Aleksei turned to Jonas, who was regarding them all with irritation born of being treated as though he weren’t in the room.
“Is your head clear enough to shift?”
Jonas considered a moment, then nodded, “I think so. If not, nothing bad will happen, I simply won’t be able to change.”
Aleksei nodded, “Alright then, we need you to shift into whatever bird you were when you were shot out of the air.”
“You make it sound so graceful.” Jonas muttered as he reached into the Archanium.
It wasn’t the same experience he was used to, certainly. His connection to the swirling mass of color, emotion and sound was more tenuous than usual, almost slippery. It took more attempts than Jonas cared to admit before he’d even managed to get any sort of hold on the Archanium. Several minutes more passed before he touched the spell he needed and slid into the shape of the falcon.
“Remarkable.” Gaitan breathed.
“I’ve never worked on an animal before.” Sorein said suddenly, drawing her eyebrows down in consternation.
“He’s not an animal,” Aleksei said patiently, “he’s a man in the shape of an animal.”
Both Healers regarded him skeptically, then resumed practicing their art.
Aleksei scowled and walked over to where his Uncle Theo stood with Roux. These people were there to heal Jonas, not to get into a metaphysical argument with him about the nature of the Archanium.
“Don’t worry yourself too much, my boy.” Theo said confidently, “He’ll be strong as an oak soon enough.”
Aleksei nodded, feigning optimism.
He had a great many other things weighing on his mind at the moment. He’d hoped that the Ri-Vhan would have answers for him, some simple explanation for the bizarre markings that now covered his shoulders, only to learn that such markings had not been seen in a thousand years.
To add tender to the flame, Jonas was still greatly concerned about something he had heard during his encounter with Emelian Krasik and the Magus Bael. He had indicated it could be very serious indeed, but he wouldn’t know until he looked at some of the books in the Voralla.
And then there were the reinforcements, or lack there of. It was becoming clear to Aleksei that he was going to have to go to Mornj himself and figure out exactly who, or what, was keeping his orders from being followed. The people of Drava could not be protected by a handful of Magi and their Knights. Perhaps he would go while Jonas was searching for information on this…Zra-Uul.
Sorein cried out suddenly, and Aleksei’s head snapped to where the Healers were tending Jonas.
“He snapped at me!” she exclaimed. She looked at Aleksei accusatorially, “I thought you said he was still a man!”
The falcon that was Jonas narrowed his eyes, “I am still a man. You seem to have forgotten that while you were torturing my wing.”
Sorein returned to ministering to his wing, touching it much more delicately this time. Aleksei winced in empathy. If Jonas had hurt with that much yuselk in his blood, Sorein must have been rough indeed.
He spent the next several minutes watching over her shoulder to ensure Jonas' comfort, and after a while Aleksei’s fascination overcame his annoyance at her carelessness.
The Healer dipped her brush-like tool into a pot of bright yellow potion, wiping it gently on the edge of the jar before painting intricate patterns across the length of Jonas' wing. The potion shimmered briefly and then sank into his wing, sending a faint wisp of golden steam into the air. He saw Jonas shiver as the potion set into his bones, encouraging them to knit back together.
He knew that had it not been for the yuselk, the man would be in a great deal of pain just about now. Ri-Vhan Healers were gifted in their art, and their methods were effective. They were not, however, pleasant. It was extremely painful for a body to grow bone and knit tissue at such an accelerated rate.
Gaitan finished drawing his pattern across Jonas' leg in the crimson formula he’d been working with, then nodded in satisfaction.
“That ought to do it. He’ll need plenty of meat for the next few days, to replenish the resources his body is using to heal, and he’ll be weak for a little while, but there shouldn’t be any permanent effects.”
Aleksei smiled his appreciation, “Thank you.”
The Healers glanced at each other before Gaitan responded, “You bring meat to our table and safety to the Wood, Master Hunter. It is the very least we can do for you.”
Aleksei stared at them, not quite sure how to respond. He was saved a moment later when Uncle Theo and Roux began chatting with them, gently ushering them out of the room. Aleksei turned back to Jonas, who had returned to his human form.
“Are you alright?”
The Magus shrugged one shoulder, “I’m not sure. I think I can move easier than before, but I’m still so numb from that…what did you call it again?”
“Yuselk. It’s a root that grows in the late spring.”
Jonas nodded, “Right, yuselk. Well it’s doing its job spectacularly, so I’m not really sure how effective all that was.”
Aleksei smiled, “You’re fortunate. I’ve been told it’s almost worth waiting for your body to heal on its own rather than be healed with their potions. They say the healing hurts more than receiving the actual injury.”
Jonas frowned, “Why don’t they just give people some yuselk? It seemed to work pretty well for me.”
“Probably because it’s very hard to find when it’s in season, and even then it’s only potent when it’s fresh so it can’t be dried. It’s extremely temperamental so they can’t cultivate it, but even if they could, the Ri-Vhan are terrible farmers so they wouldn’t.”
He noticed that Jonas was studying him.
“What?”
Jonas chuckled, “That was more of an explanation than I was expecting.”
“I was trained from a very young age in this sort of thing. It was going to be my livelihood until somewhat recently.”
Jonas laughed, relieved that doing so didn’t send spears of agony shooting through his chest. “Fair enough.”
“Oh, and Roux said he’d never heard of anyone being marked with the Mantle, and the last time it was recorded was during the Kholod Wars. The last man to bear it was Richter.”
The Magus' eyes widened, “The Wood hasn’t bestowed the Mantle since Richter died? That’s a little unusual, wouldn’t you say?”
Aleksei nodded irritably, “Very. I’d rather it was a common occurrence that someone could explain to me.”
“You said that the Wood called it a gift? I don’t think She would grant you something like this if She didn’t think it would be beneficial to you.
“I’ll research any mention of it in the Voralla. Some of the books in the vault date to the Kholod War, and even if I can’t get to them, Aya can.”
Aleksei nodded, absently touching the Mantle and shivering as it pulsed against his fingers. Touching it made him feel wild, feral.
Hungry.
He pulled his hand away, shaking his head to chase the feeling away. As a rule, he avoided anything that made him feel out of control, and the feelings aroused by the Mantle were too primal for comfort.
“I think I may have to go to Mornj.” he said, switching to yet another troubling subject.
Jonas nodded calmly, “You could travel through the Wood to Drava. It would be a shorter ride from there.”
“That’s what I was planning. I don’t mean to spend too long there, in any event. I need to get those troops mobilized to Relvyn, both to protect the people, and to make sure the lumber is making it up to Bereg Morya. If that lumber stops moving, it will make life a lot more difficult for all of Ilyar.”
Jonas smiled, “Now you’re thinking like a noble.”
Aleksei’s face darkened, “No, a noble would think only of the lumber, but not of the people producing it. A farmer realizes that without the well-being of the woodsmen, there is no lumber to
protect.”
Jonas scowled, but he knew Aleksei was right.
He was about to say something else when his vision suddenly blurred. He tried to shake his head, to ward off the dizziness that was creeping over on him, but it bit deeper and he felt his head strike his pillow heavily.
Aleksei leaned forward and pulled Jonas' blankets closer around his neck. Jonas was only barely conscious now. Not surprising, given what his body had just been commanded to do. Aleksei had been wondering how long it would take for the full effects to kick in.
Jonas regarded Aleksei with heavily lidded eyes, “Thank you, love.”
“Rest now.” Aleksei whispered, placing a kiss on the Prince’s forehead.
Jonas was already asleep.
CHAPTER 28
Erstwhile Enmities
“YOUR REPORT?”
Sammul cowered before Bael’s dreamform, wishing to the gods that he brought better news, “They’re gone.”
“I know they’re gone, idiot.” Bael spat. His voice was choked and Sammul’s dream shivered.
“But I don’t know where, Master.”
“They were in the Relvyn Wood. Surely they cannot have vanished completely.” Bael demanded.
Sammul swallowed. “My sources in the region confirm that the Lord Captain vanished into the Wood and neither he nor the Prince have been seen since, Master.”
Bael growled, “Surely they would have sought refuge in the village, or one nearby.”
“They have not been seen, Master.”
He tensed, expecting the usual punishment that resulted from speaking out of turn. Nothing happened. He opened his eyes and glanced up at the towering shadow of the Master.
“And the revenants, Master?”
“Destroyed, mostly. We sent them into the villages to…recruit, but something went wrong. Someone anticipated our actions. Of course, it’s all useless now.”
Sammul nodded his agreement. Losing Stephen had been a serious blow, though he would never say as much to the Master. He valued his life too much.
“It is of little importance.” Bael whispered finally. “We have the Prime Key. It is only a matter of time before the moon rises again.”
Sammul nodded furiously. He had been a good servant. The Master had the Prime Key. He was a good servant. The Master had been pleased. Bael had transformed so much from the toad boy that Sammul could hardly recall his former life. Now he only thought of Bael as his Master. Anything less would result in punishment.
“Aleksei Drago,” Bael said after a long moment, “tell me what you know about him.”
Sammul searched his mind for anything he could say, any scrap he could offer.
“He was a farmer, Master. From the Southern Plain.”
“And?”
“His mother was Ri-Vhan.” he said hopefully. “I do not believe there is anything unique about him.”
Bael chuckled harshly, “I fear you underestimate him, Sammul. The Lord Captain is a most surprising man.”
“As you say, Master.”
“Where is his farm, exactly?”
“I know only the region, Master. I have never inquired further.”
Bael was silent for a moment. “But his family still lives there?”
“Only his father, Master.”
Bael’s dreamform nodded, “He is close to his father?”
“I…do not know, Master.”
“I want to know as much as I can about the good Lord Captain. Bring me what I want the next time we meet.”
“As you command.”
The dream flickered as it was swallowed by the shadows.
Vadim checked around the corner, searching for any signs that the revenants were out.
Nothing.
He darted around the inn and to the door, pounding the signal he and Hade had agreed upon. He could hear the heavy bar sliding away, and then the door swung open.
Vadim hurried into the common room and shut the door, sliding the crossbar into place as he did so. There had been no revenants spotted for days, but there was no sense taking chances.
He walked over to the large table that served as their base of operations in Drava and spilled the contents of the rucksack on his shoulders across the field map Aleksei had left behind.
Hade hefted the large sack of flour, relief washing across his face, “I was afraid they’d taken everything.”
“Almost.” Vadim said darkly. “The larder’s going to be low on supplies until the villagers return with the Legionnaires.”
Hade scooped up an arm full of goods, heading back into the kitchen. Vadim watched him go and sighed. He supposed he shouldn’t be unhappy.
Everything Aleksei had said had come true.
They had done as he instructed, alerting the townsfolk to the impending attack, helping them board up their doors and windows. By the time they were finished, Drava looked like a ghost town.
And then the revenants appeared, lurching through the narrow streets, searching for fresh meat, finding nothing. Some had stopped in the middle of town, congregating in the square, waiting for signs of life.
So it had remained for nearly an hour, almost until sunset. Vadim had watched the creatures anxiously, wondering what they would do if they ran out of food. Surely he would have to engage the creatures at some point.
But as the sun began to descend, the oddest thing happened.
One moment the revenants were standing in the square, some searching the boarded windows hungrily, and the next they simply collapsed. As though invisible strings above their heads had been cut.
But his optimism had faded later that evening, when neither Aleksei nor Jonas appeared. Surely they should have returned by now.
Vadim glanced out the boarded window of the inn, squinting into the tree-line. Every moment he wasn’t foraging for food, he was watching those trees, praying to the gods he would see them emerge. More than once he had wanted to go into the Wood to search for them, but Aleksei had expressly forbidden such a move, and Vadim obeyed his orders.
He had to have faith in his commander; it was the little hope he still possessed.
Hade returned from the kitchen and joined Vadim at the window, “Any sign?”
Vadim shook his head, “Not yet.” He chuckled mirthlessly, “You know, there was a time I considered Aleksei Drago a farmer with lots of luck but no brains. I figured he just did whatever Jonas told him to. I hated him for being a lapdog, for being faster, for being so young, for gaining power so quickly.”
Hade stared at his Knight in shock. He’d never heard Vadim say such things before. Of course, he’d known of the man’s jealousy of Aleksei; that was hardly something to be remarked upon. Yet to hear his friend speak so candidly was surprising.
“But he proved me wrong.” the Knight finished after a long silence. “He offered me the chance to prove that I had action to back up my words. And I failed him.”
“Vadim–” Hade began, but the Knight forestalled him with a hand.
“I failed him, Hade. And all of the men whose lives he entrusted to me. By all rights he should have sent me back to Kalinor to clean the Prince’s chamber pot for the rest of my life.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “But he didn’t. He gave me another chance. He believed in me, Hade, and I refuse to let him down again.”
Hade nodded his agreement, not exactly sure what else he could do. It wasn’t like Vadim to speak so openly, certainly not about such a sensitive and personal issue. It did, however, explain a great deal about the way his Knight had been behaving of late.
Vadim suddenly turned from the window and snatched his sword belt from the table.
Hade frowned, “Where are you going?”
The Knight looked at his Magus with fervor in his eyes, “I’m going to find them, Hade. I know they’re in there, and they could be injured. I have to know.”
Hade followed him to the door, reminding him that Aleksei had ordered them to stay
in Drava.
Ilyana and Marrik were taking the villagers who were willing to leave to Mornj until the troops that Aleksei requested arrived to protect them, and the rest were in the inn, depending upon Vadim for protection.
If something happened to him, what would the villagers do? Hade left unspoken that if something happened to Vadim, it would happen to him as well. He had seen his friends vomit blood and drop dead in their saddles. It was certainly not the end he wished for himself.
Vadim reached the door and threw the bolt aside, blocking out Hade’s words as he pulled the door open.
Aleksei stood there, his golden eyes calm, his face collected. He was bare-chested, and the bizarre black markings across his shoulders and arms throbbed faintly in the fading light.
In the dusk they looked the color of old blood.
“I need a shirt and my horse.” Aleksei said gently.
Vadim stood speechless, trying to understand what he had just heard. Aleksei watched him a moment, then calmly pushed past him and made his way upstairs.
As he descended the stairs, pack in hand, a crisp linen shirt now covering the markings of the Hunter’s Mantle, Vadim finally found words.
“Where have you been? Are you alright? Where’s Jonas? Where are you going? What happened in the Wood?”
Aleksei stared as the questions came flowing out of the Knight. When Vadim was finished, Aleksei spoke.
“There is a Magus called Bael deep in the Relvyn Mountains. He is with Emelian Krasik. I killed another Magus called Stephen, who I believe was the one responsible for summoning the revenants.”
Vadim nodded.
“Jonas was injured trying to get back here. I took him to the Ri-Vhan for healing. He is in Kalinor now, and I’m headed to Mornj to figure out exactly why the last five orders I sent for troops have been ignored and unanswered.”
The other Knight stared at Aleksei as though he’d just spoken in another language. “You went to the Seil Wood? How did you have time to…I don’t understand.”
Aleksei tapped his shoulders, “It’s complicated. Just understand that I have a connection to the Wood, and we’ll leave it at that.”
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