by AS Hamilton
That Ko-rayen had been given leave by Malithorn to go to Sal-Cirus would mean nothing to Liacoren. She would still make a huge fuss if she discovered that Ko-rayen was there without the decision going through her.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Ko-rayen dispelled the illusion. It was the harder version of illusion as it did not manipulate the mind of the person or persons perceiving it but was created independently. First, he would see to Liacoren's report. It suited him to keep her appeased as it served the purpose of not disrupting Colnba and Nisari. Fortunately, unlike Liacoren, he was skilled enough to get the report sorted through talent alone. Ko-rayen smiled, thinking he should be more careful not to let his ego get the better of him.
Day 3 – Just Before Sunset
North Kenar Woods
'There. Just in the trees,' Brynn pointed. 'Can you see the horses?'
Kaydyr followed his gesture and Sariah nodded. The interaction between hawk and warrior was instant. It was unfortunate that Riqu's binding meant Kaydyr could only communicate with Sariah.
They were crouched behind a small grouping of rocks, but they had to keep low because the scrub at the apex of the ridge was not thick enough to conceal them, even though it grew denser down the side of the hill. As a precaution, they had left the horses in the woods behind them.
Kaydyr launched himself from Sariah's shoulder and circled down to the camp below where he took up positions that allowed Sariah to survey every part of the site. She took note of guards, horses, and the men in charge before she had Kaydyr circle above looking for sentries.
'Sixteen men altogether as well as the slaves. Six on sentry duty,' she reported finally.
'How many slaves?'
'Ten, no, twice that, in two groups.'
'Twenty!'
Sariah was taken aback at his incredulity. 'It is not uncommon for the number of slaves to exceed that of their captors,' she said, 'They are ill-fed and ill-cared for, and turns of mistreatment have robbed them of their spirit. Without people like Riqu, they have little chance. The higher number of guards are most likely here to protect those wagonloads of merchandise, not manage the slaves.'
Brynn shook his head, not disputing the information, just saddened by it. Even at Caradon he had heard such stories, this was just the first time he had actually seen it. He could feel the despair from here, and some had given up long ago.
'Do you see Sentary?' he asked.
Kaydyr landed within sight of the slaves. One slave, a thin waif-like creature with big grey eyes, looked up and gazed at the hawk. She was human and plain in looks, so of little value to a harem. Regardless of that small relief, those eyes were full of a pain and hardship Sariah was thankful not to know. Huddled next to her were two children. A boy was asleep in her lap, but the second, a girl, also noticed Kaydyr. She, too, had the same soul-wrenching gaze as the first slave. Sariah was appalled by the condition of them. The first slave had her free arm wrapped about the girl's shoulders. They could well have been family, but for the fact that the two children were elvan. Considering the age difference between elvan and humans, the children could well have seen as many turns as their surrogate parent. Both slaves stared, enthralled by the hawk's grace and wild beauty, the only two alert enough to register his presence. Kaydyr looked over the rest of the slaves again. Many were huddled under ragged, dirty blankets or stared at the ground, not daring to look up. Without seeing their faces, she could not be certain which one was her brother.
'I cannot see him,' she finally answered, asking Kaydyr to return.
'He is there,' Brynn assured her.
'What do you think we should do? Even though I have done these raids before, we had time to plan ahead. We also had distance shooters and scouts, who would also lay false trails. I have rarely been in a position where it was myself and only one other against so many.'
'That's hard to believe,' Brynn teased.
Sariah's lips twitched into a sardonic smile before assuming a more sombre expression that said she was not in a joking mood.
Looking up at the sky, Brynn said, 'Sunset is not far off and they have already started setting up camp. They do not want to travel in poor light. I expect that means they will leave at dawn, which means they will have an early night. I think we should wait for them to go to sleep. I can induce the slavers into a deeper slumber, while you stay close by with a few sharp throwing knives and Kaydyr's sharper eyes, just in case. That done, we lead our new refugees along a route we will plan while we wait,' Brynn said using the term rebels preferred to give newly-rescued slaves. By using refugee instead of slave it helped them transition from the mindset of being a slave to being a free person. Brynn frowned slightly as his mind raced. 'We could get Kaydyr to scout the surrounding area,' he continued. 'We need to find a place about several hours walking distance away that is heavily forested.'
'You intend to walk, good. Taking the horses can be risky. In a situation like this it will take too long to screen them and then protect their minds from Abbarane mages.'
'I am well-trained, but, yes, it would take far too long,' Brynn agreed. 'Hounds are our biggest worry,' he added.
'I did not see any, but as the slaves are wearing control bracelets, the slavers probably do not see a need for them,' Sariah said, 'which leaves the question of what to do with the slavers.'
'Leave them. When they wake, we will be well away. Without a trail or mage they will not know where to look. If they waste too much time searching, they risk missing the festival in Sal-Cirus. With the stock in the wagons amounting to far more than the slaves are worth, they will head to the festival rather than delay overly long to search for the slaves. Which is another reason to leave the horses.'
'I gather you will mask your talent,' Sariah said, 'Are you certain this technique of holding them in a slumber will not alert Abbarane mages? And will they stay asleep?'
'I will spread it out, as if it's coming from many places. Mages use the energy that talent requires to track the user, you need to use a lot of energy in one place for them to track you from afar. It is when mages are close that you exhibit greater caution or put everything into your strike.'
Sariah ducked her head in agreement. 'Mm-hmm, Riqu always exhibits caution, even at a distance. But why spare them? Why waste the energy and effort to keep them asleep? Death is the best caution I know.'
Brynn considered her for a moment, detecting a note of disapproval. 'I will be just like Abbarane if I kill for the ease with which death can be brought, yet this is not my primary reason,' he explained. 'There are more risks in taking the other path. We should only kill as a last resort.'
'I disagree. Those slavers have robbed many of their lives and deserve no such consideration. They have dragged my brother all over the country to be bought, sold, starved, and beaten. They deserve justice,' the softness of Sariah's tone contradicted the harshness of her suggestion.
'We will have to remain at odds. I will not condone killing them in their sleep.'
'We can always wake them, really, I do not mind,' Sariah remarked off-handedly.
Brynn shook his head. 'You are not thinking clearly,' he remonstrated, struggling to keep the frustration from his voice. 'Think without emotion, Sariah. Inducing them into a sleep requires little talent and less risk. No one rouses, we are not forced to fight. They turn up where they are expected and no mages are sent for. A rigorous investigation will not been considered necessary as the loss of the slaves can be attributed to slaver rivalry given the placement of the suggestion into the slavers minds, and thus, no pursuit occurs.' Brynn glanced up as Kaydyr swooped low overhead, he was circling in to land. He wished more than anything, right now, to be able to hold the warrior's gaze, but his tone would have to convey the intensity of his message.
Sariah frowned and huffed. 'I cannot abide the weakness of mages who want to honour the lives of those who do not deserve it. I know what such weakness means. It meant the death of my parents and whole villages.'
Kaydyr
glided in and landed on her shoulder. As the hawk arrived, Sariah turned to face him and he marvelled at the fierceness present in her sightless eyes.
'Mages have no right fighting this war,' she said. 'They never did. Crown Hasdeen should never have disbanded the fenjo. Our warriors were the best and with their dispersion came about our fall,' she declared in a tone that said any disagreement would be pointless.
'I never said I valued their lives,' Brynn clarified, 'just that I would not debase myself by killing unnecessarily, nor jeopardise the path I have chosen. Now, are we agreed?'
'No, but I will undertake your will in this.'
Brynn grunted. It would do. 'There is another thing. What to do with our twenty new companions once we have rescued them?'
Sariah exhaled slowly and evenly, expelling her fury. 'I can send a message to Riqu,' she offered. 'We have a lot of experience with distributing rescued slaves. Riqu could send someone to collect them.'
Brynn leaned back as he considered the idea. 'How long do you think that will take?'
'It will depend,' she answered uncertainly, before adding; 'You need to get to Sal-Cirus soon, do you not?'
Brynn nodded. 'But I can afford to spend a couple of days on this while my companions ensure a clear route, and I want to ensure you get your brother free.'
Sariah's expression lost some of its tenseness, he was reminding her that because of him, she was only a few hundred meters from her brother. Regardless of the aid she had given him the day before, there would be a debt for this. Brynn would not ask one, or expect it, but the warrior she trained under had taught her to respect a debt, even when payment was not requested or wanted.
'I will send my messages now, and hope Riqu can send aid quickly, then. If, after tomorrow, you have to leave, do so. You have given much to us, that is above question and I will not be the cause of your delay.'
'I should be alright for another day or two.'
She accepted the assurance with a half nod and then both hawk and warrior returned their concentration to the camp below. Sariah's features hardened again, right now her highest priority and duty lay with her brother; her kin. First, she needed to make sure he was safely away, then... well, once Brynn had the slaves to manage, he would have little control over how she decided to deal with the slavers.
'Let Fate deal with the slavers, Sariah. If they were meant to die, we will most certainly end up killing them,' Brynn replied to her grim expression.
'You trust Fate to do such for you?' she queried with a tone of cynicism.
'This nation has put its trust in Fate and the promise of The Prophecy in its hopes for freedom,' he countered.
Sariah shrugged. That they did, they certainly did. Damn all mages!
Day 3 – Twilight
Denas
Colnba attempted to persuade his body to relax. The chaise was a luxurious hybrid of glass and feather-soft cushioning that merged into a very comfortable lounge. The designer had included only one arm and each pair of chaise were made so that if placed either side of a small table, or creek in this case, the side closest to the table was the one without an arm, so that access to the table was not impeded. Colnba had placed each chaise on either side of the creek and when the whim would take him, he would trail a hand in the cool water or play with one of the snow-white otter cubs that called the secluded sanctuary home.
The roof-top garden was a private one; a staircase from the rooms assigned to him lead up to the enclosure. Behind him rose the remaining five stories of the building, but not one had windows on this side. His view looked out over the orchards of Denas. The only reason Malithorn was not commandeering this place was that he had the twin to this one on the other side of the building — that one had views of the ocean.
Had Malithorn actually bothered to come here and see the garden, he would probably review his consent to let Colnba have 'those rooms in the corner' that Colnba had requested. Of course, he had cited the practical reason of being better able to defend the city, should they be attacked, from this position as it allowed him a view of the entrance to Denas. It kind of did; if you looked to the far south-western corner you could see part of the entrance... just.
All around him trees and flowers abounded, rolling over the small elvan-made hills, gathering in little glades, and climbing every inch of wall, all culminating in a perfect miniature forest hide-away. Several kallin-maher trees, the majestic silver-grey cousins of the kellin-meher, set the theme for the garden with the greens, blues and greys of the other trees and bushes all muted against their brilliant silvery colouring. Some were sweet-smelling, others colourful, many bore fruit.
A variety of birds lived here and their songs trilled joyously through the leafy haven. There were also filli-geren, little miniature dragons who sparked through the night. Four beseral had also made their homes here. Delicate creatures with silver fur and black, cloud-like spots, with eyes more like moons. Their six legs made it very easy for them to climb the larger trees in the grove.
Two inchanu, a daintier version of the once-worshipped may-en-ghi, but with wings, took refuge here where Colnba's wards kept them safe. Some were still seen in the wild, but Colnba was certain that without mage protection, extinction would soon be their fate.
When Colnba was not in Denas no one could get into his rooms, so the creatures had little to fear. It was fortunate that, just before the war, Colnba had a retractable clear-paned dome put in place, as it doubly protected those within from the elements of nature and the cruelness of some of the inhabitants here. It also served to hide the ethereal glow the little sanctuary gave off that was more noticeable at night. It was a miniature forest preserved against the destruction of Malithorn Abbarane. The best place to hide such things was always in plain sight... Or behind illusions and wards, which could serve for plain sight if woven well enough.
Behind him, carved dragons the height of the back wall stood sentinel on either side of a waterfall, which came from the in-built canals that wove their way through the city. It was not as elaborate as the canals at Ancoulan, but impressive enough. The pool at the fall's bottom was perfect for a swim on a summer's day. The creek that sprouted from it meandered all about the sanctuary, providing a soft, soothing sound when one was in a thoughtful, or more accurately this particular evening, pensive mood. It supplied the city with water and was thus, protected against tainting. At least Malithorn knew enough about running a city to see to that.
He was indeed feeling preoccupied, for he had felt it again... That same spirit, that same something-not-quite-right spirit he had felt two days before. He had followed through his instinct to check whether any of the patrols had been engaged in battle, but those in charge of managing the patrols reported no news. Then, not one, but three patrols failed to check in. They had met up at the junction of Inalla-nara and Sey-sjhon, two rivers that crossed in the Mehani Woods. From there, they had been heading back to their base at Ferneau. On their way something had happened.
What?
No one knew, they just disappeared, all twenty-four men had disappeared.
Then, today, just now. He felt the strange spirit again. Only a wisp, the movement through the plane had been fleeting.
Colnba picked up a low, wide-lipped goblet and drank water from it — these continual visits to the planes made him dehydrate. He drained the glass and then dipped it in the small creek for a refill. Between the low height of the chaise and the steep sides of the creek, he could easily reach the water. He transferred the intricately etched glass to his other hand and then rested it on the arm of the lounge.
He guessed the spirit he detected was somehow connected to the Saviour, although he had not been able to verify this, which, in itself, was not surprising. Always, throughout the last thirty-eight turns he had felt this ghost of a spirit that only once had revealed himself to be the child Colnba knew was the one The Prophecy promised. That encounter, which had been some twenty turns ago, had almost been the end of this whole thing. There had bee
n a confrontation between rebels and Abbarane soldiers and Colnba had been assisting the soldiers from the planes. He had come very close to killing the Saviour that day. Since then, the rebels had obviously learned from the near-death incident and ensured the Saviour protected himself more thoroughly, because Colnba had yet to gain a second chance at confronting the Saviour directly.
This other spirit, the strange one he had encountered recently, he was sure was linked to the Saviour. The only problem was that it was as elusive as the Saviour. And that was the most interesting part, because The Prophecy spoke of two — a saviour and a hidden one. If he could turn just one of them off their prophecised path, there was a chance for him and Nisari to secure a better future for themselves. What most people did not know was that The Prophecy was just one of eight connected prophecies. The House of Toorian had done well to keep that mostly secret, and only the main people involved in the prophecies knew anything about them. The Prophecy was the main one, the one that linked them all, and this was why Colnba and Nisari focused on it. Their own prophecy doomed them to an unkind and unjust fate, and Colnba was determined to change it.
Nisari had already suffered. Just before Sal-Cirus, Keldon had managed to take her prisoner. When Keldon found out that she was one of the heirs to the Crown, he had tortured her rather than kill her outright. Colnba closed his eyes and shuddered with the memory. Her pain had been horrific and as a result, they lost their child. Rather than immediately negotiating her release, House of Brynn-a-kai had consulted the Crown Council, wasting precious time. Time Nisari was at Keldon's mercy. Time for Liacoren to harvest part of Nisari's spirit. After that, Keldon had everything he needed to keep Colnba and Nisari at his mercy.