by Kay L. Ling
When Felith returned to the cave, he found the others outside at the corrustone pit and joined them. The heat from the glowing stones felt wonderful after the frigid stream.
“Got the fire all to ourselves until the Watcher gets back,” said Yevin, rubbing his forehead where a large lump had recently developed.
“I can’t wait to hear its report,” Hoy said. “I bet Elantoth’s commander was shocked to hear Outcast miners are coming.”
“She’ll try to send them away, but they won’t leave,” Felith said. “They’re too afraid of us.”
“Heard anything more from Old Squint Eye?” Narrod asked.
“I have.” Felith stretched out his legs. “Gem users in all the O.D.s got their allotment of gems, and they’re learning to use them. They’ll be ready to face fortress troops before long.”
“I’m surprised the fortresses are willing to fight us,” Ezar said. “They’ll be at a disadvantage with nothing but benevolent gems.” The corrustone’s light played over his lined face, highlighting every lump.
“Kitana Windan says they’re terrified of our Dark gems, but they’re doing their best to raise an army. At the moment, we far outnumber them.”
Rendill looked off in the distance, and his whole body went rigid, like a holedigger sensing a predator.
“What is it?” Felith asked, following his gaze.
“Lights. Over there.” Rendill pointed with his two-fingered hand.
Felith saw it—two lights, coming this way. Who could it be? This region was an uninhabited wasteland. Travelers had no reason to come here.
“Looks like a cart with lightgem lanterns,” said Manon, always the analytical one. “The lights are moving too fast for someone on foot, and riders seldom use more than one lightgem.”
Whoever it was, if they were trying to approach stealthily, they wouldn’t come at night with lanterns lit. Still, it was unnerving, and Felith was glad there were wards around the hideout. “Go inside. Make sure Sheamathan is secure. Ezar and I will stay here.”
The group left, casting worried glances toward the approaching lights, and Felith and Ezar turned invisible.
“Should we cover the corrustone?” Ezar asked. “It doesn’t give off a lot of light, but I suppose it’s noticeable in the dark.”
“Too late now. They’ve probably already seen it.”
“There’s only one cart. It can’t be fortress troops. They’d come with a larger force, wouldn’t they?”
“One would certainly think so,” Felith said, “but in any case, we have little to fear. We have dark powers and the Focal Gem.”
“They’re almost to the ward,” Ezar said fretfully.
“Quiet now. What good is invisibility if you’re blabbering all the time?”
The cart slowed and came to a halt. “Hey there!” someone shouted. “It’s me. Eldra. Let me in. I have news and supplies.”
Felith sagged with relief and turned visible. It was definitely Eldra. He recognized her voice. She had done well to find them. The stream was one of few landmarks.
“Go get the others,” he told Ezar.
Ezar scurried off, and Felith dropped the ward.
“Brought a cartload of gear I thought ya might need,” Eldra said, parking the cart near the cave. She climbed out and dusted off her brown tunic and pants. Her hair was a disheveled mess, but then, it usually was.
“Where did you get all of this?”
“Eneff’s shop. He’s gone. Disappeared one night—took Kaff with him. I called a meeting, and we divided up his stuff.”
“I suppose you, Maniz, and Hepple kept the best for yourselves.”
“No. Maniz and Hepple are gone, too.”
“What?”
“Not like Eneff and Kaff,” she said hastily. “They went off with a group of miners to gather information about Elantoth.”
“Good,” Felith said, leading her toward the corrustone.
Ezar and the other gem masters emerged from the cave, looking relieved that they weren’t under attack. They sat down by the corrustone to hear her news.
“The biggest news is Sethan is dead,” she told them. “Died at Aberell Fortress a few weeks ago.”
“Dead?” Felith said in surprise. “What happened to him?”
Eldra shrugged. “No one knows. One mornin’ the guards found him dead.”
“That’s curious,” Felith said.
“Maybe bein’ locked in a cell was too much for him,” she speculated.
“And what of Havinth?” Felith asked.
“Still there and empty-headed, they say.”
Havinth and Sethan had looked forward to ruling Ahmonell, but now they wouldn’t take part. Things hadn’t gone their way. Such was life, Felith thought, unable to summon any pity.
Eldra fidgeted with her tattered tunic hem. “There’s something else I gotta tell ya, but you can’t put much faith in it ‘cause Nirek’s predictions aren’t always reliable.”
“What did he say? Out with it.”
“He says yer in danger. Somebody’s comin’ here.”
“Who? When?” Ezar asked before Felith could open his mouth.
“In a few days.”
“How could anyone figure out where we are?” Manon asked.
“Good question,” Felith said. “But if we’re in danger, it must mean fortress troops are coming.”
“I don’t know,” Eldra said, “but I figured I’d better tell ya.”
Felith frowned. “There may be nothing to it, but it’s best not to take chances. We’ll be on high alert.”
Chapter 32
Tyla was surprised how many volunteered for the exploratory mission. Ertz wanted to go, but Olissa said that wouldn’t be wise, and Tyla agreed with her. He had participated in the Emanicus raid, and his gem powers had been useful, but his physical limitations had posed problems. He couldn’t crawl through tight spaces or hurdle over obstacles, and there was no telling what physical feats would be required this time.
Elias had also volunteered to go, but he was older than Ertz, and besides, he had already rescued Amulet residents from Sheamathan and helped them rebuild their lives afterward. Tyla couldn’t let him endanger his life again.
Lana wanted to be part of “Tyla’s swat team,” but after volunteering in a moment of excitement, she decided she couldn’t leave the jewelry store that long. Jules had spare time, but after thinking it over, Olissa thought it might be better to have an all-gnome team, and Jules could see her point.
Tyla had expected Kaff to volunteer. He had always wanted to be a hero and make a name for himself, but he showed no desire to go. As for Eneff, he didn’t bother to ask. Olissa wanted gem users who were beyond reproach. In the end, Olissa decided to take Tyla, Arenia, Bentiz, Serrom, Adin, and Riven.
This was a critical mission, and Tyla wished they had more members with years of experience. After brooding about this, she went to see Olissa who was in the library.
“I was thinking,” Tyla said hesitantly. “Maybe we should take Ertz along—just as an advisor. He could stay with the cart, and if we got into trouble, we could contact him with a communication gem.”
Olissa rolled up the map she’d been studying. “Don’t be ridiculous. If something goes wrong, there won’t be time to consult anyone. You were on the Emanicus raid. You saw what happened. Nothing went as planned. We had to think on our feet.”
“Yes, I know, but—”
“Forget it. We’re not taking Ertz. Look, I know you’re afraid. We all are. But unlike the rest of us, you’re all but invulnerable. You have that special knife of yours and the Guardian.”
Tyla was dumbfounded. She had as much to fear as any of them . . . maybe more. “I never know when the Guardian will intervene. I thought it would appear when the Outcasts attacked us last week, but it didn’t. And my knife? It’s a liability as well as an asset.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Emanicus gnomes don’t know me by sight, but if I’m holding a glowi
ng knife, they’ll know I’m Elantoth’s commander, and they’ll go for me first.”
“You’re right. I didn’t think about that.”
“They have Dark gems, the Focal Gem, and years of experience. What do we have?”
Olissa rifled through some reports on the table. She didn’t answer.
“Name one advantage,” Tyla said, pressing the point.
Olissa pushed the papers aside and met Tyla’s gaze. “The element of surprise.”
“You’d better hope so, because that’s all we have.”
The team met the next morning for a hearty breakfast before their journey. Tyla and Arenia came in late. Olissa gave them a polite but cold nod and resumed her conversation with Riven. There would be enough tensions during this trip without personal conflicts, Tyla told herself, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table. They couldn’t afford to let yesterday’s disagreement over Ertz come between them. She’d had half a mind to tell Pentar about the mission, but Olissa felt it was best not to tell anyone. Kitana had been targeted. Anatta had a suspicious memory loss. There was no telling who else had been compromised.
Tyla ate in silence, barely tasting her food. She didn’t have much appetite, and judging by the way Arenia was picking at her food, she didn’t either. They were still eating when the others excused themselves and left to take care of last-minute preparations. A few minutes later, Tina Ann and a few other servers came in to clear the table. Each wore an orelia feather behind her left ear.
“Good, yer still here,” Tina Ann said. “We come ter wish ya luck.”
The others nodded solemnly, which made their feathers bob.
“Me an’ Ben wish we be comin’ with ya,” Tina Ann said. “Got a score ter settle with them Emanicus gnomes. They be evil ter the bone. Be careful.”
“We will,” Tyla promised. She drank the end of her raaka, stood, and held out her arms for a hug. Tina Ann took her by the shoulders instead and shook her. Used to this breghlin custom by now, Tyla returned the gesture. Thankfully, the other Anns didn’t insist on shaking her, or by the time they’d all said goodbye, her teeth would be jarred loose.
“Ben said ter give ya this,” Tina Ann said, pulling something from her pocket and handing it to Tyla.
Tyla couldn’t imagine what Ben would give her, considering breghlin had few possessions. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the object in her hands. It was a wondrous little knife, carved from alamaria. The silvery flecks in the black stone made the knife glisten. The blade tapered into a handle, and the entire knife was only about four inches long—small enough to conceal in her palm.
“Ben know yer got a knife that be worlds better’n this, but this be a handy little thing, an’ he made it hisself.”
“It’s beautiful. What a clever idea to make something useful out of alamaria.”
Tina Ann beamed, looking as proud as if she had made it herself. “Can’t never hurt to have more alamaria with ya.”
“It’s a very thoughtful gift,” Arenia said.
“We’d better get going,” Tyla said. “Olissa will be looking for us.”
As if on cue, Olissa strode into the room. All the Anns froze when they saw the look on her face.
“Uh-oh,” Maggie Ann said under her breath. “Yer be in trouble.”
“The rest of us are ready to go,” Olissa said icily. “But we can wait if you’re having a farewell party.” She turned her angry gaze on the kitchen staff. “What’s with the feathers? You look ridiculous.”
Sally Ann said indignantly, “They be fer good luck. Yer should be thankin’ us fer wearin’ ‘em.”
“Gonna wear them till ya get back,” Maggie Ann said.
Olissa had probably never heard of this breghlin superstition. She scowled at them. “You work with food. You’ll get feathers in everything.”
“What do ya care?” Tina Ann retorted. “Ya ern’t gonna be here.”
“No tellin’ what’ll happen if we take ‘em off,” Ruth Ann chimed in.
Olissa gave a disgusted grunt. “I’ll be waiting outside.”
When she was gone, Maggie Ann shook her head. “Don’t envy ya goin’ with her.”
“She’s all right. Most of the time,” Tyla said.
Tina Ann looked unconvinced. “Don’t let her push ya aroun’.”
“She’s in charge of the mission,” Tyla reminded her.
“Mebbe so, but yer be the boss.”
For the first few miles, Tyla scanned the roadside, half-expecting to see a green-and-gray snake. Did it remember its life as a pythanium? Or was it a normal snake now with none of its former intelligence?
Bounder watched the passing scenery in silence. He had ridden with Franklin before, but only to the fortress or Strathweed. Tyla had been afraid he’d be bored and restless, but he seemed to enjoy seeing the countryside.
After a couple hours, Bentiz stopped the cart so the maraku could rest and the team could stretch their legs. Loud Mouth, returning from a surveillance flight, reported no sign of other travelers.
The same was not true when the team stopped two hours later. Tyla and the others were just getting out of the cart when Loud Mouth landed and announced excitedly, “There’s a cart off the road in the trees, and I saw a hut made of branches with gnomes outside that look a lot like breghlin.”
“Outcasts,” Tyla and Olissa said in unison.
“Could they be the Outcasts we sent back to the O.D.?” Tyla asked Olissa.
“I wouldn’t doubt it. Outcasts planning to live here would bring tools and build a real house, not a branch hut.”
“This is quite a distance from where we left them,” Arenia said.
“They probably started back to the O.D. and changed their minds,” Riven said, pushing a strand of dark hair from his eyes.
“Maniz and Hepple are supposed to be the toughest Outcasts—the biggest bullies,” Serrom said. “They’d be embarrassed to go home.”
“Eldra would probably use Dark gems on them,” Adin said. “Eneff says she’s as ruthless as any of the males.”
“If half of what Eneff and Kaff say about the O.D. is true, it would be better to live in a branch hut,” Bentiz said.
Tyla didn’t want to meet up with those Outcasts again, or any others, for that matter. “We’ll have to drive by their camp. Let’s hope we can avoid a fight.”
“If it’s the group we fought before, they’re more likely to run than fight,” Olissa said.
Tyla wasn’t so sure. “They might want revenge.”
“We took their gem pouches,” Arenia reminded her.
“True, but their infused powers might not have worn off yet.”
“We may as well get it over with,” Bentiz said, climbing up on the driver’s box.
Before this mission was over, they might face Emanicus gnomes, far more dangerous than Outcasts, Tyla reminded herself as they started down the road.
Chapter 33
“Maybe we should turn invisible,” Riven suggested. “That way, we could drive right by, and they would only see our driver. I’m not afraid of them,” he added hastily. “We handled them last time, but as Tyla said, they might want revenge, and we don’t need delays.”
“I doubt they’d recognize us,” Arenia said. “It was dark, and we were wearing hooded cloaks.”
“Still, a cart and driver would draw less attention than a cart full of gnomes,” Riven persisted. “It’s unusual to see a group riding anywhere these days.” He looked at Olissa hopefully.
Olissa shrugged. “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
“What about me?” Bounder asked.
Olissa frowned. “What about you?”
“Can I be invisible, too?”
“And me! What about me?” asked Loud Mouth.
“You don’t need to be invisible, Bounder,” Olissa said. “Just lay down on the floor and no one will see you. Loud Mouth, why don’t you go check on the Outcasts?”
Even though Olissa was in charge of the mission, Loud Mout
h looked at Tyla to get her approval. When she nodded, he flew off.
Bounder stretched out and rested his head on his paws. “I’m not afraid. I just thought it would be fun to be invisible. If the Outcasts give you any trouble, I’ll take a piece out of them. Just say the word.”
“Thanks, but we’ll handle it,” Tyla told him.
Tyla and the others turned invisible. Bounder lifted his head from his paws and looked around. “I can’t see you, but I can smell you.”
“Some of us more than others,” Riven quipped. “Serrom got up late and didn’t wash.”
“Did so,” Serrom growled.
After riding several minutes, scanning both sides of the road, Tyla began to wonder if they had passed the Outcast camp without knowing it.
“How much farther can it be?” Riven whispered.
“How should we know?” Olissa snapped.
A few minutes later they rounded a bend and found a tree across the road up ahead. It was small by Ahmonellian standards, but no sapling.
“The bird didn’t say anything about a tree in the road,” Bentiz grumbled, slowing the cart.
“If there was a storm, there ought to be other downed trees,” Olissa said suspiciously.
“It’s a trap!” Tyla cried, forgetting to keep her voice down. The first Amulet Team had encountered just such a ploy. Breghlin had dragged a tree into the road, making it easier to rob unsuspecting travelers. Fortunately, the would-be attackers had seen Jules, and wary of attacking a human, they had waited for another opportunity.
“You may be right, but we have to move the tree,” Bentiz said quietly. “And I can’t do it by myself. Who’s coming with me?”
“I will,” Serrom said.
“Riven, you’re young and strong. Go with them,” Olissa said.