Wolfs Soul

by Jane Lindskold

  “It would,” Kalyndra agreed, “but when querinalo began to first release its grip, and those with magical talent drifted to Nalrmyna, hoping to find others of their kind, one of the first things that was done was to awaken old wards that kept the larger, more dangerous, wild things away. Tell me, does Blind Seer feel any uneasiness about remaining here?”

  Firekeeper paused, then translated, “He says ‘I do not, but then I may be large and dangerous, but I am not precisely wild.’” She shifted her tone and added, “But do not think this means he is ‘tame.’ What it means is that wild things run first, then think. Blind Seer always thinks, even when he is running. So you were telling…”

  Kalyndra strode a few paces, then began speaking in the same voice she used to tell the children stories. Laria felt as if somehow their surroundings spoke with Kalyndra so that, even though Laria did not attempt to use her talent, she could see what had happened all those long years ago.

  “The first ones who returned to the plateau where Nalrmyna had stood before it was destroyed by querinalo and envy, were the descendants of one of the chief researchers: Aroxol, who had been renowned for his bright and inquisitive mind. In his deathbed ravings, Aroxol swore that what he had left undone when death took him would make him too restless to remain within the Realms of Just Reward. Therefore, to honor Aroxol and his promise to return, his name was passed to his descendants.

  “The first to bear his name was the child his daughter had been carrying when he died. What task Aroxol had left undone, his daughter did not precisely know, not being magically gifted herself. From deciphering her father’s deliberately cryptic notes, she gathered enough to weave a tale for her daughter, the second Aroxol.“

  Kalyndra paused and said in her more usual voice, “In the language spoken by Aroxol’s family, prefixes were used to indicate one who bore the same name in honor of a progenitor, so this granddaughter was called Do-Aroxol.”

  “Do-Aroxol preserved her grandfather’s writing in a journal she never let leave her, appending her own dream visions and drawing beautiful pictures. This journal was given her nephew, who was born after her death, and became Wa-Aroxol. When Wa-Aroxol grew to the age of reason, he felt stirrings of true magic awakening in him. He did not immediately return to Nalrmyna, but devoted himself to learning everything he could that would help him to survive and to protect the expedition he eventually planned to lead to a place that had been shunned for generations.

  “I do not need to tell you what Wa-Aroxol found, for you can see it all around you. Actually, the destruction was worse and the area far more dangerous, because after the Mrrettem had burned and pillaged, they had abandoned the plateau. Without the wards, the wild creatures hunted where humans had lived in their pride. There were no cleared roads then, no little houses, but one building remained untouched. This was Nalrmyna, the research center that had given the town its name, a facility had been used by the elite of Tey-yo’s magic users, of whom the first Aroxol had been considered a leader and an exemplar.”

  At least according to his descendants, Laria thought. They were leaving the plateau now, descending along a path much more overgrown, for in places the paving had been ripped up and trees had taken root.

  “Nalrmyna was locked then, but the writings of Aroxol led Wa-Aroxol to where a key could be found. Those same writings also discussed the wards that had protected the place, and Wa-Aroxol found that he had the gift that would awaken them to life. So a new community gradually began to take form.

  “I will skip much of what happened over the next several decades, but for two crucial elements. One is that Wa-Aroxol eventually located what had so obsessed Aroxol—a powerful but peculiar artifact that, based on what I have learned from you, I now suspect may be related to what you believe Kabot found in Azure Towers.”

  “Interesting,” Wythcombe said savoring the word.

  Firekeeper prompted, “The second? Tell. Blind Seer says I am to be patient, but truly, I also wish to know.”

  Kalyndra chuckled. Firekeeper’s impatience was legendary among the Nexus Islanders. Laria knew the senior spellcaster would have been touched by Firekeeper’s reassurance.

  “I will tell,” Kalyndra said. “At first, what I am telling you may not seem to pertain to our situation, but it is directly related to why the community Wa-Aroxol founded was wiped out, and why the fragment of the artifact is no longer here.”

  Blind Seer could smell the apprehension in Kalyndra’s sweat as, after taking a swig from her water bottle, she began the next part of her tale.

  “As he grew older, Wa-Aroxol trained Xera, one of his most promising assistants, to take over as leader of the community, supported by a team of researchers, for the community had grown beyond its small, familial origins. From Wa-Aroxol’s day, the Rrrteerim of Nalrmyna had been keeping an eye on the local communities of Mrrettm for the onset of querinalo or other indications that someone possessed a magical gift.

  “They then trained and educated as many of these as they could. Wa-Aroxol and Xera had a special interest in spellcasters or those whose gifts would aid in research. (They would have loved Laria, for example.) Those whose abilities did not fit these categories, as well as those who simply did not want to settle on the plateau, were permitted to go home. When Wa-Aroxol died, he left a thriving, stable community of somewhat isolated, magically gifted intellectuals.

  “Xera proved to be a good leader. She was not the most talented of the researchers, but she knew enough of each area of specialization to be able to respond to needs and complaints. She strengthened ties to the Mrrettm communities in the jungles below the plateau. When the Nexus Islands were repopulated under the rule of King Veztressidan, and contacted Tey-yo, Xera handled this well, keeping Nalrmyna independent but using the contact as a means of expanding influence and providing outlets for those who had been born into the Nalrmyna community, but did not quite fit either there or in the Mrrettm communities below.”

  Ranz asked, “Were you a researcher?”

  Kalyndra nodded. “I had been recruited from one of the villages. After I showed a gift for alchemical magics, I was assured of a home. I met my late husband, who had been born in Nalrmyna and had no desire to leave. Although our son, Skea, survived querinalo, it was as Twice Dead—that is, with no magical gift remaining. Contact with the Nexus Islands gave Skea a place where his non-magical talents, combined with his sophistication in the ways and traditions of magic, were valued.”

  Blind Seer heard Ranz draw breath, doubtless to ask more questions, and growled softly. Firekeeper translated, “Later for that. We must know more about this hunt.”

  The wolf heard the chime of the beads in Kalyndra’s hair as she nodded agreement. “Trouble came in a form no one would have anticipated. Hohdoymin was one of those who had been given a basic education, then sent home when his talent, in the end, proved to be nothing more than a gift for being liked. Hohdoymin and I were much of an age, and I remember very well how he could charm our instructors. I think he was genuinely shocked when he was told his services would not be needed. I think he had envisioned himself as inheriting Xera’s position, using his gift to smooth ruffled feelings, traveling the world via the gates, and becoming a power.

  “After Hohdoymin was sent home, he moved into trade. This meant he was a frequent visitor to Nalrmyna, and a valued liaison. What those of us who had known him from a boy slightly younger than Laria did not realize was how, as he matured, Hohdoymin had developed his initial talent into a blinding charisma. This was not wholly magical. Hohdoymin genuinely liked people and—even more importantly—he wanted them to like him. He studied the arts of personal contact and manipulation as I studied alchemy.

  “We also did not realize just how much Hohdoymin resented having been sent home, and wanted to prove that he would have been the best choice as Xera’s successor. When Hohdoymin learned that the Nexus Islands had changed hands, he had the rallying point he needed to bring his Mrrettm followers to rise against Nalrmyna.
I don’t know precisely what he said. I suspect he cultivated fears that the new rulers of the Nexus Islands would try to invade Tey-yo as they had invaded the Islands.

  “You must understand, although my husband and I were still living in Nalrmyna when the conflict finally broke out, we were absorbed in our projects, enjoying visits to Skea and Ynamynet. Then one morning we awoke to chaos. As you know, I managed to escape, along with a few others. My husband, our extended family, and the close community we had lived in for so long were not so lucky.”

  Blind Seer thought what a mixed blessing that escape must have seemed, for at that time the Nexus Islands themselves had been under siege—if not yet actively at war. Kalyndra’s husband had died shortly after the transit, and it must have seemed that she was likely to lose her remaining pack: her son, his wife, and their daughter, as well.

  “Then, when you try to go back, the gate is blocked,” Firekeeper finished for Kalyndra, her tone heavy with sympathy. “But when the gate was opened again—I think you go to find not only what happened to the people, but also to this artifact. Why you not tell us this?”

  The words were phrased as a question, but there was no doubt they were more like an order. Kalyndra paused to wipe sweat off her face—the air near the base of the plateau was hot and sticky—before she replied.

  “Honestly, I didn’t know what good the knowledge would do anyone. Ynamynet knew what we were doing, so it wasn’t precisely a secret, but we didn’t have the resources to pursue an artifact that had refused to reveal its full secrets after decades of probing. Also, there was the likelihood that anyone with enough magical ability to use it was probably dead.”

  VI

  “YOU PROBABLY DON’T want to hear this,” the Voice said, “but you’re being pursued again.”

  “What!” Kabot barely managed not to exclaim aloud. Uaid squeaked in shock, but fortunately the sound blended into the riot of small bird and animal noises that had started up once the creatures had decided that these new arboreal tenants intended no harm. Daylily pressed a gentle finger to Uaid’s lips to remind him of the need for silence. Thus far, no one in the village seemed to have noticed that they were being observed, but it wouldn’t do to give them reason to suspect.

  The three rebels had set up camp in a blind Daylily had created in a large tree that was off the road, but still offered a good view of both the road and of the village with its surrounding fields. The tree wasn’t the most comfortable place to spend long hours, but the limbs were wide and thick enough to permit them to move without shaking foliage giving them away. There was fresh water nearby, and Daylily had shown herself a nearly miraculous forager. After making sure that the smoke would be filtered by the boughs, they risked a small fire during the day for cooking. At night, they did without a fire, and trusted to their own alertness and the fact that the more dangerous of the local wildlife seemed to give the village and its environs a wide berth.

  Despite having food, water, and other creature comforts, theirs had been a depressing vigil. They had unwarded Palvalkay long enough to confirm that Teyvalkay was within the palisade. The longer they watched, the more there didn’t seem to be any way for three peculiar-looking strangers to sneak past the palisade, into the village, in order to loot what appeared to be a highly restricted area. Some visitors came in by the road or river, but all were of the dark-skinned local type. Other than in that initial procession, none had worn convenient masks or peculiar costumes.

  Really, Kabot thought, if we’d realized what we would be up against, we would have taken our chances and raided the festival parade.

  But he knew that he was being petty. He’d been so exhausted that he’d been useless. Uaid hadn’t been much better off.

  “Wythcombe again?” Kabot asked. “How? We left no trail he could follow.”

  The Voice gave the impression of shrugging. “I can’t say, but you may trust the accuracy of my report. Wythcombe and his companions are in Tey-yo. Perhaps they won’t be able to find you amid this riot of greenery but…”

  The Voice trailed off. Daylily picked up the thought, speaking softly, “But we dare not take the risk. Somehow, Wythcombe discovered where we went after Azure Towers. It would be foolish to trust in leaves and vines to hide us.”

  “Perhaps we give up on Teyvalkay?” Uaid suggested. “Jyanee created four threads. Perhaps we should seek another.”

  “And leave Wythcombe to seize this one?” Kabot snarled. “Then doubtless come after us again? Oh, that would be wonderful—to lead him directly to a part of Sykavalkay. No. We must take Teyvalkay, then pursue the next thread. It may be a fluke that Wythcombe was able to track us.”

  “But how are we going to get Teyvalkay?” Uaid pressed. He waved an arm in the direction of the town and its surrounding fields. “Waiting until dark and sneaking in seems like our only option, but none of our abilities particularly run in that direction. I suppose I could try to create a localized earth tremor of some sort, but in a community where all the buildings are wood… That’s asking for fires. People would certainly be injured, maybe killed—and we still might not get Teyvalkay.”

  Daylily’s lips were parting, but whatever suggestion she had been about to make was forestalled by the Voice speaking into their minds.

  “I didn’t want to suggest this but…” The Voice paused, the degree of apprehension permeating her mental voice making her seem very unlike Phiona. Phiona had been very direct in expressing her views.

  “Go on,” Kabot replied roughly.

  “If you unward Palvalkay, then awaken its potential, Teyvalkay should react. There’s a good chance that the holder would then come to investigate. You could choose a location advantageous to you and…”

  “Seize Teyvalkay!” Kabot completed. “Yes. We discussed this option already and dismissed it because the holder might bring an army. Now that we know Wythcombe is after us, and we’ve run out of time for waiting, maybe we should consider it again.”

  “I think the chance that Teyvalkay’s holder will bring an army is small,” the Voice said, sounding more confident. “There is little evidence that magic is in common use here. Even the procession we followed, although centered on the palanquin that carried the artifact, was devoid of any but passive magics. That would argue that, as in so much of the world outside of Rhinadei, magic ceased to work here and has been slow to recover favor. I would guess the holder walks a very thin line between being worshipped and being assaulted. But, odd as it may seem to you, armies were not the reason I was reluctant to suggest that plan.”

  She paused for so long that Kabot prompted with a small, “Hmm…” from deep in his throat.

  “There is a risk involved in your awakening Palvalkay. I told you that each thread of Sykavalkay has the potential for great power. You saw how carefully the fragment was contained at Azure Towers. I believe the lattice was not merely prevention against theft, but prevention against misuse. Think of the artifact as a powerful wild horse. Even the best rider may be thrown and trampled.”

  “We’re taking one risk if we don’t use it,” Kabot replied, trying to project confidence, “and another risk if we do. I think we should try. Uaid? Daylily?”

  After a pause, both nodded. Daylily added, “We stand to lose everything, even our freedom. To avoid capture, I think that some risk is in order.”

  Her tone was very dry, and Kabot heard accusation within it. “You’re blaming me! Why?”

  “Because,” Daylily replied, her voice soft with the softness that is worse than screams, “if you hadn’t taunted Wythcombe, maybe he would have let others lead the search for us. Maybe we would have been lucky and they would have decided to leave well enough alone, since we were gone.”

  Uaid tugged nervously at his beard. Something about his body language told Kabot that Uaid and Daylily had discussed this, probably more than once.

  “Why did you do it?” Uaid asked, his tone pleading for some comforting, rational explanation.

  Kabot said slowly, �
��I guess I was angry that all Wythcombe did was come and stare at us, that even as decades passed and he evidently grew in power and prestige, still he did nothing to save us.”

  And, he thought, as angry I was, I was grateful, too. Grateful that he never stopped caring.

  The jungle was a sensory nightmare, the thick, moist air overflowing with a wealth of unfamiliar sounds and smells. Firekeeper did her best to sort the information and wished, for one brief moment, that like her human companions she could simply dismiss it all as part of the background. Blind Seer shook out his coat, then shook again. Their travels had taken them from early spring on the Nexus Islands to autumn in Rhinadei, so his coat had kept much of its winter thickness. If they were here long, the heat would become onerous. Unlike the humans, he could not simply strip down, and shaving him would cause its own suite of problems.

  This made Firekeeper consider that the ability to adjust the density of his coat would be at least as useful to Blind Seer as growing moth wings, and she made a note to discuss the matter with him when they had a moment to themselves. For now, there were other things to deal with. Wythcombe was casting about anxiously, as if by looking here and there he could somehow spot Kabot. Kalyndra was inspecting the road—actually, it was little more than a trail—that led from the jungle to the plateau. As if she felt Firekeeper’s gaze, the spellcaster turned to her.

  “Can you and Blind Seer tell if any humans have been near here recently? I’m worried. After Skea, Ynamynet, and I were attacked, we assumed that someone was keeping watch on the gate. You said you found no fresh spoor above, but it is possible that someone is keeping watch from a distance.”

  “Or magically?” Wythcombe suggested.

  “It’s possible. Anything is possible. That’s the problem. The rules are changing so fast I don’t know what to omit. Just because we”—the term clearly was meant to embrace all the cultures the Nexus Islands had encountered—“haven’t found an easy way to observe from a distance doesn’t mean someone here hasn’t. Or someone could have a talent. Or there could be yarimaimalom here, allied with some local Firekeeper.”