The Magelands Epic: Soulwitch Rises (Book 7)

by Christopher Mitchell

  ‘My little flower,’ he said. His eyes had dark rings round them, and he looked exhausted.

  ‘Are you here on official business?’ said Nyane. ‘If so, I’m afraid the Empress is unavailable at the moment, and I’m not sure I should adjudicate in any complaint or petition emanating from my own father. It would look terrible.’

  Her father raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m sure you would be scrupulously fair; but it’s a private matter. Do you have a minute?’

  ‘Yes. The audience has just ended.’

  ‘I know. I was waiting.’

  She frowned for a moment. ‘Let’s go to my office where we can speak privately.’

  They left the audience chamber via a side door and came to her grand suite of rooms, second in size only to the Empress’s quarters. She led him to her study, and showed him to a seat next to where a fire was blazing in a hearth.

  ‘Tea?’ she said.

  ‘Wine?’

  ‘It is lunchtime, I suppose,’ she said, making her way to a cabinet by the wall. She opened it and withdrew a bottle. She passed it to her father, who gave the label a brief inspection, then uncorked it and poured two glasses.

  ‘Good girl,’ he said, sighing as he sipped it.

  Nyane sat opposite him. ‘You know, father, I do believe that this is the first time you have visited me in the Great Fortress.’

  ‘Indeed. As proud as I am of you, I’ve made it my business to stay away, so no hint of impropriety will tarnish your reputation. You realise, of course, that since you were appointed Herald of the Empire, the visitors to my door have increased somewhat, and I can hardly walk the streets of the Rahain quarter without being accosted by citizens asking me for favours; each of them convinced beyond any doubt that, through you, I can fulfil their every wish.’

  ‘This all leads me to believe that something important must have occurred,’ she said, leaving her wine untouched on the table.

  ‘It has, my dear.’

  ‘Is it bad? Should I prepare myself?’

  ‘It’s good, but prepare yourself nonetheless, little flower.’

  Nyane frowned. She was unused to good news.

  ‘Yesterday evening,’ he said, ‘I received a message from an officer in the local militia, saying that a woman claiming to know me had handed herself in.’

  ‘A woman?’

  Her father reached across the table and took her hand.

  ‘My wife, your mother, has returned to us.’

  She stared at him, the colour draining from her face.

  ‘After nearly two decades,’ her father went on. ‘I couldn’t believe it myself at first, but as soon as I saw her, I knew it to be true.’

  ‘You saw her?’

  ‘At my request, the officer brought her to my house, and we talked all night. Oh, my beautiful little flower, it is her. She has changed, of course. She suffered captivity and servitude in Rahain for many years, but she’s strong; stronger than I would have been.’

  ‘Where is she now?’

  ‘Still in my home.’

  ‘You left her there?’

  ‘She fell into a deep sleep when the sun rose, and I made my way here. I left her a note should she awaken, but I have a feeling she’ll sleep all day. She looked utterly exhausted from her journey here.’

  A hundred thoughts and questions flooded Nyane’s mind, and waves of emotion rolled over her. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

  ‘It’s a lot to take in, I know,’ he said, smiling. ‘I’ve had all night to think about it, and then the hours I stood waiting for the audience to end.’

  ‘I would have stopped the audience for this news, father.’

  ‘Which is why I waited. It was fine. It gave me time to think.’

  She shook her head. ‘I don’t know what to ask first. Is she well?’

  ‘She’s tired, as I said, and undernourished, but otherwise healthy. She has a limp, from an old injury to her left ankle. She told me it had happened when a gaien trod on her, while she was labouring in a work camp.’

  Nyane felt tears come to her eyes.

  ‘She wasn’t there for long,’ her father said. ‘Even Ghorley wasn’t stupid enough to let one of the republic’s finest scientists waste away in a work camp; not when the city’s heating and water systems were starting to crumble and break down. It seems that prayers to the Creator alone don’t keep the caverns warm in winter.’

  ‘But how did she get out? And why now?’

  ‘It seems there was turmoil after Ghorley’s assassination,’ he said, ‘and she saw her opportunity – the first that had presented itself in all her time there. An imperial spy approached her, and helped her escape the Rahain Capital, then led her through the mountains, along with a handful of other dissidents.’

  Nyane frowned. She didn’t know of any active agents operating in Rahain at that time.

  ‘Does she know the spy’s name?’

  He raised an eyebrow. ‘I didn’t ask. Somehow it slipped my mind.’

  ‘Sorry, father.’

  ‘Are you suspicious?’

  She stayed quiet, not wanting to give voice to her concerns.

  ‘You needn’t be,’ he went on. ‘It’s an open secret that the Empress has mages who can perceive if someone’s lying. I explained this to your mother, and she told me that she was perfectly happy to be examined in this way. She has nothing to hide.’

  ‘What about the other dissidents? Are they in the city?’

  He shook his head. ‘I have no idea. Really, my dear, the questions you ask. Are you not happy with my news?’

  ‘Of course I am, father; it’s just a shock, that’s all. We’ve never spoken of this before, but I had long resigned myself to never seeing mother again; as if she were dead.’

  Her father smiled at her. ‘But she’s not.’

  Nyane stood. ‘Let’s go at once.’

  He lifted the wine to his lips and swallowed what remained in the glass. ‘I have a carriage outside.’

  ‘Mine will be faster, father.’

  ‘But mine shall be more discreet. Are you sure you want to advertise that the herald is visiting the Rahain quarter? I fear we may not get the peace and quiet we desire.’

  She nodded, though a surge of impatience ran through her. On the other side of the city, her mother was waiting, and she longed to see her. She walked with her father out of her apartment suite.

  ‘I shall be gone on private business for a few hours,’ she said to a courtier, who bowed. ‘Please ensure her Majesty is made aware.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’

  Nyane and her father continued down the hallway and left the official bounds of the palace. At the doorway leading to the rest of the Great Fortress, a pair of soldiers peeled off from the others to form an escort for the herald.

  Her father raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Standard practice these days,’ Nyane said.

  ‘Fine, but do they have to be Kellach?’

  ‘That’s an outrageous thing to say, father. The Kellach’s loyalty is unquestioned, and their courage is the equal of anyone. These soldiers would die to protect me, and you.’

  ‘You misjudge me, daughter. I was merely wondering about the potential for mischief if two guards of their heritage are seen in the Rahain quarter. People will talk.’

  ‘Let them. You can tell them they were there for my benefit. Perhaps if the Rahain community were more willing to provide recruits for the army…’

  ‘Oh, please don’t bring that up,’ he said as they began to descend a flight of stairs, the two soldiers a step behind them. ‘You know how hard I’ve fought the other representatives of the Rahain council on this matter. It’s a miracle they agreed to back down over the protests they had planned against this conscription nonsense. If the Empress hadn’t ordered that the Rahain recruits be sent to the navy, rather than the army, then things might have got ugly.’ He glanced at her. ‘It was your idea, wasn’t it?’

  ‘I give a lot of advice to her Majesty; some
is taken, some not.’

  ‘Modest as ever,’ he said, grinning. ‘You know, despite the truculent tone of many community leaders towards the new laws, it’s a fact that they are very proud that one of their own has reached the rank of Herald of the Empire. As am I. It puts to bed any notion that the empire treats us as second-class citizens, and no doubt annoys the Holdings aristocracy immensely. A double victory, in my view.’

  Nyane thought it better not to respond, and they continued down the stairs in silence. After speaking to the officer on duty at the main gates, they crossed the bridge into the New Town, where a row of carriages were parked. Her father led them to his own vehicle, and his driver opened the side doors for them. Her father frowned as the two burly soldiers squeezed onto one of the benches inside, then he held out his hand for Nyane to climb aboard. She ascended the steps and took a seat, and her father said a few words to the driver. He stepped up and joined Nyane, and the door was closed.

  ‘I may nap on the way,’ he said, his eyes shutting.

  She gazed at his face for a moment as he slipped into sleep. The carriage took off, and she settled into her seat. She eyed the two soldiers, but they were both staring out of the windows on either side, their hands close to the hilts of their swords. She noticed her own hands were trembling. The news about her mother still hadn’t sunk in, and she realised with a feeling close to panic that in an hour or so, she would be speaking to her. What would she say? Her heart drummed against her chest. A part of her didn’t believe it; wouldn’t believe it, until she saw her with her own eyes.

  Traffic in the Old Town was heavy, with wagons bound for the harbour blocking many of the main roads, and it was nearly an hour and a half later before their carriage pulled into the Rahain quarter, having passed Duncan Gardens and the Imperial Cavalry headquarters on the way. Her father’s driver steered them along narrow backstreets until they reached a courtyard at the rear of a tall row of stone-built houses.

  She nudged her father and he rubbed his eyes.

  ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘We’re here.’

  The carriage came to a halt, and they climbed down into the cobbled courtyard. Her father took a large set of keys from his robes and unlocked the back entrance to the building. He led Nyane inside, and the two soldiers followed them into the dark interior.

  ‘You can wait here,’ Nyane said to them. ‘I’ll be upstairs.’

  The guards nodded and took up position by the foot of the staircase. Her father lit a lamp, and they climbed the steps.

  ‘Will I recognise her?’ she whispered, half-dreading the answer.

  He took her hand and squeezed it. They reached the upper landing, and her father selected another key from the chain and opened a door. The room within was in darkness; the shutters closed. Her father set the lamp down onto a table, keeping its light dim, and gestured towards the bed. Nyane’s eyes darted over, and she caught sight of someone sleeping, a blanket covering her body. Nyane peered closer, gazing at the woman. Her eyes were closed, and there were heavy lines marking her face, which was framed in grey hair flecked with white. An old woman. Nyane edged towards the bed and her father reached out with a hand. He placed it on the woman’s shoulder and gave it a gentle shake.

  ‘Nadia, my dear,’ he whispered. ‘Open your eyes and see who is here.’

  The old woman stirred as Nyane stood frozen to the floor, then her eyes opened.

  At once, Nyane knew that it was her mother lying before her. She rushed forwards as tears spilled down her cheeks, and embraced the women with both arms, weeping. The old woman looked startled for a moment as she sat up in bed, then she gazed at Nyane.

  ‘Daughter?’ she said, her voice breaking.

  ‘It’s me, mother,’ Nyane managed to say between sobs. ‘It’s me.’

  The two held each other, then her father joined them, his arms reaching round them both; and his tears were added to theirs.

  In the still darkness of her father’s bedroom, Nyane had no sense of the passing time, and it could have been hours before the three of them pulled back from the embrace to wipe the tears from their eyes.

  ‘For nineteen years,’ her mother said, ‘I have waited for this moment; dreamed of it. In the darkest times I held on to it, knowing that it was the only thing that would keep me from giving up. Now look at you! My husband, and my daughter, alive and thriving. I had no idea if I would ever find you…’ She paused, as tears came again to her eyes.

  ‘But you did,’ said her husband. ‘We are together at last, and nothing will separate us again, I swear. Not a day has gone by when I have not been filled with regret at my cowardice at the border. When I watched you be arrested, I…’

  ‘You have nothing to be ashamed of, husband. You did precisely as I had requested; you protected our daughter, and ensured she got away to safety. I would never have forgiven you if you had tried to intervene, and jeopardised her life and future.’ She turned to Nyane, and gazed at her for a long moment. ‘I want to know everything about your life; every detail. Your father has already told me that you are the Herald to the Empress, second-in-command to the entire empire.’ She smiled. ‘I always knew you had greatness within you, and I was right.’

  Nyane’s face flushed.

  ‘I’m also a practical woman, and I’ve had plenty of time to consider what others may think of my sudden return. In order to allay any foolish gossip, please know that I am prepared to undergo any test or examination that will prove I am no spy.’

  ‘Of course you’re not a spy!’ cried her father.

  ‘We three sitting here know that,’ she said, ‘but part of a mother’s pride in her daughter means that I will do anything to make sure her reputation remains free of any suspicion. For you must know that I have spent many years working for a regime that is the sworn enemy of the empire. After being taken from the labour camp, I was tasked with the supervision of many engineering works, and it is true that I pretended to be loyal to the Lord Protector’s government, even though I secretly hated them. I only survived by keeping my mouth closed and doing what I was told. It shames me now that I am here with you, but there was nothing else I could have done.’

  ‘You don’t have to explain yourself, mother,’ Nyane said. ‘I can’t even begin to imagine what nineteen years of being watched and controlled would feel like. How long were you in the work camp?’

  ‘Three and a half years, though it felt like ten. I was ill for a long time afterwards, though that didn’t stop my masters from forcing me to work on their projects in the cities. Back then, there was no chance of escape, but after a while, during which time I had behaved myself and done everything they asked of me, my conditions improved a little. And then, out of nowhere, someone approached me one day and offered to help me flee to the Plateau. It was in the wake of the death of Ghorley the tyrant, and this someone informed me that my name was on her list, and that she had been ordered to assist me to freedom.’

  ‘An imperial agent?’ said Nyane.

  ‘Yes. She led me, and some others whom I didn’t know, across the Tahrana valley, and then through the Grey Mountains. We skirted the Rahain occupation round Rainsby, and made our way up to the shores of the Inner Sea, where at a town called Westport we boarded a ship for the imperial capital.’

  ‘You arrived by ship? Did the agent come with you?’

  ‘Yes, though I didn’t see her after we berthed at the harbour. It’s a pity; I wanted to say “thank you” to her.’

  Nyane tried to keep a frown from her lips. ‘The agent; do you remember her name?’

  ‘Yes,’ said her mother. ‘It was Sable.’

  Chapter 8

  No Questions

  The Kellach Littoral – 18th Day, Second Third Autumn 525

  A chill wind was blowing down from the high mountains to the right of the road as the convoy of six wagons and a carriage came to the end of a long forest. After three days under the shadows of the trees, Lennox was glad to be back out in the fresh air again.

 
‘Do you smell that?’ said Leisha.

  ‘That’s the great ocean,’ said Johan the wagon-master from where he perched upon the lead wagon. ‘The road takes us by the coast for a while.’

  ‘Will we be able to see it?’ said Carrie, her eyes lighting up.

  ‘Yeah, sure,’ he said, pointing ahead, ‘just beyond the next bend.’

  ‘I can’t wait.’

  ‘It’s only water,’ said Cain. ‘You’ve seen water, aye?’

  Johan laughed. ‘If your only experience is of the Inner Sea, young man, then you might be in for a surprise. The turn in the road also marks the halfway point between Westport and the town of Threeways in the Domm Pass.’

  ‘Shit,’ said Leisha, ‘still only halfway?’

  ‘That sits fine with me,’ said Lennox.

  ‘Aye, but you’re actually enjoying this journey, admit it.’

  He shrugged. What was there not to like? He had the company of his three friends, and they got on well enough with the other eight Kellach guards escorting the convoy. The Holdings wagon-master and his daughter had been fair employers, and generous too, while the pair of Rakanese merchants accompanying them had left the four ex-Army of Pyre soldiers in peace. No one had asked them questions about their past, presuming that they had deserted from the imperial army. The only people he hadn’t spoken to were the occupants of the large covered carriage, led by a team of eight horses. They were also Holdings, though Lennox had barely seen them throughout the course of the journey. They had been travelling for over a third, covering twenty to thirty miles each day, passing through the south-western corner of the Plateau, and then down into the Kellach Littoral; the expanse of land that connected the spindly peninsula of Kellach Brigdomin to the rest of the Star Continent.

  The air was clean and fresh, the countryside rugged and beautiful, and the war seemed a million miles away.

  Carrie cried out and ran towards an enormous boulder that sat by the left of the road as it began to turn in a long, lazy bend.

  ‘The ocean!’ she called back to them.