The Night Bird lc-5

by Catherine Asaro

  Hell be in the next tent. She needed to lie down, but she forced her burning feet to keep stumbling. She couldnt give up.

  Allegra knew when she reached Drummer. Only traces of the green spell still vibrated within her, but it was enough, for he burned like a flame. She knelt behind the tent where she sensed him and hacked at the cloth until she could squeeze through the hole. Inside, darkness surrounded her. She tried to stand, but pain jagged through her feet. So she crawled. The soft rugs under her hands and knees soothed her bruises and cuts.

  Her hand hit a mound.

  Allegra jerked back, sitting on her haunches. She heard someone breathing, slow and ragged. Stretching out her arm, she touched a cushion, then several others. She felt farther, and her hand brushed across a blanket. She froze when she realized her palm was resting on the back of a person lying in front of her.

  Turning her concentration inward, she focused on a new spell, the simplest of all. When she opened her eyes, dim red light surrounded her. A man lay sprawled on his stomach, asleep, his face turned toward her. Yellow curls fell across his eyes. It had to be Drummer; he was probably the only man in Taka Mal or Jazid with hair that color. A blanket covered him to his waistand whip marks crisscrossed his back and arms. Her tears gathered again, this time for him.

  Allegra recognized him, though they had never met. The same hills and valleys she called home had nurtured his mage gifts. He looked just like the other youths where she lived, with the handsome features and boyish face. He had the slender, lithe build of an Aronsdale man rather than the height and musculature of Jazids native sons. He could have been a farm boy from down the road. Except he was here, in agony, imprisoned while invaders used him as a pawn in their machinations to wrest the throne of his adopted land away from his wife and child.

  When she saw the bloodied bandage on his left foot, which stuck out from the blanket, she almost threw up. She laid her hand on his forehead, and found him burning with fever. Dismayed, she closed her eyes, concentrating. She crooned softly, weaving an orange spell to ease the misery of his injuries.

  It wasnt enough. Drummer needed a blue mage who could heal, either Jarid or Iris, possibly Aron. She felt as if a weight were crushing her. He couldnt walk, and she couldnt carry him. She would have to drag herself out of here, find a cart and an animal to pull it, bring it back, put him in it, cross the great Quaaz Basin and climb up the hills to the encamped Aronsdale army. She folded her arms across her stomach and rocked back and forth, knowing she couldnt fix this, that this man with such luminous mage power could soon die.

  Light flared across the tent.

  Allegra froze, then shielded her eyes with her hand. Her spell died, but it was too late. Two men entered the tent, holding a torch that threw huge shadows on the walls. General Ardoz and Colonel Bladebreak.

  “I dont see the light anymore, Ardoz said.

  Bladebreak indicated Allegra. “It was around her.

  As they walked over, Allegra felt as if she were falling off a cliff with nothing but jagged rocks below. She tried to scramble to her feet, but her movements were slowed by pain and fatigue, and she barely made it up by the time Bladebreak reached her. He easily caught her around the waist. He held her with one arm, her front against his side while he handed the torch to Ardoz.

  “No. Allegras voice cracked.

  “Come now, Allegra, Bladebreak murmured while Ardoz put the torch in a nearby stand. “Its all right. Youd better sit.

  She resisted when he pushed her down, but her legs buckled. He set her so she was sitting sideways to him, between his legs, her side against his chest. He pushed her knees up to her chest, then put his own legs around her, one pressing her shins, the other her spine, then slid one arm around her waist and put the other around her shoulders. She had always liked it when Markus held her that way, but now she thought she would hate it forever.

  Bladebreak pressed his lips to her temple. “Were you waiting for us, hmm?

  “Stop it. She tried to push him away, but he brushed aside her hands.

  “Why is she here? Ardoz asked. He knelt next to Drummer and laid his palm against the princes forehead.

  “Maybe Dusk wanted them together. She must have been with him. Shes wearing his shirt. Bladebreak touched one of her wrists, then her ankles. “Thats odd.

  “What? Ardoz unslung a drinking bag from his shoulder and uncapped a narrow spout at the top.

  “She isnt restrained, Bladebreak said. “She could have just walked out of here.

  “I cant walk, Allegra said. “My feet are injured. She had the desperate hope that if they thought Yargazon had left her here, they might not mention her to him.

  Ardoz tilted the water bag to Drummers lips, trying to get him to drink. “Hes burning alive, the general muttered.

  Bladebreak spoke against Allegras ear. “You put us to sleep that night, didnt you? Before we even got started, you knocked us out. He ran his tongue around her lobe. “You shouldnt have done that.

  “Dont. Allegra turned her head away.

  “Why do you all grab her that way? Ardoz asked. “Leave the poor girl alone.

  Bladebreak lifted his head. “They do that to you, these witches. Make you want them. He indicated Drummer. “Admit it. You wanted to come in here to see him.

  “I want him to live, Ardoz said curtly. “If he dies, we have no hostage to trade for Markus.

  Bladebreak brushed Allegras hair back from her face. “You should have listened to Jasmine, he told her. “Shes never suffered. I protect her. But you fight, you disrupt, you resist. You taunt us with your defiance. What did you expect to happen? You have to pay the price for your behavior.

  She wondered who protected Jasmine from him. “No matter what you do, she said in a low voice, “Ill never bend to your will.

  “Think again, girl, he said. “I can do what I want now.

  “No, you cant, Ardoz said. “Shes Markuss consort. He took a cloth off a nearby pile and dampened it. Then he laid the compress on Drummers forehead. “Why is it that the women who cause such turmoil, the ones who bring down dynasties and change historywhy are they always the ones who make the men who want them the most miserable?

  Bladebreak grunted. “The dragon only knows.

  “You cant have her, Ivan.

  “I never said I wanted her, Bladebreak said crossly, though he was still embracing her. “But Ill tell you thisMarkus is better off without her.

  Ardoz looked upand Allegra knew. He hid his reaction well, but her mind was sensitized from her mood spell. Markus may have promoted Ardoz and then let his memories of the general fade, but Ardoz had never forgotten.

  “Markus needs her, Ardoz said. “And if he needs her, he will have her. So leave her the hell alone.

  “Fine, Bladebreak muttered. He motioned at Drummer. “You cant have him, either.

  “Dont be absurd. Ardoz dampened another cloth and cleaned a cut on Drummers back. “I want him to live, thats all.

  Bladebreak snorted. “Right.

  “You dont want him to live?

  “You really think he might die?

  “His fever is worse, Ardoz said. “Dusk pushed him too hard during the interrogation.

  “Hes as weak as a girl, Bladebreak said. “A child probably knows more about the queens army. They obviously dont tell him anything. Hes just her pretty, captive consort.

  “Either that, Ardoz said, “or he held out against even Dusk.

  “A trained officer couldnt do that. This minstrel would have crumpled right away if he knew anything.

  Ardoz indicated Allegra. “Would you have thought she could do what shes managed? Or that the fire opal priestess could have been so strong? These mages, they look soft and pretty, Ivan, but I think they have steel inside.

  Bladebreak snorted, what sounded like disagreement. He kept her trapped between his legs, caressing her body whenever Ardoz wasnt looking. Allegra wanted to slap him, but she knew if she struck, he would hurt her, and she didnt think she could ta
ke any more. Ardoz continued to treat Drummers wounds. From the last shreds of her spell, Allegra could tell his ministrations helped the prince.

  Their contradictions drained her. Bladebreak, Yargazon, Zeikthey kept touching her, a caress or kiss, even their voices softening, as if they had a right to those intimacies, as if what they felt was affectionyet the threat of violence saturated their behavior. With Yargazon, the brutality was deliberate, but she didnt think the others even realized it. Bladebreak didnt think twice about stroking the consort of the prince regent while his own wife slept nearby. The imbalance in their culture, with so many men for every woman, sexualized everything. They acted as if they thought it gave their women an intolerable power over them. They couldnt see her as human, only as a threat.

  What astounded her wasnt that Markus had absorbed those ideas, but that he tried to move past them. Maybe having known Ardoz helped him understand Allegra, because he had already once stepped outside the rigid constraints on love in his own culture.

  Bladebreak idly slid his hand over Allegras fist. Then he said, “Are you holding something? He pried open her hand and took the dodecahedron. “Whats this?

  “A good luck charm. Her pulse leaped. “Please dont take it.

  “Why not? Maybe I should keep it.

  “Ivan, give it back to her. Ardoz brushed the curls off his patients forehead. “Drummer? he asked. “Can you hear me?

  The prince stirred, but didnt open his eyes.

  “If you wake up, Ardoz said, “I can give you some water.

  Drummers lashes lifted, then lowered.

  Bladebreak held up the dodecahedron, examining the small block. “Why should I give anything back to her?

  Ardoz looked up at the shapeand Allegra knew with terrible certainty that he had either learned or deduced the truth about how she made spells. She felt dizzy with fear, for if he revealed her, she had no doubt Bladebreak would retaliate against the “witch.

  “Ivan, stop tormenting her, Ardoz said. “Let her have the toy. With amusement, he said, “Unless you like playing with childrens blocks.

  “Very funny, Bladebreak said sourly. He pushed the block into Allegras hand. She sagged with relief, afraid to look at Ardoz or do anything that might spur him to change his mind about revealing her.

  Bladebreak motioned at Drummer. “Ask him about the army. Sometimes people talk when theyre asleep.

  Ardoz brushed the curls off Drummers forehead. “Tell me, golden prince. What is kindle powder?

  “For saints sake, Bladebreak said. “Ask something useful.

  “You never know what will be useful. Ardoz spoke to Drummer in a soothing voice. “You can talk to me, princeling. I wont hurt you. Tell me about kindle powder.

  Drummer shifted and murmured in his sleep.

  “What was that? Ardoz lowered his head. “Gum?

  “Gunpowder, Drummer mumbled. “Doesnt work

  “Powder? Bladebreak asked. “What, he needs womens cosmetics? Hes not beautiful enough already?

  Allegra thought Drummer probably meant the gum-powder used in Aronsdale to make paste, but she kept quiet. Reminding them that he came from a country they despised wouldnt help him.

  Ardoz massaged Drummers neck under the spill of his curls. “What is gunpowder?

  “Called thatin old scrollstales of lost continent.

  “Hes telling us folktales, Bladebreak said. “How useful.

  “Do you think your powder will ever work? Ardoz asked Drummer.

  “Someday Drummer sighed, and his breathing slowed as he sank deeper into sleep.

  “Well, you see, Bladebreak said. “If he knew anything, Dusk would have had it out of him by now.

  “I suppose. Ardoz moved down to Drummers feet and began changing the bandages. When he uncovered the foot, Allegra cringed. In the shadows, she could just see the stump where his toe had been.

  “This is bad, Ardoz said. “He needs a doctor.

  “The army doesnt have a doctor, Bladebreak said.

  “We can have one brought from the palace.

  “Heh. Thats right. Bladebreak gave a relieved laugh. “I keep forgetting we have their resources at our disposal. He rubbed his hand down Allegras back. “We cant leave her without restraints, though. Well take her to Dusk, see what he wants.

  No. Allegras sense of panic flared. She couldnt go back to Yargazon. She clenched the dodecahedron and the jagged edges of a spell skittered around her mind, slipping by, slipping by. She had the sleep song in her mind, but she needed to sing, to hear the words, and it would take time to build a spell once she began. But the moment she started, they would gag her.

  Frantic, with a force driven by desperation, she sought the only person who had ever spoken to her of mages working together, perhaps the only person alive who could manage such a feat.

  Jarid, help me! The plea burst out of her, and she reached with a strength that in normal times, she could never have done.

  Nothing.

  Please. She whispered the word in her mind. Then, frantic, she shouted the thought. Please! Jarid, help me.

  Suddenly the song flooded her mindand she understood. In his fourteen years of blindness, Jarid had achieved what no other mage had ever donehe could make spells simply by envisioning the shape rather than touching it. In his fourteen years of deafness, he had learned to hear in his mind as clearly as if he spoke aloud. He took her song and filled her with it. For one spectacular moment, her song and his power swelled together.

  With a groan, Allegra released her spell. She thought she would explode into fragments, burn to ashes, blaze in a million fireworks. She could barely contain the immensity of the power he lent her. And in that instant of union, she thought, Sleep.

  The world burst apart. Then the backlash of the spell hit Allegra and oblivion claimed her.

  CHAPTER 26

  THE SLEEPERS OF ALTAIR

  Allegra lifted her head. The world was a blur. Gradually she realized she was lying against someone. Colonel Bladebreak. He had fallen to the side and lay sleeping, one of his legs under her and the other thrown across her body.

  It took an effort to push him away and sit up. Drummer lay on his stomach, the blanket covering his hips and legs. Her stomach lurched at the blood that stained the bandage on his foot. But he was breathing more easily than before. Ardoz was sprawled on the carpet, fast asleep, his fingers tangled in the cloth he had used to clean his hand.

  Allegra felt slowed and thick. She climbed to her feet, then swayed while nausea swept over her. How long had she slept? The tent was light as if the sun had risen. Werent the armies supposed to be in battle? It had been close to dawn when Bladebreak and Ardoz found her. Surely by now someone had noticed them missing.

  She limped to the entrance. Dimly, in the back of her mind, a thought surfaced. She should hide. But she couldnt hold on to the thought. The spell had scorched her mind, seared away her mage gifts and left her dull.

  It was quiet outside. Nothing stirred. She saw no people or animals. From the position of the sun, dawn must have been at least an hour ago. She went down a row of tents and passed a sentry snoring on the ground. She kept going through a silent camp, past sleeping soldiers and still tents.

  Eventually the tents thinned out, until she was limping across the desert. She had been walking in a haze, aware of only what lay in her path. Now she stared around. Behind her, crags and low hills sheltered the Jazid camp; in front of her, a barren plain stretched out. In the distance, the towers of glorious Quaaz gleamed like an enchanted city out of a mythological tale.

  She kept going.

  She reached companies of the Jazid army that had been forming up at the edge of the plain in the predawn hours. They were in armor, their swords readyand they all lay on the ground, row after row of warriors. Asleep. Their horses stood by them. Asleep.

  She kept going.

  Her world narrowed to the pain in her feet and the relentless sun as it rose in the sky. Quaaz was located on the only large lake in Taka Ma
l, but she saw no sign here of the rivers that fed that vital body of water. The ground was packed hard by fighting that had already taken place. The armies had claimed their dead and injured, but she passed a crushed helmet here, a torn leather strap there, an empty water bag half buried under a rock.

  She kept going.

  And when she reached the Taka Mal army sprawled at the far edge of the basin, she limped among the sleeping men. All of them, rank upon rank upon rank. Sleeping.

  She saw movement.

  A man was walking among the Taka Mal warriors. Allegra stopped, uncertain what to do. She knew when he sighted her, for he called to another man and pointed toward her. She thought of running, but she had no idea where to go. She was on a plain. It had no place to hide. She couldnt run anyway. She could barely walk.

  The two figures approached her.

  It soaked into her mind that these men wore armor with the Harsdown jaguar on their breastplates. One stopped a short distance away and the other came closer, a burly fellow in his forties, with a wide face that gave him a stoic appearance. A shock of golden-brown hair fell down his neck. His expression was odd. It took a moment before she realized it seemed strange because of his concern. Nothing covetous. No submerged desire to inflict violence. No anger or hatred or lust or cruelty. Just concern.

  “Its all right, he said gently. “I wont harm you.

  Allegra backed up a step.

  The man raised his hands as if to show her he had no weapons. He had a sword strapped across his back, however. Dully, she realized the warriors sleeping around them had curved swords. Curves and shapes

  “Im Arkandy, the man said. “Sphere-Colonel Arkandy Ravensford, Harsdown Seventh Regiment.