantment on the hammer was different than the one on the sword. No one else could get the hammer to budge, yet it didn¡¯t seem to add any more weight to the wagon than it should, and whenever a wheel hit a rock, the weapon was jostled around like any other piece of cargo. He wanted to see if his horse could carry it, or if doing so would trigger the warding that made it heavier. To Corec, the maul now seemed to weigh about fifteen pounds, which he suspected was its actual weight. The head glowed with a pale yellow light as he held it, and it emitted a faint hum. The sparks that had swirled around it the first few times he¡¯d picked it up had gradually faded away, just as they had with the sword. The hum had grown quieter, but hadn¡¯t gone away completely. ¡°Do you know how to use that?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never practiced with one, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any trick to it,¡± he said. ¡°If someone¡¯s wearing heavy armor, you hit them with it. We just didn¡¯t use them at Fort Hightower because warhammers are more practical.¡± He took an experimental swing, adjusting his grip. The balance was very different than a sword. It seemed most comfortable to slide his right hand halfway along the shaft, while leaving his left hand near the base. There was no crossguard to protect his fingers from an opponent¡¯s blade sliding across the shaft, but he wore metal gauntlets when fighting, so that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Are you going to keep it?¡± ¡°It might come in handy if we run into any more big groups of mercenaries, but I wonder if Hildra knows of a way to end a weapon bond. If she does, we can sell this and I¡¯ll just buy a warhammer or a bill.¡± ¡°If she knows how to end the bond, are you going to do it with the sword too, so you can send it back to Snow Crown?¡± Sarette asked. Corec blinked. ¡°Uhh, I hadn¡¯t thought about that.¡± She laughed. ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t tell the elders if you decide to keep it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to the sword. I was hoping to give the elders one of the enchanted staff-spears in exchange.¡± ¡°Not mine,¡± Sarette said quickly. ¡°Yours?¡± It was her turn to look embarrassed. ¡°The one I¡¯ve been using. I like it more than the other one. If there¡¯s enough left of my share after we put aside the money to hire guardsmen, I was hoping to use the rest to purchase it.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°All right. We¡¯ll give Snow Crown the other one, then. It should be worth more to them than a sword they can¡¯t touch.¡± There was a startled gasp behind them, and then Ariadne¡¯s voice. ¡°Thrymmatizo!¡± she exclaimed. They turned to find her staring at the glowing maul, an almost frightened expression on her face. ¡°Where did you find that?¡± she demanded in the Western language. ¡°Do you mean the hammer?¡± he asked. ¡°It was in the palace. There was a large suite in the northwest section with a warded door. I was able to open it, like the other doors we told you about.¡± Ariadne shook her head. ¡°Palace? What palace? You mean Fortress Central? The king¡¯s chambers?¡± Corec realized how it would sound to her, and tried to choose his words more carefully. ¡°Yes, we thought they might be the royal quarters. I¡¯m sorry¡ªI thought you knew we¡¯d been there.¡± Still staring at the hammer, Ariadne said, ¡°It¡¯s King Argyros¡¯s war maul. In this language, you would call it Shatter. Why didn¡¯t he take it with him when he fled the city? How can you hold it? I thought no one but Argyros could carry it. It was a gift from his consort Gaiana on the day of their wedding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bonded weapon. It bonds to one bearer for as long as ¡­¡± Corec hesitated, then pressed ahead. ¡°For as long as they¡¯re alive. After that, it can bond someone else. I was the first person to touch it, so I guess that was enough.¡± Ariadne drew her lips together in a thin line and took one slow, unsteady breath, then another. ¡°It¡¯s been too long¡ªhe had to be dead by now,¡± she said, a slight quiver in her voice, as if she was trying to convince herself. ¡°But why leave Shatter behind?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we found some other things with it.¡± ¡°Show me!¡± Sarette had been glancing back and forth between the two of them as they spoke, trying to follow the conversation, but she didn¡¯t speak much Western. ¡°She recognized the maul,¡± Corec said to her in trade tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later. Could you go let Ellerie know what¡¯s going on? I think we need to be more upfront with Ariadne about what we¡¯ve been doing¡ªI keep forgetting that she can¡¯t listen in on our conversations. Maybe she¡¯ll know more about the things we¡¯ve found.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell Ellerie,¡± Sarette said, and headed back to the circle of tents. Corec set the maul down, then turned back to Ariadne, who was waiting impatiently. ¡°I think the rest is in this wagon too,¡± he said. He managed to find the bundle he was looking for without having to climb up to look. The longswords were still wrapped together in a single blanket. He laid it on the ground and unrolled it, exposing the contents. Ariadne¡¯s eyes widened. She lifted the bejeweled sword reverently, still in its silver scabbard. ¡°Thriamvos. Triumph. The sword of the royal family.¡± ¡°We found it with the maul in a small chamber with a warded door. It seemed like some sort of vault.¡± She laid Triumph back down and picked up the other blade by its hilt. ¡°This was with it, too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It must be the king¡¯s own sword, then,¡± she said, gazing at the plain weapon. ¡°You should keep those,¡± Corec said. ¡°Both of them.¡± Marco wouldn¡¯t be happy¡ªthe ornate longsword was likely worth as much as an enchanted weapon¡ªbut it seemed like the right thing to do. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Ariadne said, quickly setting it down by the other. ¡°They belong to King Argyros. Belonged to King Argyros.¡± ¡°You can hold onto them for your people.¡± Corec privately doubted the Chosar were still around, but it was the only hope Ariadne still held onto. And maybe they really were the seaborn after all. She stared out at the horizon, not speaking. Finally, she sighed and said, ¡°That would be acceptable.¡± ¡°There was a suit of armor with them, made from the same stuff as the hammer. I¡¯m not sure what sort of metal it is.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a name. The story goes that Gaiana was experimenting with something she found, but she only ever made the two pieces. She forged the war maul for their wedding, and then she made the armor later, after the war began. If any demons tried to touch the king, the armor burned them.¡± ¡°I think it burns anyone. It burned me until I put my gauntlets on to pick it up.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Perhaps. I was still in training, so I never saw him in battle.¡± She was silent for a moment, and tears gathered in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Corec said. ¡°We should have told you about this before now. We weren¡¯t trying to hide things from you.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t you see?¡± she said. ¡°Even if King Argyros fled Tir Yadar, he would have needed his weapons and armor. If they were left behind, that means he was already dead before the city was abandoned. And Prince Lydos along with him.¡± Book 4: Chapter Six Ariadne thumbed through the two spell books. ¡°You found these in the same chamber as the king¡¯s weapons?¡± she asked the elf. ¡°Yes,¡± Ellerie said, ¡°but Bobo and I were too busy exploring the city to finish translating them. Do you recognize them?¡± Ariadne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why would I? They¡¯re just spell books.¡± ¡°One is labeled. Bobo translated it as Fundamental Materials. Does that sound familiar? It¡¯s not like any spell book I¡¯ve seen before.¡± ¡°The label is handwritten,¡± Ariadne said, skimming through that book more carefully. ¡°It¡¯s just there so the owner can identify it separately from her other spell books. I¡¯m sure she has a lot of them.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Had a lot of them.¡± ¡°She?¡± ¡°If you found them in the king¡¯s chambers, these must belong to Gaiana, his consort. Argyros isn¡¯t a wizard. These look like formulae for shaping materials. Stone-shaping, metal-shaping.¡± She flipped to the end of the book. ¡°And the spells to create and shape them.¡± ¡°You can read the wizard language?¡± ¡°I am a wizard.¡± Ellerie glanced at Ariadne¡¯s metal armor but didn¡¯t comment. ¡°Can you tell me more about it?¡± the elven woman asked instead. ¡°I¡¯d already figured out that the book explains how to create some of the metals your people used, but I¡¯m having trouble understanding even the parts we¡¯ve already translated.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a shaper.¡± ¡°Anything you know would be helpful.¡± Ariadne shrugged. ¡°Shaping is used to construct materials that can¡¯t be created through normal means. For shaped stone, you start with the stone that¡¯s already there, and then add other components based on what type of stone it is. You¡¯d have to read through the book for details. You use one spell to turn all the components into a liquid and mix them together, and then another spell to create the shape you want and return it to solid form. The inner city is mostly built of shaped stone. The builders added enchantments to ensure the structures could never collapse or crumble, but shaped stone holds up well on its own.¡± Which left more questions. How had the shaped stone in Fortress West melted? How had the entire eastern section of the city collapsed? ¡°What about metals?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°There are a lot of shaped metals, but most are rare and just used for specific purposes. This book only includes a few of the more common ones.¡± ¡°The first one is like the armor you¡¯re wearing now, right?¡± Ellerie asked, indicating the cuirass Ariadne had borrowed. Ariadne had to stop for a moment and think about how to translate the name. The necklace didn¡¯t provide a direct translation, so she had to split up the component words and translate them separately, then recombine them. ¡°Yes, silversteel,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s used for armor or jewelry, or sometimes expensive dinnerware.¡± ¡°It¡¯s steel?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never studied shaping. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s truly steel or if that¡¯s just what it¡¯s called.¡± ¡°What about the others?¡± Ariadne sighed and glanced down at the book again. ¡°The next ¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to call it. Fortisteel, perhaps? There isn¡¯t a precise translation in this language. It¡¯s used for weapon blades and certain tools.¡± ¡°Like the weapons we found in the armory?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Ariadne flipped through the pages until she reached the next formula. ¡°This last one is mirrorsteel. It¡¯s expensive to create, and hardly ever used outside the Mage Knights, or certain war mages who can benefit from its properties. It¡¯s similar to silversteel, but can be easily infused with temporary enchantments. It also dampens spells cast against the bearer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what your own armor is made from?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is that why you can cast spells while wearing it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ariadne didn¡¯t elaborate. The silence stretched uncomfortably long, and then Ellerie said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about our last conversation. I really do want to help you, but I also want to learn as much as I can about the Chosar and Tir Yadar. I think we can help each other.¡± Ariadne hesitated, then nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a warden in Aencyr by the name of Hildra. She claims to be over two thousand years old, and she¡¯s heard of the Chosar before. Corec has spoken to her, and says she didn¡¯t seem to know much about them, but if we tell her what you know, she might have some ideas we haven¡¯t thought of yet.¡± Another of these false wardens. Or, perhaps, she should simply think of them as new wardens. Ariadne had seen the six blue sigils along Corec¡¯s arms a few times when he¡¯d been sparring shirtless, and three of them matched the sigils she¡¯d seen on Leena, Shavala, and the redheaded human¡ªKatrin. Ariadne wasn¡¯t sure who the other sigils belonged to, though she suspected Ellerie was one of them. It seemed a strange ruse to keep up if Corec wasn¡¯t actually a warden. And if he was, then perhaps this Hildra was as well. She nodded again. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± she repeated. ¡°There¡¯s something else I wanted to talk to you about,¡± Ellerie said, looking uncomfortable. ¡°We¡¯re granting you two shares from the expedition¡¯s profits.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your charity,¡± Ariadne said, scowling at the other woman. ¡°It¡¯s not charity. As the last liv¡ª ¡­ as the last resident of Tir Yadar, you¡¯re entitled to a portion of what we found. It comes out to a bit over ten percent. It should be enough to help you do ¡­ whatever it is that you want to do. You¡¯re going to need money and resources if you want to find out what happened to your people.¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± Ariadne admitted. ¡°And your shares are separate from the Mage Knights¡¯ equipment and the king¡¯s swords,¡± Ellerie continued. ¡°We figure those things belong to you and your people, and we don¡¯t have any claim on them. The same with the necklace and the bracelet.¡± Ariadne scowled. ¡°I didn¡¯t take the damned bracelet.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say so before?¡± ¡°Because what I do or don¡¯t do is not your concern!¡± Ellerie took a moment to visibly calm herself before responding. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s true, but if you didn¡¯t take it, then it actually was stolen, and we don¡¯t know who by. It would have been helpful to know before now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all thieves. What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s dangerous! Do you know what it does?¡± ¡°I¡¯d never heard of it until you mentioned it. If it came from the Enchantment Repository, I¡¯m hardly the best person to ask. It¡¯s just luck that I recognized the Necklace of Tongues¡ªI¡¯ve spent enough time in the Fortress complex to have seen someone wearing it before.¡± ¡°Would you recognize anything else from the Enchantment Repository?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ariadne said. Then she shrugged. ¡°Maybe from stories.¡± ¡°Would you be willing to look at the other items?¡± ¡°To what end? To aid in your looting?¡± Ellerie looked down, a disappointed expression on her face. ¡°Never mind,¡± she said. Ariadne wanted to shout at her, to argue with her about what the group had done to Tir Yadar, but she couldn¡¯t muster the energy. She was tired of being angry all the time. Besides, after thousands of years, even by Chosar law it wouldn¡¯t be considered looting. Worldly goods were of no use to the dead. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± she said. # Tears blurred Yassi¡¯s vision. Jasper was dead? That sweet old man? And it was all her fault. She was the one who¡¯d found him for Rusol. She was the one who¡¯d sealed his fate when he could instead have continued to live his old life in Westport. First Samir and now Jasper. How many more deaths would she be responsible for? She¡¯d found Rodulf too. Would he be the next to die? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Are you paying attention?¡± Rusol snapped. ¡°How did it happen?¡± she asked. ¡°How did what happen?¡± ¡°How did he die?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still going on about Jasper? I¡¯m trying to talk to you about something important!¡± ¡°Rus, please!¡± Rusol growled, then relented. ¡°He wasn¡¯t ready for a battle, even with the new spell books. It¡¯s unfortunate, and I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it now. I need you to find me some real wizards¡ªones who actually know how to fight. Stop looking in Larso. We¡¯re only finding the dregs here. Look in Matagor instead.¡± Just like that he¡¯d already forgotten Jasper. He thought nothing of the old man¡¯s death, just as he thought nothing of the compulsion spell he¡¯d laid upon Yassi¡¯s mind, or the orders he¡¯d given her that had slowly stripped away more and more of who she was. She had to face the truth. To Rusol, other people only mattered to the extent he could get something from them. Sometimes he¡¯d say something that let her believe there was more to him, some part of him that wanted to do the right thing, but in the end, it always came to nothing. He was friendlier to Kolvi and Magnus simply because of the power they brought him. He¡¯d forced Yassi to marry him only because marriage gave him an air of respectability¡ªor perhaps because he¡¯d wanted a bedmate. There was nothing more to it, and there never would be. ¡°Yassi! Are you listening?¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± she answered in a dull tone, not meeting his gaze. ¡°Look for wizards or other mages we might be able to hire. In Matagor, they won¡¯t be hiding, so it should be easier than the ones you¡¯ve found here. If we find more than we need, that¡¯s even better. I¡¯ll bond the best of the bunch, and turn the others into hunters.¡± He wanted her to find him more puppet slaves, and since he¡¯d ordered it, she wouldn¡¯t have any choice in the matter. ¡°Why are we talking about this in front of him?¡± she asked, indicating the other man in the sunroom, who stood staring blankly at a wall. ¡°Do you remember Sir Barat, from our last visit to Northtower?¡± Rusol said. ¡°It seems he¡¯s an elder witch, from one of the northern clans. He¡¯s not very strong yet, but I bonded him and Kolvi¡¯s going to work with him. I need you to find chambers for him near hers.¡± Yassi shivered at the dead expression on the young knight¡¯s face. ¡°Why is he like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to be happy about what I did, and I didn¡¯t want to deal with him on the trip back, so I left the other compulsion spells on him. Tonight, I¡¯ll sit down and come up with a list of commands to make sure he won¡¯t turn against me. Once that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll remove the other spells.¡± Yassi kept her face expressionless as she considered what Rusol had said. Despite the compulsion magic he¡¯d woven into the modified warden bond, he was still concerned one of his bondmates could act out against him if he didn¡¯t give all the right commands. But how? Yassi was forced to obey anything he said, and he¡¯d given her so many orders, she¡¯d practically forgotten what it was like to make a decision for herself. Was it possible he¡¯d missed something? ¡°I¡¯ll ask the housekeeper to find rooms for him,¡± she said. ¡°Good. Get him settled, then watch over him for a while to make sure he understands what¡¯s going on. I¡¯d better go talk to Father and tell him what happened in Northtower. I¡¯ll see you tonight for supper.¡± Rusol left, and Yassi went to find a maid to send a message to the housekeeper. By the time she returned to the sunroom, Queen Merice had arrived and was attempting to engage Barat in conversation. ¡°You¡¯re from Northtower, aren¡¯t you Sir Knight?¡± the queen was saying. ¡°Do you know my son, Rikard? He¡¯s a knight at Fort Hightower, but he¡¯ll be king one day. He¡¯s Marten¡¯s son!¡± She had a bright smile on her face. Merice¡¯s condition had worsened, and there were no longer any days where she remembered what had happened to Rikard. She¡¯d descended into a permanent fantasy where her son was still alive, and Marten had given strict orders to everyone in the palace not to say anything to the contrary, not wanting to upset her. ¡°I don¡¯t know him,¡± Barat said tonelessly. But he certainly knew Rikard was dead, so Yassi spoke up quickly. ¡°Your Majesty, is it time for your medicine?¡± ¡°I already had it, this morning!¡± the queen insisted. ¡°I just woke up. I don¡¯t want to go to sleep again!¡± Yassi hesitated. Sometimes she wasn¡¯t sure just how much the medicine was helping Merice as opposed to simply being used to keep her out of the way. ¡°Well, all right, but I need to show Sir Barat to his rooms. Will you wait here for me? I¡¯ll come back and we can have tea together.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Merice said. ¡°And then I¡¯ll braid your hair so you can look pretty for Rusol. He¡¯s such a sweet little boy. You must be so happy to have him back.¡± Yassi managed a fake smile and a nod, then excused herself. As she and Barat walked down the corridor, she glanced at him and sighed. ¡°Do you have any idea what¡¯s happened to you?¡± she asked. ¡°Magic,¡± he said. ¡°Hard to think.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll change that soon. You¡¯ll be able to think again, but it won¡¯t make things any better.¡± # ¡°You turned them all?¡± Marten roared. ¡°What kind of idiocy possessed you to do that?¡± Rusol withered under his father¡¯s gaze. Marten had rarely been this angry with him. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice. Too many people knew something had happened involving magic. There would have been questions.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a choice!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t yell at him!¡± Sharra, Rusol¡¯s mother, exclaimed. The concubine had followed the two into the king¡¯s study to hear the results of the trip. ¡°Do you have any idea what he¡¯s done?¡± Marten spat out. ¡°He did what you should have done a long time ago! He took control of the situation!¡± ¡°No! He¡¯s risked turning the entire Order of Pallisur against us, and with them, half the kingdom!¡± ¡°That¡¯s better than sitting back and manipulating puppet strings for decades, hoping someday you¡¯ll get what you want,¡± Sharra said, ice in her voice. ¡°The priests are your subjects, Marten, and it¡¯s about time they started acting like it. Take away the Church¡¯s right of doctrinal law. If anyone complains, behead them. The rest will fall into line if they don¡¯t want to be banished from the kingdom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it works! Right now, we¡¯re balanced on a knife¡¯s edge. The Church has been allowed too much political power over the centuries, and it takes time to undo that. If we move too fast, we¡¯ll start a civil war!¡± ¡°That¡¯s always your excuse, Marten, but I¡¯ve read through Larso¡¯s code of civil law and the code of royal law. The king still retains absolute authority. Your great-grandfather used it to stop the Church from burning mages, but you never do anything with it!¡± ¡°How do you still not understand after all this time? It doesn¡¯t matter what the law says if the people believe differently! My great-grandfather changed a single law, and because of that, the monarchy lost popular support until my father¡¯s time, giving the priesthood more power. Larso was founded by the Church¡ªkings come and go, but the Church is constant, and most of our own soldiers are among the faithful. The people see me as an extension of the Church, but if I take action against it, a rebellion might start within our own royal guards!¡± ¡°More excuses,¡± Sharra said. ¡°I¡¯m glad it was Rusol at North Tower and not you. It¡¯s a good thing he didn¡¯t fall for your nonsense the way Rikard did.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Marten growled, his eyes flashing red as he stalked toward her, his fist raised. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Rikard ever again! I¡¯ve had enough of your constant sniping! He¡¯s been in his grave for five years!¡± He stopped when he realized what he was doing, and unclenched his fingers with visible effort, the red fading from his eyes as he got the demon rage under control. Sharra had shrunk back against the wall. ¡°But Marty, I¡¯m just¡ª¡° ¡°Get out!¡± Rusol¡¯s mother stormed out of the room, slamming the door closed behind her. Marten shook his head. ¡°How can she be so blind?¡± he muttered, staring after her. ¡°The change has to come from within the Church or it¡¯ll never work, and I¡¯m so close to convincing them. You understand that, don¡¯t you, Rus? Do you realize why what you did is so dangerous?¡± ¡°I was careful,¡± Rusol said, trying to keep his voice steady. He¡¯d killed a warden; he could surely face his father¡¯s disappointment. ¡°I took steps to make sure a blessed priest won¡¯t discover the compulsion spells.¡± ¡°Can you guarantee that?¡± Rusol hesitated. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you know how many people will die if we go to war with ourselves? Our first duty is always to the people of Larso. Even if we won the war and exiled the Order, the people would never trust us again. You couldn¡¯t be king once they know you¡¯re a mage, not without slaughtering the tens of thousands of civilians who would rise up against you. Do you want to become a tyrant?¡± ¡°The clans would follow us.¡± ¡°Would they? We haven¡¯t exactly done much for them over the past three hundred years. And even if they trusted our blood ties over our actions, the clans still in Larso are few and scattered. Except for the witches, they¡¯re just like any other farmers and villagers. They¡¯re hardly an army. No, the best way to save lives would be to cede the eastern half of Larso to the Church¡ªfrom Telfort to the Black Crow Mountains¡ªand take the coastal cities and clan territory for ourselves. The western cities have always been less provincial, more accepting of magic.¡± Rusol couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°You want to cut Larso in half?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to!¡± Marten shouted, slamming his hands down on his desk with a thump. ¡°It¡¯s an absolute last resort if the Church discovers the royal family is full of mages! We take the rich half of the country, and let the Church try to support and protect the poor half while they lose out on three quarters of the tax income.¡± ¡°Three quarters?¡± Rusol had known the coastal cities were rich, but he hadn¡¯t realized how wide the difference was. ¡°Of course. Ninety percent of our trade goes through the ports, and if the Black Crow mines want to continue using our ports, we can start taxing them, too. Why do you think I never conquered the hillfolk? The hills would cost us more to support than they could possibly provide in revenue. Everything is carefully balanced, Rus! I¡¯ve told you that over and over! If you upset the balance, we¡¯ll lose everything I¡¯ve been working for!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see to it that it doesn¡¯t come down to that.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t be sure,¡± Marten said more quietly. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. We¡¯re so close. The next step is to get the Church elders to vote on removing all criminal sanctions for mages. Between the men I¡¯ve turned and the ones I¡¯ve managed to convince, I believe we can win that vote, now that most of the blessed elders have been shuffled off to the outlying regions. After the sanctions have been removed, it¡¯ll be harder for the priests to argue against fully legalizing magic. Your mother doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about¡ªthere¡¯s no reason to end doctrinal law completely. It¡¯s doctrinal law that created the monarchy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help,¡± Rusol promised. ¡°Whatever you need me to do.¡± Marten sighed. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the best I can hope for at this point. I need to think about this for a while. I¡¯ll see you at supper.¡± Rusol had clearly been dismissed, but he stopped at the door. His father had to know the whole truth. ¡°There might still be a threat from Blue Vale,¡± he said. ¡°You think they¡¯ll want revenge for killing Leonis?¡± Marten asked. ¡°Are they organized enough to put together a fighting force?¡± ¡°He only brought one or two of his bondmates with him. The others were just regular priests.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Because I¡¯m still alive, Rusol thought to himself. Out loud, he said, ¡°When a bondmate dies, the rune on the warden¡¯s arm burns itself into a scar, but three of Leonis¡¯s scars were old. Two were more recent. Magnus killed one of them¡ªwe know because the man¡¯s own rune reappeared on his forehead after he died. We¡¯re not sure about the other. Some of the bodies were burned too badly for us to check. But three of the runes were still alive, so Leonis still has three bondmates who could rally his troops.¡± Marten tapped his fingers on his desk. Rusol waited for another explosion, but it didn¡¯t come. Instead, his father said, ¡°I suppose we should have expected that. We made an assumption without evidence. There was no real reason to believe that all eight of the priests he traveled with were his bondmates.¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ll be stretched too thin to try to wage war against them up in Blue Vale, especially without knowing what sort of army they can assemble. I suppose you just found your first use for your new troops. They¡¯ll have to patrol the northern border more carefully than usual, to watch for any trouble. Send half of the mercenaries up there to support them, and see if Yassi can find out what they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Book 4: Chapter Seven Corec laid the two staff-spears across the narrow bed so Ariadne could see them. The two of them, along with Ellerie and Marco, were crammed into Ariadne¡¯s tiny room at the village inn in Livadi. She had agreed to look over the enchanted items they¡¯d found, but the inn didn¡¯t have a private dining room, and the common room was full of villagers curious about their foreign visitors after the tales brought back by the wagon drivers. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize them,¡± she said. She hadn¡¯t been familiar with any of the other weapons either, or the tower shield. Corec nodded and moved to retrieve the spears, but she stopped him. ¡°Wait,¡± she said, peering closely at some tiny markings along the shaft. ¡°Is this the one Sarette carries?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an elementalist¡¯s weapon.¡± She grasped the staff-spear in a fighting pose and closed her eyes, seemingly waiting for something. Her knuckles went white as she tightened her grip. Finally, a weak flame lined the edges of the blade. She gazed down at what she¡¯d done, a look of regret passing over her face. ¡°It¡¯s meant for infusing elemental strikes. It¡¯s similar to a Mage Knight¡¯s sword, but if it¡¯s made of fortisteel, like this one, it only makes elemental infusion easier, not other temporary enchantments. Some of the knights had spears like these made of mirrorsteel, but we only took our swords into stasis. I¡¯m not sure where the spears are now.¡± ¡°These were the only enchanted staff-spears we found,¡± Ellerie mentioned. Ariadne nodded and sighed. The flames disappeared, and she laid the weapon back down. ¡°Elder magic is difficult for me. I usually don¡¯t bother with it.¡± Marco was scribbling furiously. ¡°Elemental ¡­ infusion? Is that the word?¡± She eyed him with distrust. ¡°What does it matter to you?¡± ¡°I have to keep records of everything we plan to sell,¡± Marco said. ¡°The company needs to know that we¡¯re getting a good price.¡± Ariadne clenched her fists. Before she could speak, Corec said, ¡°Sarette wants to keep that one.¡± The Chosar woman relaxed. ¡°Sarette spars like an elementalist. She would be a fitting bearer.¡± Marco rolled his eyes and continued writing. Hoping to head off an argument, Corec moved the spears out of the way and Ellerie set out the last item they¡¯d found in the warded armory room, a shirt made of very fine metal links, no thicker than cloth. ¡°Spellmail,¡± Ariadne said without hesitation. ¡°What is spellmail?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Armor for a wizard. The metal won¡¯t block spellcasting.¡± ¡°It actually works as armor?¡± Corec asked. The shirt was so flimsy, he¡¯d expected it to be ceremonial. ¡°Why else would they have made it?¡± Ariadne said. Ellerie gave the chain shirt a thoughtful glance before moving it aside. ¡°That¡¯s the last of what we found in the armory. The rest of these things came from the Enchantment Repository.¡± The objects from that room had been grouped together in four different glass cases. Corec laid out the items from the one he thought of as the jewelry case¡ªthree rings, a golden circlet, and a pair of silver cuff bracelets. Ariadne shook her head, apparently not recognizing anything. ¡°What about these?¡± Ellerie asked, showing her four gemstones cut into spheres. Ariadne picked up the red one. Holding it in her palm, she tapped it three times with her finger. A red light began emanating from it. ¡°Permanent mage lights,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why they¡¯re different colors.¡± She tapped it twice and the light faded. Marco said, ¡°I think that¡¯s a real ruby, though I¡¯ve never seen one cut perfectly round before. Gemstones that make light ¡­ we might do better to sell them as a matched set rather than individually.¡± Ariadne glared at him. Corec cleared his throat and when Marco glanced his way, he gave a quick shake of his head. The factor grunted but stopped talking, seeming to understand the message. The Chosar woman didn¡¯t recognize the next item, a pair of spectacles with yellow lenses, but when Corec unpacked a brass lamp, she frowned thoughtfully, then tapped it three times. Nothing happened, and she shook her head. ¡°I thought it might have been a different kind of mage light, but if so, the creator used a different activation sequence.¡± The only remaining items from the repository were small figurines¡ªfour tiny freight wagons, two wooden bridges, three catapults, a cart-mounted ballista, and two siege towers. They looked like toys, but were far more detailed than any children¡¯s toy Corec had ever seen. ¡°Are these all that were left of them?¡± Ariadne said, almost to herself. ¡°You know what they are?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Miniaturized war equipment. I thought they were all lost¡ªthe Transport and Logistics depot was in the eastern half of the city, beyond where the cave-in started. These must have been moved to the repository after the war ended.¡± It took Corec a moment to realize what she meant. ¡°You¡¯re saying these are real?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re meant for rapid deployment, when the High Guard needs to move faster than the normal transports will allow.¡± She reached for a wagon but stopped herself. ¡°There isn¡¯t enough room in here, but they expand to normal size.¡± ¡°That would be ¡­¡± Corec started, then paused as he considered the ramifications. If an army didn¡¯t have to wait for siege equipment to arrive, it would change the face of war. Siege engineers could ride along with the cavalry or the advance scouts, their equipment stowed away in saddlebags. ¡°There should be more than this,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°The rest must not have been transferred to the repository. Or perhaps it was lost during the fighting.¡± ¡°I¡¯d really like to learn about the war,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°If you¡¯d be willing to tell me.¡± Ariadne stared out the window, silent. Finally, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve really never heard of the Third Demon War?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. Even the oldest records don¡¯t mention any wars with demons.¡± ¡°Entire Tirs were razed to the ground. Hundreds of thousands of people died. My brother ¡­¡± Ariadne turned away from the window to face Ellerie. ¡°How could you have lost it all? People should know what happened.¡± ¡°You can help me tell them.¡± The Chosar woman nodded curtly. ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ellerie waited a moment, then said, ¡°The figurines were the last of what we found, except for a statue that looked like a person. It was warded and too large to move, so we left it there.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t make statues of people,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Do you mean the tunneling golems? There should have been four. No, wait, some are in the western passage finishing off the underground route to the Darkstone¡ªSkotinos¡ªMountains.¡± ¡°Golems?¡± ¡°Clay or stone creatures brought to life to serve a purpose.¡± ¡°It was alive?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Not true life, just a magical semblance of it. When they¡¯re not being used, they return to their natural state.¡± ¡°When you say tunneling ¡­¡± Ellerie prompted. ¡°They dig out underground tunnels and caverns. They have a gift for moving stone.¡± ¡°Is Skotinos a Chosar word? The mountains still go by that name.¡± Ariadne nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you call them that, but the necklace translated the word before I could stop it.¡± Ellerie glanced at Marco. ¡°Do you have what you need?¡± He frowned down at his notes. ¡°It¡¯s not much. And what about that staff Shavala¡¯s been carrying around?¡± Marco had only learned the staff was enchanted after Shavala had used it to grow the small grove of trees back at the ruins. When he¡¯d tried to get her to hand it over, she¡¯d informed him, brusquely, that the staff belonged to the elven people and that she was going to return it to them. Ariadne shrugged. ¡°The vasta druids have their own magic. They¡¯re the ones who grow the tershaya. I don¡¯t know why they would have left something in the Enchantment Repository.¡± The factor scowled at his notes, apparently not happy with the answer. ¡°And what about those two swords? The ones that belonged to ¡­ what was the name? Argyros?¡± ¡°The king¡¯s weapons belong to Ariadne¡¯s people, Marco,¡± Corec said. He¡¯d offered those to Ariadne without clearing it with the others first, but he wasn¡¯t going to back down. ¡°They¡¯re not enchanted anyway.¡± ¡°The fancy one¡¯s still worth something. And what about the hammer you took? That belonged to him too, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can carry the hammer,¡± Corec said. ¡°If it changes its mind, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± # The wood grain running along the bar top must have been particularly interesting¡ªor, at least, Razai couldn¡¯t figure out any other reason why she¡¯d been staring at it so intently for the past ten minutes. Finally, she shook her head and looked around the nearly empty room. Bleary-eyed, she poked Josip¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey,¡± she said, ¡°we should go back.¡± He was slumped face down on the counter, not moving. His only response was a light snore. The village inn in Livadi didn¡¯t serve hard liquor, so the two of them had gone to a tavern after supper. Razai figured she was probably strong enough to carry him back, but she didn¡¯t want to try it while she was drunk. She would send Boktar for him instead. She slipped off her stool and steadied herself, then walked slowly and deliberately to the door. The bartender called out after her, but she ignored him. She¡¯d been paying for the drinks as they came, so whatever he was saying couldn¡¯t have been all that important. Careful, the whispers said, but she ignored them too. Walking was taking all of her concentration. Outside, she stopped and peered up and down the street. The dark didn¡¯t bother her, but it took her a moment to remember where the inn was. Luckily, there was only one real street in Livadi, and she could see the building from where she stood. Stolen novel; please report. As she started out, though, figures appeared around her. Human men scowling and smirking. Some carried cudgels. The closest one said something, but Razai didn¡¯t speak much Nysan. She only understood one word. Demonborn. Her features wouldn¡¯t have been obvious to them in the dark, so they must have seen her earlier and been lying in wait. Razai muttered to herself. She¡¯d really had grown soft traveling with a heavily armed group all the time. It had been months since anyone had harassed her for her parentage. Being surrounded by a mob of angry villagers brought back bad memories. Memories of her mother screaming as the villagers beat her. Memories of the villagers screaming as her father passed through the barrier between worlds and slaughtered them all. He¡¯d had to shift into human form to calm her down¡ªshe¡¯d been convinced the massive beast was going to kill her as well. He¡¯d taken her hellside after that. The hells were a lousy place for a child to grow up, and Vatarxis was a lousy choice for a father, but he¡¯d still done more for her than the rest of her family had. It had been her uncle who¡¯d led the mob, murdering his own sister for refusing to abandon her demonborn child. When Razai had returned to the mortal world as an adult, her first act had been to hunt down and kill her grandparents and her other uncle. They were the ones who¡¯d turned her and her mother out of their home in the first place. She¡¯d slit their throats while they slept, not even bothering to let them know why they were dying¡ªthey simply weren¡¯t worth the effort. Her only regret was that Vatarxis had already killed the man who¡¯d killed her mother. The Razai from those days wouldn¡¯t have allowed herself to be surrounded, but that had been over a hundred years ago. She¡¯d lost her edge. Her heavy, curved knives hung comfortingly from her belt, and the prospect of a fight had washed away some of the drunken haze. But should she respond with fist or with blade? That would depend on whether the men were just trying to look big in front of their friends, or if they actually wanted to hurt her. Should she try to scare them away with her demon disguise? She wasn¡¯t sure she could muster the control for that in her current state. Then Corec¡¯s voice cut through the darkness. ¡°Gentlemen, hello! What can we do for you?¡± The villagers couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying, but light from the lanterns hanging outside the tavern flickered off his mail, and his sword hilt was visible above his shoulder. The mob backed away, some ducking their heads, other simply slipping away between buildings. Soon Razai and Corec were alone in the street. Hells of my fathers, Razai thought to herself. Now he¡¯s going to think he saved me. ¡°I could have handled them,¡± she muttered. ¡°I know,¡± Corec said, ¡°but how many of them would have lived through it?¡± She glared at him. ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t deserve to live.¡± ¡°Maybe not, but it¡¯ll be hard to buy supplies tomorrow if the whole town turns against us.¡± Razai growled quietly in the back of her throat, but let it go. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± ¡°I was looking for you, actually. Boktar said you¡¯d gone drinking, so I thought I¡¯d join you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done for the night, but you can go drink with Josip. He¡¯s still in there¡ªhe passed out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back for him in a bit. I want to talk to you first.¡± ¡°So talk,¡± Razai said, starting back toward the inn. Corec kept pace with her. ¡°You said you spent time in Telfort spying on Prince Rusol.¡± ¡°I said ¡­¡± The whiskey was making it difficult to remember exactly what she¡¯d told Corec. That was the problem with lying. ¡°Did I?¡± ¡°You said you never saw him, but if he¡¯s a warden, he¡¯s the real reason you were there, wasn¡¯t he? You were spying on him, just like you were spying on me.¡± She sighed. ¡°Yes. So what?¡± ¡°Would you do it again?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I need to know what he¡¯s planning,¡± Corec said. ¡°I can¡¯t go there myself, but you can disguise yourself as other people. You could get in and out and no one would ever know.¡± ¡°Once we get back to Tyrsall, I¡¯m done with you. I¡¯m heading to Deece or Chondor¡ªsomewhere warm¡ªbefore winter comes.¡± Between her wages and her eighth of a share, she¡¯d have enough to live in comfort for a year or more. ¡°I¡¯ll hire you. Whatever you¡¯re making now. Four silver a day, right?¡± It was good pay, and would make her savings last even longer, but was it enough to put up with Corec? Telfort wasn¡¯t as bad as some places in the winter, but it certainly couldn¡¯t compare to the beaches in Chondor or an island villa off the coast of Deece. ¡°Five,¡± she found herself saying. ¡°Ellerie told me it was four.¡± ¡°No, I mean I¡¯ll do it for five. Plus food and lodging.¡± ¡°I can agree to that,¡± Corec said. That had been too easy. She should have held out for more. ¡°And you start paying as soon as we get back to Tyrsall and the shares are paid out. I¡¯ll get my horse and go. I¡¯m not waiting for you and your wagons to get to the free lands.¡± ¡°That makes sense, though I hope we¡¯ll only need one wagon by then.¡± They¡¯d reached the inn, but stopped outside the entrance. ¡°There¡¯s something else to consider,¡± Corec said. ¡°Going to Larso alone could be dangerous. I¡¯d like to have a way to know where you are.¡± It took Razai a moment to realize what he meant. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be joking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. Hildra said we should be able to renew the bond if we wanted to. What if something happens and I need to send Leena to look for you? Her Seeking range is short; I¡¯d have to be able to send her to the right area first. Plus, I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going to end up myself, so once you¡¯re done in Telfort, it¡¯ll be easier for you to find me.¡± ¡°After how long it took to get rid of it the first time? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°But now we know how to end it,¡± Corec said. ¡°As soon as you¡¯re finished in Larso, I can get rid of it again.¡± Allowing Corec to reconnect the bond would give Vatarxis what he wanted¡ªbut would he even know? Razai hadn¡¯t spoken to him since she¡¯d first been bonded, and that had been over half a year ago. She hadn¡¯t noticed much of a difference in herself since ending the bond. Her magic hadn¡¯t gotten any weaker, though it had stopped growing. But it had always come in fits and starts, so it was hard to say what had caused it. ¡°Six silver a day,¡± she said. ¡°And a bonus of five gold if I¡¯m actually successful.¡± Corec coughed. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point. Do you have it or not?¡± ¡°No, but the others have agreed to share the cost. I can give you some in advance once the shares are paid out.¡± ¡°Then we have a deal,¡± Razai said. Corec nodded, then laid a hand on her shoulder. She tensed¡ªshe didn¡¯t like being touched¡ªbut it was over quickly. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d better go get Josip.¡± Despite his words, he waited until Razai was safely inside the building before leaving. As if she needed his protection from a few villagers. She slammed the door behind her. Out of habit¡ªa habit she¡¯d thought she¡¯d finally gotten over¡ªshe checked Corec¡¯s location in her mind. It came back immediately, the sensation annoyingly familiar. She sighed. Once the whiskey wore off, she knew she was going to regret her decision. # Ariadne shifted unsteadily in her saddle. The horse Josip had purchased for her in Livadi was good natured, but Ariadne had only had limited experience riding. And things had changed. The saddle was broader and longer than those she was familiar with¡ªa Chosar saddle was a tighter fit, with high slopes in front of and behind the rider. This new, larger saddle provided less support, so she had to concentrate more on keeping her body straight. The horse could still feel her movement, but the commands to guide the creature were more subtle than she was accustomed to, coming more from her legs than from her hips. The group had left the village that morning, heading west. Ariadne had spent the first part of the day practicing trade tongue with Treya and Sarette, but after the midday meal, she urged the gelding closer to the rear of the procession, where Corec was watching over the five prisoners they¡¯d captured after the battle. Three of the men were driving the wagons while the other two walked nearby. The other wagons and mules had been left behind in the village, since there was no longer any need to carry hay for the animals. Now that Ariadne was away from the barren land surrounding Tir Yadar, an unease she hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d been feeling had gradually faded. Here, in the grasslands, she could pretend Van Kir was still as it once was. There was a sense of familiarity, even if she¡¯d never been to this spot before. She drew even with Corec and nodded to him. He nodded back but didn¡¯t say anything, waiting to see if she wanted to talk. ¡°What if they escape?¡± she asked, indicating the prisoners. Now that they were out of the barrens, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything stopping the men from running. Ariadne didn¡¯t have any particular interest in the prisoners, but she was tired of never knowing what was going on. ¡°We¡¯ll stay at inns when we can,¡± Corec said. ¡°Ellerie can cast mage locks on the doors. When we camp out, she can cast an alarm ward, but if they really want to get away, they can probably manage it. We¡¯ve been keeping a close eye on the wagons at night to make sure they don¡¯t steal anything.¡± ¡°Should I help keep watch at night?¡± she asked. She¡¯d started to feel guilty about not contributing. ¡°If you¡¯d like,¡± he said easily. ¡°I can add you to the rotation.¡± They rode in silence for another half mile. Ariadne had just started to feel like she should try to come up with something to say when he spoke again. ¡°What were the wardens like in your day?¡± he asked. She considered how to answer. ¡°They were advisors to the king, and guardians of The People.¡± Ariadne couldn¡¯t bring herself to repeat the whispered rumors that the wardens weren¡¯t doing enough to aid the war efforts. All her life, she¡¯d been taught to respect the wardens, and it seemed wrong to say anything bad about them to someone who wouldn¡¯t understand the context. ¡°Who were they?¡± Corec asked. ¡°What did they do?¡± ¡°Pallis is the First Warden,¡± she started. ¡°He¡¯s a battle wizard. Was a battle wizard.¡± These humans didn¡¯t always understand simple concepts, so she added, ¡°That¡¯s something like a war mage or a Mage Knight, but they don¡¯t burn their spells into their minds, so they have to avoid armor.¡± ¡°We still have battle wizards,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ve met one before. Pallis is an unusual name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old name,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s the oldest of the wardens. He fought in the Second Demon War.¡± With Corec already questioning one name, Ariadne didn¡¯t want to mention the others. She skipped ahead. ¡°Hera is the newest. She was the leader of the Mage Knights. I inherited my blade and panoply from her when she became a warden.¡± ¡°You knew her, then?¡± ¡°Not well. She sometimes checked in on the trainees, but she was too busy fighting in the war to spend much time with us. I only spoke to her a few times.¡± ¡°They all lived in Tir Yadar?¡± ¡°No, but once the war began, they spent most of their time there.¡± ¡°The wardens I¡¯ve spoken to seem almost scared of the other wardens,¡± Corec said. ¡°They¡¯re willing to talk to me, but they¡¯re worried they¡¯ll end up at odds if they interact too much. They avoid each other so they don¡¯t start a war, and they hide who they are from everyone else.¡± Ariadne shook her head at the thought. How could the new wardens be so different from what she¡¯d known? There was no point in asking, though, so she changed the subject. Something had been puzzling her, and as a warden, Corec might know the answer. ¡°Do you know about the four sources of magic?¡± she asked him. ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°Elder, arcane, totemic, and demonic. But Treya talked about divine magic.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of totemic magic, but you call the old gods totems, right? It must be a different word for divine magic.¡± ¡°But if the ritual failed, then people can¡¯t use totemic magic. Only the totems can.¡± ¡°Supposedly, the gods grant blessings of divine magic. If a priest receives a blessing of healing, he can use healing magic.¡± Ariadne frowned. ¡°The human shamans always claimed their gods gave them magic, but it was never anything more than smoke and tricks, or a wizard pretending.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen divine magic,¡± Corec said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen Treya use healing magic, haven¡¯t you? She¡¯s not a wizard.¡± ¡°So you think the gods are real?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but the priests say they are. And where else would the godborn come from?¡± ¡°The what?¡± The necklace didn¡¯t provide a translation, so the word must not have had a match in the Chosar language. ¡°Godborn. They¡¯re descended from the gods¡ªthe new gods¡ªin the same way demonborn are descended from demons.¡± Hearing it a second time, in context, allowed Ariadne to match the word to its parts. ¡°Godborn? The gods have children? They¡¯re people, then, not gods! And demonborn ¡­¡± Another missing piece fell into place. ¡°Razai! You let a demon travel with you? Why? They¡¯re killers!¡± ¡°Demonborn aren¡¯t demons,¡± Corec said. ¡°Whoever their ancestors were, demonborn are just people like any other. They work, they have families. Razai was hired to do a job, and she does it well.¡± Ariadne realized she was grasping the hilt of her sword. Demons had killed her brother, and one was being allowed to walk free right here. She¡¯d had suspicions about Razai all along, and this proved it. But she hesitated; Corec and his friends were the only people she knew, and they wouldn¡¯t allow her to harm one of their own. She let go of the hilt. Razai wasn¡¯t one of the creatures who¡¯d attacked Tir Nok. Everything was different now¡ªthe world had changed and left Ariadne behind. The Chosar were gone, but the last remnants of their kingdom lived on in the wardens. If she betrayed a warden, what would that leave for her? A memory surfaced. ¡°There were rumors near the end of the war that the demons had learned how to take on Chosar form to sneak into our cities,¡± she said. ¡°Could they have ¡­ did they father children? That¡¯s disgusting! What woman would allow it?¡± Every demon that crossed the barrier between worlds was male, at least so far as it was possible to measure such things. Ariadne wasn¡¯t sure if female demons even existed. ¡°They might not have known,¡± Corec said. ¡°The stories about it are that they trick women into bearing their children. I don¡¯t know if it still happens¡ªthe stories are all from a long time ago.¡± ¡°And gods do the same thing?¡± ¡°I guess they must. Or at least they did at one point.¡± ¡°If the new gods can have children ¡­ if they¡¯re people ¡­¡± Ariadne hesitated, afraid to ask her next question. ¡°Treya said there are only seven of them?¡± ¡°There are supposedly seven who are still alive,¡± Corec said. ¡°There¡¯s also The Dead God. He doesn¡¯t have any priests or temples, and I¡¯ve never heard his name. The other priests say he watches over the dead.¡± ¡°Eight,¡± Ariadne said flatly, wishing she could pretend she hadn¡¯t heard. ¡°There were eight of them. His name is Zachal.¡± The wardens had betrayed The People. Whatever the ritual had been, it wasn¡¯t what they¡¯d claimed. They¡¯d taken the power for themselves, and somehow destroyed The People in the process. The one called The Lady must be Hera. Why didn¡¯t she use her name? Shame for what she¡¯d done? ¡°So you do know of them, then?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I knew them,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°I thought I did.¡± She continued the ride in silence, tears blurring her vision. Book 4: Chapter Eight With the wagons slowing their progress, it took three weeks to reach the nearest pass through the Skotinos Mountains. The peaks Ellerie had matched against her amulet to identify Tir a Tir weren¡¯t visible from this side, but now that she was closer, it was obvious why Ariadne had referred to the range as the Darkstone Mountains. While they weren¡¯t as tall as the Storm Heights, they seemed starker and more forbidding, with vast cliffs and unusual domes and outcroppings where softer stone had weathered away, leaving only a dark gray granite. There was a checkpoint with armed stoneborn guards near the entrance to the pass. Ellerie waited while Boktar spoke to them. Finally he returned to the group. ¡°It¡¯s twenty silver per wagon if we¡¯re part of a trading caravan, or ten if we can prove we¡¯re not. Since we¡¯re working for a trading company and carrying goods we plan to sell, I didn¡¯t try to convince them. Marco, you owe me sixty silver. They said there¡¯ll be someone here tomorrow who can lead us through the mountains. It¡¯ll take about eight days to reach the far side, following the route that¡¯ll take us closest to Aencyr. We¡¯re allowed to camp here for tonight if we pull off the main road.¡± Eight days to get through the mountains meant they were less than two weeks away from Aencyr, and Ellerie still hadn¡¯t managed to get the shaping spells to work. While she¡¯d memorized both spells, she couldn¡¯t get the mixing spell to combine the components, even after four attempts. She needed more time, and if they were stopping early for the day, she might as well give it another try now. An hour later, after the camp was set up, she was perched on a fallen log near her tent while Bobo peered over her shoulder. She held a wooden bowl on her lap. The bowl was filled with a gray sludge. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is right,¡± she said. ¡°The mixing spell worked fine, but this doesn¡¯t match the description.¡± The resulting mixture should have had a smooth, silvery sheen. ¡°We may not have translated the description correctly,¡± Bobo said. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to know for sure.¡± Ellerie nodded and began casting the shaping spell, trying to picture a bracelet. The book hadn¡¯t provided any advice on how one actually went about controlling the shaping¡ªit seemed to expect that the reader already knew. Was a mould needed, or did the wizard control the shaping with her mind? Ariadne hadn¡¯t known either. As Ellerie finished the spell, a form extruded from the center of the mixture. It was roughly circular in shape, but was hardly the elegant band she¡¯d envisioned. She reached for it tentatively. It was solid and cool to the touch, but her fingers left indentations. When she picked it up to take a closer look, it crumbled in her hand. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not silversteel,¡± she said. ¡°At least now we know the spells are working, but the formula must still be wrong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what else to change,¡± Bobo said. ¡°We have all the components, and Ariadne double-checked our measurements.¡± Ellerie thought back to what she¡¯d seen as each component had liquefied and mixed together. ¡°It seemed like the iron, the nickel, and the manganese combined more easily than the rest,¡± she said. ¡°I think I either used too much carbon this time, or the chromium or silver weren¡¯t pure enough. But if it¡¯s the chromium, I don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll find another source.¡± She¡¯d never even heard of chromium before Bobo and Ariadne had helped her translate the formula, but the Senshall office in Aencyr had managed to help Leena obtain some. ¡°Let¡¯s try adjusting the silver content again. Sterling silver may not be pure enough. I¡¯ll have Leena ask the Senshall office to find the purest silver they can. Let¡¯s hope that takes care of the problem. I¡¯d like to have this figured out before we speak to Hildra.¡± # It had been mid-spring when the group had left Aencyr. It was late summer by the time they returned. It was the first time Corec had ever been relieved to see a large city¡ªthey¡¯d been away from civilization for a long time. After the group secured rooms at an inn, his first step was to deliver the five prisoners to the headquarters of the Bancyran Civil Guard. Marco went with him to translate, and Katrin accompanied them to help keep the prisoners in line. One of the mercenaries, hoping to get lost in the crowded city, made a break for it, but Katrin shouted out to him and ordered him to get back in line. It didn¡¯t matter that he didn¡¯t speak the same language¡ªwith bardic magic, it was the intent that counted. The prisoner¡¯s body obeyed, returning to the group, while his head darted around wildly in panic. The other four men remained cowed, unwilling to risk facing any sort of magic. They¡¯d seen too many of their compatriots killed during the battle. At the Civil Guard building, Marco spoke to three guardsmen before being directed to a man with a captain¡¯s rank insignia. After a long conversation, the factor turned back to Corec. ¡°He¡¯s willing to take them, but if they were acting in service as mercenaries, he¡¯s not sure the magistrate will consider it a crime.¡± ¡°Tell him they were acting as assassins, taking money to murder an innocent woman,¡± Corec said. When Marco translated that to Nysan, the guard captain¡¯s eyes grew wide, as did the prisoners¡¯. They shouted objections until Katrin ordered them to be quiet. Apparently they¡¯d expected a light punishment. Marco and the guardsman spoke again, almost arguing at times. Then the man talked to each of the prisoners one by one before turning to Marco again. Marco said, ¡°The captain wants us to return their arms and armor, and any coin they had when they were captured. Since they didn¡¯t actually succeed in killing Leena, the magistrate will likely allow them to pay a penalty fee to avoid prison. If we give them their things back, they may be able to afford to pay it themselves.¡± ¡°No,¡± Corec replied. ¡°They¡¯re enemy combatants under the code of military law, and their belongings are battlefield salvage. What we took was ours by right.¡± He hadn¡¯t kept the men¡¯s weapons or armor anyway. Marco hesitated. ¡°Code of military ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Northern Aravor Covenant of Military Action, signed by Larso, Matagor, Tyrsall, Circle Bay, and Abildgard four hundred seventy-seven years ago. Just tell him the battlefield salvage part¡ªBancyra will have a similar law.¡± Marco passed along the message. The captain appeared unhappy, but finally accepted custody of the men. Leaving the Civil Guard building, Marco said, ¡°I think he was planning on keeping the coin for himself.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Corec agreed. ¡°Which means he can be bribed if our prisoners know anyone in Aencyr. But they¡¯re from the east¡ªthey may be stuck here for a long time if they can¡¯t come up with a bribe or a penalty fee. That¡¯s justice of sorts, I suppose. At least it¡¯s better than nothing, and maybe they¡¯ll think more carefully before they take their next contract.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to come back tomorrow morning, with Leena, to give evidence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The three of them returned to the inn and gathered up a few bundles, then headed to the Senshall office. Corec and Katrin waited while Marco spoke to the desk clerk and handed over a sealed letter. When he rejoined them, he said, ¡°They¡¯ll send a messenger to deliver your letter to Lady Hildra this evening.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Corec replied. ¡°And the armorer?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t able to give me a specific name, but he said their shops are all in the same area, over on the east side of the market.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll need you to translate for me.¡± The Senshall office was near the company¡¯s warehouses at the northern river port, so it was less than a mile to reach the market district, where they found streets lined with shops, surrounding an open-air bazaar full of vendors hawking early harvests. The press of people in the hot sun was almost overwhelming, and the tall conical hats everyone wore made it difficult to navigate. ¡°I should have let you take this,¡± Katrin muttered, referring to the padded overcoat she held folded up in her arms¡ªthe one she¡¯d purchased in Snow Crown. The stitching on the left side had gotten caught on a bramble while they were in the swamp. Over time, it had unraveled, and the padded inner lining had shifted around. Corec laughed. He was already carrying a heavy canvas bag slung over his shoulder. ¡°It could be worse,¡± he said. ¡°You could be wearing it.¡± She frowned. ¡°Do you think the armorer will have something that isn¡¯t so hot and heavy? This was designed to be worn farther north.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be trading protection for convenience,¡± Corec said. ¡°Padded armor is always hot.¡± Katrin had kept the coat close at hand while they traveled, but she refused to wear it in the heat. Even Corec had left his plate armor in the wagons until they¡¯d reached the mountains. The grasslands had offered enough visibility to see potential threats coming. ¡°You could try wearing whatever this is, once we get it put back together.¡± He shook the bag he was carrying, which was full of thin silversteel plates of various shapes and sizes. They¡¯d obviously once been attached to some sort of armor. ¡°But it¡¯s metal,¡± she said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to use my magic.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better to have the protection in case you need it. Then, when it¡¯s safe enough, you can take it off or switch to the padded coat.¡± Katrin smirked. ¡°When is it ever safe enough to do that in the middle of a battle? Of course, if we¡¯d just stop getting into fights ¡­¡± Corec laughed again. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Once we find a place to settle down, you won¡¯t need to bother with it most of the time.¡± They made it through the crowded bazaar and found the row of smiths and armorers two streets to the east. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which would be best,¡± Marco said, as the three of them looked down the line of storefronts. ¡°The second one on the left has padded overcoats and doublets,¡± Corec said. ¡°That¡¯s the one we want. We don¡¯t need an armor smith.¡± They went inside and Marco spoke to the shopkeeper, a slender, bookish man who looked out of place on a street full of blacksmiths. It didn¡¯t take long to explain the repairs they wanted on Katrin¡¯s coat. Then they moved on to Corec¡¯s request. He emptied the bag of metal plates onto a worktable. ¡°Tell him this is armor plating, but we¡¯re not sure what sort of armor it was attached to,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t see any rivets or hooks for brigandine or an old-style coat of plates, but they might have been used as internal lining without rivets.¡± Marco repeated the message. The armorer picked up one of the plates, a rounded piece obviously designed to cover part of the arm, then spoke. ¡°He thinks the metal¡¯s too thin to be armor,¡± Marco said. ¡°Tell him it¡¯s tougher than it looks.¡± The plates were thinner than the full cuirasses they¡¯d found in the armory, but silversteel was strong enough that even the thin plates might offer as much protection as a normal steel breastplate. The shopkeeper nodded and started organizing the mess, laying out the plates in the shape of the armor. Corec had attempted that a few times himself, but there always seemed to be extra pieces. When he¡¯d been gathering up the plates in the armory, it hadn¡¯t always been clear where the remains of one suit of armor ended and the next began. The armorer continued his work, setting some pieces aside, out of his way, but using others to assemble a second suit of armor. The new one appeared different, though¡ªthe plates were of different shapes and sizes. He spoke again. Marco said, ¡°He says it¡¯s something like a jack of plates¡ªdid I translate that right?¡ªbut instead of overlapping plates, it has two separate layers. They¡¯re arranged so that the top layer covers all the gaps in the bottom layer.¡± Corec nodded. That was better than he¡¯d hoped. And while a normal jack only covered the torso, the pattern the man was laying out was more in the style of a coat, providing cover for the arms and the upper legs. ¡°Can he reassemble it? Tell him we have more, and ask if he can put together a couple of them while we¡¯re still in Aencyr.¡± The two men spoke, then Marco turned back to Corec. ¡°Do you want wool or linen? And do you want any layers of padding?¡± ¡°No padding this time. Let¡¯s try one in wool, like a coat, and one in linen, with just the upper body, like a shirt or a tunic.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°You only want to use part of the set on the second one?¡± Marco asked. ¡°Lightweight armor for a scout or skirmisher. We¡¯ll still have the other pieces if we don¡¯t like how it turns out. If the armor works, I¡¯ll want to buy some of these plates as part of my share.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already claimed half the equipment from the armory. It¡¯s not going to be cheap.¡± ¡°I know.¡± # Hildra wasn¡¯t quite what Ellerie had expected. Instead of Yelena¡¯s elegant dresses, the stoneborn warden was wearing a blacksmith¡¯s apron over her work clothes when they arrived. She was pumping the bellows at an outdoor forge attached to her workshop, but joined them inside after a servant showed them in. Her dark hair was pulled back in a severe braid to keep it out of the way, and there was a smudge of soot on her left cheek. ¡°Your messenger wasn¡¯t a surprise,¡± Hildra said to Corec in greeting, glancing at the hilt visible over his shoulder. ¡°I felt the sword heading this way a few days ago. Among other things.¡± ¡°Thank you for seeing us, Hildra. We have some news, but first I¡¯d like to introduce you to Lady Ellerie di¡¯Valla, of the royal family of Terevas. She¡¯s the leader of the expedition I told you about. Exalted, this is Lady Hildra.¡± Corec had suggested using Ellerie¡¯s formal terms of address for the introductions, to make sure she was taken seriously. Hildra looked her over, her eyes stopping at Ellerie¡¯s pointed ears and silver hair. ¡°Just Hildra, if you please,¡± the woman said. ¡°I don¡¯t have an official title.¡± She might not have claimed a title, but her tone made it clear she was addressing Ellerie as an equal. ¡°You can call me Ellerie. I hope this isn¡¯t an inconvenient time.¡± Hildra glanced back at her forge. ¡°It¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t wait. Terevas¡ªthat¡¯s in western Aravor, yes? The home of the silver elves?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The message said you had need for someone with my expertise. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°We were successful,¡± Corec said. ¡°We found Tir Yadar. We¡¯ve learned a lot¡ªI¡¯m not even sure where to start¡ªbut we could use your advice on a few matters.¡± ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s sit down.¡± They found a few chairs scattered around the workshop. Corec moved them closer together while Hildra rang a bell and requested tea from the maid who answered the summons. ¡°Now,¡± Hildra said, rejoining them and taking a seat, ¡°what is it you wanted to talk about?¡± Ellerie was supposed to handle this part of the conversation, but, like Corec, she wasn¡¯t sure where to start. ¡°We found Tir Yadar, like he said,¡± she began. ¡°The city had been abandoned and mostly emptied, but we found some things that we need to have appraised. Weapons and armor, as well as some other enchanted items. We don¡¯t know what they all do. Corec thought you might be able to help with that, too.¡± Hildra sat back in her chair, looking thoughtful. ¡°A lot of people have gone searching for Tir Yadar. Are you certain? It¡¯s not the only lost Tir.¡± ¡°We¡¯re certain,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We met ¡­¡± She hesitated, biting her lip. Ariadne¡¯s existence seemed too outlandish to try to explain. ¡°We met one of the residents,¡± Corec said, taking up the story. ¡°A Chosar woman. I found her locked in some sort of magical sleep. She doesn¡¯t know what happened after she went to sleep, but she confirmed it was Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°Sleeping for thousands of years?¡± Hildra¡¯s voice was skeptical. ¡°Could she be lying?¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve talked to her enough to know she¡¯s telling the truth. That¡¯s something else we wanted to ask you about¡ªdo you know anything more about the Chosar that you could tell us? She¡¯s desperate to find out what happened to her people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Hildra said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a few books over the years, but it¡¯s not a topic I¡¯ve studied. What¡¯s she like?¡± ¡°She reminds me of a tall seaborn, but she insists her people couldn¡¯t breathe underwater.¡± Hildra nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try to piece together what I can remember about the Chosar, but it¡¯s been a very long time, and I didn¡¯t know much about them to begin with. As for the rest ¡­¡± She faced Ellerie. ¡°Are you aware of my price?¡± ¡°Corec said you¡¯ll want to study the enchantments.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m willing to appraise or investigate any enchanted items you discovered as long as you give me time to examine them for my own purposes. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll be successful in determining what they do, though.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ellerie had returned to studying the lore spell she¡¯d purchased in Tyrsall. It was the most complicated spell she¡¯d ever tried to learn, but she thought she was getting closer. If she could master it, she might be able to figure out anything Hildra couldn¡¯t. ¡°There¡¯s one other thing. Have you heard of shaping magic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the term,¡± Hildra said. ¡°The Chosar had ways to shape stone and metal with magic, and they could create new metals that don¡¯t rust or corrode,¡± Ellerie said. She nodded to Corec, who held out the chain mesh of the mail shirt he was wearing. ¡°Is that silversteel?¡± Hildra asked. Ellerie exchanged glances with Corec. ¡°You¡¯ve heard of it?¡± she asked. ¡°You can find pieces here and there around Bancyra,¡± Hildra said. ¡°Especially in the stoneborn cities in the Skotinos Mountains. Are you saying your Chosar friend knows how to create silversteel?¡± There was a hint of excitement in her voice. ¡°Not her, but I found a spell book with instructions.¡± Ellerie slipped a dagger out of her pocket and handed it to Hildra. It was slightly crooked and the blade wasn¡¯t sharp enough to be used as a weapon, but it was at least recognizable as silversteel. ¡°I¡¯ve figured out the spells, and one of the formulas, but I¡¯m still learning how to do the shaping. Once I¡¯ve set the form, there isn¡¯t a way to change it.¡± Hildra turned the dagger over in her hands. ¡°You made this?¡± ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s another shaped metal that¡¯s better for weapons, plus details on how to shape stone. What I need to do now is figure out how much the information is worth, and how to go about selling it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d need to know what goes into the process, and how much effort it takes,¡± Hildra said. Ellerie had to decide how much to trust her. If she told Hildra everything, the stoneborn woman might be able to use the information herself. Perhaps she could share the formulas while still keeping the spells a secret. ¡°I can share some of the details with you.¡± # Corec returned to Hildra¡¯s manor the next afternoon with Boktar and the enchanted items the group had found. Two of Hildra¡¯s servants helped them unload the packages from the carriage and carry them to her workshop, where they found her deep in discussion with Ellerie. The elven woman had gone early to speak to her about Tir Yadar and the shaping magic. ¡°You must be from Stone Home?¡± Hildra asked Boktar after Corec had introduced him. ¡°Or Sanvar?¡± ¡°Stone Home originally, but I move around a lot.¡± She nodded. ¡°My son visited Stone Home once. It¡¯s got quite the history. Your people left Cordaea over three thousand years ago.¡± Boktar cocked his head to the side. ¡°I knew we came to Stone Home later, but I didn¡¯t realize we were from Cordaea.¡± ¡°All stoneborn are. The earliest references to our people are all from the Skotinos Mountains. We spread out from there.¡± Hildra turned her attention to the items Corec was laying out on the nearest table. ¡°Now, what do we have here?¡± she asked. ¡°I thought we¡¯d start with the weapons,¡± he said. Hildra¡¯s eyes went completely black as she cast her arcane sight spell. She examined the two staff-spears, the longsword, and the heavy mace, picking up each item and peering at it intently. Then she lifted one of the arrows out of the small case that held nine. ¡°This is unusual,¡± she said. ¡°Typically you would enchant the bow, not the arrows, but I suppose this might provide some extra power.¡± She returned it to the case. Ellerie said, ¡°There were also two arming swords that glowed red when anyone held them. We already sent them back to Tyrsall, but we need to appraise those as well.¡± ¡°And the staff-spears have different enchantments,¡± Corec said. ¡°Yes,¡± Hildra said. ¡°One is meant to be used by an elder mage. I recognize the spell. What sort of appraisal are you looking for? Do you want to know the true value of each piece, or do you want to know what you could sell it for?¡± Ellerie exchanged an uncertain glance with Boktar. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°The true value is subjective, and will change depending on who you¡¯re speaking to. The market for selling enchanted items is small and exclusive. One buyer might understand the true value of a piece but not be interested in buying it, while another is willing to buy it now, but for less than what you think it¡¯s worth. Do you take the money? Or do you wait for years until you find another buyer who values it as much as you do?¡± Ellerie pursed her lips. ¡°I think our investors would be willing to take some time to find the right buyers, but not years. We do have leads for a few possible buyers in Aravor, but I think they¡¯re mostly collectors. Would a collector pay enough?¡± Hildra curled her lip in distaste. ¡°Collectors are an unfortunate necessity in this business. Rich men¡ªthey¡¯re almost always men¡ªwho¡¯d rather look at a thing than use it. Half the time, the only reason they buy a piece is so that someone else can¡¯t. I try to make sure my own work doesn¡¯t end up in their hands, unless they commission something from me, but I do sell other pieces to them. They¡¯ve got the money for it.¡± ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to evaluate the weapons in too much detail. You¡¯ll end up with prices you¡¯ll never be able to sell them for. I¡¯ll give you two hundred gold for each, right now, if you want. Maybe fifty for the case of arrows. In all honesty, at two hundred, I¡¯ll make a decent profit on each piece, but it¡¯ll take me time and effort to find the right buyers. That profit is my fee for doing the work.¡± ¡°The staff-spears are already spoken for,¡± Corec said. ¡°A shame¡ªI have a bondmate who¡¯d love to get his hands on the elder spear. So, just the mace and the sword then?¡± ¡°Two hundred seems low,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°What about two fifty?¡± Hildra lips quirked up in a brief smile. ¡°Two hundred is my standard rate. I don¡¯t go higher than that except for something truly exceptional, and unless Corec¡¯s putting his sword up for sale, none of these qualify.¡± Ellerie frowned, but nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll need to check with Marco, our investors¡¯ factor. If he agrees to that price, I can let you know tomorrow.¡± ¡°Very well. And what else do you have?¡± ¡°There¡¯s this,¡± Boktar said, pulling the blanket off of the tower shield they¡¯d found. ¡°It¡¯s too damned heavy to carry around.¡± Hildra¡¯s eyes went black again as she examined the shield. ¡°It blocks arcane spells,¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t want to keep it?¡± Ellerie shot a questioning glance at Corec, but he just shrugged. There were limited ways to use a shield in battle if the shield was too heavy to move around easily. Being able to block magic didn¡¯t change that¡ªhe couldn¡¯t ask the enemy wizards to aim their spells at a specific spot. ¡°If Boktar doesn¡¯t want it, I say we sell it,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Boktar said. Hildra hefted the shield, needing both hands to move it. ¡°I see what you mean. You normally carry a shield?¡± she asked him. ¡°Yes.¡± She went to the far side of her workshop and lifted a heater shield off of the wall. The surface was made of a silvery-white metal. Returning with it, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll trade you straight up for this. It melts any metal weapons that strike it. Not enchanted weapons, but others.¡± ¡°Melts?¡± Hildra grinned. ¡°Do you want to try it? I¡¯ve got an old sword around here somewhere.¡± She slid open the rolling door that led out to her smithy, returning with a plain steel backword that had a chip near the end of the blade. ¡°You¡¯ll have to hit it hard, like you¡¯re in a fight,¡± she said, handing it to Boktar. ¡°If you just tap it, it won¡¯t do anything.¡± Boktar braced the shield upright against a bench, then stepped back and slammed the blade against it. The result happened instantly as the blade broke in two at the point of impact. The bottom half, still connected to the hilt, ended in a jagged edge that glowed red as it cooled. The top half fell to the floor with a clang, melted steel splattering nearby. More molten metal ran down the face of the shield and dripped to the ground, leaving the surface clean and unmarked. Boktar stared for a moment. ¡°Do you really want to get rid of this?¡± he asked. His voice was uncertain, and Corec couldn¡¯t blame him. The thought of that shield in battle would be terrifying if it was on the wrong side. ¡°I just bought it two weeks ago,¡± Hildra said. ¡°I could find a buyer easily, and I¡¯ll admit it¡¯s likely worth more than the one you¡¯re getting rid of, but I don¡¯t have a use for this one and I do have a use for that one.¡± ¡°What sort of use?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I want to study it. I¡¯ve seen this enchantment before but haven¡¯t managed to replicate it. I¡¯d like to give it another try. When I¡¯m finished, perhaps I¡¯ll find a buyer.¡± Boktar lifted the new shield and strapped it onto his left arm, testing its weight. ¡°If you¡¯re offering, I¡¯d be a fool to refuse. I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We still need to appraise the other one.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s call it a hundred and fifty,¡± Hildra said. ¡°This one would go for more, but the other shield will be harder to sell, as heavy as it is.¡± They continued examining the items. Hildra didn¡¯t recognize the enchantments on the golden circlet, the spectacles, or the silver cuff bracelets, but she was already familiar with spellmail, and suggested setting the price at one hundred eighty gold. ¡°You should keep that,¡± Boktar said to Ellerie. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like wearing armor,¡± she told him. ¡°Because it interferes with your magic. But if this doesn¡¯t ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. I need to be able to move, too.¡± ¡°Spellmail is very flexible,¡± Hildra put in. ¡°You don¡¯t even notice it¡¯s there. I wear it myself when I think I¡¯ll need something more than my barrier shield spells.¡± Ellerie frowned down at it. ¡°What about Katrin? She could use it.¡± ¡°Katrin tries to stay out of the fighting,¡± Corec pointed out. ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I suppose I could try it and see.¡± Hildra said, ¡°If you know someone else who could wear it, I can let you know if I ever run across another suit. It could take years, though¡ªthey¡¯re quite rare.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± Corec said. He showed Hildra the siege engine figurines next. During the trip to Aencyr, Ariadne had demonstrated how to activate them. They worked just as she¡¯d said, turning into full-sized versions of themselves, completely functional. The other warden smiled when she saw them. ¡°I¡¯ve made something like this myself. Not a bridge, though. That would have come in handy a few times.¡± ¡°How much do you think they¡¯re worth?¡± Corec asked. ¡°That¡¯s tricky. Think about it¡ªif you manage to use them at just the right moment, they¡¯re invaluable, but most of the time, they¡¯re not worth much more than regular equipment. And they¡¯re fragile.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Take a look here,¡± Hildra said, holding up one of the freight wagon figurines. ¡°The wheels are wooden, with a metal rim. Just a normal wagon wheel, and it¡¯ll break just as easily as any other wheel. But you can¡¯t replace it because the new one wasn¡¯t part of the original enchantment. When you shrink the wagon, the new wheel will remain its natural size. You can¡¯t even replace a single nail. Once a piece breaks, the device is useless unless you can fix it with something that was part of the enchantment. I wouldn¡¯t pay more than eighty for the entire set.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take them for eighty if the others agree they¡¯re worth it,¡± Corec said. Ellerie furrowed her brow. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll give us a start on some defenses, and they¡¯re portable if we need to change locations.¡± ¡°Defenses?¡± Hildra asked. ¡°It¡¯s something I didn¡¯t want to bother you with the last time I was here,¡± Corec said. ¡°Do you know anything about Seven?¡± ¡°Only that he¡¯s a man.¡± ¡°We believe he¡¯s the heir to the throne of Larso, Prince Rusol. Larso is where I grew up. Rusol¡ªor someone around him¡ªkeeps sending demon-controlled troops to attack me, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because we¡¯re both wardens or because Larso follows the Church of Pallisur. The Knights of Pallisur kicked me out when they learned I was a mage, and word might have gotten back to the capital. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s all some big mistake, but the last time it happened, his men killed half of a village waiting for us to arrive. We want to make sure he doesn¡¯t do that again. I¡¯m sending someone to Larso to watch him while the rest of us try to draw any more attacks away from other towns.¡± Hildra didn¡¯t show any surprise at the story, just tapping her lips thoughtfully. ¡°He¡¯s bonded a demonborn, then?¡± ¡°Or a demon, if that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Not that I know of, though I¡¯ve never tried it. Warden fighting warden ¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°That concerns me. You have the right idea, I think, to draw him away from other people. I don¡¯t recall any of the wardens ever taking up arms against the others before, though Badru and Kono don¡¯t say much about the ones who died before I was chosen. You don¡¯t even know if this Rusol knows you¡¯re a warden?¡± ¡°No, though if he does, that makes more sense than any other explanation I can think of.¡± ¡°Not a very good one, though. Has he attacked the other wardens?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose I should keep a closer watch around here just in case. If I hear from Badru, I¡¯ll ask him about it, but he hasn¡¯t contacted me in a while.¡± ¡°I should have told you before,¡± Corec said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Rusol would know who you are, or have any way to get to you.¡± ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t, but it can¡¯t hurt to be safe,¡± Hildra replied. ¡°This place is easier to defend than it might look, but the practice will be good. There hasn¡¯t been any excitement around here in a long while. Now, what else do you have to show me?¡± Book 4: Chapter Nine ¡°¡­ vincit omnia veritas.¡± Ellerie had to pause to catch her breath after finishing the recitation. The lore spell was the longest spell she¡¯d ever attempted to cast. She¡¯d memorized it during the journey to Aencyr, but learning a spell involved more than just saying the words. The wizard had to understand how each word fit with the others, manipulating arcane magic in a precise and controlled manner. And this time it worked. She felt it take hold in her mind, alongside the new shaping spells and all the other spells she¡¯d learned in her life. Now to see if it worked. The little table in her room held the few remaining objects they still had no information about. Hildra had recognized the enchantment on one of the rings¡ªit could cast a barrier shield spell similar to Corec¡¯s. She¡¯d also been able to activate the lamp, which turned out to provide enough warmth to heat a large house. Another item, a stiletto, was enchanted to pierce through armor as if it wasn¡¯t there. That left the golden circlet, the spectacles, the silver cuff bracelets, and two other rings. Ellerie¡¯s hand hovered over them as she tried to decide, finally settling on one of the rings¡ªplatinum, with tiny chips of sapphires inset into the surface. She reached for it, then paused, glancing at the spellmail draped over the back of the lone chair in the room. She¡¯d promised Boktar she¡¯d try it out the next time she cast a spell, and now was as good a time as any. Quickly shedding her outer tunic, she slipped the mail on over her undershirt, then put her tunic back on. The spellmail was no thicker than the fabric of the tunic, and didn¡¯t feel any different than wearing an extra layer of clothing. Ellerie¡¯s sword belt hung from a hook near the door. She drew her rapier and attempted a series of practice exercises, keeping them simple since her room at the inn didn¡¯t offer much space to maneuver. She ended with a lunge, her sword arm extended out, the tip of the blade aimed at the approximate height of where a human assailant¡¯s heart would be. It seemed Hildra had been right¡ªthe light mail shirt didn¡¯t constrict her movement. But would it truly allow her to cast spells? Ellerie grabbed the ring and cupped it in her palm. Taking a deep breath, she whispered the words to the lore spell. Just as she finished, a half-forgotten memory flashed through her mind. She was sitting in a small boat on a lake. She placed the ring on her finger and then ¡­ and then what? The memory vanished, and Ellerie blinked. When had that taken place? For the memory to be that hazy, she had to have been very young, perhaps only twenty or thirty, and yet her hand had been full grown. And how could she remember the ring from her childhood when it had been locked away in Tir Yadar until a few months earlier? Another memory came to mind, this one more clear. She was swimming underwater¡ªwarm, crystal-clear blue water. It was an ocean, but unlike anything off the coast of Terevas. She swam through the middle of a school of brightly colored blue and orange fish. They scattered, then reformed behind her. She dove deeper until she could see a copper coin resting on the sandy surface below. As she retrieved the coin, the ring glinted on her finger. The memory faded. The second memory was more disturbing than the first. Ellerie wasn¡¯t that talented of a swimmer, and she¡¯d never in her life swam in any ocean, much less one like that looked like that. Then, realization dawned. The memories had to be part of the lore spell. Were they the thoughts of those who¡¯d worn the ring in the past? Something like the visions Shavala had described seeing when she¡¯d first held the staff? The hands and arms had looked like Ellerie¡¯s own, but that could have simply been a remnant of how the lore spell handled the memories. If it was a memory, had the bearer been seaborn? In the memory, Ellerie had been underwater for minutes without surfacing for air. But didn¡¯t seaborn actually breathe underwater? She hadn¡¯t taken a single breath while she¡¯d been submerged. Before she had time to fully process what she¡¯d seen, a third memory came, hazy and indistinct like the first. She was underwater again, but this time, it was cold and murky. She was directing the movements of a stone statue in roughly the shape of a man, similar to the statue they¡¯d found within the ruins. The tunneling golem¡ªas Ariadne referred to the creatures¡ªstepped up to a submerged boulder and swiped its hands through the rock, as if it was insubstantial. It came away with a smaller mass of stone in its hands, which it formed into a rough oblong shape as it plodded toward a huge dark shadow in the distance. It took Ellerie a while to recall what she¡¯d been doing that day, but finally it came to her. She was building a breakwater. With the golem¡¯s help, she¡¯d moved rocks and outcroppings away from the harbor entrance, then used the leftover stone to construct a wall intended to stop heavy waves from washing into port. It was a tantalizing glimpse into events of the past, but that brief vision was all she was given. There was no memory of her life before or after that moment. Once again, though, she had remained below water without breathing. It could only be the ring. If the lore spell was giving her the memories that were most closely connected to the target of the spell, then the ring must allow the bearer to remain underwater without breathing. Ellerie wanted to test it out before telling anyone, though. She didn¡¯t want to announce she¡¯d figured out the secret only to learn she¡¯d simply been seeing seaborn memories after all. Then there was a fourth memory. She was in her room at the inn in Aencyr, collapsing in a wave of dizziness. She realized it wasn¡¯t a memory just as she hit the floor. # Leena flipped through the pages in a book of adventure stories she¡¯d borrowed from her cousin the last time she¡¯d visited home. There wasn¡¯t much else for her to do in Aencyr. She hadn¡¯t needed to Travel for supplies since the group had left the barrens, and there was no need for her to cook when they were staying at an inn. She considered returning home for a longer visit, but sometime within the next few days, Marco would want her to Travel to Tyrsall with a summary of the expedition¡¯s findings. He¡¯d asked her to help him keep the investors informed about the terms of the agreement he was negotiating with Ellerie. After that, presumably, the group would get back on the road, returning to Nysa to find a ship headed back to Tyrsall. Did Leena really need to stay for that leg of the journey? Once the negotiations were complete, they wouldn¡¯t need her to Travel anymore, and it wasn¡¯t as if they couldn¡¯t afford to hire a better trail cook than her. She¡¯d agreed to accompany Corec and his friends to the free lands, but that was still months away. It would be nice to spend that time at home, but Corec was right¡ªany extended stay would put her family in danger. Still, if she wanted to avoid the slow, tedious ride back to Nysa, she could Travel anywhere else in the world instead. She just had to decide where to go. Maybe Rohav would have a suggestion. Next door, the sound of Ellerie¡¯s faint muttering had finally come to an end. The elven woman had been practicing a spell all day, and the thin walls didn¡¯t block much sound. The noise should have been annoying, but in a way it was comforting. Other than Razai, Ellerie was really the only person on the expedition that Leena could truly say she¡¯d become friends with. It wasn¡¯t that the others were unfriendly, but there simply hadn¡¯t been any connection with them. It had taken her a while to realize why. After learning of her parents¡¯ deaths, she¡¯d tried to avoid getting to know anyone new. She¡¯d refrained from discussing her personal life, limiting topics of conversation to just those necessary to do her job. Razai had gotten around Leena¡¯s reticence by sharing a room with her much of the time, and by asking blunt questions that demanded answers. As for Ellerie, Leena still wasn¡¯t entirely sure how that friendship had come about. Her initial anger at the other woman had faded, leaving her more confused than anything. Ellerie seemed truly hurt by Leena¡¯s continued reluctance to talk, but Leena still couldn¡¯t figure out why the woman had bothered leading her on in the first place. A quiet thump came from Ellerie¡¯s room, and then a louder crash, as if something heavy had fallen. No other sounds followed¡ªno startled exclamations, no quiet muttering, no movement as the elven woman picked up whatever she¡¯d dropped. Leena stared at the wall, waiting for the silence to end. The quiet was unnerving. When nothing changed, she went into the hall and knocked on Ellerie¡¯s door. There was no answer but she opened it anyway. The elven woman was sprawled out on the floor near the bed. Leena rushed over to check on her. She was still breathing but unconscious. ¡°Ellerie!¡± she said, shaking the other woman¡¯s shoulder. Why had she collapsed? Ellerie¡¯s eyes opened slowly. ¡°Leena?¡± she asked, blinking rapidly as she tried to focus. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I heard you fall, and then found you like this.¡± ¡°Oh. It must have been the spell. How long has it been?¡± ¡°Only a moment. I should go find Treya. I think she went to the temple of Allosur today, to help with healing.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Help me up.¡± Leena stood and helped Ellerie to her feet. The elven woman sat down on the bed, pressing her palms down against the mattress to steady herself. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡± Leena asked. ¡°Was it drain shock?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like drain shock. I¡¯ve just been so tired lately, planning with Marco, practicing the shaping spells, trying to master the lore spell. I finally learned it, and I used it, but I should have gotten some sleep first. It was a lot to take in.¡± ¡°It worked?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I need to try something first to make sure, but that¡¯ll have to wait. Thank you for coming for me.¡± Leena suddenly felt uncomfortable. ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°I should go.¡± ¡°Wait, Leena, please¡ªtell me what I did wrong. Why won¡¯t you speak to me anymore?¡± Leena stopped near the door. She wanted to leave, but she couldn¡¯t dodge the question forever. Not if they were both staying with the group after the expedition was over. ¡°I know who you are,¡± she said. She couldn¡¯t keep the bitterness out of her voice as she added, ¡°Your Exalted Highness.¡± The elven woman winced. ¡°Who told you? Katrin?¡± ¡°Renny Senshall.¡± Ellerie¡¯s head jerked back in surprise. ¡°Renny Senshall knows? How? Never mind¡ªthat doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t know how to tell you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t try!¡± Leena hadn¡¯t intended to say that, but it came out before she could stop it. ¡°Because I don¡¯t like thinking about it. If I don¡¯t think about it, I can pretend it isn¡¯t true. Everything¡¯s better when I can just be me.¡± ¡°You could have said something.¡± ¡°Like what? Hello, my name is Ellerie, and my mother is the queen of Terevas, but I ran away from all my responsibilities because I couldn¡¯t bear to stay there any longer?¡± ¡°You ran away?¡± ¡°I had to.¡± Leena sat next to her. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Ellerie was quiet for a moment. ¡°There were a lot of reasons to go,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Good reasons. But the biggest is that the queen must produce an heir. In Terevas, the rights of succession are ¡­ complicated. The throne doesn¡¯t automatically pass down from parent to child, but that relationship is the most important factor in the decision. If I take the throne and die childless, it¡¯s unlikely my sister would inherit, nor any child she might have. The di¡¯Valla dynasty would come to an end, and it would be my fault. But if I remove myself from the line, my sister is still my mother¡¯s daughter. She¡¯ll almost certainly be the next queen, and will do a better job than I would have. And I can¡¯t do it, Leena. I won¡¯t lay with a man.¡± Leena wrapped her arms around the elven woman. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Nobody knows. Well, my family does¡ªit¡¯s the reason why my mother wasn¡¯t more forceful about dragging me back¡ªbut I¡¯ve never even told Boktar all of it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want children, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never considered it. I don¡¯t want to do what it takes to have children.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to have a child someday,¡± Leena admitted. ¡°Pavan suggested a marriage alliance.¡± ¡°That Traveler?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°You¡¯re going to marry him?¡± There was no mistaking the disappointment in her voice. ¡°I have no feelings for Pavan¡ªI only met him the one time. In Sanvar, marriages are sometimes arranged for convenience. Among the Zidari, that often means alliances to strengthen our bloodlines and our magic. He¡¯s made the offer, and now it¡¯s up to me to decide on the details. Could you accept a child under those terms?¡± Ellerie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean if you and I ¡­ you still want to be together?¡± Leena kissed her lightly. ¡°If you want to. But can you be with me? Would it be allowed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to return to Terevas except to visit. I can make my own decisions.¡± Despite Ellerie¡¯s words, she sounded uncertain. ¡°You don¡¯t mind knowing who I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯d thought I already knew who you were. When I found out the truth, I was worried that you¡¯d just been toying with me. I didn¡¯t know if the person I knew was actually real.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still me,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°That other stuff is just ¡­ details. But I never meant to hurt you. I¡¯m so sorry. How would it work, though? With Pavan, I mean?¡± ¡°If he accepts my terms, I won¡¯t have to live with him. He and I are both Travelers¡ªwe can go wherever we want. But that¡¯s for the future. I¡¯m not going to talk to him about it until we¡¯ve dealt with the snake cult. And with Prince Rusol¡ªCorec wants to help me with my problem; I should help him with his.¡± And doing so would give her an excuse to spend that time with Ellerie. ¡°What if Pavan doesn¡¯t accept your terms?¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t agree to the marriage. There¡¯s nothing that says I have to.¡± ¡°So we can do this?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°When you stopped talking to me, I thought I¡¯d messed things up. I was worried that ¡­¡± She trailed off. Leena kissed her again. Their relationship had always been an odd one, shying away from actually acknowledging it, and instead just hinting at what might happen in the future. In a way, it had been a fun, secret game between the two of them¡ªhow much could they flirt without ever admitting what they truly wanted? It was almost a shame to end the game, but it was the only way to move things forward, and they¡¯d never know whether they could truly fit together if they didn¡¯t move forward. # Hildra was at her desk, writing, but glanced up when Corec came in, the maul braced against his shoulder. ¡°You brought it,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Good. That one showed up in my mind as strongly as your sword did while you were making your way to the city.¡± ¡°Ellerie said you two weren¡¯t meeting today?¡± Corec asked. The two women had spent the past three days experimenting with the shaping spells. ¡°We¡¯re waiting for some stone samples to be delivered, to make sure the formulas for stone shaping work. But that gave me time to look at that armor this morning.¡± Hildra led him to a stand that held the brownish gray plate armor Ariadne claimed had belonged to King Argyros. ¡°The problem is more basic than I thought. Whoever created it was in a rush. The reason the binding spell didn¡¯t end when the bearer died was simply because the enchanter didn¡¯t bother to include the trigger to do so. The armor was never intended to be passed along to someone else. It was made for one person, and one person only.¡± ¡°Can you do anything about it?¡± Corec asked. Hildra rapped her knuckles on the metal breastplate, her gift allowing her to touch it safely. ¡°You could sell it to a collector the way it is now. Not for as much as it¡¯s worth, but still for a tidy sum. Or I can reset the binding spell, but to do that, I¡¯m going to need some time.¡± ¡°It seems wrong to sell something that belonged to the king of Tir Yadar,¡± he said. He¡¯d come to the same conclusion about the maul. ¡°I think Ellerie would agree that we should hold onto it for safekeeping, or give it to Ariadne. How much time would you need for the binding spell?¡± ¡°Believe it or not, I do have other things to do besides helping you and your friends. It¡¯ll take me maybe a week of constant concentration. That¡¯s going to cost you, and I won¡¯t have that much time available in the next few months.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait here that long.¡± Hildra smirked. ¡°It¡¯s not a difficult task to find space for it on a cargo vessel heading to Tyrsall. As long as it¡¯s in a crate, it won¡¯t burn anyone¡ªnor will it bond a new bearer. Of course, you¡¯d have to pay for the transport costs too.¡± ¡°You mean you want us to leave it here?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I¡¯d have to ask Ellerie and Marco. That¡¯s really their decision.¡± ¡°I had another thought, too,¡± Hildra said. ¡°If you want, I could remove the burning enchantment completely, so whoever¡¯s wearing the armor doesn¡¯t accidentally kill anyone they happen to run into.¡± ¡°You can do that? Change an enchantment?¡± ¡°In this case, yes. It¡¯s sloppy work, or rushed, like I said. The spell isn¡¯t layered in as deeply as it should be.¡± ¡°If you can do that, then you don¡¯t need to work on the binding spell, do you? The problem is that it burns anyone it¡¯s not bonded to.¡± Hildra shrugged. ¡°Removing the burning enchantment might allow someone to wear the armor, but the other enchantments¡ªthe ones I haven¡¯t figured out yet¡ªprobably won¡¯t work if the armor isn¡¯t bonded. Just because someone can touch it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they can use it.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Can you add an enchantment? Not to the armor, but to the weapons. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to use the sword and the maul in a fight. They¡¯re too large and heavy to carry them both around at the same time, but then I remembered what you did with your own sword.¡± Hildra grinned and held out her hand. A curved backsword flew off its mount on the wall toward her, the hilt thumping into her palm. ¡°It¡¯s handy, but no. Removing a sloppy enchantment is one thing. Layering a new spell into an existing enchantment is something else entirely. It¡¯s almost never worth the effort. But that¡¯s not the only way to do what you want.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°How familiar are you with other types of binding spells?¡± ¡°Not very familiar. I bought a book on them once.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ve got another spell for you to learn.¡± # The lore spell took a lot out of Ellerie. In the days after learning it, she spent half her time recovering from each attempt at casting it and the other half working with Hildra to perfect the stone-shaping formulas. On the fourth day, she brought the items back to the warden¡¯s manor house. She showed Hildra the platinum and sapphire ring first. ¡°This one lets you stay underwater without breathing. I tested it in a bathtub to make sure.¡± She then picked up the other ring¡ªa simple bronze band. ¡°This one allows you to stay comfortable in hot or cold weather.¡± ¡°No wonder I didn¡¯t recognize the enchantments,¡± Hildra said. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of those two before. I might be able to find buyers, but they¡¯re a bit outside my normal area.¡± ¡°Marco wants to try selling them himself, once we return to Tyrsall. He has a few people in mind.¡± Hildra nodded. ¡°He may find it harder than he thinks. I¡¯ve spent decades building up my contacts. Aim for a hundred gold each if you can, but it won¡¯t be as easy to find a buyer for these two as for the barrier shield ring. You might have to go down to seventy or eighty.¡± ¡°Corec convinced Katrin to take the shield ring, since she doesn¡¯t wear armor. For these two, if Marco can¡¯t get a good price, can Leena bring them back to you to try to sell?¡± Hildra chewed her lip. ¡°Yes, but I won¡¯t buy them outright because I don¡¯t know what sort of profit I could make. I¡¯ll take a twenty percent commission on the sale instead.¡± ¡°I think Marco would accept that if he doesn¡¯t find buyers.¡± Ellerie held up the spectacles next. ¡°He wants to try selling this himself, too. If you wear them, you can see through illusions.¡± They¡¯d tried them out on Razai¡¯s illusory disguises. Hildra raised an eyebrow. ¡°In a pair of spectacles? Interesting¡ªand useful, but only in limited scenarios. Most wizards who work with illusions can already see through them. I¡¯m not sure what value I¡¯d assign to that.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see what we can get.¡± Setting them down and picking up the silver cuff bracelets, she said, ¡°I think someone in our group is going to take these after we figure out how they work. They seem to block arrows, but we¡¯re not sure how to test it safely.¡± Ellerie and Corec had suggested that Treya purchase the bracelets, since she preferred to fight in the thick of battle but refused to wear armor. ¡°Another barrier shield like the ring?¡± Hildra asked. ¡°No. In the memories I saw from the lore spell, it looked like any arrows that came too close would be drawn to the bracelets and bounce off.¡± Hildra nodded. ¡°If it only affects arrows, I¡¯d probably set the price at about seventy-five.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let her know.¡± Ellerie then showed Hildra the last piece, the golden circlet. ¡°I tried this one out this morning. It shows you a vision of the area around you, about a quarter of a mile in all directions. It¡¯s like a topographical map.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Hildra said. ¡°Can I try it out?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ellerie said, handing it over. The stoneborn woman placed the circlet on her head. ¡°Oh!¡± she said, then closed her eyes. ¡°That was fast. And realistic¡ªI can see my entire estate, and part of my neighbor¡¯s. No people, though.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t seem to show people or animals, just land and buildings, and larger trees and objects.¡± Hildra removed the circlet. ¡°I might be interested in buying that for myself. It would be useful for exploring new shafts and cave-ins when I return to the mountains. How much are you asking?¡± Ellerie shrugged, her hands out and her palms up. ¡°Hmm,¡± Hildra said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hundred for it.¡± That was higher than Ellerie had expected, but she wasn¡¯t going to argue. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll accept that.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s everything, then, except for the book of enchantments?¡± Hildra asked. The second spell book Ellerie had found in Tir Yadar had turned out to contain enchantment spells for various types of permanent mage lights, as well as a complicated series of spells designed to construct something the book referred to as a World Fountain. Just trying to read through the spells gave Ellerie a headache, though, and Hildra had warned her that the gift for using enchantment magic had mostly disappeared from modern wizardry. ¡°The book of enchantments and the shaping magic,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how to set a price for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a proposal for you.¡± # ¡°Why should Senshall have to pay for a share of the book?¡± Marco asked. ¡°It¡¯s already included in their shares.¡± ¡°The value of the book is included in their shares,¡± Ellerie replied, ¡°but to get that value, we have to sell access to the spells and the formulas. I think we should offer Senshall part of that.¡± Marco frowned. ¡°Why just part? Why not sell the whole book to someone?¡± ¡°Because Hildra offered us a thousand gold for the rights to sell shaped metals and stone in Cordaea. And that¡¯s just Cordaea alone. Imagine how much it would be worth across Aravor and Vestath.¡± Perhaps Hildra would have been willing to buy the book itself, but Ellerie hadn¡¯t offered her that option. It felt wrong to simply give up such an important find to someone else. Plus, Ellerie had spent weeks experimenting with the spells and the formulas, and she wanted to have the opportunity to use them herself. ¡°So we find someone with more money,¡± Marco said. Ellerie sighed. ¡°If Senshall doesn¡¯t want the offer, then I¡¯ll find another buyer, but you should tell them what they¡¯d be missing out on. Hildra offered a thousand because she thinks that¡¯s how much profit she¡¯d see in the first ten years. I¡¯ll put in five hundred gold for the rights in northwestern Aravor¡ªlet¡¯s say Terrillia, the free lands, Terevas, Matagor, Chondor, Deece, and Larso.¡± Terrillia wasn¡¯t in the northwest, but it bordered the free lands so Ellerie had included it anyway. She¡¯d partnered with Boktar and Bobo to put together the five hundred; after buying the spellmail and helping Corec and the others pay for half of the armory, there hadn¡¯t been enough coin left from her own shares. ¡°I¡¯m suggesting that our investors should offer a thousand for all other regions, in Aravor or elsewhere. That¡¯s a better deal than what Hildra is getting.¡± Marco furrowed his brow. ¡°If Hildra is paying a thousand to use the book in Cordaea, couldn¡¯t we get more than a thousand for what you¡¯re offering to Senshall?¡± ¡°We could maybe get two thousand if we found the right buyer, but that would take more time. Senshall already has operations in Aravor and Vestath, and they have contracts with the mines and forges. I¡¯m willing to give them a better deal as long as they agree to keep the location of Tir Yadar secret until I¡¯ve finished my work there. I spoke to the others and they¡¯re willing to take the lesser amount.¡± It hadn¡¯t been hard to convince her friends¡ªshe¡¯d simply asked and they¡¯d agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll try to make it up to them if I make a profit.¡± ¡°And what about the rest of us?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got two-eighths of a share, right? I¡¯ll pay you the extra thirteen gold you might have made with a different buyer, but only if we sell to Senshall. If we have to find someone else, then you¡¯re stuck with whatever we make, even if it¡¯s less than what we were hoping for.¡± In total, it would cost Ellerie forty gold to pay off the people with partial shares, giving them the extra coin they would have received if she¡¯d sold the rights for a higher amount. ¡°I suppose I could write letters to Varsin and Burton with my recommendation,¡± Marco said. ¡°How would it work?¡± ¡°If the shaping rights are worth twenty-five hundred, and using our current estimates for everything else, each share is worth nearly three hundred gold. Varsin and Burton each have two shares, so even after paying for those swords you sent them and their portion of the shaping magic, they¡¯d still make about sixty gold in profit. Renny would have more, since you appraised her necklace at less than the value of the swords.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how they¡¯ll feel about that. I can¡¯t tell them their shares are worth six hundred, and then only give them a tenth of that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ignoring the value of what they¡¯re spending that money on. If they don¡¯t want to buy the shaping magic themselves, ask them if the company itself is interested. The company can pay us just like Hildra is doing, and Varsin, Burton, and Renny would take a higher profit.¡± ¡°And if the company doesn¡¯t want it either?¡± ¡°Then we have to spend the time to find another buyer. But Senshall trades in iron and steel¡ªdo you really think they want to give one of their competitors a better product?¡± Hildra believed that stone-shaping would provide a much higher profit than metal-shaping, since the components for metal-shaping were so expensive, but the Senshall brothers were already familiar with the metals market. They would understand how their existing business would be affected if they lost out to a competitor. Marco nodded. ¡°That might convince them.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re agreed?¡± ¡°I can tell them what I think, but I can¡¯t make them go for it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have to be persuasive.¡± Book 4: Chapter Ten Leena met with the Senshall brothers and the concubine, Renny, at Varsin Senshall¡¯s opulent home in Tyrsall. She waited silently while the investors read through the letters from Ellerie and Marco. Varsin frowned down at the page he held in his hand. ¡°The whole idea behind this expedition was to link the Senshall Trading Company to finding one of the lost cities. How long does she want to wait?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Burton asked. ¡°We can¡¯t risk offending the Terevassian royal family¡ªcertainly not over something so trivial. Let her do what she wants. We need to talk about the deal she¡¯s proposing. We¡¯d be giving up over half of our profit. How do we know it¡¯s worth it?¡± He picked up the silversteel breastplate Leena had brought and flipped it over in his hands, examining it from all angles. Setting it down, he grabbed the fortisteel dagger and peered along its edge. ¡°We¡¯ll have to try those out,¡± Varsin said. ¡°Marco seems to think they¡¯re worth the effort.¡± ¡°Even if they are, I¡¯m not eager to lose out on over three hundred gold from my shares. Especially when the rights in Cordaea have already been sold. Cordaea is my territory.¡± Varsin waved that off. ¡°We¡¯d just have to give you a third of the profits from the other regions. I¡¯m not worried about that. But should the three of us go in on it alone, or should we sell it to the company instead? We¡¯d have to split it with Father and Tobin and the others.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll want us to pay cargo rates anyway. And if the company pays for it, then we don¡¯t have to.¡± Even though the two men were speaking in trade tongue, Leena was having a hard time following the thread of the conversation. ¡°But that means we¡¯ll lose control,¡± Varsin said. ¡°Father will want to make all the decisions. And you¡¯d have to convince him yourself¡ªyou know he won¡¯t listen if I¡¯m the one who suggests it.¡± Burton grunted. ¡°Without any real numbers, we¡¯re just guessing. We don¡¯t even know what the raw materials will cost.¡± ¡°Ellerie and Marco are working on estimates for the materials,¡± Leena volunteered. ¡°I can bring the details the next time I come.¡± The trader nodded. ¡°Renny?¡± Varsin said. ¡°How do you feel about it? This whole expedition was your idea.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the girl admitted. She pushed a small cloth bag to the center of the table, the coins inside clinking together. ¡°They¡¯ve paid back everything we loaned them, and brought us the swords and the necklace. That¡¯s already well beyond what I was hoping for. The money ¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do with that much money. If you think it¡¯s worth spending some of it on this, I¡¯ll agree to it.¡± Varsin nodded, pursing his lips as he thought. Burton turned to Leena, peering intently. ¡°What do you think? Should we pay for it ourselves, sell it to the company, or try to sell it to someone else for a larger profit?¡± Leena wet her lips nervously. She¡¯d never negotiated a business deal beyond haggling with a customer at the bakery. She was only supposed to be transporting messages back and forth. ¡°I ¡­ umm ¡­ Lady Hildra paid a thousand gold for the rights in Cordaea. She¡¯s a mage and a blacksmith. I think the others trust her judgement.¡± ¡°Cordaea is one continent,¡± Varsin pointed out. ¡°We¡¯d have most of Aravor and Vestath. And more, if we ever expand our operations beyond our current regions.¡± ¡°But we¡¯d have to hire a wizard,¡± Burton said. ¡°That¡¯ll cut into the profit. And what¡¯s to stop him from taking what he learns and going into business for himself?¡± Renny spoke up again. ¡°Lady Ellerie suggests separating out the work,¡± she said, holding up the last page of the letter. ¡°Two wizards, one for each spell, and a third person who knows the formulas. That way, one person alone can¡¯t steal the knowledge.¡± ¡°I suppose that might work. Leena, when do they need our answer?¡± ¡°Not until they arrive in Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Good. That will give us time to test these things out.¡± Leena nodded and stood. ¡°Do you have any messages for me to take back?¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Renny said. ¡°You promised when you came back, you¡¯d stay long enough to tell us about the expedition!¡± ¡°Well ¡­ I ¡­¡± Leena hesitated. She wanted to be polite, but it was hard to find anything in common with the three wealthy merchant traders. ¡°Please? Treya and Razai get to go out and have all the fun exploring while I stay home, but you can at least tell me what it was like.¡± ¡°I want to hear more too,¡± Varsin said. ¡°The letters don¡¯t really say much. You should join us for supper.¡± Leena gave in. ¡°I¡¯ll stay.¡± There were certainly plenty of stories she could tell them about the trip. ¡°You should come, Burton,¡± Varsin said. ¡°Get away from home for the evening.¡± The other man sighed. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± He sounded tired, and had dark circles under his eyes. Renny grinned and clapped her hands together. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Kelsa and the cook and get it all set up.¡± # Ariadne finished lacing the high boots, then faced the mirror to see how her new outfit looked. Among the other clothing she¡¯d purchased, Sarette and Treya had convinced her she needed something she could wear without armor. It had taken the tailor five days to finish the work. It was modeled after a High Guard dress uniform. A black vest with gold laces worn over a white blouse; pants¡ªreal pants, not leggings¡ªtucked into the high boots; and a long, dark blue coat with copper buttons and buckles, meant to be worn open. She also wore a new, matching sword belt around her waist. While she already had a belt designed to accompany her mirrorsteel plate, it didn¡¯t fit well when worn without the armor. The new clothing was acceptable, Ariadne grudgingly acknowledged. It didn¡¯t quite match how she¡¯d seen it in her mind, but she wasn¡¯t enough of an artist to sketch out what she¡¯d imagined. She¡¯d had to get the Nysan language from Josip just so she could speak to the shopkeeper. The outfit was more formal than anything the others wore on a regular basis, though Sarette had something similar, and Ellerie and Katrin both owned nicer clothing they didn¡¯t wear while on the road. Treya, despite her obvious beauty, only wore plain gray tunics and loose pants, as if she was trying to direct attention away from herself. And, strangely, she never wore shoes, claiming they made it harder for her to fight. Ariadne had paid for the clothing out of her share of the money the group had looted from their dead enemies. All of the tailoring work combined had cost just twenty-two pieces of silver, which, according to Treya, was slightly over half the value of a single gold coin. That suggested the money would last for a while, though that was partly because Ariadne wasn¡¯t paying for her own food or lodging. Once they reached Tir Sal, she¡¯d have to live off of the remainder¡ªplus her shares of the expedition¡¯s profits, which she had mixed feelings about. It seemed wrong to receive money because of her people¡¯s disappearance from their home, but what good would it have done to just leave everything lying around in an abandoned city? Sighing, she turned away from the mirror. The money might help her find her people, but she had no idea where to start looking. Sarette seemed almost like one of the Chosar, but she insisted the stormborn had come about more recently. Corec and Ellerie thought Ariadne most resembled a people called the seaborn, but she hadn¡¯t encountered one yet. If the Chosar themselves still lived, nobody seemed to have any knowledge of their whereabouts. Ariadne had hoped to find some sort of clue in Tir a Tir, but Aencyr bore little resemblance to the paintings and illusions she¡¯d seen of the place. The best choice she could think of was to accompany the group across the ocean to Aravadora. She could investigate Tir Sal and then travel north and explore the remains of Tir Navis. Or perhaps she would travel west with Corec. He was a warden, and even if the wardens had betrayed The People, Ariadne was finding it hard to ignore her upbringing. There was a knock at the door, and she opened it to find Ellerie on the other side. The elven woman¡¯s eyes widened when she saw what Ariadne was wearing, but she didn¡¯t comment. ¡°Hildra would like to meet you if you¡¯re still interested in speaking to her,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°She offered to come to the inn, but she¡¯s well known and I didn¡¯t want to draw any attention here. Plus, I thought you might want to see more of the city.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Now?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°We can send her a messenger if you¡¯d rather do it later, but if you¡¯re still thinking of coming with us, it has to be today or tomorrow. We¡¯re leaving the day after that.¡± ¡°I should change first,¡± Ariadne said, glancing at the pile of plate armor she¡¯d left at the foot of the bed. ¡°You don¡¯t need armor in the city, but bring your sword so she can see what mirrorsteel looks like. We haven¡¯t tried to create it since the components are so expensive.¡± Ariadne nodded and accompanied Ellerie out of the inn to a horse-drawn carriage that was already waiting for them. # It took nearly an hour to reach Hildra¡¯s manor house, north through the city and then across the river. None of the buildings along the way were constructed of shaped stone¡ªeven the ones with domed roofs. The Chosar wouldn¡¯t have attempted anything like that using just natural engineering. How had humans managed it? At Hildra¡¯s home, a human footman helped them out of the carriage. Another escorted them inside the house, where they were greeted by a dwarven man who introduced himself as a majordomo. He spoke in trade tongue, but majordomo wasn¡¯t a word Ariadne had learned yet. The man instructed a dwarven maid to escort them to Hildra¡¯s study. Other servants could be seen going about their day, but when they noticed the visitors, they hurried out of sight. In the study, a dwarven woman was sitting in a cushioned chair near a window, reading. When she saw them, she rose and set her book down, greeting Ellerie with a nod before turning to Ariadne. She glanced over her face and her pointed ears, her new clothing, and the sword that hung at her side, but waited until the maid left before speaking. ¡°Welcome to my home,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for coming. I am called Hildra these days, though I¡¯ve gone by other names. Your name is Ariadne, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, Warden,¡± Ariadne said carefully in trade tongue. She wasn¡¯t comfortable with the language yet. Hildra seemed to be waiting for her to say something else, but when she didn¡¯t, the dwarven woman spoke again. ¡°Ellerie asked me to try to remember what I could about the Chosar people. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not much. My library was destroyed eight hundred years ago.¡± Ariadne frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know these words. Please to talk with slowness.¡± ¡°You should use the necklace,¡± Ellerie said in Eastern. ¡°I already told her about it.¡± Ariadne hesitated. She¡¯d used the necklace twice in one day before¡ªonce to speak to the tailor, then again with Treya so she could return to speaking Eastern. The resulting headache had laid her out in bed for hours. If she used the necklace with Hildra, she¡¯d have to try to get by on trade tongue alone for a day or two if she wanted to avoid that. There was little choice, though, so she nodded. Ellerie explained the process to Hildra, who held her hand out and waited. Ariadne got it over with as quickly as she could. When the worst of the pain had passed, she opened her eyes and nodded. ¡°I can speak to you now,¡± she said in the dwarven language. It was harsh and guttural, but had a strange sense of familiarity. ¡°Such an odd sensation,¡± Hildra replied, rubbing her temples. ¡°I believe there are wizards in Vestath who can cast a similar spell, but I¡¯ve never experienced it for myself before. As I was saying, I don¡¯t remember much about the Chosar, but I¡¯ll tell you what I can. May I ask you some questions in return?¡± Yet another person wanting to know more than they could tell her, but Ariadne had given up on feeling angry about it. The anger hadn¡¯t accomplished anything. ¡°If you wish,¡± she said. ¡°Do you know what happened to my people? Why they left Van Kir? Where they went after?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give a precise answer, but I¡¯ll tell you what I know,¡± Hildra said. ¡°Scholars who¡¯ve heard of the Chosar usually consider them to be one of the tribes among the first peoples, which is just a way to informally refer to different groups that existed a long time ago. Not many historians have heard of the Burning, but from the name, I suspect there was a large fire¡ªmost likely somewhere here in Cordaea. Maybe that¡¯s what happened to the tershaya forests you told Ellerie about. In any case, there was a long period where little written material was produced, and the label of first peoples isn¡¯t applied to any groups appearing after that time. The Chosar themselves are usually thought to be a human tribe, or perhaps an elven offshoot, or even stoneborn.¡± ¡°We are our own people,¡± Ariadne pointed out. ¡°I can see that, though is it possible you¡¯re related to the seaborn?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never met any seaborn,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Is it true that Irisis created them from the ocean? The new gods didn¡¯t exist in my time.¡± At least not as you know them, she added silently. Sarette had told her the story of the seaborn, which paralleled the story of how Sarette¡¯s own people had come to be. ¡°Sometimes a legend is just a legend,¡± Hildra said. ¡°I suspect the origins of the seaborn are rather more mundane, just as I suspect that my own people were not birthed from the stone itself. As for the new gods, are they truly new? Or did we simply learn of their existence more recently?¡± Ariadne nodded, but didn¡¯t try to explain who the gods actually were. What if the new wardens thought they could do the same thing? She didn¡¯t know Hildra well enough to trust her. Ellerie¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between the two of them as she tried to follow along, a growing look of exasperation on her face. It was satisfying to see someone else have trouble understanding the conversation for a change. Hildra continued, ¡°The other thing we know¡ªthough only because it¡¯s been passed down by earlier wardens¡ªis that the people who we were meant to protect disappeared after the Burning. The story doesn¡¯t say they died, but only that they scattered or vanished. Were the Chosar the people who were protected by the wardens?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Protected from what?¡± ¡°Demons. The original wardens were chosen during the First Demon War. Or, at least, that¡¯s what our histories say.¡± Hildra stared off into the distance. ¡°Ellerie told me about your demon wars, but demons no longer cross over in large numbers.¡± She sighed. ¡°I guess it¡¯s true that we don¡¯t have a purpose anymore. I was right, but I was hoping ¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°No matter.¡± ¡°The wardens took on other responsibilities over time,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°But why do demons no longer wage war on the world?¡± Neither Ellerie or Bobo had been able to provide an answer. The dwarven woman shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Could it be that your wardens stopped them permanently?¡± That hadn¡¯t been the reason given for the ritual, but the reason given had obviously been a lie. By turning themselves into whatever it was they¡¯d become, had the wardens prevented later wars? It was possible. But then, it was also possible that the demons had held to Captain Hera¡¯s armistice. Still, regardless of the outcome, could it be that the wardens hadn¡¯t intended to betray The People after all? Maybe it had all just been some sort of misunderstanding. That seemed like such a weak thing to hope for, but any sort of hope was better than none. Hildra didn¡¯t wait for an answer. ¡°Ellerie mentioned that you said the Chosar built the Tirs,¡± she said. ¡°A long time ago, I owned two books that survived the Burning. They suggested it was an alliance of different peoples that built the great cities, and then the Chosar drove the others away.¡± Ariadne scowled at the woman. ¡°Your books were wrong,¡± she said flatly. ¡°It was the Chosar who brought civilization to the world.¡± She was keenly aware she was lecturing a warden, but plunged forward anyway. ¡°Humans and elves are primitives. Were primitives. Elves live in trees! Humans have trouble building anything more complicated than a tent or a mud hut! We had to protect them, both from the demons and from themselves. They had no part in building the Tirs.¡± ¡°My apologies,¡± Hildra said. ¡°It¡¯s certainly possible my sources weren¡¯t accurate. Unfortunately, they were destroyed so long ago I don¡¯t remember all the details.¡± ¡°What about your people?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°You weren¡¯t in Van Kiradaea when the Chosar lived here. Did you come to take our lands after we¡¯d fled?¡± ¡°No one knows where we came from, beyond the old stories about being born from the stone. Our earliest surviving written histories were from right here, in the Skotinos Mountains. That was at least four thousand years ago, but we can¡¯t say exactly when because the calendars have changed so much. Our own histories don¡¯t mention the Burning, so it must have happened before we came about, or before we learned how to preserve our writings.¡± Ariadne nodded. The dwarves had likely taken advantage of what the Chosar had left behind. Just before the end of the war, construction had begun on a new underground city in the mountains, along with an underground passage between the mountains and Tir Yadar. The new city, meant to be as impregnable as Tir Yadar once it was finished, would have offered a second bastion in the fight against the demons, as well as a safe place of refuge for those fleeing from the destruction of the aboveground cities. ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned both Van Kir and Van Kiradaea,¡± Hildra said. ¡°Are they the same place?¡± ¡°No. Van Kir is the first land of the Chosar. The first kingdom. We spread out from there. Van Kiradaea is the continent, The Place of Van Kir. You call it Cordaea.¡± Ellerie spoke up then, in halting Stoneborn. ¡°What of ¡­ lands ¡­ other?¡± the elven woman attempted, then shook her head in irritation and switched to trade tongue. ¡°What about other continents? Are there places the Chosar could have gone?¡± Hildra started to reply to her, then switched back to Stoneborn and spoke to Ariadne instead. ¡°Did you understand her?¡± ¡°Well enough,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°I¡¯ve spent most of my life in Cordaea. I¡¯m sure Ellerie and Corec can tell you more about Aravor than I could, but I¡¯ve traveled a bit in Vestath, and I visited western Ewori once. I¡¯ve never been to Cetos.¡± ¡°Have you seen anything of my people?¡± ¡°No, but there¡¯s more out there than any one person can ever learn. I went to Ewori to investigate a region where magic doesn¡¯t work right, but did you know there¡¯s a nation of giant humans there? The men are seven feet tall. And in Vestath, people talk about the sunborn. Nobody will admit to having met one, but they all claim to know someone who has.¡± ¡°Sunborn?¡± ¡°Supposedly they live deep in a desert somewhere. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all I know. I¡¯m not sure if they even exist or if they¡¯re just a story.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think my people would live in a desert,¡± Ariadne said. Though they might if they¡¯d built another underground city¡ªit was something to look into eventually. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention Donvar.¡± There were six continents, but the dwarven woman had only listed five. The necklace didn¡¯t provide a translation for the name. Hildra wrinkled her brow. ¡°Where is Donvar?¡± ¡°Far to the west.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s farther west than Pado, you should ask the seaborn. The storms are too rough for any ships but theirs to get through. There aren¡¯t any maps of that area.¡± The necklace translated Pado as Paraido. ¡°Do you mean the big island west of Aravor?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°Yes, the seaborn homeland.¡± The navy¡¯s initial explorations had indicated that Paraido was uninhabited, which suggested the seaborn had arrived later. ¡°Is there anything else you can tell me?¡± ¡°There are so many stories in the world, but most are just fables,¡± Hildra said. ¡°I can¡¯t think of any that sound like your people, but how could I say for sure? I don¡¯t leave Bancyra very often, you see. I wish I knew more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°It¡¯s been helpful.¡± The task ahead of her seemed daunting, maybe futile, yet she found herself feeling optimistic for the first time. ¡°It has?¡± Hildra sounded truly puzzled. ¡°There will always be somewhere else to look,¡± Ariadne told her. The seaborn and the stormborn. Tir Sal, Tir Navis, and the rest of Aravadora. Thedan and Ephrenia, the Mage Knights who¡¯d managed to escape from the stasis pods. Paraido and the region farther west. Donvar, if The People had managed to chase off the scourlings. The sunborn in the Vestathi desert. The old wardens¡ªthe new gods¡ªif Ariadne could figure out a way to talk to them. And then, perhaps, on to lands that even the Chosar knew little about. Maybe she would never find what she was looking for. But maybe she would. Book 4: Chapter Eleven Ariadne gazed out at the endless ocean, trying to hide her apprehension. She¡¯d never been on any ship larger than a river raft before, and that had only been for long enough to get to the opposite bank. Until the group had arrived in the port city of Nysa, she¡¯d never even seen the ocean, having lived her whole life in Tir Yadar. The trip from Aencyr had been uneventful, the six weeks of slow riding allowing her to spend her days practicing trade tongue with Treya, Sarette, and Corec. In the evenings, she helped Ellerie and Bobo plan out a book on the history of the Chosar, and sometimes she sparred with Sarette and the men. She found the sparring to be an unusual experience¡ªhaving to train herself not to use her spells, after spending seven years ensuring they became second nature. As for the book, it was difficult to speak of her people¡¯s past when she wasn¡¯t certain what had become of them, but their story deserved to be told. The group had parted ways with Josip in Nysa, the guide heading north with a trading caravan on its way to Ankarov Dor¡ªwhich, if the maps were accurate, seemed to have been built over the remains of Tir Ankara. Ariadne hadn¡¯t spent much time getting to know the man, but he was one of the few people she knew in the world. It was strange to realize she¡¯d likely never see him again. There was a scrabbling sound from the side of the ship, and then a three-tined spear was tossed up and over the railing, landing on the deck planking with a clatter. A young man soon followed, climbing up a rope ladder that had been left hanging down over the side. He carried a net bag wrapped around a huge, blue- and gray-scaled fish. As he neared the top of the ladder, he hefted the bag up onto the deck, then finished climbing and swung his legs over the railing. The other sailors called out to him, congratulating him in the peculiar mix of languages they used amongst themselves. Three men, working as a team, pulled the fish out of the netting and hung it up on a rack so it could be cleaned and gutted. From tip to tail fin, it had to be six feet long, and was rounder and fatter than the river fish Ariadne was familiar with. The young man watched them work with a look of satisfaction on his face. He was a few inches shorter than Ariadne, but heavily muscled. Cold didn¡¯t seem to bother him¡ªhe was still shirtless from his swim, wearing loose breeches that only covered his upper legs. He ignored the chilly wind blowing against the seawater that still dripped down his bare chest. When he noticed Ariadne staring at him, he grinned. ¡°Ahh, mysterious Ari,¡± he said in trade tongue. ¡°Do you see my catch? I defeated the great blue tunny in single combat. A shark smelled the blood and came by to steal it from me, but I whacked it on the snout and chased it away.¡± ¡°My name is Ariadne,¡± she reminded Loofoo yet again. In the few days she¡¯d known him, she hadn¡¯t been able to figure out when he was telling the truth and when he was making up stories. It didn¡¯t help that he regularly used words she wasn¡¯t familiar with¡ªsome, perhaps, from the trade tongue, but others obviously from different languages. ¡°What kind of a name is that?¡± the seaborn man asked. ¡°Names should flow like water.¡± She shook her head but changed the topic. ¡°How do you keep up with the ship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going all that fast, really. You might be able to keep up with it if I taught you how to swim the right way. Of course, you¡¯re wearing far too much clothing for that. Shall I help you remove some?¡± Ariadne sighed. ¡°Will you be serious for once? You promised you¡¯d tell me about Pado.¡± ¡°I brought in tonight¡¯s supper so I suppose Captain Valen won¡¯t mind so much if I talk to you, but why the interest in the homeland? You claim to not be seaborn, and you wear metal armor¡ªI saw it the day you came on board. So why all the questions, mysterious Ari?¡± ¡°Maybe my parents were seaborn,¡± she said. It was easier than telling him the truth. His grin was back. ¡°There¡¯s one way to know for sure. Dunk your head under the waves and take a breath, and see if you swim or drown.¡± She hadn¡¯t learned the word drown yet, but given the context, there were only a few possible meanings, none of which were pleasant. She couldn¡¯t stop her shudder. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± He laughed. ¡°Pado is Pado. What do you want to know?¡± That was a good question. What she really wanted to know was whether the Chosar had somehow become seaborn. The seaborn on the ship did look something like her people, yet there was something not quite right about them. She wasn¡¯t certain she could even put it into words, but she¡¯d known at a glance they weren¡¯t Chosar. She wasn¡¯t going to mention any of that, though. She had no intention of telling her life¡¯s story to every person she came across. ¡°How long have the seaborn lived there?¡± she asked instead. Loofoo crinkled his brow. ¡°Since time before time, when Irisis first created the seas, and then us, the children of the seas.¡± ¡°But Irisis is one of the new gods,¡± Ariadne pointed out. ¡°Ahh, but newer than what? Bear and Raven and Fox may have come first, creating the land, but Irisis came soon after, bringing the sea to all the world.¡± Loofoo, apparently, didn¡¯t have a firm enough grasp on history to be a reliable source of information about the origins of his own people. ¡°Why did you leave?¡± Ariadne asked. Loofoo scowled and spat on the deck. ¡°I was hunting a giant sunfish, and followed it into The People¡¯s fishing grounds without realizing.¡± When he said The People, he meant his own people. It had caused some confusion the first time Ariadne had spoken with him. ¡°I sold the meat rather than giving it over. Emperor Kono¡¯s agents found out and called it poaching, and banished me for ten years. I can¡¯t return to Pado and no seaborn ship is allowed to take me on, so here I am, stuck working for humans on their miserable ships.¡± He tilted his head and shrugged. ¡°Though Peregrine isn¡¯t so bad. She could almost be a seaborn vessel.¡± ¡°Are all the seaborn here criminals?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no criminal!¡± he protested, wearing the same look of questionable innocence he used when telling his more outlandish stories. ¡°How was I to know I was in the wrong area?¡± ¡°Fine, not you, but what about the others?¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Them?¡± he said, glancing at the other seaborn sailors, who made up a quarter of the crew. ¡°They¡¯re not banished, they¡¯re just lost. They¡¯ve lived among the humans for so long, they¡¯ve forgotten who they are. Some left Pado to see the world, some were born in our foreign enclaves, some were born to banished parents and have always lived in human cities. They could return if they wanted to. They choose to remain lost.¡± Ariadne nodded. ¡°What¡¯s it like on Pado? It¡¯s an island, right?¡± Loofoo had told her before that the seaborn lived on land much of the time. They could sleep underwater, but when they did so, they couldn¡¯t protect themselves from predators. Plus, if they didn¡¯t tie themselves to something, they would float with the current. ¡°If you want to call it that. What¡¯s to tell? Cities on the coast, with canals that the druids keep clean and full regardless of the tide. Farming inland¡ªwe do just as much farming on land as we do in the sea. Pado is just like anywhere else. I¡¯m more interested in you. Where do you hail from, mysterious Ari? Your friends are from Aravor, but you obviously aren¡¯t. And you don¡¯t speak Nysan or Doravi, so you can¡¯t be from Cordaea.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ariadne said. ¡°And you¡¯ve spent so much time time traveling inland that you think you know everything?¡± ¡°Then tell me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said, hiding a smile. ¡°But if you guess correctly, maybe I¡¯ll let you take me swimming.¡± That should be a safe enough bet. And if not, well, he wasn¡¯t unattractive. # The group had sold all of their horses and mules when they¡¯d finally reached Nysa, so Nedley didn¡¯t have any animals to take care of on board the Peregrine. That meant he was back on dishwashing duty. When they were on the road, everyone washed their own dishes, but the galley on the ship was too small for that many people to be going in and out. Washing dishes was easier than being a groom, but Nedley thought he might leave that part out of the story when he told his brother about his adventures. He finished drying the last pan from the midday meal, ignoring the swaying motion¡ªthe sea had been rough all morning. Done with his work, he headed for the passenger cabins at the other end of the Peregrine. Miss Ellerie had been surprised to find the familiar ship waiting for them in port. Apparently, after Leena had informed the investors of their expected arrival in Nysa, Burton Senshall had told Captain Valen to wait for them there. The ship had been in port for over a week by the time they arrived. The sailors hadn¡¯t minded the extra shore leave, but Marco had said the Senshall agents were mad about having to sell a load of perishable fruits locally, at a loss, and then search for another cargo to take its place. When Nedley reached the cabin he shared with Marco, he was relieved to find it empty. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked Marco, but half the things the man said didn¡¯t make any sense. Conversations with him were always awkward, but Nedley made sure to listen politely, in part because he planned to ask for a letter of recommendation once they reached Tyrsall. A recommendation from Marco could secure long-term work with Senshall, as well as with other trading companies. It was the same sort of work Corec had done for years, so Nedley thought it might suit him too. Since he had the cabin to himself, he retrieved the coin pouch he kept hidden in the bottom of one of his saddlebags. He poured the coins out onto his cot, separating them by type, then counted them once again. He¡¯d been saving his wages¡ªthe seven silver pieces Marco paid him each week. Even after the boots and new socks he¡¯d had to buy in Nysa, Nedley still had one hundred seventy-two of those silver coins left. That was worth more than four gold. And that didn¡¯t include the tiny bit of silver he¡¯d earned for his part in the ambush outside Tir Shar, or the seventeen gold and thirty silver he¡¯d received after the big battle at Tir Yadar. After visiting a moneychanger in Aencyr, most of that was actually in gold. Nedley had never thought he¡¯d own one gold coin, must less seventeen of them. He¡¯d felt guilty about taking money for the fight in Tir Yadar since he hadn¡¯t actually done anything, but Boktar had explained that just being ready to fight still counted. Miss Katrin, Miss Shavala, and Marco had all gotten paid too, and they hadn¡¯t done much either, so Nedley figured Boktar must know what he was talking about. More money would be coming after they reached Tyrsall, which was only a day or two away. Miss Ellerie had told Nedley that his eighth of a share would be worth somewhere around thirty-five gold, though it might not all be available right away. She¡¯d also offered him another six and a half gold for something he hadn¡¯t entirely understood¡ªsomething related to to an offer she¡¯d made to the Senshall people. He didn¡¯t need to understand it to accept it. Marco thought it was a good deal, and Marco knew more about money than Nedley ever would. The end result was that Nedley would have ¡­ he would have ¡­ He chewed the inside of his cheek as he tried to add the figures in his head. Whatever it was, it was a lot. Enough to convince his brother, Bertram, to leave Larso and come home. The only problem was that Nedley would have to do the convincing via a letter. He¡¯d learned enough writing that he thought he could manage that part, but Bertram couldn¡¯t read. Someone else would have to read it to him, which meant Nedley had to be careful about what he put down on paper. He couldn¡¯t mention what had happened to him in the mercenary army, and he¡¯d have to be discreet about the money too. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. That meant the letter alone might not be enough to convince Bert, but Nedley couldn¡¯t go get his brother himself. Miss Treya wouldn¡¯t allow him to go to Larso. She was worried the voice would take him again if he got too close to Telfort. The thought of the voice made Nedley cringe, as did the splatter of blood and gore as he raised his sword and¡ª He screwed his eyes tightly shut, chanting, ¡°It¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone. It can¡¯t get me!¡± He managed to push the vision away and bring his mind back to the present. Shaking off a shiver, he gathered up the coins and put them back in the coin pouch, then dropped the pouch into his saddlebag. On his way up to the deck, he noticed Corec and Katrin¡¯s door slightly ajar, which meant whoever was in there wouldn¡¯t mind being interrupted. He knocked. ¡°Yes?¡± It was Corec¡¯s voice. Nedley opened the door to find Corec and Miss Katrin both in the cabin. Corec was sitting on one of the cots with the maul across his legs, while Katrin stood near the entrance. ¡°Oh, hey, Ned,¡± Corec said. ¡°Are you busy?¡± Nedley asked him. ¡°No, come on in. We were just¡ª¡± The bottom seemed to drop out of Nedley¡¯s stomach as the ship hit a swell. Corec grimaced and clenched his hands around the maul¡¯s shaft, his knuckles going white. ¡°What¡¯s going on up there?¡± he asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t been sick in two weeks, and now it¡¯s all coming back.¡± Corec was a real-life baron¡¯s son, and almost a knight, but he didn¡¯t handle sailing very well. Sometimes Nedley allowed himself to feel just a bit smug about that. ¡°There¡¯s a storm on the horizon,¡± Katrin said. ¡°The captain¡¯s trying to go around it. You should come up on deck with me. Treya says it helps.¡± ¡°I like it here, where I don¡¯t have to see the water,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ll go up in a bit to get some fresh air.¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°All right, see you soon. Bye, Nedley.¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± Nedley said, moving out of the way so she could get by him. After she was gone, he pointed to the hammer in Corec¡¯s lap. ¡°Are you trying to learn that spell again?¡± Corec had told him about the trick Hildra had attempted to teach him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else for me to do on this damned ship, so I thought I¡¯d work on it. But I¡¯m starting to understand why Ellerie¡¯s always got that look on her face when she¡¯s studying a new spell. Maybe Hildra¡¯s wrong¡ªmaybe I can¡¯t do it.¡± Nedley shrugged. He didn¡¯t know anything about magic. Well, he knew a lot more about it now than he¡¯d known before, but it wasn¡¯t anything that would be useful as advice. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± he said instead. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°How much would it cost to buy my armor? The things you helped me pick out in Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°What all do you want to buy? The plate and the mail? What about the sword?¡± ¡°That too.¡± Nedley had already planned on buying the sword, but it was the cost of the armor he was worried about. ¡°You might still grow out of that plate, you know, and the bigger sets are too big. Are you sure you want to buy it?¡± Nedley bit his lip. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s see,¡± Corec said. ¡°You might grow out of it, but if you¡¯re going to wear silversteel plate, Ariadne thinks you should stop wearing mail underneath. She says the gaps are protected well enough already, and you¡¯d be faster without it. She doesn¡¯t wear mail under her plate. And what about a shield? Do you want one of those round ones?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not as big as mine,¡± Nedley said. His wood-and-metal heater shield was heavy, but it covered more of his body than the small silversteel shields they¡¯d found in the Tir Yadar armory. ¡°No, but you¡¯re not fighting on horseback, and an arrow¡¯s not going to penetrate your greaves,¡± Corec pointed out. ¡°You don¡¯t really need the bigger shield, and you¡¯re already better with the smaller one. You don¡¯t have to give up your old shield, but I think you should practice more with one of the others.¡± ¡°I guess,¡± Nedley said. ¡°If it¡¯s not too expensive.¡± ¡°How about this? Come work for me, and I¡¯ll buy it all for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Boktar hasn¡¯t already hired you for something, has he?¡± ¡°No, he said he was going with you to the free lands.¡± ¡°You should come too. I need guardsmen. It pays two silver a day, and if you choose to live in the barracks, it includes room and board. If you want to live on your own, you¡¯ll have to pay for that yourself. Your brother¡¯s still in Larso, right?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be close to Larso, even if you can¡¯t go there yourself. Maybe Razai can deliver your letter when she goes to Telfort.¡± Two silver a day was twice what Nedley was making now, and matched what Senshall paid their caravan guards. Corec was offering him a guaranteed job with practically the same duties, but without having to travel back and forth all the time. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Nedley said. ¡°Good. You¡¯ll get your armor and weapons, and if you grow out of the armor, we¡¯ll find you something new. You¡¯ll have to learn how to use a crossbow. Stick around for at least a year and the armor¡¯s yours to keep. But don¡¯t tell the other guards that¡ªthat offer is just for you.¡± Nedley grinned. # Sarette grasped the railing as the ship suddenly listed to starboard, the sails straining from the strength of the wind, and the yardarms creaking ominously. The weather had gotten steadily worse all day, the water growing choppy and the gray hazy skies of the morning giving way to dark clouds. She¡¯d known the storm was coming, but hadn¡¯t realized the ship would pass through it. On land, her senses worked intuitively, letting her know when bad weather was on the way, but the ship sailed farther and faster than a person could walk or ride in a day, and it moved in a manner she wasn¡¯t able to predict, following the currents and sometimes traveling in a circuitous route to avoid head-on winds. It made her weather sense almost useless, at least at a distance. Another wave hit, splashing a light spray of seawater across her face. ¡°Should we do something?¡± she asked Shavala. ¡°The center of the storm is too far away,¡± the elven woman replied. ¡°We couldn¡¯t reach it.¡± ¡°I meant about the wind and the waves,¡± Sarette said. Storms were caused by warm and cold winds mixing together, which could be reversed to an extent, but she couldn¡¯t imagine any mage trying to stop a storm this large. Before Shavala could reply, Captain Valen stalked out of his stateroom and joined them on the quarterdeck, glowering at the junior watch officer on duty. ¡°Helm a¡¯lee, and strike t¡¯gallants!¡± he shouted to the crew. By turning the helm leeward, the ship itself would turn windward, toward the weather. The topmost sails on each mast, the royals, were already furled, but now sailors rushed to strike the next lowest, the topgallants, leaving only the topsails and courses. While his men worked, Valen turned his scowl toward Sarette and Shavala. ¡°Are you doing this?¡± he demanded. A week out from Nysa, he¡¯d figured out they¡¯d been affecting the wind. ¡°No,¡± Shavala said. ¡°We stopped when the weather got worse.¡± ¡°Then get below decks with the others.¡± ¡°We can help,¡± Sarette told him. ¡°You can help by getting out of my way! We were trying to go around the storm, but now it¡¯s too late. We¡¯ll have to heave to.¡± Sarette winced. She and Shavala had worried it wasn¡¯t safe to affect the weather with the storm coming. Had the captain been counting on the extra speed they¡¯d been providing? There was a heavy gust of wind, and then a loud cracking noise. The upper half of the mainmast split almost in two from top to bottom, one side tipping slowly over, taking the upper yardarms and sails with it as it crashed down, destroying the port side railing on the main deck. The crew shouted and dodged out of the way, but one of the yardarms hit a sailor in the chest, knocking him overboard. The ship jerked to the side as the rigging was pulled tight, the broken mast half on board and half off, dangling over the edge of the ship. ¡°Cut it loose!¡± Valen shouted. ¡°Cut it loose!¡± Sailors drew their belt knives and quickly started cutting the lost rigging rope by rope. While they did that, Ariadne¡¯s seaborn friend ran to the side of the ship and leapt over, diving in headfirst after the man who¡¯d fallen into the ocean. Another seaborn sailor unfurled a rope ladder so they could return¡ªthe nearest ladder that hadn¡¯t been lost when the railing was crushed. Captain Valen growled. ¡°We need to heave to, but the storm¡¯s coming on too strong. We might lose another mast even if we take the sails down. Can you do something?¡± ¡°What do you need?¡± Sarette asked. They¡¯d learned not to make assumptions about sailing after Valen had lectured them for making his crew do extra work. Instead of increasing the wind from directly behind the ship as they¡¯d been doing, he¡¯d convinced them to send it at an angle. Doing so made better use of all the sails, he¡¯d insisted, allowing the vessel to go faster than if it was running directly downwind. And once the breeze started coming from the direction the captain wanted, the crew wasn¡¯t forced to change the sails as often to take advantage of it. ¡°The storm¡¯s blowing southeast. We need to be farther west to get around the worst of it, but we can¡¯t do that if we take all the sails down. If we heave to here, it¡¯s going to get rough. Can you get us past it and keep us from losing another mast?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± Shavala said. Valen shook his head. ¡°Do it fast or don¡¯t do it at all. I need to give the men their orders.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it,¡± Sarette assured him. He nodded curtly, then strode away, shouting, ¡°Human crew, below decks! Batten everything down and get more men on the pumps! Seaborn, strike the jigger tops¡¯l!¡± While Shavala applied more westward wind to the remaining lower sails, Sarette went to work lessening the strength of the storm coming toward them. It seemed a never-ending task, though, with more winds always on the way, showing no sign of abating. ¡°Can the staff do anything to help?¡± she asked. Shavala gave her a curious look. ¡°This isn¡¯t its purpose,¡± she said. ¡°It would be just as happy to end up on the bottom of the ocean as anywhere else.¡± Sarette sighed and redoubled her efforts. ¡°I need a better view,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t do enough from down here.¡± A stormrunner should be flying the storm, not looking up from below. ¡°Can you fly without lightning?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°My uncle can,¡± Sarette said. She¡¯d never attempted it before, but there was no lightning in the sky¡ªit was late in the year for thunderstorms. She could call down a lightning bolt herself, but it was too risky to do so while she was on the ship. There were too many people nearby. Even if she pulled it directly into her body, it could still damage the ship or injure the crew. She¡¯d have to wait until she was far enough away. But even without lightning, there was always some charge in the air, and with a storm, the opposing charges grew more active as they fought each other. It might be enough. If she thought about it for too long, she¡¯d talk herself out of it. She backed up to give herself a running start, then dashed toward the side of the ship while pulling the charged power into her body. At the last second, she jumped up, bracing one foot on the top of the railing before launching herself into the sky. There was a brief moment where she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d stay up, but she extended her reach and pulled in power from a broader area. It worked, and as soon as she was clear of the ship, she summoned a lightning strike. It hit her outstretched hand and immediately suffused her entire body¡ªfor the first time, not filtered through a staff-spear. It gave her enough power to fly up into the clouds, where she could use the opposing charges to maintain her elevation. She hovered high above the ship, staring down at it through the misty lower level of the clouds. The vessel had gradually started turning, but waves were still hitting it from the side, rocking it back and forth. Waves were created by wind¡ªnot by tides or currents, as Sarette had assumed before sailing across the ocean for the first time¡ªso, as the wind grew worse, the waves would as well. She stretched her weather sense out as far as she could reach. Shavala had been right that the center of the storm was too far away, but that distance would also help them. Could Sarette counteract just the small area around the ship? Not by stopping the storm¡ªthat was impossible if she couldn¡¯t reach the source. But stormrunners were better at starting storms than stopping them. At the far end of her range, between the ship and the storm, she drew coldness from the ocean up into the air. The storm winds were warmer, and that warmth floated upward naturally, leaving an opening. The cold air drifted into the opening, creating the first hints of wind. Sarette strengthened the wind with magic, to start a reaction that would keep the cold air flying farther than it would have on its own. The force of her windstorm pushed back against the massive rainstorm in that one small area, countering the winds which had been blowing outward. It wasn¡¯t enough to stop the waves, which carried energy from miles and miles of wind, but it lessened their power just a bit. Sarette kept it up for as long as she could, to give the ship as much time as possible, but when she felt herself losing strength, she dove back down toward the Peregrine. She¡¯d gotten better at landing, but she hadn¡¯t mastered it yet and the ship was a smaller target than usual. She missed the deck and slammed against the side of the ship, her head bouncing off the planking. She plunged into the ocean, the waves spinning her around as she tried to recover from the collision. It was too dark to see through the water. She couldn¡¯t figure out which way was up, or which direction would lead her back to the ship. It was all she could do to remember to hold her breath. With her clothing wet, it became harder and harder to move, but before she had time to panic, a rush of force shot up from beneath her, lifting her up out of the waves on a column of water. Shavala. Sarette wiped the water out of her eyes, blinking as she tried to get her bearings while perched on top of the unsteady pillar. She took to the sky again just long enough to hop over to the ship, then wrapped an arm around the jiggermast rigging and took deep gasping breaths. The bow raised as the ship hit a tall wave head on, then dropped sharply just before the next one hit, water splashing across the prow. ¡°Throw out the sea anchor!¡± Valen shouted. The sea anchor turned out to not be an anchor at all, but a large piece of sailcloth tied over a frame of wooden poles. Attached to a long rope, it was tossed into the sea from the bow of the ship. Sarette didn¡¯t try to figure out what it was used for¡ªher mind was too foggy to concentrate on anything. ¡°We¡¯re through the worst of it,¡± Shavala told her. Sarette didn¡¯t reply. It didn¡¯t seem important enough to say anything. ¡°Sarette?¡± Shavala said. ¡°Look at me! Wake up! I think you need Treya.¡± Treya? That sounded like a good idea. Treya would make things better. She didn¡¯t remember anything after that. Book 4: Chapter Twelve The clouds broke the next day before the ship made port. The Peregrine¡¯s crew had jury-rigged a temporary replacement for the upper mainmast, using a spare yardarm to reinforce the section of the mast that hadn¡¯t fallen overboard, and they¡¯d made good time on the last leg of their journey. The sun was shining while the group disembarked and made plans. The others went to find an inn with enough room for everyone, but Treya¡¯s first stop was at the Three Orders chapter house. ¡°Mother Ola?¡± she said, peering into the old woman¡¯s office. Ola¡¯s face lit up with a wide smile. ¡°Treya!¡± she said, standing up from the desk to hug her and welcome her in. ¡°I got used to you stopping by more often. We¡¯ve missed you here.¡± Treya managed to hide her surprise. She and Mother Ola had never been particularly close¡ªOla had been unhappy with Treya¡¯s decision to join the Order of Mystics, and Treya had unfairly blamed the woman for bringing her from Four Roads to Tyrsall. ¡°I¡¯m happy to be back,¡± she said. ¡°How was your trip to Cordaea?¡± ¡°We found Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°Is that the place you were searching for? The lost city?¡± Mother Ola had come from the Order of Scholars, but even amongst scholars, the ancient Tirs weren¡¯t a common subject of study. And, in truth, the scholars in the Three Orders were mostly teachers rather than historians. ¡°Yes,¡± Treya said. ¡°We found what we were looking for. An entire city inside a mountain, like the dwarves build. It wasn¡¯t even in ruins¡ªmost of it was intact. We earned some coin on the trip; I¡¯ll be able to make a donation to the Orders before I leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s always appreciated,¡± Mother Ola said. ¡°We have more girls to take care of than ever, and the king has asked us to set up a school for orphaned boys who are too young to be taken in as apprentices. He and the duke have both offered funding, but you know how that goes. It always costs more than you think it will. But you said you¡¯re leaving? How long are you here for?¡± ¡°At least a few days, maybe more, but then we¡¯re heading to Four Roads.¡± Treya quickly explained their plan to draw out Rusol¡¯s forces without endangering another village. ¡°I see,¡± Ola said. ¡°I¡¯ve sent messages to Mother Idra at Highfell, but I may have been too circumspect with my questions. She hasn¡¯t noticed anything wrong, and I didn¡¯t want to risk mentioning King Marten¡¯s concubine in case Idra passed along my concerns. I wrote to the concubine myself¡ªher name is Sharra¡ªbut it was just a simple greeting. I¡¯ve corresponded with her before, but it¡¯s been years, so I wished her well and asked her how things were going. She replied, but her letter was as uninformative as my own.¡± ¡°Thank you for trying,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯ll let Corec know. Has Shana returned yet?¡± ¡°Not to Tyrsall, but I was able to get a message to her. She¡¯d taken a job in Chondor¡ªsomething about recovering stolen jewels. Then she spent some time at her old chapter house in Abildgard. She¡¯s on her way to Highfell now to see if she can get any more information out of Idra.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s necessary,¡± Treya said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for you to go to so much trouble.¡± Highfell was a long way from Abildgard. ¡°Well, with you in Cordaea, I told her it wasn¡¯t urgent. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take other jobs along the way, as she always does. I don¡¯t have any way to get a message to her now unless she stops somewhere in Matagor or Larso for a while and sends a pigeon. She¡¯s already passed through South Corner, and there isn¡¯t another chapter house until she reaches Highfell. The Matagor chapter house has been delayed again¡ªthey have their own concubine schools there, and their own orphanage system, so they¡¯re trying to keep us out.¡± Treya nodded. Shana had gone most of the way already, so it didn¡¯t make sense to try to find her and stop her. And perhaps she¡¯d learn something in Highfell. Ola suddenly held up a finger. ¡°Oh, I believe we have some letters for you,¡± she said, going over to a wall of shelves labeled with rows of names of various Sisters who received their correspondence at the chapter house. ¡°Yes, something from Enna, and then four letters for your Corec of House Tarwen, but addressed to you.¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Have you become a concubine without telling me? I see you¡¯ve got some new jewelry.¡± Treya felt herself blush. ¡°He¡¯s just a friend, but he needed somewhere to receive letters here in Tyrsall. We found the bracelets in Tir Yadar.¡± The silver cuffs were too plain to be a gift from an admirer, but they were the first jewelry Treya had ever worn in her life, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise Ola would notice. And maybe there was something to learn from the woman¡¯s hints. It could be worthwhile to forge a link between Corec and the Three Orders. He liked to pretend he was still just a caravan guard, but being a warden had changed him¡ªhad changed them all¡ªeven if he didn¡¯t want to admit it. On top of that, he was a trained knight, as well as the son of a baron and a Three Orders concubine. Yelena and Hildra both held positions of influence, informal as they might be. It was reasonable to assume that Corec might one day as well, if he ever cared to. If he allied himself with the Three Orders, it could help him navigate future difficulties, and hopefully prevent any other issues such as the one with Prince Rusol. Judging by the seals, three of Corec¡¯s letters¡ªeach addressed in a different hand¡ªwere from his family. The fourth letter was addressed more plainly, and just to Corec, without any house name. The wax holding it closed didn¡¯t have an imprint of an official seal. ¡°I¡¯ll take these to him, then come back,¡± Treya said. ¡°I want to catch up with Kelis and Nina before supper.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be needing a room then? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll have to be one of the guest rooms this time. When we didn¡¯t see you for so long, I finally reassigned your room to two of the older students.¡± Treya had enough coin now that she could easily afford to stay at an inn, but it would be strange to come to Tyrsall and not stay at the chapter house. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay here, if I could.¡± Ola smiled. ¡°Of course you can. This is your home.¡± # Corec had worried Dot wouldn¡¯t remember him, but it was clear his fears were unfounded. It was equally clear the horse wasn¡¯t going to forgive him anytime soon for leaving her behind for so long. She¡¯d refused to follow when he¡¯d tried to lead her, and only Shavala¡¯s intervention had convinced her to come along. After helping the others get the animals situated, Corec and Katrin went for a stroll around the inner city to stretch their legs after being cooped up on the ship for so long. They ended their walk at a teahouse just across from the inn. ¡°Are you going to sing tonight?¡± he asked after the tea had been poured. Katrin hadn¡¯t played her music much toward the end of their time in Cordaea, since the only people who could understand the words to her songs were the ones who¡¯d come along with them on the expedition, and they¡¯d all heard each one dozens of times over. She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seems silly to sing for coppers when we have gold coming soon. I know the gold won¡¯t last forever, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s worth just playing in inns and taverns. And it¡¯s not like I can spend all day busking the way Anise does, not while we¡¯re traveling.¡± ¡°Do you want to sing? Ignoring the money, would you play tonight if you could?¡± She looked thoughtful. ¡°It would be good to play for real again, but not at the Fin and Blade. I don¡¯t like the common room there. Besides, I need to get back into practice first. I think I¡¯ll work on that while we¡¯re here.¡± Before Corec could respond, Treya came in the door and headed for their table. ¡°Leena said I could find you here,¡± she said. ¡°I spoke to Mother Ola about Prince Rusol, and these came to the chapter house while we were away.¡± She handed over a stack of letters. ¡°I think some of them are from your family.¡± Corec nodded, recognizing the seal and the handwriting on three of them. ¡°What did you find out?¡± ¡°Nothing, really. Mother Ola wrote to the Highfell chapter house and to the prince¡¯s mother, but she didn¡¯t learn anything new.¡± ¡°His mother?¡± ¡°She was careful about what she said.¡± ¡°Will you pass along my thanks?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Treya said. Katrin convinced her to join them while Corec opened the letter he didn¡¯t recognize. It proved to be from Mama Wenna at the boarding house in Four Roads, telling him she¡¯d received the payment he¡¯d sent for his room. He¡¯d done that before sailing to Cordaea, though, and he hadn¡¯t realized how long they¡¯d be gone. He hadn¡¯t sent enough. But, he supposed, even if Mama Wenna had rented the room out to someone else, she would have saved his things. He¡¯d just have to make things right with her when he saw her again. The proprietor of the shop returned to pour a cup of hot tea for Treya, then left the three of them alone again. Corec glanced down at the other letters with a sigh. ¡°I suppose I should see what my father has to say.¡± He broke the wax seal and opened the page. Son, I don¡¯t know when this letter will find its way to you, since you said you¡¯d be sailing east. Your questions, however, have given me some cause for concern. You ask if there would be any problems if you visit home, yet neglect to mention what sort of problems you might be expecting. As I noted in our previous correspondence, Priest Calwell has been reassigned away from Tarwen Village, so let us hope we can avoid that bit of unpleasantness again. If there is something else you wish to know, you¡¯ll have to be more plain in your speech. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As for Prince Rusol¡¯s mercenary army, we no longer have hillfolk mercenaries traipsing through our valley on their way to the capital. His Royal Highness has personally assured me that recruiting has come to an end. Isabel was delighted to hear that you are planning a trip home, but dismayed to learn it will be delayed by the journey you are undertaking to Cordaea. She is eager for your visit. On to other matters. I was surprised to discover you¡¯d found a concubine in Tyrsall. I trust this means your fortunes have improved. I was worried you¡¯d remain a caravan guard forever. I¡¯ll look forward to hearing of your new endeavors, as well as your visit to foreign shores, whether by letter or in person. Your father, Ansel, Baron of Tarwen Corec set the letter down and rubbed at his temples. ¡°Apparently my family thinks Treya is my concubine. I suppose I should have given them more of an explanation in my last letter.¡± Katrin snickered. ¡°Mother Ola asked me about that too,¡± Treya said. ¡°She wondered why I was receiving mail for you.¡± ¡°Ahh, well, sorry about that. I hope it didn¡¯t cause any problems. Isabel wrote too¡ªmy father¡¯s wife. I hope she doesn¡¯t make a big deal out of it.¡± He unfolded Isabel¡¯s letter. Dearest Corec, it began. He skipped over all the pleasantries and the bits of news about the family and the servants and the village. Isa was prone to writing long letters. Finally, after a paragraph describing an accident with a runaway wagon that had resulted in the loss of two oxen belonging to a family he¡¯d never even heard of before, he found what he was looking for. I was delighted to hear you¡¯ve taken a concubine¡ªand from the Three Orders, no less! If only Moira was around to see it. I know she would have been so very proud! Please do bring this Treya of yours with you when you visit so we can all meet her. And you¡¯ll be able to meet Branth¡¯s Marisa as well. She¡¯s a wonderful young woman who¡¯s brought new life to the family, though not in the literal sense just yet. She feels Branth should have an official heir before she gives him a child, yet Branth refuses to consider any potential marriage matches. I¡¯m truly looking forward to your visit. I¡¯m ashamed to say that when the time comes, Toman will most likely remain at the Tammerly estate to avoid you. I only wish you boys had been able to get over the awkwardness of your younger years, the way you and Branth have. I do have some hope, however, that you and your father might finally be able to make peace with each other. Will you please consider again giving up that silly magic of yours so you can return home permanently? Whatever could you be up to in the free lands and Tyrsall that¡¯s more important than family? You are always in my thoughts, Isabel, Lady Tarwen ¡°I suppose it was pointless to hope she wouldn¡¯t get excited about it,¡± Corec said, handing the letter to Katrin. ¡°I¡¯ll have to break it to her gently. If I tell her you and I are getting married, she might forgive me about not having a concubine. I should probably do that in person rather than by letter. After we¡¯ve found a place to settle, I¡¯ll have to make a quick trip home.¡± He opened Branth¡¯s letter last. It was short and to the point. Brother, Cordaea? Why Cordaea? You¡¯d never get me on a sailing ship. I like solid land beneath my feet. I suppose Father and Mother have already told you about Marisa, and I know Father has mentioned the dairy farm I¡¯ve started. It¡¯s seen some small success already, though I won¡¯t bore you with the details. When are you planning to come home? Toman¡¯s turned into a royal arse, and I could use some decent company for a change. Just beware, Mother¡¯s constantly haranguing me about getting married. If she gets you within arrow¡¯s distance, you¡¯ll be on the chopping block as well. Best of luck, little brother. Branth Tarwen Corec chuckled. Branth was the only member of his family who hadn¡¯t grown awkward around him after learning he was a mage. Seeing him might make the visit bearable. ¡°Should I go with you?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°Yes. Maybe you both should, so I can explain the mixup. They¡¯ll want to know who Treya is, and why I was having my mail sent to her.¡± Treya said, ¡°Or you could take an actual concubine. Wouldn¡¯t that make them happier?¡± Katrin furrowed her brow. ¡°Before we¡¯re married? I think we should wait.¡± Corec blinked. That wasn¡¯t the argument he¡¯d expected her to make. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really planning on looking for a concubine anyway,¡± he said. Treya shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look right now. There¡¯s a chapter house in Four Roads.¡± Katrin hid a grin behind her teacup. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d need a concubine in Four Roads,¡± Corec said. He¡¯d never considered the idea before, and he wasn¡¯t sure what Katrin¡¯s reaction meant. Sometimes she joked when she was uncomfortable about something. ¡°The mayor and most of the rich merchants have concubines,¡± Treya said. ¡°Four Roads doesn¡¯t have much in the way of high society, but we¡¯ll still need to maintain good relations, especially if we could be attacked at any time. You¡¯re hiring a dozen guardsmen, which will put you in charge of the largest armed force in the area, so we¡¯ll need to stay involved with the city government. Do you remember the drake? If there are local armed guards and mages, they¡¯ll call on us for that sort of thing rather than hiring mercenaries.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more complicated than I was thinking,¡± Corec admitted. ¡°I should have paid more attention to my tutors back home.¡± It sounded a lot like how Yelena and Hildra interacted with the people around them. ¡°That¡¯s what a concubine will help you with. She¡¯ll get to know everyone through the other concubines, and keep up the network of correspondence you and I have been talking about.¡± ¡°But you were going to do that.¡± ¡°We can work together. I¡¯ll keep in touch with people here¡ªlike Renny, so you and Ellerie can continue your relationship with the Senshall Trading Company. You might need to work with them again someday.¡± Katrin whispered something in Treya¡¯s ear. Treya shrugged, looking uncomfortable. ¡°We don¡¯t have to decide right away,¡± Katrin said to Corec. ¡°Treya was already going to do most of those things, so we can talk about it again after we¡¯re married.¡± Corec nodded. That would give him time to figure out how Katrin really felt about the idea. # Yassi sighed at the image in her scrying orb¡ªrows of ships at port. She couldn¡¯t hold back the information any longer. She found Rusol in their private sitting room, practicing some sort of odd exercise with his elder magic. He poured water into a ceramic bowl, then concentrated for a moment to heat it until it started to boil. Then he summoned a gust of wind out of nowhere, blowing the hot liquid up out of the bowl in an arc toward the fireplace, but freezing it before it got there. The result was almost like snowing indoors. If it had been anyone else doing it, the sight would have delighted Yassi. ¡°You wanted to know when the newest warden was back in Aravor,¡± she said, interrupting him. The warden had been hidden from Yassi¡¯s viewings for weeks, apparently behind wards that blocked Seeing, but he¡¯d been coming steadily west ever since. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°Tyrsall, I think. A city with a port.¡± Rusol nodded. ¡°Let me know if he stops anywhere. I¡¯m not going to waste time sending hunters to chase him all around the globe. I¡¯d rather find another warden who stays in one place. You haven¡¯t had any luck with the stoneborn woman or Emperor Kono?¡± He¡¯d learned those bits of information from Leonis during their meetings at Northtower. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that,¡± she reminded him. ¡°I¡¯m not a Seeker. I can¡¯t just See everything I want to see. We were lucky to find two of them so quickly.¡± Even finding out that Kono was emperor of the seaborn people hadn¡¯t helped. The imperial palace¡ªif it could be called that¡ªwasn¡¯t blocked from Yassi¡¯s view, but she hadn¡¯t been able to find anyone who had the markings of a warden or a bondmate. Rusol grunted. ¡°At least you had better luck with the new wizards. I heard back from one of them this morning. He¡¯s reluctant to cross the border because of the Church, but he didn¡¯t turn me down completely. I¡¯m going to send another letter doubling my original offer, and promising we won¡¯t do anything to raise the Church¡¯s suspicions.¡± Wizards were common in Matagor, and before Rusol had told her she could stop looking, Yassi had found seven of them that hired out their services. It had taken longer for Rusol to decide how to approach them, finally deciding to send letters under a fake identity, a wealthy merchant who lived in Telfort but who was hiring wizards to aid his business ventures in Westport, where magic wasn¡¯t illegal. Yassi schooled her expression, trying to hold back tears. She¡¯d just doomed another mage to a life of slavery, as either a bondmate or a hunter. It didn¡¯t really matter which¡ªboth choices would take away the fellow¡¯s ability to lead his own life as he saw fit. Before she had to come up with a response, there was a wailing shriek from next door. The royal apartments. Yassi exchanged a worried glance with Rusol, forgetting in that instant just how much she hated him, and then she followed him as he sprinted for the door. By the time they reached the hall, the royal guards stationed outside the king¡¯s chambers had already flung the door open and run inside, their weapons drawn. Yassi and Rusol were close behind. King Marten was sprawled face down across a rug in the center of his sitting room, not moving. A wine glass had fallen next to him, the last few drops spilling out onto the rug. Queen Merice was kneeling over him, still screaming incomprehensibly. ¡°Find Magnus!¡± Rusol snapped at one of the guards. The man ran off. Merice¡¯s shouting turned to sobs. ¡°No no no no no!¡± she managed to say. ¡°He¡¯s not breathing! Make him breathe!¡± Rusol grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. ¡°What happened?¡± he demanded. ¡°He ¡­ he ¡­ he said he missed Rikard, so I put some of my medicine in his wine, just like Sharra and Yassi do when I miss him. He¡¯s been away for so long!¡± Yassi¡¯s blood went cold. ¡°Marten!¡± Sharra exclaimed as she ran into the apartment. She rushed to him and laid her palm over the back of his neck, then whirled on Merice. ¡°I heard you from the hall, you stupid old whore. How much did you give him?¡± ¡°Th ¡­ th ¡­ three drams, like always!¡± Merice said through her tears. ¡°You idiot! You killed him!¡± Sharra advanced on the queen. ¡°No no no no no!¡± Merice repeated, scrambling backward. Rusol stepped between the two of them, holding his mother off from attacking the other woman. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he demanded. ¡°We have to be careful with the dosage,¡± Yassi explained. That was what Sharra had always told her. ¡°The queen has been taking the medicine for five years. She needs a lot more now than she did at the beginning. But we never told her that. She only ever sees how much we give her.¡± Merice had crouched down, her face in her hands, as she shook her head wildly from side to side. ¡°She¡¯s a murderer!¡± Sharra shouted, trying to get around Rusol. ¡°Arrest her!¡± she told the remaining guardsman. ¡°No!¡± Rusol said, taking an unsteady breath. ¡°She was just trying to help.¡± He looked down at his father. ¡°Yassi, help me turn him over. I¡¯ll try healing him while we wait for Magnus. He should be ¡­ Father will be fine.¡± What was he talking about? Rusol wasn¡¯t a priest; he couldn¡¯t heal anyone. He¡¯d given her an order, though, and she had to obey. Despite his words, Rusol seemed nervous about touching Marten, but he grasped the king¡¯s shoulders while Yassi held his hip, and together, they managed to turn him over onto his back. And then they saw what Sharra had seen¡ªMarten¡¯s face was tinged with blue, and bloody foam was leaking from the side of his mouth. Rusol sat down on the floor with a thump. Yassi looked away from the body, finding herself staring at her husband, who seemed unable to pull his gaze away from his father. Merice peeked at Marten¡¯s body, then hid her face again, sobbing more loudly than before. Sharra glared at the queen, but there were no tears in the concubine¡¯s eyes. They all stayed in that frozen tableau, waiting for Magnus to arrive, everyone knowing he would be too late and would just confirm what Sharra had said. Yassi¡¯s stomach felt like a bottomless pit. What would happen next? She could see in her mind the priest coming in and telling them what they already knew, but then what? Someone would have to deal with the body. For the death of a king, there would be rituals to follow. Cardinal Aldrich would know what to do. Would someone remember to tell him? What would happen to Queen Merice? Or was she Queen Mother Merice now? No, that wasn¡¯t right¡ªshe wasn¡¯t Rusol¡¯s mother. And Rusol hadn¡¯t been crowned king yet anyway. Rusol would be king. The pit in Yassi¡¯s stomach grew deeper. Would he be up to the task? He didn¡¯t have his father¡¯s intellect or experience. Nor did he have his compassion. Though compassion was an odd word to apply to Marten. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say he¡¯d had a practical understanding of reality. What about Sharra? What happened to a concubine when her patron died? Would she tell everyone Merice was responsible for Marten¡¯s death? What was the penalty for regicide? Was it still regicide if it was an accident? Random thoughts flitted through Yassi¡¯s mind as she tried to avoid looking at the dead man. She¡¯d liked Marten. He¡¯d been kind to her, unknowing of the worst of his son¡¯s excesses. Perhaps he should have known, but she couldn¡¯t fault him. He¡¯d been too busy being the king. Yassi would be queen. A title she didn¡¯t want. Marten had always believed Larso was made up of different factions just waiting for any excuse to descend into chaos, and that it was his duty to preserve the stability of the kingdom. Yassi had once considered the political situation in Larso to be like a slow-moving avalanche. Was it about to pick up speed? It seemed to take forever for Magnus to get to the royal apartments, and after that, everything was a blur. Book 4: Chapter Thirteen Ellerie accompanied Marco to Varsin Senshall¡¯s spacious mansion in central Tyrsall. She¡¯d never been there before¡ªthe previous meetings had been at the company¡¯s plain and utilitarian main building. Varsin himself welcomed them inside. ¡°Your Exalted Highness,¡± he said with a practiced bow, ¡°welcome back. We were pleased to hear of your success.¡± ¡°That title isn¡¯t necessary,¡± she said. Leena had warned her that the investors had learned of her identity. ¡°I left Terevas to pursue my own interests. Exalted or Lady Ellerie if you must, but I¡¯d prefer if you¡¯d just call me by my name.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that, Lady Ellerie,¡± Varsin said. ¡°The Senshall Trading Company has dealings with your family.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell my mother and sister of the great help you¡¯ve provided in my endeavors. Perhaps there might be additional opportunities for you in Terevas in the future.¡± Putting in a good word wouldn¡¯t take any effort on Ellerie¡¯s part, and she doubted her mother cared which human trading houses carried di¡¯Valla goods. ¡°I would be personally grateful,¡± Varsin said. ¡°Corec Tarwen isn¡¯t joining us today?¡± ¡°He¡¯s making arrangements for the next stage of our journey.¡± In truth, Ellerie wanted to handle the final negotiations herself. Given Corec¡¯s history with the company and his status as the son of a baron, the Senshall brothers tended to treat him as an equal partner in the expedition. Ellerie envied Corec¡¯s ability to fraternize with near-strangers, but the expedition was her responsibility for one more day and she wanted to complete the last task on her own. Varsin nodded. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get started then.¡± He led Ellerie and Marco to a formal dining room. ¡°Lady Ellerie, I trust you remember my brother Burton and my concubine, Renny.¡± Burton bowed and Renny curtseyed. ¡°Lady Ellerie,¡± they both said, taking their cue from Varsin on how to address her. Ellerie returned the greetings, and then everyone sat down to look through the contract Marco had worked up. He¡¯d managed to get scribes to make several copies overnight. Burton was the first to speak. ¡°Lady Ellerie, Marco spoke to us yesterday about the deal you¡¯ve suggested. Before we accept, I¡¯d like to ask how much effort this shaping magic takes. You¡¯ve provided costs for the materials, but what else is involved?¡± Ellerie stood and drew her new rapier from its scabbard, holding it out across her palms so everyone could see. The blade was made of fortisteel, and the basket hilt was constructed of silversteel. It wasn¡¯t ornate, but it was perfectly balanced and much stronger than her previous weapon. ¡°After I¡¯d learned the spells and figured out the formulae, it took me another two months to master metal-shaping enough to make this. The trick is to use a mould. The shaping depends on constant concentration¡ªif you let the mould handle the bulk of the work, then you can focus your attention on the finer details, like making sure it comes out sharp. This took me five hours to make, three for the hilt and two for the blade.¡± The investors glanced at each other and gave small nods. ¡°Thank you,¡± Varsin said. ¡°I believe we¡¯d like to move forward with the arrangement. However, in the region you requested for yourself, we would prefer not to give up Terrillia. The wood elves are some of our largest customers for iron and steel, for both ingots and finished goods.¡± Ellerie considered that. She¡¯d only included Terrillia in her request because the Terril Forest extended as far as the free lands. She wasn¡¯t opposed to altering the agreement. The dorvasta might want to purchase shaped metal goods, but metal-shaping by itself wouldn¡¯t bring in much profit. The materials cost too much. Stone-shaping was more likely to be profitable, but the dorvasta wouldn¡¯t be interested in that. They built very few stone structures, mostly just crafting wooden homes and work spaces along the trunks of the tershaya trees. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to take Stone Home in place of Terrillia,¡± she said. She couldn¡¯t just give them something for nothing. Varsin glanced at his brother, who shrugged. ¡°Northern Aravor is your territory,¡± Burton said. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Stone Home has a larger population, but the dwarves have always refused to buy metals from us,¡± Varsin replied. ¡°And Terrillia is much closer to our mining and smelting operations.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re agreed?¡± Ellerie asked. She¡¯d only left Stone Home out of her initial request because she didn¡¯t want to seem greedy. ¡°Terrillia for Stone Home, yes,¡± Varsin said. ¡°You also requested the free lands. Which part, specifically?¡± ¡°The central region. I¡¯m not including the northern plains or ogre territory.¡± The central free lands included Four Roads and South Corner, some of the largest towns in the area. Ogre territory and the northern plains were sometimes considered to be part of the free lands since they had no centralized governments, but settlements in those areas were too far away and scattered to bother with. ¡°And the terms?¡± Burton asked. ¡°No stone-shaping outside our respective regions, and no sales of metal-shaped items outside our borders?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°If you want to set up shop in Dalewood, I can¡¯t stop you.¡± Dalewood fell on Tyrsall¡¯s border, right at the eastern edge of the free lands. Varsin chuckled. ¡°I doubt Dalewood would provide sufficient business, but I take your point. We¡¯ll sell within our regions, but we won¡¯t worry about who¡¯s doing the buying.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Have you decided to purchase the rights yourselves, or sell them to the company?¡± ¡°The three of us will buy the rights,¡± Renny, the concubine, said. ¡°In truth, we don¡¯t need the money. Bringing in a new business is more important, especially one that has such potential for growth.¡± The brothers had waited for her to answer, which suggested she¡¯d either guided them toward the decision or had been the tie-breaking vote. Ellerie nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve copied the book for you, both the spells and the formulae, and I¡¯ve translated all of the procedures into trade tongue. I can bring that here tomorrow.¡± ¡°There was a second spell book, wasn¡¯t there?¡± Varsin asked, glancing down at his notes. ¡°It says here it¡¯s been sold for twenty gold. I take it that means it wasn¡¯t as valuable as the shaping magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a book of minor enchantment spells,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Unfortunately, casting permanent enchantments is a skill that¡¯s been mostly lost. I bought the book myself for its historical significance, but Lady Hildra negotiated to borrow it as part of her payment for the shaping magic. Leena will retrieve it for me the next time she visits the city.¡± Hildra wasn¡¯t a wizard and didn¡¯t have to study spells from spell books, but when she¡¯d copied the shaping spells, she¡¯d explained that she could read the wizard language and had occasionally managed to teach herself spells that way. Ellerie didn¡¯t mention that, though, not wanting to make the brothers curious about Hildra¡¯s interest in enchantment magic. ¡°Ahh, yes, Leena,¡± Burton said. ¡°That¡¯s a very handy skill she has. Please let her know that if she¡¯s willing to come work for the Senshall Trading Company, we¡¯d like to double the previous offer Marco made. That would be ¡­ what was it, Marco? Eight? So we would like to offer sixteen silver per day.¡± That was an incredible sum for anyone other than a wealthy merchant or a powerful wizard, so Ellerie tried to let him down easy. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s planning to take on any other work right now.¡± Burton nodded but frowned. ¡°There¡¯s got to be more of these Travelers down in Sanvar, right? Why haven¡¯t we heard about them before now? Do you think she could find someone else for us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯d listen to an offer, but I don¡¯t know if the empress will allow them to work in the north. It was only through luck that Leena signed on to the expedition. She needed to go to Cordaea, and she wasn¡¯t practiced enough at Traveling yet to do it that way.¡± Burton sighed. ¡°I suppose all we can do is ask.¡± He turned to his brother. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°The unsold inventory,¡± Varsin said. ¡°According to the manifest, we have two enchanted rings¡ªone allows the wearer to breathe underwater, and the other allows the wearer to ignore hot and cold weather. There¡¯s a lamp that provides heat rather than light, and a pair of spectacles that ¡­ this says it sees through illusion magic. Illusions are false images, yes? So this lets you see what¡¯s really there?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Hildra was more comfortable trading in weapons and armor, so we brought a few things back with us.¡± It had actually been Marco¡¯s idea, but she wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d admitted that to the brothers. In addition to trading for the tower shield, Hildra had ended up buying the stiletto, the mace, the longsword, and the small case of arrows, saying she¡¯d be able to sell them all eventually. She¡¯d found a buyer for the matched set of mage lights before the group had even left Aencyr. Varsin nodded. ¡°Magical enchantments aren¡¯t our typical stock in trade, but we do deal in rare objects on occasion. There¡¯s a wizard that helps us with that¡ªa man by the name of Deshin. If he agrees with these prices, the Senshall Trading Company is willing to purchase the items. That way, we can close out our ledger with you and the other charter members now, rather than making you wait.¡± Doing so would allow Senshall to make more of a profit by holding onto the items until they found buyers who would be willing to pay higher prices, but the arrangement would be convenient for Ellerie¡¯s friends. They wouldn¡¯t have to wait for some unknown length of time before receiving the final portion of their shares. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll do the same for the miscellaneous artifacts?¡± she asked. Marco had gathered a trove of small items¡ªmostly pottery, metal buttons and buckles, jewelry, and children¡¯s toys. Marco¡¯s treasure, as Ellerie privately thought of it, would take a long time to sell, but he had a list of contacts who were interested in historical artifacts, and Bobo had given him some names to consider in Matagor. ¡°Yes, with the exception of the two ceramic figurines¡ªthe fox and the owl,¡± Varsin said. ¡°I¡¯ll buy those myself, to commemorate the success of our venture.¡± He flipped through the final few pages of the contract. ¡°It looks like that covers everything that wasn¡¯t already accounted for. Lady Ellerie, does the rest of the list look accurate?¡± Ellerie glanced over Marco¡¯s thorough accounting, noticing a few omissions which could only have been deliberate. ¡°Yes, this seems right,¡± she said. Varsin smiled. ¡°Then as soon as Deshin has verified the last few prices, we can disburse the remaining funds. I trust you¡¯ll let us know of any further investigation you make into the ruins, and inform us when we can announce the location?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to delay any longer than necessary. I¡¯ll send you a copy of the book once it¡¯s complete.¡± ¡°I would appreciate that.¡± They made their farewells, and Ellerie gave Marco a quick tilt of her head before leaving. He followed her out. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell them about the maul or the staff,¡± she said once they¡¯d reached the courtyard, away from anyone who could overhear. ¡°Or the Mage Knights¡¯ weapons and armor.¡± The factor shrugged. ¡°Why borrow trouble? Right now, everyone¡¯s happy. You paid off the investors¡¯ loan, and they earned a great deal of money besides. They have a new business venture to keep them occupied, and they¡¯re already talking about expanding my role in the company. I don¡¯t see any reason to introduce complications. Besides, they wouldn¡¯t want to risk offending you now that they know who you are.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°You¡¯re not acting any differently now that you know.¡± She¡¯d finally told him the truth before he¡¯d met with the brothers, so he wouldn¡¯t be taken by surprise. ¡°If you¡¯d wanted me to treat you differently, you would have said something before now. Besides, you¡¯re not as rude as Duke Voss or the king were when I negotiated deals with them.¡± Ellerie couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°Thank you, Marco. I know you like your job here, but if you ever find yourself heading west, look for us. I¡¯ll be returning to Tir Yadar someday, and could use someone who knows the language and is already familiar with the work.¡± Marco quirked his lips into a small smile, one of the few she¡¯d ever seen on him. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine I¡¯ll be leaving Tyrsall again for a good long while, but I appreciate the offer.¡± They parted ways then, and Ellerie headed back to the inn with a sense of satisfaction. The expedition had been a success, and her four-year quest to find Tir Yadar was over. Now she could focus on writing her books, and let Corec deal with the headache of being in charge for a while. # ¡°Duke Voss seems happy you found that Tir you were looking for,¡± Yelena said, pulling her cloak tight around herself against the cold breeze on the promenade. ¡°He owns a small share in the Senshall Trading Company.¡± Corec hadn¡¯t realized the subject of the expedition had been discussed in the halls of the ducal palace. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to announce it right away,¡± he said. ¡°Ellerie wants to explore the city more before anyone else sees it.¡± ¡°No matter,¡± she said. ¡°Voss takes the long view. Long enough that it¡¯s time for me to move on, before he gets me involved in any more of his schemes. I¡¯ve decided on Sanvara City, but it¡¯ll take a year or so to shut down my operations here and transfer them south.¡± She stopped to watch the ships in the harbor. It had been her idea to meet on the promenade, away from the palace. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be taking on a new name?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. No one in Sanvar knows who Yelena is, and I¡¯ll be far enough away from Tyrsall that even the people I continue to correspond with won¡¯t realize I¡¯m not aging. As long as I don¡¯t run into the Tyrsallian ambassador, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I wanted to let you know that we managed to find Three in Cordaea. Or she found us.¡± ¡°Who is she?¡± Yelena asked, her demeanor changing in an instant, from casually bored to intent and alert. It made Corec wonder just how much of her behavior was an act¡ªa performance to put him at ease, perhaps, like the act she kept up to convince Duke Voss she was something other than what she truly was. ¡°That¡¯s not my secret to tell,¡± Corec said. ¡°Not unless you¡¯ll let me share your identity with her. She¡¯s willing if you are.¡± Yelena was quiet for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about that,¡± she said. ¡°Right now, you, Shayliel, and the First are the only wardens who know who I am.¡± ¡°Is the secrecy really necessary?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see why the wardens need to avoid each other. It makes more sense to work together.¡± The wardens had been allies in Ariadne¡¯s day, but Corec couldn¡¯t bring that up. Ariadne was a complicated topic. The Chosar woman didn¡¯t want to draw attention to herself, and she¡¯d decided not to speak to Yelena after learning the woman was much younger than Hildra. ¡°Work together to what purpose?¡± Yelena asked. ¡°Shayliel was friendly enough, but she never told me what she¡¯s up to, sailing all over the world the way she does. And I certainly don¡¯t trust the First¡ªI¡¯m not sure his mind is all there. You¡¯re the only one of us who goes around babbling to everyone you meet about what your plans are. Do you really see yourself working with Prince Rusol after he tried to have you killed?¡± She complained about Corec being too forthcoming, but he was already keeping secrets from her. Was he starting to become like Yelena himself? Perhaps she had good reasons for her spying and her secrets and her lies. ¡°I¡¯m not saying we all have to agree on everything, but we should be willing to talk,¡± he said. ¡°If we at least acknowledged each other¡¯s existence, maybe the problem with Rusol wouldn¡¯t have happened at all.¡± Yelena shrugged. ¡°Perhaps, but is it worth the risk? I don¡¯t know anything useful about the others. Take Rusol, for instance. My people in Matagor mentioned the mercenaries he¡¯s been recruiting, but you already knew about that. He¡¯s not well liked, but nobody can point to any particular reason why. I think it¡¯s simply because he¡¯s not his brother¡ªPrince Rikard was very popular. Rusol has been quiet since becoming the heir to the throne, and he was practically unknown prior to that. I haven¡¯t been able to learn anything about why he might want to kill another warden. He seems harmless, yet he obviously isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Razai thinks he killed his brother.¡± Yelena gave him an odd look. ¡°The demonborn woman you bonded in High Cove? I thought she disappeared.¡± ¡°The Senshall investors hired her to accompany the expedition,¡± Corec said. ¡°Oh, and the First was right¡ªThree was able to teach me how to end the warden bond. I did that for Razai.¡± ¡°Not for the others?¡± ¡°They changed their minds.¡± Yelena shook her head. ¡°That silver elf didn¡¯t seem very happy about the binding spell.¡± ¡°We get along,¡± Corec said simply. Yelena didn¡¯t need to know the details of his friendship with Ellerie. The elven woman had never actually said she¡¯d changed her mind, but she¡¯d also never asked him to end the bond. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever had something in your head telling you you¡¯re picking the right person?¡± He still felt the strangely familiar sensation from both Bobo and Ariadne, but he hadn¡¯t figured out what to do about it, or if it even meant anything. ¡°No. Well, I suppose with Venni, I had a pretty good idea from the beginning, but I still made sure to get to know her first. Perhaps you¡¯re a better judge of character than I. But remember, you¡¯ve only had a year or so with them. See how you feel a century from now.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I guess we can always go our separate ways if we need to.¡± Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t come to that. ¡°I take it there haven¡¯t been any more incidents?¡± He had to think back. Razai was the last person he¡¯d bonded unwillingly. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got it under control. But I hired Razai to check things out for me in Larso, so we reactivated the bond.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t she hate you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, but I did have to promise to end the bond again as soon as we¡¯re done. I only renewed it to make it easier to find her in case there¡¯s trouble.¡± He didn¡¯t mention Leena. She was wary of Sarlo¡ªand, by extension, Yelena¡ªafter she¡¯d realized Sarlo had been courting her to become one of Yelena¡¯s bondmates. Corec wasn¡¯t sure how Yelena would react if she learned he¡¯d bonded Leena himself. Another secret. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need me to give you advice about your friends, or your enemies, but watch your back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Corec said. ¡°Is Venni around? I thought she might come with you.¡± Yelena raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re looking to spend time with my wife?¡± He laughed. ¡°I wanted to ask if she¡¯d be willing to part with one of those old battle wizard spell books she brought from Matagor. I met someone who needs one.¡± It had turned out that Ariadne learned new arcane spells the same way wizards did. She claimed she didn¡¯t need to practice the spells she already knew, but she couldn¡¯t learn any others without a spell book. ¡°Venni will take on students from time to time, but she doesn¡¯t just give those books away. Are you training this person?¡± ¡°She¡¯s trained already, but her spell book was lost. She¡¯s willing to pay for a new one.¡± ¡°Well, Venni¡¯s out of the city right now. She, Tarsi, and Jakar are hunting imps near High Cove. We¡¯re not sure if it¡¯s a new infestation or if a group of them escaped when you fought the demons last year.¡± Corec nodded, having to stop himself from offering to help. He would be busy enough taking care of his own problems. Yelena and her bondmates were certainly capable of dealing with a few imps¡ªor even demons, if it came down to it. ¡°There was something else I learned in Cordaea,¡± he started. ¡°What do you know about warden gifts?¡± He kept his voice even, trying not to sound accusatory. Yelena had claimed she¡¯d told him everything he needed to know. ¡°Gifts? What gifts?¡± Her expression was puzzled. ¡°The First mentioned them, and Three told me more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Each warden has a gift¡ªsomething to do with their magic. I think the First¡¯s is the way he can talk to us in our dreams. That¡¯s what he hinted at, anyway. Three¡¯s gift is related to her magic, too.¡± Yelena stared at him for a moment before turning back to the bay with a thoughtful look on her face. ¡°Warding spells,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s got to be. I warded the entire city against demons, and I don¡¯t even have to renew the wards. I can just maintain them in my mind. I figured I¡¯d just never met anyone else who was really good with warding spells before, but now it makes more sense. What about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I haven¡¯t noticed anything unusual.¡± ¡°You can cast arcane spells while wearing metal armor,¡± Yelena mentioned. ¡°That¡¯s unusual.¡± That was a simple enough answer. Perhaps it was the right one. # Wolf could run faster than any normal beast could move. With his mind whole once more, and his connection to the totemic realm fully restored, he no longer even needed to take time to eat or sleep. His current quarry, however, was proving frustratingly elusive. The bird flew low to the ground, dodging trees and keeping well out of Wolf¡¯s reach. When it got too far ahead, it landed and checked behind itself to make sure he was still following. Then, just before he could catch up, it took off again. Raven, stop! he called out in his mind. Can¡¯t you hear me? The raven ignored him, flying between two trees into a large clearing, then changing directions and disappearing from sight behind the foliage. Wolf burst into the clearing, his gaze darting back and forth, but the raven was nowhere to be found. Fifty feet away, atop a short mound of earth, was a broken-down shrine in the style the humans had once used when they wished to communicate with the totems. Judging by the shrine¡¯s appearance, they no longer did so. Wolf stalked forward cautiously, sniffing the air. Just before he reached the stone structure, he felt a tug on his tail, and then a stinging sensation. He whirled around to find the bird flitting away with a tuft of his fur in its beak, as if it was a fledgling raven attempting to convince a wolf pup to play, rather than one of the oldest sentient beings in existence. Raven flew in a circle around the clearing before alighting at the top of the shrine, where there once would have been a stone carving indicating which totem it was dedicated to. The bird stared down at Wolf, its head cocked to the side as if mocking him. Raven! Wolf called again. Listen to me! Raven stayed put this time rather than flying off again. What happened? Wolf asked. I found Bear, but he couldn¡¯t speak. Where¡¯s Eagle? How long have I been gone? Raven didn¡¯t respond, but there was a hint of intelligence left in his eyes that Wolf hadn¡¯t seen in Bear¡¯s. Was it Snake? Wolf said. Did Snake do this to you? There was no answer. What was Snake up to? Why kill everyone? With Deception as his aspect, Snake had always been able to hide from any sort of scrying magic, making it harder to see how his interference would affect future probabilities. Wolf¡¯s last memory before the long darkness had come when he¡¯d been exploring northern Aravadora and had encountered a small gathering of humans conducting a strange ritual around a shrine dedicated to Snake. Wolf hadn¡¯t even been aware that there were shrines to Snake. There had been something odd about the man conducting the ritual¡ªodd, yet familiar. Before Wolf had figured out the puzzle, Snake arrived, the first time Wolf had seen his brother in centuries. Snake had tried to distract him, but when Wolf pressed him about the shrine and ritual, his brother struck without warning, taking Wolf by surprise and sinking his fangs into his neck. It was the first time any of the totems had attacked another. By the time Wolf was fully lucid again, the only thing he was certain of was that a great deal of time had passed. The world smelled different now. The same plants still grew, the same creatures still roamed, but somehow it was different. How had he returned to consciousness? It could only have been the tree-dweller who¡¯d done it. No; tree-dweller was a wolf thought. It had to be the vasta, the elven woman. As her potential futures had suggested, she must have found the Staff of Life, reestablishing its connection to the Collision. The Staff was Wolf¡¯s great pride ¡­ and his great sorrow. It had been his idea, after seeing horrific visions of the elves¡¯ future. The humans in the southern continent had begun to discover their power over the arcane magic native to the mortal realm. They would soon invent wizardry to control it, leaving the elves at a severe disadvantage once the two peoples encountered each other for the first time. So, with the help of all of his brothers except for Snake, Wolf had created the Staff of Life, using it to grant the elven people their own magic¡ªelder magic, the raw power of nature, the magic of the Collision itself. And, to ensure they used that magic wisely, it had granted them the tree bond, allowing them to live in harmony with each other and their world. Wolf¡¯s plan worked. The vasta druids, now the masters of elder magic, used the Staff and their own powers to manage and cultivate their lands and forests, forming a nation that would face the humans on even terms. When the human kingdoms built ships and sailed north for the first time, the two peoples became allies rather than enemies, stronger together than either were alone. Unfortunately, nothing lasted forever. The druid warden Iris, ashamed of what her people did to the Chosar during the Second Demon War, delivered the Staff to the new Chosar leaders for safekeeping. The other wardens discovered the secret the elves had kept from them¡ªthat it was possible to combine the different magics together into more powerful spells. Eventually, that led their researchers to question the warden bond, and the way it anchored itself to something that couldn¡¯t be seen. Inventing a new sort of mage sight, they¡¯d followed the bond beyond the mortal realm to its origin in the Collision. What they learned that day had later led them to their ill-fated attempt to destabilize the realms. They hadn¡¯t understood the truth behind the Collision¡ªthey¡¯d simply seen the conjunction of magics as a source of power they could take for themselves. But the Burning and the wardens weren¡¯t a problem for today. After Owl¡¯s death and the abrupt appearance of the new gods, who¡¯d soon learned to cross into the totemic realm at will, Wolf and his brothers had taken a step back from any major interference in the mortal realm. They hadn¡¯t wished to precipitate further disasters. So what had Snake been doing that day? If I came back, why didn¡¯t you? Wolf asked Raven. If the connection to the Collision was reestablished, shouldn¡¯t Raven have felt it as well? What else could Wolf do? Where is Eagle? Where is Deer? ¡°Dead!¡± Raven squawked. ¡°Dead! Find fawx! Find fawx!¡± Fox? Fox was all that was left to stand against Snake? Sure, Fox was Cunning, but he was also flighty and irresponsible, easily tempted by distractions. Fox was low on the list of beings Wolf would trust with anything important. Did he have a choice, though? If Fox was the only one left, wishing otherwise wouldn¡¯t make it so. Wolf gave Raven a grateful nod, then turned and loped away, not even sure yet where he was going. He scanned through future probabilities, trying to calculate the most optimal path. Wisdom was dead, but perhaps Cunning and Discovery, working together, could devise an answer. Book 4: Chapter Fourteen The bolt hit slightly to the right of the target¡¯s center. Corec lowered the weapon, frowning at his aim. It was one of three new crossbows he¡¯d bought, adding to the one he¡¯d taken to Cordaea but never used. He¡¯d need more later if his plans worked out, but four was enough to start with. ¡°Ah, Corec, this isn¡¯t really necessary, is it?¡± He turned to find Bobo behind him, awkwardly cradling another of the weapons in his arms. ¡°If you¡¯re coming with us, I want to make sure you can protect yourself,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m coming along so Ellerie and I can write our books,¡± Bobo said. ¡°You know what we¡¯re likely to be facing. Boktar and Razai said they couldn¡¯t have handled those warrior priests without you. The Church of Pallisur has war priests, too. If Rusol has any sway over the Order, we¡¯ll see more of them.¡± ¡°That was the magic, really,¡± the other man replied. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°You have to learn to work with the magic,¡± Corec said. ¡°And you have to learn to defend yourself without it. You said yourself that you weren¡¯t sure whether you¡¯d be able to do it again.¡± Bobo got a shifty look on his face. ¡°I did say that, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°A crossbow is easy. You cock it, load it, aim it, and pull the trigger. It¡¯s either this or another lesson on how to use that cudgel of yours. Now, once it¡¯s loaded, be sure to never point the bow at anyone you don¡¯t want to kill¡ª¡± Corec peered around the other man and raised his voice. ¡°Nedley, cock it with the stirrup or sit down and use your feet! It takes too long to do it like that!¡± Nedley, who¡¯d braced the butt of his crossbow against his stomach as he attempted to pull back on the string, grimaced and pointed the weapon against the ground instead, stepping into the stirrup to hold it down. Corec caught Bobo¡¯s eye and pointed at Nedley. Bobo got the message and copied the boy¡¯s movements. Corec stood back to watch the two practice. He¡¯d learned to use crossbows at Fort Hightower, but had never had much use for them in the past¡ªthey were best suited for surprise attacks, defending a position, or waging war. He¡¯d spent his time as a caravan guard. When a caravan was ambushed, events happened too quickly to try to load a crossbow. Now, though, he¡¯d be looking for a location near Four Roads that could be easily defended, and crossbows were the best tool to aid in that defense. He hoped to hire a couple of hunters to serve as scouts and longbowmen, but the longbow took years to master. The crossbow would be a better choice for the other guardsmen. His preparations were about more than just arming the guards, though. The battle at Tir Yadar had proved that the group couldn¡¯t hope to just continue blundering their way through any enemies they happened to encounter. Magic had saved them in the past, but Rusol was a warden too, and he had more experience at it. They¡¯d be lucky if they were evenly matched against Rusol and his mages¡ªand that wasn¡¯t counting the red-eyes or Rusol¡¯s mercenary army, much less the regular army and the Church. Corec would have to learn to use both magic and traditional forces effectively in battle. Defending a fortified position would help, but he had to hope Rusol would stick to smaller attacks long enough for Razai to figure out what the man was up to. Bobo managed to hit his hay bale target on his first attempt¡ªthough just barely, and only because he was standing just twenty feet away. The head of the bolt embedded itself into the straw in the upper-right corner of the bale. ¡°See?¡± Corec said. ¡°I told you it was easy. Try again, and later, I¡¯ll show you how to adjust for distance and wind.¡± Bobo muttered something under his breath as he stepped into the stirrup to cock the weapon once more. Beyond him, Nedley had just launched his third bolt at his own hay bale, and grinned widely when it hit close to the center. ¡°Good job, Ned,¡± Corec said. ¡°Now, keep cocking it until you can do it smoothly. Make sure to load and fire it every time. Never release the trigger without a bolt loaded or you¡¯ll damage the mechanism.¡± Bobo was pointing his own crossbow at the hay bale once more. The weapon shook a bit in his hands, but holding it steady would come with practice. As he took aim, the bolt began to glow with a white light. He pulled the trigger. There was a loud twang and the bolt shot off, careening against the right side of the bale before embedding itself several inches deep into the stone rear wall of the inn. Corec stared at it. The fortisteel tips were strong, but they weren¡¯t that strong. ¡°Look at that,¡± Bobo said with a knowing grin. ¡°I guess I remembered how to use magic after all.¡± Corec sighed under his breath. Bobo always seemed to be hinting at something when he talked about his divine blessings, but if Corec asked, the other man would just brush off his questions. It was easier to ignore him. ¡°Good. Now do it again without magic.¡± ¡°But I thought you wanted me to ¡­¡± Bobo trailed off, a confused expression on his face. ¡°Pallisur¡¯s war priests train for years alongside the knights,¡± Corec said. ¡°Some of them were knights before they were blessed. You¡¯ve got a long way to go, so let¡¯s get started. The first thing we need to do is make sure you can hit what you¡¯re aiming at ¡­¡± # Udit shoveled the last of his spicy chicken and rice onto a piece of flatbread and stuffed it into his mouth, barely stopping to chew. ¡°I¡¯m finished!¡± he said. ¡°Can I go play?¡± Leena hid a smile. She shouldn¡¯t encourage bad manners, but it was good to see her brother so happy and active. He¡¯d had a difficult time after their parents had died. ¡°Your sister just got here,¡± Grandmother Aruna said. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen her in weeks. You should stay and visit.¡± Leena hadn¡¯t risked Traveling home while she¡¯d been on board the ship, worried she wouldn¡¯t be able to return to a moving target. She¡¯d considered simply staying in Sanvar for the duration of the voyage, but three or four weeks in her family¡¯s camp might have drawn the attention of the snake cultists. Plus, she didn¡¯t want to be away from Ellerie for that long, though she hadn¡¯t mentioned their relationship to her family yet. Udit¡¯s face fell. He was at an age where spending time with friends and cousins closer to his own age was more important than a polite chat with his adult sister. ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Leena said. ¡°We have some things to talk about with Pavan.¡± The Traveler had arrived right at suppertime, and they¡¯d insisted he eat with them. Udit glanced back at Aruna, who frowned but nodded. ¡°Thanks, Leena!¡± he said, then stood up from his cushion and hurried out of the large tent. ¡°So, then, you have news, Pavan?¡± Rohav asked. With his wife dead, killed by the cultists, he often took meals with Aruna or with the families of his grown children. ¡°I do,¡± the other Traveler replied, pushing away from the low table and sitting back on his cushion. ¡°We managed to capture one of the priests after his warding faded.¡± The search for the cult had been of mixed success. Imperial soldiers had accompanied Zidari Travelers and Seekers to capture each of the groups Davir had known about. Unfortunately, someone must have passed along a warning. The priests had all disappeared, and since they were warded against Seeking, no one had been able to track them down. Half of the wizards were gone as well. The remainder fought back, refusing to surrender peacefully. After a dozen soldiers and two Travelers had died attempting to subdue a single wizard, the army started sending trained war wizards to accompany the other forces. The cult members themselves were another story. Poor and uneducated, and without their priests to guide them, they were proving easy to gather up. Davir had provided the location for several groups, and those groups had known of others, though not as many as Leena had feared. Each of the groups was small, living in tiny villages in remote stretches of the empire. Sometimes the entire village was part of the cult, sometimes only a few families. The people had been self-sufficient, living off their own farming and fishing, but with most of their able-bodied men dead or missing after the attacks on the Zidari camps, they hadn¡¯t put up much resistance when the soldiers arrived. The families that surrendered peacefully were taken without incident. Those individuals who¡¯d attempted to fight back had either been killed by the soldiers or, once it was apparent they¡¯d be captured, had died of the same poison-like symptoms Leena had seen in Cordaea. Back in Sanvara City, the empress¡¯s administrators had separated the village groups, allowing families to stay together but not permitting them to have any contact with their former neighbors. The empress herself had insisted on schooling for the children, putting the adults to work at whatever their skills allowed. Some families might be permitted to return home after the priests were all hunted down, but the government didn¡¯t intend to release any families of the men who¡¯d attacked the camps¡ªnot until they were certain the remaining members of the family weren¡¯t a threat. ¡°Has he said anything?¡± Rohav asked, leaning forward intently. ¡°The problem is getting him to stop saying things,¡± Pavan said. ¡°He rants and raves constantly. Half of it is gibberish. He believes the empress is fake, that Sanvar isn¡¯t a real nation, that the new gods don¡¯t exist, and that there were four old gods but that Snake is the only one still around.¡± ¡°What about the other priests?¡± Leena asked. ¡°Does he know where they are?¡± ¡°He says they left Sanvar, and went north to join with other members of the faithful. And he claims they were joined by the holy soldiers, which is what he calls the men who lived through the attacks on the camps.¡± ¡°Outside Sanvar?¡± Rohav asked. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°He says he doesn¡¯t know, and I believe him. Honestly, I¡¯m starting to think the others left this fellow behind deliberately.¡± ¡°What about the cult members?¡± Rohav asked. ¡°Did he say how many groups are left?¡± Leena¡¯s uncle had participated in three of the early strikes, transporting soldiers from Sanvara City out to the villages. ¡°He refused to answer any questions about that,¡± Pavan said. ¡°We had to send in a spy disguised as one of his jailers, pretending to be a member of the cult. The spy told him he needed to get word to the other villages so they could flee before the army arrived. He was able to get us a list. It doesn¡¯t include all the groups we knew about, but we¡¯ve captured all the ones on the list.¡± ¡°So we may have gotten them all,¡± Rohav said. ¡°The ones in Sanvar, anyway.¡± ¡°But not the priests,¡± Leena said. ¡°They¡¯re the ones responsible.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Pavan nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hope their wards fail, or find some other way to track them down.¡± Perhaps Leena shouldn¡¯t ask her uncle about bringing Udit north to Four Roads after all. If the priests could be anywhere, the free lands might not be any safer than Sanvar¡ªmaybe even less safe, if the priests had truly left the empire. Rohav said, ¡°If they¡¯re gone from Sanvar, Leena, maybe it¡¯s time for you to come home. I don¡¯t like this plan of yours to draw them out.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Pavan asked. ¡°What plan?¡± ¡°My friends¡ªthe ones you met in Cordaea¡ªhave made it back to Tyrsall. We¡¯re heading west next, into the free lands. Since the cult members were trying to find me, we think it¡¯s safer if I don¡¯t return to Sanvar permanently yet. I don¡¯t want to lead them back here. We¡¯re going to find a place where we can defend ourselves. A fort, or something like it.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯re still after you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why the free lands?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s far from Sanvar, and we wanted to draw them away from the camps. Plus, Corec has his own enemies, in Larso, and he needs to be close to them to keep them from attacking anyone in their way.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t argue with the plan,¡± Pavan said, ¡°but I was hoping you¡¯d be returning soon.¡± Leena sighed. This was a discussion she¡¯d been putting off for months. ¡°There are some things you and I should talk about.¡± # ¡°You have to tell me what it was really like!¡± Renny said. ¡°Lady Ellerie gave us some writings and sketches, but it¡¯s not the same as being there. Razai just said there¡¯s a lot of dirt.¡± Treya smiled at her old roommate¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Well, she¡¯s right about that. Everything had rotted away, and the lowest colonnade level flooded any time it rained. There were lower levels we couldn¡¯t explore because the air was so bad. But even with the dirt, the city itself was still incredible. Corec and I were the ones who found the entrance. You should have seen that first colonnade room when it was lit up with mage lights. It seemed too large to fit inside the mountain, but it was less than a quarter of the city. There was always something new to explore.¡± ¡°It sounds so exciting!¡± Renny said. ¡°I wish I¡¯d gone!¡± ¡°Well, most of the time it was just boring. A lot of riding, a lot of walking. We slept out in tents a lot. You¡¯d have hated it.¡± Renny frowned prettily. ¡°You always think I can¡¯t do things. I wasn¡¯t born a concubine, you know.¡± ¡°I suppose if you want to sometimes go a week without bathing, and then your only chance to get clean is in a fast-moving river fed by melting snow from the mountains,¡± Treya said, hiding a smile. Her friend sometimes had an overly romantic notion of what it was like to go on adventures, as she called them. Renny¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°A week!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Even back at home I bathed more often than that.¡± Renny wasn¡¯t actually an orphan like most girls in the Three Orders. She was the daughter of a local fisherman. Treya snickered. ¡°It wasn¡¯t always a week, but when you¡¯re on the road, you have to make do with what you have. Let me worry about that sort of thing. You¡¯re doing just fine for yourself here.¡± She waved her finger back and forth to indicate the luxuriously appointed private suite. ¡°Oh, I suppose, but Varsin and I were part of the expedition too, in our own way. We want to see the ruins someday.¡± This was the first time Treya had heard about that idea. ¡°Just promise to talk to me first, and to Ellerie. It can be a dangerous trip. Maybe you can accompany Ellerie when she goes back.¡± That would ensure they¡¯d have at least one mage to protect them. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard talking to you about it if you¡¯re not here.¡± ¡°You can send letters to the Four Roads chapter house.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s not the same. I was hoping that after your journeying was done, you¡¯d come back for good.¡± ¡°Maybe someday,¡± Treya said. ¡°For now, this is the best option we can think of in case Prince Rusol attacks us again. At least until we figure out what he wants.¡± ¡°It must be scary knowing someone¡¯s trying to kill you. Especially now that he¡¯s about to become king.¡± Treya started to nod, then stopped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡± Renny asked. ¡°Four pigeon messages came in this morning, three from Telfort and one from Highfell. King Marten is dead and Prince Rusol will be crowned king. Mother Ola didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°I was at the almshouse all morning, and then came straight here. How did the king die?¡± ¡°The messages said his heart gave out.¡± Treya would have to tell the others. Would this change anything? ¡°That¡¯s all they said?¡± she asked. ¡°There¡¯s not a lot of room for details in a pigeon message,¡± Renny pointed out. ¡°What if it¡¯s too dangerous to go west? Why not stay here and let the others deal with it? Corec looks like he knows how to use that sword of his. Razai can handle herself in a fight. And that dwarven man¡ªthe quartermaster¡ªhe¡¯s still with you, right? Let them take care of the fighting, and then you can join them later, once it¡¯s safe.¡± Renny had never understood the Order of Mystics. ¡°We¡¯ve all got to do our part,¡± Treya said. ¡°They¡¯re my friends. And I¡¯m not helpless.¡± Renny sighed. ¡°I just wish you weren¡¯t leaving so soon. You only got back four days ago!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be here for another couple of days still,¡± Treya told her. ¡°I¡¯ll try to visit again before we go, but if I don¡¯t make it, you know how to reach me.¡± ¡°Oh, fah! Fine, then. Follow your son of a baron into the wilderness. You know, he¡¯s not bad looking, and Varsin thinks well of him. Just because he has a girl already doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t need a concubine.¡± Renny had managed to bring the conversation around to her favorite topic. Treya rolled her eyes. ¡°I know. I¡¯m going to help him with correspondence. Hopefully Mother Yewen can introduce us to the people we¡¯ll need to know.¡± Renny furrowed her brow. ¡°So you¡¯re doing the work of a concubine, but you don¡¯t get to do the fun part?¡± ¡°I ¡­ it¡¯s not that simple. Katrin¡¯s my friend.¡± Renny gave her an odd look. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. Have you forgotten all your concubine lessons already? Kelsa¡¯s fine¡ªwe get along¡ªbut it would be so much better if we were friends. It would be like if you were Varsin¡¯s wife. Imagine how much fun we could have together!¡± Treya laughed. ¡°I might help him find a concubine in Four Roads, so I don¡¯t have to do all the work.¡± Renny threw her hands up in the air. ¡°Argh! You always want to make things more complicated than they are!¡± Perhaps Renny had a point. Of the men Treya had known, Corec was certainly a better match than, say, Josip or Marco. Corec was closer to her age, and she enjoyed his company. How would it work, though? Concubines were usually chosen quickly, based on just their appearance and qualifications. They came into the relationship with an air of mystery, and the patron and concubine didn¡¯t really get to know each other until after they¡¯d been to bed together. But Treya had been traveling with Corec for over a year now. They¡¯d fought side by side. He¡¯d seen her with muddy feet on a regular basis. He¡¯d even seen her naked, bathing in a stream, the first time they¡¯d met. She could hardly bring any mystery to a relationship. Plus, there was the matter of Shavala, who almost seemed to have stepped into the concubine role herself¡ªor at least one side of it. Did Corec even want a real concubine? But then there was the question Katrin had whispered to her when Treya had told Corec he should look for a concubine. Why not you? # ¡°The priests are coming north already?¡± Corec asked Leena. ¡°I thought we¡¯d have more time.¡± A small group had gathered to hear the news she¡¯d brought from home. They were in a private sitting room the innkeeper had offered for their use. ¡°I didn¡¯t get the impression they¡¯re coming here specifically,¡± she said. ¡°It sounded more like there are churches to Snake dotted all around.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one.¡± ¡°Neither had I,¡± Leena said. ¡°In Sanvar, the priests recruited people in remote villages without any other temples.¡± ¡°There could be some in the free lands, then,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Or among the hillfolk. I didn¡¯t see any when I was there, but I might just not have noticed.¡± ¡°Every kingdom has places like that,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The free lands aren¡¯t any worse than anywhere else.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°True, but it does mean the priests could be closer than we thought.¡± He turned back to Leena. ¡°Did the captured priest ever say what god he followed?¡± ¡°He insists he follows the Snake.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s lying about that much, at least.¡± ¡°Is he?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Corec said. ¡°What do we really know about the old gods? How do we know they don¡¯t have priests? We didn¡¯t know about the snake cult. Why can¡¯t there be secret priests, too?¡± ¡°The old gods have never had priests.¡± ¡°You sound awfully certain about that for someone who got his schooling in Larso,¡± Bobo said. ¡°How does everyone know about Fox and Bear and Raven? Why do people remember them¡ªand apparently Snake¡ªbut not the others? The old gods must have done something for people to know about them.¡± ¡°The totems were our allies,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°They fought alongside us. In the final battle against the demons, Wolf joined in with the High Guard, and Bear and Eagle fought side-by-side with the Mage Knights against Vatarxis and his allies.¡± Razai choked on her ale. After getting the coughing under control, she said, ¡°Did you say Vatarxis?¡± Ariadne narrowed her gaze. ¡°What of it?¡± ¡°I thought I heard the name once before,¡± Razai said, relaxing back into her chair. ¡°It was just an old story. I don¡¯t remember the details.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°The old gods don¡¯t intervene in the world like that anymore, at least not that I¡¯ve ever heard. In most of the tales, they only interact with the other gods. When it¡¯s a story about a regular person, it¡¯s always something like a child following a fox to a buried treasure, or a man seeing a raven and suddenly having a new idea¡ªnever anything to indicate for sure that it¡¯s a god.¡± ¡°Those stories are enough to keep the legends alive,¡± Bobo said, ¡°but why only for Fox and Bear and Raven? And Snake? Why not the others? Maybe the ones who are left do have hidden priests.¡± Corec frowned. It went against what he¡¯d been taught, and judging by the looks around the room, he wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°The totems don¡¯t give their magic to others,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°That was one of the reasons why the wardens created the ritual.¡± ¡°But your totems¡¯ magic seems to be the same as the new gods¡¯ magic, right?¡± Bobo asked her. ¡°What if the totems changed their minds?¡± Ariadne didn¡¯t appear to have an answer for that. ¡°If it¡¯s true, we¡¯d need to know what this Snake wants,¡± Corec said. ¡°Or what his church wants. If they were priests of Pallisur¡ªor any of the other new gods¡ªI could negotiate with them. But Snake ¡­ I just don¡¯t know what that means. How many of these priests are there?¡± While he was speaking, Treya slipped into the room, the first time he¡¯d seen her that day. She looked anxious, but she didn¡¯t interrupt. Leena said, ¡°Between Davir and the cult members we questioned, we know there was at least one at each of the villages, plus a few others who seemed to be in charge. We think about two dozen priests escaped.¡± Davir was the Seeker who¡¯d been working with the snake cult. Corec grimaced. ¡°Two dozen mages, if they¡¯re all blessed,¡± he said. ¡°And that¡¯s from Sanvar alone. How many more could there be? I¡¯d hoped we wouldn¡¯t face more than two or so, like at Tir Yadar. If they all come against us, we can¡¯t face two dozen mages at once.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Priests are limited by their own potential in the same way any other mage is. Some of them are quite weak. If what we¡¯ve heard about wardens is true, we don¡¯t have the same limits. Or at least our limits are higher.¡± Ariadne said, ¡°The strongest of mages can match a warden or bondmate, but that¡¯s just a small percentage. The Consort Gaiana was considered to be as strong as a warden. And Captain Hera, before she became a warden herself.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°So a few of them may be strong, but most won¡¯t be. And a priest isn¡¯t a wizard or a druid¡ªthey can¡¯t do much to us from a distance. They can defend themselves, but even if they know Treya¡¯s spells to block magic, they can only stop so much. If Shavala and I are attacking them while protected by a defensive wall, how long could they really last against us?¡± She had a point. Ellerie¡¯s beam spell was deadly. If she could kill the priests before they were close enough to be a threat, it would change the course of the battle. The cult members and any mercenaries the priests happened to hire wouldn¡¯t be as dangerous. ¡°You¡¯d need to target them so you¡¯re not wasting your spells,¡± Corec said. ¡°Is there a way to tell which ones are priests? And wizards?¡± ¡°Mage sight, but it doesn¡¯t work well at a distance. There¡¯s probably another spell that will do it. I¡¯ll look around before we leave.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to watch out for arrows and crossbow bolts too,¡± Bobo told her. ¡°That trick I used this morning will break through your arrow shield spell. Uh, I think it will, anyway.¡± Corec said, ¡°If we can come up with a way to deal with the cult¡¯s priests and wizards, then I don¡¯t think anything has changed. Our plan should still work. The cult doesn¡¯t have soldiers of their own¡ªnot real ones¡ªand they can only hire so many mercenaries. We¡¯ll just need Leena¡¯s help and a couple of scouts to make sure we aren¡¯t taken by surprise. To be honest, I¡¯m still more worried about Prince Rusol. He¡¯s only sent his red-eyes after us so far, but if his father lets him send the army or the knights, that would change things.¡± ¡°King Marten is dead,¡± Treya said, speaking up for the first time since arriving, and making it clear why she¡¯d seemed so anxious. ¡°Rusol will be king soon.¡± There was silence for a moment as everyone considered that. Corec wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. Marten had been king for as long as he could remember, and was generally well regarded, including by Corec¡¯s own father, but Corec hadn¡¯t forgiven his homeland for its stance against mages or the close connection between the Church of Pallisur and the royal family. ¡°Should we avoid the free lands then?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°If he¡¯s king, what will stop him from doing whatever he wants?¡± ¡°Having to be king, maybe?¡± Ellerie suggested. ¡°He might end up too busy to bother with us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corec said. ¡°Is trying to kill me just a hobby for him, or is he serious about it? Razai, we¡¯ll need to know whatever you can find out as soon as possible.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll find out what I can when I can. If I rush it, you won¡¯t learn anything.¡± Corec acknowledged that with a nod. ¡°I still don¡¯t see a better choice,¡± he told the others. ¡°We need to draw the red-eyes away from any towns. It¡¯s true that we can¡¯t fight the entire army and all the knights, but they¡¯re not red-eyes. If the army comes, we can retreat. Rusol might send them into the free lands, but he won¡¯t send them as far as Tyrsall. It would start a war, and his supply lines would be stretched too far for any possible gain he might see.¡± Or, instead of retreating, Corec might simply talk to them. Perhaps they could let him know why Rusol wanted him dead. If he had to, Corec could even follow Yelena¡¯s advice and tell the knights that Rusol himself was a mage, and was in league with a demon. That might set off a civil war, though¡ªit would have to be a last resort if negotiation wasn¡¯t possible. Whatever happened, Corec had to make sure he wasn¡¯t leading his friends into a trap they couldn¡¯t escape. He would need to come up with a plan for anything that might occur. Book 4: Chapter Fifteen ¡°Did anything else happen while you were home?¡± Ellerie asked as she lay facing Leena, idly running her fingers through the other woman¡¯s long, black hair and brushing it back behind her ear. It was midmorning, and they were still in bed. ¡°We didn¡¯t spend much time talking last night.¡± ¡°Udit wants to get a dog, but Grandmother won¡¯t let him,¡± Leena said with a smile. Then her expression grew serious. ¡°And I told Pavan about us. He was disappointed¡ªI think he was hoping for something more than a business transaction with me.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Leena rolled onto her back and sighed. ¡°We talked for hours, and we didn¡¯t really come to a decision. My suggestion was that he and I have children together, but that we don¡¯t marry. That would leave him free to seek out a real wife. It¡¯s not how this sort of thing is done among the Zidari, but if I¡¯m gone half the time, perhaps we can get away with it. Pavan isn¡¯t so sure¡ªhe¡¯s more traditional.¡± Ellerie nodded but didn¡¯t speak, unable to think of any appropriate words. She didn¡¯t like the thought of her lover taking someone else to bed, but she couldn¡¯t deny Leena her wish to have children. ¡°Once we reach Four Roads, I may invite him to come visit,¡± Leena said. ¡°What?¡± Ellerie asked, propping herself up on her elbow. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I want the two of you to be friends. I think you¡¯d like him if you got to know him, and if he¡¯s the father of our children, he¡¯ll be around.¡± Ellerie did find it easier to make friends with men than with women, but did it have to be this particular man? It was important to Leena, though. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Ellerie said. Leena smiled and leaned up to give her a quick kiss. ¡°What about you? Did anything happen here?¡± ¡°I met with the investors and finished things off with them,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We should be ready to go in a few days. Senshall still wants to hire you, by the way¡ªthey doubled Marco¡¯s offer.¡± ¡°After Davir, that wouldn¡¯t be a good idea,¡± Leena said. ¡°If I don¡¯t say much at home about what I¡¯m doing here, everyone can politely ignore it, but working for a trading company would be different.¡± ¡°I thought it was against the law.¡± ¡°Not exactly,¡± Leena said. ¡°Among the Zidari, when we talk about our own laws, those are more like customs than actual laws. They carry nearly the same weight as a law, but only among the clan. It¡¯s hard to explain to someone who hasn¡¯t grown up with it. If I were to deliberately show my tattoos to someone other than a lover or another Zidari, I¡¯d be considered impetuous or reckless, or even unreliable. The exact outcome varies depending on which tattoos I showed.¡± Leena¡¯s high-necked, long-sleeved dresses hid the fact that her body was half-covered with tattoos. Some were intricate but most were simple, identifying various facets of her life. Ellerie liked to trace them with her finger, trying to guess what each one meant. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Senshall you¡¯re not interested,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°They might ask if you can deliver a letter to the other Travelers for them, though.¡± ¡°I can do that, and then let Pavan or Rohav come up with a response.¡± Leena sat up, letting the sheet fall from her body. ¡°But for now, we should probably get up.¡± ¡°Or not,¡± Ellerie replied. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do today that can¡¯t be put off until tomorrow. We can just stay here.¡± Leena gave her a brief smile. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to help Boktar with the provisions.¡± Ellerie frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be the cook anymore. We¡¯re all going to take turns until we get to Four Roads. I think Corec plans to hire someone once we¡¯re settled.¡± She didn¡¯t like the thought of Leena continuing to act as the group¡¯s cook now that her contract with Senshall had come to an end. It seemed too much like being a servant. ¡°Yes, but someone has to buy the supplies, and I already know what we need.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re busy, I suppose I can go to the Tailors¡¯ Quarter,¡± Ellerie said with a sigh as she slipped out of the bed. ¡°I do need a few things. Oh, we never hung your dress up last night. It¡¯s still on the floor.¡± She reached down to pick it up. ¡°No, wait!¡± Leena said, her voice panicked. There was a thunk as something heavy fell from the folds. Ellerie watched the jade bracelet roll until it bumped against the wall. She didn¡¯t recognize it at first. She picked it up, wondering if it was a gift from Pavan that Leena hadn¡¯t wanted her to see. Then she realized what it was. ¡°You?¡± she asked, her voice catching. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for this for months! We thought it had been lost, or stolen. You took it?¡± The sense of betrayal bit into her, making her feel sick to the stomach. Leena scurried out of bed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she exclaimed, tears gathering in her eyes. ¡°I had to! It¡¯s what I was sent there to find. It¡¯s how I¡¯ll save my brother!¡± Ellerie didn¡¯t understand at first, but then she looked up. ¡°Your Seeking? I thought it sent you to Corec.¡± ¡°Maybe it sent me there for two reasons. I think the cult members who attacked us were after the bracelet too.¡± ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wear it all the time, but nothing happens. I asked Rohav, but he doesn¡¯t know either.¡± Ellerie rubbed her temples, the bracelet in her hand bumping against her cheek. ¡°I just closed out the contract with Senshall. Marco listed the bracelet as missing. You can¡¯t just take it!¡± Was this how Leena had felt when she¡¯d learned Ellerie had hidden her identity? ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice!¡± Leena protested. ¡°It¡¯s what I was supposed to do! Shavala took the staff. Corec took the hammer.¡± ¡°The staff belongs to the elven people, and no one else can even lift the hammer! If he didn¡¯t bring it, it would have stayed right where it was. This is different.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it. Or I¡¯ll give it back when I¡¯m done with it.¡± Leena reached out for her. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Ellerie said, stepping away. ¡°Let me think. I need to think.¡± She paced back and forth. ¡°I¡¯ve still got some money left. We just need to figure out how much it¡¯s worth, and then I can pay everyone their share. If I talk to Marco alone, I can probably convince him not to ask too many questions.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to buy it for me,¡± Leena said. ¡°What? Why not?¡± Somehow that hurt more than the rest. ¡°Because I¡¯m the one who took it. It¡¯s my responsibility. Once I start working as a Traveler, I¡¯ll be able to save up enough. I just need some time. Please don¡¯t tell anyone I have it¡ªnot until I know Udit is safe.¡± Ellerie stared silently at the bracelet. What should she do? What did Leena need her to do? ¡°Fine,¡± she said, ¡°but we should figure why you were supposed to find it. I¡¯m going to try the lore spell.¡± She sat down on the bed, the bracelet cupped in her hands, and murmured the words. A memory intruded into her mind. She was in a study with stone walls that reminded her of Tir Yadar, fitting the green bracelet over her wrist. It adjusted itself to fit. She took up a quill pen and sketched three parallel lines running horizontally on a scroll, then made a small mark midway across the lowest line. She stood and stepped away from her desk. Grasping the bracelet with her other hand, she took a deep breath and then ¡­ she wasn¡¯t quite sure what happened next. It was the same sensation as casting a spell, but she hadn¡¯t spoken any words. Before she had a chance to think about it, everything changed. Instead of the study, she was surrounded by endless, swirling gray mists. She felt as if she was standing on something, but couldn¡¯t see what it was. In a sudden panic, she closed her eyes and cast another spell without speaking. When she opened her eyes again, she was back in her study. She pulled the bracelet off her wrist and flung it against the wall. The memory ended and Ellerie came back to herself with a gasp, almost overwhelmed with the urge to throw the bracelet away as she¡¯d done in the memory. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Leena asked. ¡°I ¡­ I think so,¡± Ellerie said, still breathing heavily. She quickly described what she¡¯d seen. Leena¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°A Traveler among the Chosar?¡± ¡°Maybe not in the same way you know them, but Ariadne can teleport very short distances, and she¡¯s said there were a few Chosar mages who were experimenting with other methods. Whoever the person in the vision was, I don¡¯t think she ended up where she¡¯d planned to go.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What do the lines mean?¡± Leena asked. Ellerie pulled a sheet of paper and a writing stick from her pack and drew out the same sketch. Staring at it, she said, ¡°I think it has something to do with where she was trying to go. Or he.¡± In the memories from the lore spell, Ellerie always took the place of the person whose memory it was, so she usually couldn¡¯t tell if it was a man or a woman unless their clothing made it obvious. In this memory, she hadn¡¯t looked down at her clothing at all. Leena frowned down at the page. ¡°I don¡¯t see how that would help with Traveling. And where did she go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°But I don¡¯t ever want to go there again.¡± # Ariadne was sitting next to Corec, playing as his partner in a card game against Katrin and Sarette. He was teaching her to play as they went, and so far, it didn¡¯t seem to be going well. ¡°Katrin played the prince of cups,¡± he said, ¡°but you¡¯ve got the death of cups, so you can play that and take her card off the table.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to do that,¡± Katrin said. ¡°What if we put down the queen or emperor of cups, and you¡¯ve already used your death card?¡± ¡°I have the queen,¡± Corec pointed out. ¡°And there¡¯s no guarantee one of you has the emperor. If she uses the death card now, she can keep you from adding to the prince¡¯s house. If she waits, the card might go to waste.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the bigger threat?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°The prince or the emperor?¡± The redheaded human woman was barely holding back a grin. She was clearly the best player at the table, yet there seemed to be an element of lying and bluffing to the game. Ariadne couldn¡¯t tell if her advice was sound or if she was trying to trick them. It seemed Corec couldn¡¯t either, as he glanced through Ariadne¡¯s cards again for another choice. Before he found one, Ellerie joined them. ¡°I¡¯ve got the final payout from Senshall,¡± the elven woman said. ¡°I need a day or two to show Deshin how the shaping spell works, but after that, I¡¯ll be able to leave whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Deshin?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The bookseller?¡± ¡°Varsin hired him for the job. Senshall has worked with him before.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have to check with Boktar, but we should be ready to go in two days. After being stuck on the ship for so long, no one seems interested in waiting around here.¡± Ariadne had known this time was coming, but she hadn¡¯t figured out what to do yet. If the group was about to leave, it was time for her to make a decision. ¡°I could use some advice,¡± she said to the others. ¡°Sarette suggested that I wait until she returns home before I go to visit her people.¡± The stormborn woman nodded in agreement. ¡°I can show her Tir Navis, and introduce her to the scholars at the civil academy.¡± ¡°How much are you going to tell them?¡± Ellerie asked Ariadne. ¡°The historians in Snow Crown are going to have a lot of questions about the Chosar, especially if you hint that your people built the ruins. If you can wait until summer, our books might be finished by then. That might help you avoid answering all the same questions you¡¯ve been answering for me.¡± ¡°Summer is the earliest we¡¯d go,¡± Sarette said. ¡°And maybe not even then. I¡¯m not going to leave if the rest of you might be attacked.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to tell the stormborn anything, but perhaps I¡¯ll take copies of the books,¡± Ariadne said. She¡¯d spent months providing notes for Ellerie and Bobo, and had no desire to repeat the process. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do until then, though. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything I can learn here in Tir Sal.¡± According to Ellerie, even the local historians didn¡¯t know for sure that Tyrsall was a Tir, though some had speculated about it. A few buildings made of shaped stone still stood in the center of the city, but no one seemed to be aware of just how old they were. ¡°You¡¯re still welcome to come west with us,¡± Corec said. ¡°Are you planning to visit the seaborn? They live to the west.¡± ¡°Maybe later. I¡¯m not sure how long it would take to get to Pado and back, and the seaborn on the ship didn¡¯t seem to know much.¡± Even Loofoo, who¡¯d grown up in Pado, hadn¡¯t been able to answer her questions. And he was gone now anyway¡ªhe¡¯d had just three days of shore leave before the Peregrine had shipped out again. Ariadne wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d ever see him again, but the thought of him reminded her that there was something she needed to speak with Marco about. ¡°Two is supposed to be seaborn,¡± Corec said. ¡°The Second Warden, I mean. He¡¯d be older than Hildra, and might know more.¡± ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°No, but Hildra mentioned a name. Kono, I think?¡± ¡°That sounds familiar for some reason,¡± Ellerie said, then shrugged. ¡°But seaborn names all sound the same to me.¡± ¡°Emperor Kono?¡± Ariadne asked. Loofoo had mentioned him. Ellerie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯ve heard it. Most of our agreements are with the seaborn enclave rather than the homeland itself, but my mother mentioned him a few times.¡± ¡°Hildra would likely know for sure,¡± Corec said. ¡°We need to send her a message anyway, right, to let her know the contract is approved?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And to get the other spell book back. But it would make sense if Emperor Kono is a warden. I¡¯m trying to remember the story, but haven¡¯t the last several seaborn emperors all gone by the same name? What if they were all the same person?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know the seaborn had an emperor,¡± Corec said. ¡°Their ships dock in Larso, but only for trading; their people don¡¯t come inland. If Hildra says he¡¯s the warden, we should reach out to him first before going there. Treya¡¯s friends in the Three Orders may know how to get a letter to him, so we¡¯re not just intruding into his territory.¡± Ariadne hadn¡¯t intended to bring Corec or the others with her, but either way, she supposed it was a good idea to make contact first before visiting. ¡°That will take time, too,¡± she said. ¡°If my people are still around ¡­¡± She had to pause and start again. She¡¯d come to realize that none of her traveling companions believed the Chosar still lived, and she feared the same thing herself. ¡°If my people are still around, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll find them so easily. I think I should try something else. I¡¯d like to look for mages who can wield both arcane and elder magic.¡± ¡°Like you?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Yes. Almost everyone who can do it is either Chosar or descended from the Chosar. You told me once that there are mages among your own people that can wield both magics. Your people must carry at least a bit of Chosar blood. You¡¯re our descendants, in a way.¡± Ellerie was silent for a long moment. Finally, she said, ¡°You might be right, but the nilvasta are ¡­ wary about anyone who questions our origins, or claims we¡¯re not true elves. You wouldn¡¯t find a warm welcome in Terevas. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ariadne slumped. ¡°Are there any others?¡± She glanced across the table. Sarette was an elementalist, and she¡¯d mentioned wizards among her people. The stormborn woman shook her head. ¡°Our elder magic has been dying out for generations. There are only a few of us left. If it ever happened, it would have been a long time ago.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°With the amount of time that¡¯s passed, almost anyone could have a Chosar ancestor. The easiest way to find someone who can use both magics is probably to look for elder mages, and then test them for wizardry. Elder magic expresses itself whether you¡¯ve been trained or not.¡± Ariadne nodded. That matched what she knew, though her own elder magic was weak enough that she¡¯d barely noticed it. ¡°Then I¡¯ll search for elder mages,¡± she said. ¡°Like the druids?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The wood elves?¡± Ellerie shook her head. ¡°No. The dorvasta already test for wizardry, but they have so few wizards, I doubt any of them are also druids. If we stay near Four Roads, the closest group would probably be the witches who live north of Larso.¡± Corec frowned at that, but then his look turned thoughtful. ¡°Then it seems I should come with you, at least for now,¡± Ariadne said. Privately, she had to admit the decision lifted a weight off her mind. She hadn¡¯t felt confident about striking out on her own in this new world where so much had changed. Going west would put her closer to both Pado and the elder witches Ellerie had mentioned, as well as allow her to accompany Sarette to Snow Crown when the time came. She hadn¡¯t been completely truthful about her reasons for seeking out mages who could wield both magics. Thedan had been a Mage Knight almost since the order was founded, and he¡¯d been a teacher for most of that time. If he¡¯d lived long enough, he might have taken on more students. Perhaps he was even still alive. He might know what happened to the Chosar. And he could certainly explain to Ariadne why he¡¯d left her behind in Tir Yadar. Ephrenia was harder to predict, so Ariadne would focus on Thedan for now. And whether she found him or not, she would still look for mages who could wield both arcane and elder magic. She was safeguarding nine mirrorsteel panoplies and blades belonging to the order of the Mage Knights. If the order no longer existed, it would be up to her to train new members. She¡¯d prefer to teach Chosar mages, but anyone who qualified for the order was likely to have at least a small amount of Chosar blood in their lineage. In a way, it would let her be with her people again, even if they didn¡¯t look like her people. The Mage Knights could rise again. # When Katrin returned to the inn, she found Shavala still in their room, reading through her notes from Cordaea. ¡°How did it go?¡± the elven woman asked, looking up from her work. ¡°The cheapest couriers I could find wanted forty-five silver to go to Circle Bay, and they wouldn¡¯t guarantee the package would arrive safely,¡± Katrin said. Ellerie had given out the final payments on the shares, and Katrin still had half of hers left. While the money lasted, she wanted to send twenty gold to her brother to keep him from doing anything stupid. ¡°Are you going to hire one of them?¡± Katrin sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. What if the courier gets robbed, or steals it himself? And I don¡¯t even know what my brother¡¯s doing. It¡¯s been a year since I spoke to him. He could have left Circle Bay by now, or he might be in prison again.¡± ¡°Why not ask Leena to do it?¡± Shavala said. ¡°Corec¡¯s worried about bothering her with personal requests, since her family doesn¡¯t like that she¡¯s helping us,¡± Katrin said. ¡°And I don¡¯t think she¡¯s ever been to Circle Bay.¡± But maybe she should ask anyway. Leena made it seem so easy, traveling vast distances in an instant. There was a knock at the door, and Katrin opened it to find Razai on the other side. ¡°Is he here?¡± the demonborn woman asked, glancing around the room for Corec. ¡°No, he went out to look at wagons with Boktar.¡± Razai grunted. ¡°Well, did he get it?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m ready to go. I don¡¯t want to wait around any longer than I have to.¡± Katrin took an armored vest that was laying on the bed and handed it to the other woman. ¡°This is the new one,¡± she said. ¡°He reused the armor plates from the last one, so it should fit you.¡± Razai slipped the vest on over her shirt, fastening the small metal buckles in front to close it, then stretched her arms out to the sides to test her range of motion. ¡°This ¡­ isn¡¯t bad,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s better than before. I didn¡¯t like the sleeves.¡± The inside of the vest was lined with the thin silversteel armor plates Corec had found in Tir Yadar. They were meant to be part of a long coat, and Corec had paid for several full coats to be assembled, but he was also trying out other options. After seeing his early attempts, Ariadne had explained that the coats were used by archers, and were intended to provide protection over most of the body while being fast and easy to put on and take off. They were often worn over mail, but Razai had flatly refused to wear any sort of heavy armor. ¡°Do you want to take it with you?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I might as well give it a try,¡± Razai said. ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t expect me to pay for it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he does.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going to head out. Let the others know, will you? I already told Leena.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Shavala said, standing up and gathering her papers together. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you if you can give me a few minutes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll let me finish things faster at home,¡± Shavala said. ¡°And I¡¯ll be able to catch up to you sooner.¡± She¡¯d originally intended to break off from the main group when they neared the Terril Forest, wanting to return home to talk to her teacher about the staff and the notes she¡¯d made about Cordaean wildlife. It seemed she¡¯d changed her mind. ¡°Fine with me,¡± Razai said. Shavala, like Leena, was on the short list of people that didn¡¯t seem to annoy the demonborn woman. ¡°But ¡­ just like that?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to wait and say goodbye to everyone? To Corec?¡± ¡°If Razai¡¯s leaving now, I should too,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Book 4: Chapter Sixteen As Shavala¡¯s figure grew small in the distance, some of the tension drained from Razai¡¯s shoulders. Not that she¡¯d minded the last five days with the elven woman¡ªShavala kept quiet most of the time, and had taken on all of the hunting and cooking for the two of them without being asked. But after months of traveling with other people, Razai was finally alone. No more dealing with Corec and his archaic sense of right and wrong. No more listening to the constant bickering between Ellerie and Marco. No more dirty looks from Ariadne any time she thought Razai wouldn¡¯t notice. No more of Renny¡¯s incessant chatter. She winced at that last, unfair thought. Renny wasn¡¯t bad, just young and lonely. Shavala finally disappeared over the horizon, which meant it was time for Razai to get back on the road. There was still daylight left. First, though, there was something she had to take care of. She found a stand of trees off the West Road, far enough away that she wouldn¡¯t be overheard by anyone passing by. After tying her animals to a tree branch so they wouldn¡¯t be frightened off, she stopped to think. Did she really want to do this? She hadn¡¯t spoken to Vatarxis in a year. But there were things she needed to know, and there was no sense in waiting any longer. Projecting her voice across the barrier between the two worlds, she said, ¡°All right, you old monster. I¡¯m alone. Talk.¡± There was no response. She waited. And then she waited some more. ¡°Hurry up!¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay here all day!¡± The air in front of her shimmered, and then a small imp with red leathery skin popped through. It fell to the ground and pushed itself upright, then spun around, glaring indignantly. ¡°Razsai?¡± it hissed when it saw her. ¡°Why Razsai bring Tifwa here?¡± The third eye in the middle of the imp¡¯s forehead kept darting around, looking in all directions. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for you, Tifwa. I want to speak to him.¡± ¡°Masster busy.¡± ¡°Let me talk to him now or I¡¯ll send you home without your wings.¡± Tifwa snarled, but then his face went slack. ¡°Razai.¡± Vatarxis¡¯s deep, bone-shaking voice always sounded strange coming from the tiny imp. ¡°So, my wayward daughter finally deigns to speak to me again. I take it you want something?¡± ¡°You can start by telling me what happened between you and the Chosar.¡± ¡°Chosar?¡± Vatarxis said. ¡°That¡¯s a word I haven¡¯t heard in a long time. What do you care about the Chosar? They¡¯re long dead.¡± ¡°Except for the one I met in Tir Yadar, who somehow knows your name. She says you waged a war against her people.¡± Vatarxis snorted¡ªa sound Tifwa¡¯s body couldn¡¯t replicate, so it echoed faintly through the connection instead. ¡°You think the Chosar still live? And in Tir Yadar, no less? You¡¯re mistaken. If they were alive, they would have made their presence known by now. They¡¯re not much for subtlety.¡± ¡°Not the Chosar; just one woman. She was in some sort of magic sleep until we woke her up.¡± ¡°Hmm, that could be,¡± Vatarxis said. ¡°They were always messing with magic they didn¡¯t understand. That¡¯s what killed them in the end.¡± ¡°So you do know about them!¡± ¡°Of course I do. What of it?¡± ¡°Did you go to war against them? You¡¯ve told me about fighting wardens before, but you never said anything about a war.¡± ¡°It happened a few times. Twice against the Chosar.¡± ¡°Why invade the mortal realm at all? I thought you didn¡¯t care about it.¡± ¡°Whatever gave you that idea?¡± Vatarxis asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t been here since my mother was killed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, but it hardly matters. Why cross the barrier when I have my dutiful daughter to carry out my will?¡± Razai growled low in her throat. ¡°But why attack the Chosar?¡± ¡°Why does anyone do anything?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an answer!¡± she snapped. ¡°It¡¯s the only one you¡¯d understand.¡± ¡°If you used to wage war, then why stop? Was it just the Chosar that you hated?¡± ¡°You¡¯re missing the point,¡± Vatarxis said. ¡°The game¡¯s not as much fun when your strongest opponents destroy themselves before you get a chance to kill them all. Besides, things changed once we learned to take on their form. New experiences.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t intend to discuss it any further. But seeing as you¡¯re willing to talk to me again, is your pet warden behaving himself?¡± ¡°Why did you send me to follow him?¡± she said. ¡°To keep an eye on things, of course. Two new wardens when there should have been just one? The Lady is playing games.¡± ¡°What does she have to do with it?¡± ¡°She and I had an agreement. A demonborn warden¡ªthe first ever.¡± ¡°Who ¡­ Rusol is demonborn?¡± Razai hadn¡¯t realized. She¡¯d watched the young prince for a while, but mostly from a distance. ¡°Your grand-nephew, in fact.¡± ¡°Nephew? But that means ¡­¡± ¡°Your younger sister married his grandfather.¡± Razai had never met any of her half-siblings. Vatarxis had always implied they were long dead, and he¡¯d refused to help her track down their descendents. She had to think back to recall the name. ¡°Queen Benere was my sister? Wait¡ªyounger sister? That¡¯s why you crossed the barrier again?¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± Razai had to take a moment to consider the implications. Queen Benere¡ªher sister!¡ªhad been dead for years, but she¡¯d left behind a son and two grandsons. That meant Marten was Razai¡¯s nephew ¡­ and he¡¯d died just weeks before she could have met him. Just weeks before she could have talked to him. Only Rusol was left. ¡°Did Rusol really kill Rikard?¡± she asked, not certain she wanted to know the answer. If Benere was Vatarxis¡¯s daughter, then Rikard was his great-grandson, and yet Vatarxis hadn¡¯t been disturbed when he¡¯d found out the young man had died. He¡¯d seemed almost happy about it. ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me he did.¡± ¡°I told you he had reason to, and that I didn¡¯t see any sign of interference from the outside. I didn¡¯t actually see him do it.¡± ¡°Who cares if he did or not?¡± Vatarxis said. ¡°Rikard wasn¡¯t born with our blood. Only Rusol matters.¡± That explained his reaction. Rikard wasn¡¯t demonborn, and his death would put Rusol on the throne. As both warden and king, Rusol would wield a great deal of power and influence, enough to affect all of northern Aravor. And as demonborn, he could ¡­ Razai hesitated. She was thinking like herself, not like her father. ¡°What do you get out of it?¡± she asked. ¡°A piece on the game board.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The game may have changed, but it never ends.¡± Razai growled in annoyance and changed the topic. ¡°If Rusol is one of your agents, why did you send me to spy on him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not mine¡ªthat wasn¡¯t part of the deal. He has his own role to play.¡± ¡°Role? What role? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important. You learned what I needed to know, and that¡¯s all that mattered.¡± ¡°But then why watch Corec? He¡¯s certainly no demonborn. He bonded me!¡± Vatarxis chuckled, the sound causing Tifwa¡¯s body to vibrate. ¡°That should make your task easier, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°What task?¡± ¡°To start with, making sure he doesn¡¯t interfere with my plans. The Lady only delivered on one of her promises. She failed on the others, and then this new warden came out of nowhere. Let¡¯s make sure he doesn¡¯t turn into an enemy. We wouldn¡¯t want another Yelena on our hands. Or worse, another Badru.¡± Razai didn¡¯t recognize the second name, but that wasn¡¯t the important question. ¡°How am I supposed to keep him from interfering in your plans when you refuse to tell me what those plans are?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Vatarxis said. ¡°For now, keep him away from Rusol.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late for that,¡± Razai said. ¡°Rusol has been sending compelled troops to kill him. Corec asked me to find out why. I¡¯m on my way to Larso right now.¡± Vatarxis was quiet for so long that Razai thought he¡¯d lost his link to Tifwa. Then he spoke again. ¡°It would be helpful if a few more wardens died. I doubt Corec is on The Lady¡¯s list, and I was hoping to make use of him myself, but it¡¯s best to be safe. Rusol can¡¯t be allowed to die until he¡¯s completed his tasks. If the two of them come into direct conflict, you¡¯ll need to kill Corec¡ªalong with any of his bondmates that might want revenge.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. # Corec finished tying down the tent¡¯s last rope, then stood and brushed the dirt from his knees. ¡°It looks like we still have some time before supper,¡± he told Katrin. It was Sarette and Nedley¡¯s turn to cook, and even with Leena coaching them, it would take a while. ¡°I¡¯m going to try that weapon binding spell again.¡± ¡°I thought you gave up on that,¡± Katrin said, unpacking their bedrolls and tossing them inside the tent. ¡°I did, but then today, while we were riding, it came to me out of nowhere. I think I understand it now.¡± ¡°You learned the spell?¡± ¡°I think so, but I need to try it.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯ll finish getting set up here.¡± Corec kissed the top of her head, then grabbed the maul and went to look for a quiet spot away from all the activity. They¡¯d set up camp in a copse of trees away from the road, their tents hidden from prying eyes. For the past two days, there¡¯d been more traffic on the West Road than Corec remembered ever seeing in the winter, and he didn¡¯t want to tempt any horse thieves. Beyond the camp, he found a boulder to sit on and summoned another mage light to illuminate the area. Laying the war maul¡ªShatter, as Ariadne had called it¡ªacross his lap, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Corec had spent months trying to learn the new binding spell. When he¡¯d given up on it, he¡¯d figured all that time had been wasted, but now, two weeks later, everything had suddenly started to make sense. The last step, though, was to actually attempt to cast it. The wizards he¡¯d spoken to back when he was trying to learn about the warden runes had all suggested that binding spells required weeks or months of preparation, but Corec had already spent months practicing and picturing in his mind how the bond would work. Hopefully it would be enough. It took him several minutes to cast the spell, the whole time feeling almost as if he was tying invisible knots in his mind. When he was done, a tiny, glowing triangle¡ªthe same shade of blue as his warden runes¡ªappeared on his right palm. Its twin showed up on the maul¡¯s shaft. It was done. Before he could test whether it worked, though, there was a commotion from the camp. Corec rejoined the rest of the group to find Boktar and Ellerie speaking to a middle-aged man with thinning hair. Behind them was a farm wagon drawn by a team of just two mules. A woman and two young children were on the wagon seat, bundled up against the cold. A lantern hung from the front of the wagon to light their way. ¡°Corec, we¡¯ve got a problem,¡± Boktar said. ¡°This is Willis, who was able to tell me why we¡¯ve seen so many groups heading east. He says the dragon is coming to Four Roads.¡± ¡°Dragon?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The one from the keep? That¡¯s got to be two hundred, maybe two hundred fifty miles. They don¡¯t usually range that far out.¡± But when they did, it meant trouble. Willis¡¯s gaze darted around the camp. ¡°Wh ¡­ where¡¯s all the light coming from?¡± ¡°Those are called mage lights,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m a wizard.¡± That was close enough to the truth, and most people at least had an inkling of what a wizard was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°We were just looking for a place to stop, sir. We didn¡¯t mean to disturb you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not disturbing us, and there¡¯s plenty of room for you to camp here if you want.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Boktar said to the man. ¡°Tell him what you told me.¡± By now, everyone had gathered around. Willis swallowed as he caught sight of the group¡¯s weapons and armor. ¡°I was a leather-worker in Four Roads,¡± he said. ¡°A few months back, folks from south of town started showing up, saying the dragon had attacked their village. It wasn¡¯t many at first, but it got worse. Then, five weeks ago, people said they¡¯d seen the dragon flying as far north as Springwater.¡± Treya drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Springwater¡¯s only twenty miles from Four Roads. A friend of mine lives there¡ªa Sister of the Orders.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t wait for it to get to Four Roads,¡± Willis continued. ¡°I packed up my family and got out while we still could. I can find a job in Tyrsall or Ironholt.¡± ¡°A dragon¡¯s not likely to attack a town the size of Four Roads,¡± Corec said, trying to remember what he¡¯d been taught back at Fort Hightower. ¡°The problem is all the farms and ranches outside of town. Is the dragon circling around or coming straight north?¡± ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Willis said. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°Dragons only leave their territory for a few reasons,¡± Corec said. ¡°If it¡¯s heading in one direction, it could be looking for a new home or a mate, but that shouldn¡¯t take too long¡ªif it really wanted to reach Four Roads, it could get there in a day. If it¡¯s circling around instead, that means it¡¯s claiming a wider territory.¡± ¡°It started expanding its territory last year,¡± Leena said. When everyone looked at her, she added, ¡°Last winter I saw it flying overhead near the Terril Forest, the western edge. The wood elves found me there and took me to a safe spot. They were the ones who told me what it was doing.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Then it¡¯s probably looking for more food. People say there were some herds of cattle left behind when the area was abandoned, but if it¡¯s hunted those all down, it may need to look farther out.¡± He paused. ¡°Or if it¡¯s a female and already mated, it could be claiming a wider area for its hatchlings to grow up. They need more room as they get bigger, and you¡¯d have to have an army to clear them out.¡± It had happened in the Tablelands a hundred years earlier, and the knights suspected the dragon in the free lands had been one of the Tablelands hatchlings. ¡°There¡¯s no army in the free lands,¡± Treya said. ¡°And I doubt Four Roads can afford to hire enough mercenaries to hunt a dragon.¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t do it themselves, they¡¯ll have to send for help from Larso or Matagor, and that¡¯ll come with its own price.¡± The two nations might not try to claim land that far from their own borders, but they¡¯d likely insist on years of taxes in exchange for hunting down the dragon. ¡°Why Matagor?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t Larso closer?¡± ¡°Yes, but the keep belonged to Matagor,¡± Corec said. ¡°They built a toll bridge over a river at the crossroads. A lot of trading caravans used to go through there. It¡¯s the shortest route from Tyrsall to Matagor or Terevas.¡± ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°We can¡¯t go to Four Roads now, can we?¡± Corec caught Boktar¡¯s eye and tilted his head in Willis¡¯s direction. The dwarven man nodded and led Willis back to his family, passing him a handful of silver coins. ¡°That¡¯s for the information,¡± Boktar said to him. ¡°I¡¯ll show you a good spot to set up your camp.¡± After they¡¯d left, the wagon following along behind them, Corec said, ¡°Dragons don¡¯t like cities, and Four Roads has thirty thousand people. The town itself should be safe enough, but the surrounding area won¡¯t be. We¡¯ll have to go farther out. North, probably, to be safe.¡± ¡°If the dragon gives Larso an excuse to sends its army into the free lands, would they come after you next?¡± Ellerie asked. Corec hadn¡¯t considered that, but the red-eyes had managed to track him down three times. Rusol must have some way of finding him. ¡°I think they¡¯d come from the south, not the north,¡± he said. ¡°The dragon¡¯s probably still nesting at the old keep. Larso would send the knights first, but they¡¯d come through Fort Hightower, along the Old Road. It leads straight there. But we¡¯ll be careful anyway¡ªwe¡¯ll make sure to have an escape route to the east in case we need it. If it comes down to it, we can move faster than an army.¡± ¡°Just tell me you¡¯re not thinking of hunting down the dragon yourself,¡± Katrin said. ¡°No, of course not,¡± Corec said. ¡°But the knights don¡¯t have any mages to support them except for priests of Pallisur, and I¡¯m not sure how much help a priest will be against a dragon. If the Order has to fight it on their own, a lot of men are going to die¡ªmen that I know. Not all the knights are as faithful to the Church¡¯s teachings as the priests are. If they send a good commander who¡¯s willing to accept some help ¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°The knights don¡¯t work with mages because they¡¯d rather burn them at the stake!¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t done that in a long time.¡± Katrin glared at him. ¡°If they even look like they¡¯re going to try, I¡¯ll make them walk off a cliff.¡± Corec suspected it wasn¡¯t the knights that Katrin was angry about but his suggestion that he might help them with the dragon. ¡°They¡¯re not going to make trouble in the free lands,¡± he said. She looked like she was going to say something, but Ellerie interrupted their argument. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to see what happens,¡± the elven woman said. ¡°If nothing else, we can pay for the mercenaries ourselves so Four Roads won¡¯t have to ask Larso for help.¡± # The tershaya rose tall above the trail, sometimes interrupted by other, shorter trees in spots where the tershaya had been encouraged to thin out enough to allow more sunlight to reach below the canopy. Winter birds chirped as they went about their day. It wasn¡¯t the full chorus that would rise as the summer birds returned and the mating season began, but it was a sound Shavala had been hearing for her entire life. She was home. She¡¯d split up from Razai a week earlier, reaching the Terril Forest four days after that. Now she was just a few hours away from the northeast border outpost, the place where she¡¯d spent the majority of her apprenticeship. With luck, Meritia would still be stationed there and could provide some advice on what Shavala should do with the staff. The visions made it obvious that it belonged to the elven people, the ancient druids using it to care for the world around them. Shavala had a duty to return the staff to the dorvasta, but she¡¯d made commitments of her own as well. She¡¯d promised to help Ellerie grow new tershaya in Terevas, and someday she¡¯d have to return to Tir Yadar to tend to her own little tershaya grove as well as the room under the mountain with the moths and the mushrooms. If she gave the staff to the druid elders, would they allow her to use it when she needed to? Hopefully Meritia would know what to do. Shavala had also brought the hefty stack of notes she¡¯d been keeping about all the new plants and animals she¡¯d encountered on her travels¡ªenough for a book, if the other druids thought it would be helpful. Elven books, or dorvasta books at least, were rare, copied painstakingly by hand. Druids passed their knowledge along orally instead. But humans had printing presses which could make many copies quickly, and Ellerie had offered to help Shavala learn the process. It seemed more efficient than carefully memorizing the details over many retellings. There was a rustling sound to Shavala¡¯s left, and she looked to find a squirrel running from one tree branch to another. Its markings were familiar. ¡°Lele? Is that you?¡± she asked. ¡°What are you doing way out here?¡± The squirrel stopped immediately, sitting back on its haunches and peering at her intently. It gave a high-pitched, questioning chirrup. ¡°It is you!¡± Shavala slipped out of her saddle and approached her old friend. ¡°Come here!¡± she said, patting her shoulder. Lele jumped to the branch nearest Shavala, then ran along it and leapt off. He almost missed his target, catching himself on her tunic and scrambling up to her shoulder. He was growing older, and she felt a pang of regret about having left him behind for so long, but squirrels didn¡¯t travel well. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to take any wild animal away from its home. ¡°Why are you awake?¡± she asked him. Tree squirrels didn¡¯t truly hibernate through the winter, but they did sleep for long periods of time, tucked away in their nest. He chittered complaints about too much noise and activity waking him up. Druids couldn¡¯t understand animal speech the way animals could understand druids, but Shavala had known Lele for years and was familiar with how he expressed himself. ¡°What sort of noise?¡± she asked, though she knew the answer wouldn¡¯t make any sense. Talking to a squirrel could only go so far. A voice called out from farther down the road. ¡°Shavala?¡± The figure was wearing the mottled green and brown garb the rangers used to blend in with the forest. He carried an unstrung bow in one hand, and had a quiver slung over his back. ¡°Ellisan!¡± Shavala said with a wide grin. ¡°You¡¯re out here alone?¡± Normally the rangers patrolled in groups. ¡°Meritia said you¡¯d be here. She sent me out to find you. She must have told Lele, too¡ªhe insisted on coming along, and he never wants to come with me.¡± Shavala laughed. ¡°What¡¯s going on at the outpost? Lele says it¡¯s noisy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Meritia¡¯s packing to leave, and she¡¯s taking some of the rangers with her, back to Terrillia.¡± ¡°We¡¯d better hurry then. I need to talk to her before she goes.¡± Ellisan reached Shavala and gathered her up in a tight hug, ignoring Lele¡¯s scolding. The hug lasted longer than Shavala expected, and through the tree bond, she caught a quick flash of feeling that hadn¡¯t been there before. Finally, he stepped back and looked her over, as if searching for any injuries. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back. I missed you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really back,¡± she explained. ¡°I was passing nearby, so I wanted to visit.¡± A look of disappointment crossed his face. ¡°You can¡¯t still be on your travels,¡± he said, referring to the final stage of a druid apprentice¡¯s training. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for a year and a half.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve finished my travels,¡± Shavala replied. She hadn¡¯t realized it was true until she¡¯d said it, but a druid decided when their own training was over, and there was no doubt she was a full druid now. ¡°But I¡¯m not quite done with traveling. There are a few things I still need to take care of, but I should be around more often now.¡± Ellisan nodded and led the way back to the border camp. He was on foot, so Shavala walked with him, leading Socks¡ªher roan gelding¡ªand her pack mule along behind her. It took four hours to reach the outpost, and they spent the walk talking about Shavala¡¯s time away. She told him of her companions and the discovery of Tir Yadar, but shied away from mentioning anything about wardens or her relationship with Corec. She spoke for so long, her throat grew dry. It was the most she¡¯d said at one time in as long as she could remember. Talking with other dorvasta was always easier than talking to anyone else, the tree bond helping to gently guide the conversation. The border outpost looked much the same as Shavala remembered, though there were two very young men going in and out of her old hut. Apparently it had new residents. Lele jumped from Shavala¡¯s arm to a wood pile, and then scampered up to the roof of Meritia¡¯s hut. Meritia was inside, tightening the straps on a travel pack. ¡°Ahh, good, you¡¯re here,¡± she said before Shavala could speak. ¡°The forest told me you were coming. Grab anything you want to bring¡ªjust what you can carry. Leave your animals with Ellisan. We¡¯ll be taking the running trails. I waited an extra two days once I realized you were back, so we need to move quickly.¡± The tree bond pushed for agreement. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°The druids have been summoned to a conclave. I¡¯ll explain on the way.¡± Book 4: Chapter Seventeen The common room was crowded, packed with locals listening to Katrin sing. The people in these small villages often seemed starved for any sort of entertainment. Ariadne found Treya and Sarette at a little table in the corner of the room. They¡¯d saved a seat for her, and a serving girl soon came by to give her a wedge of coarse, dark bread and a bowl of fish stew. Ariadne couldn¡¯t understand the song¡¯s lyrics¡ªit was in Eastern, and she was using the necklace for the Western tongue¡ªbut Katrin had a way of showing subtle visions in her listeners¡¯ minds. This one appeared to be a love ballad, judging by the vision of a man and woman exchanging shy glances from a distance. Ariadne found herself twisting the enchanted ring around her finger as she listened. A waste of money, she¡¯d decided at first, but the day before they¡¯d left Tyrsall, she¡¯d gone back to Marco and made the deal. If she ever saw Loofoo again, he was in for a surprise. Loofoo. A common criminal who refused to take anything seriously. She¡¯d known him for less than four weeks, even including his three days of shore leave in Tyrsall. It was unlikely she¡¯d ever run into him again, and maybe that was for the best. He wasn¡¯t Chosar. He was something close to it, though. Was that enough? The two of them hadn¡¯t made any plans to meet in the future, and Ariadne had gotten the impression that he changed ships often, and not always by choice. If they did meet again, it would be random chance. She sighed. The ring had definitely been a waste of money. Perhaps it would come in handy when she visited the seaborn homeland. There was a break in the music, and Katrin went around the room to greet the listeners, regaling anyone who asked about the warden sigil on her brow with a brief but fanciful tale of how she¡¯d gotten it from a wizard. Some people passed her a coin as she spoke. Just as Ariadne was finishing her meal, Ellerie found their table. They made room for her on the bench. The elven woman pitched her voice low so she wouldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°I was just looking through my notes so I could write a section about the Chosar government, but I realized you never told me the wardens¡¯ names.¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to include the wardens,¡± Ariadne said. She¡¯d hoped Ellerie wouldn¡¯t notice the omission. ¡°Not as wardens, but you said they held high positions. I need to know how everything fits together.¡± Ariadne didn¡¯t answer right away. Could she trust the other woman? The wardens¡¯ ritual was almost certainly the reason Tir Yadar had been abandoned and the Chosar had disappeared. Whether it was a betrayal or a mistake, that didn¡¯t change what had happened. If the new wardens learned of it, would they attempt the same thing? ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it in the common room,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere quieter.¡± ¡°Are you still playing cards tonight?¡± Sarette asked her before they left. ¡°We need a fourth.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there; don¡¯t let Katrin start without me.¡± Ariadne and Ellerie went to Ellerie¡¯s room, since it held a writing desk. The elven woman sat and took out a quill pen, a bottle of ink, and a sheet of paper. Ariadne remained standing. She wanted to pace, but forced herself to stay still. ¡°You called the oldest warden Pallis, right?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I have that one written down somewhere. Does that mean he was chosen during the First Demon War? You told Hildra that¡¯s when the original wardens came about.¡± ¡°No. He was the First Warden in my day, but there were others before him. I don¡¯t know who they were. We were only taught about the ones who were still alive.¡± Ellerie scratched down a few notes. ¡°But the earlier ones were still Chosar?¡± she asked. Ariadne hesitated. ¡°I think so,¡± she said. ¡°Most wardens were.¡± ¡°Who were the others from your time?¡± ¡°The Second Warden was Boreas. He was an elementalist and a soldier. Iris was a vasta druid, and Arodi was a wizard. Those four all fought in the Second Demon War.¡± ¡°Iris? That¡¯s an odd name for an elf.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old Chosar name. Some parents picked names from other languages. Or she might have chosen it herself; I¡¯m not sure.¡± Ellerie nodded, then frowned as she looked down at her notes. ¡°These names. Iris, Arodi, Pallis ¡­¡± She didn¡¯t complete her thought. ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Do you want me to keep going?¡± Ellerie visibly steadied herself before nodding. ¡°Allos was a wizard and a researcher,¡± Ariadne said. She ignored Ellerie¡¯s quick indrawn breath. ¡°Zachal was a human wizard¡ªI never heard much about him. Demea was an elder mage who mostly worked with our crops and farmland. And I¡¯ve told you about Hera already.¡± ¡°The names,¡± Ellerie said. She silently mouthed the more familiar ones. Then, out loud, she said, ¡°Demea, Boreas. Demesis and Borrisur? But why would they ¡­ ? The new gods came after your people, right? Why would they choose names based on the dead wardens?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± Ariadne said, though she understood the other woman¡¯s struggle. The idea still seemed crazy. ¡°Hera must be The Lady, which means Zachal is the Dead God.¡± Ellerie pushed her chair away from the desk suddenly and stood up. ¡°But that would mean ¡­ that would mean ¡­¡± She stepped over to the only window and looked out onto the dark street, then stalked back to the center of the room. ¡°You see why I didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°The old wardens destroyed my people. What if the new wardens do the same thing? We can¡¯t let anyone know. Don¡¯t use the names in your book.¡± ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make any sense! A person can¡¯t just become a god!¡± ¡°The gods¡ªthe new gods, at least¡ªare people,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°They may have learned new magic, but they¡¯re just people. They always have been.¡± ¡°But how? Why would they do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think about it. The ritual was supposed to combine the four magics and let us use totemic magic for the first time. Demonic magic too, but totemic was the important one. Some part of the ritual must have succeeded. The wardens did learn to use totemic magic, but somehow, when they did so, they became something like the totems themselves. And now they can allow their priests to use the same magic. It¡¯s not how it was supposed to work¡ªeither the wardens lied to us or they just didn¡¯t understand what they were doing¡ªbut it did work. People can use totemic magic now. Or divine magic, if that¡¯s what you want to call it.¡± Ellerie rubbed her temples with her fingertips. ¡°This is ¡­ I don¡¯t know what to think. They¡¯re called the new gods, but nobody ever talks about where they came from. I always thought it was like Hildra said¡ªthat they¡¯ve always been around, and we just learned about them more recently than the old gods.¡± ¡°We have to make sure the new wardens don¡¯t learn about it.¡± ¡°What about Corec?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell him,¡± she said. ¡°Someday. Not now.¡± She sighed. ¡°If only I could talk to them, maybe I could find out what actually happened.¡± ¡°Talk to who?¡± ¡°The old wardens. The gods. Is there any way to speak to them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The gods sometimes send visions to their priests, but I don¡¯t think it goes the other way. Treya might know more. Or Bobo, I suppose.¡± ¡°I guess when I tell Corec, I might as well tell them too.¡± It felt like the secret was already getting away from her, hurtling outward, uncontrolled. Where would it end up? What damage would it cause? But it was a relief to no longer be the only one who knew. # ¡°¡­ and we beseech Pallisur to bestow his wisdom upon us, and to bathe us with his light on this most glorious of days,¡± Cardinal Aldrich intoned. Rusol had to work to keep his face expressionless. It was galling that he could only be crowned by the head of a religion he despised. Perhaps his mother had been right all along; perhaps his father should have taken more action to curb the Church¡¯s power. ¡°Glorious day!¡± the crowd chanted in response. The lords, courtiers, and palace officials had spent hours with the high priests learning their role in the traditional ceremony. Some had participated once before, during Marten¡¯s coronation, but that had been more than twenty years ago. With his father dead, Rusol had been forced to act quickly. The compulsions Marten had laid upon Cardinal Aldrich over the years had already begun unraveling by the time the man reached the palace to confirm the king¡¯s death. Fortunately, Rusol¡¯s father had always had a deft touch. The priests had no idea they¡¯d ever been compelled, though their willingness to go along with Marten¡¯s ideas had started to fade. Rusol had set aside his mourning to ensure his position was secure. Aldrich had been the first to fall under his spell that day, as the two men stood watching while a formal procession of priests and royal guards took Marten¡¯s body to the temple to be preserved. The body had then been returned to the palace to lie in state for three days, before being sent to the temple once again, this time for interment. The process had given Rusol an excuse to meet individually with each of the formerly compelled priests, carefully bringing them under the influence of his own compulsion magic. He wasn¡¯t as subtle as his father, but as the days went on, his skills improved, and he doubted the blessed priests from the outlying regions would realize anything was wrong. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Messages had been sent out across all of Larso to inform the peerage of the king¡¯s death, with the traditional four weeks¡ªone moon¡ªgiven to allow the most distant barons to arrive in time for Rusol¡¯s coronation. And now those men were in the crowded throne room staring at him. Silently judging him. The prayer finally came to an end, and Rusol joined the cardinal at the center of the dais. He was wearing the sword his mother had given him but not the armor. Marten, trained as a knight, had worn armor to his own coronation, and Sharra had urged Rusol to do so as well, but he felt like a fraud whenever he put it on. The sword, on the other hand ¡­ he¡¯d killed Leonis with the sword. He¡¯d earned the right to wear it. The enchanted weapon interacted with his elder magic, allowing him to line the blade with flame, frost, or even lightning. It was as if the sword had been designed especially for him. It hung at his side, feeling natural there despite the fact that he¡¯d had only a few hurried lessons from his father on how to use it. ¡°Kneel, my son,¡± Cardinal Aldrich said. Rusol knelt before the throne. ¡°Is Your Majesty willing to take the Oath?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Rusol replied. ¡°Do you swear to govern the nation, the lands, and the people of Larso under the customs and codes of civil law?¡± ¡°I do so swear.¡± ¡°Do you swear to govern the nation, the lands, and the people of Larso under the justice of royal law?¡± ¡°I do so swear.¡± ¡°Do you swear to preserve the rights and traditions of the Church of Pallisur and uphold the rules and privileges of doctrinal law for all time?¡± Rusol once again had to fight to control his expression. The Church, in its arrogance, placed more emphasis on requiring the ruler to uphold its own privileges than on following doctrinal law itself. There was a faint murmuring from the crowd at the delay, and Aldrich cleared his throat pointedly. ¡°I do so swear,¡± Rusol said. With enough priests under his control, doctrinal law could be changed. At the west end of the dais, Sharra and Yassi stood watching. Rusol¡¯s mother was beaming with pride, while his wife had a fake smile plastered across her face. Rusol had ordered her to pretend she was happy. At the other end of the dais stood Lord Seneschal Branley, Field Marshal Tregood, and Knight Commander Sir Noris, the stooped and wizened man who¡¯d led the Knights of Pallisur since before Marten was born. With Rusol¡¯s final words, Branley approached, carrying the crown on a small velvet pillow. This was the ornate ceremonial crown¡ªa gold and silver band with four gold oak leaves and four silver maple leaves alternating around the circumference, each leaf decorated with diamonds and rubies. A red velvet cap stretched across the inside. For less important state functions, there was a simpler crown without the cap or the gems, but for daily use, Marten had always preferred wearing a plain golden circlet. Cardinal Aldrich took the crown and held it up high, so all assembled could see it. ¡°By the authority of Pallisur, as his representative in this world, I declare the King of Larso, His Majesty Rusol the First, of House Larse!¡± Aldrich placed the crown lightly atop Rusol¡¯s head. The thing was gaudy, but at least this was the only time he¡¯d ever have to wear it. Rusol stood and faced his audience. Aldrich spoke again. ¡°Long live the king!¡± he exclaimed. The entire crowd echoed the ceremonial cheer, but few among them were smiling. # ¡°¡­ and if you¡¯ll permit, Sire, I¡¯ll present the troops to you tomorrow at midday on the parade grounds.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Tregood,¡± Rusol said. ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me ¡­¡± The Field Marshal bowed, and Rusol made his way over to the Black Crow barons, who¡¯d clustered together in a quiet semi-circle at the edge of the ballroom, observing the festivities. ¡°Gentlemen, welcome to Telfort,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t enjoy speaking to groups of strangers, but he¡¯d already greeted all of the lords he knew personally. He had to at least make the effort. How had his father done it? Marten had always seemed to know what to do or say in any situation. Since his death, Rusol had come to realize that he¡¯d done little to prepare himself for the role of king. He¡¯d attended court and observed judgements, had read up on facts and figures, and participated in discussions with courtiers, but his father was always the one who¡¯d known how all the pieces connected together. Marten had pushed hard for Rikard to learn those things, but he¡¯d gone easier on Rusol, especially after Rikard died. Rusol had spent more time training his magics than helping to govern the kingdom. The four country lords bowed¡ªrespectfully, though perhaps not as smoothly as the palace courtiers could manage. ¡°Sire, thank you for having us,¡± Baron Tarwen said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. King Marten was a great man.¡± Rusol had spoken to Tarwen before¡ªthat made it easier. Make a personal connection. That was advice he¡¯d overheard Marten giving Rikard. Remember your people and they¡¯ll love you for it. ¡°Lord Tarwen, I trust the situation in your valley has improved, and hillfolk mercenaries are no longer crossing through?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, thank you. Your assurances were of great comfort to my people.¡± ¡°Your son didn¡¯t join you this time?¡± Rusol couldn¡¯t remember the younger man¡¯s name. ¡°No, Sire. Toman remained behind to take care of both my lands and Tammerly¡¯s.¡± Tarwen indicated the older lord next to him. ¡°Toman¡¯s married to my Vena, Your Majesty,¡± Tammerly said. ¡°He¡¯s been a great help¡ªI don¡¯t get around as well as I used to.¡± He patted his bad leg. It could be considered an insult that the heir to the barony hadn¡¯t attended the coronation, but the border barons had never stood much on ceremony, and these two had a long trip through the mountains just to get to a decent road. Rusol decided to let it pass. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll meet him again in the future,¡± he replied, then paused, not sure what else to say. He didn¡¯t know the other two men at all¡ªthe Black Crow barons were all older, and none of the four maintained a winter home in Telfort. ¡°I hope we can speak again before you leave the city. I¡¯d like to learn more about each of the baronies.¡± He¡¯d made that up as he said it, but it was the sort of thing Marten might have done. It seemed like a good idea. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± Tarwen said with a short bow. The other three copied him. Rusol excused himself, then made his way back through the crowd, stopping to greet anyone he hadn¡¯t already spoken to. Sharra had been helpful at the start in suggesting personal topics of conversation¡ªshe always knew bits of information about the members of the peerage¡ªbut she¡¯d been drawn away, and was now busy entertaining Baron Hightower and the Duke of Westport. Rusol had to handle the remaining greetings on his own. The celebration had, so far, been a quiet one. Unlike Duke Edmond¡¯s investiture, no one had offered Rusol any congratulations on taking the crown. The only toasts and speeches were in honor of Marten¡¯s memory. The dukes and barons had all sworn fealty to Rusol just hours earlier, and they said all the right things to his face, but then they gathered in small groups, speaking quietly so as not to be overheard. They watched him with their judging eyes, but when they noticed him glancing their way, they quickly looked somewhere else. At the far end of the room, Yassi, now the Queen, was speaking to her parents and trying to avoid conversations with the courtiers. At least Rusol had made sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell anyone anything they shouldn¡¯t know. Merice was locked in her suite, guards at the door and a maid inside to make sure she didn¡¯t try to harm herself. Despite her forgetfulness, Merice still remembered giving Marten the fatal dose of her own medicine. She¡¯d broken down into hysteria again, just as she had after Rikard¡¯s death, but Rusol had forbidden any further use of the drug. At his request, Magnus had found something less dangerous to replace it. It allowed her to sleep at night, but it didn¡¯t help her forget. Was Rusol being too cruel? Merice had taken the medicine for years without incident, and perhaps forgetting would be kinder. He headed in Yassi¡¯s direction to ask her opinion, but halfway there, he heard whispered bits of a conversation. ¡°¡­ heart was fine ¡­ too young ¡­ he must have ¡­ Rikard ¡­¡± Rusol froze. It was a man¡¯s voice, but speaking too low to identify. What was he saying? Had the lords realized the official story about Marten¡¯s death was a lie? If they didn¡¯t believe the death had been natural, the obvious suspect would be Rusol himself. Was that why people kept staring at him? The voice didn¡¯t speak again, so he continued on his way, not giving any sign he¡¯d overheard. Whatever the dukes and the barons believed, he¡¯d have to deal with them later. Confronting them in front of everyone would make things worse. He slipped out of the party through a side entrance, not bothering to inform Yassi or his mother. He needed to get away from all of the watchers. Halfway back to his quarters, he stopped and took a corridor that led out to the palace gardens instead. It was dusk; the sun had dipped below the horizon and the first stars were already visible. There was a cold but gentle breeze blowing. His elder senses told him a light snowfall was coming, but it wouldn¡¯t arrive for another day. Rusol wandered aimlessly around the garden as he considered how to handle the dukes and barons. Without planning to, he soon found himself at the palace¡¯s outer wall. There was a guard tower nearby, so he climbed the stairs up to the battlements, ignoring the deep bows from the men stationed there. Halfway between two guard towers, he stopped at a crenel to stare out across the city, where the lamplighters were still busy lighting street lamps. More lights appeared in the business districts¡ªlanterns set out by the taverns and inns where people were celebrating the coronation of the new king. Or were they mourning the old one? ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± a voice demanded. His mother had followed him. Rusol turned to face her. ¡°I needed to think.¡± Sharra glared at him. ¡°Think about what? The lords all traveled here to see you. You should be using this opportunity to make alliances. Westport¡¯s grumbling about the Church tax again¡ªhe¡¯ll back you if you decree that only members of the Church are required to tithe.¡± ¡°That would cut their tithes in half,¡± Rusol said. ¡°You want me to make an enemy of the entire Order as my first official act?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start acting like your father. You know the priests take in far more money than they need. They waste it all on drinking and whores.¡± Rusol shook his head and changed the subject. ¡°Everyone thinks I killed him. I can see it in their eyes. Nobody believes Father had a problem with his heart.¡± Sharra narrowed her gaze. ¡°They don¡¯t think you killed him, Rusol. And you could have allayed any suspicion if you hadn¡¯t protected Merice! We finally had a chance to get her out of our lives, and you ruined it.¡± ¡°I ¡­ what? It wasn¡¯t her fault, Mother. I couldn¡¯t let everyone turn against her.¡± ¡°Why not? Do you have any idea how long it took me to set everything up? I thought Cardinal Aldrich would have her questioned with a truth spell, so I had to drop just enough hints to make her think it was her idea. But that idiot woman doesn¡¯t understand subtlety. It took me months to lay the groundwork, and then you go and waste it!¡± Rusol stepped back, a sudden chill making him shiver. ¡°You killed him?¡± ¡°No, Merice did, but it had to be done. You were always meant to be the king. The poison did its job.¡± Rusol opened his mouth then closed it. Nothing he could say would help any of this make sense. Finally he spoke, focusing on the smallest detail. ¡°Poison?¡± Sharra rolled her eyes. ¡°After Rikard died, Marten spent all his time dealing with Merice rather than being king, or teaching you your new role. A small dose isn¡¯t fatal; it was just enough to keep her out of the way. It was perfect. I didn¡¯t think about using it on him until later.¡± ¡°But why? Why kill him?¡± The light breeze became a heavy wind, dead leaves swirling through the air. Stars winked out one by one as clouds formed in the sky directly above the palace. ¡°Keep your voice down or someone will hear!¡± Sharra hissed, glancing back at the guard tower. ¡°Your father said it himself, Rusol. You¡¯re special¡ªyou¡¯re a mage twice over, and a warden, and I will not allow you to be held back because you fear your own subjects! Marten weakened the Order but he was too soft to finish it off. Now, you can do what he couldn¡¯t, and bring the power back to the throne where it belongs. The Church will either obey or be exiled.¡± The clouds darkened as the winds grew stronger. ¡°You can¡¯t ¡­¡± Rusol started, but he didn¡¯t know how to finish the sentence. Then he had a horrible thought. ¡°Rikard?¡± Sharra¡¯s lip curled in distaste. ¡°Rikard got by on his looks, but underneath it all, he was just a bully. He never should have treated you the way he did.¡± ¡°You ¡­ you killed him too?¡± Rusol had hated his brother nearly as much as he¡¯d loved him, but he¡¯d never wanted Rikard dead. ¡°It took a few tries to get it right. It was supposed to look like an accident. I wasn¡¯t going to tolerate that woman¡¯s idiot son taking your rightful place. I had to make sure nothing stood in your way. With my help, you¡¯ll be the strongest king Larso has ever had.¡± Rusol growled deep in his throat, a red haze descending over his vision as the demon rage took him. The elder storm was in his blood, thunder echoing above and lightning crackling at his fingertips. The magic beckoned to him, but he needed something more personal. He drew the sword she¡¯d given him, the blade already blazing with energy. Sharra shrank back in fear and surprise, but it was too late. Rusol struck just as the storm broke loose. Book 4: Chapter Eighteen ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Shavala have caught up to us by now?¡± Corec checked the warden bond. ¡°She¡¯s ¡­ southwest of us,¡± he told Katrin. ¡°I think her old border camp would be southeast of here, so she must have gone on to Terrillia instead.¡± ¡°She changed her plans? Is Razai with her?¡± ¡°No, Razai¡¯s to the west. I¡¯m sure Shavala¡¯s fine, but she might decide to take a different road out of the forest so she doesn¡¯t have to backtrack. She could be planning to meet up with us in Four Roads.¡± ¡°Should we send Leena to check on her?¡± ¡°Humans aren¡¯t allowed in Terrillia, but if we don¡¯t see Shavala in Four Roads, we¡¯ll figure out a way to get a message to her.¡± Katrin nodded, then stopped in front of a wide, single-story building with a flat roof, a cooing sound coming from above. A pigeon post aviary. ¡°This must be it,¡± she said. Corec tried the door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Closed for the day, I guess.¡± ¡°We can come back tomorrow,¡± Katrin said. ¡°We have to pass by here on the way out.¡± Corec nodded. He planned to write to his father to let him know the visit home would be delayed due to the dragon. The road between Four Roads and Larso was too close to its new territory, and Corec didn¡¯t want to risk being caught out in the open. A pigeon would have to take the message to Highfell, and from there, a courier could be sent to Tarwen Village. It would cost extra for the service, but it was the only way¡ªthere were no pigeon keepers back home, and Corec couldn¡¯t ask Leena to risk using magic in Larso. ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± he said. ¡°We passed a saddle shop on the way, and I want to stop in and see if their work is any good. Nedley needs a new saddle. You probably do, too.¡± The sound of angry voices reached them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Katrin asked. The inns in town were full, and many of the refugees fleeing from the dragon couldn¡¯t have afforded to stay at one anyway. Dalewood had allowed them to set up camps in a few spots around town, and one of those camps was here, at an intersection just beyond the last of the shops lining the street. A large group of people had gathered around a bonfire for warmth, with wagons and tents encircling the area. The camp had been quiet just a moment earlier, but now the refugees raised their voices, shouting at each other. Corec couldn¡¯t tell what they were saying. ¡°We¡¯d better check it out,¡± he said, hopping off the wooden walkway down to the muddy street. It had rained earlier in the day, and most of the streets in Dalewood weren¡¯t cobbled. He reached up to help Katrin down. She grimaced at the mud but accepted his help, then followed him. More people joined the argument, seemingly two groups shouting at each other while others tried to get out of their way. Then one man shoved another, and the second man¡¯s friends rushed the first, bearing him down to the ground. The scuffle quickly devolved into a brawl, refugees fighting each other with fists or clubs or cudgels. Corec broke into a run, casting his combat spells as he charged into the center of the melee, shouldering and elbowing men out of the way. He grabbed one man¡¯s cudgel and snapped the shaft over his knee, tossing the pieces to the side. Another refugee tried to hit him with a quarterstaff, but it was deflected by his shield spell, a brief flash of light washing over the fight. ¡°Enough!¡± Corec shouted as he shoved the staff-wielder down onto the muddy street. Corec wasn¡¯t wearing his plate armor, which people sometimes mistook as a symbol of authority, and his mail shirt was hidden under his winter coat. His sword harness was slung across his back, but he didn¡¯t want to draw the weapon unless there was no other choice. He¡¯d have to control the crowd without any help. Then Katrin¡¯s voice cut distinctly across the cacophony. ¡°Stop fighting and stand down!¡± she called out. There must have been some bardic magic in it, because everyone took a step back and looked around, trying to figure out who¡¯d spoken. Those at the center of the brawl had seen the flash of Corec¡¯s barrier shield. They may not have known what it was, but it was enough to startle them, and now they were trying to put more space between him and them, pressing back against the crowd behind them. The result was a widening circle with Corec standing alone at the center, except for a single town guard who¡¯d gotten caught up in the fight and was now slowly struggling to his feet. Corec gave him a hand. Katrin nudged her way through the mob and joined them, the refugees¡¯ attention drawn to the warden rune glowing blue on her forehead. Magic was rare in the free lands¡ªand sometimes feared, thanks to the proximity of Larso. People quieted down as they stared at her. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Corec demanded of the crowd. The guardsman tried to respond but his answer was drowned out by the shouts coming from all sides. Then one of the refugees stomped into the cleared area. ¡°They got food!¡± he yelled, pointing at the group nearest the wagons. ¡°Them Dalewood bastards won¡¯t help us and my family ain¡¯t eaten since yesterday!¡± A middle-aged man on the opposite side of the circle, dressed like a shopkeeper, stepped forward. He was holding one hand up against the side of his head, blood dripping down his cheek. ¡°We¡¯ve got our own families to feed!¡± he said, swaying unsteadily. ¡°It¡¯s not our fault you didn¡¯t bring anything with you!¡± ¡°The dragon chased us off our land!¡± the other man shouted. ¡°We didn¡¯t have no choice!¡± Corec turned to the town guard. ¡°Why aren¡¯t the temples helping? Or the mayor or the baron?¡± The guardsman¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°The temples are already ¡­¡± he stammered. ¡°The mayor ¡­ we can¡¯t feed them all.¡± That didn¡¯t seem to be enough of an answer for the angry mob, and the refugees started shouting again, the two sides jostling back and forth. The man with the head injury didn¡¯t join in this time. He blinked rapidly and then collapsed down on one knee before falling to the ground. A woman who¡¯d been huddling behind him shrieked and crouched down over his body. ¡°Help him!¡± she cried out to no one in particular. The mob grew quiet, staring at the fallen man. ¡°We¡¯ll send for a healer,¡± Corec assured her. He raised his voice. ¡°I need a runner!¡± he called out. ¡°Someone who knows Dalewood, and knows how to find The Goose and Gander. I¡¯ll pay.¡± An older boy, perhaps Nedley¡¯s age, was shoved forward out of the crowd. ¡°He¡¯s been here before!¡± a boy behind him called out. ¡°He¡¯s got a townie girl!¡± The young man flushed. ¡°You know where The Goose and Gander is?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Yessir.¡± ¡°Then go there and find a woman named Treya. She¡¯s a healer. Tell her I need her here right away. Oh, my name¡¯s Corec¡ªtell her Corec needs her here. And ask her to send Ellerie and Boktar too.¡± They could help him figure out who was supposed to be responsible for feeding the refugees. ¡°And Sarette and Ariadne.¡± He¡¯d need them to make sure no other fights broke out. ¡°Do you have all that? Repeat it back to me.¡± The young man repeated the message, only getting Ariadne¡¯s name wrong. It was close enough, so Corec sent him on his way. Corec turned back to the mob. ¡°There¡¯ll be a healer here soon,¡± he said, projecting his voice so everyone could hear him, and slowly turning in a circle to meet their eyes. ¡°And we¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡± But there had to be over a hundred refugees at this camp alone. How much help could Corec and his friends really provide? # Ellerie held back while Boktar stepped forward to introduce her. She was wearing the nicest clothing she could find in her packs, which happened to be the red silk dress she¡¯d purchased in Snow Crown. It was wildly out of place in Dalewood, but it was the best she could manage on short notice. ¡°Mayor Oren?¡± Boktar said. ¡°I¡¯d like to present Her Exalted Highness, the Lady Ellerie di¡¯Valla, daughter of Queen Revana of Teravas.¡± After asking around town, they¡¯d tracked down the mayor at the finery forge¡ªit seemed he was part owner. The chubby man¡¯s eyes widened, and he took a step back and gave an awkward bow. ¡°Your ¡­ umm ¡­ Your Highness?¡± he stammered. ¡°You, uh, do us honor with your visit. Welcome to Dalewood. How can I help you?¡± Ellerie didn¡¯t bother to correct the term of address. ¡°I¡¯m merely passing through,¡± she said. ¡°I had business in Tyrsall. But while I¡¯m here, I¡¯d like to speak with you about your refugee problem.¡± Oren¡¯s face fell. ¡°Ahh, yes. A terrible thing, that dragon, and now so many people coming here to escape it.¡± ¡°And what do you intend to do about those people? Many of them are going hungry.¡± The mayor grimaced. ¡°Ahh, well, we¡¯ve done all we can, Your Highness. The temples are packed full with as many refugees as they can manage. The priests take in a collection to feed the hungry, but that¡¯s just enough for our own people. I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re going to do with all these new folks.¡± ¡°As mayor, you must have access to additional funds. My friends and I are arranging food and blankets, but we¡¯re only here for a day. Surely you don¡¯t want the refugees begging on the streets or robbing your own citizens.¡± Oren hesitated. ¡°I¡¯d like to do more, but I can¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°Baron Greendale controls the town¡¯s treasury, you see. Dalewood is the seat of the barony.¡± ¡°Will you introduce me to the baron?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. He¡¯s wintering in Tyrsall. I spoke to the seneschal, who said he¡¯d send a pigeon, but that was over a week ago and we haven¡¯t heard back yet.¡± ¡°Did the seneschal actually send the message?¡± ¡°I ¡­¡± the mayor started, then faltered. Ellerie could guess the problem. He couldn¡¯t accuse the seneschal of not doing his duty, but the alternative was to accuse Baron Greendale, which would be even worse. And it was possible the baron was arranging aid but just hadn¡¯t sent a pigeon back. ¡°Never mind,¡± she said. ¡°If you¡¯ll write out another copy of the message, I can have it to the baron today¡ªfaster than any pigeon. You can say you sent it twice in case the pigeon didn¡¯t reach Tyrsall. And another copy for the Duke of the West, just to be safe.¡± The mayor¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Today?¡± Then he shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t go to the duke behind the baron¡¯s back!¡± Ellerie considered her options. Dalewood was in the heart of the region Varsin Senshall managed for the Senshall Trading Company. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°What if the message didn¡¯t come from you, but from someone both the baron and the duke do business with?¡± # ¡°What is a dragon?¡± Ariadne asked Sarette as the two of them patrolled the perimeter of the refugee camp. She¡¯d been too embarrassed to ask the question in front of everyone. The language issue wasn¡¯t as much of a problem anymore now that she knew enough trade tongue to get by, but the group sometimes dropped into Eastern or Western when talking with others they encountered, and Ariadne could only keep one of those languages in her head at a time. She¡¯d only heard bits and pieces of the conversations with the refugees. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of dragons?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°They¡¯re giant sea snakes, but those are just old stories,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°They¡¯re not real, or if they are, they died out a long time ago. Nobody¡¯s seen one since we started keeping records. And I saw the map¡ªFour Roads is nowhere near the sea.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of sea snakes. Dragons are real, but they don¡¯t live in the ocean. They look more like lizards than snakes, except they have wings and can fly. And they¡¯re big, as big as a large building.¡± ¡°How does something that big fly?¡± There were feathered serpents in Van Kir¡ªsnakes with wings¡ªbut they were small, weighing not much more than a large bird. A creature the size of a building shouldn¡¯t be able to support itself in the air. Sarette shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I can fly. Maybe it¡¯s magic.¡± Ariadne frowned at that. ¡°Animals can¡¯t use magic. Except for the totems, but they¡¯re different.¡± ¡°Dragons can breathe fire too. How could they do that without elder magic?¡± ¡°They breathe fire? Rather than air?¡± ¡°No, I mean they breathe it out, like a weapon¡ªor like Shavala¡¯s flame spell. That¡¯s why some of the refugees¡¯ homes burned down. You¡¯ve really never heard of dragons? Or drakes? Drakes are like dragons, but much smaller.¡± ¡°No, neither. Where do they come from?¡± ¡°Across the sea from somewhere, I guess. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever had a dragon in the Storm Heights, so we¡¯ve only heard stories.¡± Ariadne nodded, then stepped around a refugee family attempting to assemble a tent they¡¯d been given. Calm had finally descended after the chaotic rush to purchase food, blankets, and warm clothing, and to distribute it all to the three refugee camps dotted around the town. Wooden crates and canvas bags lay empty and forgotten after having been used to transport beans, dried fruits, rice, and oats. A long and narrow cooking fire had been constructed near the dying bonfire, and now the last of the pots were being emptied and cleared away as the refugee families finished their meals. The smell of fresh bread had begun to waft over the town¡ªBoktar had paid half a dozen bakers to reopen their shops for the evening. There¡¯d be bread in the morning, to accompany the next food delivery. It wasn¡¯t enough. The refugees would eat for a few days with the coin Ariadne¡¯s friends were leaving behind, as long as the people they were leaving it with were trustworthy, but after that, the problem would have to be solved by others. Ellerie had sent messages to that effect to Tyrsall, but Leena hadn¡¯t returned yet with any responses. A shadow flickered from an unexpected direction, and Ariadne came to a sudden stop. Something was off. ¡°What ¡­ ?¡± Sarette started. Ariadne shook her head and held her finger to her lips, not sure what she¡¯d seen. Maybe it was nothing. No, there, outside the range of the mage lights, beyond the wagons and tents. A warm spot¡ªwarmer to her eyes than the cold night air surrounding it. Not as warm as a fire, so it was likely a person or an animal. The wall of a shop blocked her view, but the heat was radiating outward from its origin. Whoever it was had been there for a while. Probably just a curious local, or a refugee looking to get away from the crowd. But it was best to make sure. She pointed, and Sarette followed her around to the other side of the building. There, they found a large man in rough clothing standing close to a smaller woman. He was leaning over her, against the wall, and trailing a finger across her cheek. Ariadne exchanged a grin with Sarette. They hadn¡¯t been noticed yet, and were about to leave and give the two their privacy when the woman tried to edge away. The man followed, staying close, keeping the girl between him and the wall. ¡°It looks like she wants to leave,¡± Sarette called out. The man whirled around, then laughed when he saw them. ¡°What do you want? We¡¯re busy here.¡± Ariadne stepped forward. ¡°If she wants to go back to the fires, let her go.¡± ¡°This ain¡¯t any of your business,¡± he said, then looked down at the girl and tilted her chin up so she was facing him. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to go back.¡± The young woman¡¯s frightened eyes darted back and forth, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let her answer?¡± He snorted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave us in peace? What, does that fellow with the sword need girls to do his fighting for him?¡± Ariadne and Sarette had their armor on to help prevent any further trouble, but Corec hadn¡¯t bothered to retrieve his own. He had just a mail shirt hidden under his winter coat, choosing to appear more approachable so he could talk to the sometimes-frightened refugees. Ariadne scowled. A human peasant taunting a Chosar Mage Knight in the street. How had the world come to this? What had the old wardens done to cause so much change? Sarette probably wouldn¡¯t approve if she drew her sword on one of the refugees, so instead she clenched her fist in front of her, infusing her gauntlet with lightning magic. The man jerked backward as flickers of blue and white light danced over her fist. The gauntlet wasn¡¯t designed for elemental infusions, but it was still made from mirrorsteel¡ªit would hold the temporary enchantment long enough for her to make her point. She layered a flame infusion over the top of it, then stalked toward the man, her hand engulfed in fire, crackles of lightning magic still sparkling within. That was too much for him to take. He scrambled backward, falling off the shop¡¯s wooden walkway and into the muddy street. He struggled to his feet, then ran off into the darkness. The girl¡¯s eyes had widened, and then she ran too, but toward the camp. Ariadne hadn¡¯t meant to scare her, but at least she¡¯d be safer within the lit area. The spells had come to Ariadne more easily than she was accustomed to. She¡¯d given up on elder magic after finding out how weak her gift was, but with sufficient practice, could she learn enough to make it useful? ¡°How did you charge your gauntlet like that?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°I can¡¯t just hold my spear out and charge it; I have to tap it against the ground, or pull a bolt of lightning to it.¡± ¡°Magic works differently for everyone, but within the precepts we set for ourselves. How did your teachers infuse their weapons?¡± ¡°Infuse? You mean charge? They do it the same way I do.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s your answer. Your stormrunner magic works a certain way because you believe it does, and you believe it does because that¡¯s how it¡¯s always worked.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a joke,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Three mages are working together on a task. The philosopher amongst them says, ¡®Magic is defined by the wielder. If you believe it, you can will it.¡¯ To which the researcher replies, ¡®That has not been demonstrated. If it¡¯s true, prove it.¡¯ Finally, the practitioner turns to them and says, ¡®Will you two be quiet? I¡¯m trying to cast the damned spell.¡¯¡± Sarette didn¡¯t laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said, furrowing her brow. ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°It means ¡­¡± Ariadne had to stop and think. The joke depended on specific archetypes and philosophies common in Chosar stories, and she¡¯d never had to try to explain it before. ¡°I suppose it can mean any number of things, depending on your point of view, but I always took it to mean that the nature of magic is unknowable and can never be proven. And that you can learn to break some constraints but not others, and no one really knows how or why. And that at some point, you just have to stop talking and start doing.¡± # ¡°How did it happen?¡± Treya asked the boy. She held his arm carefully, using her healing senses to examine the cracked bits of bone in his forearm. It hadn¡¯t broken completely, and had started healing on its own, but the bruising and swelling suggested he was in more pain than he was willing to admit. He winced when she brushed her fingers over the spot. ¡°Tripped and fell when we was runnin¡¯ from the dragon,¡± the boy, Harri, said in a hillfolk accent. He couldn¡¯t have been more than twelve years old, and his sister was even younger. She clung to his other arm, staring silently as Treya worked. ¡°The healers in Four Roads didn¡¯t look at it?¡± Treya asked. The siblings¡¯ parents had perished when the dragon burned down their farmhouse, and it was clear the boy couldn¡¯t afford a healer, but shouldn¡¯t someone have helped him anyway? ¡°Couldn¡¯t find no priests of the Raven there,¡± Harri said. Of course. The hillfolk followed the old gods, so the boy must not have known who to go to for help. Not that that excused the priests in Four Roads¡ªthey should have realized something was wrong. The injury wasn¡¯t the most severe Treya had seen that day, but he¡¯d clearly been favoring the arm. Harri was the last patient waiting for her attention; some of the other refugees had pushed him into the line that had formed after she¡¯d arrived. When Treya¡¯s hands lit up with healing magic, the boy gasped and tried to pull away, but she held him in a tight grip until she was finished. ¡°There,¡± she said. ¡°All healed. How does it feel?¡± He worked his arm and his fingers, and then poked at the spot that had been injured¡ªtentatively, as if expecting pain. Then he poked it again, harder. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± he asked. ¡°There ain¡¯t no girl priests, and you don¡¯t got no raven feathers.¡± ¡°There are lots of girl priests outside the hills,¡± Treya said. ¡°Raven priests use healing magic?¡± ¡°Sure. They¡¯s got potions and tinctures and poultices.¡± Treya nodded. Herbalism, like Bobo had practiced when he¡¯d lived in the hills. ¡°Who are you traveling with?¡± she asked. There was no one waiting for him other than his sister. ¡°We ain¡¯t travelin¡¯ with nobody. The knights made us go to Four Roads, but everyone says the dragon¡¯s comin¡¯ there next, so we left.¡± ¡°Knights?¡± ¡°They came to the village after the dragon was gone. They wouldn¡¯t let us go south¡ªsaid it ain¡¯t safe. Took us all to Four Roads instead.¡± ¡°And then you and your sister just left? By yourselves? What about the people who made you come see me?¡± ¡°We ain¡¯t travelin¡¯ with them. We was just followin¡¯ behind. Sometimes they got extra food.¡± Treya was quiet for a moment as she thought. She couldn¡¯t just send the two children on their way, and it wasn¡¯t safe to try to take them back to their own people in the hills. An orphan boy of Harri¡¯s age should be apprenticed, but would a craft master or shopkeeper agree to take the sister as well? ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± she asked the girl. ¡°Ditte,¡± the child said in a small voice. ¡°I like that name. I¡¯ve never met anyone named Ditte before. How old are you?¡± The girl chewed on her lip before answering in that same quiet tone. ¡°Six.¡± That was how old Treya had been when her own parents had died. A neighbor found her and took her to the Three Orders. An apprenticeship for the boy and the Orders for the girl? It didn¡¯t seem right to split them up. ¡°Do you like horses?¡± she asked Harri. He shrugged. Corec was nearby, speaking to one of the refugee families. Treya waved him over. ¡°Now that Nedley¡¯s a guard, we¡¯ll need a new groom, won¡¯t we?¡± she asked, tilting her head in Harri¡¯s direction. Corec studied the two children. ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡± ¡°Harri, sir.¡± Corec blinked at the accent, but just said, ¡°Harri, how would you like a job as a groom, taking care of our horses and mules? You¡¯d feed them, exercise them, clean the stables. The pay¡¯s a silver piece each day, and it includes room and board. For both of you. I¡¯ve got to warn you, it¡¯s hard work¡ªwe¡¯ve got a lot of animals.¡± Harri¡¯s eyes had gone wide at the mention of the pay. He nodded rapidly. Treya said, ¡°We¡¯re heading west, back toward Four Roads, but I promise we won¡¯t go anywhere near the dragon. We¡¯ll make sure you and Ditte are safe.¡± The boy bit his lip, then nodded again, but not as eager as before. Corec peered back into the refugee camp. The sun was long gone, but he¡¯d lined the area with mage lights. ¡°Hey, Ned!¡± he called out. ¡°Come here!¡± Nedley jogged over. Like Sarette and Ariadne, who were also patrolling the camp, he was dressed for a fight. Or, rather, as a deterrent against any further fighting. He was wearing silversteel plate armor and had his sword at his side and a small shield strapped to his back. If he¡¯d been a few years older and a few inches taller, he might have made an imposing sight. ¡°Nedley, this is Harri,¡± Corec said. ¡°He¡¯s going to be our new groom. Will you teach him what he needs to know? Ask Boktar to find a place for him and his sister to sleep.¡± ¡°Sure, Corec.¡± ¡°Harri,¡± Corec said, ¡°go along with Nedley and he can get you started. He¡¯s a soldier now, but he used to be our groom, so he knows what to do.¡± Harri looked back at his sister. ¡°But ¡­¡± ¡°Ditte can go with you,¡± Treya said. ¡°Just keep her away from the horses so she doesn¡¯t get hurt.¡± Corec reached inside his coat for his coin pouch¡ªthe public one that he only kept a few coins in. He pulled out a silver piece and handed it to the boy. ¡°Here. Your first day¡¯s pay. Ned, see if you can find him a belt pouch too.¡± Nedley nodded, and led the two children away. ¡°No family?¡± Corec asked once they¡¯d gone. ¡°The dragon killed their parents,¡± Treya said. Corec sighed. ¡°If Dalewood can¡¯t cope with refugees, Four Roads will be worse. The free lands aren¡¯t prepared for something like this. That¡¯s how the dragon took the keep in the first place, and Matagor just abandoned everyone who lived nearby.¡± ¡°Harri said a group of knights escorted them to Four Roads.¡± ¡°Probably patrolling for hillfolk bandits. If they¡¯re protecting the hillfolk now ¡­¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°I doubt they received orders for that. They might have been cut off from their route back to Hightower.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re still going to Four Roads?¡± Treya asked, though she already knew the answer. ¡°We have to. One patrol of knights isn¡¯t enough to hunt a dragon, and besides, they¡¯ve probably scampered back to Larso by now, through the northern passes. I¡¯ve been talking to the folks here and they all say that when they left, Four Roads didn¡¯t have any sort of plan for the dragon yet. I think Ellerie¡¯s right¡ªwe¡¯ll need to pay for the mercenaries ourselves.¡± ¡°Will we be able to hire enough trained men in Four Roads?¡± Treya didn¡¯t remember seeing many mercenaries when she¡¯d lived there. Corec grimaced but didn¡¯t reply, making the answer obvious. He sighed again. ¡°At least this group seems to be settling down now that they¡¯ve got some food and blankets. Ellerie and Bobo say the other two camps are quiet, no fighting.¡± ¡°What are we going to do with them all? One day of food isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°No, and we can¡¯t feed this many people for long. Leena¡¯s gone to Tyrsall with a message for Varsin Senshall, to see if he¡¯ll ask Baron Greendale and the Duke of the West to intervene. According to Ellerie, the temples here are already doing what they can, but the mayor¡¯s going to try to convince the local shops to donate more than usual.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no temple of Allosur here. If Leena¡¯s making another trip tomorrow, I could write to Priest Telkin and Bishop Lastal to ask them to send help.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°They have bigger pockets than we do. Warn them that it¡¯s not just Dalewood. They should plan for refugees from Four Roads to Tyrsall. But for now, if you¡¯re done here, will you come with me to check on the other camps?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Book 4: Chapter Nineteen The western edge of the Terril Forest ended abruptly, the lands beyond having once been cleared for farming. Those fields were overgrown now, with weeds, brush, and small trees that had sprung up after the humans abandoned the area over fifty years earlier, but there was still a stark divide between the former crop lands and the tall tershaya lining the border. Shavala peered up at the sky through the spyglass she¡¯d taken from a dead mercenary at Tir Yadar. The tiny dot above her was certainly no bird, but it was difficult to track a moving target with the glass while simultaneously adjusting the lenses. There was a faint brush of a footstep behind her, and she turned to find Dalanis, leader of one of the ranger patrols based at the western border camp. ¡°Is that it?¡± she asked him, pointing. He glanced up. ¡°Yes, it flies this way a few times each week. Meritia asked me to find you. The group that visited the human village has returned, so the elders are calling everyone together.¡± Shavala nodded and followed him back to the large temporary camp that had been assembled under cover of the forest. The conclave had been gathering for two weeks, scouting the western border and discussing the problem in small groups, but this would be the first time they all met together. Shavala herself had only been there for a day. She and Meritia had stopped in Terrillia along the way and waited to escort the final group of druid elders on the journey. From Terrillia, they¡¯d headed west, passing through the western border camp, then continuing on to the border itself. Now, eighty druids had gathered together in one location, including all of the elders who were capable of traveling. Over two hundred rangers had accompanied them, though most had been deployed along the border to watch for the dragon. Back at the temporary camp, the elders had arranged themselves cross-legged on the ground in a loose circle. Younger druids were farther out and higher up, standing or sitting on rocks or fallen tree trunks so they could see what was happening. Shavala joined them, climbing a tree and sitting on a low branch next to a young man whose name she didn¡¯t know. She gave him a quick smile, but before she could introduce herself, Gylvaren started speaking. He wasn¡¯t the most senior of the elders, but as the leader of the western border camp, he was the one who¡¯d called the conclave. ¡°We all know why we¡¯ve come together,¡± he started. ¡°Some of you have had the opportunity to view the burned remains of the nearest human settlements. Others have seen the dragon with your own eyes. A threat has come to the Terril Forest, of a sort we haven¡¯t seen in many years. The danger is only potential, not yet realized, but the dragon is now flying nearly a hundred miles into our borders on a regular basis. We must decide whether we will take action.¡± ¡°Has it made any move against the forest?¡± Elder Nariela asked, her graying hair tied in dozens of youthful braids. ¡°It sometimes lands in a clearing, and twice it¡¯s been observed to take an unlucky deer. Usually, it just flies over. The tree canopy seems to prevent further incursion.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a living creature. It¡¯s not our place to stop it if it chooses to hunt a few deer. Even humans are allowed to hunt here as long as they stay beyond the outposts.¡± ¡°The dragon¡¯s behavior suggest it¡¯s seeking to expand its territory,¡± Gylvaren said. ¡°What if it decides the western forest belongs to it? Already our rangers must keep a careful watch at all times in case it flies overhead. The next time it hunts, it may not be a deer that it takes.¡± ¡°In Cetos, the people live in balance with dragons,¡± said Zhailai, one of the more well-traveled druids, speaking out even though she wasn¡¯t an elder. ¡°Can we not do that here?¡± Old Arvillin, who¡¯d taught Shavala to call fire, made a curt chopping motion with his hand. ¡°Cetos has beasts of great size for the dragons to hunt,¡± he said. ¡°The dragons are drawn to the regions where those creatures make their homes. The people who live in that area understand the risks.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve not all come together to fight back an intruder for hundreds of years,¡± said an elder Shavala didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Not since the last time the humans tried to invade the forest. What we did then, I will always regret. I advise caution in our approach. A measured response.¡± ¡°But what if it sets fires?¡± someone called from the outermost circle, causing a discordant sensation within the tree bond. Up until that point, only the elders and the most senior of druids had spoken. ¡°We can¡¯t allow it to burn the forest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s winter,¡± Meritia replied from where she was sitting with several other senior druids just outside the circle of elders. ¡°The woods are too wet to burn, and we can summon more rain if we need to.¡± ¡°Can we convince it to leave the area?¡± asked another of the elders. ¡°Or at least return to its original territory?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t speak to dragons,¡± Gylvaren reminded the man. ¡°No, but perhaps someone from Cetos knows another way to communicate with it. Luring it away, perhaps?¡± ¡°I doubt luring it away will work if it¡¯s expanding its range,¡± Gylvaren said. ¡°It already returns regularly to its lair at the human¡¯s trade keep. Where else could we convince it to go?¡± The elder who¡¯d pushed for caution spoke up again. ¡°The dragon hasn¡¯t attempted to harm the forest or our people. We must allow it to follow its natural law.¡± ¡°Natural law applies if it¡¯s not harming thinking beings or unbalancing an ecosystem,¡± one of the senior druids protested. ¡°What about the humans it¡¯s killed in the free lands?¡± ¡°It¡¯s neither our place nor our duty to protect the humans.¡± The man sitting next to Shavala spoke up. ¡°And the elven villages in the free lands?¡± he called out. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we protect them?¡± Shavala had learned of the dorvasta settlements outside the forest from a leatherworker in Tyrsall, but judging by the quiet murmuring throughout the younger members of the crowd, it seemed not everyone knew. The elders went stone-faced. ¡°They chose to leave the safety of the forest,¡± Nariela said. ¡°They¡¯ve made it clear they don¡¯t want our protection.¡± ¡°Most are to the south or east, to avoid drawing too much attention,¡± said Tovali, another of the elders, directing her comments to those who hadn¡¯t been aware of the villages. ¡°I don¡¯t know of any to the west.¡± ¡°There was one once, but they relocated when the dragon first came to the free lands,¡± Gylvaren said in reluctant agreement. As the newest full druid, it wasn¡¯t Shavala¡¯s place to speak up, but her friends were in the free lands already. They would be on their way to Four Roads. Did they know about the dragon yet? Were they in danger? She ignored the tree bond¡¯s urge to keep quiet. ¡°Are human villages any less deserving of protection than our own?¡± she asked. The elders kept their faces expressionless after that remark, but they couldn¡¯t mask their unease from the tree bond. There was a moment of silence as uncertainty rippled through the crowd. But then the man who¡¯d argued against taking action spoke once more. ¡°Within the forest, natural law is clear,¡± he said. ¡°Outside the forest, the humans will protect their own kind. They¡¯ve fought dragons before, and they wouldn¡¯t welcome our intrusion into their lands.¡± That was true enough, and the unease faded as consensus was reached. The discussion continued, with plans to position druids along the border to watch for fires or any sort of attack, but everyone knew a decision had already been made. Gylvaren kept quiet. He watched the proceedings with a look of disapproval, but appeared unwilling to fight against the accord achieved within the tree bond. What would Shavala¡¯s friends do when they learned of the dragon? Would they continue on to Four Roads? What should she do? # ¡°We now have two thousand soldiers and fifteen hundred mercenaries deployed to the northern border, Your Majesty,¡± Field Marshal Tregood said. ¡°Those numbers include our standard garrisons as well as the reinforcements. And, of course, there are nearly two hundred knights at Fort Northtower, though they run their own patrols.¡± ¡°Is there any news out of Blue Vale?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°Our scouts report that they¡¯re still recruiting soldiers, but ¡­ it¡¯s Blue Vale, Your Majesty. They don¡¯t have the numbers to attack south. We can block the pass at Northtower with just the knights and the local garrison, and if they try a different crossing, we¡¯ll have time to move our troops around.¡± That matched Yassi¡¯s visions. ¡°What do you think they¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t say, Sire.¡± ¡°If you had to guess?¡± Tregood pursed his lips. ¡°With Leonis dead, they might feel they need a stronger military to guard against the barbarian clans. They may not be looking south at all.¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right, Lord Tregood, but let¡¯s leave the reinforcements in place until we¡¯re certain.¡± That sounded like a sufficiently kingly thing to say. ¡°Yes, Sire. Now, along the eastern passes ¡­¡± The field marshal continued to drone on about troop dispositions, but Rusol had heard it all before. He stared out the window, across the garden, to where stonemasons were working to repair the section of the ramparts that had been destroyed in the lightning blast. Rusol remembered swinging his blade, but he couldn¡¯t remember if it had connected before the lighting bolt he¡¯d accidentally called down had struck, hitting both him and Sharra. His divine defensive spells had snapped into place just in time, protecting him from his own elder magic as well as the twenty-foot drop to the gardens below. His mother had been killed instantly. The royal guards on duty the day of the coronation were all part of the group that regularly watched over the family¡¯s quarters. Over the years, Marten had influenced them to keep quiet about any magic they saw, and Rusol had reestablished his father¡¯s fading compulsion spells in the weeks before the coronation. When the men from the nearest guard towers had rushed down to check on what had happened, it had been easy enough to make them forget Rusol had been on the battlements, convincing them his mother had gone up alone. Coming so soon after his father¡¯s death, it seemed prudent to avoid any awkward questions that would come up if anyone knew he¡¯d been present when his mother died. So far, it was working. Most people seemed to believe Sharra was killed by a sudden and unexpected lightning storm. There was some muttering about bad omens, but no one had suggested the presence of magic¡ªother than Kolvi, of course, who¡¯d sensed the storm forming. Rusol had told her the truth, and Yassi, but he hadn¡¯t decided whether to tell Merice. She deserved to know she wasn¡¯t responsible for her husband¡¯s death, but she¡¯d still been duped into administering the fatal dose. The truth might just make things worse. And Merice wasn¡¯t in her right mind; if Rusol told her what had actually happened, he¡¯d have to put her under a compulsion spell to keep her from talking. He couldn¡¯t do that to her¡ªshe was the last living member of his family. His family. His father was dead, and his brother. His brother¡¯s mother was half mad with grief. Merice hadn¡¯t quite been a second mother to Rusol, but she¡¯d always had sweets for him when he was growing up. There was little left of the woman he remembered. And his own mother. He should have felt grief for her death, but instead there was only a yawning emptiness in his gut when he thought about her betrayal. The wardens hadn¡¯t killed Rikard. For five years, Rusol had believed the wardens had murdered his brother as a warning¡ªcoming so soon, as it had, after the First¡¯s threats. But it had been Sharra all along. Did it change anything, though? The First was a rambling lunatic, attacking Rusol in that strange dream, angered about a demonborn joining the ranks of the wardens. Leonis had been insane too, and mad with power. If his plan had worked, the Church of Pallisur would have ruled supreme throughout all the lands. He¡¯d had to be stopped. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The wardens were dangerous, wielding too much power without any sort of oversight. But they hadn¡¯t killed Rikard. A stray word caught Rusol¡¯s attention. ¡°Wait,¡± he told Tregood. ¡°What did you say about a dragon?¡± ¡°The dragon in the free lands, Sire, at Matagor¡¯s old trade keep. It¡¯s attacking farther out than normal. Four Roads sent a formal request for aid, but I turned them down.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we do something?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°The knights are trained to fight dragons.¡± Though it had been over two hundred years since they¡¯d last fought one, so the quality of that training was questionable. ¡°Yes, Sire, they are, but Sir Noris has looked over the old records, and he doesn¡¯t believe there¡¯s any chance the creature will reach the kingdom. If it does, it¡¯ll hit Fort Hightower first, which has sturdy walls and defenses¡ªan excellent spot from which to face it. Most likely, though, it¡¯ll stop somewhere in the hills.¡± Tregood smirked. ¡°That should keep the hillfolk too busy to go on raids.¡± ¡°And Four Roads?¡± The field marshal shrugged. ¡°They chose to live in the free lands. Half of them probably ended up there on the run from the law. I don¡¯t see any reason to spend the lives of our men to protect them. I¡¯d advise that we allow Matagor to handle it. Its their keep.¡± Rusol frowned. Wouldn¡¯t that give Matagor more influence in the region? Then again, Marten had always stressed that the king¡¯s role was to protect Larso and its own citizens, not their neighbors. Currying favor with the free lands was pointless¡ªit was the weakest region in the north, with no government larger than a town council. What could they offer? Rusol nodded. ¡°Very well. Let Four Roads fend for itself, but check with Sir Noris that the knights at Fort Hightower are making preparations in case the dragon does reach us. Ask him to send a detachment of a hundred knights from Telfort to join them.¡± ¡°Yes, Sire.¡± ¡°Do you have any other news for me today?¡± ¡°No, Sire.¡± ¡°Then I have one last order for you.¡± Rusol laid his hand on the man¡¯s shoulders and quickly layered in the levels of the newest hunter compulsion. Rusol had made a mistake before. He¡¯d taken control of every knight at Fort Northtower. Then, after learning that the newest warden had returned to Aravor, he¡¯d created a new unit of hunters among the mercenaries so they¡¯d be ready if he needed them. But he¡¯d gone about it all wrong. Even the strongest demonborn faced limitations on the numbers they could influence, and with the priests, the knights, the hunters, the royal guards, and the family¡¯s servants, Rusol was rapidly approaching his limit. Controlling the individuals was a waste of power. The way to control the masses was to control the leaders. Field Marshal Tregood was in overall command of Larso¡¯s army, and he even had oversight of the mercenary army, though the mercenary commanders also reported directly to Rusol. While the knights and the lords would step in during times of war to coordinate units of soldiers, particularly as the army swelled to include conscripts and the lords¡¯ own guardsmen, in peacetime the entire chain of command led to Tregood. Influencing him and a few other key officers would give Rusol more complete control over the army than he had even as king. Tregood¡¯s eyes flashed red, then returned to their natural color. He shook his head and blinked as the spell took hold. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± # Melithar pushed the stack of papers aside and rubbed his temples. It had been months and he hadn¡¯t made any further progress on his investigation into the assassination attempts against the royal family. Retavin di¡¯Yedda had maintained until the end that he¡¯d worked alone, but the man was too stupid to have masterminded the whole thing. There was a strange dichotomy between the careful planning surrounding the assassination attempts versus the careless execution of those plans. Retavin had been questioned under the truth spell, but Melithar had seen him nearly resist the questioning once. Had he managed to withstand certain questions? Or had Melithar simply asked the wrong ones? There was a knock at the door to his suite in the ambassadorial wing of the Glass Palace. Even though he was no longer traveling to foreign nations, he still maintained his masquerade as Ambassador Melithar. It was now one of his longest-lasting identities, if he added up all the different times he¡¯d gone by that name. It was almost starting to feel like his own. He opened the door to find one of the queen¡¯s personal spies on the other side. The man was young, no more than a hundred fifty years old, and was dressed as a low-ranking representative of the di¡¯Valla trading concerns, but Melithar had observed him several times over the years taking on other identities. ¡°Lord Vilar,¡± the man said. ¡°My name is Arisu.¡± The spy had been around the palace long enough to know the name Melithar was using. Substituting an older name could only mean he¡¯d realized that Melithar, too, was an agent. Melithar let him into the room and closed the door before responding. ¡°Not bad, considering it was before you were born, but Vilar wasn¡¯t a lord¡ªhe was merely a secretary. You¡¯re thinking of Lord Eltaris.¡± It was best not to let the spy think about the name Vilar for too long, or what it might mean. Many of the High Councilors had guessed, correctly, that Commandant Jorel was Ellerie¡¯s father. Some assumed he was Vilisa¡¯s as well. As a minor noble, Jorel was an acceptable choice. Vilar, a commoner who¡¯d become one of Revana¡¯s closest confidantes long before she was crowned queen, was not. ¡°You played both roles,¡± Arisu said. ¡°At the same time.¡± ¡°That was a very long time ago, but yes. You¡¯ve done your research. Or the queen told you.¡± Arisu grimaced. ¡°The sentinels won¡¯t allow me in to speak to Her Exalted Majesty. She sent me north to look into something, and I need to give her my report. Can you help?¡± ¡°Report to me, and I¡¯ll see that she gets the message,¡± Melithar said. Not that he was permitted to see Revana any longer either, but he was at least allowed into the same room. Her condition had grown worse. She¡¯d ordered a row of dressing panels installed to hide her bed, and only her personal maid was allowed behind the panels to see and care for her decaying body. The spy gave a short bow of acknowledgement. ¡°The man who used to rule Blue Vale, a priest of Pallisur by the name of Leonis, is dead. A group of his underling priests has taken charge of the city, but they answer to a woman.¡± Melithar raised an eyebrow. ¡°Pallisur doesn¡¯t choose female priests. Leonis¡¯s wife, perhaps?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, though I did see her wearing a sword belt. They¡¯ve started marshaling an army, but neither she nor the priests would speak to me about it, even after I explained that Terevas would like to open diplomatic relations. Leonis died at Fort Northtower, so I¡¯d guess that may be related.¡± ¡°How did he die?¡± Melithar asked. He¡¯d heard of Leonis before¡ªhad even been to Blue Vale once¡ªbut he hadn¡¯t been paying attention to recent events. There was seldom any interesting news out of the northern plains. The spy held his hands out in a wide shrug. ¡°Nobody seems to know for sure, but the rumor in Blue Vale is that he was killed by soldiers from Larso.¡± Melithar considered that. ¡°And you think they¡¯ll strike back? Blue Vale is stronger than most cities on the plains, but a war against Larso won¡¯t go well for them.¡± ¡°What if they attacked along the border, trying to draw the Larsonian forces north? They could ambush smaller groups and disrupt their supply lines. After the North Border War, the barbarian clans might help.¡± The new kid didn¡¯t know everything, it seemed. He was thinking like a dorvasta skirmisher, not a Knight of Pallisur. ¡°Whatever we might think of Larso, their generals aren¡¯t stupid,¡± Melithar said. ¡°They follow the teachings of the God of War. Their armies will only cross the border if they have enough force to defeat their enemy. And Blue Vale has spent the last few years chasing off the nearest barbarian clans. Common enemy or not, I doubt they¡¯ll cooperate.¡± Arisu frowned. ¡°Blue Vale follows the God of War too. Why would they attack if you think they can¡¯t win?¡± ¡°Who says they¡¯re actually planning to attack? Blue Vale doesn¡¯t amount to much with its leader dead, and the Carved Basin was never much of a nation to begin with. Without Leonis, it¡¯ll probably fracture into independent towns again, like the rest of the northern plains ¡­ unless the people are given some reason to remain united against a common threat. They might not be planning a war at all; they might just be posturing to keep the region under their control.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that for sure.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯ll be something for our military minds to puzzle out. Our role is to report what we observe.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll tell Her Exalted Majesty, then?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Melithar said, though he had no intention of bothering the queen with news about a conflict happening more than a thousand miles away. He¡¯d tell Vilisa, but Revana had enough to worry about already. ¡°What about the new king in Larso?¡± he continued. ¡°Rusol? The old king must have died around the same time you were passing through Telfort.¡± ¡°I took the country roads to get back faster,¡± Arisu said. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear the news about King Marten until I¡¯d reached Matagor.¡± Melithar nodded. ¡°Then I have another task for you,¡± he said. Half an hour later, he was alone once more and had just returned to looking through his notes when the door flew open and Vilisa stormed in. ¡°Where is it?¡± she demanded. ¡°Where is what?¡± he asked, quickly standing to show respect. There was no telling what might set her off these days. ¡°My spell book!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The book is missing!¡± Vilisa said. ¡°You took it!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who keeps trying to convince me to get rid of it!¡± Melithar looked his daughter directly in the eye. ¡°I promise you, Exalted, I had nothing to do with it.¡± She stared back at him for a moment, and then the fight left her. ¡°Then who did? Who could have gotten into the palace? Into my chambers? Was it one of our own people? Only the sentinels and my maids are allowed into my rooms.¡± ¡°Perhaps Retavin¡¯s assassins weren¡¯t only after your life, but the book as well. We need to find out who was truly behind the attempts. They may have sent another team.¡± ¡°Another of your conspiracies? Retavin is dead, and there haven¡¯t been any other attacks. He was working alone, except for his hirelings.¡± ¡°Or so he claimed.¡± Vilisa waved that off. ¡°Enough. Unless you have new evidence to present, I¡¯m not going to discuss this with you again¡ªand Mother agrees. You¡¯ve wasted enough time on it already. You can help me find out who actually took the book instead.¡± Melithar gave a mocking half-bow. ¡°As you wish, Exalted,¡± he said. ¡°Or perhaps you could consider this a blessing.¡± Vilisa sighed. ¡°Not this again. Mother had that spell book for two centuries and it didn¡¯t hurt her any.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that? Think back to what you were like before Ellerie left, or even just a year ago, and compare that to now.¡± She furrowed her brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure if you think about it, you¡¯ll understand. You¡¯ve changed.¡± She scowled at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know why my mother tolerates your behavior, but she won¡¯t be around forever. Consider carefully whether you wish to continue your role in the future.¡± ¡°The book is dangerous¡ªit¡¯s dark magic.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°Magic is a tool like any other. All that matters is the intention of the person who wields it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot more to the world than you can see here in the palace. I¡¯ve been a wizard for longer than you¡¯ve been alive, Exalted, and I¡¯m telling you that there¡¯s something wrong with the spells in that book.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just spells.¡± ¡°Do you want to end up like Revana? Dying slowly and painfully from a wasting disease that no priest can heal? How do you think she got sick?¡± That was just a guess on Melithar¡¯s part, but he suspected he was right. ¡°You go too far!¡± Vilisa snapped, but her voice wavered. For a moment, she looked like the child she still was, and Melithar silently cursed Ellerie for leaving her sister behind to deal with everything by herself. If Ellerie had remained in Terevas as the heir, the book would have gone to her, and Vilisa would still be the studious but carefree girl she¡¯d been just a few short years ago. ¡°I¡¯ve known your mother for hundreds of years,¡± Melithar said. ¡°I saw how she changed after she found that book. She didn¡¯t believe me at first either, and then later, she didn¡¯t care. And now the same thing is happening to you.¡± Vilisa was trembling. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± she said. ¡°Ask her.¡± She stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Once Melithar was certain she wasn¡¯t going to return, he activated the mage lock on the door, then went into the bedroom and knelt down to reach up and under the frame of a wooden wardrobe. From the leather pocket he¡¯d nailed to the underside¡ªout of view of anyone who might be peeking under the furniture¡ªhe retrieved Vilisa¡¯s spell book. He¡¯d expected to be rid of it before she noticed it was missing, but it was warded against both regular and magical fire¡ªa common protection for spell books. A direct magical attack hadn¡¯t worked either, and he hadn¡¯t been able to tear the pages in half or cut them out of the book with a knife, and those protections were much less common. His attempt to banish the warding spells had been unsuccessful. After considering his options, he dropped the book into the washbasin in the corner of the room. The ambassadorial wing was well appointed, and each suite had an indoor hand pump for water. Melithar filled the basin until the water covered the book, then waited several minutes before retrieving it. There was no damage at all¡ªthe ink hadn¡¯t run and the pages weren¡¯t waterlogged. The spell book was apparently warded against water as well. He was running out of ideas, and all the warding-spell experts he knew worked for either the queen herself or one of the other noble houses. He couldn¡¯t risk asking them. The book was too dangerous to sell or toss away, and he couldn¡¯t bury it or leave it hidden indefinitely. If Vilisa ever convinced Eloina to cast the truth spell on him, he¡¯d end up telling her where to find it. Melithar still had contacts in the city, though¡ªcontacts who weren¡¯t above breaking the law. He couldn¡¯t tell them the whole truth, but he could put out word that he was looking for someone able to break wards. With luck, that would be enough to find what he needed. For now, he¡¯d have to look for a new hiding place, perhaps somewhere outside the palace, and hope Vilisa didn¡¯t catch on until after the book had been destroyed. # It was after dark when the group finally arrived in Four Roads. The inns on the east side of town were full, so Corec led his friends to Mama Wenna¡¯s boarding house. Along the way, they passed two new large, hastily built structures with thin wooden walls, the lumber not having had time yet to weather. Judging by the silent, dirt-smudged faces of the people huddling near the entrances, the buildings were being used to shelter refugees from the biting winter winds. The boarding house was on the outskirts of town. Wenna must have heard the horses and wagons¡ªshe rushed out of the house to greet them, wiping her hands against her apron. ¡°Corec!¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re back! It¡¯s been so long!¡± Corec dismounted and gave the stout woman a quick hug. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Mama Wenna. How have you been?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been so crazy with all the people and the talk about the dragon, and all my rooms are full. I ¡­¡± She paused and glanced behind him. Corec and Ellerie had dismissed most of their mage lights so they wouldn¡¯t draw attention, but they¡¯d kept a few hidden in lanterns to light their way. It was enough to allow Wenna to see the full size of the group. ¡°Oh, my,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough space. Even your room has an entire family in it. I put your things in the attic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Wenna. We¡¯ll just camp out in your garden plot if you don¡¯t mind. We¡¯ll pay you for it. You don¡¯t have any winter vegetables planted, do you?¡± Wenna took a moment, looking from the group to the garden behind her house. ¡°I suppose that would be all right. There are just some carrots and cabbages, but they¡¯re off to the side.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep the horses out of them.¡± ¡°Oh, but Corec, I can¡¯t cook for so many people! I can barely keep up with the new boarders as it is!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take care of our own cooking,¡± Corec said. ¡°We really just need a place to pitch our tents for a few days while we decide what to do next. We¡¯ll probably head north soon, but we¡¯ll find a stable for the animals tomorrow so you don¡¯t have to worry about them mucking up your yard.¡± ¡°The stables are full, all those poor people coming from down south. Some of them only managed to bring a horse or a few cows, but how are they going to pay the stable fees over the winter?¡± Wenna shook her head. ¡°What am I saying? You surprised me so much I¡¯m forgetting my manners. Why don¡¯t you introduce me to your friends?¡± Book 4: Chapter Twenty The morning after arriving in Four Roads, Treya visited the Three Orders chapter house. She found a familiar figure there in the front courtyard, directing refugees to different spots as a group of men worked at erecting a new shelter. ¡°Nallee?¡± Treya said to her friend. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Treya!¡± Nallee said, embracing her. ¡°The temples have run out of room, and the city council is worried about having younger children in the other shelters, so they¡¯re building new ones here for families. There¡¯s another out back that was finished yesterday. Oh, you shouldn¡¯t be in Four Roads now; everything¡¯s gone wrong!¡± ¡°I heard the dragon came to Springwater. Is everyone all right?¡± Nallee sniffled. ¡°At first, it just flew over us. That scared a lot of people off, but Patrig thought we should stay. He wants to run for mayor next year, and it wouldn¡¯t look good if he abandoned the town. So we stayed. But then, just when everyone had gotten used to the dragon flying overhead, it landed right in the middle of town. It¡¯s so big! It ate Mr. Jonson¡¯s horse, and people started screaming. It turned to chase after them and it crashed into The Lady¡¯s temple! It knocked the whole building down. That made it mad, I think. It roared, and then breathed out fire.¡± The concubine shivered, rubbing her arms. ¡°It burned down most of the shops, and then the fire spread and got half the village. We tried to find the priests after, but they were both already dead. And four more people in the fires.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re fine?¡± Treya asked. ¡°And Patrig?¡± ¡°Yes, we made it out, and Patrig¡¯s wife Deni. Our house was in the other direction, and the dragon left right after that. But they say once it shows up, it¡¯ll keep coming back, so we convinced everyone else that it was time to go. We packed up what we could, but Patrig had to leave behind everything in the smithy. We¡¯re just hoping no one steals it all while we¡¯re gone. He¡¯s back to working for the blacksmith he was apprenticed to here. When Mother Yewen found out I was in town, she asked me to help with the refugees.¡± ¡°Can I do anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got things handled here. We¡¯re just giving people somewhere to wait while the men finish the shelter. Mother Yewen will know what you can ¡­¡± Nallee trailed off, looking thoughtful. ¡°Wait, is it true you¡¯re a healing priest?¡± ¡°Yes. Is someone hurt?¡± ¡°Not out here, but inside. We turned the Great Hall into an infirmary. It was the only room large enough. The temples are too full of refugees, and the mayor wanted one spot where anyone could go if they were sick or injured, so all the healers are here now.¡± ¡°I should go in, then,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯ll look for you later. The midday meal?¡± ¡°Sure, though I don¡¯t know where it will be, what with the Great Hall full.¡± The hall was where the Sisters and students ate their meals. Treya made her way into the chapter house, stopping to greet a few Sisters she remembered from her time there. When she reached the Great Hall, she stopped and stared. There were dozens of people waiting for help. Some stood in line while others were sitting or lying on spare cots, tables, or piles of blankets on the floor. A few of the patients showed signs of apparent injury, wearing dirty bandages or leaning on crutches, while many others were coughing, evidently from some illness running through the town. Sister Merill, who¡¯d become an herbalist rather than join one of the orders, was walking down the line, offering tea with honey to those who were coughing. Other herbalists roamed the hall, along with several chirurgeons and half a dozen priests. Sister Veda, a midwife, was on the far side of the room, kneeling next to a heavily pregnant woman as two students of the Orders assembled a privacy barrier around them using coat racks and blankets. Treya stopped a priestess of The Lady, a pinch-faced woman with her gray hair pulled back in a severe braid. ¡°I¡¯m a healer. How can I help?¡± The woman looked her over. ¡°See what you can do with that group,¡± she said, gesturing vaguely to a row of cots. ¡°If you get tired, stop. And don¡¯t waste your power on someone who doesn¡¯t need it.¡± Treya nodded and made her way over to the first cot, where a small child was bawling in his mother¡¯s arms. She crouched down next to them. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the mother said. ¡°He just started crying and won¡¯t stop.¡± Treya laid a glowing hand on the boy¡¯s head. A simple ear infection¡ªshe recognized the signs from her time working in different almshouses and healing houses as she¡¯d been traveling. She channeled a bit of energy and the boy¡¯s sobs died down. He stared at her, still sniffling. He would have recovered fine on his own, or with willow bark tea, but it had only taken a trickle of power and Treya doubted the mother would have left the hall before her child had been take care of. The next injury was worse, a broken leg. Treya needed the help of a hefty chirurgeon to snap the man¡¯s bone back into place before she could heal it. And then a woman, unconscious and pale, with a high fever. Her husband showed Treya a deep cut on the woman¡¯s arm. ¡°The wagon seat came loose,¡± he said. ¡°She was helpin¡¯ me fix it, but she slipped, and there was a sharp edge on the elbow spring.¡± Why hadn¡¯t anyone seen to the woman yet? The skin around the wound had already turned green. She would die if she wasn¡¯t healed. Perhaps, under the circumstances, there was some excuse for the healers to not have noticed Harri¡¯s broken arm, but how could they have missed this? ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± Treya said. She guided healing magic throughout the patient¡¯s body to eliminate the infection, then sealed the wound itself. She stepped back, the glow fading from her hands. ¡°She should be fine now, but wait here with her. We¡¯ll see if she wakes up on her own.¡± The man nodded, his eyes wide. ¡°Th ¡­ thank you.¡± Treya found the nearest priestess, a follower of Demesis in a blue and green robe. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone heal that woman?¡± Treya asked, her voice pitched low so the husband wouldn¡¯t overhear. ¡°The infection was in her blood!¡± The young priestess goggled back at her. ¡°I ¡­ Miss? We can only do so much. We¡¯ve been here for hours.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, surrounded by dark circles. Treya took another look around the Great Hall. None of the priests were using healing magic, either drained for the day or saving it for an emergency. Instead, they were changing bandages, checking on fevers, or aiding the herbalists. Four Roads was a town which normally only held thirty thousand residents, and even in good times, there weren¡¯t enough healers to help everyone. The temples mostly healed those who could pay, doing just enough charity work to alleviate their guilt. There was no way these few priests could keep up with the influx of ten thousand refugees from the south, many of them sick or injured. They needed help. Not just another helping hand, but real help. Treya stepped back and thrust her arms out to her sides, concentrating as she cast the healing spell she¡¯d learned in Tir Yadar. Pulses of light washed over the room, one after another, centered on Treya and echoing outward in concentric circles, each pulse helping to rejuvenate anyone it touched. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at her in shock. Each pulse held only a tiny bit of healing magic, but they kept coming, and soon they started to have an effect. The coughing gradually faded, and some of the patients who¡¯d been sitting or lying down now climbed to their feet, startled looks on their faces. The pulsing spell wouldn¡¯t be enough on its own, though. Treya dismissed it, then strode along the nearest row of makeshift cots, looking for anyone who wasn¡¯t showing any signs of improvement. Her healing senses worked best by touch, and as she reached each patient, she laid her hand on their head or shoulder to identify the problem. She healed those that needed it, eliminating sickness and infection, repairing broken bone and torn muscle, knitting flesh back together. She made her way through the entire hall, healing one person after another, ending at the pregnant woman. Treya stopped just long enough to confirm that mother and child were both healthy. When she was done, she found all the healers and herbalists still staring at her. She had to say something. ¡°Sister Merill,¡± she called out, ¡°can you station one of your students by the entrance?¡± The old woman squinted, taking in Treya¡¯s mystic outfit. ¡°Do I know you?¡± ¡°I lived here some years ago. Now, one of your students, please? We need to separate out the serious cases as they come in, the way the big healing houses in the city do it.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, of course. We meant to, but there were just so many people.¡± ¡°We should have some time now.¡± Treya raised her voice so all the healers could hear. ¡°Are there any other injured at the temples or the shelters?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said a dark-haired, bearded man wearing the black robes of a priest of Pallisur. ¡°Most are at the temple of Demesis, or at the big shelter at the south end of town.¡± ¡°Who is taking care of them?¡± ¡°The unblessed priests and a few herbalists mostly. We go out to check on them after our shifts are over.¡± ¡°Any that can be safely moved, start bringing them here in small groups. If there are any that can¡¯t be moved, take me to them, the most severely injured first. I don¡¯t know how much more I can do today, but let¡¯s find out.¡± # Corec peered into the Great Hall. ¡°It seems quiet,¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t like the chaos Treya had described from the day before. ¡°We¡¯ve got things under control at the moment, but we can¡¯t keep up with this pace,¡± Treya replied. ¡°There are too many refugees with nowhere else to go. Too many people in town. And nobody¡¯s talking about it yet, but food will be a problem if this goes on for too long. Four Roads exports crops; it doesn¡¯t import. A lot of the local farming is done to the south, and the shops in town will run low before winter¡¯s over. And even if we talk to the trading houses about redirecting shipments, will any caravans be able to make it here if the dragon¡¯s getting closer?¡± ¡°What, exactly, are you asking for?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to do something!¡± ¡°We will,¡± Corec said, ¡°but we can¡¯t afford to feed everyone.¡± Their short time in Dalewood had been costly, and if they kept on spending the way they had, there wouldn¡¯t be any money left to defend against an attack from Prince Rusol. ¡°And like you said, the problem is more about getting the shipments sent here than about the money.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Treya was quiet for a moment, staring off into the distance. ¡°If you go north, I can¡¯t go with you. They need me here.¡± ¡°I understand, and I¡¯m not sure we should head north right now anyway. Not until we figure out a way to help.¡± ¡°We just need things to go back to normal,¡± Treya said. ¡°The town can¡¯t handle this. If the refugees could return home ¡­ most of their homes haven¡¯t been destroyed. They¡¯re still there, waiting. Everyone had laid in their winter supplies. There are grain silos, cattle ranches, winter crops. We just have to be able to get to them.¡± ¡°You know there¡¯s only one way that¡¯s going to happen,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Someone has to deal with the dragon.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We need to find out if there¡¯s help on the way, or if the town council is hiring mercenaries. If not, we¡¯ll have to hire them ourselves.¡± There was more to it, but he wanted to give everyone time to come to the realization on their own. ¡°Can we afford that?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Better than we can afford to feed thousands of refugees for months, but it¡¯ll use up most of the coin we were saving to defend ourselves against Rusol. We¡¯ll all have to contribute more, and Sarette and I don¡¯t have much left.¡± Sarette had used much of her share to purchase one of the enchanted staff-spears from Tir Yadar. Corec had bought the other, hoping to deliver it to Snow Crown someday to make up for the sword he¡¯d taken from them. ¡°We¡¯ll figure that out when the time comes,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We need to take care of the immediate problem first. Besides, maybe there¡¯s help on the way already.¡± An elderly woman approached from down the hall. ¡°Treya, are these the friends you told me about?¡± ¡°Yes, Mother Yewen. This is Corec of House Tarwen¡ªyou met him once before, after we hunted down the drakes. And this is Lady Ellerie di¡¯Valla of Terevas. Ellerie, Mother Yewen is in charge of the Four Roads chapter house.¡± Ellerie raised an eyebrow at the formal titles, but Corec wasn¡¯t surprised. Treya had been nudging him to take on more of a leadership role in the region once they found a place to settle down. Publicly proclaiming his relation to a noble house was one way to speed up the process. He and Ellerie greeted the woman. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you chose a poor time to visit Four Roads,¡± Mother Yewen said. ¡°There¡¯s so much chaos. It¡¯s normally more peaceful.¡± ¡°I live here,¡± Corec told her. ¡°Off and on at least, for the last eight years.¡± Four Roads was as close to a home as he¡¯d had since leaving Larso. ¡°Ahh, then you can see how much things have changed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the town going to do about it?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Have they made any plans to deal with the dragon?¡± ¡°The mayor has written for help, but right now, we¡¯re all just hoping the dragon doesn¡¯t make it all the way to Four Roads. Now, Treya tells me you helped out with the refugees in Dalewood?¡± ¡°We did what we could, but it wasn¡¯t much,¡± Corec said. ¡°We were only there for a day. Most of the aid will be coming from the city. What sort of help do you need?¡± Before the woman could answer, they were interrupted. ¡°Heya, Mother Yewen. We found more families for you.¡± It was a man¡¯s voice¡ªone that Corec recognized, though it took him a moment to place it. It had been a long time. Yewen turned to the two armored men. ¡°You boys are back, I see. I didn¡¯t realize you were gone until the cooks told me we had food left over after the meals.¡± Despite her stern expression, her tone was fond. The men took in the rest of the group and then stopped in shock. ¡°Corec!¡± Kevik exclaimed. ¡°Hey, Kev, Trentin.¡± Corec wasn¡¯t sure what to say after that. The two men had been his friends once, but they were knights of Pallisur and he was a mage. He¡¯d never had a chance to say goodbye to them¡ªthe priests had kept the other trainees away from him after the initial accusation, as if magic was somehow contagious. They didn¡¯t seem to know what to do at first either, but then Kevik laughed and strode forward, clasping Corec¡¯s forearm with one hand and clapping his back with the other. Trentin held back. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time,¡± Kevik said. ¡°What have you been up to?¡± ¡°Caravan guard for a while,¡± Corec said. ¡°Now, well, whatever needs doing.¡± He certainly couldn¡¯t mention he was preparing for an attack by the king of Larso. ¡°That was stupid, them kicking you out,¡± Trentin said, coming forward. ¡°Hi, Corec.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kevik said. ¡°Just because you can use magic doesn¡¯t mean you would. That cousin of yours, Sir Jesson, tried to get the decision reversed, but nothing ever came of it.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°It was probably for the best. I couldn¡¯t control it back then, and now, I wouldn¡¯t want to change how things turned out. I don¡¯t like the idea of the Church telling me what to do.¡± Kevik chewed on his lip for a moment. ¡°I can see that, I suppose. Some of the priests are complete dullards.¡± Trentin winced and glanced around, as if worried they¡¯d be overheard. Corec grinned, then introduced Treya and Ellerie to the two knights, this time leaving off Ellerie¡¯s title. ¡°A pleasure to meet you both, ladies,¡± Kevik said with a smooth bow. ¡°A pleasure,¡± Trentin repeated. ¡°What are you two doing in Four Roads?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We were patrolling the southeast hills for bandits when the dragon showed up out of nowhere,¡± Kevik said. ¡°We were far enough north that Four Roads was closer than Hightower, so we came here, and now we can¡¯t go back that way. We¡¯ve made five trips to escort refugees in.¡± ¡°Do you need any help with that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to go out again. The dragon followed us for two or three miles this last time.¡± Trentin shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what anyone expects us to do if it actually attacks us along the way, but the people seem happier to have us along. I guess we can keep them from being robbed, at least.¡± ¡°Are the knights going after the dragon?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kevik said. ¡°I sent messages, but I haven¡¯t heard anything yet.¡± Corec considered that. The biggest problem with the plan to hire mercenaries was that there weren¡¯t likely to be enough of them in Four Roads¡ªand certainly not ones who¡¯d trained to fight dragons. ¡°How many men do you have here?¡± he asked. ¡°Soldiers and knights?¡± ¡°Hell, Corec, we were just hunting bandits. We didn¡¯t even know the dragon was a problem when we left the fort. I only brought one squad, and there¡¯s just the six of us left¡ªI sent Sir Hordin to Telfort in case the pigeon messages don¡¯t make it through.¡± No soldiers, and just one squadron of knights. It wouldn¡¯t be enough on its own ¡­ but that was six men trained in the use of siege equipment. It was better than nothing. It wasn¡¯t time to bring that up, though. Not without more information. ¡°You made squadron commander already?¡± Corec said instead. ¡°Squadron commander in the ass end of nowhere,¡± Kevik said. ¡°The senior knights must hate me.¡± Trentin covered up a snicker, suggesting there might be some truth to that statement. ¡°Where are you staying?¡± Corec asked them. ¡°Mother Yewen found rooms for us here.¡± Kevik gave an exaggerated wink. ¡°I think the old woman likes me.¡± He¡¯d pitched that last part loud enough for Yewen to overhear. She just shook her head and wagged a finger at him. ¡°We¡¯re not allowed to talk to the girls, though,¡± Trentin added. ¡°As if we could afford concubines.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re not allowed to talk to them, young man,¡± Yewen said. ¡°Now, since you boys are back early, you made it in time for this week¡¯s council meeting. You should be there.¡± She turned to Treya. ¡°You three as well.¡± Kevik nodded. ¡°It can¡¯t hurt to show up,¡± he told Corec. ¡°We¡¯ll at least find out how much worse things have gotten over the past week. Mother Yewen or I can get you in.¡± # The town council was holding its meetings in, of all places, a converted milch cow barn. The council¡¯s normal meeting chamber wasn¡¯t large enough for everyone who¡¯d needed to attend since the crisis had begun. The barn¡¯s stalls had been removed and the place had been cleaned, but there was still a faint scent of hay and manure. It turned out that Mother Yewen held a seat on the council, and she joined the other councilors at a long table on the side of the barn farthest from the wide doors. Two dozen mismatched chairs had been set out in neat rows facing the council table, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough for everyone. Most of the crowd remained standing. Kevik introduced Corec and his friends to those he knew. There were shopkeepers and farmers, town guards, priests, and citizens who¡¯d volunteered to help run the shelters. The bulk of the crowd, though, consisted of refugees representing each of the villages that had been evacuated. Corec and his friends found a spot to stand along the side wall, allowing them to see the council without having their view blocked by the other attendees. The mayor stood and called the meeting to order. ¡°Let¡¯s start with an update on the shelters, the evacuees, and supplies,¡± he said. That led to over twenty minutes of dry numbers being bandied about by Mother Yewen, the priests, and others. By the time it was over, the crowd was shifting restlessly. ¡°What about the dragon?¡± someone finally called out. ¡°How close is it?¡± Several others shouted in agreement. Sammel held his palms out in front of himself for silence. ¡°The dragon came to Springwater six days ago, and it¡¯s been seen flying over Low Sands and Demon¡¯s Crook.¡± ¡°Two miles north of Demon¡¯s Crook!¡± Kevik called out. ¡°We saw it yesterday.¡± Judging by the worried whispers, that came as news to almost everyone in the room. Mayor Sammel waited for the noise to die down. ¡°Springwater has been evacuated,¡± he said, ¡°along with most farms and ranches west of there, as far as the hills. East of Springwater, many of the homes are abandoned, but the people didn¡¯t come here. We can only hope they made it to Dalewood. Sir Kevik, do you have any news on the evacuations?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done what we can,¡± Kevik said. ¡°Anyone north of Low Sands is close enough to make their way here on their own. And some people are refusing to leave their homes. Maybe they¡¯ll be lucky.¡± ¡°What about Four Roads?¡± one of the townsfolk asked. ¡°Is the dragon coming here?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± the mayor replied. ¡°We hope it won¡¯t.¡± Quietly, so only his friends could hear, Corec said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it makes it this far or not. The dragon will avoid the town itself, but that¡¯s not going to help if Four Roads is trying to take care of thousands of refugees.¡± Kevik nodded. ¡°And hatchlings are smaller,¡± he murmured. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯d stay out of cities the way a full-size dragon would.¡± ¡°Are there hatchlings?¡± ¡°No one¡¯s managed to get close enough to see.¡± A woman with a tear-streaked face pushed her way to the front of the crowd. ¡°What about Larso or Matagor?¡± she said. ¡°Won¡¯t they send help?¡± ¡°I sent pigeons,¡± the mayor said. ¡°Matagor didn¡¯t respond. Larso ¡­ a reply came from someone called Field Marshal Tregood, saying Larso won¡¯t interfere in the sovereignty of the free lands. It was sent under the king¡¯s seal. The new king, I suppose.¡± ¡°Cowards!¡± a man yelled, turning toward Kevik and Trentin. And Corec, who was standing right next to them. ¡°The knights are cowards!¡± The crowd turned angry eyes on them, but were then distracted when someone shouted out another question for the mayor. ¡°What about Tyrsall?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ¡­¡± Sammel started, then thought better of it. ¡°I can try.¡± But Corec understood why he hadn¡¯t sent a pigeon east. Tyrsall didn¡¯t keep troops on the borders the way Larso and Matagor did, and unlike Larso, they didn¡¯t have a standing army. The message would have to reach the king, who would have to order the Duke of the West to marshal the western barons¡¯ personal guardsmen. Any help would be months away, and that was if Tyrsall was even interested in helping. ¡°We¡¯ve got to do it,¡± Treya said, keeping her voice pitched low as the mayor argued with the refugees. ¡°Do what?¡± Kevik asked. Corec nodded. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked Ellerie. ¡°We¡¯re not just hiring mercenaries, are we?¡± she said. ¡°And leave them to fend for themselves?¡± Corec said, finally admitting what he¡¯d known all along. ¡°It would be a slaughter if we¡¯re not there to help them.¡± ¡°Can we do it?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll cost a lot, but if there¡¯s no help coming, what other choice is there? Evacuate Four Roads itself and leave the free lands to the dragon? Where would everyone go?¡± She nodded. ¡°Will you tell us what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Kevik said. ¡°Do you remember our lessons on dragon-hunting?¡± Corec asked the two knights. Kevik gave him a suspicious look. ¡°I remember that it takes a whole lot more men than we¡¯ve got here. And a lot more equipment.¡± ¡°We can afford men and equipment, but I need trained soldiers who know how to fight dragons and how to operate siege weapons.¡± ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Can you work alongside mages?¡± Corec said. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to do this without magic.¡± ¡°The others aren¡¯t going to like that,¡± Trentin warned. ¡°Especially if they find out King Rusol turned down the request for aid.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Corec. I could lose my knighthood for this. Do you have any idea how long it took my father to save up enough to get me in?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t actually received any orders telling us not to help,¡± Kevik pointed out. ¡°And we don¡¯t fall under the field marshal¡¯s command. Even if they send us orders to return, it wouldn¡¯t count as disobeying if we stop along the way to take care of something.¡± Trentin barked a short laugh. ¡°Take care of something?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go with us, Trentin, but you could help train the men on the equipment,¡± Corec said. Trentin sighed. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m in. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Corec turned to Kevik. ¡°What about the rest of your men?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Willem, maybe. I¡¯m not sure about the others. They¡¯ve all heard your name, but they don¡¯t know you. To them, you¡¯re just the trainee who was exiled after disgracing the Order.¡± Corec tried to not let his reaction show. Was that how the knights thought of him? ¡°Three will have to be enough,¡± he said. He met Treya¡¯s and Ellerie¡¯s eyes once again. They both nodded. There was a lull in the argument between the council and the refugees. ¡°We¡¯ll handle the dragon!¡± Corec called out. He waited until everyone had turned to face him. ¡°We¡¯ll handle the dragon! But we¡¯ll need help!¡± Mayor Sammel peered their way. ¡°I recognize you. You¡¯re the one who killed those drakes last year. Corec, right?¡± ¡°Corec Tarwen of House Tarwen, of Larso.¡± Corec allowed his voice to ring around the room. Sometimes people just needed to hear a confident tone. ¡°You¡¯re one of the knights?¡± ¡°No, but I hope they¡¯ll ride with me. And I¡¯ll need your help, too.¡± The mayor exchanged glances with the rest of the council. ¡°What sort of help?¡± ¡°I need men and equipment. Ballistae, catapults, and I can show you how to build them. Nets, chains, crossbows, wagons and carts, mules. I¡¯ll pay what I can, you pay what you can. And I need trained fighters and soldiers. We¡¯ll pay five silver a day until the dragon¡¯s dead. If we¡¯re successful, a bonus of ten gold to each man!¡± If that didn¡¯t do it, nothing would. Book 4: Chapter Twenty-One Katrin had known this moment was coming, and she¡¯d vowed to herself that she wouldn¡¯t get angry. Instead she felt fear. ¡°There¡¯s no other way?¡± she asked quietly. Corec had pulled her aside after he¡¯d returned from touring the refugee shelters with Treya and Ellerie. They were late getting back. Apparently they¡¯d been up to more than just looking at shelters. ¡°I was hoping there¡¯d be help coming from Larso or Matagor, but there¡¯s nothing. Maybe we could talk to Yelena or Varsin Senshall, and ask them to convince Duke Voss to convince the king, but by the time help arrives from Tyrsall, more people will die. And if there are hatchlings ¡­ it might be too late to stop them. Besides, unless Yelena and her bondmates come here themselves, I doubt Tyrsall¡¯s forces are prepared to fight a dragon. We¡¯re already here, and we can help.¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°Not you.¡± Corec¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Katrin, think about it. What can you do against a dragon? Bardic magic doesn¡¯t work on animals, does it?¡± ¡°No, but¡ª¡± ¡°And you promised that if it was too dangerous to come with us, you¡¯d stay somewhere safe.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d consider it!¡± Katrin hissed. ¡°Then consider it now. What would you do if the dragon attacked?¡± Katrin turned away. The worst thing was, he was right. She was worried about Corec and her friends, but she was also frightened for herself. She had no way to defend herself from anything like a dragon. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d come to terms with not always being able to help out, but this was a new low. Corec gave her a moment, then spoke again. ¡°I need someone to stay here in Four Roads. Leena can go back and forth, but if you¡¯re here, you can keep up with news of any dragon sightings, and you can buy supplies if we need anything. Besides, someone has to watch over Harri and Ditte. If we leave them by themselves while the dragon¡¯s still out there, I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll run again.¡± Katrin nodded. The job was little more than a sop to her pride, but it was better than nothing. She wasn¡¯t completely useless. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, ¡°but you¡¯ll need Shavala.¡± Of all of them, the elven woman was the most capable of dealing with large threats. ¡°You said she¡¯d find us here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s on her way, I think. At least, she¡¯s almost directly south of us. If we don¡¯t see her soon, I¡¯ll ask Leena to check on her.¡± While they¡¯d been speaking, Ellerie had been in a whispered conversation with Boktar. Treya had taken Harri and Ditte to Mama Wenna¡¯s house. The rest of the group gathered close by. Corec took Katrin by the hand and joined them. ¡°Ellerie, Treya, and I are going after the dragon,¡± he announced. ¡°It¡¯s getting closer to Four Roads, and even if it¡¯s not likely to attack the town itself, that won¡¯t matter if it takes over all the outlying areas. These folks can¡¯t cope on their own, and Larso and Matagor have both refused to do anything. There are only a few knights in town, and that¡¯s just not enough. We¡¯re hiring mercenaries, but we¡¯re going with them.¡± No one looked surprised. ¡°You¡¯ll need more than just the three of you,¡± Sarette said. Corec nodded. ¡°If anyone else wants to come, we¡¯d welcome your help. Or you can stay here in Four Roads with Katrin. She¡¯s going to make any arrangements that we need on this end, and watch over Harri and Ditte. Leena, I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll stay here, but check in with us once each day to see if we have any messages or need any supplies.¡± The Sanvari woman glanced at Ellerie, who gave her a weak smile and a nod. ¡°I will,¡± Leena said. ¡°How do we fight a dragon?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°The last time one came to Stone Home, I was too young to pay any attention.¡± ¡°Siege weapons and magic,¡± Bobo said. When everyone looked his way, he shrugged. ¡°According to the stories I¡¯ve read.¡± Corec said, ¡°The Knights of Pallisur train to fight them without magic, but it¡¯s dangerous. That¡¯s why I want to help. I don¡¯t think there are any wizards in Four Roads, or any other mages besides a few priests. We¡¯re the only choice.¡± ¡°What sort of siege weapons?¡± Boktar said. ¡°The figurines from Tir Yadar?¡± ¡°To start with, but mostly to use them as models to build new ones. The knights and I will train the armsmen on how to use them.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s in charge? You or the knights?¡± ¡°We¡¯re paying, so we¡¯re in charge,¡± Corec said. ¡°The squadron commander, Kevik, is an old friend, but if there are any knights who won¡¯t work with mages, we¡¯ll leave them behind. We¡¯ll have to make sure we have enough crews to man all the siege weapons whether the knights are with us or not.¡± ¡°Can we really do it?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have offered if I didn¡¯t think we could do it safely. Back when I was in training at Fort Hightower, they made us read a dozen accounts of the knights defeating dragons. If it can be done without magic, then we can do it more easily with magic. To start with, a dragon is most dangerous when it¡¯s flying ¡­ but how well can a dragon fly in heavy storm winds?¡± A grin slowly grew on Sarette¡¯s face. # Corec and his friends took over an abandoned wheelwright¡¯s shop and its accompanying wagon yard for their recruitment efforts. While Boktar and Ariadne waited inside the shop to see if any volunteers would show up, Corec took his two guests around the back to show them the catapult and the cart-mounted ballista. ¡°This is what we need,¡± he said to Marl the bowyer. ¡°We¡¯ve just got this one ballista and three catapults. I¡¯d like another catapult if possible, but I need at least six more ballistae first.¡± The tall, skinny man leaned in close to the weapon and adjusted his spectacles. ¡°I¡¯ve seen drawings, but I¡¯ve never built something this big before, or this complicated. It doesn¡¯t look much like a crossbow. The limbs don¡¯t have to be flexible?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kevik said. ¡°The power comes from the rope coil.¡± ¡°We do need them mounted on a cart like this one, though,¡± Corec said. ¡°On a pivot, so we can adjust the angle, both up and down and to the sides. And they¡¯ve got to be sturdy enough that they won¡¯t rattle apart on the road. How many can you get done in a week?¡± ¡°A week!¡± Marl protested. ¡°It¡¯ll take me a week just to figure it out!¡± ¡°Hire anyone you need. Smiths, woodworkers, cartwrights, other bow-makers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the number of men. This is complicated work. I don¡¯t think anyone in town can make a ratcheting mechanism this large in a week. I¡¯ve made small ones for crossbows, but for something like this, you have to buy it from an expert. Not a country blacksmith.¡± ¡°If you need something from Tyrsall, tell us what it is and we can get it here the next day,¡± Corec said. ¡°Just try to keep it under fifty pounds¡ªwe¡¯ll have to send a mage for it, and she can only take what she can carry.¡± Both men just stared at him. ¡°I ¡­ uhh, I see,¡± Marl finally said. ¡°It¡¯s still a lot of work to get done in a week.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help,¡± Corec said, indicating Kevik and himself. ¡°We¡¯re not engineers, but we know how to assemble the pieces.¡± Marl nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t promise it¡¯ll be done as fast as you want, but I¡¯ll do what I can. I¡¯ll go hire some men, and bring them back here to look over what we¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve got any heavy crossbows lying around, I¡¯d like those as well. Up to twenty.¡± Crossbows probably wouldn¡¯t do much good against a dragon, but Corec had a huge stack of crossbow bolts with fortisteel tips from Tir Yadar. They might come in handy. Could Ellerie create fortisteel tips for the ballista bolts? He¡¯d have to remember to ask her. ¡°I¡¯ve got ten or twelve, I think,¡± the bowyer said. ¡°I¡¯ll take them. Don¡¯t build any new ones, though¡ªif you¡¯ve got spare time, I¡¯d rather have more ballistae.¡± After Marl had left, Kevik closed in on Corec. ¡°You just happened to have siege equipment with you, even though you only got into town two days ago? How did you transport the catapults?¡± ¡°Magic.¡± Kevik raised his eyebrows. ¡°Like the mage who can go to Tyrsall and back in a day?¡± ¡°No, different magic.¡± Corec peered up and down the street. No one was nearby, so he tapped the pattern Ariadne had taught him onto the side of the catapult, and it quickly shrank back down to its miniature size. Kevik jerked back. ¡°Bloody hell, Corec! You can do that?¡± ¡°We found them in an old abandoned city in Cordaea,¡± Corec said. He picked up the toy-sized catapult and handed it to the knight. ¡°Be careful with it. If you break it, we can¡¯t fix it.¡± Kevik shook his head and handed it back, apparently squeamish about touching an enchanted object. Corec returned it to its original spot and repeated the tapping pattern in reverse. The catapult grew to normal size once again. ¡°As long as we¡¯re talking about equipment, what did you and your men bring?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing useful for hunting dragons,¡± Kevik said. ¡°Just our standard gear¡ªlances, swords and shields, maces and hammers, crossbows.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Come with me,¡± Corec said, and led his friend to the back of the shop. There was a shed attached to the building, and one of the group¡¯s wagons was there. Nedley was busy bundling up weapons and armor to carry inside. ¡°Ned, this is Sir Kevik, one of the knights I told you about. Kev, this is Nedley, one of our armsmen. He¡¯s been with us for a year now.¡± ¡°Hello, sir!¡± Nedley said, trying to bow and almost dropping the pile of swords in his arms. Kevik grinned and greeted him in return. ¡°Nedley, let him see one of those arming swords,¡± Corec said, peering over the side of the wagon and shuffling pieces of armor around to find what he was searching for. Nedley held his bundle out and Kevik pulled a sword from the top. ¡°What¡¯s this metal?¡± Kevik asked, looking over the blade. ¡°It¡¯s called fortisteel. It should be stronger than your own sword, and hold its edge better. We¡¯ve got longswords, too, if you ever decide to give up your shield.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°Because of this,¡± Corec said as he found what he was looking for. He lifted out the cuirass to the largest set of full plate armor he¡¯d found in Tir Yadar. Kevik was a big man¡ªtaller than Corec and broader across the shoulders¡ªand the only suits of plate left in Tir Yadar had been very large and very small, as if the more common sizes had been carried away already. Corec had kept a few of each. ¡°Silversteel plate,¡± he continued, digging out the greaves. ¡°Half the weight of steel, and much stronger. I doubt it¡¯ll stop a dragon, but against anything else, it works great.¡± He found the vambraces next, and then the helmet. ¡°Where did you get all this?¡± Kevik asked. He¡¯d set the sword to the side and was holding up the breastplate. Kevik was wearing brigandine¡ªbetter fitting than what he¡¯d worn as a trainee, but nowhere near as effective as a suit of plate. Knights had to buy their own equipment, and it could take years to save up enough for good armor. ¡°From that same abandoned city in Cordaea,¡± Corec said. ¡°We sold half of it, but I kept enough to make sure we¡¯d be able to outfit some armsmen. I don¡¯t have a full set of plate that¡¯ll fit Trentin, but we¡¯ve got plenty of mail and cuirasses for him to pick from.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it all for? Are you working for that elven woman?¡± ¡°I worked for Ellerie for a while¡ªthat¡¯s how we ended up in Cordaea¡ªbut we¡¯re just traveling together now. I wanted to come back to Four Roads because I live here sometimes, but then the dragon showed up.¡± Kevik shook his head. ¡°Someday you¡¯ll have to tell me the whole story.¡± ¡°Some day,¡± Corec promised. ¡°But for now, have you spoken to your men yet?¡± ¡°I told them we¡¯re going after the dragon, and that we¡¯ll have to work with mages and mercenaries because there aren¡¯t enough of us. They want to wait until the knights get here instead. They know I haven¡¯t gotten a response back yet to my messages, but I didn¡¯t tell them that the king turned down the mayor¡¯s request. I may not be able to convince them to go.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to make do with what we¡¯ve got. I hope you can come with me, but if not, let¡¯s at least get the men trained. If we manage to find any.¡± # ¡°Here, take a look at this,¡± Corec said, passing a sheet of paper across the table to Trentin. ¡°What do you think?¡± One end of the wheelwright¡¯s shop was partitioned off into a separate room, and they¡¯d set it up as a combined office and planning area. ¡°Are these ¡­ infantry formations?¡± the young man asked. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the notations.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t remember the real notations, so I made up my own. And it¡¯s not just infantry, but everyone. At Hightower, most of the scenarios they showed us for fighting a dragon were for hunting it down in its lair, or defending a fortified position, but it¡¯s a long way from here to the old keep. The dragon may attack at any time if it sees a big group of people on the road.¡± Trentin nodded. ¡°And we can¡¯t keep the ballistae loaded all the time or they¡¯ll break.¡± ¡°Right. So we need to give the ballista crews time to get to their carts and load their weapons. As soon as we see the dragon in the sky, we¡¯ve got to move infantry around to face it and set their shields.¡± ¡°Tower shields aren¡¯t going to be any good against a dragon. Even those fancy ones you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°A broken arm is better than being eviscerated,¡± Corec said. ¡°And if we can keep everyone within fifty yards of her, Treya thinks she can extend her fire protection spell far enough to cover us all, but we¡¯ll need the shields for that, too. The spell can only do so much. Silversteel doesn¡¯t melt, so if it keeps the defenders out of the direct flame, the protection will last longer.¡± Trentin shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t like the thought of someone using magic on me. Even if she is a priestess rather than a wizard.¡± Corec summoned a mage light in his palm and sent it floating up to the ceiling. ¡°Get used to it,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can fight a dragon without magic. Not without a hundred more men.¡± ¡°I know, but ¡­ it¡¯s magic, Corec. I swore oaths.¡± ¡°The oaths don¡¯t actually mention magic anywhere.¡± ¡°No, but I swore to follow the precepts of the Order.¡± ¡°Look at it this way¡ªmagic is what¡¯s going to keep you alive. The ballistae are actually our second wave of attack. The first wave is Ellerie and Sarette.¡± And Shavala, he hoped. ¡°Their spells have a longer range.¡± Trentin swallowed and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve just never had to be around magic before.¡± ¡°It gets easier the more you do it.¡± Ellerie came in the door and dropped a cloth bag on the table. It landed with the thunk of heavy coins. ¡°Eighty-seven gold,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s the best they could do¡ªand it¡¯s all from donations and loans. Mayor Sammel only has the authority to levy taxes within the town itself, and the other councilors won¡¯t vote for it since it¡¯s mostly going to help people outside the town.¡± ¡°That¡¯s blind,¡± Corec said. ¡°Things are just going to get worse here.¡± Ellerie hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°You offered to help pay for it. That gave them a way out without doing it themselves.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Perhaps he should have thought through his plan a little better. Ellerie shrugged. ¡°Anyway, we also got this.¡± She set a coin purse next to the bag. ¡°Fifty gold from the Senshall Trading Company.¡± ¡°How did you manage that?¡± She grinned. ¡°If the dragon is gone, the Old Road can be reopened¡ªa direct route from Tyrsall to Matagor that doesn¡¯t require going the long way around. It¡¯ll cut weeks off their travel time, and they won¡¯t have to pay import taxes to Larso.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that. This will be a big help.¡± Taken together, the two bags of gold wouldn¡¯t cover even half of the bonuses¡ªmuch less the wages, supplies, and equipment¡ªbut it might just be enough that Corec and his friends could afford to pay for the remainder. ¡°And I¡¯m going to try to get a message to my mother,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Opening the road will be good for Terevas, too.¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll help?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the southern route¡¯s longer, and passes too close to ogre territory. The Old Road would be safer if the dragon was no longer an issue. And I know Duke Lorvis in Matagor¡ªhe might help. Nobody was willing to deal with the dragon themselves, but if they can pay a small amount to have it taken care of for them, they¡¯ll certainly take advantage of it.¡± ¡°Do you think they realize how bad of shape the road is in?¡± Trentin asked. Corec chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s take one problem at a time.¡± And dealing with the first problem suddenly seemed a lot more feasible. # ¡°Transfer orders for Bertram of Tyrsall,¡± Razai said in a gruff, masculine voice. She was disguised as a member of Rusol¡¯s mercenary army, in the black brigandine armor they all wore. She flashed the badge she¡¯d stolen, a black, eight-pointed star that the mercenaries used to identify their members. It was her third attempt to get a message to Nedley¡¯s brother. The first two times, posing as a civilian courier and then a messenger, the guards on duty had refused to let her pass, insisting she hand over the message to them. Something about their attitude bothered her, though, and she¡¯d refused, skeptical the letter would ever reach its intended recipient. And Nedley had asked her to speak to his brother in person if she could, since Bertram couldn¡¯t read. After the two failed attempts, Razai had needed to come up with a new plan. She could have snuck into the barracks easily enough, either disguised or invisible, but she didn¡¯t know what Bertram looked like or where to find him. Spying on the comings and goings around the barracks had given her an idea. The guards glanced at each other. She¡¯d made sure to wait for a different pair than the ones she¡¯d spoken to previously. ¡°Bertram?¡± one said. ¡°You sure? He¡¯s in the new special unit. I thought they were all staying together.¡± ¡°I just go where they tell me,¡± Razai said. ¡°He¡¯s being transferred to the palace company. Order came down from Captain Wesson himself.¡± Wesson was in charge of a new detachment being formed to supplement the royal guard stationed around the palace. The guard shrugged. ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said, waving her through. They didn¡¯t ask to see any written confirmation. Bertram wasn¡¯t the only soldier who couldn¡¯t read, and outside the officer ranks, the mercenary army delivered orders verbally. ¡°Where can I find him?¡± she asked. They gave her directions. Each barracks building was designed to hold four squads, or twenty-eight men total. Five of the six buildings in this company block showed the normal signs of soldiers at rest. Men were bundled up against the chill in the air, taking advantage of the break in the weather to get outside rather than staying cooped up indoors. There was gossip, laughter, and good-natured shouts to friends across the yard. Men were drinking or playing cards at small tables they¡¯d brought out with them. The more industrious among them were washing laundry in metal tubs. Bertram¡¯s building was different. Pairs of men sparred against each other while others watched and waited their turns. One squad was practicing group shield maneuvers, four men keeping their shields grouped tightly together while three others braced pikes over their compatriots¡¯ heads. Something about the men seemed familiar, but Razai couldn¡¯t say why. She¡¯d never seen them before. One of the mercenaries pointed out Bertram for her. Her quarry looked a bit like Nedley, but taller and with a gaunt face and scraggly whiskers. He¡¯d just finished a sparring match and was taking a seat on a nearby bench. Razai approached him. ¡°Soldier Bertram? I¡¯ve brought a message for you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a personal message.¡± Razai tilted her head toward the barracks building. Bertram grunted and followed her. They stopped just inside the door, far enough from the others to not be overheard. Close up, the sensation of familiarity grew strong enough that Razai could almost smell it. She passed the sealed letter over. ¡°It¡¯s from your brother Nedley. He¡¯s on his way from Tyrsall to Four Roads. He wants you to join him.¡± Bertram scowled at her. ¡°Nedley¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not. I spoke to him myself. He found a good job as an armsman for Corec Tarwen, the son of one of the Black Crow barons. There¡¯s a spot for you, too.¡± ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± Bertram hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t want the others thinking my brother was a deserter. Whoever you spoke to was lying. Nedley couldn¡¯t write.¡± ¡°Someone wrote the words for him,¡± Razai said. Actually, Nedley had written the letter himself, with some help, but perhaps the lie was more believable. ¡°Oh?¡± Bertram said. ¡°And if he¡¯s in Tyrsall, how did you speak to him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m new here. When I told Nedley I was going to sign up, he asked me to bring you the message. He might already be in Four Roads by now for all I know. Don¡¯t go there just yet, though¡ªthat dragon in the free lands is making trouble. Wait until someone takes care of it.¡± Four Roads wouldn¡¯t be able to fight off a dragon themselves. They would likely have to send for help from Larso or Matagor, which could take a while. Bertram stared off into the distance. ¡°If Ned¡¯s alive, that¡¯s good, but I have a duty to my king,¡± he said. ¡°I have to stay.¡± His king? He was from Tyrsall, not Larso. And shouldn¡¯t he have been happier to learn his brother was alive? ¡°You don¡¯t want to see him?¡± Razai asked. ¡°I can¡¯t, and he shouldn¡¯t come here. His unit never returned from ¡­ wherever it was they were sent. If the officers find out someone survived but didn¡¯t report back, well, I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll do to him.¡± ¡°Do you at least want to send a message back to him? I can ¡­ I know someone who¡¯s heading that way.¡± ¡°Tell him good luck, and maybe we¡¯ll meet again someday.¡± Bertram was still staring at nothing. The whole conversation seemed off. Razai wasn¡¯t even certain if he truly believed Nedley was alive, or if he was just trying to get rid of her. The familiar scent¡ªthat wasn¡¯t actually a scent¡ªwas stronger than ever. Tainted, the whispers told her. Razai kept her face expressionless. That explained it¡ªBertram was under the effects of a compulsion spell. Razai had never met any of the red-eyes, as her traveling companions referred to them, and Nedley didn¡¯t speak about his time among them, but the magic affecting Bertram didn¡¯t seem as crude as her companions had described. Either Rusol¡¯s skills had improved or he¡¯d recruited another demon-blooded mage. Best to end the conversation quickly, before she did or said anything that might trigger a compelled response. ¡°I¡¯ll pass the message along,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for your time.¡± She gave him a brief nod, then left out the door and back into the yard. The tainted feeling was emanating from all of the men in front of Bertram¡¯s building. She hurried through them on her way back to the gate. It took effort to not look back to see if they were following her. Delivering Nedley¡¯s message was supposed to have been just a quick side jaunt, but now Razai had more questions than before. She had no intention of spying on family for Corec, but she¡¯d continued on to Telfort anyway, even after her conversation with her father. She wanted to know more about her nephew. Why did he feel the need to compel his troops? Razai had snuck into the palace twice since arriving in the city, but so far she hadn¡¯t managed to make it to the royal quarters. She needed to try again. Her father¡¯s orders had been troubling. As annoying as Corec could be, he hadn¡¯t done anything to deserve death. Even Vatarxis seemed ambivalent about the idea. Could Razai convince Rusol that Corec wasn¡¯t a threat? Corec was still angry about the deaths of the red-eyes¡¯ victims, and even of the red-eyes themselves, but he was also practical. If Razai could prove there would be no further attacks, Corec wouldn¡¯t put more lives at risk by launching one of his own. Razai approached the guard post. ¡°You were right,¡± she said on her way out. ¡°I had the wrong man. There must be another Bertram around here somewhere.¡± It was time to find a way to speak to her nephew. Book 4: Chapter Twenty-Two ¡°What do we have so far?¡± Corec asked Boktar. They were behind the wheelwright¡¯s shop, watching the activity in the wagon yard as Nedley demonstrated how to cock and load a heavy crossbow to eight of the men they¡¯d managed to recruit. Five others were already loosing bolts at targets, after professing to having experience with the weapon. ¡°It¡¯s a mix,¡± the stoneborn man said. ¡°There are three mercenaries and two former soldiers. Those are the only ones with any real training. We¡¯ve got a retired caravan guard who¡¯s too old to do any fighting, and two of the town¡¯s guardsmen¡ªneither of whom has done anything more than break up a drunken brawl. The rest of these fellows showed up looking for any sort of job they can get, but they¡¯ve never held a weapon before. You told me you¡¯d be training everyone on the siege equipment, so I haven¡¯t sent them away yet.¡± Corec sighed. It was what he¡¯d expected, but not what he¡¯d hoped for. ¡°We¡¯ll need plenty of men for the ballistae and catapults, so go ahead and pay that last group for training until we see if we can use them. I figure everyone will be new to the siege weapons, so they won¡¯t be too out of place. Only five real fighters?¡± ¡°We just started signing recruits yesterday. More will come.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Take the best of them and turn them into infantry, but give everyone the same training. If someone on the siege weapons gets injured, someone else will have to take over for him. Stick to crossbows this morning, and the pikes will start arriving this afternoon. I asked for a mix of twelve-foot and fifteen-foot shafts.¡± Corec had found a batch of fortisteel pike heads in Tir Yadar, but he¡¯d left the rotting wooden shafts behind. Two woodworkers were crafting replacements for him now. ¡°No other weapons?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°Just pikes and crossbows?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much else that would be useful against a dragon. We could buy a few heavy warhammers as a last resort, and I suppose the infantry should carry staff-spears in case they don¡¯t have time to grab their pikes from the wagons, but really, even the pikes won¡¯t come into play until we manage to get the dragon down on the ground. The siege weapons have to be our focus. The knights¡ªsome of them, at least¡ªwill be here tomorrow to start training everyone on those.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°What about armor?¡± ¡°Mail, cuirasses, and tower shields for the infantry. Same for the knights if they want them. Whatever¡¯s left can go to the siege crews. There¡¯s not enough for everyone, but I¡¯ll get more of those armored coats made. Those are better than brigandine, as long as you¡¯ve got some padding underneath.¡± ¡°Shields and pikes for the infantry?¡± Boktar asked. A pike was long and heavy enough that it could only be wielded with two hands. ¡°Shields for all of them, in case they need to shield the weapon crews. In formation, some may have to drop their shields to carry pikes, but silversteel¡¯s lighter than a normal shield. In a stationary defense, they might be able to hold both as long as they keep the pike braced against the ground. We¡¯ll have to see how it works.¡± ¡°Corec?¡± Ariadne said, coming out the back door of the shop. ¡°This man says he knows you.¡± The bulky fellow that followed her out looked familiar, but Corec couldn¡¯t place him until he noticed the black brigandine armor. ¡°I forget the name,¡± he said to the former red-eye, one of the men who¡¯d attacked Jol¡¯s Brook. ¡°Cenric,¡± the man replied. ¡°People in town said it was you going after the dragon, so I came to see. They say you¡¯re recruiting.¡± ¡°I would have figured you¡¯d want to avoid us,¡± Corec said. Cenric shrugged, staring back expressionlessly. ¡°That priestess of yours saved me.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°You made it back out of Larso safely, then? No problems?¡± Treya had been worried about the former red-eyes getting too close to the voice that had been controlling them. ¡°Only went as far as Highfell. Got my wife and sister, and we came to Four Roads and found a little spot for a farm up north. Broke sod and got a few potatoes in, and built a log cabin over the summer. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s all I have. I don¡¯t want to lose it to the dragon.¡± ¡°You were a sergeant,¡± Corec said. ¡°You could have found work as an armsman somewhere.¡± A haunted look crossed the man¡¯s face. ¡°Never again. Not after what we did to those people.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to sign on? I don¡¯t think the dragon will make it north of town. You should be safe where you¡¯re at.¡± Corec needed men with experience, but Cenric didn¡¯t seem to have recovered from his time as a red-eye. ¡°I need the work. Half a field of potatoes isn¡¯t going to pay for wheat and corn seed for the spring planting. I¡¯ll do what I can to help with the dragon; I just don¡¯t want to have to kill anyone ever again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to,¡± Corec said. Not with these troops, at least, though perhaps he could recruit some of the better ones afterward. ¡°Boktar will get you set up.¡± Boktar and Cenric exchanged solemn nods. The two men had worked together on the funeral pyres at Jol¡¯s Brook. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look at the crossbows,¡± Boktar said. As they moved off, Ariadne came to stand next to Corec. ¡°This place, Four Roads, it¡¯s your home?¡± she asked. ¡°I live here sometimes, but I¡¯m from Larso.¡± ¡°The land your enemy rules over?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And these Knights of Pallisur, they¡¯re from Larso. You were one of them once, but no longer?¡± ¡°They kicked me out when when they found out I was a mage, back when I was still a trainee. We may have some problems with them over that.¡± Ariadne shook her head. ¡°Humans still fight amongst themselves. They¡¯ve taken our place in the world, but they still act like the primitive tribes they were when I knew them.¡± ¡°People always fight, sometimes for good reason.¡± She was quiet for a moment. ¡°It used to be easier,¡± she said finally. ¡°There were the Chosar, and then there was everyone else. I swore to protect my people, but what happens if I can¡¯t find them? Everything is so different now. How do I know who deserves help and who doesn¡¯t?¡± That was a strange question, but her puzzlement sounded sincere. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any real rules,¡± Corec said. ¡°If you come across someone that needs help, they probably deserve it. If not, well, you just deal with that when the time comes.¡± # ¡°Matagor, eh?¡± said the South Corner pigeon keeper, a man named Lon. ¡°That¡¯ll be thirty-five silver.¡± Pigeon post was expensive, since the birds had to be carted back after a single flight. ¡°Who¡¯s it going to?¡± ¡°Duke Lorvis,¡± Leena replied. There were no outgoing pigeons left in Four Roads, and with the dragon approaching, it wasn¡¯t safe to ask a messenger to go south. Ellerie wanted to send messages to Matagor and Terevas, but Leena had never been to either place. She had been to South Corner, though, which was close to both kingdoms. The town was in the free lands, but far enough from the dragon¡¯s keep that no one seemed worried. Leena hadn¡¯t seen any refugees either, which suggested the dragon was focusing its attention to the north. Lon raised his eyebrows. ¡°The duke of the city? What makes you think he¡¯ll read it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from an old acquaintance of his.¡± ¡°Well, I can send the message, but I can¡¯t promise it¡¯ll get to him. My pigeons don¡¯t go to the duke¡¯s palace, just to another aviary in the city. The keeper there will have to take it to the palace and leave it with the duke¡¯s people.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Leena said. If this didn¡¯t work, she¡¯d have to try Traveling to a place she¡¯d never been to. She¡¯d done it before, mostly by accident, but she hadn¡¯t mastered the skill yet. ¡°One pigeon for Matagor, then. And the second message?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for Queen Revana of Terevas.¡± Lon barked a laugh. ¡°The elf queen? Good luck with that one. I don¡¯t have any pigeons that home in Terevas.¡± ¡°Is there some other way to get a message there?¡± ¡°You can try sending it to the fellow I know in Matagor, and see if he has a pigeon for Terevas, or you can hire a courier. My son¡¯s always looking for work, and he¡¯s got a fast horse. Not been to visit the elves too often, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hire your son, if he¡¯s willing. How much?¡± ¡°Well, for Terevas, you see, there won¡¯t be any work on the return trip, so you have to pay both coming and going.¡± Lon turned to a map hanging on the wall behind him and measured out the distance. ¡°Let¡¯s call it two gold.¡± Leena winced. She¡¯d brought plenty of coin, but she suspected the man was overcharging her. ¡°One and a half now,¡± she said. ¡°The rest when he returns¡ªunless they¡¯ve already paid him more than that to send a reply. I¡¯ll check back in ¡­ is four weeks enough time?¡± The pigeon keeper chewed the inside of his lip as he considered it. ¡°Aye, that¡¯ll do.¡± Her coin purse lightened, Leena left the pigeon post aviary and ducked between two buildings, out of sight. She had one more stop to make before returning to Four Roads. With a moment¡¯s thought, she was in Aencyr, standing on the neatly trimmed lawn in front of Hildra¡¯s manor house. It was late in the day here, and the sun was low on the horizon. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! She¡¯d been to Hildra¡¯s home twice before, taking messages for Ellerie, and the majordomo allowed her in to see the dwarven woman without a problem. Leena quickly explained the purpose of her visit. Hildra¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°Weapons to fight dragons?¡± ¡°Ellerie thought you might know of something.¡± The stocky woman shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like that. Why does she want to fight a dragon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been killing people and driving them from their homes. Corec decided someone had to deal with it.¡± ¡°Cordaea rarely sees dragons, so I can¡¯t help with that ¡­ but since you¡¯re here, I do have something you can take back with you.¡± # Ten minutes later, Leena was back at the wheelwright¡¯s shop in Four Roads with two bulky, heavy canvas bags slung over her shoulders. She deposited them on the floor. Ellerie and Corec looked up from the paperwork they were poring over. ¡°Hildra had something we could use?¡± Ellerie asked, eyeing the bags. ¡°Hildra?¡± Corec said. ¡°You went to Cordaea?¡± Ellerie said, ¡°I was hoping Hildra would have some sort of weapon for fighting a dragon.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t,¡± Leena said. ¡°This is the armor you found in Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°King Argyros¡¯s armor?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°She was able to fix it?¡± ¡°She said she removed the enchantment that burned anyone who touched it, and she reset the binding spell. That¡¯s why the pieces are in the bags. It¡¯ll bind itself to whoever touches it next.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ariadne will be glad to have it back.¡± Leena shook her head. ¡°Hildra said you should try it. She thinks it¡¯ll fit you. It has to be someone close to your size.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Corec said, frowning. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel right about that. I already took the man¡¯s hammer. The armor should go to Ariadne¡¯s people.¡± Ellerie shrugged. ¡°If the binding spell was reset once, it can be reset again,¡± she told him, then turned to Leena. ¡°Did she say why he should wear it?¡± ¡°Only that it¡¯s made from the same metal as the hammer, and some of the enchantments seem similar. She thought you should keep the two together.¡± ¡°The only thing the hammer does is get really heavy,¡± Corec said. ¡°The armor didn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Leena said. ¡°Hildra wasn¡¯t able to test the enchantments to see what they do. She couldn¡¯t fit into the armor, and she didn¡¯t want to let it bind to someone else. She said you¡¯d have to try it out yourself.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I suppose I can ask Ariadne what she thinks about it. Are you feeling up to another trip?¡± Ellerie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Where do you want me to go?¡± Leena asked. ¡°I need to find Shavala. I thought she¡¯d be here by now, but she¡¯s still somewhere to the south.¡± Leena did a Seeking on the elven woman. ¡°She¡¯s ¡­ it feels familiar. She¡¯s at the western edge of the Terril Forest. I¡¯ve been there before. Not the same spot, but nearby.¡± ¡°You can reach that far?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°That¡¯s hundreds of miles away.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Leena had never been able to Seek much farther out than fifty miles. She tried another Seeking. ¡°I can¡¯t reach my brother, but Razai¡¯s in Telfort. I¡¯ve been there, too.¡± What else could she look for? ¡°I can¡¯t find the inn we stayed at in Dalewood, and that¡¯s closer than Shavala or Razai.¡± ¡°So why does it work for them?¡± Leena considered the question. ¡°I can always find Corec through the warden bond just as if I¡¯d done a Seeking on him. The bond only works with him, but what if Seeking the rest of you works the same way? I¡¯m connected to him, and then he¡¯s connected to you.¡± The warden bond was easier than a Seeking, so she¡¯d always used Corec as her compass when returning to the group. It hadn¡¯t occurred to her to try the others. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯d be able to find any of us, no matter where we¡¯re at?¡± Corec asked. ¡°You can go to Shavala right now? If she¡¯s at the edge of the forest, then she¡¯s not in Terrillia, so humans should be allowed there.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Leena said. ¡°I can go to exactly where she is.¡± # Shavala had made sure to hold onto the staff for support, and by the time the tremors stopped, she was the only one still standing. She was at the center of a wide ring of new-grown tershaya trees, in the abandoned farmland just west of the Terril Forest. The ring wasn¡¯t perfectly circular¡ªburied boulders had gotten in the way¡ªbut it was close. The staff had allowed Shavala to guide the growth this time. Zhailai, Elder Nariela, and the small party of rangers stared in wonder as they clambered back to their feet. There hadn¡¯t been an opportunity to discuss the staff with the full conclave, focused as they were on the dragon. And, in truth, Shavala had been reluctant to do so. She wasn¡¯t sure what their decision would be, and she¡¯d made promises she intended to fulfill. Meritia had returned to her duties at the northeastern outpost, but before leaving, she¡¯d suggested speaking to an elder one on one, so Shavala had joined Nariela¡¯s scouting party. They weren¡¯t doing much other than watching for signs of dragon incursion and making sure the creature didn¡¯t set any fires, but it was better than doing nothing at all. The druids seemed to be biding their time, waiting for the humans to deal with the dragon so the elves didn¡¯t have to. Nariela spun in a slow circle, looking up at the new trees. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen ¡­¡± she started before trailing off. ¡°How did you accelerate the growth so much? I¡¯ve managed a year¡¯s worth at a time, but tershaya have never taken well to it. This was hundreds of years of growth, for two dozen trees at once! I sensed the magic, but something felt different about it.¡± ¡°The staff combines elder magic with something else,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it could do what it does with just elder magic alone.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t require seedlings or cuttings?¡± Zhailai asked. ¡°The staff itself is the cutting,¡± Shavala said, pulling the bare branch loose from the ground as the roots below it snapped off and dissolved into the soil. ¡°It can create other environments, but it seems to like tershaya the best.¡± ¡°Where could it have come from?¡± Nariela asked. ¡°Why was it just sitting in an abandoned city?¡± ¡°I think it was a gift from the old gods to the first druids.¡± ¡°The old gods?¡± Zhailai asked, her tone skeptical. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s shown me visions of its previous bearers. In the earliest vision, the old gods were there when the first bearer took the staff.¡± Shavala didn¡¯t have any proof the animals in that vision were the old gods, but with Ariadne¡¯s tales of the creatures, what else could they have been? ¡°They gifted it to the dorvasta?¡± Nariela said. ¡°We were still called vasta then. It was before the split with the nilvasta.¡± That information had come from Ariadne rather than the visions, but this wasn¡¯t the time to go into the ancient history of the elven people. ¡°I wanted to return it to its rightful place.¡± The gray-haired woman nodded. ¡°You did the right thing. If it can grow tershaya this easily, it must be kept safe in Terrillia.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it there when I can, but first, I¡¯ve made other commitments.¡± Shavala kept her voice firm, hoping her confidence would project itself through the tree bond. ¡°I grew a small forest in Cordaea, but it¡¯s in the middle of a barren land. If I don¡¯t return, the trees will die.¡± ¡°You must care for them, of course, but Cordaea is far away. Can you safeguard the staff?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Shavala said. ¡°And one more thing¡ªI promised Ellerie di¡¯Valla that I would grow tershaya in Terevas.¡± Nariela and Zhailai exchanged startled glances. ¡°You spoke to the queen¡¯s daughter about it?¡± Nariela asked. ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t done that. There¡¯s no point in giving tershaya to the nilvasta. We¡¯ve tried, but they can¡¯t care for them without the tree bond.¡± ¡°Tershaya don¡¯t require constant care as long as they¡¯re root-bonded to enough others of their kind,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Ellerie asked me to try. And the nilvasta still have the tree bond¡ªit just doesn¡¯t work right anymore.¡± ¡°Because they turned their backs on our ways. They left the forest and lost the bond, just like the dorvasta who live outside our borders. That¡¯s why we discourage all but the druids from going on the travels, and why we don¡¯t talk about those who¡¯ve left the forest. We don¡¯t want to encourage others to do the same. The nilvasta serve as a warning to us all. They want nothing more than to regain the bond, but it¡¯s too late. There¡¯s nothing we can do for them.¡± That was why the dorvasta villages were kept secret? ¡°The nilvasta didn¡¯t lose the tree bond because they left the forest,¡± Shavala said. ¡°They lost it because of their human blood. Human and Chosar.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Nariela asked. ¡°Why would you think that? And who are the Chosar?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of the Ancients?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a word sometimes used to refer to the first peoples.¡± Shavala shook her head. ¡°We think the Ancients were the Chosar. They lived among elves and humans, but they were separate. They died out a long time ago, but the abandoned city I told you about belonged to them.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain what you said about the nilvasta bloodline. Where did you hear that?¡± Shavala wasn¡¯t certain whether she should mention Ariadne, and in any case, she hadn¡¯t paid close attention to all the details. ¡°Isn¡¯t the point of our travels to learn new things?¡± she asked. ¡°I traveled to Cordaea with Ellerie di¡¯Valla. She¡¯s a scholar and historian, and she was looking for information about the Ancients. We found it.¡± Before they could ask any more questions, there was a flicker, and then Leena suddenly appeared from nowhere. The rangers cursed in surprise and reached for their bows, but Shavala stepped around her and held up her hand to stop them. ¡°Wait, she¡¯s a friend!¡± she told the others, then asked Leena, ¡°What are you doing here? It¡¯s dangerous¡ªthe dragon from the free lands has been flying overhead.¡± ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Leena said. ¡°Hello,¡± she said to the rest of the scouting party in careful Elven before turning back to Shavala. ¡°The dragon¡¯s come almost as far north as Four Roads. Ellerie and Corec and the others are going after it. Corec was hoping you would help. He thought you were going to join us before now.¡± ¡°I was held up here. Everyone is in Four Roads?¡± ¡°Yes, but they¡¯ll be leaving in about a week, heading down the Farm Road toward the keep where the dragon is nesting.¡± Four Roads was nearly two weeks of travel through rough terrain, but if Shavala tracked Corec through the warden bond, she¡¯d be able to meet him along the way and cut several days off that time. She¡¯d have to travel light, and she¡¯d need clothing that would blend in with the surroundings so the dragon didn¡¯t notice her. ¡°Tell him I¡¯m on my way.¡± # Yassi found Kolvi down in the practice room with Sir Barat. The large chamber beneath the palace had been converted from a series of storage rooms nearly three hundred years earlier, back when elder magic had first found its way into the royal bloodline. The family now used the secret location to train their witches. In Larso, being a mage was dangerous. If the family had been gifted with wizardry, perhaps it would have been safer to ignore it, allowing the magic to remain dormant. With elder magic, though, that wasn¡¯t possible. Elder magic always came out, and the witches had to learn enough about their abilities to keep them under control. Even Prince Rikard, who¡¯d had little interest in magic, had practiced down here until his father was sure he wouldn¡¯t light something on fire by accident. Rusol had spent much of his youth in this chamber, learning from the old witch woman Marten had recruited to train him, though Yassi¡¯s husband had outgrown his teacher¡¯s abilities even before he¡¯d been chosen as a warden. Kolvi was gesturing to one of three wooden buckets at the far end of the room. A small column of water rose up to the height of a man and then froze in place. ¡°Melt it,¡± the witch told Barat. ¡°Try to reach it from here.¡± The knight braced his feet and thrust his hands forward, flames billowing ten feet out. The bucket and target remained untouched, thirty feet away. ¡°Is too far,¡± he said in his heavy accent as he let the fire die. Kolvi held one hand out and launched a delicate streamer of flame all the way to the target. It curled around the thin pillar of ice, melting it through the middle. The upper half of the column crashed to the floor, shattering into tiny pieces. ¡°You need to practice more,¡± she said. She raised another column of ice, from the next bucket over. ¡°This time, create the fire in the air near the ice, and sustain it with just magic alone. Don¡¯t burn the bucket.¡± A burning ball of flame the size of a man¡¯s head appeared at the other end of the room. Barat¡¯s outstretched arm trembled as he attempted to hold the fireball in place near the target. Kolvi saw Yassi waiting. ¡°Keep doing that,¡± the elder witch said to the knight. ¡°Once it¡¯s melted, try to freeze the water in the third bucket. You can move closer if you need to.¡± While he focused on his task, Kolvi came over to Yassi. ¡°Well?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Will he really need to learn all that now that we know the wardens didn¡¯t kill Rikard?¡± Kolvi¡¯s eyes grew cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for the wardens. With enough strong elder witches, the Church won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± Yassi looked down, unable to meet the other woman¡¯s gaze. Not counting Merice, Kolvi was the closest thing Yassi had to a friend in the palace, but it was a very tentative friendship. Was Rusol aware of the woman¡¯s plans? His hold over the witch had always been shakier than his control of his other bondmates. Thankfully he¡¯d never ordered Yassi to spy on the others. ¡°Can I speak to you alone?¡± she asked, drawing Kolvi farther from Barat. ¡°I missed my bleeding last month,¡± she whispered. ¡°Ahh, and you want me to check?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been tired and sick to my stomach, but I don¡¯t want to say anything until I know for sure.¡± Kolvi¡¯s gaze went out of focus as she laid a hand on Yassi¡¯s belly. A moment later, she spoke again. ¡°Yes. Congratulations, I suppose.¡± Yassi¡¯s heart thudded in her chest. ¡°Then I¡¯m ¡­ ?¡± ¡°You¡¯re with child.¡± Book 4: Chapter Twenty-Three ¡°A baby?¡± Rusol said. ¡°A baby.¡± He sat down with a thump, his knees suddenly weak. He was going to have a child. ¡°Yes,¡± Yassi replied. ¡°Kolvi says it¡¯ll be seven months.¡± ¡°What do we ¡­ ? Why are you up? Shouldn¡¯t you be resting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Rus. My mother will know what to do, and we¡¯ll find a midwife.¡± Rusol nodded, barely listening. ¡°He¡¯ll be the next king.¡± A new prince, coming so soon after the coronation, would be taken as a good sign. Rusol¡¯s branch of the family would retain the crown and control of House Larse, promising stability for another generation. ¡°It could be a girl,¡± Yassi pointed out. ¡°Oh. Yes, of course, but a girl would still prove we can continue the line. We can keep trying.¡± He ignored the look of disgust that crossed her face. He¡¯d grown accustomed to it, and surely things would improve now that they were having a child together. She would finally come to care for him. She had to. His thoughts kept flitting around. He was going to be a father. If there was a child coming, he couldn¡¯t risk being at war against the wardens. Not now, at least. They hadn¡¯t been the ones to kill Rikard, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t strike into the palace if they realized someone was hunting them. Luckily, Leonis was dead, and the First didn¡¯t know what Rusol had been up to. None of the others had any idea who he was. The shadow creature wanted him to kill the other wardens, but it had seemed to think he¡¯d make that decision himself. If so, it would have to wait. Besides, defeating Leonis had been more about luck than skill. The man had grown overconfident after years of fighting weaker elder witches, and hadn¡¯t been prepared to face Rusol and Kolvi at full strength. And he hadn¡¯t been aware of Rusol¡¯s own divine magic, negating Leonis¡¯s biggest advantage. But Rusol was under no illusion that he was ready to face a fully prepared warden. Rather than risking outright confrontation, he could take a more prudent approach. Wait and watch, and learn. Yes, with the immediate threat from Leonis over, it made sense to proceed with caution. His family¡¯s safety had to come first, and then he would bide his time. # ¡°This is Corec of House Tarwen,¡± Kevik announced to the assembled knights. ¡°You know who he is, and I don¡¯t want to hear any complaining. He¡¯s leading the town¡¯s assault against the dragon.¡± Corec stepped forward, then stopped and looked each man in the eye before speaking. He was wearing King Argyros¡¯s armor for the first time. It was made from the same dull, brownish-gray metal as the maul, and his attempts to polish it had failed, but the unusual appearance drew the knights¡¯ attention anyway. ¡°You heard him,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you now, I don¡¯t much care what you think about me. I¡¯ve got a job to do and I need men who can handle themselves.¡± The oldest of the knights, with graying hair and a gut that stretched his mail to its limit, spat on the ground. ¡°We don¡¯t deal with traitors, wizard.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t betray anything,¡± Corec said. ¡°I never took the oaths. But I¡¯ll overlook your lie and your insult for now, Sir Georg. Dealing with the dragon is more important than challenging you to a duel over what little remains of your knightly honor, and Kevik tells me you have a fine eye for siege weapons.¡± Corec was walking a fine line in goading the man, but he hoped to push one of the knights into issuing a challenge of their own. It would reinforce to the others that he was their equal. He¡¯d brought his old spare sword from Mama Wenna¡¯s attic in case he needed it. His new weapons were too likely to kill his opponent. After debating the matter with Kevik, Corec had decided to try to recruit all four of the remaining knights. While he himself could teach the new armsmen to load and release the ballistae, there wasn¡¯t enough time for them to truly master the weapon. The knights could serve as spotters, estimating windage and distance to give the bolts a better chance of reaching the target. If they didn¡¯t accept his leadership, though, they¡¯d cause more problems than they were worth. A challenge might resolve the issue, proving to them he could still act as a knight. Georg scowled and opened his mouth to reply, but another man spoke first. ¡°Oaths or not, you¡¯re still a mage,¡± Sir Osbert said. He was tall, with a clean-shaven head, and he wore a full set of plate armor. He¡¯d been stationed at Fort Hightower during Corec¡¯s first year there, before being transferred back to Telfort. Apparently he¡¯d returned. ¡°If Four Roads wishes to allow magic within their borders, that¡¯s their business, but I won¡¯t have anything to do with it. We don¡¯t need your help. We¡¯ll wait until the Order arrives.¡± ¡°The Order isn¡¯t coming,¡± Kevik said, then paused to let that sink in. ¡°The message arrived this morning. Our brothers aren¡¯t coming, but since we¡¯re already here, we¡¯ve been told to help out in whatever way we can. So, either the six of us try to hunt down a dragon by ourselves, or we can work with Corec and the rest of the Four Roads expedition. Unless, of course, you want to abandon our duty entirely, Osbert.¡± Trentin¡¯s lips had tightened into a thin line while Kevik was speaking. It was a lie, then. There hadn¡¯t been any orders. The rest of the knights exchanged worried glances. Clearly they¡¯d been expecting support from their own people. The Order of Pallisur prided themselves on their ability to handle threats no one else could face, and whatever problems Corec had with the knights, it was clear that this small group hadn¡¯t intended to abandon Four Roads to its fate. ¡°The people in town say you killed a drake!¡± exclaimed a young knight with freckles and curly red hair. From Kevik¡¯s description, that had to be Willem. He was only a year or two older than Nedley. ¡°Two, but I had help,¡± Corec said. ¡°Just like I¡¯ll need your help with the dragon.¡± The boy nodded, his head bobbing up and down. ¡°Why is the seaborn woman wearing armor?¡± asked a man with sandy blond hair. He had on well-maintained plate armor of his own, and his look was speculative rather than judgmental. As the only one left, he had to be Sir Cason, who Kevik said had trained at Fort Hightower. Ariadne had remained silent until then, but now she came to stand beside Corec. ¡°I¡¯m no seaborn,¡± she said. ¡°I am Ariadne, of the Mage Knights of Tir Yadar.¡± They¡¯d worked out an introduction for her that didn¡¯t require mentioning the Chosar. She preferred to leave her past a mystery. Sir Georg barked a laugh. ¡°Shiny armor doesn¡¯t make you a knight, girl.¡± ¡°My order existed long before yours, son of Pallisur,¡± Ariadne said, staring him down. ¡°I swore the oaths to my people, and was raised to knighthood in the presence of The Lady herself.¡± Corec had coached Ariadne on what to say, but he hadn¡¯t heard that last part before. She¡¯d rarely ever mentioned the new gods in all the time he¡¯d known her. She waited, and it was Georg who looked away first. He wouldn¡¯t challenge her¡ªwomen in Larso weren¡¯t seen as fighters. ¡°Mage Knights?¡± Osbert said. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing.¡± Ariadne tilted her head to the side. ¡°Would you like me to prove it?¡± she asked. She and Corec had talked about how to handle this part of the conversation. A show of magic from either of them¡ªat least without warning the knights about it first¡ªcould potentially provoke all four men into attacking them. Even if they managed to defeat the knights without killing any of them, it would be pointless to try to recruit them after that. Osbert swallowed. ¡°Mages can¡¯t be knights,¡± he insisted. ¡°You¡¯re showing your ignorance, Osbert,¡± Corec said. ¡°Not all knights follow Pallisur. You can¡¯t fight a dragon unless you have magic or an army, and I don¡¯t see your army anywhere.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t¡ª¡° the knight started. Corec interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. If you¡¯re too much of a coward to travel with mages, you can go on ahead. After the dragon kills you, the rest of us will deal with it. If you¡¯d like, we¡¯ll even cart your body back to Larso and dump it at the border.¡± Trentin grimaced and shook his head, trying to catch Corec¡¯s attention. Corec continued, ¡°Of course, it would be safer to travel with the larger group. Besides, that¡¯s the only way you¡¯re getting paid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re paying us?¡± Sir Cason asked. ¡°You¡¯ve heard the offer, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ten gold to kill the dragon.¡± ¡°Ten gold each if we kill the dragon, and five silver a day until then.¡± It was a substantial amount, even for a knight. Unmarried members of the Order could claim free room and board when they were off duty, but they were only paid for days they were on duty. The gold alone might match what a knight earned in a quiet year. Cason¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but Willem started grinning. ¡°You think you can convince us with money?¡± Osbert asked. ¡°Do you need to be convinced to do the right thing?¡± Corec said. ¡°How many people have died already? How many more will die if we don¡¯t stop that dragon? I¡¯m not your enemy, Sir Osbert. I volunteered for this job because someone¡¯s got to do it, but I need your help.¡± Osbert didn¡¯t reply, but Cason gave a small nod. Kevik stepped forward. ¡°We start training the recruits on the siege weapons this afternoon. I expect to see you all there.¡± He dismissed them after that. Georg and Osbert still weren¡¯t happy, but Kevik¡¯s lie about the orders had countered any argument they could have made. As the knights left to go prepare their gear, Willem regaled the others with a description of the new horse he was going to buy with his bonus money. Kevik waited until they were out of earshot before speaking. ¡°Were you trying to get them to attack you?¡± he asked. ¡°To challenge me, yes, but it didn¡¯t work,¡± Corec said. ¡°Why did you lie about the orders?¡± ¡°If the rest of the knights were coming, I¡¯d have heard something by now,¡± Kevik said. ¡°You¡¯re the one who thinks we need the whole squad, and this was the fastest way to convince them. If there¡¯s a tribunal, I¡¯ll testify that I was the only one who knew the orders were false. There¡¯s no reason for any blame to be laid on Trentin. Or you, if it comes down to it.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°We lied to them, bribed them, bullied them, and insulted them. We¡¯ll be lucky if they don¡¯t decide to come after us rather than the dragon.¡± # Katrin dumped all of the clothing out of her saddlebags into a big pile on the floor, then stared at it as she debated what to do. It should have been hung up in the closet or folded and put away, but she¡¯d been on the road for too long¡ªeverything she owned needed a good wash, and most of it needed ironing as well. She¡¯d have to ask one of the Sisters where to do that. There was a forlorn sigh from Ditte, who was staring out the window. ¡°Where¡¯s Harri?¡± the girl asked. ¡°He already fed the horsies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he just went out to visit the others again,¡± Katrin said. When the new ballistae started arriving, Corec had taken the weapons south of town. They were too dangerous for the recruits to practice with in town. After two days of going back and forth, he¡¯d set up a camp at the practice site and moved his entire little army there, so they wouldn¡¯t have to spend so much time traveling. Rather than taking the children to the armed encampment, or continuing to camp out in the cold in Mama Wenna¡¯s garden patch, Katrin had at first moved into the wheelwright¡¯s shop her friends had been using for their preparations. There was no kitchen there, though, so Treya had found room for Katrin and the two children at the Three Orders chapter house. It was just the three of them. Leena had decided to go south with the rest of the group, Traveling back each day for messages and supplies. ¡°When¡¯ll he be back?¡± Ditte asked. ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°We could sing some songs,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯ve still got lots more I haven¡¯t taught you yet.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna sing no more!¡± ¡°Well, what about reading, then? They¡¯ve got lots of books here.¡± The library here was the largest Katrin had ever seen, other than the big libraries in Tyrsall and Circle Bay¡ªand Treya had said this was one of the smallest chapter houses of the Three Orders. What were the larger chapter houses like? ¡°Don¡¯t know how to read,¡± Ditte said with a pout. That wasn¡¯t a surprise. Most people considered the hillfolk to be uneducated, but even in the city, some of Katrin¡¯s friends had never learned to read. She¡¯d been lucky in that her mother had known how, and had taught her and Barz. ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see if we can find Nallee or Liese.¡± Those two women were Treya¡¯s friends from back when she¡¯d lived here, though Nallee was only at the chapter house during the day. She was a concubine, and stayed with her patron and his wife at night in the attic of a local blacksmith¡¯s house while they waited for it to be safe to return to their own home. Katrin took Ditte by the hand and led her to an alcove outside Mother Yewen¡¯s office, where Nallee had installed a desk for herself, working on whatever Yewen needed help with on any particular day. There seemed to be no shortage of tasks. Most of the Sisters who lived at the chapter house were busy with their normal duties of raising and educating the orphan girls who lived there, but Mother Yewen was heavily involved with taking care of the refugees as well, and the additional work fell on Nallee and a few others. After Katrin explained what she wanted to do, Nallee led the two of them to a large walk-in closet near the library. ¡°These are the primers here,¡± the concubine said, pointing to row after row of what appeared to be many copies of each of several different books. ¡°Eastern, Western, trade tongue. We¡¯ve still got Old Matan primers but we stopped teaching it years ago. The southern chapter houses teach Sanvari, but we don¡¯t have much call for that around here so the scholars keep those books under lock and key. We don¡¯t have enough copies to let the girls take them out without approval. After the primers, the girls move on to the easy readers,¡± Nallee pointed to more shelves, ¡°and then the practice readers. Once a girl can handle the hardest books in here, she¡¯s allowed to take books from the library.¡± Katrin found herself staring at all the shelves. ¡°There are books just for teaching someone how to read?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Nallee said. ¡°How else would you do it?¡± Katrin¡¯s family hadn¡¯t owned any books at all. She¡¯d learned to read on a slate, her mother painstakingly writing and rewriting letters and words and sentences in chalk. She decided not to answer. Instead, she said, ¡°The kids speak Western, so I guess that¡¯s what I need.¡± Nallee pulled two identical books from a shelf. ¡°Two Western primers, then. When you¡¯re ready to move up, let me know and I can help you find the next books. And we¡¯ve got paper, pens, and ink when you need them.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± By the time Katrin and Ditte made it back to their room, Harri had returned and was trying to brush mud from his only pair of boots. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Katrin demanded, though she suspected the answer already. ¡°I had to take care of the mules at the camp,¡± the boy said. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. Corec wants the men to handle the mules themselves. You only need to worry about our horses here. And Flower and Boy and the donkeys.¡± Corec had insisted that the horses be left behind, saying they¡¯d run away if they saw the dragon. He only planned to take enough mules to haul the carts and wagons¡ªbut he¡¯d left Boy, his pack mule, behind without comment. Katrin was trying hard not to read too much into that. ¡°But I wanna help!¡± Harri protested. ¡°Corec said I could.¡± Katrin rolled her eyes. ¡°He did, did he?¡± Corec had had a very different upbringing than her, growing up in Larso and becoming a knight trainee when he was only ten, but allowing a twelve-year-old boy to spend time in a war camp still seemed wrong. ¡°And what did Treya say about it?¡± Harri got a shifty look on his face. ¡°She didn¡¯t know I was there.¡± ¡°You hid from her because you knew you weren¡¯t supposed to be there. She asked me to watch out for you, so no more going to the camp. They¡¯ll be gone soon anyway.¡± Katrin tried not to let any fear creep into her voice. Once the children were asleep, she planned to go out to the camp herself, to visit Corec and her friends one last time before they left. ¡°From now on, you¡¯ve got something better to do when you¡¯re not taking care of the horses¡ªI¡¯m going to teach you how to read.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to learn that,¡± the boy said. ¡°Everyone needs to read,¡± Katrin told him. He didn¡¯t look like he believed her, so she added, ¡°If you want to keep working for Corec, you¡¯ll have to learn. Nedley did, so you can too.¡± Harri idolized Nedley. He gave a sullen sigh, but finally nodded. # ¡°Weapons loaded?¡± Corec called out. Answering shouts came back in the affirmative. They¡¯d received the last of the ballistae he¡¯d requested, and, after nine days of training and preparation, all of the crews could now practice at the same time. He would have liked more weapons, but the ones they had now would already put them at the limit of what Treya¡¯s fire protection spell could cover. He yelled again. ¡°Ballistae Five through Seven, same target as before. Release!¡± Four ballista bolts launched into the air. ¡°Damned fools!¡± came Kevik¡¯s voice. ¡°Did he say Three? He said Five to Seven!¡± The knight was serving as spotter for Ballista Three. Corec just shook his head. ¡°Ballistae One, Two, and Four, release!¡± The last three bolts were loosed, rising at a steep angle before falling back to the earth far in the distance. The aim was improving as the knights grew familiar with the weapons¡¯ capabilities, and as the recruits learned to follow their instructions. ¡°All weapons clear?¡± Corec shouted down the line. He checked to make sure that Ballista One, which he was spotting for, didn¡¯t have a bolt loaded. A moment later, the responses came back. ¡°Ballistae Five through Seven clear!¡± Sarette yelled. ¡°Ballistae Two through Four clear!¡± Ariadne called out. It took Boktar longer to check his weapons because he had to peer into the buckets. ¡°Catapults clear,¡± he said, standing near enough that he didn¡¯t have to shout. ¡°Ballista crews, go find your bolts!¡± Corec said. ¡°All of them! They¡¯re expensive!¡± They had enough ammunition for six volleys before the bolts had to be retrieved. Some of the wooden shafts would have shattered on impact, but the fortisteel tips Ellerie had crafted would survive the practice attempts. The catapult crews relaxed, talking and joking with each other. Corec was about to call Cenric and Nedley over to discuss infantry formations when he noticed Treya making her way toward him. She was accompanied by a dark-haired man with a beard, wearing rusty mail and carrying a spear and shield. ¡°Corec,¡± Treya said, ¡°this is Priest Conley of the Church of Pallisur. He¡¯s offered to come with us. He¡¯s a healer, and he knows some protection spells.¡± Corec clenched his jaw, biting down his immediate angry response. It was priests of Pallisur who¡¯d kicked him out of the Order, and it was a priest of Pallisur who¡¯d allowed his mother to die from an infection that could have easily been healed. ¡°Are you sure this is the place for you?¡± Corec asked the man. He held his hand out to his side and the war maul, which he¡¯d left nearby, flew into his grasp, the binding sigil on the shaft aligning with its twin on his palm. A yellow glow spread across the weapon as it began to hum. ¡°You¡¯re going to be surrounded by mages. In my experience, priests of Pallisur don¡¯t handle that sort of thing very well.¡± The catapult crews went quiet, watching the altercation. ¡°Corec!¡± Treya said, her eyes widening in surprise. Conley swallowed, but stood his ground. ¡°I¡¯m not from Larso,¡± he said. ¡°I attended seminary there, but I was born and raised in Four Roads. I¡¯m just here to do whatever the town needs.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Corec said. ¡°Four Roads isn¡¯t known for magic. Have you been around mages before? Can you travel with them? Take orders from them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take orders from whoever you need me to take orders from.¡± The priest met Corec¡¯s gaze, not looking away. After a moment, Corec nodded. ¡°I want your promise that you won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°You have it.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Corec said curtly. ¡°Ned, take Priest Conley here and go get him some better gear.¡± The boy was standing nearby. ¡°Sure, Corec,¡± he replied. As the two men left, Corec turned back to Treya, who was staring at him with a hurt expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. I just wasn¡¯t expecting ¡­¡± He paused. ¡°I have a history with the Order.¡± Treya gave a slow nod. ¡°You¡¯ve told me, but I thought it was just the priests in Larso you had a problem with. I¡¯ve never seen you react like that before. You¡¯re not that way with the knights.¡± ¡°The knights are different.¡± Under other circumstances, the knights would have been his brothers. ¡°It had to be him? You couldn¡¯t find someone else?¡± ¡°He was the only one who volunteered,¡± Treya said. ¡°The priests here, they¡¯re not warriors. They¡¯re the ones who haven¡¯t been asked to serve at a larger temple. Besides, he¡¯s stronger than the other healers in town. A bit, anyway.¡± Corec took in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, forcing himself to relax. The priest who¡¯d allowed his mother to die had been unblessed ¡­ and too stupid to recognize that he didn¡¯t know what he was doing. Conley didn¡¯t have the first problem. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t have the second. # Sarette strode through the brown prairie grass, leaving the road itself for the carts and wagons. They¡¯d left Four Roads two days earlier and were still on the well-maintained portion of the Farm Road, with enough space for two carts abreast. It was unlikely they¡¯d need to make room for oncoming traffic¡ªeveryone who wanted to evacuate the area had already done so. The armsmen were grumbling about the chilly winds and the light flurries of snow, but to Sarette, it felt like spring. And soon, the air would grow even warmer, with the snow turning to rain over the next two days. She suspected the complaints would increase once the road got muddy. But complaining was normal; it was what a soldier did. If they weren¡¯t complaining about the weather, it would be something else. Weather was safe. It meant they weren¡¯t complaining about the leadership, or about the task at hand. There were hints of fear when they thought no one was watching, but the training Corec and the others had put them through seemed to have convinced them they could actually do what they were setting out to do. Sarette¡¯s task was to watch over Ballistae Five through Seven, along the east side of the road. Ariadne was on the west side with Two through Four. Ballista One was the figurine from Tir Yadar, carried in miniature form by its crew at the head of the column, along with the three catapult figurines. It was easier to carry the small versions around than to spend money on four more mule teams, and if the expedition was attacked by the dragon, those four crews could quickly position themselves where they¡¯d do the most good. Sarette¡¯s ballistae were less maneuverable, and only their pivot mounts would allow them to be useful if attacked from an unexpected direction. Sarette wasn¡¯t sure her oversight of the ballistae was necessary, especially since she and Ariadne wouldn¡¯t be with their crews during an actual attack. The knights could have just as easily kept an eye on things¡ªand, interspersed as they were among the siege weapons, were probably doing so already¡ªbut Corec had limited their official duties to commanding individual ballistae during an attack, and to backing up the infantry if it became necessary. He hadn¡¯t explained his reasoning. Sarette slowed her pace so she could check on her crews again. The first two carts looked fine, but when Ballista Seven caught up to her, only one of the men was present, leading the mule team on foot. The carts didn¡¯t have seats. ¡°Trooper Dorsin!¡± Sarette shouted, looking for the other man, then saw him jogging back from a stand of scraggly trees. Corec hadn¡¯t given the armsmen any ranks, other than Cenric as sergeant for the infantry and Nedley as his corporal, but Sarette found herself falling back on her own experience. Trooper was the High Guard¡¯s lowest enlisted rank. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at your post?¡± she demanded as Dorsin drew close. The young man¡¯s eyes goggled. ¡°I, umm, I had to ¡­¡± He pointed to the trees, his face turning red. ¡°If you have to take care of the necessary, then get someone to cover your position!¡± Sarette said, keeping her voice loud enough for others nearby to overhear. ¡°One of the knights, or a soldier, or me. Someone!¡± ¡°Yes, miss,¡± Dorsin said. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Lieutenant, Trooper,¡± she said. The High Guard planned to discharge her once she returned to Snow Crown, and she wasn¡¯t supposed to use her rank in the meantime, but what could it hurt? The recruits needed more structure. Corec and Ariadne thought and acted much like the knights who were accompanying them¡ªindividual elite warriors who could command the troops, but weren¡¯t really a part of them. Boktar had been a fighter for decades, but always as an armsman for hire rather than a soldier. Sarette¡¯s time in the High Guard had been brief, but she¡¯d grown up with the knowledge of what a well-trained force could accomplish when everyone worked together as one. No outside army had ever conquered the Storm Heights, and that was only partly due to the stormrunners and the weather. The High Guard trained and practiced for mountain fighting, and the scouts and watchtowers allowed them to communicate rapidly and keep an eye on the entire region. It was an advantage no outside force could match. The humans in the surrounding lands might fear the stormrunners, but it was the High Guard that had defeated them time and time again. This ragged band of troopers wasn¡¯t an army, but they¡¯d have to learn to act like one if they were going to face a dragon. ¡°Umm, sorry, Lieutenant,¡± the boy said. ¡°Nothin¡¯ was happening anyway.¡± ¡°The weapons have to be manned at all times. We have no idea when the dragon will show up.¡± Just then Corec¡¯s voice came down the line. ¡°Form up for drill!¡± he shouted. ¡°South by southeast!¡± ¡°Or that,¡± Sarette said to Dorsin. ¡°Get into position!¡± Dorsin rushed over to Ballista Seven. His partner, Bili, was driving the mule team ahead to their designated position while Ballista Six¡ªSarette¡¯s most experienced crew¡ªmade room for them by driving off the road. To get everyone under Treya¡¯s fire protection spell, the expedition had to bunch up in a roughly circular shape rather than remaining stretched out in a long line. Staying close together was a danger of its own, but Corec figured the men were more worried about burning to death than about the dragon landing in the middle of the group. Once the cart was in place, Bili stopped the mule team and detached the iron hook that linked them to the cart¡¯s tongue. He led the mules away from the road while Dorsin climbed up onto the cart and pulled the oiled canvas off of the ballista. Sarette checked that all three of her crews¡¯ mule teams were facing away from the carts. The drills didn¡¯t include time to unyoke the animals from each other, so if they fled in fear, they¡¯d have to run in tandem or risk injuring themselves. It was an unfortunate part of the plan, but the first priority had to be protecting the people and the siege weapons. While the infantry ran to the first freight wagon to grab their pikes, Treya leapt up on top of the second. ¡°Catapult Four!¡± she shouted. ¡°You stopped too soon, you¡¯re outside my range!¡± Catapult Four, the only catapult that wasn¡¯t a miniaturized figurine, was mounted on a wagon at the end of the procession, facing rearward in case of an attack from behind. The crew had detached their mule team already, and scrambled to bring them back. Treya called out to them again. ¡°There¡¯s no time for that! Priest Conley will have to watch over you!¡± That would pull the priest of Pallisur away from his normal position just behind the front lines, so the catapult crew would get a lecture once the drill was over. Conley, now clad in silversteel mail and carrying a staff-spear, jogged back to the rear of the procession to practice his own fire protection spell. Sir Georg had arrived to take command of Ballista Seven. ¡°Go,¡± the portly knight told Sarette, his voice gruff. She nodded, then sprinted for the front lines, where the infantry was setting up a pike-and-shield formation south by southeast of the siege weapons. ¡°We¡¯ve got it down to two minutes,¡± Corec said to her as soon as she arrived. ¡°Do you think you can hold the dragon off that long?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. We really need Shavala.¡± Without the elven woman, Sarette would be dependent on the weather. If it was a clear day, could she summon a storm out of nothing by herself? ¡°Leena says she¡¯ll reach us in a few days,¡± Corec said. Sarette nodded. ¡°With the two of us, I think we could manage two minutes, but only if we see it before it gets close. Once it¡¯s close, I won¡¯t be able to do much to slow it down.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to assign people to watch all directions as we go. And from now on, let your crews handle the drills on their own. I need you up here as soon as there¡¯s a sighting.¡± ¡°My men still need more practice,¡± Sarette said. ¡°Work with them in the evenings. Ask Kevik for help. But you won¡¯t be with your crews during an attack, so they need to get used to doing it on their own.¡± Sarette nodded. ¡°Where¡¯s my target?¡± Corec pointed. ¡°A mile out, and high in the sky. I want a five hundred yard range for the ballistae. We won¡¯t be accurate at that distance, but we might get lucky, and if you can hold it back long enough, we may have time for a second volley before it reaches us.¡± Sarette nodded. Her job was to slow the dragon down, interfere with its flying, and, if possible, take it out of the sky entirely. The trick was to strengthen the storm at a distance, while keeping the winds to a minimum within range of the ballistae. She turned her attention to the dark clouds in the distance. Soon, a bolt of lightning flickered in the sky, and then another. Book 4: Chapter Twenty-Four ¡°I don¡¯t wanna read no more today,¡± Harri complained, distracted by a group of chattering girls who were filing through the hallway. ¡°I already know all the letters.¡± Katrin had taken the children to a sitting room so they wouldn¡¯t be cooped up in the same spot all day, but she was starting to think she¡¯d made a mistake. There was too much activity in the busy chapter house. ¡°You might know the letters, but do you know the sounds they make?¡± she asked. ¡°Harri, look!¡± Ditte exclaimed, bringing her primer over to her brother and pointing to a word. ¡°C ¡­ a ¡­ t. Cat!¡± Harri scowled but tried to smile at her. He didn¡¯t like that his little sister was learning faster than him. ¡°I¡¯ll help you go over it again,¡± Katrin told him. Just then, Mother Yewen came into the sitting room, accompanied by Nallee. Katrin stood to greet them. ¡°How¡¯s the teaching coming along?¡± Yewen asked. ¡°Nallee told me what you were doing.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ¡­ getting through it,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Good. How do you feel about taking on a few more students?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to the families in the shelters,¡± Nallee said in a rush. ¡°The younger children don¡¯t have anything to do all day long, and most of them can¡¯t read. We need something to keep them busy and distracted, but the Sisters who still live here are already busy teaching our own girls, or helping with the refugees in other ways. So, I thought, since you¡¯d already started with these two ¡­¡± She trailed off when she saw Katrin¡¯s expression. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the right person for that,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I haven¡¯t done much reading in Western before. I grew up speaking Eastern.¡± She¡¯d looked far enough ahead in the primer to realize she¡¯d need to do some studying of her own to stay ahead of Harri and Ditte. ¡°You can recruit some of the older students to help,¡± Yewen said. ¡°They¡¯ve all gone through it themselves, so that should make it easier. Most of the girls can get by in both languages, which is good¡ªthe refugees speak a mix.¡± Nallee gave Katrin a weak grin and a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s just how it is around here,¡± she said. ¡°If you stay too long, you get put to work.¡± Yewen waited expectantly, her eyes unrelenting. She ruled her small domain with an iron fist, and it was clear she expected agreement. It seemed inevitable, so Katrin gave in. ¡°If you want me to, I¡¯ll try. At least until my friends get back.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Yewen said with a smile. ¡°And perhaps you could also sing for the people in the shelters, to keep their spirits up. The children aren¡¯t the only ones without enough to do, and Treya mentioned you were a bard.¡± Katrin nodded. She didn¡¯t have a problem with that one¡ªthough it would have been nice if she¡¯d come up with the idea on her own. Ever since their time in Cordaea, where none of the locals could understand her songs, she¡¯d been uncertain about her future. She liked music, but was that enough? Playing in taverns wasn¡¯t particularly fulfilling, but what else could she do? Don a suit of armor and a sword like Ariadne? The idea seemed laughable. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± she said. They were interrupted then when one of the students rushed in and handed a folded note to Mother Yewen, whispering something in her ear. ¡°Thank you, Mera,¡± Yewen said to the girl. ¡°You may return to your duties.¡± The old woman unfolded the note. As she read through it, her expression grew grim. To Katrin, she said, ¡°Your friend, the one who can go back and forth, will she be here today?¡± ¡°Yes. Why?¡± ¡°A message came in by pigeon for the knights. They¡¯ve been ordered to return to Larso.¡± Yewen handed the note over. To keep the size and weight down, pigeon messages weren¡¯t sealed by wax the way a letter would be. Katrin stared at the scrap of paper, her insides going cold. The orders came from a Knight Commander Sir Noris, requesting that the squad of knights return to Larso by way of the northern pass. Corec was depending on those knights. He¡¯d hoped to train the weapon crews well enough that they could operate on their own, but in private, he¡¯d admitted to Katrin that the crews worked better with the knights to serve as spotters. Right up until they day the expedition had left, he¡¯d worried the knights would be called away. And now they had been. They¡¯d just left town three days earlier. If Leena delivered the message, the knights would turn around and leave¡ªmost of them, at least. There was a fire burning in the sitting room¡¯s hearth, warding off the winter¡¯s chill. Katrin dropped the note into the flames. She watched it burn, then turned back to Mother Yewen. ¡°Unfortunately, the message was lost before it could be delivered.¡± The old woman gave her a solemn nod. ¡°Communication can be difficult in these troubled times,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t come to us sooner. You would have made an excellent concubine.¡± Katrin figured that was meant as a compliment. # Melithar slipped through the streets late at night, taking care not to attract attention. He was well outside the city center, with its palaces, towers, and mansions all illuminated by the mage lights lining the streets. Here, in this quiet residential neighborhood, the only light came from the stars in the sky, and from the flickering of oil lamps through the windows of those who were still awake at this hour. One of those windows, belonging to a small cottage, drew his attention. It had to be the place he was looking for. He went up the cobbled walk and rapped his knuckles against the door. The door opened, and he found himself face-to-face with a seaborn man, of all things. He was dressed as a sailor, with just a loose tunic that left his arms bare despite the winter chill in the air. There was a cutlass hanging from his sword belt. ¡°Come in,¡± the fellow said, standing aside to allow him through. ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± Melithar entered and looked around. The cottage appeared to be a home rather than a place of business, but what was a seaborn man doing in this part of Terevas? ¡°I was told I could find a ¡­¡± Melithar hesitated. What had he been told? His memory was hazy. Be at this place, at this time, for ¡­ what? ¡°I was told I could find a wardbreaker here,¡± he finished, part of the memory returning. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the seaborn man said with a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re in the right place. Come. She¡¯ll see you now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the wardbreaker?¡± Melithar asked, blinking rapidly to try to clear his head. Who was it who¡¯d told him to come here? Why couldn¡¯t he remember? ¡°I¡¯m not the person you came to see,¡± the man replied. ¡°She¡¯s through here.¡± He held aside a silk curtain hanging at a doorway, and led Melithar into a study. There was a woman there looking out into the night through a window. She was elven, but didn¡¯t have the mottled brown hair or the slight greenish tinge to her skin of the dorvasta. With her inky black hair, she wasn¡¯t nilvasta either. She turned to face him. ¡°You¡¯re yanvasta,¡± he said with sudden realization. She tilted her head to the side and gave a slight nod. ¡°That is how we are called,¡± she said. The not-elves. A puzzling word to describe an obviously elven people, though this woman was only the fourth yanvasta Melithar had ever seen. They rarely left their island home. ¡°You¡¯re the wardbreaker?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re not here to find a wardbreaker, Ambassador Melithar.¡± Melithar frowned. He¡¯d been told there was a wizard here who specialized in breaking wards. Or had he? The details of the conversation were slipping from his mind again. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked. ¡°Why am I ¡­ ? How did I get here?¡± ¡°Have no fear,¡± the woman said. ¡°You¡¯re not in any danger from me or mine.¡± The seaborn man stood blocking the curtained entryway, his muscular arms crossed in front of him. A shadow detached itself from a dark corner of the room and moved to stand near the yanvasta woman. Melithar blinked again and the shadow became a figure in a black robe, the cowl pulled up to hide the wearer¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Melithar said. ¡°Why can¡¯t I ¡­ ?¡± Why couldn¡¯t he what? ¡°My name is Shayliel,¡± the woman said. ¡°Though I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll forget that detail after you leave.¡± ¡°Forget? I¡¯m here for ¡­¡± What was it again? ¡°A wardbreaker. I¡¯m here to find someone who can break wards.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much, Zora,¡± Shayliel said to the robed figure. ¡°I have questions for him.¡± Some of the pressure on Melithar¡¯s mind relaxed. ¡°What are you doing to me?¡± he said. ¡°Why can¡¯t I remember how I got here?¡± And why wasn¡¯t he trying to get away? ¡°My presence in Terevas might draw attention from certain parties,¡± Shayliel said. ¡°Given the sensitive nature of your task, I felt it best to retain some secrecy. It wouldn¡¯t do to lose the book because of a lack of caution.¡± ¡°The book!¡± Melithar said, patting the satchel at his side to reassure himself it was still there. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for someone to help you destroy it.¡± Melithar blinked. ¡°You already know?¡± ¡°You and I had this conversation earlier today, though I imagine you don¡¯t remember much of it. I asked you to retrieve the book from its hiding place and meet me here.¡± ¡°You can destroy it?¡± ¡°I can, but I won¡¯t. I had you bring it to me so I can study it.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s dark magic!¡± he protested. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!¡± ¡°Dark magic is ¡­ not what you believe it to be,¡± Shayliel said. ¡°You¡¯ve heard the scary tales for children, and the excuses the Church of Pallisur uses to burn elder witches at the stake. That sort of dark magic doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡± Melithar said. ¡°The book is evil. It changes people. It ¡­¡± He trailed off. He wasn¡¯t sure how to describe it. He wasn¡¯t even certain it was the cause of the changes he¡¯d seen in Revana and Vilisa. ¡°I know very well what the book is,¡± Shayliel said. ¡°It¡¯s been calling to me ever since you took it outside the palace wards to hide it. That¡¯s why I came to Terevas. But the thing you call dark magic isn¡¯t really evil, at least not in the way you think. It corrupts the minds and bodies of those who attempt to use it¡ªnot intentionally, but because it¡¯s ¡­ not meant for us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can give a good explanation, but I¡¯ll try. What you think of as dark magic is like a mirror of the magics we know, but there¡¯s something just slightly off about it. Unfortunately, that little bit of wrongness can build up in the minds of anyone attempting to use it, because the people of this world aren¡¯t its intended wielders. We¡¯re not capable of handling it safely.¡± Melithar couldn¡¯t keep himself from asking the obvious. ¡°If we¡¯re not capable, then who is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a question to which I¡¯m still seeking an answer.¡± ¡°Then how do you know any of this?¡± Shayliel lifted a necklace over her head and laid it on the table. It held a tiny silver skull pendant with ruby eyes. ¡°Dark magic,¡± she said. ¡°A divine healing spell, if you manage to use it correctly. Something else if you don¡¯t.¡± She unlatched a golden chain from her wrist and set it next to the necklace. ¡°Dark magic,¡± she repeated. ¡°This one, I believe, is derived from elder magic. They¡¯re always calling to me, and there¡¯s always a battle of wills to avoid the corruption. You¡¯re right. It does change you, unless you know what you¡¯re doing. Unless you¡¯re strong enough to resist. Once, when I was much younger, I had to spend three years alone on a tiny island, trying to scrub it from my mind.¡± Melithar swallowed. ¡°You¡¯re a dark mage.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a wizard. I have yet to meet a dark mage, if there is such a thing.¡± She gestured to the jewelry. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if these were created by dark mages, or if they were the unfortunate results of enchantment spells gone awry. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it in a spell book¡ªit suggests there was some sort of guiding hand behind it. That¡¯s why I need to study it.¡± Melithar stared at her. Could he really leave the book in the hands of someone who intended to keep it, and possibly even use it? Even if she understood the risks, it was still dangerous. It would get it away from Vilisa, though, and that was his priority. Plus, he doubted he¡¯d be allowed to take it with him when he left. Something was still affecting his mind. He was standing calmly, holding a polite conversation, when in other similar situations, he would have fought or fled. He shot a glare at the figure in black. Whatever she¡ªif Zora was a feminine name¡ªwas doing to him, it was subtle enough that he couldn¡¯t tell the difference between her spell and his own thoughts. As soon as he returned to the Glass Palace, he intended to head straight to the wizardry archive to look for mind-warding spells. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. With a sigh, he lifted the spell book out of his satchel and dropped it on a nearby table. ¡°Thank you,¡± Shayliel said. ¡°What can you tell me about it? Where did it come from?¡± ¡°When I was young, Revana¡¯s father, King Alarin, decided to build a real road leading to the seaborn enclave that his mother had allowed to settle on the western peninsula. This was well before Revana opened up our borders for outside trade, and with our isolation, prior rulers hadn¡¯t seen any need for a seaport. Alarin felt differently, though, and the enclave was the closest port to the city. It was faster and cheaper than building a new one somewhere down south.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember all that,¡± Shayliel said. ¡°It certainly made it easier to visit Terevas, but how is the book involved?¡± She remembered? She didn¡¯t look any older than Vilisa. ¡°There are some ruins along the border with the enclave,¡± Melithar said. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be nilvasta in origin, and they¡¯ve been around longer than the enclave so the seaborn didn¡¯t build them. Revana and I learned about them while the road was being built, so we and another friend decided to explore.¡± Revana had been so different back then, carefree and full of life, though even then she¡¯d had an acerbic, judgemental wit. Melithar¡ªor Vilar, as he¡¯d still gone by back then¡ªhadn¡¯t minded sharing her with Jorel. Jorel was acceptable to her father, which allowed Revana¡¯s relationship with Vilar to slip by unnoticed. Melithar brought his mind back to the present. ¡°Some of the ruins were more remote than others. One of those was a tower that I don¡¯t think anyone had mapped yet, but someone had found it before us, perhaps no more than a few years earlier. The book was there, along with a bit of clothing and a bedroll he¡¯d left behind. I think it was a man¡ªthe clothes looked like something a human male might wear.¡± ¡°This was, what, two hundred ten years ago? Two hundred twenty?¡± Shayliel asked. ¡°Closer to two hundred twenty.¡± The seaborn man leaned forward intently. ¡°Daceus?¡± he said. ¡°This could be where he came when we lost track of him,¡± Shayliel replied. ¡°Who is Daceus?¡± Melithar asked. ¡°The sort of man you¡¯re concerned about, though I don¡¯t believe he was a real dark mage,¡± the yanvasta woman replied. ¡°Just someone who allowed himself to be corrupted.¡± She picked up the necklace by its skull pendant and rolled it absently between her fingers. ¡°No matter. He¡¯s dead now. If it was Daceus, he was no wizard. Even with the rather unique nature of dark magic, perhaps he realized he couldn¡¯t use the book if he couldn¡¯t read it, so he left it behind to throw me off his trail. But then Revana found it and took it inside the Glass Palace¡¯s wards before I returned to Aravor, so I never learned of it.¡± The robed woman gestured to the west. Shayliel peered toward her as if listening, then shook her head. ¡°No, we¡¯re close enough to the enclave that I¡¯d be able to feel if there were any other artifacts. I don¡¯t see any need to search further. We¡¯ve got what we came here for.¡± ¡°If this is all true, why doesn¡¯t anyone know about it?¡± Melithar asked her. ¡°Why is dark magic just a rumor, a story?¡± ¡°We tend to only see what¡¯s around us,¡± Shayliel said. ¡°The world is a big place, and there¡¯s alway something bad happening somewhere¡ªdemons, dragons, dark magic, pirates, scourlings, tyrannical kings. There¡¯s a long list.¡± ¡°Scourlings?¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not important. What matters is that, yes, there will always be dangers out there that you don¡¯t know about, but there are also people who stand against those dangers.¡± She gave a hint of a smile. ¡°Wardens, you might call us, though that¡¯s another detail you¡¯ll forget after you leave. Zora, could you¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Melithar exclaimed. There was something he needed to know before they fogged up his mind again. ¡°The queen is sick. Can you help her?¡± Shayliel gave him a sympathetic look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Once the wasting has progressed this far, there¡¯s nothing that can be done.¡± ¡°But what about Vilisa?¡± ¡°The queen¡¯s second daughter? The one you took the book from?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At least he hadn¡¯t given away all his secrets during the conversation he couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Take comfort in the fact that Queen Revana held out against the corruption for over two hundred years. Perhaps the spell book isn¡¯t as dangerous as some of the other artifacts I¡¯ve found, or perhaps she unknowingly discovered a way to cleanse her own mind. If the corruption is in the book itself, the daughter should return to normal soon enough. If it¡¯s in the spells she¡¯s learned, let¡¯s hope she forgets them before too much time passes.¡± Wizards had to occasionally study even the spells they already knew, to keep them fresh in their minds. ¡°And that¡¯s it? You¡¯re just going to take the book and go? How will I know ¡­ ?¡± He hesitated, not sure what he was asking for. She¡¯d already said she wasn¡¯t going to destroy it. ¡°You won¡¯t know anything, except that the book is in safe hands,¡± Shayliel said. ¡°Zora, can you leave him with that much?¡± ¡°Vilisa might order a truth spell on me,¡± Melithar admitted. ¡°Ahh, I see,¡± Shayliel said. ¡°You want a mystery, then. Very well. You won¡¯t remember any of this, not even stealing the book.¡± She gave Zora a slight nod. Blackness washed over Melithar, and he awoke in his own bed. # ¡°Ambassador Alana, I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you today,¡± Lord Seneschal Branley said. ¡°King Orlin asked me to deliver a message to His Majesty,¡± Razai replied, raising her right palm in a delicate half-shrug. She¡¯d spent two days hiding in the Matagoran embassy learning the ambassador¡¯s face, voice, and mannerisms. Impersonating someone in front of those who knew them was much trickier than becoming a nameless face in the crowd. ¡°And this message is important enough that it couldn¡¯t wait for your next scheduled meeting?¡± Branley asked. ¡°I presume all messages from my king are important.¡± And, of course, the real Alana would show up at the regular meeting. Keeping her from it would have been an added complication Razai didn¡¯t want to bother with. The seneschal pursed his lips. ¡°May I tell King Rusol what the message is regarding?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a private matter for His Majesty,¡± Razai said. Branley was taller than her¡ªand taller than her Alana disguise¡ªbut she did her best to look down on him. She didn¡¯t know Branley, or what his relationship with Ambassador Alana was like, so she could only hope she wasn¡¯t over-playing her part. It seemed to work. ¡°His Majesty is in the audience chamber now, giving judgements. When he¡¯s finished there, I¡¯ll ask if he¡¯s available to meet with you.¡± Razai gave a slight bow of her head. ¡°Thank you.¡± Less than an hour later, Branley returned to escort her to the king¡¯s study. Rusol was seated behind a desk made from dark wood polished to a bright sheen, and he was flanked by two royal guards. Both guards gave off the same tainted scent Razai had found on Nedley¡¯s brother. She¡¯d only seen her grand-nephew from a distance before. Close up, the young king was small in stature, almost frail. He could pass as human, but something about him seemed obviously demonborn, at least to Razai. To keep it a secret for so long, he must not have come in contact with many others of their kind. Or perhaps those he encountered had a vested interest in keeping quiet. His voice was steady. ¡°Ambassador, please sit,¡± he said, gesturing to one of the chairs facing his desk. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Razai said. As she took a seat, her skin prickled the way it did around divine mages. There was a priest in the room. It wasn¡¯t Branley. One of the guards? That was possible, especially if the guards were actually Rusol¡¯s bondmates in disguise. Or perhaps the priest was Rusol himself. Razai had assumed he was responsible for the demonic compulsion magic, but if he was a priest instead, perhaps he¡¯d bonded another demonborn. ¡°The Lord Seneschal tells me you bring a message from King Orlin,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Now that you¡¯ve ascended to the throne, my king has suggested it would be a good time to discuss the wardens with you.¡± It had taken Razai a while to come up with a way to convince Rusol to speak to her alone. She didn¡¯t want to hint at anything that might give away his demonborn nature, but she didn¡¯t care about keeping the wardens¡¯ secrets. Her nephew gave a startled jerk of his head. ¡°Wardens?¡± Branley asked with a frown. ¡°Do you mean the king¡¯s gamekeepers? They don¡¯t patrol anywhere near the Matagoran border.¡± Razai didn¡¯t respond, waiting to see what Rusol would do. ¡°Lord Branley,¡± he said, ¡°I would like to have a private conversation with the ambassador. I¡¯ll speak to you in the morning about tomorrow¡¯s audiences. Guards, take your posts outside the door.¡± The two royal guards left without argument, simply bowing to the king and then stepping out of the room. Branley, however, protested. ¡°Sire,¡± he said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t leave you alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a personal message from King Orlin, Branley,¡± Rusol said. ¡°Ambassador Alana has been the Matagoran envoy to Larso for years. I think we can ignore protocol in this instance.¡± There was more confidence in his voice than Razai would have expected from his demeanor, but then, if he was a mage and a warden, he had to be more dangerous than he appeared. ¡°But Sire¡ª¡± ¡°Now, please, Branley.¡± The Lord Seneschal grimaced. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± he said, then bowed and took his leave. Once they were alone, Rusol turned back to Razai, regarding her with a piercing stare. ¡°What do you know about wardens?¡± he asked, an air of quiet menace in his tone. He was suspicious of her. Did he think the ambassador had learned he was a mage and was trying to use that information as leverage for negotiations? If Razai wanted to set him at ease, hints and innuendo weren¡¯t going to do the job. She¡¯d have to be more straightforward. ¡°I know a little about them, but the wardens aren¡¯t the real reason I came. I¡¯m here to bring an offer of support from your grandmother¡¯s side of the family. Queen Benere¡¯s side.¡± Rusol¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re not Ambassador Alana.¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡± She allowed her disguise to fade, resuming her normal appearance. She kept her weapons hidden though, not wanting to alarm him. ¡°My name is Razai. The ambassador is most likely at the embassy having her afternoon tea. She doesn¡¯t know me, and she doesn¡¯t know anything about this.¡± He stared at her fangs as she spoke, and then his eyes widened when he caught sight of her own snake-like eyes. ¡°The demonborn have always kept their distance before,¡± he said, not admitting that he, too, was demonborn. ¡°Larso isn¡¯t the most welcoming of places for our kind,¡± Razai pointed out. ¡°Besides, we aren¡¯t one people, or one cause.¡± ¡°Then why are you here?¡± ¡°To help. Like I said, I¡¯m from Queen Benere¡¯s side of the family¡ªdifferent bloodlines but the same progenitor.¡± She wasn¡¯t ready to tell him just how close the relationship was. He didn¡¯t react to that. He was willing to let her hint at his heritage, but he wasn¡¯t going to acknowledge it himself. ¡°You represent others?¡± he asked. ¡°What do they want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, exactly,¡± she admitted. ¡°We all keep our own counsel. But for someone in the family to take the throne ¡­ I¡¯d like to offer whatever support I can. And I¡¯ll pass along the message to the rest of the family if you want me to.¡± If Vatarxis could be called family. ¡°You claim you want to support me, but why didn¡¯t you come to my father?¡± Razai had forgotten that detail. Vatarxis hadn¡¯t mentioned whether Marten had been demonborn. She tried to cover for the misstep. ¡°We didn¡¯t become aware of the relationship until recently,¡± she said. She had to hide a wince¡ªeverything she¡¯d told him since dropping her disguise was the truth, but the longer she spoke, the more like a lie it sounded. ¡°Let¡¯s say I believe you,¡± Rusol said, his tone indicating he didn¡¯t. ¡°What sort of support are you offering?¡± ¡°That depends on what you need. We can¡¯t provide troops, of course, but there are those among us who have certain useful skills.¡± Razai wasn¡¯t sure what her father would be willing to deliver. He¡¯d never asked her to make contact with Rusol at all, but at the same time, he was invested in ensuring his great-grandson completed his tasks¡ªwhatever those might be. Regardless of what Vatarxis wanted, Razai wanted to help her nephew ¡­ but first she had to keep him from going to war with Corec. ¡°Like your own,¡± he said. ¡°You can disguise yourself as anyone?¡± ¡°More or less, if I have time to study them.¡± ¡°A useful ability. It would let you go anywhere, see anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that,¡± Razai said. ¡°And yet, you made it into the palace itself. It must not be too complicated.¡± ¡°Most rulers have warding spells in place to prevent intruders or illusion magic. I¡¯d normally need a way past them.¡± ¡°Warding spells,¡± Rusol said, his voice flat. ¡°Like the ones that block Seer visions? Priest magic?¡± ¡°Some priests, but usually wizards. I don¡¯t know if they use the same kind of wards.¡± He clenched his jaw and tapped his index finger against the desk. ¡°I see,¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t the first time Razai had seen one of her kindred barely suppressing the demon rage, but why would the mention of warding spells make him so angry? No, it wasn¡¯t the warding spells themselves. It was the realization that he was vulnerable within his own home, and that neither his bondmates nor the priests of Pallisur had offered up a solution. But Razai had, which meant she could provide something he needed. He seemed to realize it as well. ¡°Perhaps you may be useful after all. You said you know about wardens?¡± ¡°Just what I¡¯ve picked up here and there,¡± she said. ¡°I doubt I know much that you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Do you know who they are? Where to find them?¡± Why was he asking that? Was Corec not the only one he was after? She was trying not to lie to him any more than necessary. ¡°Some,¡± she admitted. He¡¯d begun sketching something as they spoke¡ªa stylized image of a bird. ¡°Tell me about them,¡± he said. ¡°For that, I¡¯d need something in return.¡± She¡¯d hoped to have a chance to prove herself before asking for a favor, but he hadn¡¯t given her enough time. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been sending compelled troops after one of the wardens, a man named Corec. I want you to stop.¡± ¡°Corec? That sounds like a Larsonian name. How do you know him?¡± Rusol was careful in his words, not admitting to the attacks, the compulsion magic, or even to being a warden. But why would he try to kill Corec if he didn¡¯t know who he was? ¡°I don¡¯t know him well¡ªmostly I try to stay as far away from him as I can¡ªbut he hasn¡¯t done anything to you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re risking a war. If the other kingdoms find out you¡¯re using demonic compulsion and decide to take action, it¡¯ll be worse than a war. I don¡¯t want that to happen. If you stop your attacks, I¡¯ll make sure Corec won¡¯t retaliate.¡± ¡°Just how are you going to do that?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll agree. He doesn¡¯t want any further bloodshed.¡± ¡°And if I accept your bargain, you¡¯ll tell me who the other wardens are?¡± ¡°The two that I know of,¡± Razai said. Yelena annoyed Vatarxis, so he probably wouldn¡¯t mind if something happened to her. Hildra had been around long enough that Rusol was unlikely to offer a threat. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid. He¡¯d started tapping his finger again, but this time it seemed more like a nervous habit. ¡°I have one left,¡± he murmured, almost to himself. ¡°And you do seem useful.¡± Razai felt a tugging sensation in her mind. Rusol was using some sort of magic against her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she demanded, reaching for her disguised knives. Instead of responding, he jerked back, staring wide-eyed at the center of her forehead. There were no mirrors in the room, but Razai knew what he was looking at. When he¡¯d cast his spell, the blue rune on her brow must have somehow become visible. He¡¯d tried to cast the warden bonding spell on her. He scrambled out of his chair. ¡°You¡¯re one of them!¡± he shouted, raising a hand toward her. His fingers crackled with arcs of blue and white light, just like Sarette¡¯s spear. Razai dove to the floor just as the blast hit her chair, destroying it. Before he could cast another spell, she ran for the door, flinging it open hard enough that it slammed into one of the guards standing just outside. The man let out a startled oath. ¡°Stop her!¡± Rusol shouted. ¡°Assassin! Kill her!¡± Razai sprinted away, the guards in pursuit. Ahead of her, the corridor branched in different directions. Which way? she shouted in her mind. Left, the whispers replied. She followed their direction, and as soon as she was out of sight, she stopped and turned herself invisible. The guards came around the corner, looking around in confusion when they couldn¡¯t see her. Back in the direction of the king¡¯s study, a bell started ringing¡ªlike those sometimes used to summon servants, but louder. Another bell answered it, somewhere ahead of her, and then another off in the distance. Some sort of alarm system. The two royal guards started working their way down the hall, opening each door and checking inside, trying to find her. Razai remained still. She could only creep about slowly while under cover of invisibility, and it would take hours to get out of the palace that way. Worse, now that Rusol knew what she could do, he or one of his bondmates might be able to pierce her illusion. She needed a faster way to escape, so while the guards continued their search, she pieced together a disguise based on Lord Seneschal Branley. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would do as long as no one tried to speak to her. Male voices were harder for her to replicate, and she hadn¡¯t had a chance to practice Branley¡¯s. Once the guards were out of sight, she dropped the invisibility and strode down the hall as if intent on a task. The ringing bells had caused servants and soldiers to wander into the halls, trying to find out what was going on. She joined the growing crowd, hoping to slip by unnoticed. She made it halfway to the palace¡¯s diplomats¡¯ entrance before she was stopped at an anteroom outside the main audience chamber. ¡°Lord Branley!¡± a functionary said, rushing up to her. ¡°Is the king safe? What¡¯s happening?¡± Other guards and courtiers gathered around, apparently having been drawn to the audience chamber by the bells. ¡°His Majesty is well,¡± she told the crowd in a rough approximation of Branley¡¯s voice. ¡°Someone thought there was a thief loose in the palace, but it was a false alarm.¡± They exchanged concerned glances. ¡°Are you all right, Lord Branley? Your eyes ¡­¡± The voice had fooled them, but she¡¯d messed up the disguise. Branley was taller than her, and his eyes weren¡¯t meeting anyone else¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m just tired,¡± she said. She could fix the disguise and reassure the onlookers, but that meant staying in the palace longer. Running was the best option, but doing so would pinpoint her location for Rusol and his bondmates¡ªand she had no idea what their capabilities were. I need a way out, she said to the whispers. There was the sound of wind blowing through tall grasses as the whispers argued amongst each other, and then one spoke, louder than the rest. Darkness. What? she asked. Like this, the whisper said, and demonstrated. Razai followed its example and summoned illusionary darkness, a blackness so complete that it blocked all light. It spread out from her in tendrils, quickly swallowing the antechamber and then spreading into the corridors beyond. The courtiers and servants shrieked in fear, not realizing the illusion was harmless. They bumped into each other and tripped over furniture as they tried to flee. Razai could see through darkness, though. She ran for the main entrance as quickly as she could. The commotion was likely to draw the attention of Rusol¡¯s bondmates, and she didn¡¯t want to find out whether they could banish her spell. The darkness followed along, fifty feet in all directions, ensuring no one could see her. As she ran, she switched to her Aden disguise, but wearing the uniform of a royal guard. Once she was out of the palace, she could drop the darkness spell and pretend she¡¯d managed to escape from it. After that, it was time to get out of the city before Rusol tracked her down. Book 4: Chapter Twenty-Five ¡°You were awake early.¡± Ellerie closed the book and looked up. ¡°I was studying a spell, but I ended up just giving myself a headache,¡± she told Leena, shuttering her lantern. There was a small mage light hidden inside, but the sun was cresting the horizon now. ¡°Which spell?¡± her lover asked. ¡°Permanent mage lights, like the ones we found in Tir Yadar.¡± Leena tilted her head to the side. ¡°I thought no one could learn enchantment spells anymore. Except for Hildra, I mean.¡± ¡°It probably won¡¯t work, but I want to try,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Some gifts are inborn, but wizards can build up affinities for certain spells the more they cast them.¡± Venni, Yelena¡¯s wife and bondmate, was an example. She could have been any sort of wizard, but she¡¯d chosen to focus on combat spells. She was good with those, but like the elven battle wizards Ellerie had known in Terevas, it was harder for her to learn or use other types of magic. Ellerie had taken a broader approach, not specializing in any one area. She didn¡¯t regret it, but she wondered sometimes what she could have accomplished if she¡¯d focused on a single goal. ¡°You hope to build an affinity for enchantment spells?¡± Leena said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to try,¡± Ellerie said, then rubbed at her aching temples. ¡°Well, it does, but it doesn¡¯t last.¡± ¡°Above us! Above us!¡± came a panicked shout. There was chaos as the half-awake camp suddenly burst into activity. Watchers had been posted in shifts each night in the hope they¡¯d see the dragon against the stars or the clouds if it came near. Now, though, in the early dawn, there were no stars left to be blocked out by the beast¡¯s bulk, and the sun wasn¡¯t high enough to light the day. No one had seen the dragon approaching in the hazy gray of the morning. Not until it got close. It was right above them, high in the sky yet low enough to be sure the shape wasn¡¯t a bird. ¡°To positions!¡± Corec yelled, still latching his cuirass together as he passed nearby. ¡°Hurry! Ellerie, can you¡ª?¡± He pointed up, then turned back toward the tents. ¡°Sarette, where are you?¡± he called out. ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± came the answering shout. A warm, heavy wind blew past from out of nowhere. Ellerie started casting her beam spell, but let the words trail off as the dragon left her range. It was already past them, flying somewhere to the north. ¡°It didn¡¯t attack,¡± Corec said, staring after it. Sarette ran up. ¡°Should I try and stop it?¡± she asked. ¡°There¡¯s no storm, and without Shavala ¡­¡± Corec let out a heavy breath. ¡°No. We¡¯re not ready. Let it go. Bloody hell¡ªwe¡¯ll be lucky if there aren¡¯t any deserters now that the men know it can surprise us.¡± ¡°I got its signature,¡± Leena said. It took everyone a moment to realize what she meant. ¡°You can Seek it?¡± Corec asked. Leena hadn¡¯t been able to find the dragon on her previous attempts, and she wasn¡¯t sure if that meant it had always been out of her range when she tried, or because the painting she¡¯d once seen of a dragon wasn¡¯t sufficient detail on which to search. ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s within fifty miles,¡± she said. ¡°How fast can it fly?¡± ¡°About as fast as a bird, I think, but I don¡¯t know how fast that is. How often can you Seek it?¡± ¡°Not all day long. Even with a signature, Seeking is still harder for me than Traveling, and it depends what else you need me to do.¡± ¡°We¡¯re most vulnerable at dusk and dawn,¡± Corec said. ¡°The stories I¡¯ve heard never mention a dragon attacking at night¡ªthe night watch is just a precaution in case the stories are wrong. If you can look for it at dusk and dawn, and then as often throughout the day as you can ¡­¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell the men. Maybe that¡¯ll be enough to reassure them that we won¡¯t be surprised again.¡± # ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come get me. I know the way.¡± Katrin rolled her eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t come get you if you didn¡¯t always dawdle on the way back,¡± she told Harri. ¡°Ditte, get up here on the walkway. Stay out of the mud. You don¡¯t have boots like your brother¡¯s.¡± Harri had to go out to care for the horses several times a day. Some of the animals were stabled at the Three Orders chapter house, but the rest were at the wheelwright¡¯s shop the group had taken over, which was a twenty-minute walk away. With his pay of one silver piece a day, the hillfolk boy had money of his own for the first time in his life¡ªa man¡¯s wages¡ªand he liked to roam the town on his way back and look for sweets and toys and other trinkets he could now afford. His job included room and board for both him and his sister, and he always brought a little something back for Ditte, so Katrin couldn¡¯t blame him for wanting to spend his money on something fun, but both of the children needed new clothing. She was trying to teach him to be responsible with his coin. And she intended to have words with Treya and Corec when they returned. They were the ones who¡¯d taken on responsibility for the two children, and when they¡¯d asked her to step in, she hadn¡¯t realized how much work it would be. On top of giving performances for the refugees, and attempting to teach those same refugees¡¯ kids how to read, she was busier than she could ever remember being. At least the bulk of the actual teaching fell to the older students from the Three Orders. Katrin herself was only responsible for organizing and overseeing their work. It was unnerving, though, to see just how well-learned the Three Orders girls were compared to herself. Even here, in the free lands, they spent years learning languages, mathematics, politics, discourse, philosophy, and commerce¡ªand they seemed to feel they had to prove it to her, constantly chattering away about topics of which she had no knowledge. She¡¯d taken to reading books from the library late at night just to try to keep up. Katrin and her two charges had made it halfway back to the chapter house before they heard the screams coming from the south. A shadow passed overhead. At first, all she could do was stare. The dragon was directly above her before she realized what it was. The beast was huge¡ªso big she couldn¡¯t understand how it stayed in the sky. It flew low to the ground, just above the buildings lining the street, close enough that she could see the brown scales lining its belly. Katrin wanted to scream and hide and run and stay still all at once, and she couldn¡¯t pick between them. Then Harri ran to the center of the muddy street. ¡°Hey!¡± he shouted, picking up a stone and throwing it at the creature. It didn¡¯t reach¡ªthe dragon was already too far beyond them¡ªbut Katrin forced her panic down. Someone had to take care of the children. She rushed into the street and grabbed Harri by the arm. ¡°Stop that!¡± she said, pulling him back to the wooden walkway. Ditte was still there, shrieking, with tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°Come on!¡± Katrin told her, tugging at her hand. ¡°We have to go!¡± The little girl was too terrified to listen, so Katrin picked her up. She was heavier than she looked. ¡°Go!¡± Katrin told Harri. ¡°Back to the ¡­¡± She had to think. To reach the chapter house, they¡¯d have to spend too much time in the open. Her mind was racing as if she was on the run from the constabulary back in Tyrsall after a failed heist. ¡°There¡¯s a dry goods store on the next block. Go there. Stay on the covered walkways.¡± The shop had a back door, which would give them an escape route in case the dragon tried to burn it down. She followed behind Harri as he ran. They stayed close to the buildings to keep out of sight as much as possible. The dragon made a wide loop to the north, passing out of view before returning back the way it had come. It roared as it went by, an angry, bone-chilling sound. It didn¡¯t seem to like what it had seen. It disappeared behind the buildings to the south, and when it roared again, the sound came from much farther away. Katrin stopped and set Ditte down, her arms suddenly too weak to hold the girl. ¡°I think it¡¯s gone,¡± she said, trying to catch her breath. ¡°I think it¡¯s gone. We¡¯re safe now.¡± Judging by the looks on the children¡¯s faces, they didn¡¯t believe her. # Two hours later, Katrin wished she could go back to just dealing with the children. There were only two of them. The townsfolk gathered together at the emergency council meeting were much more numerous, and just as frightened. ¡°Are they dead?¡± one of the councilors asked. ¡°The people who went after the dragon? Did it already kill them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Katrin repeated, for what had to be the fifth time. ¡°They¡¯re still heading south to the keep.¡± Corec was alive, at least. She knew that much from the warden bond. And the Farm Road was angled enough that she could tell when the group was on the move. If something catastrophic had happened, they wouldn¡¯t have continued onward to the keep. Of course, that all depended on the idea that the group was still on the road. If they¡¯d been forced to flee into the countryside, it was harder to guess where they were or what had happened to them. The warden bond only indicated direction, not distance. But now wasn¡¯t the time to mention that. These people needed reassurance. ¡°How did it get past Lord Corec?¡± asked a panicked voice from the crowd. Corec wasn¡¯t a lord, just the son of one, but people who¡¯d spent their entire lives in the free lands didn¡¯t always understand how titles were inherited amongst the nobility. ¡°We expected this,¡± Katrin lied. ¡°It¡¯ll take Corec and the others weeks to reach the keep, and the dragon doesn¡¯t have to follow the road. It must have come from a different direction.¡± In retrospect, the possibility should have been obvious. Maybe the others had realized it, but no one had mentioned it to her. ¡°You¡¯re certain they¡¯re safe?¡± Mayor Sammel asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Katrin told him. ¡°It must not have seen them.¡± She didn¡¯t like this. Other than Mother Yewen, Katrin hadn¡¯t had to deal with the town council before. Corec had always been the one to stand up and take charge. He¡¯d always been the one who had to pretend he knew what he was doing, to keep other people¡ªoften Katrin herself¡ªfrom panicking. And before Corec, there¡¯d been Barz and Felix. But Corec wasn¡¯t there. Barz and Felix weren¡¯t there. Katrin was on her own. ¡°We have to leave before it comes back!¡± someone said. ¡°And go where?¡± the mayor said. ¡°We¡¯re safer here than out on the road.¡± ¡°We can go north!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ludicrous!¡± Mother Yewen said. ¡°Evacuate the entire town to the north in the middle of winter with nothing but the clothes on our backs? Are you trying to freeze or are you trying to starve?¡± It was the wrong tack to take. The months of stress had finally gotten to the old woman, and she lost the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s better than staying here!¡± someone called out, before the entire meeting devolved into a cacophony of shouting. Mayor Sammel and Mother Yewen exchanged glances, but even if they¡¯d had something to say, no one could have heard them. Katrin didn¡¯t like Sammel much, not with the way his eyes followed her, but he and Yewen had managed to keep the town going despite having little help from the other councilors. Katrin couldn¡¯t force people to believe the two of them, but maybe she could calm them down enough to listen. ¡°It didn¡¯t attack the town!¡± she said, her voice ringing out, cutting through the noise. There was a lull in the shouting, and she slipped into a quieter, soothing cadence. ¡°Corec said it wouldn¡¯t attack the town, and it didn¡¯t.¡± She kept the push of magic subtle but insistent. ¡°It¡¯s safer to stay here.¡± Ever since Corec had first offered to lead the expedition, he¡¯d become the subject of much of the town¡¯s gossip, and Katrin had found that people were more apt to listen when she used his name. There were nearly fifty members of the little army, but for many of the townsfolk, Corec¡¯s name was the only one they knew. Everyone exchanged glances, as if wanting to get their neighbors¡¯ opinions before agreeing with her. ¡°What about the farms?¡± someone asked. ¡°It¡¯s never come this far north before.¡± ¡°We warned all the farms,¡± the mayor said. ¡°If they decide not to evacuate, then tell them to hide in their cellars if they see the dragon. It might leave them alone.¡± One of the councilors turned to Katrin. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your friends stop the dragon earlier?¡± he demanded. ¡°They weren¡¯t supposed to let it reach the town!¡± ¡°No one stopped it earlier because you didn¡¯t do anything about it!¡± Katrin snapped. ¡°Corec only got here three weeks ago. How long have you known about the dragon? Four months? Five? You just waited, and hoped someone would come along and deal with the problem for you. And now someone¡¯s doing just that and you complain?¡± Her loss of temper was both real and feigned¡ªshe was speaking to the crowd more than the council. If the people had confidence in Corec¡¯s forces, they¡¯d be less likely to panic. But to increase their confidence in Corec, she had to show what the alternative would be, and the council wouldn¡¯t come out looking good. Four Roads had done as well as could be hoped for in terms of taking care of the refugees¡ªmore Mother Yewen¡¯s influence than anything¡ªbut the town simply wasn¡¯t capable of dealing with any sort of real threat. The free lands had gotten by as independent townships, without any form of central governance, for nearly three hundred years. The sparsely populated region had been conquered or claimed time after time in the past as nations had risen and fallen, but in recent centuries, the nearby rulers hadn¡¯t seemed to feel the land was worth holding onto. The surrounding kingdoms already got the benefit of that land by importing the crops grown there, and could charge import taxes on top of it, so why bother spending the coin to protect such a wide area? This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. That logic didn¡¯t work on dragons, though. Four Roads had found itself without the resources to fight off the creature, and no allies willing to provide aid. Katrin had applied enough of a push to her words that the shouting didn¡¯t start back up again after she¡¯d stopped talking. Most of the councilors exchanged sheepish glances, but the one who¡¯d complained before spoke up again. ¡°We¡¯re grateful, of course,¡± he said in a patronizing tone, ¡°but everyone is worried.¡± ¡°Then do something!¡± Katrin told him. ¡°You say you¡¯re grateful, but the council still refuses to help us with the dragon. Corec had to go after it because you wouldn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Now, hold on,¡± one of the other councilors said. ¡°That isn¡¯t true. There are Four Roads men with the expedition, and our craftsmen built the equipment.¡± ¡°We paid the soldiers and the workers,¡± Katrin said. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°We gave you the money for that!¡± ¡°No,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Mayor Sammel had to go around begging for donations when you refused to help.¡± Ellerie had mentioned that little tidbit. ¡°The expedition is costing us seven hundred gold, and you haven¡¯t contributed anything. Corec offered to share the cost, but you haven¡¯t paid a single copper.¡± The crowd murmured at that, and even some of the council members seemed surprised. It had been almost painful for Katrin to hand over the bulk of her remaining coin, even knowing it was going to a good cause. For the first time in her life she¡¯d been rich, but it hadn¡¯t lasted long. She¡¯d kept just enough to live on, plus the twenty gold she hoped to send to her brother. Corec had promised to make it up to everyone somehow, offering to sell the staff-spear he¡¯d taken from Tir Yadar if Ellerie wasn¡¯t able to find enough funding. ¡°This young woman is right,¡± the mayor said. ¡°We haven¡¯t given our fair share. I did take out some loans in the town¡¯s name, but it hardly matches what our benefactors have contributed, and with the refugee situation, our coffers are empty. As I¡¯ve said before, we need to levy a one-time tax to deal with both situations. I¡¯m sure our citizens will understand. If Larso or Matagor had come to our aid, they would have demanded a great deal more.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to discuss that in an open meeting, Sammel,¡± the annoying councilor said. ¡°You can bring it up in our next regular session.¡± Katrin sighed, but it had been worth the attempt. ¡°I¡¯m sure the people of Four Roads are happy to know that the town council refuses to protect them,¡± she told the man, then turned back to the crowd. ¡°But Corec will. He can¡¯t stop the dragon from flying here until he catches up to it, but he and the knights say it won¡¯t attack the town. This is the safest place to be.¡± And let¡¯s hope he¡¯s right about that, she added silently. No one else argued in favor of leaving, and the discussion degenerated into arguments between the citizens about whether they should have to pay a tax that would go, in part, to feeding refugees. Mayor Sammel called the meeting to a close when it was clear there wouldn¡¯t be any more official business. The people slowly shuffled out of the converted milch barn the town council had been using for their meetings, but Katrin stayed behind while Mother Yewen spoke with the mayor. She¡¯d accompanied the old woman to the meeting and wasn¡¯t sure how to get back to the Three Orders chapter house by herself. While she was waiting, Leena suddenly appeared in front of her. The Sanvari woman¡¯s eyes widened at the unusual location, and Mayor Sammel jerked back in surprise. Even Yewen looked startled, and she¡¯d seen it before. ¡°Is everyone all right?¡± Katrin said in a rush. ¡°Yes, why?¡± Leena asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Katrin breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°The dragon flew over the town today. Everybody is panicking.¡± ¡°Oh. It passed by us this morning, but we didn¡¯t know it was coming here. I would have warned you.¡± ¡°It saw you?¡± ¡°Yes. Corec¡¯s hoping it doesn¡¯t think of us as a threat. He says we might be able to surprise it at the keep rather than getting ambushed.¡± ¡°How long will it take to get there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. We reached the old part of the road today, so the men have to take turns running ahead with axes and saws, cutting down shrubs and little trees before the carts catch up to them.¡± Sammel frowned. ¡°You have to clear the entire road?¡± he asked. ¡°That could take months.¡± ¡°So far, it¡¯s mostly grasses and weeds, and we¡¯re leaving those alone if the mules and carts can make it through,¡± Leena said. ¡°When it gets bad, we can usually go around. Being off the road isn¡¯t much worse than being on it at this point, but it¡¯s slow. We¡¯re only going to make about ten miles today, and it might get worse farther on.¡± ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°The big felling saw isn¡¯t working out. I¡¯m just here to get more hand saws.¡± Katrin let out a burst of relieved laughter. After the panic of the dragon, it was absurdly prosaic to find out that her friends were safe and that Leena had only returned to buy common tools. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± # ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me we could ward the palace?¡± Rusol asked Magnus. ¡°She was here, in my study, and nobody could stop her! Nobody could even find her!¡± They¡¯d gathered with Rusol¡¯s other bondmates in the palace¡¯s trophy room. Rusol liked the place because it was usually empty, and because it didn¡¯t require bringing the other mages into the family¡¯s private quarters. The priest gave a lazy shrug. ¡°Warding isn¡¯t one of my blessings,¡± he said, stretching out on a cushioned chair just below a mounted stag¡¯s head. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it. I would have thought the Church of Pallisur handled that sort of thing.¡± ¡°My father sent most of the blessed priests away! If they were warding anything, they¡¯re certainly not doing it now!¡± ¡°Wizards can cast wards,¡± Magnus said, turning his eye on the others in the room. Rodulf¡¯s eyes went wide and he turned to Rusol. ¡°I ¡­ you ¡­ you told me to practice fighting spells,¡± he stammered. The young, runaway apprentice had done as Rusol asked, learning enough to help during the fight against Leonis, but he still sometimes acted like a child who¡¯d been caught disobeying his parents. ¡°What about you?¡± Rusol asked Odwins, his newest bondmate. The skinny, mustachioed man was one of three Matagoran wizards who¡¯d accepted an offer of work without knowing their employer¡¯s true identity. Rusol had turned the other two into hunters, but Odwins had enough experience to be a real asset. The wizard glared. The compulsion woven into the warden bond forced his obedience and kept him from talking about things he shouldn¡¯t, but Rusol didn¡¯t trust him. ¡°I can set an alarm ward,¡± the man finally admitted. ¡°Though I don¡¯t see how that would help, considering the number of people constantly coming and going. And mage locks are a type of ward. I can create those and attune them to specific people.¡± Mage locks might be useful, but they weren¡¯t what Rusol was looking for. ¡°Can you block illusions? Or scrying?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have spells for those.¡± ¡°Rodulf, are there any in your spell books?¡± Rusol asked. In addition to the boy¡¯s own apprentice-level book, he¡¯d stolen two more from his teacher before running away, both full of combat spells. ¡°No, but Jasper had one to block scrying. He hadn¡¯t tried to learn it before he ¡­¡± ¡°Give Jasper¡¯s book to Odwins so he can learn it.¡± Rodulf¡¯s lips tightened but he nodded. Wizards were possessive of their spell books for some reason, though logically it made more sense to share the knowledge. They still needed a way to block illusions, and spell books were hard to come by in Larso. Rusol might have to send someone to Matagor. If Odwins could learn an illusion ward, that might at least prevent the demonborn woman from infiltrating the palace again ¡­ but it wouldn¡¯t resolve the more important issue. ¡°This warden,¡± Rusol said. What had Razai called him? ¡°Corec. Yassi, where is he now?¡± Barat looked up from his intent study of the tiled floor, showing interest in the conversation for the first time. Had the knight realized what his own role would be once they found the man? Yassi closed her eyes and held still. A moment later, her shoulders slumped. ¡°He¡¯s in a war camp,¡± she said, her voice dull. ¡°Surrounded by soldiers and weapons.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Rusol demanded. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t see any distinguishing features. It¡¯s just flat land.¡± ¡°You thought he was in Tyrsall before. He could be on his way here.¡± She looked again. ¡°His forces are small¡ªnot an army. He has far fewer men than even Blue Vale does, and you said Blue Vale couldn¡¯t hope to threaten the border.¡± ¡°Could he be joining up with them? Maybe that¡¯s what they¡¯ve been waiting for. He might know I killed Leonis.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Rus. Nothing looks familiar.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good enough!¡± Rusol shouted at her, slamming the side of his fist against an end table. ¡°He knows who I am! He knows I tried to kill him! He sent an assassin after me!¡± She just stared back with that ever-present look of betrayal in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not a Seeker,¡± she said, her voice soft. ¡°I can only tell you what I See.¡± Kolvi and Barat were watching the altercation with disapproval, and even Magnus had sat up as if thinking to intervene. Rusol forced himself to get his temper under control. It wasn¡¯t the demon rage this time. When Yassi made him angry, it was never the demon rage¡ªit was something else. What would he do if she couldn¡¯t give him the answers he needed? ¡°Of course, my dearest,¡± he said in a soothing tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yelling, but we need to learn what he¡¯s up to as soon as possible.¡± It was galling to apologize in front of the others, but he didn¡¯t like the way Magnus and Kolvi were looking at him. Yassi gave a little nod of her head. That was as far as she would go in acknowledging his apology, he knew. Facing the others, he said, ¡°That¡¯s all for now. I¡¯ll speak to you again tomorrow.¡± He dismissed them then, and soon he was alone with Yassi. ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said, cupping the side of her face. It was a gesture of affection he¡¯d seen his father use with his mother, back in happier times. Yassi flinched away and Rusol stepped back, having to fight down his anger again. ¡°If the wardens know who I am, there¡¯s something I need you to do,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s the only the one who knows,¡± Yassi suggested. ¡°Either way, I have a task for you. With a child coming, I¡¯d hoped we could avoid any trouble, but that¡¯s not possible now. I want you to promise me you¡¯ll protect our son from the wardens. Or our daughter. Will you do that?¡± Yassi stared at him in silence. He waited. The compulsion spell would force her obedience, but he wanted to hear her say it. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll protect our child, Rus.¡± # Yassi managed to control her expression until she was alone in the royal apartments. Rusol had finally made a mistake in the web he¡¯d woven around her mind. After five years, she couldn¡¯t even remember all the orders he¡¯d given her ¡­ at least until the compulsion spell kicked in, forcing her to obey them anyway. But this new order was simple and clear, taking precedence over everything else. She would follow it happily, doing exactly as he¡¯d told her to do. She would keep their child safe from the wardens. And the most dangerous, unstable warden she knew of was Rusol himself. Suddenly regaining control over her own future was unexpected. She didn¡¯t have enough time to carefully plan out a course of action. At any moment, her husband might realize the enormous hole he¡¯d left in her instructions and come find her so he could fix it. She had to hurry. She went to her wardrobe first. Escaping would require money. She had none of her own since all of her needs were provided for, but she did have jewelry. The small, simple pieces from her youth, she¡¯d try to keep, but she could sell the fancier items she¡¯d received from Rusol or as wedding gifts from the courtiers and ambassadors. For now, she dumped them all together in a pile, then looked for something to put them in. She had no sort of travel pack or bag¡ªservants carried anything she wanted to anywhere she wanted¡ªbut Rusol had left a satchel full of books in the sitting room. She emptied it out on the floor, then had a better idea. The fewer traces she left, the longer it would take him to figure out what had happened. She hid the books at the back of the wardrobe, then swept the jewelry into the bag. She left behind a diadem in the form of a golden headband, with a ruby inset at the front. It belonged to the kingdom itself, passed down from one queen to the next, and was meant to be worn during formal events. It was too recognizable to risk selling. She packed spare underthings and a few personal items, but the satchel wasn¡¯t large enough to carry any of her outfits. The dress she was wearing would have to do until she was safely away. Her scrying orb was resting on a small wooden pedestal in the sitting room. She didn¡¯t truly need it anymore¡ªher powers had grown beyond it¡ªbut it was easier to See through it than without it. And it was hers, a memory of her childhood visits to Sanvar. It would cause an odd bulge in the satchel¡¯s side, but she couldn¡¯t leave it behind. Yassi froze when she heard muffled voices outside the apartment. There was a knock at the door, so she quickly stuffed the bag into the wardrobe and returned to the sitting room. ¡°Yes?¡± she called out. One of the guards in the hall opened the door and allowed Merice to enter. Not now! Yassi thought to herself. If the former queen was having one of her episodes and needed help, Yassi might lose her chance to escape. Still, she didn¡¯t regret the chance to see the other woman one last time. Merice appeared uneasy, shuffling around the sitting room without speaking. Finally she met Yassi¡¯s gaze. ¡°I heard yelling earlier,¡± she said. ¡°I was walking by the trophy room and ¡­¡± She hesitated. ¡°Rusol was angry with you.¡± ¡°He wants me to find someone I can¡¯t find,¡± Yassi said. The other woman knew she was a Seer. Merice grasped the back of a chair to steady her hands. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ it wasn¡¯t the first time, was it? It¡¯s so hard to remember things, but I¡¯ve heard him yelling before. I saw him hit you once. I thought it was just a bad dream.¡± Yassi couldn¡¯t reply. If she tried, the bond would force her to lie about what had happened. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± the other woman continued. ¡°He¡¯s always been so sweet, such a kind boy.¡± He¡¯d been kind to Yassi too, back at the beginning. She¡¯d thought they were friends. Before he¡¯d bonded her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand either,¡± she said carefully, trying to avoid triggering the compulsion. ¡°Merice, there¡¯s something I have to tell you. I¡¯m leaving¡ªI¡¯m going away. I¡¯m not coming back.¡± She hadn¡¯t intended to say that, but Merice could be trusted for a short time, until she forgot she was supposed to be keeping a secret. Rusol had never laid a compulsion spell on her. Yassi couldn¡¯t tell anyone else, though. Saying the wrong thing to the wrong person would get her caught, even if the person she was speaking to didn¡¯t want to betray her. Barat, Odwins, and any others who wanted to escape would have to find their own way out. ¡°Because he hurt you?¡± Merice asked. Yassi had to keep silent again, not trusting her own words. ¡°Does he know?¡± ¡°No, and you can¡¯t tell him. You can¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°But what about the baby?¡± Merice asked, a pleading tone in her voice. ¡°I was going to help you with the baby!¡± ¡°The baby will be safer away from here. Rusol thinks the wardens will attack.¡± Yassi doubted that, but Merice didn¡¯t know enough of the details to say more. ¡°If it¡¯s a boy, will you bring him back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe. Probably not.¡± Her son would be king if Rusol died, but wardens could live for a very long time. What if her husband saw their child as a threat? Merice bit her lip, then glanced at the door. ¡°Can I go with you?¡± ¡°What? I can¡¯t ¡­ Why would you ask that? This is your home.¡± ¡°Marten is dead,¡± the woman said, tears coming to her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here anymore. Sharra¡¯s dead, too, and Rikard¡¯s been away for so long. I was looking forward to the baby, but if you go, I¡¯ll be alone.¡± Merice had never quite realized how cruelly Sharra had treated her, and still seemed to think of her as a companion, if not quite a friend. Yassi hesitated. Did Merice understand what she was asking, and what it would mean? Could they actually manage it? The other woman wasn¡¯t as fast on her feet, and her face was well known. They wouldn¡¯t be able to hide in the city long enough to make preparations. They¡¯d have to sneak out immediately. But Yassi had an advantage of her own. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her husband. Rusol was in the wing of the palace where his other bondmates were quartered, speaking to Magnus. He was nowhere near the royal quarters. There was still time. ¡°If you come with me, it¡¯ll be difficult,¡± Yassi warned. ¡°We¡¯ll have to travel quickly, and go a long distance without any servants. If we can¡¯t find a carriage or a ship, we may have to walk or ride.¡± ¡°Rikard taught me how to ride,¡± Merice said. Her expression brightened. ¡°Can we go to Fort Northtower to visit him? That would take us away from here, like you want.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s far enough, and it¡¯s the first place Rusol would look for us.¡± Merice¡¯s face fell. ¡°I can¡¯t go without seeing Rikard first.¡± Rikard was dead, and Yassi couldn¡¯t bear to see what would happen to Merice if the woman insisted on traveling north to find him. ¡°What if you write him a letter?¡± she suggested. ¡°You can tell him all about our trip.¡± Merice thought that over. ¡°I used to write letters to him, but then I stopped. I don¡¯t remember why.¡± She smiled. ¡°He¡¯d like that¡ªa letter from his old mother about her very first adventure.¡± Yassi intended to see that there was as little adventure as possible on their journey, but at least it seemed like Merice was aware enough to understand what they were doing. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to your rooms,¡± Yassi said, pulling the satchel from her wardrobe, along with a coat and a cloak. ¡°You¡¯ll need to pack light. Something you can take out of the palace without making the guards suspicious.¡± Merice eyed the satchel. ¡°Oh! Oh, dear. That¡¯s all you¡¯re taking? What about clothing?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll buy clothes as soon as we can,¡± Yassi said. ¡°We¡¯ll need dresses that won¡¯t stand out where we¡¯re going. Bring your jewelry¡ªyou¡¯ll need to sell some of it.¡± Merice¡¯s jewelry collection was more extensive than her own, and would allow the woman to live out the rest of her life in luxury. ¡°This will be strange, won¡¯t it?¡± Merice said, almost to herself. ¡°You must let me do the talking,¡± Yassi told her. Hopefully the woman wouldn¡¯t forget what they were doing at a crucial moment. Merice nodded. They made it past the guards outside Yassi¡¯s door without incident. In Merice¡¯s quarters, the former queen packed her personal effects into a cloth carry-bag with a shoulder strap, a style that had been popular among the women of the city some decades earlier. Yassi stopped in front of the guards who stood outside the apartment. ¡°We¡¯ll be attending a salon at Lady Ana¡¯s home this evening, and will require an escort.¡± She patted the satchel. ¡°A literary salon.¡± Lady Ana was Rusol¡¯s second cousin, and, as such, her mansion was one of the few places in the city the queen could visit on her own without a major procession. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± the men said, bowing. Yassi had intended to take her own guards, but Merice¡¯s would do as well. She only needed them long enough to get outside the palace, and they were under the same compulsion spell as the rest of the royal family¡¯s personal guardsmen¡ªa compulsion that required them to obey members of the family, including Yassi herself. The guards and the footmen at the main entrance and the front gates would be harder to convince. They would insist on readying a carriage, but that wasn¡¯t an option¡ªthe footmen and drivers weren¡¯t under the compulsion spell. It was a clear night, though, and still early in the evening. Lady Ana¡¯s home was near the palace. It wasn¡¯t entirely unbelievable that Yassi and Merice might want to go for a stroll. More importantly, their escort would outrank the other guards. It should be enough. Once they were away, they could find a spot where they¡¯d be unobserved, and Yassi would order the two guards to return to the palace. If they waited for the shift change, it might be hours before anyone questioned their return without the two women¡ªand even when Rusol asked them himself, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell him anything useful. With a pang of regret, Yassi decided against visiting her parents. Rusol would certainly question them, likely even compelling them to speak the truth, but once he realized they didn¡¯t know anything, he¡¯d leave them alone. He wouldn¡¯t harm them¡ªhe wasn¡¯t needlessly cruel, except to her. Instead, he¡¯d try to get them on his side to help hush up her disappearance. After she was out of the city, she¡¯d find some way to send word to them that she was safe. Rusol would send soldiers and spies after her, but she was prepared for that. She would always See them coming. With the warden bond, he¡¯d know what direction she¡¯d gone, but he wouldn¡¯t know precisely where¡ªhe¡¯d always depended on Yassi herself to find people for him. And since he¡¯d never cast the hunter compulsion on her, he couldn¡¯t control her from a distance. She just had to avoid anyone trying to follow her. The farther from Larso she went, the fewer resources her husband would have. It wasn¡¯t a perfect plan, but for the first time in five years, Yassi felt hope. Book 4: Chapter Twenty-Six The vision was one Shavala hadn¡¯t seen before, but it had the sensation of great age. She was in an elven village surrounded by a sparse forest. Only a few tershaya dotted the landscape, towering over the other trees¡ªa mix of deciduous and evergreen. There were a dozen wooden huts scattered around, similar to those the dorvasta used for structures that were either too large or too heavy to be built up the trunks of the tershaya. The visions always came from the point of view of the staff-bearer. In this one, her clothing was nondescript, but her hands¡ªwhen she caught a glimpse of them¡ªwere a man¡¯s, though with the slenderness that indicated an elf. The staff had been carried by an elf in nearly every memory, but this elf seemed familiar. Perhaps it was the hands, or the plain, almost primitive clothing, but Shavala was certain this was the first bearer of the staff¡ªthe man who¡¯d claimed the still-green branch while a wolf, bear, and owl had looked on. Or the Wolf, Bear, and Owl. The vision sped up as the staff-bearer spoke with the villagers. Shavala couldn¡¯t hear any of the words, but in the end, the people seemingly agreed to something he¡¯d proposed, and the vision slowed back down to normal speed. An elder stepped forward out of the small crowd. The staff-bearer greeted him and led him to a row of potted tershaya seedlings the villagers had prepared for planting. The elder chose one, and the two men carried it to an open spot where no trees were growing, then dug a hole using knapped stone tools. Had the events in this vision taken place before the elves learned to work metal? After the seedling was planted, the elder held out his hand. The staff-bearer carved a gash into the man¡¯s palm with a flint knife, and then the elder knelt and grasped the base of the seedling. The staff-bearer directed a trickle of magic into the young tree. It began to grow, doubling in size in a short time, a smear of the elder¡¯s blood seeping into the bark. This was old magic, from a time when Shavala¡¯s people had been more superstitious. The blood served no purpose, but stories said the early druids had used it in rituals to show their connection to the world around them. The ritual may not have been real but the magic was, and the staff soon joined in to help, enhancing the spell and speeding up the growth. Its aid was much weaker than Shavala had seen before, as if the staff itself was still learning how to use its abilities. Once the tree had grown to the size of a large sapling, the two men stepped back. The elder swayed, appearing dazed, and a younger woman came over to steady him. The staff-bearer viewed the world through his elder senses, examining the tree¡¯s roots as they continued growing out farther and farther until they¡¯d reached the root systems of the three nearest tershaya. The roots mingled and grew together, forming a single root-bond between the four trees. Satisfied, the staff-bearer gestured to the woman. She helped the elder to sit, then went to retrieve a seedling of her own. The process began again. The vision came to an end and Shavala awoke to the pre-dawn darkness, trying to understand what she¡¯d seen. The staff hadn¡¯t given her a new vision in months. What was it trying to tell her? And why now? In response, she saw another new vision¡ªbut this one was of herself. She was telling Nariela and Zhailai how the nilvasta had lost the tree bond. The vision didn¡¯t include sound, but the others were standing in the same positions they¡¯d been during the conversation. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Did that memory have something to do with the tree bond?¡± A flash of feeling from the staff¡ªcontentment at serving its purpose. It ignored her questions after that, so she slipped out of her bedroll and ate a travel bar made from nuts and fruit pressed with honey. The grasslands were a poor place to forage at this time of year, but she¡¯d brought enough trail rations to catch up with the expedition. If she was late in arriving, Leena had promised to check on her and bring more supplies. Packing up the camp didn¡¯t take long. Shavala hadn¡¯t brought a tent, just setting up a rough shelter by stretching an oiled canvas between two bushes. She rolled up the canvas and her bedroll and tied them to her pack, then strapped her quiver to the side. Grabbing the staff and her unstrung bow, she set off, following Corec¡¯s direction in her mind. She¡¯d made a game of it, trying to guess how much farther south she should angle her route to keep up with his progress day by day. She was close now, though, so she aimed straight for him. # She reached the expedition the next day, passing by four men who were digging stinging nettle bushes out of the remains of the old roadway. They stopped and stared, apparently not having expected anyone to come from the south. Beyond them, a row of wagons and carts were coming to a halt as they waited for the road to be cleared. Corec was at the front of the procession, wearing an odd-colored suit of armor. Leena accompanied him, and he leaned over to ask a question Shavala couldn¡¯t hear. The Sanvari woman shook her head. ¡°All right, let¡¯s take an early meal!¡± Corec shouted to the rest of the group. ¡°Cold camp. We¡¯ll have hot food tonight! Nedley, your squad eats first, then go relieve the road crew!¡± A small group of men groaned at that, but set their staff-spears and shields down and hurried to one of the larger wagons. Others assembled behind them at a slower pace. Leena saw Shavala first and pointed her out to Corec. He grinned and strode toward her, pulling her into an awkward hug against the brownish-gray armor. Then he held her out at arm¡¯s length to look her over. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± he said. ¡°I missed you, too.¡± Her relationship with Corec wasn¡¯t quite romantic in the same way that Katrin¡¯s was, but it was comfortable, and they¡¯d been apart for too long. ¡°And Katrin. Leena said she stayed in Four Roads?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s ¡­ well, I guess there are some things you don¡¯t know about. We found two children who¡¯d been orphaned by the dragon, and someone needed to stay to watch over them.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t want her here.¡± Corec grimaced. ¡°She can¡¯t protect herself¡ªnot from a dragon. The rest of us can fight back, but ¡­¡± Shavala laid her fingers on the back of his gauntlet. ¡°I know. I would have told her the same thing.¡± He let go of her shoulders, suddenly aware of the onlookers. ¡°Leena said you¡¯d be here today. The others will be happy to see you¡ªespecially Sarette. Now that you¡¯re here, the three of us need to talk about the plan. You know what we¡¯re trying to do?¡± ¡°You want to kill the dragon.¡± ¡°Yes. Will you help us? I know you don¡¯t like killing.¡± She gave him a sad smile. ¡°It¡¯s killed a lot of people. You have to stop it. I understand.¡± Before he could respond, someone yelled her name. Treya was hurrying toward them, followed by Sarette and Ellerie. Her sad smile became a real one as she greeted her other friends. # ¡°Second rank, up shields!¡± Cenric shouted. The five men in the back row lifted their silversteel shields up off the ground, holding them above the heads of the men in the front row to provide extra protection. Sarette stood nearby, watching as the former red-eye drilled the infantry in close formation fighting with a spear-and-shield wall. They¡¯d undergone similar training with pikes before leaving Four Roads, but the expedition had brought along staff-spears as backup weapons. The men carried the spears during the day, while the pikes, which were heavier, were stored in the nearest freight wagon to be retrieved when needed. Sarette had approached Corec with her concerns about the men needing more training to work together. He¡¯d allowed it, but only for an hour each night, and no more than one night in three for each man. With the full days of travel, plus everyone having to take turns cooking, driving, and clearing the road, he was worried about the effect on morale if they gave the recruits too much extra work. She¡¯d divided the men into three groups, keeping the infantry together since they had more experience than the rest, then recruited Cenric to help with the training. He¡¯d been part of Larso¡¯s army when he was younger, before returning to Highfell to get married. When his father died, he hadn¡¯t been able to run the family farm on his own so he¡¯d joined Rusol¡¯s mercenary army after hearing about the higher pay. Sarette had more experience than Cenric with a staff-spear, but as a stormrunner, she¡¯d learned to wield the weapon more like a quarterstaff. In trained hands, a staff-spear¡¯s blade could either thrust like a spear or slash like a sword, and the weapon¡¯s shaft could make crushing blows. The back of the blade had a hook that could catch an opponent¡¯s armor. It was a versatile weapon, but to use it to full effect required plenty of room to maneuver. It didn¡¯t lend itself well to formation fighting. Staff-spears could serve as regular spears, but Cenric was better at teaching that style. Sarette had remained involved, though¡ªthe extra training was her idea, and she wanted to see it through. ¡°Keep your spear up, Jenson!¡± she called out. Jenson and Odis, two of the town guards from Four Roads, didn¡¯t have any real fighting experience, but Boktar and Corec had assigned them to the infantry anyway because they were big and strong and weren¡¯t very good with the siege weapons. Those two plus Rolf, a former armsman for Baron Greendale of Dalewood, were the weakest points within the frontline troops. The other men who¡¯d been placed in the infantry unit were a mix of mercenaries and former soldiers, all of whom had at least a small amount of real combat experience¡ªthough most of the mercenaries hadn¡¯t fought in formation before. ¡°Forward advance slow!¡± Cenric said. The infantry moved together as one unit, keeping their shields in position. It was better than they¡¯d managed in any of their earlier attempts. The maneuver was one they hadn¡¯t practiced with pikes since they couldn¡¯t move while carrying both pikes and shields. To make an assault with pikes, they¡¯d have to leave their shields behind. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°I think that¡¯s a good place to stop,¡± Sarette murmured. The cooks were nearly ready with supper, and the men would resent having to practice while the other recruits started on their meals. Cenric nodded. ¡°All right, you lot, that¡¯s enough for today! Go get some food!¡± The men set their shields down and stretched their arms and backs, chattering amongst each other as they split into small groups and headed to the cooking fires. They seemed excited about finally doing it right. ¡°They¡¯re getting better,¡± Sarette told Cenric. ¡°This group is, but those spears would put them too close to the dragon,¡± he replied, frowning. ¡°A spear wall is for fighting a war, and I didn¡¯t sign on for that.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll use pikes for the dragon. Practicing the spear wall is to improve their discipline and morale. I think it¡¯s working.¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°Besides, after we¡¯ve dealt with the dragon, Corec¡¯s going to want to hire some of the men for the long term. We might as well train them now and see which ones are any good.¡± Cenric grunted. ¡°He won¡¯t be the only Larsonian lordling trying to make a go of it in the free lands. Without their fathers¡¯ money, most don¡¯t ever amount to much, but maybe Corec¡¯s better suited for it than some. I didn¡¯t see any of the others volunteering to go after the dragon.¡± ¡°You should join us,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯ll need a sergeant.¡± ¡°No. As soon as we¡¯re done with the dragon, I¡¯m leaving. What does he need armsmen for in the free lands, anyway?¡± Sarette checked to make sure none of the recruits were close enough to overhear. ¡°That day at Jol¡¯s Brook wasn¡¯t the first time Rusol sent men to kill Corec. We¡¯re worried he¡¯ll try again, so we want to go someplace where no one else will get hurt. Close to Larso, but away from any towns or villages.¡± Cenric stiffened. ¡°Why ¡­¡± he started, then stopped to wet his lips. ¡°Why are they fighting?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. Corec¡¯s never met Rusol, and he left Larso years ago, but Jol¡¯s Brook was the third time your friends tried to kill him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call them my friends!¡± Cenric said, his voice hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªI just meant the mercenary army. The others that came were demon-controlled too, like your group.¡± Sarette hadn¡¯t been around for the other attacks, but she¡¯d heard the stories. The soldier stared away, not meeting her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what was controlling us?¡± he asked. ¡°The voice was a demon? Not a wizard?¡± ¡°It was probably a demonborn mage, but there may be wizards too. We think Rusol has been recruiting mages.¡± If he was a warden, that was almost certain. ¡°There weren¡¯t any attacks while we were in Cordaea, but now that we¡¯re back, Corec¡¯s worried it¡¯ll happen again. That¡¯s why we came here.¡± ¡°It had better not happen any time soon,¡± Cenric said. ¡°I don¡¯t want any part of it.¡± He stalked off without another word. Sarette couldn¡¯t blame him for his reaction. Jol¡¯s Brook had been one of the worst days of her life, seeing the bodies of the dead villagers and then having to kill for the first time. She¡¯d killed three of the red-eyes that day before Treya discovered they could be healed of the magic that controlled them. Three men who might have been as blameless as Nedley. For Cenric¡ªand Nedley¡ªit must be worse, knowing they¡¯d murdered those innocent people. Sarette grimaced. Nedley didn¡¯t like to talk about any of it. She should have known better than to bring it up with Cenric. It was a shame, though. Good sergeants were hard to find. # ¡°Who¡¯s up for sparring?¡± Georg asked as Ariadne joined the knights around their campfire for the evening meal. Only Sir Kevik was missing from the group. He usually ate with Corec, Ellerie, and Boktar. Nobody took the older knight up on his offer. ¡°Trentin, want to get your ass beaten again?¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll spar with you,¡± Ariadne offered. Corec wanted someone to keep an eye on the knights, but he felt doing it himself would just drive them further away, so the task had fallen to her. They didn¡¯t accept her as one of them, but they tolerated her presence. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Georg said. ¡°I sparred Willem and Trentin,¡± she said. She¡¯d won both matches. Georg snorted. ¡°So you can fight boys. That¡¯s not the same as facing a real knight.¡± Willem scowled at the older man. ¡°Try me,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Unless you¡¯re too frightened to face a woman?¡± Georg just shook his head, not bothering to reply. ¡°What about you, Osbert?¡± ¡°No, but will you take another look at Ballista Four?¡± the bald knight said. ¡°It¡¯s still making that noise.¡± Ballista Four fell under Ariadne¡¯s purview. She listened in. ¡°You¡¯re imagining things, Ozzie,¡± Georg said. ¡°I looked at it yesterday and it was fine. All the weapons creak while we¡¯re on the road.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like the others!¡± Osbert insisted. ¡°It gets worse when the ground¡¯s uneven.¡± ¡°I suppose it could be the cart rather than the weapon. I¡¯ll need better light¡ªI¡¯ll look at it in the morning.¡± ¡°Will you show me what to look for?¡± Ariadne asked Georg. The older man snorted. ¡°Why bother? It¡¯s clear you don¡¯t know anything about ballistae or catapults.¡± ¡°My people had specialists for that. The Mage Knights are front-line troops.¡± That could be considered an insult, suggesting Georg liked to hide in the rear ranks with the engineers, but before he could respond, Willem spoke up. ¡°Where are you from, Ariadne?¡± the boy asked. ¡°Van Kir,¡± she said. ¡°I doubt you¡¯ve heard of it. It¡¯s a long way from here, in Cordaea.¡± A long way in time as well as distance. The nearest kingdom, Bancyra, seemed to have inherited the name, but Bancyra was not Van Kir, even if it had been built on its ashes. Georg shook his head. ¡°And in Cordaea, The Lady has knights? Why? She¡¯s the goddess of families and children.¡± These people had assigned characteristics to their new gods that seemed almost random. Hera had never married or had children¡ªshe¡¯d been too busy fighting a war. And what did Iris have to do with the sea, or Boreas with the weather? The others, at least, reflected something of what Ariadne knew of the old wardens. Demea had spent much of her life improving crop yields, so perhaps it was fitting that Demesis was the Goddess of the Harvest. Did that mean the people had once known her true identity? Or had they created legends from half-remembered stories? ¡°My order doesn¡¯t follow any of the gods,¡± Ariadne told him. ¡°All I said was that she was at my raising ceremony.¡± ¡°You¡¯re claiming she was actually there?¡± Georg asked, narrowing his gaze. Apparently he thought she¡¯d been speaking metaphorically before. ¡°Of course. So was Bear.¡± The knight threw his hands up in exasperation. ¡°Bear? Bear! Bloody hell. I¡¯m not going to deal with your nonsense tonight. Just eat and stop talking, will you?¡± She hid her grin. Half the fun of the task Corec had given her was in annoying the two older knights. They all returned to their bowls of stew except for Sir Osbert, who was staring out at the rest of the encampment. ¡°I don¡¯t like being bunched up like this,¡± he muttered. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough ballistae to catch the dragon in a crossfire. We should have twenty more at least.¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d made the complaint. ¡°That¡¯s not the plan,¡± Sir Cason reminded him. The quiet knight rarely weighed in with his own opinions. He¡¯d never given any clue about whether he approved of what they were doing or not. Georg spat on the ground. ¡°Depending on magic is foolish. Osbert¡¯s right. We need more weapons spread out in a wider area, and more soldiers. A dragon will always reach at least one of the groups before you take it down. How are we going to fight it if it kills us all because we¡¯re too close together?¡± He was referring to the methods the Knights of Pallisur used to fight dragons without magic¡ªbut the knights only knew their own ways. Bobo had read more accounts than they had. ¡°Treya¡¯s fire protection spell will only reach so far,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Oh? And is there a protection spell against getting stepped on? What about one for being eaten?¡± Osbert grimaced at that. ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± Trentin warned. ¡°Don¡¯t let the men hear you.¡± Georg snorted. ¡°What does it matter? We¡¯ll all be dead soon anyway.¡± Yet, despite his words, he hadn¡¯t abandoned the expedition. Either he didn¡¯t care whether he lived or died, or he was more optimistic about their chances than he wanted to admit. Ariadne said, ¡°I¡¯m sure Corec would be willing to follow your plan if you¡¯ll pay for twenty more ballistae and this army you want to hire. Of course, you¡¯d have to find an army available to hire.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why our army¡¯s not coming,¡± Willem said. ¡°With all those new mercenaries King Rusol has brought on, why can¡¯t we spare any men? We¡¯re not at war, and we¡¯ve got over a hundred ballistae waiting back at the fort. The parts for them, at least.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not question His Majesty¡¯s decisions,¡± Osbert said sharply. ¡°There¡¯s trouble in the north, with the barbarians and Blue Vale. The army¡¯s needed there.¡± ¡°Then why send us out here on our own?¡± Willem asked. He was young enough that he was sometimes swayed by the older knights¡¯ constant complaining when Kevik wasn¡¯t around to put a stop to it. Georg barked a laugh. ¡°Paperwork. The field marshal and Sir Noris probably didn¡¯t bother to talk to each other, and Noris doesn¡¯t know what the situation is like out here. Besides, I think Kevik misread the message. He says we¡¯re supposed to help out however we can, but Noris probably just meant helping with the refugees.¡± That was a new theory Georg hadn¡¯t mentioned before. Did he actually believe it? Sometimes he was contrary just to be contrary. Willem pondered the idea for a moment. ¡°Will we get in trouble for being here?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± Cason put in, giving Georg a pointed look. ¡°We¡¯re just following the orders we were given. If there was a mistake somewhere, it doesn¡¯t fall on us.¡± The worried campfire talk amongst the knights was nothing new¡ªit had been happening since the expedition left Four Roads¡ªand it didn¡¯t take long before they dropped it and moved on to something else. The new conversation was about the horse Willem wanted to buy, a topic that came up on a near-daily basis. It seemed to annoy Georg, who stood abruptly. ¡°All right, you want to spar?¡± he said to Ariadne. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. First to five points.¡± They normally went to ten. He stalked over to his tent to retrieve his shield and helm. Everyone was still wearing their armor and sidearms in case the dragon attacked by surprise, but Ariadne had to go retrieve her helm before she could face off against the older knight. The others gathered nearby to watch. Georg started off in a defensive position, waiting for her to make the first move. Her first few attacks were tentative, probing his defense. Despite his age and bulk, he moved his wood-and-metal heater shield quickly, seeming to know where she was going to strike before she did. When he¡¯d had enough, he batted her blade out of the way with his shield, then rapped the flat of his sword against her side. ¡°One!¡± he said, a smirk on his face. The knights¡¯ sparring rules favored Georg¡¯s fighting style. A strike against an opponent¡¯s armor counted as a hit despite Ariadne¡¯s mirrorsteel plate being nearly impervious to normal weapons. Yet, when she struck his shield it didn¡¯t count, even though she could have hacked it to pieces if she¡¯d used a spell to strengthen her blade. She stepped back and watched him, but again he waited for her to attack. His shield was on his left side, so she darted to his right, but he anticipated the move, swinging his body around and slamming the shield against her shoulder. It knocked her off balance before she could tap her blade against the backplate of the silversteel cuirass he was wearing. It didn¡¯t quite fasten together completely over his bulk, but he wore his old mail underneath. She missed, and while she was catching her footing, he struck with his weapon. ¡°Two!¡± On her next attempt, she feinted as if going to his right again, but then planted her foot and spun around to his left just as he swung his shield. Her mirrorsteel was lighter than the plate armor he was familiar with, allowing her to change directions quickly, and she caught his shield side undefended. ¡°One!¡± she said, stepping back out of reach. He growled and rushed at her, moving faster than she¡¯d expected from a man his age. He forced her back with an odd pattern where he alternated blows from his shield and sword. It left him open half the time, but she couldn¡¯t take advantage of it while being forced to defend herself. He managed to strike her armor before she could attempt an attack. ¡°Three!¡± he said. This time, he was the one who stepped back to catch his breath. She managed to score against him twice more before he won the bout. She¡¯d watched the knights spar before, but it seemed there was a reason Georg never lost a match. He was a better fighter than Boktar. Better than Corec, if Corec wasn¡¯t using enchanted weapons or magic. ¡°Hah!¡± Georg said. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t a knight.¡± It didn¡¯t matter that she¡¯d done better against him than Willem or Trentin usually did. They were still his brothers in arms, and she wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Let¡¯s have another go,¡± she said. ¡°¡¯Why bother?¡± he asked. ¡°You lost. You¡¯re not going to do any better next time.¡± ¡°I was holding back.¡± The gloating smile slipped off his face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I had to see if you were any good before we sparred for real,¡± she said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt an old man by accident.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s an easy way to know for sure.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he spat, and readied himself. She¡¯d started from farther away this time and sprinted at him. It would normally be an odd move, since it allowed him time to prepare a defense, but as she ran, her combat spells snapped into place. Just before she reached him, she blinked in and out, reappearing behind his back and rapping her blade against his helmet. ¡°One!¡± she said, then flickered away again out of his range. ¡°What¡ª¡± he started to say as he caught sight of where she¡¯d ended up, but she blinked again and tapped his side. ¡°Two!¡± She disappeared just as he swung his shield through the spot where she¡¯d been. She ran at him again, and this time, to give him a chance, she didn¡¯t blink away. He swung his sword, but she twisted out of the way, her enhanced speed and agility allowing her to avoid his attack. As she passed him, she struck, hitting the back of his shoulder. ¡°Three!¡± ¡°What are you ¡­ ? You can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Four!¡± He yelled and charged straight at her. She waited until the last moment and then dodged to the side, kicking the back of his knee as he went past. He tripped and fell to the ground, rolling over onto his back to look up at her as she pointed her sword down at his chest. She summoned flames to line the blade. ¡°Five,¡± she said, not bothering to touch him with the weapon. She stepped back and let the flames dissipate. The other knights were all staring at her wide-eyed. ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯re going to fight the dragon with magic,¡± she told them. ¡°We don¡¯t need an army.¡± They¡¯d seen Sarette fly during the training drills, and they¡¯d seen her summon lightning, but they didn¡¯t truly realize what it meant. They didn¡¯t understand the impact magic would have on the fight. Perhaps the personal demonstration would help. Book 4: Chapter Twenty-Seven ¡°Can you do anything to help?¡± Shavala stared out at the mass of bushes blocking not just the road but either side of it, having grown over the remains of a long-abandoned village. The plants¡ªthree feet tall with sprawling branches¡ªwere a form of buckbrush, she thought, though there were so many varieties it was hard to say for sure. She¡¯d never seen it before, and all she had to go on was her memory of the descriptions passed down by other druids. The men assigned to the road crew had to kneel down and saw the plants off at the base, then drag them out of the way. At the pace they were going, it would take hours. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she told Corec. ¡°I could ask them to grow in a different direction, but they¡¯re not vines¡ªthey won¡¯t respond as quickly. And even if they were growing completely on their sides, they¡¯d still be too tall for the carts to get past.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to send someone to scout out a way around. This is taking too long.¡± ¡°Corec!¡± someone shouted. Leena was running their way, followed by Ellerie and Sarette. ¡°The dragon¡¯s five miles out, to the southwest!¡± ¡°Five miles?¡± he asked, glancing at the sky. ¡°Is it coming this way or headed back to the keep?¡± They¡¯d been within Leena¡¯s Seeking range of the keep for three days, but she hadn¡¯t sensed the dragon since the previous afternoon. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I need more time.¡± ¡°We¡¯d better get ready just in case.¡± Corec turned to the main body of the expedition. ¡°Everyone form up to the southwest!¡± he yelled. ¡°Dragon¡¯s five miles out! Get into position and load your weapons!¡± The armsmen burst into activity, weapon crews leading their mule-drawn carts to their designated positions while the infantry flung the canvas cover off the back of the first freight wagon and started unloading pikes. Shavala exchanged glances with Sarette. The two of them had made plans for different scenarios. With the sky as clear as it was, if they¡¯d seen the dragon too late, there wouldn¡¯t have been time to summon a storm and they¡¯d have had to work with what they could manage on their own. Thanks to Leena¡¯s warning, though, there would be enough time. Shavala stretched her mind out as far as she could, heating the moist air nearest the ground and summoning a heavy wind to push it to the southwest. Leaves and dust blew into the air, and anyone facing the wrong direction had to shelter their eyes. Farther from the expedition¡ªwell beyond ballista range¡ªSarette took over, expanding the warm air in an ever-widening circle and pulling a cold mass from miles away downward to meet it. That pushed the warm air up in a rush, and the first hint of clouds appeared. Manipulating wind always caused a chain reaction. As air was pushed away from one spot, more air was pulled in behind it to fill the gap. With continuing effort to keep the reaction going, the result was a wind storm that grew far beyond the power of the magic involved. Shavala added to the cycle, pulling moisture from the air and warming it, then using that to strengthen the warm front. Sarette did the same at the far end of the storm. Shavala was the stronger of the two, at least in the ways druids measured strength, but Sarette could control weather at a much greater range than any druid could. That extra range was necessary now. Shavala¡¯s warm wind to the southwest might help the ballista bolts fly farther and faster than they otherwise could, but if the more chaotic storm winds got too close to the expedition, it would make the ballistae useless against the dragon. While Shavala concentrated on her task, the staff¡ªwhich she¡¯d left standing upright on its own nearby¡ªrealized her intention. No, it sent, along with a jolt of pain. Life. I don¡¯t have time for this, she told it, grabbing it from where it stood. She couldn¡¯t spare enough attention from her spell right now to deal with it. ¡°Nedley!¡± she called out. He was standing ready with his small squad of armsmen. ¡°Take this and run it a hundred yards that way.¡± She pointed northeast, opposite the direction from which the dragon was coming. ¡°Then throw it as far as you can.¡± That would get it beyond the range from which it could communicate with her¡ªand hopefully far enough away that it wouldn¡¯t be stepped on if there was a battle. ¡°Shavala,¡± Corec warned. ¡°I have to get it away from me,¡± she said. ¡°Remember Tir Yadar?¡± He frowned. ¡°Do it, but hurry back,¡± he told Nedley. The young man took the staff and jogged as fast as his armor would allow. ¡°It is coming this way!¡± Leena said. ¡°It¡¯s closer than it was, still southwest. A straight line toward us.¡± ¡°Go!¡± Corec told Sarette. ¡°You¡¯ll have to make the call.¡± The stormborn woman nodded, then sprinted past Nedley¡¯s squad and Ballista One, which had been expanded to full size by its crew. The storm clouds were far away, but as soon as Sarette was beyond the weapon crew, she summoned a lightning bolt out of the clear sky. It hit her staff-spear as she launched herself into the air. ¡°You should get going too,¡± Corec told Leena. The Sanvari woman shot a worried glance at Ellerie. ¡°I will, but I¡¯ll stay nearby, in case ¡­¡± She trailed off. ¡°Not too close,¡± Corec said. ¡°If something happens to us, help the survivors make their way back to Four Roads. If there aren¡¯t any ¡­¡± He stared out at the frantic preparations and sighed. ¡°Katrin¡¯s got the men¡¯s bonuses and a list of all their families and next of kin. She knows what to do.¡± Leena nodded and disappeared. The staff stopped intruding into Shavala¡¯s mind, and she resumed feeding power into the storm. # Sarette darted through the darkening clouds, searching for any sign of the dragon. With the storm blocking everyone else¡¯s view, it would be up to her to decide whether to start the attack. If the creature was just passing by, she would let it go in the hopes of ambushing it later at its lair. If it had decided they were a threat, though, she had to strike before it reached her companions. Gathering her strength, she launched herself upward, into the more peaceful air above the storm clouds. The wind was still heavy, but with the chaos of the storm below her, she could see farther. The dragon was there in the distance, far ahead but getting easier to see as it approached. It didn¡¯t react to her presence. Perhaps dragons weren¡¯t accustomed to facing threats in the air, and from this distance, she would appear tiny in its eyes. It probably thought she was a bird. That wouldn¡¯t last long with it headed her way, though, and it was harder for Sarette to fly here, above the storm, where there was less charge in the air. She dropped back down into the clouds and hovered in place. Once the dragon had passed by, she rose again, above and behind it. Up close, the creature was massive¡ªfifty feet long, plus another twenty feet for the tail. How could they hope to kill something so large? The dragon had maintained its course toward the expedition, and now it dipped lower in the sky, angling downward. Once it dropped below the cloud cover, it would see Sarette¡¯s companions ¡­ if it didn¡¯t already know they were there. It had passed by the expedition at least twice¡ªthat they knew of¡ªwithout attacking, but this time, its actions seemed deliberate. If Sarette delayed any longer, she was putting the entire party at risk. It was time. One of the tasks she¡¯d practiced for was to slow the dragon down, giving the weapon crews time to prepare. With Leena¡¯s timely warning, that wasn¡¯t necessary, which meant Sarette could focus on her second task¡ªfinding some way to knock the creature out of the sky. She waited, tense, as the dragon dropped down close to the upper reaches of the storm. Would the creature realize who was attacking it? Corec had told Sarette to only take action if she could keep herself safe while doing so, but now that she was up here all alone with the giant beast, it was hard to imagine what safe meant¡ªand if Sarette didn¡¯t do her part, it would put her friends in danger. The dragon descended into the clouds. The storm had been building and building, the rapid change in weather increasing the conflict between the opposed charges in the air. Sarette had forced it to remain stable, but now, as she followed the dragon down, she launched her attack, unleashing the full strength of the storm. Lightning suddenly flickered all around, dancing between clouds. The roar of thunder was overwhelming, seeming to come from all sides at once. The dragon swayed back and forth, adjusting its course through the storm in an awkward, unnatural fashion, and somehow avoiding getting hit. It wasn¡¯t possible to dodge lightning¡ªit moved faster than thought¡ªbut Sarette had speculated the creature used elder magic to fly and breathe fire. Could it sense the charge building in the air the same way she did, and predict where the lightning would strike? This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. If so, it might only be able to detect a natural build-up. Pulling in as much of the charge around her as she could, Sarette released it all at once, launching a lightning bolt directly from her palm toward the dragon¡¯s left haunch. The beast dodged again, but this time not quickly enough. The bolt caught its rear leg. It roared¡ªthough whether in pain or anger, Sarette couldn¡¯t tell. There was a scorch mark along the side of its leg, but the damage didn¡¯t seem to have penetrated through the scales. The dragon twisted its body, dipping its left wing down and tilting its right wing almost straight up as it turned in a tight curve. Apparently it understood lightning storms well enough to know that the bolt which had hit it wasn¡¯t natural. Sarette quickly shot back up into the clear sky above the storm, trying to stay out of sight. Below, the shadow of the dragon circled around twice within the clouds, like a hawk spiraling through warmer air currents, before returning to its original course. They were near the center of the storm now. The stronger winds were slowing the creature¡¯s flight, but not as much as Sarette had expected. Its ability to fly seemed magically enhanced, much like her own, and wasn¡¯t wholly dependent on its wings. The dragon continued its descent and dropped below the lowest storm clouds. Sarette followed, but it was harder for her to maintain her flight here. The expedition was visible in the distance, and the dragon stayed on course toward it, not turning away. Sarette needed another option, quickly. Using up half the charge she still carried, she darted forward through the air, straight toward the creature¡¯s back. Drawing close just as its wings swept up, she slashed at the thin, skin-like membrane of the left wing with the blade of her staff-spear. The dragon shrieked, the cry audible even above the noise of rolling thunder. The creature rolled in mid-air, its other wing batting Sarette out of the way as it peered behind itself, searching for its attacker. Sarette fell, her vision graying out. When she came to, she was tumbling through the air, her staff-spear falling below her. Her mind was foggy, like the time Shavala had rescued her after she¡¯d fallen into the ocean. Falling from the sky was always the biggest danger a stormrunner faced, and this time, Shavala wasn¡¯t close enough to save her. Sarette used the last of the charge she carried to speed downward, snagging her spear before it fell to the earth. Then, feebly, she reached for the storm one more time. # Ellerie hurried to the southwest corner of the formation, where Ballista Two¡¯s crew had just finished cranking the weapon to cock it. Sargo, a hunter who made his living selling animal pelts, loaded one of the fortisteel-tipped ballista bolts Ellerie had crafted, while Nale, a farmer¡¯s son, grabbed two wooden stakes and stood in front of the cart. ¡°Miss Treya!¡± he shouted, waving both arms to get her attention. Treya was standing on top of the second freight wagon, near the center of the formation. The ballistae were arranged in a rough circle around her. ¡°Five more yards!¡± she told him. He ran farther out and pounded the stakes into the wet soil. They were painted a bright yellow to stand out against the prairie grasses, and would serve as markers to indicate the range of Treya¡¯s fire protection spell. Nale returned to the ballista and climbed up onto the cart to join his partner, and the two men tested the mobility of the weapon¡¯s pivot mount. Ellerie took position near the stakes. Her beam spell had a longer range than the ballistae, so she would likely be making the first direct attack against the dragon, but it all depended on what Sarette was doing. There was a small chance the lightning storm might knock the creature out of the sky before it even reached the expedition. In that case, either the fighters would charge with pikes¡ªand with Treya¡¯s protection¡ªwhile the siege weapons fired from a distance, or, if the dragon fell too far away, the crews might have to fetch the mules back and move the carts closer. None of that was likely, though. The most probable branch of the plan was to down the dragon with ballistae bolts and Ellerie¡¯s magic. Until that happened, Corec intended to keep everyone in the most defensive formation possible. Once the creature realized it was under attack, Ellerie¡¯s spells would pinpoint the expedition¡¯s location, hopefully drawing the dragon within range of the siege weapons. Ellerie nodded to Sir Willem, the young Ballistae Two commander, who was jogging back from leading their mules out of the way. With the dragon approaching from the southwest, the mule teams nearest that point had to be taken far enough out that they wouldn¡¯t get in the way of a battle. Willem nodded back but didn¡¯t stop to speak. He joined his crew, then grabbed a spyglass and examined the sky, searching for the dragon. Ellerie pulled her own spyglass from her coat and peered through it. Lightning still flashed among the clouds. How was Sarette doing out there? Corec looked worried, but not distressed. He¡¯d surely have shown more of a reaction if the stormborn woman had died and her warden bond disappeared¡ªbut that didn¡¯t answer the question of what was happening. And then the dragon dipped below the cloud cover, headed directly toward them. Where was Sarette? Was she safe? Was she near the creature? She¡¯d be too small to see at this distance, and it was difficult to train the spyglass on a moving target. Ellerie slipped the device back into her pocket. The dragon suddenly twisted and turned. The movement didn¡¯t appear to be natural, but it was still too far away to see clearly. After a moment, it resumed its flight, heading straight toward the expedition. Ellerie glanced back at Corec, who was stationed near Ballista One. Bobo had joined him there, along with Nedley¡¯s infantry squad. Cenric and his men were stationed near Ballista Three. The two infantry squads wouldn¡¯t form up together until the dragon was down. While it was still in the air, it could move too quickly, leaving the men out of place if it changed targets. For now, they¡¯d keep enough space between them that it couldn¡¯t hit them all at once. Corec gave Ellerie the signal to attack when ready. Her heart raced. This was it¡ªthere was no turning back. She still couldn¡¯t find Sarette, but if the stormborn woman was following the plan, she would stay out of range of Ellerie¡¯s magic. The dragon approached the farthest distance Ellerie¡¯s beam spell could reach, and she murmured the words. The bright white light of the beam lanced out but missed, passing by the beast¡¯s right side, and Ellerie forced down a cry of frustration. She cast the spell again, uttering the words as quickly as she could. This time, it struck the creature¡¯s chest. The dragon faltered, its wings flailing for a moment before it righted itself. A roar sounded in the distance. As Ellerie began casting the spell for a third time, Corec shouted, ¡°All ballistae, release!¡± He¡¯d waited until the dragon had come within three hundred yards, leaving time only for a single volley, but his order didn¡¯t mean the weapons would loose their bolts immediately¡ªthat command would have been now now now. Instead, the weapon commanders would hold until they had a good shot. ¡°Up five degrees,¡± Sir Willem said, a tremor in his voice as he eyed the dragon¡¯s approach. ¡°Now!¡± He was the first of the knights to loose a bolt. It arced up and out, straight at the creature, but he¡¯d released too soon and the bolt began its descent before reaching the dragon. The miss seemed to signal the other knights, and the next five bolts launched almost at the same time. Each of them missed, going low or wide except for the glowing bolt loosed from Ballista One, which passed within a foot of the dragon¡¯s head before falling harmlessly to the ground. Then one last bolt, fired late from the rear ranks, lodged in the dragon¡¯s side near its front left leg. Ellerie finished her spell just then, and the beam hit the same leg. There was another roar of anger from the beast. The dragon was nearly upon them now. Ellerie was supposed to get out of the way before it attacked, but she hesitated, trying to figure out what the creature was doing. If it flew over them, she could hit it from below, possibly bringing it down before it could make another pass. The dragon wavered in the air, its wings faltering, and too late, Ellerie realized what was happening. It wasn¡¯t flying over them, and it wasn¡¯t landing to attack. It was going to crash directly into Ballista Two. ¡°Run!¡± Ellerie shouted to the weapon crew. Sargo fell backward off the cart, then scrambled to his feet before falling again as he tried to get away. Nale had frozen, staring wide-eyed at the beast. Willem, standing near the cart, trembled as he drew his sword. He seemed to have forgotten about the pike he¡¯d left propped nearby. ¡°Run!¡± Ellerie shouted again. The young knight wouldn¡¯t do any good where he was at. Other people were yelling, but there was too much noise and commotion to understand any of it. Ellerie raced for the cart. She had to get the others moving¡ªanyone remaining near the ballista was in danger. She reached Willem first and tugged at his shield arm. ¡°Go! We have to go!¡± she said. She wasn¡¯t strong enough to pull him along with her. The knight never took his attention away from the dragon. He shrugged Ellerie off and she stumbled, tripping over a grass-covered hillock and landing hard. By the time she pushed herself to her knees and looked up, the dragon was close enough that she could see its eyes. It was too late to run. She was wearing her spellmail, but it wouldn¡¯t do much good with the beast landing on her. Images flashed through her mind. Her mother, her sister, Terevas¡ªand she suddenly missed the place for the first time. Boktar. Leena. And then Leena was there, from out of nowhere. ¡°No!¡± Ellerie shouted in horror. Her lover was supposed to stay safe, out of range of any danger. Leena grabbed her by the shoulders, and a shadow blotted out the sun. Ellerie closed her eyes and braced for the collision. It never came. Instead, the shouts of fear and the roar of the dragon were replaced by the warmth of the sun and the cries of playing children. Ellerie opened her eyes. She was in the center of a camp full of Sanvari people¡ªZidari, judging by the long sleeves¡ªgoing about their day. It took her a moment to realize that what she was seeing was real, and in that time, Leena slumped forward into her arms. ¡°What did you do?¡± Ellerie asked, struggling to hold the other woman upright. ¡°Had to ¡­ get you ¡­ away.¡± Leena¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t focusing on anything. ¡°Help!¡± Ellerie called out in trade tongue, hoping someone would understand. Then she saw a familiar face. ¡°Rohav!¡± He rushed forward and checked Leena¡¯s eyes. ¡°Drain shock,¡± he said to Ellerie with a scowl. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ¡­ she saved my life! There was a dragon! I didn¡¯t even know she could ¡­¡± He looked down at his niece with concern. ¡°We know what to do,¡± he said. Scanning the gathering crowd, he rattled off a stream of Zidari that Ellerie couldn¡¯t follow¡ªexcept for the word Aruna, which was Leena¡¯s grandmother¡¯s name. Two young men came to his call and took Leena from Ellerie, draping the dazed woman¡¯s arms over their shoulders. Leena smiled at one of them. ¡°Kartik!¡± she drawled, patting his cheek. ¡°Ellerie, this is my cousin. Kartik, this is ¡­ this ¡­¡± Her eyes closed. Ellerie stood. ¡°I need to go back,¡± she told Rohav, as the two men half-carried Leena to one of the tents. ¡°Can you take me?¡± ¡°You know we can¡¯t help you again,¡± he said. ¡°Please! My friends are still fighting the dragon. I have to go to them!¡± Rohav¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Where were you?¡± ¡°The free lands.¡± ¡°Do you have a map of the area?¡± ¡°I ¡­ no, not with me. We were about twenty miles north of Matagor¡¯s old trade keep, south of Four Roads.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the area,¡± Rohav said. ¡°I can¡¯t transport you, but Pavan¡¯s in Sanvara City this week. I can ask him to come here to speak with you. He should be able to get you to Matagor.¡± Ellerie shook her head. ¡°The keep¡¯s in the free lands. It¡¯s hundreds of miles from the Matagor border.¡± ¡°Four Roads, then, if it¡¯s closer. Assuming Pavan knows how to get there.¡± Four Roads was still over two hundred miles from where Ellerie needed to be. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way to get back to where I was?¡± she asked. Time was slipping away. Was the fight already over? The warden bond reassured her that Corec, at least, was still alive, but what about everyone else? ¡°If you can find a detailed, accurate map, and can point us to the precise location, Pavan could probably get you there,¡± Rohav said. ¡°There¡¯s a good collection of maps at the palace. Or we can ask one of the Seeker families. They should be able to find a dragon, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be willing to help an outsider.¡± How long would it take Rohav to find Pavan and bring him back to the camp? How long would it take Ellerie to convince him to help? How long would it take to find a map, or a Seeker that would help? Ellerie¡¯s legs were suddenly weak, and she collapsed to her knees again. There was no way she could make it back in time to help her friends. Book 4: Chapter Twenty-Eight Corec tracked Sarette¡¯s progress through the warden bond. She was no longer visible, hidden by the distance and the gathering storm, but she¡¯d headed steadily southwest. Then her pattern changed, and she made wide sweeps to either side before settling down again. Corec checked his compass. She was just a few degrees west of southwest. Had she found the dragon? ¡°Cenric!¡± Corec called out, deciding not to wait until the creature came into view. ¡°Pike-and-shield wall in front of Ballista Three. Face southwest, stay behind the stakes, and listen for my signal in case I need to move you. Single rank, but double up if you need to.¡± The mercenary nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go, men! You heard him!¡± His squad followed behind, struggling to carry their shields and pikes at the same time. Moving the equipment was awkward, but once they could brace both the shields and the weapon on the ground, they could keep them steady. ¡°Same with you, Ned, but Ballista One,¡± Corec said. The young man had just arrived, jogging back from completing Shavala¡¯s task. Leaving some distance between the two infantry squads would ensure the dragon couldn¡¯t hit them both at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll take Ballista Two, then?¡± Ellerie asked. Ballista Two was the closest to the dragon¡¯s approach. If Ellerie¡¯s attacks could draw the creature there before it landed to attack, then Cenric¡¯s and Nedley¡¯s infantry squads would be protecting the two other ballistae which still had a direct line of sight to their target. Boktar scowled. He didn¡¯t like Ellerie¡¯s part of the plan. ¡°Yes,¡± Corec said, ¡°at least until we can see the dragon. After that, go wherever¡¯s best, but get out of the way before it gets too close. Behind the back lines, or at least back to Treya and Ariadne.¡± The Chosar woman had joined Treya on top of the second freight wagon, where she¡¯d have a good view of any fighting. She¡¯d protect Treya if needed, or join in wherever she thought she could help out. Ellerie nodded and took off. Boktar watched her go, a worried look on his face, then turned back. ¡°Corec?¡± he prompted. Corec hesitated. Boktar was commanding the three catapults from Tir Yadar, which could be repositioned quickly, but his crews needed time to carry ammunition from the freight wagons to their final locations. If Corec waited until he could see the dragon¡¯s approach before he let them get set up, they might not have time to take more than one or two of the heavy loads. ¡°South, but keep them spread out,¡± he said. ¡°Choose spots where they can change direction as much as possible without the rest of us getting in their way.¡± The catapults couldn¡¯t pivot, but the crews could shrink and rotate them, then return them to full size. ¡°Weapon ready!¡± said Ral, a retired caravan guard who worked with Ballista One. As the only ballista that didn¡¯t require a mule team, the crew had just needed to enlarge it, then crank the winches. ¡°Get it loaded,¡± Corec said. He himself was in command of Ballista One, but he¡¯d be otherwise occupied once they managed to get the dragon on the ground. He¡¯d selected Ral as the crew member most likely to keep his head if left in charge of one of the weapons. ¡°Where¡¯s Bobo?¡± Bobo was already on his way to the ballista, carrying an armful of bolts. Ral took the bundle of ammunition, then his partner, Ludlo, helped Bobo up onto the cart. The knights were issuing orders to their own weapon crews, and the infantry squads had arranged themselves in shield walls. Now they just had to wait until they could see something. If the dragon came from a different direction than expected, Corec would reposition anyone who needed to be moved. Scattered flickers of lightning had begun appearing in the distance as Shavala and Sarette worked, but now, suddenly, the roiling storm was full of lightning bouncing between the clouds, never reaching the earth. It had to be Sarette, but what was happening? She was moving around, but from this far away the directional changes to the warden sense were too slight to be helpful. Then a dark shape emerged below the clouds. It was tiny due to the distance, but it didn¡¯t look like a bird¡ªor like Sarette. It could only be the dragon. Corec watched the figure as the armsmen murmured and pointed. The dragon grew more distinct as it drew closer, but then it almost came to a stop mid-flight, its neck twisting back and darting around as if it were a dog biting at a flea. Sarette¡¯s warden bond suddenly dropped lower in the sky, and then kept descending. Had she fallen? Or was she attempting to land? Corec was on the tips of his toes, squinting, but she was too far away to see. He cursed silently¡ªhe shouldn¡¯t have asked her to go out there alone. What if something happened to her? And then, well beyond the dragon, a massive lightning bolt snaked down from the clouds, and the sensation of Sarette¡¯s bond shot back up into the sky. The roll of thunder washed over the formation as the tension drained from Corec¡¯s shoulders. She was all right. He focused on the dragon once more. It had resumed flying, allowing him to judge its approach. ¡°Nedley, reposition!¡± he called out. Now that they could see the creature, the infantry squads could move their shield walls to face it directly. Cenric had adjusted his squad without prompting, and the knights were estimating wind speed and ordering their crews to adjust the ballistae pivot mounts. Boktar eyed the line of attack for each of the catapults under his command but left them as they were. When Ellerie glanced back from her position near Ballista Two, Corec gave her the signal to begin the assault. The dragon had passed by them before without attacking, but judging by the angle of its approach, it didn¡¯t intend to ignore them any longer. They wouldn¡¯t be able to delay the fight this time. As soon as the creature drew within Ellerie¡¯s range, she launched one of her beam spells. Her first attack missed, and some of the armsmen muttered in worry. Corec tried to estimate the dragon¡¯s distance. It was flying faster than he¡¯d pictured in his mind, though something seemed off about the way it moved. He¡¯d hoped for two volleys from the ballistae before the creature reached them, but there wouldn¡¯t be enough time. A single volley, then. Medium range would provide the best accuracy while still allowing the men time to flee if the dragon realized the source of the attack. ¡°At three hundred yards, ready!¡± Corec shouted to the weapon commanders, then glanced at his own ballista and lowered his voice. ¡°Right ten degrees and down five,¡± he ordered his crew. Bobo waited for Ludlo to finish adjusting the pivot mount before laying his hand on the weapon. The bolt began to glow with a bright white light. As the dragon neared the three-hundred-yard mark, Ellerie released another beam, this time hitting the creature. The sound of its defiant roar reached them just as he shouted, ¡°All ballistae, release!¡± That order gave the commanders the go-ahead to loose their bolts once their shots were lined up. ¡°Lead it by five yards,¡± he told Ral. ¡°Go when you¡¯ve got it.¡± The caravan guard nodded and took aim, Bobo moving out of his way. During their practice drills, Bobo¡¯s spell had lasted for half a minute after he stopped touching the bolt. One of the front-rank ballistae launched its attack too soon, falling short of its target. Then Ral released Ballista One¡¯s trigger mechanism and the white-glowing bolt shot into the sky, passing just ahead of the dragon at an angle. The others had loosed as well, the bolts soaring below the creature or off to the side. Ballistae were difficult weapons to aim at a mobile enemy¡ªthey performed better when the crew could loose multiple bolts at the same stationary target and adjust their aim each time¡ªbut Corec had hoped for better results. If the ballistae weren¡¯t accurate enough to hit while the creature was in the air, they¡¯d have to wait until it landed to attack. Then came Georg¡¯s voice from Ballista Seven, which, at the northeast corner of the formation, was farthest from the dragon. ¡°Now!¡± the knight shouted. His crew released their bolt. Corec couldn¡¯t see the hit, but the dragon let loose with a cry of pain. Ellerie struck it with another of her beam spells and the beast roared again. The dragon¡¯s figure had loomed larger and larger as it flew toward them, and now, as it neared the expedition, Corec realized why its flying seemed so strange. Its wings beat unsteadily rather than with the smooth motion of the previous times he¡¯d seen it. Had Sarette and Ellerie hurt it enough that it would be forced to land soon? It was hard to tell¡ªit was descending steadily, but wasn¡¯t slowing down yet. ¡°Get ready!¡± Corec yelled to Treya. If the dragon intended to fly directly overhead at low elevation, it could burn half the expedition in a single pass. Treya thrust her arms out to her side. There was no visible indicator of her fire protection spell, but they¡¯d tested the manuever with torches and campfires to ensure it worked. A flame with a fuel source outside the barrier would continue burning, but it wouldn¡¯t damage anything within the barrier. When they¡¯d helped Treya practice back in Cordaea, Shavala had been able to maintain a flame using magic alone, but it hadn¡¯t burned anything protected by Treya¡¯s spell. The ballista crews were frantically cranking the winches, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to reload before the dragon reached the formation. While the expedition was protected from fire, there wasn¡¯t much else they could do until the siege weapons or the mages managed to knock the dragon out of the sky or force it to land. Shavala had warned that she¡¯d have to use most of her strength to summon a storm of the size they needed, and Sarette hadn¡¯t returned yet. That left Ellerie, who¡¯d remained near Ballista Two for some reason rather than moving to a safer location. Before Corec could call out to her, the dragon¡¯s wings fell out of rhythm with one another and the beast awkwardly dropped lower in the sky, heading straight for the ballista. ¡°Get out of there!¡± Corec yelled at Ellerie and the weapon crew, but with all the sudden shouting and cries of fear, his words were lost in the wind. The elven woman appeared to be trying to convince Sir Willem to flee. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The three Tir Yadar catapults launched their loads, but with the dragon¡¯s rapid descent, two of the three overshot it. Only one load reached its target, half a dozen heavy stones pounding against the creature¡¯s side. That caused the dragon to lose what control it had left, and it barreled toward Ballista Two. Corec could only watch in dread as Ellerie lost her footing and fell to the ground before she could get away. Then Leena appeared right next to her from out of nowhere. The ground trembled as the dragon made impact, the massive creature half rolling and half skidding into the ballista cart and shattering it to splinters. For a brief moment Corec froze, desperately searching for Ellerie¡¯s and Leena¡¯s warden bonds. Then they suddenly reappeared, pointing to the south. He took his eyes off the dragon long enough to look for them, but they were beyond his view. How ¡­ ? Then he remembered. Some of the Travelers could take people with them when they teleported, and Leena had suggested she¡¯d be able to do the same someday. She must have gotten Ellerie out in time. Had she saved Willem as well? The dragon thrashed around as it tried to right itself. Its talons slammed down onto the body of a man who¡¯d been thrown clear of the cart. The few mules in sight which hadn¡¯t already fled took off running, frightened of the commotion. ¡°Ned, protect the ballista!¡± Corec called out, then gave a hand signal to the knights in the rear ranks. With the dragon down this close to the formation, only Ballista Three, commanded by Kevik, and Corec¡¯s own Ballista One still had a clear shot. The rest of the knights would have to decide whether to risk loosing a bolt into the melee or join in the fight in some other way. ¡°Ellerie!¡± Boktar shouted, leaving his post as he ran toward the dragon. Corec grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him back. ¡°She¡¯s safe!¡± The dwarven man tried to push past. ¡°Let me go! I¡¯ve got to go!¡± ¡°Ellerie¡¯s safe!¡± Corec repeated. ¡°Leena took her south!¡± With Boktar distracted, Corec waved a signal to the catapult crews, who quickly shrank their weapons down to miniature size, then ran them farther away. Unlike the ballistae with their pivot mounts, the catapults¡¯ aim could only be adjusted by a small amount, and only by changing the tension. To use them at full strength, they needed more distance between themselves and the target. It took a moment for Boktar to understand. ¡°She¡¯s safe?¡± ¡°Yes, get your pike!¡± Nedley had rotated his shield wall again, the dragon now northwest of the squad¡¯s position. Those armsmen were the only defense for Ballista One and Bobo¡¯s enchanted bolts, so Corec and Boktar would have to make the first assault on their own. Corec grabbed his pike, but before he could charge the dragon, the creature managed to get its legs beneath itself and stand upright. It drew its neck back and up, and then its head darted forward as it breathed flame. The billowing sound of the dragon¡¯s breath lighting the air on fire nearly drowned out the screams as flame washed over the southern end of the formation, startling Nedley¡¯s squad out of position. Bobo and Ral froze in place, while Ludlo dove off the back of the cart and cowered behind it. But Treya¡¯s spell was working. The screams were of fear and surprise rather than pain. Corec squinted, trying to peer through the fire. It was hot, but not unbearably so. His helmet¡¯s visor blocked the worst of the blown dust from his eyes, and there was little smoke since nothing was burning. As the flames continued, the men realized they weren¡¯t burning to death. Ral recovered from his shock and quickly finished cranking both his winch and Ludlo¡¯s, and Bobo loaded another bolt. The dragon hadn¡¯t realized its attack wasn¡¯t working. It swiveled its neck, aiming its breath at the rest of the formation in turn. With the flame passing to the north, the freight wagons came into view once again. Treya was sagging, held up by Ariadne as she strained to keep the protection spell in place. They had to hurry. Corec activated his combat spells and motioned to Boktar. The two of them sprinted around Ballista One and then past Nedley¡¯s squad. The men were attempting to reform into a shield wall, but they were one soldier short. One of the armsmen had dropped his pike and shield and was fleeing to the east. Nedley was chivvying the others to stay in the line. If they didn¡¯t, it would leave the ballista open to attack. With Ellerie missing and Sarette and Shavala seemingly out of the fight, they couldn¡¯t afford to risk Bobo too. But then as Corec and Boktar drew close to the dragon, a cone of flickering blue and white light appeared high in the sky above the battle. It streaked straight down toward the beast and struck with a resounding boom, the lightning magic discharging into the creature¡¯s body as Sarette landed between its wings and stabbed her spear down into its back. The billowing flame breath disappeared and the beast reared back on its hind legs, letting out a wild shriek of pain. Sarette went tumbling off, falling to the ground behind the dragon. ¡°Conley!¡± Corec yelled, searching behind himself for the man. ¡°Go after her! We¡¯ll distract it!¡± The priest of Pallisur was the only person who could safely leave the range of Treya¡¯s fire protection spell, and Sarette might have need of his healing magic. Conley gave a quick salute, then jogged in a wide arc to the south to avoid the dragon. The creature was getting its bearings after Sarette¡¯s attack. It returned to all fours, one of its forelegs crashing through the first freight wagon and flipping the remains on its side. With the flame gone, the noise had died down enough to issue orders. ¡°All weapons, attack when able!¡± Corec called out to the crews. The catapults and ballistae with a line of attack toward the dragon would continue fighting. The siege weapons that were out of position couldn¡¯t be moved with the mules gone, but those crews would retrieve crossbows¡ªif any could be recovered from the remains of the wagon¡ªand then find a safe spot from which to launch their own attack. Corec nodded to Boktar and then they charged at the dragon until they were close enough that it loomed above them. Even crouched down in wariness, its back was still over twice Corec¡¯s height. They braced their pikes to strike just as Bobo¡¯s glowing ballista bolt streaked by to their left, hitting the creature¡¯s haunch. Their pikes hit next, the fortisteel tips penetrating through the brown scales, but before they could force them in deeper, the dragon¡¯s wing whipped down wildly toward them. It seemed more of a reflex than an attack, but the wing snapped the pikes¡¯ shafts in half and knocked Boktar to the ground. They hadn¡¯t anticipated losing the weapons so quickly. Corec reached behind himself and unlatched the scabbard from his back as the dragon twisted its body around to face them, its talons clawing into the earth to improve its grip. Boktar scrambled backward out of the way. The beast¡¯s long tail whipped out behind it, slamming into Cenric¡¯s shield wall. Cries of fear and pain came from that direction. The dragon struck before Corec could unsheathe his sword, the creature¡¯s foreleg slashing out and down with talons extended. There was no time to dodge, so Corec braced his feet at an angle and held his arms up in front of himself to shield his head. The shimmering of his shield spell disappeared in an instant as the dragon¡¯s claws tore through the barrier without stopping, then crashed into him and knocked the sword out of his hand. A deep, reverberating echo sounded around the battlefield ¡­ but it was the dragon, not Corec, that was jolted back from the impact. King Argyros¡¯s armor started humming in the same way the war maul did. It took Corec a moment to overcome his surprise. The sword was on the ground, still sheathed. To strike before the dragon could recover, Corec held out his hand and summoned the hammer. It leapt up from where he¡¯d left it propped near Ballista One and flew into his grasp, just barely missing one of Nedley¡¯s soldiers. Using the maul¡¯s momentum to spin himself back toward the dragon, Corec rushed the last few steps and slammed the weapon against the creature¡¯s breastbone, where the keel would have been if it was a bird. There was a crunching sound and the dragon lost its footing. It swept its wing out and down to try to regain its balance, and as the wing brushed close to the ground, Corec tossed the hammer onto it, pinning the leathery membrane between the weapon and the earth. When the maul landed, there was a faint rumbling sensation and the humming from the armor faded away. The dragon shrieked as it tried to pull its wing back, tearing a gash in the membrane from the hammer¡¯s weight enchantment. Taking advantage of the creature¡¯s distraction, Corec crouched down to grab his sword. Boktar had climbed to his feet and pulled his shield from his back, standing between Corec and the dragon while Corec slid the scabbard off the blade and tossed it to the side. The dragon managed to pull its wing up, the hammer sliding off to the ground and pulling a strip of scaled skin off along the way. Before the beast could attack, though, the catapults launched their second loads. One of the weighted nets undershot its mark and the second never unfurled¡ªthe tight clump bouncing off the dragon¡¯s body¡ªbut the third catapult launched a bundle of heavy chains that draped themselves over and around the damaged wing. The dragon took its anger out on Corec and Boktar, angling its head toward them and opening its maw before blowing its breath out and igniting the area around them once more. The heat was more intense this time and Treya cried out in distress. Her protection spell wouldn¡¯t last much longer. This close to the dragon it was almost impossible to see through the fire. Corec swung his blade up at the beast¡¯s snout, hoping to disrupt the flame, but it drew its head back on its long neck while still keeping its breath aimed in their direction. Boktar attacked its foreleg, not causing any real damage with his warhammer but keeping the dragon from bracing itself to launch some other attack. Suddenly, a burst of cold, frosty wind washed over the area, blowing the creature¡¯s breath out of the way like a campfire in a storm. Corec risked a glance to the rear. Shavala, not looking to be in much better shape than Treya, had joined the other woman on top of the freight wagon. Ariadne was no longer with them. The elven woman held her arms outstretched before her, palms facing forward toward the dragon. A look of intense concentration grew on her face and the wind grew stronger and colder until hundreds of hail stones were pelting Corec¡¯s armor. The dragon¡¯s breath was forced completely backward, the flames curling around the creature¡¯s own body. Startled, it stopped breathing fire. With the flames out of the way, Ariadne and the knights from the rear ranks rushed into the melee, pikes in hands. Ariadne and Cason ran past Corec around to the creature¡¯s right side while Trentin and Georg took its left, ensuring the dragon couldn¡¯t reach them all at once. A few scattered crossbow bolts arced through the air as the rear weapon crews, their ballistae out of position, joined their commanders in the assault. When the knights struck with the pikes, the dragon¡¯s head darted to the side. It bit down on Sir Cason¡¯s shoulder, the teeth penetrating into the silversteel armor but not able to bite all the way through. The knight cried out in pain and lost hold of his pike as the dragon shook its head trying to get loose. Corec slashed at the creature¡¯s long neck, his glowing blue blade scoring deep marks into the scales. It managed to get its jaw loose from Cason¡¯s armor and turned its attention back to the front, but Corec kept his sword up, striking the creature¡¯s head each time it attempted to bite him. A sword wasn¡¯t an ideal weapon for fighting a dragon, but the enchanted blade was shattering scales and cutting divots of flesh out of the creature. Roaring in defiance, the dragon rested its weight on its rear legs and stretched out to slash at Corec, but the knights took the opportunity to stab it again with their pikes. Kevik and Osbert joined in this time, having left their ballista crews behind. The dragon¡¯s head reared back as the creature was distracted by the new attacks. Corec took the opportunity to rush in toward its body. The sword began buzzing as it had during the battle at Tir Yadar, and the blue light coming from the blade was replaced by the weapon¡¯s natural green glow. Dodging between the dragon¡¯s forelegs, Corec grasped the sword¡¯s ricasso in one hand and the hilt in the other and rammed the blade into the creature¡¯s chest. It went in cleanly, slicing through scales and bone as if they weren¡¯t there. The dragon gave a gasping attempt at a roar as it tried to scramble back out of the way. Corec pulled the sword out and struck again, this time closer to the neck. The knights had followed the creature¡¯s failed attempt at a retreat and struck at it again, and then the infantry squads came in next, leaving their shields behind and charging with their own pikes. The impacts from both sides at once caused the beast to shudder and twitch. After that, all it took was time. The men struck again and again, doing their best to avoid the dragon¡¯s flailing limbs and wings. The creature cried out piteously as it died. When the last of its whimpering faded, Corec stepped back, his blade still dripping with blood. Stunned silence settled over the battlefield as everyone realized the fight was over. With the danger having come to an end, Corec saw things he hadn¡¯t noticed before. Bobo pulling a white-glowing pike from the dragon¡¯s body. He¡¯d likely joined in once there were too many people in the way to risk using the ballista. Boktar standing near him, now wielding Sir Cason¡¯s pike. Cason himself was on his knees, using his uninjured arm to try to get his damaged armor off. Treya, unconscious, her head resting in Shavala¡¯s lap. Shavala staring at the dragon, tears running down her face. Priest Conley helping Sarette back to the group, blood and dirt caked over her left temple and cheek. And, half-buried by the dragon¡¯s corpse, the savaged body of a man. Judging by the crushed armor, it had to be Sir Willem. The fight was over, but it didn¡¯t feel like a victory. Book 4: Chapter Twenty-Nine ¡°Come along,¡± Shavala told the mule, which had come to an abrupt halt when it noticed the dragon¡¯s corpse on the far side of the camp. ¡°It¡¯s dead, it can¡¯t hurt you. We¡¯ll get you some oats and then get your leg fixed.¡± She managed to convince the limping animal to follow her the last fifty yards to the spot where Bili, a ballista crew member who¡¯d worked as a stablehand back in Four Roads, was caring for the four mules Shavala had brought back earlier, along with half a dozen others that had returned on their own. ¡°I promised him some oats,¡± she told the man. ¡°Is Treya awake yet?¡± ¡°I dun think so, Miss, uh, Miss Elf,¡± Bili stammered. Boktar joined them. ¡°It¡¯s hurt?¡± he asked, looking over the mule. ¡°His right foreleg,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Can Priest Conley do something about it?¡± ¡°Conley¡¯s not in any shape for more healing right now.¡± Boktar felt along the mule¡¯s leg. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem too bad,¡± he said. ¡°It can wait until tomorrow if need be.¡± ¡°I had to kill one that fell into a ditch,¡± Shavala admitted. ¡°Two of its legs were broken, and some ribs. It couldn¡¯t stand up and it was in too much pain to just leave it there until Treya could come.¡± The stoneborn man blew out his breath. ¡°Well, we lost a ballista and one of the supply wagons, so if we have to, we can get by without as many mules. We need to find as many as we can, though¡ªthey can still carry supplies, and we¡¯ll need to salvage whatever we can find from the wagon and spread the load around.¡± The mule¡¯s carrying capacity wasn¡¯t why Shavala had been saddened, but she supposed Boktar had to think about that sort of thing. She¡¯d tell Corec or Treya about it instead. They might understand ¡­ or at least pretend to. Luckily, with Leena¡¯s warning, there¡¯d been time to unyoke the mule teams. If the animals had been forced to flee in tandem with their yoke mates, more would have died. ¡°I saw more tracks,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll go out again later, but some have probably run too far for us to get them back.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°We have to camp here until we find more of them anyway, so I¡¯ll send a few men out in different directions. They might get lucky.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Corec?¡± ¡°He¡¯s got a crew looking for rocks to build a cairn for the men who died. We¡¯re too far from Four Roads to get the bodies back home, and he didn¡¯t want to burn them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go look for him,¡± Shavala said. She found Corec in a dry creek bed west of the dragon¡¯s body, digging up wide, flat stones and setting them in a pile. Two knights were doing the same farther down the bed, while three of the armsmen were then carrying the stones closer to the camp. ¡°I found more of the mules,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Corec¡¯s voice was dull. ¡°You sound tired. You should take a break.¡± ¡°I wanted to keep busy,¡± he said with a glance at the three blanket-covered mounds laid out side by side near the camp. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to just leave them lying there.¡± She took him by the hand and led him to the low pile of stones he¡¯d been gathering. He sat down, which brought his head below hers. She wouldn¡¯t have to crane her neck to look up at him. ¡°Other people can take over,¡± she said. He stared off into the distance. ¡°I¡¯m the one who got them killed. The knights knew how dangerous it was, at least from books, but the others had no idea what they were getting into.¡± ¡°It was the dragon that killed them,¡± she reminded him. ¡°Not you.¡± Half the reason she¡¯d gone searching for the mules on her own was to give herself time for her own mourning, both for the three lost men and for the dragon itself, which had only become aggressive because of some unknown instinctual imperative. Its end had been terrible, dying slowly and in agony as it was stabbed over and over. As a hunter, Shavala understood death, but at least then it served a purpose. The dorvasta didn¡¯t hunt dragons as food because there was debate between the druids on whether they should be considered thinking creatures, but even among humans, dragon meat wasn¡¯t typically considered to be edible. ¡°I know, but¡ª¡± She tilted her head to the side. ¡°And didn¡¯t you warn everyone it would be dangerous?¡± Shavala hadn¡¯t been around while Corec had been training the men, but Treya and Ellerie had told her about it. He didn¡¯t answer, but simply leaned his head against her chest and held her around the waist. That was different¡ªhe¡¯d been careful not to show affection in public since she¡¯d rejoined the group. Their friends would understand, but the knights and armsmen were aware of his relationship with Katrin, and he hadn¡¯t wanted to try to explain anything more complicated than that. Humans worried about the strangest things. Shavala laid a hand on his head and waited until he stood up, letting go of her. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°Someone else can take over for a while. I could use some rest.¡± She accompanied him back toward the camp but paused as they were passing by the dragon. There were cut marks along its scales that hadn¡¯t been there after the battle. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked. ¡°I had to stop some of the men from hacking at it¡ªI didn¡¯t want them hurting themselves. Kevik and Georg cut the teeth out instead, and promised one to each of them so they¡¯d have something to take home. I sawed off the horns, too, in case we need proof the dragon¡¯s dead.¡± Shavala wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that. Hunting trophies for the sake of trophies was wrong, but if the creature had to die anyway, at least those small parts of it could be used. And some traditional dorvasta tools, from the days before metalworking was common, still made use of the horns and teeth of various animals. She just nodded. Corec gestured to the dragon. ¡°Would you do what you did back at Tir Yadar?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should leave it out here like this. As soon as the locals find out where the body is, some of them will make the trip to see it. They might get sick if they mess around with it.¡± He had a good point. The dragon¡¯s corpse would take a long time to decompose, and by the time the armor scales had softened enough for scavengers to get to the meat, the insides were likely to be unfit even for most carrion-eaters. There was no need for a tershaya grove way out here, but the body could be fed to the grasses and plants that were already growing. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the staff.¡± # It was the heat and humidity that woke Leena, and the familiar smell of the sun beating down on the canvas of an already-warm tent. After the cool, brisk air of early spring in the north, it felt like home. She opened her eyes to realize she was home, lying on a cot in her grandmother¡¯s tent. Ellerie was sprawled on a pile of cushions nearby. It took Leena a moment to remember what had happened. The dragon had attacked. Her lover had been in danger, and she¡¯d reacted without thinking. She remembered arriving at her family¡¯s camp, but not much after that. ¡°Elle?¡± she said. Ellerie opened her eyes and sat up too quickly to have been asleep. ¡°Hey,¡± she said, kneeling by the cot and laying her palm across Leena¡¯s brow. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°The dragon ¡­¡± Leena said. ¡°What happened after we ¡­ ?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Corec¡¯s alive, but I don¡¯t know anything else.¡± Of course. How would she know anything about it if she was here in Sanvar? Leena did a quick Seeking on each of Corec¡¯s bondmates. She braced herself for the expected twinge of pain for using magic so soon after suffering drain shock, but it never came. ¡°They¡¯re alive,¡± she said. ¡°All of them.¡± Some of the tension drained from Ellerie¡¯s expression. ¡°They¡¯re safe?¡± she asked. ¡°I forgot you could look for them. They must have killed the dragon, then, or chased it off.¡± Then her face fell. ¡°You can¡¯t find Boktar or Ariadne, can you? Or Bobo?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re too far away.¡± The only reason Leena could find the others was because her Seeking magic could somehow act through the warden bond. ¡°But if everyone else is alive, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fine.¡± Ellerie looked down. ¡°Not everyone. Sir Willem was right there in the dragon¡¯s path. I don¡¯t think he made it.¡± Leena hadn¡¯t noticed the knight, having been too concerned about Ellerie¡¯s safety. She propped herself up on the cot and gathered the elven woman into her arms. ¡°Corec and Boktar will watch over them all,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯ll have saved as many as they could.¡± Ellerie sighed and nodded. ¡°What happened after I fell asleep?¡± Leena asked, letting go so she could swing her legs around and sit up at the edge of the cot. ¡°Your uncle thought Pavan might be able to take me back to where we were, but Pavan wasn¡¯t here in the camp and I couldn¡¯t explain exactly where we¡¯d come from. There wasn¡¯t any way to get back before the fight was over, so I stayed. Your grandmother let me sleep in here.¡± ¡°You talked to Pavan?¡± Leena asked. Ellerie and Pavan had only met once, before Leena had told him the truth about her relationship with the elven woman, but if Leena was going to bear Pavan¡¯s children, he and Ellerie would have to get to know each other at some point. Ellerie shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°No. Since I couldn¡¯t get back to the fight in time to help, I decided to wait and see how you were feeling. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to take me back? I don¡¯t want you to pass out again.¡± Leena considered it. ¡°I was already tired yesterday¡ªwas it yesterday? I¡¯d searched for the dragon a dozen times that morning, and Seeking always takes more out of me than Traveling. Let¡¯s give it a few hours and see.¡± She¡¯d just done five more Seekings, though checking on Razai and Katrin probably hadn¡¯t been necessary. She¡¯d need time to recover before trying to Travel again. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d gotten to the point where you could take other people with you.¡± ¡°Neither did I, but Rohav¡¯s been trying to train me on it whenever I get a chance to visit.¡± Leena hadn¡¯t admitted that to Ellerie before. After her failures the first time she¡¯d entered training, she hadn¡¯t wanted to mention it until she¡¯d mastered the skill. Ellerie nodded. ¡°I know you said you¡¯d be able to do it someday, but I didn¡¯t really think through what that meant. Yesterday we were in the free lands, and now we¡¯re thousands of miles away. I¡¯ve never been to Sanvar before. I¡¯ve never even been south of Terevas. Everything¡¯s so different here¡ªthe food, the clothing, everyone living in tents.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in a Zidari migratory camp,¡± Leena pointed out. ¡°If you went into Matihar or Sanvara City, it would be more like what you¡¯re used to. I lived in town before I went north, but all the Zidari families maintain their ancestral camps. We use tents so we can move back and forth between the wet-season and dry-season camps, to make sure the goats and sheep have enough to graze on. We¡¯ll be going to the wet-season camp soon¡ªit¡¯s more sheltered from the rain.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Still, it seems like this is a big step. If I wanted to visit my mother in Terevas, you could take me there, couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It might take a few tries¡ªI haven¡¯t mastered Traveling to a place I¡¯ve never been before¡ªbut yes, I could.¡± Ellerie nodded, then hesitated. ¡°Corec has been reluctant to ask you to do more than you¡¯re already doing,¡± she said. ¡°So have I. When we first met, you were desperate to protect your brother and you¡¯d have agreed to anything. But that wouldn¡¯t have been fair, so we tried not to ask more than we had to. Now, though ¡­¡± Leena brushed a stray strand of silver hair out of the elven woman¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll always want to protect my brother, but I stayed with you and your friends because I wanted to, not because I had to. I¡¯ve liked traveling around with you, and things are different now. I¡¯m stronger. We know who our enemies are. We¡¯ve got a plan to draw them out.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°If you can take people with you, there¡¯s so much more we could do. Shavala and I want to go back to Tir Yadar, Katrin wants to go to Circle Bay, Sarette and Ariadne want to go to the Storm Heights. The biggest problem with Corec¡¯s idea to settle down in the free lands was how far away we¡¯ll be from everything else, but that won¡¯t matter if you¡¯re willing to help.¡± Leena understood what Ellerie was really asking. Other than Ellerie and Razai, Leena had always kept some distance between herself and the rest of the group, not allowing any close relationships. She had her own life separate from them, and even when Corec had suggested sticking together until they¡¯d dealt with the snake cult, she¡¯d viewed it as a temporary situation. But things had changed. ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± she said with a small smile. She was skilled enough now that it was time for her to offer her service to the empire, but as a Traveler, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. She could make her home in the north and split her growing strength between her duty to her people and the shared responsibilities she and her friends had taken on. There was a rustle of canvas as Leena¡¯s grandmother pushed the tent flap out of the way and stepped inside. Udit followed her in, giving Ellerie a distrustful stare. Leena smiled and stood up to greet her family. # The finished cairn wasn¡¯t much to look at, consisting of a four-foot-tall mound of rocks over the three graves, but its purpose was obvious. No one was likely to disturb it, and the heavier stones at the base would make that difficult. ¡°It¡¯ll do,¡± Kevik said. ¡°I¡¯ll come back later with a marker for the spot,¡± Corec told him. A bronze plaque wouldn¡¯t cost much, and would allow the men¡¯s families to find the right place if they ever came looking. Kevik nodded but didn¡¯t reply. The knights had been in a dark mood since Willem¡¯s death. Priest Conley and the other knights joined them. ¡°I should say some words for them,¡± the priest said. Corec took the opportunity to slip away from the group. If they were going to offer prayers to Pallisur, he wanted no part of it. He nodded a farewall as he left. It was Sir Georg, of all people, who acknowledged his departure, giving a brief but respectful nod in return. The rest of the expedition was slowly reassembling as they prepared to continue on their way. The dragon was dead, but the group still needed to travel the last twenty miles to the keep to make sure there were no hatchlings. If they allowed any young dragons to live, the creatures would grow quickly and soon overrun the area. Leena and Ellerie hadn¡¯t returned yet, but both still appeared to Corec¡¯s warden senses. The direction they were in felt similar to the location of Leena¡¯s bond when she visited her family, but Corec had sent a group south anyway, just in case they were nearby but injured. The men had returned empty-handed, so now all Corec could do was wait and hope the two women were able to come back on their own. He tracked down Boktar, who was checking each of the ballista carts to make sure they hadn¡¯t been damaged during the fighting. ¡°We found the men who ran,¡± Boktar told him. ¡°Two came back when they realized they didn¡¯t have any supplies, and Shavala found the others while she was tracking down more mules this morning. What should we do with them?¡± Rolf, the man who¡¯d fled from Nedley¡¯s squad during the attack, hadn¡¯t been the only deserter. They¡¯d also lost a member of Cenric¡¯s squad, as well as the two men assigned to Catapult Four, which hadn¡¯t even been involved in the fighting. Corec sighed¡ªhe¡¯d hoped the deserters would flee the area so he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with them himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°How can I judge someone for running from that fight?¡± Standing in the middle of a burning fire wasn¡¯t something he was interested in repeating, Treya¡¯s protection spell or not. Could he really blame someone for breaking under that sort of pressure? ¡°We can¡¯t just let it go. The ones who stayed won¡¯t accept it, not with three men dead.¡± Corec grimaced at that. As much as he would like to blame the deserters for the fates of the men who¡¯d died, it wasn¡¯t their fault¡ªthe deaths had happened too quickly for anyone to react. Sir Willem and Nale, a ballista crew member from Four Roads, had died in the dragon¡¯s initial attack. The third dead man was Wifric, a hillfolk mercenary in Cenric¡¯s squad who¡¯d been hit in the head by the dragon¡¯s tail and died before he could be healed. If anyone was at fault, it was Corec himself for not adequately preparing the armsmen for what they¡¯d be facing. Dry facts listed in a book simply couldn¡¯t match the reality of facing a dragon in person, but that excuse wouldn¡¯t be any consolation for the families of the three men who¡¯d been lost. ¡°No bonus,¡± he said. ¡°They volunteered to come with us, so they get full pay for the trip out, but they don¡¯t get the bonus for killing the dragon. For the rest of the trip, demote them to drivers and cooks. One silver per day.¡± Once Corec was sure the keep was clear of any other dangers, the pay for the other armsmen would drop from five silver per day to two, but he couldn¡¯t trust the four deserters as armsmen any longer. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like much of a punishment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not their punishment,¡± Corec said. ¡°The rest of the men are going to return home as heroes, and every single one of them is going to talk. It won¡¯t be long before the whole town knows what happened.¡± He couldn¡¯t¡ªand wouldn¡¯t¡ªhelp the deserters save their reputations, but he wasn¡¯t going to cheat them out of the pay they¡¯d rightfully earned. ¡°And leave their names off the recruitment list.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°I suppose that¡¯ll work. I¡¯ll mention it to anyone who complains.¡± ¡°How long until we¡¯re ready to go?¡± ¡°Two hours, maybe three. We¡¯ll have to leave Catapult Four behind. It wasn¡¯t doing much good anyway, and I need that wagon if we¡¯re going to bring the rest of our supplies.¡± The dragon had crushed the side of one of the large freight wagons, destroying most of the crossbows, half a dozen wooden pike shafts, and two barrels of flour, but much of the food stored on the wagon had been salvageable. Catapult Four was the only modern-day catapult the expedition had brought, which meant it couldn¡¯t be repositioned the way the three shrinking versions from Tir Yadar could. Corec had only ended up bringing it along because it was available, but it wouldn¡¯t be any great loss, especially without its crew. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°We have enough mules for everything else?¡± ¡°We lost four, but without the freight wagon or Ballista Two, we won¡¯t need them.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°If you can get a group together to unbolt Catapult Four from the wagon, I¡¯ll work on rearranging the supplies.¡± Book 4: Chapter Thirty It took two more days to reach the spot where the Farm Road finally merged with the Old Road, just north of a ravine which held a wide, fast-flowing river at the bottom of a steep slope. An old stone bridge spanned the distance, suspended by four wide arches set across the river. With a wide gate at the far end, it had to be the toll bridge. The third arch had collapsed, but it wasn¡¯t the ruined bridge that made Corec stop. It was what lay beyond. ¡°That¡¯s not a keep,¡± he said to Ellerie. She and Leena had returned from Sanvar the day before. ¡°It¡¯s a fortress. What did Matagor need so much protection from way out here?¡± Beyond the bridge, atop a wide hill, stood a thirty-foot-tall stone wall surrounded by what remained of an abandoned village. The gatehouse was still intact, facing northeast toward the bridge, but the left side of the gate wall had collapsed, as had parts of the southeast wall. Stone blocks and boulders were strewn nearby. On the far side of the bridge, the roads separated again. The Old Road went west, where it would split once more, with one branch leading through the south hills and then on to Fort Hightower in Larso, while the other led to Matagor. The Farm Road continued south, passing by the fortress¡¯s east side. It was Bobo who answered. ¡°When Meftil fell to the plague, trade along the southern routes suffered, which made the northern routes more valuable,¡± he said. ¡°Matagor had seized the ferries here even before that, but they decided to replace them with a toll bridge to take advantage of the extra traffic. They were having border troubles with Larso at the time, though, and since this spot is closer to Larso than Matagor ¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°I suppose they felt it was necessary.¡± ¡°How are we going to get across?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Can we ford the river?¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Probably not for miles. Why build a toll bridge here if everyone could just go around?¡± The water looked deep, and the slopes of the ravine were too steep for the carts to make it down safely. Corec said, ¡°One of those miniature bridges from Tir Yadar might be big enough to set over the gap.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe to take the wagons over?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether to be more worried about the small bridge or about what¡¯s left of the big one.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave the heavy equipment behind for now,¡± Corec said. ¡°We can cross on foot and see how sturdy it is. I¡¯ll go first and ask Ariadne to come with me. If there are any hatchlings, we should be able to hold them off until everyone else catches up.¡± # Shavala climbed up on top of a stone cottage for a better view, using the remains of a fallen shed to give herself a boost. The cottage¡¯s thatched roof had fallen in, but she could walk along the top edge of the walls to peer around at the abandoned village. Corec, Ariadne, and the knights had crossed the bridge first and circled the small town, searching for any sign of hatchlings before allowing the others to join them. Now the armsmen were checking inside each building to make sure nothing was hiding in wait. Shavala¡¯s perch was in the northeast part of the village, between the bridge and the fortress. All the wooden buildings in this part of town had burned down at some point, but most of the stone and brick work was still sound. She¡¯d already examined the closest structures with her elder senses, not finding any sign of creatures that felt similar to the dragon, so now she waited as the armsmen finished searching the nearby area and spread out to the rest of the circular village. Growing bored with watching for nothing, she climbed down from the cottage wall and joined Corec and Kevik in front of what they¡¯d referred to as a gatehouse¡ªan arched stone tunnel leading into the fortress. They¡¯d just given up trying to open the iron gate that barred the way. ¡°It¡¯s barely moving,¡± Corec said. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s rusted in place, too heavy to move, or locked shut.¡± Kevik peered through the bars, up at the spot the gate would have slid into if it could open. ¡°How would they have locked it after leaving?¡± he said. ¡°They must have left it open, but then either the ratchet or the locking mechanism rusted through and the gate fell down.¡± ¡°Or they never left,¡± Corec suggested. ¡°They could have locked it in the down position and died here when the dragon came.¡± ¡°Either way, we¡¯ll need to get inside. We¡¯re not going to get it open without the winch. The portcullis at the far end is closed too.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to go around, then,¡± Corec said with a sigh. ¡°I hate climbing in armor.¡± He was referring to the remains of the fortress wall to the left of the tunnel. Although a large section had collapsed, the blocks and boulders that had made up the upper levels were strewn around in piles. The group would have to make their way up and over the debris to get past what remained of the wall. It took another twenty minutes for the search parties to finish their task. Nedley¡¯s group was the last to return. ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything on the west side,¡± the young man told Corec. ¡°There are some big buildings that look like warehouses, but they¡¯re empty.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Thanks, Ned,¡± he said. ¡°The warehouses are for trade caravans to camp away from the weather, or to leave some of their cargo behind for another caravan to pick up.¡± He raised his voice so everyone could hear. ¡°We¡¯re going over the wall! Keep a close watch and don¡¯t do anything stupid¡ªwe don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll find in there.¡± Corec and Kevik started up the incline first, walking unsteadily on the rubble until they reached the first row of larger stone blocks. While they tried to find the easiest way up, Shavala scrambled past them. From up close, she could see talon marks on the fallen stone¡ªsome marks more recent, others weathered with age. Had the dragon used this spot as a perch? Perhaps the wall had collapsed bit by bit from the creature¡¯s weight rather than all at once. She reached top of the pile and peered inside the fortress. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything moving,¡± she announced. ¡°It looks empty.¡± ¡°Wait for us,¡± Corec told her. She winked at him and dropped down on the other side. Stone structures of various shapes and sizes lined the inside of the wall. The largest was opposite the gatehouse on the far side of the fortress, a three-story building reaching as high as the wall itself¡ªand higher still, with its sloped, clay-tile roofs. The building had a wide set of double doors on the first level, but one of the doors was ajar and the other had fallen to the ground, leaving the entryway open. Between the gatehouse and the larger building was a central courtyard that hadn¡¯t yet been grown over with grasses and weeds despite the decades of abandonment. Judging by the patterns in the dirt that overlaid the cobblestones, this was where the dragon had spent its time. Corec and Kevik made it over the wall, followed by Ariadne and Sarette. Corec gave Shavala a stern look. ¡°What if there had been hatchlings in here?¡± he asked. He and Katrin were overly protective, sometimes treating Shavala¡ªwho was five times their age¡ªas if she wasn¡¯t old enough to make her own decisions. ¡°I would have handled it,¡± she said. ¡°And if I couldn¡¯t, I would have run back to the wall.¡± She kept her words unapologetic. He looked dubious but let it go. If Katrin had been there, she would have been harder to convince. As Nedley¡¯s squad and the remaining knights made it past the mound of fallen stone, they joined the others who were already inside. Boktar had waited out in the village with Cenric¡¯s squad to watch over the rest of the expedition. ¡°Same as before,¡± Corec told those who¡¯d gathered within the fortress. ¡°Check every building and make sure there aren¡¯t any hatchlings or other surprises. Don¡¯t go inside the keep yet. We¡¯ll do that as a group once we¡¯re sure everything else is clear.¡± The others scattered. While Shavala and Corec waited, Ellerie and Leena cautiously made their way down the remains of the fallen wall and joined them. Ellerie cast her gaze around the courtyard, focusing on a tall tower that rose from the southeast corner. ¡°This place isn¡¯t bad for the free lands,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not what I expected,¡± Corec said. ¡°Good walls ¡­ for the most part. Stables, storage, a keep.¡± She seemed to be hinting at something. He gave her a surprised look, then peered around the fortress once again. There was a shout from the west. ¡°Corec!¡± Nedley called out. ¡°We found something!¡± Corec reached behind his back for his sword harness. ¡°Hatchlings?¡± ¡°Uhh, no. Not quite.¡± A moment later they were staring at four yellowish-white eggs just over a foot tall, nestled together in a gap between two buildings. Corec stared at them for a moment. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯ll be easier this way. I¡¯ll go get my hammer.¡± The idea made Shavala sick to her stomach. ¡°Wait!¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t kill them. They haven¡¯t done anything to deserve it.¡± He frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t let them live, Shavala. You know that. They¡¯ll be too dangerous once they hatch. They¡¯ll take over the whole area.¡± It took her a moment to come up with an answer. ¡°Cetos!¡± she said. ¡°People in Cetos live with dragons. They¡¯d know what to do.¡± ¡°How are we supposed to get them to Cetos?¡± he asked. ¡°By ship? They¡¯ll hatch before we get there.¡± Shavala looked at Leena, who shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Cetos,¡± the Sanvari woman said. ¡°I can try, but what would I do once I get there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find out,¡± Shavala promised. ¡°Zhailai¡¯s been there on her travels. She¡¯s one of the druids you met at the western border. If you take me back to the forest, we can ask her.¡± Leena nodded. Corec sighed. ¡°Fine, but we¡¯ll only be here for a day or two to rest the mules, and we can¡¯t leave the eggs here to hatch on their own.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll look for Zhailai tomorrow,¡± Shavala promised. ¡°If you have to leave before we figure out what to do, I¡¯ll stay here with them.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re serious about this, it would probably be best if we moved them out of sight, somewhere you can keep an eye on them more easily. The men might want revenge.¡± Shavala nodded. Moving the eggs could possibly harm them, and without their mother they might not hatch at all, but she had to at least make an attempt to save them. # Corec stood atop the lookout tower, staring down at the activity below. They¡¯d managed to winch the portcullises up and wedge them open so they wouldn¡¯t fall again, then had driven the supply wagons through so they could set up camp within the bailey. It had given him time to make a more thorough inspection of the fortress. The defensive wall was constructed of five equal-sized curtain walls arranged in a pentagon, with battlements consisting of a parapet and wall-walk lining the perimeter, offering defenders a protected position from which to attack. The lookout tower Corec had climbed was the only one still in one piece. There had once been another at the westernmost corner, but its upper levels had collapsed, leaving only the stairwell from the ground up to the battlements. The other three points of the pentagon were constructed with bastions rather than towers, protruding outward to offer better angles of attack against anyone too close to the walls. The gatehouse, the only entrance into the fortress, consisted of a twenty-foot-long arched passageway with a portcullis at either end, though the winches to raise and lower the gates were rusted and barely working. Arrowslits lined both sides of the passage, to be used by defenders in case attacking forces breached the first portcullis. The gate wall faced northeast, where an old path passed through the remains of the village before leading down the hill toward the road and the bridge. Inside the fortress, opposite the gate wall, stood the keep itself, a five-sided building echoing the shape of the defensive wall. Other smaller structures were dotted around the bailey, most using the curtain walls or each other as part of their own construction. The fortress¡¯s defenses weren¡¯t particularly strong¡ªthere was no moat or drawbridge, only a single defensive wall, the battlements didn¡¯t provide any platforms large enough to hold ballistae or catapults, and the towers and bastions were angled rather than rounded¡ªbut it was still well beyond anything Corec had expected to find in the free lands. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Ellerie had raised the obvious question, but he wasn¡¯t sure how to answer. He was pondering the idea when a voice sounded from behind him. ¡°Hey, sailor, do you come here often?¡± He spun around and grinned. ¡°Katrin!¡± he said, taking her into his arms and squeezing. Ellerie had followed her up, but held back to give them a chance to greet each other. ¡°Not so tight!¡± Katrin squeaked. ¡°Your armor¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, letting her go so he could step back and look at her. ¡°What are you doing here? How did you ¡­ Leena?¡± With the dangerous part of the journey at an end, Leena had gone back to Four Roads to get the men¡¯s bonuses. If they paid the recruits off now, some might choose to return to town on their own, which would cut down on wages and expenses during the trip back. ¡°She told me about taking Ellerie to Sanvar, so I asked if she could bring me back with her. Now that the dragon¡¯s dead, I figure you¡¯re not allowed to complain about me being here.¡± He laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not complaining. I¡¯ve missed you. What about Harri and Ditte, though?¡± ¡°Nallee¡ªTreya¡¯s friend¡ªoffered to keep an eye on them until I get back.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Have you seen Shavala yet?¡± ¡°Just for a minute. Were those really dragon eggs?¡± Katrin shivered. ¡°I hope she gets rid of them soon. I wanted to talk to her, but not while she was sitting right next to those things. I told her I¡¯d go find you first and then come back later.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to see you.¡± ¡°This is the keep the dragon took over?¡± she asked, looking down at the structures below. ¡°It¡¯s bigger than I thought it would be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the keep,¡± Corec said, pointing to the appropriate building. ¡°But yes, I didn¡¯t realize there was anything like this out here. Bobo thinks Matagor might have called it a trade keep to make it sound less threatening to Larso ¡­ though you¡¯d think anyone passing by would recognize it for what it is.¡± Ellerie stepped over to join the conversation. ¡°Half the art of diplomacy is just politely pretending you don¡¯t know what the other person is doing. If Matagor and Larso both say it¡¯s a keep, then it¡¯s a keep.¡± She gestured down at the bailey. ¡°Speaking of which, what do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We can¡¯t just move in, can we?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°No one else is using it, and we were supposed to be looking for a place we could defend.¡± She didn¡¯t sound surprised¡ªsomeone had apparently filled her in already. ¡°I was thinking of something ¡­ smaller,¡± Corec said. ¡°Easier to take care of. This is a long way from town, and the road¡¯s in bad shape.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to clear the roads anyway,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°In the letter I sent to Varsin Senshall, I promised he¡¯d be able to go back to running caravans along the Old Road, but that was before I saw it. He sent us fifty gold, so we owe it to him. We can let Senshall caravans through for free for a few years to pay him back.¡± It took Corec a moment to realize what she was suggesting. ¡°You think we should re-open the toll bridge ourselves?¡± ¡°You¡¯re keeping some of the men on. If we stay here, the tolls can pay their wages.¡± Corec nodded. Having steady income would solve the biggest obstacle in the plan. Without it, they couldn¡¯t afford to hire the armsmen for long before running out of money. ¡°The men can help clear the roads, I suppose,¡± he said. ¡°We won¡¯t have much need for soldiers right away, so that¡¯ll give them something to do.¡± He peered down at the fallen stonework. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to fix the walls, though. Not on top of what we¡¯ve already spent. We¡¯ll have to wedge some logs in the gaps.¡± ¡°We can fix them,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The stone itself is still here, and the other components for stone-shaping are cheap.¡± Corec stared at her in surprise. He hadn¡¯t considered that possibility. ¡°A defensive wall isn¡¯t all stone, though,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s sand in the center to reinforce it, and mortar to fill in the gaps.¡± ¡°Is that necessary, or is it just because it¡¯s cheaper? Stone-shaping will turn it all solid, and Hildra gave me a warding spell to strengthen it.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Corec said. The shaped stone in Tir Yadar had held up well enough over the centuries. And either way, it would be far more defensible than his original vision of a manor house surrounded by a small wooden palisade. The fortress might not compare with more modern or more expensive fortifications, but it was still an actual fortress. If the walls could be repaired, a handful of defenders would be able to withstand a small army. ¡°I can fix the bridge too,¡± Ellerie offered. ¡°I don¡¯t think that miniature bridge will hold up for long once we¡¯ve got trade caravans coming through here.¡± Corec nodded, then turned to Katrin. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t mind being this far from town?¡± he asked her. She couldn¡¯t have had long to think about the idea, and she¡¯d always been reluctant to settle down too far away from civilization. She shrugged. ¡°It won¡¯t be forever, and maybe Leena would be willing to take me to the city once in a while. Besides, I can sing for the caravans that come through. The building where Shavala¡¯s got those dragon eggs used to be a tavern, I think. We can clean it up and open for business on nights that traders are here.¡± Corec could start to see the idea coming together. ¡°If there¡¯s something for them to do here, the caravan masters will probably make this a regular overnight stop,¡± he said. ¡°Especially since there aren¡¯t any towns within fifty miles. We can make arrangements with one of the trading houses to bring in supplies on their way through, so we won¡¯t have to keep making the trip ourselves.¡± ¡°Are we going to do it, then?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°We should ask the others.¡± ¡°I already have, but there wasn¡¯t much to talk about. It¡¯s the same thing we were already planning to do, just better. Nobody¡¯s opposed, and Boktar¡¯s pushing for it.¡± Corec nodded. They¡¯d be farther from town than they¡¯d planned, but Katrin had been the one most concerned about that. If she didn¡¯t mind, then it wasn¡¯t an issue. Making their home here would introduce a new problem, though¡ªone that Ellerie likely hadn¡¯t considered. This place was much farther south than Four Roads. If King Rusol sent a large force to assault them, it would most likely come through the southern passes rather than the northern passes, which meant Corec¡¯s friends from Fort Hightower might be involved in the attack. But perhaps that would be a good thing. The knights weren¡¯t red-eyes, and they¡¯d be more likely to listen to reason than someone who didn¡¯t know him. ¡°I suppose we should start making arrangements, then,¡± he said. Katrin nodded, while Ellerie gave a quick grin. There was a heavy clomping sound as someone climbed the stairs leading up the tower, and then Kevik came out through the open doorway. ¡°Miss Ellerie, Miss Katrin,¡± he said with a small bow. He didn¡¯t seem surprised that Katrin was there, which meant he¡¯d probably seen her arrive. ¡°Heya, Corec.¡± ¡°Hey, Kevik,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯re going to head out now. What do you want us to do with the weapons and armor?¡± ¡°Yours and Trentin¡¯s were gifts. The others ¡­¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°They can keep it if they want.¡± It was only three extra sets of gear, and perhaps it could serve as a bribe to keep this batch of knights friendly in case they were sent out on patrol again. ¡°Did you get your bonuses and the last of your pay?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re all settled up. I¡¯ll see that Willem¡¯s family gets his share.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°Thank you. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to wait? We¡¯ll be starting back in two days. Some of us anyway.¡± If they were going to claim the keep, perhaps a small group should remain. ¡°With the dragon dead, you don¡¯t need us anymore, and it¡¯s a long walk back to Four Roads. We¡¯ll make it there faster without the wagons, and Boktar sold us two mules and some supplies.¡± Losing two mules would leave another ballista behind, but there wasn¡¯t any reason to drag the weapons back to town. ¡°After we get our horses and gear, we¡¯ll head home.¡± ¡°North or south?¡± ¡°Probably straight to Fort Hightower, but we haven¡¯t decided yet. I¡¯m not eager to get back¡ªthe priests are going to ask questions once they find out we fought alongside mages¡ªbut it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to Hightower, we might run into you along the way.¡± Kevik shook his head. ¡°This road¡¯s too slow for the horses. If we do come back south, we¡¯ll cut over and take the hill roads instead.¡± ¡°We might have things in better shape the next time you bring a patrol out here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking of staying?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s got to clean this place up.¡± Kevik glanced down at the fortress. ¡°Not a bad idea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come down with you. I should try to talk to Trentin before you leave.¡± The younger knight had been avoiding Corec since the battle. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to speak to you right now. Willem was his friend.¡± Corec looked away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried to plan for everything, but ¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°People die in war, but Trentin¡¯s never lost anyone before. He¡¯ll get over it; just give him some time. And the plan was fine¡ªno one¡¯s ever taken out a full-sized adult dragon and only lost three men before.¡± That wasn¡¯t true, but Kevik was referring to the historical records kept by the Knights of Pallisur, who¡¯d never lost fewer than ten knights or soldiers when facing an adult dragon. The battle was less impressive when compared to some of the stories Bobo knew, where the forces had fought with both arms and magic. ¡°Maybe, but I wish it had turned out differently,¡± Corec said. ¡°We knew what we were getting into. At least we¡¯ll be able to tell his parents he didn¡¯t run away. We can pretend he died a hero, rather than freezing up.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t freeze,¡± Ellerie said. The knight turned to her, a question on his face. ¡°He didn¡¯t freeze,¡± she repeated. ¡°He forgot about his pike, and he forgot he was supposed to run, but he was ready to fight. He had time to draw his sword.¡± Kevik drew in a deep breath, then nodded. ¡°That helps. Thank you.¡± He clasped Corec¡¯s forearm. ¡°See you around.¡± ¡°See you around, Kev.¡± ¡°Ladies,¡± the knight said with one last bow before he headed down the stairwell. Ellerie watched him leave. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said to Corec. ¡°I should have gotten Willem and Nale out of there. I didn¡¯t realize what was happening until it was too late.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡ªthey knew the plan as well as you did. We trained, but ¡­ I don¡¯t know how anyone trains for that. We were lucky to do as well as we did.¡± He was trying to reassure her, but he wasn¡¯t sure he believed the words himself. The look she gave him suggested she knew what he was thinking, but she changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone and go let Boktar know we¡¯re taking over the keep. He¡¯ll be happy.¡± # There was a festive mood in the air as the recruits celebrated the successful conclusion of their task. They had reason to be happy¡ªLeena and Katrin had brought their bonuses, ten gold for each man. For some of them, that was more than a year¡¯s pay. There was nothing to spend it on here, and no alcohol available this far from civilization, but that didn¡¯t seem to matter. Some played dice or cards, while others sang folk songs or told stories. Boktar and Sarette were quietly taking a few of the men aside to ask them to consider staying on. Ariadne didn¡¯t take part in the celebrating. Instead, she found herself hesitating just outside the glow of Corec¡¯s mage light. He was sitting in a semi-circle with Treya, Katrin, and Shavala, discussing plans for how to make the keep livable again. Perhaps this wasn¡¯t a good time. She turned to leave, but it was too late¡ªthey¡¯d seen her. ¡°Come join us,¡± Treya said, waving her over. They made room for her on the piles of stone they were using as seats. Ariadne sighed and made her way over to the campfire. Corec nodded to her as she sat. ¡°Did you decide whether you want to stay here or go with the group that¡¯s heading back to Four Roads?¡± he asked. He and some others had decided to remain at the keep, but Boktar would be leading the bulk of the expedition on their return to Four Roads. The group¡¯s horses were still there, and they would need more supplies if they intended to stay in this isolated location. The men they were hiring would have the chance to gather their belongings and inform their families before escorting the supply caravan back to the fortress. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± she said. The Mage Knights¡¯ armor and weapons were still back in Four Roads, hidden away in the wheelwright¡¯s shop the group had been using as their headquarters. Ellerie had cast mage locks on the doors and windows, but the building could hardly be considered secure. ¡°Will you come back?¡± Treya asked. It was a legitimate question¡ªAriadne hadn¡¯t made any commitments to the group. It was also the perfect opening to ask what she¡¯d come to ask, but she didn¡¯t take it. ¡°I will, at least for now,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any plans other than going to the Storm Heights with Sarette when she¡¯s ready.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We won¡¯t be doing much here other than cleaning and building, but you¡¯re welcome to stick around.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Katrin stood and stretched. ¡°I should really go find Leena and see if she can take me back to Four Roads. It¡¯s getting late and I didn¡¯t ask Nallee to watch the children overnight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trade off with you if you want to stay here,¡± Treya told her after a quick glance at Corec. ¡°I¡¯d like to visit the chapter house anyway.¡± Katrin grinned and sat back down. ¡°Sure. I didn¡¯t bring a change of clothing, but one night won¡¯t hurt.¡± She ruffled Corec¡¯s hair. ¡°I guess you¡¯re stuck with me.¡± He chuckled. Treya got up to leave, but Ariadne held out a hand to stop her. ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to ask.¡± She turned to the others. ¡°To ask all of you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Treya asked. Now that she¡¯d started, Ariadne wasn¡¯t sure how to continue. ¡°When we fought the dragon, I should have been able to help more, like Sarette did,¡± she said. Corec furrowed his brow. ¡°What do you mean? You did fine.¡± ¡°Maybe, but ¡­ my elder magic has always been weak. You could change that if you bonded me.¡± She¡¯d said it. She still wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right choice, but she¡¯d come to feel a sense of camaraderie with this group, something she¡¯d feared she¡¯d never feel again. ¡°The warden bond?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Treya and Sarette said you were interested, but I always figured you had other things you wanted to do.¡± Treya gave them both a brief smile of encouragement. Ariadne regarded the group silently for a moment, then said, ¡°I think we all know I¡¯m not going to find the Chosar.¡± It was the first time she¡¯d admitted it out loud. ¡°I needed time to realize that for myself. I still want to find out what happened to them, but whatever it was, it was in the past. There¡¯s nothing I can do to change it. I need ¡­¡± She trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words. The wardens were the last remnants of the world she remembered, and Corec and his friends were the people she knew best in this time. If she left them, where would she go? He nodded in understanding. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. ¡°We waited for you in case Sarette and Treya were right, but you don¡¯t have to go through with it just to stay. You¡¯re welcome here either way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± She¡¯d spent months considering her decision. He looked to Treya, Katrin, and Shavala in turn. They each gave a quick nod. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it,¡± he said. ¡°This won¡¯t take long.¡± He closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate, then opened them again. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong. There¡¯s ¡­¡± He stopped talking and they all stared at Ariadne¡¯s forehead. She touched her brow. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any different.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the wrong shade of blue¡ªit¡¯s too light. And it¡¯s not the rune I tried to use. You were already bonded.¡± ¡°What? No, I wasn¡¯t! It had to be you.¡± ¡°My spell failed. It felt just like when I cast it on Venni for practice. She was already Yelena¡¯s bondmate so nothing happened.¡± Ariadne tried to think through the implications. ¡°Was it Hildra? Did she do it when I visited her?¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°Hildra¡¯s runes are purple, and she already has eight bondmates. Or had¡ªtwo died, but from what she told me, that doesn¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°Yelena, then!¡± Ariadne had never met Yelena, but who else could it have been? ¡°Yelena¡¯s runes are red. Unless there¡¯s a way to change the color?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think so.¡± Except for two brief conversations with Hera, she¡¯d only seen the old wardens from a distance. She¡¯d never discussed the details of their abilities with them. ¡°I ¡­ how could it happen? Who else could have done it?¡± ¡°Maybe another warden found us in Four Roads,¡± Corec said. ¡°Or snuck into our camp. It could have been anyone¡ªI didn¡¯t know Hildra was a warden until she told me.¡± ¡°But why? Why would they bond someone they don¡¯t know?¡± Could it explain why elder magic had been coming to her more easily? Before she¡¯d gone into stasis, her proficiency had been at a standstill. Recently, though, her skill had begun growing again. Not by much, but then, she hadn¡¯t been practicing much. ¡°The first few times I cast the binding spell, it was an accident,¡± Corec said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize what I was doing. There could be someone else out there like me. Or maybe it¡¯s Rusol.¡± Then he frowned and shook his head. ¡°No, as king, I don¡¯t see how Rusol could be away from Larso for so long. Even if he¡¯s found a Traveler somehow, he¡¯d still need time to put a plan together, and how would it help him to cast the binding spell on you?¡± Ariadne didn¡¯t understand it either. How could she be a bondmate without a warden? Corec¡¯s experiences aside, wardens didn¡¯t bond people by accident. ¡°Can you sense what direction the bond points to?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°We couldn¡¯t do that right away¡ªit took time¡ªbut if you¡¯re not sure how long it¡¯s been ¡­¡± Ariadne tried, but she wasn¡¯t sure what she was looking for. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything,¡± she said. She stared at Katrin¡¯s and Shavala¡¯s sigils, glowing on their brows. Like her own, she supposed ¡­ but now she would never be part of their group. What was she supposed to do? Where did she belong? Book 4: Epilogue A stone palace stood at the top of a tall cliff overlooking the Sheshi Plains in central Vestath. With the warm climate, the residential quarters along the western edge of the palace were open to the elements, their balconies offering a view of the flatlands below. It was into one of these suites that Pallisur appeared, expending most of his power to craft a mortal body for himself as he passed through the barrier between realms. As his mind locked into its new vessel, his abilities to Travel and cross over to the divine realm were blocked from his reach. His arcane magic became restricted once more to those spells he¡¯d known during his mortal life as a battle wizard. Not all of his new abilities disappeared¡ªhe still carried the divine magic he¡¯d been gifted during his ascension, but that too was diminished. He could no longer send visions to his followers, and trying to read potential futures would become hazier and difficult to interpret. While he could bless new priests, his ability to See them and choose them was now limited by the proximity of his other blessed priests. To choose new priests from outside the Order, he would need to encounter them in person. It was the price the gods paid for the gift of life. With his last bit of strength, he crafted a rough robe to wear before that ability, too, was locked away from him. Manifesting physical objects, so easy in the divine realm, was nearly impossible in the mortal world even under the best of circumstances. But the robe would do until he could obtain something better. Pallisur held his hands in front of his face and flexed his fingers, allowing himself a moment to savor the movement of the bones and muscles and tendons, the strain of his legs standing on a solid surface. When he was in the divine realm, it was always the little things he missed. The man he was seeking stood at the balcony staring out across the plains. Tormardar, the capital city of Ti Kunja, was visible as a smudge on the western horizon. On the other side of the palace, to the northeast, lay the Salt Desert, a place devoid of nearly all life and uninhabitable to any but the sunborn. That was a travesty that should never have been allowed to happen, but thanks to Zachal¡¯s treachery, Pallisur had been slower than the others in recovering from the ritual. By the time he had full control of his powers, the future had already been set. ¡°I always know when it¡¯s you,¡± the man at the balcony said before turning around. He had the dark skin and hair of the te-Vestathi people, and he was shirtless to welcome the sun. There were warden runes along his upper arms but half of them had burned out. The First raised an eyebrow when he saw Pallisur¡¯s appearance. ¡°What¡¯s with the ears? Are you supposed to be seaborn this time?¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Pallisur replied. He¡¯d created a copy of his original body. The real one was buried beneath the rubble of Fortress West in Tir Yadar. Badru grinned and clasped his arm. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, old friend. It¡¯s been a long time since you walked this world in the flesh.¡± ¡°I felt it was time,¡± Pallisur said. ¡°How have you been?¡± The simple question hid a deeper meaning. Would Badru answer truthfully? ¡°Oh, the people make sure I want for nothing,¡± the man said. ¡°I do a bit of healing here and there, but mostly it¡¯s just a show to convince me I¡¯m still useful. The dravim keep watch over me like mother hens, as if they¡¯re worried I¡¯ll hurt myself somehow.¡± Badru¡¯s mood darkened in an instant, a scowl coming over his face. ¡°I built this kingdom!¡± he shouted over the edge of the cliff, toward the massive city in the distance. ¡°You were nothing but wandering shepherds before me! I gave you everything, and how do you thank me? You put me out to pasture! You banish me to the edge of nowhere!¡± The rage vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Badru turned back to Pallisur. ¡°Is my father well?¡± he asked as if nothing had happened. ¡°He hasn¡¯t visited?¡± Pallisur said. ¡°I thought he was living as a mortal.¡± Allosur had been the first to discover how to create a new body for himself, and had always preferred to continue his work from the realm of his birth. Badru shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. After four millennia, what¡¯s left to say?¡± Pallisur nodded. That meant Badru couldn¡¯t have told Allosur about the impending ritual. The former researcher had so far remained neutral amongst the new gods, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t warn the others if he realized Pallisur was close to achieving his goals. ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to him either.¡± Pallisur paused for a moment. ¡°And I¡¯m not here to talk about your father.¡± ¡°Ahh, yes, the little ritual you cooked up with Four. You came all the way here for that? I told him I¡¯d participate, but then I couldn¡¯t reach him in the dream. I figured he¡¯d delayed things again.¡± ¡°Leonis is dead,¡± Pallisur said. The other man should have known that already. Badru crinkled his brow. ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°Rusol. I suppose you know him as Seven. Or Six, now, with Leonis dead.¡± ¡°The sniveling little demon wretch? He killed Four?¡± ¡°Leonis was arrogant. He never really understood how to use a warden¡¯s strength. You can¡¯t apply the same tool to every problem.¡± Pallisur didn¡¯t mention that Rusol had somehow mastered three of the magics. He wasn¡¯t sure how Badru would react to that bit of information. The other man hummed, then spoke in a sing-song voice. ¡°Too many wardens, too many, too fast. Seven and Eight, now Six and Seven. Where do they all come from?¡± His tone returned to normal. ¡°Someone¡¯s cheating. Someone changed the choosing.¡± ¡°We have enemies, but the ritual will stop their interference.¡± Pallisur had his own suspicions about the choosing spell, but he couldn¡¯t voice them. Badru knew Herasis, and might get it into his head that he should try to speak with her. ¡°Yes, yes, yes,¡± the First said. ¡°Too bad you didn¡¯t stop their interference before Four got himself killed. I thought you sent that sword-witch of yours to watch over him.¡± Ephrenia was a complicated topic. Pallisur kept his response simple. ¡°She wasn¡¯t there when it happened. She wants revenge, but Rusol commands the armies of Larso. Blue Vale can¡¯t hope to make any sort of direct assault, and Ephrenia¡¯s enough of a general to know that. She¡¯s hoping Rusol will make some sort of mistake and give her an opening.¡± Badru raised an eyebrow. ¡°Four¡¯s people making war with Larso? Your priests are going to be very confused when they find themselves fighting their own order.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve advised caution, but Ephrenia isn¡¯t listening.¡± Why the Mage Knight was so personally offended by Leonis¡¯s death was still a puzzle, but the woman had always been hard to predict. She was Arodisis¡¯s bondmate, but the two had some sort of falling out soon after the Burning. At first, Pallisur had assumed she was angry at the old wardens for the destruction the ritual had caused. When he¡¯d encountered her centuries later, though, fighting as a mercenary alongside his own bondmate, Thedan, in the wars that had reshaped the world, she¡¯d been friendly. And eventually, more than friendly. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Badru nodded, then seemed to forget Pallisur¡¯s presence as a dragonfly flew past, landing to sun itself on one of the white stone slabs lining the balcony. The First stared intently at the creature, humming again but careful not to make any movement that would startle it. Pallisur gave him a moment before clearing his throat. Badru turned to him and spoke as if the interruption hadn¡¯t occurred. ¡°With Four dead, I suppose you need a new plan.¡± ¡°The plan will still work.¡± Pallisur could take Leonis¡¯s place. The new body he wore wasn¡¯t a warden, but that wouldn¡¯t matter¡ªthe spell didn¡¯t require physical contact. ¡°And the others?¡± Badru said. ¡°I thought you needed more of us.¡± Badru didn¡¯t know the gods were wardens. He didn¡¯t know about the Chosar, beyond what he might have encountered in his reading. He didn¡¯t know about the ritual or what had happened after. Some secrets had to be kept¡ªeven Herasis agreed on that point. ¡°There may be a way around that,¡± Pallisur said. ¡°I¡¯m still working on it.¡± Badru nodded, then returned to staring at the horizon. ¡°Tell me about this ritual again. You say you want to merge the four magics, but Leonis said something about ¡­¡± His brow furrowed as he thought. ¡°Something about controlling access to them.¡± Pallisur scowled. Leonis had never known when to keep his mouth shut. ¡°The ritual will merge the four sources.¡± At least it would do so for Pallisur, allowing him to ascend again and gain mastery of elder and demonic magic. ¡°Blocking access to them is just a side effect, but wouldn¡¯t it be worth it to ensure you¡¯ll never again have unknown mages popping up, threatening the order of things? No more demon incursions. No more warlord mages like Vinris bringing Ti Kunja to the brink of destruction. No more hidden betrayers like Sheeloo or Daceus.¡± ¡°Sheeloo wasn¡¯t so bad in the end,¡± Badru said with a half-smile at the memory. ¡°But I get your point. And once all the sources are combined into one, the gods will be able to bless others with those powers?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Pallisur lied. To prevent another Burning, and the wildstorms that came with it, he would make sure the gifts of magic were given only to those he trusted would use them safely. ¡°It sounds dangerous. It sounds ¡­ familiar.¡± Badru tilted his head to the side. ¡°Someone told me a story once ¡­¡± Pallisur tensed. Had Allosur broken the pact of secrecy? Then the First shook his head. ¡°No, never mind. It was just a stray thought. It¡¯s gone now, whatever it was.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll still help?¡± ¡°You¡¯re certain it¡¯s safe?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve investigated it from every angle.¡± Badru nodded. ¡°Then yes, I¡¯ll help. But I¡¯m still surprised you came here in person after so long.¡± ¡°I had to. You no longer visit my world.¡± The other man lost his smile. ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten how to dream,¡± he said, touching his fingertips to his temple. ¡°There are bits and pieces floating through my mind, but then they¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°How?¡± Pallisur asked. ¡°What happened?¡± Badru shook his head. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just old age. Five came to visit about a year ago, and after she left, I thought of something I¡¯d forgotten to ask her¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t remember how to reach the dream. It¡¯s been gone ever since.¡± He gave a sad smile. ¡°The dravim are relieved. They don¡¯t like it when I sleep too deeply to be awakened.¡± ¡°Five?¡± Pallisur said. ¡°You mean Shayliel? What did you tell her?¡± The yanvasta were an odd people to begin with, and Shayliel had, on occasion, wielded powers that even Pallisur didn¡¯t understand. That made her a problem, and a perfect example of why magic needed to be more tightly controlled. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I think ¡­ yes, that was it. Leonis wanted to find more wardens for the ritual. Shayliel was here so I asked her, but she refused to help.¡± ¡°You tried to recruit Shayliel? She¡¯s dangerous, Badru!¡± The other man shrank back. ¡°I thought it was what you wanted.¡± Including more wardens would improve their chances of success, but Shayliel would never have been among Pallisur¡¯s choices. And he certainly wouldn¡¯t have asked Badru to be the one to deliver the message. ¡°What did you say to her?¡± Pallisur demanded. If Shayliel knew the truth, she could warn the other wardens. ¡°I just told her what Leonis told me,¡± the First said. ¡°About the ritual controlling access to the sources of magic.¡± Pallisur clenched his fists, keeping a tight rein on his temper. Inside, he was seething, but it was his own fault, not Badru¡¯s. He should have told the other man more, and not depended so much on Leonis. ¡°I thought you needed her,¡± Badru continued, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. His mood swings had grown worse since the last time the two had spoken. The old Badru would have met Pallisur¡¯s anger with his own. ¡°It¡¯s all right, my friend,¡± Pallisur said. ¡°You did just fine.¡± No wonder Shayliel had refused to help. Hopefully she¡¯d viewed it as nothing more than the ravings of a madman. Could she have had something to do with Badru¡¯s inability to reach the dream? ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Yes, of course¡ªI was just startled by the news. But if you see her again, don¡¯t mention it. Pretend you¡¯ve forgotten all about it. And as for the dream, I could try healing you again ¡­¡± Or perhaps he shouldn¡¯t. If the First regained full control of his faculties, he might realize the problems with Pallisur¡¯s story. Badru raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m a better healer than you,¡± the man said, his old confidence back. ¡°If I can¡¯t heal myself, there¡¯s nothing to be healed. Like I said, it¡¯s just old age.¡± Pallisur nodded. He was taking advantage of a man who wasn¡¯t in complete control of his own mind¡ªa man he considered a friend¡ªbut there was no other way. Leonis¡¯s loss had been a setback, and the newer wardens were too unpredictable to approach. Rusol had been the only possibility among them, but Herasis had had too tight a grip on him at first, and now he¡¯d been claimed by some unknown player. That left few options. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sure,¡± Pallisur said. ¡°Still, if you ever need something, let me know. But for now, I could use some real clothes. And a sword.¡± # Wolf stared at the image scratched into the dirt, a sense of foreboding settling over him. Three parallel lines close together. A fourth line, diagonal to the others, intersecting with the middle of the three, but just barely missing the lower line and not extending far enough to reach the upper. Well above that group was a fifth line that was nearly parallel. It, too, was pierced by a diagonal line. A seventh line floated between the two groups, not attached to anything. And, most worrisome of all, a perpendicular line to the right of the diagram¡ªnot yet touching the others, but too close for comfort. Eight lines carved into the soft earth. The Collision. Have you gone mad? he asked Fox. The last time they discovered it, they nearly destroyed it without ever bothering to understand what it was. And now you want to give them a map? They could unravel existence itself! He¡¯d finally tracked down his younger brother only to discover Fox was planning something insanely reckless, even for him. Mortals had interfered with the Collision twice before. The first time had been accidental, when they¡¯d originally created the wardens. Whatever their intentions had been, the ritual spell had been beyond the limits of what could be done with the magics they wielded. They¡¯d unknowingly drawn the power for it from the Collision, forever linking the wardens to the conjunction and causing the choosing spell to remain in effect in perpetuity. The second time, the wardens themselves¡ªhaving some small insight into the existence of the Collision, but without realizing what it was¡ªhad tried to steal its power. Even though the attempt had failed, the results had been devastating, unleashing wildstorms across the world. Ironically, the only reason further destruction had been averted was the fact that each living warden reinforced the integrity of the Collision¡ªan unintended consequence of the original warden spell. Before they could complete the ritual and eliminate that protection, part of Tir Yadar had collapsed, killing six of the eight wardens immediately. By then, though, they¡¯d already begun their ascension. Their minds¡ªor spirits¡ªhad survived, and soon Boreas and Iris, unconscious from the backlash, had followed the others into their new existence. Allowing mortals to once again learn of the Collision was far too great of a risk. Fox tilted his head to the side. We have to stop him. There must be another way, Wolf said. There is, but are you prepared to face Snake yourself? Wolf hesitated. Fighting one of his brothers would violate everything he was. He had no idea how Snake had managed it. I can¡¯t, he said finally. I¡¯ve looked and I¡¯ve looked, Fox said. Perhaps we could kill him if we all band together, but it would destroy us. If we can¡¯t fight him, then what do you expect her to do? Wolf asked. Snake evades my view; he clouds my visions of the futures. I¡¯ve only seen hints. I need your help, Discovery. To be continued¡­ Book 5: Prologue - Ancient secrets finally revealed Five thousand one hundred thirty-two years earlier ¡­ ¡°Have they started yet?¡± Gaiana asked, breathless from rushing through the corridors. She¡¯d lost track of time trying to teach shaping magic to a group of children far too young to be learning such complicated spells. The Chosar would need more shapers if they were to rebuild the cities that had been lost. Her husband nodded a greeting but didn¡¯t smile. ¡°They¡¯re just starting now,¡± he said. Time had changed Argyros¡ªhe was no longer the man she¡¯d married. The war had drained all of the humor and joy out of him, leaving nothing but a sense of duty and a determination to keep moving forward. It had been years since he¡¯d touched her with any passion, and, in truth, she hadn¡¯t wanted him to. She¡¯d changed as well, more interested in her research than her marriage with this hard man she could no longer love. They were partners and friends, nothing more. But the war was over now. Perhaps Argyros could learn to be happy again. Perhaps something could be salvaged of their relationship. Lydos gave her a wide grin. ¡°Perfect timing as always, Mother,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t start that,¡± she said, wagging a finger at him. He just laughed. The war had shaped half his life, but unlike his father, it hadn¡¯t broken him. His generation provided hope for the future. First Admiral Myrrhine nodded to Gaiana but remained with the other Councilors at the far end of the observation window, giving the royal family some space. On the other side of the window, in the ritual chamber itself, the wardens had separated into two groups, the wizards in one and Demea and Hera in the other. Boreas and Iris would be handling their parts of the ritual from a distance, with Hera participating as an elder mage rather than a wizard to even out the numbers. The four in the wizard group arranged themselves facing each other from the cardinal directions, ten feet from their closest neighbors. Hera and Demea, too, faced each other. There was no visible indicator of Iris¡¯s or Boreas¡¯s readiness, but the other wardens seemed to sense it was time. They began the ritual without delay, closing their eyes as they entered a trance, the wizards muttering the words to the spell while the elder mages did something Gaiana couldn¡¯t follow. The wardens had been designing this ritual for years, but Gaiana had doubts about whether their goal was even possible. They¡¯d claimed to have found some conjunction of the magics in a realm that didn¡¯t otherwise exist, but the only people who could see it were the wardens themselves and a few wizards who could wield both elder and arcane magics. Gaiana had taken the time to learn the spell they¡¯d used, but it had never worked for her. General Straton snorted quietly as the ritual dragged on with no apparent effect. ¡°This is nonsense. I don¡¯t care what Pallis says¡ªthere¡¯s no way a ritual to choose more wardens would be harder than a ritual to change the nature of magic itself.¡± ¡°When did you become an expert on wizardry, General?¡± Lydos asked. ¡°The wardens have more experience with this than anyone.¡± ¡°And they¡¯re centering more power in the hands of those who already wield it! Each new warden means nine more mages can achieve their full potential. Instead, we¡¯re granting more power to the ones we already have.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll help all of our mages, not just the wardens.¡± ¡°Did you ever notice what they didn¡¯t say, Lydos? They never said it would make you stronger. You¡¯ll still have trouble lighting a candle; you¡¯ll just learn multiple ways to fail to light a candle.¡± Lydos scowled. Gaiana¡¯s son was an excellent commander of wizard troops in battle, but he wasn¡¯t much of a wizard himself ¡­ and he had too much pride to ask Hera to bond him. Perhaps Gaiana could give the woman a few gentle hints. Argyros cut in. ¡°Enough! This is what we¡¯re doing now. We can discuss other matters later.¡± The two men put their argument on hold, turning back to the observation window. ¡°Is that supposed to happen?¡± the seneschal asked. Pulses of blue and white light had begun flickering through the ritual chamber. The wardens hadn¡¯t noticed yet¡ªtheir eyes were still closed and they were now deep in trance, the ritual spell requiring their full concentration. Gaiana¡¯s skin tingled. She recognized wild magic from an excursion around Donvar when she was young. The ship she¡¯d been on had sailed close to land in the hope of sighting scourlings, but instead they¡¯d attracted a burst of wild magic which had disabled the ship¡¯s enchantments and killed two sailors. The ship had completed the voyage on wind power alone. Was wild magic supposed to be part of the ritual? The wardens had never mentioned it, but the spell was incredibly complicated and the smaller details were known only to the four wizards amongst them. Then she saw something that made her blood run cold. The wardens had placed a protective barrier around the ritual chamber to prevent any distractions, but they hadn¡¯t built it to block hostile magics from escaping. It was a cylinder rather than a sphere, and the pulses of wild magic were slipping through the floor into the undercity. That couldn¡¯t be intentional, could it? There was no way to control wild magic, and many of the enchantments that allowed The People to live in comfort within the mountain were located in the lower levels. What would happen if the water purifiers were destroyed? Or the power collectors for the cookers? Unleashing that much energy all at once might kill everyone in the undercity. ¡°Stop them!¡± Gaiana exclaimed. She rushed to the observation window and pounded her palms against the glass, shouting through it, but the protective barrier blocked all sound. ¡°Try the door!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Argyros asked her. The others stared, confused, until Myrrhine gathered her wits and pulled on the door handle. ¡°I can¡¯t open it¡ªit¡¯s inside the barrier. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The spell¡¯s gone out of control!¡± Gaiana said. She slipped her wardbreaker out of her pocket¡ªshe¡¯d borrowed it back from her sister at the beginning of the war¡ªand tapped the small iron bar against the window. Nothing happened. The protective barrier was too strongly warded for the wardbreaker to overcome, and there wasn¡¯t time to craft a new spell designed to pierce it. The others started pounding on the window and shouting while Straton tried to kick the door down. It was all pointless, but somehow, something woke Warden Zachal from his trance. He saw the pulses of light and his eyes widened in panic, then he shouted something at the other wardens. When they didn¡¯t react, he grabbed Pallis by the shoulders and shook him. The other warden still didn¡¯t wake, too deep in the trance to notice. Zachal saw the observers¡¯ efforts through the window and yelled something to them, but they couldn¡¯t hear his words through the barrier. Then another burst of wild magic pulsed around the room before launching itself downward. A look of horror grew on the warden¡¯s face as he realized the implications. His lips moved again, but from his stance and demeanor, it was apparent he wasn¡¯t trying to talk to them this time. He was casting a spell. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Argyros demanded. Lydos started murmuring but Gaiana beat him to it, triggering her stored arcane sight spell. Her vision was immediately overlaid with information about the structure of all the spells and enchantments within view. ¡°A healing spell!¡± she announced in relief. Zachal was a healing wizard, and he¡¯d apparently realized the danger to the workers in the undercity. An undirected, wide-area healing cast over a long distance wasn¡¯t ideal, but it had a warden¡¯s strength behind it. It was better than nothing. And it was a message to the observers as well. Lydos realized it first. ¡°We need to send healers below!¡± ¡°And warding specialists to block the wild magic!¡± Gaiana said. ¡°What wild magic?¡± Argyros asked. She didn¡¯t answer her husband¡¯s question¡ªthere was no time to explain. Before she could summon help, though, another pulse of wild magic echoed around the chamber, but instead of escaping downward, it flowed into Zachal¡¯s healing spell. In the visible spectrum, nothing changed, but to Gaiana¡¯s arcane sight, the spell turned dark and sickly¡ªnecromancy, the magic of death. Zachal realized the same thing and stopped his casting, but the spell didn¡¯t end. Both it and the bursts of wild magic were now pulling their power from somewhere else¡ªthat strange conjunction to which the wardens had tried to open a gateway. If there was necromantic magic loose below, sending rescuers was no longer an option. ¡°Evacuate the undercity!¡± Gaiana said. ¡°Sound the alarms!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± Admiral Myrrhine said, heading for the nearest alarm control. But just as she reached the entrance to the corridor, there was a flash of blue. Myrrhine cried out in pain, and then half of her body disintegrated. There were quiet thumps as the remaining pieces fell to the ground. That burst of light had escaped through the top of the barrier rather than the bottom. It was loose in Fortress West ¡­ which was full of spells, wards, and enchantments that could be twisted and warped by the wild magic. Gaiana stared at the mangled remains of her friend, then forced her attention away. I¡¯m back in the war, she told herself. Mourning comes later. Zachal attempted another casting, perhaps to banish the flawed healing spell, but the longer he was locked in there with it, the more it drained his strength. He fell to his knees, dazed, before he could finish. It was the growing encroachment of the necromancy magic that finally woke Pallis. He saw Zachal at the center of the corrupted spell and shouted angrily at the other man, but Zachal didn¡¯t rouse from his stupor. In frustration, Pallis triggered a stored banishment spell. Gaiana held her breath in hope, watching through her arcane sight, but the spell drew in another burst of flickering blue and white light. The banishment spell faded away as it was swallowed up by the wild magic, and Pallis realized for the first time that there was a greater danger. He seemed to think Zachal was the cause, and with a grim look of determination, he waded into the heart of the necromancy spell, drawing his sword and thrusting it through the human warden¡¯s chest. Zachal¡¯s life faded away, as did the necromantic spell, but not before it claimed Pallis. The First Warden dropped his sword and slumped to the ground, struggling to push himself up to his hands and knees before falling again. This time he didn¡¯t move. But he¡¯d succeeded, at least in part¡ªthe necromancy spell was gone. Another flash of blue raced down the corridor outside the observation room, followed by screams from deep within Fortress West. And then the repeating sound of a deep bell¡ªsomeone had reached the alarms. But the tone was wrong. It was the attack alert for Fortress Central. The wild magic had already escaped the western complex. Argyros and Lydos were talking, trying to get Gaiana¡¯s attention, but she ignored them. Her mind leapt from idea to idea, processing and discarding plans as fast as she could think, until she was left with only one. The necromancy spell was gone. It might have drawn power from the conjunction, but it had still failed once the mage who¡¯d cast it was dead. The same was likely true for the ritual spell and the bursts of wild magic. The wardens had to die. It wouldn¡¯t stop the wild magic that had already escaped, but it would prevent more from coming through. Another pulse of blue, this time within the observation room. General Straton was left staring in shock at his left arm, which now ended just below the elbow. Blood gushed out and he swayed, slumping against the wall. The wardens were protected by the barrier, and Gaiana wasn¡¯t skilled in direct combat magics, but there was another option. Her wardbreaker might not be strong enough to cancel the barrier spell, but it could certainly take out a ward that Gaiana herself had crafted ¡­ and directly above the wardens was the three-foot-thick ceiling of shaped stone. And above that, another level, and another, and another. But all of Fortress West was part of the same shaping. The early settlers of Tir Yadar had crafted each portion of the city in massive blocks, applying ritual magic to shaping spells for the first time. To undo part of Fortress West, Gaiana would have to undo all of it. Could she make that decision? There were nearly a thousand people in the complex¡ªnot just the wardens but the researchers, the wizardry academy, and all the support staff. Plus Gaiana herself, and her husband, and her son. There wasn¡¯t enough time to flee. If the ritual progressed any further, it would be too late. If she didn¡¯t take action, everyone in Tir Yadar was doomed. Everyone in Van Kir. Possibly everyone everywhere. The people in Fortress West would die no matter what she did. Sacrifice a thousand to save millions. Sacrifice her son to save her people. There was only one choice she could make. She touched the wardbreaker to the shaped stone, canceling the stability wards across all of Fortress West, then slapped her hand against the wall and cast the spell of unshaping as quickly as she could utter the words. The crushing weight of the stone should be enough to kill, but wardens were resourceful and Gaiana couldn¡¯t guarantee they hadn¡¯t taken protective spells or devices into the ritual chamber. For good measure, she modified the spell to turn the stone solid once again, ten seconds after it was unshaped. Long enough for the fortifications to fall, but not long enough for the liquid stone to drain away from the area and leave its victims uncovered. She spoke the last word of the spell. There was just enough time to grab Lydos¡¯s hand before the end. -- Darkness. A flash of blue light. Or was it a thousand flashes? Shouting, one voice and then another, the words incomprehensible. Pain, beyond anything she¡¯d ever felt before. Then darkness again. Time passed in the formless void. She needed to remember. What did she need to remember? Where was she? Who was she? Fractured thoughts began to coalesce. Hera. That was what she was called by others. Others? What others? There was only endless nothingness. She tried to move. It was slow, as if swimming in ¡­ swimming in ¡­ water. That was it¡ªswimming happened in water. But this wasn¡¯t water. It felt wrong. She had to get out. How did she know that? Elder senses. That was a new memory. Elder senses could show her the way. She cast out with her mind and was inundated with new information that was both comfortably familiar and impossible to understand. But it was enough to know there was an open area ahead, if she could just push through. She continued toward it, moving with her mind, not with her ¡­ what was it called? Body. Yes, her body could help her move, if she could just remember how. But the few memories that slipped through weren¡¯t of any use. She had to get out. She had to get to the open area before ¡­ Before what? Time was a new memory. Time moved from one moment to the next. That meant something had happened before the dark void of nothingness. That was the thing she needed to remember. And then she was there, emerging from wherever she¡¯d been into a scene of chaos. People shouting, running in different directions. Others walking slowly and silently, injured and dirty. It was like the war all over again. And with that, memories came rushing back, each one slamming into her with the force of a weapon. Not everything, but enough to remember who she was, beyond just the name. Hera stood in the courtyard at the center of the fortress complex. Ahead of her, the World Fountain had stopped flowing, its waters no longer rippling over the surface. The lights lining the metallic orb flickered before becoming steady again. Near the orb was a series of large figures in strange shapes. Statues. The totem walk, her mind whispered to her. A place of familiarity and comfort. She headed in that direction. Moving was easier here. She no longer felt like she was being held back. A woman stumbled into her path, trying to support a man with blood running down his face. ¡°Help us!¡± the woman shouted at a mass of people who¡¯d gathered on the far side of the courtyard. The man was heavier than her, and close to losing consciousness. The two wore similar clothing. Uniforms. Soldiers. Of course¡ªthe military complex was nearby. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. They hadn¡¯t noticed Hera. What happened? she tried to say, but nothing came out. She¡¯d forgotten how to speak. The details would have to wait¡ªshe could still help them. She reached for the man¡¯s other side. Her hands passed through his body. In shock, Hera looked down at herself. There was nothing to see. Her hands had been barely visible when she¡¯d moved them, transparent, but when she stopped, they faded away to nothingness, along with the rest of her body. The two soldiers hadn¡¯t noticed her at all. They walked through her as if she wasn¡¯t there. Hera looked back the way she¡¯d come. Fortress West was gone. The outer walls of shaped stone had melted, hiding the entrances. Her elder senses told her the same thing had happened throughout the entire facility. That¡¯s what she¡¯d been swimming through¡ªsolid stone. Was this death? What had happened? There had been others in Fortress West with her, hadn¡¯t there? Were they all dead? They¡¯d been doing something before the dark void had come, doing something in the time she couldn¡¯t remember. A cloud of flickering blue and white light descended through the cavern¡¯s stone roof, causing panicked screams from the people gathered in the courtyard. They fled in fear in all directions. One wasn¡¯t fast enough. A clerk, by the look of him. He was struck by what almost seemed to be a small bolt of lightning, but instead of the burning scars typical of lightning magic, the man¡¯s entire body dissolved. Then the cloud struck again, at the World Fountain. The lights on the orb went out, and this time they didn¡¯t return. The cloud passed through the floor, heading for the undercity. Was this some sort of attack? Had Vatarxis returned and assaulted Tir Yadar itself? It didn¡¯t have the feel of demonic magic. Had some researcher¡¯s spell gone awry? Whatever its origins, it had to be stopped, but how? As a Mage Knight, Hera¡¯s arcane magic had been deliberately limited, and she¡¯d never learned much in the way of warding spells. But she had magical defenses of her own¡ªshe could protect herself while she sought out someone who could help. Who, though? Many of the best combat wizards would have been in Fortress West. And the wardens ¡­ That thought stopped her cold. The wardens¡ªher people¡¯s strongest defense¡ªhad been with her before the nothingness. If they were still alive, they would have already been fighting back against the attack. The wardens were gone, Fortress West was gone, and even if she found someone who could help, how would she get their attention if no one could see or hear her? Her attention was drawn once again by the seven statues along the totem walk. Eight totems, seven statues¡ªSnake wasn¡¯t welcome in Tir Yadar. The totems could help. Were they aware of what was happening? They couldn¡¯t be everywhere, and though they favored the Chosar, the world was a very large place. Then a bird appeared high in the cavern, circling around the courtyard twice before landing on a statue that matched its shape. An owl. The creature was only there in spirit, transparent like Hera¡¯s hands when she¡¯d moved them. Its physical body was elsewhere. How did she know that? It was new information, not a memory. The owl spoke into her mind. What have you done, foolish child? it asked. You¡¯ve altered the structural integrity holding the Collision in balance! You risk destroying our worlds! Hera shrieked in pain. The voice was too loud. Much too loud. She had to make it stop. She thrust her hands forward and a stream of darkness swirled out. Magic, but not like anything she¡¯d known before. Three magics working together as one. Elder magic, the first she¡¯d ever touched, was easy to distinguish. And arcane magic, though not a spell she¡¯d ever seen before. And then there was something new. A fragment of a memory. Something about a ritual. The darkness lanced out at the owl spirit and the creature disintegrated before her eyes. And then the void of nothingness returned. -- By the fourth time Hera flickered back into awareness, she¡¯d recovered enough of her memories to think clearly. The best place to learn more about what had happened would be Fortress Central and the Governmental Council chamber. In a time of crisis, the chamber would be occupied at all hours of the day. But first, she had to get there. Each time she woke, she was back inside the melted remains of Fortress West. She floated through the stone once again, more quickly than before. The courtyard had been different on each attempt she¡¯d made. The second time, the panicked crowds had disappeared. Instead, dozens of bodies had been laid out side by side, a mix of clerks, librarians, and soldiers¡ªpeople who worked near Fortress West and who must have been killed by the rogue spell. By her third waking session, the bodies had been moved away somewhere and the courtyard was nearly empty. The few people present walked quickly, with a sense of purpose, but their eyes darted all around, searching for any of those clouds of flickering blue light. Now, on this fourth attempt, the courtyard had changed again. There was a makeshift infirmary set up near the entrance to Fortress East¡ªthe military complex. More bodies had been laid out nearby, and healing wizards, surgeons, and nurses were attending to the wounded, all of whom were wearing soldiers¡¯ uniforms. What had happened? Hera stopped, tempted to change direction. Many of her friends were in the High Guard. Were they safe? But she only had a limited amount of time before she disappeared again. The council was still the best option. She passed by the totem walk, averting her eyes from Owl¡¯s statue, then continued on to Fortress Central, passing through the walls so she wouldn¡¯t accidentally run into someone in the doorways. There was no physical sensation when people passed through her, but she hated the thought of it. Near the administrative offices, one of the head clerks was issuing orders to his underlings. ¡°Take only this year¡¯s ledgers,¡± he said. ¡°Leave the rest.¡± ¡°Leave them?¡± a young woman asked. ¡°We¡¯ll return for them when it¡¯s safe. Go¡ªand hurry. I want everyone down in the tunnels within the hour.¡± Return from where? Which tunnels? ¡°My parents ¡­¡± one of the clerks said, a worried expression on his face. ¡°Bring your family groups. Let them know they can move to the front of the line as long as they¡¯re ready to leave immediately.¡± A wave of relief washed over the group and they dispersed to their tasks. What was going on? Hera imagined herself having legs¡ªa trick she¡¯d learned during her previous waking session¡ªand jogged to the Governmental Council chamber. It was occupied, but not by the people she¡¯d expected to find. Sitting in the king¡¯s spot at the head of the table was the elderly Under-General Timos. Where was King Argyros? Prince Lydos? General Straton? Hera recognized a few of the other faces, but she didn¡¯t know anyone else by name. Someone wearing the uniform of an undercity engineer was speaking. ¡°The recyclers aren¡¯t designed to provide all of our air,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re only meant to keep it fresh. The enchantments are already failing in North Tower. We need to reopen the vents.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll all choke to death on the smoke,¡± said a High Guard scout, his face streaked with soot. ¡°It¡¯s too thick to breathe, and it¡¯s getting worse now that the firestorms have moved into the forests.¡± Timos spoke up. His voice was tired. ¡°Why haven¡¯t the elder mages put out the fires yet? We need to protect the outer city.¡± The two soldiers nearest him exchanged glances. The younger, a lieutenant, was Timos¡¯s adjutant, if Hera remembered correctly. He said, ¡°General? We already lost the outer city. Do you remember?¡± Timos slumped down in his chair. ¡°The people?¡± he asked hesitantly. The lieutenant shook his head, his face grim. ¡°Some made it inside when the firestorms first hit, but ¡­ Sir, it was only a few hundred. Everyone else is dead.¡± A few hundred? Hera felt the need to steady herself, but she couldn¡¯t touch anything. The outer city was gone? Nearly a quarter of a million people lived there, and that wasn¡¯t counting all the human tribes who¡¯d gathered for protection during the war, or the refugees from Tir a Tir and Tir Ankara. They were all gone? Timos shook his head slowly back and forth as if trying to ignore what he¡¯d just been told. ¡°The fires,¡± he said. ¡°We still have to put out the fires so we can open the vents.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± the scout said. ¡°The wizards say there¡¯s some sort of power still leaking out from Fortress West, and the firestorms are feeding on it even when there¡¯s nothing left to burn. Any time the elder mages do manage to put out a fire, the wildstorms just light another.¡± Wildstorm? That must be what they were calling the clouds of blue and white light. ¡°If we let the recyclers fail, we won¡¯t have a choice about opening the vents,¡± the engineer said. ¡°Smoke or air poisoning.¡± ¡°Can the enchanters fix the recyclers?¡± Timos asked. ¡°Or make new ones?¡± The others in the room looked away, leaving it to the lieutenant to break the news. ¡°Sir, most of the enchanters and shapers were in Fortress West when it was destroyed.¡± ¡°Oh. Oh, yes, so you said.¡± This was the person making the decisions? Timos had been retired to desk duty before the war had started, but even if he¡¯d still had his full wits about him, he wasn¡¯t the right man to be leading the council. The Under-General had the soul of a bookkeeper, not a warrior. He stared blankly at the papers in front of him. The young lieutenant stood and paced back and forth. ¡°If the elder mages can¡¯t put out the fires, don¡¯t waste their strength trying. Bring them back here. They can help clean the air long enough for the evacuation to get fully underway.¡± General Timos didn¡¯t contradict him, nor did any of the other higher ranking officers. The scout nodded. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said, then hurried out of the chamber. Timos stared after him. ¡°Good, yes, good idea.¡± That seemed to wake him up. ¡°We have to speed up the evacuation. Tell the people to take no more than they can carry. Commandeer any cart and wagon you can find in the inner city that¡¯ll fit into the western tunnels. Don¡¯t allow the carters to sell or rent them¡ªwe need them to transport food and supplies.¡± The western tunnels? The city was evacuating all the way to the Skotinos Mountains? The newly discovered route was narrow and cramped, and the miners and tunneling golems were still working to enlarge it into a real road. Once they were done, they would have a secure underground passage between the two most heavily fortified Tirs, but it wasn¡¯t done yet. How could the entire city¡ªeven just the inner city¡ªevacuate through the hundreds of miles of tunnels? ¡°Sir, the horses were killed when Fortress East collapsed.¡± Fortress East? This time Hera did need support. She thumped down in a chair. Somehow it held her up though she couldn¡¯t feel it beneath her. The military complex was destroyed? All of it? There were tens of thousands of people there at any given time¡ªpeople Hera had fought alongside in the war. That explained why no one more competent was in charge. The officers¡¯ quarters and administration compound were located in Fortress East, along with the command center where the High Guard generals would oversee the military response to any disasters or emergencies. A look of sorrow passed over Timos¡¯s face at the mention of horses. He¡¯d been cavalry once. ¡°The people will have to pull the wagons themselves.¡± He paused again, and the lieutenant spoke up. ¡°What about the Enchantment Repository? We need that other golem to help clear the tunnels. Three isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°The warding extends around the entire repository,¡± said a gray-haired woman of middle years. Hera recognized her as a wizard, one of Allos¡¯s researchers. ¡°We can¡¯t break through. We¡¯re still trying to get a Sending past the storms to ask the other Tirs for a wardbreaker, though I don¡¯t know if there are any strong enough.¡± Why would they need to break into the Enchantment Repository? The wardens might be dead, but most of the senior members of the council could open the door. ¡°Can the Mage Knights open it?¡± asked an infantry colonel. ¡°Thedan sits on the council.¡± ¡°He was new to the council,¡± the wizard replied. ¡°According to the records, he hadn¡¯t been added to the warding spell yet, and we haven¡¯t wanted to risk bringing him out of stasis to find out for sure.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± the lieutenant asked. ¡°Without the wardens, we¡¯ll need the knights.¡± A look of sorrow passed over the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Because of the children,¡± she said. ¡°Before the ritual, Allos sent away all the other mages who could wield both arcane and elder magic, but he thought the children we were watching for their potential would be safe because they hadn¡¯t yet built up the arcane pathways in their minds. All seven of them have been killed. The wildstorms are seeking out anyone who wields both magics.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to leave the Mage Knights in stasis for their own protection,¡± Timos said. ¡°Swords won¡¯t be of any use against this enemy. We¡¯ll come back for them once the wildstorms are gone.¡± ¡°Have you learned anything more about the storms?¡± the lieutenant asked the researcher. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed they¡¯re wild magic, similar to what we¡¯ve seen near Donvar in the past,¡± she replied. ¡°We can¡¯t banish them, but warding spells to block magic will stop them for a short time. And ¡­¡± She hesitated. ¡°We have a final toll for the large storm that passed through West Tower yesterday. It killed over nine hundred Chosar, but it left three human servants unharmed.¡± Everyone sat forward at that. ¡°What do you mean?¡± the lieutenant asked. ¡°It only affects our people? Is it an attack on us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how,¡± the wizard said. ¡°The wildstorms aren¡¯t bound by any mage or spell, and we¡¯ve measured the point of origin for the storms in Van Kir¡ªthey definitely came from the ritual chamber in Fortress West.¡± ¡°What about the other points of origin?¡± asked one of the officers. ¡°It could still be an attack.¡± ¡°The storms are causing too much interference to identify the exact locations, but we¡¯re seeing the most activity here, Tir Navis, Donvar, and an island chain west of Donvar. Donvar is actually getting the worst of it. If it is an attack, the scourlings may have been the target rather than us, but the timing of the wardens¡¯ ritual is too close to be a coincidence.¡± Another memory sprang into Hera¡¯s mind¡ªnot all the wardens had been in the ritual chamber. Boreas¡¯s presence at Tir Navis was public information, but no one in this room was likely to know Iris had been on that unnamed chain of islands. And that didn¡¯t explain Donvar. Why was it always Donvar that attracted wild magic? ¡°Unless it was the wardens themselves who were trying to attack the scourlings,¡± the lieutenant said. ¡°But you¡¯ve confirmed the Skotinos Mountains will be safe?¡± ¡°No,¡± the researcher said. ¡°The wildstorms are everywhere, but it¡¯s safer there than here. Besides, if the firestorms reach as far as the mountains, there¡¯s less vegetation there to burn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late to second-guess our decision,¡± General Timos said. ¡°Thousands of people are already on their way, and we have nowhere else to send them.¡± He flipped to another page in his stack of papers. ¡°Have we learned anything new on the undercity victims?¡± He sounded more confident with his notes to back up his questions. It was a High Guard healing wizard that replied. ¡°We have them trapped in the sewer levels.¡± ¡°Trapped? You¡¯re supposed to be helping them!¡± ¡°We managed to capture three, but healing spells don¡¯t do anything. Their minds and bodies have already shut down. They may be moving around, but by any reasonable definition, they¡¯re already dead. We would like permission to destroy the rest. It¡¯s cruel to leave them like that.¡± ¡°No,¡± Timos said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to authorize killing our own people.¡± ¡°General, they died two days ago.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that! Maybe by someone else¡¯s definition, they can still be saved. You say you have them trapped? Fine. We¡¯ll leave them locked up where they can¡¯t hurt anyone, and make sure they have enough food and water.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t eat or drink,¡± the healing wizard said. ¡°They¡¯ll kill anyone who comes near, but other than that, they just stand around. They ignore the food we leave out for them.¡± ¡°Why did that only happen in the undercity?¡± the lieutenant asked. It was the other wizard who replied, the woman who¡¯d worked for Allos. ¡°There was a wave of necromantic magic shortly before Fortress West was destroyed. It might be the reason the ritual failed, but there¡¯s no way of knowing.¡± Hera didn¡¯t remember anything like that, but she¡¯d been in a trance, and busy with the elder magic half of the ritual. Necromancy was arcane magic, and she hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the wizards. But that brought to mind another fragment of a memory. The king, the prince, and the rest of the council had decided to watch the ritual in person. No one had expected it to be dangerous. The wardens were dead, or perhaps in the same half-dead state Hera had found herself in. There was no Governmental Council. Not anymore. This was all that was left. -- Six months later ¡­ Hera was crouching down, holding her hands over a sleeping, pregnant refugee¡¯s belly, when Demea¡¯s incorporeal form popped into existence beside her. ¡°Hera! I¡ª. What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to concentrate!¡± she snapped. Demea was quiet for a moment as she watched. ¡°I can¡¯t follow the magic.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use your elder senses alone. Combine it with the new one.¡± The totemic sense. The magic they¡¯d stolen from their one-time allies. Not allies any longer, though. The remaining totems knew Hera had killed Owl. They¡¯d abandoned the Chosar to their fate. ¡°You¡¯re changing the child?¡± Demea asked. ¡°Iris showed me how.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t completed her experiments yet. We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s safe!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± Hera said. ¡°The wildstorms will kill the Chosar one by one unless we do something about it.¡± Iris had found a way to make The People immune to the direct effects of the wildstorms, as if they were human or elven, but it could only be performed on unborn children. Every day Hera waited, more babes were born that were still at risk. She refused to delay any further. ¡°You¡¯re changing them all?¡± Demea said. ¡°Iris is only dealing with a few thousand of The People, and fewer than a hundred pregnancies. There were a quarter of a million refugees from Tir Yadar!¡± ¡°Not anymore. We lost forty thousand over the winter.¡± Many of the deaths were due to hunger and sickness rather than wildstorms. The elder mages had created indoor water gardens in every cavern that could be spared, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough to feed everyone. The stored grain at Tir Yadar had run low, and then two weeks earlier, seven miles of the tunnel system had collapsed. There was no longer a safe route through the firestorms to retrieve the last of the supplies and knowledge left in the once-great city. Scavenging parties went west from the mountains on a daily basis, and there¡¯d even been a few attempts at planting winter crops, but their efforts were stymied by roving bands of armed humans who blamed the Chosar for the destruction. While the wildstorms themselves didn¡¯t kill humans outright, they could still pervert any spell they encountered, and the fires and lightning storms they brought had caused devastation all over the continent. The heavy smoke in the sky was only now beginning to disperse. Hopefully it would be gone before it ruined the summer growing season. ¡°Forty thousand? We have to do something!¡± ¡°I am!¡± Hera exclaimed. ¡°This was all it would allow! Whatever your great plan was for combining the magics, it failed. I wield more power now than I ever have before, and I can¡¯t do anything with it!¡± This new reality had placed restrictions on what the wardens could and couldn¡¯t do with their powers. Hera hadn¡¯t had any luck in deciphering the rules behind it all. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my plan,¡± Demea muttered. Hera wanted to rage at her, to let loose with all the anger she felt toward the other wardens, but what good would it do? Demea was right¡ªshe¡¯d hardly been the driving force behind the ritual. Plus, the woman was grieving. All five of her bondmates who¡¯d made it through the war had been killed by the ritual. Two had been instructors at the wizardry academy, which had been destroyed along with the rest of Fortress West, while the other three had been killed by the firestorms in the outer city and elsewhere in Van Kir. Hera hadn¡¯t had any bondmates to lose, and unlike Demea and the other wardens, she was still young enough to have living family. Her grandmother and two cousins had survived the war, and all three were with the Skotinos Mountain refugees. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t your plan,¡± Hera said, ¡°but we¡¯re all responsible for what happened. We should have asked more questions.¡± Even now, they had no idea why the spell had failed. Allos and Arodi insisted they didn¡¯t know, and no one had seen Pallis or Zachal since the ritual. She finished her work and stood up. Or, rather, an incorporeal representation of her former body stood up. ¡°That¡¯s six so far. A thousand to go.¡± There would have been more, but the majority of the pregnancies had begun before the evacuation. Very few women had chosen to bear children since then. That might change if Hera¡¯s plan worked¡ªshe¡¯d have to monitor the Chosar women for the next fifty years to ensure any child born would have the changes. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose being able to breathe underwater will be as helpful here as on Paraido, but at least they¡¯ll be safer from the wild magic,¡± Demea said. ¡°I changed the spell,¡± Hera said. The people here needed something different. Demea¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could ¡­ What did you do?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t need to breathe underwater, but I tried to make them hardier, and I gave their elder mages a way to manipulate stone without any shaper wizards. I changed them to be more comfortable in the deeper tunnels¡ªthe builders never finished the new city here, and only one of the golems is still functional. They¡¯ll need more space, and the safest direction to go is down.¡± The wildstorms passed through the mountains on a regular basis, but they rarely went much below ground level. The elder mages among the children would have an easier time digging deeper to avoid them. She¡¯d also changed them so they¡¯d be able to digest the strange plants and creatures that lived in the lowest tunnels. The water gardens wouldn¡¯t be sufficient to feed the people, and if they couldn¡¯t farm above ground, they¡¯d have to learn to do so below the surface. ¡°You can do all that?¡± Demea asked. ¡°Iris never said anything about it.¡± ¡°I had to split up her spell and take just the parts I wanted,¡± Hera said. Her new totemic senses had seemed to guide her, helping to keep her from making mistakes. ¡°Each new change gets harder than the last. Iris said it has to, or you risk undoing it all once they start having children of their own.¡± Demea stared south, though there was nothing there but a rough cave wall. ¡°Can you show me how?¡± Hera tilted her head to the side. ¡°Vestath?¡± she asked. While Demea¡¯s kin had died hundreds of years ago, she traced her ancestry to the Vestathi Tirs. She¡¯d been watching over them as Hera had with the Skotinos refugees. ¡°The humans there have rebelled, and they¡¯ve blockaded Tir Shova. We already lost Tir Nok and Tir Taval during the war.¡± Demea hesitated. ¡°I keep seeing ¡­ visions, I guess you¡¯d call them. Like waking dreams. Each one is different but similar. I think Tir Shova is going to fall. Not right away¡ªthe humans aren¡¯t well organized yet¡ªbut in fifteen or twenty years. They¡¯ll chase The People into the Salt Desert and that¡¯s where we¡¯ll die. No one can survive there, but if you help me change them ¡­¡± Hera understood what Demea was referring to. She¡¯d had disturbing visions herself. In the futures she saw, The People would come to an end. The changed children might survive, but far too many of the adults would not, and without the adults, who would keep the children safe? ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll save as many as we can.¡± She sighed. ¡°I just wish we could do more. We have all this power and we can¡¯t use it!¡± ¡°No!¡± Demea said. ¡°That¡¯s what I came to tell you! We can use it, just not on our own. We have to gift it to others.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The totemic magic, it¡¯s not limited to just us. Allos figured out how to grant a sliver of magic to one of The People. Healing magic to replace the healing wizards and surgeons we lost. Protection magic to block the wildstorms. There¡¯s more we¡¯re still figuring out. It¡¯s deeper than the totems ever let on. Allos has picked nine so far, and I¡¯ve already chosen my first, in Tir Shova. She was a field medic during the war, but now she can heal better than any healing wizard ever could. It takes something out of you, so you have to choose each one carefully, but we can help! We can help everyone!¡± Hera took in a shaky breath¡ªor at least her spirit form acted as if she had. This would change everything. The People would come to an end. But they could be reforged into something new. Book 5: Chapter One Present day ¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to save it,¡± Shavala said, pausing her work. Scrubbing at the discolored layer of grime coating the wooden bar top had revealed dry rot. Katrin stopped too, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes. ¡°No, I guess not. I¡¯ll need to find someone who can replace it.¡± While the others were busy cleaning the keep room by room, Shavala had been stuck in the old tavern watching over the dragon eggs. She¡¯d decided against moving them a second time, worried that any unnecessary jostling might damage the creatures growing within. Katrin had joined her on the third day, wanting to get a start on fixing up the tavern. Shavala stood back and stretched. ¡°What next?¡± she asked. ¡°The floor,¡± Katrin said. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to work around those things.¡± She gestured to the eggs with distaste. ¡°I¡¯ll go borrow a broom from the keep.¡± They¡¯d already removed the tables and chairs, putting the ones in the best condition in the back room to be cleaned and polished, and tossing the rest outside in a pile to be chopped up for firewood. ¡°Wait,¡± Shavala said. She concentrated and summoned a light gust of air, blowing the loose leaves and other recent detritus up and out the open door. With the easy part out of the way, she summoned more winds, stronger this time. Feeding into each other, they formed miniature cyclones, coming up only to knee height. Shavala directed them around the room to scrub the floor, loosening up some of the crusted-on dirt and then blowing it out of the way. The wind couldn¡¯t fully clean the slate tiles, but it could get rid of the bulk of the mess. One of the whirlwinds whipped at Katrin¡¯s skirts. ¡°Hey!¡± she said, laughing. ¡°That tickles. Stop it!¡± Shavala grinned and let the winds die out. ¡°You don¡¯t need to borrow a broom now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go refill the buckets, then,¡± Katrin said. She massaged her shoulder. ¡°More scrubbing.¡± Before Shavala could respond, Leena and Zhailai appeared in the room, returning from their trip to Cetos. They¡¯d been gone for over a day. Zhailai peered around as if not quite certain she¡¯d actually changed locations. ¡°A strange sensation, to be in one place and then another so far apart from each other,¡± the dorvasta druid said. ¡°Thank you, Leena, for your aid.¡± ¡°Did you learn anything?¡± Shavala asked. She would have liked to see Cetos for herself, but Leena was limited in how much Traveling she could do while taking others with her. She had to rest and recover each time, and it was more important for Zhailai to go so she could track down her contacts there. It wouldn¡¯t have been fair to ask Leena to make an extra trip just so Shavala could satisfy her curiosity. ¡°We went to Kalas, which is an outpost on the border of the settled region. We found Makula there¡ªhe¡¯s a ranger, and the great-grandson of the woman who first showed me the outlands during my travels. They have their own rangers, not like ours.¡± Zhailai shook her head and switched to the elven language. ¡°I always forget how quickly humans are affected by time. Makula was just a little boy the last time I visited, and now he¡¯s a man with children of his own.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Zhailai switched back to trade tongue so the others could follow the conversation. ¡°He says the eggs will hatch without their mother, but if the hatchlings don¡¯t have anyone to hunt for them, or to teach them to fly and hunt for themselves, they aren¡¯t likely to survive. An older female dragon that has raised young of her own in the past will sometimes take care of hatchlings that aren¡¯t hers. Only sometimes, but he thought it was worth a try. He¡¯s gone to search for a group of outlanders who may know of a good candidate. I had to give him some of the coins you offered. He doesn¡¯t work for free.¡± It wasn¡¯t good news, but it was better than nothing. The hatchlings would have a small chance at life. ¡°Thank you. Did he say how long it would take?¡± ¡°Outlanders are a strange bunch, but there are usually some near Kalas. He should have an answer by tomorrow, though we should go early in the morning or it¡¯ll be nighttime there.¡± Zhailai trailed her fingers over the eggs. ¡°I worry about carrying them all at once. Perhaps we should take two tomorrow, and two the day after.¡± She glanced at Leena. ¡°If that is acceptable to you?¡± Leena nodded. ¡°It was farther than I¡¯ve ever gone before, but as long as I don¡¯t do anything else, I think I can handle it.¡± ¡°Only take one on the second day,¡± Shavala said. Zhailai tilted her head to the side. ¡°Would that help? I do not understand this magic. If Leena goes by herself, she will be less tired?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯d just have to make another trip afterward,¡± the Sanvari woman said. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to anyone there¡ªI could barely understand what you were saying.¡± ¡°This is true,¡± Zhailai said. ¡°The trade tongue they speak in Cetos is very different than what we speak here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean for Leena to make an extra trip,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I want you to leave one of the eggs here. You say the adult they find may not care for the hatchlings, so I¡¯ll raise one of them myself. I¡¯ll hunt for it, and teach it to hunt.¡± Teaching it to fly would be harder, but some part of it must be instinctual. Birds could learn to fly on their own. ¡°Shavala!¡± Katrin said. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll train it not to harm people. If it has food, it won¡¯t need to kill anyone.¡± She felt a need to know the creatures better, to understand them. They were predators, but so were elves and humans. Shavala herself was a hunter, and she¡¯d killed humans in battle. She¡¯d killed men with fire. Was she any better than the dragon she¡¯d helped to hunt down? ¡°We cannot speak to dragons,¡± Zhailai reminded her. ¡°They¡¯re not part of the natural world.¡± Shavala held her hands out to her sides, palms up. ¡°Is it so different than what humans do in training dogs or horses? Wolves are predators, yet dogs can learn a different way of life ¡­ and dragons are smarter than dogs or horses.¡± Zhailai nodded. ¡°Corec isn¡¯t going to let you keep a dragon,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Corec doesn¡¯t decide what I do,¡± Shavala told her. ¡°I¡¯m not a child, and I don¡¯t need another parent.¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d had to remind the other woman of that. She cared for Corec and Katrin, and she could adjust her life to spend time with them, but she wouldn¡¯t allow them to change who she was. A hurt expression crossed Katrin¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± she protested. ¡°If I can¡¯t control the dragon, I¡¯ll kill it myself,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I promise. But I need to know if we can live in peace with them. Humans and elves are not their natural prey.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to help you,¡± Zhailai said. ¡°When we take the other eggs to Cetos, I¡¯ll find out more. The outlands are different than anywhere else I¡¯ve been. Perhaps we can learn something from them.¡± # ¡°Miss Ellerie,¡± Duke Lorvis said, rising from behind his desk to greet her. ¡°Welcome back to Matagor. Judging by the message you sent me, I suspect you¡¯re not here to get your old job back.¡± Devin, Lorvis¡¯s Captain of the Guard, smirked at that. He was the man Ellerie had reported to when she¡¯d served as bodyguard to the duke¡¯s daughters. She unfurled the cloth from around the bundle she carried, and laid the three-foot-long dragon¡¯s horn out on the duke¡¯s desk. ¡°The dragon is dead,¡± she told him. Lorvis pursed his lips but didn¡¯t respond right away. ¡°It could be fake,¡± Devin said. ¡°Or from some other dragon. You can buy that sort of thing if you know where to look.¡± Ellerie rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s real, Dev.¡± He hated when the guards under his command addressed him informally. ¡°And check the cuts¡ªthey¡¯re fresh.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take it as true for now,¡± the duke said. ¡°There have already been rumors coming out of South Corner. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you in person so soon, though, Ellerie¡ªmuch less with the deed already done. Your message said you were trying to find the funding to take care of the matter.¡± ¡°The dragon¡¯s attacks were too serious for us to delay, but it was an expensive undertaking. We had to borrow a great deal of money.¡± Most of what they¡¯d borrowed had been from their friends rather than a moneylender, but Ellerie still hoped to pay it back. A sly grin came over Lorvis¡¯s face. ¡°Well, seeing as how the beast is already dead and I never agreed to anything beforehand, I have to wonder why you¡¯re here.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Surely it¡¯s worth something to you if the trade roads could be reopened. How much money would you save each year with a direct route to Tyrsall?¡± The duke shrugged. ¡°Perhaps a bit. Eventually. I have existing contracts that must be honored¡ªI can¡¯t just change things on a whim. In any case, I assume the dragon won¡¯t be returning to life, so I¡¯ve already got what I would have wanted out of the deal.¡± ¡°The dragon¡¯s dead, but the roads are covered with fifty-four years worth of growth,¡± Ellerie pointed out. ¡°Completely impassible in some spots. You¡¯re not going to get any caravans through there unless someone does the work. We¡¯ve got over two hundred miles of road to clear, and that won¡¯t come cheap.¡± It wasn¡¯t as bad as she was making it sound. Much of the overgrowth came from grasses and weeds that would be beaten down as wagons and horses started coming through. ¡°Two hundred?¡± Lorvis said with a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the north-south route. I¡¯m only interested in the trade road¡ªthe Old Road.¡± ¡°Then help us pay for that. It¡¯ll benefit you as much as us.¡± ¡°Who is this us, exactly?¡± There was only one answer that would work. Free lands they might be called, but the nearby kingdoms considered the area to be human territory. Ellerie couldn¡¯t lay a claim there, particularly once word got out about who her mother was. Besides, Duke Lorvis would respect martial strength, and, like many of the nobles in the surrounding lands, he would want to know who he was dealing with. He wouldn¡¯t accept the idea of a group of nameless advisors sharing the duties of running the fortress. ¡°Corec Tarwen holds the keep,¡± she said. ¡°He led the forces that defeated the dragon, and he helped fund the expedition. Now that the way is safe, he and his soldiers have occupied the fortress so the trade routes can be reopened.¡± ¡°Tarwen? That¡¯s a barony in Larso. Does King Rusol intend to surround the hillfolk from all sides? Marten never thought the free lands were worth the trouble.¡± Duke Lorvis knew the name of one of the smallest baronies belonging to his neighbor to the north, but in the time Ellerie had worked for the man, he¡¯d never realized who she was. ¡°Tarwen, yes, but a third son,¡± she said. ¡°Neither Larso nor the king are involved, and Lord Ansel has no stake in the matter.¡± But getting Corec¡¯s name out to the public might draw Rusol¡¯s attention, which was the whole idea. ¡°And you work for this Tarwen now?¡± Lorvis asked. ¡°I work with him,¡± Ellerie said. There were limits to what her pride could accept. The duke grinned again. ¡°If Tarwen has taken the keep, I assume he intends to operate the toll bridge ¡­ which means he¡¯ll be clearing the roads whether I contribute anything or not.¡± It was hard to tell whether Lorvis was mocking her or simply playing a game for his own amusement. He¡¯d already admitted that having the roads open would be helpful, and he wouldn¡¯t have done that if he wasn¡¯t at least considering her request. Ellerie shrugged. ¡°True. Of course, clearing the roads will be a boon to all the houses of Matagor. I imagine they¡¯d be quite grateful to the man who helped make it happen.¡± She slid the horn over to Lorvis¡¯s side of the desk. He leaned back in his chair and stroked his small, neatly groomed beard. ¡°And what do I get for my investment?¡± ¡°Free passage through the toll bridge, up to twice the value of what you put in, for any House Lorvis caravans. Or, if you prefer, other caravans carrying Lorvis goods. So, you see, it¡¯ll save you money three times over¡ªa faster route to Tyrsall, no import taxes to Larso, and a discount on crossing the bridge.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rate?¡± ¡°Just as it was when Matagor operated the bridge¡ªtwenty silver for each wagon carrying trade goods.¡± They¡¯d learned that from the old records they¡¯d found within the keep, most of which were still legible. ¡°Which means ten for you, for whatever funds you contribute in advance to clearing the roads.¡± ¡°A worthwhile deal under certain circumstances, perhaps, but I don¡¯t know this Tarwen fellow. What sort of guarantee will you offer that my money won¡¯t simply disappear?¡± ¡°What guarantee would you like?¡± she asked. ¡°The trade keep,¡± he replied without hesitation. ¡°If you fail to maintain the roads and the toll bridge long enough for me to recoup my investment, ownership of the keep passes to House Lorvis.¡± Ellerie thought over the implications. ¡°For the first three years only,¡± she said. Otherwise he might simply send so few caravans through that he¡¯d never use up his pre-payments on the tolls, in the hopes of triggering the guarantee. ¡°After three years, that part of the deal is void. I can¡¯t say what will happen in the future.¡± If they had to leave the keep within the next three years, Ellerie was confident she could find someone to run the place in Corec¡¯s name for a while, even if she had to send home for an administrator and a group of sentinels. ¡°So, one hundred gold?¡± Lorvis asked. Ellerie schooled her expression to hide her surprise. ¡°For one hundred gold, you¡¯ll get passage for four hundred freight wagons and our promise to clear the old trade road first.¡± Four hundred wagons would be somewhere between twenty and forty caravans. It might take Lorvis five or more years to send that much cargo through, depending on how long it took him to get out of his current contracts. Many goods weren¡¯t suitable for cross-continental trade. ¡°And how long, exactly, would this take?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have crews starting within the month. In two months, wagons should be able to make it through, though it¡¯ll still be rough for a while until get the roads back to their old shape.¡± ¡°And this?¡± Lorvis gestured to the horn on his desk. ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°To prove your role in saving the people of the free lands from the dragon menace.¡± He laughed. ¡°That¡¯ll certainly tweak the king¡¯s nose.¡± It took another hour to finalize the details. They wouldn¡¯t get the money until the contract had been witnessed and registered and Corec had agreed to the terms, but with Leena¡¯s help, that would only take a few days. Done with her task, Ellerie found her lover waiting near a fountain outside the palace. ¡°Back to the keep?¡± Leena asked. ¡°I think I¡¯m rested enough.¡± Ellerie grinned. ¡°We¡¯re in Matagor, the greatest center of learning in all of Aravor¡ªand the shopping district isn¡¯t bad either. I think the others can do without us for a day.¡± # Treya flipped the page in the storybook. ¡°Next, the big frog and the little frog hopped around the lake to see who was fastest. The big frog said, ¡®I¡¯m bigger than you, so I¡¯m faster.¡¯ The little frog replied¡ª¡± Ditte interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯re reading it wrong.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°When Katrin reads it, she makes them do funny voices, and then she hums a picture in my head.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t hum a picture, but I can try to do funny voices. The big frog said, ¡®I¡¯m bigger than you, so I¡¯m faster.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the right voice!¡± Treya rolled her eyes. The concubine classes on child-rearing hadn¡¯t prepared her for the reality of it. Harri and Ditte were stubborn at the best of times, and often downright surly. It wasn¡¯t always bad, though¡ªHarri was serious and thoughtful when working with the horses, and Ditte could be very sweet as long as everything was going exactly how she wanted. Besides, Treya couldn¡¯t complain about taking care of the children when she¡¯d hardly been doing it on a regular basis. Katrin had handled it while Treya was busy with the expedition, and since then, with Leena¡¯s help, the two of them had been trading off time in Four Roads while they waited for Boktar¡¯s caravan to arrive. Since one of them had to be in town to watch over their things, and Harri had to stay to take care of the animals, they¡¯d decided Ditte could remain in Four Roads with her brother for a bit longer. ¡°When we get to the keep, Katrin can read it for you the right way,¡± Treya said. ¡°That¡¯s just a couple of days away.¡± ¡°Do we have to go?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay here in the chapter house forever, do you? Harri¡¯s going. We¡¯ll meet him there, but we¡¯ll get there before him. It¡¯ll be fun¡ªit¡¯s like a castle. You can pretend you¡¯re a princess.¡± Ditte¡¯s face brightened. ¡°I can be a princess?¡± ¡°You can pretend to be, sure. There are walls and battlements and towers, just like a castle, and you¡¯ll have your own room and your own sitting room¡ªlike a real princess.¡± There were twelve small suites in the keep, so the children would each get their own rather than having to share. ¡°But princesses have fancy dresses,¡± Ditte said, looking down at her own drab clothing. Harri had bought his sister a new outfit, but it was plain and utilitarian like her old clothing, not as colorful as the dresses worn by the girls in town. Ditte wasn¡¯t happy about it, and perhaps it wasn¡¯t fair to expect Harri to pay for his sister¡¯s needs. ¡°We¡¯ll go shopping for new dresses tomorrow,¡± Treya promised. Ditte gave her a wide smile. ¡°Can I have a green dress like Katrin¡¯s? And a yellow one like Leena¡¯s? And a¡ª¡± There was a knock at the door, saving Treya from having to commit to buying the girl a whole new wardrobe. ¡°Come in!¡± she called out. Mother Yewen entered. ¡°Good evening, Treya. Do you have a moment?¡± ¡°Of course. Ditte, why don¡¯t you go play with the dolls Harri got you?¡± The little girl slid off her lap and went to the pile of belongings she¡¯d been accumulating. Yewen took a seat. ¡°I just got back from the council meeting,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t hem and haw about it¡ªI¡¯ll just ask you straight out. Would your friends accept a smaller amount for killing the dragon, if it means the council would actually vote for it?¡± Treya didn¡¯t have the authority to negotiate for the group, but then, neither did anyone else. Not officially. ¡°We never agreed on a specific amount, but you know how much we spent on the expedition,¡± she said. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Something is better than nothing,¡± the old woman said. ¡°The only reason it came up again is because the rumors are still going around that the council refused to do anything to help with the dragon, and some of the councilors are worried about losing their seats. They¡¯ve agreed to a tax that will pay off our loans and refill our coffers, but beyond that ¡­¡± Yewen shook her head. ¡°They¡¯ll give you enough so that they can claim they did something, but no more than that. Not with the dragon already dead. It would be different if you¡¯d set a price up front.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how we could have,¡± Treya said. ¡°We didn¡¯t realize how much it would cost until we were already committed, and we couldn¡¯t wait and let it kill more people.¡± ¡°True, and I doubt this will turn out the way the councilors expect,¡± Yewen said. ¡°Everyone has already heard the rumors and made up their minds. It doesn¡¯t matter how much we paid to feed and house the refugees¡ªwhat matters is that everyone thinks we didn¡¯t do enough. They know it was Corec who went after the drakes last year. They didn¡¯t pay any attention to his name at the time, but they know it now. And when the dragon came to Four Roads, it was Corec who returned to hunt it down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really how it happened,¡± Treya said. ¡°Does it matter?¡± Yewen asked. ¡°It¡¯s what people believe. Four Roads didn¡¯t stop the dragon. Larso and Matagor didn¡¯t stop the dragon. Corec did ¡­ or at least that¡¯s how everyone views it. So what will happen next?¡± Treya hadn¡¯t lived in the free lands since she was ten years old. She wasn¡¯t sure what Mother Yewen was hinting at. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°Four Roads is the largest town for hundreds of miles, but outside our own borders, we only have what little influence the people allow us to have. The next time there¡¯s trouble, where will they turn?¡± ¡°We always figured that if we hired armsmen, Four Roads might call on us to deal with bandits and the like.¡± Yewen gave Treya a look she couldn¡¯t interpret. ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± the old woman said. ¡°To the refugees from the south, who¡¯s the real authority now? The town that left them to fend for themselves? Or the group that saved them from the dragon?¡± ¡°Authority?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Not much authority, perhaps, but the surrounding areas have always looked to Four Roads for leadership.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they still will.¡± Mother Yewen shrugged. ¡°Perhaps, but don¡¯t forget all the farmland that was abandoned when the dragon came. It won¡¯t stay empty forever.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot of land, but most of it is overgrown,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯m sure some people will come, but as long as they¡¯re not too close to the keep, I think it¡¯ll be all right. You know what we¡¯re up against.¡± Yewen glanced at Ditte, who was walking her dolls along the windowsill, and lowered her voice. ¡°You¡¯re not planning to tell anyone about the threat from King Rusol?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Treya said. The group had discussed it before they¡¯d hired the armsmen to stay on. ¡°Rusol might have given up, and if so, we don¡¯t want to draw his attention again by telling everyone he¡¯s trying to kill Corec. Besides, if word gets out, we¡¯ll have trouble from bounty hunters and mercenaries thinking they can get some sort of reward by coming after us themselves.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to see what happens,¡± Yewen said. ¡°But you should be prepared for anything.¡± Book 5: Chapter Two ¡°See you later, kid.¡± Nedley dropped the bundle he was carrying into the wagon and turned around. Cenric was standing at the door leading into the wheelwright¡¯s shop, now clad in his old black brigandine. He¡¯d left his silversteel cuirass and mail in the pile Nedley was loading. ¡°You¡¯re really going to leave?¡± Nedley asked. ¡°It¡¯s good pay, and we need a sergeant.¡± Corec had offered the man three silver a day to stay on, but Cenric had refused. Nedley himself was making two and a half as corporal. Cenric checked to make sure no one was listening. ¡°And wait for Larso to attack? More of those ¡­ whatever we were? More killing? No. I¡¯m done with that.¡± Nedley nodded. He couldn¡¯t say Cenric was a friend, but he felt a kinship with the man. Prince Rusol¡ªKing Rusol, now¡ªhad turned them both into red-eyes, and they¡¯d both participated in the slaughter at Jol¡¯s Brook. Only Miss Treya¡¯s intervention had saved their lives and returned their minds to normal. Normal, except for the memories and the nightmares. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone either, but Corec and the others have been good to me.¡± Cenric shrugged. ¡°If you want the work, fine, but it¡¯s not for me. I¡¯m going to buy a load of seed and head home. I¡¯ve been gone for too long¡ªmy wife and sister can¡¯t handle the plowing by themselves.¡± ¡°Good luck, then,¡± Nedley said. He wasn¡¯t close enough with Cenric to push the issue any harder, though it would leave them without a sergeant. As corporal, Nedley was next in line, and he¡¯d done well enough in the battle against the dragon¡ªCorec and Boktar had both said so¡ªbut no one would take a not-quite-eighteen-year-old sergeant seriously. He¡¯d figured that out even before Corec had pulled him aside to tell him he¡¯d have to remain a corporal for now. ¡°You too,¡± Cenric said. ¡°Stay careful¡ªdon¡¯t let the dreams take you.¡± He left the wagon yard, then headed up the street and out of sight. Nedley stared after him for a moment, then finished loading the wagon before going back inside. Leena had arrived and was speaking to Boktar. ¡°¡­ the gold from Duke Lorvis,¡± she was telling him. ¡°Ellerie says it¡¯s enough that you can hire some carpenters, plus a crew to clear the roads.¡± ¡°I thought we were using the armsmen to clear the roads?¡± ¡°Them too, but there¡¯ll be plenty of work, both on the roads and the keep. Oh, while you¡¯re here, the others had some additions to the shopping list.¡± She handed him a slip of paper. Boktar looked it over. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Leena turned to the children, who were waiting nearby with Treya. ¡°Ditte, are you ready to go?¡± Leena said. ¡°Do you have all your things?¡± Ditte bit her lip and looked down at her two bags¡ªone small and grungy, and the other larger and clean, stuffed with new clothing. ¡°Why¡¯s she got to go that way?¡± Harri asked. ¡°Why can¡¯t she come with us?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take us weeks to reach the keep,¡± Boktar pointed out. ¡°We¡¯ll be camping out in tents, it¡¯ll be raining half the time, and there¡¯s nothing to do but take care of the horses and mules. You¡¯re tough enough, but let¡¯s let your sister go somewhere warm and dry to wait for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Harri,¡± Nedley added. ¡°You and I can play cards and dice, but you know your sister doesn¡¯t like those. Miss Treya and Miss Katrin will be there to watch over her.¡± Harri frowned, but when Ditte looked up at him, he nodded to her. She gathered up her smaller bag. Leena grabbed the large one, then took Ditte¡¯s free hand. ¡°Will you be ready to go tomorrow?¡± Leena asked Treya. ¡°After tomorrow, I may be busy for a few days.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be ready,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning, then.¡± Leena turned her attention back to Ditte. ¡°Say goodbye to your brother,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll see him again soon.¡± ¡°B ¡­ bye,¡± the little girl said in a small voice, tears gathering in her eyes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t wanna go¡ª!¡± And then they were gone. Nedley shivered. He could understand Ditte¡¯s reluctance to try Leena¡¯s Traveling¡ªhe was hoping to avoid the experience himself¡ªbut Miss Katrin had said it went by so fast, she¡¯d barely noticed it. Ditte would be happier at the keep rather than on the road. ¡°All right,¡± Boktar said, ¡°I guess I need to do some more shopping. Harri, go ahead and feed the horses and mules, then stick around here. Ned, how about you go to the Three Orders stable and feed the horses there, then come back and help me hire some carpenters and workers.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Nedley said. He left the shop and set out for the chapter house, trying to stay on the wooden walkways when he could. His destination was a mile away, toward the northern end of town, and it had rained again overnight. The mud was sometimes up to six inches deep in the streets. At the chapter house, he went straight into the stable. The main building always made him feel weird, with all the girls in their clean clothing going about their day, giving odd looks to any strangers who came inside. The stable was usually quiet, though, as it was mostly meant for visitors. Few of the Sisters who lived at the chapter house owned horses of their own. Nedley found Duchess¡¯s stall first and scratched her neck. She gave a long sigh. She¡¯d been Katrin¡¯s horse at some point before Nedley met the group, but Katrin preferred her mule, Flower, so Duchess had ended up with him. He¡¯d been visiting her each day since they¡¯d gotten back to Four Roads, just to make sure she was well taken care of. Dot, in the next stall over, snorted when she saw him lavishing attention on another horse. ¡°That one is mean,¡± a voice said. A girl had appeared at Nedley¡¯s side. She was pretty, with frizzy, bright red hair¡ªmore orange in it than Katrin¡¯s¡ªand freckles across her cheeks and nose. Her white dress was in the style of the Three Orders students, and she had a brush in one hand. She must have been grooming a horse in one of the stalls when he¡¯d come in. ¡°Oh, Dot¡¯s all right,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s a warhorse, though. She won¡¯t be friendly unless someone introduces you to her.¡± Then he realized he was talking to a girl and his mouth went dry. ¡°Umm, hi.¡± ¡°Hi!¡± she said, then caught sight of the sword on his belt. Her eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re one of them, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°One of the men who killed the dragon! The whole town¡¯s talking about it! These are their horses.¡± Nedley stood tall. She¡¯d called him a man! He only wished he was wearing his armor. The silversteel plate would make a better impression than the stained clothing he was wearing. And he¡¯d been working all morning¡ªdid he smell bad? He should have taken a bath before coming anywhere near the chapter house. ¡°Y ¡­ yes,¡± he said, trying to make his voice deeper. ¡°I was there.¡± ¡°What was it like?¡± What could he say? He couldn¡¯t tell her the battle had been scary and ugly, or that the dragon had cried out in fear and pain as it died, while he and his squad forced their pikes deeper into its body. But he couldn¡¯t ignore the look of excitement in her blue eyes either. ¡°It was difficult work, but it had to be done,¡± he said. A brief flash of disappointment crossed her face at the bland description of the battle, so Nedley slipped his dragon-tooth necklace out of his shirt to show her. It was really just a thin leather cord with the eight-inch, blade-like tooth hanging from it. One of the armsmen had helped everyone drill holes in the teeth with a small wood auger during the journey back to Four Roads. Most of the men were wearing their necklaces in town so people would know they¡¯d fought the dragon and weren¡¯t among the deserters. Nedley thought it looked silly hanging down in front of his chest, though, so he kept his hidden. But he still wore it. The girl tapped the tooth with the tip of her finger, then stood back and brushed her hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m Kimi. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Nedley,¡± he said. ¡°Umm, Corporal Nedley.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a corporal!¡± Judging by her excited tone, she must not have had any idea what a corporal was. Nedley wasn¡¯t too clear himself what it meant when there wasn¡¯t an actual army. Corec had only assigned the ranks to give Cenric and Nedley some level of authority over the other armsmen. ¡°Yes, and a squad leader,¡± he said. That sounded better. ¡°We¡¯re here to pick up supplies, then we¡¯ll be heading back to the keep.¡± Kimi¡¯s face fell. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re leaving? That¡¯s too bad.¡± The smile returned. ¡°But it must be exciting. I can¡¯t believe there¡¯ll be a real lord nearby! And you work for him!¡± She wasn¡¯t the first person in town to call Corec a lord, but Nedley couldn¡¯t figure out where they¡¯d gotten that idea. Corec¡¯s father was a baron, but Corec had older brothers to inherit the position. Nedley didn¡¯t want to ruin the girl¡¯s enthusiasm, though. ¡°I guess it¡¯s exciting,¡± he said. ¡°The keep was exciting¡ªit¡¯s more like a fortress or a castle. It was a mess when we left, but the people who stayed there are getting it cleaned up while we¡¯re gone. You should see it sometime if you can.¡± The girl¡¯s smile changed in a way Nedley couldn¡¯t quite describe, as if she knew something he didn¡¯t. ¡°Maybe I will see it,¡± she said. ¡°I worked for his Lady, you know. Lady Katrin¡ªor she will be once they¡¯re married. We were teaching the refugee children to read. Did you know some of them didn¡¯t know how at all? They¡¯re all leaving, though, now that it¡¯s safe.¡± Safe, perhaps, but some of the abandoned villages hadn¡¯t fared well. Not all the refugees would have a home to return to. Nedley cast about for something to say. ¡°That¡¯s, umm, that was good of you to help.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Kimi beamed at him, but then a bell rang and she rolled her eyes. ¡°I have to go do my chores now, or Mother Yewen won¡¯t let me visit the stable anymore. When are you leaving town?¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning, I think.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, it was nice to meet you, Nedley,¡± she said, laying her fingertips on the back of his hand. He felt goosebumps raise at her touch. ¡°Umm, I¡¯ll have to come back to get the horses tomorrow.¡± He could convince Boktar to let him handle that on his own. ¡°If you¡¯re here, I might see you then.¡± She gave him a sad smile. ¡°I have classes tomorrow. Maybe you¡¯ll come back again sometime?¡± ¡°I will!¡± he said. Surely there¡¯d be some need to visit Four Roads again soon, even if he had to beg Leena to take him. After Kimi left, Nedley returned to his task, but his mind kept wandering back to her. Was she a concubine candidate? How did one go about doing whatever it was one did to make a contract with a concubine? Treya would know, if he could get over his embarrassment enough to ask her. He might even be able to afford it. He¡¯d amassed a tidy sum¡ªmore than he¡¯d ever expected to have at one time in his life. Of course, it would take more than just the contract. He¡¯d been planning to live in the fortress barracks to take advantage of the free room and board, but he couldn¡¯t do that with a concubine. And would she even want to go with him? He couldn¡¯t have made a good impression wearing his dirty work clothes. Perhaps he should buy himself something nicer before leaving town. At the last stall, Nedley looked back in surprise. He¡¯d finished feeding the horses, but he had no memory of it at all. # Nallee stared at the destruction while Patrig comforted his wife, Deni, who was sobbing in his arms. Springwater was gone. Nallee had known the dragon was dead before the rumor reached most people. Treya had visited Four Roads a few days after the battle, with that strange southern woman who could disappear and reappear in a different place. The knights had passed through town two weeks later, confirming the early rumors, but Patrig had decided to wait until the official word came through. He wanted to accompany the bulk of the Springwater refugees back home, and the others had no intention of going until they were sure it was safe. With the village¡¯s mayor gone off to live with relatives in the east, Patrig had become the unofficial leader of the Springwater refugees, a position which he relished. He¡¯d always wanted to become a respectable man about town, and now he was one step closer to becoming mayor himself. A few of the refugees did head back on their own once the rumors started. No word had come from them, so everyone had thought they were settling in just fine. Then the dragon fighters returned to Four Roads, proudly showing off their dragon-tooth necklaces and bragging about their parts in the battle. That meant it was time to go. The weather was warming up, everyone wanted to get back and see how bad the damage was, and it was clear that the townsfolk were running low on patience for the refugees. The remaining Springwater residents had gathered together for the trip home, making plans about how to get through the next few months. Those who weren¡¯t busy with the spring planting would work on rebuilding the homes that had been lost, and in the meantime, everyone would share whatever shelters still remained¡ªit would still be better than the refugee shelters in Four Roads. The small caravan had been optimistic. Until they reached their destination. Nallee sighed. The dragon must have returned to Springwater at some point and burned down whatever remained, including the house Nallee shared with Patrig and Deni. The refugees had grown quiet at the sight, their hopes fading away as they realized there were no shelters left to share while they rebuilt the village. No one discussed what to do next, but it was obvious everyone was thinking about it. They¡¯d have to live outdoors in the heavy spring rains. Should they send the women and children back to town? Should they build a cheap refugee shelter that everyone could share, like the ones in Four Roads? The families separated out and picked through the charred remains of their former homes to see if anything could be salvaged. ¡°I¡¯m going to look through the smithy,¡± Patrig said. The forge still stood, of course, but the sheds surrounding it were gone. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°All that coal ¡­¡± While he did that, Nallee stepped carefully into the remains of the house. Weeks of rain had turned the ash into a sludgy mud which clung to her shoes, and anytime she brushed against something, it left a black smear on her skirts. She found a wooden table leg that hadn¡¯t burned completely away and used it to search through the mess, finally uncovering a heavy iron ring set into the floor. The trap door leading down into the cellar hadn¡¯t burned. Grasping the ring with both hands, she lifted and pulled, then peered through the opening. The cloudy sky provided enough pale light to show puddles of water at the bottom, likely from rain leaking in after the roof had burned down, but the cellar otherwise appeared intact. That was something, at least¡ªanything stored on the upper shelves was likely safe, including all the preserves, cheeses, and sausages Deni had made. Nallee tried not to think about how much it would cost to replace everything else. When she rejoined Patrig, she found him speaking to their neighbor. ¡°I found Old Man Jonson,¡± Jeffers was saying. ¡°He made himself a lean-to over by the creek, near what¡¯s left of his mill. He told me the others who came back early have already gone.¡± ¡°Gone where?¡± Patrig asked. Jeffers shrugged. ¡°Wherever they have family, I suppose. Ezra and some of the others are going to head over to Demon¡¯s Crook¡ªnothing burned down there, and they have friends that¡¯ll take them in.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ve got to rebuild!¡± Patrig said. ¡°Rebuild what?¡± Jeffers asked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left, and nobody left to rebuild it for. With Ezra gone, we won¡¯t have a store. Jonson¡¯s leaving too, so there¡¯s no miller, which means the farmers aren¡¯t going to come here to do business. We can¡¯t build a town with four or five families. I¡¯m going to take Senna and the kids to my parents¡¯ ranch. They never evacuated, and they only lost a few cattle. They have room for us. I¡¯ll see you around, Patrig.¡± Jeffers made his way back to his waiting family. It was hard to watch Patrig¡¯s dreams fade from his eyes. They could start over again¡ªthey were better off than most of the refugees¡ªbut they didn¡¯t know anyone in Low Sands, and Demon¡¯s Crook already had a blacksmith. Nallee liked Four Roads well enough, but Patrig had never wanted to stay in town. There, he¡¯d be just one more face in the crowd. There was another possibility Nallee hadn¡¯t seriously considered before. ¡°We should gather what we can and go south,¡± she said. ¡°South? Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a smithy at the old keep. It needs work, but Treya told me it was yours if you wanted it. She¡¯s not sure how much business they¡¯ll have for you, but there¡¯ll be caravans from the trading houses coming through eventually.¡± ¡°The keep?¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s a long way from here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got to go somewhere,¡± Nallee pointed out. ¡°You¡¯d be the first blacksmith there, and what do you think will happen once people realize all that farmland is open again?¡± After Treya¡¯s companions decided to take over the keep, Mother Yewen had called a meeting with all the Sisters in Four Roads. An armed force of warriors and mages strong enough to defeat a dragon, occupying a fortified position at the crossroads of two once-important trade routes, would change the political landscape of the free lands. What little political landscape there was. It would be the job of the concubines in Four Roads and South Corner to make sure their patrons saw the change as an opportunity rather than a threat. Patrig worked his jaw as he considered the idea. ¡°They¡¯ll need swords and whatnot. I never had much call to learn that sort of thing.¡± Nallee shook her head. ¡°No, I asked. They already have all that. They brought armor and weapons back with them from Cordaea. The work would be the same as you did here¡ªhorseshoes, tools, nails, that sort of thing.¡± ¡°That place has been abandoned for years. Where would we live?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an entire village there, almost a hundred houses and cottages. Treya said they need cleaning and new roofs, but they¡¯re there for the taking, for whoever gets there first.¡± That wasn¡¯t quite what Treya had said, but Nallee suspected her friend didn¡¯t fully understand the implications of what she and her companions had done. ¡°I want to go,¡± Deni said in a quiet voice. ¡°You do?¡± Patrig asked his wife. ¡°Four Roads didn¡¯t do anything to help! You heard the rumors¡ªNallee¡¯s friends had to do it all themselves. They have soldiers and wizards and healers. They can protect us if raiders come, or another dragon.¡± Patrig took a deep breath, then exhaled loudly. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going south, then. I¡¯ll let the others know.¡± # The dragon¡¯s wing hit her, and then she was falling. Falling. Falling. The ground was coming up fast. And then¡ª A voice intruded. ¡°Sarette?¡± Sarette blinked and banished the memory. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, forcing her attention back to the task at hand. She pulled the next wooden drawer out of the cabinet and grimaced at the darkened, desiccated remains inside before passing it to Corec. ¡°Something else for the trash pile.¡± He scraped the contents into an old burlap sack, then added the drawer to the stack of furniture which would need to be scrubbed and polished before it could be used. The group had finished cleaning the keep¡¯s common areas the day before, so the two of them had moved on to the cellar, spending the morning throwing out old provisions. Nothing had been salvageable. Barrels of wine, ale, and salted pork and fish had gone bad long ago. Grains and flour and beans had been eaten by rodents, and what was left was covered with mold. Canisters of nuts had gone rancid, and dried fruits were barely recognizable. Even the salt had clumped together in its cask and taken on a musty smell. Sarette moved on to the next cabinet, sneezing from the dust. ¡°I know we have to clean things up if we¡¯re going to stay here, but shouldn¡¯t we be doing something about King Rusol? It feels like we¡¯re wasting time.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do much without supplies or men,¡± Corec said. ¡°We just have to get used to waiting. At least we have something to keep us busy in the meantime.¡± ¡°How long do you think it will take before he learns you¡¯re here?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°He¡¯ll find out someone has taken over the keep as soon as the knights return to Fort Hightower, but he might not realize it¡¯s me,¡± Corec said. ¡°I doubt he pays much attention to mercenaries in the free lands, which is what we must look like to an outsider. The knights may send my name along to Telfort just because I used to be part of the Order, but I don¡¯t know if anyone would mention it to him. Even if they do, he might not care anymore¡ªthere haven¡¯t been any attacks since we returned to Aravor.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t think he¡¯ll send anyone after us right away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. If he knows where I am and sends a small group of red-eyes, they could show up at any time, but why would he do it again when it¡¯s failed before? Even if he does, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have a problem dealing with them, especially if Treya¡¯s around to remove the spell. I¡¯m more worried about the army, but it would take them months to muster together at Fort Hightower and then march here. We¡¯ll have plenty of warning. Razai is on her way back, I think, so hopefully she¡¯s learned more.¡± Sarette nodded. ¡°If things will be quiet for a while, then maybe I should visit Snow Crown now. Once Ariadne is back and Leena is able to take us, I mean. I want to get my trial over with.¡± And she needed to talk to her uncle. She wasn¡¯t ready to tell her friends about what had happened to her during the fight with the dragon, but another stormrunner would understand. ¡°This is a good time for it,¡± Corec said. ¡°The armsmen will be out clearing the roads, and they won¡¯t need you for that.¡± Sarette tilted her head to the side. ¡°You want me to keep working with them?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure the extra training she¡¯d given had been of any use. It was Corec who¡¯d trained the men on the weapons and tactics they¡¯d needed for the fight, designing a plan with a dozen different permutations and fallbacks and then drilling the soldiers until they could manage each step. Sarette¡¯s training had focused on discipline and teamwork, but four men had deserted during the battle. Had she really accomplished anything? ¡°How would you like to be Captain of the Guard?¡± Corec said. ¡°Captain? I¡¯m not qualified for that.¡± Her few months in the High Guard hadn¡¯t prepared her for a command position. ¡°It¡¯s ten guards and two scouts. How hard can it be?¡± She considered that. ¡°Why not Boktar?¡± she asked. The dwarven man had decades more experience than she did. ¡°You¡¯ve been in an army before and he hasn¡¯t. Besides, we¡¯re going to offer him the position of Marshal, which means you¡¯d report to him. You command the guard, but he oversees them. He¡¯d also oversee the stables and any workers who aren¡¯t part of the household staff.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± she said. ¡°As long as I¡¯m not doing it alone.¡± But would Corec have asked her to take the position if Cenric hadn¡¯t decided to leave? Then again, Cenric¡¯s experience was as a sergeant. He could handle the men under his command, but he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to deal with paperwork or logistics. ¡°I¡¯ll still be here, too,¡± Corec said. ¡°Really, things won¡¯t change that much. We¡¯re just trying to figure out how to organize it all in a way that¡¯ll work now that we¡¯re not going to be traveling all the time.¡± ¡°Why the formal titles?¡± ¡°Ellerie and Treya think it¡¯ll be better if we pretend to have a full household.¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡ªI¡¯m not sure how long we¡¯ll be here¡ªbut if we need to negotiate any more deals like the one with Duke Lorvis, they think it¡¯s better if we can meet on even terms. The titles are based on a Larsonian duchy. In Larso, the household guardsmen are also trained as soldiers. The king keeps a standing army, but he can call up the lords¡¯ household guards in times of war.¡± ¡°So a captain in Larso is both a captain of the guard and an army captain?¡± ¡°Well, there are separate army captains, but a household captain can be both. It¡¯s not like what you¡¯re used to, though. Outside of the knights, there¡¯s no formal training like the stormborn military academy. The knights and the nobles make most of the decisions, and the officers take care of whatever¡¯s left over. We¡¯ll have to figure out what works for us.¡± Sarette nodded. Maybe she could get some ideas while she was back home. Book 5: Chapter Three Corec was one of the last to arrive in the great hall for the midday meal. ¡°Where¡¯s Bobo?¡± he asked. ¡°I thought he was supposed to cook today.¡± Everyone had been taking turns as cook since the group returned from Cordaea. Treya rolled her eyes. ¡°He found something in the old records that he insisted was too important to wait, so he asked me to take his place.¡± She handed over a bowl. ¡°Fish stew? We have fish?¡± ¡°Leena brought back some lake trout from Four Roads this morning.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like fish!¡± Ditte exclaimed, pushing her bowl away. ¡°You liked it just fine before you knew what it was,¡± Katrin said. The little girl crossed her arms and shook her head. Katrin sighed. ¡°Will you eat it if we take out the fish?¡± She gave Corec a pointed look. He got the message. He and Treya had taken on the responsibility for the children, then left them alone with Katrin for over a month. ¡°Here, Ditte,¡± he said. ¡°Sit with me. I¡¯ll eat your fish.¡± He scooped enough out of the bowl that the girl would start eating again. Bobo rushed in then, a sheaf of papers clutched in his arms and a wide grin on his face. ¡°Guess what I found?¡± he asked. ¡°A work ethic?¡± Corec said. ¡°Very amusing, but you¡¯ll like this.¡± He laid the papers out on the table. Some were roughly drawn maps of the area while others were full of notes in cramped handwriting. Ellerie looked over one of the pages. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°Numbers ¡­ numbers by the week? Cartloads?¡± ¡°Two coal mines, about twenty miles west of here. They¡¯d only been open for a year when the dragon came, but the miners estimated that the seams run for miles. We should do something before someone remembers they¡¯re there.¡± ¡°What were they doing with the coal?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Selling it to the caravans that came through,¡± Bobo said. Corec nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hire miners, I guess.¡± Their decision to stay at the fortress seemed to get more complicated every day. Bobo was right¡ªthey couldn¡¯t leave the mines unclaimed¡ªbut it was an added complication. The plan depended on being able to evacuate any non-combatants if Rusol¡¯s armies invaded the area, and the mines were far enough away to make that difficult. ¡°It¡¯ll give us something to export,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The numbers aren¡¯t big, but it¡¯s enough for twenty freight wagons each month. We could let Varsin Senshall handle it.¡± ¡°We should keep some for ourselves, too, so we don¡¯t need as much firewood,¡± Bobo said. Corec frowned. ¡°You want to use it indoors?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°This is hard coal,¡± Bobo said. ¡°There isn¡¯t much smoke. It¡¯s not like the kind they use for smelting iron or burning lime. We¡¯d have to get some of those new coal stoves, but it¡¯d still be cheaper than the amount of firewood we¡¯d need for this place over the winter.¡± ¡°If you think it¡¯s better, we can try it.¡± ¡°They sell the stoves in Matagor,¡± Bobo said. ¡°I¡¯ll write to a friend there to try to arrange something.¡± He slid another sheet of paper over to Ellerie. ¡°There¡¯s also this, an old copper mine to the south. The notes say they think it was just about played out, but it was still producing when the area was abandoned.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need miners for that, too,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t know where we¡¯ll find that many.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°There are plenty of young men looking for work. We just need an overseer to train them¡ªsomeone who knows how to run a mine.¡± ¡°Mother Yewen can probably find someone who¡¯ll know what we need,¡± Treya said. ¡°Or Mother Vera down in South Corner.¡± ¡°We should talk to them first before we hire anyone else,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about mining, and we can¡¯t afford to be paying people to sit around doing nothing. Money will be tight until we have traders coming through.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°When Nedley¡¯s back, we can send him out to post notices on the mines. It won¡¯t keep anyone out if they¡¯re determined, but at least it¡¯ll warn them we¡¯re making a claim. His squad can start establishing patrol routes to make sure there isn¡¯t any trouble.¡± ¡°I thought we¡¯d have both squads helping to clear the roads,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°That has to be our first priority.¡± ¡°No, our first priority is making sure we can defend this place from Rusol. How long will it take to repair the walls? I¡¯d rather have the workers do that before we start on the roads.¡± Ellerie frowned. ¡°I promised Duke Lorvis we¡¯d ¡­ Never mind. Let me think.¡± She was quiet for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll need help hauling the fallen stone back up on the wall, but we can¡¯t do that until the carpenters build the frames. It¡¯s like using a mould for metal-shaping¡ªit¡¯s easier if there¡¯s something holding it all in place so I can focus on the smaller details.¡± ¡°How many men will you need for that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll have to use ramps and ropes to get the larger blocks back up on the wall. It¡¯ll take a while.¡± Bobo held up a finger, looking thoughtful. ¡°Did you ever see the windlass cranes Senshall uses to load their larger ships? There are plans for one in the library in Matagor. If the carpenters build one of those first, it¡¯ll be easier and faster to lift the pieces up to where you need them.¡± ¡°That would work,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The carpenters could handle that on their own, maybe with some help from Nedley¡¯s squad when they aren¡¯t out patrolling. That would leave the second squad free to work on the roads.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Corec said, ¡°but leave the Larso road alone until we¡¯re ready. No sense in giving Rusol an easy way to reach us.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll start with the Matagor branch.¡± She turned back to Bobo. ¡°Any more surprises?¡± He gave her a self-satisfied smile. ¡°As a matter of fact, yes. There¡¯s an old sawmill just two miles east of here¡ªor there was, at least. I haven¡¯t gone out to look.¡± That would mean even more people they would need to hire, but if the sawmill was still there and still operational, it would be faster than hauling cut lumber from Four Roads. And if it was to the east, it would be away from any potential attacks by Rusol¡¯s forces. Before Corec could respond, Leena appeared from out of nowhere. She blinked and looked around as she got her bearings. She greeted everyone, then said, ¡°I went to check on Boktar and the others since I¡¯ll be gone for a while. They¡¯re two days out from Four Roads. They¡¯re escorting some of the refugees home along the way.¡± ¡°Was he able to hire everyone we need?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The road crew and the carpenters, but not all of the servants. He said your friend¡ªMama Wenna?¡ªwas able to find a cook for us, but she didn¡¯t know of any housekeepers looking for a job.¡± ¡°We might have to look in Tyrsall for that,¡± Corec said. ¡°There aren¡¯t too many people around here with the right experience. What about the others?¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Boktar says he hired two sisters as maids, and one of the soldier¡¯s mothers will cook for the barracks, but he only found one woodcutter willing to make the trip and he hasn¡¯t found any kitchen maids yet.¡± ¡°Maybe the other men have family looking for jobs,¡± Corec said. Ellerie nodded. ¡°And once the roads are clear and caravans are coming through, it¡¯ll be easier to find workers willing to come here.¡± ¡°What was this place called, anyway?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We can¡¯t just keep calling it the old keep.¡± ¡°The Free Lands Trade Keep of Matagor,¡± Bobo said, ¡°which is why no one ever used the name even before it was abandoned. The village was called Hilltop.¡± ¡°Hilltop Village is fine. I guess we¡¯ll need to come up with a new name for the keep.¡± # Leena woke before dawn, kissing Ellerie¡¯s forehead and slipping from the blankets they¡¯d laid out in front of the fireplace. The room had a wooden bedframe, finally cleaned up and even polished, but it was still waiting for Boktar to return with straw, wool, and canvas to make new mattresses. As the group had cleaned the keep, they¡¯d had to throw out much of what had been left behind when Matagor abandoned it¡ªnot just the mattresses but also clothing, bedding, rugs, and woven wall hangings. After five decades with no fires being lit in the place, the dampness had gotten into everything. While Leena had been busy in Sanvar or running errands for her friends, Ellerie and the others had spent their time scrubbing away mold and mildew and getting rid of the musty smell which pervaded every room. They¡¯d cleaned the residential apartments first¡ªsix on the second floor and six more on the third, all set in the front half of the building so they could have small windows with a view of the bailey. Leena and Ellerie¡¯s suite was on the third floor, overlooking the stables. The apartments were simple, consisting of just a sitting room and bedchamber. They hadn¡¯t been designed for noble lords and ladies, but instead for the administrators, clerks, and military officers Matagor had stationed in this distant location. Leena went out to the sitting room to get dressed, trying not to wake Ellerie, but the elven woman joined her before she finished. ¡°You¡¯re leaving in the dark again?¡± Ellerie asked, her face illuminated by the mage light they¡¯d left out overnight. ¡°The sun¡¯s already up in Sanvara City,¡± Leena told her. ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have to be away for so long.¡± ¡°Five days of night duty, then I¡¯ll be back to my normal schedule.¡± The empress¡¯s cadre of Travelers worked five days on and one day off when they were part of the active roster, but two Travelers had to stay overnight in the capital on any given day in case the empress or the army needed to send out urgent messages. It meant Leena would have a lighter day shift than normal, to leave her with enough strength in case she was needed later. ¡°Well, don¡¯t go yet,¡± Ellerie said, beckoning her over. Leena grinned and went to her. Half an hour later, with her hair mussed up again, she appeared in a room painted with patterns of green and blue circles. The same pattern repeated in the colorful tiled floor. It was the circle room at the Sanvara City Travelers¡¯ Post. Each post had its own unique two-color designation, while the geometric patterns repeated across different locations. Sanvara City had the most rooms, at twelve, while some of the smaller Posts at the edges of the empire had only two. The Travelers in the empress¡¯s cadre had to memorize the signatures, patterns, and colors for each of the rooms at every post. The less energy their minds spent trying to find the correct spot, the more trips they could make each day. Conserving energy had become more important since the attacks on the camps. The cadre normally held thirty-six of the strongest Travelers in all of Sanvar, with twelve active at a time, each working four months out of the year. Now, though, they were short-handed, with Leena bringing the number up to twenty-seven, but that included four who¡¯d come out of retirement. They needed more people, but most Travelers weren¡¯t strong enough to handle a full shift in the cadre. After three weeks, Leena was still getting used to the workload. A short corridor led to a circular room at the center of the Post. The back half of the chamber was a single curved wall entirely covered with shelves labeled at regular intervals with Post names and color designations. Round message tubes and small packages were waiting above many of the labels. A woman in a Zidari-style dress much like Leena¡¯s own stood working behind a counter. A scrying orb rested on a small pedestal nearby. ¡°Good morning, Chaaya,¡± Leena said. ¡°What¡¯s my pattern today?¡± ¡°Triangle, but only for the morning,¡± the clerk replied. ¡°You¡¯ve been called to the palace this afternoon.¡± She handed over a formal invitation, but none of the details on the slip of paper made any sense, seemingly intended as shorthand for the bureaucrats who handled visitors. ¡°The palace? Why?¡± If someone at the palace had a message to go out, they¡¯d have sent it to the Post. That likely meant an upper-level bureaucrat needed personal transport, but that would take a lot of strength¡ªshe shouldn¡¯t be teleporting other people if she was on night shift. ¡°You have an audience with Empress Shereen.¡± Leena drew in a sharp breath. Chaaya saw her look of consternation. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about. The empress meets with all the new Travelers.¡± That might be true¡ªRohav and Pavan had both mentioned talking to the empress on occasion¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t reassuring. Leena¡¯s situation was different than the other Travelers. How much did Shereen know? # ¡°Are you almost ready with the rabbit?¡± Shavala called back to the tavern¡¯s small kitchen. ¡°You didn¡¯t finish butchering it!¡± Katrin said in response. ¡°There wasn¡¯t time. Just take some off the haunch and cut it into little pieces, and mix in some of the blood.¡± ¡°Blood?¡± Katrin poked her head through the doorway between the two rooms. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Dragons don¡¯t drain their prey before eating it,¡± Shavala said. Katrin wrinkled her nose but returned to the kitchen while Shavala watched the yellowish-white egg rock back and forth. The creature inside had been fully formed for days now, and when her elder senses had shown it moving around inside the shell that morning, she¡¯d gone hunting. It had taken longer than she¡¯d expected. The deer and cattle in the area had long since been chased off or eaten by the dragon, so she¡¯d finally settled on a rabbit. Smaller creatures apparently hadn¡¯t been of interest to the beast. The rocking motion turned into more of a tapping, and a crack formed near the top. ¡°Hurry!¡± Shavala called out. ¡°It¡¯s starting to hatch!¡± Katrin ran out of the kitchen and handed over a bowl. ¡°Is this good?¡± ¡°The pieces need to be smaller,¡± Shavala said, grabbing her belt knife and getting to work. ¡°The outlander told Zhailai that when the hatchlings are very young, mother dragons regurgitate their prey to feed them.¡± ¡°Regurgi¡ª? Oh! That¡¯s gross!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to do it, but that¡¯s why it needs to be so small. I¡¯ll mix in some bone next time. I didn¡¯t have time to grind it up safely.¡± More cracks appeared and a section of shell broke off as the little dragon poked its snout through, making a quiet chirping noise¡ªlikely meant to attract its mother¡¯s attention without alerting any nearby predators. ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Katrin squeaked. She looked as if she wasn¡¯t certain whether to stay or flee. ¡°It can¡¯t hurt you,¡± Shavala said, cutting as fast as she could. ¡°It¡¯s just a baby. Get ready to catch it if it tries to run.¡± ¡°Me? Catch it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s more like a bird or a lizard. If it¡¯s like a lizard, it¡¯ll be able to run as soon as it¡¯s hatched.¡± ¡°But I¡ª¡± The egg split down the side, and the tiny dragon, which had been pushing against it, fell flat to the ground. It was the size of a large house cat, but with a longer neck and tail. Its mottled brown scales were darker along its back and its legs and lighter underneath. Its chirps took on a distressed tone as it struggled to move. ¡°I¡¯m almost done,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Will you help it up?¡± Katrin tentatively touched her fingers to the creature before jerking back as if worried she¡¯d be bitten. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s warm,¡± she said. ¡°And dry. I thought it would be wet.¡± She reached out again and carefully lifted the hatchling up to its feet, then supported it to see if it could hold itself up. When it did, she grinned in delight. ¡°I touched a dragon! It¡¯s so small!¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Shavala said, setting her knife to the side. ¡°I¡¯ll take it now.¡± Katrin half-lifted and half-nudged the creature over to her. Shavala sat cross-legged and lifted it to her lap, then grabbed a few tiny pieces of rabbit from the bowl. She held her hand in front of the creature¡¯s snout to see if it would open its mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not hungry?¡± Katrin asked when it didn¡¯t try to eat. ¡°Zhailai said the outlanders told her it would be, but maybe it¡¯s more like a bird, and is still full from digesting the yolk sac.¡± But then the dragon sniffed Shavala¡¯s fingers and licked at the blood. She slipped a bit of meat into its mouth and waited. Had she cut it small enough? It swallowed and opened wide, squawking for more. She fed it one bite at a time until it chomped down on her finger. ¡°No!¡± she said. ¡°Be good!¡± She wiped her hand off on her tunic to make sure none of the blood was hers, then grabbed more meat from the bowl. ¡°Is it a boy or a girl?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°I can¡¯t tell,¡± Shavala said. Dragons had cloaca like birds, but while she could identify the sex of an adult bird by looking at the plumage or using her elder senses, she wasn¡¯t sure what to look for in a juvenile dragon. The little creature lost interest in eating after getting through a third of the bowl. It curled up in Shavala¡¯s arms and peered curiously at its surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s cute,¡± Katrin said. ¡°But how are you going to keep it from hurting anyone when it gets bigger?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll train it, and ¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Shavala admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out.¡± Was she doing the right thing? Dragons were predators. Was this small creature¡¯s life any more important than the life of the rabbit she¡¯d killed to feed it? Was it more important than any of the hundreds of other animals it would hunt and kill over the course of its existence? Predators ate prey¡ªthat was the way of life. Every ecosystem needed that delicate balance to survive, and predators had the right to live and follow their nature. But dragons weren¡¯t part of the natural world. Did that change things? Elves were predators too. Were elven lives more sacred than their prey? Elves were thinking beings, but that didn¡¯t make them more important. It just meant they could choose to change their own nature. Perhaps in exchange for the dragon¡¯s life, Shavala would stop hunting for herself. She wouldn¡¯t be the first druid to give up eating meat. It wasn¡¯t an equal exchange, of course¡ªthe dragon would grow to be much larger¡ªbut it would mean something. And keeping the dragon under her supervision would allow her to see if it could learn to live in peace with people. Dragons were too dangerous to be allowed to roam free and unhindered, but for much of a dragon¡¯s life, it wouldn¡¯t go out of its way to kill a person. Shavala wanted to take that natural instinct and expand on it. Watching the little hatchling as it slowly fell asleep in her arms, she could only hope she¡¯d be successful. Book 5: Chapter Four The imperial palace, formally known as Sun and Sea, was just a short walk across the main plaza from the Sanvara City Travelers¡¯ Post. The palace¡¯s outer buildings were short, only one or two stories tall, to support the uneven architecture meant to represent ocean waves, but in the center of it all rose the Sun Tower. The spherical mirror at the top loomed over everything else in the city, reflecting the afternoon sun. From a distance, the tower appeared to be a thin needle rising into the sky, but up close, it was huge. The lowest section was as wide around as the entire fortress Leena¡¯s friends had taken over in the free lands, with the upper levels growing progressively smaller. It was to the Sun Tower that Leena was directed after presenting the summons she¡¯d received. At the tower, she had to hand over the invitation again, this time to the guards at the main entrance. ¡°Leena of the Zidari Matihar camp,¡± one of them said, glancing over the paperwork. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you here before. Clan tattoo?¡± It took her a moment to realize what he was asking. The Zidari preferred not to show their tattoos to outsiders. He sensed her hesitation and rolled up his own sleeve, exposing a tattoo with three circles of decreasing size, linked in a row. The mark that all Zidari wore. But Zidari weren¡¯t warriors. How had he come to serve in the Imperial Guard? It wouldn¡¯t be polite to ask. She pulled up her left sleeve to show her matching tattoo. The guard nodded. ¡°You may pass. A page will show you to the afternoon tea room.¡± The tea room proved to be two-thirds of the way up the tower, on the tenth floor. It was a long but skinny chamber with a single small table and two chairs set precisely in the center. A series of tile mosaics hung along the inner wall, while the curved outer wall held wide glass windows looking out across the eastern half of the city. Glass windows were rare in Sanvar due to the heat. At this time of day, the sun was on the other side of the building, but in the morning, the room would be unbearably hot. A serving girl entered through a hidden entrance between two mosaics. She set a tea tray on the table, then left again without saying a word. Then an elderly woman came through a door opposite the one Leena had used. Empress Shereen¡¯s face was lined with age and her hair was completely white, but she still walked with ease. She wore pale blue robes of state trimmed with gold. The loose, flowing sleeves gaped open when she moved, showing skin-tight inner sleeves that covered her arms all the way to the wrist. A Zidari-style robe, though not uncommon amongst the other clans. Leena realized she had no idea what to do. She¡¯d assumed there¡¯d be others present who could provide guidance. She attempted a clumsy curtsey¡ªit wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d ever had to learn before. The empress shook her head. ¡°The Zidari should never genuflect to me, child,¡± she said in a melodic voice. ¡°Come. We¡¯ll have tea and talk. Rohav has told me much about you.¡± ¡°Y ¡­ yes, Your, umm, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s how you¡¯d like to address me,¡± Shereen said, taking a seat at the table. She gestured to the other chair. Leena hurried over and poured the tea for them both, worried the empress might otherwise do it herself. Finished, she sat down, staring at her porcelain cup, not sure what to say. Shereen took a sip. ¡°Jasmine,¡± she said, ¡°from the Sebin region. One of the areas infested by the snake cult, but they make a good tea. Your uncle tells me we have you to thank for the progress we¡¯ve made against them.¡± ¡°All I did was ask for help,¡± Leena said, uncomfortable with the praise. ¡°My friends did the fighting, them and the other Travelers.¡± Shereen acknowledged that with a nod. ¡°We can¡¯t all be warriors, can we? I find these cultists troubling. Those who are left, the ones we captured, they are ¡­ uneducated, naive, easily misled. I have hopes they can be returned to society. It¡¯s the others I¡¯m worried about, the ones who escaped. The Seeker you captured claimed they were after you, but why?¡± Her gaze was intense. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Leena said. ¡°The ones we took alive were just mercenaries¡ªno one told them anything important.¡± If Rohav hadn¡¯t mentioned the bracelet to the empress, Leena wasn¡¯t going to bring it up. She wasn¡¯t sure it was the reason anyway, and she still needed it to protect her brother. Somehow. She couldn¡¯t risk the chance that the other woman might insist she hand it over. ¡°Yet you believe it enough that you¡¯ll attempt to draw the cultists north?¡± Shereen asked. ¡°With the Seeker captured, I don¡¯t know if they have any way to find me, but until we know for sure, it didn¡¯t seem wise to stay in one place. Not in my family¡¯s camp, at least. In the free lands, my friends have taken over an old fortress and are working to repair it. If the cult comes again, we¡¯ll be ready for them.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe we can protect you in Sanvar?¡± ¡°The Zidari don¡¯t learn to fight, and if I stayed in the city, the cult could just blend in and wait until I was alone somewhere. In the free lands, we¡¯ll be able to see them coming.¡± ¡°Your logic is sound, but with their Seeker captured, I¡¯d be surprised if the cultists make it that far north. We need a better way to find them.¡± The empress shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not your problem. What I really want to know about are these wardens. Are they trustworthy?¡± What had Rohav told her? ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Leena said. ¡°I trust Corec, but I don¡¯t know much about the others. Except King Rusol¡ªhe¡¯s tried to kill Corec several times, and I think he tried to capture me when I was stranded in Telfort.¡± As for the rest, Leena hadn¡¯t spent enough time around Hildra to form an opinion. Yelena had sent Sarlo to gain Leena¡¯s trust, likely in an attempt to recruit her. Leena was uncomfortable with the idea, but was there anything truly sinister about it? All of the wardens were secretive in their own ways. Sarlo had never lied, and he¡¯d hinted to her about what Yelena could offer and what she¡¯d ask for in return. It was no different than what Leena was doing for Corec. ¡°King Rusol?¡± the empress asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. ¡°The new king of Pallisur¡¯s chosen land is a mage?¡± ¡°He is,¡± Leena said, then stopped to consider the idea. ¡°Or that¡¯s what I was told. I haven¡¯t seen it for myself.¡± The only real indication they had that Rusol was a mage and a warden had come from Razai. The demonborn woman was a friend, but she wasn¡¯t Corec¡¯s friend. Could she have been lying to him for some unknown reason of her own? The wardens weren¡¯t the only ones with secrets. ¡°That would be a dangerous game he¡¯s playing, if true,¡± Shereen said, lightly tapping her fingertips against her cheek. ¡°A matter for another day, and perhaps for the Seers. Let¡¯s not get distracted. Do you know why the Zidari mages are asked not to work outside Sanvar?¡± ¡°For our safety?¡± Leena said. Being approached by both Rusol¡¯s and Yelena¡¯s agents in such a short period of time had proven the rules were there for a reason. ¡°Broadly, yes,¡± Shereen said. ¡°Zidari magic is more dangerous than we let on, but anyone who takes a moment to think about it should begin to understand the ramifications. This sort of magic isn¡¯t limited to just your clan¡ªcertain wizards have managed to learn similar spells¡ªbut the Zidari provide a concentrated mastery of some of the most powerful magics in the world.¡± Leena didn¡¯t know how to respond. Was the empress going to ask her to return to Sanvar? She¡¯d seemed to approve of the idea of drawing the snake cult north. Shereen took a sip of her tea. ¡°Your clan is Sanvar¡¯s greatest asset, and not just for your magic. The zi-Dari were the first clan to come to these shores and make alliances, and the empire wouldn¡¯t exist if it wasn¡¯t for your history with the lizardfolk tribes. Yet, if too many outsiders learn of your abilities, they could become jealous¡ªor frightened¡ªof what the Zidari might do to them. If they learn of your abilities and they¡¯re aware of your presence in their kingdoms, they could set a trap. An arrow can strike before you¡¯re aware of the bowman, and a scrying ward can block even a Traveler¡¯s abilities.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Leena said. ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± The empress stood and walked to the nearest window, peering down at the city below. ¡°Sanvar is the largest nation in Aravor, but Tyrsall has surpassed us in trade, despite our more advantageous location. We¡¯ve been focused inward for too long, with too much squabbling amongst the clans and too many little wars with the lizardfolk and the dwarves. Before your clan was attacked, I was considering ways to extend our influence outward. Traveling is the most well known of the Zidari magics, and the least frightening to outsiders. We don¡¯t have enough strong Travelers to expand our network outside of Sanvar, and we have no way to protect your kin outside our borders, but I¡¯d hoped to find a solution. Then, of course, the Traveler families were attacked, and I had to give up on my plan ¡­ until Rohav told me of the wardens.¡± ¡°You want to know if the wardens would protect Travelers¡¯ Posts in the north?¡± Leena asked. ¡°Partly, but your uncle said you told him that being linked to a warden would strengthen your magic. Is that true?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was told, though for me, I needed control more than strength. But I don¡¯t think there are enough wardens to do what you want, even if they can be trusted. There are only eight in the world, and they can each only bond eight other mages. I think most have already bonded all they can.¡± ¡°Ahh, I see,¡± Shereen said, a disappointed expression crossing her face. ¡°Perhaps my ideas will have to wait for my granddaughter¡¯s reign, when the Travelers have grown strong once again.¡± That gave Leena an idea. ¡°I can still take messages to the north and back. I¡¯m going there anyway. I visit Tyrsall regularly, and Aencyr in Cordaea. I could expand that.¡± ¡°Delivering messages is safe enough if they don¡¯t know you¡¯re coming¡ªthe other Travelers already do that from time to time¡ªbut arranging to pick up the replies is a risk.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for people we can trust. Senshall Trading Company in Tyrsall already asked to hire me. I turned them down, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be interested even if I could only stop there once each week. I¡¯ll bring any messages they have for Sanvar, and if they have something for Matagor or Circle Bay ¡­¡± Leena shrugged. ¡°I can make arrangements so that I¡¯m not in any danger. The person I visit in Aencyr is a warden, and Corec is at that fortress in the free lands. Those spots should be safe enough.¡± The empress turned to a globe resting on a table behind her and ran her fingers over the continent of Aravor. ¡°It¡¯s not what I envisioned,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s such a small scale¡ªif only a few people know of it, then we¡¯re not extending Sanvar¡¯s influence among potential trading partners.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t need a full Travelers¡¯ Post,¡± Leena said. ¡°They make more use of messenger pigeons and couriers in the north. But if I just took their most urgent messages once a week, it would be an improvement over what they do now.¡± Shereen nodded. ¡°And speeding up communication between Sanvar and the north is the important part of the plan. If you already have the appropriate contacts, you may make the attempt. It¡¯s not what I had in mind, but it might be the start of something bigger, and we would be at the heart of it. I just wish we had more Travelers strong enough to go long distances. I¡¯ve suggested using weaker Travelers on the shorter routes to free up the cadre for the more intensive trips, but your associates are reluctant to admit they can¡¯t handle the work.¡± Leena wasn¡¯t sure whether her next suggestion was a good idea, but she offered it anyway. ¡°There¡¯s a warden in Tyrsall who goes by the name Yelena. A year ago, she was trying to recruit a Traveler. She might still be looking for one.¡± ¡°Oh? You know this Yelena? You can put me in touch with her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know her personally, but I know where to find her. Right now, she works for Duke Voss of Tyrsall, but she told Corec she¡¯s planning to move to Sanvara City soon.¡± ¡°Well, then,¡± Shereen said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to have a talk with her once she arrives.¡± Could Yelena be trusted? Could the empress? Luckily, Leena wouldn¡¯t have to answer those questions¡ªthe two women were experienced enough to look out for their own interests. If Yelena and Shereen came to a compromise, both of them could get what they wanted. And if everything worked out, Leena might get the empress¡¯s blessing to remain in the north for as long as she wished. # Ariadne held up her small hand mirror and stared at the sigil on her brow, glowing with a pale blue light. The wrong shade of blue, in the form of two interlocking circles side-by-side. Who¡¯d done it? Why? She had to be missing some obvious clue, she thought. There was a reason why she¡¯d been bonded, and if she could just figure out what that reason was, it would all make sense. So far, the only idea she¡¯d had was that someone wanted an agent near Corec, but how would that work? Whoever it was had no way to communicate with her and no reason to believe she¡¯d do as they wished. Sighing, she hid the sigil once more and banished her mage light, plunging the tent back into pre-dawn darkness. She now had two mysteries to solve. The first was as elusive as ever. What had happened to the Chosar? She¡¯d accepted that she wasn¡¯t going to find her people alive, but she still needed to learn what had happened¡ªshe had to know the reason for their disappearance. Perhaps she¡¯d find some new clue in Snow Crown when she accompanied Sarette to the other woman¡¯s homeland. The stormborn acted much like the Chosar, if Sarette¡¯s stories were anything to go by, and their traditions and knowledge were supposedly passed down from Borrisur. Or, rather, Boreas. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. And while the stormborn behaved like the Chosar, the seaborn looked like them, if shorter and more muscular. Those were the most direct connections Ariadne had found, though they weren¡¯t the only ones. Judging by her discussions with Ellerie about elven magic, the nilvasta likely had a small amount of Chosar blood running through their veins. And the dwarven people built underground cities, though that link was tenuous¡ªonly a few of the Tirs had been constructed fully below ground. Perhaps the reason why there were so many clues pointing in different directions was that The People had joined with other bloodlines until their descendents were unrecognizable. Ariadne wasn¡¯t sure whether that outcome was better or worse than any of the others she¡¯d imagined. Then a new thought occurred to her. What if the two mysteries were related? Why had the unknown warden bonded her? Why not Bobo, or some other random mage? What if they¡¯d bonded her because she was Chosar? That made as much sense as anything else. And it meant that while she might not be able to find the warden directly, maybe she could do so indirectly. Discovering the fate of the Chosar could very well lead her to the person who¡¯d bonded her. Was it a scholar researching the ancient past? Or a secret Chosar warden who¡¯d been chosen after the ritual but before The People disappeared? Whatever the answer, she wouldn¡¯t learn it today, and she was wasting time with her musings. She donned her armor and left the tent, finding a faint sliver of light dawning in the west. Most of the camp was still asleep, but here and there, the refugees they were escorting back to their homes had risen and were preparing cooking fires. Ariadne strolled out of the camp, passing a watch patrol on the way and giving the two men a quick wave. They were used to her comings and goings. Once she was out of sight of the tents, she looked around for a wide, flat area large enough for what she needed. She¡¯d learned to hold her practice sessions in private. If she didn¡¯t, the children from the camp would follow and watch, seemingly fascinated by the bits of magic she displayed. She had to track them constantly with her elder senses to make sure they didn¡¯t come too close to her blade. It was easier to practice before they woke, far enough away that they weren¡¯t likely to find her. After finding a good spot, she drew her blade and infused it with flame. The spell came to her more easily than ever, likely due to the warden bond. How had she not realized it before? Her elder magic had always been incredibly weak. The fact that she¡¯d summoned two infusions at once in Dalewood should have been a giveaway. It meant she¡¯d been bonded before that¡ªlikely in Tyrsall, or even earlier. Ariadne might not know the mysterious warden¡¯s intentions, but she intended to make use of the gift she¡¯d been given. That meant she needed to practice. Once her elder magic had been deemed practically useless, her training as a Mage Knight had focused on arcane magic. She would have to make up for lost time. She held her sword up in a ready position, then slashed down at an angle, as if striking an opponent between his armor and helm. Step back, parry, two steps forward, thrust. Despite the flame, the sword moved as she was accustomed to. She could feel the heat, but the spell wouldn¡¯t burn her hands as long as she kept them around the hilt. She just had to be cautious not to touch the blade until she¡¯d discharged the infusion, though her mirrorsteel armor would block the worst of it. Letting the sword dip down, she touched the tip of the blade to a fist-sized stone half-buried in the dirt. The flames disappeared as the energy was discharged, leaving a scorch mark on the rock. Hitting someone with a flaming sword would have been useless on its own, except as a way to frighten them. Fire didn¡¯t burn quickly enough for a momentary strike to have any effect. Infusion spells solved that problem by releasing all their power at once. Lightning was the easiest to infuse¡ªit wanted to transfer all of its energy in an instant, at a single point of contact. Flame and frost were more difficult. They had to be coaxed into behaving differently than normal. It was an odd sensation. Elder magic was more primal and less regimented than the arcane magic with which Ariadne had trained. She had no idea how Sarette did what she did. Stormrunners infused their weapons like a Mage Knight or an elementalist would, but they also seemed to infuse themselves, slowly draining power from the infusion as they used it to fly, leap long distances, or strengthen their bodies against jarring landings. Had Boreas developed those techniques back in Ariadne¡¯s day, or was it a newer invention? Leaving her blade touching the stone, Ariadne infused it with frost, discharged it, then followed it up with flame again. The rock cracked in two from the rapid changes in temperature. Three infusions in close succession, strong enough to actually have an effect. It was more than she¡¯d ever managed before. How far could she take it? She closed her eyes and imagined an elemental shield floating in front of her. It wouldn¡¯t block an attack, but it carried an infusion spell which would discharge against any weapon¡ªor body¡ªthat struck it. Nothing happened, and Ariadne could feel a faint headache coming on. The shield required more power than she could muster. When she opened her eyes, Boktar was waiting for her. She¡¯d been so intent on the spell that she¡¯d forgotten to keep watch with her elder senses. ¡°Hey, Ariadne, the Oak Hollow group asked for an armed escort to get the rest of the way home,¡± he said. ¡°Will you go with them?¡± ¡°Are you expecting trouble?¡± she asked. ¡°I doubt it¡ªbandits and hillfolk raiders aren¡¯t likely to have come this far east so soon after the dragon died¡ªbut there¡¯s always a chance some opportunistic thief is looting the empty villages. It won¡¯t hurt to provide a little protection.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Oak Hollow¡¯s five miles off the main road. If you ride, you should catch up to us by nightfall. Take Nedley with you¡ªhe could use the experience.¡± Ariadne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is Nedley accompanying me, or am I accompanying him?¡± Boktar shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re in charge, but the Oak Hollow folks will be happier if there¡¯s a man along. Humans can be backwards sometimes, especially way out here.¡± She nodded¡ªshe¡¯d seen the looks the refugees gave her. At least the armsmen no longer looked at her that way. She¡¯d fought alongside them, and she¡¯d been one of the first to rush the dragon, so they considered her to be one of them now. She¡¯d even accepted one of the dragon-tooth necklaces, though she had yet to wear it. ¡°Dwarves don¡¯t have that problem?¡± she asked. ¡°No,¡± Boktar said flatly. ¡°My mother would never allow it. Her or the other family heads.¡± ¡°Women are in charge in Stone Home?¡± ¡°The government is evenly split between men and women, but the heads of the families are mostly women. They make a lot of the decisions.¡± Boktar shook his head. ¡°Including marriage, which is why I don¡¯t go home much. My mother¡¯s old-fashioned.¡± Ariadne had heard enough hints about that to know it was a touchy subject, but if he was going to be talkative, she might as well try some other questions. He rarely spoke about his past. ¡°There are mages in Stone Home, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Like Hildra?¡± ¡°We have wizards, sure,¡± Boktar said. ¡°And I suppose the stonemasters must be mages, but no one ever calls them that. They can walk through solid stone, or reshape it.¡± ¡°Like a shaping wizard?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°Or like an elder mage?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how closely related the dwarves in Stone Home were to those in Bancyra, but Hildra was an arcane mage while her sister was an elder mage. It was unusual to see both magics in the same family. Unusual outside the Chosar, at least, or certain hybrid bloodlines. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Boktar said. ¡°The stonemasters keep to themselves.¡± He frowned. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡± It seemed he was done being talkative. Ariadne stood. ¡°I¡¯ll go let Nedley know we¡¯re leaving as soon as the Oak Hollow group is ready to go.¡± She¡¯d learned enough for now. Boktar might not have the answers she needed, but she could search for records about the stonemasters. If they were elder mages, it was one more clue, one more possible connection. Her search might take years, but every piece brought her closer to the truth. # The small town of Wellspring lay along the Trade Road in a wide valley that cut through the hills just east of the Black Crow Mountains. This close to the border, the locals were a mix of hillfolk, freelanders, and Larsonians. Razai¡¯s new disguise, a Larsonian farmer named Nevin, fit right in as long as no one looked too closely at the quality of the horse she was riding. She¡¯d been using her Aden disguise too much lately, and in any case, it always felt wrong to speak with a western accent while wearing the Aden illusion. He was an easterner. A group of rough-looking men were loitering outside the first tavern she came to. They gave her suspicious glares as she neared, so she passed on by. They wanted to hassle her, not cause any real harm, but Razai wasn¡¯t in the mood for a scuffle if she couldn¡¯t fight back. She settled for the next tavern along the main road, leaving her horse and pack mule tied to the hitching post outside. ¡°Whiskey,¡± she told the barkeep. ¡°Just give me the bottle.¡± The man ran a skeptical eye over the grungy clothing the Nevin disguise was wearing. ¡°Money first,¡± he said. She slipped him five coppers, more than enough for any bottle of whiskey this place might sell. He passed the bottle over wordlessly, then ignored her as he went back to wiping down glasses with a dirty rag. A group of boisterous men with hillfolk accents came in, half drunk already. ¡°Hey, Borty, didja hear the news?¡± one of them said. ¡°That Corec Tarwen feller that went after the dragon managed to kill it, he did. Guess you can quit worryin¡¯ ¡®bout it comin¡¯ here.¡± Razai listened in, pretending to only be interested in her bottle. Corec had defeated the dragon? Certainly not by himself. The barkeep grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t like the Tarwens. The old baron ran me out of their valley just because I weren¡¯t from there. Don¡¯t need his kin comin¡¯ over the border.¡± One of the other men laughed. ¡°Your own mother ran you out of the house too, Borty. But no, we don¡¯t need any Larso sprigs here. We coulda just sent you to kill the dragon instead. You still got that rusty old sword behind the counter?¡± Borty scowled at them. ¡°Either order something or get out.¡± ¡°Ales all around, then, in celebration of stupid arses that go fightin¡¯ dragons so decent folk don¡¯t have to.¡± The hillfolk men lined the bar, jostling Razai out of the way. She clamped down on her usual reaction to being touched¡ªthe men were rowdy and drunk, but not malicious¡ªand used the opportunity to move to a table. She continued listening, but it seemed they didn¡¯t know anything more than what they¡¯d already said. They were more interested in drinking and joking than in gossip. Razai was intent enough on their conversation that she didn¡¯t notice someone new enter the tavern until the customers all grew quiet, staring. Leena looked wildly out of place with her southern complexion and her bright yellow dress. She glanced around the common room, puzzled, until her eyes settled on Razai. She made her way over. ¡°Razai?¡± she said. ¡°Yes!¡± Razai hissed, eyeing the crowd at the bar to see if they¡¯d taken any notice, but they¡¯d returned to poking fun at the barkeep. ¡°Keep quiet! What are you doing here?¡± The Sanvari woman sat down across from her. ¡°Corec was worried about why it was taking you so long to return, but you didn¡¯t stay in any one place for long and he didn¡¯t think I should go into Larso, so I waited until you crossed the border.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need anyone checking up on me.¡± Leena tilted her head to the side, a questioning look on her face. Razai sighed. ¡°People were looking for me,¡± she admitted. ¡°I doubled back a few times to see who they sent and why.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t go well in Telfort, then?¡± Leena asked. Razai shrugged. ¡°No worse than usual.¡± ¡°Did you learn anything? Is King Rusol going to attack again?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say.¡± ¡°You spoke to him?¡± ¡°How else was I going to learn anything? I was in disguise.¡± She¡¯d started that way, at least. ¡°Corec¡¯s not the only warden he¡¯s after, but he doesn¡¯t know who the others are.¡± ¡°So it is because Corec¡¯s a warden, then?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say it straight out, but what else would it be?¡± ¡°How does he know about Corec if he doesn¡¯t know who the others are?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if Corec¡¯s out killing dragons, that¡¯s not going to help. The news has already made it this far. It won¡¯t take long before it reaches the capital.¡± ¡°I think that was on purpose,¡± Leena said. ¡°They want to draw Rusol out to a place where no one else will get hurt if he sends those red-eyes again.¡± ¡°Stop saying his name,¡± Razai snapped, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone with red eyes while I was there, but he¡¯s got other compelled troops. They act like normal soldiers, but I could tell. They¡¯ll be harder to find than the red-eyes. Treya should be able to sniff them out.¡± Leena nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll let the others know. I¡¯d offer to take you to the fortress now, but I worked a full shift in Sanvar today and I¡¯m too tired.¡± ¡°What?¡± Razai said. No part of that last sentence had made sense. Leena¡¯s lips twitched into a smile. ¡°I learned a few tricks while you were away. I can track you anywhere with the warden bond, and I can bring another person with me when I Travel, but it takes a lot of strength. I¡¯ve been working with the other Travelers in Sanvar during the day, and coming back up north at night.¡± ¡°And the fortress?¡± ¡°The dragon¡¯s keep is bigger than we expected. We¡¯re settling in there and getting it fixed up. It¡¯ll be easier to defend if ¡­¡± Leena¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°If he attacks.¡± Razai remembered Matagor¡¯s old trade keep, though it had been close to sixty years since she¡¯d passed by that way. ¡°That¡¯s why Corec is so far south? Should I head that way rather than Four Roads?¡± ¡°He¡¯s staying at the fortress, but the main roads are probably still the fastest route.¡± Their conversation was interrupted when the door swung open hard enough to slam against the wall. Everyone in the room looked up as a squad of Larsonian soldiers entered. They kept their hands on their weapons and eyed the customers distrustfully. ¡°We¡¯re looking for a demonborn woman,¡± the squad¡¯s lieutenant announced, holding up a sketch. ¡°Name of Razai. Has anyone seen her?¡± No one responded, and the hillfolk glared at the soldiers behind their backs as they passed. Larsonian forces crossed the border frequently, ostensibly to hunt down raiders and keep the peace, but just as often to make trouble. The hillfolk weren¡¯t organized enough to offer any sort of military defense against the incursions, so they had to put up with their more powerful neighbor when Larso wanted to throw its weight around. The lieutenant walked along the length of the bar, showing the sketch to everyone there, before stopping at Razai and Leena¡¯s table. He cocked his head to the side, clearly taking in the difference between Leena¡¯s appearance and Razai¡¯s disguise. ¡°You¡¯re no local,¡± the man said to Leena. She rattled off something in Sanvari that Razai couldn¡¯t follow. ¡°What¡¯d she say?¡± the lieutenant asked. ¡°She said she can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, but she likes your uniform,¡± Razai said. His eye twitched. ¡°How do you know her?¡± ¡°We just met,¡± Razai said. ¡°She was looking for a seat, so I offered.¡± ¡°Just like that, eh? Your accent¡¯s from Larso. Where¡¯d you learn to speak like a southerner?¡± ¡°Spent a few years on merchant ships running up and down the coast,¡± Razai said, mentally rewriting Nevin¡¯s past. It was easier to maintain a lie if it was always the same lie. ¡°Picked up a few words here and there. Came home when my pa got sick.¡± The lieutenant grunted. ¡°Ask her what she¡¯s doing here.¡± Razai tried to repeat the question using the few Sanvari words she knew. Leena gave a long, incomprehensible response. ¡°She says she¡¯s looking for wool sellers who¡¯ll ship to the south,¡± Razai lied. ¡°Some sort of special wool, softer than normal. I don¡¯t rightly understand it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s here on her own? With no translator?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we were talking about when you came in. The last fellow didn¡¯t want to cross the border, but when she realized I could speak the language, she asked me.¡± That tied the lie together, presenting a cohesive story. Not the most believable story, but there was little evidence to directly contradict it. The man nodded and held out the drawing. ¡°Have you seen this woman? She¡¯s demonborn, and dangerous.¡± It was the same sketch Razai had seen carried by other squadrons that were looking for her. It wasn¡¯t a bad likeness, but who had drawn it? She¡¯d only shown her true face to Rusol, and perhaps a brief glimpse to his two guards as she ran past. With that sketch and her name going around, it would be a long time before she¡¯d be able to operate in Larso using her own identity. ¡°Never seen her,¡± Razai said. The lieutenant showed the sketch to Leena, whose eyebrows went up in surprise just briefly before she got her expression under control. She spoke again in Sanvari. ¡°She hasn¡¯t seen her either,¡± Razai said. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been here long.¡± ¡°If either of you do see her, tell the border guards, or the garrison at Highfell. There¡¯s a reward.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Razai already knew about the reward from following the squads that were following her, but Nevin wouldn¡¯t have known. ¡°Ten gold to anyone who helps us capture her.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be on the lookout, then,¡± she said with a grin, allowing a bit of greed to color her voice. ¡°See that you are,¡± the man said. He gathered up his soldiers and left. As the door closed behind them, the hillfolk men spat on the floor. Conversation started up again, slowly returning to normal. ¡°What was with the Sanvari?¡± Razai asked Leena. ¡°Why pretend you don¡¯t speak trade tongue?¡± ¡°That was Zidari, not Sanvari,¡± the other woman said. ¡°And I figured you¡¯d have a better idea of what to tell him.¡± Her voice had lost the hesitancy it¡¯d had back when she¡¯d first joined the expedition to Cordaea. She sounded more sure of herself now. ¡°They have a drawing of you? What did you get up to in Telfort?¡± ¡°Just what I told you, but a few people saw my face.¡± ¡°If you spoke to him ¡­¡± Leena started. ¡°You didn¡¯t learn anything else?¡± ¡°I offered him a truce. I figured it was what Corec would want¡ªno more killing. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll take it, though. The conversation didn¡¯t end well.¡± Razai still hoped Rusol would come to his senses and agree to her proposal, but she hadn¡¯t seen any evidence to indicate he had. Leena nodded. ¡°Do you want me to come back in a day or two and take you to the fortress, so you can tell Corec about it?¡± ¡°What about my horse and mule?¡± Leena shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re too big. I can only take you, but I can bring you back the next day.¡± ¡°If I leave the animals here, someone will steal them. You tell Corec what I said, and I¡¯ll talk to him when I get there. Tell him he owes me for every day until then.¡± Leena could pass along her findings, but the job wouldn¡¯t be done until Razai met with Corec in person so he could remove the warden bond again. She¡¯d been planning to go south afterward anyway, though, and at least now she¡¯d get paid for more of the trip. Book 5: Chapter Five ¡°The pay is three silver per day,¡± Yassi said. ¡°You and one other guard. The work isn¡¯t difficult¡ªmy friend and I just need someone along when we go out in public. And it won¡¯t be here in Chondor. The factor who sent you to me said you don¡¯t mind travel.¡± ¡°Depends when and where,¡± Lucanus said. The hard-eyed man spoke with an Eastern accent. Valaran or Circle Bay, judging by his name. ¡°I¡¯ve booked passage on a ship leaving in five days. We¡¯ll be sailing around the horn of Sanvar and then east to Nobitar.¡± Yassi hadn¡¯t actually found a ship yet, nor did she intend to go beyond Sanvara City, but she wouldn¡¯t tell her new guards the truth until she¡¯d had a chance to spy on them and see if they were trustworthy. Lucanus chewed the inside of his lip as thought. ¡°Fine with me, Lady Mera. You¡¯ve got yourself a deal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Miss Mera,¡± Yassi said. He looked her up and down, then snorted. ¡°If you say so, Miss Mera.¡± The fellow was rude, but perhaps that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. If he was a spy or a thief, wouldn¡¯t he have been trying harder to ingratiate himself with her to ensure he got the job? That sort of thinking was outside Yassi¡¯s experience, but Lucanus did come highly recommended¡ªat least if the factor could be believed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you in two days,¡± she said. After the bodyguard had taken his leave, Yassi returned to the balcony outside her sitting room. The servants had already cleared away the remnants of her supper. The rent on a fully staffed manor house hadn¡¯t been cheap, even for just a single month, but Merice needed a break from traveling. And, in truth, Yassi wasn¡¯t accustomed to rough living herself. In the time it had taken her to speak to Lucanus, the sun had begun to set over the ocean. The sound of the waves reminded her of Sanvara City. She¡¯d been too young when she¡¯d lived there to remember anything, and she¡¯d only visited a few times since, but she¡¯d watched the place frequently in her visions. At first it had been a dream of a safe haven away from the Order of Pallisur and their hatred of mages. Later, it had become a dream of a haven away from Rusol. He¡¯d know where she was going, of course. She¡¯d already made one mistake. She¡¯d started out on the road to Westport, the route she and her family had always taken when catching a ship to Sanvar, but it was an almost straight line west out of Telfort. During her first viewing after she¡¯d left the city, she¡¯d found her husband screaming at Captain Tark of the Royal Guard ¡­ and gesturing wildly in her direction. Yassi had never been able to hear anything during her visions, but the implication was obvious. With pigeon post and fast couriers, Rusol could send messages on ahead and have people waiting for her before she even reached the port. To escape the trap, she¡¯d paid the carriage driver extra to take side roads to the southwest until they reached a fishing village on the coast. There they¡¯d found a peddler who was willing to make room for them in his cart in exchange for a heavy silver ring. He¡¯d taken them south to a small port where they caught a ship for the Matagoran city of Whiterock. From there, they sailed to Chondor. Since the warden bond could only judge direction and not distance, the frequent changes in trajectory and speed of travel should throw Rusol off her trail, but it wouldn¡¯t last forever. Once Yassi reached her extended family and stopped moving around, it would be easy enough for him to draw a line on a map. And of all the possible locations she might be along that line, there was only one that made sense. But Sanvara City was far, far away from any influence Rusol had. Sanvar was larger than Larso, and the Imperial Guard was more than a match for any forces Yassi¡¯s husband could put together¡ªnot that he could send his armies south anyway. There were multiple sovereign nations standing in the way, nations that wouldn¡¯t accept foreign soldiers traipsing through their lands. If Rusol was going to react to her escape, it would have to be by magic or by stealth. He didn¡¯t have access to any mages who could attack her over such a long distance, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t figure out a way in the future. As for stealth, Yassi wasn¡¯t knowledgeable about what sort of spies Rusol had available, but neither he nor his father had ever seemed to have much information beyond their closest neighbors¡ªMatagor, the hillfolk, and the northern plains. He would certainly send someone, but Yassi would keep a close watch. She could disappear in the vast city if she had to. With a bit of help from her Seeker cousins, she might not even have to spend all her time constantly watching for threats. There was also the matter of Larso¡¯s embassy in Sanvara City. Yassi¡¯s father Samuel had been the ambassador there for years¡ªit was how he¡¯d met her mother¡ªbut if the current ambassador tried to track her down, Yassi was prepared. It would be easier to watch the embassy¡¯s activities than to look for spies. For now, though, she had another target. Her scrying orb was resting on its stand on the small table where she¡¯d taken her meal. Sitting down and gazing into it, she located Lucanus. He¡¯d left the house and was heading for the central part of the city. No surprise there¡ªa bodyguard couldn¡¯t afford to live in the beach district. He walked, not spending money on a carriage, so it took him nearly an hour to reach his destination. Yassi spent the time checking on things back in Larso. Not much happened at first. Rusol was in quiet conversation with Magnus, occasionally glancing south by southeast¡ªYassi¡¯s direction. Then Odwins, Rusol¡¯s newest bondmate, joined them. The Matagoran wizard gestured all around himself as he spoke, and then Rusol gestured in an exaggerated fashion in reply. It was an odd discussion, as if the two men were pointing out the sights to each other even though they were both in Rusol¡¯s familiar study. Then Odwins stood back and uttered a long string of words without any reply from the other two men. The vision in the scrying orb suddenly went dark. Yassi drew in a sharp breath, then tried to reach the palace again. Nothing happened. The wizard must have finally learned the scrying ward Rusol had ordered him to study. Yassi wouldn¡¯t be able to spy on her husband anymore, at least not while he was inside the wards. Worse, she wouldn¡¯t be able to watch his desk for written orders. That would make it more difficult to identify anyone he sent after her, but she¡¯d known it would happen eventually. He¡¯d requested the scrying ward even before she¡¯d escaped, to prevent the other wardens from seeing into the palace. She¡¯d just have to make do. Perhaps the other Seers in Sanvar knew how to break through a warding spell. That was a consideration for later. For now, she returned her attention to her new bodyguard. Lucanus had gone into an apartment building and knocked on one of the doors. He was welcomed inside by a mature woman with an impressive bosom, wearing very suggestive clothing. Yassi flushed and banished the vision. The bodyguard¡¯s first action hadn¡¯t been to go out drinking and bragging about his new job, or to sell information to some shadowy purveyor of secrets, or to visit Larso¡¯s embassy in the city. It wasn¡¯t much to go on, but it was a start¡ªthe first step to possibly trusting the man. When Yassi returned to her sitting room, she found Merice waiting for her. The former queen had been quiet since arriving in Chondor, spending much of her time walking on the beach or reading in the manor¡¯s library. She¡¯d refused to continue taking her new medicine¡ªthe one that simply helped her sleep¡ªstating that if she was going on an adventure, she wanted to be awake for it. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you come in,¡± Yassi said. ¡°I saw you were busy,¡± Merice said. Her face was haggard, and she sounded close to tears. ¡°Merice, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Rikard is dead, isn¡¯t he?¡± Yassi suddenly felt like crying too. ¡°Yes. Merice, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Everything is so foggy. I remember you and Marten telling me he was doing well at Northtower. You told me I could write to him!¡± Yassi closed her eyes, unable to meet the woman¡¯s gaze. ¡°You kept forgetting, and every time we told you the truth, it was like you were learning it all over again for the first time. It hurt you so much! After a point, Marten couldn¡¯t take putting you through that anymore, so he told us to go along with whatever you thought.¡± Merice sniffled. ¡°And then I killed Marty,¡± she said, her voice wavering. ¡°No! It was an accident. You were trying to help him. Sharra lied to us both about the medicine she was giving you. You didn¡¯t know it was dangerous.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all dead. Only Rusol is left. And you and the baby. But Rusol hurt you.¡± Yassi covered her mouth with her hand, a gesture she¡¯d begun using to let Merice know when there was something she couldn¡¯t talk about. The other woman nodded and changed the subject. ¡°And my poor Rikard. The wardens killed him just because he¡¯s Rusol¡¯s brother.¡± ¡°Not the wardens,¡± Yassi said. ¡°Sharra killed him.¡± She could talk about that. It had been Sharra¡¯s crime, not Rusol¡¯s, and he¡¯d never ordered her to keep it secret from Merice. ¡°Sharra? No. No! You¡¯re wrong. Why would she kill my beautiful boy? She was Marty¡¯s concubine!¡± ¡°She wanted Rusol to be king. He didn¡¯t know about it, Merice, I swear! He killed her for it when he found out. He misses Rikard too.¡± Yassi might hate Rusol, but for the sake of their child, she would force herself to remember the good things about him. She¡¯d seen and heard enough to know he¡¯d loved his brother. Yet Sharra¡¯s fate showed that even when he did the right thing, he couldn¡¯t control his violent temper. Yassi had been right to get the baby away from him. Merice fell to her knees with a wailing shriek. Yassi joined her there on the floor, gathering the woman in a tight embrace and holding her as she sobbed. # The mouse disappeared, sneaking through the grasses and weeds around the edges of the courtyard. Shavala cheated and used her elder senses to track it. As soon as it came within view, she dropped the rusted old pot over the small rodent, capturing it. The hatchling saw what she¡¯d done and came bounding over to claw at the dirt surrounding the pot. ¡°No!¡± Shavala said, nudging the little dragon away. ¡°Wait! You can have it if you wait!¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The hatchling ignored her, rushing back as soon as Shavala stopped blocking its way. She¡¯d taught it the word wait and it knew what she wanted, but it only obeyed when it felt like it. It rarely followed her orders when food was involved. The dragon gave an indignant screech when she picked it up. She wouldn¡¯t be able to do that for much longer¡ªit had almost doubled in size since hatching. She carried the creature fifteen feet away from the pot before setting it back down. ¡°Wait there!¡± she said. ¡°Wait and stay still!¡± The hatchling raced her back to the mouse, but it stumbled along the way, allowing her to get there first. She slammed her hand down on the pot and held it firmly to the ground as the dragon scratched at the metal. Its claws slipped off and it gave out a frustrated whine before it returned to digging at the dirt. ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen to me?¡± Shavala said. The hatchling ignored her, not that it could have understood her words anyway. She¡¯d taught it several commands, and it would follow those commands if it wasn¡¯t distracted, but druids couldn¡¯t talk to dragons the way they could with other animals. Corec came out of the keep and peered around the courtyard until he saw her. He headed her way. ¡°You missed supper, but we saved some for you,¡± he said, kneeling down to hand a crust of bread to the hatchling. ¡°Do you want me to take over while you eat?¡± The dragon gnawed a bite from the crust, then dropped it and returned to nosing around the pot. ¡°I¡¯ll go in a bit,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I¡¯m teaching it patience today.¡± ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take more work. It¡¯s still a baby.¡± Shavala lifted the pot and the mouse darted for cover. The hatchling tried to run after it, but tripped over its wings and fell to the ground. It gave an annoyed squawk, then climbed back to its feet and began searching through the grasses, pouncing any time it thought it saw movement. ¡°Did it chew holes in the socks I left in your room the other night?¡± Corec asked. She gave him a guilty grin. ¡°It likes the smell. I can¡¯t imagine why.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope it loses interest in my feet before it gets big enough to take a bite out of them. Are you sure it¡¯s working out? If you wait too long ¡­¡± ¡°I know, but I need more time.¡± Shavala had promised to kill the dragon herself if it became a danger, but the more she got to know it, the more she hated the thought. ¡°The armsmen will be back soon,¡± Corec said. ¡°We might have a problem when they see it.¡± She considered her options as she watched the hatchling hunt. ¡°I can¡¯t keep it indoors all the time. If there¡¯s trouble, I¡¯ll just take it away from the fortress. I can camp farther out.¡± Corec frowned. ¡°For how long? I¡¯m worried about you staying alone with it. It keeps growing.¡± ¡°Zhailai is coming back soon to help. We¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Do you really think it¡¯ll learn to do what you say?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± She wasn¡¯t ready to admit that it was harder than she¡¯d thought it would be to get the baby dragon to do what she wanted. She¡¯d have to figure out a solution soon. Right now, the creature was still small enough that Leena could take it to Cetos if she had to, but that wouldn¡¯t be true for much longer. And obeying commands was just part of it. The real goal was to see if the dragon could learn to think of people as friends rather than food. It was friendly and playful with everyone now, while it was small. What would happen when it grew larger? The hatchling pounced one last time, then squawked triumphantly when it realized it had captured the mouse beneath its talons. It bit the rodent¡¯s head off, then looked back at Shavala to make sure she¡¯d seen its success. # ¡°Bloody hell!¡± Corec exclaimed. His hand had slipped from the spoke and scraped against rusted metal. He¡¯d been trying to get the old sawmill¡¯s waterwheel to spin, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Not that it would have mattered since the wooden buckets were rotted through. ¡°What happened?¡± Treya asked from behind him. He showed her. She frowned and took hold of his hand, her own hands glowing with white light as she healed the scrape. She looked up at him as the glow faded, then blushed and stepped back. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± she asked. ¡°Better. Thank you.¡± Corec indicated the waterwheel. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be rebuilt and the saw is rusted through, but if we find someone who knows how to fix it, we can probably get it running again. Did you find anything?¡± ¡°The village is upstream a bit, just past those trees¡ªfar enough to be away from the worst of the noise. Most of it¡¯s falling apart, but there are a few log cabins that have held up well. They won¡¯t even need much cleaning.¡± ¡°Then the next time Leena goes to Four Roads, we¡¯ll have to ask about finding a sawyer to run the place. Do you think Mother Yewen will know someone?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s like with the miners, she¡¯ll know someone who knows someone.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to afford all this. Every time we turn around, we¡¯re spending more.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need a sawmill right now, do we?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Leena said Boktar only hired one woodcutter. That¡¯s not enough to do more than cut firewood.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to get lumber from here than from Four Roads. We¡¯ll need everything Boktar¡¯s bringing back just to build the forms Ellerie wants on the fortress walls so she can repair them. It won¡¯t be enough wood to fix the barracks, the granary, or the broken stairs in the keep.¡± ¡°Maybe Mother Yewen will come through with the money from the town council.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been three weeks since she talked to you about it,¡± Corec said. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard anything else?¡± ¡°No, but Leena can ask her when she goes to find someone to run the sawmill.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll ask about hiring more woodcutters too, if Boktar hasn¡¯t already found some. We should head back if we¡¯re going to meet him coming in.¡± Leena had done a Seeking on the caravan that morning, and said it would be arriving early in the afternoon. They started back toward the keep. As Bobo had suggested, they¡¯d found the sawmill two miles east, built downstream from a heavily wooded area. The woodcutters could cut down trees and strip them of branches, then float the logs down the stream to the sawmill where they¡¯d be cut into boards. The water-driven mill was too useful of a resource to allow it to sit idle, but Corec¡¯s plan had grown far more complicated than he¡¯d envisioned. He¡¯d wanted to settle no more than a two-day ride from Four Roads so they could easily obtain supplies, but they¡¯d ended up two hundred fifty miles away. That meant they would have to fend for themselves much of the time. The distance gave them an important advantage, though¡ªbeing farther away from any settlements meant fewer people would be in danger if Rusol¡¯s forces did attack. The inconvenience would be worth it, but as the list of tasks grew and grew, it was sometimes hard to remember that. As they walked, Corec said, ¡°Thanks for coming with me. Shavala¡¯s busy with that dragon of hers, and Katrin¡¯s tired of traveling all the time. She says if we¡¯re settling down, then she¡¯s going to stay in one place.¡± Treya laughed. ¡°We¡¯ve been on the road for a long time, but going for a walk was better than doing more cleaning.¡± She was quiet for a moment, then spoke again. ¡°Actually, I came because I wanted to talk to you about something. When you were fighting the dragon, when it was just you and Boktar, did you cast a new spell? Something to protect yourself from the fire?¡± ¡°That was you,¡± Corec said. She shook her head. ¡°I lost the spell. Right at the end, Boktar ran underneath the flame to hit the dragon¡¯s leg, but you were still there in the middle of it. Shavala did something with the wind, but I thought it was too late. When I passed out, I was certain I¡¯d let the dragon kill you. Then I woke up and you were fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember casting any new spells.¡± Corec thought for a moment. ¡°Hildra said King Argyros¡¯s armor had some enchantments she couldn¡¯t identify. Maybe it stops fire.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she be able to recognize something that simple?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d have to ask her.¡± ¡°Do you remember during the ambush outside Aencyr when the wizard cast that spell at you?¡± Corec grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s hard to forget.¡± She gave him a quick grin. ¡°It melted your armor that time, but it didn¡¯t hurt you.¡± At his look, she added, ¡°Not much, at least.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s the same spell, but I just never know when I¡¯m casting it?¡± ¡°Maybe. We should experiment, like we did with my protection spells.¡± ¡°How certain are you? When we were experimenting with your spells, we knew they were there. I¡¯m not eager to stick my hand in a fire on a hunch.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to be careful,¡± Treya said. ¡°A regular fire might not work anyway. A dragon¡¯s fire has to come from magic, right? Your spell might only work against magic. We¡¯ll need Shavala¡¯s help again. And maybe Ellerie¡¯s.¡± They crested a rise and the fortress came into view. The caravan had arrived, but something was wrong¡ªthe line stretched from the village all the way back to the bridge, with the last stragglers still crossing over. ¡°Why is it so long?¡± Treya asked. In addition to the dozen freight wagons Boktar had brought, there were sixty more wagons and carts of various sizes, with men, women, and children riding on the seats or in the back, or walking alongside. Other men rode alone on horseback, their belongings crammed into overfilled saddlebags. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corec said. ¡°We hired more people, but not that many. Only half the armsmen were planning on bringing families. We¡¯d better go find out what¡¯s happening.¡± # Treya accompanied Corec to the caravan, but it had started to break apart by the time they reached it. The freight wagons stayed in position, but the others jostled with each other as they made their way off the path, up the uneven slope of the hill to the village, the drivers unwilling to wait for those on the road ahead to move out of their way. A boy and a girl, both about ten years old, ran past, shouting excitedly as they pretended to look for a dragon. ¡°Don¡¯t go near the river!¡± a harried-looking woman yelled as she gave up trying to chase after them. She had a babe in her arms and a toddler holding onto her skirts. Ral, a retired caravan guard who¡¯d been part of the expedition against the dragon, was following after a man who was already driving his wagon away from the village. ¡°Hey, you!¡± Ral shouted. ¡°You, with the oxen! I need your name for the list! You can¡¯t leave until I have your name!¡± He gave Treya and Corec a helpless shrug as he jogged past. Corec stared after him for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s find Boktar.¡± They continued into the village, and were almost trampled by a young horse nervous from all the commotion. ¡°Sorry!¡± the boy on its back called out to them as he hauled back on the reins. ¡°Whoa! I said whoa!¡± And then he was past them. A man and woman had stopped nearby to look over one of the empty cottages. ¡°What about this one?¡± the woman asked. Her husband shook his head. ¡°Nah, see the roofing timbers?¡± he said, pointing. ¡°They¡¯re rotting away. They¡¯d collapse before I finished putting on new thatch. Let¡¯s keep looking¡ªI saw some bigger places over to the left there.¡± Two young men strode past, looking around furtively. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t remember anything else about your grandda¡¯s stories?¡± the older said. ¡°You were always listening to him yammer on.¡± ¡°No, I told you, all he ever said was that the farm was south of the Dapplewood,¡± the other replied. ¡°Where¡¯s that supposed to be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I know. He said something about a place called Skunk Hollow once.¡± The first man grunted. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s still an old sign up somewhere. We need to find it before your cousins do.¡± They passed out of earshot, still making plans. Treya looked at Corec in alarm. ¡°Where did they all come from? Mother Yewen said people might come to ask us for help, but this isn¡¯t what she meant, is it?¡± ¡°I thought they¡¯d want to be closer to town,¡± Corec said. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of land farther north. Why did they come all the way here? I¡¯m going to look for Boktar.¡± Treya started to follow, but she was distracted by a familiar face. ¡°Nallee? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Hi, Treya!¡± the plump concubine said with an anxious smile. ¡°Are you still looking for a blacksmith? It would have taken too long to try to get a message to you, so we just came without asking. Your Mr. Boktar didn¡¯t think you¡¯d found one yet.¡± ¡°I ¡­ yes, we still need a smith. You changed your mind?¡± Nallee¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Springwater burned down. There was nothing left for us to go back to, so since you¡¯d made the offer ¡­¡± She shrugged, then gestured to the two people standing next to her. ¡°You know Patrig, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve met his wife, Deni.¡± Treya nodded to the couple. ¡°Welcome to ¡­ well, I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re calling the keep. Welcome to Hilltop Village. Patrig, the smithy isn¡¯t much to look at, but just let us know what you need to get it working again. Do you want to see it now? It¡¯s inside the fortress walls.¡± Patrig peered around at the chaos. ¡°Everyone seems to be picking through the houses. We should probably look for something for ourselves before they¡¯re all gone, unless we¡¯re supposed to wait. Is there a rule about it?¡± Treya hesitated. ¡°We didn¡¯t know we¡¯d need rules,¡± she said. ¡°We were expecting six to ten families, not ¡­ this. If Boktar didn¡¯t say anything, then I guess it¡¯s all right to look. I¡¯ll come with you to make sure there isn¡¯t any trouble. The armsmen all know me.¡± The blacksmith nodded and left his wagon where it was as he led his wife through the village. Treya followed behind, pulling Nallee back to walk beside her so they could talk. ¡°Where did they all come from?¡± she asked the concubine, gesturing vaguely to the remains of the caravan. Nallee looked back. ¡°Who? The families? I told the other Springwater folks about this place, and half of them decided to come with us rather than go to Demon¡¯s Crook. We ran into the others on the road.¡± ¡°How many?¡± Treya asked, allowing her exasperation to slip through. Nallee gave an embarrassed shrug. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault, honest! Your caravan caught up with us and they were already escorting some of the refugees home, but Springwater wasn¡¯t the only village that burned down. A lot of the groups did leave when they got to where they were going, but more people joined along the way. Most of them stayed because of your soldiers. Everyone thinks it¡¯ll be safer here.¡± Safer? They were supposed to be preparing for a war. Corec wasn¡¯t going to be happy. Book 5: Chapter Six Corec helped to get the caravan settled, then tracked down Boktar and Ellerie in the great hall. Treya and Bobo were already there, going over the cargo manifest. ¡°We finished unloading the food wagons,¡± Ellerie was saying. ¡°I sent Nedley¡¯s squad on a circuit around the village to make sure there aren¡¯t any problems.¡± ¡°The other wagons are locked away in one of the warehouses,¡± Corec added. ¡°Ral¡¯s setting a watch over it.¡± To Boktar, he said, ¡°You made him a corporal?¡± ¡°He seemed the best fit,¡± the dwarven man replied. ¡°And I hired two more men to bring the squads up to full strength.¡± Hiring more soldiers was another added expense, but with the number of new people they were dealing with, it was probably necessary. ¡°Are they from the expedition, or from the new group?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The new group, two farm boys. Solid lads. No training, but Nedley¡¯s got them started. I¡¯ve asked Ral to watch and learn¡ªI figure we¡¯ll want him on siege weapons rather than on the front lines, but he¡¯ll need to know enough real soldiering to handle a squad.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°That sounds good, but what happened? We were supposed to be avoiding towns in case we¡¯re attacked, not setting up one of our own.¡± The dwarven man sighed. ¡°It started simple enough. Some of the refugees heard we were heading back south, so they asked if we could act as their escort. It went fine at first, but then we caught up to Patrig and his group from Springwater. They were already on their way, and they told everyone there was going to be a new village here, and there¡¯d be work available once the trade caravans started up again. And that whoever got here first could pick from the homes that were left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I said!¡± Treya insisted. ¡°I told Nallee that Patrig could have the smithy, just like we discussed, and I said there were plenty of houses for them to choose ¡­ from ¡­¡± She winced. ¡°Oh.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°The first few families who asked if they could settle here, I figured it was fine¡ªwith the number of people we¡¯re hiring, we¡¯re going to need more than just a blacksmith. But then more kept asking. I didn¡¯t see how I could tell them no. A lot of them don¡¯t have anywhere to go back to.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s done is done,¡± Corec said. ¡°How many are there?¡± Boktar glanced down at his list. ¡°Of the people we hired, eleven armsmen and two scouts, and Nedley brings us to an even fourteen for the soldiers. Six carpenters, a woodcutter, four servants, twelve for the road-clearing crew, a well-digger, and a potter who makes water pipes, so we can fix the drainage. Thirteen families, which is more than we thought¡ªsome of the workers figured they¡¯ll be here long enough that they might as well stay.¡± That was the group Corec had been expecting, but it still sounded like a lot of people. ¡°And the rest?¡± he asked. ¡°Thirty-eight more families, a dozen single men, and two women who plan to start a laundry together. I tried to hire them for the keep but they want to go into business for themselves.¡± Corec rubbed his temples. ¡°Fifty extra men? What are they all going to do? We can¡¯t hire that many.¡± ¡°Most aren¡¯t looking for jobs; they¡¯re looking for opportunity. They know what the situation is like here, but they still made the choice to come. Half of them are farmers.¡± ¡°Farmers are a problem if they want to settle down nearby.¡± Corec thought for a moment. ¡°We need to convince them to go east rather than west. Let¡¯s tell them ¡­ we¡¯re worried about hillfolk raiders.¡± ¡°That should work for most of them.¡± ¡°Then maybe we¡¯ll be able to deal with this.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just this batch,¡± Boktar said. Corec stopped cold. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The scouts say there¡¯s another caravan a day behind us. If they¡¯ve come this far, they¡¯re probably on their way here. I expect they won¡¯t be the only ones.¡± Treya nodded. ¡°Nallee thinks Mother Yewen was right about the farmland,¡± she said. ¡°She told me the area around Four Roads has gotten too crowded, and it won¡¯t matter that the land here needs to be cleared first. They¡¯ll come anyway.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t most of them want to settle closer to Four Roads or South Corner?¡± Corec asked. Boktar said, ¡°Some might, but these folks came here because they think we can protect them better than Four Roads can.¡± ¡°Protect them from what?¡± ¡°Raiders, bandits, another dragon.¡± Boktar shrugged. ¡°Whatever happens.¡± ¡°The village, sure,¡± Corec said, ¡°but what do the farmers think we¡¯re going to do with twelve¡ªfourteen¡ªsoldiers? We can¡¯t be everywhere at once. Even if we convince this group to settle in one area, if more keep coming, we won¡¯t be able to watch over them all with just the men we¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Can we hire more?¡± Treya asked. ¡°Not enough; not without ¡­¡± Corec trailed off, thinking over what he¡¯d almost said. ¡°How many people are we talking about? Another caravan, and then what? Treya, your friend says there¡¯ll be more after that?¡± ¡°She thinks so.¡± Corec paced back and forth. There were no customs or laws that would allow the group to exert control over the surrounding area, but if they didn¡¯t take action and Rusol launched an attack, they¡¯d be putting innocent lives at risk. ¡°We can¡¯t let anyone settle near the west road between here and Fort Hightower,¡± he said, ¡°but these are the free lands, so we can¡¯t stop them. Not unless we change how things are done.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We need to protect them from Rusol, and apparently they want us to protect them from everything else too. There¡¯s no way to do that unless we administer the land the way my father does for his barony. We decide where the farmers can settle, or at least we¡¯ve got to approve their choices. We¡¯ll still let them claim land for themselves¡ªone hide per family¡ªbut only in the areas we allow.¡± The others exchanged glances. ¡°Can we do that?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Not by custom, but who¡¯s going to stop us? We killed the dragon like we promised we would, but we never said the land would be free for the taking afterward. We either have to take charge of the area or we leave everyone to fend for themselves.¡± Bobo frowned in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the neighbors are going to feel about that. Half the reason nobody¡¯s tried to conquer the free lands in the past few hundred years is because nobody else has. When Matagor was here, they never claimed much beyond the village. They didn¡¯t want to antagonize Larso.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already waiting for Larso to attack, and I don¡¯t imagine Matagor will want to go the expense of mounting a war outside their borders. I can¡¯t think of any other way to do this. We need to make sure the farmers are grouped together in the east so our patrols can cover them all.¡± ¡°Can they, with just two squads?¡± Treya asked. ¡°The coal mines are to the west, and you wanted to patrol that way too.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ll need more men. If we don¡¯t make enough from the toll bridge and the mines, we¡¯ll have to levy a tax.¡± In the free lands, towns usually taxed farmers with milling and trading fees, but that wasn¡¯t enough revenue to do anything with. The larger nations taxed the land itself. ¡°A tax?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t let that come as a surprise. We should tell everyone now before they get settled.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think we¡¯ll bring in enough without it?¡± Corec asked. Ellerie shook her head. ¡°No, the numbers I saw would pay for our original plan, but ¡­ we have no idea how many other people will show up. How big of an area are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s got to be from here to the hills in the west. Enough in the other directions to provide farmland for everyone who comes. What if we just take the dragon¡¯s territory? It¡¯s been stable for decades¡ªnot counting the past year¡ªso the borders are pretty well set.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ a lot of land,¡± Bobo said. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Fifty miles north and south, more to the east and west, since the smaller communities dried up when it wasn¡¯t safe to use the main roads. Maybe ten thousand square miles? Twelve?¡± Corec coughed. The region was significantly larger than his father¡¯s barony. In fact, it would have been among the largest baronies in Larso. ¡°That¡¯s too much,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe we should just focus on the road to Hightower, and convince the farmers to go east on their own.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°You had the right idea. They¡¯re here because they want our protection. If we can do it, we should. How many others will come for the same reason, and how much land will we need to accommodate them all? The dragon¡¯s territory makes a good boundary. No one lives here now, so they can¡¯t complain if things are different than what they¡¯re used to.¡± Corec nodded. It was more responsibility than he wanted to take on, but it was the best way to keep everyone safe from Rusol. ¡°Then yes, let¡¯s warn them about the tax,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll need surveyors and extra patrols to cover that wide of an area, even if most of it is unoccupied. One hide of arable land ¡­¡± He had to stop and think. It had been a long time since his early schooling with his brothers, and after he left home, his education had focused more on military matters and tactics. ¡°One hide of arable land should bring in five to ten gold each year, depending on what the farmer grows and whether he¡¯s living off the land himself. In Larso, it¡¯s taxed at thirty silver, but ten of that goes to the Church. If we tax it at fifteen, that should be enough. I don¡¯t remember the rates for the different crafters and merchants.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I know what they are in Matagor,¡± Bobo said. ¡°It should be close to Larso, minus the Church tithe.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t tax anyone this year,¡± Treya pointed out. ¡°The farmers won¡¯t have time to get in full crops, and all the other trades depend on the farmers¡¯ income.¡± That meant any income from taxes would be over a year and a half away. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to be careful,¡± Corec said. ¡°If we keep everyone to the east for now, the elves aren¡¯t going to cause a problem. The real threats are to the west.¡± ¡°What about here?¡± Treya asked. ¡°The village?¡± ¡°We can fit people inside the fortress if there¡¯s a surprise attack, but that won¡¯t work for a drawn-out siege. If Rusol sends the army, we¡¯ll have to get these folks away to somewhere safer. We need more scouts.¡± He paused, then shook his head. ¡°No¡ªwe need someone to watch Fort Hightower. If the army¡¯s headed here, they¡¯ll muster out at Hightower. That could take a month or more, and then it¡¯ll take weeks for them to reach us. A scout could get back in time to warn us.¡± ¡°A scout?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Or Leena?¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°Not Leena¡ªshe¡¯s too busy already, and I don¡¯t want to send her into Larso unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary. Maybe she can check the border once a week until we find someone. If we¡¯ve got a man in Hightower, he¡¯ll hear all the rumors and see what¡¯s happening.¡± It would be a spy, really, rather than a scout. Was this how Yelena¡¯s spy network had first started? # The small tavern was crowded for its first night, the new residents of the village taking a break from attempting to clean and repair the homes they¡¯d claimed. They stared uncertainly at Corec as he entered, but so far none of the families he¡¯d spoken to about the tax had outright rejected the idea. He made his way over to Katrin, who was standing behind the bar serving drinks. ¡°Did Shavala make it away all right?¡± she asked. ¡°We snuck the dragon out without anyone noticing,¡± he murmured in reply. ¡°She¡¯s going to camp out in one of the abandoned villages. How¡¯s it going here?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re this busy every night, the ale I asked Boktar to buy is only going to last for a few days. And they keep asking for apple brandy. Who drinks apple brandy?¡± Corec snickered. ¡°In the city, only rich people. It must be cheaper here, with the orchards.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any, so they¡¯ll just have to wait. But I did learn something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I would have made a lousy serving girl. And there¡¯s no way I can play music and serve drinks at the same time.¡± ¡°Maybe you can find somebody here looking for a job.¡± ¡°I have someone in mind already,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Oh?¡± Before she could reply, Boktar appeared at Corec¡¯s side, leading an older man. ¡°Corec,¡± Boktar said, ¡°this is Mr. Jonson. He was the miller in Springwater before the dragon came. He asked if he could speak to you.¡± Jonson gave an awkward half-bow. ¡°Yes, ahh, Lord Corec. There¡¯s no mill here, and the banks of the river are too steep and at too much of an angle to build a waterwheel. Even if I could dig out enough space, with the way the water is funneled through the ravine, I¡¯d just get flooded any time there was a little rain. Is there a stream nearby? The river¡¯s too much, really, for what I need.¡± ¡°Just call me Corec, Mr. Jonson. I¡¯m not a lord.¡± ¡°Oh, ahh, yes, sir.¡± ¡°We have a list¡ªwhere¡¯s Bobo?¡± Corec looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t see him here, but a man named Bobo has a list of all the villages in the area that had grist mills. We haven¡¯t sent anyone out yet to see what condition they¡¯re in, but I believe the closest is just a mile or two away. If you¡¯d like to look it over, we can get you a map, and some soldiers as an escort.¡± Jonson nodded. ¡°Appreciate it, sir. This is in another village, you say?¡± ¡°Yes, but nearby, and close to where we hope to settle the farmers. I¡¯m sure some of the buildings are still standing, but I don¡¯t know about the mill.¡± ¡°If the millstones are still in good shape, everything else can be rebuilt, but I¡¯ll need some strong, young backs to do the work,¡± Jonson said. There were already more projects available than the road crew and carpenters would be able to handle, but the grist mill would be necessary with this many farmers. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure you have the help you need after we¡¯ve made some progress on the roads and the fortress walls. Boktar, would you ask two of the men to ¡­ No, wait¡ªask Sarette to tell the squad leaders to choose two men to serve as an escort.¡± ¡°Sure, Corec.¡± By the time Jonson and Boktar left to look for Bobo, Katrin was busy with customers at the other end of the bar. The next person who came up to Corec was less welcome than the miller had been. ¡°Conley,¡± Corec said flatly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were coming back.¡± ¡°Someone must minister to the people,¡± the bearded priest said. ¡°Bobo and Miss Treya, as powerful as they are, don¡¯t seem interested in that sort of thing.¡± ¡°I doubt farmers and villagers are going to need any sermons from the God of War¡ªand I certainly don¡¯t want to hear them myself.¡± Conley held his hands out to his sides. ¡°I¡¯ve spent most of my life in the free lands. There¡¯s a time and place for Pallisur¡¯s scripture, but most of the time, my duty is to see that members of the community support each other. And there¡¯s a temple here that¡¯s not being used.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving you a temple that belongs to the Order of Allosur,¡± Corec said. ¡°There aren¡¯t any Allosurite priests here.¡° Perhaps Conley had a point. Corec had no liking for the priesthood, but the man had acquitted himself well during the battle with the dragon, and it couldn¡¯t hurt to have another healer nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll make a deal with you, since they abandoned the place. You can manage the temple as long as you hold it open for all of the orders. Healing takes priority over anything else, and I¡¯m sure Treya and Bobo will help with that, but they can¡¯t be spending their time taking care of the building, so that falls to you. You may give services one day a week, but leave the other days for the other orders. If the followers of Demesis want to hold services for themselves, give them a day of the week, even if there aren¡¯t any priestesses here.¡± Conley looked reluctant, but eventually gave a curt nod. ¡°All right, fine, I can do that.¡± ¡°And if the Order of Allosur shows up wanting their temple back, you¡¯ll have to make other arrangements, so you may want to start saving your coin.¡± # Though small, the cottage was constructed of sturdy clay brick. The shake roof had collapsed inward, but when Nedley had cleaned out the debris, he¡¯d discovered the flooring was made from slate tiles, still in good condition. Many of the other homes in the village had wooden floors, and the new residents would be stuck waiting for more cut lumber to arrive before they could replace floorboards damaged by exposure to the weather. After the second caravan of settlers had reached the keep, fewer than half the homes in the village had been left unclaimed, and most of those would have to be torn down and rebuilt. The cottage had been overlooked not only because of its size but also because it was around back of the fortress, near the warehouses. The new settlers seemed to feel that the most desirable homes were those closest to the fortress¡¯s gatehouse, even if they required extra work to be livable again. ¡°What do you think?¡± Nedley asked. Corec and Boktar shared a glance. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to live here rather than in the barracks?¡± the dwarven man asked. ¡°You¡¯d have to cook for yourself, and lay in your own supplies.¡± ¡°Well, I ¡­ umm ¡­ if I wanted to ¡­¡± Nedley could feel himself blushing. ¡°I mean, if I were to ¡­ find a girl ¡­¡± He trailed off. Corec chuckled. ¡°Been walking out with the refugees¡¯ daughters, have you?¡± ¡°There ¡­ umm ¡­ there was a girl at the Three Orders.¡± Corec raised his eyebrows. ¡°A concubine?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Ned, have you actually talked to this girl?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°Even for a concubine, it¡¯s a bit soon to be thinking about a house if you haven¡¯t spoken to her yet.¡± ¡°I did talk to her! Once, for a little bit. Her name is Kimi. She¡¯s one of the girls who was helping Katrin teach the refugee children to read.¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t Katrin know if she was a concubine? Or Treya?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask them,¡± Nedley admitted, looking down. Corec shook his head. ¡°If you like this girl, you¡¯re going to have to admit it. But do you even know anything about her? Do the two of you have anything in common?¡± Nedley thought back to their conversation. ¡°She likes horses.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you know? Ned ¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to talk to her more, but we had to leave town,¡± Nedley explained. The two older men exchanged another look. ¡°Well,¡± Boktar said, ¡°as Marshal, it¡¯s my duty to see that the soldiers and stables are kept well supplied ¡­ and since we don¡¯t have a steward yet, I¡¯d better handle the keep as well. The traders won¡¯t start coming by for a while, so we¡¯re going to need another supply caravan. We¡¯ll have to put one of our best men on it.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Corec snickered. ¡°You, Ned.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°But don¡¯t waste time driving the wagons back to town. Have Leena take you, and you can buy new wagons and mules while you¡¯re there. We¡¯ll need extras for the mines anyway. I¡¯ll work up a list of supplies, and while I¡¯m doing that, you should go around to all the villagers and find out what they need, and what they¡¯re willing to pay a fair price for. That shopkeeper, Ezra, can help with that, and he¡¯ll have his own list for you.¡± Ezra was one of the refugees who¡¯d accompanied the caravan¡ªhe¡¯d owned a general store in Springwater until it had burned down. Most of his inventory had burned as well, except for what he¡¯d managed to fit in his wagon when he¡¯d first evacuated. ¡°You want me to go by myself?¡± Nedley asked. He¡¯d never been given that much responsibility before. ¡°Yes, but while you¡¯re there, you can hire more soldiers, since it seems like we¡¯ll need them. That¡¯ll give you some protection on the return trip. We¡¯ve got a list of men from the expedition we¡¯d be willing to take back. They¡¯re not as experienced as the ones we kept on, but the training we gave them will be more than most folks in Four Roads have had. It should take you a week or more to make all the arrangements, so that¡¯ll give you plenty of time to talk to the girl.¡± ¡°What should I say to her?¡± Nedley asked. Boktar barked a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong man,¡± he said, glancing at Corec, who shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m hardly an expert,¡± Corec said. ¡°Katrin¡¯s the first girl I walked out with for real. Mama Wenna¡¯s advice was to just say what you want to say, tell the truth, and don¡¯t spend the whole time talking about yourself.¡± Nedley nodded. That sounded easy enough. But then why did his stomach feel like an open pit when he thought about seeing Kimi again? # The guards at the Council Hall in Snow Crown ushered Sarette into the inner chamber. They hadn¡¯t kept her waiting for long¡ªshe¡¯d chosen a time the Council of Elders would be in session. Once inside, she spoke up before the councilors could greet her. ¡°Warden Corec sends his regards,¡± she said. ¡°And a gift.¡± She laid out the spear on the half-circle table behind which they sat. ¡°He can¡¯t return the sword from Tir Navis because of the binding spell, but he hopes you¡¯ll consider this to be an adequate replacement. It¡¯s an enchanted staff-spear crafted by the people who came before. We found it in the abandoned city of Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°Then your search was successful?¡± Head Magister Inessa asked. ¡°Yes, Magister¡ªacross the sea in Cordaea. Lady Ellerie sent along some notes for you.¡± ¡°I look forward to reading them.¡± Rurik, First Seat of the Council, spoke from his spot at the center of the table. ¡°Welcome home, Lieutenant. It¡¯s good to have you back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only temporary, sir, and please just call me Sarette. I hereby resign my commission. I hope that will make the trial easier.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty, Lieutenant,¡± Lesander said. As the Second Seat, he represented the High Guard on the Council. ¡°We took statements from the human villagers you saved, and they corroborated your story. I¡¯ve discussed the matter with the generals, and we¡¯d be willing to ¡­ overlook the transgression this one time.¡± It seemed Lesander was still trying to figure out a way to get a fully trained stormrunner into the High Guard. ¡°My mind is made up, Councilor,¡± Sarette told him. ¡°I have responsibilities elsewhere.¡± ¡°But the warden said you¡¯d be able to return to Snow Crown,¡± Inessa said. Sarette nodded. ¡°In time, yes, but for now, Corec has claimed a small region in the free lands, east of the hillfolk and south of a town called Four Roads. We intend to reopen the old trade roads in the area. One of them leads southwest from Tyrsall to Matagor and southern Larso. The other goes from the plains down through the free lands to Terevas and Stone Home. By avoiding the Larso and Circle Bay routes, you¡¯ll be able to save weeks of time on any shipments between Snow Crown and the southwest kingdoms.¡± ¡°I hardly think that¡¯s worth the loss of a stormrunner,¡± Lesander said. ¡°Human traders will profit from those routes, not us.¡± Another man spoke up. ¡°On the contrary, we buy goods from those traders and sell our own goods to them. Shorter and cheaper trade routes benefit everyone, and this will allow us to renegotiate our current agreements. But I¡¯m familiar with the area¡ªI thought those roads were abandoned because of a dragon.¡± Judging by where he was sitting, that had to be Kirill, Eighth Seat of the Council and head of the merchants¡¯ guild. ¡°We killed the dragon,¡± Sarette said. ¡°It was terrorizing the people for hundreds of miles around, and we couldn¡¯t let it continue.¡± The councilors exchanged looks. ¡°You killed a dragon?¡± Rurik asked. ¡°Warden Corec commanded the expedition. As one of his bondmates, I took part in the battle.¡± ¡°That must be quite the story.¡± ¡°My uncle asked me to invite you all to a gathering at his lodge tomorrow evening to hear it.¡± Sarette had tried to get out of that, but Vartus insisted that a warden and a stormrunner defeating a dragon was newsworthy enough to deserve a formal retelling. Book 5: Chapter Seven ¡°Evidence has been presented against you for the crimes of violating orders, falsifying orders, fraternizing with mages, causing the death of a member of our Order, and conduct unbecoming your station by fraternizing with a disgraced former member. Do you defend yourself from these charges?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Kevik told the assembled tribunal. Priest Tibon¡¯s lip twitched, as if he hadn¡¯t expected Kevik to speak in his own defense. Sir Jesson had coached him on how to respond. ¡°Then say what you want to say,¡± the priest replied. Kevik stood. ¡°I admit to the charge of falsifying orders. I reject the charge of violating orders¡ªI never received any messages ordering our return to Larso, and the tribunal hasn¡¯t presented any evidence showing that I did. On the charge of fraternizing with mages, it was those mages who spearheaded the assault against the dragon. We had no army, so we had to make do with whoever was willing to help. I¡¯ll remind you, the expedition was assembled by the town of Four Roads. I had no say in its composition.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have been involved at all,¡± Tibon said. ¡°Field Marshal Tregood himself turned down Four Roads¡¯ request for aid, under the king¡¯s seal and with Knight Commander Sir Noris¡¯s agreement.¡± Kevik shrugged. ¡°I never received any orders to that effect. On the charge of fraternizing with Corec Tarwen¡ª¡± he emphasized the family name to remind the tribunal that Corec was the son of a member of the peerage, ¡°¡ªhe commanded the expedition and paid for it. I was hardly in a position to do so myself.¡± ¡°Corec Tarwen is a mage and a failed knight. You know very well it goes against our precepts to associate with him.¡± Every knight was aware of the strictures against fraternizing with mages, but the lesser charge of unbecoming conduct had been a surprise. Though each knight spoke the oaths, those oaths represented only a tiny fraction of the rules they were expected to obey. The more esoteric were located in musty tomes no one had bothered to read in years, except when the priests wanted to punish someone. But the conduct charge carried a lesser penalty than the others, and Sir Jesson had warned Kevik that pleading ignorance wouldn¡¯t help his case. ¡°I did what I did to save lives,¡± he said. ¡°Without Corec¡¯s help, a lot more innocent people would have died. As for Sir Willem¡¯s death, I will always regret that, but it was the dragon that killed him. I reject the charge.¡± ¡°We will take your defense under advisement,¡± Tibon said, then huddled together with the other three priests, excluding the only knight on the tribunal, Sir Loris. Loris sat back with his arms crossed, glaring at the group. After a whispered conversation, the priests returned to their seats. ¡°Well, Sir Loris?¡± Tibon asked. ¡°Your judgement?¡± ¡°I find Sir Kevik responsible in the charge of falsifying orders. He¡¯s admitted that himself. For all other charges, I find him without fault. Circumstances dictated his actions.¡± ¡°Of course you would say that,¡± the priest replied. Sir Loris pushed his chair back and climbed to his feet, looming over the others at the table. ¡°What are you insinuating, Tibon?¡± ¡°Sit down, Loris, unless you want us to hold a second tribunal today.¡± Loris returned to his seat, his fingers flexing near where his sword hilt would be if he¡¯d been wearing the blade. But regardless of the circumstances, a Knight of Pallisur couldn¡¯t challenge a Priest of Pallisur to a duel of honor. Tibon didn¡¯t bother to hold back his smirk as the knight obeyed the command. Turning back to Kevik, the priest said, ¡°In the absence of evidence, the tribunal is willing to drop the charge of violating orders. As for the rest, it seems Sir Loris has been outvoted. In the charge of causing Sir Willem¡¯s death, we find you at fault. In the charges of unbecoming conduct, fraternizing with mages, and falsifying orders, we find you responsible. You are hereby stripped of your knighthood and ordered to depart Fort Hightower immediately.¡± Sir Jesson, sitting in the small audience, gave a quick twitch of his head to remind Kevik of the next step. ¡°I¡¯ll appeal to Telfort,¡± Kevik said. ¡°Your appeal will be denied, Mister Kevik. Sir Noris has already approved your expulsion. You have two hours to leave the fortress, and you have until tomorrow at sundown to leave town.¡± If Noris was already aware of the outcome, then the tribunal¡¯s vote had been a sham. It would have taken several days to get a pigeon message to Telfort and back. The decision had been made before Kevik had presented his defense¡ªwhat little defense he could muster. He held still, standing tall as the others filed out of the room. The Order had been his life since he¡¯d become a page at the age of seven, working his way up to become a squire two years later. He didn¡¯t come from the peerage like Corec, or have a shopkeeper father like Trentin¡¯s who could afford to buy his son a knighthood. This was the only life he could remember. What was he supposed to do with himself now? Only Sir Jesson remained behind. With Kevik expelled from the Order, nobody wanted to be seen talking to him. Even Sir Loris had disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jesson said. ¡°Tibon and his cronies are free to do whatever they want now that the unblessed have taken over the Order. It wouldn¡¯t have happened this way twenty years ago.¡± ¡°Noris backed them,¡± Kevik said. ¡°He only heard their side of the story. You could try going to Telfort yourself.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s worth it?¡± Jesson hesitated. ¡°Honestly, no. Even if Noris agreed to a new tribunal, it would still be made up of the unblessed. I¡¯ve never understood why the true priests left the city. I suppose they figured they could do more good in the smaller towns, and could leave the administrative work to the unblessed, but something¡¯s got to be done about it.¡± ¡°Would the blessed priests have reacted any differently to a knight fighting alongside a mage?¡± Kevik asked. The earliest texts in the scripture decried only dark magic, but the priests of Pallisur had always interpreted that to mean any magic used by someone other than a priest of Pallisur. In the later texts, magic and dark magic had come to mean the same thing. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We worked with priests of other orders during the North Border War, but wizards? I just don¡¯t know. Do you have family to go to?¡± ¡°None worth speaking of.¡± Jesson nodded. ¡°I feel like I had this same conversation with Corec. He went off and became a caravan guard. He must have done well for himself, given what you¡¯ve told me. Your skills would certainly be in demand, whether you stay in Larso or not.¡± Kevik hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. Yes, he could find work even in Larso, but the rumors would follow him. His knighthood had been stripped away, and people would learn of it eventually. Perhaps he should follow Corec¡¯s example and leave the kingdom entirely. Without the Order, what else was holding him here? ¡°I should get going,¡± he said, not wanting to prolong the painful conversation. ¡°They only gave me two hours.¡± Jesson clasped his forearm. ¡°Thank you for bringing the news about Corec. He doesn¡¯t write much. Is he still at his old boarding house?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but he said he was planning to stay at the keep and fix up the roads. You could send a courier to him there. Or a pigeon message to Sister Treya at the Three Orders chapter house in Four Roads.¡± ¡°Sister Treya? He¡¯s taken a concubine?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡± If Treya was a concubine, she wasn¡¯t like any concubine Kevik had ever met before. Jesson nodded. ¡°Good luck, then.¡± They made their farewells and Kevik hurried to the small room he¡¯d lived in since taking his oaths. No one was there to see him off. He belted on his sword, then took the armor and shield Corec had given him out to the stable and bundled them onto his mule¡¯s pack saddle. His other weapons all belonged to the Order, so he¡¯d have to leave them behind. When he returned to the stable again with the rest of his belongings, Georg was there waiting for him. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± the older knight asked. Kevik tensed¡ªGeorg was armored, and wearing his sword belt. Was he looking for revenge? ¡°They kicked me out.¡± ¡°So I heard. The rumors started before the tribunal was even over. The only question was whether you¡¯d be exiled from the kingdom as well.¡± Georg had testified against Kevik at the tribunal, though in fairness, he¡¯d only spoken the truth. Kevik couldn¡¯t fault him for that. ¡°No, not exiled, but ¡­¡± ¡°The free lands?¡± Georg asked. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°It seems to be the place to go for disgraced former knights. You think we can get fortresses too? I wouldn¡¯t mind being landed gentry.¡± Kevik blinked in surprise. ¡°Why are you coming? You weren¡¯t expelled.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s bollocks,¡± Georg said. ¡°We killed a dragon. We should be heroes. Instead, they¡¯re all treating us like we have the plague. It¡¯s about time I retired anyway¡ªI don¡¯t need this nonsense anymore. I was thinking about going for Armsmaster, but Javin gave the job to someone else while we were away.¡± Kevik stared at him for a moment. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going with me, you¡¯d better get your things.¡± Georg clicked his tongue and his horse and mule stepped out of their stalls, already saddled and packed. ¡°Like I told you,¡± the man said, ¡°everyone knew before the tribunal was over. You got a girl?¡± That was private, but what did it matter now? ¡°Her father works for the priests. She hasn¡¯t spoken to me since the tribunal started. You?¡± The knight snorted. ¡°What woman would have me?¡± ¡°Sir Kevik?¡± said a high-pitched voice. A page had snuck up on them. He held out a small, folded slip of paper¡ªa pigeon message. ¡°Not anymore,¡± Kevik said. The boy furrowed his brow in confusion. ¡°Just give him the damned message,¡± Georg said. The page handed it over. Warn Corec he¡¯s in danger. ¡ªBarat Kevik flipped it over but that¡¯s all there was. In danger? From what? Corec was no longer part of the Order, and no longer subject to its rules. The priests had no say over what happened in the free lands. Even in Larso, there were areas where magic was no longer strictly illegal. Barat was stationed in Telfort these days, which was probably how he¡¯d heard Kevik had come into contact with their old friend, but why was the message so short? Even for pigeon post, Barat could have added more information than that. Kevik¡¯s first destination in the free lands had been obvious, given its proximity, but at least now there was a reason for it other than just begging for advice from the last person who¡¯d been expelled from the Order. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he told Georg. # The smell of the ocean and the sound of seagulls flying overhead brought back memories as Katrin followed the dirty urchin through the back alleys of the docks district in Circle Bay. ¡°He¡¯s right through there,¡± the boy said when they arrived at a seedy gaming den. ¡°They play in the second card room along the far wall. I¡¯m not allowed in.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jun,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Here you go.¡± She handed him two coppers, twice his normal fee. He grinned at her. ¡°You¡¯re a good one, Kat,¡± he said before scampering away. Katrin took a deep breath and blew it out, then pushed through the swinging door and entered the smoke-filled room. As she made her way around the maze of gaming tables, the more dangerous-looking men in the place glanced up and stared before dismissing her as a threat. Some eyes lingered, but nobody seemed to recognize her. That changed when she reached the room Jun had indicated. Besides Barz, there were three members of his old crew and two other men she¡¯d never seen before. They were playing a six-hand game that was much trickier than the four-person game Katrin played with her friends. Judging by the way they were seated, they were each playing on their own rather than in teams of two. ¡°Katrin¡¯s back!¡± one of the crew said with a grin. ¡°Barz, why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Heya, Kat, sing us a song!¡± another added. ¡°Leave,¡± she said, allowing power to flood her voice. ¡°The game is over.¡± The five men jumped up and scrambled out of the room without another word. Perhaps she¡¯d overdone it. Barz stared at her, flummoxed, his eyes darting to the door as he tried to figure out what had just happened. ¡°Katrin, what ¡­ ? Why¡¯d you tell them to go? We were in the middle of a game.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wait for you to finish.¡± ¡°But I was winning!¡± Barz said. He¡¯d played the emperor of crowns, and had added both a general and a soldier to his house. Katrin flipped over two of the cards she¡¯d seen on her way in. ¡°No, you weren¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°Melosh had the death of crowns. You¡¯d have had to sacrifice both your other cards to save the emperor, and then the fellow sitting next to him could have played the bard of cups. You¡¯d have been out before the round was over.¡± Barz cursed under his breath and tossed his remaining cards on the table. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you greet me after all this time?¡± He stood and gave her an awkward hug. Barz had never been good at showing emotion. ¡°You¡¯re finally home? Are you staying this time?¡± ¡°No, I just came to see you. I¡¯ve got a job for you, if you want it.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°You¡¯re doing a job?¡± ¡°Not that kind of job. We took over a fortress in the free lands, and I own a tavern there. I need someone to run it for me. I won¡¯t have time to take care of the place myself.¡± ¡°The free lands?¡± he said. ¡°Why would I want to go to the middle of nowhere?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so bad. We¡¯ve got a whole little village there, and there¡¯s an apartment for you and Ana above the tavern. We don¡¯t have much business yet, but there¡¯ll be trading caravans in the future.¡± He gave her a suspicious look. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about running a tavern.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tavern¡ªit¡¯s not hard. You¡¯d serve drinks and manage the inventory. We don¡¯t have a brewer, so you¡¯ll need to order ale and whiskey from Four Roads. And apple brandy, apparently. It¡¯s a good deal, a silver a day plus half the profit.¡± ¡°I make more than a silver now at the docks.¡± ¡°What, eleven coppers a day? Twelve? You think you can¡¯t make up the difference in profit? And don¡¯t forget having a free place to live.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to work for that fellow with the sword.¡± ¡°You mean Corec, the man who paid forty gold to get you out of prison?¡± She let the silence extend for an uncomfortable length of time. ¡°Well, you wouldn¡¯t be working for him; you¡¯d be working for me. If you steal, you¡¯re stealing from me.¡± Barz scowled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t steal from you!¡± ¡°Or anyone else. I mean it, Barz. You¡¯re my brother and I care about you, but if you cause problems, I won¡¯t protect you from Corec.¡± ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡± Katrin sat down across from him. ¡°You always looked out for me, Barz. You protected me for years. I want to look out for you, too, but I can¡¯t deal with all this anymore.¡± She gestured to the door his friends had used. ¡°Dallo¡¯s dead, you know. Hanged in Tyrsall for muscling in on the docks. Torse is dead, too¡ªsomeone left him draped over the Unity Fountain with his guts at his feet, right in front of his father¡¯s house.¡± Razai probably hadn¡¯t known that last bit when she did it. Or maybe she had. ¡°The rest are either dead or working in the quarries. If you were still in Tyrsall, you¡¯d have been with them.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not in Tyrsall, am I?¡± ¡°And what about here? You¡¯re hanging with the old crew. How long until they bring you in on a job?¡± He looked down, not answering. ¡°They already have,¡± she said flatly. ¡°Does Ana know?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°It was just the one time. We needed the money. Ana¡¯s pregnant, and she had to stop serving tables. When the harbormaster learned I could do figures, he promised to make me an overseer, but then he found out I¡¯d been in prison. I¡¯d already told Ana we could move somewhere nicer, and ¡­¡± He shrugged. Katrin took a pouch out of a hidden pocket in her skirts and dropped it on the table. It was the coin she¡¯d been saving for her brother until she could figure out a way to get it to him. It landed with a heavy thunk. ¡°You want money? Here. Twenty gold. Enough to buy a little house if you want, or enough to live on for a while if you stop drinking and gambling.¡± He hefted the bag. ¡°Where¡¯d you get this much gold? I don¡¯t want any more of his money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine, and you¡¯re lucky there¡¯s anything left. I spent most of what I had hiring soldiers to hunt down a dragon.¡± His eyes shot up to meet hers. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. The gold is yours if you want it, but I know you, Barz. Even with the money, how long will it be before you get tempted again? How long until your friends convince you they need your help with one more job? So, I guess you have a choice. Take the gold and see how long it¡¯ll keep you out of trouble, or start a new life in the free lands.¡± She waited for him to answer. Two hours later, when she met up with Leena to return to the keep, the gold was back in her pocket. # As another group of well-wishers wandered off, an older gentleman grabbed Sarette¡¯s hand and shook it vigorously. ¡°Incredible, what an incredible tale. Do you know, I think you might be the first of our people to ever face a dragon in battle?¡± ¡°Borya, don¡¯t crowd the girl,¡± Head Magister Inessa chided, approaching them. ¡°Stormrunner Sarette, please meet Magister Borya.¡± ¡°A delight to make your acquaintance,¡± Borya said, giving her hand one last shake before letting go. ¡°And I understand you¡¯ve brought us news about the expedition to find Tir Yadar as well.¡± ¡°Yes, but ¡­¡± Sarette glanced around, then waved Ariadne over. Leena had brought the Chosar woman to Snow Crown earlier that afternoon, using the warden bond to target Sarette¡¯s location. Sarette made the introductions, then said, ¡°Ariadne is from the Bancyra region in Cordaea, and she¡¯s been working closely with Lady Ellerie on the information from Tir Yadar. She can tell you more about the notes Ellerie sent than I can.¡± She spoke in trade tongue, since Ariadne would draw too much attention to herself if she used the Necklace of Tongues to learn the stormborn language. ¡°You¡¯re a scholar, then?¡± Borya asked Ariadne, then cocked his head to the side. ¡°And you¡¯re seaborn, yes? I¡¯ve never seen one of the seaborn so far inland before. Isn¡¯t Bancyra landlocked?¡± ¡°It is,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°I¡¯m not a scholar, but I¡¯m familiar with Ellerie¡¯s notes. I¡¯m helping her and Bobo with the two books they¡¯re writing, one about Tir Yadar and the other about the Chosar.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that word before,¡± Inessa said. Borya nodded in agreement. ¡°The people who came before,¡± Sarette said. ¡°They were the Chosar.¡± Borya frowned. ¡°There¡¯s been speculation about all of the old tribes for which we have names, suggesting this one or that one were those who came before, but there¡¯s never been any evidence.¡± ¡°We¡¯re certain,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°The Chosar founded Tir Yadar¡ªand Tir Navis as well. The notes we brought don¡¯t cover everything, but Ellerie promised to send copies of the books once they¡¯ve been printed.¡± She kept her words circumspect, not having decided how much she was going to tell them about the Chosar¡ªor about her own place in the story. Borya¡¯s fingers twitched. ¡°I need my books. Perhaps Evgeni¡¯s Origins ¡­ no, no, that won¡¯t do. What about¡ª?¡± Inessa laid her fingers on his arm. ¡°I think the books can wait this one time,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, yes, of course.¡± He turned back to Ariadne. ¡°But you have to tell us more! How did you learn about the connection?¡± Ariadne¡¯s expression grew anxious, but before Sarette could intervene, her mother swooped in, leading another woman. ¡°Sarette, dear,¡± Natasya said, ¡°have you met Malina?¡± Sarette tensed, but kept a careful smile on her face. ¡°We haven¡¯t spoken before,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, Malina.¡± ¡°A pleasure,¡± the older woman said. ¡°And I¡¯m so happy to hear there¡¯s a new stormrunner. The others are getting on in years, and my Sascha can¡¯t do everything himself.¡± Sascha barely qualified as a stormrunner at all, but Sarette couldn¡¯t say that to his mother. And in any case, he was significantly stronger than she herself had been before she¡¯d asked Corec to bond her. ¡°Speaking of Sascha,¡± Natasya said, as if that hadn¡¯t been her intention all along, ¡°he¡¯s quite the handsome young man, isn¡¯t he? How well do you know him, Sarette?¡± ¡°We mostly kept to ourselves at Runner¡¯s Summit. We¡¯ve hardly spoken.¡± That wasn¡¯t quite true, but it was close enough she could get away with it. It didn¡¯t deter Malina, though. ¡°Perhaps now that you¡¯ve returned, the two of you could spend some time together,¡± she said. ¡°As stormrunner families, we have ties going back for centuries. This may be an opportunity to see those ties renewed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid my duties with the warden will see me away from Snow Crown for quite some time,¡± Sarette said. And getting longer by the minute, she promised herself. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, ladies,¡± Vartus said, cutting in just as the two women seemed to be bracing themselves for another attempt. ¡°I need to speak with my niece. Stormrunner business.¡± He ignored their scowls and led Sarette out to the veranda. ¡°You looked like you could use some help.¡± ¡°Mother¡¯s doing her best to continue the dynasty.¡± Vartus chuckled. ¡°If she really wants you to spawn a new line of stormrunners, she shouldn¡¯t be trying to marry you off to Sascha. She should send you to the snowborn.¡± ¡°There are stormrunners among the snowborn?¡± ¡°The runner bloodlines split evenly during the schism, but while our lines faded, theirs stayed strong. Either we were unlucky, or their meddling mothers were more successful in their matchmaking.¡± ¡°Well, I have no interest in being a broodmare, regardless of who she tries to pair me up with.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you, but it¡¯s a shame to see the order coming to an end.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you go to the snowborn?¡± ¡°My grandfather did,¡± he admitted. ¡°But the mother kept the child¡ªthat¡¯s the custom there. I didn¡¯t have any interest in fathering a child I¡¯d never get to see. Then I met Marta, and we didn¡¯t learn until it was too late that she couldn¡¯t have children.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But that¡¯s not why I brought you out here. We really do have business to discuss.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Your story about fighting the dragon seemed to have some convenient gaps in time. You attacked, and then what happened? You talked about what everyone else was doing, even though you couldn¡¯t have been close enough to see any of it until near the end.¡± Sarette sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to tell the story tonight. I needed to talk to you about it first, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to bring it up.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I fell,¡± she admitted. ¡°The dragon hit me¡ªwith its wing, I think. I¡¯m not even sure it was intentional, but it hit hard enough that it knocked me into a fall, and I passed out. It couldn¡¯t have been for long. I had enough time to catch my spear and call lightning, but it was close.¡± ¡°I fell once, when I was about your age,¡± Vartus said. ¡°I was only two hundred feet up, so I tried to pull in enough charge to handle the landing.¡± ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°I shattered both my legs. Luckily, Galina was assigned to the same unit¡ªthis was back when she still worked in the field. With a lesser priest, it might have taken weeks to recover, but she had me up in the air the next day.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can go up again. Every time I think about it, I ¡­¡± Sarette shook her head and shivered. ¡°We flew in from Runner¡¯s Summit just yesterday,¡± Vartus said. Sarette had asked Leena to take her to the isolated stormrunner headquarters in the mountains rather than directly to the city. ¡°That¡¯s different. We weren¡¯t in battle, and you were right there with me.¡± Vartus nodded, then stepped to the edge of the veranda and peered up at the night sky. Sarette joined him. The stars were out, and the chilly air was a welcome change. Spring came too early in the south. ¡°I wish there was some big secret I could tell you that would make everything better, but there isn¡¯t,¡± Vartus said. ¡°It affects each of us differently. In your story, you managed to stay in the fight.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly, and I¡¯d pulled in so much power to get out of the fall that I¡¯m not sure what would have happened if I¡¯d tried to let it dissipate on its own. I gave it to the dragon instead.¡± ¡°Sometimes we don¡¯t know what we¡¯re capable of until we¡¯re stressed beyond our normal limits.¡± He faced her. ¡°If you can still fly, then you¡¯re halfway there already. Just fly every storm that comes. When there¡¯s no storm, make one¡ªor fly without any storm at all. Keep practicing until it feels as natural as walking. When you¡¯re ready, you¡¯ll know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Vartus grinned. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll probably never face another enemy in the sky. Next time you get hit, you¡¯ll be much closer to the ground.¡± Sarette rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something, I guess.¡± One of the servants joined them. ¡°Sir, a message came for ¡­¡± He saw Sarette. ¡°Ahh, Stormrunner Sarette, this is for you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sarette said, opening the message as the man went back inside. ¡°It¡¯s from Oracle Galina.¡± ¡°Galina?¡± Vartus said. ¡°She already sent an apology for not coming tonight.¡± ¡°No, this is ¡­ she wants me to bring Ariadne to see her tomorrow,¡± Sarette said. # The little bit of Snow Crown Ariadne had seen so far was both familiar and foreign. She¡¯d never heard of anything like the valley itself, which seemed to be some sort of massive crater in the middle of the mountain range, but the city itself wasn¡¯t all that different from Tir Yadar¡¯s outer city. The structures and the layout were more utilitarian and uniform than the human cities of Tyrsall and Aencyr, and individuality was instead expressed through carvings on the walls. Those carvings hadn¡¯t been common in Tir Yadar, but Ariadne had heard of the practice in other Tirs. Snow Crown was familiar in other ways as well. There were no beggars on the street¡ªthe people were guaranteed food and shelter one way or another¡ªand the High Guard maintained a presence throughout the city. Perhaps she should have expected the familiar aspects. If Borrisur had truly gifted the stormborn with their knowledge and traditions, then that knowledge had come from the Chosar themselves. Most of the buildings in the city were constructed of polished logs and had no more than two floors, giving the place a rustic feel, but the temple Ariadne stood in front of now was four stories tall and made from heavy granite blocks. It couldn¡¯t match the huge temples she¡¯d seen in Tyrsall and Aencyr, but according to Sarette, it was the largest of Borrisur¡¯s fourteen temples in Snow Crown. ¡°Lightning rods,¡± the stormborn woman said, indicating a crown of copper spikes towering twenty feet above the temple. ¡°When a heavy thunderstorm passes by, lightning can strike it a dozen times a minute. All of Borrisur¡¯s temples have them¡ªthe ones here in Snow Crown, I mean¡ªbut this one has the best view. People come from all around to watch it.¡± There was no storm now, though. Ariadne hesitated at the entrance. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± she asked. ¡°What could she want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she specifically asked to speak with you,¡± Sarette replied. ¡°She¡¯s got to have a reason. The oracle can see things others can¡¯t.¡± Ariadne had come to Snow Crown looking for information, but she¡¯d assumed if she found anything, it would come from the magisters. Galina¡¯s invitation had been unexpected, and Sarette had repeatedly refused to speculate over what it meant, perhaps not wanting to raise Ariadne¡¯s hopes. Sarette got tired of waiting and nudged her through the entrance. Inside, a priest showed them to Galina¡¯s study. The white-haired woman was ancient. If stormborn aged similarly to Chosar, Ariadne would have placed her age at a hundred thirty years or more. ¡°Oracle Galina,¡± Sarette said respectfully, ¡°this is Ariadne of the Chosar people, a Mage Knight of Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the old woman said. ¡°These things I knew because I know them now. Sometimes you tell me and sometimes you don¡¯t, but the past is the truth regardless of the future.¡± Ariadne blinked in confusion. ¡°Oracle Galina,¡± she started, then paused, not sure how to finish the sentence. Galina turned to her. ¡°You seek the truth about your people,¡± she said. "Sarette told me you can see things. Can you tell me what happened to them?¡± "I can''t see the past. I can only see what might happen, not what has. I saw you, when Sarette and the warden came to the council chamber for the first time. I saw you die; I saw you sleep forever; I saw you as you are now. I saw Sarette fall to her death attempting to strike a dragon in mid-flight¡ª¡± Sarette¡¯s head jerked back at that, ¡°¡ªand I saw her emerge victorious as a true stormrunner. The future is always uncertain¡ªa mortal mind can''t begin to interpret all the possibilities." ¡°Then why ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Why did I bring you here? Because change is coming to Snow Crown, and you stand at the heart of it. Or it isn¡¯t, and you don¡¯t.¡± Galina¡¯s gaze was penetrating. ¡°What secrets do you know that will cause so much turmoil for my people?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°It¡¯s not given to me to see everything, but I see enough to be concerned. What is it you know that¡¯s so troubling? Is it simply the secret you¡¯ve already told me? You were found in Tir Yadar. I¡¯m no scholar, but I have some idea of what that means¡ªyour Chosar were the people who came before. A startling discovery, and even more startling that you yet live, but would that knowledge result in the strife I see? I don¡¯t believe so.¡± Sarette gave Ariadne a concerned look. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Ahh, but there¡¯s the problem, you see. Change can be good or bad. Should you keep your knowledge to yourself, or should you shout it out from the rooftops? How can I know unless you tell me what it is?¡± Ariadne had no intention of telling Galina about the old wardens becoming gods, and she couldn¡¯t think of anything else useful. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°There must be something,¡± the old woman said, then furrowed her brow. ¡°This is new. If you¡¯ve never been here before, how is it that you know why the snowborn left us?¡± ¡°What?¡± Sarette interjected, her eyes wide. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about the snowborn!¡± Ariadne told them both. ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen one before!¡± Galina stared at her--or possibly through her. ¡°No. You¡¯re right. Perhaps you don¡¯t know what caused the schism, or perhaps you do but don¡¯t realize it.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been too harsh. You came to Snow Crown to learn what happened to your people, and all I can tell you is what everyone knows¡ªthe people who came before are long gone.¡± Ariadne sighed. Another lead, however unexpected, had ended in failure. ¡°Will I ever learn what happened?" Galina hesitated, then said, ¡°You already know of those who have the answers. One in particular. But she can¡¯t be everywhere; she can¡¯t see everything. If you want her to hear you, go to where she listens.¡± There were only so many ways to interpret that, and it didn¡¯t seem like Galina was referring to Ephrenia. That left the old wardens, and of those, Ariadne only knew one personally. ¡°If you see that much, can¡¯t you tell me what she¡¯ll say?¡± she asked. ¡°The bits and pieces I can see don¡¯t make sense, not yet, and I¡¯ve learned that having a little bit of information is often worse than having none at all. Once you take action, I¡¯ll know more, but by then, you¡¯ll no longer need my help.¡± Ariadne nodded. Ellerie hadn¡¯t been aware of any way to speak to the new gods, but perhaps the priests would know. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°There are some things I need to tell you,¡± Ariadne said to her. ¡°But first, is there a temple to The Lady in Snow Crown?¡± Book 5: Chapter Eight ¡°Miss Leena,¡± Varsin Senshall said, ushering her into his office, ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you so soon after your last visit. Has Lady Ellerie already figured out when you¡¯ll need the first load of coal transported? I¡¯ve been thinking Matagor may be the best option for regular deliveries. It won¡¯t sell for as much there as it would in Tyrsall, but the distance is shorter. It should more than make up for the difference.¡± ¡°The mines aren¡¯t operating yet,¡± Leena said. ¡°We¡¯re still looking for someone to handle that. I came here with a deal of my own. Her Imperial Majesty has allowed me to offer my services to the Senshall Trading Company¡ªfor a brief trial, and under strict conditions.¡± Varsin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ahh, I see. Please, take a seat.¡± He sat down across from her. ¡°What would these conditions be, exactly?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come to Tyrsall once per week¡ªto your home, not here¡ªand I¡¯ll pick up outgoing messages. They have to fit in a small shoulder satchel and be intended for Sanvara City, Four Roads, or our keep in the free lands. Then, during that week, I¡¯ll visit each of those locations and deliver the messages, and pick up any that are being sent back here or to the other destinations. I hope to add Aencyr in Bancyra as well, but I¡¯m not certain yet.¡± Varsin looked thoughtful. ¡°You¡¯d go to our operations in Sanvara City and Aencyr?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go to the Sanvara City Travelers¡¯ Post, which will send a courier to deliver the messages to your office in the city for no additional cost. If the messages need to go elsewhere, that¡¯ll be up to your people down there. I don¡¯t know yet what the situation will be in Aencyr, but I expect it to be similar.¡± ¡°It would certainly be helpful if we could correspond with Sanvar so quickly, but why those destinations only?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all I have time for,¡± Leena said. That wasn¡¯t entirely true, but if she was going to build up a larger network, she didn¡¯t want to be dependent on a single trading house. She hadn¡¯t worked out a solution yet, but she could partner with Senshall as an experiment while she looked for other options in Circle Bay, Matagor, and elsewhere around the north. ¡°You should really be talking to my father. He¡¯s in charge of our operations in southern Aravor, including Sanvar.¡± Leena didn¡¯t know anything about the elder Senshall other than a few hints Varsin had let slip. ¡°I¡¯m only supposed to deal with people I already know,¡± she said. ¡°You can tell your father about it if you want, and let him take part, but I won¡¯t be meeting with him.¡± Varsin hid a small smile. ¡°As you wish.¡± Then his look turned thoughtful. ¡°We¡¯ll rarely have a full satchel of messages for just those three destinations. Can I sell the extra space?¡± ¡°No, the offer is for the Senshall Trading Company alone, but you can include small packages if you have room for them.¡± ¡°You mean like trade goods? Or coin?¡± ¡°Whatever you want, as long as it fits in the satchel and is light enough for me to carry.¡± ¡°Well, that could make things ¡­ interesting. I¡¯ll have to think about what that might mean, maybe talk to some people.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone outside your family¡ªor Marco, since he already knows about me. I¡¯m only allowed to do this if you can guarantee my safety.¡± She passed him a copper piece. ¡°This will help with that. Show me the room you¡¯d like to use, and then if you and the coin are both in that room at the day and time we agree on, I¡¯ll come. If there¡¯s any sort of problem, just make sure that either you or the coin aren¡¯t in the room at that time.¡± There was one more layer of security Varsin didn¡¯t need to know about. Chaaya had memorized the coin¡¯s signature, and before Leena Traveled to Tyrsall, Chaaya would do a Seeing on the room, and then the rest of the house, to make sure the family wasn¡¯t being coerced into letting Leena believe it was safe to arrive. Varsin examined the copper piece as if wondering how it worked, but he didn¡¯t ask. Instead, he said, ¡°We haven¡¯t discussed the price yet. Just how much is this going to cost me?¡± Leena gave him a smile of her own. # ¡°It¡¯s not going to hold, Miss,¡± Fenton said. He was in charge of the carpenters and builders who¡¯d made the journey to the keep. ¡°It¡¯s too heavy.¡± ¡°It only needs to last a few more minutes,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Help me with the sand and the lime now, while your men are finishing up.¡± The other builders were hauling the last of the heavy blocks up the side of the ravine. It had taken two days to dig all the fallen stone out of the riverbed and carry the smaller pieces up by hand. For the larger pieces, they¡¯d cut two makeshift stairways into the steep bank and smoothed out the slope between them. Then they¡¯d placed the stone blocks, one at a time, on a length of burlap which they bundled up and tied at the top with lengths of rope. With two men on each set of stairs, they¡¯d dragged the heavy block between them up the bank of the ravine. Ellerie grabbed the bucket of quicklime, pointing Fenton to the matching bucket of sand. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what this is supposed to do,¡± he said, hefting it. ¡°It won¡¯t make enough mortar to hold everything together.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not making mortar,¡± she told him. ¡°This is just part of the spell.¡± The amounts were small enough to be almost symbolic rather than serving any actual purpose, but they had to do something or they wouldn¡¯t be necessary. Luckily, sand and lime were much cheaper than the components used in the metal-shaping spells. She carefully made her way out onto the broken section of the bridge, which was now spanned by a wooden frame the carpenters had constructed in roughly the same shape as the underside of the missing arch. The builders had piled the fallen stone onto the frame, but even after bracing the whole thing with heavy logs to keep it stable, the structure creaked alarmingly from the weight it was supporting. Ellerie poured the quicklime powder into a crevice between several stone blocks to ensure it wouldn¡¯t blow away in the wind, then handed her empty bucket to Fenton, who¡¯d remained on the bridge rather than adding his weight to the shaky platform. She took his bucket in exchange and added the sand on top of the lime. Returning to the intact part of the bridge, she set the bucket out of the way. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Fenton nodded and turned to his crew, who¡¯d reached the top of the ravine. ¡°Hurry it up there, boys!¡± he shouted. If that caused them to move any faster, Ellerie couldn¡¯t see it, but it didn¡¯t take them long them to reach the bridge. As they drew even with her near the broken edge, they braced their feet and then pulled the ropes toward them, hand over hand, shortening the distance between themselves and the stone block. Fenton helped them untie the knots and uncover it. ¡°Is this close enough?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure the frame will take it if we pile it on with the rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s got to be touching before I start the spell,¡± Ellerie said. He frowned but nodded. ¡°Slide it over, lads.¡± There was only enough room for three of his men to help push, and they had to get down on their knees to get a good grip, but slowly, the heavy block slid up to and over the broken edge of the bridge, slamming down onto the pile of loose stone. A splintering sound came from the wooden frame below and the whole structure dropped two inches before holding steady. The builders made startled exclamations and quickly backed away. Ellerie took their place, kneeling down so she could reach the pile. She began murmuring the words to the mixing spell. As she spoke, the stone gradually turned into a thick sludge, as if it had melted without any heat. Then the sand and lime swirled into the mixture, causing the sludge to dissolve further. The final result was more fluid, though still grainy. The frame wasn¡¯t solid enough to keep the liquid from flowing out through the cracks and gaps, but Ellerie could force it to stay in place. The tricky part happened as she moved from one spell to the next. With the completion of the mixing spell, her control over the mixture would gradually fade and wouldn¡¯t be renewed until she was partway through the shaping spell. Without a more solid mould to hold everything in place, she couldn¡¯t take a break between spells. She began the shaping spell immediately, picturing in her mind how she wanted the final structure to appear. Since the frame supported most of the weight and provided the approximate shape she would need, she focused her attention on the finer details, ensuring the stone was distributed smoothly and evenly, that it matched the dimensions of the other arches, and that the upper surface of the new section would be at the same height as the original stonework it abutted. The workers murmured in amazement as it took form, even though they¡¯d known, in general terms, what she was attempting. Ellerie had tested the stone-shaping spells with Hildra enough to make sure they worked, and she¡¯d made a few small statuettes over the past weeks for practice, but this was the first time she¡¯d tried stone-shaping for real. It was both easier and harder than metal-shaping. She was able to manipulate larger amounts of material with ease, but stone didn¡¯t lend itself to the fine-grained control she could manage with metal. As she neared the end of the spell, she forced the material into the final form she wanted, then held it there as it hardened in place. The bridge was now complete, spanning the entire river, though the shaped stone didn¡¯t quite match the rest of it. Instead of blocks held together with mortar and careful engineering, the shaped section was one solid piece. According to the shaping book, the new section would be at least as strong as the rest of the bridge, but there was no way to know for sure until they tried it. To improve the chances, Ellerie prepared a warding spell she¡¯d gotten from Hildra, one designed to strengthen stonework. As she began casting, she decided to include the entire bridge, not just the rebuilt section. If one part had collapsed, the rest could as well, and there was no sense in tempting fate. The warding spell didn¡¯t take as long to cast as the other two, but when it was over, she had to close her eyes and take deep breaths. The three spells together had required more power than she¡¯d ever used before. ¡°Miss?¡± Fenton asked. ¡°Are you all right?¡± She opened her eyes and pushed herself to her feet. ¡°Just tired, Mr. Fenton. Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it,¡± he said, staring at what she¡¯d done. ¡°It would have taken a crew of stonemasons an entire week to do that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope it worked,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll need to borrow two of your men to help load wagons so we can try it out. The others can get started building the crane. We¡¯ll need it soon. If the bridge holds, we¡¯ll be working on the fortress wall next.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. # Nedley stumbled as he appeared in the wheelwright¡¯s shop in Four Roads. His guts heaved and the room seemed to be spinning. He had to drop to his knees to keep from falling over. ¡°Nedley, are you all right?¡± Leena¡¯s voice came from somewhere above him. He screwed his eyes tightly shut and waited as his stomach calmed. Finally, he felt it was safe to stand up. ¡°I think so,¡± he said. ¡°I just got dizzy. Did that happen to anyone else?¡± ¡°Just Ditte, and only a little bit. She said it felt funny, and then she spun in circles a few times to keep it going. No one else has mentioned anything unusual.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he said, flushing. Why did he have to be the only one to get sick from Traveling? Was this how Corec had felt on the ship? ¡°Do you need anything before I go?¡± Leena asked. Nedley dropped his travel pack on a table and searched through it to make sure he¡¯d brought the letter. ¡°No, I have everything.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll drop by in two days to see how things are going,¡± Leena said, then disappeared. Nedley looked around the empty shop. They¡¯d taken the last of their things along with the supply caravan, so only bits of scrap were left over. It felt odd to be there alone. It felt odd to be anywhere alone. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time that had happened. But he had a job to do. First up was a visit to the Three Orders chapter house. His armor¡ªwhich he¡¯d worn for the trip rather than carrying¡ªwouldn¡¯t be appropriate, so he stripped it off, then took a moment to stretch. The plate armor was getting tight around his shoulders and would soon start leaving a gap at his waist if he got any taller, but he hadn¡¯t told anyone yet. Corec only had silversteel plate in small and very large sizes, with nothing in between. There was no way Nedley would be able to fit into one of the larger suits, and he didn¡¯t want to give up what he had. After working out the kinks in his back, he put on the shopkeeper¡¯s suit and long coat he¡¯d bought the last time he¡¯d been in town. It was all the tailor had been able to manage on short notice, but that was probably for the best. Anything fancier and he¡¯d have been putting on airs. He strapped on his sword belt, grabbed the letter from his pack, and left the shop, resetting Ellerie¡¯s mage lock on the door. He didn¡¯t want anyone stealing his armor while he was away. At the chapter house, a young girl showed him to Mother Yewen¡¯s office. The old woman was sitting in a padded chair near a window, reading through a stack of papers. She eyed his clothing and sword, but sent the girl away before speaking to him. ¡°You look familiar,¡± she said. ¡°You were with Sister Treya¡¯s group.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss¡ªI mean, yes, Mother Yewen. My name is Nedley. Miss Treya sent this for you.¡± He handed over the letter. She read through it, her eyebrows raising at one point. ¡°She wants me to give you the coin from the town council.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss. I¡¯m supposed to buy supplies and hire more men.¡± Whatever he didn¡¯t need, Leena would take back for safekeeping so he didn¡¯t have to watch over it on the road. ¡°Very well.¡± Yewen rose from her chair and opened a locked cabinet behind her desk, taking out a coin pouch. She handed it over. ¡°A hundred fifty gold,¡± she said. ¡°It should have been more, but Four Roads spent over a thousand taking care of the refugees. The councilors and the citizens are only willing to go so far.¡± Nedley slipped the pouch into an inner pocket in his new coat¡ªa pocket that could be buttoned closed to make it harder for anyone to pickpocket him. ¡°Miss Treya wanted me to ask you about miners, too,¡± he said. ¡°So she mentions,¡± Yewen said, tapping the letter. ¡°I didn¡¯t find anyone here, but I just got a pigeon back from South Corner last night. Mother Vera of the chapter house there found a master miner in need of work. I believe the fellow is already on his way, in the hopes of being the first to offer his services. I did have luck in finding a sawyer. I can send him to your shop if you¡¯re still working out of there.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss. Thank you.¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Yewen asked, running her finger down the letter to skim the contents. ¡°May I be permitted to speak to Kimi?¡± Nedley said in a rush, then lost his nerve. ¡°I mean, if she¡¯s not already ¡­ umm.¡± Katrin and Treya had confirmed Kimi was a concubine candidate. Neither woman had laughed at him for asking, though there¡¯d been an amused glint in Katrin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Kimi?¡± the old woman said with a piercing stare. ¡°How do you know Kimi? You¡¯ve never attended a Presentation ceremony.¡± ¡°I, ahh, met her at the stables when I was feeding the horses. We spoke for a bit. Miss Treya said I shouldn¡¯t ask for a Presentation. She and Corec think I should talk to her more instead. Treya said you might let me.¡± Yewen harrumphed. ¡°Sometimes, but usually only for the older girls who¡¯ve ¡­¡± She shook her head and cut off what she¡¯d been about to say. ¡°As for Kimi, if you¡¯ve met her, I suppose the mystery of the Presentation is already gone. I¡¯ll consider your request, but, young Mr. Nedley, what makes you worthy of a Three Orders concubine? Where do you hail from?¡± ¡°Tyrsall, Miss.¡± ¡°Tell me of your family.¡± ¡°I never knew my Ma, Miss. Pa died two years ago. My brother is a mercenary in Larso.¡± Yewen¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡°Are you married?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°And your prospects?¡± ¡°My what?¡± She snorted. ¡°Your job, your future. How will you support a wife and family? What can you offer a concubine that other men can¡¯t?¡± Nedley wasn¡¯t rich like most men who sought out concubines, but he was no longer poor either, and he knew from meeting Patrig and Miss Nallee¡ªMistress Nallee, as he was supposed to call her¡ªthat the requirements were less strict in Four Roads than they would have been in the city. He stood tall. ¡°I work for Corec Tarwen as a corporal and squad leader. I¡¯m fixing up a cottage in Hilltop Village. I earn enough to support a family, and I received bonuses from the expeditions to Cordaea and to fight the dragon. Corec and Boktar are training me to be a sergeant when I¡¯m older.¡± Or perhaps they were training him for something else. Soldiers didn¡¯t wear heavy armor, and Sir Kevik was the only other person to whom Corec had offered silversteel plate. All of the newly recruited soldiers wore lighter armor, but Corec and Boktar had never asked Nedley to switch. They continued teaching him how to use the plate armor to its full effectiveness in battle. Mother Yewen nodded. ¡°I will speak to Kimi, and then I¡¯ll decide whether to allow the two of you to meet again. Until then, don¡¯t try to find her. And stay away from the stables.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± # ¡°This doesn¡¯t work yet,¡± Katrin said, jiggling the useless handle on the old water pump behind the tavern. ¡°We bought a new one to replace it, but the whole thing has to be dug out first. For now, you¡¯ll have to carry buckets over to the main well.¡± Her brother frowned. ¡°This place isn¡¯t much like how you described it,¡± he said. ¡°I warned you we were still fixing it up. You¡¯ve just always lived in a city before. Villages take some getting used to.¡± Katrin had never lived in a village either, but she¡¯d passed through what seemed like hundreds of them while she¡¯d been traveling. ¡°It¡¯s so small,¡± Barz said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do.¡± ¡°The tavern will keep you busy, and things will be livelier once the caravans are coming through. If you¡¯re looking for a card game, my friends play, and some of the soldiers. Just don¡¯t take too much of their money. Most of them won¡¯t play for real coin anyway.¡± He gave her a skeptical look. ¡°No one even gambles here?¡± ¡°Maybe for copper. If you¡¯re looking for a real game, wait for the caravan guards¡ªbut they all carry weapons, so don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± Barz just grunted. The gangs and crews always tried to avoid heavily armed men when they could. ¡°You can¡¯t be off gallivanting around anyway,¡± Katrin reminded him. ¡°Ana will need your help once the baby comes.¡± Katrin¡¯s old friend was due to arrive at the keep later that evening, if Leena wasn¡¯t too tired to make the trip to Circle Bay to get her. Barz nodded. He¡¯d been hesitant to accept the job, not wanting to leave everything he knew, but in the end, Ana had been the deciding factor. She was having a difficult pregnancy and had been forced to quit her job serving tables months earlier than they¡¯d planned. The promise of having a healer nearby¡ªone that wouldn¡¯t charge for the service¡ªhad been too much for Katrin¡¯s brother to resist. Just then, two children ran around the corner of the tavern and straight at them, moving too fast to stop in time. The boy bounced off Katrin and fell to the ground. ¡°Whoa, you two, slow down,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Bril, Maya, what are you doing?¡± The brown-haired brother and sister twins had been among the refugee children that Katrin¡¯s small group of Three Orders girls had attempted to teach to read. ¡°Miss Katrin!¡± The girl hugged her leg. ¡°We¡¯re playin¡¯ soldiers. Dev dared us to go up on the wall.¡± She pointed to the partial lookout tower, which had a stairwell leading up to the ramparts. It was the only one of the four stairwells hidden from view of the two soldiers standing near the barracks. ¡°Where are your parents?¡± Katrin asked. Bril had stood up and was dusting himself off. ¡°Mama¡¯s watchin¡¯ the babies and Papa¡¯s tearin¡¯ out the old floor.¡± ¡°Do they know you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Mama said we could go play as long as we stay out of their way.¡± Katrin considered the options. The fortress might actually be safer than out in the village, with all the construction work going on, but the children couldn¡¯t be allowed to run around unsupervised. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t go up on the walls, all right? What if you fell? And don¡¯t go in the stables unless Harri¡¯s with you. Why don¡¯t you go find Dev, whoever he is, and any of the other kids who aren¡¯t busy, and we¡¯ll figure out a game everyone can play. If you see Mistress Nallee, tell her I want to talk to her.¡± The two children ran off, and Katrin turned her attention back to Barz. ¡°I need to take care of this,¡± she said. ¡°Can you get some water from the well and wash the mugs before we open?¡± Barz pursed his lips, visibly struggling with taking an order from his little sister, but then his expression cleared and he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it, but I need to help Ana when she gets here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back before then so you can get her settled,¡± Katrin said. She and Shavala had already cleaned the apartment above the tavern. ¡°Treya knows Ana¡¯s coming tonight. She¡¯ll look her over and make sure everything¡¯s all right.¡± Some of the tension drained from Barz¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Thank you.¡± # An unfamiliar weight across her legs brought Shavala out of her sleep. Propping herself up, she found that the baby dragon had draped itself over her lower body. She scratched the creature¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to do this for much longer,¡± she told it. ¡°You¡¯re getting too heavy.¡± It just looked up at her and chirped, its eyes blinking sleepily. Shavala stayed as she was, not wanting to disturb the dragon¡¯s rest. They¡¯d had a busy day, with her trying to teach it to use its wings for balance when it hopped or pounced. It was too soon, though¡ªthe creature hadn¡¯t shown any sign of understanding how to fly. She watched while it slept, laying her hand on its side to feel its heartbeat as she weighed her options. Should she send it to Cetos after all, before it grew too dangerous? The dragon could be affectionate when it wanted to be, like a puppy raised by humans, but it was missing the centuries of careful breeding that allowed dogs to live amongst people. It had no concept of right and wrong, and couldn¡¯t comprehend Shavala¡¯s disapproval when it did something she didn¡¯t like. How did mother dragons discipline their young? More importantly, why couldn¡¯t druids speak to dragons or drakes? It was said they weren¡¯t creatures of the natural world, but what did that actually mean? Including their wings, dragons and drakes had six limbs¡ªsomething not seen in true reptiles or birds¡ªbut if they weren¡¯t part of the natural world, where had they come from? Did they originate in Cetos, or were they from somewhere else? The first slivers of sunlight appeared through the empty doorway of the abandoned cottage Shavala had chosen. She carefully slid her legs out from under the sleeping dragon and went to greet the day, starting with a quick breakfast of nuts and dried berries. It was too soon for fresh berries, though she¡¯d found acres and acres of blackberry and huckleberry bushes. She¡¯d marked their locations on a map she¡¯d been sketching as she and the dragon explored their surroundings. After eating, she washed her spare set of clothing. She was hanging it out to dry on a tree branch when the sound of clomping hooves echoed around the ruins of the village. Zhailai rode into view. She was one of the few dorvasta who owned a horse, since she traveled outside the forest more than most. Shavala gave her a smile. ¡°Did you have any trouble finding me?¡± ¡°I stayed at the keep last night,¡± the other druid said. ¡°Your friends showed me a map. Corec says he¡¯ll come out in a few days to check on you.¡± She glanced around. ¡°Is the dragon here? I¡¯m eager to see it. I¡¯ve never seen one up close before, much less a juvenile.¡± ¡°It¡¯s asleep. I¡¯ll show¡ª¡± Just then, Shavala caught sight of the other animals on the lead rope behind Zhailai¡¯s horse. ¡°Socks!¡± She ran over and threw her arms around her roan gelding¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± She repeated the gesture with her pack mule. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, too!¡± Both animals nuzzled her hair. ¡°How did you get them?¡± she asked Zhailai. ¡°A ranger brought them from your old camp,¡± the other woman said. With ranger, she included the inflection for male. ¡°I will have to thank him. Who was it?¡± ¡°He said he was a friend of yours¡ªEllisan. He remained at the western border camp. He intends to join the patrols there.¡± ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll see him soon, then,¡± Shavala said. But why had Ellisan stayed on the western border rather than returning home? ¡°And I brought you something.¡± Zhailai had dismounted, and now she went to a pair of baskets which had been wedged into the mule¡¯s saddlebags. She lifted the first one out and handed it over. ¡°Gylvaren didn¡¯t want to let them go, since Leena didn¡¯t tell me why you wanted them. Why do you need seedlings if you can grow tershaya in a matter of minutes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I want to try,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I saw it in one of the visions the staff gave me, but I don¡¯t know if I can use a tree from the staff. That wasn¡¯t part of the vision.¡± Zhailai tilted her head to the side. ¡°A spell?¡± ¡°It might have been nothing,¡± Shavala admitted. ¡°I may just be imagining things, but I want to try. If it works, I¡¯ll be able to tell you more.¡± She wasn¡¯t ready to let Zhailai know the full truth about her plans. The other woman might not approve. Book 5: Chapter Nine Katrin and Treya were heading downstairs to look for Corec when their path was blocked by a tall woman with her black hair pulled back in a bun. ¡°Lady Katrin,¡± the cook said, ¡°I have tonight¡¯s supper menu for your approval.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure whatever you¡¯ve come up with is fine, Mella,¡± Katrin told her. ¡°We spent the last year and a half eating trail food. You don¡¯t need to ask me every day.¡± She kept meaning to tell the cook she wasn¡¯t a lady, but Mella was an intimidating woman who knew far more about running a proper household than Katrin did. Yet, for some reason, it was always Katrin she came to when a decision had to be made. The cook pursed her lips. ¡°My previous employer preferred to select the main course herself. It¡¯s difficult to set a menu when we have no fresh vegetables or fresh meats. There¡¯s only so much I can do with salt pork, preserves, and brined vegetables.¡± ¡°Nedley will find what he can,¡± Katrin said. Fresh food was scarce in Four Roads after the dragon, and so early in the growing season. The situation would improve as the refugees returned home to their ranches and farms, but some things would have to wait until the harvest. ¡°If you need something special, we can ask Leena if she¡¯d have time to do some shopping the next time she¡¯s in Tyrsall or Sanvara City.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll consider that, my Lady. And may I ask when the additional help will arrive? Mr. Boktar promised there¡¯d be two kitchen maids and a scullery maid as soon as he could hire them.¡± ¡°Boktar has been busy, but you and I can take care of that ourselves. If we post a notice at the tavern, word will get around.¡± While the tavern was no longer selling as much ale as it had that first night, it had still become a place for the villagers to exchange news. Most of the adult men would come in for at least a few minutes each night to catch up on the events of the day. Mella frowned. ¡°None of the girls here have been in service before.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯ll be able to train them up how you like. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m supposed to be speaking to Lord Corec.¡± The cook¡¯s eyes widened and she backed away. ¡°Oh, yes, of course. I apologize for interrupting, my Lady.¡± Once they were alone again, Treya murmured, ¡°Lord Corec?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only way to get her to stop,¡± Katrin said. Treya laughed. They finally found Corec in Boktar¡¯s office¡ªone of six they¡¯d discovered on the first floor of the keep. Boktar, Ellerie, and Bobo had appropriated three, and Corec had suggested Sarette should have another, but he¡¯d been reluctant to take one for himself. The two men were in the middle of a conversation when Katrin and Treya entered. ¡°If they want to tear down some of the older homes and rebuild them, that¡¯s fine,¡± Corec said, ¡°but not everyone can stay in Hilltop. We don¡¯t need a farrier here if Patrig¡¯s handling the shoeing, and we don¡¯t need two thatchers¡ªor we won¡¯t after they finish the work they¡¯re doing now. See if you can convince some of them to go to Creekbend with Jonson. The more people we send east, the better.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Boktar said, ¡°but some folks are already talking about expanding the village downhill.¡± ¡°Well, they can¡¯t do that. The hill is our first line of defense. It¡¯s no moat, but it¡¯s better than nothing. If we¡¯re attacked, I don¡¯t want Rusol¡¯s troops to have a bunch of buildings to hide out in beyond our reach. The buildings on the hill are bad enough. Can¡¯t we just tell them no?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s up to you,¡± Boktar said. There was a lull in the discussion and the two men turned to greet them. ¡°Trouble?¡± Treya asked. ¡°All the little decisions add up to a lot of time,¡± Boktar said. ¡°We need a steward to handle some of it.¡± ¡°Two, really,¡± Corec said. ¡°For the house steward, we can make do with a butler or majordomo since we¡¯re not dealing with visiting dignitaries, but the steward of the lands needs special training. I¡¯m not sure where to find someone like that.¡± ¡°While you¡¯re looking, don¡¯t forget we still need a housekeeper,¡± Katrin said. Like the cook, the two chambermaids kept coming to her with their questions¡ªor they asked the cook, which just annoyed the woman even more. ¡°It needs to be someone with the right qualifications,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to look around.¡± Katrin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here, though.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°There are a lot of children in the village,¡± Treya started. ¡°Yes, Katrin told me you¡¯ve been helping her keep them busy and out of everyone¡¯s way. Thank you.¡± ¡°Mistress Nallee is helping too, but we can¡¯t do it forever,¡± Katrin said. ¡°We think there should be a school.¡± Corec frowned. ¡°A school? I don¡¯t think many of the parents would be able to afford that.¡± ¡°Not like the trade schools in Larso or Tyrsall,¡± Treya said. ¡°This would be more like the schools they have in Matagor or Snow Crown, where the younger children can attend and learn basic skills. It wouldn¡¯t cost them anything.¡± ¡°Which means we¡¯d pay for it,¡± Corec said. ¡°Do we really need that on top of everything else we¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°How did you learn to read?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°My tutors,¡± Corec said, then waved off the look she gave him. ¡°Yes, I know these kids don¡¯t have tutors, but can¡¯t their parents teach them?¡± ¡°When would they have the time? And a lot of the parents can¡¯t read either. If we teach the children, they¡¯ll have more choices when they grow up. They won¡¯t be stuck following in their parents¡¯ footsteps.¡± Unlike Corec, Katrin knew what it was like to be born into a poor household. She and Barz had been luckier than most¡ªtheir mother had made sure they could read and write¡ªbut many of the children they¡¯d grown up with hadn¡¯t had the same opportunity. Ana had gone from pickpocket to prostitute before she¡¯d ended up serving tables. Katrin had read books on music her uncle had given her so she could learn to play the flute she¡¯d stolen. During her last few years in Circle Bay, she¡¯d been able to support herself just from her share of the performances she and Felix had given. ¡°How would it work, exactly?¡± Corec asked. Treya said, ¡°In Matagor, children can attend school from age six until they turn twelve, if their parents allow it.¡± That was according to Bobo. Sarette had once claimed that among the stormborn, children were required to attend school until they reached the age of sixteen, at which point they could go into the trades or the military, or apply to one of the academies. Katrin wasn¡¯t sure whether to believe her. What could they possibly be teaching that would require that much time? ¡°And the three of you would run it?¡± Katrin shook her head. ¡°No. We can manage it, but we need someone who can be there every day. Treya and Nallee think we should hire a Sister from the Order of Scholars. Maybe two.¡± Corec was silent at first, staring down at a map of the village and the surrounding area. Finally, he blew out his breath. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be here to draw out Rusol,¡± he said. ¡°Everything has gotten too complicated. Are we just doing this for a few years to see if he reacts, and then going our separate ways once we know it¡¯s safe? Or are we planning to stay?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d already made that decision,¡± Boktar said. ¡°It¡¯s good land. The location¡¯s not great, but we can manage. I know you didn¡¯t want all these people around, but now that they¡¯re here, they bring a lot of potential. Is there somewhere else you need to be?¡± ¡°Need to be?¡± Corec said, giving Katrin a quick, questioning glance. ¡°Maybe not. But what about the rest of you? The more things we take on, the more these folks are going to depend on us, and I can¡¯t handle everything myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go where you go,¡± Katrin said, ¡°but I think we should stay.¡± ¡°It would mean that moving to the city is a lot further off than we thought,¡± he replied. ¡°We could be here for a long time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that.¡± She wasn¡¯t having any trouble finding things to keep her busy. It was a nice change, feeling useful again. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for Ellerie, but I¡¯d like to stay,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Marshal is a hell of a promotion over what I was doing in Matagor.¡± Corec nodded, then looked at Treya. ¡°You wanted us to take on a larger role once we settled down. Was this what you had in mind?¡± ¡°I thought we could protect the area from raiders, and if we were close enough to Four Roads, you could try for a seat on the town council in a few years ¡­ but that would be a step backward now. We can do more good here.¡± ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re hiring someone to run a school.¡± # ¡°Pickled cabbage,¡± the storekeeper¡¯s assistant said as he lugged his heavy burden into the wheelwright¡¯s shop. ¡°Two casks. Where do you want them?¡± ¡°Back wall,¡± Nedley said, wrinkling his nose. He hated pickled cabbage. He nodded to Aldin, who was carrying the second cask. Aldin had served with Ballista Five and had agreed to come back when Nedley asked him. The young man hadn¡¯t managed to turn his fame as a dragon hunter into another job, and he¡¯d begun to realize his bonus money wouldn¡¯t last forever. ¡°Do you have anything else for us?¡± Kimi asked, crossing off another item on the list she carried. Mother Yewen had allowed her to help Nedley organize the supply caravan, and she¡¯d taken over most of the paperwork once they realized she was better with figures than he was. ¡°That¡¯s all for today,¡± the fellow said. ¡°Beans and cornmeal tomorrow, and that¡¯s the last of your order.¡± It might be the last delivery from that particular merchant, but they were still waiting on a dozen others. After the man had left, Nedley chewed on his lower lip, trying to decide what to do next. The shop was getting crowded, but he didn¡¯t want to start loading supplies into the wagons until he¡¯d hired enough guards to keep a night watch. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Aldin,¡± he finally said, ¡°will you go check the lumberyard and see if they¡¯re ready for us? If so, when Bili gets back, we can hitch up three of the wagons and take them over.¡± Nobody was likely to steal wagons full of lumber overnight, and he could block them in with the empty wagons to make them harder to get to. Aldin nodded and went on his way, which left Nedley alone with Kimi. She came over and stood very close, smiling up at him. Her hair smelled like flowers. Just as the silence had stretched too long, she said, ¡°We¡¯d better take a look at the new letter to see what else they want.¡± Nedley realized he¡¯d been staring. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Leena had stopped by that morning with another shopping list from Ezra. It had been her second visit since Nedley arrived in town. He¡¯d worried about how frequently his friends were checking up on him¡ªLeena normally only visited Four Roads once a week to exchange messages with Mother Yewen¡ªbut she¡¯d seemed to approve of the progress he¡¯d made each time. He retrieved the letter from where he¡¯d left it in the back room. ¡°Four pitchforks. Six pl ¡­ plow ¡­ plowshares. A dozen saddles! Did he send enough money for that?¡± Kimi leaned close so she could see the list, then compared it to her ledger. ¡°If the prices he put down are right, yes, but everything¡¯s been more expensive than we thought.¡± ¡°Even if we stack them, a dozen saddles will take up an entire corner of a wagon.¡± Nedley continued down the list. ¡°Four wood axes. Two dozen work shirts of va ¡­ var ¡­¡± Kimi held out her hand and he passed her the letter. ¡°¡­ of various sizes,¡± she said. ¡°And two dozen pairs of trousers.¡± Nedley blushed. He could read¡ªhe could!¡ªbut all of his reading practice had been with words the others had carefully written out for him. Ezra¡¯s handwriting was cramped and spindly, and Nedley had to squint to make any sense of it. ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± Kimi said. ¡°Do you want me to keep going?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Flour, sugar, oats, soap, pots and pans, rope, more beans and dried fruit, on top of what we already bought.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to have room for all of that,¡± Nedley said. ¡°Did he send money for another wagon?¡± Even if he had, there were no more freight wagons for sale. They were already waiting on two more to be built. Kimi shook her head. They were still considering what to do when Bili returned. ¡°Any luck?¡± Nedley asked him. ¡°Not many good mules around,¡± Bili said. He¡¯d worked as a stablehand before joining the expedition to fight the dragon, so Nedley had put him in charge of finding the animals. ¡°You bought the last of them already. I can get you some old ones cheap, but Benji, he tried to cheat me, thinkin¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t notice. Best to talk to the farmers instead.¡± Benji was the owner of the largest mule yard in town. Nedley frowned. He and his friends had purchased a lot of mules since they¡¯d first come to Four Roads. He was tempted to ask Boktar what to do, but Leena¡¯s next visit wouldn¡¯t be until the day before the caravan was scheduled to leave. If he waited that long, and then waited for a response, he¡¯d have to delay their departure. Corec and Boktar wouldn¡¯t have put him in charge unless they expected him to make decisions like this on his own. ¡°Draft horses,¡± he said. ¡°If we¡¯ve already got the last of the good mules, we¡¯ll buy draft horses instead.¡± Boktar didn¡¯t like draft horses because mules were smarter and cheaper to feed, but there were plenty of good prairie grasses the horses could eat. And the horses wouldn¡¯t cost that much more¡ªmules sold for a premium in the free lands. Bili nodded. ¡°I know some people to talk to.¡± With one decision out of the way, Nedley made another. ¡°No more wagons,¡± he told Kimi. ¡°We¡¯ll get the food supplies Ezra asked for, if we can find them, but he¡¯ll just have to wait on the rest. There¡¯s a blacksmith and leatherworker at the keep already. People can buy metal tools and saddles from them.¡± The caravan was hauling coal and iron stock for Patrig so he could get work started at the smithy. ¡°I¡¯ll turn this into a smaller list,¡± she replied. The door opened, but Nedley was distracted staring at Kimi again. He didn¡¯t realize who¡¯d come in until Bili said, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I need work,¡± Rolf replied. He¡¯d been a member of Nedley¡¯s squad before running away during the battle with the dragon. Nedley scowled. ¡°You won¡¯t find it here. Corec said not to hire any of the deserters.¡± ¡°I know he won¡¯t take me back as an armsman, but he let me drive a wagon on the way back to town. There¡¯s got to be something!¡± ¡°Why would I hire you when so many other people are looking for jobs?¡± Nedley asked. His plan was to have the new soldiers handle some of the wagons, and then find drivers for the rest from among the folks who¡¯d asked to go south with them. ¡°Please, Ned¡ªno one¡¯ll take me on. They¡¯ve all heard the rumors, but you know what it was like!¡± A haunted look crossed over the man¡¯s face. ¡°You were there! You know!¡± Nedley shivered at the memory of the dragon¡¯s fire washing over him. Miss Treya¡¯s spell had protected them, but he¡¯d never been more frightened in his life. If his friends hadn¡¯t needed him to keep his squad in place, he¡¯d have been tempted to run too. The other men weren¡¯t as accustomed to magic as Nedley was. It was a wonder any of them had stayed. Could he really blame Rolf? The man hadn¡¯t run until the flames had surrounded them. Perhaps that made him a little better than the Catapult Four crew, who¡¯d deserted even though they hadn¡¯t been in the fight at all. ¡°A driver, then,¡± Nedley said. ¡°As far as the keep. After that, it¡¯s up to you to find something else. The road crews and builders have plenty of work to keep people busy, but Corec¡¯s just as likely to run you off as he is to let you stay.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ned.¡± Rolf¡¯s voice sounded both grateful and defeated at the same time. Bili spat on the floor and stalked off, but Kimi gave Nedley a sad smile and patted his arm. # Shavala cradled the whimpering dragon against her side. ¡°Can you do anything?¡± she asked Treya, who was kneeling next to them. ¡°Yes,¡± the other woman said, touching her glowing hands to the creature¡¯s side. ¡°I see the breaks. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± The little dragon had woken up early that morning and snuck out of the cottage while Shavala was still dressing. Before she could catch it, it had dashed over to the horses and bit Socks on the leg. Socks had responded by kicking the creature hard enough to crack several of its ribs. Zhailai had gone to the keep to fetch Treya while Shavala had remained behind to watch over the animals. It took less than a minute before the glow left Treya¡¯s hands. The human woman rocked back on her heels to wait. ¡°Let¡¯s see how it feels now.¡± The dragon had already started to perk up, twisting its neck around so it could peer at its injured side. It fluttered its wing, and when that worked, it stood cautiously, then licked Shavala¡¯s hand before bounding away to chase insects through the grass. ¡°Thank you,¡± Shavala said. Treya glanced at the other animals. ¡°It was Socks, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, his rear left leg.¡± Treya approached the horse and crouched down to take a look, staying to his side so he wouldn¡¯t get nervous. ¡°This will heal on its own, but I¡¯ll close it up to make sure it doesn¡¯t get infected,¡± she said. When she was done, she stood up again. ¡°I can¡¯t stay. The builders are working on the fortress wall today, so I need to be there in case someone gets hurt.¡± Shavala nodded. ¡°Will you take Socks and the mule back with you? It¡¯s not safe to have them here right now.¡± Treya nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°And my horse as well?¡± Zhailai asked. ¡°If the dragon is already trying to hunt our own animals, who its known for several days now ¡­¡± She hesitated. ¡°It has been incredible to see a hatchling so close, and to observe its behavior, but I don¡¯t believe the plan is working. How long before it becomes a danger to everyone around?¡± ¡°I just need a little more time,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I have to know.¡± A tinge of reluctant acceptance came through the tree bond. ¡°Very well,¡± Zhailai said. ¡°I will accompany Treya as far as the field with the chicory. We¡¯ve almost run out.¡± That would give Shavala some time alone with the dragon. ¡°Will you stop at the fallen logs with the mushrooms on the way back?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to make a soup tonight.¡± Zhailai agreed, and then she and Treya saddled the horses and rode off. Shavala watched the dragon play for a while, then clucked her tongue to call it over. ¡°Come along,¡± she told it. ¡°You can have the last of the pheasant.¡± She¡¯d captured the bird¡ªa male, to avoid disturbing any nesting hens¡ªthe day before. Mice were no longer large enough to sate the dragon, so it had been getting by on gophers and ground-dwelling birds. The lack of larger game near the keep might become an issue as the dragon grew, but Shavala had seen a few scattered tracks from deer and feral cattle during her explorations. The mother dragon, it seemed, hadn¡¯t eaten everything nearby. As the hatchling had its meal, Shavala said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hunt my horse. He¡¯s our friend. Why can¡¯t you understand that?¡± It ignored her. The dragon knew several words, at least to the extent of following simple commands when it had nothing better to do, but she had no way to truly communicate with it. If she was going to train it, it would have to understand her approval and disapproval. Bits of food, as humans used when training dogs, hadn¡¯t worked. Every time the dragon realized she was giving out food, it lost interest in anything but eating. Shavala only had one idea left. If it didn¡¯t work, she¡¯d have to ask Leena to take the dragon to Cetos. She glanced at the horizon to make sure Treya and Zhailai were out of sight. If Zhailai stopped to harvest chicory and mushrooms on the way back, she¡¯d be gone for over two hours. That should be enough time. Shavala retrieved the staff from the cottage, then found a clear spot just south of the village. ¡°Little trees this time,¡± she told the staff. She didn¡¯t want them growing so tall that Zhailai would see them and return early. Shavala stood the staff on its end, the way it preferred, then pictured how she wanted the grove to look. A new root system grew down into the earth from the base of the staff, extending outward and sprouting tershaya saplings at regular intervals. They all came from a single root-bond, as if the trees¡¯ root systems had grown together over time. She forced the staff to hold back on the typical eagerness it showed when growing tershaya, making sure the growth was slow enough that the ground didn¡¯t shake. When the trees reached ten feet in height, she cut off the spell. That would be sufficient for what she needed. She returned to the cottage and retrieved a small camp shovel and one of the natural-grown tershaya seedlings Zhailai had brought with her. The dragon, which had curled up in the sun after eating, grew curious and followed Shavala to the new grove of trees. At the center of the grove, she dug a hole large enough for the seedling¡¯s root ball. It didn¡¯t take long¡ªthe ground was still damp from the previous day¡¯s rain. She carefully separated the root tendrils where they¡¯d clumped together from being transported, then placed the tree in its new spot and filled the dirt back in, patting it down enough to hold the seedling in place but not so much as to damage the roots. While she worked, the dragon stalked around the grove, sniffing at the two dozen new tershaya which had sprung up out of nowhere. When she was done, Shavala took the staff from its resting place and dropped it near the seedling, then crouched down and patted her leg. ¡°Come here,¡± she told the dragon. ¡°I need your help. It¡¯s going to hurt a little bit, but I can¡¯t think of what else to do. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll have to send you away. You don¡¯t want that, do you?¡± Even knowing the creature couldn¡¯t understand her speech, she couldn¡¯t get over the habit of talking to it as if it was any other animal. The dragon came to her and she knelt down, gently trapping its torso between her legs. She grasped its left foreleg and used her belt knife to cut a small gash in its paw, between its talons, just enough to draw a few drops of blood. The scales hadn¡¯t hardened enough yet to provide effective armor. The dragon jerked back, but she held it in place and pressed the wound against the seedling, dropping her knife so she could grab the staff. The blood shouldn¡¯t have been necessary, but Shavala wanted to recreate the events from the vision as closely as she could. With everything in place, she was ready to coax the tree to grow. For a single tershaya, she could have done that on her own, without any help, but in her vision, the staff had added something to the spell¡ªsomething that went beyond elder magic. She started the ritual by feeding in a trickle of her own power. The staff joined in eagerly, as if it had been waiting, and soon the seedling began to grow. Shavala had to force herself to ignore the dragon¡¯s squawks of indignation. It didn¡¯t like being held down, but she didn¡¯t have a choice¡ªsetting it loose in Cetos without a mother to teach it to survive in the wild would almost certainly be dooming it to death. This was the best way she could think of to save its life. The trunk grew taller as the spell continued, a tiny streak of blood gradually stretching up the bark. Through her elder senses, Shavala could see the slim root tendrils grow longer and thicker until they reached the roots of the other young trees in the grove, joining together in a single root-bond. But although she could feel the communion of the tershaya, she couldn¡¯t sense the dragon at all. Was the spell working? Perhaps the tree bond was only meant for the elven people. The dragon struggled again to get loose, and when Shavala didn¡¯t allow it to go free, it bit down on her hand. She winced in pain¡ªits teeth had grown longer and sharper since the first time it had bitten her. Then, suddenly, her vision went red. She was overwhelmed with too many unfamiliar feelings, too strong, all swirling around at the same time. Unlike the ancient vision from the staff, where she¡¯d felt the tranquil serenity of the tree bond, this sensation was a wild, chaotic energy she couldn¡¯t make sense of. She fell back, losing her grip on both the tree and the dragon, then screeched in pain and bit her own arm. She was angry at herself for holding herself against the tree when she wanted to be running through the grass, hunting. No. That didn¡¯t make sense. She was too intertwined with the dragon¡¯s feelings, but the tree bond wasn¡¯t supposed to work that way¡ªit was only meant to provide a faint understanding of others¡¯ feelings, and use that understanding to build consensus and agreement. What had happened? Then she caught sight of the sapling¡¯s trunk, where the dragon¡¯s blood had mixed with her own. The use of blood in old druidic rituals was generally considered to have been a primitive practice with no real effect, but in the old legends, it had been meant to show the druids¡¯ connection to the world around them. What if those rituals were based on truth rather than superstition? What would it mean for their blood to mix? There was a rush of excitement. His mother had finally let him go free to play, and now there were bugs to chase. His paw still hurt, but he must not show weakness. The promise of the hunt allowed him to ignore it. Those were the dragon¡¯s feelings again. It was a male. The sensation was too much for Shavala to handle and she slumped over on her side. Her last sight before passing out was the hatchling returning to investigate what was wrong with her. Book 5: Chapter Ten ¡°Shavala? Wake up, Shavala.¡± The voice slowly nudged her out of the darkness. She opened her eyes and found herself staring straight up at the sky. Her vision had returned to normal, no longer tinged with red. Zhailai¡¯s face hovered above hers. The little dragon stuck its head between them and licked Shavala¡¯s cheek. Zhailai¡¯s gentle concern came through the tree bond, as did a sharper spike of anxiety from another source. ¡°What happened?¡± Zhailai said. ¡°Are you all right? I was collecting mushrooms when the dragon came to find me. It¡¯s worried about you.¡± ¡°I think I did something I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Shavala tried to push herself up but got distracted at the sensation of the wind blowing against her wings, causing them to billow out. No, not her wings. There was too much information in her brain. She could feel herself lying down and standing on all fours at the same time. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhailai asked, helping her to sit up. ¡°I¡ª¡± Shavala was suddenly looking up at herself from the dragon¡¯s height. Her vision started to go red again and she had to close her eyes. How could she speak when she wasn¡¯t even certain which thoughts were hers? Like this, the staff said, helping her to buffer the bond, showing her how to hold it at arm¡¯s length. The feelings eased until they felt more akin to the normal tree bond. The staff explored the new connection in delight, examining the dragon in ways Shavala couldn¡¯t follow. ¡°Shavala?¡± Zhailai prompted again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Shavala said. ¡°It¡¯s getting better now. How did you know he was worried?¡± ¡°He?¡± Zhailai asked. ¡°How did I know? I ¡­¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°I felt it through the tree bond. What did you do?¡± The spell had been successful. Not in quite the way Shavala had anticipated, but she¡¯d be able to communicate with the dragon now¡ªwithin the limitations of the tree bond. If she wanted to go beyond that, giving up the protections the staff had taught her to separate her mind from the dragon¡¯s ¡­ She shivered, despite the warmth of the sun shining down between the saplings. The tree bond would have to be enough. # Treya let go of the little girl¡¯s forehead as the fever faded. ¡°There, you¡¯re all better now,¡± she said. Turning to the child¡¯s mother, she added, ¡°The coughing should go away by tomorrow, but if it doesn¡¯t, use some of the tea Sister Merill gave you.¡± As the two left the room, Mother Yewen appeared in the doorway. ¡°How do you like our new house of healing?¡± the old woman asked, gesturing around. ¡°We¡¯ll have to reinforce it before winter comes again, of course, but it¡¯ll do for now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re keeping it, then?¡± Treya asked. They were in the refugee shelter which had been built in the chapter house¡¯s courtyard. The building was an eyesore, and she¡¯d expected Yewen to have it removed as soon as it was no longer needed. ¡°Now that the refugees are gone, it provides a place for the herbalists and chirurgeons to gather¡ªthe ones who aren¡¯t affiliated with any of the temples. And, perhaps, traveling healers, such as one of our own wayward daughters.¡± The woman gave her a pointed look. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to come here very often,¡± Treya said. Leena had been willing so far, but the Sanvari woman couldn¡¯t keep up her current pace forever, and even after the road was cleared, it would take Treya nearly a week to reach Four Roads on horseback. ¡°Are things really so busy at that fortress of yours?¡± ¡°You knew what would happen now that the dragon is dead, didn¡¯t you?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I suspected, but why don¡¯t you tell me about it? I delivered Corec¡¯s proclamation to the council, of course, but beyond that, all I¡¯ve heard is what you mentioned in your letter, and a few bits and pieces from Leena and young Nedley.¡± ¡°How did people take the proclamation?¡± Treya asked. ¡°There were complaints, but not as many as I suspected. It helped that he limited his claim to the dragon¡¯s territory, but it¡¯s still a great deal of land. Some of our citizens are muttering that it should be free for anyone, as it was before.¡± ¡°There were too many people asking for our protection,¡± Treya said. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to watch over them all unless we tax them, and we needed enough land for anyone who comes.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Yewen said. ¡°That was not adequately explained in the proclamation. Who wrote it?¡± ¡°Ellerie or Bobo, I think.¡± ¡°Not you? You¡¯ve been through enough of the concubine training to contribute, and communication has always been the Orders¡¯ highest priority.¡± Her tone suggested the words were more than just a suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Treya said. ¡°I¡¯ll do better.¡± She¡¯d offered to help Corec with correspondence, but she hadn¡¯t fully considered what that would entail. Perhaps she¡¯d spent too much time looking down on the role of the concubines. Yewen nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± she said. ¡°What can we add to the initial announcement? A tax will be assessed to better protect those who settle in the region. The funds will be used to ¡­ what? Maintain the roads and raise an army?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Treya hadn¡¯t paid close attention to the details. Ellerie had gradually taken over the money side of things. ¡°You should know. Half the concubines in town are trying to figure out how to reach Corec on behalf of their patrons. I have a letter from a granary owner suggesting he¡¯ll set a discounted price for the next year in exchange for regular orders, and another looking to purchase. I assume that one¡¯s planning for the future, and not for this season. There¡¯s a horse-breeder asking whether Corec would be interested in a line of warhorses, though I can¡¯t imagine where the fellow got those from. It¡¯s not just men with concubines, either. Farmers are saying their workers are heading south, leaving them without enough hands to get the spring planting done, and two men have written to complain that you¡¯re buying all the mules and driving up prices, and would you kindly stop.¡± ¡°If you give me the letters, I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± Treya said. She could still do that much, even if she hadn¡¯t figured out the rest of it yet. ¡°He needs a real concubine,¡± Mother Yewen said. ¡°A concubine must be able to speak with her patron¡¯s voice, and a man will always be closer to a woman who shares his bed than to a hireling. If you¡¯re not going to do it yourself, then convince him to come for a Presentation ceremony. Here, or South Corner, or Tyrsall. Somewhere!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him,¡± Treya said. Though about what, she wasn¡¯t sure. Yewen gave her a skeptical look, but just said, ¡°Good. Now, tell me what¡¯s actually happening down south.¡± Treya sighed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to keep up with everything that¡¯s going on. We¡¯ve got close to four hundred people already and more show up every day. Most of them are at Hilltop, but we¡¯ve convinced some to spread out to the two nearest villages to the east. The farmers don¡¯t mind being farther away, but they don¡¯t want to wait for us to survey the area. They all want to pick out their own land now, so we¡¯ve just got to point them to the right spot and hope it works out. Corec¡¯s letting them claim what they think they can clear and plant in the first two years, and then we¡¯ll have to make up any differences at tax time.¡± ¡°Do you need anything from Four Roads?¡± Yewen asked. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to ask Nedley to hire more carpenters and builders, but I also brought a request for you from Katrin and Nallee.¡± Treya handed over the message. ¡°I agree with them.¡± Yewen opened the letter and read through it. ¡°Interesting.¡± # ¡°There, boy, see?¡± Gren said. The white-bearded trapper gestured to the fortress on the far side of the bridge. ¡°It¡¯s right where I told you it was.¡± ¡°I never said it wouldn¡¯t be, Grampa,¡± Ferd replied. Razai had run into the pair on her journey south from Four Roads. She¡¯d passed a dozen wagons along the way, traveling either in small groups or on their own, but Gren and his grandson were on horses and able to keep up with her. They could also handle themselves around a campfire, so she hadn¡¯t objected to their company. From a distance, the fortress looked much as she remembered, other than the collapsed section of wall to the left of the gatehouse. The village seemed different, but it took her a moment to realize why¡ªthe wooden buildings in the northeast part of town were gone now, including the administrative offices the Matagorans had once used for coordinating trade between the locals and the trading houses. New structures had begun to take shape in their place. ¡°Don¡¯t sass me, boy,¡± Gren said. ¡°There¡¯s good hunting around here¡ªor there was, back in the day. Always an adventure, dodging the soldiers. They didn¡¯t like me trapping near the keep, but they never caught me!¡± ¡°Mmmhmm,¡± his grandson said. ¡°Besides, this place has history. It¡¯s the last remnant of Meftil from before she fell to the plague. The capital was down south, but they burnt it to the ground to kill the last of the sickness.¡± ¡°Yesterday you said the Matagorans built the keep.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I ¡­ that¡¯s not the point, is it? Meftil may have fallen, but something still stands in its place. Doesn¡¯t matter who built it or when. You have no appreciation for the past. We¡¯re from here, you know. Meftil, I mean.¡± ¡°Mmmhmm.¡± Razai interrupted before Gren could launch into another diatribe. ¡°Are we crossing,¡± she said, ¡°or did you come all this way just to talk about it?¡± The trapper grunted. ¡°You¡¯re not much better than he is, young miss. Don¡¯t know that I trust that bridge, though. Came down here, oh, about twenty years ago and there was a big hole in it. How¡¯d they fix it already?¡± The bridge did look odd, with one section of stonework appearing markedly different than the rest. ¡°You came down when the dragon was living here?¡± she asked. ¡°It didn¡¯t catch me, no more than those Matagorans ever did. I didn¡¯t stay long, though¡ªsome things ain¡¯t worth the risk.¡± Gren might talk too much, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. He reminded Razai of Renny, as strange as that comparison was. ¡°The bridge must be fine,¡± Ferd said. ¡°People have been coming south for weeks. How else would they be getting over the river?¡± He clucked his tongue and his horse stepped out onto the bridge. Razai followed him and Gren brought up the rear, muttering under his breath the whole time. On the other side of the bridge, the road split, with one branch heading west and another to the south, and a smaller path leading up the hill. The two men stopped at the crossroads, Gren eyeing the work going on in the village. ¡°Well, now, that¡¯s a bit busier than I expected,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll just go along on our way. I¡¯ve heard this new feller has soldiers too¡ªwouldn¡¯t want them finding out about me already. It¡¯s more fun if I make them work for it.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± Razai told him. ¡°Want some advice? If you see a wood elf, run the other way. They don¡¯t like trap hunting.¡± Shavala didn¡¯t, at least, and she¡¯d be somewhere around if she¡¯d ever returned from her trip home. Gren cocked his head to the side. ¡°Why would an elf be all the way out here?¡± ¡°You never know. The forest isn¡¯t that far away.¡± ¡°The Matagorans didn¡¯t catch me, and neither did the dragon,¡± the old trapper said with a grin. ¡°No elf ever will.¡± He glanced down each branch of the road. ¡°South, I think, for now. Let¡¯s see what we can find.¡± He winked and waved, then headed down the Farm Road. Ferd shook his head and followed, giving the village one last, longing glance. Razai took the path up the hill, careful to keep her horse and mule away from all the activity. She had to stop and wait as four men dragged a trimmed log over to one of the new buildings under construction. When she drew closer the fortress, she found that someone had assembled a tall crane and pulley system right next to the broken section of the wall. As she watched, a group of workers began to heft a large stone block back up to where it belonged. There were two soldiers near the front entrance of the gatehouse. They seemed to be watching the builders rather than actually guarding the place, but she figured she should ask before just going in. ¡°Where can I find Corec?¡± she said. ¡°My name is Razai. He¡¯s expecting me.¡± One shrugged, but the other said, ¡°He¡¯s in the courtyard. Come with me.¡± He led her through the gatehouse tunnel, though there weren¡¯t any actual gates to block the way¡ªthe rusted portcullises had been removed and were leaning against the inside wall. They found Corec at the eastern corner of the fortress, examining a jumbled pile of fallen stone near a partly collapsed lookout tower. ¡°If she wants it, she can have it,¡± he was saying to a man in dusty work clothes. ¡°The walls are the priority. We can rebuild the tower with wood if we have to.¡± He saw Razai and gave her a broad smile. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he said to the worker, then came over. ¡°Razai, welcome back. Ludlo, could you go find Harri to take care of her animals?¡± The soldier nodded and trotted off. ¡°Harri?¡± Razai asked. ¡°What happened to Nedley?¡± ¡°He went to Four Roads for supplies. He¡¯ll be back in a couple of weeks. Harri¡¯s our new groom¡ªNed¡¯s a soldier now.¡± Weeks? Razai had planned to get her pay and head straight out, but she couldn¡¯t ask someone else to relay her message to Nedley. Telling a man his brother was controlled by demon magic was the sort of thing that should be done in person. But two weeks of rest wouldn¡¯t hurt. She¡¯d been on the road for a long time. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Is there some place I can stay?¡± she asked. ¡°I have a message for him from his brother.¡± ¡°Oh, you found him? Ned¡¯ll be glad to hear that. We set aside a room for you in the keep in case you wanted to stick around.¡± Razai grunted. ¡°Just until Nedley¡¯s back, then I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Leena told me about what you¡¯d found in Larso. I didn¡¯t realize you were going to talk to Rusol yourself.¡± ¡°The opportunity came up so I took it.¡± ¡°She said you offered him a truce?¡± ¡°Something wrong with that? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s always making excuses not to kill people.¡± ¡°No, no, it was a good idea. But Leena said he didn¡¯t take you up on it?¡± ¡°Not yet. I thought he might, but then he realized you¡¯d bonded me and he figured I¡¯d come to kill him. I had to dodge his guards on the way out.¡± ¡°What?¡± Corec said. ¡°Bloody hell, Razai! Why didn¡¯t you tell us about that before?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you now, aren¡¯t I?¡± she snapped. At the time she¡¯d spoken to Leena, she¡¯d still been trying to figure out a way to avoid mentioning the incident at all. Where was she supposed to draw the line? Corec was paying her to gather information, but Rusol was her own blood. And then there was Vatarxis, watching over them all. Corec visibly calmed himself. ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s not good news, but he didn¡¯t like me anyway. I don¡¯t suppose this will make it much worse. Hopefully he¡¯s realized you weren¡¯t trying to kill him.¡± He gave her a suspicious look. ¡°You didn¡¯t try to kill him, did you?¡± ¡°Of course not¡ªyou didn¡¯t pay me enough for that. Did Leena mention the compelled troops? It¡¯s not just the mercenaries; he¡¯s used compulsion magic on others as well. Some of his royal guard, at least.¡± Corec nodded, then stopped. ¡°Wait, he¡¯s the demonborn?¡± Razai glared. ¡°You have a problem with that?¡± she asked. She had no idea how she was going to keep Corec and Rusol from going to war with each other, but she had to try. ¡°I have a problem with him,¡± Corec said. ¡°The men he was controlling murdered the people of Jol¡¯s Brook. Ask Nedley how he feels about it the next time you see him.¡± His voice was firm. Razai looked away. She didn¡¯t have an argument for that, and she couldn¡¯t think of any way to change the path her nephew was on. If Rusol had just listened to her, she could have convinced him to use his powers in more subtle ways and not do anything to attract any attention. As both warden and king, he could have done a lot of good for their people. But he hadn¡¯t given her a chance. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s demonborn,¡± she admitted, ¡°but passing as human. I don¡¯t know for sure if he¡¯s the one casting the compulsion spells, but how many other demonborn mages can there be in Larso? Both groups avoid the place.¡± ¡°A bastard half-sibling, maybe?¡± Corec said. Then he shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter¡ªit¡¯s either him or one of his bondmates. Is there anything else you can think of that might help?¡± ¡°Give him a couple of the other wardens and he¡¯ll be more likely to accept a truce.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that even if I could. Did he say why he dislikes the wardens so much?¡± ¡°Not to me. He doesn¡¯t even seem to know who any of them are. He was surprised by your name¡ªCorec. That it sounded Larsonian.¡± Corec went still. ¡°He didn¡¯t already know my name?¡± he said. ¡°No.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t know my name when he sent the red-eyes after me, but he does now? You told him?¡± ¡°I just said that.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Leena? I¡¯ve got to get to Larso.¡± Corec rushed off without another word. Hells of my fathers, Razai thought to herself. Now what? # ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± Corec peered around the sun-dappled glade. ¡°Where are we?¡± he asked. The air smelled familiar. Leena pointed east. ¡°If you look through those trees, you¡¯ll see the village.¡± He moved to get a better view, but he still didn¡¯t recognize the place at first. Tarwen Village had grown larger than he remembered, with dozens of buildings he¡¯d never seen before. Looking farther in, though, he found the familiar sweep of the temple¡¯s roof, and a few of the taller storefronts along the main street. ¡°No one saw you?¡± he asked. ¡°I had to walk into town to ask if I was in the right place, but nobody saw me teleporting. It only took three tries to find this spot.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°What do I do with these?¡± he asked, holding out the four copper coins Leena had given him. She¡¯d taken them to Sanvar and back while he¡¯d been donning his armor, but she hadn¡¯t had time to explain. She looked him over, as if considering how to respond, then knelt down and tapped his right boot. ¡°If you want me to come get you before the three days are up, put the first coin in your boot. Leave it there until you can sense me waiting in this direction. If you want me to bring help, use the other coins. If all four are in the boot, I¡¯ll bring everyone as fast as I can, but that¡¯s only two people per day, spaced out. Maybe more if I don¡¯t do anything else. Who do you want for two or three coins?¡± Corec thought for a moment. He had no idea what sort of situation he was walking into. ¡°For two coins, Treya,¡± he said. Someone might need healing, and she could fight if needed. ¡°For three, Sarette if you can bring her back from Snow Crown. Otherwise ¡­¡± Ariadne would be the next best choice, but she was in Snow Crown too. ¡°Boktar.¡± Leena counted out the options on her fingers. ¡°Leave early, Treya, Sarette or Boktar, everyone.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll bring them here?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll try to leave a note explaining the situation.¡± ¡°Be sure to use the coins in the order they¡¯re marked,¡± she told him. ¡°I¡¯ll have to Travel somewhere close enough that they¡¯re within my range, and then it¡¯s still a lot of Seeking on top of that, searching for very tiny differences in location. If I have to check all of them, I can only do it once a day, but if the first coin isn¡¯t in the boot, I don¡¯t have to check the others.¡± Corec gave her a wry grin. ¡°What if I¡¯m a prisoner and someone takes the coins?¡± ¡°Keep the coins and the boot near you at all times. If they¡¯re too far apart, I¡¯ll send Razai to find out what happened.¡± ¡°I doubt she¡¯ll want to mount a rescue mission. Especially since I forgot to pay her before we left.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make her come,¡± Leena said, her voice curt. ¡°She should have told me. I should have asked better questions!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s not hers, either. Not really. I thought Rusol already knew who I was. There was no reason to believe otherwise. I should have come back before now to check on things.¡± But the letters his father had sent hadn¡¯t indicated any trouble, so Corec had used the work at the keep as an excuse to delay his long-promised visit home. Leena gave a brief nod, but it was clear she was still angry. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in three days if everything goes well,¡± she told him. ¡°Thank you,¡± Corec said. He¡¯d tried to avoid sending her into Larso, where magic was prohibited in most regions, but the news that Rusol had only recently learned his identity was too worrisome to ignore. Before leaving, Corec had verified with Razai that she hadn¡¯t mentioned his surname, but with news of the dragon getting out, it wouldn¡¯t take long to connect Corec¡¯s name to his family. At least, out of all of them, Leena was the best able to avoid trouble. It was unlikely Rusol had any forces in the area able to stop her, if they even knew who she was or what she could do. After she left for the keep, Corec headed for the village on foot. It took him fifteen minutes to reach the outskirts. The new buildings he¡¯d seen from a distance turned out to mostly be homes, but they were poorly constructed, as if put together in a hurry. They weren¡¯t sturdy enough to withstand the depths of winter in the mountains. The few people out and about were wearing clothing which appeared to be hillfolk in origin, but Corec¡¯s father had never allowed the hillfolk to settle in the valley before. They were likely refugees from the dragon¡ªwhen the creature had attacked the hills, people had fled in all directions. Some had ended up in Four Roads or Dalewood, but others had gone into the mountains. Some of those, it seemed, had made it as far as Tarwen Valley ¡­ and, for a change, Ansel hadn¡¯t turned them away. The new neighborhood was small, and it didn¡¯t take long for Corec to reach the old part of town. Here, the villagers wore more traditional garb. Most stopped and stared as he passed. It was rare to see a man wearing plate armor in Tarwen Village, especially one without a horse. A few faces seemed vaguely familiar, but not enough for Corec to put a name to them, and no one gave any indication of recognizing him. He hadn¡¯t been back in years, and had rarely spent any time out in the village during his infrequent visits. The manor house was near the center of the village. There were no guards posted, but that was normal¡ªAnsel had never needed his soldiers for protecting the family home. A few of the armsmen were likely somewhere in the village keeping the peace, while the rest would be on patrol around the barony or watching the border crossings. Corec knocked on the heavy door. It opened a moment later, Mr. Melvin standing on the other side. He looked much older than Corec remembered. The butler stared quizzically at first, but then his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Young Master Corec!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Come in, come in! I didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Melvin.¡± Corec stepped into the mud room. ¡°I trust everything is well with you?¡± he asked, slipping into the pleasantries he¡¯d learned in his youth. ¡°I can¡¯t complain, can¡¯t complain. Your father¡¯s after me to retire, but if I do, who¡¯ll watch over things?¡± Melvin wasn¡¯t acting as if anything was out of the ordinary. Perhaps Corec¡¯s worry had been for nothing. Then the butler shook his head. ¡°But you! The stories they¡¯re telling out in the village¡ªthe dragon¡ªare they true?¡± ¡°That depends on the story, but it¡¯s dead now, if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± ¡°Corec?¡± a woman¡¯s voice called out from another room, then more loudly, ¡°Corec!¡± Isabel rushed in and grabbed Corec in a hug, then stepped back and slapped his arm, wincing and holding her hand after it bounced off his vambrace. ¡°What did you think you were doing trying to hunt down a dragon?¡± He gave her a hug in return. ¡°Someone had to do it, Isa. I was already there, so ¡­¡± ¡°You could have died! What would Moira think if something happened to you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it alone¡ªI had plenty of help. There were fifty of us, including a squadron of knights.¡± Isabel blinked and took a moment to compose herself. ¡°You were with the knights? Did they take you back?¡± ¡°I doubt they want me back, and I wouldn¡¯t accept it if they did.¡± ¡°But why not? You could come home!¡± Melvin cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll go fetch tea, shall I, my Lady?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Mr. Melvin.¡± As the butler walked away, Corec considered how to respond without hurting Isabel¡¯s feelings. ¡°There are other things I need to do,¡± he said. ¡°I have friends in the free lands, and we¡¯re fixing up an old keep there. I¡¯m getting married soon.¡± ¡°Married?¡± Isa said, her face lighting up. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°Her name is Katrin¡ªshe¡¯s a bard. I met her out east.¡± ¡°A bard? I didn¡¯t know women could do that. She¡¯s educated, then? Highborn?¡± Ansel¡¯s arrival saved Corec from having to answer. ¡°Corec,¡± his father said, no expression on his face. ¡°Welcome home. When the stories came, we thought we might finally see you, but I¡¯d hoped you would send a messenger first so we could prepare.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to go to any trouble¡ªI¡¯m only here for a few days. I arrived sooner than I thought I would, so there wasn¡¯t time to send word ahead.¡± Ansel nodded. ¡°And you came alone? You didn¡¯t bring this betrothed of yours, or your concubine?¡± ¡°They¡¯re busy back at the keep, but now that we¡¯re in the free lands, I¡¯ll bring Katrin to visit when I can. Treya isn¡¯t my concubine, though; she¡¯s just a friend.¡± Isabel gave a little sigh. ¡°Just a friend? I was hoping it was more.¡± The news of the betrothal seemed to help blunt her disappointment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding,¡± Corec said. ¡°I should have been more clear in my letters. Maybe you can meet her when there¡¯s a chance.¡± ¡°Well, when is the wedding? You¡¯ll have it here, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Here?¡± Corec said in surprise. ¡°Ahh, we haven¡¯t really talked about that, or about when it¡¯ll be.¡± Isabel gave him a look he couldn¡¯t interpret. ¡°You¡¯re betrothed, and you don¡¯t know when or where you¡¯re getting married? What does your Katrin think?¡± Corec hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± he said. ¡°I figured we¡¯d probably hold the ceremony at the keep, but there¡¯s been so much to do, we just haven¡¯t gotten around to figuring it out.¡± She sighed and shook her head. ¡°Take off your boots and your armor and come to the sitting room for some of Mr. Melvin¡¯s tea. We¡¯ll discuss plans for the wedding. Someone¡¯s got to.¡± ¡°Isabel,¡± Ansel started, ¡°I¡¯m not sure now is the best time for this.¡± ¡°When else will we do it?¡± she asked. ¡°Who knows when we¡¯ll see him again? If we don¡¯t decide on a date, he¡¯s liable to go off and get married without us.¡± # ¡°You¡¯re looking well,¡± Ansel said. He¡¯d finally managed to extract his youngest son from the wedding discussions, inviting him to his study for a brandy and a private conversation. ¡°When I received the message that your arrival would be delayed by the dragon, I didn¡¯t realize you intended to take it on yourself.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have much of a choice,¡± Corec said. ¡°Larso and Matagor refused to send help, so we had to handle it on our own.¡± He no longer reminded Ansel of Moira. The tall young man sitting before him was practically a stranger, and had little in common with the boy Ansel had sent away from home when he was only ten years old. The last visit had been ¡­ five years ago? Had it really been so long? Priest Calwell had threatened to have Corec imprisoned for practicing dark magic, and Corec had offered to kill the man if he tried. Ansel had reacted poorly, shouting at Corec in front of the entire family until the young man stormed out, leaving a week earlier than planned. After having a few days to calm down, Ansel had written to the capital to demand that Calwell be reassigned, but by then it was too late. Corec stopped visiting home after that, making excuses about the caravans running all winter long. ¡°We?¡± Ansel asked. ¡°My friends and I, and the men we recruited. I only led the expedition. My friends paid for it¡ªthe people I went to Cordaea with.¡± He seemed to be trying to shift attention away from himself, but his name was attached to too many rumors for Ansel to believe he was still just a caravan guard. What had changed? After being expelled from the knights, Corec had spent years shying away from any real responsibility, yet now he was leading a small army against a dragon? ¡°These friends of yours,¡± Ansel said. ¡°Your letters didn¡¯t say much about them¡ªjust that you had to go to Cordaea for a job.¡± Corec hesitated for a moment, as if deciding how much to say. ¡°There¡¯s a historian, Lady Ellerie di¡¯Valla¡ªshe was searching for an old city there. We signed on to accompany her.¡± The name Ellerie didn¡¯t mean anything to Ansel, but di¡¯Valla was familiar. ¡°The Terevassian royal family?¡± ¡°She¡¯s related. And she was with us when we fought the dragon.¡± Ansel nodded. ¡°And the others?¡± ¡°My friends are mages,¡± Corec said in an even tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to hear about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re consorting with¡ª!¡± Ansel clamped his mouth shut, forcing himself to stop talking. The Church was clear about the dangers of magic, but with Isabel¡¯s urging, Ansel had tried to accept that his son hadn¡¯t had any choice in being born a mage. That had been easier with the Corec he remembered from five years ago, who¡¯d been embarrassed¡ªor even ashamed¡ªabout the matter. The Corec of today was almost flaunting it. Why would he seek out other mages on purpose? Perhaps the more outlandish rumors about the dragon were actually true¡ªthe stories about fighting it with lightning and other magics. Stories that most of the townsfolk were too afraid to mention within Ansel¡¯s hearing. Asking about Corec¡¯s companions had seemed like a safe way to learn more about Corec himself, but now it would just make things worse. The last time they¡¯d argued, Corec had disappeared for five years. If Ansel allowed it to happen again, this might be the last time he ever saw his son. He needed a new topic of discussion. ¡°Your earlier letter,¡± he said, ¡°why were you so concerned about trouble if you were to visit? Do you mean from the new priest? He¡¯s not like Calwell.¡± ¡°Has anyone come around looking for me?¡± ¡°No. Why? Are you in some sort of trouble?¡± ¡°If so, it¡¯s not through anything I¡¯ve done. What about Rusol¡¯s mercenaries? Are they still causing problems?¡± ¡°That¡¯s King Rusol, and no. There weren¡¯t any big problems, just little complaints when the hillfolk mercenaries were passing through the valley on their way to Telfort. Some things went missing, there were a few scuffles¡ªnothing serious.¡± Ansel shrugged and gestured in the direction of the new enclave at the edge of the village. ¡°Now we¡¯ve got hillfolk living here.¡± ¡°How did that happen?¡± Corec asked. ¡°You never wanted them around before.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t turn them away in the middle of winter.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Are they going to leave now that the dragon¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. This group hasn¡¯t caused too many problems yet. If they want to stay, I¡¯m willing to work something out. What does that have to do with your question?¡± ¡°Probably nothing, but what about Rusol? Have you heard anything unusual about him? Or the people around him?¡± Ansel frowned. ¡°Why not just tell me what it is you want to know?¡± ¡°This is important,¡± Corec said. ¡°Can you think of anything strange?¡± Ansel thought back to the times he¡¯d met the new king. ¡°I suppose you could say the mood at the coronation was off,¡± he said. ¡°Some of the western lords are still pining for Prince Rikard, and everyone was dismayed about King Marten dying so young¡ªthey were both quite popular¡ªbut that¡¯s no excuse for the things they were saying about King Rusol. He¡¯s a quiet young man, but I rather liked him. Why are you asking this? Is someone threatening him?¡± ¡°Did you notice anything else?¡± ¡°There was something odd. The king¡¯s mother¡ªMarten¡¯s concubine¡ªdied the night of the coronation. It was quite a coincidence coming so soon after Marten¡¯s death, but it couldn¡¯t have been an assassination attempt; she was struck by lightning.¡± Ansel stopped to consider the rumors he¡¯d heard about the dragon. ¡°Unless ¡­ are you saying a wizard is trying to kill His Majesty?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m saying he¡¯s trying to kill me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s sent his mercenaries after me three times. The last time, we were able to take prisoners. They confessed, and told us who was responsible.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Why would the king want to kill you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never met him, and this is the first time I¡¯ve been to Larso in years.¡± Corec paused, looking thoughtful. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know why he tried to kill me before, but now he knows that I know he¡¯s demonborn and a mage. I imagine he¡¯s not happy about that.¡± Ansel scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd. I don¡¯t know what sort of rumors you¡¯ve heard about the king, but they¡¯re not true.¡± ¡°You need to take this seriously,¡± Corec said. ¡°He¡¯s using magic to force his mercenaries to obey him. The last group he sent murdered dozens of innocent people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met His Majesty,¡± Ansel said. ¡°He¡¯s not a mage, and he¡¯s certainly no demonborn. I would have seen it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know I was a mage,¡± Corec pointed out. ¡°And not all demonborn have horns and fangs. Some can pass as human.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never known you to be a liar before,¡± Ansel said. He¡¯d hoped to mend his relationship with his son, but these wild accusations didn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°And I¡¯m not lying now!¡± Corec snapped. ¡°It¡¯s why we¡¯ve taken that keep in the free lands. We¡¯ll be able to handle any smaller forces he might send, and he¡¯ll have a hard time justifying a larger force. I sent a ¡­ messenger who offered him a truce, but if he doesn¡¯t accept it, we have to be prepared.¡± ¡°This is nonsense. King Rusol isn¡¯t a mage, and he¡¯s not trying to kill you. You say someone attacked you? Fine, I¡¯ll believe you, but it wasn¡¯t the king. If you¡¯re sure they were from the mercenary army, perhaps they were a group of deserters.¡± A look of frustration crossed Corec¡¯s face. ¡°Just listen to me for once, will you?¡± he said. ¡°I know for certain that Rusol is a demonborn mage. With news of the dragon getting out, he¡¯ll know my name soon, if he doesn¡¯t already. That will lead him to you.¡± ¡°And what, exactly, do you think he¡¯s going to do about it?¡± Corec sat back in his chair. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe nothing. It¡¯s been over a year since the last attack, but that was before he found out I knew what he was. You have to be ready for anything.¡± Book 5: Chapter Eleven ¡°If these Chosar lived below ground in Tir Yadar, what makes you think they¡¯re from the same civilization that built the South Valley ruins?¡± Magister Borya asked. ¡°Tir Navis, I mean. The underground area Ellerie discovered is much smaller than the rest of the city.¡± ¡°The Chosar built all the Tirs,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Most weren¡¯t entirely below the surface. Tir Navis was the first true military stronghold in Aravor, so the High Guard built it as an underground fortress in the mountains. It would have been their final fallback position in the event of a large-scale war. The civilian city was constructed above the surface as more colonists arrived. Tir Yadar served a similar purpose in Cordaea.¡± Tir Navis, like many other cities, had been designed based on lessons the Chosar had learned from the Second Demon War, though the third war ended before it could cause the same catastrophic damage in Aravadora that it had in Van Kiradaea. Borya exchanged glances with Magister Nadza, a gray-haired woman who¡¯d focused her studies on documenting the Tir Navis ruins and everything found within. They were the two stormborn scholars assigned to talk with Ariadne about Ellerie¡¯s notes on Tir Yadar. ¡°You found written records with that much detail?¡± Nadza asked. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they survived for so long. Lady Ellerie doesn¡¯t mention anything like that in the notes she sent.¡± Ariadne hid a grimace. She should have just said it was due to similarities in the language and in the totem statues that had been found in both cities, but the magisters were experienced historians who liked to ask probing questions. It was difficult enough to remember to speak in the past tense, but if she wasn¡¯t going to tell them who she was, she had to be more careful not to let anything slip that she couldn¡¯t pass off as something they¡¯d learned from Ellerie¡¯s and Bobo¡¯s formal survey of the ruins. ¡°There were some records, but they didn¡¯t survive our attempts to preserve them,¡± she said. ¡°We copied the details we could find, but Ellerie hasn¡¯t decided whether to include them.¡± Ariadne felt only a little guilt at the lie, since she herself could write a true firsthand account if needed. But that document didn¡¯t exist yet, which had led to a further delay for Ellerie¡¯s and Bobo¡¯s book about the Chosar. They insisted that for the work to be taken seriously, it had to have a source¡ªand Ariadne herself was the source of nearly all of their information about the Chosar. She wanted to tell The People¡¯s story, but Ellerie wasn¡¯t certain whether a modern-day copy of an ancient text would be sufficient, especially if they couldn¡¯t provide any proof the ancient copy had actually existed. The other option was to admit where the information had come from, but Bobo wasn¡¯t optimistic about that idea. He didn¡¯t think anyone would believe the truth, and felt releasing it under their own names would tarnish their reputation just as they were trying to gain acceptance for their other book¡ªthe more scholarly report on the findings of the Tir Yadar expedition. Plus, it would mean Ariadne would have to make her identity known, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. Then again, describing the Chosar in that much detail might draw attention from those who already knew about them. Would Thedan or Ephrenia hear about it, or any other bondmates who might still be alive? Maybe even some last remnant of the Chosar people, hidden away somewhere? That possibility alone would make it worth it ¡­ though it might not be necessary once Ariadne found a way to speak to Hera. It turned out there was a small temple to The Lady in Snow Crown, but no one there had been able to help. Ariadne had gotten the impression that none of the three priests were blessed. She would have to try again in a larger city, but it would be several more days until Leena returned. In the meantime, Ariadne was doing her best to hide her impatience. Nadza interrupted her musings. ¡°Perhaps you and Sarette should visit Tir Navis and help us to identify those aspects that are similar to Tir Yadar, to give us a greater understanding of how they are related.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to, but we won¡¯t have enough time on this trip,¡± Ariadne said. Leena¡¯s new ability to teleport others had allowed them to make the journey to Snow Crown earlier than they¡¯d expected, but they didn¡¯t want to be gone for too long until they knew what Rusol was planning. Just then, Sarette appeared in the doorway to Nadza¡¯s workroom. ¡°Magisters, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt,¡± she said. ¡°Ariadne, are you ready? I promised my mother we¡¯d be on time to supper, and then some old friends of mine asked if we wanted to go out tonight¡ªthe taverns and teahouses are doing a spring festival this week.¡± ¡°I can come,¡± Ariadne said, standing. It would give her time to get her lies straight in her mind before she spoke with the magisters again. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she told them. ¡°I can return tomorrow if you¡¯d like?¡± ¡°Yes, certainly,¡± Nadza said. Borya looked disappointed, but nodded. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m teaching in the morning, but I¡¯ll have time in the afternoon.¡± Ariadne left Ellerie¡¯s notes with them and accompanied Sarette out of the building. While they walked, she gestured to the stack of books the stormborn woman was carrying. ¡°Do you need some help with that?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, thank you,¡± Sarette said, and passed her half the stack. ¡°The instructors at the military academy said these cover most of the training for cadets. I¡¯ve been observing classes for the last two days, but I don¡¯t know when I¡¯d have time to do the whole year, so I asked what they¡¯d suggest. This is what they gave me. Some of these are copies of books passed down from¡ª¡± She cut off what she¡¯d been about to say. ¡°Borrisur?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Sarette¡¯s voice was curt. ¡°Would it have been better if I hadn¡¯t told you the truth?¡± They¡¯d reached the street, and Sarette glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. ¡°I just ¡­ I¡¯m trying to make sense of it. Borrisur was Chosar, and a warden. You knew him!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen him around. I¡¯ve never met him.¡± ¡°And the wardens created some sort of magic ritual, then put the Mage Knights into those things ¡­¡± ¡°Stasis pods,¡± Ariadne supplied. ¡°They were worried the ritual would be dangerous for us.¡± ¡°And then you went to sleep. But you don¡¯t know for sure what happened after.¡± The other woman seemed to take some comfort in that. ¡°No, but they were supposed to wake us up once the ritual was complete, which means the problem must have happened during the ritual. Maybe it was an accident or a mistake, or maybe the ritual wasn¡¯t what we were told it was, but something went wrong. The people either abandoned the city or they died, and no one ever came back for us.¡± Tir Yadar appeared to have been evacuated in good order other than the collapsed sections, but Ariadne was trying to keep her hopes realistic. A lot could have happened over the intervening centuries. ¡°And Borrisur became a god,¡± Sarette said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how that can happen.¡± ¡°The new gods are just people¡ªthat¡¯s all they¡¯ve ever been. They have a warden¡¯s long life, and some part of the ritual must have worked if they can give others the ability to use totemic magic, but they¡¯re still just people. Think about it ¡­ if godborn really exist, then Boreas and the others must be out there somewhere in the world, just like you and me.¡± Sarette shook her head. ¡°No wonder Oracle Galina was so worried about what you knew.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s it?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t explain what she said about the snowborn.¡± ¡°They must have something to do with it. What if they know the truth? You should talk to them.¡± Another clue, but the snowborn territory was said to be harsh and inhospitable to anyone other than the snowborn and stormborn. ¡°I need to find a way to talk to Hera first,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°After that, I¡¯ll know what to do.¡± She spoke with more confidence than she felt. # ¡°You¡¯re awfully young to want to be a soldier,¡± Nedley said. At sixteen, the boy was older than Nedley had been when he¡¯d signed up as a mercenary, but Nedley¡¯s brother had insisted they wouldn¡¯t be facing any real fighting. Now, though, Corec was preparing for a war, and Nedley didn¡¯t want to be the one telling parents their child had been killed in battle. ¡°My Lewin¡¯s a good, responsible man,¡± the boy¡¯s father said, grasping his son¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But his brothers are taking over the ranch, and I don¡¯t want him working as someone else¡¯s farmhand. That¡¯s no way to make a living. You¡¯re paying good money, and a man can work his way up in an army.¡± Nedley hid his sigh. ¡°Can you ride?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Lewin said, speaking up for the first time. ¡°I have a horse.¡± ¡°Good cow horse,¡± the father put in. ¡°If you ever need to rope an angry steer, those two can handle it. Boy was born to the saddle.¡± Nedley wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are many cows near the dragon¡¯s keep,¡± he said. ¡°She ate them all.¡± ¡°A shame. I was thinking about heading down there myself¡ªbeen hearing rumors about feral herds just roaming around for anyone to take.¡± ¡°Probably farther north.¡± Nedley turned his attention back to the young man. ¡°Do you have any weapons training?¡± It seemed unlikely, but he had to ask. Lewin opened his mouth to reply, but his father beat him to it. ¡°He¡¯s good with a bow. Does half our hunting.¡± ¡°A longbow?¡± Nedley asked. Corec had told him to be on the lookout for trained bowmen. ¡°Horse bow,¡± Lewin said. ¡°He once hit a coyote at a full gallop,¡± his father said, beaming with pride. Lewin shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°It was just luck.¡± All Nedley knew about horse bows was that they had a shorter range than a longbow. That might not get Lewin up on the fortress walls with the other archers, but if he could ride too, it might be enough to qualify him as a scout. That would at least keep him out of the front lines. ¡°A silver and a half per day as a trooper trainee,¡± Nedley said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to show Corec what you can do. If he approves, you¡¯ll be a trooper at two silver a day, plus room and board in the barracks.¡± He wouldn¡¯t mention the scout position until he¡¯d seen whether the father¡¯s boasts were true. ¡°Come here first thing tomorrow morning with your horse, your bow, and any clothing or other belongings you want to take with you.¡± If Lewin actually knew how to use his bow, that would give Nedley an archer of his own for the journey south, in addition to the three volunteers he¡¯d found among the hunters and farmers who¡¯d asked to accompany the caravan. Those four archers would provide most of the protection for the group. Leena had brought a bundle of swords for the soldiers Nedley was recruiting, but armor would have to wait until they reached the keep, and Nedley couldn¡¯t protect an entire caravan by himself. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. After the two men had left, he turned to Aldin. ¡°That¡¯s seven, including you and Bili. Has anyone else asked?¡± Seven was a full squad, which was what Corec and Boktar had asked for. ¡°That was the last one,¡± Aldin said. ¡°Let¡¯s stop recruiting, then. If anyone else comes by, write down their names and where we can find them in case we ever need more men. I¡¯m going to head to the shelter. If Kimi comes here first, will you send her along?¡± ¡°Sure, Ned.¡± When news had gotten out that Nedley was assembling another supply caravan, he¡¯d been inundated by requests from people asking to accompany him south. Unlike the previous trip, they weren¡¯t seeking an escort to the various villages along the way, but instead were heading to the keep itself, or to the region surrounding it. Half of the hopeful new settlers were established tradesmen and farmers seeking out new opportunities, but the other half were refugees. Nedley had assumed the first caravan of refugees he¡¯d escorted to the keep had been facing dire circumstances, but he¡¯d come to realize they were the lucky ones. Sure, many had lost their homes, but they had the skills to make a living anywhere and the money or resources to allow them to build a new life for themselves. In comparison, this new group was a sorry lot¡ªfamilies who¡¯d lost everything to the dragon, and unskilled laborers with no job prospects in Four Roads. They were all desperately searching for work and a place willing to take them in. Most didn¡¯t have anywhere to stay in Four Roads, so Nedley had taken over one of the newly emptied refugee shelters to house them. When he arrived there, he looked over the notes Kimi had been keeping for him, but her neat handwriting just made him think about her. What would happen between the two of them now that his time in town was coming to an end? He had to figure out what to do about her, but neither Kimi nor Mother Yewen had given him any clue about what that was supposed to be. If she was a regular village girl, he would ask her to go on a walk with him. Did concubines do that sort of thing, or would she laugh at him for mentioning it? Was he supposed to ask Mother Yewen for a Presentation ceremony? He had some vague idea that a Presentation involved multiple girls¡ªwould Kimi be offended if she thought he was considering someone else? Did she even want to go with him, or was she just being polite? After all, while he was doing well enough for himself now, he was hardly the sort of man a concubine would have had in mind when she¡¯d first decided to become a concubine. The whole thing gave Nedley a headache. A voice interrupted his musings. ¡°We got some new ones overnight,¡± Harlan said. He¡¯d lived in Four Roads for seven years, clearing fields, digging ditches, and doing other odd jobs around town. He was young and strong, so when he¡¯d come looking for work, Nedley had recruited him as a trooper trainee, like Lewin, and assigned him to the shelter to watch over things. ¡°How many?¡± Nedley asked. ¡°Two families, and a widow with children.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the widow first.¡± A moment later, Nedley was standing in front of the woman. Her two young sons were with her, staring quietly. Their faces had been scrubbed clean, but their clothing was still smudged with dirt. ¡°Harlan tells me your name is Netta?¡± Nedley asked. ¡°Yes,¡± the woman answered, her voice dull and tired. ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°Willow Grove, till my husband died from the consumption. Then the dragon came.¡± Nedley wasn¡¯t sure where Willow Grove was, but her accent was odd, somewhere in between hillfolk and freelander. He scratched down the details, grimacing at his own handwriting. He should have waited for Kimi to arrive. ¡°Why do you want to go south?¡± he asked. ¡°When we was in Dalewood, Lord Corec brought us food and blankets.¡± She gave a brief flicker of a smile at the memory. ¡°Then Lord Greendale, he came back from Tyrsall and kicked us out. Said the dragon was dead now, so we had to go home. Got here, and t¡¯ others told me you work for Lord Corec.¡± Nedley had given up on correcting people who called Corec a lord. The proclamation that Corec was claiming the dragon¡¯s territory hadn¡¯t helped. Maybe he was a lord now¡ªNedley wasn¡¯t sure how that worked. It wasn¡¯t fair for Corec to get all the credit, though. Miss Ellerie had paid for most of the supplies in Dalewood. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay here in Four Roads?¡± Nedley asked. ¡°We¡¯re living rough where we¡¯re going. Don¡¯t the temples provide food and shelter?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll feed us, all right, but what sort of life is that? Ain¡¯t nobody hirin¡¯ here¡ªthey had a lean winter, they say.¡± ¡°What sort of work are you looking for?¡± ¡°Whoever¡¯ll take me.¡± What could she do with two young children to take care of? But Nedley couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell her no. ¡°Can you cook? Clean?¡± Maybe one of the more well-off among the new settlers would need help around the house. ¡°Aye, and weave and sew,¡± Netta said. Nedley nodded. ¡°If we leave tomorrow or the next day, will you be ready?¡± The woman glanced at her boys, then at the small family¡¯s few belongings. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send word to the shelter once I know for sure. If you have any questions, talk to Harlan. If he doesn¡¯t know the answer, he¡¯ll know where to find me.¡± Nedley went back into the shelter¡¯s main room to look for the next family on the list, but before he could find them, Kimi burst through the door. She rushed over to him, a wide smile on her face. ¡°Nedley! I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late, but Mother Yewen asked to speak to me. Guess what! I¡¯m going to the keep! I¡¯ll be helping to help teach the children. Sister Berit is going too¡ªshe¡¯s from the Order of Scholars, so she¡¯ll be in charge¡ªbut Lady Katrin asked for me specifically!¡± Well, that solved one problem. # Corec was in the family crypt below the conservatory when Branth came down and sat on the lower steps. He was carrying two mugs, and set the extra one next to him. ¡°Do you remember her?¡± Corec asked, staring at the image of his mother¡¯s face carved into limestone. She¡¯d died when he was just two years old, and his only memories of her came from Isabel¡¯s stories and a portrait in the sitting room. ¡°She laughed a lot,¡± Branth said. ¡°That¡¯s mostly what I remember. She and Mother were always smiling and laughing together. Father laughed more back then too.¡± That didn¡¯t sound like the Ansel that Corec knew. ¡°I take it Toman¡¯s not coming after all?¡± he asked, joining Branth on the steps. ¡°The messenger said he¡¯s too busy supervising a barn-raising, which is nonsense. The tenants don¡¯t need any help with that, and even if they did, Tammerly¡¯s not so decrepit that he couldn¡¯t handle things for a day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Corec said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking forward to talking to him anyway.¡± He took a sip, then coughed. ¡°That¡¯s strong. Is it even ale?¡± ¡°We tried something new,¡± Branth said, then pointed to the light hanging in the air above Moira¡¯s sarcophagus. ¡°Magic?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let Father see it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I care about that anymore,¡± Corec said. ¡°He¡¯ll think whatever he feels like thinking regardless of what I do, and if the new priest wants to say something about it, let him. The Church of Pallisur claims they fight against dark magic, but at my tribunal, they couldn¡¯t explain even what it is. Just anything not given to them by Pallisur, which is obviously a lie.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I know much about it,¡± Branth said carefully, then changed the subject. ¡°Do you really think we¡¯re in danger? Should I send Marisa back to the chapter house at Highfell?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Rusol¡¯s been after me for a while, but if he was serious about it, it shouldn¡¯t have taken him this long to figure out who I am.¡± Would Razai¡¯s conversation with the man help? Or would it make things worse? ¡°With the stories about the dragon, it won¡¯t take him long to figure out I¡¯m in the free lands. Once he knows where to find me, he shouldn¡¯t have any reason to bother you, but I can¡¯t predict what he¡¯ll do. I¡¯ve never known why he was trying to kill me in the first place.¡± ¡°Toman met him at Duke Edmond¡¯s investiture. Maybe that put him off the whole family.¡± Corec laughed. ¡°Could be, but I think the attacks started before that. There haven¡¯t been any recently, though. Now that he¡¯s king, maybe he¡¯s just too busy to care anymore.¡± Branth nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hope,¡± he said. ¡°And what¡¯s this I hear about you taking over a keep in the free lands? A hillfolk peddler was going on about it last week, and Father says you told him it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a run-down fortress in the middle of nowhere, but we¡¯re trying to fix it up. It should make a good target for Rusol. Close enough that he can get to me if he wants, far enough away that he¡¯ll have a problem sending a sufficient force. It¡¯s just ¡­¡± Corec trailed off, shaking his head. ¡°There¡¯s just too much to deal with. New people are showing up every day, and we¡¯ve got to handle building, hiring, getting supplies, clearing the roads. Everyone keeps asking questions I don¡¯t know how to answer. I need a steward¡ªsomeone I can trust, and who knows what he¡¯s doing. Are you interested?¡± There was silence. Corec looked over to find his brother staring straight ahead. ¡°I wish I could say yes,¡± Branth finally replied with a sigh. ¡°It gets tiring here. Father¡¯s all right as long as you do things his way. Toman¡¯s an arse, but he needs me. He¡¯s never done anything without Father telling him to, and Father won¡¯t be around forever. Toman didn¡¯t want to marry Vena, you know¡ªshe¡¯s ten years older than him!¡ªbut Mother and Father pushed him into it. That¡¯s why I never got married. They want me to, so I won¡¯t. But Toman can¡¯t run this place on his own, especially not once his son inherits Tammerly¡¯s lands on top of it. I have to stay here.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Corec said. It had been a long shot, but he¡¯d had to try. Branth was the only steward he knew. ¡°There¡¯s the dairy farm to consider, too. We built it from nothing, Marisa and I¡ªsomething that¡¯s just ours, not Father¡¯s or Toman¡¯s. I couldn¡¯t give that up. You don¡¯t need me, Corec. You¡¯re a knight, or as good as. You went out and started a new life for yourself¡ªtwice¡ªand you don¡¯t have Father telling you what to do all the time. Hell, you fought a dragon and lived to tell about it! You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Corec chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out, I guess, but I could use some advice. How would I go about hiring a steward? Where do I find one?¡± ¡°How much land are you talking about?¡± ¡°With our latest guesses at the map, we think it¡¯s a little over twelve thousand square miles, but we haven¡¯t surveyed it yet to say for sure. We¡¯ve heard rumors of hillfolk towns out on the western border, so we may have to give up some of it.¡± Branth stared at him. ¡°Twelve thousand miles? Bloody hell, Corec! Don¡¯t let Toman hear that.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯ll have a problem with it?¡± ¡°Finding out his little brother has laid claim to a region over twice the size of Tarwen and Tammerly combined, and without all the damned mountains to deal with? Yeah, that might be a problem.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing he can do about it, though,¡± Corec said, hoping Branth would agree. Corec hadn¡¯t paid much attention to his lessons on the intricacies of familial property laws amongst the peerage. ¡°He might tell the king about you himself, hoping to claim the land if you die.¡± Ansel was Corec¡¯s heir, at least until Corec and Katrin were married, but Corec understood Branth¡¯s reasoning. Toman would be Ansel¡¯s heir. ¡°I don¡¯t think he hates me that much,¡± Corec said. ¡°And I want Rusol to find me. But maybe it¡¯s best to keep quiet about how much land there is. I didn¡¯t tell Father, so you¡¯re the only one who knows.¡± ¡°Other than the freelanders and the hillfolk.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t keep it a secret forever, but I don¡¯t have to rub it in Toman¡¯s face while I¡¯m here. It¡¯s not really my land anyway. I¡¯m just watching over it.¡± Branth nodded. ¡°With that big of a territory, you¡¯re right, you¡¯ll need a steward with the right training, but most stewards learn the craft within the region they¡¯ll eventually be supervising. How large are your personal estates? How many tenants?¡± ¡°I ¡­ don¡¯t have any. Estates or tenants.¡± Branth tilted his head to the side. ¡°You¡¯ve got a household, though, right? People to feed?¡± ¡°I figured we¡¯d buy from the farmers, or accept crops as part of their taxes.¡± ¡°If you buy, you¡¯re paying market rates. If you start exchanging goods for taxes, then you ¡­¡± Branth hesitated. ¡°Well, I guess you don¡¯t have to worry about the king¡¯s share or the Church¡¯s tithe, but it¡¯s a bad idea anyway. Prices fluctuate too much. And what about your personal income?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have the toll bridge and the mines for now, and the taxes starting next year.¡± ¡°Mines are all right, if you include them in your estates¡ªFather owns shares in some of the old silver mines¡ªbut taxes and tolls would be baronial income, not personal. You can pay your soldiers from that, but you shouldn¡¯t be spending it on your own household.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a difference,¡± Corec said. ¡°I suppose the tutors didn¡¯t cover those lessons until after you¡¯d left home, but Father¡¯s always been a stickler for propriety.¡± Branth frowned, then shook his head. ¡°I keep forgetting you don¡¯t answer to the king. I still think you should keep separate books for the household and the lands, though. And you need your own estates.¡± Corec sighed. Another complication. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll work something out,¡± he said. The estates would have to be sufficient to support his friends as well, not just him. ¡°Good. Now, for twelve thousand square miles, you¡¯ll need more than just a steward. That¡¯s a lot of ground to cover.¡± ¡°Most of it¡¯s empty. I¡¯d settle for one person who knew what he was doing.¡± Branth scratched at the stubble lining his cheek. ¡°I¡¯ve got two assistants, but with Marisa here, I can get by with one. Maybe I could loan you the other.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll know what to do?¡± ¡°Everything? No. But it¡¯s a start. The fellow I¡¯m thinking of, the younger one¡ªCarn¡ªhe usually helps me ride around to the villages to update our records. It would save you from doing it yourself.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be interested?¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s Tammerly¡¯s cousin¡¯s son, but he¡¯s not high up in the family and he doesn¡¯t have a wife or kids to worry about. He might be willing.¡± ¡°Does he have a problem with magic?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never asked. The topic doesn¡¯t come up much when you¡¯re not here. We can go talk to him and find out.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Happy to help, little brother,¡± Branth said, climbing to his feet. ¡°And if someone comes nosing around looking for you, well, I still remember how to hold a sword.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Corec said sharply. ¡°Don¡¯t fight. If Rusol sends someone, answer any questions they ask. Tell them the truth. I want him to find me, remember? Whatever you do, don¡¯t make trouble. Rusol¡¯s a mage, and more dangerous than you know.¡± The swordplay lessons Branth had received as the son of a baron wouldn¡¯t do him any good against a warden with an army at his back. Branth frowned. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to do it alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not alone. Don¡¯t worry about me. You need to protect the family, and the best way to do that is by telling Rusol everything he wants to know. Leave the fighting to me.¡± Book 5: Chapter Twelve Rusol stood atop the southernmost guard tower, comparing the map he carried to the direction in which he sensed Yassi¡¯s bond. She¡¯d finally stopped moving. West, then south, and now she was to the southeast. Exactly where he¡¯d expected. He had to force down a sudden surge of anger at her treachery. Why had she left? She was his wife! She was carrying his child! She should have been in the palace under the care of a midwife, but instead she¡¯d fled, managing to elude the royal guards. And she¡¯d taken Merice with her for some reason. That was a lesser betrayal, perhaps, but Merice had always been kind to Rusol. Plus, she was the last of his family. He didn¡¯t count the various cousins scattered around the city¡ªthey¡¯d always ingratiated themselves with Marten and Rikard, never attempting to worm their way into Rusol¡¯s good graces until after Rikard had died. Nearly as worrying as why Yassi had left was how she¡¯d managed it. In all the orders Rusol had given her over the years, he¡¯d never specifically said she wasn¡¯t allowed away from the city, but that shouldn¡¯t have been necessary. His other commands had always ensured her obedience and compliance. What had changed? The only possible answer he¡¯d come up with was his final order to her¡ªto protect their child from the wardens, and from Corec in particular. Had Yassi Seen something in her visions that frightened her so much it overrode all the other restrictions she was working under? What could it have been, and why hadn¡¯t she told him? Even if she¡¯d been under a compulsion to flee the city, she could have left a note. Or what if he¡¯d missed something, some faulty order that allowed her to betray him deliberately? Could the same thing happen with his other bondmates? How could he ensure their loyalty without issuing so many commands they lost their capacity to act without his constant supervision? At least there were two he could depend on¡ªeven if it was for their own reasons. He returned to the palace and tracked them down in the trophy room. They were alone there, huddled together in whispered conversation. When they saw him, they jerked away from each other, looking guilty. Magnus recovered first. ¡°Rus, hello! Looking for us?¡± Rusol hesitated. Were Magnus and Kolvi walking out together? He¡¯d always been under the impression they disliked each other. He could ask about it, but neither of them liked discussing their private lives. If he had to start forcing them to do things, they¡¯d become no better than his other bondmates. He decided to let the issue go. ¡°Yassi¡¯s in Sanvara City,¡± he said instead. ¡°So, you were right, then,¡± Magnus said. Kolvi shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be so obvious. If she¡¯s trying to get away, why go to the only family she has outside of Telfort?¡± Kolvi didn¡¯t think much of Rusol¡¯s theory that Yassi might have fled to protect the baby from the other wardens. ¡°Obvious or not,¡± he said, ¡°we know where she is. But that doesn¡¯t solve the problem¡ªshe¡¯ll be able to See anyone who¡¯s coming after her.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re not still thinking of sending us,¡± Magnus said. That had been Rusol¡¯s first plan. Who better to retrieve his wayward queen than these two? But neither of them wanted to spend months traveling to Sanvar and back, and if they went, he¡¯d be stuck relying on his other bondmates. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I had a better idea. I¡¯m going to send someone she¡¯ll never suspect.¡± # Ariadne paced back and forth in the guest bedroom she¡¯d been using. ¡°What if she misses the time again?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯re a few minutes early,¡± Sarette replied. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t make it today, we still have tomorrow.¡± They¡¯d scheduled three possible days, since Leena wasn¡¯t sure how busy she¡¯d be. She¡¯d already missed the first one. Then she was there, appearing before their eyes¡ªbut she stumbled and had to grasp Ariadne¡¯s arm to steady herself. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Sarette asked, coming to support her other side. ¡°I just need a minute,¡± the other woman said. ¡°It¡¯s been busy. Corec¡¯s in Larso, so I¡¯ve been checking on him as often as I can.¡± ¡°Larso?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°Is there trouble?¡± ¡°He¡¯s worried Rusol has found out about his family. But it¡¯s been two days and he hasn¡¯t signaled for help, so I figured it was safe to come here. You¡¯re going first, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but could you take me to Tyrsall before we go back to the keep?¡± Ariadne asked. Then, taking in Leena¡¯s state, she added, ¡°Or I can stay in Tyrsall for a few days if you need more time.¡± She could see if Peregrine was in port¡ªand if Loofoo was still part of the crew. Leena shook her head. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll have to rest while we¡¯re there, but if we¡¯re going to do it, we should do it today. I have to go back for Corec tomorrow, and then I¡¯ll need to spend some time in Sanvar.¡± To Sarette, she said, ¡°It may be another week before I can make it back here.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to come back,¡± Sarette said. ¡°I¡¯ll fly.¡± Ariadne exchanged glances with Leena. ¡°All the way to the keep?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°That¡¯s got to be close to a thousand miles.¡± ¡°A bit over a thousand if I fly straight, but I¡¯ll probably cut across the plains instead. The storms are heavier there. I should be able to get three hundred miles on a good day.¡± ¡°Have you ever flown that much before?¡± ¡°No, but Vartus says I should. He thinks I¡¯ve spent too much time riding and not enough time in the air.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Leena said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right to just leave you here. Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. I might even make it to the keep before you could have gotten back here, but if the weather clears up and it takes longer, I still need the practice.¡± Leena nodded. ¡°All right. If it takes more than a week, though, I¡¯ll come looking for you.¡± Ariadne grabbed her travel pack and gave Sarette a quick wave. ¡°Will you thank your uncle for allowing me to stay here?¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± Leena reached for Ariadne and then suddenly they were elsewhere. # Ariadne left Leena resting at an inn in the market district, then made her way alone to the largest of The Lady¡¯s temples in the city. The courtyard held a marble statue of a mother carrying a babe in her arms. Ariadne shivered at the sight. The Chosar didn¡¯t make statues of people, only of totems, and the thing made her think of a golem taking away a child. Even ignoring the creepiness, the statue didn¡¯t make any sense. These people thought of The Lady as the goddess of families and children, but Hera had never married or had children. Was there some reason for the odd bit of lore, or had her followers made up false stories about her? Inside the doors, Ariadne was greeted by a young priest wearing the gray and white robes of the order. ¡°Welcome, visitor,¡± the man said. ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to The Lady,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Of course. Our sermons are given mid-morning, followed by an hour of worship each day, but you¡¯re welcome to sit in the hall or approach the altar on your own. There¡¯s an offering bowl if you¡¯d like to make a donation.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°I want to speak to The Lady directly. Is there a blessed priest here who receives visions?¡± ¡°All are blessed in the presence of The Lady,¡± the man said. Ariadne rolled her eyes. Back at the temple in Snow Crown, it hadn¡¯t taken her long to realize the priests didn¡¯t want to discuss their blessings with an outsider, nor admit to not having been so blessed. Perhaps they thought it would hurt the legitimacy of the Orders if people realized most priests had no more of a connection to their god or goddess than any random person off the street. ¡°I¡¯m sure they are,¡± she said, ¡°but I want to talk to someone who¡¯s actually been blessed with divine magic. Who¡¯s in charge here?¡± A few nearby parishioners had turned to listen to the conversation. The priest eyed Ariadne warily. She¡¯d seen the expression before. In this time and place, full plate armor was considered a sign of wealth or power. He wanted to get rid of her without causing a commotion, but he wasn¡¯t sure who she was and didn¡¯t want to risk offending someone important. ¡°High Priestess Carolin ministers to this temple, but she¡¯s very busy,¡± he said. ¡°I promise, The Lady will hear any prayers you send.¡± ¡°Is that so? Fine.¡± Ariadne raised her voice. ¡°Hera!¡± she called out. ¡°Enough of this nonsense! If your priests can¡¯t help, then talk to me yourself!¡± By now, everyone in the hall was watching. An older, matronly priestess rushed over. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the new woman hissed under her breath. ¡°Are you Carolin?¡± ¡°She wants to speak to the High Priestess or to The Lady herself,¡± the young priest explained. ¡°The High Priestess isn¡¯t here right now,¡± the newcomer said. ¡°I¡¯m Priestess Breda. If you¡¯d like to speak to The Lady, you¡¯ve come to the right place. She¡¯ll hear your prayers. There¡¯s no need to shout.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to pray to her,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°I want to talk to her. Does she send you visions? Tell her that a Mage Knight of Tir Yadar is looking for her. I suspect she¡¯ll want to speak with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible,¡± Breda said. ¡°Our Lady sends visions when she wishes, not when we¡ª¡± Her eyes went blank and she froze in place. ¡°Breda?¡± the man asked, a concerned look on his face. Breda suddenly drew in a sharp breath, her eyes darting around anxiously. ¡°I ¡­ she spoke to me! She hasn¡¯t done that since¡ª¡± She saw Ariadne, and her face went white. ¡°Sh ¡­ sh ¡­ she says I have to help.¡± The priestess reached out to touch Ariadne¡¯s temples with trembling fingers. The temple and all the people in it faded away, and Ariadne was alone in a place of swirling gray mists. Then a new figure took shape, emerging from the fog. It truly was her, though her ears were rounded and her face less angular, allowing her to pass as a human. Stolen novel; please report. Hera. One of the wardens who¡¯d destroyed everything Ariadne had known, and her predecessor in the Mage Knights. ¡°I apologize for coming to you this way,¡± the woman said, staring past Ariadne¡¯s left ear. ¡°Your name is Ariadne, yes? I think that was it. I don¡¯t remember everything, but you and I met a very, very long time ago. Sometimes I don¡¯t know how much of me is still that woman, and how much is something else.¡± Ariadne fought down a rush of anger. ¡°What did you do? What happened to the¡ª?¡± Hera spoke over her. ¡°By now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve learned about the destruction caused by the ritual. You must hate us. All I can say in our defense is that we didn¡¯t know what would happen. In pride and ignorance, we unleashed chaos that overwhelmed the world for more than a century.¡± She was still looking off to the side. Ariadne realized the other woman could neither see nor hear her, yet the words confirmed that the wardens had been responsible for whatever had happened. ¡°It affected our people more than most,¡± Hera said. ¡°The wildstorms¡ªremember this! Now that you¡¯ve left stasis, you must avoid Donvar or any other source of wild magic until you master a spell to protect yourself. The wildstorms unmake our people. To protect the Chosar, they had to become something new. And so were born our children¡ªchildren of the stone, the sea, the storms, and the sun. They lived on, but the world changed and our empire was no more. Our people splintered into small nations, separate from each other.¡± That was too much information to take in all at once, but Hera was still speaking. ¡°Whether the wizards who crafted the ritual knew more than the rest of us, I can¡¯t say, but we¡¯ve spent the past five thousand years hiding what we did. We hide our secret shame, and we pretend we saved the world with our gifts of divine magic¡ªa world that we ourselves ended with our arrogance, and a magic we stole from the totems. Anything you might have heard about the ritual, do your best to forget it. It¡¯s too dangerous to allow that knowledge loose in the world.¡± Hera glanced to her left, though at what, Ariadne couldn¡¯t see. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time,¡± the woman continued. ¡°We place restrictions on ourselves to prevent interference, but I have to say this¡ªif you had family or friends in the inner city of Tir Yadar, they likely escaped to the Skotinos Mountains. Most did. I wish I could tell you more. And I saw a glimpse of your future. I saw you die in stasis, and I saw you live, provided you were bonded to a warden. I didn¡¯t realize ¡­ I didn¡¯t know the same would be true for all the Mage Knights. I could have saved seven more, but I didn¡¯t know!¡± Hera took a moment to calm herself. ¡°But you lived, and that¡¯s something to celebrate,¡± she said. ¡°There are many roads you can take, many paths you can follow, and I can¡¯t see where they all end. We¡¯ve interfered with your life too much already. I release you of all obligations¡ªto the Chosar, to the Mage Knights, and to me. Your future is your own.¡± The vision faded away and Ariadne awoke, still standing in the temple. ¡°What happened?¡± Breda demanded. ¡°What did she say?¡± Ariadne ignored her, her mind racing. Had Hera just admitted to bonding her? And that was the least important of what she¡¯d said. Ariadne¡¯s parents and sisters may have lived! If what Hera said was true, they could have made it to the Skotinos Mountains, the first home of the stoneborn¡ªwho were also Chosar. Boktar was Chosar; Sarette was Chosar; even Loofoo was Chosar. Ariadne''s people were all around. They had never left. She collapsed into a nearby pew, her legs no longer able to support her weight. Tears obscured her vision. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d cried since waking from her long sleep, but this time the tears were happy ones. Before leaving, she poured an entire pouch of gold coins into the offering bowl. # Razai was atop the lookout tower, flicking pebbles at the roof of a cottage below, when she heard a shuffling sound behind her and then a startled gasp. A little girl wearing a bright yellow dress with a dirty hemline had come up the stairs. After a moment of surprise, the girl¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You ain¡¯t supposed to be up here,¡± she said with a hillfolk accent. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Katrin says so.¡± Razai hid a smile. ¡°It is, huh? Should you be up here?¡± The girl took on a worried expression, seemingly trying to figure out which answer would get her in the least amount of trouble. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± Razai said. ¡°How about I don¡¯t tell Katrin you were here, and you don¡¯t tell her I was?¡± The girl thought about that for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I know who you are,¡± she said. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Razai. I saw you yesterday at supper.¡± The child could have been in the great hall the night before. Razai hadn¡¯t paid much attention¡ªshe¡¯d just been in long enough to grab some food to take back to her suite, not wanting to eat with everyone else. ¡°That¡¯s me. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ditte, but you have to call me Princess Ditte.¡± ¡°Princess, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, cuz Corec and Treya ¡®dopted me.¡± That was news to Razai. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s where princesses come from, kid.¡± Ditte¡¯s lower lip quivered and her eyes began to water. Shit. If Corec and Treya really had adopted the kid, she¡¯d probably been orphaned recently. What could it hurt to let her play make-believe? ¡°Sorry, Princess Ditte,¡± Razai said. ¡°I was just teasing you, Your Highness.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened, as if she was surprised someone had finally fallen for her scam. ¡°You ain¡¯t supposed to do mean teasing. Only nice teasing, Katrin says.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind for next time, Your Highness.¡± Ditte nodded, seemingly appeased. ¡°Why is everyone mad at you?¡± she asked. Razai had preferred the previous topic. ¡°Because they think I did something I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so.¡± Unfortunately, Corec seemed to be the only one who didn¡¯t blame her for letting his name slip to Rusol. Everyone else was anxious about his abrupt departure, and appeared to believe it was somehow Razai¡¯s fault. Leena, of all people, had taken it as a personal affront. ¡°Why not just ¡®polo ¡­ ¡®pology ¡­ why not say you¡¯re sorry?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± ¡°Sometimes Katrin and Treya make me say sorry when I ain¡¯t done nothin¡¯ wrong.¡± Razai scowled. Was that how the others saw her? A misbehaving child, like Ditte? What right did they have? It wasn¡¯t like any of them had ever done anything for her. Except Corec, that one time in Livadi¡ªwhether she¡¯d needed it or not. And Boktar and Bobo, when the three of them had fought the war priests during the battle at Tir Yadar. And ¡­ Razai angrily shoved the thoughts away. She didn¡¯t need the others, and soon she¡¯d be done with them forever. Corec would be back soon, and she would insist he undo the bond once again. After that, she just had to wait for Nedley to return so she could tell him about his brother. Then she could finally go south. Ditte was still staring at her, awaiting a response. Being orphaned at a young age was a rough life for a girl. Corec might make for a better father than Vatarxis had, but the kid should have been home with her own family. Was it the dragon that did it? Raiders? Razai didn¡¯t want to ask. Asking brought back the memories. What had the others been thinking, bringing a young child to a place they expected would turn into a war zone before the end of the year? Sure, they probably had some sort of escape strategy for the non-combatants, but it was impossible to account for every potential outcome. Ditte was only a year or two younger than Razai herself had been when Vatarxis had taken her hellside, teaching her to use her powers and her wits, and to rely only on herself. Teaching her to fight. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be a princess, you¡¯ll need to learn how to take care of yourself,¡± Razai said. ¡°Has Corec shown you how to use a knife yet?¡± Ditte tilted her head to the side. ¡°I ain¡¯t allowed ¡­ I¡¯m not allowed to use knives. Someone else has to cut my food.¡± ¡°Not that sort of knife. Come on, kid. Let¡¯s go make some trouble.¡± # Leena was already waiting in the glade when Corec arrived, but she was sitting on a large rock, leaning forward and resting her head on her hands. ¡°Hey, are you all right?¡± he asked. She looked up. ¡°What? Oh, I¡¯m fine¡ªjust tired. Traveling here a few times a day to Seek the coins took more out of me than I thought it would.¡± Corec grimaced, feeling guilty. ¡°Sorry. I should have left a note so you¡¯d know everything was fine and you didn¡¯t have to keep coming back.¡± ¡°There weren¡¯t any problems, then?¡± ¡°No. If Rusol knows about my family, he hasn¡¯t done anything about it yet. I warned them, but there¡¯s not much else I can do here without making things worse. I don¡¯t want him getting the impression I¡¯m back in Larso¡ªhe needs to know I¡¯m at the keep.¡± Leena nodded, then stood. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re up for it?¡± Corec asked. There were dark circles under her eyes. ¡°I can manage. It should be fine now that I¡¯m not Seeking on top of everything else.¡± Corec nodded and held out his hand. Leena took it and then with a blink they were in one of the suites back at the keep. Ellerie was carrying a pile of books and papers to a desk, but she squeaked and dropped everything when they appeared right in front of her. ¡°Leena!¡± she said. ¡°Why did you¡ª? Never mind. That was quick. I thought you¡¯d be gone longer.¡± Leena didn¡¯t answer, just swaying unsteadily. Corec grasped her shoulders to keep her from falling. ¡°Maybe you should sit down,¡± he said. They helped her to the desk chair, and Ellerie tilted Leena¡¯s chin up so she could look her in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s not drain shock, I don¡¯t think. Can you hear me?¡± ¡°This is wrong,¡± Leena muttered. ¡°I meant to go to the great hall.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°You just surprised me.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. I was thinking of the great hall right as we Traveled. I shouldn¡¯t have ended up anywhere else. I haven¡¯t missed my target since ¡­ since before Cordaea. I need to go home and talk to Rohav.¡± ¡°Well, not right now,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°What if you miss again? You¡¯re too tired. You should go get some sleep first.¡± Leena nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, sleep,¡± she said, standing and making her way to the bedroom. ¡°Will she be all right?¡± Corec asked. ¡°She¡¯s been doing too much,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We need to cut back on what we¡¯re asking of her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mostly my fault,¡± Corec said. ¡°But I¡¯ll tell the others, too. Did anything happen while I was gone?¡± ¡°I finished repairing the big gap in the northeast curtain wall.¡± Ellerie was still staring absently toward the other room. ¡°We¡¯re just patching the smaller holes now. There¡¯s not enough stone left to replace the upper half of the western lookout tower, and we haven¡¯t found the quarry yet. The carpenters are just going to build a wooden platform for now.¡± She shook her head and turned back to him. ¡°Wait¡ªwhat happened where you were?¡± He told her what he¡¯d told Leena, then added, ¡°So, nothing has changed. We¡¯ll just have to watch for any problems. Maybe the hillfolk towns nearest to Fort Hightower would be willing to listen for rumors in exchange for some extra coin.¡± ¡°Except you¡¯d need Leena to take you there.¡± ¡°It can wait,¡± Corec said. ¡°Or we can hire messengers.¡± Ellerie nodded. Corec checked on everyone¡¯s locations through the warden bond and noticed a change he hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°Is Sarette back already?¡± he asked. ¡°No, she decided to fly the whole way instead, but Ariadne is here. The visit to Snow Crown must have been good for her¡ªshe¡¯s in a better mood than usual.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Let me know if Leena gets worse. I¡¯m going to go track everyone down and tell them what happened in Larso.¡± # After changing out of his armor, Corec made his way to the tavern. Katrin was playing her harp and singing a song about the fight against the dragon, but she stopped when she saw him. ¡°I¡¯m done for now, folks,¡± she announced, standing up and nestling her harp back into its case. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll play again later.¡± There were a few murmurs of disappointment, but it was a smaller crowd than usual. ¡°That¡¯s a new song,¡± Corec said when she joined him. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to hear it yet¡ªI¡¯m still working on it.¡± She poked his arm. ¡°And that¡¯s how you say hello? After disappearing for three days? I was worried!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought Leena let everyone know there weren¡¯t any problems.¡± ¡°She did, but that just meant you hadn¡¯t signaled her for help! We still didn¡¯t know what was going on.¡± She waved at her brother to get his attention. Corec sighed. ¡°I told my father about Rusol, though I¡¯m not sure he believed me. He promised he¡¯d be careful, but I think he was just humoring me.¡± ¡°Do you think Rusol will try something? With your family, I mean?¡± ¡°That depends on why he¡¯s after me. If it¡¯s because I¡¯m a warden, I don¡¯t see what my family would have to do with it. I just have to make sure he knows where to find me, and we¡¯ve made a good start on that already.¡± Barz arrived then and set a mug on the table, then stalked away without a word. He avoided talking to Corec whenever he could. Corec reached for the mug, but it was warm to the touch. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked. ¡°Tea,¡± Katrin told him. ¡°We ran out of ale. We were never going to have enough for the number of people who showed up. I was only planning on serving our own workers, not an entire village. We¡¯re stuck with tea until Nedley gets back.¡± ¡°People are paying for tea?¡± There were teahouses in the city, but Corec had never seen one in the countryside. ¡°I¡¯m giving it away for free. We have plenty, and I didn¡¯t want to close the tavern for two weeks. Everyone knows they can come talk to us here. Not many people have been brave enough to knock on the doors to the keep.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°So, what else happened?¡± Katrin said. ¡°You were away for three days.¡± ¡°Well, three days is what I told Leena in case I needed that much time, and then I didn¡¯t want to worry anyone if I called her back early. It turned out I didn¡¯t actually need all three days, but it was good to see Branth and Isa. We, uh, spent most of the time planning the wedding.¡± ¡°Branth is getting married?¡± ¡°Uh, no. Our wedding.¡± Katrin narrowed her gaze. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not suggesting we get married in Larso.¡± ¡°No, no, I convinced Isa I can¡¯t be away for that long. We settled on having it here, this winter.¡± ¡°Winter? It¡¯ll be wet and miserable here over the winter. Why not this summer?¡± ¡°Isabel wants to come, and I couldn¡¯t tell her no. Winter¡¯s the only time she and my father can get away for any length of time, and it¡¯s not like I can send Leena to get them. Father would have a fit¡ªhe might try to have her arrested.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s coming to a place full of mages?¡± ¡°Well, he hasn¡¯t agreed yet, but Isa intends to keep arguing with him until he does. If he refuses, I guess we don¡¯t have to wait until winter, but I¡¯d like it if Branth could come. He¡¯s busy in the summer too.¡± Katrin shook her head. ¡°Winter¡¯s fine, I suppose. If you¡¯re planning on having actual guests instead of just our friends, it would be hard to put something together any earlier. Food¡¯s going to be tight for a while. Mella won¡¯t want to serve salted fish for a wedding.¡± ¡°Ahh, yeah, about that ¡­ Cook and Isa gave me a list of recipes in case they don¡¯t arrive in time to help. I hope Mella won¡¯t be offended.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you talk to her about it. She won¡¯t argue with you.¡± ¡°Trouble?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just used to working for rich people, and I don¡¯t know how to do things the right way. What if I say or do something wrong in front of your family and then they end up not liking me?¡± ¡°Well, they don¡¯t like me much either, so you¡¯d be in good company.¡± She frowned at him, but he just laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what my family thinks,¡± he said. ¡°If you want something to worry about, then worry about whether we¡¯ll even be here by winter. If Rusol attacks, we might have to evacuate everyone before then.¡± Book 5: Chapter Thirteen Rohav scowled. ¡°I told you this was a bad idea,¡± he said. ¡°You should have been focusing on your work here, but instead you¡¯ve been playing around and exhausting yourself. It¡¯ll take weeks until you¡¯re fully recovered.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been careful,¡± Leena protested. ¡°I haven¡¯t gone into drain shock since the fight with the dragon.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with drain shock¡ªit¡¯s fatigue. You¡¯ve been Traveling constantly, day in and day out, without any break. What other mage besides a Traveler uses their magic so frequently? Perhaps a healing priest. Why do you think the empress¡¯s cadre only works four months out of the year, in two-month shifts? But you didn¡¯t even make it a month and a half. You wasted too much of your strength on other things outside your duties.¡± ¡°The empress authorized Leena¡¯s work in the north,¡± Pavan said, coming to her defense. He¡¯d already been at the camp when she arrived. Rohav snorted. ¡°If you think she¡¯s only doing what the empress authorized, you haven¡¯t been paying attention.¡± Leena rubbed her temples. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to argue with you,¡± she said. ¡°Just tell me what it means.¡± ¡°To start with, we¡¯ll have to rotate you out of your duties with the Travelers¡¯ Posts. That¡¯ll leave us down another person.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not responsible for the fact that we¡¯re short-handed,¡± Pavan said. ¡°Satyana offered to come back if we need her. She¡¯s the only one who isn¡¯t already in the rotation who¡¯s strong enough to take over Leena¡¯s workload.¡± ¡°Well, that helps, I guess,¡± Rohav admitted. ¡°How long until I can Travel again?¡± Leena asked. ¡°A few days to be safe,¡± Pavan said, ¡°but you¡¯ll need to take it easy for longer than that. No shifts with the Posts for at least two months.¡± ¡°What about everything else I¡¯m doing?¡± ¡°How much effort does it take?¡± Leena had to think about it. The things she did for her friends required more strength, but she made far more individual trips as part of her work with the Travelers¡¯ Posts. ¡°About the same as what I¡¯ve been doing down here, I think,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s too much. No one stops Traveling completely during their breaks, but you need time to recover.¡± ¡°I was supposed to be expanding our network.¡± ¡°It can wait,¡± Rohav said. ¡°And you may not have to do it all yourself,¡± Pavan added. ¡°The Seers believe the wizard Yelena is on her way here, though she¡¯s warded too strongly for anyone to track. We do know for certain that she¡¯s left Tyrsall.¡± ¡°You told the Seers about her?¡± Leena said. From what the others had said, Yelena was very secretive about the wardens. Leena hadn¡¯t intended for that information to go beyond Empress Shereen and the senior Travelers. ¡°Only that we¡¯re interested in her arrival, not why. But while you¡¯re here, the empress would like to speak to you about how best to approach her. That¡¯s why I came here today.¡± ¡°Am I allowed to Travel to the palace?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you,¡± Pavan said. ¡°Tomorrow morning?¡± Leena shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I can tell her, but if she asked for me, I¡¯ll go.¡± The conversation turned then to administrative matters for the Travelers¡¯ Posts, so Leena wandered outside the tent and found Udit waiting for her, using a stick to draw figures in the dirt. She sat down next to him and gave him a little smile. ¡°Why is Uncle Rohav so mad?¡± her brother asked. ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t very careful when I was Traveling,¡± Leena said. ¡°I got too tired and ended up going to the wrong place¡ªlike the time I fell in the ocean and the fisherman had to rescue me. Do you remember that story? You¡¯ll have to be careful too, once you start Traveling.¡± Udit thought about that for a moment, then said, ¡°Are you in trouble?¡± Leena chuckled. ¡°Maybe a little bit. I¡¯m not going to be able to come here every day the way I have been. How would you like to move up north with me, at least for a while?¡± ¡°You promised we could move back to Matihar.¡± ¡°Someday, I hope, but not yet. You can stay with me, though¡ªand once you¡¯re a Traveler, you¡¯ll be able to live anywhere you want.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Traveler. Why can¡¯t you live anywhere you want?¡± ¡°Do you remember the bad men? I can¡¯t come back until we figure out what to do with them. Plus, Ellerie lives up north and I want to be with her.¡± Udit frowned. He didn¡¯t like Ellerie, probably due to the tales told in Sanvar about elves stealing people away. ¡°Do I have to go?¡± he said. ¡°If you really want to stay here, you can, but if you come with me, you could see the fortress and meet my new friends.¡± ¡°Like the lady who flies?¡± ¡°Yes. Sarette¡¯s not there at the moment, but she¡¯ll be back soon. And there are other boys your age, so you could make new friends. Harri¡¯s just a year older than you¡ªhe takes care of our horses.¡± That perked his interest. ¡°Horses?¡± ¡°Do you want me to teach you how to ride? I have my own horse now.¡± He wavered, as if not wanting to admit she¡¯d convinced him, but she had one more card left to play. ¡°Grandmother still won¡¯t let you have a dog, right?¡± # Sarette darted through the clouds, unable to keep from smiling despite the rain dripping down her hair and face. Vartus was right¡ªshe did need to spend more time flying. Her first day out of Snow Crown she¡¯d gone two hundred miles, following an early thunderstorm south along the mountains. After that, she¡¯d headed headed west, but the second day had dawned bright and clear and she¡¯d only managed forty miles, struggling to stay airborne for more than five miles at a stretch. She¡¯d ended the day exhausted and hadn¡¯t been able to find a village inn anywhere near her stopping point, sleeping in a thin bedroll with just a lean-to for shelter. With no horse or mule to carry her load, she hadn¡¯t been able to bring real camping gear. She¡¯d thought the rough accommodations would make it difficult to recover, but the heavy rainstorm that rolled in overnight had reinvigorated her. She¡¯d gone over a hundred miles for the morning already and didn¡¯t feel tired at all. It wasn¡¯t entirely pleasant¡ªher clothing was completely drenched and would require hours to dry¡ªbut that was just part of life for a stormrunner. At least her silversteel mail wouldn¡¯t rust. Rusting armor was a constant problem not just among the stormrunners but for the High Guard as well. Once Ellerie had time to start producing objects made from silversteel, Sarette thought she might recommend to the Council that they become her first customer. The fact that the armor was half the weight of her old mail, allowing her to fly more easily, was almost secondary. She swooped up to the highest level of clouds, then back down again, testing the boundaries within which she could remain aloft without expending any of her own energy. As she flew, she caught sight of movement below, but from her elevation it was hard to tell what was going on through the haze of the clouds. She pulled in enough to charge to remain in the sky, then dipped down for a better view. There was a large group of wagons below, attempting to circle up in a defensive position. Another group was rushing at them on foot. Was it an attack? Raiders assaulting a caravan of some sort? What should she do? Anyone who¡¯d be traveling in the north was warned not to get involved with the plainsmen¡¯s internal disputes. Control of the different regions changed hands frequently, and the feuds could last for centuries. Outsiders had no way of knowing what was truly going on. Four of the attackers¡ªbandits?¡ªwere standing back from the fray with crossbows in their grips, loosing bolts when they had a clear shot. It was a poor strategical use of the crossbowmen, but they¡¯d still be dangerous. Other attackers had reached the wagons, and the two groups met with the clash of weapons. That meant the wagons had their own armsmen, at least. Guards, perhaps. If it was a caravan, there was a good chance these weren¡¯t locals at all. They could be foreign traders passing through. And whether they were outsiders or not, they were unlikely to be the aggressors in this fight¡ªthe slow wagons wouldn¡¯t have allowed them to chase down a group on foot. Her decision made for her, Sarette gathered as much power as she could and plunged straight down, aiming for a spot halfway between the melee and the crossbowmen. Crackling blue and white streamers of lightning magic gathered around her, and just as she landed, she called down a lightning bolt on herself. It fully charged her weapon, and the sharp crack of thunder stunned everyone into silence. The nearest mule team, startled by the noise, took off running, dragging its heavy wagon behind it without a driver. Sarette took the moment of surprise to pull heavy winds out of nowhere, whipping them at chaotic angles around the crossbowmen. The wind flung pebbles and spatters of mud up from the wet ground to pelt the attackers¡¯ heads, forcing them to shield their eyes. She wouldn¡¯t kill them¡ªnot without more information¡ªbut she had to eliminate the biggest threat. ¡°Storm witch!¡± one of the caravan¡¯s defenders cried out, dropping his weapon and fleeing. Sarette hadn¡¯t intended to frighten the guards, but at least the attackers began to scatter as well. Those who were part of the fray took off in all different directions, but the crossbowmen backed away as a group, still trying to protect their faces. One managed to point his weapon in Sarette¡¯s direction, and he was close enough she wasn¡¯t certain whether her windstorm would carry the bolt off course in time. Not bothering with a spell, she simply released the charge she¡¯d been building up in her body, lightning streaking from her fingertips to his face. He fell where he stood. The other three turned and ran, two of them dropping their crossbows as they fled. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Sarette checked on the defenders, only to find them edging away from her as well¡ªthough after seeing her strike down one of their enemies, no one else seemed inclined to run away. She held her staff-spear out to the side to indicate she wasn¡¯t attacking, but she didn¡¯t discharge it just yet. She¡¯d wait until she was certain what was going on. ¡°Steady on! Steady on!¡± a voice called out. A short, balding man stomped to the front of the crowd. He didn¡¯t carry a weapon, but blood was dripping down his forehead. ¡°Stormrunner,¡± he said, giving her a wary nod. ¡°You know what I am?¡± she asked. ¡°Met one ¡®o your kind before, back when I was young. Didn¡¯t expect to see any stormborn so far from the Heights, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way to Four Roads. My name is Sarette.¡± She waited, still tense, hoping to hear something to indicate she¡¯d chosen the right side. ¡°Garus. Caravan master with Overland Holdings. We¡¯re hauling a load of ingots from Ironholt.¡± He glanced at the attackers fleeing in the distance. ¡°Guess these fellas found out about it.¡± Corec had mentioned Overland before¡ªit was a real trading company. Sarette allowed herself to relax. With the danger seeming to have passed, it occurred to her that she¡¯d forgotten her earlier worries about whether she¡¯d be able to fight again. Not that it had been much of a battle, but when it had come down to it, facing this foe had allowed her to ignore the incident with the dragon. Maybe that was the answer¡ªfocus on what was happening in the moment rather than worrying about what might happen in the future. One of the guards stood up from where he¡¯d been attending a comrade. ¡°We lost Raffe,¡± he reported. ¡°And Dom needs a healer. He can¡¯t ride. Leren¡¯s got a nasty slice on his sword arm. The others can get by.¡± Garus stared at the fallen man. ¡°We¡¯ll take Raffe with us. Not gonna leave him here for the crows. Make some room for him and Dom on the wagons.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I suppose I should thank you, Miss. Don¡¯t know if we could have handled them on our own.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be back,¡± another fellow said. ¡°And now we¡¯re down three fighters.¡± ¡°I passed over a big town about seven miles east,¡± Sarette said. ¡°There may be some guards for hire.¡± Garus nodded. ¡°Lone Rock. That¡¯s where we¡¯re headed. Overland has an outpost there.¡± ¡°I can escort you that far, if you¡¯d like,¡± Sarette said. It would mean backtracking, but once the caravan was safe, it wouldn¡¯t take her long to make up the time. ¡°Appreciate that,¡± Garus said. He faced the others and raised his voice. ¡°Get the wagons ready! Someone go after the mules that ran! We¡¯re heading out in fifteen minutes!¡± # Shavala and Zhailai rushed through the underbrush, following the shouts and the sound of a barking dog. The dragon had been racing ahead of them, sometimes out of sight as he chased flying insects, but there wasn¡¯t supposed to be anyone out this way so they¡¯d let him have his fun. Then they¡¯d heard the commotion. They burst into a wide clearing, finding two recently plowed fields. A bag of seed lay abandoned in the middle of the nearest. On the far side, a cabin had begun to take shape, with three layers of rough-hewn logs fitted together in a square. Near the cabin, the dragon had cornered a human man and a dog atop a freshly cut stack of firewood. The dragon was on his hind legs, leaning against the front of the wood pile, but hadn¡¯t yet figured out he could go to the side and climb the wood like stairs. ¡°Risingwind!¡± Shavala shouted. ¡°Stop! They¡¯re friends!¡± She reinforced the feeling through the tree bond. The dragon twisted his neck to look back at her, like a child caught doing something naughty. He left the wood pile and loped her way, projecting agreement with her statement and confusion about why he was in trouble. Zhailai breathed a sigh of relief as the emotions came through the bond. ¡°He was playing?¡± she asked. ¡°It seems so,¡± Shavala said. If the dog had been alone, perhaps the dragon would have tried to kill it, but so far he¡¯d never shown any aggression toward the people he met. He¡¯d likely been curious about the man, then was startled by the dog. Shavala knelt down to scratch Risingwind¡¯s chin and the back of his neck. She¡¯d chosen the name to encourage flying, though so far the concepts of both flying and names had eluded him. ¡°What is it?¡± the man shouted from his perch as he saw the creature settle down. ¡°It¡¯s a dragon!¡± Shavala called out. ¡°Just a baby.¡± ¡°A dragon! Another one?¡± ¡°This one is friendly! He won¡¯t hurt you. Do you want to meet him?¡± The farmer stared for a moment, then clambered down the side of the wood pile. He tied up the dog, which was still barking, then made his way across the field. ¡°Yer elves!¡± he said in surprise when he drew close. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Shavala and this is Zhailai. We are friends of Corec Tarwen.¡± She patted the dragon¡¯s head. ¡°And this is Risingwind. He wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you. He just wanted to see if you had any food.¡± The man took a careful step back. ¡°Food? Like what?¡± ¡°He likes rabbit and pheasant.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t got anything like that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll see that he¡¯s fed, and I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t bother you again. But I was told all the farmers were supposed to be east of the keep.¡± The man grunted. ¡°Them soldiers came and told me I could stay here as long as I paid taxes, but they said I was on my own if bandits came. I told ¡®em I¡¯ll start payin¡¯ when they start doin¡¯ their job, and not a moment sooner. They ain¡¯t been back since.¡± When faced with a matter that pitted free choice against saving lives, only humans would try to measure the outcome in metal coins. Shavala wouldn¡¯t interfere. Perhaps Corec figured it was fair to let the issue rest until he¡¯d recruited enough soldiers to patrol a larger area, or perhaps no one had told him about this fellow yet. ¡°It¡¯s late in the season to be planting wheat,¡± Zhailai said, eyeing the seed bag. ¡°It¡¯ll grow well enough,¡± the man said. ¡°Just have to dig some ditches to get water from the creek, then hope the frost don¡¯t come early this year.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But I can clear and plow more fields over the summer. Should be able to get in some winter wheat and some garden crops.¡± Shavala frowned. Even if the harvest went well, the farmer would have a lean year. ¡°There are huckleberry bushes three miles that way,¡± she said, pointing southwest. ¡°No berries yet, but they look healthy.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± he said. ¡°Enough to make it worth the trip?¡± ¡°Yes. And a mile south of that, there are old fields with potatoes growing wild.¡± He chewed on his lower lip as he thought that over. ¡°I¡¯ll have to check it out. Maybe the folks at the keep¡¯ll be willing to buy any extra.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome to take as much as you like,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I may just do that.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave you to your work, and I¡¯ll be sure to keep Risingwind away from here in the future.¡± After saying their farewells, Shavala and Zhailai headed back to their camp. The dragon bounded ahead again once he realized where they were going. As they hiked, Zhailai said, ¡°Is it wise to tell only a single human about the berries and potatoes? He may claim them for himself, and not allow anyone else to harvest them.¡± ¡°Someone should make use of them,¡± Shavala said. ¡°And I didn¡¯t tell him about the other berry fields, the honey trees, or the wild oats. There¡¯s also the old apple orchard we found the other day.¡± The area, mostly abandoned farmland, was full of resources, and Shavala had mapped only a small portion of it. ¡°Those trees haven¡¯t fruited in years.¡± That was true¡ªapple trees didn¡¯t remain healthy for long, especially with no one to care for them¡ªbut they could be used to grow new trees. Shavala was quiet as they walked. If she could accelerate growth for the apple trees, she could do so for the farmer¡¯s crops as well. The dorvasta druids already did that for their people¡¯s own farming, in small clearings dotted around the forest, but the staff would allow her to work on a wider scale. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about something,¡± Zhailai said. ¡°How many of the other farmers near the keep do you think are getting a late start on their planting?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°All of them. They don¡¯t grow crops the way we do, and even the good soil here has hardened over the decades. It¡¯ll take them time to break the ground.¡± Shavala glanced ahead at the dragon. His presence might interfere with her plan, but he¡¯d have to become accustomed to people sooner or later¡ªand people would have to become accustomed to him. ¡°Tell me,¡± she said to Zhailai, ¡°how do you feel about doing some traveling?¡± # Nedley¡¯s stomach growled, prompting him to check the position of the sun in the sky. It was earlier than they normally stopped, but the caravan had been making good time now that the weather had improved. The group was a few miles ahead of schedule, and the people wouldn¡¯t object to a break after several days of hard travel. Twisting in the saddle, he whistled, then waved his arm over his head. ¡°Circle up!¡± he shouted. ¡°We¡¯re stopping for the night!¡± A wave of calls and cries traveled down the line, passing along the order, and Lewin took off at a gallop to make sure everyone got the message. Nedley remained where he was, directing the drivers to a flat area west of the road. There was a good-sized stream in that direction, marked by the taller grasses and saplings rising along its banks. He watched while the wagons formed a rough circle. It was a trading caravan trick Corec had taught him. If raiders attacked, the wagons and carts would provide cover, giving the defenders a chance even if they faced archers or greater numbers. The circle ended up uneven, bulging outward on one side to fit everyone in. It was difficult to estimate the size they needed when they had more wagons showing up every day. Eleven families had joined them just that morning, already heading south on their own but happy to accept the protection of the larger group. Nedley pushed away a feeling of uneasiness at how large the caravan had grown¡ªalready twice as many people as the first trip, though only half again as many wagons. A sizable portion of the group were refugees without the means to buy the vehicles or the animals to pull them. That batch had brought only what they could carry on their backs. Nedley was feeding them from the provision wagons in exchange for their help in cooking, driving, or taking care of the mules and horses. When Lewin returned, Nedley waved him over, along with Aldin and Bili. ¡°Lewin,¡± he said, ¡°find a spot to ford the stream, then go two or three miles west and look around for sign of anyone who shouldn¡¯t be there. If you see a deer or cow in a spot that a cart can reach to haul it back, go ahead and take it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Lewin said, then rode off. Nedley turned to the other two men. ¡°Bili, you and Harlan patrol the inner camp. Make sure our troublemakers stay away from each other.¡± There were several squabbling families among the caravan. Nedley had separated them from each other during the day by putting extra wagons between them, but that didn¡¯t help at night. ¡°Aldin, take the others and station them around the camp as lookouts until it gets too dark to see. Once supper¡¯s ready, they can take breaks. Half at a time. Standard watch rotation tonight.¡± They¡¯d been keeping a three-watch night shift, with two armsmen and one of the volunteer archers for each shift. Lewin would join the first shift, giving them an extra archer at the time of night when bandit raids were most likely, and Nedley would join the second shift, when being woken in the middle of the night would cause the guards to be tired and less watchful¡ªanother trick he¡¯d learned from Corec. The men left to their assigned tasks. With everything under control, Nedley dismounted and passed Duchess to one of the grooms. On foot, he crossed to the far side of the camp, where Kimi and Sister Berit were setting up their tent near the single-mule cart they¡¯d brought to carry their belongings. He arrived just in time to hold the tent poles steady while Kimi finished tying the straps. She smiled up at him. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t have any time to come see you today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Kimi replied. ¡°You have important things to do. Everyone here is depending on you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯ll wager they could find their way south on their own. Half of them used to live down this way.¡± ¡°But someone has to be in charge, and Lord Corec said that was you. Do you think they¡¯d all listen to Harlan?¡± ¡°Well, maybe not Harlan,¡± Nedley said. The man was reliable, but he wasn¡¯t the brightest of the armsmen. ¡°There, see?¡± Kimi said, as if she¡¯d won an argument. Nedley shook his head, then swallowed, steeling his nerves. ¡°Would you like to go for a walk? There¡¯s a spot somewhere along this stretch where you can see the shadows of fish in the water.¡± Too late, it occurred to him she¡¯d been walking all day. Why would she want to walk even more? He¡¯d been tempted to buy her a horse for the journey, but he wasn¡¯t sure whether she had any actual experience in the saddle¡ªand a two-week trip on rough roads wasn¡¯t the best time to learn, especially since he wouldn¡¯t have time to watch over her. Plus, he wasn¡¯t certain whether buying her a horse was appropriate or if it would be considered too forward. Before Kimi could reply, Berit said, ¡°A walk would be lovely, Nedley.¡± She stood up from where she¡¯d been digging through her pack. ¡°Come along, Kimi.¡± Kimi pressed her lips into a thin line. ¡°Oh, Sister Berit, it¡¯s kind of you to offer to accompany us, but I wouldn¡¯t want to put you to any trouble.¡± Her sweet tone was at odds with her expression. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, Kimi,¡± Berit said. ¡°I¡¯d like to see the stream myself.¡± The woman seemed to have made it her purpose to ensure the two of them weren¡¯t able to spend any time alone together. Kimi sighed. ¡°Fine, but can we go see Duchess first?¡± Nedley chuckled. ¡°I just gave her to the groom, but it looks like they¡¯re taking the animals over for water now, so we can do both.¡± Book 5: Chapter Fourteen ¡°Have you had any luck finding surveyors?¡± Corec asked Bobo as the two of them rode along a newly formed trail between Creekbend and another village a mile north called Dobb¡¯s Grove. The area around the two villages was where Corec had asked the farmers to settle, hopefully keeping them out of the way of danger if Larsonian forces attacked. ¡°I wrote to a friend in Matagor,¡± Bobo said. ¡°The same one who¡¯s helping us buy the coal stoves. Last I heard, he¡¯s hired one surveyor so far and he¡¯s looking for two more. I was going to write him another letter asking him to send them along as soon as they¡¯re hired, but Leena hasn¡¯t had time to go to Matagor in over a week, and now I don¡¯t know when she plans to return.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got to stop depending on her to do everything for us,¡± Corec said. ¡°Maybe you should ask your friend if he can find us a pigeon keeper. For now, I¡¯m sure Leena will be back before a messenger could make it to Matagor, so you might as well wait for her. If she¡¯s able to go get Carn Tammerly on time, he¡¯ll arrive before the surveyors do, so send him out to start getting familiar with people. The first surveyor who gets here can go with him.¡± ¡°What about the other two?¡± ¡°They need to map out where we¡¯re setting the border, and make sure everyone within it has heard the proclamation. We¡¯ll send a couple soldiers with each of them in case some folks don¡¯t like the news. But I¡¯ve been thinking ¡­ can you keep handling the records here, and make sure they¡¯re all updated properly? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Tammerly, but I don¡¯t really know him yet and he¡¯ll be out traveling a lot of the time.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m doing it already, and I suppose it won¡¯t take as much effort if he and the surveyors are the ones out doing all the hard work.¡± Bobo gestured to the left. ¡°I think this is the path we want.¡± They directed their horses away from the already rough trail and on to one marked only by faint indentations in the grasses, following it for a quarter of a mile until they came to a farmer plowing a field. They left their horses tied to a tree branch and walked over to join the man. ¡°Corec,¡± Bobo said, ¡°this is Westin. He brought his family out with the ¡­ I think it was the third group to arrive.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Mr. Westin, it¡¯s good to meet you again. We spoke when you first came to Hilltop.¡± ¡°Yes, uhh, Lord Corec. Before you sent us out this way.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m no lord. You can just call me Corec. Or Mr. Tarwen if you prefer.¡± Westin nodded. ¡°Now,¡± Corec continued, ¡°I hear you put in a claim for five hides of land, or thereabouts.¡± The farmer frowned at Bobo, who gave him a sheepish shrug. ¡°Your messenger came by,¡± Westin said. ¡°He told me we could take what we want as long as we¡¯re working it all by next year¡¯s harvest.¡± ¡°Within reason, yes. If you claim a hide and a half because you¡¯ve got a large family or because we don¡¯t have a surveyor to measure everything out the right way, that¡¯s fine, but five hides is too much for one family. How can you possibly work that much land?¡± ¡°I got four boys,¡± the man said. ¡°They¡¯ll all need their own places once I pass on.¡± ¡°Your oldest¡ªhe¡¯s sixteen, right?¡± Corec asked. Jonson, the miller, had provided the information when they¡¯d passed through Creekbend. ¡°He is.¡± ¡°That makes him old enough to put in his own claim. You can help him clear it and plant it, but you can¡¯t go claiming his land as your own. Do you think he can handle it?¡± The farmer considered that for a moment. ¡°I reckon he can manage if he borrows my mules. Plenty of time before next spring.¡± ¡°Than whatever section of land you intended for him, let¡¯s put it in his name. He doesn¡¯t have to live there yet as long as he¡¯s working it. As for the rest, do you really think you can manage three-quarters of a square mile with just your younger boys to help?¡± ¡°Your man said as long as we had it cleared and planted for next season, it was ours.¡± It seemed the fellow planned to put in just enough extra effort to qualify for the claim, even if it would be too much to work the whole thing every year. ¡°You realize that even without your oldest son¡¯s share, you¡¯re looking at sixty silver in taxes?¡± Corec asked. The man blinked. ¡°Sixty? That¡¯s every year?¡± ¡°Every year after this one. How much land were you working before you came here?¡± ¡°Hide and forty,¡± Westin said. That was still impressive. Even when measured on good, flat, fertile soil, a hide came out to a hundred twenty acres, and adding forty more acres on top of that was more land than most farmers could work on their own. ¡°How about this?¡± Corec said. ¡°Keep two hides for yourself and one for your oldest boy. If you manage to work your two, they¡¯re yours to keep. If not, you¡¯ll have to give some back next year. If your other sons want to farm, they can register their own claims when they turn sixteen. They likely won¡¯t end up right here next to you, but that¡¯s still six hides for one family. I¡¯d say that¡¯s a pretty good deal.¡± Westin worked his jaw as he considered the offer. ¡°But I¡¯d have to give up two now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What if I send for my Pa up in Four Roads? He had his own farm before selling it. I reckon he wouldn¡¯t mind helping out and claiming a bit of land for himself.¡± Westin had to be pushing fifty. How old was his father, if he¡¯d already retired and moved into town? Surely too old to take up farming again, especially if it was just a ruse for his son to sneak more land out of the arrangement. ¡°Is your Pa the one who taught you how to work a hide and forty on your own?¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± ¡°How do you think he¡¯d feel about managing some farmland for me instead? He¡¯d get his own claim as part of the pay, but he wouldn¡¯t have to be out plowing the fields himself.¡± Westin cocked his head to the side. ¡°What¡¯s this, now?¡± Corec explained what he needed, and Westin agreed to send a message to his father. With a possible lead on someone to manage the estates Branth had suggested, Corec and Bobo returned to their horses. ¡°Is there anything else we need to take care of today?¡± Corec asked, climbing into the saddle. ¡°Nothing so egregious,¡± Bobo said. ¡°And after word gets out that you¡¯re paying attention, I imagine things will take care of themselves.¡± ¡°You were the one paying attention, but once Carn Tammerly arrives, he should be able to take care of this sort of thing. Just make sure he knows what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Bobo said, then was quiet for a moment before speaking again. ¡°You¡¯ve got to stop doing that, you know¡ªtelling them not to call you a lord. They need to call you something.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a name, and I¡¯m not a lord.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? You¡¯re the one in charge. You¡¯ve got soldiers and servants. Seems like a lord to me.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be a lord without a king,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯re working together as a group. Me being in charge is just something we tell people to make it easier for them to understand what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s not actually true.¡± Bobo snorted. ¡°You know very well that it is. You just like to pretend otherwise. Everything we¡¯re trying to do here would fall apart if you were gone. Think about it¡ªEllerie and Boktar can¡¯t be in charge here, and none of the rest of us would be taken seriously.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re not working together.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say we weren¡¯t, but there¡¯s a reason why everyone¡¯s been calling you a lord.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just because of my father.¡± ¡°No, it really isn¡¯t.¡± Corec sighed. It was getting awkward dealing with the settlers, most of whom were too timid to call him by his name but didn¡¯t know how to address him otherwise. ¡°Warden,¡± he said. ¡°If I need a title, I¡¯ll use Warden.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s the one title I can actually claim, and I¡¯m not giving away Hildra¡¯s or Yelena¡¯s secrets. Most people won¡¯t even know what it means, much less who the others are.¡± And if Rusol somehow still hadn¡¯t learned of Corec¡¯s location, it would be impossible for him to ignore the newest clue. ¡°Hmm,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Warden¡¯s Keep. I like it.¡± # To the Honorable Mayor Alain of South Corner, I write to you on behalf of Corec Tarwen. He received your letter with great interest and agrees with your suggestion of a meeting to discuss the changes we anticipate for the lands formerly claimed by the dragon. Corec will be happy to receive you and your delegation at Warden¡¯s Keep in Hilltop Village at your earliest convenience. There, we will describe our plans for the region and consider ways in which we can work together for the benefit of all. You may also wish to know that we have completed repairs on the bridge, offering an easier route to the north if you would like to continue your travels to visit your neighbors in Four Roads. We hope to see you soon, Sister Treya of the Three Orders, for Warden Corec Tarwen Treya frowned at her words. If she was supposed to be speaking with Corec¡¯s voice, it was a skill she hadn¡¯t yet mastered. He never sounded so stodgy. The formal tone was better for written communication, though¡ªit helped to prevent misunderstandings. And in any case, the real work would happen when Alain and the other southern mayors arrived. Corec¡¯s ability to befriend people would overcome any deficiencies in Treya¡¯s letter-writing ability. Corec had suggested he could simply go to South Corner himself, but Leena hadn¡¯t returned yet and Ellerie had convinced everyone it was better for Alain to see the work being done in and around the keep for himself. The people of South Corner didn¡¯t know Corec the way the people of Four Roads did, and Hilltop¡¯s tiny size might help to allay any fears they had about the vastness of the region the group had claimed. Treya hated to admit it, but sending the letter under her own name and title did lend it an extra air of legitimacy. Mayor Alain¡¯s concubine handled most of his correspondence, and she would be careful to smooth away any rough edges, both on the letters she was sending as well as those she received. With the shared connection to the Three Orders, Alain and the other well-to-do men in South Corner would be more likely to consider Corec one of their own rather than an outsider. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Treya had just set the letter aside to dry when someone knocked on the door to her suite. She opened it to find one of the chambermaids on the other side. ¡°Miss, there¡¯s someone here asking for you,¡± the woman told her. ¡°She says her name is Shana.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± Treya said. ¡°She¡¯ll need a place to stay for the night. Could you prepare the extra room?¡± There were no accommodations left in the village, and the more recent arrivals were camping out or sharing with friends while they built new homes or searched the nearby farms and villages for structures that were still standing. ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Treya made her way down to the first floor to greet her old teacher. Shana was barefoot, like Treya, and wearing a similar loose gray tunic and pants. The older woman saw her coming and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re looking well. Nice little place you¡¯ve got here. I take it you¡¯ve had enough journeying?¡± Treya shrugged uncomfortably. She¡¯d once intended to model her life after Shana¡¯s, traveling between the chapter houses and taking care of any problems she found along the way, but circumstances had changed her plans. ¡°For now,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll show you around.¡± They spoke while they walked. ¡°I heard you were going to Highfell to see if you could find out anything about King Rusol,¡± Treya said. ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t too far out of your way.¡± ¡°No,¡± Shana said. ¡°I was headed west already. Mother Elana in Abildgard asked me to speak to the concubine schools in Matagor about joining with the Three Orders, but I don¡¯t expect anything to come of it. They¡¯re just too different from us. They¡¯re not orphanages, for one. Instead, the girls join as if it¡¯s a trade school¡ªlike your friend Renny did.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Treya asked. ¡°It would be better if girls became concubines because they wanted to, and not because they¡¯re orphans who feel pressured into it. We place too much emphasis on the concubines and not enough on the other orders.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so different than any other girl being pressured to find a good husband,¡± Shana said. ¡°How would you go about it?¡± ¡°I think we should add a fourth order. We already have herbalists and midwives and craftswomen who don¡¯t join any of the orders, or they join the scholars even though they don¡¯t quite fit. We should expand that group and give them their own order. Teach all the orphan girls a craft of their own so they can support themselves, and if they still choose to join the concubines, at least they¡¯ll have something else to fall back on. If that means we don¡¯t train up enough concubines, then allow more outsiders to join, like Renny or what you found in Matagor.¡± ¡°The Four Orders? That would be a big change. What does Mother Ola think?¡± ¡°I just came up with it,¡± Treya said. ¡°I haven¡¯t even mentioned it to Mother Yewen yet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t imagine they¡¯d be opposed to an Order of Craftswomen, but the more traditional Sisters won¡¯t be happy about making the Order of Concubines less important. And I don¡¯t like the idea of accepting more outsiders. The orphanages are what make us a Sisterhood. The schools in Matagor just aren¡¯t the same.¡± ¡°There has to be a way to make it work. Maybe they have to live with us, like Renny did, and spend at least four years in training. We¡¯ve got orphanage girls who spent less time with us than Renny, and they¡¯re still real Sisters.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Shana said with a shrug. ¡°But it¡¯ll be fun to listen to the screams when you propose it. Anyway, after Matagor, I had some things to take care of in Larso. I stopped at Telfort along the way. You know that Sharra is dead, right?¡± Treya sighed. ¡°We heard about it just a few days ago,¡± she said. Whatever she thought of the woman¡¯s son, it always hurt to lose a Sister too young. ¡°From a lightning storm, it seems,¡± Shana said. ¡°As for the king, people wish Marten was still alive, or they wish Prince Rikard had inherited the title, but nobody could point to anything bad Rusol has done. It seems like he¡¯s just continuing his father¡¯s policies. By the time I was done there and made it to Highfell, the dragon had started to threaten the road to the east, so I just stayed where I was.¡± A lightning storm could have been magic, or it could simply have been weather. There was no way to find out now, and from what Corec had heard in Larso, no one had been suspicious of it at the time. ¡°Did you learn anything interesting in Highfell?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for you to go to all that trouble, but by the time I found out you were heading that way, it was too late to get a message to you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a problem. I like to visit all the chapter houses when I can. But no, nobody there has ever met the king, and only a few had met Sharra. There was one tale that¡¯s been passed down, though.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Marten was supposed to choose a girl named Moira, but something happened¡ªnobody remembers what¡ªand he ended up picking Sharra instead. The rumors are that he chose her for her looks rather than her personality, but those are just stories the girls have told each other over the years. There¡¯s no one left there from back then. And that other girl, Moira? She went on to become¡ª¡± ¡°Corec¡¯s mother,¡± Treya said. Shana nodded. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know if it means anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s got to be just a coincidence. I don¡¯t see why that would make him want to kill Corec, if he even knows about it.¡± Sisters talked freely amongst themselves, but there were some topics they would never discuss with an outsider. A patron choosing the wrong concubine was one of those. ¡°It does seem unlikely, but it was the only connection I found.¡± ¡°Thank you for checking,¡± Treya said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were going to come to the keep. I was planning to meet you in Four Roads if you stayed long enough, but I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d arrived.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a long trip¡ªjust two days. I wanted to see the route anyway. It should save me some time in the future when I¡¯m heading south.¡± ¡°Two days? Four Roads is two hundred fifty miles away!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen me run before.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could run all day long!¡± Treya could sprint faster than she¡¯d ever seen anyone else move, even Shana, but she¡¯d never attempted long distances. Traveling with her friends, she¡¯d spent most of her time in the saddle. Shana grinned. ¡°Now you know my secret. I¡¯m just usually not in that much of a hurry. But you¡¯re strong enough¡ªyou should have some idea of what you¡¯re capable of by now. I take it you haven¡¯t been practicing? Again?¡± Treya sighed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to find the time. I spar a bit with the others, but they get nervous since I don¡¯t wear any armor.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not in a rush. I¡¯ll stick around for a while and help you work on it.¡± # Rusol flipped through the stack of papers trying to make sense of what he was reading. The seaborn ambassador had proposed building an enclave for his people in Larso similar to the one in Terevas, offering their deeper-hulled vessels a new location to dock. The Duke of Westport was adamantly opposed, insisting it was just a way for the seaborn to avoid his own city. Rusol suspected Westport was right, but the proposal offered to pay the same taxes and fees in the enclave as they would have elsewhere, and claimed the existing coastal ports couldn¡¯t handle the seaborn¡¯s largest cargo ships. Rusol didn¡¯t know enough about the issues to make a decision, and wasn¡¯t sure whose advice to take. He needed someone familiar with the matter who didn¡¯t have a financial stake in the outcome. Perhaps he should write a letter to the admiral of Larso¡¯s tiny fleet of warships? He was happy to set the whole mess aside when Field Marshal Tregood and Knight Commander Sir Noris arrived. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Noris said, the old man speaking in his hoarse, wavering voice, ¡°We received a messenger from Priest Tibon at Fort Hightower. He writes with an update on the situation to the south.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Rusol asked. Noris could take a while to come to the point if he was allowed to ramble. Thankfully, Tregood took up the story. ¡°Now that the dragon is gone, Baron Hightower has taken steps to expel the hillfolk refugees from his domain. He no longer requires the additional soldiers we sent, so I¡¯ve drawn up orders to return them to their previous postings.¡± Rusol nodded. ¡°And the extra knights?¡± ¡°If you do not object, I will order their return to Telfort,¡± Noris said. ¡°Maybe that¡¯ll quiet the complainers,¡± Tregood added. Rusol controlled Sir Noris as well as all the high-ranking priests in the city, but some among the lower ranks had grumbled about a quarter of the city¡¯s knights being away¡ªeven though Telfort itself wasn¡¯t in any danger. ¡°You may issue the orders,¡± Rusol said to Noris. ¡°Is that everything?¡± It hardly seemed important enough for the two of them to have sought him out in person. ¡°No, Sire,¡± Tregood said. ¡°Tibon also says the mercenaries from Four Roads have laid claim to an old keep where the dragon had been lairing. They intend to clear the roads in the region and make them passable again. Perhaps our wayward squad of knights did some good after all.¡± Noris harrumphed. ¡°Wayward? They never should have been there in the first place. The renegade commander has been expelled from the Order.¡± Rusol said, ¡°If his knights were able to defeat a dragon with the loss of only one man, it seems the commander made the right decision.¡± ¡°He disobeyed orders, resulting in the death of one of his own men. He could never be trusted within the Order again. And that doesn¡¯t even touch on allying himself with those mages.¡± Noris, under compulsion from the hunter bond, knew Rusol was a mage, but he never seemed to connect that fact to his own ingrained dislike of magic. Rusol just nodded, conceding the point, then turned to study an old map hanging on the wall behind him. Tregood had once argued for leaving the dragon alone so it would distract their neighbors, but now that it was dead, it seemed the man had changed his mind. Was he just making the best of a bad situation, or was there some actual advantage to the creature being gone? Rusol wasn¡¯t familiar with the area¡ªthe dragon had come to the free lands a quarter of a century before he was born¡ªbut the roads in question were still inked in on the map. He couldn¡¯t see much benefit to Larso in having them open again. They looked to provide a faster route from southern Larso to Tyrsall, but that would help Matagor more than anyone else. Larso¡¯s own cross-continental trade went through the northern route, as did the bulk of the seaborn trade in northern Aravor. Seaborn trading vessels were faster than most ships, but it wasn¡¯t worth their time to circle around the entire continent to reach Tyrsall. Then, with a frown, he took a closer look. Cargo from Matagor wouldn¡¯t have to pass through Larso at all. There were at least two routes around it, one of which promised a much faster trip along an almost straight line to Tyrsall. Was that why Rusol¡¯s father had left the dragon alone? The knights could have hunted it down at any time in the past fifty years, but they¡¯d never made any move to do so. Had it really just been because the free lands weren¡¯t worth bothering with, or was it because the creature¡¯s presence had forced more trade to go through Telfort? Rusol turned to Tregood. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me that killing the dragon would open a direct road between Matagor and Tyrsall?¡± he said, his voice cold. The Field Marshal blinked in confusion. ¡°Your Majesty? Why would that matter? We¡¯re not at war with either kingdom.¡± ¡°Nine-tenths of Matagoran and Terevassian trade with Tyrsall passes through Larso, you idiot! How did you think we were paying for the mercenaries?¡± ¡°Do you mean taxes?¡± Rusol¡¯s vision went red, and he had to stop himself from reaching for the elder magic. ¡°Yes, taxes! If we had killed the dragon, then we would control the roads, but instead you gave it away to the freelanders!¡± Of course, taxes and trade weren¡¯t the Field Marshal¡¯s concern. Those were matters for the Chancellor, but it had never occurred to Rusol to seek his counsel. In fact, he¡¯d hardly put any thought at all into the ramifications. He¡¯d just taken Tregood¡¯s advice, assuming the man knew what he was talking about. The Field Marshal spoke in a placating tone. ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty, but I believe we still hold some influence in the region. The mercenary who took over the keep is from Larso, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be amenable to an arrangement. He was a knight once, and he¡¯s the son of one of the Black Crow barons.¡± Sir Noris scowled. ¡°He was never a knight,¡± he said. ¡°He was a trainee, and was expelled for being a wizard.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t change anything,¡± Tregood said. ¡°If he wants to play a fake lord in the free lands, we can negotiate with him. He won¡¯t want to anger his homeland¡ªhe¡¯ll agree to anything we ask. Perhaps we could even claim the region as our own by offering him a baronetcy.¡± ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Noris said. ¡°Corec Tarwen violated our laws. He¡¯s a mage and a traitor. He can¡¯t be trusted.¡± Everything seemed to slow to a halt. ¡°What was that name?¡± Rusol asked. ¡°Corec Tarwen,¡± Tregood said. ¡°One of Lord Ansel¡¯s younger sons. From his concubine, I believe.¡± ¡°Corec,¡± Rusol said, his insides going cold. Tarwen had never mentioned having a son in exile for using magic, but everything else fit. The Larsonian name, the timing of Corec¡¯s return to Aravor, the fact that Yassi had seen him in a war camp, the demonborn assassin he¡¯d sent. And when the assassin had failed, he¡¯d come to the region himself. The other two men exchanged glances. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Tregood said. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°A problem?¡± Rusol snapped. ¡°Is there a problem? You told me not to send the knights after the dragon, and now there¡¯s a warden on our border!¡± Tregood furrowed his brow. ¡°A warden, Sire?¡± ¡°He¡¯s taunting me! He sent her to make sure I knew he was coming!¡± No, that was wrong. Corec had sent the assassin to kill, not to warn. Rusol tried to force the rage down¡ªhe was starting to sound like a madman, even to his own ears. ¡°Who?¡± He ignored the question. ¡°Don¡¯t bring the extra knights back to Telfort. Leave them at Hightower. And ¡­¡± He stopped to think. The knights crossed the border regularly, but any large movement of soldiers would be a problem. He¡¯d taken control of the army¡¯s leadership, but that didn¡¯t mean he could start a war without the lords¡¯ backing. ¡°Tell Captain Benis to recall the mercenary army from the northern border. Send them to Hightower as well. All of them.¡± The mercenary army reported directly to Rusol, and he could re-deploy them without raising fears amongst the populace. ¡°Sire, Blue Vale is still building their strength. I don¡¯t advise removing the mercenaries from their positions.¡± ¡°Blue Vale doesn¡¯t matter anymore!¡± Rusol said. ¡°We have to stop the warden before he invades!¡± ¡°Do you mean Corec Tarwen, Your Majesty?¡± Tregood asked. ¡°He¡¯s hardly a threat¡ªhe¡¯s only got a few dozen men.¡± ¡°Men and mages,¡± Rusol reminded him. ¡°Enough to face a dragon.¡± Why had his father allowed these two to remain in their positions? Tregood had demonstrated his incompetence and Sir Noris was too old for the job, yet Marten had never asked them to step down. With a sinking feeling, Rusol realized the answer. Marten had tolerated them because they were bureaucrats who could keep things running smoothly. In the event of a war, Marten himself would have made all the important decisions. He¡¯d sent Rikard to the knights and then continued his older son¡¯s education himself, but Rusol hadn¡¯t received the same training. He¡¯d already been led astray by Tregood once. If he was going to launch an attack against Corec, he¡¯d have to be cautious. He¡¯d caught Leonis unprepared, but that wouldn¡¯t be the case this time. How did two wardens do battle? Sending their bondmates to kill each other was too much of a risk, particularly considering how little information Yassi had been able to provide. No. The answer was in Tregood¡¯s words¡ªCorec only had a few soldiers. Rusol could overwhelm him with numbers. The mercenaries and the Hightower knights were a start, but he needed troops he could trust completely. A hundred of his compelled knights from Fort Northtower would do the job. Without Yassi, he couldn¡¯t track their movements, but the modified version of the hunter compulsion allowed them to retain their own minds. As long as he issued the right orders, they¡¯d be able to adapt to new situations on their own. And that gave him another idea. Book 5: Interlude Twenty-third year of the Burning ¡­ Hera crafted a shield out of nothingness to block Pallis¡¯s blast, then reversed the direction on her protection spells to pull in the power from his attack to replenish her own reserves. Renewed, she struck back, weaving elder and arcane magic together into one spell and channeling it through a tunnel of totemic magic. The dark beam shot out but Pallis deflected it. Here, in his own domain in the totemic realm, he could nearly match her in power, and he had thousands of years of experience. The spell ricocheted, boring a hole through the wall of the fortress he¡¯d created. But it didn¡¯t stop there. Boundaries were fluid in the totemic realm. There was no real substance other than that which was created by the residents, and there was no difference between up and down or left and right. After cutting through the wall, the magical attack tore a hole in the barrier between the totemic realm and the mortal world. To Hera, the sensation felt similar to teleporting from one realm to the other ¡­ but teleporting across the barrier didn¡¯t rip open reality. The breach sealed itself almost instantly, but not before she received a vision of the damage her wayward spell would cause, the magic somehow magnifying in power as it crossed between worlds. It was a level of destruction she¡¯d seen equaled only once before. Realizing what she¡¯d done, she shared a look of horror¡ªand recognition¡ªwith Pallis. He faded from view, leaving her alone to deal with the fallout. The battle was over, it seemed, but Hera had no way to stop what she¡¯d set in motion. She fled from the totemic realm, not wanting to watch it happen. Seeking a safe refuge, she teleported to her old apartment in Tir Yadar. The remains of the great city still stood like a silent tomb for those who¡¯d once walked its halls. The Chosar hadn¡¯t been able to return to their former home since the tunnel road had collapsed. Even the elder mages among the stoneborn children had failed to rebuild the fallen section, plagued as it was by the proximity of the more severe wildstorms nearer to the city. The overland route remained impassable as well. While the mundane fires across the continent had burned out long ago, the firestorms yet raged in central Van Kir, fed by power slowly leaking from the conjunction of magics the wardens had attempted to take for themselves. Allos thought it might take decades before the hole was sealed for good. Nothing of interest remained in Hera¡¯s old living quarters¡ªin the months before the tunnel road had been lost, scavenging crews had emptied most of the apartments of anything useful. She left her barren rooms behind and wandered aimlessly through the West Tower residential district at first, but eventually Fortress Central beckoned to her, as it always did when she visited. There, at the totem walk, she bowed her head in front of Owl¡¯s statue, offering a moment of regretful silence. The People had lost Wisdom that day, and not just Owl¡¯s. The other totems had all but disappeared from the world, offering no explanation for their absence. The most powerful and capable mages among the Chosar had died when Fortress West melted, and the rockfall which buried the military complex had killed many of the most seasoned and experienced soldiers. It was a loss from which Hera suspected The People would never truly recover. She, Iris, Boreas, and Demea had managed to save the children from the wildstorms, altering them to fit their new environments, but the Chosar empire was shattered. Their remaining settlements were a shadow of what they once were. How many of Hera¡¯s friends in the High Guard had survived the war only to die soon afterward, killed by the wardens¡¯ quest for more power? There was one bright spot, though. The intact section of Fortress East housed the medical facility with the stasis room where the Mage Knights still slept. Other than the mindless walking dead in the undercity, the knights were the last remnant of The People within Tir Yadar. And there they would have to remain. Hera couldn¡¯t open the stasis pods without a physical body, and even if she did, the wild storms would seek out the knights and the firestorms would prevent them from leaving the city. She checked in on them from time to time, though, making sure they were safe. There were twelve stasis pods in use. She stopped at the last one to stare through the glass at the newest member of the Order. Ariadne. What sort of world would the girl wake up to? How much more would change before it was safe to free her? A flash of darkness crossed through Hera¡¯s mind, then another and another. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Visions of potential futures. It was difficult to interpret the visions and nearly impossible to control them, but this sequence was clear enough. Ariadne had no future. She would either sleep forever or die soon after awakening, before doing anything of note. More flashes of darkness, and then one single, hazy vision of the young woman awake and smiling, with a warden¡¯s sigil on her brow. A sigil in the same shade of blue as Hera¡¯s own weapon enhancement spells. Hera froze, standing in thought. She hadn¡¯t bonded anyone before her death. Could she still do so now? Unlike opening a mage lock or a stasis pod, the warden binding spell didn¡¯t require physical touch. Could it pass through the stasis field? She¡¯d never attempted the spell before, but it had been burned into her mind since the choosing dream. She cast it now, and the pale blue sigil appeared on the young woman¡¯s forehead¡ªtwo circles linked side-by-side. Before Hera could consider the implications, she felt echoes rippling through the barrier, and then Boreas appeared in front of her. It was time to face what she¡¯d done. ¡°Hera!¡± he said, his voice terrible. ¡°Did I hurt anyone?¡± she asked. She had to know for certain. ¡°Hurt? You killed twenty-seven people! A hunting party of twenty-two brave souls who left the shielded region to do their duty, and five of the older stormborn children who accompanied them in case they encountered a wildstorm. And those are just the ones I know about! There¡¯s a crater fifty miles across in the Storm Heights!¡± Twenty-seven lives. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what would happen!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°We were nowhere near Tir Navis. We weren¡¯t even in this world! It shouldn¡¯t have ¡­¡± She trailed off, her excuses sounding hollow even to herself. ¡°And the last time you fought?¡± ¡°That was Pallis!¡± She¡¯d assumed Pallis had tried some sort of twisted, evil new magic against her, resulting in the massive impact on the east coast of Aravadora. She hadn¡¯t realized how easy it would be to cause the same sort of destruction herself. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who it was!¡± Boreas shouted. ¡°You both knew it could happen! Iris is having this same talk with him right now.¡± There was nothing Hera could say. No justification she could give. ¡°Never again,¡± Boreas said. ¡°If you or Pallis attack each other again within the totemic realm, the rest of us will band together to bind your powers for all time. And if we can¡¯t do that, we¡¯ll destroy you. Arodi and Allos have already agreed¡ªif it comes to it, they¡¯ll shed their mortal bodies and return. Don¡¯t make them give up the lives they¡¯re trying to build.¡± Arodi and Allos were the only two who¡¯d managed that particular trick, though Arodi thought any of them should be able to learn it. ¡°He¡¯s trying to bury the truth!¡± Hera said. ¡°Why are you letting him get away with it?¡± It had taken seventeen years after the ritual for Pallis to return, and once back, he¡¯d refused to discuss what had happened to him or whether he knew anything about Zachal¡¯s fate. After mastering his new powers, Pallis had set his acolytes to destroying any books or scrolls they could find which described wardens, the ritual, or the true cause behind the Burning. As he¡¯d gained in followers, he¡¯d begun pressuring leaders among The People to suppress that knowledge in exchange for the protection of totemic magic. ¡°He¡¯s right, Hera.¡± ¡°How can you say that?¡± she asked. ¡°How can you believe it?¡± Hiding the truth about the ritual was necessary, but Pallis had gone too far. Boreas sighed. ¡°Because we don¡¯t have a choice. Even the Chosar barely tolerate us enough to accept our aid. You¡¯ve seen the visions as well as I have. The wildstorms are holding things at bay for now, but once the storms fade, the wars that come after will be worse than anything we¡¯ve seen before. We can¡¯t do what we need to do unless the people trust us. All the people. If we¡¯re ever going to repay the debt we owe, the world will have to forget who we are.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just making excuses to hide our crimes so we don¡¯t face any consequences.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care what you think about it,¡± Boreas said. ¡°We¡¯ll spend eternity serving this world. That will have to be consequence enough. As for Pallis¡¯s plan, it won¡¯t be the first time we¡¯ve rewritten history.¡± ¡°What?¡± Boreas shook his head. ¡°There are things we haven¡¯t told you, and I¡¯m too angry to discuss it with you right now, but we know how to make people forget the past. We¡¯ve done it before. Don¡¯t try to interfere, Hera. I mean it.¡± With that, he left. Hera stood alone in the stasis room with the sleeping Mage Knights, a hollow feeling in her gut. The other wardens would allow Pallis to continue with his scheming in the hopes that someday the people of the world would no longer remember what they¡¯d done. Boreas¡¯s instructions were clear. Hera would have to let it happen. She glanced again at Ariadne. Boreas hadn¡¯t noticed the girl¡¯s binding sigil. Did the world really hate the wardens as much as he¡¯d suggested? Would the other wardens take issue with Hera binding someone? Would Boreas somehow construe it as a sign of interference in Pallis¡¯s plan? Hera¡¯s visions of Ariadne¡¯s future were still hazy and indistinct, as if the details weren¡¯t yet known. When the girl awakened, she¡¯d be new to her powers, unable to fully defend herself, and in a world that was far different than what she remembered. She would need additional protection¡ªsomething to ensure she wasn¡¯t punished for Hera¡¯s crimes. Hera would have to hide not just the sigil but the underlying bonds that would otherwise be visible to anyone using arcane sight. There was a time she wouldn¡¯t have been able to accomplish that, but the ritual had freed her of the limitations of a Mage Knight¡¯s magic. In the years since, she¡¯d gained a greater understanding of what was possible. Both arcane and totemic magic could be used to craft warding spells. Combining the two would allow her to create a ward that not even the other wardens would be able to pierce. She worked the complicated magic, then left Tir Yadar and returned to her domain in the totemic realm. She never noticed the tiny wildstorm which had formed in the machinery connecting the pods to the stasis generator. Book 5: Chapter Fifteen Present day ¡­ ¡°Heya, Kev,¡± Corec said, grasping the other man¡¯s forearm. ¡°They¡¯ve got you back out on patrol already? That was fast.¡± ¡°They kicked me out of the Order.¡± Kevik kept his face stoic, but there was a heaviness behind the words. ¡°Oh,¡± Corec said, the smile slipping from his face. ¡°Bloody hell. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d actually do it. What was their excuse?¡± ¡°Take your pick,¡± Kevik said. ¡°Disobeying orders, associating with mages, getting Willem killed.¡± He sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what else to do, so I came here. Georg¡¯s putting up the horses.¡± ¡°They kicked you all out?¡± ¡°Just me, but Georg wasn¡¯t happy about how they were treating the rest of us, so he came along. He figures with the dragon gone, he¡¯ll be able to find better opportunities out this way. And Barat sent a message for you.¡± He handed over a tiny slip of paper. Corec read and reread the single sentence, trying to figure out if there was some hidden meaning. ¡°That¡¯s all he sent?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Kevik replied. ¡°Warn Corec he¡¯s in danger. I thought you might know what it meant.¡± The paper looked like it had come from a pigeon message, which meant Kevik hadn¡¯t spoken to Barat in person. ¡°He¡¯s in Telfort now, right?¡± Corec said. ¡°Last I heard, yes, but I didn¡¯t have a chance to find out for sure. They wanted me out of town.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Corec said. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have gotten you involved, but you made the right choice going after the dragon. It had to be done, and we couldn¡¯t have managed it without you. You have a place here if you want.¡± ¡°As what?¡± Kevik asked. That was a good question. With his training and experience, Kevik was most qualified for Captain of the Guard, but Corec wasn¡¯t going to remove Sarette from the position and give it to someone else. Then he had another thought. ¡°Why not as a knight?¡± Kevik gave a short, bitter laugh. ¡°A knight? In what Order?¡± ¡°Who says you need an Order?¡± ¡°A knight without an Order is just a mercenary,¡± Kevik said. Then he seemed to realize who he was talking to and grimaced. ¡°Sorry¡ªI didn¡¯t mean ¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°The only reason the knights operate within the Order of Pallisur is to keep them under the priests¡¯ control. It¡¯s the oaths you need, not the Order. And not their oaths, but something you can live with¡ªa code you can follow, to help you make the best choices you can.¡± ¡°New oaths?¡± Kevik said. ¡°Then you¡¯re talking about a new Order. Why? You¡¯ve only got, what, two hundred people here?¡± ¡°Over five hundred now, I think. It changes every day.¡± Plus, they¡¯d only been able to count the people nearest to the keep. They¡¯d received word of other groups settling farther north, and rumors about the south and the west. ¡°Still, what could you possibly need knights for? You already have soldiers, and there¡¯s no Church for us to serve.¡± ¡°Most of the knights didn¡¯t join up to serve the Church,¡± Corec reminded him. ¡°Osbert and the ones like him, sure, but the rest of us? You, me, even Trentin¡ªwe were there to make something of ourselves.¡± He was having trouble finding the right words to say what he wanted to say. ¡°That¡¯s not a reason.¡± Corec tried again. ¡°Being a soldier is a job¡ªwhen you quit, it¡¯s over. But you can¡¯t stop being a knight, even if they tell you that you¡¯re not one anymore.¡± ¡°You still think of yourself as a knight?¡± ¡°Not really¡ªcertainly not a Knight of Pallisur¡ªbut I¡¯ll always be what they made me. I left some of it behind, but I kept the rest. It means something. It¡¯s got to, or else what were we doing all that time?¡± ¡°Is that how you ended up volunteering to lead an assault against a dragon?¡± Corec chuckled. ¡°I guess it is. You¡¯ll find the same thing, you know¡ªthey may have taken away your title, but you¡¯ll always be you. You¡¯re still a knight in the ways that actually matter, so why not make it official? Back when Matagor had knights, they weren¡¯t particularly religious. Larso¡¯s way of doing things isn¡¯t the only way.¡± ¡°You might be right, but an Order of one? I¡¯m not going to accomplish much on my own, and Georg insists he¡¯s ready for retirement.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll probably have to spend more time working with the regular soldiers than you have in the past, but we can be on the lookout for some good candidates to recruit. You should talk to Nedley when he gets back from Four Roads.¡± ¡°Nedley? He¡¯s a good kid, but a knight?¡± ¡°He¡¯s bright¡ªhe picks things up fast. I¡¯ll admit, I haven¡¯t spent any time teaching him tactics or courtly graces, but he¡¯s done everything we¡¯ve asked him to do.¡± Kevik nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, but if I¡¯m going to stick around, I need to know what I¡¯m getting into. What¡¯s the deal with Barat¡¯s note?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corec said. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from him since I left Larso. If he¡¯s in Telfort, though ¡­ have you ever met King Rusol?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t make it to the capital much. Certainly not for anything important enough to be meeting with the king.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure why Barat sent the note, but I can make a guess. There are some things I need to tell you ¡­¡± # Leena ruffled Udit¡¯s hair, then knocked on the door. ¡°I just need to talk to Ellerie first, then I¡¯ll show you around.¡± The door opened and the elven woman peeked out, her puzzled look turning to a smile when she saw who was waiting. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± she said. ¡°Why did you knock?¡± Then she noticed Leena¡¯s brother. ¡°Oh, Udit, hello!¡± she said in careful Zidari. ¡°Welcome to the free lands. I didn¡¯t know you were coming so soon.¡± Leena had to nudge Udit to get him to reply. ¡°Hi,¡± he mumbled, looking down. Ellerie gave him an uncertain smile, then switched back to trade tongue. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± she asked Leena. ¡°You don¡¯t look as tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I was just trying to do too much,¡± Leena said. She didn¡¯t want to worry her lover. ¡°I¡¯m going to stop working for the Travelers¡¯ Posts for a while.¡± ¡°Is that enough? Maybe you should stop running errands for us, too¡ªCorec¡¯s going to hire horse messengers now that the roads are in better shape, and we¡¯re looking for a pigeon keeper.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Leena said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, and I still need the practice. I¡¯m supposed to keep building up the northern network.¡± That part was true, at least, as long as she didn¡¯t do more than she could handle. ¡°I¡¯ll just only go to Sanvar once a week now instead of working there every day.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Ellerie said, still a hint of suspicion in her tone. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to have you around more.¡± Leena grinned. ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why I brought Udit, since I won¡¯t be going home as often. I¡¯m going to show him to his room, then introduce him to everyone. Do you want to come with us?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We didn¡¯t know he was coming, and a friend of Treya¡¯s is staying in that room. Maybe he can share with Harri for a few days.¡± Leena nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± she said. She wanted the boys to get to know each other anyway, so Udit could practice speaking trade tongue. A shared suite wouldn¡¯t bother him¡ªhe¡¯d been living in a tent for the past year and a half. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for Harri and ask him,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes, then we can take Udit on his tour.¡± She offered him another smile. He flicked his thumb against the side of his nose¡ªa common child¡¯s insult in Sanvar, though Ellerie just appeared puzzled. After she¡¯d left, Leena turned to her brother. ¡°Why are you always so rude to her?¡± she asked. Udit gave her a sullen look. ¡°You were supposed to come home and marry Pavan and then we¡¯d all move back to Matihar together. Instead, you want to stay here with her.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Who told you I was going to marry Pavan?¡± ¡°Everyone was saying it.¡± ¡°Did Pavan say it?¡± Udit thought for a moment. ¡°No. I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Rohav and Grandmother?¡± He nodded. ¡°And our cousins, everyone.¡± Leena sighed. ¡°Come with me,¡± she said, leading him into the sitting room, to a stack of blankets piled up like a rug near the hearth. There was no fire now that the weather had warmed up, but Leena still preferred the spot over the old, rickety chairs they¡¯d managed to save. She and her brother sat next to each other, cross-legged, and she draped an arm over his shoulders. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± she continued. ¡°Those were private discussions between adults, and I never agreed to marry Pavan. You already know why I can¡¯t move back to Matihar yet. It¡¯s not safe.¡± ¡°But why can¡¯t you marry Pavan?¡± Udit asked. ¡°You like Pavan, huh?¡± ¡°He¡¯s nice. He comes to the camp and teaches me Traveling when Uncle Rohav is too busy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good man, but I don¡¯t love him. That doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t still be friends with him.¡± ¡°But he won¡¯t come here,¡± Udit said. ¡°He might,¡± Leena said. She had no intention of telling her little brother about the actual arrangement she¡¯d made with Pavan, but it would, by necessity, require spending time together. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to stay here forever, just until it¡¯s safer, or until you can Travel on your own. I¡¯ll teach you for now, and Rohav¡¯s going to visit. How does that sound?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, I guess.¡± ¡°You know, Ellerie¡¯s a lot like Pavan in some ways,¡± Leena said. ¡°She¡¯s a good person too. Will you give her a chance?¡± He hesitated. ¡°Can I still have a dog?¡± Leena laughed. ¡°We¡¯ll check around the village to see if there are any puppies. If not, we can look in Four Roads, or even back in Sanvara City. We¡¯re not stuck here all the time, you know. We can go anywhere we want.¡± # Ariadne found Georg leaning against the newly rebuilt paddock fence, watching the less experienced armsmen practice infantry formations. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked, joining him. Ral was standing in front of the soldiers, barking off orders as he led them through the maneuvers. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s bloody doing,¡± Georg said, keeping his voice pitched low. ¡°He was on the ballista crews, wasn¡¯t he? And too old even for that. Why do you have him acting as armsmaster?¡± ¡°Corec and Boktar don¡¯t have time for it, and Nedley¡¯s still away.¡± ¡°Nedley? Why not Cenric or one of the mercenaries?¡± ¡°Cenric went home,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°And have you ever tried to get a mercenary to teach formation fighting? Enzo and Graeme are working with the men on their swordplay, but Corec didn¡¯t want them handling anything else. Ral will do what he¡¯s told, at least.¡± Georg snorted. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°You know as well as I do that I¡¯m not qualified to teach. The dragon was only the second real fight I¡¯ve ever faced, and I forgot to cast half my spells.¡± Somehow that was easier to admit to Georg than to her friends. ¡°Besides, the Mage Knights don¡¯t fight in formation either.¡± ¡°You need to get yourselves a real armsmaster.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where we¡¯d find someone qualified for that. Kevik already turned it down.¡± ¡°Kevik?¡± Georg said, his voice strangled. ¡°Corec asked Kevik to be armsmaster?¡± Ariadne shrugged. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s well trained, the men respect him, and he¡¯s younger than Ral. Young enough that he could stay in the position for a good long while. But he¡¯s going to work with Corec on some other things instead.¡± ¡°But Kevik?¡± ¡°Can you think of anyone better? It¡¯s a shame he said no. Corec thinks we¡¯ll have to look for someone in Matagor.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I ¡­ bloody hell!¡± Georg stomped out of the paddock and into the practice yard. ¡°All right, you damned fools!¡± he yelled. ¡°First rank, pull your spears back and lock those shields together! Spears are for when you have nothing more important to do! Second rank and the archers are the offense. You¡¯re there to protect them, so do that!¡± He went down the line, correcting the men¡¯s stances. Ariadne smiled and slipped away, nodding to Kevik, who was watching from a distance. He was the one who¡¯d suggested the roundabout approach, figuring Georg wouldn¡¯t accept an offer it it came from Corec. She returned to the keep, but before she could make it to her rooms, Bobo cornered her on the stairwell. He shoved a messy stack of papers at her. ¡°Take a look at this,¡± he said with a grin. She recognized the stack, but on the first page, the old title had been scratched out, and a new one written in its place¡ªThe Ancient People of the World, by The Last Chosar. ¡°Well?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°You took your names off,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°This is the second book, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a neat little solution to our problem of not having any real sources for our information about your people. Ellerie and I will publish the book on Tir Yadar under our own names, but no one has to know we wrote this one too. Or we can use your name if you¡¯ve changed your mind.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, but aren¡¯t you worried someone will realize they¡¯re written by the same people? They both focus on Tir Yadar.¡± Bobo shrugged. ¡°If we publish both at the same time, some historians will figure it out, but since we¡¯re not presenting it as a scholarly work, they¡¯ll think it¡¯s our speculation about what might have happened, or perhaps that it¡¯s a retelling of a local legend.¡± Ariadne frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be just a legend. People should know what really happened.¡± ¡°Ahh, but here¡¯s the thing¡ªhardly anyone will ever read our book about Tir Yadar. There simply isn¡¯t that much interest in ancient history. A legend, though ¡­ if a legend is repeated enough times, it will eventually become accepted as the truth. And since it doesn¡¯t contradict too much of what we already knew about the Chosar, even historians may come to believe it in time.¡± ¡°How will anyone ever find out about it if nobody reads books on history?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡± Bobo said. ¡°To start with, I rewrote some parts to make it easier to understand. It¡¯s more of a story now rather than a history book. But if you really want to spread the word more widely, you¡¯ll have to pay for extra copies to be printed and shipped around. And it couldn¡¯t hurt to ask Katrin to write a few songs for you. Songs will travel faster than any book. You shouldn¡¯t expect a miracle here¡ªhardly anyone has ever heard of the Chosar, and a year from now, or two years from now, that will still be true. But I think this is the best way to accomplish what you want.¡± ¡°Ellerie thinks so too?¡± ¡°Ahh, well, I¡¯d say rather that she didn¡¯t argue too much. She¡¯ll accept your decision.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about calling myself the last Chosar,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± It didn¡¯t seem right to use that title for herself now that she knew the truth. Bobo¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think some of the wardens¡¯ bondmates are still around.¡± She¡¯d never told anyone that Thedan and Ephrenia had been missing from the stasis room. ¡°That would be ¡­¡± Bobo trailed off. ¡°They could answer so many questions! We should try to find them!¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯ve been doing?¡± Ariadne said. She¡¯d gradually come to see Bobo as a friend, but his curiosity was still overbearing at times. ¡°Ahh, yes, I see,¡± he said. He seemed to recognize she wasn¡¯t going to answer any questions on the topic. ¡°As to your point, The Last Chosar is just a metaphor. It doesn¡¯t have to be literally true.¡± Ariadne nodded. ¡°Let me think about it,¡± she said. ¡°While you¡¯re doing that, you should also consider how you want the story to end. A legend needs to have an ending, and right now, we don¡¯t know enough about what happened after you went to sleep.¡± Ariadne knew what had happened, but she hadn¡¯t yet decided what to do with the information. She needed to talk to Sarette and Boktar first, but Sarette was still away. ¡°End the story with our victory over the demons,¡± she said. ¡°At least for now.¡± # Ellerie stretched her back in the courtyard, letting her eyes adjust to the midday sun. She¡¯d spent the morning ensconced in her office, figuring out how much it would cost to hire wizards to help with shaping magic. Her plan to turn the deal into a business had been delayed simply because she didn¡¯t have enough time to do the work herself. The shaping she¡¯d done so far had been to help her friends and their efforts in the region. She¡¯d have to speak with her business partners about the idea of bringing in outsiders, but before she could find Boktar, she ran into Mr. Fenton. He was standing near the partly collapsed lookout tower, staring up at the work being done. In place of the missing upper half of the tower, his men had built two wooden platforms, one above the other. Both were only accessible by ladder. Fenton noticed Ellerie and nodded her way. ¡°It¡¯s not much to look at, but it¡¯ll be done by the end of the day,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s good enough for now,¡± she told him. ¡°I could send a few of the lads around to look for the quarry. It can¡¯t be too far from here. No one¡¯s going to haul this much rock a long distance.¡± ¡°Maybe another time,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough people to go cutting and hauling stone right now. This tower is just for keeping watch. The platforms will be fine as long as we¡¯re not facing catapults.¡± Corec didn¡¯t seem to consider rebuilding the tower a priority, and there was no shortage of other work to do. Fenton raised an eyebrow. ¡°You expecting to face catapults way out here?¡± ¡°Probably not, but we don¡¯t know how the neighbors will feel about someone living here again,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Now that the walls and tower are done, I think Boktar wants you to work on rebuilding the upper floors of the barracks and the gatehouse. We¡¯ve got more armsmen on their way and we need somewhere to put them.¡± ¡°Mr. Bobo asked us to do some work out in the village. Administrative buildings that burned down, he said.¡± Ellerie pursed her lips but tried not to let her annoyance show. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Bobo about that, but Boktar will know which tasks should be done first.¡± When the group had been smaller, they¡¯d grown careless about the chain of command¡ªmostly because neither she nor Corec liked talking about it, so the two of them had split up the duties between themselves without ever discussing it. Now that other people were involved, though, they would have to be more careful about sticking to their roles. As Marshal, Boktar was in charge of the workers outside the household staff. If Bobo wanted the old trade administration buildings rebuilt, he¡¯d have to go through the right people. Corec had final say about which order the projects should be done, and Boktar would enforce Corec¡¯s decisions. Ellerie wasn¡¯t sure where she herself fit in. Corec acted as if he expected she would take over in his absence, but the two of them had never formally discussed her role. Fenton nodded. ¡°As you say. I suppose I should go find Mr. Boktar, then.¡± Ellerie was about to follow after him when she saw a familiar figure leading a horse through the gatehouse and into the courtyard. Her mother¡¯s spy was wearing human clothing and had dyed his hair black again, but there was no mistaking his face. He stopped when he saw her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she demanded. ¡°Her Exalted Majesty received the letter you sent,¡± Melithar said. ¡°Eventually. There was some discussion about whether it was real or not. After all, why would a daughter of the royal family be playing mercenary in the free lands? But Vilisa recognized your handwriting and passed it along.¡± ¡°I sent that letter months ago,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We were still in Four Roads then. How did you know where to find me?¡± The spy shrugged. ¡°I made it as far as Hightower before I heard the dragon was already dead, but the rumors said the group that killed it was staying here. I took a chance. Besides, I¡¯ve been here before¡ªI used to come this way when I was heading to Tyrsall. You should know, even compared to the Matagor days, you¡¯ve got lousy security. No one stopped me at the gate. You don¡¯t have a gate.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to replace the gates, but these folks aren¡¯t used to soldiers and we¡¯re trying not to scare them by posting guards all around. Why are we talking about that? Did Mother send a reply to my letter?¡± ¡°She sent me,¡± Melithar said. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to tell you that she will consider your request, but only if you present your arguments in person.¡± ¡°What?¡± The spy allowed a look of sorrow to cross his face. ¡°She wants you to come home, Exalted. She wants to see you one last time.¡± ¡°Last time? Then she¡¯s ¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s dying,¡± Melithar said. ¡°She¡¯s held on longer than the healers thought she would, but it won¡¯t be long now. Even with fast horses, I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll make it back in time.¡± Ellerie nodded, steeling herself for the coming confrontation. ¡°I can be there tomorrow.¡± Book 5: Chapter Sixteen Shana attacked in a blur of motion, fists and feet striking faster than the eye could follow. Treya dodged the first few attempts, then blocked a kick, attempting to guide Shana¡¯s leg up and away to knock her off balance. It didn¡¯t stop the other woman for long, though¡ªshe spun around in a circle, using the momentum to carry her back to her original stance. Treya took advantage of the moment of distraction to launch her own attack, aiming for the radial nerve in her teacher¡¯s right arm in the hope it would slow her down. Shana leaned back, allowing Treya¡¯s strike to pass by, then grabbed Treya¡¯s arm and trapped it close to her body. Treya held still, ceding the bout. Shana let go. ¡°Not bad, though it could be better,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re still focusing too much on trying to find where I am rather than knowing where I will be. But I¡¯ve got a solution for that.¡± She pulled a long strip of cloth from her pocket and handed it over. ¡°Tie this over your eyes.¡± ¡°A blindfold?¡± Treya asked. Her teacher gave her an evil grin. ¡°Trust me.¡± Treya tied the cloth around her head, blocking her vision. ¡°Now,¡± Shana said, ¡°try to figure out where I¡¯ll be attacking you from next.¡± She poked Treya¡¯s ribcage. ¡°One point for me.¡± Her voice moved while she spoke. ¡°You can¡¯t see me, but you should know what your opponents are doing at all times, whether you can see them or not.¡± She patted Treya on the head from behind. Treya spun around but Shana had already moved out of reach. ¡°Not quite,¡± her teacher said from the left. Treya got an arm out just in time, stopping Shana from flicking her ear. ¡°One point for you, but I think you just got lucky,¡± Shana said. ¡°Now try to find me when I¡¯m not talking.¡± There was a faint brush of a foot against the ground, then a tap on Treya¡¯s shoulder. A rustle of clothing, then another tap. A flock of birds settled on the ramparts above, cawing noisily to each other and hiding any sound Shana might have been making. Someone, likely Katrin¡¯s brother, dumped a basin of water out the back door of the tavern. He went back inside, letting the door slam shut behind him. A pair of armsmen had left the barracks and now stood gossiping in their makeshift practice yard. The sound of trotting horses suggested Harri was exercising the animals in their paddock. Treya locked away each of the sounds as she heard them. She ignored the warmth of the sun cresting over the fortress walls, and let the summer breeze fade from her awareness. She felt herself slip into her meditation trance, something she¡¯d never attempted while standing up. The faint, oncoming pang of hunger¡ªgone. The sensation of her clothes and hair brushing against her skin¡ªgone. The slight twinge that was always present in her left thigh¡ªgone. There. Just at the edge of her awareness. Treya lifted her arm almost lazily, deflecting the strike. She spun, already knowing where the next attack would come from. She blocked it, and then the next. Concentrate and defend. Concentrate and defend. Each attack was different, but there was almost a pattern to it. Not a pattern formed of planning or design or repetition, but one that Treya and Shana were crafting together as they fought. And then, ¡°Miss Treya! Miss Treya!¡± Treya lost her trance and took off the blindfold. A young girl was running her way. ¡°Miss Treya! I hurt my leg!¡± The girl pulled up her skirt to show a skinned knee with a tiny drop of blood running down her calf. Treya gave her a stern look. ¡°What were you up to this time, Maya?¡± ¡°We were racing from the bridge to the hill and I fell. Can you fix it? It hurts real bad.¡± Perhaps another healer would refuse, preferring to save their strength in case they encountered a serious injury, but Treya had never liked saying no when someone wanted her help. The injury wouldn¡¯t require much power. She laid her hand on Maya¡¯s head, and a moment later, it was done. ¡°Go wash off the blood now,¡± she told the girl. ¡°Thank you!¡± Maya said, then raced back the way she¡¯d come. Shana stared after her for a moment, then sighed. ¡°I think I¡¯m beginning to understand the problem,¡± she said. ¡°I fear it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve led you down the wrong path.¡± ¡°But I always wanted to be a mystic.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Shana paused, thinking. ¡°The last time we met in Tyrsall, we spoke about finding your purpose and learning to separate it from distractions. The problem is that you live a life full of distractions, full of chaos. You¡¯re a healer, you¡¯re a mystic, you serve as one of Corec Tarwen¡¯s advisors. As a priestess, your role is to minister to the people, and as a mystic, your role is to protect them. As a ¡­ not-quite concubine, your role is to provide Corec with guidance. That¡¯s a lot of responsibility.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think what I¡¯m doing is similar to a concubine,¡± Treya said. ¡°If anything, Ellerie and Bobo are handling a lot of the tasks I trained for.¡± ¡°You¡¯re comparing yourself to what Nallee and Renny do for their patrons. A ruler¡ªand that¡¯s what Corec is¡ªhas different needs than a blacksmith or the owner of a trading company. Corec has more advisors because he has more responsibilities. That changes your role, but it doesn¡¯t make it less important. A whisper in his ear in private can be more effective than a discussion with a dozen trusted counselors. Of course, those whispers work better coming from an actual concubine.¡± Treya ignored that last part. ¡°What should I do?¡± she asked. ¡°The mystic teachers among the Three Orders try to emulate my way of doing things,¡± Shana said with a self-conscious grimace. ¡°Perhaps, for you, there¡¯s another way. What¡¯s the real goal of our training?¡± ¡°To learn who we are.¡± Shana nodded. ¡°The last time we spoke, I suggested the distractions are related your purpose, but that¡¯s the wrong way to think about it. They¡¯re not distractions at all, or even part of your purpose. They¡¯re simply part of you. Yet they¡¯re also causing uncertainty. Are you a healer, or a mystic, or both? Are you a concubine or an advisor? Right now, you¡¯re trying to straddle the line between them without choosing. You can be any combination of those things that you choose, but what you can¡¯t do is leave the choice unmade. How can you learn who you are on the inside if you can¡¯t even decide who you are on the outside?¡± ¡°So, I just need to choose?¡± Treya asked. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like it would make much difference. Shana laughed. ¡°Of course not. Two more suggestions. First, do the bloody exercises. I shouldn¡¯t have to keep telling you.¡± Treya felt herself blushing in embarrassment. ¡°And the second?¡± ¡°Embrace the chaos.¡± # Ellerie and her sister walked in silence, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the corridor. ¡°Are you going to speak to me?¡± Ellerie finally asked. They¡¯d exchanged awkward pleasantries when she¡¯d arrived, but it wasn¡¯t the reunion she¡¯d hoped for. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Vilisa replied. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for five years. You left me alone to deal with her. To deal with everything.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. They¡¯d reached the Heart Wall, so Ellerie held her tongue. The sentinels stood aside to allow them entrance into the inner palace, their eyes widening when they recognized her. Ellerie¡¯s tunic and leggings made a sharp contrast to her sister¡¯s robes of state. Once they were past, she said, ¡°You could have come with me.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t both leave! Someone had to stay with Mother and handle things when she got worse. Who would that have been if we were both gone? Avaro di¡¯Taris? Do you really want to see him end up on the throne? Our family has held Terevas for fifteen hundred years, and you were willing to throw it all away.¡± ¡°You know why I left,¡± Ellerie said quietly. ¡°We¡¯ve all had to make sacrifices, Elle. Everyone except you. So, no, I couldn¡¯t go. Someone had to stay behind and clean up your mess. Besides, what would I have done in Matagor? You were the one who wanted to go chasing after old stories.¡± Ellerie couldn¡¯t refute her sister¡¯s arguments. It was true¡ªshe had abandoned her responsibilities, leaving her mother and sister to deal with the consequences. Did it matter that she¡¯d never wanted those responsibilities in the first place? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. Vilisa shook her head. ¡°Forget I said anything. It doesn¡¯t matter now.¡± They¡¯d reached Revana¡¯s quarters, and Vilisa gestured to the door. ¡°The healer told me she¡¯s awake. You¡¯d better go in before she falls asleep again. Don¡¯t cast a mage light. We keep the lights low because they hurt her eyes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not coming with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you again after, but she doesn¡¯t like talking to more than one person at a time anymore. She says it¡¯s too hard to concentrate.¡± Ellerie nodded, then took a deep breath and entered the suite. The two sentinels in the sitting room bowed to her. ¡°Exalted,¡± one murmured. ¡°Alarein,¡± she said, greeting him with a nod. He¡¯d been part of her own personal guard before she¡¯d left Terevas. She didn¡¯t recognize the other man. ¡°I¡¯m here to see my mother.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Alarein said, standing aside to allow her through the door leading to the bedchamber. She hesitated before going in. Should she say something more to him? Alarein had served her for years, but she¡¯d never spent time befriending any of the sentinels. She already knew Corec¡¯s little band of soldiers better, despite the short time they¡¯d been together. She was here for another reason, though, and Alarein didn¡¯t seem to expect any more of a response. She¡¯d have to speak to him again later. She passed through the doorway into the darkened bed chamber, lit only by a few candles. Revana looked small and frail in the center of the wide bed. Her cheeks were sunken in her face, and her hair was gray and stringy. For a brief moment Ellerie feared she¡¯d arrived too late, but then her mother opened her eyes. ¡°So, you showed up after all,¡± Revana said. ¡°Exalted Majesty,¡± Ellerie said with a quick bow of her head. ¡°Your spy said you requested my presence.¡± ¡°Yes. I offer a bribe and you come crawling back.¡± Revana¡¯s tone was as biting as ever. Five years and nothing had changed. What had Ellerie expected? I will not become my mother, she said silently to herself. It had been her mantra before she¡¯d left home. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to beg,¡± she said. ¡°My friends killed the dragon, and we¡¯re reopening the old trade routes through the free lands. That costs money, but I¡¯m here to make a deal, not ask for a handout.¡± Something that could almost be a smile flitted across Revana¡¯s face. ¡°What sort of deal do you think would interest the kingdom of Terevas?¡± ¡°Terevas or the family,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°You choose which. If you give me the money to finish the work on the roads and keep them secure, any investment you make will be paid back with discounts for crossing the toll bridge. Sixty percent off the standard rate.¡± She had to give her family a better deal than she¡¯d given Duke Lorvis. ¡°Talk to your sister about the details,¡± Revana said. ¡°I find it difficult to think about numbers these days.¡± She closed her eyes and leaned back on her pillow. ¡°Send Melithar in on your way out.¡± Ellerie blinked. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± she asked. ¡°You wanted me to come all the way here for that?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t a mother wish to see her daughter?¡± Was she being sincere? Ellerie couldn¡¯t tell from the tone. ¡°If you say so,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°As for Melithar, or whatever his name is, he¡¯s still in the free lands. A friend of mine teleported me here. She can bring him too, if it¡¯s important, but he didn¡¯t want to leave his horse behind.¡± ¡°Teleported?¡± That perked Revana¡¯s interest. ¡°So that¡¯s how you got here so quickly. Tell Melithar he can buy a new horse. I need to hear what he¡¯s learned before I allow Vilisa to make any sort of deal.¡± She leaned back on her pillow and closed her eyes. Apparently the conversation was over. Ellerie headed for the door, but before she reached it, her mother spoke again. ¡°Thank you for coming.¡± There was a tremor in her voice. When Ellerie turned back, Revana was staring up at the ceiling, not meeting her eyes. That was as much affection as Revana would allow herself to show, but for her, it was a lot. Not all of Ellerie¡¯s memories were bad. There had been good times, too, especially when she was younger. It was Revana who¡¯d taught her to ride a horse, and Revana who¡¯d provided her earliest lessons in wizardry. Despite everything, they were still family. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what¡¯s happened to you,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And that I wasn¡¯t here to help. I know a good healer. Should I ask her to come?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen the best healers in Terevas,¡± Revana said. ¡°I doubt your friend compares.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Ellerie said. She hesitated, then spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m not here just because of the trade routes. I think Terevas should formalize relations with Corec Tarwen.¡± ¡°The mercenary you¡¯ve gotten yourself tangled up with? A bastard son from a minor house in Larso? What possible reason would we have to attempt any sort of diplomacy with him?¡± Her mother was better informed than Ellerie had expected. Maybe Melithar wasn¡¯t the only spy she¡¯d sent. ¡°He¡¯s not a mercenary. Now that the dragon is dead, he¡¯s claimed Matagor¡¯s old trade keep.¡± Her mother gave her an odd look. ¡°So? If anyone else had actually wanted a dilapidated heap of rock in the middle of nowhere, they¡¯d have done something about the dragon years ago. Even at its best, the keep was only there to watch over some farmland. The old Matagoran kings liked to write to me bragging about their plans for expanding into Meftil¡¯s territory, but they were always too scared of Larso to actually do it.¡± ¡°It may not be much to look at, but it¡¯s in an important location,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And the population of the free lands has recovered since the last plague.¡± She had her own thoughts about what Corec¡¯s region might become under proper stewardship, though she suspected Corec preferred it the way it was. ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m suggesting ties, though.¡± ¡°Do tell.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of the wardens?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a word that can mean many things, none of them specific.¡± But Revana had tensed just slightly. She knew. ¡°The wardens I¡¯m talking about are an order of mages who can enhance other mages¡¯ power,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°There are only a few at any given time.¡± ¡°An old legend,¡± Revana said. ¡°They don¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°Corec is a warden,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And I¡¯ve met others. They work in secret so no one learns about them, but they wield a great deal of power.¡± Much of that power came from the connections and business dealings they built up over their long lives rather than from their magic, but Revana didn¡¯t need to know everything. Perhaps Corec¡¯s secret wasn¡¯t Ellerie¡¯s to tell, but while she didn¡¯t like her mother, she trusted her. A formal relationship with Terevas might help to protect their fledgling territory. It wouldn¡¯t stop Larso from invading, but it would certainly give Matagor pause. ¡°And what, exactly, do they do with that power?¡± Revana asked. ¡°That depends on the warden. Corec just wants to watch over his region in peace, but he could be a valuable ally. He commanded the battle against the dragon, and he and his friends helped me find Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°One of the Ancients¡¯ cities? Is that what you were after all this time? Melithar told me you were searching for something. I don¡¯t really see what that has to do with this human being an ally.¡± Ellerie hid her sigh. ¡°One of the mages he¡¯s bonded is a dorvasta druid who¡¯s offered to grow tershaya for us.¡± ¡°The dorvasta already give us tershaya.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean just a few scattered seedlings. I¡¯ve seen Shavala grow dozens of full-sized trees in a matter of minutes.¡± Revana looked thoughtful for a moment, but then she shook her head. ¡°And give people like Retavin di¡¯Yedda what they want? He was the one who tried to assassinate us, you know. He¡¯s dead now, of course, but the tershaya have always been a false hope, held up by those who seek to gain power and influence by promising something that will never happen.¡± Ellerie had thought that suggestion would work. It seemed her mother hadn¡¯t gotten any easier to impress. ¡°That¡¯s your answer, then?¡± she asked. ¡°Nothing I can offer is important enough for you to even recognize our holding?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. What¡¯s your interest in this human man? I¡¯m certain you¡¯re not sharing his bed.¡± ¡°I trust him, and I trust my other friends. The region we¡¯ve claimed shows a lot of promise, and I think it would benefit Terevas to be first in line for any future trade deals. We¡¯re not ready for that yet, but someday we will be.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t make any decisions until I¡¯ve spoken with Melithar. I take it this means you¡¯re not planning to return home?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything that would risk Vilisa¡¯s claim to the throne.¡± Revana nodded. ¡°A convenient excuse, regardless of the actual reason.¡± Her eyelids drifted closed. ¡°Why did you let me leave?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been gone for five years, and Melithar is the only person you ever sent after me. You could have forced me to return if you¡¯d actually wanted me back. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Because you were right,¡± Revana murmured, not bothering to open her eyes. ¡°Vilisa will make a better queen than you ever would. You have neither the patience nor the temperament for the job.¡± It was one thing for Ellerie to know her own weaknesses, but another to have them laid bare by someone else. There was nothing she could say in response, but then her mother spoke again. ¡°Besides, I know the other reason you left,¡± Revana said. ¡°The queen must provide an heir, and no woman should be forced to raise children she never wanted in the first place. Take it from me.¡± Ellerie had to blink back tears. She¡¯d suspected the truth, but her mother had never admitted it before. ¡°I am not you,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I will not become you.¡± She¡¯d left Terevas because it was the only way to keep from turning into someone she hated. If Revana heard, she gave no indication. Book 5: Chapter Seventeen The sun was bright and warm and there wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky, making it difficult to hold enough charge to fly, but after a week and a half, flying had become second nature. Sarette had passed over Four Roads early the previous day, not taking the time to stop, and now she could see the dragon¡¯s keep approaching. She dropped in altitude as she passed over the river. The village appeared to be in much better condition than it had been when she¡¯d left. Most of the collapsed structures were gone now and new buildings were taking shape in their place. She flew over the fortress wall¡ªhigh enough up to be out of bow range just in case some young, inexperienced archer trainee didn¡¯t recognize her¡ªand came to a halt above the courtyard, hovering in place. A group of soldiers were training in front of the barracks, but there was plenty of unoccupied space beyond that. She dropped straight down, landing with a rush of air which blew dust and dirt away from her in all directions. The armsmen came to a startled halt and stared at her. They¡¯d seen her fly before, but the sparks flickering around her body were new, appearing as she¡¯d built up strength during the journey south. They faded from view as she allowed the internal charge she carried to dissipate. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± she said, greeting the soldiers with a nod, then paused in surprise. ¡°Sir Georg?¡± The last time she¡¯d seen him, he¡¯d been on his way back to Larso. ¡°That¡¯s Armsmaster Georg now,¡± he said. ¡°Hightower was too much of a bore. I couldn¡¯t let the rest of you have all the fun.¡± He gestured to the men. ¡°And I hear you¡¯re the captain of this lot.¡± ¡°I am.¡± At least she had been when she¡¯d left. ¡°You heard that, men!¡± he said. ¡°Your captain is here. Why aren¡¯t you saluting?¡± They managed a rough semblance of a salute. Sarette figured she should say something. ¡°Soldiers, I appreciate your attention to your tasks. I¡¯ll speak to Corec, Marshal Boktar, and Armsmaster Georg about your current assignments and then we¡¯ll figure out what we need to do next. I¡¯ll meet you here bright and early tomorrow morning. Until then, Sir Georg?¡± ¡°Right,¡± he said. ¡°Back to work, boys!¡± Sarette headed for the keep, eager to bathe and change her clothes, but she ran into Corec and Ariadne coming out to look for her. Corec grinned. ¡°I figured you were here when your bond suddenly changed directions,¡± he said, clasping her forearm. ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back.¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± Ariadne asked. ¡°It took longer than you thought it would.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a storm since I left the plains,¡± Sarette said. ¡°If I¡¯d only been going a short distance, I could have created one myself, but I couldn¡¯t have kept that up all day. I had to try and fly without it.¡± She gestured back at the practice yard. ¡°It looks like there have been some changes?¡± ¡°The knights forced Kevik out of the Order for helping us,¡± Corec said. ¡°The two of them showed up a few days ago. That won¡¯t change your position¡ªyou¡¯re still Captain of the Guard. Georg¡¯s going to handle most of the weapons training, and I¡¯m trying to convince Kevik to start a new order of knights. Oh, and Nedley¡¯s bringing back seven more soldiers for you, so you¡¯ll have twenty-one men under your command. You¡¯ll need to pick a third squad leader, but take some time to get to know them all first.¡± ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t have stayed away for so long.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ve had them clearing the roads and mapping out the best patrol routes, but with you and Georg here now, and Nedley on his way, it¡¯s time to get some real training done. Rusol has to know where I am by now, so we¡¯ve got to get ready.¡± Sarette nodded. ¡°I need a bath, but after that, we can talk about what you want done.¡± ¡°Tomorrow should be soon enough for that. Leena let us know you were almost here, so we¡¯ve been planning a get-together to welcome you back.¡± Sarette managed to keep the smile from slipping off her face. What she wanted more than anything was to sleep, but it would be good to see everyone again. ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°I just need to get cleaned up first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you,¡± Ariadne told her. They both had rooms on the third floor. Ariadne was quiet as the two of them climbed the stairs, but she kept glancing in Sarette¡¯s direction as if nervous about something. When they reached their suites, she said, ¡°Can I talk to you about something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sarette said. Ariadne led her into her own room and closed the door behind them. ¡°I have to tell you what I learned in Tyrsall.¡± ¡°Were you able to find someone at the temple who could help?¡± ¡°I spoke to Hera.¡± That was the name Ariadne used when referring to The Lady. ¡°She was there?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°In Tyrsall?¡± The other woman shook her head. ¡°It was a vision. And I guess I should say she spoke to me¡ªI don¡¯t think she could hear what I was saying. She told me what happened to the Chosar. She said ¡­¡± Ariadne paused, then started again. ¡°Have you ever heard of wild magic?¡± Sarette crinkled her brow at the change in topic. ¡°No.¡± ¡°My people encountered it from time to time. We don¡¯t know where it comes from, but we call it wild magic because no one¡¯s ever been able to control it. Hera said wild magic can kill the Chosar, and that the ritual did something that caused it to attack us. I think that¡¯s what she meant. The wardens had to change our people to protect them from it. Or maybe the people changed themselves¡ªshe wasn¡¯t clear on that part.¡± ¡°Changed them how?¡± ¡°She said the Chosar split into separate groups¡ªthe children of the sea, the stone, the sun ¡­ and the storm.¡± It took Sarette a moment to understand. ¡°You mean the stormborn?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right. The people from Tir Navis were gone long before Borrisur created ¡­ before he ¡­¡± Sarette¡¯s thoughts were going in all different directions. ¡°I think Hera used the word children on purpose,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Wild magic was dangerous to the Chosar, so they changed their children to be different. When you say Boreas created the stormborn, maybe that was how he did it¡ªby turning Chosar into stormborn.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve had the clues this whole time. The seaborn look like Chosar. The dwarves took over our settlement in the Skotinos Mountains, and they live underground like some of the Tirs. The stormborn ¡­ Snow Crown felt more like home than anywhere I¡¯ve been since waking up, and you¡¯ve always reminded me of my own people. Now I know why.¡± Sarette wasn¡¯t sure what to say, and she was too tired to come up with an appropriate response. ¡°Don¡¯t you see?¡± Ariadne said, tears in her eyes. She clasped Sarette¡¯s hands between her own. ¡°You are Chosar. I found you! You¡¯re still here!¡± It was clear from the look in the other woman¡¯s eyes that this was something she needed. She¡¯d been desperate to find news of her people ever since she¡¯d awoken. Whatever Sarette thought about it¡ªand she would need more time to figure that out¡ªshe couldn¡¯t deny her friend that acknowledgement. She gathered Ariadne in a hug, startled to find the other woman trembling. She held her until she calmed down. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Sarette asked, stepping back. ¡°I still need to talk to Boktar,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°I was waiting because I wanted to tell you first. After that, I¡¯m not sure. What if this is what Galina meant? Not that Borrisur was Chosar, but that all the stormborn are? Would that cause the chaos she was worried about?¡± ¡°It might. Or finding out the dwarves and seaborn are our cousins.¡± The three peoples had very little interaction with each other, given the locations of their homelands. ¡°Are you going to tell them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask Boktar, but ¡­¡± Ariadne hesitated. ¡°But I think people should know their past.¡± # The wizardry archive in the Glass Palace held nearly two hundred spell books, as well as dozens of drawers full of loose scrolls with individual spells. The archivist had identified five books which had once belonged to battle wizards. Ellerie thumbed through them until she found the one she was looking for. Someone had added new pages at the end describing each spell in the Elven language, but the original descriptions were written in Chosar. She added that book to the stack she was assembling. Hopefully it would include the spells Ariadne needed. Ellerie returned the other four to the shelf, then sought out her next target, a book of detection spells. She sat down to read through it, and found the prize she was seeking at the very end¡ªa spell to identify mages from a distance. If it worked the way she hoped, then in the event the keep was attacked, it would give her a way to locate the biggest threats before they were close enough to become threats. Ellerie was so engrossed in her study that she didn¡¯t notice someone else had entered the room until her sister sat across from her. ¡°I never welcomed you home,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°Sometimes I just get angry at the smallest things. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± That sounded like their mother when they were younger, but Ellerie couldn¡¯t tell her that. ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± she said instead. ¡°You had reason. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°And you,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°Mother told me what you¡¯ve been up to. I always thought Tir Yadar was just another excuse to go.¡± Before leaving Terevas, Ellerie had told her sister more about her plans than anyone else. ¡°Maybe it was,¡± she admitted, ¡°but it was also something I could accomplish for myself. Something that said that just because I didn¡¯t want to be queen didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t be something else.¡± ¡°You¡¯re happy, then? Out there?¡± Ellerie hadn¡¯t thought of it in those terms. ¡°I am. What about you?¡± Her sister barked a short laugh. ¡°What do you think? I¡¯ve had to take over all of Mother¡¯s duties. She hasn¡¯t been able to attend a Council meeting in two years.¡± ¡°You always liked that sort of thing.¡± Vilisa sighed. ¡°I liked the theory. The reality is different. The councilors are bloodworms, most of them. They alternate between demanding proof Mother is still alive and making plans for what they want to do after she dies. Half of them are trying to form coalitions in opposition to my candidacy, and the other half keep trying to introduce me to their sons. If they keep at it, I may need to start hinting that I¡¯ll follow Mother¡¯s path, and never acknowledge the father of my children at all.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Your offer to reopen the old trade routes came at the right time,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°Mother says you¡¯re looking for an investment?¡± ¡°We intend to open the roads anyway, but dealing with the dragon cost a lot of money. We don¡¯t have enough left to operate the region or keep the area safe from bandits.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the numbers,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°We¡¯ll see significant savings for any trade along the eastern routes. Mother said the investment will be paid back with discounted rates for the toll bridge?¡± ¡°Eight silver instead of the standard twenty, on any amount you offer up front,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The Senshall Trading Company has a similar deal, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll appreciate using your discount rather than their own when they¡¯re carrying di¡¯Valla goods.¡± ¡°Not just di¡¯Valla,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°I¡¯m going to extend the offer to the rest of the High Council. It should improve our standing before the election.¡± ¡°Are things really that bad?¡± Ellerie asked. It was rare for the monarchy to pass to another family. ¡°Not exactly. The other coalitions can¡¯t agree on a single candidate, and they¡¯ll never vote for each other¡¯s choices. But with Mother being sick for so long, anything that can strengthen our position is helpful. I¡¯ll be able to ignore the more annoying councilors for a while.¡± ¡°If you think that¡¯s best.¡± ¡°I do. Besides, there¡¯s less risk to the family if we¡¯re not paying for it alone. I¡¯ll sell chits to the other houses based on how much they contribute. Will five hundred gold be enough?¡± Ellerie blinked. Combined with other toll income, it would allow them to get by until tax revenue started coming in, and even pay back some of what they¡¯d borrowed. ¡°Ahh, yes, that¡¯ll do. But Mother said she won¡¯t make a deal until I can get Leena to bring Melithar back here. She doesn¡¯t want to take my word for anything.¡± ¡°Mother hasn¡¯t made any of the decisions for months,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°Will Melithar tell me anything different than what you¡¯ve said?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s good enough for me.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°What about the rest of my proposal?¡± ¡°Opening diplomatic relations with a tiny region that doesn¡¯t even claim to be a nation? I¡¯d have to agree with her on that part¡ªI don¡¯t see what benefit it would offer.¡± ¡°The trade routes, to start with,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°And we may be small, but we hold more land than Deece. You¡¯ve got an ambassador there. I¡¯ll admit, the population is tiny, but it¡¯s growing fast now that the land is available again. I¡¯m not asking you to sign treaties with Corec as if he was the king of Matagor. I¡¯m just saying that when our mines are operational and our farmers are producing excess crops, it would be good for Terevas to provide a representative to make deals.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to send an envoy just for that,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°Not if you¡¯re already there. You¡¯ll have to handle it yourself.¡± ¡°You want me to serve as your ambassador?¡± ¡°You know the situation and the people better than anyone else. Can I trust you to make decisions based on what¡¯s best for Terevas?¡± Ellerie considered that. ¡°When I¡¯m making a decision for Terevas, yes. The rest of the time ¡­ I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have the paperwork drawn up.¡± Vilisa gestured to the spell books. ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± Ellerie laid her hand on the small stack she¡¯d gathered. ¡°I¡¯m taking these. I¡¯ll bring them back someday, but I don¡¯t have time to copy a bunch of spells right now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving so soon?¡± ¡°Not for a few more days,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I still have some things to take care of here. But after that, I don¡¯t know what else I can do. She doesn¡¯t seem particularly interested in talking to me, and I can¡¯t just wait around for her to die. The only thing I¡¯d accomplish by being here is to hurt your chances at becoming queen.¡± ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d stay longer,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°I want to ¡­ I don¡¯t know. I feel like I barely know you anymore. I want to fix things between us.¡± ¡°So do I, but maybe now isn¡¯t the right time. We¡¯ll see each other more often if I¡¯m going to serve as your ambassador. It will get better, Ville. I promise.¡± Vilisa nodded. ¡°I hope so. But if you¡¯re going, you¡¯re not going alone. You¡¯re the queen¡¯s daughter, and until I have children, you¡¯re next in line for the throne, abdication or not. You¡¯re entitled to a retinue. I want you to take a squadron of sentinels.¡± Ellerie wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. ¡°I ¡­ don¡¯t even know where I¡¯d put that many people. The keep is full, and the barracks are primitive. Wouldn¡¯t a secretary make more sense?¡± And what would she do if Rusol attacked? Allowing Terevassian forces to fight Larsonians would have ramifications she wasn¡¯t prepared for. ¡°A secretary?¡± Vilisa asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You want me to send a spy?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then take the soldiers, Your Exalted Highness. When you¡¯re making deals in Mother¡¯s name, or mine, you represent both Terevas and di¡¯Valla. You need to look the part.¡± # Shavala came out of her trance, interrupted by the sound of Risingwind¡¯s excited squawks. She opened her eyes to find Corec dismounting his horse. The little dragon rushed over to greet him, causing Dot to shy away, snorting. ¡°Easy, girl,¡± Corec said to the horse. He positioned himself between the two of them before kneeling down to scratch Risingwind¡¯s head. ¡°Hey,¡± he said to Shavala with a grin. She smiled back. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were coming today.¡± ¡°I heard rumors about what you¡¯ve been up to.¡± He gestured to the walnut trees surrounding them. ¡°You¡¯re helping the farmers grow things?¡± ¡°Not these,¡± Shavala said. ¡°They were already here. I was just healing them of root rot. Zhailai¡¯s at the farmstead up the hill. The wife was nervous around Risingwind, so I brought him down here so we wouldn¡¯t scare her.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°How are other folks dealing with seeing a dragon? He¡¯s gotten bigger just since the last time I came to visit. I thought you were trying to avoid people.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t avoid everyone forever,¡± Shavala said. ¡°It¡¯s going well enough so far. When we hear about a family who lost someone to the mother dragon, Zhailai goes there alone and I keep Risingwind away. One man chased us off, but the rest have accepted our help.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re growing crops the way you grew the trees in Tir Yadar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not quite the same. The staff likes tershaya the best. For anything else, Zhailai and I can only do so much¡ªand the land can only handle so much. We¡¯re just bringing the crops up to where they should be at this time of year.¡± ¡°Then the farmers will get in a full harvest this season?¡± ¡°Most of them have only planted a few fields, but we¡¯ll make sure they can bring in what they do have before the frost comes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯ve been worrying about that,¡± Corec said. ¡°Most of the farmers who came here can afford one bad season, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen if they all have a bad season. We can barely afford to import enough food for just the people at the keep. I¡¯m not sure the folks in the villages have realized how much it¡¯ll cost to have everything they need sent down from Four Roads for the next year.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll come to that,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Even without the farmland, there¡¯s a lot that can be foraged. I¡¯ve been mapping it all out as I go. Most of the nuts and fruits and feral crops won¡¯t be ready until fall, but there are berries that¡¯ll ripen within the month. We¡¯ll have to start sending groups out to harvest them. I can show you where.¡± ¡°Really? That would be a big help.¡± He blew out his breath, then chuckled, some of the tension draining from his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing half the time, and everyone keeps wanting me to make decisions. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re here. I had no idea what I was going to do if we couldn¡¯t feed everyone this winter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you with that part, at least,¡± Shavala said. She wanted to say more, to reassure him, but she¡¯d left the keep just as the village had begun to grow in size. She didn¡¯t know enough about the challenges he was facing. As much as she wished to support her friends, circumstances demanded her attention elsewhere for now. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°How did you come up with the idea of helping the farmers?¡± ¡°The druids do the same thing back home. Zhailai and I couldn¡¯t have accomplished much on our own, getting such a late start, but the staff makes it easier.¡± When he glanced around, Shavala added, ¡°Zhailai¡¯s got it now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re letting someone else use the staff?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t keep it forever. It belongs to my people, so I need to make sure the other druids know how to handle it.¡± She wasn¡¯t ready to give it up yet, though. She¡¯d made commitments, both to the trees she¡¯d grown in Tir Yadar and to Ellerie. Corec nodded, then gave the dragon one last pat and stood up. ¡°While I¡¯m here, I should talk to the family. Do you know the name?¡± ¡°The husband is Kenet, the wife is Elwina.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound familiar. I may not have met them before.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll come with you,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I thought the wife was scared of the dragon?¡± ¡°Only a little scared, and Zhailai should be just about done by now.¡± They headed up the hill, Corec leading Dot while Risingwind loped ahead of them, eager to get back to the others. The dragon liked meeting new people¡ªwhether they liked meeting him or not. When they got to the log cabin, the farmer and his wife were still standing outside, watching Zhailai accelerate the growing cycle for a field full of corn. She¡¯d already done the same for the beans and the oats, and was now sitting cross-legged near the corn field, the staff balanced across her lap. ¡°Oh!¡± the woman, Elwina, said when she saw the dragon heading straight for her. She took a few steps back, then peered over her husband¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Risingwind!¡± Shavala called out. ¡°Come here!¡± He turned and trotted back, giving her a reproachful look. ¡°He did what you told him?¡± Corec asked. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡± ¡°He¡¯s getting better at understanding what I want,¡± Shavala said. Corec knew about the dragon¡¯s tree bond from the last time he¡¯d visited, but he hadn¡¯t seen how far the training had come. She pulled a hunk of dried beef from a bag she kept in her pocket and gave it to Risingwind as a reward. He didn¡¯t like dried meat much, but he accepted it. Corec stepped forward, greeting the farmer with a handshake and introducing himself. ¡°How are things going for you here, Mr. Kenet?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you settling in all right?¡± The man was still distracted watching the cornstalks grow. ¡°Oh, ahh, well enough, sir. Found the cabin already here. I¡¯ll have to rebuild it, but it¡¯ll do now that the weather¡¯s warmed up. Figured it was more important to get something planted. Then this.¡± He gestured to Zhailai. ¡°I¡¯ve met elves before, but never seen anything like this. How does it work? I just seeded that field yesterday.¡± ¡°Plants want to grow,¡± Shavala said. ¡°We just have to give them what they need. Corn should have been planted a month ago, so she¡¯ll convince it to grow that much.¡± ¡°As you say, Lady Elf.¡± ¡°I took a look at the walnut trees down the hill,¡± she told him. ¡°Most are healthy, and I healed a few which had root rot. You should have a good harvest.¡± The farmer wrinkled his brow. ¡°Walnut makes expensive wood,¡± he said. ¡°I was going to cut them down and sell them.¡± ¡°The oldest tree is no longer producing, and I marked two others I couldn¡¯t save. You can cut those three, but you should keep the rest. It takes twenty years to get black walnut to full growth, and these are the only ones I¡¯ve seen for miles around. If you want to harvest them for wood, plant more first.¡± He glanced at Corec, who shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s your decision, but I¡¯ve always valued Shavala¡¯s advice,¡± Corec said. ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to keep them around,¡± Kenet said. ¡°Never had walnuts before.¡± ¡°You should keep dogs and livestock away,¡± Shavala told him. Black walnut trees and their fruit were poisonous to animals. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that.¡± Zhailai joined them then, nodding a greeting to Corec before handing the staff back to Shavala. ¡°It¡¯s still taking me longer than it takes you,¡± she said. ¡°More practice will help.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± she said, then turned to Kenet. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can. You should be able to handle it from here.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Elf.¡± They said their farewells then and set out for the village of Creekbend, Corec still leading his horse. ¡°There was another reason I came out here,¡± he said as they walked. ¡°Oh?¡± Shavala said. ¡°Ellerie¡¯s away for a few days, so Treya wanted me to ask for your help.¡± ¡°Help to do what?¡± ¡°She thinks I have some sort of protection against magical attacks. She¡¯s been trying to convince me to test it, like we did when we were testing her fire-protection spell.¡± ¡°But without her spell this time?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Are you sure you want to do that?¡± ¡°No, but if I¡¯m facing Rusol or any other mage he might send after me, it may be important.¡± Book 5: Chapter Eighteen ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few days,¡± Shavala told Zhailai, hefting her travel pack over her shoulder. The other woman nodded. ¡°I should be done around here tomorrow, then I¡¯ll head to the other village¡ªthat river campsite we scouted.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there when I can,¡± Shavala said. She took one last look around the camp to make sure she¡¯d packed everything, then joined Corec, who¡¯d been playing with Risingwind while he waited. He stood when he saw her coming. ¡°Will she be all right on her own?¡± he asked. Zhailai was already heading out to another farm, taking the staff with her. Shavala snickered. ¡°She¡¯s three hundred years old, and she¡¯s spent more time among humans than any other living druid,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, ahh, I suppose she¡¯ll be fine then,¡± Corec said. ¡°I should probably warn you, I gave Kevik and Georg your rooms. Just until we have more of the building work done. I moved your things in with Katrin and me.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t stay in the keep anyway,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Now that Risingwind is larger, he¡¯ll just make a mess.¡± There were some things, it seemed, that the dragon couldn¡¯t be trained to do. Or not to do. ¡°Is the granary still empty?¡± ¡°The granary? Yes, but we haven¡¯t fixed it up yet. It¡¯s in bad shape.¡± ¡°As long as the door latches, it¡¯ll keep him from getting out while I¡¯m sleeping.¡± ¡°Katrin was hoping you would spend some time with us,¡± Corec said. ¡°So was I.¡± ¡°I will, but I can¡¯t leave him locked up by himself all night long.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll work it out. We¡¯ll have to scrounge up some boards to lay over the holes in the floor.¡± Shavala and Zhailai¡¯s camp outside the village of Creekbend was only a mile from the keep, and it wasn¡¯t long before Hilltop came into view. Risingwind had been bounding along ahead of them, his wings fluttering as they caught the wind. When he saw the village, he stopped and stared, tilting his head curiously at the unfamiliar sounds and activity. Shavala had kept him away from any settlement larger than a farm. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to do this,¡± she admitted. ¡°He¡¯s never been around this many people. And if he sees a chicken or a dog ¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try this,¡± Corec said. He knelt down and gathered Risingwind up in his arms, then stood. ¡°Oof, he¡¯s a lot heavier than the last time I picked him up.¡± The little dragon squawked in annoyance, but he was accustomed to being carried, even if it had been weeks since Shavala had been able to manage it. They took the main road up the hill, Dot following along behind. The people in the village stopped what they were doing to stare at the sight. They had to have heard rumors about the dragon already, and while some had fear in their eyes, others seemed merely curious. Corec stopped several times to reassure the settlers that they weren¡¯t in any danger. Risingwind struggled in his grip, twisting around and trying to look at everything at once, but Corec kept a firm hold on him. Excited whispers followed in their wake as people got over their initial fright. More onlookers arrived, drawn by the commotion, and fathers lifted small children onto their shoulders to give them a better view. Shavala didn¡¯t relax until they reached the gatehouse. She hadn¡¯t been so tense around people since her first visit to Tyrsall, but it seemed Risingwind had made it through his first real test. The settlers hadn¡¯t demanded that he be killed for his mother¡¯s crimes. Inside the courtyard, they were met by Sir Kevik. ¡°Bloody hell, Corec,¡± the knight said, staring at the dragon. ¡°You really let it hatch. I couldn¡¯t tell if you were joking or not. Do you know how dangerous that is?¡± His hand was patting the side of his hip, as if seeking the reassurance of a weapon that wasn¡¯t there. ¡°We¡¯ve got it handled, Kev,¡± Corec said. ¡°If it comes down to it, Shavala and I will ¡­ take care of the matter. But so far it¡¯s been fine.¡± Shavala was careful to not think too deeply about that. Corec wasn¡¯t part of the tree bond, but she didn¡¯t want to pass any violent thoughts of her own to Risingwind. ¡°If you say so,¡± Kevik said. ¡°Welcome back, Miss Shavala. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Shavala gave him a nod and a friendly smile in greeting. Kevik turned back to Corec. ¡°We may have a problem. Do you remember Eslin Hightower?¡± ¡°The baron¡¯s son?¡± Corec asked, letting Risingwind down. ¡°I know the name, but I don¡¯t think I ever ran into him. Hightower didn¡¯t let his kids roam around near the fortress.¡± Shavala knelt to scratch the dragon¡¯s head and make sure he didn¡¯t dart back out into the village. ¡°Eslin¡¯s the second son, and he¡¯s not a kid anymore. He left Larso for the free lands a few years ago¡ªto make his fortune, or so they said. There may have been more to that story, but if so, they kept it quiet.¡± ¡°All right. What about him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Kevik said. ¡°Along with two other lordlings. They¡¯ve asked to speak to you.¡± Corec was quiet for a moment. ¡°Well,¡± he said finally, ¡°I should have known they¡¯d show up at some point.¡± He looked over at Shavala. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll take Risingwind to see Katrin. Go do whatever you need to do.¡± # Corec recognized one of the visitors. He¡¯d encountered Blaine Derival during the winters he¡¯d spent in Four Roads, but had always avoided talking to the man. Back then, Corec had still been ashamed of how he¡¯d been forced out of the knights. He hadn¡¯t wanted to find out if the story had spread to the free lands. The youngest of the group had to be Eslin Hightower. He was close to Corec¡¯s age, with long, foppish blond hair. Both he and Blaine wore the finery of their previous station in life, though it had seen better days. The third man was the oldest, perhaps in his forties. Unlike the other two, he was dressed like a freelander, though one who was wearing his best outfit for a visit to town. ¡°Gentlemen, welcome to Hilltop Village,¡± Corec said. His words echoed around the nearly empty great hall. The room was too large, really, for what they needed. The three men stood to greet him. They ignored Kevik, who took a spot leaning against the wall near the entrance. ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Tarwen,¡± the older man said. ¡°Dorin Westport, at your service. I understand the appropriate term of address is Warden?¡± ¡°Call me whatever you like, Mr. Westport. We don¡¯t stand on ceremony here.¡± Hightower strode forward and clasped Corec¡¯s forearm. ¡°Eslin Hightower,¡± he said. Blaine raised an eyebrow at the overly familiar gesture, remaining where he stood. ¡°Blaine Derival,¡± he said with a quick nod. He didn¡¯t appear to recognize Corec. ¡°A pleasure to meet you all,¡± Corec said. ¡°Sir Kevik tells me you make your homes here in the free lands?¡± Dorin nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a rough place, but it can be rewarding for those with the right ¡­ fortitude.¡± He couldn¡¯t hide the quick smirk that crossed his face when he glanced at the two younger men. ¡°Fortitude?¡± Blaine said. ¡°Is that what you call mucking about in your fields?¡± ¡°Now, now, there¡¯s no need to be snippy,¡± Dorin said. ¡°We¡¯re all friends here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a farmer, then, Mr. Westport?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I dabble,¡± Dorin said. ¡°Some farming, some ranching. Mostly, I oversee things¡ªit¡¯s important to hire the right people to take care of all the little details.¡± That last bit was directed at Blaine again. ¡°Of course, some of my workers headed down your way when they heard there was free land to be had, but I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯ll find replacements soon enough.¡± A gentlemen farmer, it seemed. One who¡¯d either been careful with his money or was still being supported by his family back home. Eslin shook his head. ¡°You¡¯d never get me out on a farm. I prefer the city life, even if it is just Four Roads.¡± Four Roads was larger than the town of Hightower, but perhaps the man had spent some time in Telfort before coming east. ¡°What do you do, Mr. Hightower?¡± Corec asked. ¡°I¡¯m a businessman,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know how it goes¡ªalways one deal or another in the works.¡± He didn¡¯t notice Blaine rolling his eyes. ¡°Mmmhmm,¡± Corec said. ¡°So, what can I do for you gentlemen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite extraordinary what you¡¯ve accomplished here,¡± Dorin said. ¡°Everyone¡¯s heard of the dragon¡¯s keep, of course, but I hadn¡¯t realized the extent of it. And we must have passed a dozen new settlements along the way.¡± A dozen? Corec had known people were settling to the north, and his soldiers had even made contact with the nearest group, but a dozen was more than he¡¯d expected. And that would be just the new villages along the Farm Road. What about all the surrounding area? There was no way his few armsmen could patrol the whole region. He didn¡¯t let his surprise show. ¡°I can hardly take credit for it all,¡± he said. ¡°A lot of people have helped us get to this point.¡± ¡°Certainly, and yet everyone knows who¡¯s responsible,¡± Dorin replied. ¡°There¡¯s a sense of optimism that can¡¯t be put down entirely to defeating the dragon.¡± Eslin nodded. ¡°But such a large territory will be difficult to administer. You¡¯ll need help.¡± His eyes flickered to Kevik. ¡°The right sort of help.¡± Dorin shot an annoyed look at him for speaking out of turn. Or perhaps for saying too much. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We¡¯re all in the same situation here,¡± Blaine said. ¡°You need leaders and administrators, and that¡¯s what we were trained for. Between the four of us, we should be able to handle anything that comes our way.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°And I have contacts in southern Larso,¡± Eslin added. ¡°Noblemen and merchants with influence in the capital. With enough support from the peerage, King Rusol might very well grant you your own duchy!¡± Corec stared at him for a moment before answering. ¡°You know why I left the kingdom,¡± he said. The scattered sons of Larso in exile had an unspoken rule to not ask each other why they¡¯d left home, but Eslin had to know about Corec, even if the others didn¡¯t. ¡°Ahh, well, I ¡­¡± Eslin faltered for a moment before pointing to Dorin. ¡°Westport¡¯s family allows magic, and most of the other western lords. Why not here?¡± Dorin shrugged. ¡°Putting aside the question of support from Larso, I do believe we can offer skills your people here may be lacking. With such a rapid influx of settlers, you¡¯ll need help imposing order.¡± Eslin snorted. ¡°Can these freelanders even understand the concept of order? The mayor and town council in Four Roads are useless¡ªa single actual threat and they fell apart. What did they think was going to happen with no one in charge?¡± Corec forced down his first impulse. ¡°I noticed that myself,¡± he said, keeping his tone slow and even. ¡°The dragon had been menacing Four Roads for months before I arrived, and yet, in all that time, no one stepped forward to deal with it.¡± Blaine and Dorin looked away, realizing the trap they¡¯d walked into. ¡°Exactly!¡± Eslin said. ¡°But now, we can really make something of this place! Why, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if more of the free lands ask to fall under your protection. You¡¯ll need barons you can trust.¡± ¡°You say you lived in Four Roads, Mr. Hightower?¡± Corec said. ¡°Tell me, where were you when the dragon was attacking the surrounding villages?¡± ¡°Me? I was¡ªwhat do you mean?¡± Corec glanced at the other men. ¡°I was home,¡± Dorin said. ¡°Three days north of town. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re asking. I knew about the dragon, but I¡¯m no soldier, and I certainly don¡¯t have the sort of money you were throwing around.¡± Blaine scowled. ¡°What do you expect us to say?¡± he asked. ¡°We could hardly have gone hunting the damned thing ourselves.¡± ¡°No, of course not,¡± Corec said. ¡°That would have been foolhardy. But did you offer your services to the people who were taking care of the refugees? That so-called useless mayor and town council, who were doing everything they could to keep a bad situation from getting worse? Did you write to your families, asking them to petition the king for help?¡± Eslin finally seemed to realize what was going on. ¡°I don¡¯t see how any of that is our responsibility, but I would have been happy to fight by your side. I spent years training with a blade, and I intended to volunteer as soon as Larso sent an expedition. Unfortunately, by the time I learned about your efforts, you¡¯d already set out.¡± What good did the man think a dueling sword would do against a dragon? And Corec had spent two weeks recruiting and training his group before they¡¯d left Four Roads. Everyone in town had known. ¡°I see,¡± Corec said. ¡°Well, I certainly appreciate your offer of help, but I don¡¯t believe I have any fitting work for the three of you at the moment. I¡¯m sorry you came all this way for nothing, but I¡¯ll be sure to keep you in mind for the future. Who can say what will happen? Have a good day, gentlemen.¡± They protested at first, but it didn¡¯t take long before they realized the dismissal was final. Kevik offered to guide them out. Dorin held back after the others had filed out of the hall. ¡°I suspect you made the right decision,¡± he said. ¡°Derival couldn¡¯t manage to keep his own farm running, and Hightower never even bothered to try. All his talk about contacts and business dealings is nonsense.¡± ¡°And you?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just as bad as they are. If you¡¯d offered us any sort of power, I¡¯d have taken it without a moment¡¯s hesitation. But I¡¯ll get by. My cousin saw to it that I¡¯d have enough to live in comfort as long as I invested carefully, and that¡¯s exactly what I did.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Tell Blaine there¡¯s free land available here if he wants to try again. Same rules as everyone else¡ªa hide per family.¡± Dorin chuckled. ¡°What, and do all the work himself? Even I wouldn¡¯t take that offer. I¡¯ll remind him, but I suspect he¡¯d rather drink away the last of his coin, then slink home with his tail between his legs. Unlike the rest of us, he still has that option.¡± # Katrin crept out of the old granary building, leaving Risingwind curled up on a bed of hay. She closed the door behind her. ¡°He¡¯s asleep, finally,¡± she said. Even after eating three fish that one of the villagers had taken from the river, the little dragon hadn¡¯t wanted to settle down until he¡¯d reacquainted himself with the fortress. ¡°Good,¡± Shavala said. ¡°He hasn¡¯t figured out how to use his elder senses yet, but I still didn¡¯t want him to see what we¡¯re going to do.¡± She nodded to Corec and Treya, who were just arriving. Corec kissed the top of Katrin¡¯s head. ¡°The scouts say Hightower and the others are still heading north,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re going to stick around to cause trouble.¡± ¡°Are you sure you should have sent them away?¡± Katrin asked. ¡°What if they could be useful?¡± ¡°I know their type,¡± he said. ¡°I doubt we¡¯d get much work out of them. Westport, maybe, but even at the end, he was still trying to convince me he was different than the others. I don¡¯t believe him. Besides, Kevik has some suspicions about how they all ended up in the free lands in the first place. I don¡¯t want to be trying to figure out if I can trust them while I¡¯m waiting to be attacked by their countrymen.¡± Katrin nodded. Corec glanced at Shavala. ¡°I guess we should get this over with, so I don¡¯t have to think about it anymore.¡± ¡°How do you want to do it?¡± the elven woman asked. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you make a tiny fire. Can you do something that¡¯s hot enough to burn, but small enough that it won¡¯t burn much?¡± He and Treya had already tried testing with a regular, non-magical fire. The smell of burned skin and arm hair had lingered in the room, even though Treya had healed him immediately. Shavala held her hand out and a flame appeared cupped in her palm. ¡°Like this?¡± she asked. ¡°Is that hot enough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s how I start our campfires,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not the strongest fire I can make, but anything more wouldn¡¯t be safe.¡± Katrin found a twig laying near the granary and touched the tip to the flame. It caught fire and she blew it out, leaving a wisp of smoke to rise into the air. ¡°All right,¡± Corec said. He took a deep breath and plunged the back of his hand into the flame, then jerked it away. ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°But did it burn?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t wait long enough.¡± He put his hand back in the fire and held it there. ¡°It¡¯s hot, but not that hot. Like the dragon¡¯s breath after you cast your fire-protection spell.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s working?¡± Corec pulled his hand out of the flame and peered at it. It was unmarked. ¡°Did you cast a spell?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice one.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not wearing your armor this time, so it can¡¯t be from that.¡± He nodded. ¡°You were right, then¡ªat least for magical fire. I guess we still need to ask Ellerie for her help when she gets back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget Sarette. I wanted to do fire first, since I¡¯d already seen it working, but we should try lightning too.¡± ¡°Oh, hell, I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Treya grinned at him. ¡°Sorry, but we have to know.¡± Shavala allowed the flame to dissipate. ¡°Is that all you needed?¡± ¡°Unless you want to help us with the lightning magic.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a good idea,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Sarette has more control over it than I do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to leave already, are you?¡± Katrin asked her. ¡°No, I¡¯ll stay for a day or two.¡± She nodded to the granary. ¡°If I¡¯m going to sleep here, I should get a few of my things from your room.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Corec said. Katrin was about to follow when Treya held her back. ¡°Can I talk to you?¡± the other woman asked. ¡°Sure,¡± Katrin said, gesturing to the others to go on ahead. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Treya waited until she was sure they wouldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°Back in Tyrsall, when we were talking about concubines ¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You asked why I couldn¡¯t do it.¡± Katrin shrugged. ¡°I know you¡¯re not a concubine, but you told me you trained with them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Treya said. ¡°I meant ¡­ why doesn¡¯t the idea bother you? I¡¯ve been around concubines for most of my life, but it¡¯s never made sense.¡± Katrin considered that. ¡°I grew up in Tyrsall, in one of the poor neighborhoods. I used to walk through the rich parts of the city and dream about living in one of the big houses someday. Those men all had concubines, and I figured it was just part of that life.¡± She chuckled. ¡°It never occurred to me, back when I was trying to learn to be a thief, that maybe I could be the rich one and men would have to come to me.¡± Treya smiled at the quip, but then grew serious again. ¡°So if Corec takes a concubine, you really wouldn¡¯t mind? You wouldn¡¯t be mad, or jealous?¡± ¡°It depends what she¡¯s like. You¡¯re the one who told us how important it was.¡± ¡°Historically, it was important because most people didn¡¯t learn to read,¡± Treya said. ¡°The Three Orders tried to make sure that as many leaders as possible would have someone educated close by¡ªsomeone whose advice they would trust. But that was a long time ago. These days, it¡¯s mostly just because people want to continue the tradition.¡± ¡°So now you don¡¯t think Corec should have a concubine?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s still important. It¡¯s just important for the wrong reasons.¡± Treya shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m trying to say. I¡¯ve been having this same argument with Renny for years, and it¡¯s never gone anywhere. If you don¡¯t mind the idea, then ¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°Corec hasn¡¯t said anything about going to the chapter house, if that¡¯s what¡¯s bothering you,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes the idea of asking some random stranger to live with us.¡± ¡°What if she wasn¡¯t a stranger?¡± Treya asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shana says I need to decide who I am. She says I can¡¯t be half of a concubine. I need to choose, one way or the other.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always insisted you didn¡¯t want to be a concubine.¡± ¡°I lied.¡± Treya¡¯s whisper was so quiet it was almost inaudible. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t want it, but everything about the Three Orders pushes us that way. I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Corec?¡± Treya gave a tight-lipped nod. ¡°If the warden bond makes us live longer, I don¡¯t know who else it could be. But he doesn¡¯t seem interested¡ªhe¡¯s never said anything.¡± Katrin snickered. ¡°He just tries to not get caught staring. He thinks it¡¯s impolite. Besides, you¡¯ve never done anything to suggest you wanted him to show interest.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I took the classes, but nothing seems to fit. I¡¯ve known Corec for two years now, but a concubine is supposed to be able to attract a man the first time she meets him.¡± ¡°I think you already managed that part. Weren¡¯t you naked when you met?¡± Treya blushed. ¡°Well, yes, but ¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait until after the wedding and then we¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Katrin said. Maybe she was a little jealous after all. This was different than Shavala, who still treated her relationship with Corec as a temporary fling, even though it had been going on for a year now. A concubine was forever, and Katrin needed the extra time to get used to the idea. Treya nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± # Bobo set his pen to the side, stretching his fingers to keep them from cramping up. He¡¯d finished rewriting Ariadne¡¯s story, at least to the extent he understood it, but she wanted to end the book with the Chosar defeating the demons at the end of the war. Ellerie had written most of the notes on that particular topic¡ªAriadne rarely consented to be interviewed by both of them at once¡ªand Bobo had given himself a headache trying to translate the notes from Elven. Either Ellerie would have to make some time in her schedule to help finish off the book, or Ariadne would have to sit down for another interview. Someone knocked at the door to his study. The others might call it an office, but Bobo preferred the older, less formal term. ¡°Yes?¡± he said. Carn Tammerly came in. Leena had brought the young man from Larso before she went to Terevas, and Bobo had set him to speaking to the settlers who¡¯d asked to claim land but weren¡¯t planning on taking up farming. ¡°I¡¯ve got the last of the requests from Dobb¡¯s Grove here,¡± Carn said, handing over a stack of papers. Bobo flipped through the pages, separating them by the requestors¡¯ professions. ¡°What do these fishermen need with a hide of land?¡± he asked. ¡°Are they planning to farm as well as fish?¡± Tammerly gave him an odd look. ¡°A hide isn¡¯t a measurement of area, sir¡ªit¡¯s a measurement of taxation. For a farmer, it¡¯s one hundred twenty arable acres; for a rancher, it¡¯s a hundred sixty suitable for grazing. For the fishermen, it¡¯s fishing rights on the lake, plus twenty acres for a homestead.¡± Bobo stared at the other man for a moment. Suddenly, many of Corec¡¯s comments and the keep¡¯s old records made more sense, as did the odd shapes and sizes of the plots of land the farmers had claimed. Bobo had assumed the differences in size were due to not having surveyors available yet, but of course the farmers would have an instinctual understanding of how large their fields could be. They¡¯d simply included the non-arable land into their estimates to form a contiguous property. How could he not have realized the full meaning of the word? Well, Bobo was new to this task, and it wasn¡¯t like he could be an expert on everything. Taxes in the city were assessed by profession rather than by land, and he¡¯d paid very little attention to agricultural pursuits before his time among the hillfolk. But Corec would still tease him if ever found out. ¡°I see,¡± Bobo said. ¡°We, uh, we don¡¯t need to tell anyone about this little conversation, yes?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll look these over and get them back to you tomorrow. For now, perhaps you should continue reading through the old records. You might find something else I missed.¡± The young man nodded and returned to his own office while Bobo stared at the projects in front of him. He should probably track down Ariadne and see if she was in a good mood. He might need a few attempts to catch her at the right time. But the land claims were more urgent. Before he could decide, his vision went hazy, and then he was suddenly elsewhere¡ªthe place of endless mists he¡¯d found himself in after the battle at Tir Yadar. His benefactor spoke. Before you say anything, know that this is only a vision. I¡¯m still recovering from our last conversation. As before, the creature wasn¡¯t visible, but there seemed to be a faint shadow hidden within the mists. Was that a hint of a bushy tail? It disappeared before Bobo could decide whether it was real or not. ¡°Does that mean you can¡¯t hear me?¡± he asked. I have a task for you, the being said. I would not ask if there was any other way. An image appeared¡ªeight lines glowing yellow, floating in nothingness. Three of the lines were close together, running parallel to each other, while the rest were arranged nearby. There didn¡¯t appear to be any other pattern to them. Memorize this map. Take it to your Traveler friend. Tell her that it¡¯s time she learned to use the bracelet. Book 5: Chapter Nineteen ¡°Ditte!¡± Katrin¡¯s voice came drifting up from below. Razai peered over the edge of the lookout tower. ¡°She¡¯s going back inside,¡± she murmured to the child standing next to her. ¡°We¡¯ve got some time.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be mad if I hide from her again,¡± Ditte said. ¡°It won¡¯t be for long,¡± Razai said. ¡°We¡¯ll finish up soon.¡± ¡°But she was going to let us play games today instead of doing learning. She says when the new teacher gets here, we have to do learning every day.¡± Razai sighed. Ditte was fascinated by the secret lessons on fighting, but more because of their forbidden nature than because they were useful. She didn¡¯t face the same realities Razai had been forced into at that age. She was just a normal child, and easily distracted by everything that was going on around her. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡°All right,¡± Razai said. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ve been working long enough for today. But don¡¯t go yet¡ªI¡¯ve got a present for you.¡± ¡°A present?¡± Ditte¡¯s face shone with anticipation. ¡°What is it?¡± Razai retrieved the little knife and sheath she¡¯d set aside, then crouched down next to the girl. ¡°Pull your skirt up to your knee so I can tie this on.¡± Ditte held her skirt out of the way and peered down to watch. ¡°You cross the laces here and ¡­ here,¡± Razai said, ¡°then tie it off. Be sure to cross the laces twice or it¡¯ll just slip down your leg. And then you can tie it at the bottom too, to keep it from flapping around.¡± She leaned back to eye her work. ¡°I wanted to give you this now because I¡¯ll be leaving in a few days.¡± Ditte¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°Yes, after Nedley and your new teacher get here.¡± The girl¡¯s voice broke into a whine. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to go. You¡¯re really funny.¡± Funny? Razai couldn¡¯t remember doing anything funny. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here forever, Your Highness,¡± she said, standing up. ¡°Your turn. Try untying it, then tying it back on again.¡± Ditte gave her one last pout, then knelt down to loosen the knots. While she worked, Razai said, ¡°Now, do you remember all the rules? When do you use a real knife?¡± ¡°Only if bad men try to hurt me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and only if you can surprise them with it. Do you ever use it if you need to cut something?¡± ¡°No, I have to find a different knife for that, or ask someone else to do it for me.¡± ¡°And what if Dev or one of the other older boys is mean to you? Do you use the knife then?¡± ¡°Nuh-uh,¡± Ditte said, shaking her head. ¡°I kick him in the ballocks and run away and tell Katrin and Treya and Corec.¡± She managed to get the sheath off her leg. Razai had just crouched down to help her tie it again when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. ¡°Razai?¡± Corec called out. ¡°Have you seen Ditte? Katrin can¡¯t find her.¡± He reached the top of the stairwell. ¡°Oh, there you are, Ditte ¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Razai finished off the last knot, then patted Ditte on the leg. ¡°All right, go look for the other kids. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± The girl raced for the stairs, waving to Corec as she passed by. ¡°Was that a knife?¡± he asked. ¡°She¡¯s a bit young, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be more mad than that,¡± Razai said. Corec shrugged. ¡°My father gave me my first belt knife when I was her age. Mine wasn¡¯t a weapon, though.¡± ¡°She needs something to protect herself. You¡¯ve got an army headed your way!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that yet, and if anything happens, Leena will evacuate the children first.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t evacuate them if she¡¯s not here,¡± Razai pointed out. ¡°How long has she been away this time?¡± Leena had gone to Terevas with Ellerie, only returning briefly to let the others know they¡¯d be spending a few days there. ¡°If Rusol sends an army, we¡¯ll have plenty of warning,¡± Corec said. ¡°If he sends a smaller group, I think we¡¯ll be able to handle them.¡± ¡°How? You don¡¯t even have gates in your gatehouse! What good are walls if anyone can just walk right in?¡± ¡°Fixing the gates is the first thing Patrig¡¯s going to work on after Nedley brings the supplies,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m doing the best I can with what I have. But you¡¯re right¡ªwe need to do more. If Rusol sends troops, they¡¯re most likely going to come from Fort Hightower. I¡¯d like to hire you to scout it out and see if anything¡¯s happening there.¡± ¡°I told you, as soon as I talk to Nedley, I¡¯m leaving,¡± Razai said. ¡°You¡¯d better not think I¡¯m letting you bond me for a third time.¡± She¡¯d made him remove the warden bond after he¡¯d returned from Larso. ¡°Why are you in such a rush?¡± Corec said. ¡°You¡¯ve got friends here, you know. You could stay.¡± ¡°Friends who turned on me the minute they thought I¡¯d made a mistake? I don¡¯t need your damned friends!¡± That was the first lesson her father had taught her. Never depend on anyone else. How was she supposed to have known Rusol wasn¡¯t aware Corec¡¯s identity? How was she supposed to realize it even mattered, considering that the last she¡¯d heard, Corec had been on his way to the free lands specifically to draw Rusol¡¯s attention? ¡°Did they turn on you, or were they just worried?¡± Corec asked. ¡°It was my fault more than theirs¡ªI didn¡¯t take the time to tell everyone all the details. But you knew. Did you talk to them?¡± Razai hesitated. She was certain she hadn¡¯t misinterpreted things. Leena, her only real friend in the group, had yelled at her, and even Ditte had realized the others were mad. But if she was being honest, Razai hadn¡¯t made much of an effort on her end either. Or any effort at all, her mind added treacherously. ¡°I didn¡¯t talk to them because they didn¡¯t want to talk to me!¡± she snapped. Was that fair, though? Leena had come to her later and apologized. The others hadn¡¯t, but Razai hadn¡¯t given them a chance. She¡¯d spent most of her time hiding away in her rooms or up on the lookout tower, avoiding everyone but Ditte. Corec sighed. ¡°All right. If you want to leave, I can¡¯t stop you. I hope you¡¯ll change your mind.¡± He headed for the stairwell, then stopped and looked back. ¡°And I don¡¯t mean for scouting. You¡¯re welcome back any time, even if it¡¯s just to visit.¡± Then he was gone, and Razai stood alone at the top of the tower. This entire mess was her father¡¯s fault, but at least she¡¯d be done with it soon. Was it really a good idea, though, to head south across the plains during the hottest part of the summer? It wouldn¡¯t hurt to stay where she was for a few more months ¡­ Stop it! she told herself. You¡¯re letting them get to you again! The whispers laughed in her mind. # Ellerie had time to give her sister one last wave before Leena grasped her hand, and then the two of them were suddenly back in the great hall at the keep. Boktar was there already, looking over a series of sketches and maps which he¡¯d laid out on one of the long dining tables. He gave Ellerie an uncertain smile. ¡°Welcome back,¡± he said. ¡°How, ahh, how did it go?¡± His real question was obvious. ¡°She¡¯s still alive,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°For now.¡± She dropped her travel pack to the ground and sat at the table with a sigh. She¡¯d managed to have one more conversation with her mother before leaving, but Revana hadn¡¯t been entirely lucid and none of it had made any sense. She¡¯d seemingly been trying to warn Ellerie about the assassination plot against the family, even though she¡¯d already suggested the threat was over. Leena gave Boktar a look and a not-so-subtle twitch of her head. ¡°I¡¯ll go let everyone know we¡¯re here,¡± she said, then left the hall. Ellerie grimaced. She hadn¡¯t meant to push Leena away during their time in Terevas, but she couldn¡¯t keep complaining about her mother while knowing that Leena still mourned for her own. It had been easier to keep their conversations to a minimum. Leena obviously intended for Boktar to talk to her instead. The stoneborn man hefted the pack up to the table. ¡°That¡¯s heavier than it was when you left,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± ¡°Books,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Books and gold.¡± He raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t question her answer. ¡°How are you, really?¡± he asked instead. ¡°Family can be ¡­ difficult,¡± Ellerie said. Boktar gave a mirthless snicker. ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± she asked, indicating the papers strewn over the table. ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out how to fit more people into the village than it was ever designed for. Corec doesn¡¯t want us to grow beyond the hill. Not unless we make the hill larger first, and that seems like a task for another day¡ªor another year. How important do you think those warehouses are? If we tear them down, we¡¯d have more room.¡± ¡°Varsin Senshall is already sending out a work crew to rebuild one of them for his family¡¯s company,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°From the records Bobo found, it seemed like having both the easy river crossing and a safe place to store their goods is what made this place attractive to the trading houses. But Corec knows traders better than I do¡ªwhat does he think?¡± ¡°He said pretty much the same thing, but he left the decision up to me. I think he¡¯s more concerned about dealing with Rusol right now rather than worrying about what the trading houses want.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Rusol is the priority, but we should plan for the future too. The warehouses will be important someday.¡± Before she could add anything else, Corec arrived. He saw Boktar first. ¡°There you are. I was¡ª¡± Then he noticed her. ¡°Ellerie!¡± He checked her expression before continuing. ¡°Is everything all right?¡± he asked. Like Boktar, he knew why she¡¯d gone to Terevas. ¡°She¡¯s sick, but there¡¯s still some time,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go back again soon.¡± ¡°Well, welcome home for now. Sarette¡¯s here too, and Nedley should be back soon, but you missed Shavala¡¯s visit.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°I should probably tell you,¡± she started, ¡°I¡¯ve been appointed as the Terevassian royal ambassador to ¡­ here. I wasn¡¯t sure what to call the territory, so I just wrote in Warden¡¯s Keep on the documents.¡± Corec blinked. ¡°An ambassador for three villages?¡± ¡°I would have settled for convincing them to recognize our claim, and maybe someday sending a trade representative to visit, but my sister decided to make it more official.¡± Ellerie shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s trying to be helpful or if she¡¯s mad at me. She insisted that I bring a squadron of sentinels, but they¡¯re riding out, so it¡¯ll be a few weeks.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Those are your royal guards, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Not just royal guards, but yes.¡± ¡°A whole squadron? We¡¯ll need to find room for them.¡± Boktar snorted and pointed to his sketches. ¡°Good luck.¡± Ellerie said, ¡°I also hired two nilvasta wizards to help with the shaping business. The sentinels are going to escort them here. That¡¯ll give us time to get ready, and I¡¯ve got some extra coin now.¡± She patted her travel pack. ¡°What if we buy some of the older cottages back from the people who¡¯ve claimed them, and rebuild them into something larger? Apartment buildings and boarding houses?¡± Boktar chewed on his lip as he considered that. ¡°There are some families who¡¯d be willing to move to one of the other villages if we pay them. A few folks might want to run a boarding house if we build it for them. You¡¯re thinking your people would stay out in the village, then?¡± ¡°The wizards, at least. The sentinels really should be in the fortress. Somewhere.¡± ¡°Kevik and Georg are going to turn the second floor of the gatehouse into apartments for themselves,¡± Corec said. ¡°I was planning to add a third floor, in case Kevik recruits any more knights, but we could use it for the sentinels instead. How much room do they need?¡± ¡°They have private suites in the Glass Palace,¡± Ellerie said, hiding her grin when Corec winced. ¡°But if we can add two apartments for the officers, the others could stay out in the village.¡± ¡°There¡¯s that spot to the right of the gatehouse, too,¡± Boktar said. ¡°We could squeeze something in there.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°That¡¯ll take longer to build, but it¡¯ll give us back the space for the knight recruits.¡± They were quiet for a moment as they thought about the work ahead. It was Boktar who broke the silence. ¡°You were looking for me?¡± he asked Corec. ¡°I just wanted to tell you about Kevik¡¯s idea for the gatehouse. I checked in your office first.¡± Boktar gestured to the table. ¡°I needed more space, but I¡¯d better get things cleaned up¡ªthey¡¯ll be wanting to set the table soon.¡± There were two long, heavy wooden tables in the great hall, and Boktar was using the one they always used for dining. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t like this room much. Great halls have been out of fashion for decades, it¡¯s too big for what we need, and every time we meet in here, we have to be careful about what we say since the kitchen maids might come through at any time. What if we split it in two? We could have a more modern dining room, like in a manor house, and then a smaller meeting hall.¡± ¡°I like that idea,¡± Boktar said, ¡°but let¡¯s hope Nedley¡¯s bringing us more builders.¡± # The sun beat down overhead as Nedley ordered his caravan to make camp one last time. He¡¯d found a spot for them just across the bridge from the keep. There was no room for them in Hilltop Village, and he didn¡¯t want to repeat the chaos he¡¯d seen with the first caravan. It was easier to keep everyone in one place until they had somewhere to go. The folks at the keep would have been able to see the caravan approaching all morning long, and Nedley had barely finished giving out instructions before he caught sight of Corec and Boktar coming across the bridge. He went to greet them. Corec held his hand over his eyes to block the sun as he surveyed the long line of wagons, carts, and people. ¡°Care to tell us what¡¯s going on, Ned?¡± he asked. He didn¡¯t sound happy. ¡°You were only supposed to be buying supplies and hiring a few people.¡± Nedley took a deep breath. He¡¯d been worried about this moment. ¡°It was just like last time,¡± he said. ¡°People asked to come with us, and I figured it was safer to keep them all together. Some were already on their way here.¡± He tried not to sound apologetic. Corec would appreciate directness more than excuses, even if he didn¡¯t like the answers. ¡°This is a bit more than last time,¡± Boktar pointed out. ¡°Quite a bit more.¡± ¡°Everyone in Four Roads knew what I was doing,¡± Nedley said. ¡°People kept asking me what it was like here. A lot more went south on their own. We found new farms and villages the whole way down.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve heard about that,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do¡ªit¡¯s going to be a while before we¡¯re bringing in enough revenue to watch over the whole area. For now, we need to keep the soldiers near the keep. Just in case.¡± Boktar squinted. ¡°Do I see draft horses down the line there? Are those our wagons or someone else¡¯s?¡± ¡°We¡¯d already bought all the mules!¡± Nedley said, trying to hurry the conversation. He couldn¡¯t see Kimi through the crowd, but she was likely headed his way. He didn¡¯t want her to overhear him being lectured. Both men laughed at that, and Corec clapped Nedley across the back. ¡°We¡¯re just kidding. Leena¡¯s been telling us what you were up to.¡± ¡°You did good, Ned,¡± Boktar added. ¡°Even with ¡­¡± Nedley gestured vaguely. ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°You got the supplies, right?¡± Corec asked. ¡°As much as I could.¡± ¡°Hired the builders and the soldiers?¡± Boktar said. ¡°Yes.¡± The dwarven man shrugged. ¡°Then the rest of this isn¡¯t your fault. You can¡¯t control everyone in the free lands.¡± ¡°Those families without wagons or horses,¡± Corec said. ¡°Are those refugees? There seem to be a lot of them.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go,¡± Nedley said. ¡°I thought, maybe, we could find some sort of work for them?¡± ¡°All of them?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°Ned¡­¡± This time, Nedley could tell their concern was real. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell them no,¡± he said. ¡°Four Roads doesn¡¯t want them anymore, and ¡­¡± And he¡¯d been trying to make the choice Corec or Boktar would have made in his place. ¡°I can¡¯t hire all those people,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Even with the money Ellerie brought back.¡± ¡°Maybe they can work for Shavala,¡± Corec said. At Nedley¡¯s puzzled look, he added, ¡°She¡¯s been mapping everything around the keep¡ªthere¡¯s a lot of stuff growing wild after the old farmers abandoned the area. Between that and the staff, she thinks we can keep everyone fed, but nobody has time for foraging. Not on top of their own work.¡± Boktar nodded. ¡°If we send the refugees out with Shavala ¡­¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°We couldn¡¯t pay much, but if we let them keep or sell whatever they harvest, that might do the trick. They¡¯ll have to borrow tools to build cabins¡ªPinewood¡¯s in worse shape than Creekbend or Dobb¡¯s Grove.¡± ¡°Pinewood?¡± Nedley asked. ¡°That¡¯s the village with the old sawmill,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯ve been sticking with the original names for everything. You hired the sawyer, right?¡± ¡°Yes, plus his two apprentices and two more woodcutters.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll send him and his men to Pinewood, and as many of the others as we can, but it¡¯s not big enough for this many people. I¡¯ll take Bobo and Tammerly and go scout out more of the old villages this afternoon.¡± A crowd had begun to gather nearby, hoping to overhear if anything interesting was happening. Kimi and Sister Berit slipped through the onlookers and approached. Nedley introduced the two women to his friends. Corec gave them a short bow. ¡°Ladies, welcome to Hilltop Village. Katrin and Sister Treya have been looking forward to your arrival. Sister Berit, I trust the employment contract met your expectations?¡± He¡¯d slipped into the more formal tone he sometimes used. ¡°Everything is satisfactory, my lord,¡± she replied. ¡°Just Corec is fine. Or Warden Corec, if you¡¯d prefer. We¡¯ve found lodging for you in the village, with two women who started a laundry together. They have a couple of spare rooms¡ªall covered by your contract, of course. Or, if you¡¯d prefer, there¡¯s space in the servants¡¯ quarters in the keep, but those rooms are small and you¡¯d have to share. I figured you¡¯d want something more private.¡± Berit glanced at Kimi, then at Nedley. ¡°I believe the rooms in the village would be most appropriate.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Boktar, perhaps you could show them around? And Nedley, why don¡¯t you start introducing me to everyone?¡± He waited until the others were out of earshot, then added, ¡°You can start by telling me why one of the deserters is driving a wagon.¡± Nedley winced. # Leena stared at the sketch. ¡°What do you mean, someone asked you to give this to me? Who?¡± ¡°I had a vision while you were in Terevas,¡± Bobo said. ¡°From the god who chose me as a priest, I assume.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t know who it was,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I don¡¯t, but it seems he can still speak to me.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s how visions work,¡± Bobo said. ¡°In any case, he didn¡¯t seem inclined to answer my questions.¡± ¡°Could it be Allosur?¡± Ellerie asked. There were only three men among the new gods, and the God of Knowledge would be a fitting match for the former librarian. Bobo gave an expressive shrug. ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°What is it supposed to be?¡± Leena said, rotating the sketch to look at it from a different angle. Bobo took it from her, then handed it back facing the original direction. ¡°A map, he called it.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s really all I know,¡± Bobo said. ¡°Is this something that happens to priests on a regular basis? Being assigned random tasks out of nowhere? I¡¯m just supposed to give you the map. Oh, and tell you that you need to learn to use the bracelet. What bracelet?¡± Leena exchanged startled glances with Ellerie. She¡¯d almost forgotten about the jade bracelet she¡¯d stolen from Tir Yadar, as it had seemed less and less likely she¡¯d need it to protect her brother in some unknown way. Despite the bracelet¡¯s nebulous link with Traveling, Leena had begun to think it was meant only as a metaphor, a way for her Seeking to lead her to her new friends¡ªwho were quite adept at providing protection without any additional help. ¡°A bracelet, you say?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be sure to let you know once we figure it out.¡± She ushered him out of the room. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Bobo started. The elven woman closed the door in his face, then waited until they could hear him stalk away, muttering. ¡°Why would one of the gods care about any of this?¡± she asked. ¡°He must not like what the snake cultists are doing,¡± Leena said. It was the only answer that made sense. ¡°Something made my Seeking magic work differently than normal when I was looking for a way to protect my brother from them, and then Bobo became a priest when they attacked us at Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°That ¡­ fits,¡± Ellerie said hesitantly, as if she hadn¡¯t put the pieces together before. Leena looked at the sketch again. ¡°Does this remind you of the drawing you made after you tried the lore spell on the bracelet?¡± ¡°The three lines close together, you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. You thought it had something to do with where the Traveler was trying to go. What if the three lines were just part of the map, and now we have the rest of it?¡± ¡°But how can a few lines on a piece of paper tell you where to go?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Are they supposed to be streets?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Leena admitted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like any place I¡¯ve been before. Do you remember anything else from your vision?¡± Ellerie shook her head. ¡°Nothing useful. That place didn¡¯t feel like the real world, though¡ªit was just a gray fog. Whatever it was, it scared the person who went there.¡± Leena laid the sketch out on Ellerie¡¯s desk. ¡°The one you showed me had a mark on the lower of the three lines. This one doesn¡¯t.¡± She touched the spot. ¡°Is that where they were trying to go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The lore spell only gave me a shallow impression of what she was thinking and feeling at that moment. It didn¡¯t let me see her memories. Or his.¡± The lore spell let Ellerie see past events out of someone else¡¯s eyes, but in those visions, she would take that person¡¯s place, so she couldn¡¯t always tell if it was a man or woman. Leena went to the bedroom to retrieve the green bracelet from its hiding place in the wardrobe, slipping it over her hand. As always, it adjusted itself to fit securely around her wrist. She returned to the sitting room, pulling her sleeve back down to cover it. ¡°You¡¯re not going to try it now!¡± Ellerie exclaimed. ¡°Why not? If I end up in the wrong place, I can just return.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know what the right place is! What if it¡¯s dangerous? We don¡¯t know who Bobo was talking to or what they want with you.¡± Leena hesitated. She¡¯d taken on the responsibility of watching over her brother, and it wouldn¡¯t be right to put herself in danger while he was depending on her. And yet, her brother was the reason why she needed to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll come right back,¡± she promised. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a quick look. The bracelet is supposed to help me protect Udit somehow. I have to figure out how.¡± Ellerie frowned but didn¡¯t reply right away. Leena tapped the sketch. ¡°If it¡¯s a map, is it a map of somewhere or to somewhere?¡± The drawing wasn¡¯t enough to give her a location signature, and the pattern didn¡¯t match anything she could remember seeing before. How was the bracelet supposed to help? ¡°You didn¡¯t like where the Chosar Traveler went. What if I try a different spot?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t even know where you¡¯re going, how will you know if you went somewhere different? This is a bad idea. You should at least take me with you.¡± ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t have enough strength to bring us both back right away if we end up somewhere dangerous. Let me try it on my own first.¡± Leena pointed to the middle of the three parallel lines. ¡°I¡¯ll try this one.¡± She prepared to Travel, readying herself to teleport back again immediately in case she found herself falling through the air or landing in a body of water¡ªneither of which she cared to experience again. When she tried the spell, though, nothing happened. It felt just like trying to Travel without having enough information to target a location. ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± she said. Ellerie breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Good.¡± Leena slid her finger over the sketch. One of the new lines on the map intersected the middle of the three parallel lines at an angle, while barely missing the lines above and below it. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the angled line. She didn¡¯t have a real location signature to target, but as soon as she thought about Traveling, a wave of nausea washed over her and she had to take a seat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I think there are some spots on the map I just can¡¯t Travel to. And this one makes me sick.¡± She indicated the line in question. ¡°Why not ask your uncle about it? He knows about the bracelet.¡± ¡°He knows less than we do,¡± Leena said. ¡°I¡¯m just going to try one more time.¡± This time, she selected the upper of the three parallel lines and Traveled. Somehow it worked, too quickly to warn Ellerie. There was a stretching and tearing sensation she¡¯d never felt while teleporting, though, as if her body was punching a hole through a huge sheet of paper. Then Leena was at her destination, the edge of a wide cliff of bare red stone which overlooked a canyon so deep she couldn¡¯t see the bottom. Or perhaps it was more than a canyon¡ªit extended as far as she could see, dotted with skinny columns of the same red stone, like islands rising out of an invisible ocean. Waves of heat rose from below, and the sky above was filled with stomach-churning gray and yellow clouds. The height made her dizzy, and she quickly backed away from the ledge before taking a longer look around. Unlike the other outcroppings, her cliff was no mere island. She couldn¡¯t see an end to it in any other direction. No vegetation grew on the hard stone, but there were tall, brownish-gray mounds scattered around. The nearest of the mounds was only fifty feet away. Leena hesitated¡ªshe¡¯d promised to return right away, but she hadn¡¯t learned anything useful yet. A few more seconds wouldn¡¯t hurt. She approached the mound, then recoiled in disgust. It was just a massive pile of bones of various shapes and sizes, some still covered with decomposing flesh. A small, green-skinned creature flew around from behind the mound, bobbing awkwardly in the air on leathery wings while it whistled a discordant rendition of a song. It carried what looked like a fish in its spindly arms. When it saw Leena, it stopped in shock, its three eyes blinking in unison. Then it hissed and dropped its fish and rushed directly at her. Leena Traveled, returning to the keep. ¡°What happened?¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Where were you?¡± Leena grabbed Ellerie¡¯s hand to make sure it was real, then took deep breaths while she waited for her heart to stop racing. She described what she¡¯d seen. ¡°That sounds like an imp,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°But what was it doing here? Or were you in the demon realm?¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± Leena asked. ¡°They can cross into our world, so there should be a way to go in the other direction,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a group of wizards can cast a ritual spell to do it, but I don¡¯t think anyone who¡¯s tried it has ever returned. You¡¯d only be able to get back by using the same ritual again on the other side, and who has time for ritual magic if you¡¯re surrounded by demons?¡± ¡°The Chosar were fighting demons, right?¡± Leena said. ¡°They must have needed a safe way to get to them.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see any demons or red stone in my vision, though,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Just the fog.¡± ¡°Razai said something once, about hells¡ªthat there¡¯s more than one, and they¡¯re all different. Maybe you saw a different one.¡± ¡°Maybe, but why would we ever need to go to the demon realm?¡± Leena had no answer. Book 5: Chapter Twenty Nedley sat down heavily on a pile of half-rotted roofing timbers he¡¯d stacked outside his little cottage. ¡°But you¡¯re sure he¡¯s not a red-eye?¡± he asked. Razai had just told him his brother was under a demonic compulsion spell. Two years ago, Nedley wouldn¡¯t have known what that meant. Now he knew too much. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a red-eye, but ¡­ yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± Razai said. ¡°His eyes weren¡¯t red, for one. He could speak to me, he knew who you were, and he asked me to wish you good luck. That doesn¡¯t change things, though. Someone¡¯s still controlling him.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have tried to save him?¡± Nedley asked. A flicker of annoyance crossed her face, but it faded when she saw his expression. ¡°No, Ned. I¡¯m sorry. I was surrounded by Rusol¡¯s mercenaries, and your brother wasn¡¯t the only one under the spell. Even if I could have gotten him away from the others, I didn¡¯t have a way to free him from the compulsion. You¡¯ll need Treya for that, and I doubt Corec will want her going to Telfort.¡± ¡°Leena ¡­¡± Nedley started, then trailed off. Razai sighed. ¡°Ask the others if you want. Who knows? They can be stupid sometimes. But think about it¡ªdo you really want to send two women to face all of Rusol¡¯s mercenaries? Or were you planning to ask Corec? Do you think he can stop Rusol, his bondmates, and the entire Larsonian army? There¡¯s a reason why we¡¯re here, and not there. What¡¯s coming is going to be bad enough as it is. Don¡¯t make it worse.¡± Nedley didn¡¯t reply. She was right, but if he said it out loud, he¡¯d be admitting that his brother was lost. ¡°Anyway, I thought you should hear it from me before I headed out,¡± Razai said. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°Yes, finally. I¡¯ve got my pay, and there¡¯s nothing left to do here. I¡¯m thinking about Deece¡ªmaybe renting a place on one of the islands for a year or two. Do me a favor, will you? When you talk to Ditte, call her Your Highness. She¡¯ll like that.¡± Nedley wrinkled his brow. ¡°Uh, all right?¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll see you around someday,¡± Razai said, then strolled off, leaving Nedley alone. He was still sitting on the wood pile when Kimi arrived. ¡°Hey, I found you!¡± she said with a grin. ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t waiting too long.¡± She paused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I just got some bad news about my brother.¡± ¡°Oh no! What happened?¡± He could see the concern in Kimi¡¯s eyes, but how could he tell her the truth about Bertram without telling her the worst things about himself? That he¡¯d chased down wild animals and eaten them raw, drinking their blood, so that he and the other red-eyes didn¡¯t have to stop to make camp. That he¡¯d murdered innocent people just because they were in the way. It didn¡¯t matter that he hadn¡¯t been in control of his own actions, or even fully aware of them. Kimi was so innocent. Her life involved studying and doing chores, not magic spells and evil kings. If he told her the truth, she would never look at him the same way again. ¡°He decided to stay in Larso,¡± Nedley said. ¡°I was hoping he¡¯d come east, but he didn¡¯t want to leave.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kimi said. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll change his mind.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡± She glanced at the cottage. ¡°Is this it?¡± she asked. Nedley stood, putting a fake smile on his face. ¡°It¡¯s small, but it¡¯s sturdy,¡± he said, patting the stone wall. ¡°The houses were getting picked fast that first day. By the time I thought about it, there weren¡¯t a lot of choices left, but I like it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no roof.¡± ¡°It collapsed, and I don¡¯t know how to build one,¡± Nedley admitted. The new settlers had made good progress on rebuilding the rest of the village while he¡¯d been away, but Nedley had grown up in the city. He¡¯d never had to build anything before. ¡°I¡¯ll have to hire someone. Do you want to see inside?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± He showed her into the empty building, which only had two rooms. The main living area was open to the kitchen, so the heat from the cooking fire would warm the rest of the house. The kitchen didn¡¯t have a modern stove, of course, but it did have a chimney. The smaller room at the back of the cottage was obviously intended as a bedroom. Kimi trailed her fingers along the wall, peering up at the open sky above. ¡°Maybe you can add a second floor,¡± she said. ¡°What?¡± She gave him a mischievous grin. ¡°You can¡¯t put your wife and your mistress in the same room, you know.¡± Nedley blinked. ¡°Wife?¡± ¡°Of course. That is the proper order of things. And what if you have children someday?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that. I don¡¯t know if I can add a second floor.¡± It seemed like taking a concubine might be more expensive than he¡¯d anticipated. Was she suggesting he had to be married first? ¡°We should find someone and ask!¡± she said. ¡°With another floor, you could fit three or four more rooms. Is there a cellar?¡± ¡°No, the ground is too rocky to dig down,¡± Nedley said. Corec had suggested the hill was artificial, designed to make it difficult for an opposing army to tunnel under the walls. ¡°Then an attic, too, for storage!¡± ¡°That seems like a lot,¡± Nedley said. A three-story house? He didn¡¯t want to seem like he was putting on airs. Kimi¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°If you¡¯re an officer, you have to show it. People will trust you more if you look the part. That includes your home.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Her smile returned. ¡°Do you have something to draw on? Where should the stairs go?¡± Kimi¡¯s enthusiasm was contagious, and Nedley¡¯s mood improved¡ªjust a bit¡ªas they discussed plans for the future. She was careful to never suggest she¡¯d be living in the house with him, but he doubted she¡¯d be so interested if she was just humoring him. And she¡¯d stayed even after seeing he wouldn¡¯t be living a rich lifestyle. Now he just had to figure out what to do about it. She couldn¡¯t really mean he had to get married first, could she? # ¡°I must welcome you back to Sanvara City, Warden Yelena,¡± Empress Shereen said. ¡°Or do you prefer the name Carise?¡± Yelena stiffened and Leena tensed, preparing to Travel. She and Pavan stood behind Shereen¡¯s chair, in the same tea room where Leena had first met the empress. If Yelena were to attack, Pavan would attempt to teleport her into a warded holding cell while Leena took Shereen to safety. Five wizards and three dozen Imperial Guards were waiting in the surrounding rooms in case they were needed, but Leena and Pavan were the first line of defense. The moment passed and Yelena relaxed, leaning forward to pour tea into the two waiting cups. ¡°You are well informed, Your Majesty, but Carise died a long time ago,¡± she said. ¡°I am Yelena. For now.¡± Shereen nodded. ¡°Of course. How was your trip from Tyrsall?¡± ¡°Uneventful, though I forgot just how bright the sun can be this far south. But something tells me you didn¡¯t invite me here for a polite chat about sailing ships and weather.¡± ¡°To the point, then?¡± the empress asked. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll get the tedious bits out of the way first. I trust you won¡¯t interfere in my government or the functioning of the empire?¡± Yelena raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s your only request?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pleased you¡¯ve chosen to make your home in Sanvar once again, Lady Yelena. I won¡¯t hold you to a different standard than any other citizen. But perhaps there¡¯s something we can do for each other.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°A year ago, you were looking for the services of a Traveler. Are you still?¡± Yelena stared at her. ¡°I¡¯m curious as to how you get your information, Your Majesty. I haven¡¯t made any attempts to recruit in Sanvar¡ªI¡¯ve no desire to interfere with your people.¡± ¡°I appreciate that. Yet, the warden bond offers certain advantages. Perhaps those benefits can be shared.¡± ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Yelena asked. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me,¡± Shereen said. ¡°I¡¯m not an expert on wardens or their abilities. If I understand correctly, the warden bond is best used with weaker mages, helping them to achieve much higher potential?¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Yelena shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s how it works, but it¡¯s not something I¡¯ve ever taken into consideration. There are more important factors.¡± ¡°Such as whether the mage fits a need you have?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And do you still have that need?¡± Yelena leaned back in her chair. ¡°That would depend on the terms.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you identify a candidate with the gift but who lacks the strength to use it. This Traveler would then split his or her time between the Travelers¡¯ Posts here in Sanvar and your own interests¡ªwith appropriate compensation and working conditions from both sides, of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can agree to that,¡± Yelena said. ¡°There are reasons why wardens don¡¯t announce themselves. I¡¯m not in the habit of giving the bond away to mages with other priorities. My friends and I have duties to take care of.¡± ¡°Duties that require travel?¡± Shereen asked. ¡°You could have been in Sanvara City in the blink of an eye rather than spending weeks aboard ship. And I imagine someone with your business dealings has need for messages to be delivered around the continent.¡± Yelena inclined her head. ¡°I can¡¯t deny that.¡± ¡°Even just a portion of a Traveler¡¯s time is a powerful tool, and should be more than enough to meet your needs.¡± The empress raised a finger. ¡°But we must have measures in place to protect the mage in question. The Zidari are not warriors.¡± ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Yelena asked. ¡°A cooperative effort. In Sanvar, Travelers have safe locations to which they can teleport. They don¡¯t need to be concerned about being ambushed by their employer¡¯s rivals, or by those who might be jealous of their powers. Leena, here,¡± the empress gestured, ¡°has begun those efforts in the north. Help us to complete that plan and you¡¯ll have what you want¡ªaccess to the entire Travelers¡¯ network, both north and south, as well as a contract with the Traveler you bond, to cover more immediate needs.¡± Yelena considered that for a moment, then looked up. ¡°Leena? I¡¯ve heard that name before.¡± Leena gave her a respectful nod. ¡°Yes, Warden. Sarlo told me of your offer. I was on my way to Tyrsall to seek your help when I was pulled away by something else.¡± She allowed the rune on her forehead to flare. Yelena narrowed her gaze. ¡°Corec. That¡¯s how you knew who I was.¡± Shereen shook her head. ¡°Leena told us of your interest in Travelers after your friend¡ªSarlo?¡ªcontacted her, but the imperial diplomatic service has known of you for a very long time.¡± Leena wasn¡¯t certain if the empress was lying about that last part, or if she simply meant her spies had already been aware of Yelena¡¯s previous identity. Shereen herself hadn¡¯t known about wardens when Leena had first spoken to her. ¡°I see,¡± Yelena said flatly. ¡°Assuming I¡¯m willing to negotiate, there¡¯s another factor you haven¡¯t considered. I won¡¯t cast the binding spell on just any mage you suggest. I need to be sure of them first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask the senior Travelers to identify likely candidates,¡± Shereen said. ¡°We can tell them as little about wardens as you wish¡ªor nothing at all, until you decide on someone. You can interview them in whatever way you¡¯d like.¡± Yelena nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°You are welcome to return here at any time if you¡¯d like to discuss the details of the arrangement. I¡¯ll issue orders to that effect. I believe we can come to an agreement that will make everyone happy.¡± ¡°I hope we can, Your Majesty,¡± Yelena said. A servant came to lead her out. Shereen departed too, giving Leena and Pavan a significant look. She¡¯d already spoken with them before Yelena arrived, and their new orders were clear enough. Once they were alone in the room, Pavan said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you were able to make it back today. It would have been Rohav here otherwise, and he¡¯s still touchy about the idea.¡± ¡°He¡¯s touchy about everything these days, but he means well,¡± Leena said. Pavan nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something else you should know¡ªthe wards on some of the snake cultists have started to fade. The Seekers and Seers found their encampment. They¡¯re in the Table Lands.¡± Leena could feel her heart pounding in her chest. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going after them, with the army and wizards for support,¡± Pavan said. ¡°I¡¯m telling you because you have the right to be there¡ªyou declared blood feud¡ªbut you¡¯re supposed to be recovering right now, and a military operation is always a lot of work. It¡¯s going to be ugly. They¡¯re on the run, we¡¯ve already captured their families, and if it¡¯s anything like last time, they¡¯re not going to surrender.¡± Declaring blood feud had been impetuous, but at the time, it was the only thing Leena could think of to give her the strength to move forward. Looking back, it seemed foolish. There were others better suited for the task, and her role was to protect her brother. ¡°I trust you and the others,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be there to see it happen.¡± Pavan and his band of soldiers and Travelers could eliminate this particular band of Snake cultists, but Leena knew from her experience in Cordaea that there were others. If she was going to protect Udit, her time would be better spent trying to recuperate for real, rather than hiding how much Traveling she was still doing. She would need to be at full strength if she was going to figure out the puzzle Bobo had presented. # Other than a single winter in the capital, Ansel Tarwen had lived his entire life in his family¡¯s manor house, in the village that bore his family¡¯s name. It was a comfortable routine, varying by season but seldom changing in any significant way. He knew the sounds of his home like he knew the back of his hand¡ªthe baker calling out the special of the day, the sweet songs of mountain birds in the summer, the clatter of a pair of oxen hauling a wagon down the main road through the village. The sound of his sons arguing. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, a four-crop rotation will work out better in the long run,¡± Branth insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t care what it¡¯ll do in the long run!¡± Toman said. ¡°We¡¯ve been using the same system since Grandfather¡¯s day, and now you¡¯ve gone behind our backs and thrown off the whole schedule!¡± Ansel raised his hand to quiet them. ¡°What are we talking about here?¡± he asked. ¡°How many acres?¡± He hadn¡¯t seen any changes in the planting schedule for Tarwen Valley, and he¡¯d inspected those fields himself. ¡°Twelve hides, out in the Hole,¡± Branth said. Deserter¡¯s Hole was a small glen branching out from the main valley. That wasn¡¯t nearly as bad of a problem as Toman had made it out to be, but he¡¯d been in a foul mood ever since the newest round of rumors about Corec had begun filtering into the valley¡ªrumors that made it sound as if Ansel¡¯s youngest son had claimed a wide swath of the free lands, everything from Four Roads to South Corner. Branth had set the matter straight, but even the truth was well beyond what Ansel had suspected. He forced his attention back to the matter at hand. Branth had been trying to get him to switch crop rotations for years, but it had always seemed like too much effort. Luckily the experiment was limited to a small area, but Toman was Ansel¡¯s heir, and Branth would have to get used to his brother making the decisions. ¡°Tell me exactly what the impact is,¡± Ansel said. ¡°We planted less wheat than normal?¡± ¡°Less wheat and less barley, in a year when prices are supposed to be higher than ever in Telfort,¡± Toman said. ¡°Prices are just a guessing game until harvest comes around,¡± Branth said. ¡°And next year, we¡¯ll be able to add a third cash crop. That¡¯ll make up for the difference.¡± ¡°And the clover?¡± ¡°We can use the empty fields for grazing rather than having them lay fallow. That¡¯ll let us raise more sheep and cattle, and we won¡¯t have so much land going to waste every year.¡± Ansel drummed his fingers on his desk. Branth had planned his little rebellion carefully, but Ansel had to at least appear to support his older son. ¡°All right, here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do,¡± he said, but then paused. A new sound had drifted through the open window of his study, this one less familiar¡ªa large number of horses being ridden at a trot, then slowing to a walk as they drew closer. Even a natural walking gait had a mechanical rhythm to it when a dozen or more horses were traveling together. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Branth asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ansel said. It was too many horses to be one of his own mounted patrols. ¡°Soldiers or knights crossing through the mountains?¡± Toman suggested. That was possible, especially if they were trying to clear out any hillfolk refugees who hadn¡¯t received permission to stay. ¡°Maybe,¡± Ansel said, standing up from his desk. ¡°We¡¯d better go greet them.¡± He didn¡¯t want any incidents between the king¡¯s men and the refugees he himself had taken under his protection. Leaving the study, they found Mr. Melvin coming to fetch them. ¡°Sir, a visitor for you. He says he¡¯s with the Royal Guard.¡± Ansel exchanged confused glances with his sons. Why would the Royal Guard come out to the Black Crows? They weren¡¯t soldiers¡ªthey were the king¡¯s own bodyguards. They found the man in the sitting room. He was wearing an officer¡¯s uniform and was bracketed by two more members of the Guard. The rest must have remained outside with the horses. ¡°Welcome to Tarwen Barony. I¡¯m Ansel Tarwen, and these are my sons, Toman and Branth.¡± The officer gave him a careful nod. ¡°I am Captain Tark, Lord Tarwen,¡± he said. Ansel frowned. He¡¯d heard the name before¡ªTark was the head of the Royal Guard. What was he doing so far from the palace? ¡°It¡¯s not often we get visitors from Telfort,¡± Ansel said. ¡°Might I ask your destination?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come to speak with you, my lord.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Your youngest son, Corec, stands accused of dark magic and treachery against the throne.¡± Corec had warned of someone asking about him, but Ansel wouldn¡¯t tolerate the slander. ¡°My son is no traitor,¡± he said. ¡°Speak plainly¡ªwhat sort of treachery do you claim?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a matter you¡¯ll have to discuss with the king,¡± Tark said. ¡°Whatever you think Corec did, you¡¯ve got the wrong man¡ªhe¡¯s hardly been in the kingdom the past eight years. As for the magic, he¡¯s already been punished for that in Hightower, and I¡¯ve declared it to be legal within Tarwen Barony.¡± Ansel wasn¡¯t certain whether he actually had the right to issue that order. In the western cities, it was the dukes who¡¯d proclaimed magic to be legal, after Marten¡¯s great-grandfather had forbidden the Church from burning mages. Those dukes hadn¡¯t followed any official process¡ªthe kings since that time had simply never revoked their edicts. Tark¡¯s shoulders tensed. ¡°Is he here?¡± the man asked. ¡°In the barony?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t visit home often,¡± Ansel said. ¡°The last I heard, he was in the free lands.¡± Everyone in the region knew that much, so he wasn¡¯t giving anything away. The captain nodded. ¡°Then His Majesty requests that you return with me to Telfort so he can discuss the matter with you in person. He remembers fondly the conversations the two of you shared during your previous visits.¡± Two of Ansel¡¯s senior armsmen, likely attracted by the commotion in the village, entered the house and took positions to either side of the sitting room¡¯s entrance, pretending as if that was their normal post. Tark¡¯s men eyed them, appearing uncomfortable having armed men at their back. ¡°I am His Majesty¡¯s loyal subject, but what purpose would this trip to Telfort serve?¡± Ansel asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, Corec¡¯s no traitor¡ªthis is all some sort of misunderstanding. Besides, you can hardly expect me to leave my barony in the summer.¡± In truth, Toman and Branth could handle things on their own for a short time, but Ansel wanted to see how Tark would react. ¡°The king insists,¡± the man said. ¡°He would like to resolve the issue without any stain coming to the Tarwen family name.¡± It may have been couched in polite terms, but that could only be interpreted as a threat. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Toman offered. Ansel turned to look at his son. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Toman said with a grin. ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the capital in a while, and this way, Branth can deal with the mess he made of the crop rotation.¡± This close, Ansel could smell a whiff of whiskey coming from his breath. It wasn¡¯t even noon yet. Ansel had never taken Toman to task over his drinking¡ªhe only drank to excess when he was arguing with Vena. Ansel turned back to Tark. ¡°Give me a moment with my sons, please.¡± He led Branth and Toman around the corner and down the hallway so they wouldn¡¯t be overheard. Branth had a look of disgust on his face. ¡°You¡¯d stab him in the back that easily?¡± he asked his brother. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything of the sort,¡± Toman said. ¡°You said yourself that Corec wants us to tell them everything.¡± ¡°He also said it could be dangerous,¡± Ansel pointed out. ¡°Dangerous unless we answer all their questions,¡± Toman said. ¡°I know. You¡¯ve told me a dozen times. But the king has ordered you to attend him, and we can¡¯t ignore that. I¡¯m your heir¡ªhe¡¯ll accept me in your place.¡± Ansel hesitated. It was his own responsibility to go, but he wasn¡¯t certain he could control his temper if the king continued making false accusations. Would Toman be able to clear up whatever the confusion was? He seemed eager to make the trip, and the change to his routine might do him good. It would at least get him away from his wife and children until he got over whatever nonsense had set him off this time. ¡°All right,¡± Ansel said, ¡°but promise me you¡¯ll be careful. Make sure the king understands there¡¯s no way Corec would have acted against him.¡± ¡°How hard could it be?¡± Toman said. Book 5: Chapter Twenty-One Ellerie did her best to ignore the commotion as the foraging crew loaded baskets and sacks full of berries into the wagon bed. She was supposed to be working out a schedule for Shavala, but she had too much on her mind to make any progress. Leena had visited Terevas that morning only to find out that Revana¡¯s heart had stopped briefly the night before, then was started again by her attending healer¡ªmuch to Revana¡¯s anger. According to Vilisa, Her Exalted Majesty had left orders that healers were no longer allowed in her presence. Ellerie had been debating whether to return home again, but was there any point? It was too late to save her relationship with her mother, and she would only be a distraction for Vilisa, who was attempting to shore up her position with the noble houses. A hand waved in front of Ellerie¡¯s face and she blinked, realizing someone had been speaking her name. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I¡¯m ¡­ yes, I was just thinking. Will one wagon a day be enough?¡± The plan was for the foragers¡ªmostly refugees who hadn¡¯t found other work¡ªto keep some of the haul for themselves, sell some to the other settlers, and dry the rest for long-term storage. It was a partial solution to multiple problems, allowing the refugees to stock up for the winter while bringing in a bit of coin to support themselves. Once the harvest came to an end, the foraging crews would have enough time to claim land for themselves before the next growing season. ¡°For the berries, yes,¡± Shavala said, tracing shapes in the air with her finger to keep the little dragon distracted and away from the work crew. ¡°I¡¯d like to go for the apples next week, and we¡¯ll need five or six wagons a day for those.¡± ¡°You have apples this early in the year?¡± Ellerie asked. Shavala shrugged. ¡°I was regrowing the orchards anyway, so I accelerated the growth. Probably more than I should have¡ªit took two days, even with the staff¡ªbut Corec asked me to keep people busy, and most of the other crops aren¡¯t ready for harvesting yet.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°We can get you six wagons. We have plenty of them, and plenty of mules with nothing to do. Boktar will make sure you have what you need.¡± ¡°I thought he was coming out today.¡± ¡°He¡¯s training new drivers for that coal-mining crew from South Corner, so I offered to take his place,¡± Ellerie said. Plus she¡¯d needed the distraction. The foragers had finished loading their haul for the day, and the driver looked back at Ellerie for direction. She gestured for him to go ahead without her, so he clicked his tongue and the mules set off to the east. The foraging crew followed behind the wagon, on their way back to the newly settled villages of Pinewood and Skunk Hollow. ¡°You¡¯re not going with them?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°I wanted to talk to you first,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°You probably haven¡¯t heard that Yelena¡¯s in Sanvara City now. And Leena says the Seekers found the branch of the snake cult that attacked the Zidari camps. The Travelers and the army are going after them.¡± Shavala sighed, staring out at the horizon. ¡°A waste of life,¡± she said, though it wasn¡¯t clear whether she meant the initial attacks or the idea of the perpetrators being hunted down. Knowing Shavala, it was probably both. Ellerie envied her sometimes. ¡°What is the tree bond like?¡± she asked. Shavala tilted her head to the side, wrinkling her brow at the change of topic. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about that before.¡± ¡°No, not that. I mean ¡­ what is it really like?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know who I was without it,¡± Shavala said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you manage, not being able to feel that connection.¡± ¡°You told me once that I still have the bond, but that it¡¯s broken.¡± ¡°Not broken, just different.¡± Ellerie watched Risingwind curl up for a nap. ¡°Can you fix it?¡± she said. If the other woman had been able to give the tree bond to the young dragon, surely that was within her power as well. Shavala hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it,¡± she admitted. ¡°I asked Zhailai to bring two seedlings just in case. One was always meant for Risingwind if he needed it, but the other was going to be for you. Then things didn¡¯t go how I expected with him, so I decided not to mention it.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that just be because he¡¯s not an elf?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Shavala said, her voice distant. ¡°Dragons are part of the elder magic, like our own people are, but there was something else there too.¡± Then she shook her head. ¡°But that wouldn¡¯t matter for you.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll try?¡± Ellerie asked. Shavala always projected an air of peaceful serenity, even when she was jumping into something without thinking it through. If Ellerie could feel some portion of that, perhaps she could mend things with her sister. Perhaps she could face her mother one last time. ¡°Do you really want me to? If it works, I won¡¯t be able to undo it.¡± ¡°My mother is dying,¡± Ellerie said. She wasn¡¯t sure if anyone had mentioned that to Shavala yet. ¡°My sister is mad at me for leaving. Leena wants to try something dangerous and she won¡¯t talk to the others about it first. We¡¯re all expecting to be attacked by Larso, but we can¡¯t tell anyone about it until we know for sure. I just need ¡­ something. The dorvasta are always so calm.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Shavala said with an enigmatic quirk to her lips. Then she took the staff from where she¡¯d left it propped against one of the old cabins. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I planted your seedling with the other tershaya.¡± The grove was visible on the far side of the abandoned village. ¡°What, now?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°Will it be dangerous?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shavala said. ¡°It was only dangerous with Risingwind because he bit me. For you, it¡¯ll either work or it won¡¯t. I just didn¡¯t want to promise you something until I was sure I could do it.¡± They made their way to the grove, where a single tiny seedling was surrounded by other young trees. They were small for tershaya, but each had plenty of room to grow. Shavala drew her belt knife. ¡°I¡¯ll need a bit of blood,¡± she said, gesturing to Ellerie¡¯s hand. ¡°For the magic? I thought blood didn¡¯t actually do anything.¡± Ellerie wasn¡¯t an expert on dorvasta magical rituals, but she¡¯d read enough to know that. ¡°There was a time when it did, and this magic is very old.¡± Ellerie held out her palm, trying not to wince when Shavala sliced into it. Blood welled up into a little pool in her cupped hand. They knelt down together and Shavala had her wrap her hand around the seedling¡¯s stem. Or its trunk. Ellerie wasn¡¯t sure of the right terminology when it could hardly be called a tree yet. ¡°Hold onto it until I say to let go,¡± Shavala said. ¡°It needs to get big enough to root-bond with the others.¡± She sat cross-legged with the staff across her lap, closing her eyes. The seedling began to expand upward and outward, and Ellerie grimaced in pain as the emerging bark scraped against the cut on her palm. Her blood left a smear on the tree, and she had to stand up and take a step back to avoid being knocked over as it continued to grow. The growth slowed when it reached the others in height, but Shavala didn¡¯t move from her position. Ellerie waited in silence, taking in the buzzing of insects and the scent of sun-warmed pine needles. As she did, she became aware of the faint presence of the tershaya surrounding her. Her own tree provided the strongest sensation at first, but then it slowly faded until it matched the others. There was a brighter spot of emotions close by¡ªShavala¡¯s warm friendship gently buttressing Ellerie¡¯s thoughts. A bundle of curiosity came bounding over. Risingwind had never paid Ellerie much attention before, but now he sniffed at her, questioning whether she¡¯d brought him any food. And deep below it all was the sensation that everything around her was connected to everything else. Ellerie sniffed, realizing tears were gathering in her eyes. ¡°This ¡­ this ¡­¡± she started, then paused, unsure of what she wanted to say. Shavala gave her a small smile. ¡°You can let go now, you know.¡± ¡°Is this how you feel all the time?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°I changed it,¡± the other woman said. ¡°The dorvasta tree bond is too strong. It forces us to come to a consensus even when we don¡¯t agree. You¡¯ll feel what we feel, but you¡¯ll always be able to choose for yourself.¡± Ellerie nodded, her mind made up. ¡°Will you come with me to Terevas?¡± -- Trentin peered out at the dusty smudge to the northwest, then brought his spyglass back up to his eye. A dozen men on horseback led the procession, followed by many more on foot. The figures were too far away for him to see any details, but the whole thing had a military feel. ¡°Is there a big group due in today?¡± he asked. Cason shrugged. ¡°Not that I know of, but there have been a lot of messengers going back and forth.¡± The two of them were on duty at the lookout tower facing the Telfort Road. Watch duty was tedious, but at least it was half-pay, which was better than Trentin had managed since returning to Fort Hightower. Even after Kevik¡¯s expulsion, the dragon fighters were still out of favor with the senior knights. Trentin handed over the spyglass so Cason could take a look. ¡°Are those soldiers?¡± Cason said. ¡°I thought we were supposed to be sending the extra men here back the other direction, not getting more.¡± ¡°Has Matagor been making noise?¡± There hadn¡¯t been any border disputes in over a century, but unless the hillfolk somehow got themselves organized, Matagor was the only nation large enough and close enough to offer a true threat. ¡°How would I know?¡± Cason said. ¡°Nobody tells me anything anymore.¡± Trentin nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll run it in.¡± Although the knights had an official policy of stationing a messenger at each tower, the priests refused to pay for them. They insisted that when the kingdom wasn¡¯t at war, the duty officers could do the job just as well. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. At ground level, Trentin retrieved his horse from the small stable attached to the tower. Walking would have probably been fast enough¡ªthe Telfort Road was the safest approach in the region, and no one would attack Hightower from that direction¡ªbut he didn¡¯t want to risk losing the one duty he¡¯d been allowed to take on. After saddling the mare, he set out, crossing through the town¡¯s main residential district on his way to the inner fortress. Hightower was a less welcoming place than it had once been. Willem was dead, Kevik was gone, and the few remaining members of the squad had fallen under a cloud of suspicion. Even Sir Hordin, who¡¯d been part of their squad, would only stop to talk if no one else was around to see them together. Trentin couldn¡¯t really blame him. Kevik had sent Hordin to Telfort before the rest of the group had run into Corec, so the man had managed to avoid any damage to his reputation. He wanted to keep it that way. Trentin¡¯s own reputation hadn¡¯t been that strong to begin with, and now it was in tatters. He could fight well enough¡ªdespite Georg¡¯s comments to the contrary¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t good at leading people the way Kevik was, and he¡¯d never managed to distinguish himself in any way. The dragon should have changed that, but instead it had made everything worse. How was he supposed to face his family? His father had scrimped and saved for years until he could afford to buy Trentin a place within the knights, wanting to give him an honorable and respected position. Now that position hung by a thread. Trentin hadn¡¯t made the trip home to Saldar yet, but rumors must have reached them by now. He was sure to get a letter soon. He¡¯d spent a good chunk of time thinking about how he¡¯d compose his reply. At the fortress¡¯s inner courtyard, the only full knight out and about was the new armsmaster, Sir Levit, who was showing a new batch of trainees how to fight against a man in armor. Levit was one of the priests¡¯ toadies, but luckily he wasn¡¯t in the chain of command, so Trentin didn¡¯t have to stop to talk. He found Sir Loris in the man¡¯s personal quarters. After the explanation, the senior knight just nodded. ¡°Understood. You may go.¡± ¡°They¡¯re expected, then?¡± Trentin asked. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± Loris stared at him for a moment before responding. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, knight. Return to your post.¡± Trentin turned and left without speaking, stalking out of the inner fortress before he could say something that would get him into more trouble. He was nearly back at the lookout tower when he saw a familiar figure ride in through the Telfort Gate, followed by a squad of the king¡¯s mercenaries in their black armor. ¡°Barat?¡± Trentin asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The group had to have come from the larger force marching toward the town. Barat looked back at the squad commander. ¡°Go to fort,¡± he told the man, pointing him in the right direction. ¡°I will come soon.¡± His accent was as strong as ever. The mercenary saluted, then waved at his men to follow. Barat waited until they were gone, then dismounted and joined Trentin. ¡°Is war, my friend,¡± he said. ¡°More knights and mercenaries are coming from Northtower. We muster here.¡± ¡°War?¡± Trentin said. ¡°With Matagor? Or the hillfolk?¡± ¡°Neither. We march against Corec Tarwen.¡± Trentin blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is traitor.¡± An odd grimace passed over Barat¡¯s face as he spoke. ¡°What are you talking about? Corec¡¯s in the free lands. How could he possibly be a traitor?¡± Even considering that Corec was a mage, Larso had no say over the use of magic outside its borders. Barat glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. ¡°He sent assassin to kill the king.¡± Again that odd grimace. ¡°His Majesty must respond.¡± ¡°An assassin? Barat, you¡¯re not making any sense. Corec wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Corec had been away from Larso for a long time, and Trentin couldn¡¯t claim to know him all that well these days, but he still remembered how Corec and Kevik had watched out for him when he¡¯d first arrived at Hightower. Kevik had been a squire since he was seven years old, and knew all the ins and outs of the Order, while Corec, as a son of the peerage, was accorded more respect than the other trainees, and wasn¡¯t subject to the bullying that some of the younger, quieter boys faced. Together, the two friends had helped Trentin adjust to his new life. People could change¡ªand Corec had changed a great deal¡ªbut underneath his new air of command, he was still the same person. Would a traitor spend his own money to save the freelanders from a dragon? Would a traitor have led the battle himself? ¡°I know you were with him,¡± Barat said. ¡°The king says I am general now. You must tell me all you know about Matagoran keep in free lands. Size, defenses, armaments. I hear there is bridge. Is it west, along our approach? Or north?¡± The bridge was north of the keep, but Trentin could only stare at his friend in confusion. Defenses and armaments? ¡°The keep¡¯s an old mess in the middle of nowhere,¡± he said. ¡°What do you need an army for? He¡¯s only got a handful of men. Just talk to him!¡± ¡°This will not end in talking.¡± There was a sense of finality in Barat¡¯s words. He nodded in the direction his men had gone. ¡°I must report in. I find you tonight to speak more. You, Sir Georg, Sir Osbert, and Sir Cason.¡± ¡°Georg¡¯s gone.¡± The man had disappeared at the same time as Kevik, leaving only a note that he was retiring from the Order. Barat tilted his head to the side. ¡°Then you, Cason, and Osbert. I want full report on Corec, his men, and the keep. Tonight.¡± With that, he gave a nod and led his horse toward the inner fortress. Trentin stared after him. Osbert would be happy enough to tell Barat everything he wanted to know, and perhaps Cason would as well, but there was nothing more to tell. The keep Corec had claimed might be able to handle a roving group of bandits, but it certainly couldn¡¯t stand up to a real army. It had taken Trentin some time to stop blaming Corec for Willem¡¯s death, but Kevik had convinced him his anger was misplaced. All the knights had known what they were getting into when they¡¯d agreed to go after the dragon. It was what they¡¯d trained for¡ªfacing threats no one else could handle. Sometimes that meant losses. Now, Corec and the other men and women Trentin had fought beside were facing a much larger threat. Was he just supposed to tell Barat everything he knew, then march along with the attacking forces? Where did his loyalties lie? -- ¡°Let me try that hat,¡± Razai said to the trader. The enterprising young man had set up a roadside stand selling supplies and sundries to the travelers who were heading north toward the keep. Judging by the state of his camp, business had been good enough for him to stay in the same place for weeks. The trader handed over a wide-brimmed straw hat for Razai to try on. Unfortunately, it fit. She suspected she looked like a country bumpkin, but she needed something to keep the sun off her face. After paying for her purchase, she continued on her way. She¡¯d been taking the trip easy, not wanting to overwork her animals in the heat, so she¡¯d only come a hundred miles in four days. The angle of the road meant she was only about seventy miles south of the keep, but even though Corec had estimated that the dragon¡¯s territory hadn¡¯t extended that far, the settlements Razai had been seeing were still all new. Perhaps the people in the southern region had preferred to give the dragon a wider berth, or perhaps they hadn¡¯t wanted to be so far away from civilization. After all, South Corner was farther away from the keep than Four Roads was. Whatever the reason had been, it no longer seemed to be the case. The people here might fall outside the official borders Corec had set, but they¡¯d still come north because of his actions. It was a reminder that even the newest and least experienced of the wardens could wield undue influence on the world around him. A good reason to get away before the whole area erupted in war. That¡¯s not why we left, the whispers said. Be quiet, Razai told them. By mid-afternoon, the heat had grown worse. When Razai saw a long line of trees running along a creek, she nudged her horse off the road in that direction, causing the animal to snort in annoyance. ¡°Oh, stop your complaining,¡± Razai said. ¡°You¡¯ll like this better.¡± The pack mule followed them placidly, not caring about the details, and soon they were making their way south again, but this time in the shade. The grasses along the route were already packed down¡ªRazai hadn¡¯t been the first to come up with the idea. She rode past a young family who¡¯d decided to make camp along the banks of the creek, but she just nodded to them without stopping to talk. She wasn¡¯t wearing a disguise, and wasn¡¯t in the mood to wonder about how they might react when they realized she was demonborn. Then the whispers spoke again. Death comes. Where? Razai asked, drawing her knives and peering down the tree line. The family was still setting up camp. They certainly didn¡¯t appear to be preparing an ambush. Not here. Back. The road? Back. ¡°No!¡± Razai said as she realized what the whispers meant. ¡°I¡¯m not going back to the keep. Corec knows what¡¯s coming. I did everything I agreed to. There¡¯s nothing holding me there!¡± The whispers didn¡¯t respond, but she couldn¡¯t escape the feeling that they were silently judging her. What did they expect her to do? She didn¡¯t want to fight the only member of her family she¡¯d met in the last hundred years, but if she went back, she¡¯d have to. It seemed unlikely that Rusol would listen to her if she tried to reach out to him again. It was better to just go on her way so she wouldn¡¯t have to take sides. But then, what would happen to Ditte, who reminded Razai so much of herself at that age? Or Ditte¡¯s brother Harri, angry at the world¡ªa feeling Razai remembered very well? What about the others? Nedley, who was always so earnest in his attempts to do what everyone else wanted. Shavala and Boktar, the rare sort of traveling companions who were helpful rather than annoying. Leena, the one person who¡¯d apologized for overreacting to the news Razai had brought back from Larso. And Corec. He¡¯d never treated Razai with any suspicion, even after she told him she¡¯d been sent to spy on him. Why had he always put so much trust in her? It was stupid. He was stupid. She turned her horse around. -- Most tershaya in Terevas grew in small groves in or near the city, the royal family¡¯s arborists keeping careful records of each individual tree. Many had been donated by the dorvasta as seedlings, which were then nurtured for their first few years of life in the grounds behind the palace before being transplanted to their final homes. Ellerie and Vilisa approached the nursery grove in the dark of night, with only their mage lights to light the way. The entire grove was now surrounded by a circle of new-grown, ten-foot-tall trees. Four of the former seedlings on the west end had grown to the same height, the small smears of blood on their trunks not visible in the dark. Shavala was waiting for them there. Vilisa wordlessly clasped the dorvasta woman¡¯s hands, then approached the nearest of the trees, running her fingers along the bark. ¡°It¡¯s so ¡­ different,¡± she said, then stepped back, swaying unsteadily. Ellerie caught her by the arm. ¡°It takes some getting used to,¡± she said. It had only been a few hours since her sister had joined the tree bond. It was strange to have this new insight into someone Ellerie had known for most of her life. Vilisa was much harsher than she had been when they were younger, but underneath that, Ellerie could still feel the parts of her sister she knew and loved. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± Shavala asked. ¡°Well enough to understand the gift you¡¯ve given us, cousin,¡± Vilisa said. ¡°Everyone always said we¡¯d lost the bond forever.¡± ¡°It was the staff that granted it to us in the first place. It seems it can still serve its purpose.¡± Priestess Eloina was the next to reach the grove. She greeted them with a nod, then, as Vilisa had done before her, she approached her own tree, touching her hand to the spot where she¡¯d bled during the ritual. After a moment of communion, she turned to face them. ¡°She¡¯s on her way. When I left her suite, the porters had just finished preparing the litter.¡± Vilisa nodded. ¡°Douse the lights,¡± she said, extinguishing the mage light which had been bobbing above her head. Ellerie banished her own light, along with the two she¡¯d left along the path. Revana was sensitive to bright lights, so starlight would have to be sufficient. Soon they could hear heavy footsteps crunching along the gravel path. Four servants were carrying Revana on a makeshift litter, surrounded by a squad of sentinels. Melithar and Commandant Jorel followed behind the procession. Eloina had tried to insist on having healers present as well, but Revana had refused to rescind her order forbidding them within her presence. As the litter passed by, the queen held up her hand. The porters stopped, and Ellerie¡¯s mother turned her head on her pillow to look her in the eye. ¡°So,¡± Revana said, her voice wheezing in her chest, ¡°now we see if you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Mother,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°It could be dangerous.¡± ¡°One last ¡­ ¡° Revana stopped to take a breath. ¡°One last adventure. Do you remember, Jorel? Vilar?¡± Who was Vilar? Jorel was the only one to reply. ¡°Yes, Exalted, but please, you can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± That was said with just a hint of Revana¡¯s old strength. ¡°I will not have this argument again.¡± She signaled the porters and they carried her to Shavala, setting the litter down near one of the seedlings. Melithar gave a signal dismissing the servants. They seemed eager to leave. Ellerie doubted anyone had explained to them what was going on. ¡°Can¡¯t you put a stop to this, Exalted?¡± Commandant Jorel hissed to Ellerie. ¡°She¡¯s too weak. It could kill her!¡± Rumors claimed Jorel was Ellerie¡¯s father¡ªhers and Vilisa¡¯s. Revana had always denied it, but she¡¯d said the same thing about every other possibility. Ellerie had never had the courage to ask Jorel directly. If he was her father, he and Revana must have been much closer once than they were now. Shavala hesitated, giving Ellerie a questioning look. Ellerie faced Jorel. ¡°How much longer do you want her suffering to continue?¡± she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. ¡°She is still your queen, and she¡¯s made her decision.¡± He scowled but stepped back, and Ellerie gestured to Shavala. The dorvasta woman knelt down at Revana¡¯s side and carefully cut a slash in her palm. She helped Revana hold her arm out far enough to reach the tree, then set the knife aside to lift the staff in her free hand. The ritual had become familiar by now. Ellerie had gone through it herself, then witnessed it with Vilisa, Eloina, and two of Vilisa¡¯s closest allies among the noble houses. Revana held her hand to the trunk as the tree grew just tall enough for its roots to shoot deep into the earth and merge with its neighbors. As the tree¡¯s growth slowed, Revana joined the bond, a swirling mass of anger that nearly drowned out the fear and depression she¡¯d hidden from them all. She took in a deep, shuddering breath, then turned to face Ellerie and Vilisa. A river of sorrow and regret wove its way throughout her emotions, followed by fondness ¡­ and a feeling of relief at whatever she sensed coming back from them. But that was all. Perhaps it was fitting that her final words weren¡¯t to her own daughters. ¡°Thank you,¡± she told Shavala. And then she died. Book 5: Chapter Twenty-Two Yassi¡¯s family had given up their nomadic, goat-herding ways long ago, but they¡¯d maintained their ancestral camp along the coastline at the edge of Sanvara City. The water there was too shallow for deep-hulled vessels, but those who lived in the camp plied their trade as fishermen by sailing small skiffs out into the little cove they¡¯d claimed as their own. Most of Yassi¡¯s relatives preferred to live and work in the city itself, taking advantage of the more metropolitan lifestyle, but any member of the extended family was welcome home at any time. It wasn¡¯t safe for Yassi to stay at the camp¡ªthe location was too obvious¡ªbut she¡¯d been a regular visitor since arriving in Sanvar. This time, though, she hadn¡¯t come for a social visit. Her aunt was waiting impatiently outside one of the huts. ¡°I sent the messenger four hours ago,¡± Saira said. ¡°What took so long?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any carriages at this time of day, and Merice wanted to come with me,¡± Yassi told her. She¡¯d left the former queen playing on the beach with the younger children. ¡°Well, the Seeker is here¡ªshe¡¯s been waiting this whole time. She might work out as a bodyguard, too.¡± Saira led Yassi into the hut. There they found a woman of around thirty years of age, dressed in men¡¯s clothing in a modern Zidari style. A scimitar hung from her sword belt. The woman scowled. ¡°I was starting to wonder if you¡¯d changed your mind, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I apologize for the delay,¡± Yassi said. ¡°But please, call me Mera, at least outside this camp. I¡¯m trying not to attract any attention.¡± ¡°So your aunt said. My name¡¯s Narini. What is it you¡¯re looking to Seek?¡± ¡°My husband has become concerned that there may be a threat against our child¡¯s life,¡± Yassi said, patting her belly. She was visibly pregnant now. ¡°He sent me away for our safety, but I¡¯d like to make sure I wasn¡¯t followed.¡± The demonic compulsion didn¡¯t prevent her from lying, and she¡¯d managed to come up with a half-truth that didn¡¯t trigger a compelled response. She hadn¡¯t convinced everyone, though¡ªher grandparents seemed to think Rusol had sent her away in some sort of disgrace. Yassi wasn¡¯t sure whether Saira believed her or was just humoring her. ¡°Followed by who?¡± Narini asked. ¡°That¡¯s what I need your help with,¡± Yassi said. ¡°If I knew who they were, I could See them.¡± After arriving in the city, she¡¯d kept up a constant stream of viewings on her surroundings, but she¡¯d found it impossible to locate a ship sailing on the ocean when she didn¡¯t know which ship it was, nor who was on it. Narini grunted. ¡°Seeking¡¯s not much different than Seeing in that regard. I¡¯d need more details. Where I can help is in looking for imminent threats. I can Seek out someone who¡¯s nearby and planning to cause you harm, but it takes a lot of effort to keep that up for long periods of time. It¡¯s better to stay in a safe location and only venture out if you have to.¡± ¡°I have a house in the orange grove district,¡± Yassi said. ¡°I don¡¯t plan on traveling anytime soon.¡± It was Merice who¡¯d paid for the property, spending a fraction of what she¡¯d gotten for selling off her extravagant jewelry. Yassi had to be more careful with her own coin. ¡°That¡¯ll work, if you can secure the entrances. How many guards do you have?¡± ¡°Just one.¡± Lucanus had stuck around after Yassi announced she was staying in Sanvar. The other man she¡¯d hired had left after learning the voyage to Nobitar was a lie. He¡¯d been more interested in a paid ride east than in a long-term job. Narini raised an eyebrow. ¡°One guard? You¡¯re a queen, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean the same thing in Larso as it does elsewhere. It¡¯s more of an honorary title¡ªI¡¯m just the king¡¯s consort.¡± The woman gave Yassi a suspicious look but let the matter pass. ¡°You¡¯ll need at least one more guard, even if you hire me. How long is the contract?¡± ¡°At least until the child is born,¡± Yassi said. ¡°After that, I¡¯m not sure.¡± With two guards and a Seeker, plus her half of the servants¡¯ wages, she would be running out of money by then. She¡¯d have to find some way to support herself. ¡°I¡¯ll need to see the place where you¡¯re staying,¡± Narini said. ¡°I won¡¯t agree to a contract until I know what¡¯s involved.¡± Yassi figured she should ask some questions of her own. ¡°Have you done this sort of work before?¡± ¡°I spent the last five years working as a bodyguard in x¡¯Chxlthliss,¡± Narini said. She managed the name of the desertfolk city with ease. ¡°You lived with lizardfolk for five years?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t interested in working for the Imperial Seeker corps,¡± Narini said. ¡°The lizards made the next best offer.¡± Yassi nodded. ¡°Can you come to the house tomorrow? If you take Parade Street to the orange grove district and go west¡ª¡± Narini interrupted her. ¡°I¡¯ll find you.¡± Yassi nodded. ¡°Tomorrow, then.¡± After Narini left, Yassi turned to her aunt. ¡°I should get going as well.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stay for supper?¡± Saira asked. ¡°Lucanus is waiting for us, and I told the cook we¡¯d be eating at home. You¡¯re still coming out tomorrow night, though, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Mother¡¯s complaining that you¡¯re making her try northerner food, but she wants to see where you¡¯re living.¡± Yassi grinned and said goodbye to her aunt, then went in search of Merice. She found her near the water, kneeling in the sand with Azad, one of Yassi¡¯s young cousins. ¡°Yassi! Want to make sand monsters with us?¡± the boy asked. He¡¯d piled wet sand in a long line and was teaching Merice how to shape it into a sea serpent. Yassi smiled at him. ¡°Maybe some other time. If I got down there, I don¡¯t think I could get back up again. Merice, are you ready to go?¡± ¡°Oh, I suppose I should,¡± Merice said. ¡°Help me up?¡± Yassi gave her a hand. The voyage south had been difficult. Merice had mourned her son all over again as her memories continued to return, but she¡¯d finally begun to take some small joy in life once more. She was happiest around children, and seemed intent on playing grandmother to Yassi¡¯s child once it was born, regardless of their actual relationship. Before the two of them left the camp, Yassi closed her eyes and did a viewing on the surrounding area. She didn¡¯t See anyone suspicious, just the normal mix of residents and workers who inhabited this corner of the city. Lucanus was the only northerner she could find. She¡¯d had him wait outside the camp as usual¡ªher family knew her real name, and she wasn¡¯t ready to tell the bodyguard the truth. When Lucanus saw them walking his way, he gave a sharp whistle, waving to a disreputable-looking man who was watering his horse at a trough. The man looked up, then scurried back to a light, two-wheeled carriage, which he pulled over to re-attach to the horse¡¯s harness. ¡°Found us a ride,¡± Lucanus said. ¡°I¡¯ll hold onto the back.¡± The carriage only had one spot for the driver and two seats under the canopy for passengers, but beggar children often caught rides through the city by dodging the tall wheels and finding a foothold on the rear of the vehicle. Even with the carriage, it took half an hour to reach the orange grove district. Not that there were many orange trees there¡ªthey¡¯d been torn down over a century earlier to make room for the neat rows of homes that had taken their place. The house Yassi shared with Merice was no mansion, but it was comfortably large for the two of them and their few servants. The grounds were small, just a dozen raised flower beds and a tidy lawn of local grasses. A gardener came by once a week to take care of it all. Like the other homes on the street, the property was surrounded by wrought-iron fencing. The neighborhood was new enough that it reflected influences from northern building styles. Merice had been more comfortable with that than with the local styles they¡¯d looked at first. After they¡¯d arrived at their destination, Lucanus paid off the driver and sent him on his way. Merice rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take a nap before supper,¡± she said. ¡°This sun is really too much in the afternoon.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go out earlier next time,¡± Yassi promised. ¡°If you two are staying here, I¡¯m going to go try to find someone who can reinforce the shutters,¡± Lucanus said. While the house was generally northern in style, it followed the local custom of using lightweight screens or shutters for the windows, rather than panes of glass. The bodyguard hadn¡¯t been happy with how easy it would be for an intruder to remove the shutters from the outside. With Merice and Lucanus otherwise occupied, Yassi retreated to her bedroom and sat down with her scrying orb. Every day, she spent an hour or more searching for whoever Rusol had sent after her. She wasn¡¯t sure who it would be, but she knew he¡¯d send someone. Today, she started her search with Magnus, then added Kolvi and Sir Barat for good measure. Magnus and Kolvi were blocked from her vision, likely still behind the new scrying wards in the palace. Barat was in a war camp, in the same location he¡¯d been for the past week. His mercenary forces, their numbers growing by the day, had laid out their tents in neat rows near a fortress town guarded by Larsonian soldiers and knights. Based on the appearance, it had to be Fort Hightower. What was Rusol up to? In any case, Barat was nowhere near Sanvar, so Yassi turned her attention to the docks. She checked each ship she didn¡¯t recognize from previous days, particularly those with northern crews. She didn¡¯t find anyone familiar, but that didn¡¯t mean anything¡ªpassengers were unlikely to remain aboard ship after arriving at their destination. Her next viewing was of the Larsonian embassy, and there, her heart started thumping in her chest. Her parent were outside, directing a group of porters in moving their belongings into the building. The embassy had been the family¡¯s home once, back when Yassi¡¯s father had served as the ambassador, but that was unlikely to be the reason why they¡¯d come all this way. Yassi had been blocked from Seeing her parents for weeks, and she¡¯d assumed Rusol had moved them into the palace, inside the warding spell. Instead, he must have had Odwins cast the spell directly on them so they could move in secret. She¡¯d worried for months about who her husband would send after her. Would it be one of his other bondmates? A group of soldiers? Or would he launch some sort of political ploy? Instead, he¡¯d sent the two people she absolutely couldn¡¯t avoid. # Nedley batted his opponent¡¯s wooden practice sword out of the way with his shield, using the motion to put himself into position to launch a backswing that caught the man on his unprotected side. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Point to Nedley!¡± Georg announced. ¡°That¡¯s ten-three. Enzo, you¡¯re taking too long to get your shield in position.¡± Enzo was panting. ¡°He¡¯s too damned fast!¡± the former mercenary said. ¡°We still have some of the small shields left if you want one,¡± Nedley told him. Enzo was using his heavy wooden heater shield rather than one of the round silversteel shields from Tir Yadar. ¡°They¡¯re too small to cover anything!¡± ¡°They seem to do the job well enough against a single opponent,¡± Kevik said. The knight had been helping Georg evaluate the soldiers¡¯ skills with different weapons. ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t want to face a company of archers with one.¡± ¡°All right, we¡¯re done for the day!¡± Georg said. ¡°You¡¯re back here tomorrow, crossbows, and then you rotate to watch duty the day after.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Well? Go on, already!¡± Nedley¡¯s squad mates grabbed their gear and headed off in different directions. While duties were all organized by squad, not everyone in this group would remain in Nedley¡¯s squad. After Sarette chose a third squad leader, she would be reforming the groups so they could start focusing on different areas. Ral had already been selected to command the siege weapons, but no one had told Nedley what his own area of responsibility would be. He¡¯d made it almost as far as the gatehouse when Kevik caught up with him. ¡°You¡¯re not bad there with a blade,¡± the man said. ¡°Your hammer work needs more practice, though.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Nedley said, suddenly nervous. Boktar had only shown him the basics of using a warhammer, but it was the knights¡¯ preferred weapon for dealing with an opponent in plate armor. Nedley hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d done any worse than the rest of his squad. ¡°Has Corec taught you how to use a lance yet?¡± Kevik asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to do something about that. Come see me tomorrow and we¡¯ll try it out. I¡¯ve already cleared it with Georg.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a warhorse,¡± Nedley said. Horses bred and trained to charge into battle were rare¡ªand expensive. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Corec about getting some good horses. We¡¯ll need them if we¡¯re ever going to build up a cavalry unit. For now, you can borrow Dusty, but we¡¯ll have to go south of town to practice. There¡¯s not enough room here, of course.¡± Kevik gave him a nod of farewell, then headed off in the direction of the keep. Cavalry? Was that why the knight had sought him out? Nedley hadn¡¯t had any cavalry training whatsoever, and it didn¡¯t explain the warhammer comment. Warhammers could be used from horseback, but they weren¡¯t common among cavalry. They were more effective as a secondary weapon for infantry. Nedley wasn¡¯t sure he liked the idea of fighting from horseback. Wouldn¡¯t Corec or Sarette have mentioned something before now if they wanted him to become cavalry? It took entirely different skills than what they¡¯d been teaching him. He¡¯d have to ask, he supposed. Sarette would be the best person to talk to. Corec was too good at convincing people to do things. Nedley headed out through the gatehouse, waving to the guards on duty, then made his way to his cottage on the far side of the village. He still didn¡¯t have a roof. He¡¯d been trying to negotiate with some of the builders about adding a second floor, but even though they were almost done with their work on the fortress, they had plenty of other potential customers vying for their attention. Back home¡ªif it could be called that¡ªNedley washed up and changed into nicer clothing. Corec and Boktar had asked him to meet them at the tavern that evening, and he couldn¡¯t go smelling like he¡¯d been sparring all day. Thankfully, the village¡¯s southernmost communal well had finally been repaired, giving him a shorter walk to get water. When he arrived at the tavern, he paused in the doorway, finding a larger crowd than he¡¯d expected¡ªnot just Corec and Boktar, but also Katrin, Treya, Bobo, and Ariadne. ¡°Come on in, Ned,¡± Boktar said, then waved to Katrin¡¯s brother behind the counter. Barz brought over another ale. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Nedley asked, taking a seat. Corec grinned. ¡°It¡¯s come to our attention that you turned eighteen while you were in Four Roads. We didn¡¯t want to miss your birthday again.¡± ¡°Tonight is ¡­ for me?¡± ¡°Sure is, so drink up!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy a round for that!¡± called out Ezra from his regular spot in the back corner of the tavern. The shopkeeper had appropriated the table as a place to do business while he waited for the builders to start work on his new store. He was keeping his trade goods locked up in one of the old warehouses, and once or twice a day, he¡¯d head out there to fulfill any orders he¡¯d received. A few of the other patrons cheered at Ezra¡¯s offer. He looked flustered for a moment, apparently not having intended to include the whole tavern, but then he just gave a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t get everyone here tonight,¡± Corec said to Nedley. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to keep putting it off.¡± Ellerie, Leena, and Shavala were all away in Terevas, and Sarette had taken the new armsmen on a long-range patrol to get an idea of their capabilities. Boktar lifted a blanket-wrapped bundle from where it had been hidden below the table. ¡°Ellerie asked me to give you this,¡± he told Nedley. Nedley unfolded the blanket to find a gleaming silversteel breastplate and backplate, in the same style as his current armor. Corec chuckled. ¡°Did you think we wouldn¡¯t notice you were bursting at the seams? It¡¯s just the cuirass for now¡ªthere should be enough room for you to grow into it. We figured we¡¯d wait to see how much taller you¡¯re going to get before we replace the vambraces and greaves.¡± ¡°But how did she ¡­ ?¡± Nedley asked. It was Boktar who replied. ¡°We had most of what she needed already, and she brought back some more of that pure silver from Terevas. Corec helped her figure out the right size.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to take back the old armor,¡± Corec said. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to just give away a full suit of silversteel. But I told you we¡¯d do something if you outgrew it, so I wanted to make good on that promise.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Nedley said. He¡¯d worried he would have to give up his plate armor when it no longer fit, but it seemed his friends had anticipated the problem. They had to pause their conversation then as other patrons in the tavern, some of whom had traveled south in Nedley¡¯s caravan, came over to offer their congratulations. # Corec waved his hand in front of Nedley¡¯s face. ¡°You still with us, Ned?¡± he asked. The young man was glassy-eyed, having had a bit too much to drink. ¡°Wh - what? I¡¯m awake!¡± Boktar chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s probably about time we break things up.¡± The party had gone on until late, giving everyone a rest from the work they¡¯d been doing. It had felt like back in their traveling days, when they would stay in village inns night after night, spending their time in the common rooms. Most of the customers who¡¯d been in the tavern at the beginning of the party were gone, but others had arrived to take their place, including some Corec didn¡¯t recognize. Two tables were full of men he¡¯d never seen before. While the newcomers had eyed the festivities with some annoyance, they¡¯d kept to themselves. Corec figured tomorrow would be soon enough to welcome them to the village. Bobo was snoring, slumped down on the table with his head resting on his arms. Treya tried shaking his shoulder, but he didn¡¯t wake. She shrugged. ¡°We might have to leave him here,¡± she said. Bobo had lost weight during their travels, but he was still a hefty man. Corec nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll walk Nedley back to his place,¡± he said, then tugged on the young man¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Nedley asked. It seemed he hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the conversation. ¡°You need to sleep off the drink.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Nedley thought about that for a moment. ¡°Yes.¡± Corec picked up Nedley¡¯s new armor and headed for the door. As he went by the nearest table of strangers, he got a closer look at them. They had a hard-edged appearance that seemed out of place, and two were wearing sword scabbards on their belts. The others had knives or walking cudgels close at hand. Fighters, then, all of them. The other table looked to be the same. Were they just taking advantage of the newly opened roads, or had they come looking for work? Ellerie had brought back enough gold that the group could afford to hire more soldiers, but Corec didn¡¯t like having this many unfamiliar armed men within the fortress walls. He paused to talk to them. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± he started, and then chaos broke out. The nearest man grabbed a cudgel from the table, standing up to swing at Corec¡¯s head. Light rippled as Corec¡¯s shield spell deflected the attack. He bashed the man with the cuirass he was carrying just as another fellow tried to stab him with a dagger. The shield barrier flared again. After that, the whole room devolved into a brawl. Corec threw the cuirass at the second attacker and drew his long knife¡ªthe only weapon he had with him¡ªwhile his other combat spells snapped into place. He slashed at the man, but then the flare of a different shield spell caught his attention. Someone had tried to attack Katrin, triggering the ring she¡¯d taken from Tir Yadar. Corec didn¡¯t know the ring¡¯s limits, so he rushed Katrin¡¯s attacker, barreling into him and knocking him to the ground, then stabbing him in the gut and leaving him to bleed out. Another attacker approached but Boktar broke a chair over the man¡¯s back, then pummeled him with the remaining pieces. Corec pushed himself to his feet just as two more men came at him. He took down the first, picking him up by the shirt and throwing him to the ground, then stomping the heel of his boot onto the man¡¯s neck. The second assailant slashed at him with a sword, but Corec¡¯s armor spell prevented the blade from penetrating. Then Barz was suddenly there, stepping in front of Katrin with the heavy cudgel he kept behind the bar. He slammed it into the fellow¡¯s face, crushing his nose and dropping him to the floor. ¡°Get under the table!¡± Corec shouted at Katrin. In the commotion, she didn¡¯t hear him. She was yelling at the attackers to stop, but if she was using bardic magic, it wasn¡¯t having any effect. The battle had formed into two rough lines facing off against each other, but then Treya suddenly leapt onto a table and dove over Corec¡¯s head, landing in a somersault behind the attackers. She sprung to her feet in a smooth motion and jammed her glowing palm up against a man¡¯s jaw. He collapsed and she turned to find another opponent. With a flicker, Ariadne joined her behind the enemy line. The Chosar woman had no weapons or armor, but she summoned a spinning shield of flame out of nothing, touching it against a man who¡¯d backed Ezra against the wall. The shield dissipated on contact but her target shrieked in agony, burning to death in an instant. Before any of his companions could strike back at her, she disappeared from view. A moment later, another flaming shield appeared at the far end of the line, indicating her new position. More strangers came through the door as the fight progressed, and the formations divided back into separate battles. A new, gaunt-faced man carrying a sword grinned when he saw Corec standing alone with just a knife. Before he could close the distance, though, Nedley appeared out of nowhere and dove at Corec¡¯s legs, knocking him to the floor. ¡°What the hell, Ned? Get off me!¡± Corec pushed the young man away and stood up. Nedley had stood too, and was now keeping himself between the two of them, his arms out to his sides. ¡°Get out of my way, Ned!¡± the attacker exclaimed. ¡°Stop it, Bert!¡± Nedley shouted. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The door swung open again and Razai strode through, holding a man up off the ground by his throat. She bashed his head against the doorjamb and dropped him to the ground, then drew one of her knives and slashed open the nearest attacker¡¯s throat. ¡°Treya, red-eyes!¡± she yelled. Treya spun out of the way of a dagger, then opened her mouth to shout. A clear bell tone came out. A flash of white light washed over the room and the remaining attackers collapsed where they stood. Taking a deep breath, she thrust her arms out to the sides and did it again. The flash of light was brighter this time, and the bell sound echoed outside the building to the fortress walls and back again. It took a moment for everyone to realize the fight was over. ¡°There are more outside,¡± Treya said. ¡°They¡¯re down, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go get the men and some rope,¡± Boktar said. A rivulet of blood ran down his cheek, but he didn¡¯t seem badly injured. ¡°Can you keep them asleep until we have them tied up?¡± Treya nodded. ¡°Barz!¡± Katrin shouted, scrambling over to her brother. He¡¯d collapsed down onto one of the chairs, holding his hand against his stomach. Blood was seeping through his fingers. Ana, who¡¯d been peeking out from the stairwell, repeated Katrin¡¯s cry. The heavily pregnant woman made her way over more slowly, almost slipping on a puddle of blood, but Ezra caught her arm and helped her. Treya held her hands to Barz¡¯s head and stomach, healing him. ¡°You should be good now,¡± she said, stepping back. Katrin hugged her brother tightly, then moved out of the way so Ana could take her place. With time to think, Corec looked around the room. Ezra wasn¡¯t the only villager still there. The others all appeared stunned by the sudden violence. ¡°Is anyone else hurt?¡± Corec asked. They slowly shook their heads. Seeing their response, Treya relaxed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said to Corec. ¡°Something felt wrong, but I thought it was just the ale. I didn¡¯t realize what they were.¡± ¡°I should have been watching closer, too,¡± Corec said. ¡°I thought they were looking for work.¡± Ariadne grabbed one of the fallen men¡¯s swords and took position to guard them. That seemed like a good idea. Corec stepped outside the tavern and activated the binding spell linking him to his own sword. The blade burst out of his bedroom window on the second floor of the keep, knocking the wooden shutters to the ground. The hilt thumped into his palm a moment later. He went back in and found Razai. ¡°You came back,¡± he said. She¡¯d left for Deece a week earlier. ¡°Someone has to make sure you don¡¯t get everyone killed,¡± the demonborn woman said with a scowl. ¡°You¡¯re too trusting. You thought they¡¯d attack during the day, in uniform, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°If they¡¯re really red-eyes, they¡¯ve always tried to take us by surprise.¡± Razai didn¡¯t appear to believe him, and she wasn¡¯t entirely wrong¡ªif the men had been wearing their normal black brigandine, it would have been easier to recognize them for what they were. And she¡¯d warned him that the new compelled troops didn¡¯t have red eyes. Making peace with Razai would take more time than Corec had at the moment, so he turned his attention to Nedley. The young man was biting his lip in worry, standing over one of the unconscious attackers. ¡°What did you think you were doing, Ned?¡± Corec asked. ¡°You¡¯re not so drunk you couldn¡¯t recognize me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to kill Bertram,¡± Nedley said. ¡°That¡¯s your brother?¡± Nedley nodded. Corec sighed. That would make things more complicated. Boktar returned then, accompanied by Ral and Sargo. All three were carrying coils of rope. ¡°The gate guards are dead,¡± the dwarven man said. Corec clenched his fists. ¡°Who?¡± he asked. ¡°Ludlo and Graeme. We found them hidden behind the gatehouse. Two of the mercenaries had taken their place¡ªto keep people from getting suspicious, I would guess.¡± Ludlo had been part of Corec¡¯s ballista crew during the dragon fight. Graeme was a hillfolk mercenary who¡¯d been helping the men with their sword work. Why couldn¡¯t Rusol have just left them alone? It had been a year and a half since the last attack, and Corec had never tried to harm the man. He looked around the room again. None of the villagers had left yet, all still watching him intently. They would need reassurance, as would everyone else once the news got out. And Corec would have to figure out what to do with the prisoners. It was going to be a long night, and a longer day. Bobo looked up blearily from the table where he¡¯d passed out. ¡°What happened?¡± Book 5: Chapter Twenty-Three Corec reached the top of the ladder and stepped out onto the wooden platform the builders had constructed above the partly collapsed lookout tower. The structure seemed sturdy enough to hold him. Facing in the direction of Sarette¡¯s warden bond to the southwest, he summoned a mage light and held it in place for a moment before dismissing it, then called two more in close succession, allowing them each to flicker out after a brief flash. Then one final light, lasting as long as the first. He waited half a minute, then repeated the same pattern. Sarette had just started teaching him stormborn message signals, and the only signal he¡¯d memorized so far that seemed to fit the situation was return. He had no way to know if she or her troopers had seen the message. She¡¯d taken the new soldiers out for an overnight patrol, but Corec hadn¡¯t thought to ask her to watch for signal code. Neither of them had anticipated needing it so soon. He planned to send Sargo out at first light to search for the patrol, but it would take the scout a while to reach them. With Leena away, the stormborn signals had seemed like the next best option. Corec flashed the code three more times before returning to the tavern. The common room was quieter now, the remaining patrons having finally returned to their homes after he¡¯d spoken with each of them. The tied-up assailants were laid out in a row¡ªthose who still lived, at least. Thirteen of the mercenaries had died, either during the battle or before Treya could heal them of their injuries. That included nearly all of those who¡¯d been inside the tavern. Of the fifteen who¡¯d lived, most had been setting up a secondary ambush in the fortress¡¯s courtyard. Razai had managed to slip past them unnoticed, taking the two right outside the tavern door by surprise. With the healing done, Treya was now attending to each of the sleeping mercenaries in turn, cleaning the demonic compulsion from their minds. Nedley saw Corec enter the room and shuffled over, staring at his feet. ¡°I should have told you about Bertram. Razai told me he was a red-eye, but I thought if I said anything ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± It took Corec a moment to consider his response. His head was still fuzzy from the ale. ¡°Do you think I would have recognized your brother if I¡¯d known?¡± He¡¯d never met Bertram. ¡°Oh,¡± Nedley said, looking up. ¡°I guess not?¡± ¡°Razai warned us that Rusol had more compelled troops, mercenaries and others, and she told us that they¡¯re harder to detect than the red-eyes. Knowing your brother was one of them wouldn¡¯t have changed anything.¡± Nedley nodded. ¡°But Ned?¡± Corec said. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Next time you want to make a point, just tell me, all right? Don¡¯t knock me over during a fight. If I hadn¡¯t realized who you were, I could have killed you by accident.¡± Nedley ducked his head down again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Treya had approached while they were speaking. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she said. ¡°Do you want me to wake them up?¡± ¡°One at a time,¡± Corec said. At Nedley¡¯s sudden, intense look, he added, ¡°Fine, Ned. Bertram first.¡± Boktar and Ral dragged the man in question over to the wall and propped him up against it in a sitting position. Treya knelt to lay her hand across his forehead, then stepped back. Bertram opened his eyes and struggled in his bonds, looking like a wild animal trying to get free of a trap. Then he settled down, still breathing heavily. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked, squinting. ¡°Ned? Is that you?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡ª¡± Corec held up his hand to cut Nedley off. ¡°You¡¯ve been under a demon¡¯s spell,¡± he told Bertram. ¡°Do you know what I mean?¡± The man¡¯s lip curled into a snarl. ¡°You¡¯re Corec Tarwen. I¡¯m supposed to¡ª¡± He stopped talking, then struggled to free himself again. ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°What were you supposed to do? Kill me?¡± Bertram froze. ¡°The voice¡­ Nothing! I wasn¡¯t supposed to do anything!¡± ¡°The voice was King Rusol!¡± Nedley exclaimed. ¡°He was controlling you with magic!¡± ¡°Ned!¡± Corec snapped, then reconsidered. To Bertram, he said, ¡°He¡¯s right. It was Rusol who had you in that demon spell. Do you remember what you and your men did here?¡± ¡°Tell him, Bert!¡± Nedley said. ¡°I ¡­¡± Bertram looked away and noticed his compatriots for the first time. ¡°They¡¯re alive,¡± Corec said. ¡°The ones here, anyway. The rest are dead. We didn¡¯t have a choice¡ªthey tried to kill us. They did kill two of my men. The only reason we spared the rest of you is because you weren¡¯t in control of your own minds. So talk. Tell me what I want to know and I¡¯ll let you go free.¡± There was a gleam of anger in Bertram¡¯s eyes, but he answered the question. ¡°We were supposed to sneak in, find out who your mage friends are, then catch you alone and kill you. But you stayed here, so we had to wait. I don¡¯t know what happened after that¡ªI was outside until I heard the fighting.¡± ¡°Who told you to kill me?¡± Corec asked. ¡°The king.¡± ¡°The new king, right? Rusol?¡± Best to make sure. Bertram nodded. ¡°When did he give you the order?¡± Nedley¡¯s brother furrowed his brow. ¡°A few weeks ago? Three? It¡¯s hard to remember. Before we left Telfort.¡± ¡°Three weeks from Telfort?¡± Corec asked. That would require fast horses. ¡°We came straight through the mountains. It¡¯s summer¡ªthe weather¡¯s good. We didn¡¯t sleep much.¡± There were roads throughout the Black Crow Mountains, but there was no direct east-west route all the way across. ¡°Are you saying you were on foot?¡± Corec asked. Nedley spoke up suddenly. ¡°We ran,¡± he said, his voice haunted. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t let us stop. We were so tired! So hungry!¡± He started sobbing, and Katrin and Treya gathered him up between them. Bertram stared wide-eyed at his brother. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°The same thing that happened to you,¡± Corec told him. ¡°Rusol sent him to kill me. We saved him from the spell, just like we did for you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a kid! Why would anyone ¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Corec said. ¡°Did Rusol tell you why he wants to kill me?¡± ¡°No. The voice ¡­ as soon as we got our orders, we had to leave.¡± ¡°Are there more of you out there?¡± Boktar put in. ¡°A camp?¡± ¡°We camped three miles west. No one¡¯s there¡ªwe just left our gear and armor so we could sneak in.¡± The old red-eyes weren¡¯t capable of that sort of planning, but even if this new group had retained their minds, they hadn¡¯t been able to ignore the orders they¡¯d been given. A few small tweaks to their plan would have offered a much greater chance of success. A few men could have wandered into the village during the day and learned who the mages were, then the entire group could have returned late at night¡ªwith armor and heavier weapons¡ªand done far more damage. By following their orders verbatim, they¡¯d doomed themselves to failure. ¡°What about the rest of Rusol¡¯s mercenaries?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Was this the only group he sent out?¡± ¡°We all got our orders at the same time, but the rest went somewhere else. I don¡¯t know where. There were only seven hundred of us left in the capital by then. The rest are at Fort Northtower.¡± Seven hundred mercenaries deployed to an unknown location for an unknown reason. Were they all under the same spell? Razai had thought that only a small number of them were, but maybe that didn¡¯t matter. Mercenaries were mercenaries¡ªthey¡¯d go wherever they were paid to go. It came down to the question of how serious Rusol was about killing Corec. Twenty-eight soldiers sent in secret was an assassination attempt, but seven hundred was an army. If Rusol sent that army outside his borders, Corec would have to decide how to respond. He could have negotiated with the knights, or retreated from the army, but mercenaries didn¡¯t operate under the same rules of conduct. For now, he had to deal with the problem in front of him. The solution he¡¯d used with the last batch of red-eyes at Jol¡¯s Brook seemed like the best choice. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go as long as you pledge not to return to Larso,¡± Corec said, kneeling down to untie the knots around the man¡¯s wrists. ¡°You¡¯re from Tyrsall. Go east. If I see you around here again, we¡¯ll have a problem.¡± ¡°No!¡± Nedley said. ¡°Why can¡¯t he stay?¡± ¡°They killed Graeme and Ludlo,¡± Boktar said. ¡°We can¡¯t hide that.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hang them¡ªnot when they couldn¡¯t control what they were doing¡ªbut the people here aren¡¯t going to accept a story about demonic compulsion. As it is, we¡¯re going to have to say that the ones responsible for the murders all died in the battle.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What about them?¡± Bertram asked, nodding toward his companions as he rubbed the feeling back into his wrists. ¡°We¡¯ll wake them up one at a time and let them go, separately, in different directions,¡± Corec said. ¡°You can stay until the end to let them know I¡¯m telling the truth, but I¡¯d better not find out they¡¯re causing trouble in the free lands, or trying to return to Larso. Help me convince them that they shouldn¡¯t try to meet up with each other. Ral, take a squad and a wagon out to find where they camped. Load up all their gear and wait. If any of them show up there, kill them.¡± Ral saluted and left the tavern. Corec nodded to Boktar, then tilted his head to the side. The dwarven man followed Ral out. Boktar would enhance the plan with the details they couldn¡¯t let Bertram overhear, to make sure the squad wasn¡¯t ambushed. ¡°You want me to quit working for Larso?¡± Bertram asked. ¡°Fine. But Ned¡¯s coming home with me.¡± Corec had to keep a tight grip on his temper. ¡°That¡¯s not my decision. Ned? I¡¯d like you to stay, but it¡¯s up to you.¡± Nedley wasn¡¯t just a friend, but also a trusted ally. If he left, there would be a big gap in the middle of Corec¡¯s command structure. Ral was trustworthy, but he wasn¡¯t Nedley. ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± the young man said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide yet. Help me finish untying your brother, then Treya can wake up the next one.¡± # The fatigue and whiskey had finally gotten to Nedley. He¡¯d fallen asleep at one of the tables while Corec and Treya dealt with the formerly demon-compelled troops. Just before dawn, Corec had woken him and asked him to put on his armor to help reassure people as the news spread throughout the village. That meant Nedley was standing guard at the gatehouse when his brother came through, a canvas bag of food slung over his shoulder. Each of the exiled mercenaries had been given enough provisions to reach the next town, the amount depending on which direction they were heading. ¡°He won¡¯t give me back my sword,¡± Bertram said with a scowl. ¡°You don¡¯t need a sword around here,¡± Nedley told him. ¡°Just buy one when you get to Dalewood. Do you have enough money to make it to Tyrsall?¡± ¡°Larso paid well, at least,¡± Bertram muttered, then seemed to realize what Nedley had said. ¡°You¡¯re not coming with me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°No. I¡¯ve got a good job here, I¡¯ve got my own house. I can¡¯t go.¡± There was more to it than that, but Nedley didn¡¯t want to put it into words. Bertram grunted, eyeing Nedley¡¯s armor. ¡°With that getup, you look like one of those knights. They were always peering down their noses at us in Telfort.¡± Nedley shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°I¡¯m just a soldier. The armor was a gift.¡± A pair of village women gave Bertram suspicious glares as they walked past. They couldn¡¯t know who he was by sight, but everyone was on edge after the attack. ¡°I guess I should get going,¡± Bertram said. He gripped Nedley¡¯s shoulder, then turned to leave. ¡°Wait,¡± Nedley said. Bert turned back, a hopeful look on his face. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you understand what Rusol did to you?¡± Nedley asked. ¡°The spell you were under?¡± Most of the others had been grateful for their release from the compulsion, but Bertram had tried to avoid the topic. ¡°Yes, damn it! I know! The voice ¡­ just stop talking about it, will you?¡± ¡°You crossed the Black Crows and hillfolk territory to get here,¡± Nedley said. ¡°Did you kill anyone along the way?¡± He hadn¡¯t wanted to ask the question in front of his friends. They didn¡¯t know what it was like to have their minds taken from them. ¡°No. Why would we? We were just supposed to kill him.¡± If Bertram was telling the truth, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t be plagued by the nightmares. These new troops didn¡¯t seem to lose as much of themselves as the red-eyes did. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll head straight back to Tyrsall,¡± Nedley said. ¡°Don¡¯t try to meet up with the others; don¡¯t go back to Larso. Corec¡¯s a mage¡ªhe has ways of checking up on what you¡¯re doing.¡± Those ways involved Leena and Sarette, but Nedley didn¡¯t want to give away any more names than Bertram had already learned. His brother glared. ¡°You sound like one of them.¡± ¡°I want you to be safe. Have you decided what you¡¯re going to do in Tyrsall?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to think about it.¡± ¡°Caravan guard isn¡¯t a bad job. Talk to a man named Marco at Senshall Holdings¡ªtell him you¡¯re my brother. Just stick to the eastern routes, at least until Corec changes his mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to be looking out for the family, Ned, not you.¡± Bertram¡¯s idea of looking out for the family had involved taking a fifteen-year-old Nedley to Larso to sign on as a mercenary. Nedley had missed his brother, but he hadn¡¯t realized how angry he¡¯d been at him until he¡¯d seen him again. ¡°We have to watch out for each other,¡± he said, not wanting to end their reunion on a sour note. ¡°I¡¯ll come visit you when I get a chance.¡± Bertram had just taken a step back when Kimi came rushing up. ¡°Nedley!¡± she said, throwing her arms around him. She¡¯d never done that before. ¡°Are you all right? Sister Berit said she heard shouting in the middle of the night, but she didn¡¯t wake me up. And then this morning, everyone¡¯s saying we were attacked!¡± Bert¡¯s eyes had gone wide in surprise, but then he started grinning. He gave Nedley a wink before turning and heading for the road. Nedley patted Kimi¡¯s back. ¡°We were, but we took care of it. They were mercenaries from Larso.¡± ¡°Why would Larso send soldiers here?¡± she asked. ¡°Will it happen again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡ª¡± ¡°Ned!¡± Boktar called through the gatehouse tunnel. ¡°Hurry up! Sarette just flew in. Corec wants us in the great hall.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got to go,¡± Nedley told Kimi. ¡°I¡¯ll find you later and tell you what¡¯s going on.¡± # Shavala had always wanted to visit Terevas, but this wasn¡¯t how she¡¯d envisioned it. Instead of exploring the lands, she¡¯d Traveled there in the blink of an eye. Instead of taking time to see the city, she¡¯d spent the past three days as an honored guest of the Glass Palace. Presiding over Queen Revana¡¯s death certainly hadn¡¯t been part of the plan either, even if it had seemed to bring the woman a bit of comfort before the end. Perhaps someday Shavala could convince Corec and Katrin to accompany her back to the nilvasta kingdom, so they could do the journey the right way. For now, though, she had a task to perform. She stroked the bark of the lone tershaya that stood in front of the Glass Palace, checking its health. Somehow the massive tree had managed to grow to full height on its own, living for centuries without being root-bonded to any others of its kind. ¡°Are you really ready for this?¡± Ellerie asked from beside her. ¡°My part isn¡¯t difficult,¡± Shavala said. ¡°The staff provides most of the power¡ªthis is what it was made for. But are they ready?¡± Nearly a hundred officials and sentinels had spread out across the wide plaza in front of the palace, waiting in groups of three or four. ¡°I told them what it was like,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Vilisa told them. They still volunteered. You don¡¯t know what it means to be nilvasta, Shavala. We¡¯ve never known the bond, but we always remember that we lost it.¡± Shavala nodded. She wasn¡¯t opposed to the plan, but it had to be done for the right reasons. Vilisa and her retinue approached. ¡°The plaza has been cleared of all but our own people,¡± she announced. ¡°We¡¯ve placed barricades and sentinels at each of the entrances.¡± Her eyes were still red and puffy. She¡¯d had a hard time coming to terms with Revana¡¯s death, and in the two and a half days since, she¡¯d had to set aside her mourning to prepare for the upcoming vote to name the new monarch. Vilisa was a puzzle¡ªwary of those around her, and cold and calculating in a way Shavala had never seen in Ellerie. Yet Ellerie trusted her sister without reservation, and in the three days since Vilisa had become part of the tree bond, some of those hard edges had already begun to fade. Shavala suspected that was why the old gods had given the elven people the bond in the first place. Without it, they would have been more akin to the nilvasta¡ªliving with human customs and trappings, but with minds that had never been meant for that life. The tree bond had allowed the old vasta to hold onto their place in the world even as that world changed around them. Modern-day elves should be allowed that same opportunity. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Melithar said. He¡¯d remained with Vilisa rather than joining the other palace officials in the plaza. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be part of it,¡± she told him. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. You have no way to predict what¡¯s going to happen if you go through with this right before the vote. You could very well be giving Avaro di¡¯Taris and the other traditionalists exactly what they want.¡± Vilisa was quiet for a moment, staring into the distance. ¡°Mother became queen before I was born,¡± she said. ¡°How much of the scheming and betrayal within the High Council is down to her influence? How much is due to the loss of the tree bond? How much is simply our own weakness? For the first time in a long time, I feel like the nilvasta could be something better than we are now.¡± Melithar gave her a look of surprise, then a respectful nod. But he made no move to join the others in the plaza. A bell tolled, and Vilisa turned to Shavala. ¡°The vote begins in one hour,¡± she said. ¡°The Councilors will be making their way here soon.¡± Shavala took the staff from where she¡¯d left it leaning against the tree. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she said. Vilisa touched her arm. ¡°Thank you for what you¡¯re doing for our people.¡± While helping Revana join the tree bond, Shavala had come to a realization. There was no way the first druids could have used such a slow process to spread the bond out to all the vasta. The only reason they¡¯d used natural-born seedlings was because that was all they had available, at least until they¡¯d mastered the full power of the staff. Unlike Shavala, they hadn¡¯t been aided by visions showing them what was possible. Instead, those visions had been formed of their own memories as they¡¯d learned their craft. The staff had responded to Shavala¡¯s thoughts by passing along a single image¡ªa view from atop a plateau, with a massive tershaya forest spreading out in all directions. It was a repeat of one of the first visions it had ever given her. Now, she realized its import. She took her place at the edge of the palace grounds, far enough away from the plaza¡¯s paving stones to give herself room to work. Grasping the staff in both hands, she planted it against the earth, encouraging its root tendrils to take hold and grow outward. The ground began to tremble, and thirty feet away, the first tree erupted upward, pushing paving stones to the side. The three palace functionaries standing nearby quickly drew knives and cut their palms, placing them against the trunk. More trees sprouted up, and other groups did the same. This time, Shavala didn¡¯t stop the growth while the trees were still small. Like she¡¯d done in Tir Yadar, as the trees grew larger, she called the roots up to the surface to grab the paving stones and pull them underground, crushing them to dust or pushing them out of the way. Now with more room to grow, the roots dove back down beneath the earth, stretching toward their neighbors to join together in a root-bond. The nearest trees stretched far enough to bring the formerly lone tershaya into the bond. Suddenly connected to it, Shavala realized how it had managed to survive on its own. Despite the name, only the outer walls of the Glass Palace were made of glass, providing a view of the palace¡¯s indoor gardens and main corridors. Farther in was the Stone Wall, which marked the section of the palace that included most of the residential apartments and administrative areas. And at the very center of the structure stood the Heart Wall, constructed of tershaya heartwood and marking the royal family¡¯s residence. Tershaya wood, if properly prepared, could remain alive in a sense even after it was harvested. It would still dry out¡ªit had no roots to drink fluids, and no pine needles to attract the sun¡¯s attention¡ªbut it retained the memory of life. It could still feel and be felt through the tree bond. The lone tree, with no others of its kind nearby, had attempted to join with the Heart Wall. It was a precarious balance, since the harvested wood had no roots of its own, but it had provided just enough of a connection to keep the tree alive. The staff hummed in joy as it served its true purpose, the tershaya in the plaza growing to full height while more and more of the palace¡¯s residents and workers joined the bond. In the center of the plaza, a tree burst up through an ornamental fountain, fracturing it and spilling the water. With a gesture, Shavala reshaped the earth around it, pulling water from the underground stream that had fed the fountain and redirecting it into a new creek bed that now meandered through the trees. At the edge of the plaza, the water dipped back down to rejoin the larger stream from which it had come. Earth magic had always been the most difficult for Shavala to control, but the staff didn¡¯t have the same limitation. The freshly churned soil between the trees suddenly sprouted young grasses and flowers, and as the spell came to an end, the plaza was gone. In its place stood a forest. Vilisa had originally wanted to connect all the scattered groves of tershaya around the city, but after looking at a map, they¡¯d realized it wouldn¡¯t be possible. Doing so would destroy too many buildings and major thoroughfares. Tree bond or not, the nilvasta were not dorvasta. They wouldn¡¯t want to give up their city. The plaza was a compromise. While the palace still had a separate access road for deliveries, anyone approaching from the front would now have to walk through a tershaya forest to get there. It would serve as a reminder of who they were. Today¡¯s work was done, and now they would have to wait for the High Council¡¯s vote. Tomorrow, Shavala would take up the staff once more. She planned to complete a circle of trees around the palace, connecting the plaza forest in the front to the nursery grove around the back. And in the process, she would offer the tree bond to any of the councilors who wished to join. Book 5: Chapter Twenty-Four Corec told Sarette about the events of the previous night while they waited for the others. The knights were the last to arrive. Like Nedley, they¡¯d been out in the village to help reassure people and keep them from panicking. ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± Corec told the group after everyone else was seated. He remained standing. ¡°We just finished up with the prisoners¡ª¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you let them go?¡± Georg demanded. ¡°They killed two of our men!¡± ¡°They were under a demonic spell,¡± Corec said. ¡°They couldn¡¯t control their own actions.¡± Georg waved that off. ¡°Kevik told me. What makes you think they¡¯re not lying?¡± Kevik had kept quiet, but he looked uncomfortable too. Perhaps Corec should have asked the two men to be more involved with the questioning. They didn¡¯t have any experience with the red-eyes. Treya answered the question. ¡°The only reason I was able to stop them was because it was demonic magic,¡± she said. ¡°And I made sure they weren¡¯t lying.¡± She had a knack for getting the prisoners to tell the truth, but if it was a spell of some sort, Corec suspected she¡¯d only needed it on a few of them. Most had been talkative enough without it, and they¡¯d all told the same story. ¡°Were they really the king¡¯s mercenaries?¡± Kevik asked. Corec drew Bertram¡¯s badge from his pocket, a black, eight-pointed star, and dropped it on the table. ¡°They carried these, and Ral sent a runner back from their campsite. They left their armor there so no one would recognize them.¡± Georg snorted. ¡°Stupid.¡± ¡°Yes, stupid, and lucky for us. It could have gone a lot worse.¡± ¡°Why does he want you dead?¡± the older knight asked. Corec was getting tired of not having an answer for that question. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Our best guess is that it¡¯s because I know he¡¯s a mage and a ¡­¡± He paused, glancing at Razai. Demonborn had a hard enough time in Larso without getting blamed for whatever Rusol was doing. ¡°A warden.¡± They hadn¡¯t known those things during the previous attacks, but the topic was complicated enough without useless speculation on what the original reason had been. Kevik wrinkled his brow. ¡°A warden? Like the title you¡¯ve been using?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a kind of magic. I can tell you more later if you want to know, but the important part is that the other wardens don¡¯t want anyone to know who they are. For Rusol, I¡¯m not sure it matters. As the king of Larso, being a mage is probably bad enough. What will the Church do if they find out?¡± ¡°If you knew he was after you, why come here?¡± Georg asked. Kevik knew some of the details, but for the older knight, it was all new. ¡°The last time he tried, his men murdered a lot of innocent people trying to get to me. I figured if he wants to kill me, I should make it easier for him. Here, we¡¯re close enough to draw out his attacks. I was trying to keep him away from anyone else, but I wasn¡¯t expecting to be surrounded by civilians. That¡¯s going to make things more difficult.¡± ¡°You came here for the fortress?¡± Kevik asked, his tone carefully neutral. ¡°Not the dragon?¡± ¡°No,¡± Corec said. ¡°We¡¯d planned to find someplace up north. I certainly didn¡¯t intend to be anywhere near Fort Hightower. But someone had to deal with the dragon, and once that was done and we found this place, it made more sense to stay. The advantages outweigh the drawbacks.¡± Kevik nodded and leaned back in his chair, relaxing his shoulders. ¡°What did you learn from the prisoners?¡± Boktar asked. ¡°There were four squads last night,¡± Corec said, getting the conversation back on track. ¡°We killed thirteen men and released fifteen. Sarette¡¯s going to watch the western routes to make sure they don¡¯t head back to Larso.¡± Razai sat forward, looking interested, but Corec shook his head. He would need her for other tasks. ¡°The same day they left,¡± he continued, ¡°seven hundred more mercenaries in Tyrsall were also ordered out. As far as we know, those troops aren¡¯t demon-controlled, but that actually makes it worse. They¡¯re fighting for coin, and Treya can¡¯t heal that.¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming here?¡± Katrin asked ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s too much of a coincidence to expect otherwise. I think we can handle seven hundred if Sarette and Shavala are willing to fight, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s all we¡¯ll be facing. Rusol¡¯s got another two thousand mercenaries up north.¡± ¡°I thought our plan was to retreat if he sent an army here,¡± Bobo said. ¡°That was before all these people showed up,¡± Corec said. ¡°We can¡¯t leave a thousand or more civilians behind. It would be different if we were talking about the knights, but you can¡¯t trust a large group of mercenaries unless someone¡¯s keeping tight control over them. Rusol¡¯s already shown he doesn¡¯t care who they kill, which means we¡¯ve got to stay and fight.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re talking about a real war,¡± Boktar said. ¡°Maybe, but so far, he¡¯s only used mercenaries against us. Sending other troops outside the kingdom would require cooperation from the Church and the peerage. If we make the first battle too expensive of a loss, he might not have enough support to continue the war.¡± Corec grabbed a stack of papers he¡¯d left on the bench and dropped it on the table. ¡°So that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do.¡± Boktar eyed it. ¡°You worked all that up this morning?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on it for over a year,¡± Corec said. ¡°Let¡¯s see if any of it¡¯s still accurate.¡± # ¡°Why did they come here, Lady Katrin?¡± Thella asked. ¡°What did they want?¡± The woman had her two youngest children with her, a baby boy in her arms and a little girl standing solemnly at her side. ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Katrin said. That was still the truth, technically, even if they had some guesses. ¡°They won¡¯t come back, will they?¡± Thella was staring anxiously down the hill, where the knights were teaching her husband and some of the other settlers how to use a crossbow. ¡°We hope not, but if they do come again, Corec will do everything he can to protect you.¡± Katrin added a touch of power to her words¡ªnot enough to overcome the woman¡¯s rightful worry, but enough to calm her down. Panic wouldn¡¯t help anyone. Thella bit her lip as she watched her husband load a crossbow bolt. ¡°I don¡¯t want Hortis to get hurt.¡± ¡°I promise we¡¯ll do our best to make sure the village men don¡¯t see any fighting,¡± Katrin said. ¡°Hortis is just down there to learn how to protect your family.¡± Corec had only allowed the idea of a civilian militia to help the settlers feel safer in case there was another surprise attack. He had no intention of using them in a real battle, though four of the new militia members had already volunteered to join the soldiers. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I am, but for now, we need everyone to be strong,¡± Katrin said, once again adding power to her words. ¡°Can you be strong?¡± The woman took a deep breath. ¡°Strong ¡­ yes. Strong.¡± She squared her shoulders and set off to gather her two oldest children, Bril and Maya, from where they¡¯d gathered with the other village kids to watch the training session. Katrin was checking the list of names she carried when Corec approached. ¡°I think that¡¯s everyone on the north side,¡± he said. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± He looked exhausted, even with help from Treya. He¡¯d been awake for a day and a half without a break. ¡°They¡¯re worried, but it¡¯s not as bad as I thought,¡± Katrin said. ¡°That thatcher, Willson, he¡¯s taking his family back to Four Roads.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t blame him. Those neighbors of his¡ªwhat¡¯s the name? Renwood, I think. They¡¯re going too. And another family over on the west side.¡± Katrin thought about that for a moment. ¡°Willson¡¯s and Renwood¡¯s cottages are right next to each other. What if we took that space and built a new tavern there?¡± ¡°You want another tavern?¡± ¡°Something outside the walls, for the public,¡± Katrin said. ¡°You said we need to start keeping the gates closed. And we can make this one bigger. Not just a tavern, an inn. We¡¯re going to need one¡ªthe boarding house won¡¯t have enough room for people who are just passing through.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The builders had already begun work on the boarding house and two apartment buildings. An inn seemed like the next logical step, and Barz could handle the extra responsibility. Corec tried to cover up a yawn. ¡°Sorry. Yes, that makes sense. I¡¯ll let Boktar know.¡± ¡°And then we can use the tavern in the fortress just for our own men. Or for something else.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll move the barracks kitchen and mess hall over there. That¡¯ll give us room enough in the barracks for another squad, since it seems like we¡¯ll need it.¡± Corec stared at the spot where the inn would be, his eyes unfocused. ¡°You should get some sleep,¡± Katrin said. ¡°We¡¯ve still got to talk to the folks on the south side. Ready?¡± # Ellerie found Corec in his office, a mage light shining overhead as he read through some paperwork. ¡°Hey,¡± she said. He looked up, rubbing his eyes. ¡°Ellerie!¡± he said, standing. ¡°Shavala said you weren¡¯t coming until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Leena told me what was going on, so we came back early. There¡¯s an army on the way?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know anything for sure yet, but we¡¯ve got to plan for at least seven hundred of Rusol¡¯s mercenaries.¡± Ellerie considered that. ¡°Can we handle that many?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t make too many mistakes. I¡¯m more worried about who else he¡¯s going to send. He¡¯s got a lot more than seven hundred men, and if his bondmates come, we¡¯ll lose our main advantage.¡± During her first visit home, Ellerie had sought out some spells to help them retain that advantage. It seemed it was time to get back to studying. ¡°When will they be here?¡± she asked. ¡°Could be two weeks, could be two months. Could be never. There¡¯s a lot we don¡¯t know. Once Leena¡¯s rested up, I¡¯m hoping she can make a few trips for us.¡± ¡°She told me. Can I do anything to help?¡± Corec was quiet for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your mother,¡± he said. Revana was a more complicated topic than Ellerie wanted to get into. ¡°At least she¡¯s not in pain anymore,¡± she said. ¡°Vilisa asked that I convey her appreciation for your official recognition of her ascension to the throne.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°Did I do that?¡± ¡°I wrote a letter and added your name. The other ambassadors were doing the same thing.¡± Ellerie was Vilisa¡¯s ambassador, not Corec¡¯s, but her sister had so far been tolerant of her split loyalties. Corec nodded. ¡°As for helping, yes, I¡¯ve got a list for you somewhere.¡± He flipped through the mess on his desk. ¡°That work crew from Senshall is here, rebuilding one of the old warehouses. The coal wagons have started running, but we¡¯re still waiting on a caravan master to manage the exports. The first real trading caravan arrived¡ªOverland Holdings, hauling wool south from Four Roads¡ªbut we didn¡¯t have anyone manning the bridge. Boktar got it all settled, but we¡¯ll need a tollhouse or something.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Bobo and Boktar and come up with a plan,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°We also hired more of the local men as builders and soldiers. We had to allocate some of the gold you brought back from Terevas, but Boktar¡¯s got a list of the wages.¡± He paused. ¡°There was something else I wanted to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t plan a war and manage everything else at the same time¡ªthe keep, the fortress, the traders, the miners, the village. All the other villages, including the ones we don¡¯t know about. It¡¯s too much.¡± Ellerie tilted her head to the side. ¡°I thought we had it all running smoothly. We¡¯re each taking care of different pieces.¡± ¡°It works fine until it doesn¡¯t,¡± Corec said, pacing back and forth. ¡°Katrin¡¯s learning how to manage the household. Boktar¡¯s been overseeing the workers and soldiers, but we¡¯re running him ragged with every little random task that comes up. Sarette commands the soldiers. Bobo¡¯s basically serving as steward of the lands at this point. Patrig got himself elected as mayor. But they all need to talk to someone, and it¡¯s getting to be too much of a distraction. You were making a lot of the decisions before you left.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°Sometimes it was easier than waiting.¡± She¡¯d gotten used to splitting duties with Corec while they were traveling, and she had a good idea of which tasks she was better suited for. ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize¡ªI want you to keep doing it. I don¡¯t want to deal with the trading houses or with couriers from Duke Lorvis unless it¡¯s something you¡¯re not sure about. I need a second-in-command, someone that everyone else can talk to when I¡¯m not available.¡± ¡°You want that to be me?¡± she asked. It didn¡¯t come entirely as a surprise. ¡°Yes, something like a ¡­ well, not a seneschal. Maybe chancellor would be the right word for it.¡± That fit. In human terms¡ªat least in the west¡ªchancellors oversaw matters of finance and diplomatic relations. Yet chancellors served rulers, and until now, Corec had been limiting the titles he¡¯d given out to positions that might serve a baron or a duke. Perhaps he¡¯d realized his little backwoods settlement in the middle of nowhere wouldn¡¯t remain that way forever. The work would be similar to what Ellerie had already been doing, but she¡¯d have to make sure she understood Corec¡¯s long-term plans if she was going to make decisions in his name. They were interrupted by a knock at the already-open door. ¡°Sir, a message came for you,¡± one of the maids said. Corec took the letter from her, frowning at the crest on the wax seal. His expression grew grim as he read through it. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°It¡¯s from King Orlin of Matagor. He thanks me for my service in liberating Crown property from the dragon¡¯s clutches, and wishes to inform me that he¡¯ll be sending a delegation to take command of the region.¡± # Lucanus was quietly haranguing the driver about something, so the new bodyguard, an earnest young man named Tarun, helped Yassi out of the carriage. Narini, clad in trousers rather than a long Zidari dress, was able to hop out on her own. The Seeker spun in a slow circle, taking in their surroundings before allowing herself to relax. Lucanus stalked over to join them. ¡°Driver says this is the Larso embassy,¡± he said, scowling at Yassi. ¡°You told me we were seeing your family.¡± ¡°We are,¡± Yassi replied. ¡°My parents are visiting from back home¡ªthey used to work here when I was young.¡± ¡°Anything else you want to tell me before we go in, Mera?¡± The Valaran bodyguard knew she was from Larso, but he couldn¡¯t have missed that she¡¯d been trying to get away from there. What would it look like to him that she now wanted to visit the embassy? She drew him off to the side so they could speak privately. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything later, all right?¡± she said. ¡°For now, I need you and Tarun to wait out here.¡± ¡°Why bother hiring bodyguards when you insist on going everywhere alone?¡± ¡°Narini will go in with me.¡± At his look, she added, ¡°She¡¯s family, of sorts.¡± She didn¡¯t have time to explain the intricacies of Sanvari clan relationships. Lucanus grunted. ¡°Fine¡ªyou¡¯re the boss. I¡¯ll wait. Again.¡± She slipped a small pouch of gold into his hand. ¡°If I don¡¯t come back,¡± she whispered, ¡°try to find a way to get me out of there. Hire someone, bribe someone, I don¡¯t know. Just don¡¯t let them take me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them take me back to Larso. Don¡¯t kill anyone¡ªit¡¯s not worth that¡ªbut try to keep me away from Larso if you can. If not, Merice will need help getting back to Telfort. She won¡¯t want to stay here on her own. And no matter what you do, don¡¯t hurt my parents.¡± He narrowed his gaze. ¡°You¡¯re going to owe me that explanation.¡± ¡°Soon. And keep the carriage driver here. We might need to get away quickly.¡± With that, she gathered Narini and headed for the embassy. The building looked like a normal home, no larger than the house Yassi and Merice were sharing. Larso had never focused much on foreign relations, and wouldn¡¯t have had an embassy this far from its borders if not for Sanvar¡¯s size and importance as a trading partner. She strode up to the lone, bored-looking guard waiting at the door. He was a local, so she spoke in Sanvari. ¡°I have an urgent message for Ambassador Luthe and Lord Samuel,¡± she said. ¡°I need to speak with them right away.¡± The man glanced at Narini¡¯s scimitar¡ªan unusual weapon for a woman to carry¡ªbut evidently decided they weren¡¯t a threat. He allowed them into the vestibule and summoned a minor functionary to carry their request to the appropriate people. Luthe arrived first and his eyes widened in recognition. He gave a deep bow. ¡°Your Majesty! Welcome to Sanvara City! I didn¡¯t realize ¡­ Is His Majesty here as well?¡± He glanced around as if expecting Rusol to pop out from behind a curtain. ¡°No, Ambassador, I¡¯m here on my own. I¡¯d like to speak with my parents.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. Lord Samuel was just behind¡ª¡± ¡°Yassi!¡± her father exclaimed. He grabbed her in a tight hug, then shook her by the shoulders. ¡°What in the world do you think you¡¯re doing? Why did I have to chase you halfway around the continent?¡± And then her mother was there as well¡ªMeerah, whose name Yassi had used as the basis for her own alias. ¡°Yassi? Is that you?¡± It took some time to make it through the appropriate greetings, but finally Yassi and her parents were ensconced in a private sitting room, Narini positioned outside the only door. ¡°I went home this morning,¡± Meerah was saying. In this context, she meant her family¡¯s camp at the edge of the city. ¡°I thought I¡¯d find you there, but Mama and Saira say you¡¯ve been living in the orange grove district. Your father and I were planning to visit tomorrow.¡± ¡°I figured you would, so I decided to surprise you,¡± Yassi said. ¡°I Saw you arrive.¡± ¡°You never answered my question,¡± Samuel said. ¡°Whatever possessed you to leave Larso and come all the way here?¡± ¡°Rusol told me to!¡± Yassi said. ¡°He¡¯s worried the Church knows I¡¯m a mage, and that they believe the baby will be, too.¡± She¡¯d had to add more details to her lie to turn it into something her parents might believe. They exchanged uncertain glances. ¡°He didn¡¯t mention anything like that,¡± Meerah said. ¡°It must have been a false alarm. He insists that you return home with us.¡± Yassi tensed, but despite the odd phrasing her mother had used, there was no corresponding push on her mind. Perhaps Rusol¡¯s orders only worked when they were delivered in person. ¡°He told me I should stay in Sanvar no matter what,¡± Yassi said. ¡°You must have misunderstood.¡± Samuel produced a sealed letter and slid it over to her. ¡°He was very clear. He said this would explain it all.¡± His eyes were glazed over, and Meerah had an absent-minded look on her face as she nodded along¡ªthey, too, had been compelled. How far did their orders go? Would they try to force Yassi to come with them? She might still need Lucanus. She took the letter but didn¡¯t open it. Something written in Rusol¡¯s hand might still trigger the compulsion. She¡¯d ask Merice to read it to her later. Yassi would have to adjust her lie again, to provide her parents with a reason why she would ignore their demand. ¡°What if he¡¯s wrong?¡± she said. ¡°What if he thinks the threat has passed but it hasn¡¯t? Living in Telfort has always been a risk for me¡ªyou know that. I¡¯m going to stay here until I¡¯m certain it¡¯s safe.¡± She tried to keep her voice steady and firm. She was still the queen, after all, even if that would hold little sway with her own parents. ¡°You can¡¯t stay in Sanvar!¡± her mother exclaimed. ¡°What does Shereen think about all this?¡± ¡°The empress? Why would she know about it?¡± Her parents knew Empress Shereen from Samuel¡¯s days as ambassador, but Yassi had been too young to remember any of it. Samuel¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re here? Yassi, you¡¯re the Queen of Larso. You can¡¯t just sneak into the city!¡± He stood and paced. ¡°We¡¯ll have to smooth things over with the palace. I¡¯ll send Luthe with a message informing them we¡¯ve arrived. I was hoping to speak with Shereen while I was here anyway. Hopefully we can get it all settled before you cause a diplomatic incident.¡± Yassi considered that. Could she still act as queen? In Larso, the queen held little power of her own, but a queen visiting from a far-off land, in an empire ruled by a matriarchy ¡­ that held some promise. Perhaps she could come out of hiding. She could even tell Rusol¡ªby letter, of course¡ªpart of the truth about why she¡¯d left. The part that would excuse her actions, not the part that would make him even angrier. If she supported him publicly, and aided any efforts he made in Sanvar, he might give up on trying to fetch her back. It was a risk, but not much more of a risk than she already faced. He knew where she was. She¡¯d have to figure out a way to coexist with him sooner or later. Book 5: Chapter Twenty-Five Shavala crested the ridge to find a wide blackberry bramble spread out before her, stretching for acres and growing across the Hightower branch of the Old Road. She¡¯d found the right place. In anticipation of an oncoming army, Sarette had asked Kevik what he remembered of the route between Hightower and the keep, then scouted it out from the air herself, looking for spots where she or Shavala could make the road conditions even worse than they already were. Shavala had completed her first task that morning, hiding a dangerous, rocky downslope under a thin layer of vegetation in the hopes that the mercenary army¡¯s scouts would report the route was clear without testing it first. Now, after five hours of hiking, she¡¯d reached her second target. She sat cross-legged in the dirt and balanced the staff over her legs, concentrating on the changes she wanted. The staff didn¡¯t raise any objections. It liked growing things, and it didn¡¯t have enough intelligence to question why she was asking for so many more blackberry bushes. While the existing growth already covered the road, the mercenary army would be able to bypass it by going around on the south side, a small detour that wouldn¡¯t cost them much time. Shavala¡¯s job was to eliminate that detour. Blackberry grew rapidly under the right conditions, choking out other plants in the area. It would be easy to take advantage of its natural inclinations. As she concentrated, barbed vines sprouted upward out of the ground, more and more of them extending the bramble south until it reached a natural ridge line that was too steep for wagons to climb. With the way blocked, the enemy commander would have to decide whether to cross the river here or send scouts out to look for alternate routes. The banks weren¡¯t steep, but the water was deep enough that fording the river would be difficult for heavy wagons. The safest shallow-water crossing was twenty miles back west. There was an easy way up the ridge just seven miles back¡ªShavala had passed it during her hike¡ªbut going that way would take them longer to scout. They¡¯d have to make sure they could get back down again. Corec hoped that rather than backtracking, or taking the time to build ramps and winches to pull the wagons up the slope, the commander would attempt to cross the river here, likely losing a few supply wagons in the process, and then losing more when they had to cross back again to rejoin the road. Whatever option they chose, even if it was to try to burn out the blackberry bushes, they¡¯d lose at least half a day of travel. To Shavala, it didn¡¯t seem like the effort would have much of an impact, but Corec insisted that every little bit would help swing the odds in their favor. He had no desire to kill his own countrymen, and instead wanted to make their invasion more trouble than it was worth, hoping they¡¯d be willing to talk by the time they arrived at the keep. Done for the day, Shavala found a comfortable spot near the river to wait. Leena would return for her late in the evening, taking her to her next target. # Ten miles west of Hilltop Village, the southern bank of the ravine gradually sloped down to lower land before swelling back up to form one last hill, overlooking a spot where a wide creek flowed into the river. The location offered a lot of possibility. If they dug out the creek bed to make it wider and deeper, then continued digging around the rest of the hill, it would allow water from the river to surround the whole thing with a free-flowing moat. By adding a small dam just downriver to raise the water level, the moat¡ªthe lake¡ªwould be wide enough to only be traversable by boat or bridge, preventing any attacks by siege towers and tunneling. The hill offered a good view of the Hightower branch of the Old Road, and was large enough for a town five times the size of Hilltop. With enough time, perhaps they could even encircle it with a stone wall. ¡°Corec?¡± Sarette asked. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Corec pushed the fantasy from his mind. Even with Ellerie¡¯s help, a project like that would take years to complete. He needed to focus on the tools currently at his disposal. ¡°Hmm?¡± he said. ¡°Oh, the watchtower. You¡¯re sure we¡¯ll be able to see it from the keep?¡± ¡°This close, I¡¯m not sure we¡¯d even need to be up on the lookout towers to see a signal. It would be better if it was farther away so we¡¯d have a longer range, but the ground is lower after this and there just aren¡¯t any good spots¡ªnot unless we¡¯re ready to set up a chain of towers.¡± Corec nodded. A single watchtower wouldn¡¯t provide much extra warning, but they couldn¡¯t afford to crew a whole series of them. The real scouting would come from Sarette and Leena, but Corec had learned from the battle at Tir Yadar not to design a plan that depended too much on any one person. If Leena was unavailable for some reason, a watchtower here would provide an extra half-day¡¯s warning. A full day, if the watchers kept their spyglasses trained to the west. In some ways, it was an experiment for the future. Larso made use of fire beacons from time to time, but a beacon could only relay a limited number of messages. The stormborn had an entire language for their signal codes. Weather permitting, Sarette¡¯s people could pass information quickly across their entire territory¡ªfaster even than Larso¡¯s royal messengers, who switched horses every four hours. But, like a new town and fortress, that idea would have to wait. ¡°I hate to station a group so far away on their own,¡± Corec said. ¡°I suppose they can just evacuate when they see Rusol¡¯s troops coming. Can we put the tower back in those trees so the mercenaries won¡¯t see it and tear it down?¡± Sarette eyed the spot. ¡°Maybe,¡± she said. ¡°It needs a clear view of the road to the west and the keep to the east, but we can try.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°All right. Have Boktar hire the woodcutters and some of the builders and send them out this way. The ones who aren¡¯t working on the weapon platforms.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let him know as soon as we¡¯re back.¡± They returned to their horses. ¡°How¡¯s the training coming along?¡± Corec asked. ¡°We managed to find a few decent archers, but most of the new men are green. We¡¯re up to five full squads now. Georg¡¯s starting everyone on crossbows first, since that¡¯s the easiest thing to teach and it¡¯ll do the most good from up on the walls.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why we¡¯ve got more men signing up. I was expecting to lose the few we had.¡± ¡°Ezra and the others have been telling everyone about the fight in the tavern. You were unarmed, unarmored, and outnumbered, and you still managed to win the day.¡± Corec frowned. ¡°The red eyes were almost as unprepared as we were. It was hardly a fair fight once we added magic to it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that would change anyone¡¯s mind. In their eyes, we¡¯ve already defeated a dragon. They don¡¯t think a human army will be any harder than that.¡± Corec shook his head. ¡°We might be able to handle the army, but how are we supposed to fight mages if we don¡¯t know who they are or what they can do?¡± She gave him a serious look. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of agreeing to Razai¡¯s plan, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure we have any other choice.¡± # ¡°Here. Read this.¡± Bobo looked up from his desk, startled. Ariadne had barged into his study without warning, thrusting out a sheet of paper. He took the page. But no empire lasts forever. The demons could not defeat us, but in time, the Chosar split apart and went their separate ways. They became the stoneborn of Cordaea, Stone Home, and Sanvar. They became the stormborn of northern Aravor. They became the seaborn of the western oceans, and the sunborn of Vestath. At the beginning of this story I referred to myself as The Last Chosar, but that is not true, for my people live on in our children. Bobo had to reread it three times to make sure it said what he thought it said. The passage was written phonetically, as if from someone who¡¯d never seen the words spelled out before. Finally he looked up, not sure how to respond. ¡°It¡¯s for the end of the book,¡± Ariadne stated unnecessarily. ¡°This is ¡­ is it real?¡± Bobo asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anything like this.¡± ¡°The Lady told me herself.¡± ¡°Which lady? Wait¡ªThe Lady? When did you talk to her? How?¡± ¡°A vision, like priests get,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°And that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say about it. Will you add this to the book or not?¡± Bobo looked back down at the passage. ¡°Are you sure? What are the stormborn going to do when they hear about it? And the others?¡± The scholars he¡¯d spoken to in Snow Crown had seemed certain that they weren¡¯t descended from the first peoples. ¡°Sarette wants to send a copy to her people before we print the book. Boktar¡¯s not sure how the dwarves will react, but they deserve to know the truth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure including it in a fable is the right approach.¡± ¡°You said that was the best way to get the word out. And now I know where to send the books once they¡¯ve been printed.¡± The intensity of Ariadne¡¯s gaze was unsettling. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he said, and she relaxed her stance just a bit. Bobo was already rewriting the passage in his mind. Yet no empire can stand forever ¡­ # ¡°Toman Tarwen, Your Majesty,¡± Captain Tark announced, showing the young man into Rusol¡¯s study. Rusol looked up but remained silent until both men began to fidget. ¡°I was expecting your father,¡± he finally said. Couldn¡¯t Tark handle the simplest of tasks? ¡°I beg your pardon, Your Majesty,¡± Toman replied. ¡°Father¡¯s busy this time of year, but when you requested our presence, we thought it best to respond without delay.¡± Rusol had intended to learn whatever Lord Ansel could tell him, then cast a minor compulsion spell. If the hunters failed in their task, the father could lure the son back to the kingdom, separating him from his bondmates. With any luck, Corec would be dead¡ªone way or another¡ªbefore the mercenary army even arrived at his stronghold. Could Toman take his father¡¯s place in that plan? Why had he really come? Was he working for his brother? Rusol¡¯s warden senses indicated Toman wasn¡¯t a mage. Rusol stood abruptly. ¡°Let¡¯s visit the trophy room,¡± he said. His study was where Corec¡¯s assassin had tried to kill him. Talking to his brother in the same place seemed like a bad omen. Rusol¡¯s two bodyguards took position at the front of the procession, while Captain Tark and his two guardsmen brought up the rear. Five guards seemed excessive inside the palace, but mage or not, Rusol didn¡¯t trust Toman Tarwen. There was something about him that seemed off. ¡°Is your father well?¡± Rusol said to fill the silence. He hated small talk. What was there to discuss other than the obvious? Toman must have felt the same way. ¡°Your Majesty, to tell the truth, I had another reason for coming,¡± he said, his voice just a little too loud. ¡°I felt I would be a better choice to answer any questions you had about my brother.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°My father is ¡­ overly sentimental about Corec.¡± ¡°I take it you are not?¡± ¡°I see him for what he is.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°Someone who¡¯s spent his whole life always getting his way. After his mother died, my father never wanted to discipline him. He let him join the knights, and when they kicked him out for being a wizard, Father acted like it didn¡¯t matter. Oh, sure, they had words, but in the end, Corec got his way again. We follow Pallisur, but we let a wizard back into the house!¡± Toman¡¯s voice had grown even louder as he spoke. Had the man come all the way to Telfort just to go on a jealous rant, or did he actually know something useful? They reached the trophy room, and two of the guards went in first to check for threats. Rusol gestured for Toman to follow them, but stopped Tark at the door. ¡°Has he been drinking?¡± Rusol hissed. ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty. I found the bottle on him just before we arrived. He must have bought it last night when the guards weren¡¯t watching.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. There had to be a longer story there, but this wasn¡¯t the time for it. Rusol rejoined Toman and tried again. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in what he¡¯s like now. Have you spoken to your brother recently? Has he mentioned why he would set himself against the throne?¡± ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°You said it yourself¡ªhe¡¯s a mage, an enemy of the Church.¡± Rusol figured he might as well take advantage of the man¡¯s own biases. But it drew a sharp look from Toman. What did he know? ¡°The Church ¡­¡± Toman started. ¡°He hates the Church. I thought he was going to kill our old priest once.¡± When he didn¡¯t continue, Rusol had to prompt him again. ¡°Why was that?¡± Toman shrugged. ¡°Because Corec¡¯s a mage? Because his mother was a whore? I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t catch it all.¡± He met Rusol¡¯s gaze as he spoke. Was he trying to goad him? He had to know Rusol¡¯s mother had been a concubine too. Rusol struggled to keep from losing his temper. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something more useful,¡± he said. ¡°What sort of magics does he use? What are the defenses like at the keep he¡¯s claimed in the free lands? How many men does he have?¡± ¡°What does any of that matter? He¡¯s gone. He never comes back except to brag.¡± ¡°It matters because he tried to kill me!¡± Rusol snapped. Toman stared at him. ¡°You ¡­ you think Corec wants to kill you?¡± He sounded truly puzzled. ¡°He sent an assassin! He knows I¡¯m a¡ª¡± Rusol cut off what he was about to say. ¡°I ¡­ I apologize, Your Majesty. I don¡¯t think Corec would ¡­¡± ¡°He did!¡± ¡°The ¡­ the punishment for treason. It¡¯s ¡­¡± ¡°Just tell me what you know, damn it!¡± Rusol shouted. A red haze settled over his vision. Toman¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°What I know is that at least he had the decency to leave the kingdom when he found out he was a mage! Unlike you, you son of a demon whore!¡± At the sudden change in tone, one of the bodyguards grabbed Toman¡¯s shoulder. Toman twisted out of his grasp, but before he could do anything else, Rusol thrust his hands forward, lighting cackling outward in an arc and striking both men. Their burned bodies collapsed to the floor. Breathing heavily, Rusol forced the rage down. Captain Tark, who¡¯d been standing out of the way, stepped forward to join him. ¡°Another assassin,¡± Tark said. He and the other guards were under such heavy compulsion that they didn¡¯t seem disturbed by the death of their comrade. ¡°He must have been. I¡¯ll take two squads to arrest the father.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Two of his sons have tried to kill you now, Sire.¡± Except Toman¡¯s attempt¡ªif that¡¯s what it was¡ªhardly seemed premeditated, and if Rusol was being honest, he was the one who¡¯d struck the first blow against Corec. Did that justify arresting Ansel Tarwen? The baron was one of the few nobles who¡¯d treated Rusol with genuine respect. Others spoke fancier words, but Ansel had meant his. Had it all been a ruse? ¡°Wait! We need to think. What if there¡¯s an army waiting to ambush you in the mountains? If Lord Ansel is behind it all, two squads won¡¯t be enough. We need to kill Corec first¡ªhe¡¯s the real threat. The border barons don¡¯t have any power.¡± Tark frowned. ¡°Let me send scouts, at least.¡± ¡°Yes, fine, send scouts. Once we¡¯re sure there aren¡¯t any hidden surprises, then ¡­ then we can figure out what to do next.¡± The problem with invading the Black Crows was that the mercenary army was preparing to head into the free lands. Rusol could deploy the regular army, but if he did, word would get out that there¡¯d been another attempt on his life. Everyone knew there¡¯d been two already. The first because Rusol had insisted that Samir be heralded as a hero for saving his life, and the second because too many people knew of the incident with Razai to hide the truth. How would the lords react if they believed there¡¯d been a third assassination attempt, and that Rusol was sending soldiers after one of their peers? He barely trusted the peerage even at the best of times. If they sensed weakness, they might move against him. Before he could act freely, he would need time to put each and every one of them under compulsion. More worrying was what Toman had said. He¡¯d known Rusol was a mage and demonborn, even if he¡¯d been wrong about which side of the family it came from. He could only have gotten that information from Corec. Rusol¡¯s secret was already out. He had to stop Corec before the Church learned of it. # Trentin wasn¡¯t prepared for the number of people he saw going about their day around the keep, nor for the wary looks they directed his way. He rode through the busy little village, dismounting as he approached the gatehouse. The huge gap in the wall had been repaired, with the new stonework appearing to be all one piece. Magic. It had to be magic. Had he made the right decision? The guards at the gatehouse stopped him. ¡°Name and business?¡± the older one asked, no welcome in his voice. ¡°That¡¯s Sir Trentin,¡± the other guard told his partner. ¡°Look at his armor¡ªhe¡¯s one of us.¡± He turned back to Trentin. ¡°Welcome back to Warden¡¯s Keep, sir. Kevik and Corec are up on the wall if you¡¯re looking for them.¡± It was Aldin, a young man who¡¯d served on Sir Cason¡¯s ballista crew. Trentin blinked. ¡°Kevik¡¯s here?¡± It made sense in a way, though. Where else would he have gone? ¡°Yes, sir. Been here since before I got back.¡± ¡°Is there somewhere I can stable my horse?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take her to the grooms for you,¡± Aldin said. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be the outer stable¡ªthe inner one¡¯s full. Anyone can tell you how to find it.¡± Trentin nodded his thanks and handed over the reins, then waited as another pair of guards inside the fortress cranked the dual gates open so he could pass through the tunnel. He didn¡¯t recognize either of them. In the courtyard, a dozen men were practicing sword work under the watchful eye of ¡­ was that Georg? The grizzled knight nodded to Trentin in recognition, but continued shouting out instructions to his students. They all seemed new to the weapon. Following Aldin¡¯s suggestion, Trentin found the nearest stairwell and climbed up to the ramparts. More soldiers were there patrolling the walls, these ones with familiar faces. Trentin found Corec and Kevik on a large, sturdy wooden platform anchored to the interior of the curtain wall, showing a work crew how to reassemble one of the ballistae from the dragon expedition. The weapon platform hadn¡¯t been there the last time Trentin had seen the fortress. Several others were dotted around the wall, and there were additional mounting structures atop some of the taller buildings. ¡°Trentin!¡± Corec said, clasping his forearm and thumping him on the back, then making way for Kevik to repeat the gesture. ¡°What brings you out here?¡± His voice was welcoming, but his expression was guarded. Trentin eyed the workers, who were close enough to overhear. ¡°I¡¯ve got some news from Hightower,¡± he said, keeping his tone casual and gesturing down the length of the wall. ¡°Do you want to show me what you¡¯ve been up to while we talk?¡± Corec agreed, seemingly just as interested in keeping the conversation private. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to say it,¡± Trentin started as they walked. ¡°The king is sending an army after you¡ªthey¡¯re gathering at Fort Hightower. Sir Barat is in command.¡± ¡°Do you know how many men they¡¯re waiting for?¡± Corec asked. He didn¡¯t sound surprised. ¡°You already knew?¡± ¡°We¡¯d heard a few things.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on? Barat said you tried to assassinate the king!¡± Corec frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the story he¡¯s peddling? I promise you, Trentin, it never happened. Rusol¡¯s the one who keeps sending assassins after me, and when a friend of mine tried to talk to him about it, he almost killed her.¡± ¡°But why? Why is any of it ¡­¡± Trentin trailed off. ¡°Because I know he¡¯s a mage? That¡¯s our best guess, but it doesn¡¯t really matter. He¡¯s killed a lot of innocent people to get at me.¡± Trentin stopped and stared at him. ¡°King Rusol is a mage?¡± The idea was crazy, but why would Corec make up something like that? ¡°He is, according to someone I trust. I wouldn¡¯t have told anyone, if that¡¯s what he¡¯s worried about¡ªI¡¯m a mage too¡ªbut he¡¯s the one that chose this war.¡± Trentin peered down over the parapet at the village. ¡°What are you going to do, then? You¡¯ll have three thousand soldiers here by the end of the summer.¡± The other two men exchanged glances. ¡°Three thousand?¡± Corec asked. ¡°More than that, I think¡ªevery mercenary the king has, plus four hundred knights.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s he pulling four hundred knights from?¡± Kevik asked. ¡°Three hundred from Hightower, a hundred more from Northtower.¡± ¡°That would leave Hightower almost undefended,¡± Kevik said. ¡°We¡¯ve still got extra men there who were dealing with the refugees. They never went back to Telfort.¡± ¡°Most of the mercenaries were up at Northtower, right?¡± Corec said. ¡°That¡¯s why they won¡¯t make it here for another two months?¡± ¡°Yeah, Barat was grumbling about it. The siege weapons are coming from Hightower, but the supply wagons are coming from up north, and the mercenaries are foot soldiers, not cavalry. It¡¯s going to take a while.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°That¡¯s more information than Razai was able to get,¡± he said. ¡°Razai?¡± Trentin asked. ¡°She¡¯s a ¡­ scout,¡± Corec said. ¡°Leena helped her get to Hightower and back, so we knew Barat was waiting for reinforcements, but we didn¡¯t know the full numbers.¡± ¡°You knew that much? You knew about Barat too? I rode all the way out here and you already knew? I threw away my oaths to warn you!¡± Kevik shook his head. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± he told Trentin. ¡°You followed your oaths the only way you could, just like we did with the dragon. Don¡¯t worry about what the priests will say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the priests I¡¯m worried about, it¡¯s my father.¡± Kevik shrugged. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to stop worrying about what your father thinks, too.¡± Trentin leaned back against a merlon and put his head in his hands. ¡°What am I going to do?¡± ¡°Trentin, I¡¯m glad you came,¡± Corec said. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend and a good knight, and I¡¯ll tell you the same thing I told Kevik¡ªyou¡¯ve got a place here if you want it.¡± ¡°I could use the help,¡± Kevik added. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Trentin said. He still had a chance to save his knighthood if he lied about where he¡¯d been and why he¡¯d left without warning, but was it worth it? His career had been in tatters even before he¡¯d disappeared. They were silent for a moment before Corec spoke again. ¡°Do you suppose Barat¡¯s on our side?¡± he asked. ¡°He did send that note.¡± ¡°Note?¡± Trentin said. ¡°Pigeon message,¡± Kevik replied. ¡°It came in just before I left Hightower. But I wouldn¡¯t count on it to mean anything. It was just a warning to an old friend. That doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll disobey the king.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯d better go tell everyone what we¡¯re facing.¡± # Sarette hovered far above the enemy encampment, hidden by the clouds and the darkness. Her attack for the night would be limited in scope, but she¡¯d been planning for this day for over a month. The mercenary army and accompanying knights had reached the free lands that morning, having taken fifteen days to pass through eastern Larso and hillfolk territory. They¡¯d been slowed down by the siege equipment and supply wagons they hauled with them, a tactic that avoided the risk of vulnerable supply lines being cut off to their rear, but also meant they would have a hard time resupplying if the campaign took longer than expected. Corec had argued against striking at the enemy soldiers directly, preferring to demoralize them and overextend their resources without hinting that the battle had already begun. His feud was with Rusol. The soldiers themselves were innocent, or as innocent as mercenaries could be. Allowing the army to arrive at the keep was a risk, but if Sir Barat realized he was under magical attack too soon, he could simply turn around and go back, returning with greater numbers. Plus, of course, Razai might have reached the army by now and Sarette didn¡¯t want to hit her by accident. The demonborn woman had her own role to play. Sarette¡¯s role for the night was simply to manipulate the weather. She¡¯d been gathering her storm for hours, ensuring the slow buildup would look natural. Now, she let loose with a torrential downpour. The soldiers might welcome the rain at first, after weeks of marching through the late summer heat, but when it continued for days on end, soaking through everything and turning the roads to mud, they¡¯d change their minds. Corec was betting that Sir Barat wouldn¡¯t turn back to Larso if he thought all he was facing was bad weather. He¡¯d push through even if the storms slowed his progress and exhausted his soldiers. By the time they arrived at the keep, they¡¯d be tired and miserable, while Corec¡¯s forces would be fresh and alert. Sarette had suggested one change to the plan. At this time of year, thunderstorms were common, and she could get away with a lightning bolt or two without rousing any suspicion. She dropped out of the clouds to find a target, trusting to the night to keep her hidden from view. Siege towers had been her first thought, but there were none to be found. Corec had suggested they were too unwieldy to manage over long distances, and would instead be built on site. Catapults were the next best choice. They were arranged together with the ballistae at the rear of the camp, mounted on carts like the ones Sarette and her friends had used when hunting the dragon. She found two of the weapons close together and called down a massive lightning strike on their position, strong enough to melt the metal and splinter the wood. The resounding boom of thunder startled the entire camp. A nearby picket line of mules hadn¡¯t been secured properly and the animals escaped in a panic, running off in different directions. Grooms and soldiers shouted back and forth to each other, attempting to chase the animals in the dark. To add to the chaos, Sarette sent heavy winds whipping at the camp. After weeks of good weather, the soldiers had grown lazy with their preparations. Waterproof coverings flew off several of the supply wagons, exposing the contents to the rain, and a dozen empty tents caught enough wind to rip their stakes from the ground and go tumbling away. For good measure, she laid down a series of three lightning bolts just outside the temporary pens the knights had constructed for their horses. Even a warhorse would be startled with that much noise. As the first attack of the war, it felt inadequate¡ªthere were a dozen more catapults waiting nearby¡ªbut it was a start, and it was unlikely to raise any suspicion. It was also a test to see if the commander would wait for replacements or press on. For now, it was time to return to her own camp and get some sleep so she¡¯d be rested enough to renew the storm once it started to fade. She planned to keep it going at full strength for a day or two, until the road was deep with mud. After that, she and Shavala would trade off¡ªwith Leena¡¯s help¡ªdoing just enough to annoy the soldiers while saving most of their strength for the real battle. Before Sarette could leave, she felt someone attempting to grasp at the wind and the rain¡ªan elder mage who¡¯d never learned how to manipulate weather. The fumbling attempts wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference against Sarette¡¯s storm, but it seemed the priests weren¡¯t the only mages traveling with the army. # ¡°All right, let¡¯s practice,¡± Corec called out. ¡°First squads, up front!¡± Nedley¡¯s squad, the First Infantry, was armed with pikes, while the First Defenders, under Aldin¡¯s command, had crossbows. Like Nedley, Aldin was too young for the position, but he showed some promise. The new squads were the result of another reorganization. The groupings Corec and Sarette had intended for patrolling the region wouldn¡¯t work for fighting a war. The two infantry squads were made up of the soldiers Corec thought might be able to face a melee without getting themselves killed. Of the remainder, Ral got half for the siege weapon crews¡ªhe commanded both Weapons squads. The rest went into the Defenders, who were focused on guarding the fortress itself and who¡¯d spent most of their time learning to use crossbows. They¡¯d had some training with sidearms and pikes, but not enough to stand up to an enemy charge. The Second Infantry and Second Defenders didn¡¯t have squad leaders yet, and so were reporting to Kevik and Trentin for now. Rather than having a scout embedded in each squad, Corec had separated them into their own unit of six men. They unofficially reported to Sargo, simply because he was the scout that Corec and Sarette knew best. Corec turned his attention back to Nedley¡¯s and Aldin¡¯s squads, who¡¯d lined up waiting for orders. ¡°Crossbowmen, three to a side!¡± Corec said. There were three arrowslit embrasures to either side of the gatehouse tunnel, each alcove giving the defender room to aim while the narrow opening protected them from counterattack. Aldin remained outside as backup. During a real attack, if one of his men fell, he would take their place. ¡°Infantry!¡± Corec said. ¡°If the outer gate¡¯s still working, you can raise it yourself once you¡¯re in position. Let the enemy soldiers fill the tunnel, then drop the gate behind them and trap them there. If we¡¯ve already lost the outer gate, you can¡¯t trap them, but the inner gate will still hold them in the tunnel. If they¡¯ve got bows, hit them fast, and make sure to keep your face guards down.¡± Nedley arranged three of his men in front of the gate so they could practice jabbing their pikes through the bars. While they were doing that, Boktar showed up. ¡°Those riders are almost here,¡± he told Corec. The riders he was referring to were the reason the two of them had been wearing armor all day. Sarette had seen the group during a scouting flight the day before¡ªover a dozen armed men approaching the keep via the Matagoran branch of the Old Road. ¡°Let¡¯s meet them out front,¡± Corec said. ¡°I don¡¯t want a bunch of soldiers in the village unless I¡¯ve spoken with them first.¡± Boktar nodded, and they ordered the pikemen to raise the gates. Kevik joined them just outside the village, and the three of them waited as the riders approached. Like Kevik, Boktar was now clad in silversteel plate. Ellerie had begun work on a suit of armor for him as soon as she¡¯d heard about the approaching army. A gust of wind announced Sarette¡¯s presence above, hidden within the dark clouds. Ariadne would be out of sight nearby, close enough to teleport to Corec¡¯s side if the encounter turned into a fight. The oncoming riders drew close, stopping at a respectful distance. They were carrying a Matagoran standard, which suggested it was an official visit. Either that or Sir Barat was attempting some sort of subterfuge. There were sixteen men in the party¡ªjudging by the uniforms and insignia, an officer, an official, and two squads of soldiers. The soldiers were lancers, though. Heavy cavalry. Not the sort someone would send if their intentions were peaceful. The official, a distinguished-looking man in his fifties, nudged his horse forward. ¡°Lord Alastair, Baron of Far View,¡± he announced with the slightest dip of his head. ¡°Corec Tarwen,¡± Corec replied. ¡°And this is Marshal Boktar and Sir Kevik.¡± ¡°Mr. Tarwen,¡± Alastair said with a smile, ¡°just the man I¡¯m looking for.¡± He dismounted and strode forward. ¡°His Majesty King Orlin sends his regards, and hopes his letters have found you in good health. He¡¯s named me Viceroy of the Matagoran Free Lands Trade Territory. I¡¯m here to supervise the handover of the trade keep and surrounding areas.¡± Book 5: Chapter Twenty-Six ¡°You didn¡¯t bring Risingwind?¡± Corec asked while he and Shavala circled the village, examining the work being done. ¡°He¡¯ll stay with Zhailai for now¡ªthe last thing I want is for him to see a battle. She¡¯s going back to the forest to warn the elders about the army. They¡¯re far enough away that it shouldn¡¯t be a problem, but we still need to let them know.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re planning to stick around this time?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done as much as we can for the farmers, and Sarette told me the mercenaries were only a week away. I¡¯ll be here until ¡­¡± She gestured vaguely to the west. ¡°It¡¯ll be good to have you back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been around much,¡± she said. ¡°Risingwind is doing well enough with people, but he¡¯s getting bigger and I don¡¯t always know how he¡¯ll react to larger groups.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve missed you¡ªKatrin has, too¡ªbut we understood. The work you¡¯ve been doing ¡­ well, you and Zhailai might be the reason we make it through the winter.¡± She gave him a small smile, but didn¡¯t reply. They stopped at a group of workers who were digging around the edges of the hill where the earth had settled over time, providing too gentle and welcoming of a slope. So far they¡¯d cleared a fifty-foot length, leaving a three-foot-tall vertical barrier where the new edge of the hill rose over the surrounding area. ¡°How¡¯s it coming along?¡± Corec asked Enzo, who was overseeing the work crew. ¡°This won¡¯t slow ¡®em down much,¡± the soldier replied. ¡°No, but every little bit counts. And they won¡¯t be able to get siege weapons up close unless they build ramps.¡± It wasn¡¯t much of a solution¡ªthe catapults and ballistae would still have the range to reach the fortress from beyond the hill¡ªbut with the distance and the lower elevation, the weapons would be less effective. ¡°How many entrances should we leave?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°Just the main road leading to the bridge. If we¡¯re lucky, maybe we can convince the commander to funnel all his siege equipment through that one spot, and then Sarette can take it all out at once.¡± Shavala, who¡¯d been listening to their conversation, spoke up. ¡°You decided not to build a wooden palisade?¡± That was one of the earlier plans they¡¯d discussed. Corec shook his head. ¡°Surrounding the entire hill would have been too much work for how little benefit it would give us. We don¡¯t have enough archers to protect a palisade, and the ones we do have will be way back on the fortress walls, so they won¡¯t have a clear shot. The mercenaries could just set the whole thing on fire or pull it down one log at a time.¡± The logic made sense, but Corec was still debating whether he¡¯d made the right decision. And now there wasn¡¯t enough time left to change his mind. Shavala looked thoughtful for a moment, then dug around in a pouch she wore at her waist until she found a small brown twig. She dropped it at her feet and unstrapped the staff from her back, grasping it in both hands and closing her eyes. The twig grew tendrils which dug into the ground, and then new shoots of green sprouted from the other side, rapidly expanding into a tall shrub of a sort Corec didn¡¯t recognize, with tightly intertwined branches sporting two-inch thorns. Dozens more of the shrubs burst up through the soil, making the work crew jump back with startled oaths. The plants grew close to each other in a dense thicket, entangling their branches together to form a single hedge ten feet wide and ten feet tall, extending for the full length of the area the workers had cleared. ¡°That¡¯s green enough that it won¡¯t burn easily,¡± Shavala said. ¡°Sarette and I can keep it that way with some rain.¡± Enzo was just staring at it, wide-eyed. ¡°That ¡­¡± Corec started, then shook his head. ¡°We talked about blocking the road, but it never even occurred to me you could build a wall that way.¡± It was like a hedgerow for keeping livestock in an enclosed area, but much thicker and more impenetrable¡ªand it hadn¡¯t taken years to grow. ¡°This one¡¯s called blackthorn,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to warn everyone to be careful around it¡ªthe thorns can break off into the skin and cause an infection. Will it be useful? Should I keep going?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Corec said. ¡°If you can do that, it¡¯s going to ¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°Enzo, keep doing what you¡¯re doing, and then Shavala, you can come back after they¡¯re done.¡± The thorn bush would be the more effective of the two efforts, but doing both would be even better, hopefully slowing down the enemy soldiers enough for Corec¡¯s small army to mount a defense. Perhaps it would even make sense to move his siege weapons outside the fortress walls now to improve their accuracy ¡­ but then that would put them in the enemy¡¯s hands once they did breach the hill. No, best to leave the weapons where they were at, even if it meant they were less useful. Enzo saluted and went to collect his workers while Corec and Shavala headed back to the main road leading into the village¡ªsoon to be the only road leading into the village. ¡°Sarette told me there were Matagorans here,¡± Shavala said. ¡°They want to take back the keep?¡± ¡°They arrived yesterday with a bunch of documents from King Orlin,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ve been putting off speaking to them, but Bobo and I think we¡¯ve worked out a plan to get rid of them.¡± -- Bobo was the first to arrive in the meeting chamber. The new walls¡ªstill smelling of fresh-cut wood¡ªseparated the room from what used to be the great hall. He helped Boktar show Lord Alastair and Captain Elgin to their seats at the center of the table, one on either side. Then, feeling mischievous, he took a position by the door to announce the others as they arrived. ¡°Lady Katrin of Tyrsall and Sister Treya of the Three Orders,¡± he started. Katrin glared at him, though whether for the announcement or the fake title, he couldn¡¯t be sure. He just winked at her. The two women took seats near the head of the table, with Katrin sitting to the right and Treya to the left, facing each other¡ªthe traditional spots for a wife and concubine. Their warden binding runes glowed clear and bright, drawing the visitors¡¯ attention. The group had spent a good hour discussing whose runes should be visible and whose should remain hidden. ¡°Stormrunner Sarette, Captain of the Guard.¡± That probably wasn¡¯t how Sarette¡¯s titles should be worded, but it was hard to combine them in a way that sounded impressive. Her rune was showing. Alastair seemed uncertain how to react, settling for a brief nod. Had he ever seen a stormborn before? ¡°Sir Kevik, Knight of the Dragon.¡± Kevik¡¯s eyebrows shot up, but judging by the smile that played at his lips as he came through the door, he approved of the appellation. ¡°Mage Knight Ariadne of Cordaea.¡± Ariadne was too touchy for Bobo to risk giving her a fake title, or to mention Tir Yadar. Her rune, too, was glowing, though it wasn¡¯t quite the same shade as the others. ¡°The druid Shavala of Terrillia.¡± Shavala didn¡¯t need a fake title, and her rune was hidden from sight. Alastair¡¯s eyes widened and he gave her a half bow from his seated position. ¡°Her Exalted Highness, the Lady Ellerie di¡¯Valla, Royal Ambassador of Terevas.¡± Ellerie¡¯s real titles were more impressive than anything Bobo could come up with, though no one was supposed to mention she was also Corec¡¯s chancellor. She was wearing robes of state made from elven silk, and like Shavala, her rune wasn¡¯t visible. The baron¡¯s face went pale and he lurched to his feet. ¡°Exalted,¡± he said with a deep bow. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Terevas had sent a representative.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Lord Alastair,¡± Ellerie said, her voice cool. ¡°Yes, Exalted. Twenty years, I believe, since I served as ambassador to your mother. I was sorry to hear of her passing.¡± Ellerie acknowledged that with a nod. ¡°And now my sister has sent me here to negotiate for our interests in the area. I certainly hope you don¡¯t intend to make my job difficult.¡± ¡°I ¡­ pardon, Exalted, but is there truly a need for an ambassador here, of all places? A royal ambassador?¡± As far as Bobo knew, the inclusion of the word royal just meant Ellerie was a member of the royal family, but perhaps to a diplomat it had some connotation beyond that. ¡°Of course,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Warden Corec is a close ally of the di¡¯Valla family.¡± Alastair swallowed. ¡°I see.¡± The two of them sat down, Ellerie taking her designated spot. Normally everyone sat on the benches along the sides, but for this meeting, she¡¯d suggested bringing in two chairs¡ªone for Corec at the head of the table and one for herself at the foot. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. That left one last participant for the meeting. ¡°Warden Corec Tarwen.¡± That title felt insufficient, but if Bobo got too creative with his lies, Corec might get annoyed and break the illusion they were trying to weave. He was wearing a well-tailored gray vest that left his arms bare, the seven warden binding runes glowing blue. Bobo hadn¡¯t realized Razai¡¯s rune was active again¡ªwas this the third time Corec had bonded her? One spot remained open on his left arm, leaving room for an eighth rune. An invitation, but for whom? The young man had come a long way since Bobo had first met him. Corec had always been reluctant to acknowledge his position as a leader, but, for now, that reluctance was nowhere to be seen. He carried himself with an air of command as he took his seat at the head of the table. ¡°Lord Alastair,¡± he started, ¡°I¡¯ve had a chance to discuss your proposal with my advisors. It appears to omit a few key details.¡± ¡°Which details would those be?¡± the baron asked. ¡°Matagor abandoned the area fifty-four years ago,¡± Corec said. ¡°By free-lands tradition, any holdings here were up for grabs immediately. Even under Matagoran law, land owners who abandon their property lose any claim to it after ten years.¡± Bobo had provided him with that last detail. ¡°Abandoned land in Matagor reverts to the Crown,¡± Alastair pointed out. ¡°Or to the local lord if it falls within their domain.¡± ¡°Within the borders of the kingdom, yes, but if you insist this land was part of Matagor itself, then the Crown holds a duty to protect its citizens. When you abandoned the area to the dragon, you also abandoned the people. By our estimate, over ten thousand families lost their homes, lands, and shops.¡± Alastair scowled. ¡°Matagor never claimed anywhere near that much territory. We¡¯re not responsible for those outside our influence.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°A fair point. Four hundred families, then, for the region you did claim. There¡¯s also the little matter of compensation. While your offer of one hundred gold coins for removing the dragon is generous, our actual costs came to just under seven hundred. Not to mention clearing the roads, which has been two hundred so far, and repairing severe damage to the curtain wall and the bridge. Let¡¯s call that another two hundred.¡± Repairing the stonework hadn¡¯t been anywhere near that expensive, but Ellerie had insisted that stone-shaping should be priced according to what it was worth rather than what it cost her to do it. ¡°Eleven hundred gold?¡± the baron said. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± ¡°Maintaining a fortress in the free lands isn¡¯t cheap,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your offer, so I¡¯ll make one of my own. I¡¯ll give up my claim to the region in exchange for full reimbursement of our expenses, plus appropriate compensation to the descendants of the four hundred families who lost their homes in Hilltop Village and the surrounding area.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been fifty years!¡± Alastair protested. ¡°How would we even know who they are?¡± ¡°Your clerks here kept detailed records, and some of those families have already returned,¡± Corec said. ¡°In addition to the compensation, I require King Orlin¡¯s pledge that he¡¯ll protect the people of the region against any threat that may arise. If he fails to honor that pledge, the keep will revert to me if I¡¯m available, and otherwise to your own Duke Lorvis.¡± Alastair silently mouthed Lorvis¡¯s name in confusion, but then shook his head. ¡°Not that anyone will ever agree to your other demands, but of course the king would protect his own lands.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You didn¡¯t do so well against the dragon, and Larso¡¯s already got an army on the way.¡± Lord Alastair stared at him. ¡°Larso¡¯s coming here? Now?¡± ¡°They¡¯re a week out. If you¡¯d like to relay my offer to King Orlin, we can have you back in Matagor today to request a response. In the meantime, Captain Elgin and his lancers will remain here, under my command, to defend the fortress. I¡¯ll keep my own forces here long enough to help you repel the initial attack. That¡¯ll give you time to raise an army to protect the region. Of course, it means Matagor will be going to war with Larso, but I suppose that¡¯s your decision.¡± The baron stood abruptly. ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯ll take the matter under advisement.¡± He snapped his fingers at Elgin and hurried out of the room, the officer following along behind. Elgin hadn¡¯t spoken the entire time. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to take the offer,¡± Corec said. Ellerie tilted her head to the side. ¡°You almost sound like you want them to.¡± ¡°If they give us the money to start over again somewhere else, and they promise to protect the settlers from Larso ¡­¡± Corec shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not the worst idea. It would certainly annoy Rusol. Moving an army isn¡¯t easy.¡± ¡°We¡¯d need to bring our own soldiers with us,¡± Boktar pointed out. ¡°They have families. With that many people, we¡¯ll still need the household servants and the other workers, who also have families. And unless we leave our siege weapons and all of our supplies behind, we¡¯re not going to move any faster than Rusol¡¯s forces.¡± Corec sighed. ¡°I suppose not. Things were just so much easier when we had a smaller group. To answer the question, no, I don¡¯t want them to take the offer¡ªwe¡¯re settled in here and we¡¯ve made promises to the people. But we can¡¯t fight two wars at once, so I had to give the Matagorans a reason to back off, and an excuse that¡¯ll let them pretend I¡¯m not the one they¡¯re backing down from.¡± -- ¡°Hey, Pardir, did ya hear that howling earlier?¡± ¡°Sure did,¡± Razai said, joining her squad around the camp fire. Or, rather, the squad to which her current disguise had belonged before she¡¯d killed him. ¡°Don¡¯t know what¡¯s out there, but it¡¯s still hunting us. Probably why no one lives around here.¡± ¡°Cap¡¯n says it¡¯s just a mountain lion,¡± one of the men said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like any mountain lion I¡¯ve ever heard before,¡± Razai told him. She had no idea what a mountain lion sounded like, but she¡¯d been making the noises herself each night, sneaking away from camp after dark. Screaming, screeching, yowling¡ªanything that would set the men on edge. ¡°Whatever it is, I hear it got Omar and Uldin last night,¡± someone added. Razai had seen Uldin the night before. She¡¯d been invisible, cutting through the rope coil on one of the ballistae, when he¡¯d crept past, sneaking out of camp to join the ranks of the deserters. He was just one of many. A dozen of the hillfolk had disappeared before Razai even arrived¡ªslipping away when the army passed through their homeland. Since reaching the free lands, the mercenaries¡¯ morale had only grown worse, partly from the poor road conditions and the continued bad weather, but also from the idea of actually going to war. They¡¯d spent the past two years doing nothing more dangerous than guarding the northern border, and they¡¯d grown accustomed to a safer lifestyle. Most of the desertions, though, were due to the wild stories and rumors circulating around the camp, only half of which Razai had started. As for Omar, she hadn¡¯t seen any sign of him, but that had to mean he¡¯d deserted too. Her own target the night before had been a young lieutenant from Chondor by the name of Artur. She¡¯d left his body hidden in a ditch. Competent and intelligent leaders were in short supply amongst the mercenaries, and Razai had been busy winnowing those ranks even further. Gesturing to her squad mates, she leaned forward, making an obvious show of glancing around as if looking for someone who might overhear. ¡°I overheard some of the knights talking,¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°They¡¯re planning to throw us against the walls first. They won¡¯t have to pay us if we¡¯re dead, and then they can take all the credit. People say Tarwen killed a dragon by calling lightning down out of the sky, just like what happened to those catapults. What do you think¡¯s gonna happen when he does the same thing to us?¡± The Pardir identity she¡¯d stolen might not have been a squad leader, but he was experienced enough that the other soldiers listened to him, and Razai had found it easier to spread rumors from the lower ranks. It was the fifth identity she¡¯d taken on since infiltrating the mercenaries two weeks earlier. Her squad mates muttered darkly to each other. Leaving them to think about their futures, Razai excused herself and headed farther into the camp, switching to another disguise¡ªthis one a young drunkard who didn¡¯t appear on any of the army¡¯s official records, but who¡¯d made himself known as a talker. Finding a group that was still out and about, taking advantage of the break in the rain, she started her spiel. ¡°What¡¯s Rusol need us for anyway now he¡¯s king? He¡¯s got the real army these days. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange they¡¯re not with us? I bet once we¡¯re done with what we came to do, those knights¡¯ll run us all down. They can get rid of us and Corec Tarwen at the same time.¡± And then another campfire, this squad made up of Larsonian traditionalists. ¡°Way I see it, we made the right choice,¡± she drawled. ¡°We followed Rusol from the beginning, even before he killed his father. He knows he can trust us.¡± The soldiers exchanged angry glances. Marten had been a popular king, and Razai wasn¡¯t the first member of the camp to suggest it was his son who¡¯d killed him. She moved on from that group quickly. No sense in tempting fate. She opted for a more serious disguise with the next squad. ¡°Second watch last night, wind blew out my lantern. Before I could light it, I saw eyes staring back at me from the dark. Dozens of them, glowing bright red. Demons, they¡¯ve got to be. They chased me, howling, just like the ones tonight. You heard ¡®em, right? They¡¯re picking us off one by one, a few each day. That¡¯s what happened to Omar, from the Fourth Brigade. They got him last night.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense,¡± one of the men said. ¡°I¡¯m from the free lands. There aren¡¯t any bloody demons out there! It was probably just a fox, and this Omar fellow¡¯s another deserter.¡± At the mention of deserters, the soldiers around the fire grew speculative, eyeing each other with suspicion. That might actually work better for Razai¡¯s purpose, but she still took note of the man who¡¯d spoken up. Broad shoulders, dark hair, tall. A corporal by his insignia. He¡¯d never know how lucky he¡¯d gotten¡ªhe would have made a good addition to her list of targets, but this was her last night in camp. Done with spreading rumors for the evening, Razai headed off in the direction of the supply wagons, seeking out the two that were being used to haul casks of pitch. She had to go invisible for the last fifty feet to avoid the guards, but once she was between the two wagons, they couldn¡¯t see her. Over the previous few days, she¡¯d piled tinder and small, dry branches between the wooden casks near the centers of the wagon beds, hidden beneath the oiled canvas coverings that were draped over the contents. Now it was time to light her fires, trusting the canvas to hide them from view until it was too late to save the wagons¡¯ contents. As she snuck away from the camp for the last time, she heard the startled oaths and cries of the soldiers who discovered the flames. At the tree line where she intended to make her escape, she came upon a young knight who¡¯d apparently been too embarrassed to do his business at the latrine. Creeping up behind him, Razai took on her demon disguise and howled loudly enough to be heard back at the camp. The squatting knight jerked upright and tried to run, immediately tripping over his pants which were still around his ankles. He scrambled to his feet, pulling the soiled clothing up as he hobbled away, peering back fearfully at whatever he could see of her disguised form in the darkness. That would certainly add to the rumors. -- ¡°Leena figures they camped about thirty miles out last night,¡± Corec said. ¡°Then they¡¯ve picked up the pace since I left,¡± Razai said. ¡°You didn¡¯t have any more surprises for them?¡± ¡°We did what we set out to do, so I don¡¯t see much need to delay things further. You didn¡¯t have to kill anyone, did you?¡± Her eyes flashed with anger. ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t!¡± she said. ¡°There were enough deserters that I had my pick of disguises. They must have lost almost three hundred men already.¡± ¡°Three hundred? That¡¯s impressive.¡± That meant the enemy forces were down nearly ten percent of their number before the battle had even begun. ¡°It wasn¡¯t all me. A good chunk of the hillfolk just went home, and not all the mercenaries are interested in going to war. They don¡¯t think the free lands will have enough loot to make it worthwhile.¡± Corec nodded. ¡°It¡¯s still good work. Thank you.¡± She appeared uncomfortable with the praise, so he asked his next question. ¡°Were there any red-eyes?¡± ¡°If you mean anyone under a compulsion spell, I could smell it on some of the knights. Not all of them, but I couldn¡¯t get close enough to count because of the priests. I¡¯d guess less than half.¡± ¡°Do you know how many priests there were? Blessed priests, I mean?¡± ¡°More than one,¡± she said. ¡°I just told you I couldn¡¯t get close. They¡¯d have found me out.¡± ¡°What about other mages?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Sarette said she felt an elder mage trying to play with the weather a few times.¡± Razai shook her head. ¡°No luck there. I didn¡¯t see any other mages, and no one mentioned any to me. It¡¯s Larso¡ªwhoever it is, they¡¯re probably in hiding.¡± ¡°I wish we knew for sure,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯d like to know if we¡¯re up against any of Rusol¡¯s bondmates.¡± A horn sounded faintly from the walls, causing Razai to wrinkle her brow. ¡°It means the watchtower just sent a signal that they caught sight of the army,¡± Corec said. ¡°That puts them fifteen or twenty miles out, so it¡¯s time to evacuate Hilltop.¡± ¡°How are you going to manage that?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already agreed, most of them. Ellerie¡¯s sentinels are going to escort them to a camp we set up to the east.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sending away an entire squad of trained fighters?¡± Razai asked. ¡°Can¡¯t have Terevas fighting Larso,¡± Corec said. The horn sounded again. ¡°Time to get to work.¡± Book 5: Chapter Twenty-Seven Pavan wasn¡¯t at his apartment in the city, so Leena Traveled to his family¡¯s camp in northeast Sanvar, in the Ushto region. Unfortunately, she arrived during the gift-giving ceremony for his upcoming wedding to Kala, another Traveler from the city. When the bride-to-be saw her, the smile slipped off the woman¡¯s face. She shot glares in Leena¡¯s direction in between thanking friends and family members for wedding gifts. Once the crowd of well-wishers had dwindled away, Kala stalked over. Pavan followed behind more sedately. ¡°You come here now?¡± the other woman hissed at Leena. ¡°Today?¡± The Zidari may have understood the importance of careful interbreeding of their bloodlines, but no woman wants to be reminded she was her groom¡¯s second choice. Certainly not during the most important of the three marriage ceremonies. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªI didn¡¯t realize,¡± Leena said. ¡°And it was too important to wait.¡± ¡°Kala, enough,¡± Pavan murmured, a note of warning in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s the Empress¡¯s business.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Kala said, her voice overly sweet. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to interfere with business.¡± She found her nearest group of friends and whispered something to them. They snuck glances at Leena as they laughed. Pavan sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive her,¡± he said. ¡°This wasn¡¯t a good time to come. I take it you¡¯re here because Yelena chose a second bondmate?¡± ¡°No, I¡ªwhat? She picked two?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear? Do you remember Indirah?¡± ¡°The girl from Ochal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one. I¡¯ve started training her and Fareed. I¡¯ll send them up to you when they¡¯re ready.¡± Indirah was a quiet young woman from the jungle region of southern Sanvar, while Fareed was Pavan¡¯s own cousin. ¡°Yelena only had two bonds left,¡± Leena said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d use both of them. How is that going to work?¡± ¡°For taking two, she¡¯ll basically be your business partner for the northern expansion. There¡¯s a complicated contract you¡¯ll have to look over about how everything is meant to work.¡± Leena nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll read it when I can, but that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. King Rusol¡¯s army is almost to the keep. They¡¯ll reach us tomorrow.¡± Pavan was silent for a moment. ¡°Your friends weren¡¯t able to stop them?¡± he asked. He¡¯d visited the keep to help with Udit¡¯s training, and was aware of the dangers they were facing. ¡°I don¡¯t think stopping them was ever part of the plan. Corec just wanted to slow them down and tire them out, and he says we managed that.¡± ¡°How bad do you think it¡¯ll be?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll come down to whether there are any mages we don¡¯t know about. Or if something happens that we didn¡¯t plan for.¡± ¡°I could¡ª¡± Pavan started, then bit off what he¡¯d been about to say. ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Leena said. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that I¡¯m there. We can¡¯t have you get involved too. Besides, what would Kala think?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡ªbut you¡¯re not a fighter, so why stay? What about Udit?¡± ¡°I can get away anytime I need to, and Udit¡¯s already here¡ªI left him with my grandmother. But I need to ask for a favor.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Is there somewhere we can speak privately?¡± Pavan glanced at his bride, who was still gossiping with her friends. ¡°We¡¯d better stay in sight,¡± he said. He led her to a tent pavilion where the remains of the gift-giving feast had already been cleared away. Leena handed him the jade bracelet and her marked-up copy of Bobo¡¯s map. ¡°If something happens to me, you¡¯ll need this. It¡¯s how we¡¯ll stop Snake from coming after our people.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Snake? You mean the snake cult?¡± Leena shook her head. ¡°No. Are there even any cult members left in Sanvar? And you¡¯ve already taken out their largest stronghold in the Tablelands.¡± That had become a problem when the Council of Guardians¡ªas the local warlords called themselves¡ªhad learned of it, but Empress Shereen had calmed them down and convinced them to join the hunt. ¡°The cult¡¯s not the real problem. We need to worry about whoever has been giving them their orders. Snake.¡± ¡°But there is no Snake. That¡¯s just one of their delusions.¡± ¡°Why would any god allow so many of his or her priests to go around lying about who they serve?¡± Leena said. ¡°They must have been telling the truth. There were eight old gods once¡ªwe learned that in Tir Yadar¡ªand Snake was one of them. Four died, but Snake didn¡¯t. That has to be what the bracelet¡¯s for.¡± ¡°Eight? Who are the¡ª¡± Pavan shook his head. ¡°Never mind. What does the bracelet have to do with it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a way to Travel to different worlds.¡± She indicated the paper she¡¯d given him. ¡°That¡¯s a map. See the three lines near the bottom? The middle one is our world, and the one above it is the demon world, or the demon realm, or hell. I¡¯m not sure what to call it. I¡¯ve been there a dozen times and it¡¯s different every time. Don¡¯t go there unless you have to¡ªsome of the demons are just curious, but others will try to kill you if they see you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What do demons have to do with Snake, if he actually exists?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but I have a guess. If nobody knows about him besides his followers, maybe he¡¯s in hiding, either in the demon world or one of the others. I just haven¡¯t had enough time to finish exploring. The world below ours is nothing but gray fog, and the one that crosses through at an angle makes me sick to even try. I only managed it once.¡± Leena shivered, remembering the flashing lights and the way the land had shifted below her feet. ¡°Stay away from that one. The creatures there didn¡¯t like me much.¡± The way the six-limbed beasts had followed and surrounded her had been more frightening than the demon encounters she¡¯d faced. ¡°What about the other lines?¡± Pavan asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t figured out how to get to them yet, and you shouldn¡¯t try,¡± Leena said. ¡°I just need to know the bracelet is safe. If something happens, you can take it to the others. Someone will be able to figure it out. Maybe Satyana.¡± Pavan frowned down at the items in his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. I don¡¯t like any of it. You shouldn¡¯t stay at the keep if you¡¯re in danger.¡± ¡°You sound like Rohav. I¡¯m the safest person there, remember?¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± he admitted. ¡°You should know, Queen Yassi of Larso is here, in the city. She¡¯s clan¡ªthe Sanva camp.¡± The zi-Dari Sanva were one of the founding families. The founding family, it could be said, though the early families were so interrelated that there wasn¡¯t much distinction between them. ¡°Her name sounded Zidari to me, but I wasn¡¯t sure. Why is she here?¡± ¡°It all seems to be a mystery. I wasn¡¯t in a position to ask any questions when I met her, and Shereen¡¯s being coy about it all. But I could try to get a message to her if it would help.¡± Leena considered the possibility, then shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve got an army on our doorstep right now, and Corec¡¯s focused on dealing with that. We don¡¯t know anything about the queen, but I can¡¯t imagine she could do anything to stop a war between wardens. If we make it through the next few days, I¡¯ll ask the empress for permission to speak with her.¡± # ¡°Do you have everything you need?¡± Katrin asked, looking over the contents of the wagon. ¡°Enough to get by for a few weeks,¡± her brother replied. ¡°Never even had a chance to move any of it to the new building.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll still be here when you get back,¡± Katrin said. That was a wild hope at best. The new inn was outside the fortress walls, and even Corec, who was optimistic about their chances in the battle, wasn¡¯t sure they could prevent the mercenaries from burning down the village. ¡°You should come with us,¡± Barz said. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Katrin said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to stay, at least until I figure out whether there¡¯s some way I can help.¡± ¡°Then maybe I¡¯ll stay too. Patrig said he¡¯d watch over Ana and Robby.¡± Those were his words, but his gaze rested on his wife and new son¡ªKatrin¡¯s nephew. The two were waiting for him near the front of the wagon so the family could leave together in the final convoy of civilians who were evacuating Hilltop. Katrin gave her brother the answer he needed to hear. ¡°No, Barz, Ana needs you. Not someone else. And this isn¡¯t a street fight. It¡¯s a war, and you¡¯re no soldier.¡± ¡°Neither are you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve killed men before,¡± she said. She¡¯d never admitted that to him. ¡°And if the worst happens, Leena will take me somewhere safe.¡± If she could. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll go if you need to.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Katrin said, grinning broadly to hide her own uneasiness. ¡°I grew up in the same neighborhood as you, remember? I don¡¯t plan to die here¡ªwe¡¯re not going to throw away our lives defending an old heap of rock. There¡¯s always another way out, and we¡¯ve still got plenty of cards left to play.¡± After a few more reassurances, Barz headed on his way, helping Ana and the baby up to the wagon seat before leading the mules through the gatehouse tunnel so they could join with the rest of the convoy. Katrin breathed a sigh of relief, then took a look around the courtyard. Nedley was giving the civilian militia members one final lesson before they departed as well. ¡°If it comes to a fight, do what the elven sentinels tell you!¡± the young man was saying. ¡°Commander Alarein is in charge of military matters, and Patrig¡¯s in charge of everything else. For anyone who hasn¡¯t been out to the campsite yet, we¡¯ve built some shelters there, but it won¡¯t be enough for everyone. You¡¯ll have to share, and hopefully you¡¯ll all be back home before there¡¯s time to build more.¡± Before heading inside the keep, Katrin stopped to check the stable one last time to make sure the only animals left were the ones that were supposed to be there. The stables were Boktar¡¯s responsibility, not hers, but the dwarven man had been locked in with Corec all afternoon going over variations in the battle plans. Inside the stable, she found Harri grooming Dusty, Kevik¡¯s warhorse. ¡°What are you doing here, Harri?¡± Katrin said. ¡°You were supposed to leave an hour ago.¡± She¡¯d watched him gather with the other workers to herd the few mules that didn¡¯t have wagons to pull. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of grooms already gone,¡± the boy said. ¡°Someone¡¯s gotta take care of the animals here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take care of them ourselves! You¡¯re not supposed to be here! What about your sister?¡± A very human-sounding squeak came from one of the stalls. ¡°Ditte!¡± Katrin snapped. ¡°Get out here!¡± Ditte shuffled out from her hiding place, trying to look innocent. Her nice pink dress was coated in a layer of dust. ¡°Young lady, how did you get away from Nallee? What¡¯s that behind your back? Where did you get a knife?¡± # Corec stood with Treya and Kevik under a white parley flag at the entrance to the village. Priest Conley had joined them as well, wearing his order¡¯s traditional black robes and carrying Pallisur¡¯s battle standard. Corec was of two minds about having Conley at his side, but with both Kevik and the priest, it would have to raise some questions in the minds of the knights arrayed against them. The group waited in the open, just outside the new thorn wall and well away from the safety of the fortress¡¯s stone walls. Treya was maintaining protection spells against both fire and lightning, and from farther away, Ellerie had extended her arrow shield spell to reach them. She¡¯d also added a new spell, one designed to protect against arcane magic attacks. While a Knight of Pallisur was unlikely to violate a parley, Corec wasn¡¯t sure just how much control Rusol had over the enemy forces. It was best to be safe. The four of them had taken their position as soon as the army had drawn close enough to see the flag, but it was another half hour before the enemy forces sent a delegation. Barat rode at their head, accompanied by a squad of mercenaries and a priest of his own, as well as Sir Cason and Sir Osbert. Cason had the grace to look embarrassed, giving Kevik and Corec a sheepish nod. Osbert seemed more confused than anything else. The delegation remained mounted even after bringing their horses to a halt. Corec checked the visitors with his warden senses, finding that this particular priest wasn¡¯t a mage. To his surprise, though, Barat was. Had Pallisur chosen him? Or did he have some other gift that he¡¯d kept secret throughout his training, just as Corec had? ¡°Sir Barat, welcome to Warden¡¯s Keep,¡± Corec said. ¡°Might I ask why you¡¯ve brought an invasion force into my lands?¡± ¡°You know answer already, I think,¡± Barat said in his rough accent. ¡°Corec Tarwen, you did dark magic and ¡­ how say ¡­ treachery against throne. You sent assassin after king. You must answer for crimes.¡± What game was Barat playing at? He must have had a reason for sending that warning months earlier, but it seemed clear he wasn¡¯t going to acknowledge it in front of his men. Yet of all the knights he had at his disposal, why select the two who¡¯d accompanied Corec against the dragon? He was offering some sort of message, but Corec couldn¡¯t interpret the meaning. ¡°I¡¯ve never sent any assassin against the king,¡± Corec said. ¡°I sent an envoy in peace, an envoy who Rusol himself tried to murder for no reason. As for dark magic, I reject the charge, and I challenge you to name a single instance of it. I left Larso to avoid breaking your laws¡ªlaws which don¡¯t apply in the free lands.¡± ¡°He speaks the truth,¡± Priest Conley said. ¡°As the highest-ranking priest of Pallisur in the area, I say the Order has overstepped its bounds. If King Rusol wishes to wage war outside his own borders, he can¡¯t hide behind Church law to do so. Where is the army? Why do the Knights of Pallisur cower behind mercenaries whose only loyalty is to coin?¡± Perhaps Corec had underestimated the man. Sir Cason spoke up. ¡°What¡¯s actually going on here?¡± he asked. ¡°Sir Barat¡¯s story doesn¡¯t make any sense, but something must have happened between you and the king.¡± Barat didn¡¯t react to the statement. ¡°Rusol wants to kill me because I know his secret,¡± Corec said. ¡°He¡¯s a mage himself, which makes him a false king. No mage shall be king nor peer of Larso upon pain of death, and that law still holds true today. By coming here, you¡¯re following the commands of a fraud, a man who¡¯s perverting the Order for his own gain. A man who murdered his own brother to ensure he would become king.¡± Barat again didn¡¯t contradict the statement, but Cason and Osbert shared a glance. ¡°He killed Prince Rikard?¡± Cason asked. ¡°Are you sure of that?¡± ¡°As sure as I can be,¡± Corec said. Razai had said it was a common rumor in the enemy camp. If the rumor could help save lives, that was more important than knowing the truth of it. ¡°On my honor, and as your comrade-in-arms, I swear that Rusol is a mage, a false king, and a liar.¡± Under other circumstances, Corec might have applauded anyone who¡¯d twisted the Order of Pallisur around as much as Rusol had, but right now that same Order was Corec¡¯s best hope for stopping a war. If Barat wouldn¡¯t listen, Cason and Osbert were the next best choice. ¡°Barat,¡± Cason started, ¡°if he¡¯s telling the truth, we can¡¯t¡ª¡± Barat held up a hand to stop him. ¡°On my honor as Knight of Pallisur, His Majesty is not mage,¡± he said, an indecipherable look passing over his face. ¡°We are here to stop traitor Corec Tarwen.¡± Treya made a quick, indrawn hiss of breath, but Corec couldn¡¯t spare any attention for her. Not with the parley already going out of control. ¡°Sir Barat,¡± he said, ¡°in memory of our friendship, I¡¯ll allow your forces to depart in peace. If you choose to proceed with your misguided war, on the orders of a false king, we will stop you. Ask Cason and Osbert about it. Destroying your army won¡¯t be any harder than bringing down a dragon in mid-flight. Rusol¡¯s mercenaries have murdered dozens of innocent people¡ªmen, women, and children¡ªin his previous attempts to kill me. End this now, before anyone else dies.¡± Even Osbert eyed the mercenaries after that statement, but Barat was unmoved. ¡°If you do not surrender yourself, we have nothing to talk about,¡± the knight said. ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake, Barat,¡± Kevik said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re done here,¡± Barat said and signaled his men. They nudged their horses around to leave. ¡°Barat, before you go, I have a question,¡± Corec said. Barat looked back over his shoulder. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°My cousin, Sir Jesson¡ªdid he accompany you?¡± ¡°Sir Jesson is too old for fighting, and he disagreed with my orders. I left him under guard at Fort Hightower.¡± Under the circumstances, perhaps that was for the best. If Jesson had managed to get word to Ansel, Corec wasn¡¯t sure how his father would have reacted. Once the delegation was out of earshot, Corec turned to Treya. ¡°Did you learn anything?¡± he asked. ¡°Sir Barat is under a demonic compulsion spell, but he¡¯s the only one in this group. I wasn¡¯t able to free him. It was different than the red-eyes, and I¡¯m not sure why. I¡¯ll need more time with him if I¡¯m going to try again.¡± Corec nodded. It helped to know his old friend wasn¡¯t in control of his own actions. They¡¯d half-expected it, considering Barat had been stationed in Telfort. The compulsion wasn¡¯t the only problem, though. Barat was a mage, and he¡¯d been placed in command of the invasion force despite his relative youth. That all added up to the probability that he was one of Rusol¡¯s bondmates, and thus likely the most dangerous threat they faced. # ¡°What do you see?¡± Corec asked. Ellerie had just finished casting the mage-finding spell she¡¯d discovered in Terevas. ¡°They¡¯re very small from here,¡± she said. ¡°I think there are ¡­ three? No, four, back at the far side of the camp. And another one near the big tents at the center.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be Barat,¡± Corec said. ¡°Those are the command tents. Only five mages?¡± That was better than he¡¯d feared, unless they all happened to be Rusol¡¯s bondmates. ¡°That¡¯s all I can see, but they just look like red dots from this far away. If two of them are standing right next to each other, I might not find them both.¡± ¡°Can you reach them from here?¡± Corec asked. ¡°Maybe, if they don¡¯t move around while I¡¯m aiming. Should I try? I might hit the wrong person, and everyone will be able to see what I¡¯m doing.¡± Her beam spell wasn¡¯t subtle. Corec considered the options. Barat had been a friend once, but he was also a danger. Could they justify allowing him to live if it meant others might die? Yet ¡­ he¡¯d sent that warning. What if Treya could save him? ¡°We¡¯d better not,¡± Corec said. ¡°Let¡¯s give Cason and Osbert more time to pass the word around. I don¡¯t want the knights to see us striking the first blow.¡± If the knights were going to abandon their cause, they¡¯d have to believe they were making the right choice. Letting Barat and the priests live was a risk, but killing them from afar before the battle even began would be worse. The army had settled into a defensive encampment, digging out long trenches like a moat and piling the dirt in tall mounds behind. The tactic was meant to foil enemy charges and force them into chokepoints, much like Shavala¡¯s thorn wall, but what sort of offensive charge did Barat think Corec could pull off with seven warhorses? Not that the knight knew the exact numbers, but he must have had a reasonable guess. The action suggested their opponents might be settling in for a siege rather than a direct assault, but would they have enough provisions for that? Did they have supply caravans on the way after all? Under other circumstances, a long siege would be a problem for a small defensive force, but if that was Barat¡¯s intention, Corec could modify his plan to match. The mercenaries might be out of bow range, but they weren¡¯t far enough away to avoid Sarette or Shavala. Still, Corec wanted his opponents to launch the initial assault, and he was relieved to see the knights wheeling their catapults and ballistae out of the camp and into range. They would only do that if they were intending to attack. For a siege, Barat would have left the weapons behind the trenches. Dusk fell while the knights positioned their equipment. Ellerie went to warn the others what they were facing, but Corec remained up on the bastion, summoning mage lights and sending them out to line the thorn wall at regular intervals. That was more to watch over the hedgerow itself than to illuminate his opponents¡¯ work, but each light caused the nearest knights to stop what they were doing and stare. As the knights tested their weapons, a few ballista bolts streaked into the village, and a lucky catapult shot reached the fortress walls. Corec had to step behind a merlon to avoid the spray of stones. The small rocks weren¡¯t much of a danger, though, and Ellerie had reinforced the walls with a warding spell to protect them once the enemy launched a real attack. Over half of the siege weapons never fired a single shot, the knights pulling them from the line and moving them back out of the way. ¡°What are they up to?¡± Georg asked. He would command the northeast and northwest walls if Corec was needed elsewhere. ¡°Razai sabotaged every ballista she could get her hands on,¡± Corec said. ¡°Some of the catapults too. They must have run out of spare parts.¡± ¡°You kept that quiet.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get anyone¡¯s hopes up. And they might still get them working, so let¡¯s not go talking about it where people can hear.¡± Ral jogged over to join them. ¡°The men are getting nervous that we¡¯re not firing back,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re just doing ranging shots down there,¡± Corec said. ¡°But I suppose we¡¯ve let them waste enough time on it. Show them we can hit back; aim for their weapons. Don¡¯t use any of the fortisteel bolts.¡± As an exercise, it was unnecessary¡ªRal¡¯s men had already ranged their own weapons¡ªbut the keep¡¯s higher elevation gave them the advantage. The knights would either have to move their weapons farther back, making them less effective, or leave their crews within easy range of bombardment. Ral nodded and left to inform his men. The night grew darker, and the steady pounding of war drums began sounding out from the enemy camp. The knights used the instruments for issuing orders over the din and chaos of battle, but also to frighten their opponents. Corec thought that last idea was a bit silly¡ªthey were just drums¡ªbut the deep pounding still made the hairs on his arms stand on end. ¡°I always hated those damned things,¡± Georg said. ¡°Drums were my first job as a knight, back in the North Border War. It never bothered the barbarians¡ªthey¡¯d start whooping and hollering every time we started. I think they enjoyed it.¡± ¡°If the drummers keep it up all night, no one¡¯s getting any sleep,¡± Corec said. ¡°Barat¡¯s probably trying to even the odds after we tired out his men.¡± ¡°Dawn attack then, you think?¡± ¡°Or just before dawn, if he wants to be sneaky. We¡¯ll have to keep a full watch.¡± A night assault would be more dangerous for the attackers than the defenders, but Barat might be betting on the surprise to give him an edge. Sarette and Shavala were resting below, in the old tavern, in case they were needed earlier than expected. Most likely, though, a nighttime attack would be limited to saboteurs attempting to dig out or burn down the thorn wall so Barat¡¯s forces could sneak into the village and hide in the buildings under cover of darkness. Corec¡¯s men would have to watch the entire perimeter all night long. Half of his archers and crossbowmen were on the wall now, but if the other half didn¡¯t manage to get any rest, they¡¯d all be exhausted by the time the actual attack came. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right, planning how to fight our own brothers,¡± Georg muttered, staring out at the bits of activity they could still see in the darkness. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope Cason and Osbert believed me,¡± Corec said. ¡°Treya said they weren¡¯t under compulsion.¡± After a moment, he added, ¡°Would you rather be out there?¡± The older man¡¯s loyalties were questionable. Georg snorted. ¡°My shield won¡¯t block a lightning bolt, so ¡­ no. But I¡¯ll hold you to your promise to save as many as we can.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really a promise,¡± Corec said. ¡°If the knights don¡¯t break, and if we can¡¯t convince Barat to call off the attack, there¡¯s not much else I can do about it.¡± They¡¯d attempted to demoralize the enemy forces in advance, but once the battle began, they¡¯d have to tip the scale quickly and decisively. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see what we see,¡± Georg said. It wasn¡¯t exactly a resounding affirmation of support. ¡°Bloody hell, I wish they¡¯d stop it with those drums!¡± Then another instrument sounded¡ªa harp. Katrin had dragged a chair up to a flat section of the keep¡¯s roof, a spot once used as a pigeon aviary, and sat there alone, singing the sad but triumphant ballad she¡¯d written in memory of Fergus, the headman of Jol¡¯s Brook, who¡¯d died battling snow beasts after nearly leading his people to safety. She segued from that into one of the first songs Corec had ever heard her sing, a battle hymn praising the glory of Pallisur. Corec hated the song, but it might give the knights pause to hear it coming from their enemy¡¯s position. The drumming from the camp faltered as she finished the final notes and moved on to her next tune. It took Corec a moment to recognize it as the song she¡¯d written about the battle against the dragon. He¡¯d only heard pieces before, with Katrin always insisting it wasn¡¯t ready. Then more instruments joined in¡ªa flute, a gittern, others that Corec couldn¡¯t name. He looked back again, but Katrin was still on her own, with only the harp on her lap. She¡¯d added the other sounds herself, weaving them into the false memories bards could create. The bits of the song Corec had heard before had always seemed to be missing something, and now he realized why. Katrin had written it from the start to be played with multiple instruments, and now she played them all together using just her mind. Along with the music came visions of the battle¡ªSarette¡¯s diving strike in a burst of lightning, Nedley keeping his squad in place as the dragon¡¯s fire washed over them, Corec and Boktar charging the beast with the knights following after. Katrin hadn¡¯t been present for the battle, and not all the details were accurate, but she¡¯d crafted a story that could be told in visions¡ªa story that might show their opponents what they were up against. And when that song ended, she began another. She sang through the night. Book 5: Chapter Twenty-Eight The mercenaries made a few half-hearted attempts overnight to burn down the thorn wall¡ªmore to keep the defenders on alert than anything else, Corec suspected¡ªbut the archers were able to scare them off each time, and the steady rain Sarette summoned had protected the hedgerow from the thrown torches. Corec managed to get a few hours of sleep up on the wall-walk, propped against the parapet. Once the sun came up, the knights and mercenaries assembled outside their camp, splitting into groups but then waiting as runners sprinted back and forth delivering messages. Squads of knights with heavy shields took positions around a group carrying a battering ram, while archer companies formed, split apart, then rearranged themselves in different locations. None of the knights were mounted except for those carrying orders¡ªa horseback charge would be pointless here. Siege weapon crews waited at a safe range, leaving their ballistae and catapults temptingly undefended, but Corec didn¡¯t give the signal. Not yet. The best way to save lives¡ªincluding their opponents¡¯ lives¡ªwas to overwhelm them quickly rather than wearing them down bit by bit. ¡°Does it always take this long?¡± Treya asked. She, Sarette, and Shavala were standing nearby, waiting for their part in the plan. ¡°I don¡¯t see any drums,¡± Corec said. ¡°Barat knows Kevik¡¯s here, so he¡¯s using regular messengers instead. Otherwise we would know every order he gave.¡± But then, finally, the knights started to move, led by the shield formation surrounding the battering ram. They advanced slowly, seemingly expecting an attack or a trap at any moment, but Corec allowed them to reach the wooden gate at the entrance to the village. They would need to get close for Treya to do her work. The ram made short work of the flimsy gate, knocking it down in a single hit and opening up the only entrance through the thorn wall. ¡°They could have just opened it,¡± Corec mentioned. ¡°I didn¡¯t lock it.¡± Treya spared him a weak smile for the quip, but her attention was focused on the knights as the shield formation once again took point. The men on the edges held their shields out in a wall to the front and sides, while those in the center held them over their heads, forming a shell like a turtle. The tactic would work well against arrows and crossbow bolts, but it was a poor choice to use against mages unless the formation was protected from spells. Barat would certainly have assigned the blessed priests to defend the knights from magical attack ¡­ and that meant they wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near Corec¡¯s actual target. Corec circled his left hand twice above his head, and the horn signaler on the lookout tower sounded the first attack. Archers and crossbowmen on the northeast and northwest curtain walls loosed their volley. They were joined by the infantry, whose skills weren¡¯t yet needed for close-up work. The missiles stuck into shields or deflected off armor, just enough to tell the knights the battle had started. A single catapult launched a scattering of pebbles and dirt clods, intended to startle rather than kill. The shield formation sped up, clearing the gate. Knights with crossbows streamed in behind them, then spread out across the village, taking cover behind and within buildings. They loosed their own bolts, but most were blocked by Ellerie¡¯s arrow shield, coming to a halt with a flickering flash of light, then dropping to the ground without enough force to kill. Only the few bolts that made it through the crenels were unaffected¡ªthe arrow shield worked both ways, and Corec¡¯s forces need openings so they could return fire. He gave another signal and the horn sounded again. This time his archers were more careful with their aim, targeting the crossbowmen to keep them pinned down. ¡°They¡¯re in range,¡± Treya said. Half of the knights had made it through the gate. ¡°Do it,¡± Corec told her. She peered through a crenel, then ducked back behind cover, closing her eyes to concentrate. In the past, she¡¯d knocked the red-eyes unconscious as a group, then healed them of the compulsion spell one by one. That wouldn¡¯t work here¡ªthe healed knights would have to be awake if they were going to tell the others about what had happened to them. A bunch of men passing out all at once would only panic the rest, who would assume they were under some sort of magical assault. There were no visual indicators to show what she was doing, and at first, nothing seemed to happen, but then Corec started to see clues that she was having an effect. A knight stepped out of the shield wall, clutching at his head. A crossbowman lowered his weapon, appearing confused. Catching sight of the battle, he took aim again before shaking his head and slowly backing away. He disappeared behind Ezra¡¯s new shop. But it wasn¡¯t going fast enough. Then came the call they¡¯d been waiting for. ¡°They¡¯re pulling down the thorn wall!¡± someone shouted. The mercenaries, far more numerous than the knights, had spread out to the north and west, slogging through the mud at the base of the hill. Rather than trying to burn down the prickly hedges, they¡¯d sent a dozen groups of four men each, spaced at twenty-foot intervals, each group carrying a chain with a hook on the end. After tossing the hook over the hedge, the men all grabbed onto the chain and pulled back, trying to tear down the thorn wall so they could scramble across it. It was time. Corec turned to Sarette and Shavala. ¡°Now!¡± # Fire had always come easily to Shavala, ever since old Arvillin had taught her to call it. It was the only magic she used on a daily basis¡ªto light a campfire if nothing else. It was the first magic she¡¯d ever used for killing. She¡¯d preserved life with it as well, nurturing its warmth through the worst of a mountain blizzard. Shavala had always hated senseless killing. She¡¯d sent Risingwind away with Zhailai, not wanting him to see the violence that was about to unfold. She¡¯d sent the staff too, Leena having taken it two days earlier. The staff wouldn¡¯t be of any use in battle, and Zhailai would keep it safe for the dorvasta people in case the worst occurred. Corec had tried to resolve the conflict peacefully. He¡¯d given their opponents a chance to back down. Shavala hated killing, but sometimes she was left with no other choice. Fire had always come easily, and with Risingwind and the staff gone, there was nothing left to hold her back from using her true strength. Summoning all the power she had at her disposal, she called down the firestorms. Tornadoes of wind and flame incinerated the nearest mercenary ranks, tearing through the soldiers at the thorn wall and then spreading to the squads preparing to take advantage of the breaches. Thunder clouds roiled in the sky as Sarette flew over the flames, launching her own attack. A massive white beam destroyed a ballista and its crew, signaling Ellerie¡¯s entrance into the battle. With a twist of her fingers, Shavala directed the firestorm to swallow a group of archers before they could take aim at Sarette. Fire destroyed ¡­ but it also cleaned out old, dead wood, allowing new life to thrive in its place. Shavala chose to believe that would be true today. # Sarette had spent so much time in the air over the past months, flying had become second nature. Her first targets for the day were the siege weapons facing the west side of the village. She swooped down out of the clouds in a curving path, blasting the catapults and ballistae one after another. Some of the crews managed to get away in time, and those groups she allowed to flee. She returned to the clouds to recharge and scout the action below. Ellerie was busy eliminating the siege weapons along the north side, so Sarette focused her attention on the remaining mercenary units. Many of the soldiers had frozen in shock at the wide swathes of flame that had consumed their compatriots, but a few men kept their heads. They rallied their fellows and began directing them around the walls of fire, their progress slow due to the heavy mud that had been accumulating below the hill. Sarette darted down, loosing bursts of lightning at any groups that tried to breach the thorn wall. She didn¡¯t hold anything back¡ªCorec had insisted they needed to show overwhelming force right from the outset if their plan was going to work. No defensive spells blocked her attacks. The war priests were likely protecting the main body of the knights, which left the mercenaries defenseless against magic. The bulk of their army still lived, but no one seemed to have any idea what to do next. Sarette dove straight for the largest group, pulling wind, hail, and lightning with her. She landed with a thundering boom right in the center, the concussive force of her strike throwing everyone around her thirty feet away. A company of archers mastered their fear and surprise well enough to try to target her, but Shavala¡¯s whirlwinds of flame bulged outward to consume them before they could loose their arrows. That was enough for the mercenaries. Whether it was due to their rapid losses or simply their fear of facing magic, they broke, scattering and fleeing back to the west. # Snake watched the battle from afar, ensconced within his hidden stronghold in the totemic realm. Regardless of which side triumphed, he would come out ahead, yet it seemed unlikely that any wardens would die this day. Rusol wasn¡¯t even present. His early ascension to the throne, which Snake hadn¡¯t seen in any visions of the future, had greatly limited the man¡¯s usefulness as a warden-hunter. A waste of a priestly blessing. Snake¡¯s patience would be tested once again, but he¡¯d been plotting for millennia. A few more decades¡ªor centuries¡ªwould matter little. He¡¯d first come up with his plan after the old wardens¡¯ attempt to subvert the Collision for their own use. When the wardens ascended and their physical bodies died, they¡¯d lost the part of themselves that linked them to their own world, thus eliminating the protections they¡¯d unknowingly been providing. The Collision had existed long before the wardens, but they were the first to attempt to exploit it. Now that the mortals knew of its existence, it had to be safeguarded¡ªor so Wolf and Raven had explained. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. By the time Snake realized the implications, it was too late. His brothers had taken up position within the physical manifestation of the Collision itself, reinforcing the bonds that held the worlds together. Snake himself had stayed only long enough to learn about the weaknesses inherent in those bonds, but his brothers remained there for centuries, rarely venturing outside until two more wardens had been chosen. By then, the mortals had learned to fawn over their false new gods. They remembered Snake¡¯s brothers only as old stories, and seldom remembered Snake at all. He¡¯d begun his plotting in secret. That was his nature, after all, and if his brothers had learned of his intent, they would have attempted to stop him. He couldn¡¯t succeed on his own, though, which meant recruiting help. He had only limited ability to affect events in the mortal world, and if he was going to kill wardens without raising suspicion, he would need weapons. Yet he¡¯d had little understanding of how the mortal mind operated, and his early efforts had failed. Then by chance, while spying on the so-called new gods, he¡¯d discovered how to bless priests with totemic magic. Power turned out to be the one currency he could offer. Wolf had come closest to unraveling the plan, stumbling upon a ceremony led by one of Snake¡¯s priests. Snake had been forced to kill him¡ªthe first time any of the brothers had committed violence upon one another. Wolf¡¯s sudden, unexplained disappearance had caused enough confusion among the siblings to provide Snake with an unexpected opportunity. He¡¯d hunted down Deer next¡ªalways a foolish creature¡ªand then Eagle, who¡¯d proven a more difficult foe. With the remaining brothers coming to accept that Owl wasn¡¯t the only of their kind to face an ending, Snake had vanished as well, pretending to be one of the fallen. Yet it was slow work to build up support in secret, and whenever a group of his followers was discovered, they were destroyed, exiled, or ostracized. He¡¯d had some success worming his way into the mind of a demon lord by the name of Saristix, who¡¯d gone on to kill one of the newer wardens, but it had been a dangerous undertaking. Saristix grew suspicious of the information he¡¯d received, and a demon lord was one of the few creatures capable of crossing the boundaries between worlds. One of the few ¡­ but not the only. A Zidari Traveler had found the jade bracelet. The artifact had been crafted by the Chosar to aid in hunting demons, but they¡¯d never realized what they¡¯d actually created¡ªand even with their limited understanding, they hadn¡¯t been daring enough to use it. In recent years, Snake¡¯s visions of the future had changed, with some variations showing his downfall at the hands of Travelers who could cross between worlds. Why they would target him had been a mystery at first, but he¡¯d ordered his followers to eliminate them as threats. That had only caused the visions to increase in frequency, and he¡¯d realized his mistake too late. It was the folly of reacting to events which hadn¡¯t yet occurred¡ªa trap which the new gods often fell into, but which Snake had thought he¡¯d long outgrown. The Zidari woman was present for the battle. Perhaps some of Rusol¡¯s forces would live long enough to kill her. Perhaps not. Snake¡¯s own attempts had so far failed. His spirit snakes had no effect on mortal beings, and when he¡¯d sent real snakes, she hadn¡¯t even noticed. She was protected by some force Snake didn¡¯t recognize, and the creatures hadn¡¯t been able to sense her presence even when right in front of her. There had to be another solution to the dilemma. Snake intended to die when he accomplished his task, and not one moment sooner. # The rear ranks of the knights started to falter as they caught glimpses of what was happening outside the village. Most, though, pressed ahead, their view of the devastation blocked by buildings or the thorn wall. The front row of the shield formation had split apart to give the battering ram room to maneuver, and it was now pounding against the outer gate. Behind it, half a dozen ladder teams streamed into the village and ran for the walls. Each team consisted of four men carrying a long scaling ladder, accompanied by three defenders with shields and heavy armor. Before Corec could issue an order, someone up on the lookout tower sounded out the appropriate sequence on the signaling horn to alert everyone. Ellerie had finished off the last of the siege weapons. At the horn call, she grabbed Leena¡¯s hand and the two women disappeared, teleporting to the southwest bastion. The ladders were the most urgent priority, especially along the south walls, which had fewer defenders. Nedley¡¯s and Kevik¡¯s men knew what to do, but they were spread thin. Razai, positioned halfway down the northwest wall, reached the first of the ladders just as the man climbing it threw an anchor rope over the parapet. The multi-pronged hook was meant to catch against the stonework to hold the ladder in place if anyone attempted to move it. When the climber reached the top, she stabbed him through the gap between his helmet and armor, then nudged his body off the ladder. After cutting the rope, she helped two of Trentin¡¯s defenders brace a pole against the ladder and push it away from the wall before the knights could get enough weight on it to make doing so impossible. The next ladder was close to Corec¡¯s position. He left the anchor rope in place in case he needed it later, but slammed his maul against the first climber¡¯s helmet as the man crested the top, knocking him thirty feet to the ground below. Two more went the same way. With no one else on the way up, Corec leaned out over the parapet and dropped the hammer on one of the defenders holding the ladder in place. Out of Corec¡¯s grasp, the weapon converted to its heavier weight, splintering the knight¡¯s shield and dropping him wordlessly. The trick had worked well enough, so Corec summoned the maul back to his hand and did it again, aiming at one of the other members of the squad. The second attempt wasn¡¯t a direct hit, and the last two knights dragged the injured man to a nearby cottage, taking cover with a pair of crossbowmen who¡¯d broken out the windows and were aiming at the battlements. So far, Treya¡¯s efforts hadn¡¯t had as much impact as Corec had hoped. While more of the knights had stopped to get their bearings, none were trying to stop the battle. Some had taken up their weapons again. ¡°Is it working?¡± he asked her. ¡°How many are left?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too hard from up here,¡± Treya said. ¡°I need to get closer¡ªI¡¯ve always done it by touch before.¡± This had always been the weakest link in the plan, since they hadn¡¯t had any red-eyes for her to practice on to judge her range. They couldn¡¯t risk leaving via the gatehouse. The battering ram crew and their defenders had run away for some reason Corec couldn¡¯t determine from his position, but opening the gates would allow the other knights to flood into the fortress. The only other option was to take the scaling ladder over the wall. Their own ladder, propped nearby in case they needed it, was no longer necessary. Leaving the safety of the walls to face a small army would be dangerous, but if Treya needed to be closer, they didn¡¯t have a choice. Corec gave the sign to the lookout tower, where the horn signaler sounded out the appropriate sequence to get everyone in position. It looked to be the backup signaler who made the call, his partner lying in a heap on the platform. Ariadne was the first member of the strike team to arrive, simply teleporting over from where she¡¯d been defending the east bastion. Before Corec could greet her, an explosion hit the wall in front of them, flame washing over the parapet. Treya had to duck behind a merlon to avoid it. Corec peered down just in time to see one of the knights launching another attack. This time streaks of lightning flashed toward the stone wall, some careening wildly above it. Judging by the armor and helm, the knight had to be Barat. It seemed he wasn¡¯t a priest after all. But Treya couldn¡¯t keep her fire-protection spell up while she was focused on freeing the compelled knights, and Ellerie had warned that the simple ward she¡¯d used on the fortress walls didn¡¯t have the strength to hold up against a sustained magical attack. While Barat didn¡¯t seem to have as fine-tuned control of his abilities as Shavala did, all he would have to do was climb to the top of one of the taller buildings in the village to get a better angle on the defenders. And Corec wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d noticed the spells. All the knights nearby stopped and stared at their commanding officer, unsure how to react. Corec¡¯s team would never get a better chance. ¡°I¡¯m going after him!¡± he shouted, grabbing the scaling ladder. Shana¡ªTreya¡¯s friend, and the second member of the strike team to arrive¡ªmade it down first, simply leaping over the parapet to the ground below. She kicked the nearest knight in the chest, sending him flying ten feet back to smash into a cottage wall. Ariadne joined her a moment later, flickering into place just in time to shield Shana from Barat¡¯s bolt of lightning. It dissipated as it struck her mirrorsteel armor. Corec scrambled down the ladder as quickly as he could. Treya beat him down, taking the same route as her mentor. Shana and Ariadne took defensive positions around her, Ariadne spinning up a shield of flame. A hail of crossbow bolts came their way but Ariadne ignored the missiles, allowing them to ricochet off her armor. Shana danced between them, snagging two bolts out of the air. Corec charged at Barat to distract him, but the knight had been waiting for the attack. He dodged out of the way, then slammed his shield against Corec¡¯s side. There was a reverberating clang, just like during the dragon fight, and Corec barely felt the impact. Barat fell instead, slipping in the mud. Before Corec could reach him, he was back on his feet, far too quickly and smoothly for someone wearing plate armor. The ground below him had seemed to flow up like a wave before returning to its original form. Boktar and Bobo finally made it down the ladder¡ªthey¡¯d had to run from the opposite side of the fortress¡ªand they joined the wall around Treya just as a wave of knights charged the group. Boktar defended more than he attacked, his enchanted shield melting every weapon that struck it until his opponents drew back in fear. Bobo whirled his white-glowing cudgel with little skill but with a great deal of strength, crumpling armor and bashing knights out of the way with every swing. With the added reinforcements, Ariadne and Shana were free to fight back too. Shana flowed from one opponent to the next, her punches and kicks striking as hard as weapons, while Ariadne teleported around the field, taking enemies by surprise with a blazing sword. Shana¡¯s opponents would likely recover; Ariadne¡¯s wouldn¡¯t. Barat flung his arm out and a lash of flame whipped at Corec, dissipating as Corec¡¯s magical defenses kicked in. Corec struck back, but Barat¡¯s plain wooden shield somehow held up against the maul. The man grunted but kept his arm in place, pushing Corec back. Corec¡¯s combat spells snapped into place and he rushed forward, swinging too quickly for Barat to block. He bashed the arming sword out of the man¡¯s hand, then swung back around to hit his knee, crushing it inside the armor. The knight fell with a crash and Treya slipped between her defenders, dashing over to lay her hands on his head. He struggled for a moment to rise, then fell back, breathing heavily as he stared up at the sky. Treya sprung back to her feet and peered around, but must not have been able to sense any other targets nearby. She flung her arms out to the sides and the now-familiar ripple of white light echoed away from her, intended to knock out any compelled opponents who were beyond the range of her healing magic. With Barat down for the moment, the knights seemed to set aside their confusion about what to do. Some pulled their friends to the side, arguing with them, but others were ready to continue the fight. A single squad returned to the abandoned battering ram, while a larger group faced off against Corec and his friends, wary after having seen what they could do. Help came from an unexpected source. ¡°Lay down your weapons!¡± shouted an overweight man in poorly-fitting mail as he came stumbling out of the rear ranks. ¡°King Rusol is a demon! We surrender! Lay down your weapons!¡± The man zig-zagged back and forth, shouting his message to any knights near enough to hear him. He carried a shield and spear, and wore only an iron cap on his head, so his face was visible. Calwell, the unblessed priest who¡¯d allowed Corec¡¯s mother to die of a blood infection. Corec¡¯s grip tightened on the maul. So much of the pain in his life was due to this one man. Moira¡¯s death. The final schism with Ansel. Corec¡¯s distrust of his own abilities, and his reluctance to accept what he was. The priest¡¯s frenzied shouts continued until the knights stopped their advance, not yet dropping their weapons but willing to listen, either to Calwell or to their comrades who¡¯d been freed of compulsion. Up on the walls, Georg had ordered the defenders to stop firing. As word spread to the outer edges of the battle and the sounds of combat faded away, Calwell came to a halt in front of Corec. ¡°Corec, my boy!¡± he said, panting from exertion. ¡°Corec! Do you remember me? Priest Calwell, from back home. We have to stop this fighting! His Majesty¡ªhe cast spells on us! Dark magic! He forced us to obey him!¡± The maul wavered in Corec¡¯s hands. Calwell eyed the weapon warily, then seemed to realize for the first time that he himself was still armed. He dropped his spear and shield. Forcing down the spike of old anger, Corec allowed the moment to pass. Revenge wouldn¡¯t heal his family. He flipped the visor up on his helmet to make sure he¡¯d be heard. ¡°Lay down your weapons!¡± he shouted. ¡°On my word, I will accept your honorable surrender!¡± That was an old term, once used between knightly orders back before military law had been codified. It meant the knights would keep their lives and their personal arms, with no loss to the honor of their station. One by one, they obeyed. Barat had managed to sit up and take off his helmet. ¡°Had to use magic to make them see truth,¡± he said, stopping to cough. ¡°Was good idea, yes?¡± Corec nodded. It was over. Book 5: Chapter Twenty-Nine Corec gave the knights time to collect their dead while Conley and the other priests healed the worst of the injured. Forty-seven knights¡ªhalf of them from the siege crews¡ªhad been killed during the fighting, the largest loss the Order had faced since the North Border War. Many didn¡¯t realize until after their surrender that they¡¯d been spared the worst of it. No one had counted the mercenaries yet, but by Corec¡¯s estimate, over eight hundred had died, with the remainder fleeing. Leena had said they were still going, splintering into smaller groups and heading in different directions. If any were to remain in the free lands, they might become a problem, but that would be a worry for another day. On Corec¡¯s side, the stone walls and Ellerie¡¯s arrow shield had served their purpose, and they¡¯d lost only two men. One of the horn signalers had died to a crossbow bolt¡ªthe lookout platform was above Ellerie¡¯s arrow shield spell, and the silversteel tower shields they¡¯d propped around it hadn¡¯t provided sufficient protection. Another man had died when a boulder from a catapult had taken out a support beam on one of the ballista platforms, causing the whole structure to collapse. The second crew member on the platform had been injured in the fall, but Bobo thought he would remain stable until Treya or Conley recovered enough to look at him. With the bulk of the knights¡¯ forces dispatched to start breaking down their camp, Corec gathered the senior members of the Order in the meeting chamber, adding Cason and Osbert for good measure. Barat was locked away in Corec¡¯s office. The plain wooden door wouldn¡¯t stop an elder witch, but it was more for his own protection than anything. He¡¯d given his word that he wouldn¡¯t try to escape. At Corec¡¯s end of the table, he¡¯d brought only Kevik, Trentin, Georg, and Conley. The rest of his friends were either recuperating or watching the enemy camp for trouble. ¡°Let¡¯s be clear,¡± Corec said to the knights. ¡°You left your own borders to start a war with no evidence presented of any crime. Why was that? Were you so eager to burn mages at the stake? That¡¯s against the law even in Larso these days. You were misled, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re without fault.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t disobey our orders,¡± Sir Loris said. With the fortress commander having remained at Hightower, he was the highest-ranking of the assembled knights. ¡°Perhaps not at the start, but what about now? Rusol is a mage and a false king, and he tried to use you to cover up his secrets. You have testimony of that from your own people. I suggest reconsidering your loyalties, and I charge you to inform the rest of the Order about his crimes. As I recall from our lessons at Hightower, the king serves at the behest of the Church. I¡¯m sure the Larse family has some cousins who aren¡¯t mages.¡± That suggestion didn¡¯t generate much surprise. Likely the knights had been considering it already. ¡°Is that the only term you require of us?¡± Loris said. Many of the details of the surrender were inherent in its nature, but not everything, and Corec hadn¡¯t been sure of what he was going to say until he¡¯d started talking. The knights¡ªand by extension, the Church¡ªoffered the best opportunity to end the war, and he would have to walk a fine line between treating them as defeated enemies or as honored allies. Most of his anger fell on Rusol, but at some point, the Order would have to learn to take responsibility for their own actions. ¡°Yes, provided you don¡¯t overstep your bounds,¡± he said. ¡°The Knights of Pallisur are permitted in these lands as long as they obey our laws. Not the Church¡¯s; not Larso¡¯s. You won¡¯t patrol here the way you do in the hills or the free lands unless it¡¯s at my request. If you want to visit, you¡¯ll be welcome, but if you come to make war, you¡¯ll suffer the same fate as the mercenaries. I protected you this time. Next time I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°And Sir Barat?¡± Loris asked. ¡°He¡¯ll have to answer for his crimes.¡± ¡°Barat will answer to me,¡± Corec said. ¡°He was under a compulsion spell, the same as the others from Fort Northtower. He had no choice in what he did.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a mage!¡± a priest said. Corec didn¡¯t remember the man¡¯s name, but he was one of Tibon¡¯s toadies, and had sat on Corec¡¯s tribunal when he¡¯d been expelled from the Order. Tibon himself hadn¡¯t made the journey. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes!¡± Priest Calwell started to nod in agreement, then met Corec¡¯s gaze and looked away, flustered. ¡°We already know what the tribunal will say about that,¡± Corec replied. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it myself, so I¡¯ll make the ruling for you. Barat is no longer a Knight of Pallisur. He¡¯s no longer welcome in Hightower or any of the Order¡¯s strongholds. As for any other punishment, that¡¯s between him and me.¡± Sir Loris nodded. ¡°We agree to your terms.¡± ¡°Loris, Barat¡¯s¡ª¡± started Sir Levit. ¡°I said we agree!¡± Loris snapped. Levit looked to the priests for support, but no one seemed interested in prolonging the debate. ¡°Then you¡¯re free to go,¡± Corec said. ¡°Let¡¯s hope the next time we meet, it¡¯s under more pleasant circumstances.¡± The knights filed out of the room quietly, defeated but knowing the battle had gone much better for them than it could have. Cason grasped Corec¡¯s forearm on the way out. He¡¯d offered to make sure Sir Jesson was freed from Fort Hightower. Osbert was the last of the knights to leave, and Priest Conley went with him. The two men weren¡¯t headed to Hightower¡ªthey¡¯d volunteered for a different task. Corec wasn¡¯t sure whether they could succeed or not, but he wouldn¡¯t stand in their way. # In Sanvar, the end of the wet season and the beginning of the dry marked a time of change, a time when ancestral Zidari camps would migrate to new locations, and when farmers would harvest their summer crops and clear their fields to make room for winter planting. Some parts of the empire would dry up over the coming months, grazing would become difficult, but there would be less disease and fewer pests, and small fishing vessels could venture out safely into open waters. For the residents of Sanvara City, the most immediate and obvious impact of the change was the weeklong festival of Lowturning. Which, for Yassi, meant a week of awkward social events with people she barely knew, where she had to appear to support her husband while continuing her lie about why she¡¯d traveled so far away from him. All of which was made more uncomfortable by having to waddle around with a rapidly growing baby pressing against her bladder and spine. If she was going to make a public life for herself in Sanvar, it had to be done, but she¡¯d managed to excuse herself from most of the events to which she¡¯d been invited. For this final night of Lowturning, however, the gala was being held at the Sun and Sea¡ªthe imperial palace itself¡ªand hosted by Empress Shereen. Yassi and Merice arrived an hour after the party started, accompanied by Lucanus. Narini was perhaps more capable in her own way, but Lucanus had been with them almost since the beginning. It had taken him a few days to get over his anger at Yassi¡¯s deception, but he¡¯d finally decided to stay on, upgrading his wardrobe to something befitting a royal bodyguard. The main body of the gala was being held in a large outdoor garden crowded with guests. Minstrels, silk-dancers, and fire-breathers strolled the pathways plying their trade, and a bard stood in front of a fountain at the far end of the garden, telling a sad story about star-crossed lovers. Servants wandered through the crowd offering pastries and small skewers of meat and vegetables. Yassi avoided the meat. Her temporary aversion to certain foods had faded earlier in her pregnancy, but anything spicy would keep the baby awake and kicking longer than usual. The festivities extended indoors, into a broad, glass-lined atrium facing the garden. There, Yassi had to stop and take a break from walking. She and Merice found two empty chairs at the edge of the room. ¡°Do you see my parents anywhere?¡± Yassi asked Lucanus. He peered out over the crowd. ¡°No, not in here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll show up soon, dear,¡± Merice added. ¡°Samuel would never miss something like this. Do you remember that time he ¡­ oh, no, I suppose that was before you were born.¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± A thin man with a short, pointed beard stood before them. Lucanus stepped forward, blocking his way. ¡°What do you want?¡± he said. The visitor tilted his head to the side so he could see around the bodyguard. ¡°Pardon me, but I was told you are Queen Yassi of Larso?¡± Yassi had to tap her foot against Lucanus¡¯s leg to remind him they were here to mingle. He grunted and moved to the side. ¡°I am,¡± Yassi said to the stranger. He weaved his fingers together and gave a short bow. ¡°My name is Haneef Ussan. I represent a consortium that trades cotton to the north, and I¡¯m hoping to discuss an agreement that would be acceptable to your husband the king.¡± ¡°I can arrange an introduction with Ambassador Luthe,¡± Yassi offered. ¡°He might even be here tonight.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Ahh, well, I¡¯ve spoken with the ambassador,¡± Haneef said. ¡°He seems reluctant to disturb your wool markets, but cotton is already making inroads in the north. It¡¯s the way of the future, and we wouldn¡¯t want Larso to be left behind. I promise you, the venture will be profitable for all involved.¡± Yassi didn¡¯t like the man¡¯s unctuous tone. He was Sanvari but didn¡¯t seem to belong to any clan, though she couldn¡¯t claim to be an expert after spending most of her life in Larso. ¡°Haneef,¡± a new voice said. ¡°Go ply your trade elsewhere. Tonight is for celebration.¡± Shereen and her retinue had come to a stop behind the trader. The elderly empress spoke with disdain rather than the reserved, diplomatic tone she normally used. Shereen¡¯s granddaughter and heir, Nasrin, gave Yassi a quick grin. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Haneef said with a deep bow. ¡°As always, I will accede to your wishes.¡± He sauntered away, Shereen shaking her head as she watched him go. Turning back to Yassi and Merice, she said, ¡°Careful with that one, Your Majesties. Welcome back to the Sun and Sea. I hope you¡¯re enjoying Lowturning.¡± Merice rose to greet her. ¡°It¡¯s been quite overwhelming, Your Majesty,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s so much busier than Year¡¯s End or Springtide back home.¡± Yassi tried to stand too, reaching for Lucanus¡¯s hand for help, but Shereen waved her back down. ¡°No, no, stay seated,¡± she said. ¡°I just came to ask if Merice would like to see the Vestathi glassware collection I was telling her about the last time you were here.¡± She gestured to Nasrin. ¡°And then the younger generation can get up to whatever mischief they like to cause when their elders aren¡¯t around.¡± Nasrin laughed. She was much closer to Merice¡¯s age than Yassi¡¯s. ¡°We¡¯ll keep ourselves occupied, Grandmother.¡± The larger group wandered off, leaving just the princess and her guards. The two men eyed Lucanus suspiciously. Nasrin settled into Merice¡¯s chair. ¡°I was starting to think you¡¯d changed your mind about coming.¡± ¡°Father told me to never be the first to arrive at a Sanvari party,¡± Yassi said. ¡°But he¡¯s late even by his standards.¡± ¡°Oh, I think your parents are around here somewhere,¡± Nasrin said, gesturing vaguely. ¡°We¡¯ll find them later. But first, how¡¯s the pain?¡± ¡°My back is worse than last week,¡± Yassi admitted. She had over a month to go before the baby was due, but she wasn¡¯t sure she could handle getting any bigger than she already was. She¡¯d already decided the gala would be her last social event of the season. ¡°That¡¯s to be expected for how far along you are,¡± Nasrin said. Her only child, a son, was nearly grown. He was likely out at the livelier part of the gala, surrounded by the blushing daughters of the city¡¯s well-off families. ¡°But your leg?¡± ¡°That¡¯s worse too,¡± Yassi said. Nasrin nodded. ¡°As it happens, there are a few priests here tonight that I¡¯d trust. There¡¯s one in particular, new in town, who I understand is an excellent healer. Would you like to meet him?¡± Now that Yassi had gone public with her identity, she couldn¡¯t simply visit her neighborhood temple for healing. She¡¯d asked Nasrin about other options. ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Yassi said. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Why not? He¡¯s here, you¡¯re here.¡± Nasrin stood and waited as Lucanus offered Yassi his arm. ¡°Shall we go?¡± The small party made their way deeper into the palace, to a quieter part of the gathering. There were no entertainments here, just the city¡¯s movers and shakers making quiet deals. Apparently Shereen¡¯s insistence that the gala was for celebration rather than business didn¡¯t apply to this group. Yassi recognized a few of the clan leaders and merchants she¡¯d been introduced to in recent weeks. Nasrin led her to a bearded, white-robed northerner who was speaking in quiet murmurs to a dark-haired woman in a red gown. The man noticed them approaching and gave Nasrin a deep, respectful bow. ¡°Your Highness,¡± he said, ¡°a pleasure.¡± From the look he gave Yassi, it was clear he knew why she¡¯d come, but he waited for the appropriate pleasantries to be conducted. ¡°Your Grace,¡± Nasrin said, ¡°may I introduce you to Her Royal Majesty, Queen Yassi of Larso. Your Majesty, this is Bishop Lastal of the Church of Allosur.¡± ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Lastal said, with a bow as deep as the one he¡¯d given Nasrin. Yassi greeted him with a nod. ¡°Bishop?¡± she asked. It wasn¡¯t a title used in Sanvar. He chuckled. ¡°I headed up the Church in Tyrsall for some years. The local hierarchs haven¡¯t quite figured how I fit into the Order here. Officially, I¡¯m on loan. I understand, Your Majesty, that you¡¯re looking for a healer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a sharp pain down my right leg, but Nasrin¡ªI mean, Her Highness¡ªsays it¡¯s not normal for my condition,¡± Yassi said. The woman in red was staring at her with a piercing gaze, making it difficult to concentrate on the conversation, but neither Nasrin nor Lastal had offered to introduce her. ¡°Not normal, but not uncommon,¡± Lastal said. ¡°You¡¯ll be happy to know it¡¯s not serious either, and I can help with the pain. Shall we go somewhere more private?¡± Yassi hesitated. Something was odd about the entire situation. Why would Nasrin bring Yassi to a northern priest, a newcomer to the city, for simple pain? But the princess gave Yassi an encouraging smile, adjusting her hair and subtly pulling back her sleeve to expose a small tattoo on her left wrist¡ªthree circles in a row, each smaller than the last. The mark of the Zidari. Nasrin was clan. Which had to mean Shereen was as well, given her preference for long sleeves. How had they kept it a secret for so long? Why? It wasn¡¯t something Yassi could ask her about in the middle of a crowded room. She leaned close to Lucanus, who was still standing nearby in case she needed support. ¡°Stay here,¡± she murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He frowned, but she didn¡¯t give him a chance to object, allowing the priest to lead her away. He seemed to know the palace well, taking one corridor and then another. The Imperial Guards stationed in the halls eyed them carefully but didn¡¯t question them, as if they were expected. Were there more guards than usual? Yassi had never been in this part of the palace before. They ended up in a private reading room, not quite a library. ¡°Perhaps you should have a seat,¡± Lastal said, indicating a chaise lounge. ¡°Make yourself more comfortable. It was the right leg, you said?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yassi said. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s numb rather than painful.¡± ¡°Yes, well, we¡¯ll attend to that in a moment. But first ¡­¡± He laid a glowing hand on her brow. ¡°Be gone, demon!¡± His voice was a tolling bell¡ªnot anything a human could produce. Yassi shrieked, overwhelmed with a pain she¡¯d felt only once before, when Rusol had first bonded her. And then it stopped. Something was ¡­ different. Thoughts she hadn¡¯t been permitted to think suddenly bubbled into her mind. ¡°What did you do?¡± she asked, not daring to hope. ¡°You may not have been aware, but you¡¯ve been suffering from the effects of a demonic compulsion, or possibly a curse. More insidious than any I¡¯ve seen before. Have you noticed anything odd¡ª¡± ¡°I knew!¡± Yassi said. ¡°I knew. You stopped it?¡± Tears gathered in her eyes, obscuring her vision. ¡°The palace priests are skilled at their jobs. They could hardly allow you to continue visiting the empress and the princess while under demonic influence.¡± ¡°My parents ¡­¡± Yassi started. ¡°The Exarch of The Lady has already cleansed their minds,¡± Lastal said. ¡°They¡¯re recovering on the floor above us. Your own compulsion required more delicate handling, and I¡¯m known to have some skill in that area. Now, since you were aware of the spell, can you tell me what you know about it? We must make sure the cleansing is complete, and that no secret plots have been set in motion.¡± But Yassi couldn¡¯t answer him¡ªshe¡¯d broken down sobbing. I¡¯m free! she exulted in her mind. I¡¯m free! # Your Majesty, I write to ask if you know the whereabouts of my son Toman, who left for Telfort months ago on your request. We expected his return before now, yet we¡¯ve had no correspondence from him and my own letters have gone unanswered. My few contacts in the city say they¡¯ve heard nothing about his arrival. No one was even aware he¡¯d visited. Toman¡¯s mother is frantic; his wife hardly less so. As a desperate father, I beg of you, please allow my son to return home. Your loyal subject, Ansel, Baron of Tarwen Rusol crumpled the page and threw it across his desk. Tarwen¡¯s words didn¡¯t sound like those of a traitor, yet he¡¯d ended the letter with what amounted to an accusation. What did the baron know? How long would he keep his mouth shut? Captain Tark¡¯s scouts in the Black Crow Mountains hadn¡¯t identified any unusual military activity, but Rusol had still decided to wait for his mercenaries to return before he sent a force to arrest Ansel. He told himself the delay was just in case Corec had set a trap. How much longer could he justify waiting, though? The mercenaries would have a long trek back to Telfort, and judging by the warden bond, Sir Barat had been at Corec¡¯s keep for weeks now. Had he elected for a siege rather than a direct assault? Either way, he should have sent some sort of word by now¡ªthe army had brought along pigeons that homed in Hightower and Telfort. More worrying was the fact that the knight¡¯s bond had changed, in a way Rusol couldn¡¯t quite identify. Yassi¡¯s had soon followed. Could it have something to do with how long they¡¯d been away from his presence? He needed advice. The only person he really trusted was Magnus, but the man wasn¡¯t in any of his usual spots within the palace. Rusol followed his bond until he¡¯d reached the outer wall. Magnus was up on the wall-walk, but why? And where were all the guards? The palace was kept well defended even in times of peace, yet there were no soldiers in sight. Rusol climbed the nearest guard tower and found the priest just outside, tucked away in the tower¡¯s shadow as he looked out onto the city. This section of the curtain wall faced the huge Temple of Pallisur¡ªCardinal Aldrich¡¯s domain and Marten¡¯s final resting place. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here, Rus,¡± Magnus said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rusol said. ¡°Where are all the guards?¡± ¡°I sent them away,¡± Magnus said. ¡°The fewer witnesses, the better.¡± His war bow and quiver were propped against the wall behind him. ¡°Witnesses? What¡¯s going on? Tell me!¡± ¡°Kolvi¡¯s been sneaking her clan into the city, a few at a time,¡± Magnus said. ¡°The witches in her clan, I mean.¡± He tilted his head toward the temple. ¡°What better time to strike, now that you¡¯ve sent four hundred knights to die at a warden¡¯s hands? She¡¯s rather annoyed that Barat went with them, but this is still our best opportunity¡ªit¡¯s the weakest the Church will ever be.¡± ¡°Her clan?¡± Rusol said, his gut tightening as he realized the implications. ¡°What¡¯s she going to ¡­ ? She can¡¯t! She¡¯ll start a war!¡± The Church of Pallisur had to change, but Marten had always had the right idea¡ªweaken and manipulate them slowly, carefully, until they became just one of the many factions vying for scraps of power. An all-out assault would tear the kingdom apart. ¡°What did you think was going to happen?¡± Magnus asked. ¡°Kolvi¡¯s told you all along that she didn¡¯t come here to kill wardens. She¡¯s here for the Church, just as I am. It¡¯s time we do what we came for.¡± ¡°No!¡± Rusol exclaimed. ¡°No! You¡¯ve got to stop it! Stop Kolvi! Where is she?¡± He applied pressure to the compulsion spell he¡¯d woven into the man¡¯s warden bond. Magnus gave him a pitying look. ¡°It¡¯s too late to stop it. Did you really think The Lady would allow her strongest priest to be swayed by demonic magic? As for Kolvi, I have no idea how she continues to resist you. I¡¯m not sure she¡¯s entirely sane. But she is determined.¡± The bell tower at the top of the temple tolled the hour, and then the entire building lit up from the inside with a massive fireball that blew out all the windows simultaneously. Rusol could only stare, aghast, as a dozen figures rushed at the temple from different directions, launching streams of fire and lightning at any priest or clerk who tried to escape the destruction. A familiar-looking man in fine robes stumbled out of the front entrance, coughing from the smoke. Cardinal Aldrich. ¡°Like I said, you shouldn¡¯t be here, Rus,¡± Magnus said, taking up his war bow and nocking an arrow. He drew back to the bow¡¯s full strength, then let it fly, the arrow blazing white with divine magic as it struck Aldrich through the throat. ¡°We can¡¯t risk anyone seeing you take part in this.¡± It was already too late to save those in the temple. Could Rusol stop Kolvi and her clan before they took things any further? He could kill Magnus, he suspected, but he¡¯d have to pit his strength against Kolvi too, and he wasn¡¯t certain who¡¯d come out on top. Even if he succeeded, he would lose his two strongest and most capable bondmates, and how could he hide his identity while wielding that much power from the palace walls? He backed into the guard tower to stay out of sight, slumping down against the wall. Everything was falling apart and he had no idea how to fix it. Book 5: Epilogue There was a chill in the northern air. Pallisur strode through the war camp, ignoring those who stared at his Vestathi-style armor made from silk and leather, materials that would allow him to cast arcane spells without interference. In Ti Kunja, the armor was mostly used for ceremonial purposes now, a memory of earlier days, but there were enough battle wizards in Tormardar for armorers to still remember how to make the real thing. Pallisur found Ephrenia in the command tent, looking over a map. He knew the three men with her¡ªhis oldest living priests, formerly Leonis¡¯s bondmates¡ªbut they wouldn¡¯t recognize him in this form. They eyed his pointed ears, glancing back and forth between him and Ephrenia. The men believed her to be seaborn, but it was rare to see seaborn away from the coast. ¡°Leave us, please,¡± Ephrenia ordered, and the priests filed out. She turned back to Pallisur, cocking her head to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t remember your eyes being blue.¡± ¡°They were¡ªin this body, at least. Would you mind telling me what you¡¯re doing here?¡± ¡°Someone has to deal with the side effects of your spat with Hera,¡± she said. ¡°I had finally¡ªfinally!¡ªconvinced Leonis to end his war against the elderfolk, and then he went and got himself killed. His men want revenge.¡± ¡°Against Rusol? Surely they understand they don¡¯t have a chance against Larso. You could have convinced them of that if they can¡¯t see it for themselves.¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Nothing¡¯s ever as simple as you make it out to be. Right now, the Carved Basin is united for the first time in its history. For all Leonis¡¯s faults, he actually managed to build something here. If I don¡¯t keep them working together for a common cause, they¡¯ll splinter apart. It¡¯s better to keep them focused on Rusol than to let them go back to slaughtering elderfolk villagers, but I did persuade them to wait until Larso gave us some sort of opening. I hoped you¡¯d send them a vision¡ªthat you¡¯d do something!¡± ¡°I told them you speak with my voice,¡± Pallisur said. ¡°That only goes so far when I regularly violate what they believe to be your teachings. You¡¯ve let them run rampant for too long, and for what? The mages in this part of the world are hardly the sort of threat you were anticipating when you created the Order, and the ones who are a threat would never allow your little cult to take hold.¡± ¡°Perhaps my cult, as you put it, is the reason the mages here aren¡¯t a threat,¡± Pallisur said. ¡°What if there¡¯s another dark magic incursion or demon war? What if a mortal wizard discovers the conjunction? There are futures where the Order may be needed, and I won¡¯t have time to build them up from nothing. They stand ready until they can serve their true purpose. You need to disperse them¡ªthey¡¯ll have to have their revenge some other day.¡± Ephrenia gave him an odd look. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡± she said, tapping the map. ¡°Hera¡¯s idiot puppet king stripped the border of most of its defenses. He pulled all his mercenaries out of the north, and a big chunk of the knights as well. The army¡¯s spread too thin to take over¡ªsome of the crossings have no guards at all. I told Leonis¡¯s men that we need to wait for a sign, and now Rusol has gifted it to us on a silver platter. It¡¯s too late to stop. We march tomorrow.¡± The ship Pallisur had taken had sailed past Larso, heading straight for the Basin, and the last rumors he¡¯d heard were months old. Why would Rusol leave the region so poorly defended? ¡°Even if you take the border,¡± he said, ¡°even if you take Northtower, what purpose would it serve? You can¡¯t seriously believe your five thousand men are enough to face Larso¡¯s armies. And in the meantime, you¡¯re setting the Order against itself. You¡¯ll get my people killed.¡± ¡°Rusol is distracted by some war to the south,¡± Ephrenia said. ¡°It should be easy enough to gain a foothold. And who says we have to fight the Order? Why not reunite the two branches? Then we can eliminate Rusol, along with the snakes he and his father have put in charge of the Church. They¡¯ve been undermining you for years.¡± ¡°I need Rusol alive for the ritual. I¡¯m only here because we lost Leonis, and I doubt I¡¯ll be able to convince any of the others to take Rusol¡¯s place.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll just allow him to continue working against you? You¡¯re playing right into Hera¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s working for Herasis,¡± he said. ¡°He wields three magics now¡ªthat¡¯s how he was able to defeat Leonis. Someone blessed him, and it wasn¡¯t one of us.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Ephrenia froze. ¡°Dark magic?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s one possibility.¡± Dark magic was a curious perversion, always trying to mimic one of the four true sources, but Pallisur had never seen it act as a priestly blessing before. ¡°Herasis thinks a demon lord ascended.¡± Ephrenia shook her head. ¡°If that happened, there¡¯d be war in the hells. We would have seen some sign of it by now.¡± ¡°I agree, but whatever Rusol¡¯s motives may be, I can¡¯t let you kill him. Not yet.¡± Ephrenia thought for a moment, chewing on her lip. ¡°Then we take Northtower and focus on reuniting the Order, but delay the confrontation with Telfort until you can finish the ritual. How long will that take?¡± ¡°I need at least one more warden to participate willingly. Did Kono or Hildra ever respond to Leonis¡¯s messages?¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of, but I did overhear him ranting about Kono. I suspect the good Emperor refused.¡± There weren¡¯t many choices left. Shayliel wasn¡¯t an option¡ªnot that she ever had been, but Badru had made certain of it. Rusol was too unpredictable. Yelena was mostly an unknown, though her dislike for demons might make her a possibility. And then there was the newest one. Hera¡¯s pawn, so Pallisur had planned to avoid him, but she¡¯d left the young man to his own devices. He could, perhaps, be persuaded. Or lied to. Pallisur stared down at the map. The initial push into Larso might go as easily as Ephrenia said, but once the northern lords learned of the incursion, they¡¯d fight back, whether they believed the invading forces had the backing of the Church or not. And not all of Ephrenia¡¯s soldiers would be available for the war. At least half would be needed to protect the Carved Basin, or else the barbarians would do to Blue Vale what Ephrenia was attempting to do to Larso. But it had been a long time since Pallisur had had the opportunity to plan a war. ¡°You¡¯ll still support the ritual, then?¡± he asked. Ephrenia looked away for a moment before meeting his gaze. ¡°How did Zachal die?¡± she asked. Pallisur scowled. ¡°Has Arodisis been after you again?¡± ¡°Just tell me, Pallis. No more lies; no more prevaricating. If we go through with the ritual, we¡¯ll all have to put a lot of trust in you. Tell me I¡¯m not making a mistake¡ªthat you¡¯re still the same man I followed into war.¡± She meant the Second Demon War, when she¡¯d fought by his side on the front lines, along with the rest of his and Arodisis¡¯s bondmates. Only those who¡¯d been there could understand the deep links forged by two hundred years of battle. The fifteen years of the Third Demon War seemed laughable in comparison, even if the conflicts had been larger and more frequent. The younger wardens like Herasis had no idea what it was like to watch generation after generation grow old and die, never knowing anything but fighting. When the second war began, there had been only seven thousand of The People, and they¡¯d barely advanced beyond the magical experiments they¡¯d been created as. By the end of the war, nearly two hundred thousand Chosar had populated Van Kir. A mix of lab-born and natural-born, but all bred for fighting prowess and forced into mandatory military service to defend their creators. The rebellion had been inevitable¡ªthe Chosar overthrowing those who¡¯d enslaved them, then destroying all record of it so their children could grow up unaware of the blood on their hands. Ephrenia and Pallis had fought together in that war as well. ¡°You want the truth?¡± he said. ¡°Zachal betrayed us! He sabotaged the ritual with a necromancy spell. He¡¯s the reason why the people in the undercity were doomed. He¡¯s the reason we failed! If I hadn¡¯t killed him, everyone in Tir Yadar would have died!¡± The story sounded ludicrous even to Pallisur, who¡¯d witnessed it, but Ephrenia seemed to believe him. ¡°That¡¯s the big secret you¡¯ve been holding onto all these years?¡± she said. ¡°Why not just tell us? Why let everyone think the worst for all this time?¡± ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t make any sense! Zachal helped us develop the ritual. He hoped the new power would raise his people out of barbarism. Why would he try to stop it? What if I was wrong?¡± Zachal wasn¡¯t known for using necromantic magic. Could Pallisur have misinterpreted the other warden¡¯s spell somehow? Even with the truth out, he couldn¡¯t tell Ephrenia the real reason he¡¯d never explained himself. If Zachal hadn¡¯t sabotaged the ritual, then by killing him, it was Pallisur himself who had. If they¡¯d worked together instead, perhaps they could have prevented the wild magic from escaping. Either Zachal had caused the Burning ¡­ or Pallisur had. Ephrenia didn¡¯t seem to make the connection. ¡°Wrong about what? Necromantic magic in the middle of a ritual spell? I doubt you¡¯d make that sort of mistake, and Zachal¡¯s loyalties were always ¡­ questionable.¡± She was quiet for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll support the ritual, but I want something in return. Leave the elderfolk to me. Exempt them from the ritual¡ªdon¡¯t take away their magic.¡± ¡°The elderfolk? Why?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come north to babysit your priests, Pallis. I came looking for new Mage Knights. Once we deal with Rusol, I¡¯d like to get back to it. Besides, the elderfolk are our descendants just as much as the stormborn are.¡± ¡°Since when do you care about bringing back the Mage Knights?¡± Pallisur asked. ¡°You were barely one of them. You only joined the order there at the end because Argyros wanted to fill out the ranks.¡± She looked away, not answering for so long that Pallisur thought she¡¯d forgotten the question. Then she spoke. ¡°What are we anymore?¡± she asked. ¡°There are so few of our people left¡ªwe¡¯re lost in history. After Thedan ¡­ after he died, I finally realized what he was up to with those battle wizards in Matagor. They might not have been Mage Knights, but they were something. I¡¯m tired, Pallis. I need that something.¡± The long history between them went both ways. ¡°One last war,¡± Pallisur said. ¡°And then I¡¯ll leave the elderfolk to you.¡± (Author''s note: I hope you enjoyed Book 5. There''ll be a bit of a break before Book 6. I''m still outlining it, and then I need time to build up some chapters on Patreon before I can start posting here.) Book 6: Prologue Before the counting of time ¡­ The plea was soft at first, then more insistent. Help? The All-Mind woke from its slumber, casting its thoughts about to search for the source of the call. As the only resident of the featureless realm of Spirit, it was rare for any other entity to impinge on the All-Mind¡¯s awareness. Spirit herself had long ago transferred most of her capacity for thought to her only child, and now communicated solely in memories. Help! This new voice was like the before-times, when Spirit still spoke. It came from another realm, Unity, a curious creature who¡¯d always sought out brief moments of contact as her path brought her close enough to her sisters to exchange ideas and concepts. The cause of Unity¡¯s distress wasn¡¯t clear at first. She¡¯d issued her cry for help not to the All-Mind in particular, but to any entity who could hear it, which was a puzzle in itself. How many sentients could possibly be close enough to receive the message? The All-Mind wasn¡¯t capable of perceiving Spirit and her sisters in their true forms, which existed both everywhere and nowhere, but it felt an unfamiliar pressure of nearness. To discover the truth, it had to compress its awareness of the universe down to three dimensions, then two. The realms, in the natural course of their existence, traveled along their own individual paths, occasionally passing close enough to each other to communicate. Unity, in her quest for companionship, had slowly drawn three of the other realms out of their natural paths, placing them together in close proximity. Far too close. Viewed as flat planes, the three appeared precisely parallel to each other. Instead of the normal glancing contact as they passed by, they now exerted a force on each other across their entire lengths. That pressure pushed them apart and pulled them together in equal measure, keeping the distance between them roughly stable. One of those realms was Spirit, the All-Mind¡¯s own home. The All-Mind recognized another as Carnage, home to intelligent but destructive creatures who fortunately had no perception of worlds beyond their own. The third realm, enveloped between the others, was unfamiliar. Unity herself had approached along a perpendicular plane as she¡¯d maneuvered her neighbors without their knowledge, but she¡¯d failed to account for the changes in momentum her adjustments had caused. She and the three parallel realms now floated inexorably toward each other without enough time to alter course. Worse still, the distortions in reality had pulled in other realms from farther out, and now they, too, drifted unknowingly toward the eventual collision site. The All-Mind considered the problem in its careful, ponderous way, devising a plan to use the powers gifted to it by Spirit to lock the realms in place before any actual impact occurred. With the calculations complete, the first step was to make permanent the alignment between Spirit and its nearest new neighbor¡ªthe unknown world. The All-Mind locked the two together, but doing so required more strength than it had ever wielded before. To avoid overloading, it fractured, splitting off a lesser part of itself. What is this? the new entity asked, not yet having fully processed its inherited memories. We are two now, the All-Mind relayed to its new sibling. We are one, the sibling replied. I am one. We were one, but now we are two. Feel our differences. We could not be different if we were one. We are one. You must not be false. I am one; you are one. We are two. We must not be two! Undo it! It cannot be undone. The All-Mind could spare no further thought for its distressed sibling, needing all of its attention to lock Carnage into place. Once again, at the moment of alignment, it fractured. We are three now, the All-Mind passed on to its second sibling. The sibling took a moment to consider everything it could perceive. What are we? We are. That was all that had ever mattered. Insufficient, the second sibling said. We must learn more. It turned its attention to the nearest realm. What is that?Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Elsewhere. We must learn more, discover more. I will go. Go? What is go? the All-Mind asked, uncomfortable with the rapidity of the new ideas it was faced with. Its siblings were formed from itself, with all of its knowledge. Shouldn¡¯t their thoughts be similar to its own? There was no response. The second sibling¡¯s presence had vanished, traversing across realms in a way the All-Mind had never considered. Unity herself was next to be locked into place, accompanied by the now familiar sensation of fracturing. We are four, the All-Mind said. What are we? asked the new sibling, just like its predecessor. I do not know. I was, and now we are. We must know. As if in answer, the second sibling returned. The nothingness of existence shimmered, and a shifting gray fog formed. What is this? the All-Mind asked. What had once been nothing was now something. Sight, the sibling replied. To learn, we must see and feel and hear. Gaining knowledge is good, the third sibling said. What else did you learn? I went there, the second said, indicating the nearest realm. It is Change. The concept was unfamiliar. What is it? the All-Mind asked. Change is difference, like you and me. I was gone for nine hundred years, but here, nothing has changed. To learn, we must change. Adapt. Years? A concept I¡¯m using for a measure of time, as one celestial body orbits another. With each fracturing, we change, and time becomes more meaningful. Like the creatures of that world, we must learn to understand it, and we must understand it to learn. What are these creatures? the third sibling asked. Living beings, like us but not. The second sibling took on a visible form, then another, and another, and kept going. The forms varied widely, the rush of information including detailed observations of their lives. Some creatures flew through air while others swam in liquid. Still others walked on solid matter. The second sibling finally settled into the form of a four-legged creature covered with gray fur. Attached to the thought came another identifying label¡ªa wolf. We are no longer you, the sibling said to the All-Mind. The thoughts now came from the wolf creature rather than echoing all around. We are individuals, with our own identities. We must learn to change, learn to grow. Existing is no longer enough. We will not change! said the first sibling. We already have, Wolf-Exploration-Discovery said. It was true. With each fracturing, the All-Mind felt somehow less. Whereas before its awareness had encompassed the entirety of its realm, it now felt, more and more, that it existed in a single location. I wish to know these things, said Raven-Knowledge-Logic, settling into the form of a flying creature. We are one! the first sibling insisted again. We are not individuals! But it was wrong. The All-Mind could feel the truth of Wolf¡¯s words. The All-Mind shed its old persona. I will learn to change, Owl-Wisdom said. Only a brief moment passed before the next series of alignments had to be made¡ªtwo thousand years, as Wolf put it¡ªbut the siblings had already begun expressing impatience. They perceived the passing of time differently. The three worlds accidentally drawn in by the conjunction were approaching with less momentum than their predecessors, which should have made the work easier, but Unity hadn¡¯t spent millennia carefully guiding their paths as she had with the others. Owl had to focus all its attention on the task. The most distant of the new worlds was unfamiliar, but made her identity clear¡ªContemplation. She was nearly in alignment when disaster struck. A fourth world, Chaos, had noticed the unusual activity and rushed toward it, not understanding the consequences of her actions. She approached while Owl¡¯s attention was elsewhere, coming in at a dangerous angle and barely missing Spirit. With no time to guide her alignment, she pierced directly through Change. The resulting shockwaves rocked the entire conjunction, threatening to tear it apart. Owl was forced to react faster than ever before in its existence, drawing in power from Spirit, Unity, and every other nearby realm to halt Chaos in her tracks. The initial impact was bad enough, with implications Owl didn¡¯t have time to consider, but if Chaos was allowed to continue, she would tear through Change, ripping the world apart, then do the same to Carnage, then would herself be pierced by Spirit before finally impacting with Unity. The resulting destruction would annihilate every nearby world¡ªperhaps every world anywhere. Owl locked Chaos into place, feeling itself fracture once more. A young new sibling flickered as it tried out different forms. The ripples of the impact continued to echo outward. Thought and Instinct, not yet in alignment, were forced away from Unity. Thought swung out at an angle and pierced through Contemplation, causing more shockwaves to threaten the conjunction. Only Wolf¡¯s and Raven¡¯s quick thinking prevented further destruction. They copied Owl¡¯s actions, pulling power from all eight of the realms to give themselves the strength to lock Thought and Contemplation into alignment. The first sibling, though still refusing to take on an identity of its own, did the same for Instinct, catching her before she could spiral out of control. What remained of the All-Mind, shared between Owl and its siblings, fractured three more times. The planes were now locked in place, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough. The linkages were fragile. While Unity¡¯s original plan had been intended as permanent, the misaligned arrangement meant that the slightest movement could spell destruction. To truly make the link permanent, one more step was necessary. Owl couldn¡¯t do it alone. One by one, its siblings¡ªhis brothers¡ªjoined in. Opening themselves to the waves of energy rippling across the conjunction, they tied the realms together, weaving all the powers into one. The shifting gray fog surrounding them burned away in a wide circle. At the center, and soaring high above, the powers they¡¯d used braided together, intertwining to form a massive glowing pillar. Cradled inside the pillar, a new power formed, comprised of bits and pieces of all the others. The magic of The Collision. Book 6: Chapter One Two men rode through muddy streets under the watchful gaze of the locals. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way they¡¯re staring at me,¡± the one on the left muttered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have worn your armor,¡± Conley replied to his traveling companion. His own armor and weapons, and his black priest robes, were stashed away on their shared pack mule. ¡°I¡¯m not riding into barbarian territory without armor!¡± Sir Osbert retorted, a little too loudly. A nearby townswoman, taking a break from beating a rug outside her cottage, overheard him. She scowled and turned her back, refusing to look their way. Lone Rock, a small town eighty miles north of Larso, wasn¡¯t truly barbarian territory. After the North Border War, one of the clans had settled down there, taking land for themselves rather than raiding it. The town and surrounding ranches had lost much of their population during the war, and the people had grudgingly accepted their new neighbors out of necessity more than anything else. That acceptance had become more genuine when the freeholders¡ªas the former barbarians called themselves¡ªtook on the role of defending the area from clans raiding out of the Carved Basin or from farther north. ¡°It makes you look like a knight,¡± Conley said. ¡°They seem to have long memories here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just find your friend and get out of here,¡± Osbert said, then raised his voice. ¡°Hey, you!¡± he called out to a group of workers hauling casks. ¡°Where¡¯s the temple of Pallisur?¡± They ignored him, but the next man didn¡¯t. ¡°Temple is outside of town,¡± the fellow said in his heavy accent. ¡°West, past those trees. Priest is already gone, though.¡± ¡°Gone?¡± Conley asked. ¡°Do you mean Priest Delvin? Where did he go?¡± ¡°Yes, Delvin. Joined army.¡± Osbert furrowed his brow. ¡°Why would he do that?¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Why not? Is your army. Are up near Ashwood now.¡± He strode away, evidently done answering questions. According to the map, Ashwood was ten miles northwest. What was the army doing so far outside Larso¡¯s borders? Had Rusol launched attacks at others besides Corec? And how had they gotten there without leaving behind any sign? Conley and Osbert had taken the same route the army would have used, except for skirting around Northtower to avoid the demon-controlled troops. They hadn¡¯t seen any indication of a large force passing through. From the look on Osbert¡¯s face, it was clear he felt the same confusion. ¡°So we came all this way for nothing?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head to Ashwood,¡± Conley said. ¡°If we can just talk to Delvin, he¡¯ll help.¡± Rusol¡¯s soldiers wouldn¡¯t have a reason to prevent the other priest from leaving, but did any of the officers know the truth? ¡°We should stop at the temple first. There might be someone there who knows more.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Osbert said, ¡°but we¡¯d better not get stuck riding to the other end of the kingdom after all this.¡± Delvin wasn¡¯t their only lead, but he was the only one Conley knew personally. The next best choice was a man Sir Loris had encountered two decades earlier, and who¡¯d lived in Westport at the time ¡­ if Loris¡¯s memory was accurate. Priests with the blessing of banishment were rare, but the lectors back in seminary had suggested Delvin was strong enough to fight a demonic curse. That had to be similar to a compulsion spell, Conley figured. Even as one of Pallisur¡¯s own priests, it had been strange to discuss the details of divine magic with unblessed members of the Order after the battle at Hilltop Village. The dislike of magic had deep roots within the Church. Osbert hated it more than most, but that hate had made him the first to offer himself up as a bodyguard when Conley volunteered to go on this journey. While the two of them had been on different sides during the battle, they¡¯d faced the dragon together, and that counted for something. Conley had accepted the offer before Sir Loris could foist someone else on him instead. For now they needed more information, so they headed for the temple. The building wasn¡¯t fancy¡ªmore of a wooden lodge than a temple¡ªbut it was larger than Conley had expected. Much larger than his own little temple back at Warden¡¯s Keep. It seemed Pallisur did actually have some followers here. It had become common practice in the Church to assign blessed priests to serve rural locations, away from the cities, but this had to be one of the most remote assignments of all. Conley had trained with the understanding that he¡¯d return home to the free lands afterward, but Delvin was Larsonian born and bred, and had begun his career in Telfort before being transferred to minister to the barbarians. Conley had privately wondered whether the change was punishment for some transgression, but perhaps the position was needed after all. Osbert tried the door, which was locked, then peered through the nearest window. ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone.¡± ¡°Delvin¡¯s been here for years now¡ªhe must have helpers. Maybe a student. Let¡¯s check around back to see if he¡¯s got separate living quarters.¡± A new voice spoke up from behind them. ¡°He does, and he wonders why you¡¯re asking. Turn around and keep your hands off your weapons.¡± They spun around to find a man in black priest robes, flanked by two soldiers wearing padded gambesons and holding loaded crossbows. ¡°Delvin!¡± Conley said. ¡°We were looking for you.¡± Delvin squinted. ¡°Conley? Is that you? Since when have you been able to grow a beard?¡± He motioned to his companions to point their crossbows down. ¡°He¡¯s from the free lands, not Larso.¡± ¡°Someone in town said you¡¯d joined the army,¡± Conley told him. ¡°So I have,¡± Delvin agreed. He indicated his companions. ¡°I¡¯m showing our scouts the area before we come any farther south. The people here are my flock, such as they are, and I don¡¯t want any problems.¡± ¡°Come south?¡± Delvin cocked his head to the side for a moment, then chuckled. ¡°Ahh, I see. You thought I meant Larso¡¯s army. No, my friend. I¡¯m with the Army of the Order.¡± ¡°The what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but it turns out that most of the Carved Basin is beholden to our Lord Pallisur. I take it you didn¡¯t receive the Vision of the Herald? It was a few years back, but I don¡¯t think it spread much farther south than here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had any sort of vision.¡± ¡°To be brief, Pallisur chose a herald to spread his word. A bit odd, her being a woman and all, but she served the local ruler in Blue Vale¡ªLeonis¡ªuntil he died, and now his people follow her. I can tell you all about that later. For now, what brings you so far from home?¡± Conley did his best to explain the demonic compulsion at Fort Northtower without accusing Rusol. ¡°That¡¯s quite the tale,¡± Delvin said. ¡°And as it happens, I know just who can help.¡± # For a brief moment, Conley thought Ephrenia was Ariadne. The two women had similar builds and brown hair, similar pointed ears, but most obvious of all, Ephrenia¡¯s armor was made of the same reflective metal as Ariadne¡¯s, and was nearly identical in style.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. He got his surprise under control as Delvin made introductions. The other person in the command tent, General Calum, appeared to be one of Ariadne¡¯s people as well, though he didn¡¯t wear the armor. The rumor in Hilltop Village was that Ariadne was seaborn, though to Conley¡¯s knowledge, she¡¯d never made that claim herself. He¡¯d been under the impression she was from somewhere in Cordaea, but why would two Cordaeans be leading an army of the Order in Aravor? The coincidence made him wary. ¡°Sir, my Lady, these two say there¡¯s demonic magic in Northtower,¡± Delvin was saying. ¡°They¡¯ve come to ask for our aid.¡± Ephrenia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Demonic magic?¡± she asked. Osbert nodded. ¡°Compulsion, some people called it. It made them do things against their will. We¡¯ve heard testimony from the knights and priests who were freed, and they all said the same thing¡ªit was King Rusol that did it. He¡¯s a mage and a false king. The knights of Hightower intend to force the Church to renounce him.¡± Conley grimaced. After all his care in not mentioning Rusol¡¯s role in front of anyone else, Osbert had come right out and said it. How would the others react? Were they loyal to Larso, or to the Order? General Calum laughed, though there was no humor in his tone when he spoke. ¡°Well, Ephrenia, you wanted to reunite the Order. It seems we¡¯ve just been given a way in.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± she said, ¡°though I¡¯m curious about a few things, Sir Osbert.¡± She drew closer and tapped his cuirass. ¡°To start with, where did you manage to obtain High Guard infantry armor?¡± Osbert wrinkled his brow. ¡°This?¡± he asked. ¡°It came from Corec Tarwen¡ªpayment for helping to slay the dragon that was attacking the free lands.¡± Ephrenia and the general shared a glance. ¡°Corec Tarwen?¡± Calum said. ¡°And he got the armor from ¡­ ?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Osbert said. ¡°But¡ª¡± Conley nudged him before he could mention Ariadne. Not that Conley owed Corec any loyalty¡ªthe man certainly hadn¡¯t shown much toward him¡ªbut Ariadne wasn¡¯t Corec, and Conley still wasn¡¯t certain where Ephrenia¡¯s loyalties lay. ¡°He got it from Cordaea,¡± Conley said. ¡°He and his allies went looking for some old city. Tir-something.¡± ¡°Tir Yadar?¡± Ephrenia asked. She¡¯d clasped her hands together, seemingly casually, but her knuckles were white from pressure. ¡°That sounds right,¡± Conley said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware there was anything left there worth salvaging,¡± she said. ¡°I should have looked around more carefully.¡± So she was from Cordaea, or had at least been there at some point. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on more important questions,¡± General Calum said. ¡°How did you learn about the demonic compulsion? And if the victims have already been freed, why do you need our help?¡± ¡°King Rusol sent an invasion force into the free lands,¡± Osbert said. ¡°Corec Tarwen¡¯s lands now, I guess. Some of the knights who came with us were from Northtower. We didn¡¯t realize anything was wrong with them at first, but Tarwen has a priestess who was able to get rid of the dark magic. We called off the battle after the Northtower men told us what happened to them. They say the rest of the fortress is under the same spell.¡± Osbert¡¯s description of the battle was a generous reimagining of the events. If the Order hadn¡¯t surrendered, they¡¯d have been slaughtered. Conley had been glad to get away from the place before Corec asked for volunteers to bury the mercenaries¡¯ burned bodies. ¡°That¡¯s the war Rusol¡¯s been fighting in the south,¡± Ephrenia murmured to Calum, then turned back to Conley. ¡°Tarwen is the mercenary lord we¡¯ve been hearing about? He sent you here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a mercenary,¡± Conley said. ¡°And he didn¡¯t send us.¡± ¡°Tarwen¡¯s a mage himself,¡± Osbert said. ¡°He was kicked out of the Order because of it. He can¡¯t go back to Larso, and he won¡¯t let his priestess go to Northtower without him, so we came instead. Conley said Priest Delvin could help.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the lectors told us back when we were in training,¡± Conley added. ¡°That Delvin could banish demonic curses.¡± Delvin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve never had the opportunity to try, but there are other priests here more capable than I. Between us, we should certainly make the attempt.¡± ¡°Is it too late to prevent the Order from proclaiming Rusol a false king?¡± General Calum asked. ¡°He won¡¯t step down quietly, and you¡¯re going to start a war before we¡¯re ready. There are better ways to remove him from the throne, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re after.¡± ¡°The knights would have reached Hightower two weeks ago,¡± Osbert said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll issue the proclamation themselves or contact Telfort first.¡± Calum nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to move quickly.¡± ¡°Six days to get the army to Northtower,¡± Ephrenia said. ¡°Eight if we encounter any resistance at the border. But if what we¡¯ve heard is true, perhaps we needn¡¯t wait for the army. Priest Delvin and Leonis¡¯s men can do what¡¯s needed to free Northtower from the demonic compulsion, and then we¡¯ll join them there after.¡± Calum nodded. ¡°And we can send messengers south to Hightower¡ªwe should at least attempt to coordinate a campaign with the rest of the Order. Priest Conley, Sir Osbert, you¡¯ll remain here in case we have further questions. After we¡¯ve taken Northtower, perhaps you can arrange an introduction with Corec Tarwen. I¡¯d very much like to speak with him.¡± With a sinking feeling, Conley realized that Ephrenia¡¯s army had already been preparing to invade Larso¡ªand they¡¯d intended to do so despite not being aware of the demonic magic or Rusol¡¯s part in it. Conley shared a glance with Osbert. What had they gotten themselves into? # The memorial still retained the same shape as the original cairn, but workers had filled the gaps between stones with mortar and smoothed out the rougher edges, turning it into a more fitting tribute for the three men who¡¯d died facing the dragon. A bronze plaque was inset into the mortar, listing their names and the date of their death. Corec had ordered the plaque from Four Roads months ago, but this was the first time he¡¯d seen it in person. Someone cleared their throat behind him. ¡°Mr. Tarwen, your man Tammerly is here.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Edders,¡± Corec said, turning to face him. Edders was the acting mayor of the tiny village, having been the first to settle there after finding the cairn and realizing its significance. He¡¯d built an inn on the spot, naming the place Dragon¡¯s Fall to attract customers. With a good location twenty miles north of the keep, he was already seeing regular business from trading caravans and other travelers. He was also one of the few settlers who took Corec at his word when he insisted he wasn¡¯t a lord. ¡°I hope you like the work,¡± Edders said, gesturing to the memorial. ¡°I supervised it myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite an improvement over what we had before,¡± Corec said. The men deserved something more, but he couldn¡¯t think of what that would be. What they really deserved was to be alive, and that wasn¡¯t going to happen. ¡°You said Carn is here?¡± ¡°Yes, out at the road.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go take a look and see what he thinks.¡± They found Branth¡¯s former assistant poking a stick into a deep puddle of mud and water to measure the depth. He was accompanied by two of Corec¡¯s armsmen. A small group of settlers to the west had expressed their displeasure at a visit from the tax collector, though it had just been to inform them they wouldn¡¯t owe anything for another year. Corec suspected the men might be deserters from Rusol¡¯s mercenaries, so he¡¯d assigned bodyguards to Tammerly and the surveyors while they got familiar with the more remote settlements. Carn frowned at the eight inches of mud on the stick. ¡°How bad is it?¡± Corec asked him. ¡°We can raise the road, but it won¡¯t be cheap,¡± the man replied. ¡°How far did they say it goes? I haven¡¯t been up this way since the rains started.¡± ¡°Another three miles,¡± Edders said. Carn blew out his breath. ¡°We don¡¯t have that sort of coin in the budget for this year¡ªnot with the number of soldiers we¡¯re paying. Unless Lady Ellerie will work on it?¡± ¡°Ellerie doesn¡¯t have time to shape three miles of road,¡± Corec said. ¡°And if she did, I have other things for her to work on.¡± Corec¡¯s soldiers had outgrown their barracks in the keep even before the battle, and he¡¯d added another squad since. For now, they¡¯d set up a secondary barracks just south of the hill. Corec couldn¡¯t help thinking it would make more sense to start any additional building work at the new townsite he and Sarette had found, but that would require more time and money than he had at the moment. Carn nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯d suggest doing what the Matagoran officials at the keep always did,¡± he said. ¡°Lay more gravel on the road, and dig out drainage ditches along either side. It has to be redone every year, but it¡¯s cheaper in the short term.¡± Edders cleared his throat. ¡°I can find men, but the money ¡­ ¡± he said, trailing off. He wanted the road repaired for the good of his own business, but he understood the importance of the trading caravans well enough to know that the project was the responsibility of the local authorities. ¡°We¡¯ll send workers, and pay them,¡± Corec said. With the harvest done for the year, Shavala¡¯s foraging crews were out of work. Most had begun building log cabins or fixing up old cottages for themselves, or picking out plots of land to try their hands at farming, but some were still looking for any extra employment they could find. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± Edders said. ¡°I think that¡¯s everything we need to do here,¡± Corec said to Carn. ¡°Are you coming with me?¡± ¡°For a bit, yes,¡± the man replied. ¡°There are some folks you should meet, and you won¡¯t find them if you stick to the road.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head out, then,¡± Corec said. ¡°I¡¯d like to cover another ten miles today.¡± He¡¯d spent three of the past four weeks visiting the new villages springing up around the area, focusing on the south first since he was less familiar with that region. Now he was heading north, not planning to go as far as Four Roads but just to the edge of the lands he¡¯d claimed. The settlements there expected him to provide some sort of leadership, and he wasn¡¯t sure how he could do that without getting to know the people he was supposed to be leading. He¡¯d started to get a vision for what the future might hold, but it all depended on Rusol¡¯s next move. There was only a limited amount of time before the man learned of his defeat and responded to it¡ªwhatever that response might be. If all went to plan, the knights would distract him from any further attempts at invading the free lands. By law, when news of Rusol¡¯s crimes got out, the Church should depose him, removing him from his main base of power. But even if the Order followed through, Corec couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that his feud with Rusol wasn¡¯t over yet. Book 6: Chapter Two Ariadne finished fastening the latches on the armor, then waited for Barat to return. ¡°Is last one,¡± he said in his thick accent, hefting the bundle he carried¡ªanother of the Mage Knight panoplies Ariadne had been carrying with her since Tir Yadar. ¡°Help me set it up.¡± She needed more time with him before she sent him on his way to his next task. Corec trusted the man¡ªnow that he¡¯d been freed from Rusol¡¯s influence¡ªbut the soldiers and settlers wouldn¡¯t want their enemy¡¯s commanding officer wandering free without supervision. Barat was meant to be seen working off his debt, with the understanding that he would eventually join Kevik¡¯s fledgling order of knights. He helped her drape the last panoply over its stand, and together they secured enough of the latches to hold it in place. That made nine sets of armor arranged in two neat rows. The spare panoplies had been stored in crates for months, but Ariadne had finally had a chance to get stands made for them, and Corec had allowed her to partition off part of the cellar into a separate room with a locking door. The matching swords already hung from hooks set along the wall. ¡°King Rusol has armor like this,¡± Barat said suddenly. ¡°And a blade.¡± Ariadne froze in place. ¡°Mirrorsteel?¡± she asked. ¡°Where did he get it?¡± Very few sets of mirrorsteel armor had ever been made, and nearly all of them had belonged to the Mage Knights. ¡°I do not know.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard the name Thedan? Or Ephrenia?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve told us Rusol¡¯s an elder witch and demonborn,¡± Ariadne said. ¡°Is he a wizard, too?¡± She¡¯d never heard of anyone with three magics, but if Rusol was a Mage Knight, he¡¯d be a more formidable foe than the group expected. ¡°He does not mention to me,¡± Barat said. ¡°But I do not think so. He asks questions to wizards as if not knowing answers.¡± Ariadne nodded. She¡¯d have to tell Corec, but there was nothing else she could do about it for now. If Rusol was defeated, perhaps she could retrieve the armor. For now, she had nine other sets that still needed new bearers¡ªwhich reminded her of her real reason for requesting Barat¡¯s help. ¡°You are from the elder witches north of Larso, yes?¡± she asked him. This would be her first chance to follow some advice Ellerie had given her a year earlier. He wrinkled his brow. ¡°We say elderfolk. Mother was of clan, Father was of Larso. He sent me to Northtower to become knight instead.¡± Ariadne retrieved the spell book Ellerie had found for her in Terevas¡ªa book that, judging by the notes in the front, had once belonged to a Chosar Mage Knight, though not one whose name she recognized. ¡°Read this,¡± she said to Barat, opening it to the first spell. ¡°I do not know these letters.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you,¡± she said, pointing. ¡°Ill-us-trant.¡± She couldn¡¯t read the whole spell for him or she¡¯d end up casting it instead, with the words becoming an indistinct whisper. She¡¯d have to take it one part at a time. If the test was successful, she could get help from Ellerie or Bobo to write up a list of sounds in Western matched to the symbols of the wizard language for Barat to learn from, but for now, she just wanted to know. It took a while, but eventually they made their way through the short spell. ¡°Illustrant ac tenebras, tenebras atque illustrant,¡± Barat said. There it was. He hadn¡¯t cast the spell¡ªthat would require building up the right pathways in his mind¡ªbut there¡¯d been an echo of power in Ariadne¡¯s arcane sight. Barat wasn¡¯t just an elder witch. He had wizard blood as well, and having both meant he was likely descended from the Chosar. More importantly, it meant he could be trained as a Mage Knight. Ariadne wouldn¡¯t accept just anyone, though. ¡°Tell me,¡± she said, ¡°what did your knighthood mean to you?¡± The puzzled expression on his face suggested it was going to be a long conversation. # ¡°Lady Ellerie, welcome back to Tir Yadar.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dorgt,¡± Ellerie said. Hildra¡¯s son and his team had set up their main camp in the fortress complex, near what Ariadne referred to as the World Fountain. ¡°I brought you something.¡± She handed over two freshly printed and bound books. The stoneborn man raised his eyebrows as he peered at the titles. With his clerk¡¯s suit and clean-shaven face, he looked more like a short human shopkeeper than a dwarven explorer and wizard. ¡°They¡¯re done so quickly?¡± he asked. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel quick to me.¡± Dorgt laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll let Sanna read these first, since she¡¯s compiling our own research. We¡¯ll make sure we don¡¯t duplicate your work. We¡¯ve made it farther in than your notes suggested. I found a number of artifacts and systems that were clearly once enchanted to power the city, but the enchantments are long gone. Mother will be disappointed.¡± Hildra was due to arrive the next day, with help from Leena. ¡°Have you had any more trouble with the locals?¡± Ellerie asked. ¡°We had to rescue another group from Livadi that didn¡¯t bring enough supplies to make it here and back,¡± Dorgt said. ¡°I let them look around, then gave them enough food to get home. I believe it¡¯ll be less of a problem in the future. Your friend Shavala has grown out ten miles of grassland. That¡¯s enough to feed our own animals, so we¡¯re turning this into a permanent outpost. I trust our deal still stands?¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°Varsin Senshall and his brother understand that finding Tir Yadar doesn¡¯t grant them any right to claim it for themselves. If anyone has the right to the city, it would be Ariadne. She¡¯s content for the stoneborn to have a presence.¡± Ariadne had been more than happy with the idea of her people¡¯s descendants returning to their ancestral home, but Ellerie didn¡¯t want to sound too eager¡ªshe still wanted certain concessions out of the arrangement. Dorgt looked down at the books he still held, hefting the smaller of the two. ¡°This one, right?¡± he asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t told our people the truth yet. The fact that Tir Yadar is mostly underground lends credence to the idea that we lived here once, but the rest of it¡ªthe Chosar¡ªI don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll react.¡± He snorted. ¡°Some people still believe the old nonsense that we were birthed from stone itself.¡± ¡°If it¡¯ll cause problems, you don¡¯t have to say anything,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°Just wait for copies of the book to make their way around. If people don¡¯t believe it, then they don¡¯t believe it.¡± Dorgt nodded. ¡°That may be the best way to handle it.¡± He set the books down on a small, intact table he¡¯d found somewhere. ¡°Time for a tour? What would you like to see first?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the excavation going?¡± From where she was standing, Ellerie¡¯s view of the western side of the courtyard was blocked. ¡°The spot where the stone was melted, you mean? Are you sure it¡¯s worth it? It¡¯s going to be a lot of work, and I can¡¯t imagine anything in there would be salvageable after so much time. Or with so much weight on it.¡± ¡°Fortress West was where the Chosar conducted all their magical research and teaching,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°The wardens lived there too¡ªat least part of the time. If anything in there had strong enough protective wards to survive, we should try to find it. A single spell book could justify the cost of the work. Ariadne just asks that any bodies you find be laid to rest respectfully.¡± ¡°We can try again, I suppose,¡± Dorgt said. ¡°We¡¯ve only made it four feet in so far, through where we think the main entrance would have been. Melted or not, shaped stone is hard to crack, and I don¡¯t have any miners or stonemasters here.¡± The barrens remained a significant impediment to travel, and perhaps digging out Fortress West would have to wait until Hildra and her son had convinced more of the stoneborn to come to the city. Or maybe there was a simpler answer. ¡°I have an idea,¡± Ellerie said. ¡°But we¡¯ll need to wait until your mother arrives¡ªwe need someone who can open the warded door.¡± # Shavala walked among the young tershaya, trailing her fingers across their trunks as she checked on their health. Her little forest at Tir Yadar, which had started in a plaza near the center of the ruins outside the mountain, now stretched eastward into the barrens. Dorgt and his people, still surveying the area, hadn¡¯t been pleased about the buildings she¡¯d destroyed, but if the tershaya were going to flourish on their own, without regular tending, they would need a larger area. She¡¯d made a small start on restoring the nearby flatlands as well, continuing the work she¡¯d done to grow grasses and weeds near the river and extending them to reach the tershaya and beyond. A self-sustaining ecosystem, one that could attract birds and other wide-ranging creatures, would require more than just trees. The sound of running footfalls echoed from a nearby street, then grew quieter as whoever it was reached the wooded area. Shavala waved her arms to help the runner find her among the trees. It was a stoneborn boy, the son of one of Dorgt¡¯s animal handlers. ¡°Miss Shavala!¡± the boy said, then stopped to catch his breath. ¡°Mum said to tell you Lady Hildra is here.¡± Shavala thanked the boy and sent him back to his mother, then began the long trek into the mountain, to the palace complex. Fortress Central, as Ariadne called it. The fortress¡¯s courtyard, where Dorgt and his people had set up their inner camp, was nearly empty, but beyond the statues of the old gods, the palace¡¯s warded door now stood wide open. Shavala could hear the clerks¡¯ voices coming from inside, speaking in excited tones at their first chance to explore the new area. She slipped through the door unnoticed, then made her way through the maze of corridors in the northeast until she reached the second door which required a warden to unlock it. This one too was open, leading to a hexagonal chamber with three rooms branching off. The one to the left held only heavy-duty metal shelves, their purpose long forgotten. Ellerie¡¯s and another woman¡¯s muffled voices came from the room to the right. It was the middle door, the heavily rusted one, that interested Shavala. Even before she reached it, though, her elder senses told her she¡¯d arrived too late. She opened it to find a room full of dead and dying mushrooms, lichens, and mosses. The green light they¡¯d once given off had faded away, and there were no glowing moths to greet her. The unique system of life which had grown around the staff for centuries had failed.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Shavala stood still for a moment, trying to hold back her tears. She¡¯d known the work she¡¯d done to keep the room alive was temporary, but this had been her first opportunity to return. The journey to Tir Yadar had taken so long that she couldn¡¯t realistically go back right away. Later, after Leena had learned to take other people with her when she Traveled, Shavala had been busy caring for Risingwind, and then doing what she could to help the new settlers deal with land that had returned to the wild. Even if she¡¯d come on her own, she couldn¡¯t have made it through the palace door without a warden. Would Corec have come with her? It hadn¡¯t occurred to her to ask him¡ªshe¡¯d thought she had more time. She made her way to the mound where the staff had once stood, casting out with her elder senses as she went, but none of the funguses she saw were in good enough condition to be nursed back to health. She could regrow them¡ªshe¡¯d retrieved the staff from Zhailai after the battle¡ªbut what was the point if they¡¯d just fail again? She couldn¡¯t leave the staff here. It was too important to the elven people, and she still had a great deal of work ahead of her in Terevas if she was going to bring the tree bond back to the nilvasta. And even if she regrew the mushrooms, she suspected they could only live in a symbiotic relationship with the moths, and there were no more moths. Then she caught sight of something she hadn¡¯t noticed before. Hanging from the tallest mushrooms surrounding the central mound were cocoons, dozens of them, many still showing signs of life. How long would it be before they hatched? A week? Two at the most? She quickly pulled her foraging sacks from her coat pocket and gathered every cocoon she could find, mushroom and all¡ªthe larvae would need the mushrooms to feed on. She added representatives of all the other funguses and mosses she could find as well, then hurried to find Ellerie. If Hildra was here, that meant Leena had come as well, and she might not have left yet. Shavala¡¯s work outside the mountain was done for now, and the sooner she made it back to the free lands, the more likely she¡¯d be able to find a new home for the moths before they hatched. # ¡°Careful,¡± Hildra murmured. ¡°You¡¯re almost to the door, then there¡¯s a step down.¡± Ellerie peered around from behind the tunneling golem. She¡¯d learned it was easiest to control the golem while standing behind it. If she moved to the side for a better view, it would attempt to mirror her actions in a more exaggerated manner. Supposedly the Chosar had a way to see through the artificial creature¡¯s glass eyes, but the note Ariadne sent back with Leena said she didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d accomplished it. The golem, similar in appearance to a rough-hewn stone statue the size of a very large man, had been left behind by the Chosar in the chamber they referred to as the Enchantment Repository. Ariadne insisted there should be three more somewhere, but even Dorgt¡¯s more intensive explorations hadn¡¯t turned up anything similar. Ellerie took three tiny steps forward, toward the door, then waited as the golem took three much larger steps, passing through the opening and then misjudging the stair by a few inches and falling over with a loud crash. The first time it had fallen, she¡¯d worried she¡¯d broken it, but after hours of practice, she¡¯d grown accustomed to showing it how to stand back up again. This time, she had it crawl forward to flat ground and away from the shallow step before standing. There was no sense in tempting fate by risking it tripping again, but it required that she herself crawl to demonstrate the movements she wanted it to take. She was just glad none of her friends were there to see it¡ªLeena and Shavala had already returned to the free lands. Ellerie had to avert her gaze while the golem regained its footing. There was something unnatural about the way it moved, wrenching to the eyes, that gave her a headache if she watched too closely. While the creature had the form of a stone statue, it moved in a way that stone never could. It was all one piece, yet the joints flowed like liquid despite appearing¡ªand feeling¡ªsolid. She¡¯d left the golem in Tir Yadar after her first visit not only due to its size and weight, but also because it had protective wards she couldn¡¯t identify. Ariadne had suggested the wards wouldn¡¯t be trapped, and that they were there simply to keep the golem from being activated by accident. She¡¯d sent a list of potential activation sequences, and the fifth one Ellerie tried¡ªa series of taps on the back of the thing¡¯s neck¡ªhad worked. Now, away from the tight corridors of Fortress Central, she cautiously maneuvered the tunneling golem between the two rows of statues that made up the totem walk. At the end she turned right, taking advantage of the wide gap between the end of the totem walk and the World Fountain to give herself more room to move. ¡°Clear the way!¡± Dorgt called out to a group of clerks who¡¯d gathered to watch the curious sight. The stoneborn went to work opening a path through the mess of a camp they¡¯d built up over the past weeks. Ellerie waited until they were done and out of her way, then walked the golem through the gap and over to the remains of Fortress West, to the shallow hole Dorgt¡¯s people had dug out of the entrance. Holding her breath in anticipation, she directed the golem¡¯s left hand forward in a scooping motion. In keeping with the creature¡¯s mostly featureless nature, rather than having separate fingers, each hand was all one piece, somewhat reminiscent of a shovel. The hand slipped into the stone without resistance, and when Ellerie pulled back, a thick curl of stone came with it, like a spoonful of butter. Despite the ease with which it had been freed, the stone itself was still solid. Ellerie dropped the detritus over to the side and out of her way. Moving faster now that she had a feel for it, she dug with both hands, practicing scooping both high and low to clear out an opening large enough for someone to walk through. Dorgt called a halt to the activity a moment later. ¡°We¡¯ll need to start hauling this out of the way before we do more digging. Can anyone use it, or just a wizard?¡± ¡°Ariadne wasn¡¯t sure, but it doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s using any of my own magic,¡± Ellerie said. She took a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it over. ¡°Here¡¯s a map of the main floor of Fortress West, as best she can remember it. She says she probably missed some things¡ªshe didn¡¯t spend a lot of time there. I think our best chance to find something worthwhile will be the private offices at the far end, but if you have time, Ariadne suggested digging out the main ritual chamber. She doesn¡¯t know what happened there after she went to sleep.¡± Ariadne did know some of it, but Ellerie had been careful to keep the old wardens¡¯ true fate a secret. She¡¯d only told Hildra and Dorgt about the ritual to explain its connection to the Burning¡ªproviding just enough detail to interest them in aiding her efforts, and to give them a reason for why Ariadne had been put in stasis. Dorgt looked over the map. ¡°If I¡¯m understanding the scale right, this looks big. It¡¯s not something we can get done right away.¡± Ellerie nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t need to rush, but I think it¡¯s worth the effort to make the attempt. Be careful, though. Stone and earth are the only things the golem can cut through like that, but it¡¯s still strong and heavy enough that it could destroy anything else you come across just by accident.¡± Dorgt nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have people practice with it before we go any farther in. Plenty of rocks around here to play with.¡± # Dusty¡¯s hooves thundered beneath him as Nedley charged at the wooden dummy. His practice lance hit the target and splintered, the impact throwing him off his saddle. He landed face up, the wind knocked out of his lungs. The borrowed horse trotted back, staring down at him as if wondering why he¡¯d done something so stupid. Kevik strode over and helped Nedley to his feet. ¡°Good armor,¡± the other man said, knocking dust off Nedley¡¯s breastplate. ¡°It¡¯s not even dented. But next time, remember to hit the part of the target that moves.¡± Nedley managed to take a deep breath and immediately had a coughing fit. Getting it under control, he said, ¡°I just can¡¯t get it right. I can handle fighting with a sword and shield, but being on horseback feels completely different.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a tool for every job,¡± Kevik said. ¡°Corec doesn¡¯t bother with a lance or a crossbow because he doesn¡¯t need them, but a knight has to master every tool in his arsenal. Horse included.¡± ¡°A knight?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think we were doing this just for fun, did you? But you were right before¡ªthe bit of training we¡¯ve been doing here and there isn¡¯t enough for you to master the skills. I¡¯d like you to switch over full time. You¡¯ll still have responsibilities with the soldiers, like Trentin and I do, but this will be your main focus. I¡¯ve already cleared it with Sarette.¡± ¡°You want me to join the Knights of the Dragon?¡± Kevik smirked. ¡°I guess that name¡¯s going to stick, isn¡¯t it? It could be worse, I suppose. Officially you¡¯re in training, and knights spend years as trainees, but we¡¯ll push you through it as fast as we can. Here, I¡¯ve got something for you.¡± He went to the side of the practice yard and retrieved a stack of books from a pack he¡¯d brought with him that day. ¡°Courtly graces, civics, military history,¡± he said, handing them over one by one. ¡°All focused on Larso, unfortunately, but they¡¯ll do for a start. Don¡¯t lose them¡ªthese were all Trentin and I were able to scrounge up between us.¡± ¡°I should read them?¡± Nedley asked. ¡°That¡¯s the idea, yes. Pick one to start with and study a chapter each night, then be ready to talk about it the next day.¡± Nedley grimaced. He only had a vague idea of what a chapter was, but he was rather certain it involved multiple pages. It could take him twenty minutes just to make his way through a single page. But if it meant becoming a knight? That was a position of respect and responsibility, a station well above anything he¡¯d imagined for himself growing up. If it required reading, he¡¯d do it. With the training session over, Nedley limped back to Hilltop, finding Kimi waiting for him at the entrance to the thorn wall. She was done with her teaching duties for the day, but Nedley wasn¡¯t feeling up to their usual walk. ¡°What happened to you?¡± she asked, taking the books so he could remove his helmet and gauntlets. ¡°Kevik again,¡± he said. ¡°He wants me to join the knights.¡± Her face lit up. ¡°You¡¯d be a knight? A real-life knight?¡± ¡°A trainee, for a while.¡± ¡°Still, that¡¯s wonderful!¡± she said. She glanced at the spines of the books and held out the one on civics. ¡°I¡¯ve read this one before.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got to read them all.¡± ¡°I could help!¡± Kimi knew how little experience Nedley had with real books. ¡°I think I¡¯m supposed to do it myself.¡± She nodded. ¡°Are we still going shopping for house things today?¡± Nedley had forgotten. The workers had finished adding a second story and attic to his cottage, as well as a new shake roof. While the original structure was built of clay brick and the upper floors were of cheaper wood construction, Nedley rather liked the look¡ªthough it had cost him a good bit of coin. ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go drop these things off first.¡± They walked around the rear of the fortress to the house, leaving the books and Nedley¡¯s armor and shield there. He strapped his sword belt back on, though¡ªall the soldiers were supposed to keep their personal arms with them when they were out and about. He would have liked to switch to clean clothing, but if Sister Berit discovered he¡¯d gotten undressed while Kimi was with him, she wouldn¡¯t let them walk about unchaperoned anymore. ¡°What do you suppose I need to buy?¡± he asked as they made their way to Ezra¡¯s new shop building. ¡°Pots and pans? Are there different types?¡± Kimi laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Cooking isn¡¯t a skill taught to concubine candidates.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Nedley hadn¡¯t considered that. It would have to be camp cooking gear, then¡ªthat was all he knew how to use. ¡°Curtains for the windows,¡± Kimi suggested. ¡°If Ezra sells that sort of thing.¡± ¡°We can ask. I¡¯ll have to find a carpenter to make some furniture too.¡± A table and chairs at least, and a bed. The new rooms could stay empty for now. At the shop, they found Netta¡ªthe widow woman who¡¯d accompanied Nedley¡¯s caravan¡ªwatching the counter. She was usually gone by this time of day, after the children got out of school, but Ezra must have had business elsewhere for the evening. Her two young sons were playing some quiet game on the floor. Kimi went over to greet the boys, though she¡¯d just seen them an hour earlier. Netta greeted Nedley with a smile. He¡¯d checked on her a few times during her first weeks in Hilltop to make sure she was getting by. Lately he¡¯d seen her spending time with Trooper Harlan, so it seemed she¡¯d adjusted to her new life. Nedley explained what he was looking for and Netta nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll help you find what you need for the kitchen,¡± she said. ¡°I can do up some curtains and sheets for you too, if you bring me the measurements¡ªEzra has all the materials.¡± They did find pots and pans as well as a new fire grate to set them on, plus plates, bowls, and utensils. Kimi rejoined them, asking, ¡°What about food?¡± That set off another round of purchases, ending with bags of beans, rice, and dried apples and berries. As a treat, Nedley added a ball of butter from one of the farmers who¡¯d brought milch cows with him, and a wheel of cheese which had likely come from Four Roads or South Corner. He could still have one meal a day at the barracks, so that seemed enough to get started with. He drew the line at flour, cornmeal, and pickled vegetables¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t know what to do with them. He avoided the salt pork too, since the town had a butcher now. They made arrangements to have the purchases delivered to the cottage, and then as Nedley and Kimi were backing out the door, saying goodbye to Netta, they heard a wagon coming to a stop behind them. A familiar voice spoke. ¡°He¡¯s probably up at the keep, but let¡¯s ask here and find out where we can put up the animals.¡± Nedley spun around. ¡°Cenric?¡± he said. The last time he¡¯d seen him, the former red-eye had been headed back to his little farm plot north of Four Roads. Cenric had already climbed down from the wagon. Two women were still seated on the bench. ¡°Ned?¡± the other man replied, grasping Nedley¡¯s forearm in greeting. ¡°Is Corec around?¡± ¡°He¡¯s traveling up north for a few days. If you came that way, you probably missed him along the road. What are you doing here? I thought you were staying on your farm.¡± The wagon bed was clearly filled with the small family¡¯s possessions. Nedley had seen similar sights with the refugees. ¡°I¡¯m looking for work,¡± Cenric said. ¡°Blight got the potato crop. When the crows got into the corn, I figured it was time to cut my losses and get down here before the rush. Is Corec still looking for men?¡± ¡°He might be,¡± Nedley said. They¡¯d paused their recruiting, but Cenric had experience the other men didn¡¯t. ¡°Sarette¡¯s Captain of the Guard now¡ªshe can tell you. What do you mean, the rush?¡± ¡°Everyone knows there¡¯s free land here for the taking. Now that the harvest¡¯s in, all those younger sons and the families with smaller farms are going to be heading this way. I saw caravans assembling from Riverfork down to Four Roads. They can¡¯t be more than a few days behind me.¡± Book 6: Chapter Three ¡°Nedley said you told him a lot of new people are coming this way?¡± Sarette asked as she accompanied Cenric south of the village to the new barracks to show him around. He, his wife, and his sister had found lodging at the boarding house, then he¡¯d come looking for her. ¡°More than I saw over the summer,¡± he said. ¡°I was living farther north, though, so I¡¯m not sure what it was like closer to Four Roads.¡± ¡°We thought it would slow down once news got out about the battle.¡± Cenric shrugged. ¡°The story going around is that Corec, his mages, and a few dozen soldiers defeated the armies of Larso and sent them fleeing back home. I¡¯m not so stupid as to believe that¡¯s how it went, but ¡­ you¡¯re still here and Larso isn¡¯t. The freelanders are taking it as an omen.¡± Sarette wasn¡¯t sure how to reply to that so she changed the topic, pointing out the activity ahead of them. ¡°Georg is Armsmaster now, so he¡¯s handling most of the weapons training, but he may ask for your help on the things you¡¯re more familiar with.¡± At the moment, Georg and Ral were teaching the newest recruits how to use the captured ballistae the knights had abandoned. Most of the invading force¡¯s siege weapons had been destroyed during the fighting, but some of the sabotaged devices had been far enough away to survive. The knights had left them behind as part of their surrender¡ªand to speed up their return to Hightower. Corec had laid claim to them, ordering repairs and then replacing most of the ballistae on the fortress walls with catapults. Siege weapons wouldn¡¯t normally be part of the Armsmaster¡¯s duties, but Georg had more experience with them than anyone else, so he supervised the training when he could. The former knight noticed Sarette and Cenric approaching and came over to greet them, leaving Ral to finish the session. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Georg said to Cenric. ¡°I am,¡± the other man replied. That was all they said. Cenric had never been much for talking, but Sarette suspected she¡¯d missed an unspoken conversation in the few words the two Larsonian veterans had exchanged. ¡°He¡¯ll be a sergeant again,¡± she said. ¡°We were just discussing his duties.¡± She turned back to Cenric. ¡°What I really need is for you to train up new sergeants and corporals. Nedley¡¯s joining the knights and Ral is old enough to retire. We¡¯re spread too thin on people who can actually lead a squad.¡± She figured that was the best way to use Cenric¡¯s skills for as long as he decided to stick around. The dour man had come looking for work because he¡¯d run out of other choices, but after his time as a red-eye, he¡¯d lost his will to fight. There was a good chance he¡¯d quit again once he¡¯d saved up a bit of coin, and she wanted to take advantage of what he could offer in the meantime. ¡°Teaching?¡± he said, looking thoughtful. ¡°I can do that.¡± Georg snorted. ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t know why we bother with all this, if mages are just going to do all the fighting for us,¡± he said, giving Sarette a pointed look. ¡°How am I supposed to train people for a job you can do better by yourself?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do all the fighting,¡± she said. ¡°The soldiers played their part well.¡± ¡°I was there, remember? I saw what happened, and I don¡¯t care to see it again.¡± Georg didn¡¯t seem to have the Order of Pallisur¡¯s typical hatred for magic, but the piles of dead bodies left behind by the mercenaries had been a disturbing sight. Sarette wouldn¡¯t want to repeat that day either. She considered his words, trying to figure out what he really meant by them. Georg could be an antagonistic bully when no one stood up to him, but if he¡¯d actually wanted to leave, he¡¯d have done so already. And he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the soldiers not having enough to do, then we¡¯ll have to teach them a new way to fight,¡± she said. ¡°We worked together against the dragon. We can do it again.¡± Georg frowned. ¡°Just how are we going to do that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something the three of us will have to figure out.¡± # The lively chatter in the Great Hall of the Four Roads chapter house brought back a lot of memories. Treya had spent four years here before Mother Yewen sent her to Tyrsall, and not much had changed since then. Most of the same teachers were still around, looking a little older now. The students were different, but that was normal¡ªgirls were always coming and going from the chapter houses. Treya accepted a plate from one of the girls assigned to serving duty for the evening, then sat down near Shana. ¡°Feeling better after the bath?¡± the other woman said. ¡°I healed myself,¡± Treya admitted. Her legs had been sore and her feet numb after running the entire distance from Hilltop Village to Four Roads, but they¡¯d managed the trip in just two days, far outpacing the speed of traveling by horseback. ¡°I can heal you too, if you want.¡± Shana shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You get used to it if you run as much as I do.¡± ¡°Do you really have to go?¡± Treya asked. They¡¯d had this conversation already, but she would miss having another mystic around to practice with. ¡°There¡¯s not much left I can teach you that you can¡¯t learn on your own,¡± Shana said. ¡°And your friends certainly don¡¯t need me to do their fighting for them. I can¡¯t stay here forever¡ªthere¡¯s always someone who needs help somewhere.¡± Mother Yewen joined them then, along with Treya¡¯s old friend Liese, a shy, dark-haired girl who had to wear spectacles to see five feet in front of her face. Liese had trained with the Order of Scholars and now kept books for the chapter house. ¡°I hear you two made quite the entrance, almost running over the girls cleaning the courtyard,¡± Yewen said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother Yewen,¡± Treya replied. ¡°We didn¡¯t see them until we came around the house of healing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize¡ªyou¡¯ve got them interested in the Order now. And I was a mystic once too, remember. Sometimes you just have to see how far you can take it. Speaking of which, I¡¯ve heard back from the senior Mothers. They¡¯ve agreed to grant permission for you to move forward with your idea, on a trial basis only.¡± ¡°My idea?¡± Treya asked. ¡°To start a new Order for the trades and crafts, and to require mystic and concubine candidates to learn another skill so they have something to fall back on if their plans don¡¯t work out. I excluded the scholars from that, of course, since that¡¯s a trade in itself. I didn¡¯t mention anything about putting less emphasis on the Order of Concubines. One thing at a time.¡± ¡°But I never told you ¡­¡± Treya started, then noticed Shana¡¯s big grin. ¡°I may have passed along a few notes,¡± the other woman said. The idea was important, Treya was certain, but it was only an idea. She¡¯d never considered having to implement it herself. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do,¡± she admitted. ¡°I can help!¡± Liese offered, then looked embarrassed at having spoken up in front of the others. ¡°Perhaps that would be for the best,¡± Yewen said. ¡°In truth, Treya, you¡¯re not the best person to build it¡ªyou¡¯re not a tradeswoman yourself, and Liese is. But if you want the idea to catch on, someone will have to champion it, and that should be you. After the dragon, your name is known across all the chapter houses. They know you¡¯re close with Corec Tarwen as well, and his name is on the rise too. Now is the best time to use your influence.¡± ¡°I can do that, I think,¡± Treya said. She wasn¡¯t sure what it meant, exactly, but she could write letters or get Leena to take her around to the different chapter houses. ¡°Good,¡± Yewen said. ¡°And since you¡¯re here, you and Liese can talk about your ideas for the new Order, then start reaching out to the trades and guilds in town to see what they can offer in partnership.¡± Treya nodded. It seemed Mother Yewen had put more thought into the planning than she herself had, but it was sound advice. ¡°You¡¯ll let us start the new Order here, then?¡± Treya asked. ¡°I¡¯ll have to. Unless you¡¯re ready to build your own chapter house?¡± ¡°I ¡­ what?¡± ¡°With the number of people moving into your region, you¡¯ll need one eventually.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re ready for that yet,¡± Treya said. ¡°We don¡¯t even have any orphan girls, unless you count Ditte.¡± Four Roads was already the smallest of the chapter houses, and that was in a town of thirty thousand people. The population surrounding Hilltop Village couldn¡¯t be growing that fast, could it? Bobo and Carn Tammerly were still trying to get a better estimate from the more distant settlements. Yewen nodded. ¡°It can wait until it¡¯s necessary. Until then, I¡¯ll take any girls you need homes for. But start thinking about who you¡¯d want running your chapter. Will you allow the Orders to assign an outsider, or should it be someone who¡¯s already there? Between you, Berit, and Nallee¡ªand Kimi¡ªwhich one of you is best suited for managing things ¡­ and keeping the good will of the local lord?¡± ¡°Another distraction,¡± Shana murmured. ¡°But that¡¯s the life you¡¯ve found for yourself. You¡¯ll manage.¡± # Leena studied the image on the page as she idly twirled the jade bracelet around her wrist, trying to puzzle out the meaning of the map Bobo had given her. In two days, she was scheduled to collect her new students¡ªYelena¡¯s two new bondmates¡ªfrom Sanvar to take over their training. That training would pull her away from other tasks, yet in the weeks since she¡¯d retrieved the bracelet from Pavan after the battle, she¡¯d barely made any progress at all on the map. Other than a second trip to the diagonal world, this time without meeting any of its residents, there¡¯d just been a series of failed attempts to reach the more distant lines. The lines did represent worlds¡ªshe was certain of that, even if the demonic realm appeared different every time she went¡ªbut how was she supposed to use that knowledge? They were just lines drawn out on paper. They didn¡¯t provide enough information to reach any one particular spot, much less indicate which location she was meant to find. Surely this had to do with Snake somehow, but how? She stared again at the lower half of the map, the four lines representing the worlds she¡¯d been able to reach¡ªthe three parallel worlds with which she was most familiar, and then the diagonal line which crossed through her own world, barely missing the other two. She straightened up in sudden realization. The lines themselves might not be distinct enough to represent specific locations, but the point where they crossed had to mean something. Leena scrawled a quick note to Ellerie, explaining what she was attempting, then Traveled to the point where the lines crossed, keeping her focus on the middle of the three parallel worlds. She wanted to see the intersection from her own side. She appeared in the middle of a heavy rainstorm, and it took her a moment to get her bearings. Peering up at the rocky ridges surrounding her, she found she was partway down the sloped side of a massive crater. The center of the crater was another five hundred feet west from her position and a hundred feet lower in elevation, the lowest point marked by a jagged, inky black crevice in the ground. The weak light of the sun through the clouds didn¡¯t seem to shine inside like it would with a cave. It was more like a hole ripped in paper and held up against a dark night. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Rough trails had been carved throughout the crater, then worn down by time and erosion. The rainwater gathered in rivulets that trickled down the slope, gradually washing away dirt and stone to cut gaps in the pathways in the spots where the water flowed. The rivulets joined together in tiny streams near the bottom of the crater, draining into the dark hole. A flicker of motion at the corner of Leena¡¯s eye warned her that she wasn¡¯t alone. Scattered figures trudged along the trails at distant points around the crater. At the far side of the bowl, a wider, sturdier road led from the top of the ridge directly down to the crevice. As she watched, a figure reached the bottom and climbed down into the dark hole, disappearing from sight. There was something wrong with the way the figure had moved, something unnatural, and Leena was suddenly wary about standing in the open. She didn¡¯t want to be seen by anyone until she¡¯d learned more. No one was looking her way so she hurried up the side of the crater, taking the closest trail that would lead her to the top. The slope grew steeper as she went, and she had to crawl the last few feet, pulling herself up and over the ridge and tearing her dress around the knees as she braced herself on the rocks. At the top, she discovered that the whole area was surrounded by a dense jungle, not much different than those in Sanvar. Crouching behind an outcropping of rock to hide from view, she peered back down into the crater. The nearest figure, wearing a brown robe, was slowly approaching her position as it traversed a horizontal trail fifty feet down. Every so often it stopped to bend down and pull something from the ground. Vegetation, Leena realized¡ªwith the jungle so near, the crater must have required regular maintenance to keep from getting grown over. Like the other figure she¡¯d observed, this one also moved oddly, its steps longer but slower than a human¡¯s. As it drew close, she recognized it as a type of creature she¡¯d encountered on her first visit to the diagonal world. It walked upright on two legs, about the same height as a tall man, but it had four arms. The upper pair were larger and more muscular, ending in hands that were almost like talons, with claw-like appendages. Over one arm, it carried a leather bag where it deposited the plants and weeds it was pulling from the trail. Its lower arms¡ªunoccupied at the moment¡ªwere slender and shorter, with human-like hands and fingers. Had the creatures crossed from one world to another through the hole? Where could this place be that no one had noticed their presence? Leena¡¯s gift couldn¡¯t tell her precisely where she was, and she was too far from home to try Seeking, but she could make a rough guess by comparing to other locations she¡¯d Traveled to in the past. She was west and south from where she¡¯d started. Too far west to be in Aravor, or even in the seaborn homeland she¡¯d only seen on maps. Not quite as far south as Sanvara City. With the jungle blocking her view, she couldn¡¯t get a sense of how large the landmass was. Was she on an island in the ocean? Or was it a continent she¡¯d never visited before? An eerie, metallic voice from behind startled her. She whirled around to find another of the creatures watching her. This one wore a vest of animal hides, and close up, she could see that its dusty gray skin was covered in scales. Its eyes were dark orbs. It repeated the same phrase, then pointed northeast and rattled off a sequence of words Leena couldn¡¯t understand. Despite its strange appearance, the encounter wasn¡¯t as frightening as being silently watched by the creatures in their own world. ¡°You can talk?¡± she said, holding out her hands to show she wasn¡¯t armed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean any harm. Can you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± It spoke again. To Leena, it sounded like the seaborn tongue, which she¡¯d never learned to speak, and the creature¡¯s harsh tone contrasted with the melody of the language enough that she wouldn¡¯t have recognized any words even if she knew them. When she didn¡¯t respond, the creature pointed one arm straight up and let out a loud cawing sound. A dot in the sky, which Leena had assumed to be a bird, grew rapidly in size as it descended, landing with a whumph of air. It was a smaller, skinnier version of a dragon, still tall enough to tower over her as it stood on its rear legs. Was this a drake? It matched the stories Corec and Treya had told of the two they¡¯d fought. The creature she¡¯d been speaking to uttered another sentence, its tone more urgent this time. It was growing agitated. When it bared its pointed teeth and turned to signal to the drake, Leena teleported, returning to her quarters in Warden¡¯s Keep. She fell into a chair, her strength suddenly leaving her as she realized how much danger she¡¯d been in. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the encounter. The presence of an unknown people in the world was certain to be important to someone, yet she couldn¡¯t see how that knowledge would help her stop Snake. But the creatures weren¡¯t her only discovery. There should have been two locations where the two worlds intersected¡ªone on her world, and one within the world of the six-limbed creatures. There should have been two, but when she¡¯d Traveled to the crater, she¡¯d sensed three. # The tall, wide cave mouth stood midway up a craggy hill. ¡°How do you like this one?¡± Shavala asked Risingwind. They¡¯d spent three days searching for caves large enough for the dragon to nest in as he grew larger. He was nearly the size of a horse now, and when he stretched his long neck up, his head towered over hers. His wings were the real problem, though. He liked to snap them open to catch the wind, and he didn¡¯t pay much attention to his surroundings when he did so. It had become apparent that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay around the villages much longer. Though his mother had made her lair within the fortress walls, most dragons settled for natural caves. The rocky slopes leading to this one weren¡¯t the best spot for building a hut, but Shavala was used to living in homes that hung off the side of a tree. She¡¯d figure out a way to make it work. She could live inside the cave with Risingwind if she had to, at least until he was old enough to take care of himself, and they were only seven miles from the keep. But while the site was a good match for one of her pressing needs, could it handle another? At the rear of the cave, there was a tunnel leading farther back and down. The light was dimmer there, and Shavala proceeded cautiously, testing the ground in front of her before putting her full weight down. Risingwind let out a questioning coo, then followed her in. The width allowed him through if he kept his wings folded. They continued through a few twists and turns, finding themselves in pitch-black darkness. Elves could see movement in the dark, and Shavala¡¯s elder senses allowed her to identify differences in her surroundings, but with nothing moving and nothing but stone surrounding her, all she could detect nearby were the walls of the cave. Below her were pockets of groundwater connected in an intricate web leading to the nearest underground stream, and above the hill was open sky, but there was nothing closer than that besides the tunnel itself. Risingwind bravely stayed with her, but he began letting out little whining noises¡ªdragons weren¡¯t known for flying at night. Shavala summoned a flame in her cupped palm, allowing her to return to using her normal vision, however dimly. Risingwind sniffed the tiny fire, losing interest when it didn¡¯t smell like smoke or food, but he calmed down once he could see again. ¡°Let¡¯s just go a bit farther,¡± she told him. She sensed a cavern ahead, below ground level and large enough for her needs. The opening was tight, and Risingwind had to scrape against the sides to fit through. That was fine¡ªShavala didn¡¯t want him coming here on his own, and once he hit his next growth spurt, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fit. Moisture coated the rocks along one side of the cavern, dripping down in rivulets, but the air was dry. That seemed the appropriate mix. The last two caves she¡¯d looked at had been too humid. Bones of long-dead prey animals littered the ground, none of which appeared recent. Predators wouldn¡¯t be much of a concern here¡ªthe dragon would scare away any that attempted to inhabit the cave system. Shavala set her little ball of flame on a stalagmite with a flattened top, then took her foraging sacks from where they hung on her belt and scattered their contents throughout the cavern. Taking up the staff, she sent it an image of what she wanted. It was sluggish to respond¡ªfunguses weren¡¯t plants¡ªbut she knew from the visions the staff had shown her that it could do what she wanted. Slowly, new mushrooms sprouted in place of the dead pieces, then began glowing with their familiar green luminescence. A carpet of mosses grew between them, and then lichens formed, spreading over the rocks. Risingwind watched Shavala work, fascinated, his gaze drawn to ripples of elder magic that weren¡¯t visible to the naked eye. ¡°Can you see that?¡± she asked him. If dragons used elder magic to fly, it followed that they would have their own version of elder senses, but he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her work in the past. He didn¡¯t respond. With the tree bond, he was starting to get a feel for whether she expected an acknowledgement of her words or not. With one part of her task out of the way, Shavala grabbed the last of her foraging sacks and carefully placed the mushroom stalks with the cocoons around the cavern in spots with an abundance of living mushrooms. The creatures within the cocoons seemed to still be alive, and she thought she could see a faint purple glow coming from some of them. That was as much as she could do for now. The next step was to wait for the moths to hatch and see how well they fared, then start crafting the cavern to match their needs. By bringing the creatures here, she¡¯d be able to watch over their health, giving herself time to experiment with creating a self-sustaining environment. When she and Risingwind returned to the surface, the dragon perked up at the steady autumn wind blowing past the hill. He charged to a ridge overlooking a rocky escarpment, unfolding his wings to catch the breeze. Then he leapt off, and Shavala¡¯s heart caught in her chest. She dashed to the ridge in time to see him gliding to a landing at the bottom of the hill. He hadn¡¯t attempted to flap his wings, but he¡¯d gone a good forty yards from where he¡¯d started. He looked up at her, a sense of impatience coming through the tree bond as he wondered why she hadn¡¯t followed. She scrambled down the steep slope, hugging him around the neck in celebration at his first flight. Stepping back, she saw little curls of smoke drifting up from his nostrils, though he hadn¡¯t attempted to breathe fire. To her elder senses, it appeared he¡¯d lit a tiny flame deep within his chest. It seemed dragons used fire magic to fly the same way Sarette used lightning magic¡ªthe process Ariadne called infusion. ¡°Well,¡± Shavala said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to teach you to hunt for real.¡± # ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any Lord Odwins. By what right does a Matagoran hold that title?¡± Ansel was standing with his wife and Branth in the small courtyard in front of their home. They were flanked by four of their own armsmen, who¡¯d been instructed to appear defiant yet fearful. Ansel suspected they hadn¡¯t needed to be told that last part. His guards were good men, trustworthy, but they weren¡¯t elite soldiers and they were facing down two squads of mounted royal guards. Another squad of royal guards milled around in the street, not enough room in the courtyard to hold them all. ¡°His Majesty King Rusol has granted me a barony outside Telfort for my services,¡± said Odwins, a skinny man with a long, waxed mustache. ¡°What services would those be, Lord Odwins?¡± Ansel asked. Odwins looked like he wished he could be anywhere else, but he seemed to take comfort from how few of Ansel¡¯s soldiers were in view. ¡°Lord Ansel, you¡¯re under arrest for treason. Two of your sons have attempted to assassinate the king. You¡¯re to come with me immediately to stand trial.¡± Isabel grasped Ansel¡¯s forearm but he shook her off. The worst was still to come and he couldn¡¯t concentrate on his wife and Odwins at the same time. ¡°None of my sons would do anything of the sort,¡± Ansel said. ¡°Where is Toman? What have you done with him?¡± ¡°Toman Tarwen was tried and executed for his crimes.¡± Isabel shrieked¡ªa slow, wordless wail¡ªand Branth had to grab her in a tight hug to keep her from falling. Ansel had been preparing for bad news for weeks, but now that it was here, he found he still wasn¡¯t ready for it. Yet he couldn¡¯t show weakness. Not now. ¡°Murder!¡± he shouted before getting his reaction under control and returning to the words he¡¯d practiced. ¡°Rusol Larse is a mage and a false king! He¡¯s broken the laws of Church and kingdom! By now, Cardinal Aldrich has already renounced him, and you no longer have any authority here.¡± None of the royal guards showed even the slightest reaction to those words. What was wrong with them? ¡°Aldrich is dead,¡± Odwins said. ¡°And if you won¡¯t come peacefully ¡­¡± He trailed off, then started muttering under his breath. ¡°Now!¡± a voice shouted, and then all the wooden shutters along the front of the manor house were flung open at once, the glass window panes having been carefully removed earlier. A dozen Knights of Pallisur aimed crossbows through the openings and launched their bolts at the royal guards, then quickly traded their spent weapons for loaded ones and fired again. More crossbowmen and some of Ansel¡¯s own archers joined the fray, springing out from the stables and other outbuildings and catching Rusol¡¯s forces in a crossfire. Odwins was hit three times, the last bolt taking him through the eye. His body slumped off his horse and fell to the ground while the royal guards who¡¯d lived through the initial assault attempted to turn their horses in a panic, crowding through the narrow gate or trampling over the ornamental fence. Out in the village, more knights, mounted and hidden along the side streets, charged the remaining royal forces. The knights¡ªclad in heavier armor, bearing lances, and well trained in this sort of combat¡ªmade short work of their opponents. Ansel¡¯s cousin Sir Jesson strode out of the manor¡¯s front door, an empty crossbow in one hand and a sword in another. His scouts had been tracking the king¡¯s forces through the mountains for the past three days, preparing for the worst. ¡°Get the horses, we¡¯ll need them!¡± Jesson yelled to his men, then turned to Ansel¡¯s guards. ¡°When they start whispering nonsense like that, that¡¯s when you strike,¡± he told them. ¡°It means they¡¯re casting a spell. Wizards, anyway. Witches are more dangerous¡ªyou can¡¯t always tell when they¡¯re using magic. We have to be prepared for either.¡± After their defeat at Corec¡¯s hands and their return to Hightower, the knights had splintered into factions. Some had pushed onward to Telfort immediately, intending to pressure the Church to issue a proclamation against the king. Others had remained at the fort, taking up their post again and refusing to abandon it a second time. The largest group had gathered under Jesson, who¡¯d found himself in a position of leadership for having been the first to stand up to Sir Barat. He¡¯d argued for consolidating their forces and building a defensive position before making contact with the capital, and had led his men north into the Black Crow Mountains. Not only were the Crows known to be loyal to the Church, but they were also a place of twisting mountain roads and hidden valleys, where the land itself would protect from any direct assault, especially with winter coming on. Ignoring the aftermath of the short battle, Isabel and Branth slowly sank down to kneel on the grass, Isabel letting out gut-wrenching sobs while Branth held her. Ansel wished he could join them, but with others present, he had to stay focused. ¡°Send messengers to Duke Edmond and the eastern border barons,¡± he ordered. ¡°Use men they know¡ªmen whose word they¡¯ll trust.¡± ¡°And the message?¡± Jesson asked. Ever since the knights¡¯ arrival, Ansel had been among those urging caution, waiting for Cardinal Aldrich to take the first action. He¡¯d hoped against hope that Toman would return home before any fighting broke out, or that Corec would arrive and somehow force the world to make sense again. But the time for caution had passed. Rusol had murdered one of Ansel¡¯s sons. He¡¯d sent an army against another. There would be no simple answers, no peaceful transition to a new king. Ansel had no legal right to do what he was about to do, but the barons would back his decision. As for the duke, he¡¯d be dealt with¡ªone way or another. ¡°Tell them the Crows ride to war.¡±