The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4)

by Garrett Robinson

  “Yet we cannot hope to simply run into her on the street,” I said.

  “You should seek out these Shades, I think,” said Dryleaf. “We know she meant to join some of them here. A weremage can be nearly impossible to hunt, but unless all the Shades are also wizards, they will be easier to pin down. Find them, and you will find her.”

  “I think that is our best hope,” said Mag. “It will still require a good deal of work, but that can wait for the morning. It is already late, and we still need to find a bed for the night. Albern, do you know where we should seek lodgings?”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I visited Opara but rarely, and that was decades ago. We shall simply have to choose an inn by the look of it.”

  “I think you two will be better at that than I,” said Dryleaf, chuckling. “Though I think I will be a better judge of the food and the beds.”

  It took us some time to find a place that looked suitable, and by the time we found it, darkness had begun to creep into the sky overhead. The sign hanging over the door named it the Ugly Squirrel—a joke, it seemed, for the building was beautiful, with a grid of dark beams framing tight wooden slats that had been painted a deep crimson. But then we met the place’s owner, and his face more than made up for the building’s beauty. His forehead swooped down low over his eyes, which pointed in different directions, and his jaw was misshapen so that he looked to be constantly grimacing. His name was Nuhea, if I remember correctly, and he was a delight. He chuckled as we introduced ourselves.

  “The name is for me, not the inn,” he said, lisping slightly. “For even ugly squirrels make their nests in beautiful trees.”

  He took our orders for food and lodgings, summoning hands to care for our horses and carry our few belongings to our rooms. But I noticed him giving me little glances from the corner of his eye—or at least, I thought he did, for it was hard, sometimes, to tell where he was looking. I was somewhat unnerved, even though I knew there was precious little chance of the man recognizing me. In hindsight, I now think that Nuhea must have seen something of my mother in my features. He must have thought I looked familiar, though he could not place why.

  In any case, we paid him for his trouble and retired to our rooms, where food was soon delivered to us. We ate quickly and readied ourselves for sleep—though Mag and I still traded watches through the night, just in case. Weary as we were, we had no wish to be surprised, on the off chance that we had been spotted entering the city.

  It was our weariness, however, that kept us from noticing the woman who entered the inn just behind us. Her skin was pale and her hair was fair, though she hid both under a grey cloak. She watched as we dealt with Nuhea, she took note of the rooms to which he brought us, and then she slipped out into the night.

  Kaita had been waiting for us in the stronghold of Maunwa not far away.

  She had been there for some days. When we had ridden from Lan Shui, she had trailed us for a little while, stalking us in raven form, until she was sure we were heading for Opara as she had intended. Then she had cut straight across the countryside towards Calentin, bypassing the roads and traveling a long, harsh route through the wilderness. It had been taxing, but she was eager to reach the city far ahead of us.

  But when she reached the Shades there, she found a nasty surprise. The old captain in the area had been given a new assignment. The new captain was a woman named Riri, and the hatred between the two women was thinly veiled, even in service of their Lord. For some days Kaita had been trying to get Riri to prepare for our arrival, but every council had devolved into an argument before long, and so they had barely gotten anything done.

  Now Kaita sat in Riri’s council chamber again, bored nearly senseless, listening as two officers delivered reports of troop movements, of information and intelligence gathered about the constables, the Mystics, the Rangatira and his rangers. None of it mattered to Kaita. She had only one aim: to continue to lead Mag and me north, to the lands I had once called home. Just as Rogan had commanded her.

  And then the door opened, and the woman with pale skin and fair hair entered the council room, casting back her hood.

  Kaita looked up, every nerve in her body suddenly alight. The look on the woman’s face told her that her long wait was over.

  “They are here,” said the woman. She nodded to Kaita. “The travelers matching the description you gave.”

  “At last,” hissed Kaita.

  Riri gave her a cool look for a moment before turning to the messenger. “Where are they?”

  “The Ugly Squirrel. One room for all three of them. I have a contact there, we could strike—”

  “We do not aim to kill them,” Kaita snapped. “Our job now is—”

  “You are not in command here,” said Riri. Kaita scowled. She did not need the reminder; Riri had not let her forget it for so much as a moment since her arrival. Riri looked to the messenger once more. “Thank you. That will be all. The rest of you may go as well.”

  The messenger nodded and left, and the two Shade officers at the table took their leave. Kaita waited in frustrated silence as they shuffled out of the room—too slowly, she thought, and she wondered if Riri had secretly given them an order to annoy her as much as possible.

  When the room was finally empty, Riri studied her for a moment. Kaita said nothing. Riri liked to wait for Kaita to speak, and then interrupt her. It was just the sort of petty, vindictive trick she had always cherished—and she had used it often enough against Kaita in the last few days. And so Kaita remained quiet, refusing to give her the pleasure.

  “Well?” said Riri at last. “What do you think they mean to do next?”

  “They will look for me,” said Kaita. “We will have to watch them.”

  “It is dangerous for my people to visit Opara too often,” said Riri. “The High King knows about us now. The nobility is on alert. We are only here to watch for Calentin troop movements. Our secrecy is more important now than ever.”

  “You do not have to tell me that,” said Kaita. “I know Rogan means for us to remain in the shadows, for now. I was there in the room when he said it—and, too, when he commanded us to begin striking from those shadows.”

  Riri’s hands clenched on the arms of her chair. Kaita wanted to smile, but she was smart enough to conceal it. Riri had never understood why Rogan kept Kaita so close. She had never understood that Rogan knew just how useful Kaita was, in a way no one ever had before.

  Even those who had claimed to, when Kaita had been young.

  “In any case,” said Riri, “sending my own people into town to watch these stragglers will endanger our more important work. You brought this problem to Opara. You can watch the strangers.”

  “I can,” said Kaita, fighting not to say it through gritted teeth. “But I cannot stay in raven form all day. And even if I could, night will come, and I have to sleep sometime. You cannot simply bury your head beneath your blankets and hope this blows by. If Mag speaks with the King’s law, they will come hunting for you.”

  “They would not find us,” said Riri calmly. “None of their agents have come this far outside the city in a long while. The only danger would be if one of our soldiers were caught—which is why I will not continue to send them to Opara on your errands.”

  Her foolishness grated on Kaita’s nerves. The constables might not have made a habit of visiting the stronghold of Maunwa, but it was far from concealed. It was an entirely foolish place to make one’s secret hideout—but then again, it played very well into Riri’s idea of her own importance. Why should she lurk in caves or some backwater buildings, when she could set herself up in this place of strong stone and imagine herself a grand lord? Never mind that she had only a dozen soldiers at her command.

  But Kaita had pointed this out already, and Riri had ignored her. She must adopt a diplomatic tone now, if she wanted Riri to see wisdom.

  “Do not underestimate the redbacks,” said Kaita. “You do not want them to be on the alert. That is
what is important now. The sooner you help me lead Mag and her party north, the safer your mission will be. Abandon this place, and leave evidence that points a trail north. Albern and Mag will discover it. It is only a matter of time. Speed the process, and you can have them out of your life all the sooner.”

  Riri frowned. It was a good point, though she clearly would not admit that. She scratched one nail against the wood of the table. For just a moment, Kaita thought she might agree.

  “No.”

  Kaita balked. “No? That is all you have to say?”

  “It is all I need to say,” said Riri. “I am the captain here. I take my orders from Rogan, not you. And the last thing Rogan told me was to keep entirely out of sight, remaining unknown to anyone. And he said that if we were discovered, that we were to eliminate any witnesses. You have been a fool, and have led our enemies right to our doorstep. But I believe you when you say that Rogan wishes for them to be killed. I will do so, fulfilling my duty to him while also cleaning up your mess.”

  “Are you …” Kaita stopped, aghast. “Are you mad? You will not do anything of the sort. If you try, you will die. Mag will slaughter you and anyone foolish enough to follow your orders. I must lead her to Tokana. No human can defeat her, but our allies in the north can.”

  “Oh, Kaita,” said Riri, giving a scornful smile. “Simply because you have proven too incompetent to deal with her, does not mean that I am.”

  Kaita shot to her feet. “Incompetent?” she roared, as her eyes began to glow. “Never forget who you are speaking to.”

  She lunged, sprouting a pace taller. Her clothing sank into her flesh even as her hands turned into a lion’s massive paws. The air hissed as her razor claws came slashing forwards.

  Riri ducked the grasping talons. A knife appeared in her hand, too fast for Kaita to see where she pulled it from. Twisting, she avoided another swipe.

  Her dagger flashed. Kaita felt a stabbing pain in each thigh. A thick, guttural scream erupted from her enlarged throat.

  Unable to keep her feet, she crashed to the floor on her front. Riri was atop her in an instant. She snatched Kaita’s arms and wrenched them behind her back, squeezing until Kaita screamed again.

  And then Riri seized her temples. Her fingers dug into the flesh there, pushing, crushing. Kaita’s whole body went rigid. She tried to cry out, but all that came was a choked gasp.

  She felt the magic slipping away from inside her. Her body slowly resumed its natural form. Her tight blue and grey clothes sprouted out of her skin again. In a few heartbeats, she was herself, and still pinned under Riri. Tears sprang into her eyes at the agony in her legs.

  “I will release you so that you can heal those wounds,” said Riri. “But only if you will promise not to be so foolish again. Swear to me.”

  “Only Rogan and our father receive vows from me,” said Kaita, gritting her teeth and trying to pull an arm free.

  Riri twisted harder. Kaita had to bite her own tongue to hide another scream. “Then I can hold you here as long as I need to.”

  “All right,” said Kaita, hating the whimper in her own voice.

  “Say it.”

  “I swear.”

  Riri let her go and rose, backing away quickly. But Kaita could not even think of breaking her word. She could only think of the pain in her legs. She focused upon it, and her eyes glowed once more. Slowly, painfully, the flesh turned fluid and melded together. The skin rejoined last, sealing the wound. Kaita gave a sigh of relief and let her magic slip away once more.

  She got to her feet. Her arms still pained her; no weremagic could heal a twisting like that. Leaning heavily against the table in the center of the room, she glared at Riri, who now stood by her chair.

  “Darkness take you and your Mystics’ tricks,” snarled Kaita.

  Riri smiled. “You have remained the same girl you were in our youth, but I have not. I have grown stronger. And if I have learned the secrets of the mage hunters, now I use them in service of the Lord—a service you have been unable to render. Go now. If Rogan wishes for you to continue your work in Tokana, then you had better scurry off. I shall finish what you could not.”

  “When Rogan hears of this—”

  “Oh? And will you tell him?” Riri gave a derisive bark of laughter. “The once great Kaita, scurrying to the heels of her master when she is defeated. I think you will not. I think you will try to forget that this ever happened, out of shame.”

  Kaita fumed, her breath coming hot and fast, a haze settling over her vision. Almost she reached for her magic again. Almost she transformed and attacked. Never mind defeating Riri—she wanted to kill her.

  She smiled instead.

  “Very well. You wish to fight the Uncut Lady? You are welcome to her. I wish you every chance of success.”

  Riri arched an eyebrow. “What are you playing at?”

  Kaita did not answer. She turned and stalked out of the room, throwing the door open so that it slammed against the wall outside. Two guards stood beyond, both of them looking nervously over Kaita’s shoulder. They must have had strict orders not to enter unless Riri called for aid, but it was clear they had wanted to. They stared, dumbfounded, as Kaita swept past them.

  The low stone hallway ran a short distance before reaching a double door. Kaita flung these open to reveal a large main chamber, the centerpiece of the fortress. It was no grand place—not as finely decorated as the Shades’ fortress at The Watcher, and not as venerable as their former stronghold in the Greatrocks. It had been built long ago by kings whose names were long forgotten—forgotten because they never rose to the greatness of Roth’s generals in later days. Only recently had the Shades reclaimed this place for their own use.

  Many of Riri’s soldiers sat in the hall now, eating their evening meal. At the loud crash of the doors, most of them looked up, and the rest followed suit as the hall slowly fell silent.

  “Hear me,” called Kaita, her voice ringing in the still air. “Hear me, my siblings. Your father loves you, as he loves me and all his children. And if his love has a flaw, it is that it leads him to trust those who are not worthy.”

  Footsteps came down the hall behind her. Riri was coming.

  “Father would want you to survive,” Kaita went on, more quickly now. “And I say this: if you wish to live, abandon Riri. She is a fool, and she will throw all of your lives away. But if you remain, and if any of you live, your father’s mercy will remain—in me. Go north. Find me in Tokana. I will welcome you with an open heart, ready to return you to our father’s embrace.”

  Riri skidded to a stop behind her. Kaita turned and smiled, pleased to see the look of shock and fury on Riri’s face.

  “What under the sky are you doing?” growled Riri. “This is worse than insubordination. It is treason!”

  “Bold words from one who refused Rogan’s orders,” said Kaita. “Strike me down, if you think you can. But you had best pray word of it never reaches Rogan or our father.”

  Riri’s hands tensed. For a moment, Kaita thought she would actually try it. But finally Riri thrust a finger towards the chamber door leading out.

  “Go. Never let me see your face again, lest I plant a dagger within it.”

  “No, you never will see me again,” said Kaita. “You will die shortly after I leave, after I continue my service to our father. You think you have grown strong since our youth, and that I have remained the same. But I did change. I have grown wise, while you have remained foolish. Farewell, Ririti. For the last time.”

  Kaita turned and swept from the stronghold.

  “Why did Riri hate her so?” said Sun.

  “They knew each other when they were girls, as you will have guessed,” said Albern. “Their feud began then, and it worsened the older they grew. That is not always how it goes, of course. Many times we make enemies in our youth, only to reunite with them later and laugh at old, petty grievances. But that usually requires our paths to draw apart for a time, only to reunite when years of wisd
om allow us to see our early days with a more honest eye. Kaita and Riri never had that chance. They were never apart for long, and their conflict worsened each time they clashed.”

  “They were not sisters, were they?” said Sun. “I have no siblings, but I have known others who do. They fight more than it seems possible two people can fight.”

  Albern chuckled at that. “I have seen the same. But no, they were not.”

  They journeyed now through green lowlands, across fields that stretched for leagues to the west and east. In the west they met suddenly a great spur rising up out of the land—Sun recognized it from the story Albern had already told her of Lan Shui. To the east, the land climbed into the foothills of the Greatrock Mountains, which stood imposing above them, reaching for the sun, which was still climbing into the sky. The cool air had warmed now, and Sun had cast off her cloak and opened the ties of her outer skins as she walked, trying to keep from overheating. A raven soared above them. Sun glanced at it and was unpleasantly reminded of Kaita, and the way she had stalked Mag and Albern from the air for so long. She shuddered and returned her attention to the road.

  “It is all so different,” murmured Albern. When Sun looked up at him curiously, he waved his arm at their surroundings. “The landscape, I mean.”

  “When was the last time you were here?”

  “Longer than a while, less than an age,” he said, chuckling. “Some time after the Necromancer’s War, but not long after. Leaving for such a length of time makes all the changes seem far more stark. When you remain in a place, or when you see something every day of your life, you can miss the subtler changes as they happen.”

  Sun peered up at him, for his face was still somewhat shadowed by his hood. He had not thrown it back, despite the sun. “You mean as someone grows older?”

  “Certainly, but it is true for more than just people.” Albern rolled his shoulders. Sun was beginning to recognize that as a sign that he was about to tell another, smaller story, as part of the whole. “I am of the family Telfer, as you know, and my kin dwell in the northeastern mountains of Calentin, in a land called Tokana. That is near the northern end of the Greatrocks, whereas we are now close to their southern tip.