The Magelands Epic: Soulwitch Rises (Book 7)

by Christopher Mitchell

  She smiled.

  ‘I’ll get started on the writing,’ said Ravi, ‘while it’s all still fresh in my head.’

  ‘We’ll leave you be, then,’ Nyane said. ‘Thank you very much, Ravi. I feel we have made great strides today.’

  ‘Yes, thank you, Ravi,’ said her mother.

  They left the laboratory and descended to the ground floor. Outside, a cold wind was blowing through the university courtyard, and students were hurrying to their classes as leaves billowed round their ankles. Standing by Nyane’s carriage was an imperial courtier, her eyes scanning the courtyard.

  ‘I think I may be wanted,’ Nyane said.

  ‘You have duties,’ said her mother.

  The courier noticed Nyane and waved.

  ‘I’ll see you tonight,’ said Nyane, and gave each of her parents a kiss, before turning for the carriage.

  ‘Good day, ma’am,’ said the courtier. ‘I have a message from the palace.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Her Imperial Majesty requires your presence, ma’am.’

  ‘Very well, I shall return immediately.’

  It took less than twenty minutes to travel by carriage from the university to the gates of the Great Fortress that faced the New Town. The courtier accompanied Nyane for the journey; the two women remaining quiet throughout. Once inside the fortress, they ascended the stairways to the upper levels and entered the palace. The courtier led Nyane deep into the Empress’s private rooms to her personal study, where she knocked on the door.

  ‘Come in.’

  The courtier opened the door and bowed, and Nyane passed within.

  ‘Your Majesty,’ she said, glancing around. The Empress was alone, and sitting in a large chair by the fireplace, a glass of whisky in her hand.

  ‘Thank you for coming. Sit. I’ve had time to think.’

  Nyane took a seat opposite the Empress.

  ‘Rainsby remains the key,’ the Empress went on. ‘Anything else is a distraction. We hold Rainsby, we win, it’s a simple as that. With everything else that’s been going on – Karalyn, Sable, Stretton Sands, we cannot forget Rainsby.’

  ‘Indeed, your Majesty.’

  ‘It is imperative, that we act to defend Rainsby, now that Keir and Thorn have left it almost defenceless. I’ve decided to sack the governor; he never should have allowed a single cavalry trooper to depart with the young mages, and I’m told that Thorn ran rings round him.’

  ‘Very well,’ said Nyane. ‘Have you thought of a replacement?’

  ‘I have, but it’s been a difficult decision; one of the hardest I’ve had to take.’

  She paused for a moment, and Nyane froze. She glanced at the Empress, but despite the whisky in her hand she seemed clear-minded enough.

  ‘Aye,’ said the Empress, ‘it’s you. I need you to go to Rainsby and take over the running of the town. Repair the defences and organise the garrison. The situation needs someone of your calibre, and though I’ll miss you here in the capital, I think it’s the best choice.’

  ‘But a herald should always be by her sovereign.’

  ‘I know, but traditions sometimes have to be broken. You’ll remain at the rank of herald while in Rainsby, it’ll give you the power to act in my name. I’m also going to appoint Calder as depute herald in your absence.’

  ‘You make it sound like its temporary, your Majesty.’

  ‘Aye, it is. A few thirds, no more. Just enough to stabilise the town, and get it into its best possible shape. We’ll start the hunt for your replacement right away, but I need you to give it your undivided attention.’ She frowned. ‘I’m sorry about this, I truly am. I know I’m separating you from your mother too soon after being reunited, and I guess I needed the whisky to summon up the guts so I could break the news to you.’

  Nyane sighed. ‘I will do my duty.’

  ‘I know you will, that’s why I’m choosing you. You’re loyal, talented and dedicated; the best I have.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘You will be taking Belinda along with you as well. She can act as your assistant and bodyguard, and we can worry about her other powers later.’

  ‘And transport, your Majesty? It’s too late in the year to go by sea.’

  The Empress smiled. ‘Aye, that it is. Thank fuck for winged gaien, eh?’

  Chapter 12

  The Four Clans

  High Threeways, Brig – 15th Day, Last Third Autumn 525

  The road from the lowlands of Brig snaked up the edge of the hillside, its paved surface cut from the soil and rock to be wide enough to carry a pair of wagons side by side. Behind them to the east, the sun was attempting to peer between the thick, grey clouds, and wherever its light touched the earth, the morning frost melted away.

  The wagon-master’s daughter shivered despite the thick cloaks she had wrapped round herself, her breath pluming into the cold air. Lennox and Carrie were sitting up on the driver’s bench of the wagon next to her, and ahead of them, Cain and Leisha were with the master himself. Behind was the grand carriage containing the two Holdings passengers, and beyond that, the pair of Rakanese merchants made up the rear of the convoy as it crawled up the steep slope.

  Carrie rubbed her hands together. She and the other ex-Army of Pyre soldiers were used to the cold; their training having included long spells of enforced exposure to the harshest elements.

  ‘How much further?’ she said.

  ‘A couple of hours,’ said Frieda, ‘and then we can warm up by a fire.’

  ‘I can’t wait.’

  Lennox said nothing. In truth, he was going to miss the journey. There had been no more trouble since the former bandits’ bloody mutiny, and their passage through Kell and the Brig Pass had been peaceful. Every day had taken them into country that was wilder and more remote, especially after they had cleared the heavily-mined area of Northern Kell – a grey and filthy region squeezed between the green hills and country on either side. They had been offered work guarding the mines, but Lennox and the others had remained true to their word, and had continued on with the caravan.

  ‘Why’s it called Threeways?’ said Carrie.

  Frieda glanced at her. ‘Because there are three ways leading from it.’

  Carrie laughed. ‘Aye, but where do they go?’

  ‘Well, we’re on one of them now,’ she said. ‘If we were to carry straight on after the town, we’ll enter the Domm Pass, which leads for another thirty miles or so on towards the Domm lowlands; and the third road turns south and leads all the way to the site of the Fire Mountain and the ruined temple. There’s also a narrow pass that will take you down into Lach, but no one lives there.’

  ‘And there are half a million Kellach here?’

  ‘Who told you that? Wait, it was my father, wasn’t it? He has a tendency to exaggerate. The Clan Council’s latest census had just over a quarter of a million people registered in Kellach Brigdomin.’

  ‘That’s still a lot more than we thought,’ said Lennox.

  The young woman eyed him and he immediately regretted his words. From everything he had learned, it seemed common knowledge in the empire that, two decades after the Rahain invasion, Kellach Brigdomin was once again flourishing, and it must sound odd to others that they had somehow remained ignorant of the fact.

  ‘What do you think you’ll do when we arrive?’ she said.

  ‘Not sure,’ he said. ‘Me and the others haven’t come to a decision yet.’

  ‘Well, our offer still stands. You’re among the best guards we’ve worked with, and you proved yourselves back at the halfway point. My father and I would sign you back up in an instant.’

  ‘If we were to say aye,’ Carrie said, ‘then when would we be heading north again?’

  ‘Early in the New Year,’ she said, ‘so we can aim to be back in Westport before the end of spring. That means you don’t have to decide now. You can enjoy yourselves and see the sights, and still be ready for the journey back if you wished.’

  ‘A
nd you make two trips a year?’

  ‘Yeah. The spring one is more pleasant, to be honest. I’m not a great admirer of the weather down here in winter.’ She gazed up at the sky. ‘At least it’s not raining today. So far.’

  ‘So what else can we expect?’ said Lennox. ‘You know, when we arrive?’

  She glanced at them. ‘Questions.’

  He frowned. ‘Like what?’

  ‘Well, your accents for one thing. People in Threeways are a inquisitive bunch, always listening out for gossip from the outside world. They’ll want to know where you’re from, who you’re related to, that sort of thing. Especially as two of you are Kell.’

  ‘Why would that make a difference?’ said Carrie.

  The wagon-master’s daughter shook her head. ‘I’ve kept my part of the bargain, and not pried into your pasts, but… Let’s just say that I have my suspicions. To my mind there’s only one place you could be from that would have made you so ignorant of your homeland, and if I can figure it out, then you can be sure that the people in Threeways will.’

  ‘Let’s say for a moment that your suspicions are correct,’ said Lennox. ‘The empire’s so far away; would it really matter?’

  She shrugged. ‘It remains a loyal province, and they’re very proud that a Brig is the Empress. Maybe if you went down to the far edges of the Domm lowlands you might find people who don’t care one way or another, but Threeways is the capital, where the Clan Council sits. Believe me, they care deeply about the fate of the empire in this town.’ She paused, her eyes on the road. ‘The enemies of Empress Bridget are their enemies.’

  They travelled on in silence for a while. Lennox gazed out at the sight of the countryside to their right as they climbed the slope. The green lands of Brig spread out in a wide, fan-shaped arc, dotted with small farms and settlements. Ahead of them, there was a cleft in the hillside, and the road wound its way up towards it. The tops of the mountains were glistening white; a sign of the winter to come.

  ‘What did you mean about the Kell?’ said Carrie after a while.

  Frieda smiled. ‘It means you’re rare. The Kell number the fewest of the four clans, as they bore the brunt of the initial Rahain invasion and suffered the most. The Domm are the most populous, and then the Brig and Lach are roughly the same. And many of the Kell that returned have settled around the town of Marchside, which means that there are not too many of them in Threeways or the Domm Pass. Despite the disparity in numbers, each clan holds a quarter of the seats in the council, and this has caused a few problems in the past with the Domm, who naturally feel that they should have the most.’

  ‘So folk still keep to their old, original clans,’ said Lennox, ‘even after all this time?’

  ‘Shit,’ she said. ‘This is partly my fault. I should have been teaching you about life down here, but now there’s no time left. Look, if I tried to explain the complexities of inter-clan politics to you, I’d need another third, and I only half-understand it. There are rivalries and grudges that go back hundreds of years.’

  ‘Can you give us the basics?’

  ‘Yeah,’ she grinned. ‘They all hate each other.’

  Lennox and Carrie frowned.

  ‘Alright,’ she said, ‘I guess the Kell and Lach hate each other less than they both hate the Brig and Domm, and the opposite holds true as well. The Kell and the Domm have the deepest contempt for each other, and the Lach hate the Domm almost as much, but they really hate the Brig. Basically, the Kell are seen as insufferably arrogant; the Lach as poor and dirty; the Brig as incurably stupid; and the Domm as petty-minded bullies. There, will that suffice?’

  Carrie laughed. ‘And what do they say about the Holdings?’

  Frieda smiled. ‘Why, I’m sure they all love us!’

  ‘We’ll just have to keep our mouths closed,’ said Lennox, ‘until we pick up the local habits.’

  ‘And what are you going to say if they ask your name?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You’re the first Kellach I’ve met that don’t add your parent’s name when asked. You know, like Carrie ae Cara, for example.’

  Lennox glanced at Carrie.

  ‘Men use their father’s name,’ the wagon-master’s daughter went on, ‘and women their mother’s.’

  He frowned. He had no idea what his father’s name had been.

  Frieda caught his expression. ‘Just something to think about.’

  The road curved to the left and began to level off as they reached the entrance to the High Threeways Pass. Tall cliffs towered on either side of them as they left the daylight behind and entered the shadow of the gorge. The road remained wide and paved, bridging a small stream in several places with graceful arches as it meandered through the valley. The wagon-master’s daughter pulled her cloaks around her more tightly as the temperature dropped.

  The gorge continued for several miles as it descended at a gradual incline through the mountains. After an hour of travelling, the caravan emerged into a wider valley, shielded on three sides by towering peaks. The wind dropped off and it grew a little warmer. The shadows cast by the mountains were long, but the mid-morning sunlight was picking out the higher ground in vibrant shades of green. Lennox scanned the valley. A river ran through its centre, where a town had been built, spreading out in lines of stone buildings.

  ‘There it is,’ said the wagon-master’s daughter. ‘Threeways.’

  ‘It has no wall,’ said Lennox.

  ‘And hopefully it’ll never need one.’

  ‘It’s big,’ said Carrie. ‘Almost as big as Stretton Sands.’

  ‘Twenty-five thousand or so live here.’ She pointed. ‘See the large square in the middle? The tower to the left of it is the top of the Clan Council building, and all of the government offices and embassies are clustered there. There’s an enormous hostelry close by, next to the merchants’ warehouses; that’s where we’re going. All foreign traders have to report to the town authorities upon arrival.’

  ‘And what about us?’ said Lennox.

  ‘Don’t worry. It’s our cargo they’re interested in, not our employees. Once we’ve cleared the checks, we’ll book into the hostelry, and my father and I will pay you. I recommend you stay in the same place as us, at least until you get your bearings.’

  They entered a patch of trees, their branches clinging onto the last of the year’s leaves. The air smelled fresh and cold, and the only sounds were coming from the clip of the horses’ hoofs on the road, and the trundle of the wagon wheels.

  Lennox glanced at Carrie. ‘We made it.’

  They travelled down the road for another hour, passing fields, windmills, vegetable gardens and farmsteads along the way. They met a few other vehicles; high-backed wagons pulled by oxen and handcarts of all sizes. A few folk waved up at them as they went by, and the wagon-master’s daughter nodded her greetings to them. They came to the first outskirts of the town, and Lennox gazed at the well-kept houses and painted fences. Each roof was tiled in dark grey slate, and many chimneys had smoke rising from them.

  ‘This is not a poor place,’ he said.

  ‘Poor?’ the wagon master’s daughter laughed. ‘This might be one of the richest towns for hundreds of miles around. Remember all those mines we saw in Northern Kell? The deal the Clan Council negotiated with the mining companies for the rights to the coal and minerals there was substantial. The gold that comes in is responsible for building this entire town, and the road that we travelled on; and the farms; even the hospital. For a few years the problem was too much gold, not too little.’ She turned to Lennox. ‘Could you take the reins for a moment, I need to speak to my father.’

  ‘Aye, sure,’ he said as she handed them to him.

  She jumped down onto the pavement and jogged up to the lead wagon. Lennox held the reins loosely in his hands, the four horses keeping their steady pace.

  They passed a newly-constructed stone school on their left. The children were outside on a break, and were running around the playgro
und shouting and playing games. Lennox smiled at the sight of so many young Kellach Brigdomin, then noticed that most of the children were part of a pair; two boys, two girls, or one of each, who seemed to be almost stuck to each other.

  ‘Twins,’ whispered Carrie next to him.

  Lennox’s mouth opened and his heart froze. He knew the Kellach gave birth to twins; everyone knew it, but Army of Pyre policy was usually to split every set of twins up, so they could replace sibling loyalty with devotion to army, regiment and squad. Lennox had no memory of even having a twin, and had no idea what had happened to them. A loss he had never before noticed pierced his heart as he gazed at the motley horde of children shrieking in the mid-morning sunlight.

  There had been a few exceptions to the army’s general rule; Carrie had served alongside her brother Kallek for years before he had left the squad, but even then, they had been discouraged from showing any family ties.

  ‘Before you ask,’ Carrie said, her eyes on the schoolyard, ‘no, I don’t miss him. Well, I do, but that’s life. Logie twisted his mind, he was actually alright before that. They made us fight each other in training, did you know?’

  ‘Aye, I remember watching a lot of twins fight. It wasn’t just Logie; the whole army pushed you apart.’

  She sighed. ‘Thank pyre we’re out of it now.’

  ‘Do you remember our cover story?’

  ‘Of course, but I think you were right earlier – we should keep out mouths shut as much as possible. I like the look of this place, but maybe we should head over to Domm; anywhere where folk aren’t so curious to learn about us.’

  He gazed at the approaching town. The streets were clean and wide, with high three and four-storey stone villas and apartment blocks rising into the cloudy sky. Trees lined many avenues, and a small market on their right was open, selling rugs, blankets, and lamp oil. Frieda appeared again, climbing down from the lead wagon. She ran back and joined Carrie and Lennox on the driver’s bench.

  ‘We going straight to the Customs House, then on to Branegan’s,’ she said. ‘That’s the hostelry I mentioned before.’