by Victor Poole
"Yes," Savage said. "To do what we have done costs a great deal, and drags down the soul. We have often in the past, gone into the mountains to be refreshed by our brother priests, who reserve themselves for this purpose."
"So the king turned on the priests, and in the end you were all banished or imprisoned," Ajalia finished for Savage. "You cut a deal with Fernos, and taught him pieces of your magic, in exchange for not killing most of you." Savage was watching her eyes closely.
"Essentially, yes," Savage said. The moon had come out again, and the blue rays of moonlight mingled with the golden light that Ajalia suddenly realized was emanating out of Delmar. She looked at Delmar, and Savage followed her look.
"You're glowing," Savage said blankly. Delmar, who still looked furious, did not unbend his frown.
"Have you finished explaining the order of your priesthood?" Delmar asked in acerbic tones. Savage no longer looked angry; he was staring now at Delmar as if he had come into the presence of his sky god. Ajalia was reminded of the way Rane had looked at her, when she had pulled the matching pieces of marriage light from within Ocher and Beryl. The thought flashed through Ajalia's mind that she would have to watch Savage closely, to see if he would turn on Delmar, the way Rane had turned on her. She told herself also to ask Savage more about Rane. She thought it was clear that the two men had known each other, and she wanted to see if she could put together a picture for herself, of why Rane had turned on her so suddenly.
"I have, my lord," Savage said to Delmar, sounding quite hushed. Delmar's mouth curled, if possible, into an even sharper snarl of anger and disdain.
"Don't flatter me, Savage," Delmar said. Ajalia had never seen Delmar angry like this. He was almost vibrating with rage, and his body was giving off a strong sheen of golden light. "Ajalia warned me about servants who flatter."
"I apologize, my lord," Savage said quickly, looking confused. "I did not mean to offend."
"Well, you offended me already," Delmar snapped. "So tell me about how awful my father is."
"Was," Ajalia murmured.
"Whatever!" Delmar cried. He glared at Savage, who quailed before him.
"Delmar," Ajalia said.
"What is it?" Delmar asked, without looking away from Savage.
"I think you've frightened him, Delmar," Ajalia said. Delmar's eyebrows drew together, and his mouth curled into a smile of disbelief. He looked around at Ajalia.
"Don't lie to me," Delmar said, and he sounded world-weary and very near tears.
"I'm not lying," Ajalia said. "Look at him. He's terrified of you now." Delmar scoffed and turned towards Savage again. Ajalia was sure that Delmar was expecting Savage to return his smile, and then to engage in some manly and wordy conflict, but when Delmar looked at Savage, who had now bent down on his knees, and was watching Delmar with something approaching worship in his eyes, the anger in Delmar's face dissipated.
"Well, I didn't mean to scare you," Delmar said, looking uncomfortable. He glanced at Ajalia, and then looked back at Savage. Delmar took a step towards Savage, who flinched. "Please don't worship me!" Delmar said, and he sounded both angry and sad. "Why is he looking at me like that?" Delmar demanded, turning towards Ajalia. Ajalia was staring at Delmar now, and even she felt a little intimidated.
"Well," she said slowly, "first, you're floating, and second, you've started to glow."
"I am not floating," Delmar said, but when he looked down, and saw that his feet had begun to leave the ground, he blushed. The golden glow that was shimmering out of Delmar's skin dropped immediately away, and his body touched down to the ground. "Sorry," Delmar said, looking embarrassed and ashamed.
Delmar stepped forward, and grabbed Savage by the shoulders. The former priest tried to move away, but Delmar was too fast for him.
"I'm not a god," Delmar told the man, shaking him a little. "I'm just me! I'm Delmar."
"You are the sky god," Savage said. Ajalia saw that Savage's face had gone white, and that he would not meet Delmar's eyes.
"Hey!" Delmar shouted, grabbing Savage's face, and looking straight into his eyes. "Hey! I am not a god. Okay?" Delmar stared down Savage, who tried to look away. "I am not a god, Savage. I'm silly, and I say stupid stuff. Ajalia needs you to make me into a proper king, remember?" Delmar demanded. Savage seemed to have gone into shock; he was breathing shallowly, and his lips were shaking. Delmar looked around at Ajalia, who nodded encouragingly. Delmar frowned, and took Savage by the shoulders. "Are you there, Savage?" Delmar asked. Savage blinked rapidly, and then, slowly, the former priest nodded. "Can you talk?" Delmar asked.
"Yes," Savage said, in a rasping voice.
"We're going to walk down the mountain now," Delmar told the man. "I'm going to walk next to you. Look, I'm going to keep my arm around you, all right?"
"I don't think you should touch me," Savage whispered. "I'm not worthy."
THE MEN DISCUSS PHILAS
"Oh, great," Delmar said, and he grimaced at Ajalia. "This is really embarrassing," Delmar told her, and she nodded. "Come on, man," Delmar said bracingly, and he put his arm around Savage, and guided him down the mountain road. Ajalia woke up Mop, who had gone into a doze on the ground, and lifted the boy into the saddle. She got onto the black horse behind the boy, and put an arm around him. Mop, who had not really woken up, slumped back against her, and closed his eyes again. Ajalia directed the horse to walk along behind Delmar, and soon the three of them, with the sleeping boy, were heading steadily down the mountain.
"I'll tell you about Philas now, if you want," Delmar said to Ajalia.
"We can wait for Savage to feel better," Ajalia said. "I want to hear about the egregious sins of your father." Delmar laughed bitterly. "What is that laugh supposed to mean?" Ajalia demanded. Delmar tried to shrug her question off, but she did not want to let go of it. "Why did you laugh?" Ajalia asked. "What is funny about it?"
Delmar still did not say anything, and Ajalia turned a stony glare onto him.
"You know that this whole conversation started because you did this," Ajalia said firmly.
"Because I did what?" Delmar asked. He sounded detached, and bemused.
"Because you started treating yourself like you're some kind of monster," Ajalia said. Savage, who had been walking along as though in a trance, leapt upright, and jumped away from Delmar.
"You're not a monster!" Savage cried, sounding completely indignant. "Is he being mean to himself?" Savage demanded, looking up at Ajalia with eyes that were wild with dismay and anger.
"Yes," Ajalia said.
"I'm not being mean to myself," Delmar mumbled, but there was a sickly smile on his face. Before Ajalia could see quite what had happened, Savage had torn up a length of vivid red light from below the road, and had shaped it into a long, cruel spear. At the same time, Savage had raised up the hand that was not gripping the spear, his palm towards the sky, and Delmar flew up into the air, held captive in a net of twisting blue cords.
"What are you doing to Delmar?" Ajalia cried, because it looked very much as though Savage was about to try to kill the Thief Lord. Ajalia very nearly said "my husband", but she did not want to say that word out loud with Savage nearby. She felt shy about saying such a personal thing out loud. Savage did not turn; the former priest's eyes were fixed on Delmar, who was hanging in the air, and staring in shock down at Savage.
"You will take back the rudeness you have shown to yourself," Savage commanded, "or I will pierce you with this rod of red light, and you will burn in your heart. I am not going to kill him," Savage added peaceably to Ajalia, and then turned grimly back to Delmar, who uttered a weak laugh.
"Put me down," Delmar said in a shaking voice. "I command you to put me down."
"I will not obey any sentiment from you that comes from your worm of a father," Savage growled. "Do you want to know why my name is Savage?" he added with a smile that was like the warning grin of a lion.
"No, why do they call you Savage?" Delmar asked lightly. Ajalia could see D
elmar struggling against the blue cords; she saw that Delmar could not free himself. "Put me down," Delmar said. "Ajalia, help me get down."
"No," Ajalia said. She was not sure why, but she trusted Savage. She trusted his ire; perhaps Savage, she thought, would convince Delmar to stop treating himself so caustically.
"Help me, Ajalia!" Delmar demanded. His eyes had widened, and Ajalia told herself that Delmar had once again convinced himself that she would stand by him despite his rudeness to himself. I have warned him several times about this, Ajalia told herself, but her heart flipped over as she watched Delmar struggle in the cords of blue.
"This is the last time that I will ask you," Savage told Delmar. "Take it back. You will apologize to yourself, or I will pierce you." Delmar stared at Savage, and Savage stared back at Delmar. Ajalia saw Delmar open his mouth, and she was sure he was going to say something cheeky. Delmar's eyes traveled to the long and shimmering spear that was in Savage's hand.
"I'm sorry," Delmar said finally. The words left him like dry reeds shaking in a strong wind.
"What are you sorry for?" Savage demanded, his eyes narrowed dangerously. The tall man hefted the red spear in his hand, and Delmar jittered, and stared at it.
"I'm sorry for being so rude to myself," Delmar said, and Savage dropped the hand that he had extended into the air. Delmar fell with a crash to the road, and Savage, with a sigh, pressed the spear of red light into his own heart. The red spear sank into Savage's flesh with a sizzle, and a thin trail of smoke rose up from the place that the light had entered.
"Why are you called Savage?" Ajalia asked. Delmar picked himself up from the stony ground, and brushed himself off, looking thoroughly annoyed at both Ajalia and Savage.
"I'm fine, thank you," Delmar said tartly. Savage uttered a strong growl of warning, and Delmar flushed, and then went pale. "Sorry," Delmar muttered.
"Sorry for what?" Savage asked sternly. Delmar flushed, his skin dark in the moonlight.
"I'm sorry for being rude," Delmar mumbled. Savage, who looked thoroughly recovered from his earlier bout of worshipful terror, headed down the mountain road, and Ajalia nudged her horse to follow the man.
"I nearly killed Rane, and Delmar's father, when I caught them doing dark magic in the streets of Talbos," Savage said. "I beat them in the streets where I found them, and they were not all in one piece when the others pulled me off of them. They changed my name then, and called me Savage." The horse's hooves made a peaceful clopping noise on the road. "I wanted to kill Simon," Savage added.
Ajalia wondered what the dark magic was that Simon and Rane had been engaged in, but she was not yet willing to ask.
"I was called Foresight, before then," Savage said. "I can see stories in the air."
"What kind of stories?" Ajalia asked. Savage looked up at her, and she saw that his eyes were still dark.
"I see what will be, if events are unchanged. I see where things will lead." Savage stared out at the lights of the city below, and he seemed to be lost in thought. "I saw some of what could be, in Talbos," Savage said. "This is why I wanted to kill both Simon and Rane."
"Was it before Delmar's father was banished?" Ajalia asked. Savage nodded.
"Yes," Savage told her. Ajalia heard Delmar's footsteps coming slowly along, some distance behind them. "I wish I could have killed Simon," Savage said fervently. "I tried, but I did not think, before I attacked them. I might have been able to kill both Rane and Simon, if I had been a little more cunning."
"I think it is better that Delmar destroyed Simon," Ajalia said.
"Delmar killed his father?" Savage asked, looking surprised.
"Yes," Ajalia said. Savage thought about this for a few minutes. The slight sound of Delmar's footsteps drew nearer, and Ajalia could see Savage listening to the sound. The clopping of the horse's hooves made a regular rhythm, and Mop let out a deep sigh in his sleep.
"I suppose that is just as well," Savage said. "He was an awful coward," he added, his voice full of anger.
"Yes," Ajalia said. "I didn't think I'd ever meet someone who hated Simon as much as I did," she said.
"I hate him more than either of you can," Delmar said. He sounded a little forlorn.
"You sound like you don't hate him at all," Ajalia said gently. Delmar let out a sad and tired sigh. "Come and ride my horse," Ajalia suggested. Delmar made a noncommittal noise of negativity. She halted the horse. "Savage, come and hold this child for me," Ajalia said. Savage lifted Mop down from the horse, and slung the boy over his shoulder. Ajalia slipped down from the horse, and went to Delmar. "Come and ride my horse," she said, wrapping her arms around Delmar. Savage walked discreetly down the mountain road, and Delmar let out a stifled sob. Ajalia stroked his hair.
"You didn't even come and see if I was okay," Delmar said with a little hiccough of sadness.
"That is because you didn't need me," Ajalia said.
"I did too," Delmar protested. He pushed his face into her hair, and she felt his body soften.
"My horse will help you feel better," Ajalia said firmly, pulling her arms away from Delmar. Delmar held onto her very tight.
"Don't let go of me," Delmar said. His voice was muffled in her hair. Ajalia sighed, and settled her arms around him again.
"I won't ever let go," she told him.
"Yeah, but you sighed," Delmar said accusingly. His voice wobbled at the end of his words. "That means that you're getting tired of me."
"It means that I want to hold you in bed," Ajalia explained. "Now get on the horse." Delmar drew back, and studied her face narrowly.
"Are you sure that you aren't tired of me?" Delmar asked suspiciously. Ajalia kissed him on the cheek, and Delmar seized her, and kissed her far more thoroughly on the mouth. Ajalia sighed, and it was a much happier sigh.
"Now get on my horse," Ajalia murmured, when Delmar had finished.
"Mm," he said, and nuzzled her neck. He kissed her just above the collarbone, and then went and swung aboard the horse. "Are you okay walking?" he asked her. Ajalia thought that he sounded much more cheerful now. Ajalia answered by walking down the road, and Delmar nudged at the black horse with his legs. The black horse, who, Ajalia thought, was showing extraordinary patience and goodwill towards all of the stopping, and starting, and standing still, flicked his tail, and strode along after Ajalia.
They walked in silence until they caught up with Savage, who was dawdling with the boy slung over his shoulder some distance ahead.
"Philas," Ajalia said, when they had all three drawn abreast on the road.
"Yes, I think he is trying to replace you, and yes, I'm jealous that he wants you still," Delmar volunteered.
"I don't think he wants me anymore," Ajalia said. Delmar turned a cynical eye on her.
"Ajalia," Delmar said. "You are not a man, and you do not understand. Philas will always want you."
"I don't think he wants me," Ajalia muttered under her breath. She knew that Delmar heard her, because he turned, with dignity, towards Savage.
"Based on the information you have heard about this Philas," Delmar asked, "do you think it is likely that he wants to acquire Ajalia?"
"Probably, yes," Savage said at once. "I'm sorry," Savage said to Ajalia, "but he is very likely right. Men like Philas don't change, and they don't forget."
"But he apologized," Ajalia said, "and Leed said he was all right."
"Leed is young," Delmar said. "And," he added, "you talk to Philas again now."
"So?" Ajalia asked.
"So he got what he wanted by apologizing," Delmar said. "I think Philas would say anything at all to get what he wanted."
"Well, he wouldn't have apologized before," Ajalia said, feeling nonplussed.
"I agree, which is why I have not yet pummeled him," Delmar said. Ajalia glanced at Delmar, and saw that he was serious. "I don't know if Fashel will have him or not," Delmar told Ajalia. "I think she's a good woman. If she takes him, he'll have to leave you alone."
"So a man l
ike Philas is a vacuum, and he must be focused on some woman?" Ajalia asked. She was just barely able to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but Savage and Delmar both looked at her seriously.
"Yes," they both said at the same time. Ajalia laughed, but Delmar regarded her with soberness in his eyes.
"Philas lacks moral development," Delmar said. "I thought this about him, almost the first time I met him properly. He's got weak character." Ajalia thought this was a strange thing for Delmar to say, but then Savage joined in.
"I knew a man like this Philas once," Savage said. "He started as a priest, and ended as an assassin over in Saroyan." Ajalia felt jostled by this statement.
"How did that happen?" she asked. Savage smiled over at her. Delmar was on the left side of the road, riding on the black horse, and Ajalia was in the middle. On Ajalia's right was Savage, and the softly breathing Mop.
"You are thinking that I have not met this Philas person," Savage guessed, "and you suspect me of making up stories, but I have heard from your voice what Philas is like. I have formed a picture of his character, by the way the two of you speak of him."
"Is that part of your seer skill?" Ajalia asked. Savage smiled.
"No," he said. "This is only me being observant."
"I want to hear about this assassin," Delmar announced. He seemed to have regained his usual good cheer, and he held the reins of the horse easily. Ajalia told herself that she would never have guessed, from the way Delmar sat on the black horse, that only weeks ago Delmar had clung uncomfortably to her waist, and complained about the travails of horseback riding.
"He was, as you said, without character," Savage said. Savage detailed the career of this unfortunate priest, and as Ajalia listened with part of her mind, she reflected with the rest of her energy on the events of the day. She had not thought, when she had set out for Talbos with Delmar, with Fashel and Philas in tow, that she would have ended the day with a bodyguard and a new boy. I don't know why I'm surprised, Ajalia told herself firmly. She still felt rather as though she hadn't really destroyed the two black dragons, or watched Delmar soak up their rancid skins, and scatter out the light that had been trapped inside.