The Magelands Epic: Soulwitch Rises (Book 7)

by Christopher Mitchell

  ‘And that’s where the Sons of Sanang are?’ said Keir. ‘Anamindhari?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said, glancing at him. ‘Several thousand are occupying the town. While they remain there, they’re a threat to the entire left flank of the imperial positions. I propose we strike, by sending the marines up the river, and recapture the town for the Empress.’

  ‘I overheard the governor talking,’ said Kelsey. ‘He mentioned there’s a plan to attack in the spring.’

  ‘That might be too late,’ she said. ‘Are you aware that another, much larger Rahain army is presently hiding in the Grey Mountains? If we wait for spring, we could find ourselves fighting them, and the chance to reclaim Anamindhari would be lost.’

  ‘We know about the new army,’ said Kelsey, ‘but if the Empress says “spring”, then your plan means nothing. It won’t happen.’

  Thorn picked up her glass and took a sip. ‘The second part of my plan involves a lightning strike from Rainsby.’ She pointed at the map. ‘A smaller, faster cavalry army could sweep away the Rahain defences here, then rush north-east to Stretton Sands, to support the main marine deployment from the west. We could trap the Sons of Sanang between the two armies, and annihilate them.’

  Kelsey shook her head. ‘Did you not hear what I just said? The Empress would never permit your plan to go ahead.’

  ‘The Empress is wracked with indecision and doubt,’ said Thorn, ‘and refuses to take any bold action. She is allowing the opportunity for victory in this war to slip through her fingers.’

  ‘That might all be true, but whatever happens, the marines are not going to disobey her orders.’

  Thorn lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘They already have.’

  Kelsey’s mouth opened.

  ‘What do you mean?’ said Keir.

  ‘I have spoken to many marines in Stretton Sands,’ Thorn said, ‘of every rank. The truth is that the Empress had nothing to do with the attack to liberate the town. The marines acted of their own accord and sailed off, without waiting for the Empress to approve anything. If they hadn’t, the town would still be in the hands of our enemies. Of course, after the marines were successful, her Majesty claimed to have been the author of the whole enterprise, but what choice did she have? She could hardly court-martial the new heroes of the empire.’ She glanced at Keir. ‘I am only proposing we try what has been tried before.’

  ‘And would the marines follow you?’

  ‘Yes, they would. I have already received pledges of loyalty from their commanders, and I am here in Rainsby to elicit support from the cavalry.’ She smiled. ‘And you, of course. A soulwitch and a stormwitch fighting side by side? We would be invincible.’

  ‘I have friends in the cavalry.’

  ‘Excellent,’ she said. ‘That will help.’

  ‘This is crazy,’ said Kelsey. ‘We can’t go against the Empress.’

  ‘What, even to save her empire? I have met her Majesty; she seems to be a wise and compassionate leader, the perfect leader, in fact, for peacetime. But in this war she has done nothing but hesitate. Her prevarication could allow the new Rahain army to crush us in the spring, but not if we tip the balance by taking Anamindhari first.’

  Keir’s heart raced as he gazed at Thorn. What she was saying seemed reasonable, and brave.

  ‘If we fail,’ she said, ‘we die. But if we are victorious, then we shall have saved the empire, and the Empress will forgive us our youthful audacity.’

  ‘You make it sound simple,’ said Kelsey. ‘It’s not.’

  ‘I’m in,’ said Keir, as Thorn smiled. ‘Let’s do it. Let’s save the empire.’

  Chapter 10

  Hunted Down

  Hold Fast, Republic of the Holdings – 14th Day, Last Third Autumn 525

  Karalyn gazed out over the endless plains, a cold wind drying her lips. The horse beneath her tramped on the grass and shook its head.

  ‘What a sight,’ said her mother, astride a mount to Karalyn’s right. ‘None more beautiful.’

  The two horses that carried them were standing upon the bank of a small rise, the highest point for dozens of miles around. Their gazes took them east, out to where the grasslands dried and became desert, though it was impossible to say with precision where one stopped and the other began. The morning sun was halfway up the sky, and Karalyn squinted, a hand shielding her eyes.

  ‘I don’t want to leave.’

  ‘I know,’ said her mother, ‘and I won’t force you, but you should think very carefully about your responsibilities.’

  ‘I’ve thought of nothing else this last third. This is the first time I’ve felt relaxed in years, since I was in the desert with Laodoc; but even then I was chafing to grow up so I could leave. Here?’ She gestured at the vast, still landscape. ‘Here I can look into this each day, and lose myself. Forget for a moment the guilt I feel for abandoning the Empress when she needs me; for running away.’

  Her mother smiled at her. ‘I ran away when I was younger. More than once. People were usually chasing me though. Bridget will forgive you if you go back to her, you know. She’s not a vindictive person; she’ll just be happy you’re by her side again.’

  ‘And what about Belinda?’

  ‘A compromise?’

  Karalyn frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘A confession, daughter; I’ve been talking to the Empress, via her vision mage in the capital.’

  ‘I thought you might have.’

  ‘You thought correctly. It’s been a long-winded process, as Mage Sanders needs a day or two to recover after every linking of minds, but I have a proposal for you from the Empress.’

  ‘Is this why you asked me to come out for a ride?’

  ‘Yes, though it was for your company too. My stay here on the estate has been cut short unfortunately.’

  ‘Why?’

  Her mother frowned. ‘Some business with your brother.’

  ‘What’s Keir done now?’

  ‘I’ll tell you in a moment. First, the proposal.’

  She took the reins of her mount and guided the mare down the slope, to where the wind eased off to nothing. Karalyn kept pace to her left, the hooves of her stallion sinking into the turf.

  Her mother turned to her. ‘The Empress proposes that you release some more of Belinda’s vision powers; specifically, line, range and inner, so that she can communicate with the rest of the empire. This would be of great use to her Majesty.’

  Karalyn said nothing, considering what effect the possession of such powers would have on Belinda. She also noted the Empress’s omission of outer-vision, the power to produce hallucinations, and the ability to alter people’s memories. Maybe she had taken Karalyn’s warnings to heart.

  ‘What else?’

  ‘That was it, but the Empress wanted to make it clear that she would be reviewing Belinda’s progress closely, to see if she might warrant more powers at some time in the future.’

  ‘I knew there would be a “but”.’

  ‘It’s a fair offer, in my opinion. You took on the Empress, disobeyed a direct order, and she’s the one backing down. She had to add in a “but”, Kara-bear, she has to keep her options open, but I advise you to take this offer.’

  ‘Maybe, I don’t know. No matter what happens, I don’t think Belinda and I will be friends again.’

  Her mother shook her head. ‘You did well, keeping her a secret for so long; I had no idea she was there when I visited you on Winter’s Day. And that was almost a year ago. Your powers have grown strong, like Kalayne’s.’

  ‘Did he kill people?’

  ‘Not that I know of, however he directed others, principally your aunt, to slaughter many. Your uncle Vince was one of those to fall during Keira’s advance.’

  ‘So I would be the same as him if I gave Belinda all of her powers back, and she went on to slaughter thousands?’

  ‘Don’t ask me that, daughter; you know I have the blood of many on my hands. I directed soldiers in battle, and I kill
ed up close; and yet I can sleep at night. The lives I took no longer trouble me, if they ever really did. I don’t regret a single death of my enemies, and would do it all again.’

  Karalyn stared at her.

  ‘You and I,’ her mother said, ‘are made of different moral stuff. You take more after your father, whose conscience was burdened with guilt for the deaths he had caused, yet even he killed unarmed prisoners when he needed to.’

  ‘Stop, mother, I can’t bear thinking about my parents as murderers; and both of my brothers are now tainted in the same way.’

  ‘Corthie killed to protect you,’ her mother said, her eyes angry. ‘How dare you call him a murderer. And Keir…’ She paused, as if remembering something. She glanced away.

  ‘You’re right,’ said Karalyn. ‘I shouldn’t have said that about Corthie; I’ve seen the effect it’s had on him. Still, he seems to be doing much better now. Thanks for bringing him up here with you.’

  ‘What? Oh, yes. Corthie. He couldn’t wait to come up and see you.’

  ‘And Keir? There was news? Has he got another girl pregnant?’

  ‘No. In some ways that would be easier to take.’ She glanced at Karalyn as their mounts trotted along the track towards the Holdfast mansion. ‘You two are more alike than you think.’

  ‘We are not alike.’

  ‘Really? You have both recently disobeyed a direct order from the Empress.’

  ‘Keir did that?’

  ‘Yes. He’s been ensnared by that young hedgewitch.’

  ‘Thorn?’

  ‘That’s the one. I believe you’ve met her?’

  ‘Aye.’

  ‘I hear she is very beautiful.’

  ‘Aye, she is.’

  ‘Well, she has encouraged Keir to join her on an expedition to fight the Sons of Sanang, in what amounts to an act of gross mutiny. He and Thorn are leading a band of several hundred cavalry; they departed Rainsby some days ago. The marines in Stretton Sands have also stopped answering the Empress’s summons, and are believed to be marching towards Anamindhari. Presumably the two forces will converge at some point, and Thorn will have herself an army, with Keir by her side like a love-sick puppy.’

  Karalyn laughed, then stopped when her mother shot her a glance.

  ‘It’s not funny, daughter.’

  ‘I’m just… surprised.’

  ‘The Empress certainly doesn’t find it amusing,’ her mother said. ‘I’d bet she wishes she’d taken my advice to bring him back to the imperial capital, but she didn’t, and now he’s gone, leaving Rainsby’s defences highly vulnerable. Her Majesty wishes me to return to Holdings City, to be closer to her.’ She shook her head. ‘The Empress will be cursing the Holdfast name right now. First you; now Keir. As if I didn’t already have enough to deal with. Every day, the new conscription laws are pushing more of the Holdings into the arms of the royalists. Urgent reinforcements are now required to bolster Rainsby and Stretton Sands, and who do you think the Empress hopes will supply them? Damn it.’

  Karalyn glanced at her. ‘I saw them in a vision, you know.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Keir and Thorn. I saw them together in the future, fighting side by side in the midst of a battle, looking like gods.’

  ‘Oh.’

  They fell silent as the Holdfast mansion became visible over the brow of a low rise; the other estate buildings spreading out behind it and to its left. The morning light was shining down on the white-washed walls and the red-tiled roofs, but the sun was weak, and winter was fast approaching.

  ‘I might go back,’ said Karalyn. ‘I might take the Empress’s offer.’

  Her mother smiled. ‘Good. Maybe you should travel with me and Corthie to Holdings City when we leave tomorrow. You can think about it on the way, and if you decide to go on to the imperial capital, then you will be that much closer.’

  Karalyn nodded.

  ‘One thing I’ve never understood,’ her mother went on, ‘is how you managed to get to the Holdings so quickly after you left the Great Fortress. Did a flying carriage bring you? If so, how did you go about organising it? I’m asking because, if the Empress wants me to go to the imperial capital, then I’d want to travel as quickly as possible.’

  ‘I’ll look into it.’

  ‘Thank you, dear. Perhaps we should start breeding winged gaien for ourselves in the Holdings.’

  Karalyn nodded, her thoughts going to the bottom of a trunk in her bedroom, where she had hidden the Quadrant. She could travel anywhere she wanted to, in an instant. In the hands of a ruthless assassin, like her mother had once been, it would be a devastating weapon. If it weren’t for the fact that only Karalyn could work it, she would have been tempted to destroy the device in case it fell into the wrong hands. Her mother would want to use it for revenge, she knew, which was the main reason why she had not mentioned its existence to her.

  They guided their mounts up the long gentle slope to where the buildings of the estate began, and crossed the large courtyard towards the stables. Corthie was out by the fountain in the centre, and he waved at them as they approached. Her mother led the way over to the stable block and they dismounted, as stable hands took the reins.

  ‘It’s a bit cold to be playing outside,’ her mother said as her son strolled up to them.

  ‘It’s not cold. I came out here to get away from the noise of the baby crying. He’s been screaming the house down all morning.’ He glanced at Karalyn. ‘Can you go in and sort it?’

  ‘Sure,’ she said. ‘He probably just misses his granny.’

  Her mother grimaced. ‘I’d really rather you didn’t call me that.’

  ‘Granny Holdfast,’ laughed Corthie.

  ‘That’s enough, children,’ she said, though her green eyes were shining. ‘Let’s go inside.’

  ‘Is it lunchtime?’ said Corthie. ‘I’m starving.’

  ‘He’s like a bottomless pit,’ their mother said. ‘No matter how much you throw in, he’s never full.’

  Celine greeted them from the rear porch of the mansion. Sitting close by on a long swing was Jemma, her baby son nestled in her arms.

  ‘Shush,’ said Celine as they approached. ‘We’ve just managed to get him to sleep.’

  Karalyn nodded to Jemma as she climbed the steps to the porch. The young woman looked exhausted, but she attempted a weak smile. Karalyn had been helping out with Cole since she had arrived; and the third she had spent in the mansion had been a blur of nappies, drool and screaming, interspersed with being woken in the night. Along with her rides out into the plains, it had worked to keep her mind off Belinda, and what had happened in the Great Fortress. She thought about the Empress’s offer. Maybe she should take it.

  ‘Did you have a nice time?’ said Celine.

  ‘Yes,’ said Karalyn’s mother; ‘rode as far as the edge of the desert. Now I just need to clean up, and then we can get lunch on.’

  She walked into the mansion, Celine and Corthie behind her. Karalyn remained on the porch and lit a cigarette, her eyes roaming over the small settlement that made up the heart of the estate. As much as she loved the place, it felt empty without her father. He had been a solid figure there for her entire life. The only time he had not been on the estate, was when he had journeyed to Kellach Brigdomin ten years previously, taking Karalyn along with him. In the halls and passageways of the mansion, she could feel the memory of his presence. His study was exactly how she had remembered it; Celine not having touched a thing. Karalyn had gone over his books and maps, hoping to find something he had written himself; a journal, or a diary, but there was nothing.

  A high-pitched wail arose from behind her, and she dropped her cigarette and ground the butt beneath the heel of her riding boot. She turned, and gazed into the eyes of the crying child. She entered his mind, finding a maelstrom of unformed emotions and needs. She soothed him, relaxing his fears, and he quietened in Jemma’s arms.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Jemma. ‘Again.’

  ‘It’s
no bother.’

  ‘Is the First Holder leaving tomorrow?’

  ‘Aye. With Corthie in the morning. The house will go back to peace and quiet again.’

  Jemma nodded, worry lines on her forehead. ‘And you?’

  ‘Do you mean am I leaving with them?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I don’t know, to be honest. I don’t want to go back, but I fear I’ve left a terrible mess behind me that I should fix.’

  ‘I’ll miss you if you go,’ said Jemma, looking up at her with sad eyes. ‘You’ve been such a help. You’re not like your brother at all.’

  Karalyn frowned. Maybe she should remain in Holdfast a little longer. After all, she could use the Quadrant to get back to the Great Fortress whenever she wanted.

  ‘I’ll stay,’ she said. ‘For a few more days at least.’

  Jemma grinned.

  ‘You two still out here?’ said Celine as she emerged from the back doors of the mansion in her travelling outfit. ‘I thought you were getting ready for lunch.’

  ‘We are,’ said Karalyn. ‘Where are you off to?’

  ‘I need to make the rounds of the southern winter enclosures. It won’t be long before we’ll be moving the herds in. I should be back around nightfall.’

  Karalyn waved as Celine walked off the porch. ‘See you later.’

  After lunch, Karalyn went up to her father’s study and picked up the book she had been reading. It was a history of the Holdings, and she had reached the part about the unification of the first realm, and the beginning of the year count that they still used. She was unlatching the window so she could smoke when the door opened.

  ‘I thought I’d find you here,’ said her mother, coming in. She glanced around at the bookshelves. ‘I never much liked this room; it was where your father came to be alone.’

  She took out a silver case and opened it; offering Karalyn a cigarette.

  ‘Thanks.’

  Her mother struck a match and lit their cigarettes, then she went over to a shelf and took down a bottle of whisky.