Deals and Dangers

by Kay L. Ling

  “Insufferable woodspirit,” Felith muttered under his breath when Sheamathan insisted they stop to see a historic battlefield. She’d been ordering them around since they left the hideout, and he’d had about enough of it.

  “This isn’t a pleasure trip,” he reminded her.

  She gave him a look that made his skin crawl. “Humor me.”

  Their driver, Gragg, obediently turned onto the road that led to Last Hope.

  “The last time I came through this region, I was stuffed in a sack,” Sheamathan said. “I saw nothing until I arrived at Emanicus headquarters.”

  “If I were you, I wouldn’t want to visit Last Hope,” Felith said pointedly.

  “Last Hope was as much a defeat for my enemies as it was for me.” She folded her arms and looked away, and Felith dropped the subject.

  When they reached the battlefield, they parked on a hilltop, and everyone got out and walked around, but really, there was nothing to see. After a few minutes, they returned to the carts. Sheamathan continued on alone.

  “Might as well have lunch,” Gragg said. “She might be a while.”

  They sat in the back of the carts, eating spoiled fruit and moldy bread. Felith had convinced the others that rotting food was good for them, and some of them were starting to like it.

  “You going to eat that?” Hoy asked, indicating an oozing purple fruit on Felith’s plate. Felith looked at it blankly. He didn’t remember taking it from the serving container, but he must have since it was on his plate.

  “Take it. I know it’s your favorite.”

  “Not me,” Hoy said. “You’re thinking of Wim. He used to steal them off our plates when we weren’t looking.”

  “Ah. That’s right.” Felith gave an embarrassed laugh. He’d forgotten quite a few things lately.

  “Here she comes. She must be done reminiscing,” Hoy said.

  Sheamathan was hurrying toward them, the sharp stones under her bare feet not slowing her in the least.

  “She should have taken my advice and stayed away from here,” Felith said, keeping his voice down. “Judging by her expression, she’s in a foul mood.”

  “Put that food away. I am ready to leave now,” she announced irritably.

  Even Lanimore seemed annoyed by her tone, but everyone scrambled to comply. They were about to leave when Gragg pointed to the sky. “Look! A Watcher!”

  “It might be looking for us,” Sheamathan said. “I told one of the Watchers we would be traveling to Strathweed.”

  More likely it was on a routine surveillance flight, but in any case it would come to investigate. Sure enough, the Watcher spotted them, flew toward the carts, and landed.

  “I have been looking for you,” the Watcher told Sheamathan. It held what appeared to be a crumpled paper in one clawed foot.

  Sheamathan got out of the cart. “What do you have there?”

  “A message addressed to you. I tried not to damage it, but I fear I have.”

  “A message? From whom? Where did you get this?” She took the paper, smoothed it, and read the message.

  “I preceded you to Strathweed,” the Watcher explained. “This was on the door at the cave entrance.”

  Sheamathan’s hands were shaking. Her face was twisted in rage. Felith wondered what the paper said but wasn’t about to ask.

  Lanimore, either braver or more foolish than Felith, asked, “What does it say?”

  “He is gone!” she exploded. “Or so he claims!” She crumpled the paper and threw it on the ground, then began interrogating the pythanium.

  Yevin got out of the cart, crept forward, retrieved the paper, and brought it back to Felith. They’d all be in trouble if Sheamathan caught them reading it, but Felith couldn’t resist.

  Sheamathan:

  Gone to the Fair Lands to live with Lana and Jules.

  It is possible to reform.

  You should try it.

  Felith smothered a laugh. Reform! Sheamathan? Not a chance. He wadded the paper and threw it on the ground. Fortunately, Sheamathan was so absorbed in her conversation, she didn’t notice.

  When she finished questioning the pythanium, it flew away, and she returned to the cart.

  “Are we still going to Strathweed?” Gragg asked timidly.

  “Yes, of course.” She stared off into the distance, frowning. “How did he know I was coming?”

  “He will have moved the gems,” Lanimore said, looking as frustrated and disappointed as Sheamathan.

  “No doubt, but we will look anyway.”

  “If the gems aren’t at Strathweed, they might be at Elantoth. He might have returned them before he left,” Felith suggested.

  “It is possible,” she said, and Felith shivered at the pure malice in her eyes. “After we take over the fortress, we can search at our leisure.”

  Chapter 63

  Tyla walked Elantoth’s grounds, deep in thought, waiting for Loud Mouth to return from a surveillance flight. Lately, he circled the area around Elantoth and Strathweed three times a day. Tyla wasn’t worried about a surprise attack. The militias had left for Last Hope and should intercept the enemy long before troops reached Elantoth, but she was worried about S and Emanicus gnomes. They might be here any day now. She looked up and saw Franklin and Bounder coming toward her.

  “Good morning,” Franklin called. “Could you use some company?”

  “Sure. I’m waiting for Loud Mouth, and you can help me pass the time.”

  They walked toward the garden. Bounder ran ahead, chasing insects.

  “I went to Strathweed yesterday,” Franklin said, shortening his longer stride to match hers. “Lana and Jules have taken the books and personal items Elias wanted to keep, and they told me to take whatever was left. That worked out well since I needed some rugs and furnishings. I’m still chuckling over the note Elias left on the door.”

  “Loud Mouth said there was a note, but he can’t read. What did it say?”

  “Sheamathan: Gone to the Fair Lands to live with Lana and Jules. It is possible to reform. You should try it.”

  Tyla laughed. “I can just imagine the look on her face when she reads that.”

  “The gems are gone, but if he had left them behind, I don’t think she could get them without Elias disengaging the wards. She’ll be angry, that’s for sure.”

  A flash of bright colors drew Tyla’s attention. “Here comes Loud Mouth.”

  The bird landed and said, “Hello, Franklin. You’re just in time for the morning report.” Rustling his feathers in his usual self-import way, he looked up at Tyla, expecting her to ask what he’d learned.

  “Do you have any news?”

  “Do I ever!” Another pause. He could be so infuriating.

  Bounder trotted over. “Out with it, bird, or I’ll pick you up and shake the news out of you.”

  Loud Mouth squawked derisively, knowing Bounder would never do that. “I saw a pythanium, so I followed at a distance, and it landed at Strathweed. It went up to Elias’s door, and do you know what?” Loud Mouth rustled his feathers dramatically. “It can read! It looked at the note and said, ‘She will not be pleased.’” Tyla smiled at the way he accurately mimicked the pythanium’s voice, right down to the slight hiss. “Then it took the paper and flew away.”

  “Maybe after S sees that note she won’t come after all,” Franklin said hopefully.

  “I wish, but that isn’t likely,” Tyla said. “She won’t take any chances. She’ll look for the gems, and when she can’t find them, she’ll vent her anger on us for giving them to Elias in the first place.” Tyla couldn’t help feeling discouraged. With her own people, she felt obligated to put on a brave face at all times, but she could be honest with Franklin. “If our militias can’t stop the Outcast forces, they’ll be here in a few days. S and Emanicus gnomes will probably reach Strathweed even sooner. What chance do we stand against an army, Sheamathan, and Emanicus gnomes with the Focal Gem?”

  “Maybe you and the staff should evacuate. If
you don’t, you could end up like Mierek.”

  “I’d rather die fighting than hide like we did during S’s reign.”

  “I understand that. My point is, don’t be an easy target. The Emanicus used a shadow attack on Mierek and trapped everyone inside. If they’re about to target Elantoth, leave while you still can and fight them on open ground.”

  Tyla pictured the vines covering Mierek and thought about the noxious mist that had seeped through the walls. Maybe she should take Franklin’s advice. “I see your point, but where would we go?”

  “You can live close by, inside trees.”

  “That works for gnomes, but most of my staff members are breghlin.”

  “How many are left? I thought some left to fight with the militias.”

  “Some did. Ben, Oliver, and Xenon went. Kaff and Eneff went, too. I gave them two carts, and they’re taking supplies for our troops. If the battle lasts any length of time, our forces will need food.”

  “How is Eneff’s leg? Isn’t he still lame?”

  “He isn’t up to a physical fight, but he can use gem powers. He felt obligated to go. None of our troops have fought a gem battle, but he and Kaff have.”

  “Eneff is a good fellow even though he’s an Outcast. He’s had a positive influence on Kaff.” Franklin shoved his hands in his pocket, and his expression turned thoughtful. “My place is small, but I could take a couple of your staff. The rest can stay with local clans. They’ll all have somewhere to go.”

  “Don’t forget about our two inmates. Tabik has been neutralized, so he’s fairly harmless, but I can’t say the same for Rimwick. We don’t want him rejoining his fellow gem masters.”

  “If Olissa agrees to evacuate, she’ll figure out what to do with the inmates,” he assured her.

  The more Tyla thought about it, leaving did make sense. The Emanicus had evacuated twice to save themselves. Why shouldn’t Elantoth do the same?

  “There’s another problem,” she said. “What about Zeetha?”

  Franklin frowned. “I hadn’t thought about her.” He fell silent a moment, then said thoughtfully, “Humans can’t enter trees on their own, but you can take them inside. Couldn’t you do the same with a woodspirit?”

  “Maybe. I’ve never heard it done, but gnomes and woodspirits have never been friends, so they aren’t likely to take a woodspirit into a tree’s interdimensional space.”

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Loud Mouth said. “Here comes a breghlin with a sack of mail.”

  The breghlin came panting up to them and held out the sack. “It be heavy,” he warned. “There be a package in there.”

  Tyla took the sack and pulled out a parcel wrapped in brown paper. “It’s for Zeetha. Let’s go in.”

  “I didn’t think anyone but Marrid knew she was here,” Franklin said.

  “Anatta found out the other day. She planned to send Zeetha a few things that were Marrid’s. I think that’s what this is.”

  Zeetha was in the library, reading a book of runes. “Your package arrived,” Tyla said, handing it to her.

  Zeetha set it in her lap. “Opening this will bring back terrible memories of losing her that day.”

  Tyla clasped the woodspirit’s shoulder. “Yes, but the things she gave you will bring you good memories, too.”

  “Maybe someday. The pain of losing her is still too fresh. My hands are shaking so badly I can’t open it. You do it.”

  Tyla opened the package and set the items on the table: the dendrite ball, the leebstone book, and the marvelous woven bag with its tiny twinkling gems.

  Tears tracked down Zeetha’s face. She brushed them away, lips quivering.

  Tyla was nearly as overcome. The first time Marrid had come here she had worn the invisible bag, and it had held Tyla’s gift—a leebstone book that would allow her to record memories as Elantoth’s new commander.

  Tyla wasn’t sure this was the right time to bring up evacuating, but if they intended to leave, they should do it soon. She motioned for Franklin to sit down, and she sat, too.

  “Zeetha, I want your opinion on something, and depending on what you say, I’ll run it past Olissa.”

  “What?” Zeetha asked listlessly.

  “We think S and Emanicus gnomes will try to seize Elantoth after they leave Strathweed,” Tyla began. She paused when Zeetha made a noise somewhere between a whimper and a moan. “Franklin thinks we should temporarily abandon the fortress. He says we’d be in a better tactical position to fight. Before you came, there was a shadow attack that breached our wards, and Marrid stopped it just in time. If S joins with the gem masters in using the Focal Gem, it might be impossible to stop the next attack.”

  For a moment Zeetha was silent, and Tyla couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Then Zeetha looked at Marrid’s belongings, and her worried expression shifted to a look of resolve. “We must be brave and stand against them. We can’t let them take over this place. This isn’t just a fortress. It’s a treasure trove of history. Some of Elantoth’s books and artifacts are irreplaceable.”

  “Olissa says we have ancient books and scrolls she’s never seen anywhere else. We need to keep The Emanicus out of this fortress, and we need to put an end to them once and for all.”

  “That sounds impossible,” Franklin said, “but remember, everyone thought it was impossible to defeat S.”

  “If we leave, we’ll keep our wards in place,” Tyla said. “If they do get in, they’ll find the place deserted. Then they’ll know how we felt when we broke into their headquarters and discovered them gone.”

  “If we fought them here, we might cause irreparable damage. Yes, I think it’s a good idea to leave.”

  Tyla nodded. “Let’s see what Olissa has to say.”

  “If I were you, I wouldn’t tell her this was my idea,” Franklin said. “It would go over better if she thinks it’s yours.”

  “Good point. Olissa doesn’t need to know.”

  A voice from the doorway said, “Olissa doesn’t need to know what?”

  Tyla felt like a guilty youngone as Olissa came in and sat down with them. “We—I mean I—have a plan,” Tyla said hesitantly. “You might not like it at first, but after you think it through, you may change your mind.”

  “Go ahead and tell me,” Olissa said. “But with that lead-in, I’m pretty sure I won’t like it.”

  Chapter 64

  Kaff had never been fond of riding in a cart, and riding in a supply cart was the worst. A fully-loaded cart always rattled over every bump and creaked in protest going up hills. Whenever Ben hit a hole, Kaff winced but kept his mouth shut, remembering the times Parcune had scolded him for hitting holes. Kaff was embarrassed to remember the day he’d told Parcune that driving couldn’t be hard because Ben, a breghlin, could do it. Back then, Kaff had despised breghlin and begrudged Ben a place on the Amulet Team. How things had changed. Living with Ben and other breghlin had made him realize that their hopes, fears, and ambitions weren’t so different from his.

  Eneff and Oliver were in the first cart, and Oliver was driving. Eneff had volunteered to ride in the lead cart since his nerves were steadier than Kaff’s. Driving into a war zone with two carts of supplies would make them a target. They’d probably run across Outcast forces before they found the militias since the enemy would be traveling by conventional means, whereas the militias would be Walking With the Wind.

  Eneff and Kaff were posing as Outcasts with breghlin supporters since Eneff believed enemy scouts would let them pass, thinking the supplies were for Outcast troops. When the group found the militias, they would explain that Tyla had sent them with provisions.

  After six hours of riding, every bone in Kaff’s body felt jarred loose, and he wasn’t sure he could take much more. They had agreed to ride until sunset, and that meant another hour of this torture. Sleeping under a tarp propped up with branches wouldn’t be very comfortable compared to the barn loft, but Kaff was still looking forward to stretching out on his bedroll.

  A
head of them, Oliver slowed the lead cart, forcing Ben to slow, too.

  “Tree down,” Ben said.

  “Could be trouble,” Xenon warned.

  The tree was far enough into the road that they would have to drag it out of the way. Kaff scanned both sides of the road, looking for movement among the trees. “You’re right. We’re in trouble. We’ve got company,” he said as several figures emerged from the forest—an Outcast in a brown cloak, and a number of breghlin holding knives, spears, and flails.

  After signaling for his followers to wait, the Outcast came toward the carts. He didn’t have a weapon, but he was probably a gem user.

  “Finally, some supplies,” he said, stopping by the first cart.

  Even from here, Kaff could see a lump on the fellow’s cheek. It was bigger than Eneff’s. The Outcast’s left ear was so misshapen it looked like a tree fungus. His black beard was scraggly, and the dark stains on his clothing looked suspiciously like blood.

  “Surprised you’re coming from this direction,” the Outcast said.

  Kaff tensed. The majority of the Outcast force would be coming from Aberell City and the barrier zone.

  The Outcast’s gaze shifted from Oliver to Eneff. Kaff hoped that Eneff’s facial lump, marking him as a fellow Outcast, would lay any suspicions to rest. The fellow seemed to relax. After glancing at the second cart, he turned his attention back to Oliver and Eneff. “Got anything besides food? Got weapons?”

  “Just food,” Eneff said.

  “Too bad. Even after taking weapons from the dead, we have none too many.”

  “The dead? Where was the battle?” Eneff asked. “We heard troops were marching to Elantoth.”

  “They are. A couple gem masters were drilling breghlin troops, and a gnome militia attacked, taking them by surprise. You’ll see bodies further up the road. Don’t worry,” he added hastily, “our side didn’t lose many, but I can’t say the same for them.”

  A cold chill went down Kaff’s spine, but anger overcame his fear. He wanted revenge, and killing this Outcast and his followers would be a good start. Still, it didn’t pay to be too hasty. There might be more troops hiding in the trees.