by Brandon Mull
“You got a displacer to talk?” Elaine asked dubiously.
“It took some finesse,” Drake explained. “I pretended to be a bounty hunter, seeking to collect a reward for the capture of Lord Jason. The displacer might not have spilled information to the enemy regardless of the pressure I brought to bear, but he showed only minor resistance to divulging some secrets to an enterprising free agent working with the imperials. I dropped some names and had him convinced.”
“What did you learn?” Rachel asked.
“You must understand that our enemies use certain displacers to relay information,” Drake explained. “By exchanging ears, they can communicate over vast distances. Their latest reports suggest that Jason is here in the west, south of the Telkron River, accompanied by a dangerous mercenary and a traitorous displacer.”
“A displacer?” Rachel exclaimed. “Ferrin?”
“That was the name,” Drake confirmed.
“When did you learn all of this?” Elaine asked.
“This afternoon.” Drake studied Rachel. “I take it this alters your plans.”
Rachel looked apologetically at Elaine. At minimum, this would mean a postponement of her training. “We have to find him.”
“We’re in the right part of the world,” Elaine observed. “Any idea where he might be headed?”
“They came south from Ithilum and crossed the Telkron at Potsug,” Drake related. “Most of the forces in the region are being mobilized to track him down. Based on the resources involved, the effort feels more like a war than a manhunt.”
“Which will make finding him hazardous for fellow fugitives,” Elaine said. Her face scrunched in thought. After a moment her expression brightened. “Have you any items Jason owned?”
Drake cocked his head. “He left me with some items before he entered Felrook. I have his signet rings—one pertaining to Caberton, the other to the chancellorship. Let me fetch my horse.”
Elaine held up a hand to stop him. “Rachel. Call Mandibar.”
“Can I do that?” she asked. “How far away is he?”
“Visualize the horse. Speak the summons.”
As they had ridden to the ridge, Elaine had drilled Rachel on issuing suggestions to animals. It was a tricky art. When dealing with matter or energy, you demanded obedience. When dealing with animals, you asked for compliance. If you tried to compel the animal to obey, natural defenses would engage and the suggestion would fail, stunning the speaker, riling the animal, or worse. If you suggested too gently, the animal might simply ignore the recommendation. The suggestion worked best when supported by enough will to make it convincing, while leaving the actual decision to the animal.
Rachel had practiced mostly with her own horse. After erring often by suggesting too softly, she had eventually found the right amount of insistence to employ. She could now confidently convince her mount to stop, go, slow down, speed up, come, neigh, stomp, rear, buck, calm down, and eat. She had also issued several similar suggestions to Elaine’s donkey with routine success. But she had never called out to Mandibar with Edomic, and she had never tried speaking to an animal out of view.
“Okay,” Rachel said. Closing her eyes, she imagined Mandibar: his size, his musculature, the sheen of his fur, his name printed on the saddle in neat black letters. She called his name and asked him to come.
Hoofbeats answered her effort of will, and the stallion soon loped into view, slowed to a trot, and plodded over to Rachel, nudging her with his nose. She felt an excited flutter at the prompt success of her summons.
Drake whistled softly. “What can’t she do?” He paced over to Mandibar, opened a saddlebag, and pawed through it. He came away with a pair of rings and handed them to Elaine.
She cupped one in each palm, hands bobbing gently, as if weighing them, then gave one back. She held up the other between her thumb and forefinger. “This ring has the stronger connection to him.”
“That makes sense,” Drake replied. “He had the Caberton ring longer, and has an undisputed claim to ownership.”
Elaine held the ring to her ear and closed her eyes, as if listening to secret music. “I can use this to find him. It will take until an hour past dawn to ready the charm.”
“I’d call that quick work,” Drake replied.
“We’re going to find Jason?” Rachel asked, hardly daring to believe it.
Drake tousled her hair. “At least we’ll soon know where to look.”
The first rays of sunrise shimmered on countless dewdrops as eight riders emerged from a camouflaged portal, well beyond the damaged walls of the crumbling castle. A gentle breeze stole fluffy particles from tall dandelions, scattering airborne seeds across the hillside. Warbling bird calls twittered back and forth in the treetops. One unseen bird hooted like a slide whistle.
Ferrin and Nedwin galloped away from the others to scout the country ahead. Nedwin had already spent the hours before dawn confirming the absence of enemies and collecting the necessary mounts.
Looking undersized, Aram rode the big stallion that had carried him since fleeing Ithilum. Jason rode the same horse that had brought him to Fortaim. Galloran rode beside Dorsio, the silent servant holding a lead, leaving plenty of slack. Tark brought up the rear, riding alongside Chandra, the cook—a rawboned woman with sun-damaged skin who Jason had never seen smile.
Some of Galloran’s associates had not joined them. Vernon had been left with the assignment to book passage to the Isle of Weir and warn a guardian named Trivett that the Word was a fraud. Jason wondered how Trivett would feel to know that the syllable he had guarded had been inscribed on the wall of the lorevault at Trensicourt. Brin the Gamester was ordered to find his brother, Nicholas, in Trensicourt and tell him about the burgeoning rebellion. A few others whom Jason had not known well were told to scatter and lie low.
Jouncing along on his horse, Jason patted one of his saddlebags. Crystal globes containing chunks of orantium had been dispersed among the riders, with Nedwin and Dorsio carrying the most. Jason had three in his saddlebag, each bundled in cloth. If the crystal casing cracked, exposing the mineral inside to air or water, the orantium would explode violently. Ever since receiving the spheres, Jason had treated them gingerly, unable to erase visions of Jasher being blasted to pieces in the field near Harthenham. Aram had refused to accept any of the spheres, for fear of an accidental detonation.
Jason kept a hand near his saddlebag. Despite the dangers of carrying orantium, he knew how effective the combustible globes could be in a fight. Riding away from Fortaim, he felt most on edge for the first mile or two. Out in the wilderness, he trusted the expertise of Ferrin and Nedwin to steer them away from trouble. Of course, if the lurker crashed the party, that would change everything. But Galloran hadn’t sensed one and seemed confident about his ability to do so.
They kept to obscure trails through woodlands and wild fields, and hours glided past without incident. Ferrin and Nedwin checked in at intervals, describing the topography ahead and suggesting the safest routes. The party stopped twice to eat. By evening they reached a hillside where they could survey the bridge spanning the Telkron River from a wooded vantage.
Three huge arches supported the wide stone bridge. At either end stood a guardhouse, each manned by several soldiers and a trio of manglers. Jason had partly forgotten how intimidating the manglers looked—perfectly designed to shred enemies into confetti, the bulky, insectile creatures had shell-like armor and a wicked variety of blades at the end of their six arms.
“They really mean to catch us,” Ferrin said. “Six manglers to guard a single bridge? That’s uncommon. They must have significant assets in motion.”
“Could we swim the river?” Jason asked. “Or build a raft?”
“Steal a raft?” Nedwin mused.
“The current here is deceptively swift and treacherous,” Aram said, having regained his full size half an hour before. “The river doesn’t slow down until you near Potsug. Hence the bridge.”
; “We need our horses and our gear,” Galloran said. “If we can find a raft big enough, we could risk the current. But we can’t afford the time to build one. And we can’t lose time exploring other crossings. Barring unforeseeable opportunities, we’ll assail the bridge in the small hours of the morning. Surprise them with orantium. Perhaps send a couple of our party stealthily across to harass those on the far side. Until then, we should rest. We’ll have to ride hard later.”
“Once we’re over the bridge, I’ll take a detour to Whitelake,” Nedwin said. “Fetch Malar.”
Galloran nodded his approval. “You can manage the lake?”
“Yes.”
“Where could we meet?”
“Just south of Three Peaks,” Nedwin answered.
“So be it,” Galloran confirmed.
“I’ll scout for rafts,” Ferrin offered.
Dorsio snapped and motioned that he would join Ferrin.
Tark offered to take the first watch, and everyone dispersed, some to sleep, some to reconnoiter. While fetching blankets from his saddle, Jason found himself alone with Nedwin. The redhead was sorting through a variety of metal vials that hung from his neck by thin leather cords.
“What do you have there?” Jason asked.
“Some of the substances I’ve collected,” he said. “I have a powder that can bother any animals attempting to track us. I thought I’d scatter some here, then more after we cross.”
“How’d you learn so much about herbs and snakes and everything?”
Nedwin’s cheek twitched. “When I was imprisoned at Felrook, I kept my ears and eyes open. Quietly I learned to prepare many of the concoctions administered to me. When I was finally released, it became an obsession to gather the materials they had used. By immersing myself in the endeavor, I continued to learn.” He held up some vials, one at a time. “This induces sleep; this causes gut-wrenching nausea; this opens the mind to suggestion; this increases sensitivity to pain.”
“Increases pain?”
Nedwin kept that vial in his long hand, stroking it with his thumb. “A mixture of tarantula poison and juice distilled from a certain carnivorous plant. After a tiny dose, pressure feels like pain, and pain flares into an otherwise impossible agony.”
“You experienced it?”
Nedwin gave a bitter chuckle. His somber smile bespoke dark memories. “Endlessly. They probed the limits of my tolerance. Under the influence of the substance, a finger pressed to my shoulder felt like it was boring into me, searing my flesh. But they wouldn’t stop there. They would slap me, or cut me, eliciting overwhelming surges of anguish. Then they would drill my teeth.”
Jason winced and clapped a hand over his mouth, experiencing phantom pain just hearing the description.
“Copernum was the worst of them,” Nedwin muttered resentfully.
“Chancellor Copernum?”
Nedwin nodded, wringing his freckled hand with his gloved hand. “He was my chief tormentor for the final years of my confinement. I had been transported to the small dungeon of his manor at Trensicourt. He had a grudge against my family. He won our title from my elder brother. Once I had been reduced to a gibbering lunatic, he finally released me. He was liberal with nervesong, the pain enhancer. It had some ancillary effects. Along with amplifying pain, it quickened my other senses: hearing, sight, smell. Under its influence, I overheard many conversations not intended for my ears. Over time, the enhancement of my senses began to linger. And my ability to feel pain vanished.”
“Really?”
“To this day.” Eyes glazed, he fingered the vial of nervesong. “I can still sense pressure. But physical discomfort has become a distant memory. Unless fate betrays me, one day Copernum will drink from this vial and learn of the pain he inflicted so casually.” Nedwin shook his head, returning to the present.
“I hope you pull it off,” Jason said. “Did you know Copernum tried to kill me?”
“I’m not surprised, considering how you humiliated the scoundrel. When I heard about your battle of wits, I laughed all day. If you had no other virtues, I would love you forever for the embarrassment you caused him.”
“It felt good to beat him,” Jason said. “I’m sorry to hear about your suffering.”
Nedwin shrugged, staring uncomfortably at the ground. “We all have misery to bear. I’m off to cover our tracks.” He swung up onto his horse and rode away.
After spreading out his blankets, Jason curled up on the ground. He tried not to dwell on all Nedwin had suffered. How could a person cope with so much torture? Jason thought about his own time at Felrook, locked within an iron shell fitted to his body. The memory made him sweat. How long could he have lasted? What else would have been in store? Thankfully, he had escaped before the worst ensued. He hoped he would never have to sample nervesong. Of course, if he were ever captured again, that might be exactly what he would have to face. Grim concerns slowed his ability to sleep.
A soft hand jostled Jason’s shoulder. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” said a familiar voice.
Startled awake, Jason blinked and squinted. By the light of the setting moon, he saw a pretty face hovering over his own, dark hair hanging a bit longer than he remembered. The face matched the voice. But how could Rachel be here? He scooted away from her, messing up his blankets. His first instinct was that the lurker must have caught up to him and invaded his dreams. Propped up on his elbows, he focused on her eyes. They weren’t black. “Is that really you?” he asked in wonder.
She smiled and sat back. “Surprise.”
He lunged forward, throwing his arms around her, partly to make sure she was real, partly out of sheer joy. She hugged him back. Holding her made her presence tangible. “I can’t believe it!” he exclaimed. “Who found you?”
Several voices chuckled. Jason released the embrace, noticing for the first time the presence of Drake, Galloran, Dorsio, Aram, and Tark, all standing in a loose circle around where he had been sleeping. The unexpected audience made him awkwardly conscious of the exuberant hug.
“Drake and I found you guys,” Rachel explained. She held up a little string. From the end of it dangled the Caberton signet ring.
“My ring,” Jason said, reaching out a hand.
“Just a second,” Rachel chided. “Notice anything unusual?”
He did. As she held the top of the string, the ring didn’t hang straight down. The string hung at a slant, as if the ring were being magnetically drawn toward him. Not dramatically, but unmistakably.
“What?” Jason said, looking up at Galloran. “Is this some kind of homing ring?”
“It is now,” Rachel said. “We met a lady who makes charms, and Drake had your ring, so she enchanted it to help us find you. It led us straight here.”
“Wow! Did the lady come with you?”
Rachel shook her head. “She’s a wanderer. Sort of a hermit. She would have let me wander with her, but she had no intention of joining us.” Rachel produced a necklace of bead and bone and a few small feathers. “She gave me this for you. It should prevent lurkers from reaching out to your mind. She tailored a couple specifically for me and Drake. This one is more generic, but she thought it would work.”
“Does yours work?” Jason asked.
“We ditched a lurker right after we started using them. It had been after us for weeks.”
“I know of this charm woman,” Galloran said. “She has a true gift.”
Jason gazed at Rachel, still trying to accept that she was real. “How long have you been here?”
“Not long,” Rachel replied. “I could have let you sleep a little more. We’re not attacking the bridge until the moon sets. But I couldn’t wait.”
“Let’s give them a chance to talk,” Galloran suggested. “They have been apart for some time.”
He and the others moved away, not too far, but far enough for Jason and Rachel to speak unobserved. Jason stared at Rachel, the pretty missing girl with photos all over the Internet.
“So the Word di
dn’t work,” Rachel said softly.
“They already filled you in?”
“A little. You really made it home? Then came back?”
Jason started folding up his blankets, brushing off leaves and dirt as best he could. “I couldn’t stay there knowing you were here and that the Word was a fake. I know a way home now, in a cave near Felrook. It would be tricky to find it alone, but Ferrin could lead us straight there.”
“Did you check on my parents?” Rachel asked. “Did you let them know I’m alive?”
“Your parents have turned you into a national celebrity,” Jason said. “You’ve been all over the news, the Internet—you name it. Your mom and dad are anxiously looking for you. They’ve offered a big reward. But I couldn’t contact them. I’d mysteriously vanished the same day as you. I would have instantly become a suspect.”
Rachel fretted at her lower lip. “That makes sense. I knew they’d be so worried. I’m glad they’re looking. It means they still have hope. I’ve been gone so long.”
“It’s a little worse than you think,” Jason said. “The rate that time passes in our worlds doesn’t match up. It’s not way off, but when I got home, a few more weeks had gone by than I would have expected. And when I came back, less time had passed here than there.”
“So time goes by faster back home,” Rachel summarized.
“Seems like it,” Jason said.
“Then they think I’ve been gone even longer than I’d realized,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “I guess it’ll make the reunion that much sweeter when I make it back. Ferrin really rescued you?”
“Yeah. I guess they filled you in on that, too. Was he around when you got here?”
“He went with Nedwin and Chandra across the river. They stole a canoe. Galloran made it sound like you guys have him on some kind of leash.”
“Ferrin joined us voluntarily,” Jason said. “And he willingly gave Galloran a piece of his neck with an artery in it. He seems to have really joined our side.”
A little line appeared between Rachel’s eyebrows. “You think it’s for real?”