The Q'Herindam

by B Cameron Lee

  “The Servant, as you put it, who is now also Escarion, is perfectly correct in what he says and I should have thought it through. From what Shiri told us about Arwhon’s plight, we three are going to have to work closely together. We can’t protect you or Raleen at those times and there will be too much magic flying about. In fact, if our attention is distracted from our goal, it’s possible we may also be killed. I would suggest we could be better served if you remain here in Belvedere with Raleen.”

  Cristal appeared wounded but she didn’t reply immediately, only looked pleadingly across at Raleen who was just on the point of making her own objections. One look at Kuiran’s stern face and she knew it would do no good. Raleen closed her mouth and got up to sit beside Cristal, putting an arm over her shoulder, tears in her eyes.

  “They are probably right. We would only be a distraction to them and getting Arwhon back is the most important thing. I want to go just as much as you do but I understand and will keep you company until their return. Remember too, Captain Belmar may need your advice here Cristal”

  Cristal lifted her chin and nodded her assent while Kuiran turned back to Cringle.

  “Tomorrow then, after we’ve provisioned ourselves. We’ll take a pack horse as well as Duran. Extra provisions may come in handy.”

  So all was agreed. Just then a knock on the door revealed Mendle, who informed them the evening meal was served. As they left the room, a small breeze stroked Cristal’s hair and she turned to find Cringle smiling at her.

  Servant indeed.

  At daybreak Cristal’s household was already lively with the sounds of voices and moving feet as the servants rushed hither and yon getting things ready and packaging foodstuffs to put into the packsaddles. A tent was looked out, one Arwhon had taken on previous adventures and it too was made ready for packing. The courtyard out the front of the house was a hive of activity as a packhorse was brought around from the stables followed some time later by Rancid and Vixen, saddled and bridled. Last of all, Duran was brought around to the front of the mansion wearing his saddle but not bridled. He would follow where they led and needed no bridle. Krissi, apparently recovered from her long flight was watching all the activity from her perch on top of the wall beside the front gates. She had attracted an audience of people who’d gathered in the street outside from where she was visible to them. It wasn’t everyday the populace of Belvedere had a chance to see a gryffon close up.

  Late morning, after saying their goodbyes, two of the party of three mounted up and the gates were opened. Kuiran led out on foot, his mighty staff in hand and close behind rode Shiri followed by Cringle, who held the packhorse lead and finally Duran followed at the rear. All wore their Darkwood cloaks to keep the winter chills out. Krissi leapt into the air and with a loud screech took off in the direction of Belvedere’s gates. The little cavalcade followed, pushing gently through the gathered crowd who gave a little cheer as they passed. Kuiran and Shiri were well known to the residents of Belvedere and many tales were told of their daring exploits.

  By the time the sun was setting in the west, the small group was well north of Belvedere making good time on the highway to Crossroads.

  16. Shadow of Evil.

  Although Cringle was fairly easy going of late, a consequence of Vehrin’del’s magic and his schooling with Merdon, and more than used to being nearly invisible around people, he found it impossible to conceal himself from Escarion. The Air Mage was now inside his head and there was nowhere for Cringle to run or hide to escape him. Over the next few days, as the small party rode north, both Shiri and Kuiran became aware of the slightly glazed look on Cringle’s face and his normally withdrawn nature turn to one of personal isolation. They decided to leave him alone to cope with the problem. Fate only knew how hard it was for the Servant to deal with a complete stranger coexisting inside his head, especially one as prickly as Escarion.

  Strangely enough, it wasn’t half as bad as they both imagined. Cringle found Escarion to be somewhat like himself, the Mage’s prickly nature was a product of a lonely childhood, the result of his parents aspirations for him. His abilities had been discovered at an early age when the young Escarion had shown some raw aptitude for Airmagic as a toddler on the family farm. He was taken to the Council of Mages, those venerable old white beards who ruled the S’Ria and, after he was tested, they ordered him boarded at the School for Magic. He never had a chance to play with other children, as he was thrust into the charge of venerable older teachers to be instructed thoroughly and completely in the use of Airmagic. It took many years but eventually Escarion became one of the foremost practitioners of Airmagic in the Kin of S’Ria.

  This lonely childhood they shared imbued in Escarion a sense of kinship with Cringle and he gave in to the inevitable. Day after day, every waking moment, the two of them shared life stories, secret desires and hopes and every odd habit they had, as well as those things they both disliked and hated. For two people from such a disparate background, Escarion and Cringle found some amazing similarities.

  On the afternoon of the third day out from Belvedere, the Servant shook his head, sat up straight in his saddle and looked around. Kuiran, who was striding out ahead didn’t see it but Shiri, who was riding on Cringle’s left, keeping a weather eye on him, noticed immediately. He turned his now blue eyes on her and spoke in his normal tone but with a slightly accented speech.

  “We’ve worked it all out Shiri. There’s no need to worry about us anymore. Escarion and I are now so close that it doesn’t really matter what we are named.”

  “Are you sure Cringle? You really don’t need to adopt a new name for the two of you?”

  “I’m sure Shiri. Continuing to call me Cringle is good enough. The Escarion part in me understands that I look like the Cringle you all know and that name will always be everyone’s first choice when they look at me. If you particularly wish to address Escarion you may use his name but in reality it just doesn’t matter, as we are now us.”

  Shiri could see the changes in Cringle now she looked more closely but they were subtle. The only way she could measure them was to remember how Cringle once was and find the tiny changes in speech, mannerisms and carriage that signified the differences. Kuiran had heard Shiri and Cringle talking and dropped back to walk at Vixen’s right side. He was curious just how well the joining of Escarion and Cringle was working out, as he had quite liked Escarion before he was killed by the evil Q’Herindam Mage during the battle for Belvedere. Kuiran looked down into Cringle’s face, searching, and asked the question he and Shiri had been thinking of constantly.

  “So. Now you’ve decided on a name to use for you both, Cringle, is there Airmagic to go with it?”

  A smile appeared on the blue eyed, dark skinned Cheshwon face of the Servant.

  “We’ve used some Airmagic in small ways over the past couple of days but we’re not sure if the all skills and strength of it are still there. We’ll dwell on the problem tonight and try out some larger spells tomorrow. We think now that we’ve agreed on a name, it will enable us to eventually stop talking of ourselves as ‘we’. Cringle can then be ‘me’, a single individual but it will take some time, no doubt, until unity fully occurs. When it does, the magic will be stronger than I’ve ever managed before. Vehrin’del made some interesting modifications to Cringle. She is one clever M’Herindar. ”

  Shiri felt a little pang of pride at this and Kuiran saw the relief and acceptance of their combined Fate on Cringle’s face while noticing a little of Escarion creeping into it too.

  “Cringle. I’m more than happy you and Escarion have found common ground. You had me worried there for a while. Is there anything we can do for you?”

  Cringle shook his head. “No Kuiran, I know you’re worried but really, everything is fine now.”

  Kuiran’s relief was obvious as he strode off ahead again, leaving Cringle-Escarion to chat animatedly with Shiri.

  So, that afternoon, three days out of Belvedere, a dead Mage came
fully to life and the live Servant, touched by a M’Herindar Queen, made space so they could be united as Cringle. Only time and Fate knew what was in store for him.

  The next morning as they continued riding north, the Plains of Barsoom to their right, with its endless leagues of grass rippling in the southerly breeze, Cringle’s face became entranced as he studied the wind patterns in it. He rode along quietly as Shiri and Kuiran discussed some of the possible problems they may encounter when they reached the Forbidden Lands. While she was talking, Shiri happened to look over at Cringle. Her voice trailed off and she became silent. Kuiran, who was looking at her while they chatted, saw Shiri gazing off over the Barsoom Plains, wonder on her face. He swung his head to look where she was looking and missed his step. No longer were the rippling grasses of the Plains making waves of abstract patterns. The grass on the prairie, as far as they could see, now formed a picture of Arwhon’s head wearing his helm. It was created with mere grass and breezes, all working in different directions to hold the stems just so, as far as they could see. It was a phenomenal exhibition of control of Air, with so many breezes simultaneously flowing so many ways over such a large area.

  Shiri turned her gaze onto Cringle, who returned a shy smile.

  “I guess I still have it. I needed to see if I could still make magic on a large scale. I was also thinking about our situation. We should really practice working together. You know, combining our magic.”

  “You’re right Cringle, none of us have worked with other disciplines and we’re going to be up against very practiced and strong Mages. The Q’Herindam will not be merciful with us when we arrive to free Arwhon.”

  They resolved to practice each evening after they had eaten. That night, in the flicker of the firelight, they began. It was strange and difficult at first, knowing what to do to work together and how to combat spells. Eventually, by trial and error, it was decided that two of them should team up while the third attempted to overcome them with magic. Shiri and Kuiran stood on one side of the fire while Cringle stood opposite the other. Suddenly both were blown off their feet, scattered like ninepins by a fierce blast of air. They stood up looking sheepish, only to be knocked down again. Before he rose, Kuiran turned to Shiri.

  “How are we to fight this? The spell hits before we’re aware of it.”

  “I guess we have to put out guard spells which will warn us and instantly counteract whatever spell is sent against us.”

  “Of course,” Kuiran groaned. “Why didn’t I think of it?”

  He muttered something under his breath as he got to his feet and the next time Cringle tried the same spell, it was picked up in a swirl of water vapour and dissipated. He smiled and repeated the spell again, this time pointed toward Shiri and was gratified to see dirt leap up and block the blast of air before it hit her. For the next half hour or so Cringle threw an array of AirMagic at Shiri and Kuiran and the little clearing became quite windswept. The horses were disturbed at first, particularly the pack horse but Duran showed he was not concerned and after reassurance, they all settled, moving further away from the campsite so the humans could play uninterrupted. Krissi, impervious to magic, just curled up and slept off the deer she had just consumed. Initially, most of Cringle’s spells got through but as they were repeated Kuiran and Shiri learned how to defeat them or defend themselves from the effects of the Airmagic.

  Although they had agreed on a half hour or so, the practice went on for much longer as they were all so excited and absorbed. At one stage, Rancid stopped grazing at the same time as Vixen and they just stared at each other for a moment. It almost seemed as though communication took place between them. Duran took no notice of them, they were beneath his dignity.

  Back on the road the next morning, Kuiran, Shiri and Cringle started to run through mild versions of all the magic they knew. Some of the raw magic ran bone deep but some of it relied on actual spells which had to be spoken. They would probably be no good in combat but when one was opened, it could be actively held in reserve. In fact, a number of such active spells could be held in reserve. It was rather like juggling with lots of sharp knives while concentrating on three or four conversations at once.

  The country they travelled through suffered all sorts of magical disruptions but each one was carefully reversed if at all possible and apart from some wet areas and a few bushes stripped of leaves, it was difficult to see where their magic had been practiced across the countryside.

  By the time the little group reached Crossroads, their magical abilities sharpened. Each night, one of them had duelled the other two working in concert with each other and as a result their defensive capabilities had grown. Subsequently, this required the use of stronger attacking spells. None of them had used fatal magic though and all three of them hoped they wouldn’t ever have to. Reality, however, was unconcerned with an individual’s wishes.

  Shiri didn’t bother about cloaking them with a concealing spell. She had been through Crossroads so often now its population just waved a greeting and a few young lads fell in behind the horses. Folk stepped away from Kuiran due to his size and no one seemed to take much notice of Cringle, which suited him just fine. Shortly, they had secured rooms at their favourite inn, The Black Butt and the horses were led around to the stables. Their gear would be secure in there when the packhorse was unloaded. Krissi knew the drill now when it came to towns and found a place to roost where she could keep an eye on Crossroads. It wasn’t imperative she keep Shiri and the others in sight as she had a link to Duran and where they went, he went.

  After Shiri, Kuiran and Cringle settled into their rooms in The Black Butt, they decided to walk through the marketplace before each enjoyed a bath and their evening meal. Crossroads, because of its unique location, was always an interesting place to wander through the many stalls in the market. They didn’t have far to go before the hustle and bustle of the lively bazaar surrounded them with its din. There were stalls selling nearly anything you could think off. For Cringle, it was a different perspective being here with coins in his purse. This was where he grew up, hustling for every small copper and scrap of food. The noisy din of the market did not drag him in deeply as he was well-used to it, fortuitous indeed. A small tingle was the only warning Cringle received and he immediately threw up a wall of rapidly spinning air around the three of them. Large lumps of rock, heading for them at speed, were swept away by the blast of air as he looked about. Some of the surrounding crowd were injured and women screamed. It was Shiri who spotted the Mage using Earthmagic, recognising the aura of it.

  “There! The alley by the leather stall.”

  Kuiran raced over, his magical guard up and as he reached the entrance to the laneway, he was just in time to see the enemy Mage disappear around a corner in the maze of back alleys. Cringle laughed.

  “No one knows these alleys like I do. Follow him carefully Kuiran while I cut him off. Shiri, come with me.”

  Kuiran advanced slowly down the alley, wary of walking into a trap while Cringle took off running with Shiri close behind. Seemingly at random, he dodged into a space between two buildings and ran across what appeared to be a courtyard before ducking through a low gateway in the opposite wall. It led onto a narrow alley. Shiri expected him to turn right toward where they had seen the Mage disappear but he turned left instead and ran toward a gap in a wall. She followed, slipping through a small doorway close on his heels. They were in the back of a stable now. Cringle moved quickly through it, trying not to disturb the stabled horses before easing through the front door. Shiri followed, crossing the lane outside to enter yet another dingy alley directly ahead of them. Cringle slowed and walked to where this alley intersected with another and waited. They didn’t need to wait long and soon heard the sound of running feet.

  As the enemy mage appeared, Cringle bound him with ropes of air, tripping the man and firmly wrapping him up. It was eye opening for Cringle that he now had such an ability. No doubt Escarion might be astonished at the complexity o
f street skills Cringle possessed. Soon Kuiran appeared, moving rapidly for a man of his size. It never ceased to amaze Cringle just how fleet of foot he was. They all turned their attention onto the bound Mage lying at their feet. His eyes gave him away, as well as the smell of evil.

  A Q’Herindam Mage.

  “Why are you trying to kill us?” Kuiran asked. “We’ve not harmed you.”

  The Mage said nothing and Shiri saw Kuiran become annoyed. It happened rarely but when it did, he become quite heartless.

  “Stand the scum up please Cringle, he will talk to us.”

  Cringle made a small motion with his hand and the Mage rose off the ground and turned until his feet hovered a few inches from it. Kuiran made a small gesture and ice started to form in a block around the Mage’s feet, gradually progressing up his legs.

  “If you do not talk, this ice will soon encase you and you will suffocate before you freeze to death. I want to know why you were sent to kill us and if there are others like you around.”

  The Q’Herindam Mage started to shiver violently as the ice rose to his waist then with a snarl he began to speak.

  “Once the Man known as Arwhon was trapped, we thought there were none to oppose us. Once more we were sent out to renew the poisoning of the minds of Man and cause war and strife. Most of the Mages remain to keep him imprisoned but by now there are Q’Herindam Mages back in the major towns throughout the land.”

  The Q’Herindam Mage cackled with derision. “You will never win. We are stronger than you and our magic is more powerful. Now let me go or face the consequences.”

  Kuiran’s face hardened as the Q’Herindam Mage spoke and when the Mage finished speaking, Kuiran’s reply was merely.

  “No.”

  With a gesture, ice rapidly formed around the Mage until he was completely entombed in it. Kuiran turned to Shiri.

  “Would you mind disposing of the body please?”