Dragon Prince 03 - Sunrunner's Fire

by Melanie Rawn

  “Mark of the Goddess and her Sunrunners,” Nialdan said with satisfaction.

  “People cannot fear what they understand.” He heard his father’s words and in his mind replied, Exactly. Leaving that proud sunburst behind would trumpet mysterious faradhi power through the forest silence. Perhaps it would become a sign of good luck—people would move into the abandoned dwellings and consider themselves protected against harm by the carving on their new doors. The notion amused him.

  Occasionally he had twinges of conscience. Not at what he was doing; he believed in his actions with all his soul. But every so often he trembled slightly at what Alasen would think if she knew. Surely she would find out once rumors spread of unexplained disappearances and symbols left behind.

  Too, perhaps Ostvel had been right, and innocents would die along with the guilty. But whenever he thought such things, he remembered scarred faces and the blood-reddened sea, and Radzyn in flames. If a few died by mistake in the eradication of sorcerers who could command an army of Merida to such destruction, that was an acceptable price. Alasen’s hatred was more difficult for him to bear. But one day she would understand. He would save her—and all the rest of them—from what his visions had shown him. She would understand and forgive.

  Let Pol mate with his pale, pretty Meiglan and rule Princemarch for as long as he could. Let Rohan and Sioned and all of them live in contented ignorance as long as they could. Andry knew what was to come—and whatever he must do to prevent it, this he would do and gladly.

  He had been chosen by the Goddess to receive this vision of the future. She had also given him the power to prevent it.

  Andry ducked under the low doorway into the dimness of the cottage. All was sparse and simple within—chair, table, and bed, a few plates, cups, and bowls on a shelf, and a small dead hearth with a copper pot and an iron kettle. The place smelled wonderful—drying herbs hung from the rafters, their tingly scents offset by the moist richness of the living tree that formed the back of the dwelling. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to indicate the woman had been other than what she claimed.

  But from dim recesses came the wink of half-hidden silver. Andry approached cautiously. A fine old tapestry patterned in flowers and herbs was draped over something nearly his own height, a frame peeking from its folds.

  Andry tugged the material away and caught his breath. A mirror—oval, surmounted by a triple pointed arch, beveled at the outer edges, without a speck or a ripple in the glass—but without reflection. His own face should have looked out at him. But there was only the silver-gray mist.

  There had been no mirrors in the other diarmadhi dwellings. Mireva had used one to control Chiana—and to make her shatter it, to Andry’s vexation. Nothing in the Star Scroll made mention of their use in sorcery except that order to destroy them. Mirror spells must be the province of the very powerful. And here was a beautiful mirror for his experimentation—if only he could discover its secret.

  He inspected the frame, awed by its workmanship. He might have expected stars or some similar motif; instead, winding up each side were dranath leaves carved in silver. Hints of ancient enamel work lingered in flakes of blue and green and orange. Here and there were dents, scuff marks, and other minor damage sustained during the mirror’s long service, but the whole was polished with loving care. He contemplated the serene, featureless glass for long moments. Was there a word or an act that would bring the mirror to life? Did he dare try to find out?

  “I wonder what Andrade would have made of you,” he murmured, as if the mirror might answer him. How might it work? Sunrunners used light—sun, moons, Fire. Sorcerers favored starlight but did not disdain other sources. He decided to chance it and conjured up a fingerflame. The mirror seemed to tremble fractionally. Encouraged, he thought the little Fire brighter, and again there was a subtle quiver, half-sensed, half-seen. But the gray haze remained. There was no image.

  He glanced over his shoulder and called, “Valeda! Come in here and take a look at this!”

  A wisp of—something—brushed past his mind. When he turned back to the mirror, the grayish haze was gone. Valeda had not come into the dwelling, but she was clearly reflected in the mirror. And around her body was the cool, bright spectra of her colors. The same hues he touched when he spoke with her on sunlight, or when they made love.

  Andry backed up a cautious pace, frowning. At that instant Valeda stepped through the doorway and said his name. The image changed, became him.

  “Andry?” She came forward. “What is it?”

  “Hush!” For a few moments he stared in rapt fascination at the aleva surrounding his own image—fiercer colors than Valeda’s, more varied. To the mirror he said, “Nialdan,” and he was replaced by the tall, burly Sunrunner with his familiar pattern of blue and orange and white. “Rohan,” and the mirror showed him the High Prince. To his astonishment, Rohan possessed an aleva—faint but noticeable, attesting to his halfling Sunrunner gift. Tobin, Chay, Maarken, and Hollis all appeared in succession at the command of their names; all but his father had the telltale aura of color, and even he was surrounded by the same hint as Rohan.

  At last, agonizingly, Andry spoke his twin brother’s name. But the mirror went blank. No one not alive could be reflected in this mirror.

  Valeda gripped his arm. “Andry,” she began—and his image instantly showed again in the mirror, startling them both.

  As casually as he could, he said, “An interesting trick, but to what purpose?”

  “I don’t much care,” she replied nervously. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “We’re taking the mirror with us.”

  “How? It’s as tall as I am, and bound to be heavy.”

  He considered, and was forced to admit she was right. “Then we’ll hide it, and send someone later to retrieve it.”

  “Why? It’s of no real use.”

  “Why are you so afraid of it?”

  “I’m not afraid—at least, no more than any Sunrunner confronted with one of the tools of sorcery.”

  “I wonder what it would show for someone who also has diarmadhi blood,” he mused, then said, “Riyan.”

  The mirror went black.

  “Riyan,” he said again.

  Nothing. Andry thought this over, then shrugged. “Chiana,” he said, and the Princess of Meadowlord appeared—without an aura of color, for she was not even a halfling faradhi. As with the other images, Chiana looked oddly lifeless; the mirror presented unmoving portraits, not views of people such as might be conjured by a skilled Sunrunner in Fire.

  “There really doesn’t seem to be much use for it,” Andry remarked, disappointed. “If it was really useful, it’d show me what these people are doing right now.”

  “You play with that awful thing as you wish,” Valeda snapped. “I’m not coming near it again.” And she strode out.

  He was too intrigued by the mirror to care what she thought. On a whim he spoke the name of Goddess Keep. But evidently the mirror showed only people; gray mist clouded its surface again. He attempted a variation, wondering if the mirror would accept a more complex command, if it could reveal the living present and not just static portraits. “Princess Alasen at this moment.”

  Nothing.

  Andry shrugged. It had been worth a try. So was something else. “Rohan on the day he married Sioned.” Still nothing. A request to see them ten years in the future yielded only silvery blankness.

  So. Portraits only of living persons, not future or present or past. What a waste of silver, glass, and sorcery, he thought in disgust. Still, despite the mirror’s limited value, he wanted it. Extinguishing the fingerflame, he covered the mirror once more with the tapestry and considered the best method of concealment until he could send someone to fetch it. He decided to wrap it well and bury it beneath a tree outside.

  Nialdan filled the doorway, blocking out most of the sunlight, as Andry was pulling the blanket and sheet from the narrow cot in the corner. “My Lord? We can leave anyt
ime you choose.”

  “Help me with this, would you? Did Valeda tell you about the mirror?”

  The big Sunrunner nodded without a trace of curiosity or unease. “What do you want done with it?”

  “Dig a hole outside big enough to rest it in. We’ll send someone for it this spring. It should be safe enough until then, don’t you think?”

  “Of course, my Lord.” Nialdan gathered up the blanket and cloaked the mirror in its folds.

  Andry gave thanks for a subordinate who never questioned and tugged the two pillows from their coverings, intending to rip up the cloth into ties to secure the sheet and blanket around the mirror.

  There was something else here besides the pillow.

  He nearly yelped with delight as a thin parchment came loose, much-creased and yellowed with age. His fingers shook as he picked it up. Complex formulas or notes on sorceries or some such would have been welcome. A blank page he could have dealt with; there were recipes in the Star Scroll for making ink appear where there seemed to be none. Instead, he squinted his way through a dauntingly ungrammatical letter from someone who signed himself “yor luving grandson.”

  Andry gave a rueful chuckle. So much for his hopes of a momentous discovery: a mirror of scant use and a barely literate note. He tore the pillow cases into strips and helped Nialdan tie them around the mirror.

  “I won’t need help carting this out,” the Sunrunner said. “It’s very light. The digging shouldn’t take more than three winks of a maiden’s eyelash.”

  Andry poked a finger into the bulging muscle of Nialdan’s arm. “For you, of course. Whatever would I do without you, you bloody great tree?”

  Nialdan grinned and left with the mirror firmly embraced. Andry lingered a while, wishing the woman had possessed something of real import. Still, he was lucky to have the mirror. He must remember to tell those he sent out in future to search for others. Who knew, one of them might—

  In the gloom he almost missed it. There, on the shelf with the plates, was another glint of silver. Probably nothing more interesting than a spoon, he told himself, which means I’ll make a fool of myself again! But he investigated anyway.

  Nothing more extraordinary than a narrow circle of polished metal rested in his hand. But rolled within it was another sheet of parchment, sealed and ready to send. He inspected the clasp and saw a pattern of mountains and stars etched into the silver. This time his excitement was justified. Breaking the seal, he smoothed the parchment onto the table and conjured a fingerflame over his shoulder to read by. The translation didn’t take very long. He was used to the ancient words.

  Mireva received exactly what she deserved. You in your wisdom long understood this, and though I have doubted, I see now how right you always were. Our path lies in becoming Sunrunners and princes, not in killing them. Urival and Camigwen were the first of many who lived and worked at Goddess Keep. It is a satisfaction that her son now enjoys fine holdings and a place of trust with the High Prince. We may take the greatest pride in the fact that the next High Prince is one of our blood—and it will surprise even you to know that my researches have finally revealed exactly how this came to be. Mireva thought it must come through Sioned. But it is not so. His power comes from the strongest line among us. I have studied his aleva in secrecy—never satisfied with Mireva’s explanation. I was frustrated by the fact that he has never used his gifts from us—his colors were all Sunrunner up until late spring of this year. But though diluted from purity by two generations—the mating with ungifted Roelstra and the faradhi taint of Rohan, I have discerned our own beloved Lallante in him. He is her grandson—the boy born to Ianthe who did not die at Feruche.

  Andry was so stunned that his knees gave way, and he only realized it when he landed hard on the rough planks of the floor.

  Ianthe’s other sons never would have served; much as all of us value pure line of descent from our ancient forebears, the combination of our blood and the Sunrunners’ has made Pol more powerful than any of our own people could ever be. Bitter this might be to admit; but we saw it in Urival and to a lesser extent in Camigwen and now her son Riyan. Thus it is with Pol—but his line being stronger than that which produced these others, it is only to be expected that his powers are the greater. He will be a High Prince of inestimable gifts. Under his rule, we will be safe—for he is one of us and knows it.

  Andry turned the sheet over with hands that shook so hard he could barely grip the parchment. There was only a little more.

  In the spring, subject to your approval, I will present myself at Dragon’s Rest and learn all I can of Pol. Should he show willingness, I will reveal myself and teach him those things he needs to know about the battles you have foreseen. By the Nameless One, what a warrior he will make! I will come to you, if I may, and school myself in the details of history and defense, that Pol may be sword and shield. For he belongs not just to the Sunrunners or the common folk he rules, but to us as well.

  The letter was signed by the woman Nialdan had just killed. There had been no salutation; Andry surmised that the silver circle around it was identification enough. He levered himself up off the floor. There was a bucket of clean water hanging from a nail near the hearth, and he dipped several cupfuls to flood his dry throat. Stronger drink would have been welcome, even tainted with dranath as it was bound to be, but he saw no wine bottles. He placed a chair at the table and sat down, still shaky but more ready now to think.

  Forget for the moment whether or not this was true; should he keep it or destroy it? Would it be more valuable in his possession or was the knowledge alone enough? How could it be used? Was it really proof that Rohan and Sioned had lied all these years? Did Chay and Tobin know? Was there advantage in revealing Pol’s ancestry? Was this incredible thing true?

  The questions were coming too fast. He rubbed his temples and stared at the parchment. Keep it or destroy it?

  But then he remembered its last few galling sentences about battle and Pol’s prowess as a warrior. The words forming again in his mind brought him to two decisions: first, that the whole of it was true—his own visions had been too real, and this diarmadhi had evidently seen, too.

  His second conclusion was that the letter must be destroyed. Proof though it was of Pol’s heritage, the frank words about his strength and power were too dangerous. Additionally, if the letter existed, it might be seen by someone Andry might not wish to know its contents.

  He conjured Fire in the hearth and burned the parchment to a crisp. When it was ash, he extinguished the flames with a thought. A pity he could not know to whom the letter had been addressed. He might have learned much before that person died.

  Quelling all the insistent questions, he pocketed the silver circle and left the tree cottage. Nialdan was tamping down the last clods on top of the mirror. He replaced the shovel neatly beside the vegetable garden, kicked the soil from his boots, and gave a mighty sneeze. Andry laughed.

  “Come, let’s ride on and find you a hot bath somewhere. And remind me to buy you a pocket-cloth the size of a battle flag. You nearly bolted the horses with that last sneeze.”

  Nialdan shrugged good-naturedly and they mounted up. Andry fixed the location of the disturbed earth in his mind and glanced once more at the strange little cottage. With the next diarmadhi, he’d wait to inspect and question before ordering the execution.

  Genealogy (as of 719)

  Index of Characters

  ABIDIAS (658-701). Lord of Tuath Castle. Died of Plague.

  ADILIA (697-). Mother of Miyon’s bastard daughter Meiglan.

  AJIT (657-719). Prince of Firon. Killed by Pandsala.

  ALASEN of Kierst (696-). Volog’s daughter. m719 Ostvel.

  ALLUN (685-). Lord of Lower Pyrme. m719 Kiera.

  AMIEL of Gilad (716-). Son of Cabar and Kenza.

  *ANDRADE of Catha Freehold (649-719). Lady of Goddess Keep 677-719. Twin sister of Milar. Killed by sorcery.

  *ANDRY of Radzyn Keep (699-). Lord of Goddess Keep. Son
of Chay and Tobin; Sorin’s twin.

  ANTALYA of Waes (679-701). m698 Eltanin. Mother of Tallain. Died of Plague.

  ANTO. Guard at Dragon’s Rest.

  ARLIS of Kierst-Isel (710-). Son of Latham and Hevatia; heir to both princedoms.

  *ARPALI (704-). At Tiglath.

  ATHIL (680-703). Father of Ianthe’s son Segev; killed by Ianthe.

  AUDRITE of Sandeia (670-). m692 Chadric. Mother of Ludhil, Laric.

  BARIG of Gilad. Cousin to Cabar.

  BIRANI of Kierst (688-). m708 Obram of Isel.

  CABAR (687-). Prince of Gilad. m705 Kenza. Father of Amiel.

  *CAMIGWEN (676-701). m698 Ostvel. Mother of Riyan. Died of Plague.

  CHADRIC of Dorval (664-). m692 Audrite. Father of Ludhil, Laric. Fostered at Stronghold 677; knighted 683.

  CHALE (645-). Prince of Ossetia.

  CHALIA of Ossetia (650-695). Chale’s sister. m680 Haldor of Syr. Mother of Jastri, Gemma.

  CHANDAR. Guard at Castle Crag.

  CHAYNAL (668-). Lord of Radzyn Keep. m690 Tobin. Father of Maarken, Jahni, Andry, Sorin. Battle Commander of the Desert 695-.

  CHELAN (670-). Father of Ianthe’s son Ruval.

  CHIANA (698-). Roelstra’s daughter by Palila. m719 Halian.

  CIPRIS (687-708). Roelstra’s daughter by Surya; killed by Pandsala.

  CLADON (681-). Lord of River Ussh. Father of Edrel.

  CLUTHA (644-). Prince of Meadowlord.

  DAMAYAN. Guard at Dragon’s Rest.

  DANLADI (694-). Roelstra’s daughter by Aladra. m720 Kostas.

  DAVVI of River Run (665-). Lord of River Run 680-705; Prince of Syr 705-. Sioned’s brother. m686 Wisla. Father of Kostas, Tilal, Riaza.