Essence of Chaos

by Marie Andreas

  Keanin looked at his lifelong friend. “I suppose you’re right, he isn’t a violent soul at heart. But they can’t possibly be as afraid as I am. Even you, a newcomer to our world, have shown more courage than I.” He hung his head.

  “I haven’t had a choice. Ghortin ingrained the mage’s motto into my teaching. Literally. I have to help others, I can’t help myself. And there’s something more.” She looked over to Keanin, but he still wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I don’t know if they told you about how I arrived here.”

  Keanin looked up at that. “No, they didn’t. Which isn’t too surprising, I’m often left out of those things.”

  “Somehow—and don’t ask, even Ghortin isn’t sure how—part of me was thrown into the body of a mindslave.” At Keanin’s sharp intake of breath, she fixed him with a steady gaze. “You can’t tell anyone about this.” When he nodded in agreement, she continued.

  “Part of that poor woman’s memory lives in me. It’s more of an echo. I recognize things I shouldn’t, react to things I shouldn’t know about and the like. That echo also forces me into actions that I have no control over. At least we think it’s the echo. Like when I attacked that trio in the queen’s chambers. I was only a passenger in that; something other than me was directing my actions. So you see, I’m not brave; I’ve got some serious help. Or hindrance if you want to look at it that way.”

  “I had no idea. What’s it like, living in someone else’s body?” His fears vanished as his natural curiosity took over. “What do you really look like?”

  “Aside from the echo, it’s pretty normal. And for the most part, this is what I look like. Part of me came over, and my consciousness, or something, tried to pull the rest of me through to this world. I do know that the woman had brown eyes, and this hair is quite a bit longer and thicker than mine was. We must have been fairly similar to begin with, because I don’t notice that many things that are different.”

  “And what are you two muttering about back here?” Storm came over to where they sat.

  “Just passing the time. Are we close to whatever dreadful place you’re dragging us?”

  “No, but we should reach it before nightfall tomorrow, providing Crell lets us get moving again.” Storm turned to Keanin. “And I want to know what your fascination is with that soldier, Marta. I’ve seen you staring at her. I didn’t think you went for soldiers, old friend.”

  “I don’t.” Keanin shot a warning glance to Jenna. “She looked familiar. But I’ve realized I was mistaken.”

  “Why do I think I’m missing something?” Storm looked from one to the other with a bemused smile.

  “Oh, come on, Keanin, tell him. Or I will.”

  “Now I’m truly curious.” Storm gave Keanin his full attention.

  “It was a mistake,” Keanin stated. When Jenna gave an indelicate cough, he continued. “All right, Marta approached Jenna and I when we were out on our tour of the city. She propositioned me, I turned her down, she kissed me, and then left. End of story.”

  Storm looked to Jenna. “Shall I?” she said it innocently, but with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

  Keanin folded his arms and turned away.

  “Well, it seems that our tall soldier woman has no recollection of me, Keanin, or the kiss. I’m afraid it quite unnerved him.”

  Storm held his mirth in check for a few seconds, then gave up. “Oh, Keanin, what is to become of you? First Jenna refuses to give in to your courting ways, and now you’ve been seduced and abandoned by a soldier.”

  “Now come on, would I laugh at you, either of you, if you’d lost your talents? If Corin couldn’t fight or Jenna couldn’t do magic? Each of us has our own gifts. Mine happen to lie in a different direction than yours.” He turned away with a sniff.

  Storm smiled at Keanin’s melodramatics. “We’re teasing you. Besides, I don’t fight well every day, and Jenna can tell you how sporadic her magic is. It’s about time that your talents, as you call them, fluctuated.”

  “You don’t have to find it so damn amusing.” Keanin stalked off and stayed near the back once they started moving again.

  At the evening camp, Jenna attempted to reach Ghortin, but there was no response. She gave a disgusted snort as she prepared to lay out her small tent. What was the use in having a mentor if he only showed up randomly? She knew she was being unfair, Ghortin’s situation was far from normal, but she couldn’t help it. Everything was making her jumpy and she was wondering where these strange ideas were coming from. So far the commands and Power were on her side. But what if they didn’t stay that way? What if there was something more malevolent than a mild echo in her mind?

  “I’m sure wherever you put it will be fine.” Jenna looked up to see Edgar grinning at her. She realized that while she’d been lost in her worries, she had been holding her tent.

  “Sorry. I must have looked silly waving this around.”

  “Not at all. I informed the troops that you were simply having an argument with Ghortin as to the best location.”

  Jenna looked down sheepishly. “Thanks. I’m afraid this was just me this time. I was thinking.”

  “That kind of thinking can only be serious.”

  “Not really,” Jenna lied. She certainly didn’t want to parade her paranoid fears in front of a knight. Even if he always looked more like his alter ego of spymaster. “I was letting some unlikely scenarios run away with me.”

  “This must be quite a change for you.”

  Jenna looked up sharply.

  Edgar went on. “Quite different from being stuck with that old mage in his forest.”

  Jenna gave a tiny sigh of relief. For a moment she thought that everyone knew she wasn’t from this world.

  “I’m afraid this isn’t anything like I’m used to.” A thought dawned on her. Ghortin might not be willing to hazard a guess as to the origins of the attacks on the land of Traanafaeren, but maybe someone else would. “Do you have any idea who, or what, is behind all of these attacks?”

  “That is a serious discussion. And as such, should be discussed around plenty of food and drink.” Edgar looked over to where Kern’s second lieutenant was taking a mess of birds off the spit. “And I do believe our repast is prepared. If you will join me, my lady, I will be more than happy to share my humble thoughts on the origins of our nemesis.” He led the way to the mess area.

  “Nothing is quite as good as derawri cooking,” Edgar said happily as he dug into one side of his bird once they’d settled in.

  Jenna was surprised that he took a whole one, but then reconsidered. Along with their ability to heal faster, kelars also seemed to require a lot more food than other folk. Even a relatively small one like Edgar.

  “Now, what was it you wanted to know?” He wiped the grease away from his chin.

  “I was curious if you had any clue as to what we’re up against. All these things keep happening, and yet no one seems able to say who’s behind it.”

  “Most people probably aren’t sure. I’d say it points to the followers of Qhazborh. Except that they’ve not been up to much for at least eighty years, and back then it was small aggressions, nothing large. Also, they rarely worked with animals, and the ertin and sciretts are definitely involved. Based on the level of magic used when the king was taken, we are dealing with a mastermage. Like the one that took the king. Except that no single person alive, even a cuari, could hold that kind of Power long term.” He shook his head, black eyes glinting in the firelight. “And Ravenhearst being involved pulls in Strann. He could be acting alone—but with the clout he carries in his country, I doubt it. And then, of course, there are things still darker.”

  Jenna looked up at his drop in volume. “Everything you’ve said so far, I’ve heard about. What darker things?”

  “Folk tales mostly. Which is why you may not have heard of them. Living with Ghortin and frequenting castles isn’t going to expose you to much of the common people. The tales have to do with the cuari.”

  Jenna
waved a piece of bread at him. “But I thought the cuari appeared when the world started.” Part of Ghortin’s exceedingly long history lessons had been about the cuari. A species of only one hundred—one of which, Carabella, was Ghortin’s mother.

  “Since the dawn of time, people have speculated on what life was like before the three species came. When it was just the cuari.” He ripped off another piece of the roasted bird. “Some people say that the cuari weren’t supposed to be here. That this world belonged to something else and that the cuari got rid of it. Maybe that something else is coming back.”

  Jenna couldn’t fight the shiver that went up her back. This man would be great at telling ghost stories around a campfire. “But that was thousands of years ago. If the story is true, wouldn’t whatever was out there have come back a long time ago?”

  Edgar spread his hands wide, his grin reaching the tips of his pointed ears. “I didn’t say I believed it, I told you what some people think. Personally, I think that tale was made up to frighten children.”

  Jenna looked at him for a few moments, trying to figure out what he believed. But for all of his open friendliness, Edgar was a closed book when it came to his true thoughts.

  “Thank you. At least now I know it’s not just me who has no idea what’s going on; no one else does either.” She stretched as a yawn overtook her. “I’d better get to sleep, or I’ll never make it tomorrow.”

  “Good idea. Although I think I might make a detour over to Crell’s tent. She usually has something along to shake off the winter chill.” He got up and gave a little bow. “Good night, fair lady.” For that one second, Jenna could see him as a knight of the realm, then he winked, and the spy persona reappeared.

  24

  The next morning, thin sheets of snow covered the ground like a scattering of crushed diamonds. It was less than an inch in depth, but it was enough to make Jenna wish for heavier clothing as she disassembled her tent. Although these single person tents were lighter than silk, they held heat amazingly well. Now if she could find someone to make her a jacket out of one.

  Jenna spent the first few hours of the trip south trying to contact Ghortin. They were getting close to the temple island and she couldn’t tell them she had no idea why she’d made them go there. They’d never trust her on anything again. She was hoping that even if Ghortin didn’t suggest it to her, he might be able to come up with a plausible reason for their being there. If he would just come back.

  Storm and Edgar had been scouting ahead and waited for them at the shore of a large lake at the edge of the woods.

  Frantically, Jenna doubled her efforts to reach Ghortin. Just as they were coming out of the woods an irate, but welcome, voice sounded in her head.

  “What now? I just left you.”

  Jenna almost yelped with joy at the cranky voice. “No, you didn’t. It’s been a full day and a half since you showed up last time. And I’ve got a problem.”

  Ghortin was silent a moment. He came back subdued. “That long? I swear I feel like I’ve been gone but a few minutes.”

  “Right after you left last time, I had this strange urge to visit a temple of Irissanta. That wasn’t a parting shot from you by any chance, was it?”

  “No. At least I don’t think so. But then I also didn’t know I was out of things for so long, so who knows.” He paused. “How long was I gone earlier, after we got Tor Ranshal and Edgar up to Maggie’s?”

  “Two days.”

  “I was afraid of that. It didn’t dawn on me when I saw the camp. About this urge to go to the temple, you don’t know why?”

  “No. Storm asked if you gave me a clue as to which way to travel. I started to tell him that you left without a direction when a temple of Irissanta flashed to mind. We’re almost there, and I should have some reason to give them for this detour.”

  “True. Or they’ll think one or both of us has lost it. Which isn’t that unimaginable,” he muttered. “But for now, tell them that I wished to meet with the seeress. She and I go quite a ways back and it would be good to talk to her. Yes, that’s actually a good idea. Tell them we’ll spend the night on the island.”

  Jenna stepped forward to pass on Ghortin’s words when the sight of the lake stopped her.

  What she thought was a simple lake terminated in a magnificent waterfall. One so high that its bottom was lost in the rising spray. But more stupendous than the glorious fall was the citadel perched on the brink of it. What they called Cathedral Island was completely artificial.

  Twin towers rose from opposite ends of the low walled castle. Gracefully curving arches, easily several feet taller than Storm, were everywhere. Jenna realized with a start that they were windows. Larger versions could be seen further back, acting as gateways to the myriad of short walls seen within. The entire collection of buildings, for upon closer inspection it would be difficult to call such a thing a castle, was covered with a pearled white stone which glistened brightly in the afternoon light.

  At first she thought the graceful structure lacked defense. This wasn’t a populated area and would be prone to bandits. She couldn’t believe that the clerics relied on good will to protect them. Then she understood. There was no visible way over to the island; any attacker would be flung off the waterfall. Which posed another problem. How were they going to get to the island?

  “Does Ghortin need all of us to go over? Or just you?” Storm had approached silently, as usual.

  “Oh.” Jenna jumped as she came out of her little world. The temple drew her in. “Ghortin wants to talk to the seeress. I don’t think everyone needs to go.” A thought hit her. Like the original one to come here, it was quick and elusive. With a mental sigh, she gave in to it. Ghortin hadn’t seemed unduly concerned that it might be something bad. She just wished she shared his confidence.

  “But you at least should go, and Keanin.” She held up a hand before he could speak. “Don’t ask, I’m only the messenger.” Of course, she wasn’t sure who the message was from. But they didn’t need to know that. Not yet, at any rate.

  “So I’m to be dragged along again. Don’t I have a say in anything anymore?” Keanin gave a long-suffering sigh that probably could be heard in the distant temple.

  “No,” Storm and Jenna said in unison.

  “I do have one question, how do we get over there?” She looked at the rough fall.

  Storm walked over to a small shed. “Over here.”

  Jenna followed with more than a little curiosity. Inside the shed was a small table.

  “Lay your hands on the table and think of the temple.”

  Jenna shrugged and did what Storm said. A feathery tingle filled the palms of her hands as she thought of Ghortin and the temple. A faint chime sounded above her head.

  “We are most pleased to welcome such august company. Please stand ready by the staff and we shall send for you.” The voice was soothing, but Jenna couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.

  Storm seemed satisfied and headed back outside.

  “Are we sure we want to do this?” Keanin sounded edgier than usual. Jenna couldn’t understand why. Surely he’d had plenty of contact with Storm’s sister, Kaytine; she was a cleric of Irissanta, and he’d been raised with the royal family.

  Storm, however, seemed to understand. “I know you’re uncomfortable, but if Jenna thinks you should go, you should go.”

  Jenna stepped back and pulled Storm with her. “Why is he so upset? These are the same clerics as your sister, aren’t they?” She had a horrible vision of getting the wrong type of cleric.

  “Yes. In fact, this is where Kaytine normally spends most of her time. Keanin doesn’t feel comfortable with the seeress. She made some predictions about him when he was young, and he’s still unnerved about them.”

  “What were they, and is she always right?”

  “He wouldn’t share them. Yes, but not always literally correct.” He shrugged. “We tried for years to convince Keanin he had nothing to be afraid of. The seeress her
self admitted that what she sees is just one possible path. But he still hasn’t gotten over it.”

  Jenna went back to the auburn-haired kelar and slid her arm around his slender waist. “I don’t know what she told you so long ago, but we’re all in this together. Storm and I, and even Ghortin, won’t let anything happen to you.”

  He was silent for a moment, and then hugged her tightly. “Thank you. Logically, I know that; but here, in my heart—” He shook his head.

  Storm came up. “Good, I wouldn’t want to have to carry you to the island. Hold on a moment, I’ll tell Crell and Edgar what we’re doing.”

  As he turned away, Jenna remembered Ghortin’s words and called after him. “Tell them we’ll be staying the night, most likely in the temple.” Keanin shuddered at her words, but didn’t say anything.

  As soon as Storm came back, a thin line cut through the water from the citadel. It glowed lightly as it reached toward a long wooden staff set into the ground near the cabin. Following about a foot behind the glowing line was a small, flat boat. A figure was poling it, but for the most part it seemed that the line was pulling the boat.

  “Greetings, travelers.” The green-clad cleric paused when he noticed the rest of their party behind them on a hillside. A frown creased his plain face. “Forgive us, we thought there were only three of you. Shall I send for more boats?”

  Storm stepped forward. “No need. Just the three of us will be going with you. The rest of our companions shall await us here.”

  The man nodded and smiled. “Very well. Are you ready?”

  Again, Storm answered for them. “I believe so. I am Corin, brother to cleric Kaytine. This is apprentice mage Jenna and Lord Keanin, both of Lithunane.”

  The cleric bowed. “I am pleased to meet you. I am called Redge. Please, my boat is small, but it is swift, and the seeress awaits you.”

  Although he meant that to be a favorable thing, Keanin’s face developed a green tinge. Storm took Keanin’s pack from his tight fingers and led Jenna to the boat. After a few moments Keanin came muttering after.