"What's going on?” Seranova shouted, angrily pulling on her horse’s reins as she tried to bring it under control.
"That's yara,” Ferrich shouted in amazement. "Someone is using yara!"
Morindessa had never seen anyone use yara, having only read about it in books and been told about it by Riah. "Are you sure, Ferrich?” she asked doubtfully.
"Yes," Ferrich replied, finally bringing his own horse under control. "We can use it sometimes in the Pit."
A scream rent the air, a scream that made Morindessa's hair stand on end. She lifted Jesha from in front of her and handed her to Ferrich. "You three stay here. If I am not back in an hour, continue south until you reach Chasel Ri’ Aven.” She brought her hand up sharply as Ferrich and Seranova both opened their mouths in protest. "This is no time to argue! Now do as I say!"
She slid from the back of her horse and began stealthily making her way toward the source of the screams. As she neared, she could sense four people just over a rise ahead of her, one of them filled with yara he was directing into the other three. Suddenly, she recognized the resonance of the man using yara. Rushing forward to the summit of the rise, she peered over the top, wondering what she could possibly do against someone with that much power. Morindessa looked at the women he was channeling the energy into, and gasped in horror. Riah stood next to a twisted form that was slowly wilting, screaming so loud she could feel it on the Communion Plane of spirits as well as with her ears. The man she had recognized as Terrance was glowing with an azure aura that surrounded the women next to him. The buzz that filled the air made Morindessa's bones ache.
The realization that Terrance was harming, perhaps killing, Riah overrode Morindessa's elation at seeing her alive. The other woman behind Terrance must have been Selindria, the sister Riah had told her about. They almost looked like twins, except Selindria was smaller and had tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at her sister. Morindessa studied what Terrance was doing, trying to sort out the complex arrangement of elements streaming out of the dwindling form next to Riah.
Morindessa spun as she heard rocks crunch behind her, whipping out a dagger. Ferrich froze in his tracks at the look of hate that burned in her eyes. "I couldn't leave,” he mumbled, not meeting her eyes. "If I am going to die with you, then so be it."
Morindessa forced the heat to leave her eyes as she reached down and pulled Ferrich up next to her. He sighed in obvious relief as she sheathed her dagger. She hoped that she lived through this, because she had some definite plans for Ferrich if they lived.
"All right," Morindessa said, studying Terrance as the hate returned to her eyes. "We need to kill that man.” She pointed at Terrance, noticing that his eyes were beginning to take on a glazed look.
"What do you want me to do?” Ferrich asked simply.
"I want you to focus on him the way you did the weeds in the road, when you shattered all of those trees,” Morindessa said grimly. "Do it the same way."
Ferrich took a deep breath. "Here goes."
Riah had just stopped screaming when Terrance began to waiver slightly, like water in a pond. The figure that had been hunched next to Riah lay limply in the road, lifeless. Selindria looked at where Ferrich and Morindessa lay crouched on the hilltop, just as Ferrich sent a blast of his yar down the hill toward them.
"No!” Selindria screamed, diving between Terrance and the wave of destruction bearing down on him. At the last instant, Terrance’s wavering form grabbed her arm. She immediately began to waiver as well, just as Ferrich's yar slashed through them. The ground around them erupted in a spray of dirt and rocks, throwing Riah backword through the air several paces. As the dust settled, there was no sign of Selindria or Terrance.
Morindessa felt a sliver of ice run down her spine as she recalled the look of terror on Selindria's face when they had tried to harm Terrance. Hoping she had not just made the largest mistake of her life, Morindessa rushed down the hill toward Riah's still form with Ferrich following behind.
"Riah!” Morindessa shouted as she ran toward the giantess' still form, "Riah!” Morindessa dropped to the ground next to Riah, checking for a pulse. "No pulse!” she said worriedly to Ferrich. Reaching out with her yar, she tried to force Riah’s heart to begin beating. Morindessa could tell that it would not continue beating if she stopped using her yar to force it. She reached deeper into Riah, looking for her awareness. She had never been very skilled with her yar when it came to linking with others. She wished she had paid more attention to Riah, instead of always wanting to learn things that would help her fight.
There was an awareness inside of Riah, but even as Morindessa sensed it, she could feel it losing its hold on the body in front of them. "Somebody help me!” Morindessa screamed at the sky, tears blurring her vision.
In a moment, she was rolling sideways as a dark form pushed her away. As she rolled into a crouch, she saw the form of Lochnar cradling Riah's head in his arms as his yar shot into her. Morindessa could feel his yar, twisting around something she could not sense, the whole time holding a soft note with his voice, "Oohhmm.” Morindessa watched him hopefully, not daring to breathe for fear she might break his concentration. He continued chanting the same note repeatedly for several minutes, while his yar began to weaken slightly.
Riah coughed raggedly, sitting up, "No father!” she cried weakly, "No!"
"It is done, Riah, and it will not be undone,” Lochnar said softly, pushing her back to the ground. "You need to rest."
Morindessa stared at Lochnar in shock. She could feel his diminished spirit, as if a part of his body had been removed. His yar glowed feebly in her mind as he sat next to Riah, brushing her hair with his fingers. He had given up part of his spirit to save her. Morindessa knew even after Lochnar died, he would never regain the part of his spirit he had given up.
Riah's eyes found Morindessa, still crouched as she watched them, "Des!” She cried longingly. "Oh Des, I've missed you!"
Morindessa rushed forward, embracing her with tears streaming down her face. They took turns, laughing and crying as they clung to each other. Morindessa realized that Riah was naked and hurriedly rose. "I have some clothes back with my horse."
"And you think they will fit me?” Riah asked, smiling through her tears. "You are still a little midget, Des."
"I am sure we can modify them,” Morindessa assured her with a grin. She rushed back to her horse where Seranova was still waiting with Jesha.
"What's going on?” Seranova demanded with a scowl. "Why are you grinning like that?"
Morindessa blinked as she realized the silly look she had on her face. She stilled her features, though she still felt elation so strongly it should have lifted her off the ground. "It's all right,” she said as she swung up onto her horse. "They're friends.” With that, she booted Nenstle into a gallop back to where Riah lay.
When Morindessa returned, Ferrich was staring at the ground as he talked to Riah, trying to avoid looking at her naked form. Lochnar sat studying Ferrich with his intense gaze, causing Ferrich to falter as he tried to answer Riah's questions.
"Here you are,” Morindessa said, pulling a robe from her saddlebags and stretching it with her yar.
Riah sat up and pulled the long, black robe over her head, making Ferrich breathe a sigh of relief as his eyes found a safe place to rest at last. Seranova and Jesha were just arriving, pulling Ferrich's horse and the packhorse behind them.
"I suppose some introductions are in order,” Morindessa said to Riah as her three companions gathered around her.
"You might want to wait for the others to arrive before you start the introductions,” Lochnar said in a low growl.
"Others?” Morindessa asked, reaching out with her yar. She had not been keeping watch around them with her yar because she was still in shock of what happened. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt several figures quickly moving toward them beyond the hill. "Who are they?"
"Some kids from Chasel Ri’ Aven,” Lochnar replied w
ith a grunt, "and a very irritating little man that doesn't know when to shut up."
Morindessa could not help smiling at the tone she had once been afraid of. Some things about Lochnar would just never change. He was watching her with his penetrating eyes and she could tell he was waiting to tell her something unpleasant. Whenever she had over-extended on a fighting technique, or put too much force in her yar, his eyes would always grow hooded like they were now, and he would tell her what she was doing wrong. He looked away without saying anything however, staring in the direction the others would come.
"Why don't you let me tell the others what happened when they arrive,” Lochnar suggested firmly, not looking at her.
"What did happen?” Morindessa asked, a worm of fear returning as she remembered the look on Selindria's face. "Why was Terrance attacking them?” Lochnar was the first person she had heard of Terrance from, and none of it had been good.
"What you saw was a misunderstanding,” Lochnar explained quietly. "A man named Jerard had captured Riah shortly after we left you. We thought that she was dead, but we found her several days ago, her spirit twisted and broken. Terrance had to use her twin sister as a map to rebuild her spirit. What you saw when you came over the hill was Terrance and Selindria healing Riah."
At Morindessa's stricken look, Ferrich reached down and gripped her shoulder. "It's not your fault,” his grip tightened. "Anyone would have thought she was being attacked. It isn't your fault."
"I killed them?” Morindessa whispered, feeling the world crashing down around her. She felt like there was a growing piece of ice in her stomach trying to consume her.
"No, you didn't kill them,” Lochnar said, shaking his head in disdain. "Not that I would miss Terrance much if you did, but they are still alive."
"Then where are they?” Morindessa looked around, feeling with her yar and sensing nothing but the approaching strangers. "Where did they go?"
"Jerard created a trap inside of Riah's old host,” Lochnar scowled at the limp form several paces away. "Terrance was going to use Selindria as an anchoring point in this realm when he sprang Jerard's trap. He didn't count on both of them being sucked into it.” Lochnar clenched his fist at his side and stared into the distance. He was filled with a rage that emanated so strongly Morindessa felt caught up in it.
"But where are they now?” Ferrich asked, grimacing at the land around them. "Does this Jerard person have them?"
Lochnar glanced at Ferrich, frowning slightly, "I don't know. I don't think so, though. I would guess they are somewhere in the negative realm. I felt a depression in it when they disappeared."
Morindessa had never heard of the Negative Realm, but if they were still alive, then she maintained the hope they could return somehow. She looked down at Riah, who still looked drawn and tired. "Should we make camp around here?” Morindessa asked Lochnar, with a gesture toward Riah.
Lochnar nodded without replying, turning his attention to the group of people that were just arriving, led by someone that was obviously not human. His face seemed to have a wild look to it, an effect heightened by the sharp, pointed teeth that flashed at them as he spoke.
"What happened?” the wild-looking man demanded, with a worried expression on his face.
"It worked,” Lochnar grunted. "Terrance ended up with some extra baggage, but it worked."
"Hello, Thistledown,” Riah said with a wan smile. She was lying on the ground hidden by the horses.
"Riah?” Thistledown asked in wonder, quickly walking around the horses to Riah. When he saw her lying in the road, he let out a cry of glee and dove on to her with a rough embrace that threatened to crack her ribs.
"Gently, Thistledown,” Riah gasped with a grunt, "I may need some of these ribs later."
Thistledown leaned back, grinning from ear to ear as his strange feral eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "I never thought I would see you again. The least I owe you is a few cracked ribs."
As Thistledown stared down at Riah, Morindessa could feel him probing Riah with his yar. After several moments, a puzzled crease appeared on his forehead. "There is an element here that wasn't in the plan,” he looked at her worriedly, and Morindessa felt his yar begin a complicated series of what seemed to be tests on her spirit’s reaction to small pulses of yar that he shot into her.
When Thistledown finished, he slowly rose, looking at Lochnar in amazement. He finally noticed the glaring difference in Lochnar's resonance. "What have you done, Lochnar?"
Lochnar met Thistledown's incredulous stare with a steady gaze. "What was necessary. Like everything else we have done,” he finished in a level tone. Morindessa had a feeling she was missing part of the conversation.
Morindessa felt eyes on her, and turned to find a young girl in the group Thistledown had brought, staring at her in fascination. Morindessa did not think she was from Chasel Ri’ Aven. She was as different from the other youths as Thistledown was from Lochnar. When she saw Morindessa looking at her, she looked away, blushing slightly at being caught staring. The girl’s resonance was so strong Morindessa thought her senses were deceiving her for a moment. The rest of Thistledown's small group was watching the exchange between Thistledown and Lochnar.
Thistledown and Lochnar had grown silent, but they were looking at each other intently, as if some silent struggle waged that no one else could see. Finally, Thistledown turned to face her, a determined look on his face. "Morindessa, will you set up a camp and get everyone settled in? Lochnar and I will return before dark."
Morindessa nodded silently, studying Thistledown closely. When he spoke to her, it was as if he knew her well, like an old acquaintance, but she had no recollection of ever seeing him before. It was rare that Morindessa forgot a face, especially one as unique as Thistledown’s.
Thistledown and Lochnar stood across from each other, each of them reaching out to the other with their yar. A moment later, a pillar of light descended from the sky, and the two of them slowly rose into it, disappearing from sight. Morindessa saw Ferrich with his mouth hanging open, and checked herself to make sure she did not look the same. She had always thought of herself as a very advanced student when it came to understanding the spiritual realm. After today, she felt like a person who had learned a few basic tricks as she witnessed the casual ease with which Terrance, Thistledown and Lochnar created complex yar arrangements as if it were second nature.
Sighing, Morindessa turned to the others. "I think we should get the introductions over with first. You can call me Des. This is Ferrich, Jesha, and Seranova.” Morindessa pointed at each of her companions in turn.
The new arrivals smiled politely, nodding at each of them as Morindessa made the introductions. A young man with piercing blue eyes stepped forward a bit, “My name is Celdic.” Morindessa gave a start as she felt his resonance. It was the same as Terrance's resonance. "This is Li, Cha'le, Lendel, Jalorm and Lori.” His voice had the same deep confidence the nobles in Chasel Ri’ Aven spoke with. The young man named Lendel was still staring up at the sky where Lochnar and Thistledown had disappeared. His eyes had a troubled look, and he was unconsciously caressing his sword hilt.
"Well, since no one is going to introduce me, I'll introduce myself,” Riah said dryly, "My name is Riah."
They all murmured hello to Riah, studying her with fascinated eyes. She was taller than the tallest of them by a head, though her slim form made her seem taller. She was beautiful in a way that most people only read about in stories. Next to her, Morindessa was merely moderately attractive. Riah's beauty was more than just her Zeran heritage though. She had an inner beauty so powerful that it seemed to augment her physical beauty to something that transcended mortal definitions of the word.
"Let's make camp,” Morindessa broke into the silence as they gazed in awe at Riah. "We can talk more when we have had some supper."
Her words broke the spell, and the others began looking for a place to set up their camp. She made Riah ride Nenstle, overriding her protests that she was
healthy enough to walk, and that her pony was not large enough for a full-grown woman.
Jalorm found a flat area next to the stream that paralleled the road, and they set up the tents and began making a fire. Lendel joined her and Ferrich as they set up a large tent, casting quick, discerning glances at Morindessa when he thought that she was not watching.
"Do you know what was wrong with Lochnar?” Lendel asked finally, meeting her eyes.
Morindessa thought of feigning ignorance, telling him she did not know what the matter with him was, but something inside told her to answer him. She was not sure if it was because he seemed so lost, or if she just felt responsible for what happened.
"When Terrance and Selindria disappeared, Riah wasn't completely healed yet.” Morindessa still felt shocked at what Lochnar had done. "He took elements from his own spirit to heal Riah's."
"What does that mean?” Lendel asked, frowning at her.
"It means he might not live much longer,” Morindessa explained hollowly. "It means when he dies, his spirit will continue on without the elements he gave to Riah. He may never be able to occupy a host again."
Chapter 23
Lieutenant Sanders stood next to the river with the File Leaders of the two shielding squads that accompanied his men, studying the men with cold blue eyes. They were responsible for keeping his men hidden from Morindessa's senses until one of his archers could get close enough to hit her with a blunt arrow. The two File Leaders stood in front of him, shifting nervously under his cold gaze. The first File Leader was a short man with a thick, golden beard and stocky shoulders. The second File Leader was slightly taller, with a large round belly that would never have survived if he were a regular soldier, instead of a member of a special project. Sanders detested fat people with a passion. In Sanders opinion, fat people became fat from laziness, a trait that needed to be purged from the human race before they became nothing better than the Zerans. If General Newborn had given him command over the Shielding Units protocol, he would have had the chubby soldier running the whole way from Shalilayo. As it was, General Newborn had only given him authority over their marching orders.
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