“Ju.” She said simply in greeting. They had never had a need for useless chatter, not in this place.
He responded by hugging her as a brother would his sister. “I have missed you.”
“It has been a while,” she admitted.
“Wizards keeping you busy?” He asked as he too looked around at the valley as if seeing it for the first time.
“You could say that. It all helps though.” Zya sat down, leaning against the earthen barrier behind her.
Ju joined her after one more glance up the path from which she had come. “There's something up there,” he warned.
She followed his gaze certain that whatever it was had been the cause for her uncertainty. All she could see was the bank of trees though. “I can't see anything.”
“Still, there is something there, further up the path.”
“Is it coming our way?”
Ju strained to see. “It has no interest in us, for the moment.”
Zya had not asked that, but took his answer as a positive one. “So what have been you doing in the moons since I have seen you?”
“A little this, a little that.” He replied, not being specific on purpose for some reason. “In fact since you have been away, things have been fairly quiet. Lorn has been making bows and arrows as if he were single-handedly outfitting the city for war. Your father has been keeping his head down in the tribal community while doing his woodwork, and I have been delivering messages and making a healthy profit. When are we going to see you again?” Ju sat down next to her on the earthen bank. Like the air around them it was warm, an ambient temperature that was as comforting as the rest of this reality. It was relaxing to not have to worry about looking over your shoulder, she thought.
“Soon, I think. Sooner than many would expect, perhaps. They have decided that I am to be the next head of the Order of Earth in Bay's Point. There are some who are happy about this, and others who are much less so.”
“That's great!” Ju was obviously still caught up in her apparently good fortune.
“Not really,” Zya replied sourly, “I am not staying. The time has come for us to go elsewhere. There are few things keeping us here now, and there are bad omens. I saw O'Bellah this evening.”
“You what?” Ju exclaimed. “What do you mean you saw him?”
“He came to my guild and spoke to a couple of people. Who they were does not have much meaning for you, but what they said was dreadfully important.” Ju was all ears, not saying a thing, so she continued. “O'Bellah may be onto me, or not, but he is seeking to throw down the guilds just after the Feast of Growth. He is going to try and poison the Duke and then blackmail him with the antidote from what I can gather. His intention will be to create instability between the guilds, and shut them all down outright if he can get a Ducal decree. Somehow we need to stop this. I need you to get somebody into the mercenary guild and find out what and why, anything you can that will aid us.”
“I will go myself, for they trust me,” Ju replied. “I take a lot of messages to and from that place, but I have never tried to get deep inside it. Perhaps now is such a time to try.” The enthusiasm and solemnity of his response moved her.
Zya tried to remember that this was not much more than a child, but the weight of responsibility that he tried to carry should have been a mantle for somebody much greater. She doubted that he would let anybody else take the challenge. “You know that if anybody even suspects what you are up to, they will kill you without a second thought. Mercenaries are loyal only to money, and especially not to people.”
“No, mercenaries also treat those that do them favours with a bit of respect, and I have been doing that while I have been busy.” Zya suspected that whatever it was he had been doing, she was about to find out. “The mercenaries I have seen are bound by some rule or other to remain in the confines of the guild. They are a rowdy lot, bullies all, but they have needs. I have made it my job to supply them with those things.”
“What things?” Zya asked warily, not sure that she wanted to hear the answer.
“Bottles of drink, tobacco, things that they sniff and then sit there looking like grinning fools. Those are the favourites. One time I even managed to sneak in a woman.”
“Why, was she the wife of one of them?”
Ju smirked at the innocent suggestion. “Not quite, Zya. Let us just say that when on the street, she is known to provide a certain… service to gentlemen.”
Zya's eyes widened. “Ju!”
The boy shrugged simply. “It is that or get beaten, and I prefer to run around without the benefit of broken bones. Besides, that particular man owes me a huge favour now, and he is not one to break his word. I will get into the guild for you, and we shall see what we shall see.”
“Thank you, Ju.” Zya put an affectionate arm around her 'brother', and the two of them sat enjoying the peace of the strange dream they shared.
After a while, Ju turned to her. “What is it that you are going to do?”
“I don't know,” she admitted. “I think that it might be my place to prevent whatever is going to occur at the Ducal Palace. I had hoped that my training would go well enough to allow me to attend the feast, and for a while I was not sure that I would do it. Now I know that I must at least attend, though anything beyond that is not clear.”
Ju stood up and walked around them. “Maybe we are fated to come to a strange forest with an eerie glow and trees dense as walls, where strange creatures thump and rumble through the distant undergrowth.” As flippantly as he said this Ju was deadly accurate in his prediction, for the first footfall sounded with a thump. They both looked up in silence, not afraid despite the feeling in the air that had accompanied both of them as soon as they had first set foot on the path. The thumping noise soon reverberated around the valley as others joined the procession. Both Zya and Ju gradually sank into a pit of fear, holding hands at the bottom of the valley but the creatures paid them no mind. The forms, when they became visible, were immense. Great shaggy affairs with slow lumbering movements all, the creatures were about a third of the way up the valley using a path that the two of them had obviously missed. “What is it that we are supposed to take from this dream?” Whispered Ju in as quiet a voice as he could muster, but before Zya could answer, one of the creatures let out a bellow. It was more of a series of grunts, but it was loud enough to shatter bone. It reverberated around the valley, and was met by a fresh series of grunts from way off to their left. There were obviously two sets of the creatures ploughing their way through the trees above them. The grunting continued, and the two of them were able to see through their fear and comprehend that it was a method of speech. The pitch and speed of the grunts varied if one was so inclined to risk permanent hearing problems, and both of them could hear it well enough though their hands covered their ears. As well as the different sounds, they were also able to tell that the group off to the left were further up the hill than the first group, though what significance this meant was not clear. At some point, the grunting began to trail off even though they could see the shambling bodies still passing in a line above them. What was odd was that they never once crossed the path, but appeared in amongst the trees only.
“What if that is not a line of creatures?” Ju said quietly. “What if that is something trapped by the trees, unable to escape, and what we are seeing is frustration made visible?”
“Whatever they are, they do not sound distressed, “Zya replied, “they sound like it is a chant or nothing more than a conversation, but I do not sense any distress.”
“Then why does the air still tingle with an uneasy fear?” Ju looked around him. “You feel it, I know that you do. There is something not right here.”
That made Zya chuckle. “When is there ever anything right in a dream that I have? There is always something chasing us, or jumping out on us, or yelling in strange voices at us. It is only a dream Ju, and I say that this one is going to end peacefully with nothing attacking us and us wal
king up our respective paths.” Zya was adamant, and before Ju could interrupt her, she continued. “I am fed up of my dreams ruling me. I am going to rule my dreams. They say that I am a seer. Well I am going to see what really needs to be seen, and not let petty nightmares rule my sleep. We are going to walk up out of this valley now, because the noise is going to stop NOW!”
As Zya yelled this, the grunting ceased. The trees quivered with the power of her command, and the beasts melted slowly back into the shadows. “Thank you,” she said to the air around her, and the sense of foreboding lessened somewhat. It was almost easier for them to breathe as the trees around them became still, and the only sound came from their own boots on the loamy path. Zya turned to Ju, knowing that the time had come for them to part. “You might not see me for a while yet, but remember what you have to do.”
“I will, and have no fear Zya, I will find out anything there is to know and get out of there before they even notice me.” Ju turned to leave, but Zya held him by the shoulder. “What is it?” He asked, but she had a faraway look in her eye.
“Tell my father and Lorn that the time will be upon us to leave, very soon. The avatar is here, but the evil that spreads through the land has not quite arrived. We need to be on a ship when it does. To that end, have them contact Darrow and Yneris, and tell them we will keep our pact with the underground pirates, and join them on their ships. Advise them that they would do best to leave en masse, for I believe this city will not be habitable within a season.”
“What if they do not want to leave? And where are we going to find you?”
“If they do not want to leave then it is their own choice to make. They may know best. But as for myself, tell Darrow to look for me on the spit that guards the Duke's private harbour. He will know where that is.” Zya shook her head as if coming back to herself. “We must leave, now. This place is dangerous.”
Ju grinned. “But you said it was nothing to worry about,” he said easily.
“No, I was wrong. I would not say such a thing. We must go! Remember all I have said. Go!” Zya gave Ju an urgent hug and pushed him in the direction of his path. Not one to ever take a warning lightly, he shot her a parting glance and left. Zya was on her way back up her path before he had turned his head again.
Zya knew not what had prompted her precipitous change of heart, but her command to the trees and the beasts within clearly altered something. She climbed the path without looking back, moving slowly against the steep incline. Suddenly the footholds were that much slipperier, making her less sure of her ability to get out of the valley. There was a loud crack behind her, and she knew that the fences had burst asunder. A hint of purple light shone from deep down within the valley, and then she was knocked flat by a wind so strong it tore at the very breath in her lungs.
Zya blinked her eyes, gasping for breath and realised that she was on her bed. The candle on her table had burned down to a stub, and yet there was no sign of light outside. The birds were awake despite the darkness; their merry chorus announcing that dawn would soon be here. The raucous chirps were mingled with the early sounds and smells of the city industry, bakeries cooking the first batch of bread, and merchants hauling teams of horses through the cobbled streets of the guild quarter.
“Another dream, another night used up,” Zya said to herself. She was glad in part that nobody else here could spy in on she skill that only she of the whole guild possessed. It would take a lot of time to understand what she had seen. Perhaps the actual physical reality of the dream was coincidence, and the dream was meant for her to see her way forward. She did not know why the spit was so important, and yet she knew that on the night of the Feast of Growth, she would be there or face unenviable consequences elsewhere. She also had a strong feeling that her words on the pirates were true, that some would stay behind and forfeit their freedom and perhaps even their lives as a result. She had done what she could, and was sure Darrow and Yneris could lead as many of their people as possible away from the rising danger. She sat on her bed pondering the fates of others, and watched the sky brighten. It was a good while later that Zya realised she was not alone. Through the tiny gap that separated her door from the floor, she saw something blocking the light, and perceived it to be a person. Moments later, there was a light knock on the door.
“I'll be there in a moment,” Zya called, and hastily arranged her clothes and brushed her hair. She had not had a chance to change from the night before; she would have to do so later. Her mirror showed less than satisfactory results, but that would suffice for now. She had never been one for appearances. Crossing her room quietly, she opened the door and stepped back. As expected, Bethen crossed the threshold, a sunny smile spread like a lie across her face. If she had known that Zya had witnessed her every word, she would not have been smiling. Still Zya had decided to play along, for now.
“Good morning,” Bethen said in a voice that seemed happy to behold the dawn of another day, “did you sleep well?”
Zya suppressed a shudder. “I slept like the forest in winter last night,” she answered, and Bethen took a second to register her understanding of the metaphor.
“That is well then. We all need our sleep before the upcoming feast.”
“Oh I disagree,” Zya countered, “there is so much we can do and learn before then, do you not think?”
“Surely you need time to find that dress you have always talked about?” Bethen asked innocently.
“You mean the dress you have always talked about.” Zya answered severely, and then silently reprimanded herself as confusion and hurt showed on Bethen's face at her acid tone. Zya took a moment to remind herself not to be too short with Bethen, as the girl did not know yet that she was being played from every possible angle. “I will be wearing my guild dress. As representative of the guild, I feel that it is my right and duty.”
Bethen shook her head in defeat. “There is more than just being a part of the guild, Zya. This is a chance to show that you are not just a nameless face, but also a beautiful woman. I am sure that your parents would be very proud of you.” The question was left hanging, as if Bethen expected an answer. None was forthcoming.
“Whoever is proud of me is none of my concern, Bethen. I am here to learn. If I have the honour of understanding that bit more it is by my doing, not by any of my forefathers.” If Bethen wanted a story, she would surely have one. Zya decided to confuse the girl more with facts contrary to what Bethen had already witnessed first-hand with her own eyes. She would go away with an impression of discord in Zya's life. “I certainly do not wish any of my family to be here, the money-grabbing thieves that they are.”
“Thieves?” Bethen's vapid look was enhanced by her mouth dropping open at the thought of Zya coming from a less than reputable background.
“Merchants, but canny ones at that. They have been swindling the Ardican wine market for generations.” Zya had only recently heard of Ardican Red, and although she refused to touch the drink, she knew of its importance all over the Duchies. There were some very rich merchants in Ardicum. She put on her most innocent look, and huddled closer, apparently confiding in Bethen. “I could not bear to witness the avarice any more, and that is when I left on my travels. It was fate that brought me here, for I can use the Old Law to make things better down in the Southern Duchies.” It was no secret that Zya was a firm believer in the tenets of the Old Law, for she had made no secret of the fact since being in the guild. It was better for Bethen to believe that Zya was intending to go back South to 'teach her people a lesson', for it was as far from the truth as was possible. Once again Zya had to hide the guilt that she felt at her deception. The Law would frown upon it were she not only trying to react to the scene she had witnessed the night before. It was at this point that Zya came to a realisation. She had found the skills of several orders under this one roof, but she had never looked into the possibilities of studying at the Guild of Law.
“When will you go?” Bethen asked innocently, though Zya
now knew her for the spy that she was.
“Not for a while yet. There is too much to learn, too many things that need doing here. If I am to be given this order there are things here that will need to change, but everybody will learn that in due course. Life has taught me that study and contemplation are a means to an end. In order to save this guild, we are going to have to go out and preach our word to the masses. But that will not happen for a while yet. People have to be converted to the idea.” Zya looked up, her eyes wide as she spoke with a voice that was aggressively zealous. She shook her long black hair and it flared out like the wings of a raven. Fixing her stare on Bethen's face, she made sure that the girl understood that she was deadly serious. There was only one way to treat her immediate future, and that was to confuse as many of them as possible. She knew that word would never make it back to Joen: these people were far too secretive, and she had nearly had enough of them.
Bethen had completely taken the bait, and a look of shock rested permanently on her face as she realised that a life spent in the guild would not be one of leisure and contemplation. It suddenly seemed as though she could not be more eager to leave this room, and the unpleasant situation that Zya proscribed for everybody. Zya knew that eventually, politics would dictate that her 'plan' would surface, but by that time she would be long gone. She was too caught up in the thoughts of finding the Order of Law that she barely noticed Bethen making her excuses to leave.
The Path of Dreams (The Tome of Law Book 2) Page 52