"I am well aware," I snapped at him. "I especially need someone from within the army, or connected in some way. I'm working on that. For now, we need to find a mindspeaker here. If one of these will serve, then we're halfway to our goal. Stop worrying, Plicton, the talent is rare and our chances aren't good with only three candidates."
I watched as he deflated-he'd drawn in a breath to argue, and I wasn't in the mood to trade words. We had enough food and supplies to feed the villagers for perhaps three weeks. We'd have to kill some of them or steal to feed ourselves after that.
By that time, Thorn would send his army, and I had plans for that event, too. I just needed mindspeakers to inform me of Thorn's and the army's movements, so we'd be prepared for our guests' arrival.
"How is it going with our villagers?" I asked, determined to distract Gram from the girl.
"I've separated the skeptics from the believers," Gram was more than proud of his political prowess at convincing any halfwit that night was day.
"Good. It'll make things easier for us when the army arrives."
"What if they attack both outposts at once?" he asked.
"I've already placed a special perimeter around both. I'll know, and depending upon the forces arriving, we'll deal with that when it occurs. Tossing a few burned and dismembered bodies over the walls should convince them to stand down-long enough for us to get away if necessary," I shrugged. "I already have my eye on Secondary Camp, if the army is split and sent against the outposts."
"A much better location, food and accommodations-wise," Gram agreed.
"Most certainly. Bring the girl, Plicton. What did you say her name was, again?"
"Anari."
"Good. We'll tend to our young men, here," I nodded to the boys, who'd been present during the entire conversation and now gazed fearfully at one another.
If they weren't terrified enough to cooperate now, they would be soon.
* * *
Anari
I knew them by the black roses on their wrists-the roses that matched the one tattooed on my own wrist.
Had I discounted the invitation in my dream the night before? Perhaps I shouldn't have. The voice had shown me the tiled rose. Had given instructions on how to reach it, too, after warning me of the danger I was surely in.
"Come," a black rose escort jerked her head toward the door.
I had questions for her. Questions she wasn't inclined to answer, because the head man who'd ordered us gathered and taken to this outpost wouldn't allow questions from any of us.
The Council member, who'd worked at convincing us that we were safer here, hadn't convinced me.
My parents, perhaps, believed, and I'd followed them when we were separated from perhaps a fourth of the villagers-those who'd asked questions and refused to accept what Council member Plicton claimed.
Surely if the Crown Prince had been murdered by his own brother, we'd have heard of that by now. There was enough trade going back and forth that news would filter into the villages eventually.
According to Plicton, this had occurred months ago.
Why had we heard nothing?
"Don't dawdle," the escort snapped at me.
I rose from a cross-legged position against the wall and followed her toward the door, while my parents, standing nearby, offered no question or resistance.
Sheep to be driven. That's all we'd been our entire lives.
Keeping my questions to myself, I followed the escort as she led me toward the head man's office. When I arrived, I found the warrior boys, Laren and Kyal, there already.
They looked terrified, while Plicton grinned as I walked in. That grin-it frightened me all on its own.
As for the head man, he sat behind a desk, thinking it surely made him important to do so.
Laren, what's going on?
He and I-we'd formed some sort of bond; one neither of us could explain, it just was. Both of us were ignored most of the time, so we'd developed a friendship of sorts. Poor Kyal, who'd just turned eleven, looked bewildered as well as frightened.
I went to stand between them, gripping both their hands in mine-to give and receive support, perhaps.
Plicton's grin turned to a sour frown.
They want to use us, if we have what they call mindspeak, Laren replied. They intend to kill our families and some of the others, if we don't cooperate.
They're outlaws, Kyal informed us.
My breath stopped-we'd never heard Kyal do this before.
Help us, I sent out to anyone listening. Mindspeak. If they were looking for it, then others had it, too.
Would someone hear us?
Come.
The voice from my dream the night before, accompanied by the same instructions.
My grip tightened around Laren and Kyal's hands, and praying that the voice wasn't my imagination, I did as it instructed.
* * *
Merrin
"What the fuck just happened," I shouted at Plicton, when all three disappeared in front of us.
Plicton looked stunned-he hadn't guessed that this could happen. I had no idea which of the three could step, but one of them could and had taken the other two as well.
"It had to be the oldest boy," I fumed. Black rose girls didn't have a clue that they'd ever be able to step.
"What do we do now?" Plicton demanded.
"Go to the other outpost, you moron, and grab those young warriors before they get away, too. For all we know, the three we had could be on their way to Thorn right now. The boys know enough to get us all killed."
"Your fault for talking in front of them," Plicton's voice rose in anger.
"Shut the hell up, or I'll fry you where you stand."
Plicton didn't reply; he whirled and strode angrily from my office, cursing under his breath.
Chapter 7
Sherra
"Run," Pottles shouted and bolted out the back door. We raced toward the catalpa trees-my steps quickened the moment I realized someone had received Kyri's message and stepped here-not at night, but during the middle of the day.
Kyri was already at the tiled rose, greeting a black rose girl-and two warrior boys. I understood they'd escaped Merrin's clutches the moment I saw their eyes and the terror they held.
Less than half an hour later, they sat at Kyri's kitchen table, eating honey cakes with weak tea while Pottles asked questions and Kyri and I listened.
"The head man has pale hair," the youngest-Kyal-answered Pottles' question. "They never said his name."
"His name is Merrin, and he has escaped the King's justice for committing treason and other crimes," Pottles explained carefully. None of us wanted to explain that he'd committed murder, or broken the law and taken advantage of a black rose trainee-with the help of the former Crown Prince.
"He talked about killing some of us," Laren explained. "Why would he do that?"
I could see that Pottles was working out in her mind what to tell the boy. How do you explain to someone who hadn't been given proper news in months, if not years, that Merrin wanted to take the King's throne for himself?
"He wants to kill the King and the Crown Prince," Pottles said. "For sentencing him, you understand. He is willing to use anyone or anything to achieve that goal, including the lives of the villagers. The King will not be willing to sacrifice any of you, so Merrin could use you as a bargaining chip."
"That's horrible," the girl, Anari, spoke.
"Hmmph. That's Merrin. Now you understand how terrible his crimes are? He's already tried to kill the King once, which resulted in Crown Prince Drenn's death. Now he's determined to try again-against the King and the new Crown Prince-Thorn."
"He killed the Crown Prince?" Kyal squeaked.
"He placed a weapon in the Crown Prince's hand, which ended up killing the Crown Prince," Pottles snorted. "He hoped to kill the King and Prince Thorn at the same time, but they were able to protect themselves."
"Because he wants the throne-isn't that right?" Anari had a
lready sorted this out in her mind.
"Yes. Merrin is related to the royal family-a cousin. In his mind, he deserves to take the throne from King Wulf. Nothing is further from the truth, but as you probably noticed, Merrin managed to gather a few allies from the army, where he was a former Captain."
"I saw six black rose escorts," Anari confirmed. "They acted so-obedient."
"Say subservient, and you'll be closer to the mark," Pottles said. "They're afraid of their own shadow, if my guess is correct."
"They do act afraid," Kyal agreed. "If one of the warriors orders them to do something, they run."
"Their power has been hampered by their training, which was insufficient," Kyri spoke for the first time. "If they'd been trained properly, they wouldn't behave like that."
"What do you mean?" Anari was more than curious-because that's what awaited her.
"Don't worry about poor training," I reassured her. "Between Doret and me, I think we can further your education."
"What about us?" Laren asked.
"Sherra knows more about warriors than most warriors know," Pottles huffed. "I think we can handle it."
"Things are moving strangely," A man walked through the back door into the kitchen. "Kyri, I must speak with you-alone."
* * *
"Don't worry, that's just Adahi," Pottles soothed our young guests. "He comes now and then to talk to Kyri."
As I hadn't seen Adahi before, I cataloged his image in my mind. Pottles' previous description of him was correct; he wore a hooded cloak, and the hood covered most of his face, preventing us from seeing anything except his mouth and chin.
Things are moving strangely, he'd said. What did that mean?
Besides the obvious, of course-that Merrin was stooping to threatening children and killing more villagers.
"Want more tea?" Pottles asked, interrupting my thoughts. Three heads across the table nodded in unison.
* * *
Kyri
"Will you carry this news to Thorn?" I asked. "That we have two warrior boys and another black rose girl?" We'd moved to my suite, to have a private conversation.
"I'll take it, but that's not why I'm here," Adahi replied.
"Tell me." I crossed arms over my chest, as if that act would ward off bad news. Adahi wouldn't have walked through the door like he had if the news weren't important.
"I feel strange rumblings, and an echo from Ny-nes," Adahi growled. He hadn't bothered to lower his hood during this visit-a sure sign that he was upset by what he'd learned.
"Strange rumblings?"
"From-shall we say the slightly lesser of two evils?"
I went still.
Ruarke. Adahi had felt Ruarke, and that meant Ruarke had departed-well, that was the worst news I'd heard in a while, and I'd heard plenty of bad news in the past year or so.
There's no way I could inform Doret of this-she'd be more than upset.
She'll want to go after him herself, a small voice informed me. All the more reason to hold the information back-at least for now.
"You're sure of this?"
"As sure as the blood that runs through Az-ca's royal family."
"What do you suppose is his reason for leaving?"
"A plot, surely."
"Will he have others with him?"
"Assuredly, and likely more troops on the way in a more ah, conventional manner."
"Then Ny-nes had another army held back and trained," I dropped my arms and rubbed my forehead as I turned away from Adahi. He and I knew the one behind this. I still couldn't say the name-it disturbed me so badly.
"How do you suppose they'll get around the power difficulty?"
"I am still considering that. It is evident that some way has been discovered."
"What will you tell Thorn?"
"That three young ones escaped Merrin. If I were he, I'd ask to see them-question them-to learn what he can and develop a strategy. There can be no attack-if he wishes those villagers to remain alive."
"I don't want to just turn the children over to Thorn-they're safe here," I countered.
"Then take them for a visit," Adahi shrugged beneath his cloak.
"If I go, he'll demand to see Sherra."
"As is his right."
"What do you suggest? I know when you disagree with me, even when you don't say it."
"Take Sherra back now-and leave those children with her in the King's City."
"I dislike that idea. You understand why."
"I think you fail to understand this time."
"Just as I failed to understand last time? Is that what you're saying?"
"Examine your motives, Kyri, before it is too late. I tell you again; Ruarke is on the way. What he does when he arrives, and with whom he allies, will tell us much. Hold Sherra back at your own peril."
"And what do you see if I do hold her back?" I demanded.
"That way is splintered, depending upon when you decide-or she decides for you. Do not make enemies of allies. Consider carefully how you'd react in her place."
"What will happen if I release her now?"
"Then you will have a powerful ally in the days to come, and Thorn will live to mourn his father."
"You see his death?"
"I see his death if Sherra doesn't stand with him."
"You make my life more than difficult, Adahi."
"My existence is difficult enough already, as is yours. Stop complicating everything with your past and your fears."
"I need to think on this," I said. "I need some time."
"Taking time may kill Az-ca," Adahi growled and stalked out of my study. I should have pleaded with him to come back.
I didn't.
Lives are destroyed by hesitations. I suppose I still hadn't learned that lesson well enough.
* * *
Merrin
"I can't work with that," I hissed after sending an eight and nine-year-old boy out of the office. There'd been no black rose girl at the other outpost, only two young warrior boys.
Plicton had barely spoken when I'd returned with both warrior boys in tow. Neither of the boys had the slightest inkling of mindspeak-what it was or how to go about it. I'd even threatened them, in case they were holding back. Both had burns on their wrists, now, but no mindspeaking ability had come to the surface.
"You know Thorn has heard everything from those other three," Plicton chose to speak now. "He and the army could be here at any moment, and blast this outpost to the ground. As for our plans to infiltrate the villages and spread our message, that effort may be badly crippled by these events."
"We can escape this outpost," I pointed out. "I have my perimeter up to warn me if they come."
"And they will keep coming, until we run out of places to hide."
I considered blasting Plicton, just to have enough silence to think properly. "Perhaps it's time we sent Thorn a message," I opened a desk drawer to search for paper and pen.
"You think a letter will keep him away?" Plicton tossed up a hand.
"It may-if the letter is delivered with burned villagers' bodies. If he sends the army, we'll leave the villagers here to be killed while we go straight to Secondary Camp. We'll take it if we can."
"And if we can't?"
"We burn it down. Go find three dissenters-the worst of the lot, Plicton. I have a message to send to Prince Thorn."
* * *
Secondary Camp
Armon
Kage, Garkus and General Weren sat at our regular table for the midday meal. Kage and Weren were now adept at shield building-Garkus' shields were still weaker than any of us liked.
"Merrin has taken two outposts," I said, repeating information I'd gotten from Thorn and Hunter. "We're concerned he'll kill his hostages if we don't leave him alone. Prince Thorn wants his assassins back at the palace, because of this."
Weren didn't have mindspeak; that meant he depended upon me for that talent.
"I can be ready to go in five minutes," Garkus said.
<
br /> "As can I," Kage agreed.
"Go after you've finished your meal, then," Weren instructed. "Report to Hunter; Armon will inform him of your pending arrival."
"Caral, how are the washouts faring?" Weren turned to other items.
"Ana is far ahead of the others," she said. "I think because of her dream."
"Dream?" Weren asked.
"She had a dream about Sherra, who told her she could make fire and do other things-like mindspeak. That's why she attempted to make fire the morning after, and succeeded, then contacted me with her news."
"Fascinating," Weren appeared thoughtful. "Have any of the others had a dream of Sherra?"
"None reported, sir," I replied.
"You'll let me know if that changes?"
"Of course."
* * *
"Do you think Ana is farther ahead because of her dream, or was it because diviners reawakened the power in the other washouts?" Misten asked on our walk back to the training fields.
"You think Ana wakened her power by herself?" Levi asked.
"I don't know what to think," Misten confessed. "If Sherra were alive, I'd say she did it. Since that's not true, I don't know how to explain it, other than Ana being really strong with talent. It makes me wonder why she washed out."
"Hmmph," Caral snorted. "Depending on who her instructor was, it might not be that difficult to determine."
"Armon, what do you think?" Levi asked.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I was more than shocked to get mindspeak from Ana, that's all I can say. If she hadn't told me to tell Thorn to clear out the training camps and outposts, well, you know where we'd be right now."
"I'm surprised Thorn was so ready to accept that information," Levi countered.
"I'm grateful," Caral said. "If Ana and the others had stayed at North Camp, they'd be dead, now."
"Do you think it was a dream-vision? Like some of the old diviners could do?" Levi asked.
"No idea," I shrugged.
"It sounds like something Sherra would do-if she were alive." Misten's voice held an unmistakable longing.
"It is something she'd do," I agreed. "Here we are. Let's get to work."
Caral squared her shoulders as she took in the crowd of former washouts. If not for Sherra, none of them would have any hope of being anything other than a drudge or, if they showed a talent for it, an instructor.
Rose and Thorn: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 2 Page 9