“As does mine. While I have one, I’ll use the Red to heal. Did you know Corin can heal without a Jewel? He can mend broken bones and stop the flow of blood.”
Mara held the tent flap open. “I used to help the desert plants like colti grow larger. What about you? Did you have a talent before the Jewel bonded with you?”
“I could tell what medicines an ailing person needed.” Jindera left the tent.
Mara followed. “I wonder if we all had talents we can use without the aid of the Jewels? “
“If we solve the prophecies and destroy the Jewels, we’ll discover the answer.”
Mara moved away. “I’ll pick a full basket of the starflower blossoms. When we leave here, they will only go wild.”
When she reached the herbal garden, she hurried past the plants she knew were poisonous. She paused beside the wide bed of starflowers and began the harvest, taking care to remove only the blossoms. After delivering the basket to Jindera, she searched for Lajin. She found him stirring a kettle of herbs for poultices. “Have you found any sign of your fellow villagers?”
“Audin is among those who were mind-blasted. Of Beder, I’ve found no trace. He’s not among the dead or the wounded.”
“I’ve found no sign of Tomon.”
Lajin lifted several torches from the ground. He lit one in the fire. “I have a feeling there are more hiding places in the stronghold. Let us search.”
Mara saw he wore a long knife like the sheathed blade fastened to her belt. “I’ll come. What if we find beasts like the ones that chased and hurt you? Or even more deadly creatures?”
His green eyes held her gaze. “Remember the shattered cages. If there are any more of that kind, they’ve escaped.”
“They could be hiding in dark places on the lower level of the stronghold.”
“That’s possible but the kind of beasts the wizards made here preferred the forest.”
They left the tents, strode down the path and up the steps to the forecourt of the stronghold. Lajin entered the building and led the way down the aisle between the rows of smashed tables. Broken crystal crunched beneath their boots.
Mara stooped and examined some of the broken pieces. When she’d seen the crystal dome from the heights, the colors had mocked those of the Jewels. The shattered bits had lost all their color and were now as clear as ordinary glass.
Lajin waited for her on the platform where the master wizards had surveyed their underlings from their wooden thrones. “I remember sitting at one of the front tables and hearing the command that gave me my chance to escape.”
“I’m glad that happened,” Mara said. “Do you feel any grief over the passing of your grandsire?”
Lajin shook his head. “How can anyone regret the passing of an evil one? He did no good in his life here. I hope on the next plane he will redeem himself.
Would he, Mara wondered? What was the next plane like? Will people there be given another chance to undo the wrongs they had done here?
Lajin gestured for her to join him. “Until he claimed our relationship, I had no idea who he was. My parents protected Jindera and me from any knowledge of our heritage. Then I was stolen from my home and brought here. My grandsire tried to control my actions and thoughts. He was furious when he learned my only talent was for growing things.”
“Why? Isn’t that a good talent? Even though I wore an unbanded robe, the Riders respected my small skills with plants and animals.”
Lajin laughed. “The wizards sought a fabled man, one who had all six talents. They believed such a person could hold all the Jewels and through him, the wizards would rule the land.”
Mara frowned. “Is that possible?”
“I have no idea.”
“Do you think Tomon has all the talents?”
“Why would he?” Lajin’s eyes signaled distaste. “He wants to believe he’s the expected one but he refused to be tested. I think he has no talent.”
Mara nodded. “He was a bully and a braggart, but he had the ability to convince other people of his worth. He had the power to draw them into his schemes. Could that be a talent?”
“I don’t see how it could be one.”
“Do you really think he’s out there somewhere?”
Lajin met her gaze. “He was sent to capture Jindera. I drugged the search party and escaped. I bet he never returned to the stronghold but ran to his mother and aunt at the Healers’ House in Desert’s Edge.”
“He’s a bully, but I never saw him as a coward to hide behind a woman’s skirts.”
Lajin laughed. “He spoke about women and tragon a lot. Neither could be found here.”
She didn’t know about the tragon but she recalled how he’d tried to seduce her and then to force her. She also remembered how often he’d left the clan to travel to Desert’s Edge. The rumors said he’d sought women there.
She walked along the rear wall of the platform and rapped on the stones. When she touched a darker stone, an entire block moved inward. “Lajin, come here. A passage. We should see where it leads.”
“Shouldn’t we go for some of the others?” he asked.
“Valmir and Andalor are in Desert’s Edge to find places for the injured. The others are caring for the men. We need to find where the passage goes. We have our knives for defense.” She took a torch from the bundle and lit it from his. When she entered the tunnel, Lajin lingered. “Come on.”
“Wait a moment.” He dragged a heavy block from one of the thrones across the floor and used the wood to keep the entrance from closing. “So we won’t be trapped.”
“Good thinking.”
As they walked down the tunnel, crystals on the walls gleamed. The passage seemed endless. Mara noticed the downward slope. What would they find at the end?
* * *
Lajin edged past Mara. He held a torch and strode down the shadowed passage. An acrid aroma caused his nose to wrinkle. What lay at the end? Had something died? Was the odor rising from some beast the wizards had created to send as a scourge on the land?
Mara coughed. “What do we smell? It’s foul.”
“Should we go back?”
“We need to know what’s ahead.” She pulled a cloth from her pocket and used it as a mask.”
Lajin aped her action. Though the odor remained, the smell was fainter. He stepped into a square room that had been cut from rock.
The aroma rose from a large vat of inky fluid. On the shelves carved from stone that lined three sides of the room, he saw rows of black crystal spheres. On the table were crystal shards the colors of the Jewels. Were the broken pieces attempts by the wizards to replicate the Jewels? Had wizards found a source of the gems? He lifted one of the ebon spheres. They weren’t Jewels for there were no facets. “What do thee think these are?”
“They look like the ones held by the women we found in the cell,” Mara said. “Hadn’t several of them broken?”
“Thee are right.” He handed her one. “We should show these to the others.”
She nodded. “So we’ll return to the surface.”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
We must be sure there isn’t another escape route in this room.” One Beder could have used.” Lajin shuddered when he thought about the trouble the firestarter could cause.
“There were other tunnels. He must have used one of them.” Mara strode to the shelves. “They’re carved from the rock. There is no escape from this place.” She studied the black crystal she held. “Could these be the ones the wizards gave to their spies?”
“They appear similar. We could ask Andalor. He carried one for a time.”
“But he’s in Desert’s Edge. Who else saw one?”
“Brader, Stilenta and Disa have gone. Either Liara or Reena. Reena is best. She used one to speak to Andalor.” He grasped her arm. “Let us go and show them.”
Mara lifted another of the orbs. “Maybe I should wait here.”
He pulled on her arm. Though he didn’t
know why, something told him for her to remain behind was wrong. As he pulled her toward the opening, she dropped the globe she held. The ball rolled across the table and fell into the vat of fluid. Lajin heard a pop. Vapor rose from the vat. A noxious odor reached him. His eyes widened when he saw a cloud of steam pouring from the vat. He pulled Mara into the tunnel. “Run.” If they didn’t escape, the stench would overpower them.
They tore up the passage. Had the slope been this steep when they’d found their way to the room? The odor and the smoke followed. Lajin felt dizzy.
Mara gasped for breath. “I have to stop.”
“You can’t.” He dragged her forward. The crystals on the tunnel walls pulsed. Lajin lunged for the opening and pulled Mara through. She stumbled and fell to her knees. He grabbed the block he’d used to keep the passage open and pulled it away from the stones. The section of the wall closed with a thud.
Mara pushed to her feet. “We need –“
“To fly out of here,” Lajin finished.
A rumbling noise grew louder. The floor of the platform shook. Lajin grabbed Mara’s hand. They dashed down the steps and along the center aisle. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the platform collapse. With a burst of speed he and Mara emerged from the building.
Unable to run any further, Lajin sank to the stone landing beside Mara. The noxious fumes flowed from the stronghold. Lajin felt himself sinking into a stupor.
Mara pulled the Green Jewel from beneath her tunic. As she stared into the gem, wholesome aromas of growing plants eddied around them. Lajin’s head cleared. “What do you suppose happened back there?”
“What we destroyed was evil and a poison.” She reached for his hand. “Imagine the wizards tossing those globes into a crowd of people. We’ve done all we can here. We must be on our way to find our thread. Thee need to find thy friend who starts fires.”
“Beder isn’t my friend.”
“Was he an enemy?”
Lajin shook his head. “No more than any of the other village boys. Beder was the village bully. He used his ability to start fires to gain what he wanted. Since I lived at the Garden, I had little to do with him.”
“So he used his talent to scare people.”
“And to destroy the things they refused to give him. Jindera said on the day I was taken, he set our cottage roof on fire. I think he showed off for the wizards. They seemed to favor him.”
Mara walked to the steps leading from the forecourt. “He is a menace and must be dealt with.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. First we have to find him. Do thee think he’ll go to your village?”
Lajin’s brow wrinkled. “He might. People there feared him.”
“And fear makes him feel powerful. I believe that’s where we’ll find him. Now, what about thy cousin? I need to find him.”
Lajin strode toward the tents. “His mother and aunt were at the Healers’ House in Desert’s Edge. Do thee think they would help him?”
“His mother helped him when he tried to hurt me. She said things that were untrue, and I spied on him there.”
Lajin drew a deep breath. “Maybe Lajin and Jindera will come with us. Finding Beder and Tomon should matter to them.”
Mara sighed. “You can try. She told me they were needed here.”
* * *
Mara and Lajin walked down the path away from the wizards’ lair. She turned her head and saw streamers of vapor rising from where the dome had once covered the hall. The wind shredded the vapor. She breathed a sigh of relief. The air would dilute the poison so no one would be harmed. As they neared the tents, she saw Jindera and Corin. Mara waved. “We need to talk.”
Jindera ran to them. “What happened up there? We saw you dash from inside. Then there was a rumbling and we saw smoke. Did you find more black robes? Are they dead? Did you have to use your Jewel?
“Rather than repeat the tale, we need to tell the others, too.”
Lajin walked toward the tents. “I’ll bring them.”
When everyone had gathered by the fire, Mara related the tale of the hidden tunnel and the room they’d found. “There were rows and rows of the crystals like the one Lajin has.”
He passed the orb around the circle. “There was a vat of four-smelling liquid. One of the globes fell into the vat. An odor arose and we ran. I don’t know what use these crystals had but the vapor made us sleepy.”
Reena examined the globe. “This isn’t a comcrystal. When the one I used broke, there was no vapor.”
“And none came from the one Andalor had,” Liara said.
Lajin looked up. “If Mara hadn’t used her Jewel, I think we would have died.”
Liara leaned forward. “What should we do with this one?”
“Destroy it,” Lajin said.
Corin frowned. “Do you think the wizards who fled took any of these things with them?”
“Who knows? The shelves were full and none seemed to be missing.” Mara freed her gem. “Lajin, break it. I’ll use the green to counter the vapor.”
With this done, the Liara and Reena left. Mara watched the twins. She was sure they used the inner path and though she wondered what they said she wouldn’t intrude.
Corin touched Jindera’s hand. “Aloud or invite us in.”
Lajin chuckled. “Sorry. A habit. Mara and I are leaving tomorrow. Some of the wounded are fit to travel. We’ll escort them as far as the Healers’ House in Desert’s Edge.”
“Will you come with us?” Mara asked.
Jindera shook her head. “Though being with you would be fun, some of the injured still need our skills.”
Corin looked up. “Our prophecies will lead us in different directions. We’ll meet in Pala.”
Mara rose. “Lajin seeks Beder and I want to find Tomon. They may not be part of our prophecy, but we felt with you there would be a better chance of success.”
Jindera clasped Mara’s hand. “Forget finding them. Find your thread.”
Mara shook her head. “But we must find someone who threatens. For me, that’s Tomon.”
Lajin shook his head. “But Beder’s threats are more dangerous.”
“We can begin our search at the Healers’ House. The women there may know something. Tomon was there. I spied on him.”
“Do you think his mother and aunt are lurking around here?” Corin asked.
Lajin shook his head. “Once the wizards were destroyed, there was no reason for them to remain. Someone will surely know the direction they took.”
“What about your prophecy?” Jindera asked. “You can’t let your desire for revenge keep you from finding the thread.”
Mara shook her head. “Not revenge. I seek justice.”
Lajin clasped her hand. “What if Beder has joined Tomon?”
“Why would he do that?” Corin asked.
Mara met his gaze. “Tomon always seeks people he can use. From what Lajin has said about this firestarter, he’s the kind of person who would believe Tomon’s flattery.”
“What if they aren’t traveling together?” Corin asked.
“We’ll find Beder in our home village up to his usual tricks,” Lajin said.
Jindera shivered and rubbed her arms. “We must use the inner paths to share what we learn.”
Corin’s glance captured Mara’s. “Does anyone know how far apart we can be and still hear and speak that way?”
Lajin shook his head. “We never tested for distance. I’d say about a day’s travel apart,”
“We must try to reach each other as we travel,” Corin said. “What about sunset for a try?”
Mara rose. “I’ll remind Lajin. I’ll miss you.” She turned to Lajin. “We need to gather our belongings and our share of the coins.”
“We need to see what healing we can do.” Jindera and Corin walked to the tents.
Mara and Lajin made their packs. At dusk, Andalor and Valmir returned with two carts and their drivers. While Mara stocked one of the carts with medicinals an
d dressings for the injured they would escort to Desert’s Edge, Lajin filled pouches with an assortment of coins, not only for Mara and himself, but for the ones they were taking to Desert’s Edge.
Just after the morning meal, they rode beside the carts where six recovered men rode. At moonrise, they made camp. Mara and Lajin cared for the injuries, then curled on their blankets beside the fire. In the morning, they set out for the rest of the journey.
By afternoon, they saw the houses of the village. The aroma of an old fire and water soaked wood and thatch reached them. Lajin prodded his horse. Mara’s steed passed his. She pointed. “The Healers’ House. The roof is gone.”
“Beder,” Lajin said.
“Where will we take the men?”
“We need to find the village elders.” Lajin waved to a woman who carried a basket. “Where will we find the elders?”
“The innkeeper will know,” the woman said.
Mara guided her horse through the market square and halted at the rambling building of the inn. She dismounted in the courtyard, removed her pack and blanket roll. A stable boy took the reins and walked the horse to the stable. Lajin arrived and waved Mara into the inn.
She strode into the common room. The innkeeper ambled across the room. Before she had a chance to ask her question, he spoke. “The same room as before.”
She shook her head. “We won’t need a space that large. There are just two of us and we’ll be here one night. Before we take a room, we need to see the village elders. We brought four injured from the wizards’ lair who are almost healed. We can’t leave them at the Healers’ House.”
He waved to a pair of me. “Over here.”
They walked to the innkeeper. Mara explained what was needed. “Where should they be taken?”
“The village hall. The healers are staying there until the house is repaired.”
“When did the house burn?” Lajin asked.
“Day before yesterday.”
“Who did it?”
The man shook his head. “Just happened.”
“Are you sure?” Mara asked. “Were there any men staying there?”
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