by Claire Frank
Cecily smiled and playfully hit his arm. “I’m serious. You’re not paying attention.”
“I’m running out of food,” he replied.
She rolled her eyes. “Do you see what I have to deal with?” she asked Edson.
Edson walked alongside them. After several days in the city, he seemed to be getting used to the crowds and grandeur and had finally stopped gawking at everything. “Oh no, I’m not getting involved.”
“Fine,” Cecily said and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “Neither of you are any help.”
Something in a stall on the other side of the walk caught Daro’s eye. “Here, what about these?” he asked, leading her to a table displaying beaded necklaces and other small ornaments. He took a set of hair pins with colorful ribbons attached to them. “These are pretty. What do you think?” He pinned a piece of her hair up, letting the ribbon cascade down the back of her hair.
Cecily touched the silky ribbon. “I don’t know, they’re a little girlish, don’t you think?”
“I like them,” Daro said and handed the craftswoman a coin.
Cecily fixed the hairpin, adjusting her hair a bit, and added the second one on the other side. “There,” she said and turned around in a little circle.
She stopped suddenly and tilted her head to the side, looking past Daro, her attention on something further down the road. She met his eyes, nodding to where she’d been looking.
Daro turned to see three Imaran men walking past, a short distance away. They were far taller than any Halthian, taller even than Daro. They all had similar dark hair and olive skin and wore the customary Imaran clothing Daro remembered from his youth. Their hip-length shirts that wrapped around their chest, held tight with a tie around the waist, created an asymmetrical line down their front and left their muscled arms bare. Their pants were loose fitting and cinched at their ankles, showing their short, supple brown shoes. Loose cloaks hung down behind them, with wide hoods that hung down their backs. The colors were muted greens and browns, soft in comparison to much of what was worn by the Halthians. They looked at Daro and he could see their bright, silver eyes. Their gazes rested on him for a moment and they spoke a few, quick words to each other before moving on.
Cecily put her hand on his arm. “Do you think they know who you are?”
“Maybe. I’m the only Imaran I know of who doesn’t actually live in Imara, so I suppose I’m a bit obvious,” he replied.
“Do you have any contact with the Imarans?” Edson asked.
Daro shook his head. “Not for a long time. After I went to live with my Halthian aunt and uncle, one or two of them would occasionally come and ask about me. But after I left there, I didn’t see them very often. Only times like this,” he said, as he gestured in the direction they had gone.
Daro wanted to change the subject. He touched Cecily’s elbow and gave her a light nudge. “Let’s show Edson the Life Tree. There used to be that great bakery right across the way. We can’t come to the city and not get one of those sweet buns.”
“The sweet buns,” Cecily said to Edson as she shook her head. “He remembers the Life Tree because of the sweet buns. Really Daro, I think you could navigate the city entirely by the food.”
He grinned as she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Yes, my love, I think you’re right.”
They walked along the street, leaving the busy market behind, and turned onto a smaller side road.
The Life Tree was in the center of Northern Halthas, a short walk from the market. They emerged onto a large courtyard of stone, the tiles making a cascading pattern of lights and darks that emanated out from the center. In the midst of the courtyard stood the Life Tree, bordered by a low wall of stone that encased it in a large planter.
Edson’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. Daro smiled. Everyone gawked at the Life Tree, especially the first time they saw it.
For all intents and purposes, it looked like an enormous living tree. The first branches shot out about ten feet from the ground, curving downward at the tips, drawn down by the weight of their leaves. The leaves themselves were spread out almost like a hand, with five points on each, and they seemed to turn in the wind. The entire tree always appeared to be moving, rustling in the wind, swaying and shifting. The leaves seemed to turn color as the light hit them, making them appear to shift and move. But the Life Tree was not alive, nor was it a tree. It was stone.
“It looks so real,” Edson whispered.
“Yes, it does,” Cecily answered.
“Did the Imarans really make this?” Edson asked.
Daro nodded. “They did, hundreds of years ago. The stories say the Imarans brought the stone and carved it right here in the center of the city, as a gift to Halthas.”
“How did they do that?” Edson asked, his voice still filled with awe.
“I wish I could tell you,” Daro answered as he gazed at the Tree. The apparent movement of the leaves was almost hypnotic. He always tried to see the Life Tree for what it was, lifeless stone. But he could never make his eyes believe. The harder he stared, the more lifelike it seemed.
“No one in Halthas really understands how they did it,” Cecily said. “I think even the scholars at the Lyceum gave up a long time ago.”
They all moved closer to the Tree to get a better look. Edson walked around and peered at it closely. “I can’t imagine how they made it look so alive. You said they brought in the stone? It doesn’t look like any stone I’ve ever seen.”
“No, it isn’t,” Cecily answered. “I’m no expert on stone, but it doesn’t feel like anything I’m used to.”
“Come closer, I want to show you something,” Daro said as he beckoned to Edson. They all walked to the edge of the Tree’s enclosure. The low wall surrounding it was the perfect height for sitting, and they all took a seat, following Daro’s lead. “Close your eyes,” he said.
They closed their eyes. Daro took a deep breath as calm washed over him. The Life Tree emanated a feeling of peace and tranquility that was even more surprising to most people than its lifelike appearance.
“That’s incredible,” Edson said quietly. “This is no Shaper trick.”
“No,” Daro said and took another deep breath. He could almost smell the fresh scent of wildflowers. “Imarans don’t have Shapers. They don’t have Wielders, either. They’re just”—he paused—”Imarans.”
“Am I supposed to feel so relaxed?” Edson asked.
“Most people do, especially this close,” Cecily said. “Just another reason they call Halthas the City of Wonders.”
They basked in the tranquility of the Life Tree for a while, looking up at the shifting leaves and studying the branches. The Life Tree was the one place in Halthas that Daro genuinely loved. Cecily always told him it must remind him of his earliest days, when he’d lived with his parents in Imara. Perhaps she was right, although he couldn’t remember anything there that looked like this.
A smell tickled Daro’s nose, and he remembered the sweet buns. As much as he enjoyed the Life Tree, it would be a shame to leave the city without one.
***
Daro licked the cinnamon off his fingers as they approached Griff and Serv’s warehouse. His former employers came out to greet them. Griff’s face lit up with his usual smile, and Serv gave a quiet nod.
“Everything is ready,” Griff said and clapped Daro on the back in greeting. “You’ll be leaving tomorrow?”
Daro nodded. “We have a long trip ahead of us. If we’re lucky, the weather will be kind, but I’m not counting on it.”
“As well you shouldn’t,” Griff answered. “Autumn is nearly upon us. Listen, Daro,” he said as he came in closer and gave a half glance over at Edson. “I have a bit of a proposition for you.”
Daro chuckled. He had spent many years working for Griff and Serv as the head of their merchant guard before he’d met Cecily. “Proposition? Should I be nervous?”
Griff put a hand on his shoulder as they walked int
o the warehouse building, leading him away from the others. “No, no, nothing like that,” he said. “But I was wondering if you might be able to spare Edson for a while. We’re making a trip north into Thaya and we could use another set of hands. We won’t be going far past the Halthian border, mind you. Too chaotic up there these days. But two of my men quit just yesterday, and finding good replacements is a hard thing. A hard thing indeed.” He turned to face Daro and put his thumbs in his jeweled belt. “I was thinking, perhaps your young man there might fancy a trip through the North Mountains. See a few things along the way. We both know how good travel is for a man, learn the ways of the world a bit better.”
Daro smiled. He couldn’t help but agree. He had traveled extensively with Griff and Serv, and those years had done much to shape the man he had become. “Doesn’t sound like a bad notion,” he said. “But we’ll have to ask Edson what he thinks. If he’d like to join you, he’s welcome to. I agree, it would be good for him.”
“Excellent,” Griff said. “And you know, there isn’t a finer swordsman than Serv this side of the mountains. A little time with him and our young friend will be a force to be reckoned with.” Daro nodded and the men shook hands. “Thank you, my friend,” Griff said.
“Of course,” Daro said, before walking away to find Edson and Cecily.
Edson proved to be enthusiastic about the idea, so the arrangements were made. He would stay in Halthas with Griff and Serv and accompany them on their next journey to Thaya. The group would travel east to Norgrost Keep after their journey and promised to bring Edson home along the way.
“I’m going to miss him,” Cecily said as they walked back to their inn, the shadows growing long as the sun dipped low on the horizon.
Daro put his arm around her and nodded. “Me too. It will be a bit quieter without him around.”
“I hope he’ll be okay. Isn’t there a lot of fighting in Thaya?”
“There might be, but they won’t go too far across the border. There is a small city just on the other side of the mountains, Surat. I don’t think they ever go farther than that. Serv won’t go, at any rate.”
Cecily looked up at him, her eyebrows lifted. “Really? Why? He’s from Thaya, isn’t he?”
“He is, but he never goes back. He’s never talked about it, and I don’t ask.”
They kept walking and Cecily was quiet for a moment. “How did I not know that about him?”
Daro shrugged. “We all have secrets, I suppose.” He felt Cecily stiffen, but he didn’t ask what troubled her. He knew she carried a few secrets of her own and never tried to pry them out of her. He knew enough about her life before they met to realize that some things needed to stay in the past.
He hugged her close. She threaded her arm around his waist and they walked back to their inn, enjoying the comfortable silence. They had a long journey ahead of them the next day. Although their visit to Halthas had been a relatively pleasant one, he was more than ready to leave the city behind for the open road.
9. A PEBBLE IN THE ROAD
Cecily swayed with the motion of the wagon as it traveled down the road. Puffy white clouds drifted across the sky, barely visible through the gap in the trees above their heads. The forest pressed in on either side, creeping toward the road as if it intended to overtake it. Tall moss-covered fir trees towered over them, their limbs crowded together to dilute the sunlight, and leafy ferns reached their fronds toward the gray stone of the road.
She reached her arms up to stretch. They had spent the night in a modest inn at a crossroads a day’s journey from Halthas. The bed had been small and cramped, and her neck was stiff. She looked forward to spending a more comfortable evening at Merrick’s cabin. His home was simple, but cozy.
“We’re making good time,” Daro said and glanced at her as she stretched. “The turnoff to Merrick’s isn’t far from here.”
Cecily rubbed her eyes and leaned against Daro’s arm. “We could cut south tomorrow and catch a riverboat to East Haven,” she said. “It would cut some time off our journey.”
He shrugged. “We’ll be home before you know it.”
The overland route took longer, but she knew Daro preferred it to the confinement of the riverboat. She sighed and looked out over the thick forest. The branches closed above them, creating a tunnel of green and brown. She had to admit, the view was lovely.
A loud blast rang out and the force of the explosion tossed Cecily through the air. She rolled as she hit the ground, then sprang to her feet. Dust and bits of rock flew everywhere, obscuring her vision, and her ears rang. She shook her head to clear it and slammed open her Awareness, searching for the source of the attack. She could sense Daro on the other side of the road, picking himself up and looking around.
She couldn’t feel anything with her Awareness, just the trees, the underbrush and the terrain. Their wagon was upturned, leaning against a tree on the far side of the road. One of their horses was dead, the other already gone, running down the road. She backed up, stepping one foot behind the other to put a tree behind her.
A ripple in her Awareness caught her attention. Someone was there, but they were managing to hide from her. A Sensory Wielder, and a powerful one. He was Shielding his presence. Now that she knew what to look for, she could sense two more ripples. There were at least three of them.
Something flew toward her and she used her Reach to Push it away. A glowing-hot piece of rock exploded where it hit, sending up a spray of dirt. She could see the Wielder now, across the road just behind the tree line. He was masked and dressed all in black. With a strong Push, she slammed into him with her Reach. He stumbled backward but didn’t lose his feet, and he raised his arm to throw. Another rock, glowing orange and red, sped toward her and she barely managed to Push it aside. Debris flew as it exploded and she threw up her arms to protect herself.
Daro ran toward the masked rock Wielder, his sword drawn. Sensing movement on her side of the road, Cecily drew back into the trees. The ripples in her Awareness coalesced into figures as the Sensor dropped his Shield. One was near the rock Wielder, hanging back in the trees. The Sensor himself was up the road from her, standing in the low brush just off the side of the road. She peeked out from behind her tree. He was also dressed in black, his face hidden by a mask. He held a bow, the string pulled back.
The arrow raced forward and she could feel the air it displaced as it sliced toward her. She ducked back behind the tree but the arrow curved, arcing around the tree trunk in an impossible path. She Pushed it away with her Reach and it stuck into a tree trunk. How did he do that? He was a Sensor—he couldn’t be using Precision. It wasn’t possible.
He proved her wrong as he shot another arrow that wound through the trees. She Pushed it, trying to knock it off course, but it didn’t veer away as a typical arrow should. It pushed back against her, the other Wielder’s Precision vying with her Push to keep it on course. She managed to make it miss, but it brushed by her face so close she could feel the whoosh of air as it sliced by.
Cecily could sense Daro across the road, crossing swords with the rock Wielder. The third man still hung back; she briefly wondered why he wasn’t attacking when she caught a glimpse of the Sensor as he darted amongst the trees. Fine. I can play this game. Ducking behind a tall fir tree, she put her back to the rough bark and centered her Awareness on him to quickly feel him out. As he lifted his bow again she Reached, using Pressure to weaken his grip. He shook his hand as Cecily breathed deep to keep her concentration. Finding his wrist, she applied Pressure again. His hand convulsed and he nearly dropped his bow.
He cried out as she Pushed harder. With a quick flick of her Wielding Energy, she hit his knees with Pressure. As she held him she could feel his energy set against hers, Pushing back as he tried to Shield himself against her. If he could wedge her Awareness back far enough, she’d have to let go. How is he doing this? He cried out again as she Pushed, tightening the Pressure on his knees.
His grip on her Wielding Ene
rgy tightened and she could feel him Push back against her. Sweat beaded on her forehead and ran down her back. She threw more energy at him, Pushing him down, but he surged back, breaking her Wield.
As soon as her Pressure was gone, he jumped to his feet and nocked another arrow. It flew toward her, darting around the trees. She Pushed at the arrow, fighting its enhanced momentum. He shot again and she tried to Push the arrows off course as she ducked behind another tree. One arrow swung wide, but the other sliced across her shoulder, ripping through her flesh in a sharp ribbon of pain.
Fury and pain surged inside her and she Reached for the Sensor and hit him with a Push before he could fire another arrow. With a tight grip on his wrist, she clamped him with Pressure. He cried out, dropping his bow, but slammed her with a Push of his own. The blow made her falter, and she lost her Pressure grip, her shoulder burning. His Wielding Energy wrapped around her chest and squeezed, the Pressure from his Wield crushing the air from her lungs. She gasped for breath and Pushed back, assaulting his grip and forcing him to let go.
Gritting her teeth with the effort, she grabbed his knees with Pressure and Pushed as hard as she could. The Pressure made him stumble and she hit his ankles with her Reach, sweeping his feet out from under him. He landed on his back with a grunt and she hit him with another Push, smashing the air from his lungs. With a gasp, he tried to get up but she hit him with another Push, slamming his head onto the ground, knocking him unconscious.
Another explosion rang out and she flung open her Awareness. The third man still hung back in the trees. Why aren’t you attacking? Daro was on his knees, picking himself up, his sword still in his hand. Cecily darted for the road, breathing hard. The rock Wielder threw a hot rock and it exploded near her feet, leaving a small crater in the road. As shards of rock blasted by her legs, the sharp pieces tore her leggings and embedded into her skin. Blood trickled down her arm, and her legs stung with pain as she stumbled backward from the force of the blast.