The Eynan 2: Garileon

by L. S. Gibson

  "What's wrong?" Ninian queried.

  "I'm not sure why, but I can't get a clear view of her and don't want to risk using the pendant without being certain of my destination."

  Ninian frowned, chewing at his lip. "What if you tuned into the building rather than the woman? Would that work?"

  "I'll try." Jhond closed his eyes again, this time aiming for the ruined building. "Yes, that's good. Hang on."

  When he opened his eyes, they were standing in the courtyard of yet another old building, this one with a mountain towering alongside it. It was similar in style to Garileon Castle, but this place appeared less ornate, simpler somehow. The damage here was not quite as severe as had been seen at the castle. There were four towers, square rather than round and not so tall. The building in the center of the grounds was simple, without any of the attractive lines of the castle. It was also decidedly colder here, and everything was dusted with the snow that was blowing in the wind. Jhond was grateful for the heat spell Ninian had suggested they use. The snow was no longer falling, but was being shifted about as the wind swirled around.

  "Is this the place?" Jhond asked.

  "Oh yes. This appears more like the location where I saw the young female mage, though I don't remember the snow when I looked down on it from above."

  "Where did you see her?"

  "It was as if she was deep underground; cellars or maybe even dungeons if there was such a thing in this place." As he was speaking, Ninian moved toward the nearest archway into the building. There was no indication there had ever been a door there. It was possible there used to be guard posted there, checking anyone who entered. Now it just seemed eerie and a little sad.

  Jhond followed, still searching for any possible threat, but he sensed nothing untoward. Neither was he aware of any other persons in the vicinity. Apparently, the young woman was no longer in the building. The corridor was dim, as very little light could penetrate the filthy, narrow windows along the right side. The other side was lined with dark wooden panels. Ninian was already using a jewelite to illuminate the path ahead and ease his way. The floor was thick with dust, but it had been disturbed by numerous footprints. Small sized, so probably those of a woman or child, Jhond thought.

  Ninian hadn't walked very far when he paused, glanced back at Jhond, who also saw the opening to Ninian's left. Ninian turned into the entrance, and Jhond realized it was the top of a set of stairs.

  "I haven't sensed anyone," Ninian commented.

  "Neither have I."

  Ninian sighed, but proceeded down the stone steps.

  Chapter 6

  Ninian was frustrated. He had hoped--expected--to find the young woman from his vision waiting for him when he arrived, but now it seemed fairly obvious she wasn't there. He was positive he would be able to sense her, and certain Jhond would have, if she were anywhere near. Still, it was best to be sure so they kept moving down, lower into the bowels of the building. Finally, they reached the bottom of the steps to find themselves in a narrow corridor curved off left and right from the stairs.

  "Can you tell which way?" Jhond asked.

  Ninian didn't hesitate to turn right, following the light from his jewelite, which sent back shadows that danced along the walls. The corridor came to an abrupt end at a thick wooden door, standing slightly ajar. With a quick glance over his shoulder at Jhond, Ninian pushed the door farther open and found another set of steps. With a sigh, Ninian continued on down until at the bottom he found a large open area.

  "This place feels familiar," Ninian commented, as he looked around.

  Jhond tossed another jewelite into the air to better illuminate the space. They were inside a chamber that appeared to have been carved from the rock. It was quite large, with a domed ceiling. Of course, there were no windows, but every few feet were carved niches of varying sizes, but as they were empty, their purpose was a mystery.

  "From the vision?" Jhond asked.

  "Yes, but there is something..." Ninian frowned, trying to understand what it was that was wrong, that felt wrong.

  As if reading Ninian's mind, Jhond said, "Something is wrong here." He stretched out a hand, as though feeling the very air, and his eyes took a glazed far-away look. "A spell, a very strong spell." Jhond drew his hand into a fist, closed his eyes and muttered a few ancient words in the magi tongue, opening his eyes as his voice faded away. He flung out his arm, opening his hand when he did so. A blue haze spread from his fingers until it encompassed the whole chamber and then vanished in a flash of white light.

  The two jewelites were suddenly brighter, and the atmosphere in the place had definitely changed. It was now less oppressive, and it was only then Ninian realized how heavy the air had felt before. He recognized it also explained the difficulty Jhond had in tracking the female mage more directly: something had been shielding this place, thus hiding her from Jhond's magistry. And now there it was--

  "How did you do that?" an awed voice whispered.

  Ninian swung around to find a young woman crouching by the wall in one of the corners; the corner, which had appeared empty before, though it was now clear it hadn't been. How was it possible? Whatever spell had hidden her from him and Jhond, from the Eynan, so comprehensively had to be particularly strong.

  The young woman looked both fascinated and frightened, and though he hadn't been able to see her clearly in his vision, he knew her immediately. She appeared to be around twenty years of age, of about medium height, of slim build and with long hair worn loose. At first glance, he thought her hair was light brown, but then he noticed the red tints. Her eyes were grey and large. She was dressed in a very simple dress that fell to about mid-calf, with a fine-knit shawl around her shoulders. Ninian couldn't help but think she was a rather attractive young woman.

  "There you are," Ninian said, sighing with relief.

  However, the young woman's gaze was not on him, but on Jhond. It was obvious she knew he had been the one to dispense the powerful blue haze, the spell breaker.

  Jhond held her gaze for a few seconds and then it was as if he shook himself. He took a deep breath. "The better question to ask," Jhond replied, "is how you managed to ward the room so well?"

  "What?" She stared at him, her brow creased in puzzlement.

  "Yes," Ninian said, his relief giving way to confusion. "There was no indication before that you had such power to ward yourself from us, from Jhond." His voice faded as he studied the floor more carefully before he added, "And there's no sign of a power circle."

  The young woman scrambled to her feet, looking from one man to the other, confusion and fear evident. "I don't understand what you're saying. Ward the room?" Her voice shook a little, but her expression was determined as she added, "Who are you and how did you get here?"

  Ninian met Jhond's gaze, and it was obvious Jhond had reached the same conclusion--this young woman wasn't the cause of the ward spell inside this room. There was something else at work here. Jhond stepped forward and gave the young woman a short bow.

  "I am Jhond of Reeve, known as the Eynan, and this is my friend, Ninian of Hartees, who is a strong mage in his own right. Would you grace us with your name?"

  His steady voice seemed to calm her, and she took a couple of steps closer, then stopped, a frown creasing her brow. "Magi I can believe--your action proved that--but the Eynan? That is merely a myth, a story to awe the children. And where are these places you speak of, Reeve and Hartees? I've never heard of such places."

  Ninian held out a hand, palm up and open in a gesture of friendship, hoping to put the woman at her ease. "Hartees and Reeve are not places; they are family names of ancient magi families from before the time of the Withdrawal. And the Eynan is no myth. Jhond fulfilled the criteria and was sealed in the title only a short time ago. He led the armies from Timendra across the Estan Sea to defeat the Illurian Empire. Will you not tell us your name?"

  Her eyes widening in shock, or perhaps disbelief, the woman stepped closer still. "Remi...er, Remelin Lai
th is my name. Can that be true? The empire is no more?"

  "The emperor and his preceptor are dead, and the Illurian armies are fighting a losing battle as each state the empire swallowed up is beginning to fight back," Ninian replied truthfully. "It's only a matter of time now."

  "And he"--she stared at Jhond, but spoke to Ninian--"he's the Eynan? In truth?"

  "Yes, he is."

  She frowned. "Then why is he here? There's nothing here for such as he."

  "Is there not?" Jhond queried. "An ancient artifact brought us here to find you. And the spell protecting this place was very powerful."

  "And that confuses me," Ninian added. "When I saw you before, Remelin, you couldn't even complete a spell. Can you tell us what's going on here?"

  "And your words confuse me!" Remelin's voice rose in consternation. "Spell protecting this place? And that's twice you've mentioned seeing me before. What are you talking about?"

  "We're all asking questions, and no one is getting proper answers. Let's sit down quietly and fill in the gaps," Jhond suggested.

  "There's nowhere decent here for us to sit," Remelin began, and Ninian privately agreed. The place was filthy with years of accumulated detritus. "And my home is little more than a hovel on the outskirts of the town."

  "I don't believe talking in this place is a good idea," Jhond said, flicking a glance at Ninian, who understood his friend's misgivings. Even now, there was still something about it that just felt wrong. Ninian hesitated to say evil, but he wondered how far from the truth that actually was.

  "We haven't seen the town yet," Ninian commented. "If you'd show us where you live?"

  Remelin still looked uncertain, and Ninian didn't think it wise for Jhond to resort to using his power simply to transport them there. He wanted her acquiescence, so he gave her his best smile and added, "Please?"

  Remelin frowned, but said, "Very well. Come. Though I don't know how you can say you didn't see Lumera when you have to pass by it to climb up here."

  "We came from another direction," Ninian said.

  She glanced over her shoulder at him, the expression on her face telling him she didn't believe him, but whatever her thoughts, she kept them to herself. She walked back to the small corner where she'd been huddled and bent down to collect her things. She shoved a couple of items into a small satchel and then swung a thick cloak about her shoulders, which she carefully fastened, before slinging the satchel over her shoulder. She turned back to them then, frowning.

  "It didn't register when I first saw you," she began, "but where are your outer garments?"

  Recalling the warm woolen cloaks left behind in Garileon Castle, Ninian glanced at Jhond, who shrugged.

  "We have nothing else," Ninian replied. "We use our power to protect ourselves from many things, the weather included." Ninian murmured a spell under his breath to increase his protection from the extreme weather on the journey to Remelin's home, aware Jhond would be doing the same.

  Her eyes widened a little, but she said nothing, just began to climb the steps. They followed her until they arrived back outside in the courtyard, which she crossed quickly, heading for what must have been the main gate once, although now only a portion of the top arch remained and most of the right jamb was missing, too. Remelin marched on without bothering to look behind her, seeming to be certain the strangers would follow her.

  As they moved outside the structure, they got their first clear view of their location, and it took Ninian's breath away. Directly ahead, he could see the sea, a fair distance away and a long way below him. On the distant horizon, he could just make out the ice flows that were the beginning of the icy wastes. Bringing his gaze closer, he could see the tops of trees and the winding path between them that led down to the town in the valley below where Remelin lived. He stopped and turned around. The building they had just left sat on an outcrop jutting out from the mountainside, and above them the sheer cliff face arose, snow on its surface and its top lost in swirling mists, adding to the forbidding, dangerous air of the location.

  "What was this place?" Ninian breathed.

  "I think that's something we need to find out," Jhond answered quietly. "Come...let's catch up with our new friend," he added, and Ninian saw Remelin was fast disappearing through the trees. "I see now why she thought we must have seen her home."

  "And she knows I lied. Not an auspicious beginning."

  "She isn't being honest with us either. Not yet, but she will be."

  A short while later, they walked into the outskirts of the small town of Lumera, but before Ninian and Jhond had time for more than a quick glance at their surroundings, Remelin pushed open the door of one of the first cottages they came to.

  "Make yourselves as comfortable as you are able," she said, holding the door ajar for them to enter. Though the words were an invitation, the tone of voice said otherwise.

  Ninian followed Jhond inside. There was a large room with a fireplace taking up most of one wall, although there was no welcoming fire lit. Next to the fireplace was a metal frame bolted to the wall, a small cauldron hanging from a large hook at the end of the movable arm. Set at an angle in front of the hearth was an armchair, a little worse for wear, but it looked comfortable.

  Directly opposite the entrance was a back door, beside which was a stone sink. Nearby was a large dresser and, while most of the shelves were empty, the lower one contained a few plates, cups and saucers. To the left, shoved against the wall, was what looked to be a folding table.

  Opposite the fireplace was a small window, the drapes still closed so they didn't allow much light inside. Under the window stood a large wooden chest. There was another door not far from the window. The door stood ajar, and Ninian could see enough to know it was a bedroom.

  Remelin noticed he was looking in that direction and walked over to close the door before crossing back to the center of the room. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to look unconcerned, but Ninian guessed she was uncomfortable with having strangers in her home.

  "You live here alone?" Ninian asked.

  At first, her only response was a raised eyebrow. Then in a repressive voice she said, "It used to be a lot homeier, but I had to sell most of my parents' belongings just to be able to survive."

  Ninian was wondering what to say to put her at ease when Jhond said, "We can do well enough here." He glanced at Ninian and smiled. "If you'd like to do the honors, my friend?"

  Knowing what Jhond meant, Ninian dipped into one of his pockets and drew out his flat stone.

  Jhond smiled at Remelin and said, "Perhaps we should move back a little and give him some room."

  Remelin frowned in confusion, but complied.

  Ninian laid the stone in the palm of his right hand and passed his left hand over it, chanting a spell. The stone began to appear translucent and a puff of smoke rose slowly from it. Remelin craned her neck for a better look and ducked back as the smoke drifted away from Ninian's hand, thickening until it settled on the wooden floor nearby. The cloud thinned, gradually dissipating to leave in its stead a small round table and three chairs. On the table's surface was a small tray containing a large jug and three ornate goblets.

  Ninian glanced at Jhond. "Are you hungry yet or shall we wait until we have talked?"

  "I can wait. Remelin, do you require food now?"

  "I...I'm in need of a seat," she muttered, plopping herself down in one of the chairs.

  Ninian chuckled and took one of the other chairs. "I'm sorry. I'm so used to doing that I forget others might find it odd." After reaching for the jug, he poured out a goblet for Remelin and passed it over to her. She quickly gulped some down and promptly coughed.

  "Lords, I thought it was water." She stared at her goblet and then sipped some more.

  Ninian poured a goblet each for Jhond and himself and took a drink. "Hmm, that's even better than I remember. It's been a while."

  "Oh, that's quite wonderful," Jhond said. "What is it?"

  "Cupria," R
emelin answered. "It's a local fermented fruit drink that was one of our most successful exports until about fifteen years ago, when the icy wastes came too close for the fruit trees to thrive." She sighed and turned her attention on Ninian. "That is some stone you have there, Ninian."

  "And as we are now a little more relaxed, perhaps it's time to put our cards on the table," Ninian said.

  "I don't even understand what you're doing here. What possible interest you can have in me?" She frowned, adding, "Assuming it is me. Did you expect to find something else when you came to the nunnery?"

  "Nunnery?" Ninian glanced at Jhond, who was looking thoughtful, but seemed intent on keeping those thoughts to himself. Ninian sighed, then said to Remelin, "I was indeed looking for you, Remelin. I saw the underground room you were in, but didn't know precisely where that room was. We didn't know it was a nunnery until just this moment."

  "Look...I'm fed up with half-truths and misleading answers. You talk about seeing me, but I've no idea what that means. You appeared in the nunnery without even knowing what or where it was and, please, no more lying. The only approach to the nunnery is through this small town, which you claim not to have seen. How did you get here?"

  "Tell her, Ninian."

  So, he did. He described holding the crystal in his hand and the vision it showed him of her and the feeling he got when he watched. How he knew it was important that he should follow the vision and find her.

  "I don't understand why--Lords, how--this crystal should have done that, or why you should consider it so important. I'm nobody, just little Remi who has spent half her life alone, struggling to make it through each day."

  "The crystals don't lie, and this one led me to you for a reason," Ninian said.

  "When did you first know you had some power?" Jhond asked.

  "I've always had strange feelings about people and things." She stood and moved to the fireplace, staring down at the empty hearth. "The first time it happened, I was here with my mother. I was seven years old and suddenly felt sad and afraid. I began to cry, but Mother couldn't understand what was wrong with me; I'd been playing happily until then. I don't remember too well, but I remember exactly what Mother told me I'd said between the tears. I'd told her father was hurt and very cold."