The runes were actually a form of magic that was used by a wizard to protect himself from the spirit. In a way, wizards were also magicians. It was strange, Flare had never known that wizards also used magic, until he had been trained by a wizard.
Once he had completed drawing the runes, Flare double-checked to make sure they were correct. Then, he went over it again. Mortimer had trained Flare to be careful. Satisfied that the runes were correct, Flare returned to his seat on the rock.
He allowed himself to hesitate for only a moment then, fearing he might lack the resolve, Flare pushed on quickly. His eyes became unfocused and then he spoke, “I seek the spirit of Phillip Connell. Phillip Connell come forth.”
Once again the water began to boil and hiss. A tall thin form emerged from the boiling water. It was a man this time – also one of Flare’s fellow Guardians, but unlike Murleen, Phillip had not died a hero. He had betrayed, attacked, and tried to kill Flare. Flare had barely escaped with his life, and he had been forced to kill Phillip.
The shade of Phillip Connell seemed to tower over Flare, silently staring down at him. Like Murleen, Phillip also looked faded, lacking any color. In real life, Phillip had been a handsome man – a man the ladies had flocked to. He was noble born; his father was the Duke of Atwell. In addition he had been an excellent fighter. In life, his flaws were that he was pompous and arrogant.
For a wonder, Flare found himself getting choked up. He hadn’t expected this upwelling emotion at the sight of Phillip. He had expected anger, perhaps melancholy, but not this feeling of loss and sadness.
“Flaranthlas, it’s been a long time,” Phillip’s shade said.
Still at a loss for words, Flare could only nod.
“You summoned me. Surely there was a reason. Do you have nothing to say to me?”
At last, Flare found his voice. “I’m sorry for what happened.”
The shade seemed to smile. “You mean killing me?”
Flare nodded. “Yes. Although that was not what I wanted.”
“Nor was it what I wanted,” the shade said.
Sadness was slowly draining away, and Flare was beginning to feel the anger stirring. “No, I don’t suppose you wanted me to kill you – you were trying to kill me.”
Phillip’s shade inclined his head. “As you say, that was my goal.” The shade took a step closer. The innermost protection circle glowed a bright white, and light extended upward trapping the shade within. Phillip retreated to the center of the puddle, and the light disappeared. The shade stood there for several moments, looking down at the protection circles drawn in the mud. Finally, he looked back up, his dark eyes studying Flare. “Protection wards?”
“Surely you didn’t expect me to trust you?” Flare asked.
Phillip shook his head. “No, I cannot say that I expected that.”
The question that Flare had wanted to ask for so long bubbled forth, “Why did you betray me, try to kill me?”
“I was deceived,” the shade said. “I truly believed that you were the destroyer that had been prophesied about.”
“And now?” Flare asked after a moment of silence. “Do you still believe that?”
For a moment, the shade didn’t respond, then he shook his head. “No. To my utmost shame, I realized that I was deceived. I betrayed a friend. There is nothing in the abyss that I can do to atone for my mistakes.” There was another pause. “Except, perhaps there is something that I can do – I can warn you.”
“Warn me? Warn me about what?” Flare asked.
“I do not have all the answers, but here is what I can tell you. You will be betrayed,” he hesitated and then added one more word, “again.”
“Betrayed?” Flare asked. “And who will betray me?”
Phillip shrugged. “I am not allowed to see that. I only know that it will happen, and that it is essential for it to happen.”
Confused now, Flare shook his head. “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”
Once again, Phillip only shrugged. “As I said, I am not allowed to know that. But you will be betrayed.” Phillip’s eyes looked to the side, studying something that Flare could not see. “There’s not much more I can tell you. I simply don’t know anything more. I can tell you that you should expect betrayal where you’d expect support, and you should expect support where you’d expect betrayal.”
Flare didn’t answer immediately, as he struggled to contain his temper. He so hated riddles. He almost wished that Phillip hadn’t said anything then give him a bunch of confusing riddles that would only make him double guess himself. “Honestly Phillip, I don’t understand. What good is a warning that makes no sense?”
The shade nodded. “I understand and I wish I could help you more, but I’ve done what I could do.”
Flare resisted the urge to tell Phillip to take his useless advice back to the abyss, and struggled to suppress his rising anger. Like all things that dealt with Kelcer, it made no sense until after the warnings and prophecies have been fulfilled. Deep down inside, Flare knew it was not Phillip’s fault. As frustrated as he was with Phillip’s warning, Flare wished to try and forgive his friend.
“I forgive you,” Flare said.
Strangely, the words seemed to make the shade bristle.
“There is no forgiveness for betrayal, even for someone who is deceived.” For a moment there was silence between them, and then Phillip spoke again. “Have I fulfilled the requirements of your summons?” His tone was abrupt, as if Flare had insulted him.
Flare was taken aback. Phillip seemed angry, his words curt. After a moment, Flare nodded. “You have. I release you back to the realm of the dead.”
Phillip turned his back and disappeared. Right before the spirit vanished, Flare could have sworn he heard him say, “History will repeat itself.”
Flare sat there for several moments, trying to determine what he had done wrong. Finally, he shook his head as if to clear the confusion. One summoning had gone better than he could have possibly hope for, but the second had gone horribly wrong - worthless warnings and an angered spirit.
Chapter 21
Heather tied her horse to their hastily-strung picket line and looked up at the sky. It was getting dark and numerous bats darted back and forth, diving for the insects.
She sighed, wondering how Enton was getting along without her to keep him out of trouble.
They had left Telur just over a week ago, and they had made good time. They rode every day from sunup to dusk, and they rode their horses hard. They each had two, so they kept swapping them out. The last thing they wanted was to ride a horse to death.
She waved at an insect that was bothering her and looked to the sky again. The moon and stars were already out and she studied them for a moment.
A scratching sound pulled her from her reverie. She turned and looked, spotting Warren ten yards away. The scratching sound was him using his flint to start a fire.
She liked Warren, she really did, but as usual she found herself wishing Enton was making this trip with her. For just a moment she hated herself for those thoughts. Of all people to like, Enton!
Sighing, Heather moved over to help with the evening meal. There wasn’t much, but each night the food seemed like paradise. It’s amazing how wonderful stale bread and some dried meat could seem after a long hard day in the saddle.
“How much farther?” Warren asked.
Heather considered the question. “Probably not more than a few days,” she replied. That was partially true. She expected to reach the town of Goldwater. It was a small town on the Telurian side of the Mellis River. Across the river, was the Natesh city of Marsh Landing. Both Goldwater and Marsh Landing existed as the primary trading cities between Telur and Natesh. There were other caravan routes, but the fastest way was right through the center of these two towns.
Her plan was simple. Once she crossed the river to Marsh Landing, she intended to find the most senior noble in the city and present both letters; the ones from King D
arion as well as the ones from Dalin Olliston. She wasn’t sure what she expected to happen at that point, but she didn’t think it was any more of her concern. She would have the noble send them to the kings of Natesh and Molain, and she would begin the journey home. She fully expected to be in Telur before the goblins arrived.
Warren nodded but said no more. He was like that – quiet. He was friendly enough, he just didn’t have a whole lot to say.
Heather ate the last piece of her stale bread and glanced to Warren. “You want first or second?” She hated both watches, but she was more tired than normal and desperately hoped Warren chose the first watch.
He just shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me.”
“All right,” Heather said, trying not to smile. “I’ll take second. Wake me.”
Warren only nodded.
Heather awoke to Warren shaking her.
“Huh,” she mumbled, amazed that it was her turn for watch already.
“Shh!” Warren said, unnecessarily putting a finger to his mouth.
Heather instantly became more alert. “What is it?” she asked in a whisper.
“I walked back to the road,” Warren said so quietly that she leaned in closer to hear better. “I heard voices. Two men walking along the road.”
“Who are they?” Heather asked.
Warren shrugged. “I made my way back here. I thought you might have better luck finding out who they are without them hearing you.”
Heather nodded and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She was pleased to see that the fire had gone out, but the coals still glowed a deep reddish-orange. “Which way along the road?” she asked.
“East.”
It took Heather only a few moments to travel back to the road. They hadn’t camped that far away and she was in a hurry. She reached the road but remained in the bushes that grew along the side; she wasn’t fool enough to walk down the middle of the road.
She began heading east; traveling through the bushes without a sound. It wasn’t easy, but she had grown up in the woods and moving silently was second nature to her.
It took a quarter of an hour to find the men that Warren had heard. He’d been correct in that there were two of them, but it would have been hard to miss them. They were in the middle of the road and, of all things, they were drinking. One of them burst out into song and Heather shook her head. If this was the best that Zalustus could do in the way of an ambush, Telur had nothing to worry about.
She moved closer and watched the two idiots.
One of the men fell to the ground and they both collapsed, laughing.
“Hey,” one of them said presently, “isn’t this the easiest work you’ve ever had?”
“Yeah,” the second one agreed. “Can’t believe that fool Darion would ask for help from those goat-herders over the river.”
At this, both men burst into renewed laughter. After a few moments, they quieted down again and passed the bottle between them.
“Well if they do, we’ll stop them,” the first one said.
Heather nearly snorted at this. She probably could step out and kill both men before they even knew anything was happening.
“Yep,” the second one agreed. “What then? Are you planning on fighting at Telur?”
That quieted the first one down. He seemed to sober up quickly. “I don’t know. I don’t much like the looks of that one that hired us.”
The second one shivered. “I know. Did you hear how he threatened old Tom?”
The first one nodded. “Yep. Old Tom wouldn’t appreciate us drinking out here either.”
“You don’t think he’ll check on us, do you?” the second one asked.
That set Heather to worrying. If this ‘Old Tom’ was nearby then he might catch her and Warren even if they skirted around these two nitwits.
She hesitated only a moment and then she headed back to her camp.
She made good time and was nearing the camp when a form rose from the bushes nearly scaring her to death. The form turned out to be Warren and she nearly collapsed in relief.
“Sorry,” he said quietly.
“Bastard!” she replied, a bit louder than she wanted. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“No,” Warren said quietly. “I was trying to be close enough to the road that I could hear if they caught you.”
Heather took several more calming breaths, fighting the urge to be angry. Warren, after all, had only been trying to help.
“What did you find out?” Warren asked in a tone that made Heather want to bite his head off.
She took another deep breath and relayed what she’d heard.
“You think this Tom might be nearby?” Warren asked.
Heather shrugged and then realized that it was too dark for Warren to see the movement. “I’m going to go exploring along the road and in the woods. I don’t want you to come after me,” she added.
“Why not?”
“Because it might take me a while and the last thing I need is for you to get caught because I’m late coming back.”
“Well, how do I know if they catch you?”
Heather shook her head. “If the likes of these men catch me, let ‘em have me.”
Three hours later, Heather was working her way back towards the camp. She had started on the southern side of the road and explored for several miles eastward. There hadn’t been the first sign of any more mercenaries or any encampment. She was working her way back along the northern side of the road and she was beginning to believe the two men had just been drunk out of their minds, when she stopped suddenly. It took only a moment to realize what it was. There was the smell of smoke in the air. She wasn’t close enough to be smelling her and Warren’s campfire.
She slowed her pace and began moving even farther northward. It took nearly twenty minutes, but she stumbled across what she had been looking for. A small camp lay before her. It was disorganized and clearly not set up by a military man. Off in the distance, she could even see the sentry sleeping at his post. She said a silent prayer of thanks that these men were undisciplined and moved closer.
The fire was little more than coals, but its purpose was not for warmth. Little enough heat was needed in the summertime. Five men were laid out around the fire; counting the sorry bastard who was sleeping while on watch, that gave a grand total of six men in camp. There were two more that she knew of, giving a total of eight. Eight men were not a lot, but plenty enough to stop her and Warren’s mission.
She began slowly backing away, being sure to remain absolutely quiet. She probably needn’t have bothered; she could probably kick these men and they wouldn’t have woken up.
It took a few minutes to get back near the road; she didn’t actually travel along the road but rather in the shrubs alongside it.
In what seemed like no time at all, she reached the two men. They were no longer standing in the middle of the road, but were now hunched down just off to the side. She wasn’t sure but it was possible that they were still drinking. She shook her head and passed on by.
A few more minutes and she was approaching her own camp. She hesitated just short, realizing that Warren was nowhere to be seen. It was a bit off-putting. It wasn’t like she expected him to be dancing a jig in the light from their fire, but she still would have expected to be able to see him.
She looked around, waiting for any sound that might lead her to him, but there was nothing.
After another moment, she climbed to her feet and stepped forward into the light from their small fire – actually it was more like the glow of their coals.
She took a couple of steps and stood stock still. For several long moments, there was nothing, and then Warren seemed to materialize from the shadows. It was like he wasn’t there and then he magically appeared. Heather winced at the thought, thinking of the Wizard’s Portal. “Where have you been?” she demanded.
Warren tilted his head to the side. “I was hiding in the shadows. I didn’t want to get caught if they found our camp.”
Something seemed off about the answer, but Heather was unsure what it was. She was certain that she should have seen him on the edge of the camp, but she hadn’t. She considered pressing the issue, but Warren spoke first.
“What did you find?”
Letting her earlier suspicions go, Heather turned her full attention to the matter at hand. “There are six more men asleep at a camp less than a mile up the road.”
Warren looked worried. “What do we do? We can’t go around eight men.”
Heather nodded, moving over to pick up her pack. “You’re right, but we don’t have to. We’re going to kill the two men in the road and sneak past the rest.” She turned to look at Warren. She didn’t think she needed to add this last bit, but she did anyway, “We have to kill them quietly.”
“And how will we sneak past these men? Surely our horses will wake them.”
Heather shrugged. “If they do, then we’ll give the horses their head; let ‘em run.” She paused in the middle of stuffing her blanket in her pack and looked over to Warren. He was standing on the edge of camp, apparently unhappy with her plan. Well, that made two of them, as she didn’t much like it either. “Care to help?” she asked.
He blinked at her, unsure of what she meant. “Huh?”
“Care to help break camp,” she repeated in a calm voice. Her tone actually pleased her as it would have been so easy to allow her anxiety to come out as anger.
“Oh, yeah,” Warren said hurriedly.
They had everything packed and their horses saddled within a quarter of an hour. They left the horses tied to the picket line; it was risky, but riding the horses would alert even the drunkest sentries.
Heather led Warren through the underbrush toward the two men. She expected Warren to make noise – everyone always made noise. Strangely, he surprised her, being as quiet as she was. He was Fae, after all – even if she wasn’t sure what that meant.
It didn’t take long to find the two men and then Heather hunkered down to watch and see if anything had changed. The last thing she wanted was to step out just as a replacement guard came along. Once again, she needn’t have worried. The only two men in evidence, were the two fools singing on the side of the road.
A Gathering of Armies Page 20