by AS Hamilton
The warrior was sincerely surprised, she was sure the guard would not let them through.
Brynn tugged Treya's reins and lead them through the gate.
Once they were out of sight of the gate Brynn signalled Sershja to stop.
'Are you both happy for me to use my talent to lend speed to Treya's gallop?' he asked the warrior and her horse. 'I think we need to get away from here as fast as possible.'
Treya sent and affirmative a moment after Sariah nodded.
Brynn patted Sershja's neck. 'Come on, then. Let us get going. You lead,' he said to Sariah.
The warrior smiled. 'Considering I am the one who knows the way, I think that would be best.'
Day 7 – Dawn
Sal-Cirus
The sound of someone unlocking the door froze Toormeena for only an instant. Then a shot of adrenaline prompted her to switch off the co-toor, roll over to the side of the bed and slide it into the secret place Ko-rayen had fashioned for her. With the draw closed, the woodgrain so closely matched that, without talent, it could not be detected.
Sitting upright in a chair caused her severe pain, but she never faced her jailers from the bed or reclining vulnerably on the divan. Slipping off the bed, she winced as a jolt of pain sprinted up her leg to her shoulder. The scars also marked this route, starting at the back of her ankle and ending at her hand. She managed to brace herself in the stiff armchair on one side of the fireplace just as the door opened. She could not see the little foyer from the chair, but as she looked over at the clock she realised it was early morning. Her tension lessened, it would be her meal. She had completely lost track of the time.
True enough, it was Yverell, an elvan slave from the kitchens.
'Veyla, vega Toormeena,' she murmured, using an elvan term of greeting and addressing Toormeena with an elvan term of respect. Upon seeing Toormeena in the chair, she made a tisking sound. Hurriedly putting down the tray, she crossed to Toormeena and helped her out of the chair. 'Oh, do not torture yourself, so. No one's scheduled to see you. I slipped the guards some of that hazelnut chocolate they love so much. Technically, most of the ingredients are contraband, but they don't bother with asking how I manage it. They said if anyone wanted to know, the Thane himself has had direction from Abbarane that you are off limits without his permission.'
Helping Toormeena to the divan in front of the balcony, she settled the seer against the end support and re-arranged cushions to make Toormeena comfortable, while keeping her in an upright position that did not put the seer's weight on her 'bad side'. Another cushion was propped under the knee of the outstretched 'bad leg' to keep it bent.
'You are so kind, Yverell…'
Yverell shushed her thank yous and brought the tray over. The side table was moved and the tray positioned within easy reach.
'Never you mind all the thank yous. I know you mean them, and I aim not to offend, but after all these turns, I understand I am not taken for granted.'
Yverell paused, pushing back the strands of forest green, teal and gold hair that had escaped her cap. The close-fitting cap was knotted at the back so the ends hung in two long tails. It was standard garb in a place where both elvan and humans worked, it helped differentiate the slaves. The colour of the fabric determined their area. Yverell wore the dark blue of Thane Curtin's staff. Two white lines crossed the fabric at her forehead, designating her as elvan kitchen staff. Yellow lines would have indicated human. Her ankle-length dress also had two white lines a few inches above the hem and on the sleeves, which ended just above her elbows.
'I sorely wish they would let me assist you more. Mayhap if I told them you were feeling particularly poorly…'
Toormeena shook her head. 'No, Yverell, I cannot be responsible for the whipping you would get if Abbarane should find out. He is ever suspicious of those who spend any lengthy time in my company. I will be fine. You have positioned me comfortably, I assure you.'
After several more of these assurances, Yverell returned to the kitchen, but not before she opened the balcony curtains and straightened up the bed. Toormeena gazed out at the view, it was not much, really, but she tended to settle in a position where she could see mostly sky. Her food remained untouched, her appetite quelled by pain and worry.
Ko-rayen had yet to return. She wondered whether she should consider his absence a blessing. If he had returned in time to discover young Brynn in her room, what would he have done? His loyalties were stretched enough between her and Nisari and Colnba. Yet, Brynn had slid through the wards with ease, somehow not alerting Linura or Akileena. Toormeena suspected that Nisari and Colnba knew of Brynn's presence, but allowed the meeting in the hope it would lead them to The Prophecy. It could be they had warned off Ko-rayen to ensure they achieved their goal.
And where was Ko-rayen?
The vision she had experienced had not been the first one involving Ko-rayen's death, and usually she could count on him to heed her warnings. This vision had been different. In it Ko-rayen had given her assurances, but then had become consumed by ko-hagen, which then drove him to continue regardless. Ko-hagen, also known as the blood fire or war fire, was an aspect of Ko-rayen's bloodline that was as much a Ko-renti trademark as the ebony and red-gold hair. Keldon's soldiers called them berserkers, but it was more than the rage attributed to the phenomenon. It was a talent-infused state that made them deadly fighters. They were not mindless, but single-minded. Whatever the goal, whatever the obstacle… Before the war, it made Ko-rayen a determined and driven student. During the war, it made him an unstoppable force. The vision had ended with Ko-rayen incurring fatal injuries from a confrontation with Linuk; a Dai-tur mage. House of Dai-tur used a meernur, a blue-feathered eagle, in their house crest, prompting her to give Ko-rayen the message to give way to the bird of prey. Had he given way? Was his absence due to some innocent and harmless task or because he was no longer in this realm?
Toormeena closed her eyes. She did not think she could bear this incarceration without Ko-rayen — did not, even want to…
'You should eat. Your body needs the nutrients, especially considering the strain pain takes upon it.'
Toormeena was not sure if she had drifted off or whether he had used talent, but Ko-rayen 'appeared' beside the divan.
She looked up to meet his gaze, but he was moving. He sat on the edge of the divan and placed a spare cushion upon his knee before taking up a napkin and laying it over the cushion. He looked up, then, and she saw his eyes. They looked normal, with no trace of the ko-hagen, which caused the red in his irises to dominate, reducing the flecks of gold to mere slivers. That did not mean he had not been in a fight, the ko-hagen could have simply worn off. The seer frowned slightly, there was something in his expression that lead her to believe he had, indeed, confronted Linuk.
Toormeena shoved him away, or tried to, but he was as solid as stone. 'Do not! Do not just 'appear' here so calm,' she said. 'You fought with Linuk, did you not?'
Before Ko-rayen could give more than a brief affirmative, Toormeena continued, 'Do you have no notion of how close you came to death? Was my warning in vain? I cannot do this! Not any longer. The hours whiled away wondering if you are alive or dead.'
Putting the cushion aside, Ko-rayen slid closer and eventually pulled the seer to him. The anxiety in her voice made it clear she needed assurances and explanations before she would eat.
'I did find myself in a confrontation with Linuk, she came to take Leyhera, who was being transferred to my guardianship by Nisari.'
Toormeena pulled away slightly so she could look at his face. 'And?'
'And, I admit, it took me an absurdly long time to realise that Linuk was the bird of prey. She even has a meernur on her staff. But it was not until she almost speared me with it that I made the connection.' He took her hands in his. 'I did not ignore your warning, Toormeena. I did not stand in the way of Linuk's goal. I let her have Leyhera.'
Toormeena started to reply, but his expression stopped her and she gestured for
him to continue.
'I was bid to pursue Linuk, though. If looked at objectively, Nisari and Colnba were only trying to salvage the situation as best they could.' Looking away for a moment, Ko-rayen added, 'We have both had to walk on either side of our loyalties since all this started. You must know, my soul is yours—'
Ko-rayen turned back to her, but Toormeena could not let him say it, did not want to have the memory of his voice saying it. 'But your loyalty in this war is with Colnba and Nisari,' she finished.
Ko-rayen looked away again. She could see the tension in his jaw and neck. It would always be between them, this division of loyalty. Toormeena reminded herself that whatever their differences, they were fortunate to have each other and this time together. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his, causing him to look back and give her small smile. She cherished that smile, those eyes, the deep, honey-smooth voice, the small things he did for her to make her life easier, more comfortable. He curled his fingers around hers. He knew it was not forgiveness, but her acceptance was more valuable to him.
A brief silence followed before Toormeena asked, 'Is Linuk still free?'
Her question brought a smile to his lips. 'You know better than to ask.' He lifted the cushion and placed it on his knee again. 'Will you consent to eat?'
'I have to tell you something first.'
Her response drew a curious look from him.
'The Chosen was here.'
Ko-rayen chuckled. 'No need to look so anxious, ena kana,' he assured her, using an elvan term of affection. 'Nisari and Colnba warned me and confirmed it when he stepped through the wards. As long as no attempt was made to remove you, they were content to observe.'
'I thought as much.'
Taking her chin, Ko-rayen kissed her forehead, before lifting a plate of fruit and cheese. 'Now, please?'
Toormeena took a slice of apple and started to eat.
Ko-rayen looked out the balcony windows. In a far-off voice, he asked, 'What was he like?'
The seer finished chewing as she considered her answer. 'He is a child, Ko-rayen, just a child… and yet.'
Turning back to Toormeena, Ko-rayen examined her expression. It was one of wonder. He waited to see if she would say more, but it was evident, as she continued eating, that she had nothing more to add. It was apparent to him that the Saviour had her unconditional loyalty… and devotion, too. A brief flash of resentment sparked through him, but he dismissed it. Considering their relationship, it was natural he would feel jealousy at her connection with the Saviour. Yet, as Toormeena described him, he was 'just a child'. All it highlighted for him was the frustrating position in which their opposite loyalties continually placed them. Not the least of which was her captivity, and he, one of her jailers.
Day 7 – Dawn
North Kenar Woods
(near Orchard Pass)
'By the realms, your Grace! Look at them!'
'Ria, you should know better than to use that title. Amongst just us it may be safe enough, amongst others, though...' Riqu remonstrated softly.
'It may not even be safe when it appears we are alone, either,' Janeth added.
Ria gave Riqu a look of apology. She had been a palace administrator for over two centuries before they were defeated by Keldon, what could they expect of old habits and old titles?
'I agree with you about their state. These are among the worst-treated slaves I have ever seen,' Riqu said with a look to Janeth that said further admonishments were not necessary.
They were hidden in the heavier scrub bordering the clearing where Sariah and her companion had set up camp for their new refugees. The colossal papinuq trees, with their trunks wider than a horse was long, kept the clearing mostly in shadow while leaving large spaces between the trees. Someone had moved a large fallen branch that could easily be mistaken for a smaller tree into the centre of the clearing and a number of refugees sat on it while others sat on the ground in front. They spoke in quiet, hushed tones. The were obviously fearful of attracting attention, but were seemingly unaware that they were being watched.
'Do you think it is safe?' Ria asked, ever mindful that groups of rescued slaves were sometimes recaptured before they could get to them. Abbarane's men then had them act as if they were still free and then ambushed the rebels when they arrived.
'Do you?' rumbled a low, male voice.
Riqu's heart had jumped at the appearance of the shadow, an arrow notched and ready to fire right beneath his ear, but relief filled him at the sound of the voice, for the archer was elvan.
'Until you brought the bow into this, it was,' Janeth barked. She rose and thrust the bow away from Riqu. 'How dare you raise arms to your own kind?' she demanded.
'Janeth...' Riqu gave her his best now-we-know-patience-is-not-your-best-virtue look.
Janeth scowled stubbornly, but remained quiet.
Riqu sent a brief glance skywards as if searching for his own patience, before speaking. 'You must excuse Janeth,' he said to the archer. The young male looked to be just skin over bones. That he had the strength to stand was extraordinary. That he could draw an arrow across a bow string was astonishing. 'We— Sentary?'
The elvan eyed him warily, but confirmed with a hesitant nod. 'Aye.'
'Sariah said she found you. The images of her memories are, of course, much younger than the elvan you are now. But even with your lighter hair, no one could mistake the traces of Ko-renti colouring.'
Sentary smiled shyly. 'Aye, I do recall, so many eras ago, or so it seemed, I was much admired for it; a farming boy, with Ko-renti blood.'
Riqu beamed. 'I am Riqu. I have cared for Sariah since just days after your disappearance.'
'I know, she told me. I am ever grateful that she shared not my fate, for I fear hers would have been twice the nightmare mine has been.'
'Know that as I care for her as my own, I have grown to think the same of you. I have shared many of Sariah's memories and, through them, have come to know you,' Riqu said, offering the younger elvan a hug.
Sentary accepted it readily, for Sariah's praise and reverence for the rebel leader had been evident in every word she spoke of him. The rebel leader released him, but left an arm about his shoulders as they moved through the bushes and into the camp. When the other refugees saw them, they all straightened up and two of them rose, alert and tense, but Sentary waved, signalling all was well.
'Without your guiding hand, I do not think she would have achieved her dream of becoming a member of the fenjo,' Sentary continued.
'Indeed, such a role seems natural for her,' Riqu agreed.
Sentary nodded and then chuckled. 'Sometimes I cannot figure how we grew to be so different. I believe most strongly that my hair is all I inherited from my mother, and even then, it has more red-gold than black.'
'That is not to say you are lessened by it, without peaceful folk, we would forever be at war,' Riqu consoled him.
They reached the centre of the camp and Riqu took in the shelters and carefully-built fire, all bearing Sariah's trademark of precise orderliness. He was sorry to have missed her. It looked like the two guides South-East Eighth had promised them had yet to arrive. Riqu hoped they would be here soon as it was never wise for a rebel to remain in one place for long. He missed having a home as much as he missed Sariah.
Day 7 – Morning
Outside Sal-Cirus
(near Anuruna Lake)
Sershja and Treya grazed contentedly as Brynn dug out the rest of their things. They barely noticed it when Brynn paused in his sorting to load gear on one of their backs. Sariah had changed, grumbling about how exposed she felt without her swords. She had returned with both hawk-hilted swords jutting from a shoulder harness. Brynn smiled into the pack he was buckling closed. She looked the happiest he had ever seen her.
'So what happened to the blacksmith, Gareth?' she asked, smoothly dropping to one knee to pack her clothes in a saddle bag. The hawk's talons dug into the leather pad on her shoulder as she moved.
; 'I caught up to him,' Brynn confirmed. Then he added with a tone of regret, 'It just happens some guards found us at the same time.'
'Why did you not just tie him up under a bench? I could have easily knocked him unconscious,' Sariah offered with a roguish smile.
'That was what I intended. Did you notice he never let me within reaching distance?'
Sariah thought on his question for a moment. 'Yes, he always had at least one workbench between him and me when I was alone with him, even if he had to go out of his way to retrieve something. He also avoided eye contact.' She shrugged. 'As it turned out, there was not a lot of difference as far as the outcome goes,' she noted, rising and handing Brynn her saddlebags.
'Ah, no, there is a lot of difference,' Brynn corrected, moving over to Treya and adding the burden to the horse's back. 'Had Gareth reached the authorities they would be looking for two elvan who held him prisoner in a building next door to the place where a notorious elvan seer is kept prisoner. As it worked out, they are looking for a common thief.'
Sariah sat down on a grassy ledge, raising a leather-padded wrist to the hawk, who amiably climbed on to it so she could stroke his head. 'What if they heal him?'
'They will,' Brynn informed her tonelessly, 'but I have since ensured that he cannot offer them much, even if they search his memory. They might go to Toormeena, but a check with the Abbarane mages monitoring her will confirm she did nothing more untoward than sleep on the rug in front of the fire and dream of old visions.'
'What about this amulet she gave you, is it not the one they suspected the Saviour would steal?'
'Technically, yes. I did not steal it, though. Toormeena acquired it and I suspect she has had it a while.'
'Would they not have noticed?'
Brynn half shrugged. 'If they were checking on it with any regularity. I would say Toormeena already set up some way of fooling them, whether on her own or through a sympathetic elvan mage working for Abbarane. Toormeena is a Toorian, her house has the highest respect of all elvan, no matter whether they are aligned with the rebels or Abbarane.'