The Hunter's Gambit

by Nicholas McIntire

Tamara’s face contorted in frustration. Aleksei empathized. If she was hungry, he was starving. He hadn’t eaten since leaving the Ri-Vhan and it had taken the remainder of his fraying will to stop himself from sinking his teeth into the rabbits raw. Something deep within him, something primal hungered for the fresh kill while it still bled. He resisted, but only just.

  Tamara quietly studied the ease with which he worked. She’d never seen anyone start a fire with sticks before. Normally servants would enter a chamber with a brazier of hot coals and rags soaked in sweet-smelling oil. This man had simply conjured the fire from thin air.

  The smell of the roasting rabbits was making her mouth water. She hadn’t eaten since the previous morning, and her hunger was nearly overpowering.

  Aleksei noticed her eager glance at the fire.

  “They’ll be ready in a few minutes.” he promised.

  She sighed, working hard to maintain her mood and composure. How could he sit there and be so calm? Was he not the least bit nervous? What if the men who had tried to kill her earlier followed them? What if brigands noticed their fire and tried to rob them? What would he do?

  “Are you going to stand the entire day, or would you like to sit down?” he asked, his voice cutting through her fears.

  Tamara realized how silly she must look and quickly took a graceful seat on the stony ground.

  “Where are we?” she asked finally, attempting some small effort at conversation.

  Aleksei glanced around, frowning, “Oh, twenty or thirty leagues north of Voskrin.”

  She frowned. Voskrin? “That’s a tiny little hamlet in the deep Southern Plain, lest I’m mistaken.”

  Aleksei nodded, “That’s right.”

  Tamara shook her head in wonder. There was such conviction in his voice that she was actually starting to believe him. But if he was telling the truth, that meant they’d reached this place in little over an hour from the Sulaq Hills. The northern Sulaq Hills.

  She was supposed to believe that this common man and his big draft horse had transported her three hundred leagues in a matter of hours? And after he’d saved her from an ambush that had killed two Archanium Magi and their Knights…by catching arrows out of the air.

  And yet in the span of a few hours, that seemed to be exactly what she’d personally experienced. Perhaps she had lost her mind after all.

  “Who are you?” she asked, trying to muster what was left of her dignity.

  “My name is Aleksei Drago. I’m a farmer.”

  Tamara laughed. Surely he must realize how absurd he sounded? A farmer?

  “Do you honestly expect me to believe that?” she demanded, her uncertainties warring with his convictions. “Are there many farmers such as yourself in the Southern Plain? If so, then I must say the Legions are sorely missing out on all your talents.” She snickered sardonically.

  Aleksei’s face darkened at her laughter, “I thought people in your station had better manners. Or is that just us common folk?”

  She was stunned by his retort and at the same time amazed at how…comfortable he was around her. He displayed no awareness of his inferiority, or the feigned awe that she’d become accustomed to in Kalinor. He treated her much as she imagined he’d treat anyone. Tamara wasn’t used to being treated like a commoner, yet she wasn’t offended.

  “How did you know I was in danger?” she asked softly.

  “I heard men talking about a girl heading south. It matched with something I’d heard earlier that day, and something Jonas said.”

  “So you do know Jonas?”

  Aleksei nodded, “Oh yes, I know him. Not well, of course, but I met him in Kalinor yesterday.”

  Tamara shook her head. The man had been in Kalinor yesterday? No, this man was no simple farmer. Of course, the fact that Jonas had been speaking with him proved that beyond all doubt.

  “And what did my cousin want with you?”

  Aleksei frowned, “What do you mean?”

  “I know Jonas Belgi. He doesn’t simply summon farmers up from the Southern Plain for his own amusement. If he calls someone to him, it’s usually for something important. Though in your case,” she added, looking him up and down, “I can’t imagine what that could be.”

  Aleksei sighed deeply. “For the last several weeks Jonas has been speaking into my dreams.”

  Tamara sat up in surprise.

  “He kept telling me to come to him. At first I didn’t know where that was. I reached Keiv-Alon in two days, which should have been impossible, and the Seil Wood a day later. When I got to Kalinor, Jonas told me that it was because of a bond we shared.”

  “Bond? How is that possible?”

  Aleksei continued, apparently ignoring her question. “He said that he wanted me to become his Knight. That the bond growing between us was the reason I was moving so fast. He said I was linked to time.”

  “And how did you respond?” Tamara demanded, surprised by the fact that Jonas had concealed this from her, but also that Aleksei had not apparently accepted.

  “I said I’d have to think about it.”

  She shook her head in amazement, “You turned down the Prince of Ilyar? You? A peasant?”

  “It’s my life, Princess.” Aleksei snapped. “That doesn’t belong to the royal family yet, now does it?”

  She was shocked by his directness, but slipped back into silence. This man was no common farmer. In fact there was nothing common about him.

  And something else, something strange about his air she couldn’t quite place. Gods, but she wished she knew what it was. Tamara hated dealing with people when she didn’t know the tricks they had hidden up their sleeves.

  “I told him I would have to think about it. And I have.”

  “And what have you decided?” she pressed.

  “That’s between me and him.” Aleksei said softly, returning his attention to the fire and turning the rabbits over.

  Tamara sighed heavily. She wouldn’t get any more out of him for the moment. Yet what he had told her was interesting in and of itself. Jonas had asked this man to be his Knight? That was intriguing indeed. Her cousin undoubtedly knew much more about Aleksei than he was willing to divulge. Not unlike him, really. He had always treasured his secrets.

  She watched Aleksei as he tended to their meal. Once he was Jonas' Bonded he would become nobility, even royalty after a fashion. She had a hard time envisioning this man, whatever he really was, as an Archanium Knight. She wondered how he would fit into Ilyari society. Could he ever fit in?

  He would be Jonas' Knight. She thought to herself. It wouldn’t matter.

  The more Tamara thought the idea over, the more pleased she became. Hours of entertainment would be created just by watching Parliament attempt to swallow their self-importance in the presence of such a man.

  No one would question the Prince’s Knight.

  And then she remembered. No one would know. Unless something forced his hand, Jonas would never acknowledge having a Knight, or using the Archanium for that matter. She wondered how he planned to keep it a secret. Such luxuries were difficult to come by in Kalinor, especially for someone of his station.

  And when the secret got out? How would the other Knights react? Until now there had been a definite gulf between Sammul’s Magi and Jonas, and the Knights were a very tangible symbol of that difference.

  Jonas was untrained and therefore just an adept lacking proper knowledge. If Jonas bonded Aleksei, that gulf would narrow. Would the other Magi feel threatened? How would Sammul react?

  No matter how much the decision bothered the Magi in the Voralla, their irritation and discomfort wouldn’t matter one whit to Jonas. Once he set his sights on something he wanted, it was his.

  And Volos take anyone who gets in his way. She thought wryly.

  Aleksei pulled the rabbits from the fire and Tamara’s attention immediately returned to her surroundings. Gods, but she was hungry!

  He laid the spit a
cross two stones he’d placed away from the fire, looking up into her disappointed face.

  “They have to cool a bit.” he explained patiently. “Otherwise you’d burn your hands.”

  She stared at him, trying to look as pitiful as she possibly could, but Aleksei held her gaze sternly until she finally looked away. She was accustomed to much better than three measly rabbits on a stick, but right then those rabbits looked better than the impossible number of banquets and feasts she’d ever attended.

  Incredibly, Aleksei appeared to be ignoring her.

  “Won’t the smell of the rabbits draw wolves? Or bears?”

  Aleksei looked up at her and frowned, “Well, there aren’t any bears this far south. They prefer heavily forested areas like the Seil Wood or the central Sulaq Hills. And the wolves won’t come near the fire. It frightens them.”

  “But if they were starving….” she began.

  “A pack of wolves doesn’t usually starve at the end of Harvest, Princess. A lone wolf might, but I could deal with one wolf, no matter how hungry.”

  There was an edge to his voice that startled Tamara. That was no idle claim, yet she couldn’t imagine how Aleksei, big as he was, could manage to kill a wolf with his bare hands.

  There was an uncomfortable silence. Aleksei looked back to her, his eyes curious, “Do you just invent things to be frightened of?”

  Tamara glared at him, “I beg your pardon? After yesterday, would you blame me?”

  He had the decency to look ashamed of himself.

  Who was he to accuse her of flights of fancy?

  After what seemed like hours, Aleksei lifted the spit and slid one of the cooked rabbits off the end, offering it to her.

  She took the rabbit greedily and began to pull it apart, ignoring the drops of grease that splattered on her silk riding dress. Aleksei wrinkled his nose in distaste, eating his own rabbit quickly and methodically.

  When the Princess had finished her rabbit she looked ravenously at the last one, still cooling on the spit. Aleksei wiped his hands on his breeches, then followed her eyes to the third rabbit.

  “Take it.” he said emotionlessly.

  She started to reach for it, then paused. “Are you sure you don’t want it?” she asked, wincing.

  He shook his head, “You need it more than me. Finish it and try to get some sleep.”

  She grabbed the spit, then frowned when he stood. “Wait! Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to scout around to make sure we’re alone in the glade. You’ll be safe, don’t worry. Get some sleep. We have a ways to go before we can truly rest.”

  Tamara nodded uncertainly, looking around herself in bewilderment, “But what am I to sleep on?”

  Aleksei regarded her with a combination of confusion and not a little irritation, “The ground, Princess. If it’s good enough for me and the beasts of the field, it’s plenty good for you.”

  And then he was gone, leaving her only with shock and a sudden resurgence of tears.

  CHAPTER 14

  Affirmation

  ANDARIANA SAT IN her study, her eyes red-rimmed.

  Carrier pigeons had arrived from Keiv-Alon. Tamara’s guard had been discovered dead in the road, and the Princess was nowhere to be found. Yet there was no message with the bodies, no demand of a ransom.

  Jonas stood near the fire, his green eyes hard. First Aleksei had vanished and now the news of Tamara. His mood was rapidly deteriorating. But at least he knew where Aleksei was.

  On the Southern Plain, impossibly enough.

  He was very interested to know just how the man had accomplished such a feat in less than a day. Even with the double bond fueling him, Jonas hadn’t thought Aleksei capable of that sort of power.

  But Tamara remained a mystery to him. And Jonas hated mysteries.

  Yet as much as he knew Andariana wanted to grieve or fret for her daughter, and as much as Jonas wanted to speak to Aleksei and divine his decision, they both had something far more pressing at the moment.

  Sammul stood in the room, his face impassive. He had come bearing a letter from Parliament.

  “So Parliament has made its decision?” Andariana asked tightly, her voice remarkably controlled.

  The question was rhetorical. She held the deliberation in her hand.

  “Majesty,” Sammul said, bowing his head, “I brought word as soon as it reached me.”

  Her emerald eyes flared, “And is Parliament sending you as an emissary now, Sammul? I hadn’t realized that you had stooped to the level of errand boy.”

  Sammul opened his mouth to speak, but Andariana forestalled him with a hand. “Banishment? They have found Ilyana guilty? Of what? Using the power the gods saw fit to grant her? Surely you can see the dangers inherent in this argument, Sammul. If we limit the Magi from doing anything but pretty tricks, what good are they?”

  “But Majesty, if fire were to be used as a weapon—”

  “If fire were to be used as a weapon, High Magus, then I presume it would be used against our enemies. Now, the fact that we have no enemies at present hardly seems reason to banish a girl for an error in judgment, don’t you agree?”

  Sammul’s jaw tightened, “I do, Majesty.”

  “This is my decision, High Magus, and you may take it to the Lords of Parliament as you so faithfully brought me their message in the first place. Tell them that I value their counsel in the matter but my decision is as follows.

  “The Magus Ilyana is to be released with her Knight Marrik. They are to return to their regular duties as defenders of Ilyar. She will be reprimanded on the potential dangers of using the Archanium as weapon, and then the issue will be dropped.

  “The Lords of Parliament are free to question my decision as long as they understand that despite their dissatisfaction, it stands. I am the Queen of Ilyar and I have spoken on this matter. Do I make myself clear, High Magus?”

  “Perfectly, Majesty.” Sammul said tightly.

  “Thank you. You are dismissed.”

  The Magus turned and stormed from the room, retaining only enough self-control to keep from slamming the door as he left.

  Jonas masked his satisfaction, “It won’t be a popular decision.”

  Andariana sighed, “Important decisions rarely are. But it’s as you said. If I allow this to go uncontested, there’s no telling where we’ll find ourselves a year from now. I will not be likened to the Kholodym Dominion.”

  Jonas sighed, glad that his aunt was as conscious of the comparison as he. The Dominion Wars had all but faded from the memories of the Ilyari, but they never ceased to haunt the Magi. He absently twisted the silver ring on his first finger, the constant reminder of the Magi’s victory a thousand years ago. He would do everything in his power to keep the horrors of that age from ever revisiting their realm.

  “I appreciate your resolution in the matter.” he said finally, allowing himself a small smile. “Now if I may be excused?”

  She frowned, “Where are you going?”

  He considered how much he could tell her. He didn’t want to provide her false hope, but rather allow a glimmer of possibility.

  “I might have a way to find Tamara.” he said evenly.

  “How?”

  “There is a Ri-Vhan Hunter.” he said, deciding to leave out Aleksei’s full identity for the moment. “He’s currently in the Southern Plain and I believe he may be able to track her. If he can take me to where she is being held….” Jonas let the silence carry the terrible implication.

  “I’ve already sent pigeons to Keiv-Alon. By tomorrow morning every Legionnaire within thirty leagues will be sweeping through the Sulaq Hills. It will take you days to get there by horseback! Even a Hunter would be hard pressed to–”

  “I have another way.”

  Andariana studied her nephew. “Go.” she said, closing her eyes.

  Jonas leaned down and kissed his aunt’s cheek before hurrying from the room. Aleksei
was on the Southern Plain, but Jonas wasn’t sure how much longer that would hold true. Had his farm boy abandoned him? If he hadn’t, why was he so far away? How was he so far away?

  Whatever the answer, Jonas could move swiftly himself. He had yet to uncover the long-lost magic that would allow him to Fade instantly from place to place, but he had found other means.

  He marched down the hall, trying to resist the urge to break out into a dead run. If he could get to Aleksei, would the Hunter be able to track her? Would he even want to? How long would it take him? Jonas wished to the gods he understood Hunters. Or Aleksei.

  Jonas reached his chambers and slipped inside, hurrying to his bedchamber and shedding his courtly clothes. He changed quickly into warm, functional Ilyari wool.

  Jonas flung the windows open to the crisp Harvest night. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. It was not first time he’d attempted something like this, but he would have to sustain it for far longer than he was accustomed.

  He didn’t feel fear so much as logical concern. Jonas had no real guide in his understanding of the Archanium, and there was no way to measure the lasting impact of his attempts at proper spellcraft. Ilyana and Aya had helped him with basic details, but he was certain that his own experiments far outreached anything either woman had experienced.

  He could only hope that his instincts wouldn’t mislead him.

  The image of a falcon appeared in his mind and Jonas tried to recall every feature from memory. Each individual feather, the curve of the beak, the rise of the crest. As he pictured the bird, Jonas reached into the Archanium.

  The first time he reached out and found nothing. It took several agonizing attempts before Jonas actually reached forward and fell into the Great Sphere, centered exactly between the two hemispheres of the Archanium, the Archanae; the raging storm that was the Nagavor above him, and the strong, deep ocean of the Akhrana beneath.

  The vast field of swirling colors and emotion flooded his vision. He glanced across the churning sea of energy, searching for the spell he required.

  There.

  Reaching out, Jonas touched the whorl of color and wrapped it around the image of the falcon.