Wards and Wonders

by Kay L. Ling

  Chapter 22

  Kaff Bartium-Anen walked out of the Aberell City Confinement with his head held high. He was free! At least for now, he told himself, pushing back the bitter thoughts that threatened to spoil this moment. He’d worry about later . . . later.

  He wore his green robe today—the one like Gem Master Elias’s. Kaff was sentimental about this robe. He had worn it during the Amulet Mission, and those had been the best days of his life. Wearing the robe today reminded him of his capabilities—former capabilities, he thought dismally. Right now, he needed to draw strength, confidence, and optimism, but his infused gem powers had worn off long ago, and since he had no gems, he couldn’t renew them. He clutched his satchel tightly. It held clothing and a few personal belongings he’d brought from home.

  Sketchpads and notebooks in hand, gnome newssheet reporters stood on the walkway. Others, curiosity-seekers, no doubt, had also come to see him released. He smiled and waved. It felt strange to read about himself. Visitors had brought him newssheets—a group of woodspirits called the Seekers. They were fascinated by gem powers, and even more fascinated by the handful of woodspirits called The Eight who wielded them. Kaff had the distinction of being acquainted with the ninth . . . the most famous—and notorious—woodspirit gem master. That apparently counted for something, because the Seekers had paid his bail, and they were coming to get him.

  “How does it feel to be free?” one reporter called.

  “Are your parents here?” called another. “What do they think about woodspirits paying your bail?”

  Kaff felt his smile slipping. No, his parents weren’t here. They had been here to see him thrown into a cell, but they weren’t here now. They had no IGs to pay for the trip, or so they had said in their letter. What kind of excuse was that? If they had wanted to come badly enough, they would have found a way.

  “When you kidnapped Sheamathan, what promises did you make to gain her cooperation?” a reporter called.

  “What did she teach you?” asked another.

  He ignored their questions, looking past them.

  There they were! Towering over the gnomes, several woodspirits were heading toward him. The reporters began shouting questions at them.

  “Are you the group that posted Kaff’s bail?”

  “Where do you plan to take him?”

  “We’ve heard you plan to host public meetings. Have you scheduled any yet?”

  “Some call you Sheamathan worshippers. What do you have to say about that?”

  The group consisted of four females and three males, all with the fine, classic features and ageless appearance typical of woodspirits. They wore colorful robes, similar to Kaff’s. Yomir, the group’s leader, called to the reporters, “We don’t have time for questions now.”

  Kaff stopped and let the woodspirits come to him.

  “Let’s cross the street,” Yomir suggested. He was slim, like all woodspirits, and had a ruggedly handsome face. His features seemed carved from stone, all imperfections polished away.

  Everyone gathered around Kaff, forming a barricade that the reporters couldn’t penetrate. Kaff tried not to grin, but it felt good, really good, to have admirers. Admirers who doubled as bodyguards were even better.

  “You’ll be staying with Beniah for now,” Yomir said, indicating a male with dark brown hair and a short, neatly trimmed beard. “He lives alone, and we hold most of our meetings at his place, so it’s a good arrangement for all of us.”

  “How many members do you have?” Kaff asked. “Is this everyone?”

  “This is all the regulars. Others come sporadically, and we get visitors from other cities, too.”

  “There are Seekers in other cities?”

  “Yes. Mostly in the fortress cities, but we also have groups in several coastal communities and the Silver Sea Islands,” Yomir said proudly.

  One of the females turned and looked back. “I think the reporters have given up for now.”

  Kaff looked back, too. The reporters were no longer following, but two stood drawing what they had seen.

  “Kaff, it’s a fairly long walk to the boat,” one of the females said. She was the best looking of the group, with large brown eyes, black hair, and a captivating smile. “Are you up to the walk? If not, we can hail a transport cart.”

  “Walking is fine,” he said, not wanting to put them to any trouble. After being stuck in that miserable cell so long, it was good to walk and feel the sun on his face, but it was hard to keep up with their longer strides. “We’re going by boat?” He knew he sounded nervous, but he couldn’t help it. He’d seen drawings of boats in the newssheets. Traveling through deep water in a thing made of wood seemed risky. His companions obviously thought nothing of it, so it must be safe, but given a choice, he would rather travel by cart.

  “My home is on the Aberell River,” Beniah said. “You can get there by cart, but it’s easier by boat.”

  “Wait till you see his place!” one of the females gushed. “Two levels made of corrustone and wood, with lots of windows overlooking the river, and he has a private dock for his boat.”

  “He has more IGs than he knows what to do with,” Yomir said, but he didn’t sound jealous. “He and his family own businesses in the fortress cities.”

  Beniah must be a desirable mate. Why did he live alone? He looked about thirty, but he was probably a couple hundred years old.

  As if reading Kaff’s mind, another of the females said, “Beniah is our senior member,” in a way that suggested this was a frequent joke among them. “But I won’t tell you his age, since that would be rude.”

  “He’s nearly as old as Sheamathan,” the black-haired female said in a loud whisper, and everyone laughed.

  S was nearly three hundred years old. It was hard to get used to woodspirits’ lifespans. They lived so much longer than gnomes did, and that wasn’t fair. Gnomes didn’t have long to make something of themselves. Growing up, Kaff’s greatest ambition had been to be an elder in his clan, but he could do better than that. After learning he had gem powers, he knew he would be a famous gem master someday. Elias had chosen him for the Amulet Team. Wasn’t that a sign that he, Kaff Bartium-Anen, was destined for greatness? But now, depending on what happened at his trial, he might be facing years in a confinement, and that would put an end to his ambitions.

  The narrow walkways were becoming more crowded now that they had reached the commercial zone. Shoppers were predominantly gnomes, and many looked surprised to see Kaff walking with a group of woodspirits. He had glimpsed Aberell City while riding in the confinement wagon, but now he could see the amazing array of shops and businesses, and he wished he had time to go into a few. Display windows had clothing, shoes, pottery, cloth, and tools, and the abundance of these items, all in short supply at home, left him speechless.

  When they finally reached the public docks, Kaff was tired and thirsty and his feet hurt, but the river with its boats that moved by poles, oars, or sails, filled him with such amazement he almost forgot his discomfort.

  Beniah pointed to a blue and white boat with tall sails. “That one’s mine. I named it The Seeker, after our group.”

  A female on the boat waved to them as they came down the dock. Kaff didn’t think he had met this one.

  “Welcome aboard,” she said warmly. Like all woodspirits, her skin had a faint, greenish tint, but her reddish-brown hair made the color more pronounced. “We can hardly wait to hear all your stories about Elantoth.”

  A male behind him said, “When we visited in the confinement, we barely got started and it was time to leave.”

  Before long, Kaff was sailing up the river, holding a goblet of wine, and he began to relax. Around him, the woodspirits talked and laughed, absorbed in their own conversations, but they didn’t forget to point out interesting sights: waterside eating establishments, passing merchant boats, young gnomes poling a raft, birds diving for fish, cargo boats being unloaded at the commercial docks, and the Outcast District with its
white corrustone buildings.

  Once they passed the Outcast District, there was a stretch of river with nothing along the banks, but then scattered dwellings began to appear, and they were all very impressive. Kaff shaded his eyes to get a better look, feeling overwhelmed. If Beniah’s home looked like one of these, Kaff would be the luckiest gnome alive. But he would only be living at Beniah’s until the trial, he reminded himself, and his heart sank at the thought of going back to a cell. It would be all the more depressing after living in a beautiful home on the river.

  Fortunately, everyone was too busy talking to notice his gloomy expression; he couldn’t afford to be moody or ill-tempered. When they no longer found him intriguing, they’d probably take him back to the city, and then where would he go?

  As the boat angled toward the riverbank, Kaff stared in wonder at the home they were approaching. A stone walkway wound through ornamental plants and flowers, and a stairway led up the bank to a magnificent house that looked big enough to hold several gnome families. A covered porch spanned the entire first floor. Sunlight gleamed off rows of tall windows, and dark wooden beams showed beneath the home’s steeply sloped roof.

  “Your mouth is hanging open,” Yomir said, giving Kaff a friendly slap on the back. “Welcome to your temporary residence.”

  “It’s wonderful,” breathed Kaff.

  “It won’t seem so overwhelming after a few days. If you want to see something even more impressive, look up the river on the opposite bank. Do you see that massive stone and timber building?”

  Kaff blinked against the reflected sunlight and nodded.

  “You can only make out the largest building from here, but there are actually three. A long time ago, one of them was The Aberell City Confinement. When new owners bought the place, about fifty years ago, they replaced the flat roofs with gables and added all those fancy pillars and balustrades. Then, about twenty years ago, they built the encircling wall. I’ve never been inside. Hardly anyone has, but I’ve seen newssheet illustrations. It’s one of the places they’re thinking about putting Sheamathan.”

  Kaff looked at the building with new interest. “Why there?”

  They had reached the dock. Beniah went to tie up the boat and everyone rose to get off. The boat bobbled unpleasantly. Yomir took Kaff’s arm to steady him. “It’s private and very secure. It’s called The Emanicus, and it’s some kind of gnome gem master place where they live in isolation and pursue their gem studies.”

  “That wouldn’t be a bad place for S,” Kaff said, as he and Yomir got off the boat.

  “Are you kidding? Who knows what they’d do to her there, and no one would be the wiser since it isn’t a regular confinement. She needs to be in a woodspirit rehabilitation site where no one will mistreat her.”

  “Of course. That would be a lot better,” Kaff said, embarrassed by his blunder.

  “Now that you’re with us, you need to start thinking like a woodspirit,” Yomir said, draping his arm over Kaff’s shoulders. “You’re a Sheamathan sympathizer, so it shouldn’t be too hard. How do you think we Seekers would feel, looking at The Emanicus from here and worrying about Sheamathan?”

  “Right,” Kaff said. “I see your point.”

  “Good.” Yomir patted him on the back, and as they started up the steps, Kaff looked up at the home where, at least for a little while, he would live in luxury as an honorary woodspirit.

  The entry hall opened on a large sunny room with high ceilings. Tall windows looked out on the river. The floors were made of pieces of golden wood laid in squares, and the room had couches, chairs, and floor cushions upholstered in multi-color floral fabrics. Tapestries as well as numerous paintings and sketches in gold-colored frames hung on the walls. Stone and metal sculptures, many depicting animals Kaff had never seen, stood on pedestals. There were several statues of woodspirits, and some of unfamiliar races. It was hard to believe one individual owned all of this.

  “Let me take your satchel,” said the black-haired female with the fascinating smile. “I’ll take it up to your room.”

  Another female brought him a drink. “Make yourself at home.”

  Kaff wandered through the sitting room, looking at sculptures, paintings, and sketches. Amulet gnomes had spent their lives in hiding, inside trees, and didn’t have much use for art, so the only artwork he’d seen had been S’s, and to be honest, he found most of it strange and creepy. Some of this artwork was a little odd, too.

  A voice behind him said, “Sometimes broken and misshapen things are more attractive than objects that are perfect, don’t you think?”

  Kaff turned to see his host, Beniah.

  “Er, yes . . . I know what you mean,” Kaff said, fumbling for a reply.

  “We’re about to begin the meeting.”

  Kaff looked around. He didn’t see Yomir, but the others were sitting now. He claimed a floral chair with a matching footstool and sat down with his drink, which he had barely tasted until now. He took another sip. It was fruity and pleasant.

  Everyone looked at him, no doubt expecting him to talk about S, Elantoth, and the Amulet. Suddenly he felt uneasy. He wasn’t sure what to say. He hated S for the terrible things she had done to his people, but she fascinated him, and he envied her power. He supposed the Seekers shared some of his confused feelings.

  Yomir came into the room. He held a wooden box with a glass lid, and he brought it straight to Kaff. Kaff’s mouth fell open. The box held dozens of gems.

  Yomir laughed at Kaff’s expression and sat down on the footstool. “You didn’t think woodspirits owned gems?”

  He hadn’t expected they would, since only a handful of woodspirits had gem powers. But he didn’t care how or why they had gems. It was all he could do to keep from snatching the box from Yomir’s lap.

  Yomir lifted the lid. “How many of these are you familiar with?”

  Kaff was glad he had learned to read. The compartments were labeled. “We have most of these at Elantoth.” He pressed his hands against his knees to keep them from trembling. “A few are unfamiliar.”

  “I collect them for their beauty, obviously, since I can’t draw their powers. There’s nothing rare here.” He paused, grinning. “You should see your face. You’re no good at hiding your emotions. Go ahead. Help yourself.”

  Kaff chose one for confidence, but hesitated before drawing its power. Was it all right to do this? When the officers had released him from the confinement, they hadn’t said he couldn’t use gems. Anyway, how would they know? The tracking spell could tell them where he was, but not what he was doing. Kaff sighed with pleasure as he drew the gem’s power.

  The woodspirits watched him with interested expressions. No doubt they had seen gnomes use gems, but he wasn’t just any gnome. He was Kaff, confidant of the most powerful woodspirit who had ever lived. He smiled to himself. No one knew S the way he did. Kaff shared a special bond with her. Both wanted a place in history and believed it was better to die hated by all than die in obscurity. Not that Kaff wanted to be like S who was truly corrupt, but as far as he was concerned, dark powers had their place, and gnomes were too closed-minded.

  “Tell us about Sheamathan,” Beniah said. “What was she really like? After so many generations, had she lost her obsession with power and control?”

  Kaff considered the question. The answer was obviously no. But how honest could he afford to be? What did they want to hear? That S had remained a vicious, controlling monster who enslaved and tortured gnomes, or that she had changed for the better and used her gem powers for benevolent purposes. If he spent the next few weeks telling the woodspirits one lie after another, he’d be covered with witnesses by the time he went to court. He’d better tell the truth but make it sound as good as possible.

  “By my generation, everyone had accepted the fact that she was our ruler and there was nothing we could do about it. She controlled the climate and routinely destroyed fields and forests with blights, droughts, and fires. Then there were her creatures
. Most were unintelligent, but she’d also created giant, flying serpents that could talk, and they were her spies.”

  Two of the females gasped, and everyone looked at him with eager interest, wanting to hear more.

  “We couldn’t fight her. She exerted a force that made our minds dull, and she could literally paralyze us if she wanted to.”

  “Incredible,” Yomir said, looking fascinated. “So you hid from her by living inside trees. You didn’t have much choice, really.”

  “She was Queen of the Amulet,” one of the females said with a blissful sigh. “She could do anything she wanted. Her word was law.”

  A male said, “She was a harsh ruler, but to my way of thinking, gnomes there were better off. Here, they have dozens of rulers, none of whom get along, all arguing among themselves and vying for power.”

  Beniah told Kaff, “Woodspirits have a separate government with an elected Chief Governor, but you gnomes vastly outnumber us and more or less run Ahmonell.”

  Kaff didn’t know what to say. Most of what he had learned about Ahmonell had come from newssheets. Despite living for centuries, woodspirits didn’t have many offspring, and the population expanded slowly, so gnomes would always outnumber them. Gnomes had gem powers and natural leadership abilities, so it seemed only right that they ran Ahmonell, but it would be wise to keep that opinion to himself.

  Kaff returned the gem to the box and helped himself to a couple more.

  “We should be careful,” one of the females said in an amused tone. “Kaff might use these gems against us and try to rule us.”

  The woodspirits laughed, and Kaff joined in. That wasn’t a bad idea. It would be fun to try. But these gems wouldn’t be much help. “The worst I could do with these gems is make you happy or confident.”

  Beniah patted Kaff’s knee, grinning. “Good to know. Once we get to know you better and trust you more, we may bring out the more dangerous gems.”