“If you don’t mind me asking, is it going to be made official?” Graloon asked, almost respectfully.
“What? I’m sorry, is what going to be made official, Graloon?”
“Magic-wielding soldiers. From what I understand, Unsel needs them.” Graloon wasn’t being coy or quiet, and those at the nearby table turned to face him.
“You’re right, we do need them,” Rook said, squeezing his hands together in irritation. “I asked the queen myself, and was told...I was told not yet.”
“That’s crazy!” the young woman clamored from the nearby table.
“I agree, Birgitte. I don’t understand why they would want to wait,” said a balding, burly man sitting next to her.
“John, Mitchell, Rahvin, Birgitte, and half the people in here are waiting to enlist,” Graloon said with a wave of his hand. “They want to help, and they need the work.”
“If I get another chance, I’ll ask again,” Rook promised as he dared a lingering look at Heidi.
“You dropped something,” Janda said, smacking him in the back of his head. “Your jaw?”
The table of magic-wielding soldiers broke out in laughter. Rook looked up at Janda out the corner of his eye while rubbing the back of his head. She hugged Graloon, avoiding Rook’s apologetic looks.
“I see your waitress is still earning her tips,” she said dryly.
“She brings in the boys,” Graloon said, jerking a thumb at Rook.
Rook stared at Graloon with eyes that screamed, “where is the brotherly bond between men?” Janda wacked Rook again, making the table of onlookers laugh even more. Birgitte raised a glass to toast Janda’s disciplines, and Janda winked at the dark-eyed brunette before smiling at Rook as though nothing had happened.
“We were just talking about magic-wielders enlisting,” Rook said, hoping to start their conversation on better footing.
Graloon nodded in confirmation.
“It’s true? Your boy there recommended us to the queen?” Mitchell asked in disbelief, wiping a bit of ale from his scruffy face.
“He didn’t ask,” she answered, making everyone’s faces turn sour. “He insisted, practically demanding the queen and her Captain Guard look into it. Rook told them they were fools for not wanting to protect Unsel. I’m surprised they didn’t throw him into irons for insubordination!”
A brief pause was followed by loud cheers from all nearby. People stood to shake Rook’s hand or slap him on the back. Rook’s eyes were wide with surprise as he looked from the throng of supporters to Janda. She winked slyly and emptied the rest of his mead.
“See, son, the non-wielders aren’t all bad,” Rahvin said, slapping Mitchell on the shoulder.
“Fine job, Rook,” Graloon said enthusiastically. “That one is on the house. You come back and tell us more, okay?”
“Yessir. Yes, um, thanks!” Rook said, dumbfounded.
“Let’s get out of here, my dear. Jaden is waiting to go visit Heather,” Janda said, taking Rook’s hand and leading him to the entrance. She continued in a whisper, “And we don’t need your head getting any bigger.”
The path to Angst and Heather’s cottage was almost a road, barely wide enough for two horses, as though the pretty country view on either side of the path was desperately trying to meet once again. Rook had heard rumors that the queen was attempting to keep Angst away from the princess by awarding him a homestead so far away, but in Rook’s eyes it was truly a gift. The castle was only a half-day ride by horse—far enough away to be free from the city crowds he proclaimed to hate, and close enough to be quickly available for young princesses.
Rook stared off at snowy fields protected by a tight, soldier’s row of trees. The week of adventure with the magic-wielders had been wearing, and his nerves were on edge. His leg felt tight and his side hurt from trying to overcompensate for the injury. Even worse, he was certain he had to be going mad. Rook was falling in love with one of them, with a magic-wielder.
He looked over at the beautiful Janda. Long curly red hair framed her pale face. Tiny freckles covered her cheeks, which were blush red from the cold air. Her lips were thin, yet full enough to kiss, and they smiled like she knew what he was thinking when she turned to look at him. She was amazing, and he felt warm and calm in her eyes until she winced and looked up again.
“Ouch,” Janda hollered over her shoulder while holding her fingers to her ears. “That was too loud!”
Janda quickly reached up into the sky and a fist-sized ball of flame shot from her fingertips. The fireball tore a hole in the ceiling of clouds, exposing blue skies above them as it continued to space and beyond.
“That’s how far away I am!” she yelled fiercely. Her one-sided conversation seemed to be that of a crazy person. Janda jerked her head quickly to look over at Rook, her hair whipping around violently. She smiled warmly, trying to continue the brief moment that they had just shared.
“I hate this,” Rook said, shaking his head in anxious frustration. “Why did Jaden have to come with?”
“I’m sorry, butter,” she said sweetly. Before he could take off and ride ahead, Janda reached over and rested her hand on his arm. “He wanted to practice earthspeak, and it requires another wielder. You saw Earth try to teach him how, and it takes a lot of practice. I can’t do it, and he can’t do it right. We’re trying to prepare...in case—”
Janda let go with a wince, holding both wrists firmly against her ears. Her top lip lifted in an angry sneer. She forcefully threw a larger ball of flame down the road behind them. Rook could feel the heat diminish as it moved further away.
Janda turned her head to smile sweetly at Rook again. “No matter how many fireballs I throw, he can’t judge how far away I am, and it’s pissing me off!” she growled. There was an indignant yelp from the trail behind them. “Hopefully that ass will start paying attention.”
Before Rook could speak, a giant lizard bearing Jaden landed gracefully in front of them. It was an odd beast with six legs and a long tail. Scales of rough gray granite gave the creature a frighteningly cold and harsh appearance. Its long forked tongue licked and flicked at the path before retreating into the creature’s mouth.
“What was that for?” Jaden snapped. “You singed my cheek!”
“It felt like my ears were going to pop!” Janda roared. She urged her swifen, a glassy red lioness, over to inspect the damage on his cheek. “You big baby, you’ll be fine.”
“It shouldn’t have been that loud,” Jaden said with less vehemence, rubbing his reddened cheek. “This spell is unlike anything I’ve tried. I know the practice will help.”
“That’s why I’m agreeing to do this,” she said. Janda nodded her head toward Rook. “But it’s time for a break from magic.”
The rock and dirt road suddenly transitioned into a beautiful carved stone pathway. The hooves of Rook’s horse clacked loudly, and he pulled the reins to dismount. Rook inspected the road ahead, rubbing off the dusting of snow with his hand. The stones were mostly flat and varied in color, all different types of limestone, flint, granite, and other indeterminate minerals. It was a beautiful mess that succeeded in both widening and fortifying the path ahead.
“Angst mentioned he was working on this, but I wouldn’t have thought it would be so...pretty,” Rook said in surprise.
“We must almost be there, right?” Jaden asked, unimpressed by the sight. “How much of this could he have gotten finished?”
“It’s my understanding that he stopped fifteen miles from his house,” Rook said.
“He did all this in under a month?” Janda asked in surprise.
“If nothing else, the guy is a work horse,” Rook said, shaking his head.
“I wish the stones weren’t covered in snow. I bet this will be amazing in the spring,” Janda remarked.
“We should keep moving,” Jaden said, doing his best not to look surprised. “Heather’s expecting us.”
The colorful stone road widened enough for the three to ride next
to one another, and within ten minutes, the cottage came into view. As they came closer, the snow no longer covered the pathway and surrounding grass.
“That’s odd,” Janda said, commenting on the lack of snow. “Is this something Angst did?”
Rook merely shrugged then sighed with relief at reaching their destination. He was wary of imposing on Heather, but his leg was increasingly uncomfortable. He was also wary of Jaden. They still knew little about the young man—his intentions, his abilities, or even his origins. He was only here because he needed to practice earthspeak, and Tyrell wanted Rook to observe him and pass along what he could.
The cottage was much larger than one found in the city. Originally made from logs, it seemed Angst had fortified much of the structure with stones similar to those along the path. Unfortunately, what made the path oddly attractive didn’t quite work for the house, and Rook wondered if Heather had the heart to mention it.
Rook dismounted his pinto and knocked on the door. As Janda and Jaden dismissed their swifen, Heather opened the door.
She smiled welcomingly at her dusty guests, and tugged at her heavy dress to cover her pregnancy. “Thanks for coming. I’m glad you’re all here,” she said, giving Rook a friendly hug and beckoning them inside.
Scar ambled toward them with his head hung low and his tail wagging slowly. He trod halfway down the hall then waited for Rook and the others to come to him.
“He looks awful,” Rook said, picking up the pup and analyzing him. “How is he even alive?”
Heather’s lip began to quiver, and Janda rushed to take her hand while shooting an angry look at him. Rook was at a loss and looked to Jaden for understanding, but he was in the same stupor. A sudden sadness overtook Rook as Heather’s ability to influence others’ emotions affected him.
“It’s okay, Janda. Thank you,” Heather said, taking a deep breath. “Scar and Angst seem tied together. When Angst fell ill, so did Scar, so he’s the only sign I have that Angst is alive. But he’s getting worse, and so...I worry.”
“Heather, I didn’t know. I’m sorry,” Rook said in surprise. “I don’t always understand this stuff. I’m glad Angst is okay.”
Heather wiped the corner of her eyes and patted Rook on the shoulder. She nodded and smiled bravely. “Angst is always okay. Come in and tell me of goings-on at the castle,” she asked. “It’s quiet out here.”
They followed Heather to the sitting room where everyone found a chair. Tea and biscuits waited for them on a table. Rook and Janda said grateful thanks through mouthfuls of biscuit.
Jaden stared at his tea. “It’s cold.”
“I didn’t know when you were coming,” Heather said apologetically, gripping the arms of her chair to stand.
“I can take care of Mr. Rude,” Janda said, waving Heather back down. She took Jaden’s cup of tea, unceremoniously placed her finger in it and concentrated. Within seconds, the tea was boiling. Janda flicked tea off her finger into the cup before handing it back to Jaden.
“You wield magic. Next time you can do this,” she proclaimed, staring the young man down.
While his eyes appeared apologetic, Jaden said nothing, quickly setting the hot tea on the table.
The silence was deafening, and Rook decided to revisit his conversation from the Wizard’s Revenge. “It seems the crown still has no plans to recruit magic-wielders as soldiers,” Rook said, sounding disappointed. “I tried to convince Her Majesty and Tyrell, but they wouldn’t budge.”
“That’s no surprise. Angst can’t seem to convince Isabelle of anything either,” Heather stated. “But you would think after the crisis, and with the looming threat of another, they would want to be prepared this time.”
“Exactly,” said Rook. He took an angry bite of biscuit.
“The queen seemed more interested in adopting Alloria than fighting the monsters around the sinkholes,” Janda sniped.
“Adopting Alloria?” Heather asked in a chilly tone then muttered under breath, “I like her even less than the other one.”
“What?” Rook asked around a mouthful.
“Have another biscuit,” Janda said, winking at Heather. “Some say that after Princess Victoria ran away, the queen wanted an heir. Alloria is royalty, and next in line, so—”
“Victoria ran away!” Heather said loudly, almost jumping from her seat. She began breathing rapidly. Had it worked? Had she done this? Panic set in. “How...who? Is she...is she safe?”
“Heh, couldn’t be safer,” Jaden said snarkily.
“I’m sure if Scar is still healthy, she’s just fine,” Rook said with a smile.
“I don’t understand,” Heather said, gripping her heart and looking about guiltily. Her mind ran through the possibilities. She had never meant to put Victoria in danger.
“I figured you, of all people, would know,” Rook said gently.
“Know what?” Heather asked. She couldn’t control her breathing. She was starting to get dizzy.
“Everyone knows by now,” Jaden said. “The princess went with Angst.”
“What?” Heather screeched then promptly passed out.
24
Victoria wandered around the swifen while the others waited in awkward silence. She touched each one, studying them as she scratched behind their ears or patted their flanks. Dallow’s tawny wood-carved gazelle had dark eyes shaped like his. The swifen pawed at the ground anxiously with its front hooves. The shadowy panther Hector rode appeared as though made from wet sand. Victoria had been reluctant to touch their swifen at first, but she’d found the skin warm and soft. When she finished stroking its back, the creature quivered like a cat shaking off water. She stepped toward the majestic stallion Tarness summoned. Obsidian marble with soft accents, the swifen was as sturdy as its rider.
“It’s amazing how lifelike they are,” she remarked, doing her best to stall. “I wouldn’t have expected them to be warm to the touch. It’s like they’re alive.”
“Yes, Your Maj...yes, Tori,” Dallow replied.
“Your swifen always stay the same and Jaden’s able to change his, but they always work.” Victoria held her hand in front of the marble stallion, and steamy air puffed out of its nostrils. “Why is Angst’s such a mess?”
“It’s my understanding that the swifen is a reflection of you, a part of who you are,” Dallow answered. “Angst’s seems to be tied to his health, or his confidence. Or both.”
“And Jaden?” she asked, unsettled by Dallow’s response.
“I would say Jaden is overconfident,” Tarness observed. “That, and maybe he’s trying to be more than one person.”
“As for us, we can’t help but be perfect,” Hector said with a smirk and sly eyes.
“Maybe,” Tori winked. “But I’d definitely say steadfast.”
Everyone’s backs straightened with pride at her remark, for she was still the princess.
“Are you sure he’s all right?” Dallow asked with worry and impatience.
“Are you sure he’s coming?” Hector added.
A roar of frustration followed by a loud hacking cough burst from their campsite. Even from a hundred feet away, they could hear Angst stomping around in anger. They all turned around to look at Victoria with raised eyebrows.
“He’ll get it, it just seems to be getting harder each time he tries,” Tori said apologetically. “And no, I don’t think he’s all right.”
“As much as I hate the idea of waiting,” Dallow conceded, “he still needs more rest after your attack.”
“He needs a foci as fast as we can find one,” Hector corrected. “I think it’s a mistake to wait any longer.”
Victoria pondered these options as though they’d been presented directly to her. She twirled a lock of her blond hair around a finger and frowned. Pulling the strands in front of her eye she uselessly tried to line them back up where they belonged. Victoria sighed at the mud and oil that seemed ground into her pretty blond curls.
“I agree with Dallow. I’ll convin
ce Angst we need to stop at the nearest town.” She thoughtfully placed a hand on Hector’s arm. “You’re also right, but if we don’t give Angst a chance to catch his breath we’ll have to move slower to compensate.”
“Camfeld is on the border of Melkier,” Hector offered reluctantly. “At a snail’s pace we can make it there by early afternoon.”
There was a loud rattle, and a sigh of relief followed by a hacking cough. They stopped talking as the clanking sound of Angst’s swifen approached.
“Sorry that took so long,” Angst said, slightly out of breath.
Angst looked pale and sickly, his face drawn. Gaunt. He looked like Rose before she had fed on the bear.
“What?” Angst snapped at them as he stared down everyone’s worry.
“Nothing,” Hector said with gruff concern. “Um, Tori, would you like to ride with me?”
“No, I’ll ride with Angst, thank you,” she replied, without an ounce of worry in her voice.
Tori smartly used a bent metal plate on the swifen’s shoulder to lift herself onto the saddle and swung her leg over the ram’s neck. She settled back into Angst, who sighed with relief and gave her a brief hug before heading down the road. The others mounted and followed in silence.
“Angst, I’m still shook up by that whole thing,” Tori said in her most fretful voice. “I’d like to stop at an inn tonight.”
“I was hoping we could push past the first few towns so we’re closer to the capital,” Angst said, already sounding as though he had lost the argument. “If we make the swifen—”
“Please, Angst?” She jammed a lock of crusty hair into his face. “Look at this!”
Angst sighed deeply, exhaling exhaustion and concern. He knew his friends thought they should be in Melkier by now, and he agreed. He had delayed them enough. They needed to hurry and get Dulgirgraut or they would never find Rose, and who knew what kind of danger she was in.
“Angst, I know you’re worried about Rose, but she’s fine. And she’s on foot,” Tori said convincingly, several thoughts ahead of him. “This is the best time to get some rest before things really get messy. Please. Trust me.”
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