by Janet Woods
‘To Karshal.’
‘So are we,’ the boy said swiftly, climbing out of the basket and helping his sister to follow.
Hal sent the old man a smile. ‘Then you might as well travel with us.’
The girl slipped the cowl from her head and grinned, though the grin was directed towards her brother. Her hair was braided, and was full of dried mud ... obviously an attempt at disguise, for it was as fair as spun silver where the mud was wearing off, and gave off a slight luminosity.
‘You have moonlight in your hair, and it’s enchanting,’ he said, wondering what the hell had come over him.
Beside him, Orish chuckled.
She blushed, and snapped at him for his trouble. ‘You have a glib tongue. Do not say such things when I just want to look ordinary, like everyone else.’
‘My pardon,’ Lady Disagreeable. ‘Yes ... you are ordinary. Not that I was going to tell you any different. In fact, was just being kind to you; your hair is filthy and it stinks of river mud. I imagine you’ll attract all the flies. When we get to the lake, remind me to dunk you in it and give you a good wash.’
Now she looked downright furious. ‘Lay one finger on me and I’ll bite it off at the knuckle.’
‘Do shut up, Jynx, unless you want to walk,’ the lad said, and held out a hand. ‘I’m Remy, and this is my sister, Jynx.’
‘Why was that trooper after you?’
‘Our mother discovered that Jynx heals easily. She thinks Jynx might be a follower of the Grand Alchemist, and said it’s unnatural. Also, I have some magic in me, so our father has ordered us to be euthanized. That trooper is our brother, Emry’s, and he’s the best tracker in Cynan’s service. What are your names?’
Falcon Darkwater slipped into his mind. ‘Hal,’ he said, slightly befuddled by the effect the girl was having on him. He liked women with flesh on their bones, but this little maid was small. However, she was perfectly proportioned, he noticed. A delicious morsel, in fact, despite being dressed like a lad. He’d like to see her in some flowing garment with her hair unbound.
‘Why are you staring at me if I’m so dirty and ugly?’ she hissed. I’ll a poke a finger in your eye if you’re not careful.’
‘Then I’ll be forced to tan your backside you disagreeable little wretch.’ He’d intended to apologize, but thought: Damn her! ‘This is Orish, who raised me.’
‘Are you a real wizard, Orish?’ Remy asked.
‘Those were tricks I used in the market place,’ he said vaguely Are you hungry? As soon as we reach the lake we’ll make camp and heat up our dinner.’
Her stomach gurgled at the thought of food.
Hal said no more to her until they reached the lake, when he helped her down from the cart she kissed him on the cheek. ‘I’m sorry. You’ve been kind to us, Hal, and I was rude.’
‘You’re young, you’ve been through a lot and we will say no more about it.’
‘Remy and I don’t know what to do or where to go to escape from Emrys. Remy said that he and I have a destiny, but he doesn’t know what it is or how to go about it yet. He’s not aggressive and he wonders if his fighting skills will be sufficient to protect me from a foe such as Emrys. Remy is a dreamer, and he ponders on such things often. It’s always a pleasure to him when he finds an answer.’
Her naivety was refreshing, and Hal smiled at her. ‘Then we have much in common. Perhaps our destiny converges in some way. We will try and sort it out. But first we must go to Karshal, and then I must go into retreat for a while. Only then will I know who I am and where I’m from.’
* * * *
Azarine smiled as Helise asked to be excused from her chamber. The girl’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes glittered. Cynan had noticed Helise today, and she had simpered and smiled and cast flirtatious eyes his way.
Helise had taken great care with her gown, considering she’d said she was making a visit to her parents, Azarine noticed. It was cut low across her breast. She had threaded her lustrous dark hair with a red ribbon to match the clinging fabric.
Yegan Colban’s eldest daughter was ambitious. She wasn’t going to wait for Laek to return, but intended to ensnare his father and usurp Azarine from his affections and her exalted position of Lady of Arles.
Let her, Azarine thought, for the girl had played straight into her hands. Helise’s triumph would be short-lived. She would even help her with her quest; give her an excuse to see Cynan in case he was strong enough to refuse her entry to his chamber.
‘You may go. Deliver that note to Lord Cynan personally.’
‘Thank you, Lady.’
So demure, she was ... such an accomplished liar!
Azarine shrugged, and thought as she turned to her servant – enough of nurturing her own bitchery though, however satisfying. ‘Esbel, follow her. Tell me if she goes to Cynan’s chamber, and if he rejects her.’
‘He won’t. The potion you slipped into his drink will make him so rampant he’ll be unable to resist her charms for several days to come.’
Danea shrugged. ‘She will not resist his advances if she values her life. By the time he comes to his senses we’ll be well on our way. I almost feel sorry for Helise.’
Esbel gave an impatient huff. ‘That which she’s set in motion will come to pass. Helise has schemed to usurp Azarine from Cynan’s affection. Now the girl must face the consequence.’
Azarine gazed at her reflection in the mirror. For a moment she glimpsed an image of someone deep in its depths, and felt a stirring inside her. He was powerful and his eyes were deep red and glowing. One blink and he was gone, leaving behind a faint odor of sulphur in her nostrils. ‘Cynan will suffer remorse after I’ve gone because he truly came to love and trust me.’
‘Don’t feel sorry for him, Lady. Remember how your family suffered at his hands, especially your lady mother,’ Esbel said, before she sped off after Helise.
How could Azarine forget? Not a day passed by when she didn’t think of the male child they’d cut from her mother’s womb, and wonder how he fared. He’d be fully grown now and soon coming into his mental maturity. Would he have learned of his secret name yet, or of the destiny that was his? Had that been him in the market place with the wizard?
Yes ... no other but herself and her son Laek had such eyes. Soon it would begin ... had in fact just been set in motion.
‘Cynan will hate Helise when the potion wears off, but she will have brought it about by flaunting herself,’ Danea said fiercely, but mostly because it was expected of her. There were some aspects of Azarine’s service that didn’t sit well with her, and deceit wasn’t a natural part of her nature. ‘Half of Cynan’s guard pant after her like rabid dogs.’
If he allowed his nature the upper hand, he’d share Helise’s favors with those guards, Azarine thought with a twinge of guilt. ‘But the other half are true-bloods and will be my escort to Karshal. Helise’s nature is written on her face, and in the way she acts, walks and talks. That’s what attracts the male. It will be her downfall.’
Danea sighed. ‘I don’t want to be wed for dowry and position, so I don’t think I will ever wed at all. I’m too ugly to be loved.’
Taking the girl’s face between her hands Azarine gazed into her eyes and saw the disappointment written there. ‘You’re not ugly; your beauty is all inside you. You have a quiet face and it reflects what’s in your heart too easily. When you experience pleasure you shine, and when you think ill of someone then you have a sour expression that is truly disagreeable. What does that tell you, Danea?’
The girl laughed. ‘That I should strive to always be pleasurable and charitable, even when it’s hard. I was envious and I let it show on my face. I’m sorry, Lady.’
‘It is natural to feel envy, but all of us have to learn to live with the body and nature we were born with. You are good and you’re sensible, and one day your heart will be filled with love for a man. He will sense the goodness and beauty inside you and he will love you true. This I promise. His eyes
will see no imperfection in you.’
‘How will I know this man when I meet him?’
‘You will know.’ Azarine kissed the girl’s forehead and released her. ‘Now, let’s start to pack. Take only what we need and are able to carry on a small cart that will be left for us outside the manor walls. We will leave via the usual tunnel, so we won’t be observed. We must wear something sensible. I’ll don my dark blue robe. And I’ll take my ceremonial dagger. It once belonged to my father and has the name of his enemies engraved inside the steel. Cynan will be the first one to feel the blade of the avenger.’
The dagger sang as she drew it from its sheath. Azarine’s lips touched against the blade ‘See how sharp you’ve kept, my dear. Be patient a little longer and we shall have our revenge, you and I.’
Cynan had taught Azarine how to hate, and he’d shown her how to kill without remorse. She had learned fighting skills from watching him with his troops, and the best way of making a man suffer while keeping him alive as long as possible, from executions she’d been powerless to stop.
She’d absorbed the knowledge while she had fed him with honeyed lies, so now her tormented soul would never rest until his life was taken from his body by her own hands, and she was absolved.
From the direction of Cynan’s quarters came a muffled yelp of pain, and the sound of Helise sobbing. Accompanied by the guilt of his betrayal, Cynan was being rough with the girl in his lust. He would not thank Helise for enticing him from his chosen path and Helise would learn a valuable lesson.
One thing was for certain. Her son would never be wed to Helise now. She smiled as she thought of Laek. He was about to be invested with his true power and knowledge ... as was her brother, Falcon Darkwater.
She went into a meditative state and her mind sought them both out. She saw the aged storyteller in the market place and she scrutinized the shadows behind him. Her gaze settled on a young man and their eyes met. His had no definite color to speak of. It was as though they had a barrier across them to limit his vision. He began to make his way towards her. She couldn’t remember meeting him before, yet she knew him.
She wondered, perhaps he was one of Cynan’s spies, and panicking a little she’d turned and hurried away, Esbel and Danea on her tail.
Shaking her head to clear her vision she concentrated on Laek. But his mind wasn’t on her. He was seated on a rock overlooking a lake and gazing into the water, where the moon was reflected. She heard someone giggle, and her son smiled and trailed his fingers through the water, turning it into moonlit ripples. The giggle belonged to Jynx.
Azarine had accidently intruded into Laek’s private reflections. She was glad to learn that, despite her troubles, Jynx’s irrepressible spirit had not been quashed by the troubles she and her brother now faced.
She was about to let the scene go when Laek looked up from the water and smiled at her. She blew him a kiss, knowing he’d sensed her thoughts and had allowed her into his.
Esbel slipped inside the room, jerking her out of her reverie. ‘The deed is done, Lady. Cynan is completely absorbed with his new discovered prowess.’
‘Then we’re also done here. Let’s prepare to depart.’
* * * *
The moon was showing its dark side when they emerged from the tunnel.
The true-bloods left Arles on foot in the dead of night, unobtrusively in ones and twos. Melting into the crowds, Azarine and her party walked unnoticed past the guards when they conveniently turned the other way.
The cart they’d hidden was still there. They placed their food and chattels in it and trundled off through the lanes.
They discarded Cynan’s badge of office, exchanging it for a badge in the shape of a silver peregrine from some of the street vendors.
* * * *
Emrys hesitated. He’d been aware of the exodus but unable to inform Cynan, who’d made himself unavailable to everyone.
He had no peregrine insignia to wear on his cloak.
No matter, it didn’t take him long to get one, and with hardly a squeak. He left the lad’s unconscious body in an alley, and then, slinging his travel pack on to his back he joined the exodus.
After the last true-blood had gone through the guards closed the city gates with themselves on the outside.
Chapter Seven
Laek’s group was near the end of their training.
They were being closely observed. The commanders came and went between the three islands, and combat strategy was staged. Afterwards they were called together and informed that in the next seven days the groups would be broken up and they’d be sorted into regiments.
‘They will not separate us,’ Laek said, throwing fiercely protective arms about the shoulders of Iago and Jon. We’ve been together since we were born. And I won’t let them take you, Tighe. You’re one of us.’
Tighe shrugged. ‘I’m a hesp, and they may think I’m an unsuitable companion for a prince.’
Two of them looked at him in dismay, the third laughed. ‘They haven’t so far; besides, I choose my own companions unless they happen to choose me first – like you did in the very beginning.’
Tighe laughed. ‘I thought you hadn’t noticed. Being apart doesn’t matter in the long run. If we take a sacred oath to love and protect each other it will bind us together for the rest of time.
He gazed at Jon and Iago. ‘I can endow you both with the ability to mind contact in case the need ever arises. It’s a handy skill to have.’
The pair grinned at each other.
‘To you, Laek I must offer more, the knowledge of your true identity. It may prove to be a burden to you.’
Laek wasn’t surprised. ‘I wondered when you’d get around to revealing your true purpose. Am I not the true son of Cynan, then? I have often had doubts.’
‘You are your mother’s son. I’ll be bringing you into your blood inheritance, Laek. The truth will be painful. If you didn’t have the bodily strength or maturity of mind I would have had to wait longer. If you can place your trust in me the transference will be successful, otherwise it could kill you.’
Laek didn’t hesitate, just nodded.
‘On the other hand, you may try to kill me.’
Laek grinned at him. ‘I’ve controlled that urge in the past and can do so again.’
‘We will take the sacred oath first and then you will be ready for what comes next. Sit in a circle, two facing in and two out.’ He waited for them to accept the solemnity of the moment then said, ‘Now ... place your palm on your neighbor’s heart and close your eyes. Feel our hearts begin to beat in unison and repeat after me ... We, Jon, Iago, Tighe and Laek take a sacred oath that whether together or apart, we will support each other in the protection of goodness and justice, and for the rest of time.’
‘So it be sworn,’ they all said in unison.
Tighe placed each of his palms against the foreheads of Iago and Jon. ‘Allow your ears and minds to open to that which was previously closed to you. Use the power wisely and deny its existence not, for it will abandon you if you do.’
The pair looked at each other and began to laugh, obviously practising on one another.
Tighe stopped them with a wave of his hand. ‘Tonight, when the moon is full, Laek and I will undergo the transfer of knowledge. We will both be vulnerable when this is going on, so you must guard us carefully. Whatever happens and whatever you hear you must not disturb us or try and break the bond.’
‘Not even if Laek tries to kill you?’
‘Especially not then. I must trust him as much as he trusts me.’
While Jon and Iago patrolled their lair, Laek and Tighe joined hands and closed their eyes. They floated out over the water and were bathed in the light of the moon.
So it took place. Laek allowed himself to drift as Tighe showed him a story without words.
He was in a world that shifted from scene to scene.
He saw Cynan, taking the palace at Karshal, slaughtering men, raping women and cutting
the throats of children ... people who couldn’t defend themselves. The scene sickened him.
‘I don’t want to see any more,’ he murmured.
‘You must.’
Outside the city of Karshal was a row of poles. Bodies hung from them. He saw his own family, a man and woman, and two small boys, trying not to show their fear as they were used for target practice ... the woman was with child. Laek cried out when a spear was thrust into her belly. But still she lived, by will alone. Azarine appeared, barely out of maidenhood, her eyes coursing with tears.’
‘Lady mother,’ he murmured, feeling her pain so his heart squeezed painfully in his chest.
It moved on, the scenes becoming more rapid as he accepted what he was being shown. Esbel cutting open the stomach of the woman and removing the child in all its gore. His mother talked to the infant, kissing the child’s face. Himself? No. He’d been born to Azarine. The infant was a boy, he saw before the child was wrapped and placed in the pouched beak of a bird. Bats descended and blotted out the scene, adding to the carnage.
It moved on. His mother was in a chamber. She took something from a box, a capsule of some sort. He averted his eyes when she began to insert it inside her.
‘You must watch ... you must know it all.’
‘It is my mother and I owe her my respect.’
‘Yes ... and this is the moment when you were conceived and must respect that.’
‘The capsule?’
Laek felt his hatred of Cynan growing as the man forced himself on Azarine. How she could bear, it he didn’t know. She didn’t struggle or cry out though tears glistened on her eyelids.
There was a moment when he was carried into the darkness. For a time all was peace inside the capsule. He grew in its warmth, felt his mother’s heart beat above him, experienced her love surrounding him. Then he was being born, in a rush of agony and fluid.’ She smiled down at him, whispering, ‘It is done, my little Lord.’
‘Who am I?’
‘Search your mind.’
A flight soared across the moon and came down from the sky. Its magnificent, glossy black wings outstretched, it skimmed across the water and hovered. There was a man astride its back, powerful to look at, and dressed in leather breeches and a dark top. His dark fall of hair was as black as a raven’s wing and was swept into silver rings set high on his head. His eyes were a dark purple.