She found Theklan on a low knoll not far outside the village, sitting quietly and looking up to the sky.
“Theklan?” He didn’t answer immediately, so she touched his shoulder. “Theklan?”
Theklan turned his head to look at her, blinking slowly. He shook his head as if clearing it. “Sorry, Kiara. What did you want?”
“What are you doing out here?”
“I was looking for a scrawny black lion.”
Kiara choked back a laugh. “By sitting still, looking at the sky? That’s not how I’d go about it. Anyway, Vatar said he chased that lion off.”
Theklan smiled slightly. “I was using the eyes of the eagles. They can see farther than I can. And just because the lion ran away from Vatar doesn’t mean it’s left the area.”
In spite of herself, Kiara remembered when he’d used an eagle—almost successfully—to check for danger just inside the edge of the Forest. The first time they’d kissed. She forced her mind away from that memory. “Is that a usual kind of Valson magic?”
Theklan shook his head. “Not really. It’s more a combination of the two kinds of magic—Valson and Dardani—a place where the two kinds of magic overlap, making each stronger than either would be alone.”
That was a little like what Vatar had said he and Thekila were doing, though he hadn’t elaborated. “So, it’s partly your connection to the Spirit of the Eagle?”
Theklan shrugged acceptance of this.
Kiara wondered if she could learn to do the same thing with lions. Look through their eyes. That would be a useful skill, especially when out riding with the herds. Maybe even one that the Dardani wouldn’t fear, since it was connected to the clan totem. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I want you to train me while Vatar and Thekila are gone.”
His grin almost made her change her mind again. “Just teach me, nothing else.”
Theklan’s mouth drew down into a frown.
Kiara scowled. “You owe me this.”
For a moment, his eyes got that stubborn look she knew so well. “What do you want me to do? I was a student myself little more than a month ago. I’ve never taught anyone magic . . . really.”
What was that slight hesitation about? Had he taught someone? Maybe that—what had he called her?—that Sharila? And he didn’t want to tell her. “Thekila explained how Far Speech works. I could do it, when she and Vatar were here. I thought I knew how. But then I couldn’t contact Vatar after I saw that black lion. I could answer Vatar last night, though.”
Theklan studied her face for a moment. Kiara tried to project determination.
His lips twitched in an almost-smile. “It’s not too difficult to use Far Speech with someone you can actually see. Or to answer someone else. The rest just takes practice. So . . . for the remainder of this conversation, only bespeak me with your magic.”
Her brow furrowed with concentration. “Like this?”
Theklan’s smile turned into a wince. “No need to shout.” He leaned forward and brushed a lock of hair out of her face, the one that always seemed to escape her tie, and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers lingered for just a moment on her cheek and she had to restrain herself from laying her cheek in his palm. “You’re a lioness. I should have expected that.”
It was Theklan’s voice, but his lips hadn’t moved. The voice was in her mind and with it she saw an eagle that seemed to hover above his head.
Kiara blinked. She hadn’t expected the eagle, though she probably should have. There was one when she spoke to Thekila this way, too. And there’d been a lion along with Vatar’s voice last night. “And you’re an eagle.”
It was somehow more intimate, talking this way. Kiara drew in a deep breath, the first part of those lightning-blasted exercises. She needed training, so she’d just have to deal with it. But she didn’t have to put up with anything else. She reached up and freed the lock of hair he’d tucked back.
Theklan sighed. “Will you ever forgive me for Sharila? That wasn’t what you thought it was. Not on my side, anyway. I was never interested in her, though I know you don’t believe that.”
Kiara’s eyes narrowed as she answered. “I don’t know. But I won’t forgive you for not taking me seriously.”
Theklan pulled back as if she’d slapped him. He started to get that stubborn look again, his pale skin coloring. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again with a snap. He stared hard at her for a moment, then his mulish look was replaced with speculation. “I suppose if I agree to teach you at least you’ll have to talk to me . . . won’t you?”
Kiara blinked. That had been the thing that had kept her from asking him before this. She bit out, “I guess I will.”
“Far Speech.”
Kiara looked daggers at him. “I guess I will.”
He nodded. “All right, then.”
She let out her breath slowly—more of those exercises. “What’s next?”
Theklan tilted his head back and laughed. “You never did have much in the way of patience, did you, Kiara? Most of us spend months just learning Far Speech before we try anything else.”
She made a face. “What good is that? Who else am I going to talk to except you? And you’re right here.” She reached across and tapped his shoulder. “Well . . . and Vatar and Thekila. But, it’s not going to be much help against the Exiles, now is it?”
“Hmm. Being able to coordinate across distance is more use than you think. But learning anything difficult or worthwhile takes time. I can’t teach you all in a day, even if I wanted to.”
“Maybe I could help you look for that scrawny black lion,” Kiara offered. “Lions would probably be aware of an interloper in their territory, you know.”
His lips quirked up slightly. “You can try.”
Kiara’s irritation blazed at his dismissive attitude. “Well, what do I do?”
“Start by finding a lion.”
Immediately, she pointed to the south. “There are lions over there. Five of them.”
Theklan shrugged. “But you can’t look through five sets of eyes at once. You have to focus on just one.”
Kiara turned her head in the direction of the lions and concentrated. “That’s . . . not so easy. I sort of sense them as a group.”
Theklan looked thoughtful. “This might actually have been a little easier for me, since eagles usually hunt alone. You may have to try to find one that’s separated from the pride, just a little.”
She smiled. “I’ve got one. A lioness down by the waterhole, getting a drink.”
“All right. Now try to see what she sees.”
“How do I do that?”
Theklan was silent for so long that Kiara turned her head to look at him. It was another moment before he spoke. “It’s a combination of your connection to the Spirit of the Lion and Far Sight . . . the magic you used to see Sharila kiss me—not me kissing her. You have to use your Far Sight to see the lioness. Then, well, you just sort of slip into seeing through her eyes. I can’t really explain that part.”
Kiara turned her attention back to the distant lioness and tried to keep her mind only on her. Tried to see her, not just sense her. Nothing happened. “It’s not working.”
“Stop trying. I don’t think you can force it.” His eyes narrowed. “Could you see the lioness, at least?”
Kiara shook her head.
Theklan sat back, propping himself on his hands and regarded the sky for a moment. “I already knew how to use Far Sight the first time it happened. So did Vatar and Thekila, for that matter. Maybe you have to master that, first.”
“Then teach me that.”
Theklan shot her a look from under his lashes. “You know a little, evidently. Enough to misunderstand.” Before Kiara could make a protest, he went on, “Thing is . . . you can’t just decide to see something far away. You really need something—or someone—to follow, especially at first. If there was a river or even a road nearby, I could coach you on how to let your mind f
ollow it to see something along its path. But there isn’t. Otherwise, you’re going to need some connection to what you’re trying to see. And the farther away, the more you need that link. Evidently the Spirit of the Lion isn’t enough of a bond—at least not yet.” His eyes narrowed. “Try seeing what Vatar is doing right now.”
Kiara huffed, but she closed her eyes and concentrated on her brother. “He’s . . . just riding.” Her brows drew down. “He’s got Thekila’s reins and he’s leading her horse while she rides with her eyes closed. Why’s he doing that?”
Theklan shrugged. “Thekila may be looking through the eyes of the eagles, too. They said they’d look for more Exiles using avatars. It’s really disorienting to see the same things from two points of view—especially from one so high up. It’s . . . a little easier if you close your eyes and only see what the eagle sees. Though it still feels a little strange.”
“So, what now?” Kiara asked.
“You’ll just have to keep practicing. It may take a while.”
Kiara’s eyes narrowed. “You mean we just give up? I can’t do anything to help?”
He chuckled. “No. You’d never let me get away with that.”
Too right I wouldn’t, Kiara thought, but she didn’t send that through Far Speech. She waited for a moment, but when he didn’t continue she asked, “Well?”
Theklan nodded to himself. “I’ll tell you what. We don’t want the Dardani to know about your magic anyway, so it’s best not to draw too much attention to yourself, right?”
Kiara nodded warily even though she wasn’t sure she was going to like what he was going to say next.
“So, you’re going to go right on riding with the herds, just like you always do. You’re supposed to keep your senses open for lions anyway. While you’re doing that, you keep trying see them with your Far Sight. Then try to see through the eyes of one of them. Practice. And every day, you can report to me on your progress.”
“Using Far Speech?”
“If you can. It’s not as easy when the person isn’t right in front of you, at least until you get better at it. That’s good practice, too. If you can’t, you’ll just have to come find me every evening and tell me in person.” He grinned.
“You’ll enjoy that, won’t you?”
Theklan’s grin widened. “Yes, I think I will.”
Kiara stood up to leave. She wasn’t going to accomplish anything more here except an increasing desire to give him a reason to stop grinning at her as if he’d beaten her at some game.
~
Three days! By this time, Kiara had about reached the point of naming every lion within a five-mile radius. Every time she sensed one of them apart from its pride, she tried to see what it saw. She never could. At least she’d gradually succeeded in seeing the lion itself with Far Sight. But she’d become convinced that Theklan had set her an impossible task just to make sure she’d come and talk to him every evening. When she had managed to reach him with Far Speech, she hadn’t been ability to maintain it long enough to keep from having to go see him anyway. But, even Vatar, when he and Thekila came back to Zeda only to disappear again in urgent talks with Pa and the other chiefs, had said it just took practice and to keep trying. Theklan had grinned. Tonight, she promised herself that Theklan was going to pay for that.
There. A solitary lioness, stalking. Not quite close enough for her prey to be one of the herd, Kiara thought. She wasn’t positive of that, so she kept her mind on her, searching for any clue to what the lioness hunted. And it happened.
Overlaid on her own vision was another viewpoint—a scene in grays and blacks. She gripped her reins tighter as the unfamiliar perspective eclipsed her own. That point of view was focused tightly on a herd of antelope. The view became disjointed as she—or, rather, the lioness—ran forward, scattering the herd. Her vision centered on one antelope, slower than the rest. She almost felt the sensation and smelled the blood as her claws dug into the antelope’s flank.
Her horse tossed his head irritably. Kiara gasped and blinked, clearing her head of the alien viewpoint. She had not expected this . . . melding with the lioness, as if the lioness was part of her—or she was part of the lioness.
Dizzy from the rapid changes in perception, she reined in and all but fell off her horse, just managing to make it look like a planned dismount. She sat on the grass, head down. That had been one of the most frightening and disturbing experiences of Kiara’s life. Nothing Theklan had said had come close to preparing her for the reality. She’d rather face a charging lion than suddenly find herself inside one. A little hysterical giggle escaped at that thought.
Her horse nudged her and she scrambled to her feet. Better pull herself together and get back to the herd before Daron missed her.
Chapter 40: Prisoners
Gerusa stared out the window at the merchant ship making its way up the river channel to the docks. She wouldn’t have thought a vessel that size could make it this far upriver. Caerean, almost certainly. Surely not smugglers. Not with that large a ship sailing—well, rowing—right up to the main dock. Well, as long as they paid their tariffs, she had no problem with that. Even if her plan to capture Caere had failed, she still could make them pay through the nose.
The door to her private chambers crashed open behind her. Gerusa spun around at the disturbance. “How dare you, Kaleus?”
The man actually smiled. “Oh, I dare.”
Kaleus had been head of the Kausalyan Council before she arrived and took over. And a thorn in her side ever since.
She noticed the array of large guardsmen behind him with concern, but refused to show it. “What’s this about?”
Kaleus nodded toward the window. “That Caerean ship out there has come to take you back where you belong. We’ll be delivering you and your daughter to them just as soon as they dock.”
“The Council will never sit still for this.”
“On the contrary, the Council invited them. We used to deal peacefully—and quite profitably—Caere long before you came here. And while the High Council had nominal power over us, they pretty much left it to us to govern this city. They really were much easier to deal with than you’ve proven to be. We’ve decided—without inviting you—that we were much better off in those days. We still know who to talk to and how to reach them. Amazingly, the only thing they asked for in return was you and your daughter. Which we are more than happy to grant.”
Gerusa backed away toward the window. Vatar had escaped from her that way. Surely, anything he could do . . . As the two strapping guards came toward her, Gerusa concentrated on the shape of a sea gull. She’d certainly seen enough of them during her time here in Kausalya, and before in Caere. She pushed herself into the shape and, screaming defiance, jumped out the window, spreading her wings.
And plummeted. How could this be? Surely she could do anything that idiot Vatar could do. She tried flapping as she’d seen the gulls do. Gerusa didn’t gain any height, but she did move a little laterally. Too late, she realized that she’d gotten turned around as she fell. One wing slammed against the outer stone wall of the Palace. Agony shot through her such as she had never felt before. She lost track of everything but the pain as she tumbled, completely out of control now, toward the ground.
She hit with another explosion of pain that sent her into blackness.
Gerusa came to being carried through the city streets. Each stride of her captor sent another shock of pain through her. She was vaguely aware that Selene was being dragged along, somewhere behind her. A lot of people seemed to have gathered in the streets, almost blocking the way. Didn’t they have some useful work to do? Some of the guards had to go ahead, clearing a path.
The crowd parted readily enough for the guards, but their noise—a distinctly unfriendly sound—only grew as Gerusa appeared. As they reached the lower and rougher sections of town nearer the docks, it wasn’t only the sounds that became unfriendly. Someone threw a fistful of mud at her. At least, she hoped it was mud. Then
another and suddenly she was being pelted, unable even to duck because of the hold her guard had on her. The guards didn’t seem to be trying to duck. In fact, they didn’t seem to be getting hit by much of it, either. Well, except for what splashed back off of her, anyway.
Why? She had only tried to do her best for them. Well, yes, her plans had had a lot to do with her own goals. But the result would have been good for Kausalya, too. They’d have been far richer if her schemes had succeeded. Why did they hate her so much?
She was actually grateful, for a moment, to be carried up the gangplank to the Caerean ship. At least it made it harder for her tormenters to hit her. Until she saw who waited for her at the rail of the vessel. Veleus. And Montibeus. And Boreala.
“So, you’re behind this,” Gerusa said, trying to force herself to her feet. When her captor set her down, she found that one leg would not support her weight. She was almost glad of the guard’s iron grip on her arm because it kept her upright when she would have crumpled to the deck.
Veleus bowed ironically. “Of course. Who else?”
Boreala stepped forward, doing something painful to her injured arm.
Gerusa tried to ignore her, addressing herself to Veleus. “You’ll never be able to hold me prisoner. Selene has already escaped from you once.”
“Oh, I think we’ll manage. We’ve had a little help planning, after all.” He gestured toward Boreala. “For the moment . . .”
Gerusa followed his gesture with a sneer. “What? Our weak daughter?”
Boreala smiled sadly and shook her head. “You never did have enough respect for the Healers, Mother. For example, it’s often necessary to render our patients unconscious while we work. And it will be much easier to set your broken bones that way. It’s actually one of the first skills a Healer learns. Like this.” She placed a cool hand on Gerusa’s forehead.
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