The Ways of Mages: Starfire

by Catherine Beery

  “He can’t come, Terana.”Kadrean called.

  Terana stopped and turned back.“What?”

  “Russy. He can’t come with us into town.”

  Terana glanced down at the russet wolf. Kadrean was right. If Russy was to put a single paw into town his life would be forfeit. She met the wolf’s amber eyes.“You need to stay here.”She told him. Russy blinked. She had the feeling that he understood, but she also could tell that he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to do what she said.“Russy…”

  He growled at her. Terana blinked. It was the second time that she could recall him doing so. I am not staying behind. A thought told her faintly.

  “Kadrean…I don’t think he is going to listen.”Terana murmured softly, trying to ignore the fact that it seemed Russy had said something to her again. Before the others could say anything she continued.“But I have an idea.”

  “Oh?”

  The idea slowly solidified as she stared into defiant amber eyes. She looked up and behind her at Kadrean. Along the way, her eyes flickered over Liam’s cane.“I think it will even work.”

  Their reception into Lancha was the exact opposite of what it would have been in Plarn. Terana had been expecting, using Kadrean’s arrival as something to compare to, to see huge crowds, as huge as a town this small could produce, to meet them. She had expected people pointing at her and laughing behind their hands. But what she could see, through the thin cloth covering her eyes, was only people’s passing curiosity. Russy got more attention than she did, but only slightly more. He probably would have gotten more if he hadn’t been wearing the collar and leash that Kadrean had fashioned for him out of spare rope.

  They made their way to the inn that Kadrean said was there. Terana was surprised Lancha hadan inn…Turning her head as if she could only see the world with her ears, she looked about her. Lancha has strangers all the time. Strangers aren’t new to them.She thought. It made sense, this conclusion. But it also made her wonder; why didn’t people visit Plarn?

  Kadrean led them into the inn yard. It was a small rectangle surrounded by a low stone wall. Along the building of the inn itself ran a path big enough for a horse to navigate. From where she stood, Terana could just see a building at its end. And when the wind blew just right, she got to smell the wonderful scent of horse manure. Terana wrinkled her nose. Several boys between eight and ten crowded close to them just inside the yard. The nearest one; a tall lanky blond spoke.“Hey sir! I’ll stable yer horse for ye, if ye like.”

  “Thank you.”Kadrean told the lad, tossing him a coin. He and Liam took the saddle bags from Tivieis. Terana,‘blind’, couldn’t help. One of her hands was occupied holding on to Russy’s leash. She was amazed at how calm the wolf was in his first town. She was proud of him. Her other hand was busily tapping Liam’s cane in front of her.

  Terana followed Kadrean into the could be cozy common room of the inn. Could be, because it was pretty much empty. Considering the time of day, in mid-afternoon, it made sense she supposed. Kadrean talked briefly with the land lord before leading them up the stairs

  The stairs were opened, not closed as she was used to. There was something unnerving about seeing empty air an inch under her feet. If she had been little, like five or so, she would have balked at the idea of climbing the stairs for fear of falling through. Now it only made her slightly uneasy if she thought about it too much.

  The hall they came to was narrow and lit by little candles by each door that were at different stages of used. There were only ten doors, five on each side of the hall. Terana smiled at Russy. He had his nose planted to the floor, sniffing at the gaps between door and floor. Kadrean stopped at the last door on the right. He used one of the two keys that the landlord had given him. There was a soft click as the lock gave to the authority of the key. He walked in, followed by the rest of them.

  Terana tore off the cloth from her eyes. She loosened the collar leash off of Russy, who promptly sniffed every corner of the room. It was a simple room adorned with a bed, a chair and a small wardrobe. Terana set down Liam’s cane and her bag. The signal given, Zeeve popped out of it.

  “Finally.”He grumbled.“I hate being baggage.”Zeeve looked about the room before turning to Kadrean.“Surely we aren’t all sleeping in here?”

  “Of course not.”Liam smiled sweetly.“You’re going to sleep in the stable.”

  “Wha…!”Zeeve gapped at him.

  Kadrean rolled his eyes.“No Zeeve. We men are sharing this room. Terana and Russy are sleeping in the connected room.” He said pointing at the right hand wall. He shook his head, handing Terana the second key. Terana opened this second door which led into what looked like the mirror image of the first room. Russy trotted in and commenced his inspection. Terana went back to the guy’s room to grab her bag and costume. She came back to lean against the frame of the interlinking door.

  “How are you guys going to sleep?”She asked. She knew from experience from life with her brother that guys did not sleep in the same bed. Girls didn’t seem to care, but guys tended to drape themselves over any available furniture in the hopes it might be more comfortable then the floor. But if it was a choice between the floor or sleeping in the comfortable bed with another guy, they picked the floor. Terana found it funny, yet intriguing.

  “Well…”Kadrean started.“I think Liam’s going to take the bed. I’ll…”

  “I think not, Kadrean.”Liam interrupted him.“I kind of prefer chairs. You take the bed.”

  Kadrean shrugged.“Okay.”

  “What about me?”Zeeve asked.

  “I was thinking a pillow on the floor.”Kadrean replied.

  “Beats the stable.”Zeeve muttered and Liam laughed.

  Terana rolled her eyes.“So, what about lunch?”

  “Yes indeed. What about food?”Zeeve joined her in asking.

  Kadrean shook his head as Liam chuckled.“That is where we are going now.”

  Two cheers and a yip met his announcement. Terana rushed back into her room and fetched her disguise. Kadrean watched her as she put her costume on again.“Terana, I am curious. Where again did you say you got this seeing-eye dog idea?”

  “I read about it.”Terana replied. The cloth tied about her eyes, she smiled.“Let’s eat.”

  Chapter Twenty- Lancha

  The could be cozy common room had progressed to just cozy. People from town had settled into its many chairs and filled the room with the happy buzz of conversation. Terana dimly saw people point at Russy, but, as before, there was no hostility. Only curiosity. She also noticed some giving Kadrean’s exotic looks a few glances. Liam and she only garnered a passing once over. That was fine as far as she was concerned.

  Terana and her companions sat at a table. Soon a woman came by to ask their drinks and what they desired to eat. She left, returning a few moments later with the drinks and assuring them the food would be out in a moment. She left again to weave about the other tables. Terana took a sip of her milk, glancing about the room. For the most part, people ignored them. For the most part. Terana noticed a group of people glancing at Russy and whispering among themselves. The whispering made Terana uneasy for some reason. She held her glass with both hands and watched the group out of the corner of her eye.

  They looked like they were used to being away from civilization for long periods of time. None of them looked to have been reacquainted with a bath for a long time. They reminded Terana of hunters, their eyes missing nothing. One of the younger women who had to be around Terana’s age got up. Her warm brown locks were cut short like a boys’. Light deer skin clothed her body, keeping her modest. She stepped lightly across the room.

  “Kadrean.”Terana whispered in a voice that only someone next to her could hear. He glanced at her and she tilted her head ever so slightly toward the approaching girl.

  “A Huntress.”He acknowledged.

  “How do you know? She could just be very watchful.”

  “I know because of the symbol stitched onto
the sleeve.”Terana’s gaze, now that it was pointed out, saw the dog and arrow.

  “Hello.”The young woman said shyly.

  Kadrean smiled.“Hello, can we help you?”

  “No, I was just wondering how ye got yer dog past the door. Ours were told to stay out in thee stable.”

  “Ah. Well my young friend here,”Kadrean began, gently patting Terana’s shoulder.“Is blind. Her dog guides her.”

  “Oh.”

  Another of the hunters approached.“Your dog looks to be a wolf.”

  “Part.”Terana responded softly.

  “Hmm, well, someone did a good job training him.”

  “Unlike some of our dogs.”Muttered the girl softly. Her companion glared at her.

  “It only happened the once.”He muttered.

  “What are you talking about?”Terana couldn’t help to ask.

  “Nothing that Runa shouldn’t have told you.”The hunter said casting another glance at Runa.

  “Well”Terana said softly, gently patting Russy’s head as one who wasn’t sure exactly where he was would. She found it incredibly easy to slide into this role of a blind person. She also found it interesting how much she sounded like Liam as she continued. “I assume something scared your dogs, because surely, they being trained hunter dogs, they wouldn’t have gone against your commands. But I wonder what could have scared such hunters?”

  “Why do you say something scared them? Nothing we said could have hinted at that.”Said Runa.

  Terana smiled slightly.“Yes it did. As I said, dogs such as yours would not disobey you, true?”

  “True.”

  “Something then had to have put them in a panic or made them really angry. What did they do?”

  “They ran whining into the woods.”Runa’s companion replied gruffly.

  “Then I would say something scared them.”

  “But what?”Runa asked.

  “How could I know?”Terana responded. “I wasn’t there. I would be interested in knowing what happened.”

  Through the veiling cloth, Terana saw Runa give her companion a pleading look. Looking mightily exasperated he consented. Immediately, Runa pulled up a chair and began to weave a simple enough tale.

  “One evenin’a few weeks back we were set’n up camp in the more remote parts of these here mountains. Suddenly the dogs howled and raced into the thick woods, including me own Tsola. We went a looking and just after I found me dog, this stranger steps out of the shadows. He wanted a place to camp during the night and he bein’a fellow hunter I felt it wrong if I just left him there. So I brought him to camp.”

  “Unusual hunter.”Runa’s companion added.

  “How so?”

  “He didn’t have a dog.”The man replied simply. Terana was puzzled by this. He must of sensed her confusion and explained.“A hunter never travels without his dog or Pack. He had neither and said he had come from near the Dead Mountains.”

  “The dogs were also very cautious around him, but I just think that is because of where he came from.”Runa observed.

  “The next morn’n he was simply gone.”Continued the hunter. “The dogs acted normal afterwards.”

  “The other weird thing.”Runa continued shyly.“Was that I had followed his tracks a little ways from camp and where the tracks simply disappeared there were claw marks in the soil. Tsola didn’t want to go anywhere near them.”

  “Strange tale indeed.”Kadrean remarked.

  “No tale. Truth.”Runa corrected him.

  The hunters soon returned to their own table. Terana and her companions finished their meal with a bit of wondering over the strange tale. The men considered it to probably been either a story the hunters told to keep most people out of the remote woods or a wizard had needed a place to rest and didn’t want to reveal who he was. Although that didn’t explain the fear the dogs displayed. Terana didn’t exactly agree with either theory. At least, not entirely.

  That night, Terana busied herself with a drawing of the panicked dogs racing into the woods, their masters following. In the distance, in the darkening sky she sketched a faint outline of the eagle she had seen over Plarn. The feelings that that eagle’s cry made her feel that if anything could scare trained and tried hunter dogs, it could be the eagle that silenced the wild life of Plarn. Plus, its addition to the drawing made for a sense of mystery and a pinch of danger.

  Morning light saw Terana and her companions on their way toward the west. For the first time Terana saw rolling hills. Grasses made hissing sounds as the wind bent them in waves on its way to some unknown place. To a girl raised in the changing scenery of the rugged mountains the rolling hills seemed a flat, empty place after a time. There were trees around, but they were scattered throughout this landscape.

  “Is it just me, or does this place seem empty to you?”Terana finally asked Liam.

  Liam smiled as if what she had said amused him somehow.“Only if you look far away. If you look closer you can see many things. See?”he pointed at some of the flowering grasses near the edge of the road. Terana gazed at them and soon saw what he meant. The reeds appeared to have been tied close together, a detail one missed with a glance. In the center of the flowered tips there was a nest the size of a baby’s hand. The smallest bird Terana had ever seen peered out at her with a look one part fear and two parts warning; a mother ready to give her life for her babes. Terana smiled peaceably and casually left the teeny bird alone. Hopefully her and Liam’s interest in the spot hadn’t alerted any predators to the easy meal.

  Curious as to what else she had been missing, Terana kept a close watch on the grasses around her. Cute bunnies froze in place as they passed by. A herd of Meadow Deer were at pasture in the near distance. Ground-running birds scurried into hiding as they passed. A few took to the sky and circled around them before flying farther afield.

  Russy walked causally along, but before he passed one of those cute bunnies he turned toward it and barked. Terana swore that she had seen the rabbit’s ghost fleeing a second before the body followed. Russy watched after it, and then glanced at her over his shoulder. A smug, mischievous look danced in his eyes.

  Terana matched pace with him with a shake of her head at his fun. Burying her hand into his thick ruff, she turned her attention to Kadrean. Kadrean led Tivieis at a steady pace. Zeeve sat in his customary place between the geldings ears.

  “So, is it all like this?”Terana asked.

  Kadrean gave her a puzzled look over his shoulder.“All like what?”

  Terana gestured to the wide open space around her.“The world outside the mountains.”

  “Oh no.”Kadrean replied with a smile.

  Zeeve laughed.“That’s for sure. There are other mountains…

  “…Expansive forests…”

  “…and oceans that stretch to the ends of the world, though some say there are stories of another continent... If that is true or not I can’t say, either way that’s all on top of these grasslands.”

  “Oceans?”Terana asked. She had read of them, but couldn’t quite believe what the books told her. Huge bodies of water that were, as far as anyone could tell, bottomless and endless. Such a thing seemed too hard to believe. Slightly more credible were the myths that mentioned some other land, but they were vague.

  “Yes. The eastern and southern borders of Marlhema is the coast. To the east is the Golden Ocean and to the south is the Timeless Sea.”Kadrean supplied.

  “What is to the north and west?”

  “Well, the western border consists of the Vermillion Mountains. And the north…well the Nirami’s Grave lies that way.”

  “Is it true what they say? About how those mountains are haunted?”Terana asked.

  A thoughtful look crossed Kadrean’s face.“From one of my travels that ran near them, I would say that…they are not natural. There is a feeling of…of unrest…”

  “I’d say they were haunted.”Zeeve said from his perch between Tivi’s ears.“It makes things so much easier to d
escribe.”

  “You do like the way of expediency, don’t you?”Liam observed.

  Zeeve shrugged.“I don’t see a problem with it.”

  “And I don’t want to spread superstitions.”Kadrean remarked.

  “They are already spread.”Zeeve pointed out.“And there is no real way to describe those mountains. Some people would swear by all their loved ones that they have seen the spirits of the dead walking through those passes. Even if all the stories were superstition, they keep people out of those mountains. Which is good, considering the crazy timing of its storms.”

  “Perhaps.”Kadrean consented.

  “So what about Razyan’s Keep?”Terana asked.

  Kadrean glanced at Terana.“Curious today, are we?”

  Terana shrugged.“Yeah. There is stuff that you two take for granted, but Liam and I don’t have a clue about.”

  Kadrean smiled.“True. The Keep is the oldest and only school for wizardry now. There used to be others, but they have shut down over the years…”Kadrean went on to describe the different disciplines studied, how achievement was marked, and what wizards did once they graduated. Throughout the monolog, Terana wondered where she would fit in that new world. Hopefully she would fit into the discipline of healing…something useful, but doesn’t attract a ton of attention.

  Chapter Twenty-One- The Passing of a Hero

  “The mournful horn cries over the distance,/ its notes bittersweet./ ‘Sleep in peace’ it weeps/ ‘oh Brave One…’” Excerpt from the Songs of the Brave by Nirami Kaizir

  Pershara- near the City of Pershara

  The twilight of predawn hung over the world. The Fires of the Damned had been snuffed out. The remnants of the Dark Sons eradicated from the living earth. All that remained to be done was to care for the dead. It was a task Duncan found to be one of the most painful. He had always understood that death was an eager puppy following those who carried the sword, the fated handmaiden of those who dared to protect others and stand against evil. But even so, Duncan’s heart ached as he walked through the ruined camp. He prayed for the fallen. Prayed that God would keep their souls safe in the light. Other than T’Garen, all the fallen had been savaged.