"Go to the Inn of the Dog and Girl. Give this to the Trader. He will return with you we hope. You will ride west by south from here. Keep the sun on your right shoulder. It will take you two or three days to cover the distance. Do not ride at night, or if you do be extra vigilant. Do not light fires. Take turns sleeping, and keep watch at all times even when riding. You will almost certainly be followed."
The younger man replied. "We will not sleep. We will return within seven days for we know how to navigate by the stars and maintain our course. No more must be taken as my wife, my Laurina was taken."
"Go then, and guard that letter with your life. Without that, you will never convince the Trader to return with you."
The older man, Salasha by name, raised an eyebrow. Mei'An saw and said to him. "The Trader has the Seal. Only he may hold it - touch it. Go now. Safe journey. We will protect the village while you journey."
By now a string of fifteen horses had been gathered in the street. Two were saddled with light racing saddles. Little more than strips of leather across the horses backs, with stirrups attached. The men would not need comfort, nor working saddles. Meagre supplies were strapped to the back of some of the spare horses. Not much on each. The horses had to be kept as fresh as possible. Without preamble the two swung into the saddles and were at full gallop before they reached the edge of the village common. The roar of encouragement from their fellow villagers rattling the window panes. The men disappeared into the rolling plains in a cloud of dust. Those left behind now wondering what to do.
"Luan, you must ride ahead to the Hills of Annal, in Tharkan if needs be.... No, wait ..." Mei'An's voice trailed off. Suddenly she looked directly at Edina.
"There are those with the Maidens who can read the wind." There was some surprise in Mei'An's voice.
Edina's face was all innocence. "I do not know of such things my lady." She said quietly.
"No matter." Replied Mei'An. "It saves Luan a hard journey. There will be a Sept of Maidens here before the two men return from the village with the Trader. Two days at most. No Edina - the Broken Mountain sept."
Edina closed her mouth. She had hoped for her own sept, the Stone Lions.
"Why maidens, not the men?" Asked Rees thoughtfully.
Mei'An looked at Rees, then Edina. "Although Dahar are made to kill, their only purpose the destruction of the royal line, when they eat, they prefer only the female of the species. The warrior maidens will draw them."
Some of the men standing by looked a little pale at this news. Soon the street was empty of men. All over the village, the sounds of boards being nailed over windows and doors could be heard. Children were ushered inside, barns and outbuildings emptied of live stock and people. Homes sealed. Soon, a trickle of men began to gather outside the inn in the middle of town.
Meanwhile, Edina, Rees, Mei'An and Luan had also made their way to the inn. It was cool and quiet inside, and the woman in charge was all smiles, although it was a smile of habit because her eyes reflected her sorrow and concern at the recent events. Her white apron was spotless, stretched across her ample bosom and wrapped around her considerable girth. Inn keepers tended to portliness as even Rees and Edina knew, but this woman was in a class of her own. Her chest expanded forward like the bluff prow of a merchant ship, the white apron like foam over the bow wave of her ample waist. She was majestic thought Rees. It was the only way Rees could describe her. Her smiling round face was open and friendly, and she was taller than the usual plains people and this height gave her the correct proportions. Luan eyed her appreciatively. The wooden spoon in her hand was obviously to keep the serving girls in line. The smells coming from the kitchen area were making everyone realize how hungry they were. The only others in the common room were three merchants sitting in a booth, deep in conversation. Mei'An knew they were discussing the falling price of wool, and the rising cost of transport. The men gathered in the street outside began to crowd into the inn. They were at a loss now. There was really nothing to do but wait. These were the men with no families to guard. All carried axes, some even had swords that looked like they had been hastily retrieved from barns and stables where they had lain, long abandoned. They sat and nursed unaccustomed ales. Rarely would such men be in the inn during daylight hours. They were farmers.
Edina couldn't hold herself in any longer. Her voice on the edge of outrage, her eyes blazing, she confronted Mei'An. "You would use my sisters to draw the Dahar to us. I see your plan Wind Reader. you must stop this. I will not allow you to use us so." Edina was now on her feet, fists clenched by her side. Suddenly the innkeeper was there beside her. One large arm around the girls shoulder.
"Be peaceful girl," said the innkeeper in a quiet soothing voice. "I'm sure your friend knows what she is doing. Why, I will lead your sisters myself. Let those filthy Dahar try and take me and they will wish the Dark One had never agreed to their creation." She drew herself up straight as a rod, taking a deep breath as she did so. Even Edina had to admit she was impressed. The innkeeper was ... magnificent. Not a man in the room was looking elsewhere. Even the merchants had stopped their murmur. Edina had to smile, all the outrage died.
"We are warriors Mei'An. The Dahar will not take a single one of us." Edina smiled at the innkeeper. She still saved a fleeting frown for Mei'An.
"What is your name, if I may ask?" Edina asked the innkeeper.
"My name is Vlakere No Allenrood young mistress, and what is yours?" Replied the innkeeper.
"Edina, of the Stone Lion sept. Mare Altan." She replied.
"Ahh," breathed the lady innkeeper. "The Mare Altan. Yes, I have heard of you. Truly you are welcome under my roof. I too am from the warriors. Our people came from an ice bound land far away. I myself ended up here running this inn. There are others who live in this village as well. One day I will tell you how we came to be here. Maybe."
With a smile lighting up her whole face she added. "Woe unto anyone who thinks I am no longer a warrior. I run a good inn here, and take no nonsense."
While she had been speaking she had taken a long handled axe down from above the fireplace. Rees looked on in interest. He had never seen an axe like this one.
The shaft was very long, almost from floor to armpit. The head was a huge half moon blade with a wicked spike on the rear edge. The whole thing looked to be very heavy, but one swing with that would cut a man in half in a blink. The innkeeper was twirling it about with ease. It seemed as though it was a feather in her hands. The men watched in appreciation. Luan with obvious interest. Edina with a look of wonder on her face. "Mistress Valkeri," She said. "Should those Dahar come upon us again, I would count it an honour if you would join me in defeating them, for surely we shall." Edina's face was alight, and the innkeeper was beaming. With an effortless flick of her wrist she sent the shining silver axe spinning toward the front door. The 'thunk', as it buried itself into the solid door frame shook the building. A rough looking wagon master just stepping through the door let out a loud yell as he stared at the wicked looking axe buried in the door frame only inches from his head. He swallowed, and stepped into the common room. His companions were laughing at his discomfit, as he was gratefully accepting a huge tankard of ale from the hands of the innkeeper herself.
Mei'An suddenly sat up straighter in her seat.
"Luan - have a care." She whispered. Luan heard. He was meant to hear. His sword appeared in his hand in an instant. His gaze sweeping the room. He glanced at Mei'An.
"I have the measure of Cinnabar now. He is close by."
Luan's lips compressed into a thin line. His eyes glittered in the lamp light as he searched the room. Although the day was bright and cool outside, the common room, as in all inns, was almost in darkness. Small windows, thick walls and deeply recessed doors meant the room stayed warm in winter and cool in summer.
There was no sign of Cinnabar after a few minutes, and Luan relaxed slightly. Only Rees had noticed his sudden tension, and the drawn sword. Edina was deep in conversation
with Valkeri the innkeeper.
Mei'An had not relaxed though. She could still sense the Morgoth warriors gateway. Perhaps it had not yet formed, but it was somewhere very close.
Mei'An was looking about the room, concentrating, looking for subtle changes.
'There it is.' She thought. The dust motes that swirl in the weak sunlight coming through a high window were streaming around a seemingly solid mass of air by the far wall. Without hesitation she raised her right hand, palm out, and a bar of pure white light flared out toward the area where the dust motes swirled.
The surprise of the flare of light, and the animal roar that filled the room had everyone on their feet. The roar was filled with pain as well as surprise, but it was cut off as though sliced by a knife. Mei'An smiled faintly. The solidified block of air was gone, and the sense of Cinnabar's presence was gone also.
'So, He had been eavesdropping through a half opened gateway.' Muttered Mei'An. The others looked at her. "Cinnabar won't bother us again for a time I think. I suspect he will be nursing burnt fingers and ringing ears." Mei'An chuckled.
The innkeeper stood quietly for a moment, watching Mei'An, deeply thoughtful. Without a word she turned and left the room. Edina shrugged and came to sit with Rees and Mei'An. Luan prowled around the common room like a caged cat.
Mei'An pondered the information about the Dahar. This was a serious development. They must continue their journey, yet they could not. If the Dahar were moving along the trail with them, then they could go no further. Cinnabar was bad enough, but the Dahar had to be dealt with immediately. The worry was that the Dahar were on their trail at all, but had just happened upon this unfortunate place by chance, as they themselves had.
If they were here by design, then it was Rees who had drawn them. They would come to him like lodestone, unless they already had the sense of Antonin. The coming night would tell them. Dahar did not go abroad in daylight. If they returned this coming night, then Mei'An could be assured that Antonin was not yet their target.
Edina was watching Mei'An from the corner of her eye. Did Mei'An realize how close to true Wind Readers some of the Maidens really were? Edina personally doubted it, but she would have to show great care in future. She had nearly been caught with her guard down completely. She would certainly be cast out of the society of maidens if she let this secret be discovered.
Rees wanted to be up and moving. All this sitting about was frustrating. That the sudden inactivity was weighing on the others in the common room was evident as well. Men were muttering and looking sideways at others. Rees was no leader of men, and knew it well, but something had to be done.
Rees stood, and banged the table with a large pewter jug that was in the middle. Everyone looked around in surprise.
"Do we sit and wait like lambs, or do we prepare to take this foe on, on our own terms?" He called to those gathered. Instantly the other men were on their feet. A general cheer went up. Rees started for the door, and a scraping of chairs and the banging down of mugs told him the others were following.
The huge axe of the innkeeper was still buried in the door frame at head height. Rees passed it by and went out into the bright sun light of the street. Soon the crowd from the common room were gathered around him. He stepped back up onto the front steps of the inn. He noticed Mei'An watching from the dark recesses of the doorway.
"We know," began Rees. "That these monstrous beings will only travel at night. Although they fly, we also know that they need to walk to gather up their prey. We can use this."
Rees paused. He was making this up as he went along, but it seemed as though the thoughts of another were inside his head. It felt very strange. Still, he could not stop now.
"We will use this to trap them. I have heard ..." He paused in mid sentence. "That ground traps can slow them enough to distract them." Rees rubbed his forehead. 'Where had I heard that?' He thought. 'I have never even heard of Dahar until today?'
He shook his head.
"I also know that we can catch them in nets that entangle their wings." Again he rubbed his forehead. Where were these thoughts coming from. Mei'An's face was unreadable when he glanced at her.
By now men were discussing ways of laying traps, and how to place nets.
'The Dahar are in for a surprise when they returned here.' Thought Rees. 'If they returned.'
Mei'An returned to the cool of the common room and took her seat. Edina had disappeared. So had the axe from the door frame. In reply to Mei'An's questioning look, Luan lifted his chin in the direction of the private rooms to the rear of the inn. Edina was talking with the innkeeper, that strange woman claiming to be a warrior. From a land Luan knew to be on the far side of the world. Almost a year away over an endless ocean, far to the north in the frozen wastes.
●Chapter 22
Away back in the village of Xu Gui, Desare was at her window again. The sun was disappearing below the horizon as another uneventful day drew to a close. It seemed as though all the strange adventures of a few weeks back had never happened. Apart from a constant stream of Traders coming and going from the inn, it was beginning to seem as though life had returned to normal in the village. People were back on their farms. There were no Mare Altan to be seen, other than the handful thought necessary to protect the village.
Desare sighed, her chin resting on her hands. Fingers knitted together, elbows resting on the sill. Somewhere out there people were having adventures.
"Antonin." She whispered his name. She didn't hear it, but in that strange half world of the Blue Tower, the great bell rumbled as though struck with a rubber hammer. Mei'An heard it, as did all Wind Readers, but it was not the clear chime of a summoning, so Mei'An made no move to enter the tower. She didn't know what it could mean.
The Keeper of the Blue Tower was sitting by her water garden. She looked up at the towers around her and clicked her tongue. That young girl was becoming a problem.
Desare was not focused on anything in sight, her gaze taking her mind on flights of fancy as she daydreamed.
The Great Seal rested in a velvet lined box on the small table by her bedside. She could not see it of course, being behind her and in a box. Had she been able to see it though, its pulsating blue light would have alarmed her. Slowly the scene before her eyes began to intrude on her daydreams. There were two riders heading directly toward the village. They rode low on the horses backs, and even as she focused on them, she saw they were riding like men possessed. There were maybe a dozen horses strung out behind them linked on a lead rope and the cloud of dust billowed up into the darkening twilight sky. They were coming out of the north east. Desare knew that there was nothing in that direction, not even farms until nearly the border. That was at least a week's hard ride away she thought. The riders were hard to see in the long shadows of the dusk landscape. She should raise the alarm. Obviously no one else could see them yet. They didn't appear to be armed, and two men would be little danger anyway. Desare breathed a sigh of relief as she saw some of the maidens running out to meet the riders head on. Of course they would have kept watch. What had she been worried about. The riders didn't stop. They would have to swing to her right and around onto the bridge to cross the river. As if reading her mind, they suddenly swing in that direction and in moments pounded across the bridge on the approaches to the village common. Desare was still only a your girl though, and the coming and goings of the adults didn't really make an impression on her. She followed the progress of the riders into the village, the Mare Altan running with them now, until they disappeared out of sight behind some buildings. She knew they would either stop at the common, or ride on to the inn. Either way, it was not her concern. Soon her mother would be calling her down stairs to the dining room. She drew a breath and sighed. Her thoughts turned again to Antonin and a dreamy look entered her eyes. He was so handsome, so tall. And so far away. Desare knew there was trouble brewing again and she knew Antonin was at the centre of it. Like the eye of a storm, events were swirling about him
.
"Oh Antonin." Said Desare aloud.
The Great Seal actually hummed, causing Desare to look over her shoulder in alarm.
The bell in the Blue Tower tolled loudly, rippling the surface of the garden pond where the Keeper sat. Mei'An, and indeed all of the Wind Readers pressed fingers to temples to ease the pain of the bell that seemed to be peeling inside their heads.
This time, Antonin heard the bell, but underneath the rolling wave of sound came a whisper that carried his name. He could hear Desare's voice in it.
'That girl is certainly drawing attention to herself.' He thought.
Desare of course knew nothing of the disturbance she caused. She had thought she had heard a humming sound a moment ago, but there was nothing to be seen, and the sound had stopped. Desare went to her small dressing table and sat on the ornately carved little stool. Taking up her brush, she began to brush her hair. Blue ribbons would be nice she thought, a pretty contrast to her yellow gold hair.
The velvet lined box containing the Great Seal lay closed beside the various trinkets on the dressing table. Desare lifted the lid idly, humming a tune to herself. The great Seal flared into brilliance, a great blue light filled the room, seeming to engulf Desare. She could not cry out, she could not move. She felt as though she was encased in solid ice. Desare fainted, but still she didn't move a muscle. Not one hair on her head stirred. The light grew in intensity, the blue becoming iridescent like the blue of lightning. Smoke was rising in a wisp up from around the seal itself.
The two riders had come clattering into the inn, calling for the Trader with the Great Seal. Calling for help. Desare's father was attending to these wild eyed strangers. They claimed to have ridden from the border lands in only two days and two nights. It didn't seem possible, but it certainly looked as though they might have. The Mare Altan who had escorted them in crowded into the common room. Suddenly everyone went deathly quiet. A strange blue haze was filling the room. It seemed to be appearing out of the thin air like mist above a marsh.
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