She grinned up at him. "You mean, I could have asked for a tonne of gold?"
"Not gold, that's impossible. Gold does not exist on this world. It's an alien metal that Truemen brought with them on the silver bird. Any other creature of this world would die from its touch, but Mujar cannot, though its effect is almost as bad as death for us."
Talsy stumbled through a deep snowdrift, supported by Chanter's arm. Her mind whirled with all the things she had learnt, while her legs ached and her lungs burnt in the frigid air. Sensing her exhaustion, Chanter called a halt, and the weary people sank down in the snow where they stood, gasping clouds of steam. Talsy sat and rubbed her aching legs, Chanter settled beside her.
After they had rested, the chosen moved to a nearby glade, gathered wood and lighted fires to heat their food and make tea. Talsy stayed with Chanter, leaning against him for warmth. Despite the terrible cold, the Mujar still wore only his leather tunic and trousers. It left his arms and some of his chest bare, yet the cold did not affect him, and his skin was wonderfully warm.
She looked up at him. "Will you stay with me tonight?"
"You know I can't."
"Because of the Dolana?"
"Not only that. I could sit beside you, but I must go ahead and find the next city, as well as keep watch for the Hashon Jahar."
She sighed. "When will it all end?"
"After the gathering."
"Then what will happen?"
"Those who pass the final test will live in paradise." He glanced down at her. "Don't worry; you'll be one of them."
"Some will fail?"
He nodded. "Many will."
"What's the final test?"
"I don't know."
"I think you do," she accused. "Before, when I asked how Truemen came to this world, you said you didn't know, but you did, for you've just told me."
"Mujar don't lie, little one. The gods gave me that knowledge when I chose you. Since that day I have learnt all that I have just told you gradually, like memories coming back. Before that, I didn't know. As I learn more, I'll tell you."
"Oh," she frowned, chastised.
Chanter glanced around at the gathering dusk and rose, helping Talsy to her feet. Through the trees, the glimmer of the chosen's fires shone like golden beacons, throwing dancing light on the snow. The Mujar led her to them and sat with her beside Sheera and Shern, joining them in a meagre meal and a cup of steaming tea. Kieran sat with Roth and some soldiers at another fire, the Queen and her women shared their own. Seven campfires lighted the glade, and the chosen huddled around them, ready for the rock shelter Chanter would create.
After he ate, the Mujar rose and walked into the gloom without a word. Talsy watched him leave, taking with him the comfort of his presence. As soon as he vanished into the darkness, she missed him. She turned to smile at Sheera as the old woman placed a blanket around her. Moments after his departure, she sensed the chilling hush of Dolana as he invoked it.
The ground trembled and the snow parted. Stone pushed upwards in shimmering walls all around them. It formed another shelter over them, joining into a sloping roof, complete with smoke hole. The warmth of the fires filled it, and many shed their blankets, laying them on the snow as pallets for sleepy children. Only Talsy continued to stare out of the cosy haven at the forest's icy darkness, into which Chanter had vanished.
Chapter Twelve
A wolf's wild, mournful howl wafted through the dark forest outside, making many shiver. Talsy listened to the call and the distant answer of a pack. Chanter would run with his wild brethren soon, sharing their freedom and the magic of the cold starry night, which she had shared so briefly when he had restored the burnt forest. She longed to join him and run free with the wolves over the sparkling virgin snow, instead of huddling around a fire with weary, unwashed Lowmen. The warm shelter penned her in, trapped and stifled her.
Sheera glanced up as Talsy stood, and she smiled down at the old lady. "I have to find a tree."
Sheera nodded, turning back to tend the pot that bubbled on the flames. Talsy shrugged off the blanket and walked into the woods. Soon the trees swallowed the fires' glow, but the wildness soaked into her, buoying her spirits. Starlight silvered the crisp new snow that squeaked beneath her boots as she wandered, breathing deeply of the cold clean air. The forest no longer frightened her, for the Mujar mark kept her safe from all but Lowmen.
Talsy's steps carried her to a rocky hilltop, where the trees gave way to a white sweep of sloping snow overlooking a wide, forested valley. Here she paused to rest, drinking in the wild magic. The cold nipped her skin, and she reached into her bodice and drew out the nut that was the Staff of Life. It warmed her hands, but she needed more than that to truly appreciate this magical experience. She needed the boundless strength and energy of a Mujar. Her legs ached from the day's travel, and fatigue dulled her senses.
Remembering the words that Chanter had used to banish the staff, she cupped it in her hands and whispered, "Come forth."
The nut remained unaffected, and she pondered the problem. Was it that she did not have the power to call forth the staff, or were the words wrong? Could only a Mujar invoke it? Unwilling to believe that, she tried again.
"Come out."
After another short interval, and she thought about it some more. Chanter had told it to 'go back', so it stood to reason that the words to invoke it were the opposite of that.
"Come to me," she whispered.
The nut glowed with a soft green light. Talsy gasped in wonder as it brightened and stretched into a glimmering staff some two paces long. Smiling, she caressed its silken length, marvelling at the translucent beauty of the million rainbow hues trapped within it. Its vitality flowed into her, banished her fatigue and aches and filled her with boundless energy and joy. Jumping up, she tucked it back into her bodice, where it lay against her skin and imparted its glorious warmth. The ends protruded from the top and bottom of her tunic, and she had to angle it so it did not hamper her.
Quitting the rocky knoll, she bounded down the slope, slipping and sliding in the fresh powder snow. Ice crystals glittered under the moon and stars like jewels, cascading around her as she floundered, laughing, in the soft mantle. The staff banished the chill and the snow melted at her touch, but soon dried on her warm skin. At the bottom of the slope, she ran into the forest's dimness, with its shadow-striped snow webbed with darkness by the branches overhead. She frolicked from drift to drift, danced on firmer ground and hugged mighty, ancient trees.
The approach of a dire bear made her pause as the vast animal shambled through the snow, digging for frozen roots and nuts. It glanced at her, its brown eyes glittering in its shaggy grey face, then sniffed the wind and wandered away. Talsy walked on, secure in the knowledge that the Mujar mark kept her safe from all the woodland beasts. The sweet, wild air tasted better than wine, and the moonlight made the snow shimmer like a bed of diamonds. The staff glowed warmly at her breast, and everything seemed right in the world, as perfect as it ever could be.
An owl hooted and floated overhead on silent, predatory wings, vanishing amongst the snow-laden branches. The wolf pack sang a drifting, wailing melody, and she sensed the hunger in their wild cry. It was a hunting song, to give courage to the pack and fill their hearts with eagerness for the taste of warm red flesh. If the pack hunted, Chanter would not stay with them much longer, and she hastened towards the sound. She ran up a stony slope, delighted by the spring in her step and the unflagging vitality that coursed through her. Although she panted clouds of steam, tiredness did not slow her.
Topping a ridge, she started down into a valley wooded with pines and dotted with rocks. A seething mass of darkness approached her, and she stopped to watch the wolf pack run lithely over the snow. They veered towards her, eyes glowing in the moonlight, and she held her breath as they approached. The leaders stopped, and the pack fanned out around them. The lead wolf, a huge grey male with a silver ruff and amber eyes, walked nearer. He gaz
ed up at her without hostility, and she let out her breath in a sigh. Chanter had already left them. Her disappointment was tinged with excitement at the fresh challenge of finding him now that he ran alone.
The big wolf cocked his head to one side as he considered her, and several of his pack whined. He backed away a few steps, turned in a circle and faced her again. His antics perplexed her, and the wolf came closer still, then sat. Many of the pack followed his example, while others milled and whined. The leader lifted his muzzle gave a long, deep-throated howl. The lone note broke the stillness and trailed off into silence. The leader waited, his ears swivelling, until an answering howl came faintly on the wind. Apparently satisfied, the wolf rose and trotted past her, so close that she could have touched him, heading towards the ridge she had just crossed. The pack followed, parting to flow around her like a river around a rock.
Talsy gazed after them, wishing that she could become a wolf and join them. Their paws were silent in the deep snow as they ran shoulder to shoulder with steaming breaths and waving tails. As they vanished over the ridge, she turned at a whisper of sound. A white owl glided down to land before her. With a rush of Ashmar, the bird vanished and Chanter stood there. His gaze raked her, coming to rest on the staff, and a smile tugged at his lips.
"What are you doing here?"
"I didn't want to stay in that stuffy shelter with all those smelly Lowmen. I wanted to be with you."
He shook his head. "So now you have found me, thanks to the wolves."
"They told you?"
"The leader did. You really shouldn't be here, but I see you've mastered the staff."
She glanced down at the glowing rod. "It was easy."
"Of course, it's meant to be."
"So anyone can use it?"
"Anyone who knows what it is." He hesitated. "But it has little use, other than imparting warmth and strength to its bearer and governing the ways of Life."
Talsy approached him. "Don't take me back, not yet. Let me stay awhile. I want to be wild with you."
Chanter smiled and glanced around. "You must rest, or you'll be too tired to walk tomorrow."
"I'll be fine if you let me keep the staff."
"I can't do that. If the others see it, there will be too many questions." His gaze became intent. "Don't set yourself apart from your people. Although you have become like a Mujar in some ways, you're not one, so don't try to be."
"But you won't take me back, not yet?"
Chanter shook his head and reached out to brush a lock of hair from her cheek. "You can stay a while, but not too long."
Talsy grinned and slipped her hand into his, and he led the way through the frozen forest. He guided her to a herd of sleeping deer whose guards huffed in alarm before they realised that it was a Mujar who approached. She stroked the gangly fawns that nestled at their mothers' feet and patted the magnificent stags who gazed at her with liquid eyes. Chanter showed her a family of foxes in a den hidden by fronds of bracken beside a frozen waterfall, and the cubs came out to play while their mother watched with loving eyes. When the father returned with a rabbit, they left them to eat and walked on. The Mujar reached into a tree hole and drew out a sleepy squirrel that sighed and curled up in his warm palm. In his company, the world became a magical place where she was neither feared by, nor fearful of the wild beasts.
Talsy did not notice that Chanter headed back towards the shelter, and, when the gleam of firelight came into view ahead, she turned to him. "Not yet, Chanter, please."
"It's late, little clan." He plucked the staff from her bodice and tossed it into the air before she could protest. "Go back."
Talsy bent to retrieve the warm brown nut that dropped into the snow, tiredness falling on her like a leaden cloak. Chanter put an arm around her and urged her into the circle of firelight, where Kieran sat.
The Prince rose and glared at the Mujar.
"Where did you take her?" he demanded.
Chanter shook his head. "She wanted to run free under the stars. I only found her and brought her back."
Talsy brushed past the Prince and sank down on an empty blanket beside Sheera's sleeping form, removing her shoes.
Kieran turned back to the Mujar. "It's because of you that she's like this."
Chanter shrugged. "It's the mark, but since I put it there, yes, it's because of me."
"What do you mean, the mark?"
The Mujar glanced past him at the girl, who had lain down and pulled the blanket over herself. "It's opening her mind like a blossoming flower, and she's starting to see the reality of this world, not what she was brought up to see."
Kieran frowned. "Is that good? It sounds like she's turning into a Mujar."
"Would that be bad?" Chanter smiled at the Prince's discomfiture. "Fear not, she won't turn into a Mujar, Prince Kieran. But she will come to appreciate this world the way we do, and cherish it as we do. Which you'll all have to do, or perish."
"I already appreciate this world, I was taught by a Mujar. But wandering around in the middle of the night, freezing cold..."
"She wasn't cold." Chanter stared into the darkness beyond the circle of firelight. "She has overcome the fears that have so long shackled her to the vile and corrupt world of Lowmen. She's becoming free, and you should too."
The Mujar spun on his heel and vanished into the darkness before Kieran could reply, and he stared after him. His anger at Talsy's disappearance and frantic worry for her safety had forced the angry words to boil off his tongue, but now he wished them unsaid. Fortunately, it took more than a few misguided words to anger a Mujar, he thought ruefully, glancing at Talsy curled up asleep in the blankets. With a sigh, he sat down to resume his watch.
Tyrander stared out of the window of his room at the first pale streaks of dawn that washed away the night. Stars faded and winked out as the sun's light chased them from the sky. He would never see the stars again. This was the dawn of the final day of his life. His sober mind perceived the beauty of it and the emptiness of the oasis and castle, of his life. His hand caressed the warm hilt of the Starsword with faint regret. Just when he had acquired something worthwhile, it was to be given back to his worthless brother.
Turning to face the mirror, he straightened his tunic, brushing back the silver lock that flopped over his forehead. It was the legacy of a particularly spirited horse he had once owned, which, when treated too harshly, had retaliated with a kick that could have killed him. He smiled at the memory. The stallion had paid for his temerity with his life, yet Tyrander had missed him afterwards. Shaking himself from his past, he swung from the mirror.
"Staff, how long before the Black Riders get here?"
The words of golden fire formed, "By midday, they will come."
Tyrander nodded without fear. "Then I'll walk in the grounds and enjoy the last day."
Talsy panted beside Chanter, leaning on his arm as he led the chosen up a steep slope. Leafy trees had given way to hardy pines that struggled to grow in the rocky terrain, twisted by the wind. The Mujar paused to let the people rest, and Talsy sank down on a convenient rock. The day had become warm, and the snow melted, forming little streams under a hard crust. This had made the footing treacherous as people broke through the crust and slipped in the mud beneath. Kieran helped Sheera, who clung to his arm as she trudged, grey-faced, after the Mujar. Talsy longed to use the Staff of Life, but there were others, like Sheera, in a worse state than she.
She studied the Mujar who squatted on the ground beside her. "Why are we moving so fast? Some of the older people are struggling."
"I know. But we have much ground to make up. The delay while you were trapped and since has allowed the Hashon Jahar to gain. If we're to reach more towns before them, we must hurry."
Talsy shivered at the dreaded name. "Do you know where they are?"
He nodded. "Some have overtaken and travel to the west, others are a day behind."
"But surely we have no hope of staying ahead of them? I've seen how fast
they move, those horses gallop endlessly."
"No, we can't stay ahead of them, but we can reach at least one more town before they do, only a few hours further on."
"What happens when they catch up?"
He shrugged. "I'll protect the chosen."
"But when all the others have been wiped out, won't we be their only target?"
"By then we'll be at the gathering."
Talsy sighed when he stood up, preparing to move on. The chosen muttered and groaned as they rose to their feet. Forcing her aching legs to obey, she followed him down the slope on the far side of the hill they had just climbed. A glance at the sun told her that it was almost midday, and soon they would stop for lunch. Strengthened by the thought of rest and food, she stumbled after the Mujar, using the twisted trees to slow her down on the steep slope. Once they had reached this final town, she hoped that the pace would slow and the journey would become less arduous.
Tyrander gazed out of his trophy room window, which overlooked the lower battlements and the road that wound through the oasis to the castle's mighty gates. His pennants and flags flapped in a warm breeze, long streamers of fine cloth winding like supple dancers following a difficult tune. Beyond the greenery, red sand rippled away to the horizon, where it met the blue sky in a hard line unmarred by haze. Across this crimson sea of timeless sandy swells, a long black line, smudged by red dust, approached.
Tyrander swung away from the sight of his doom and clutched the golden cage that held the Staff of Law. "Why do they come all this way for one man?"
"They must," the fiery words wrote.
"Why is it that my twin brother, who's my own flesh, is chosen, yet I'm not?"
"Flesh is not judged, only what lies within it."
Tyrander frowned, fingering the golden cage. "And you can do nothing to help me."
Broken World Book Two - StarSword Page 22