"But you'd expect that right?" I interrupted.
"Quiet." She growled an admonishment. "There's something else. Remember Alini?"
My heart leapt again at the mention of her name "Alini! Have you seen her? Where has she gone?"
"No, I haven't seen her, Jareth," She sighed, "The strange thing is no one else has either, not in almost seven years."
"Seven years? What?"
"I never thought to check up on her, I figured her family would tell her what happened and take care of things. Today I noticed she never showed up, and asked about her. They had no idea as to what happened to her, and seemed surprised to have lost track when I called their attention to it."
"I'd sent her a letter asking if she'd come, but I never got a response, never heard a word."
Daratheena nodded, "There is something about that which connects to all of this. What however, I cannot tell, only that all of this has been brewing a lot longer than any of us suspected."
"So, you think it started around the time of my exile?"
"No, much longer than that. I suspect however that your exile was one of the important steps."
I nodded. "What about my inability to shift?"
She smiled, "Oh, that's just you being stubborn."
"Oh really?"
"Shift!" she growled and swatted me lightly with a paw.
And, I did!
I looked down at myself, four paws, fur, tail, claws ... I stretched and growled softly. "How did you do that?"
"No fair asking an old qwene her secrets," she chuckled. "You may however wish to keep it a secret as long as you're in town."
"Why?"
"Always good to have your enemies underestimate you, Jareth."
"Very true," I smiled and ducked my head in a nod, "very true ...."
We talked a little longer, socially. She had questions about the Human settlements, and the one I had settled in. Her questions showed she knew a lot more about them than I once had, or many Shreans did. She was pleased about my befriending the Dwarf for some reason, but did not say why. She also asked if I was still in love with Alini.
"Yes, yes I guess I am."
"You need to be a little surer about that than a guess, cub."
"It's been eight years, I don't know if she still loves me."
She nodded, "You know that Tam would be a good catch. She'd make a good mother for your own cubs."
I lowered my head, "Yes, I know. I thought once I got back here I'd talk to Alini, and see if she still wanted me. If not, then I'd try to move on. But," I flicked an ear in annoyance, "She's not here."
Daratheena ducked her head in assent, "No, no she's not, and no one knows the where or the why. Just be sure you still want her, cub, if you're going to make a good qwene like Tam wait outside your door."
"Yes, Dara, I will make sure."
"Good. Sleep well then, I'm going to take this tired body back to my rooms."
"Good Night."
I curled up on my bed then and fell asleep once more; my dreams fell quickly to a searching pattern, hunting through my memories, for what I could not tell.
I awoke to a light scratching at my doorframe.
"Jareth? You awake?" It was Jenna.
"Come in if you're alone," I said and yawned.
She slipped past the heavy curtains we used for doors, latches and knobs are a chore with paws. She looked at me curled up on my bed, and her eyes widened.
"You're cured!" She giggled and jumped on me.
We rolled around and wrestled a bit, batting at each other until I finally pinned her down.
"Wasn't really sick, just annoyed and wanting people to know it. But don't tell anyone, okay?"
She cocked her head, "Why?"
"I want to keep it a secret a little longer. People think I'm less than I was. I want to encourage that thought."
She nodded. "Okay. Guess what?"
"You and Clint are getting mated."
"Wrong!" she laughed, "Clint and me got mated. Last night, while you were entertaining the clan."
I nipped her ear, "What, you didn't invite me?"
She squeaked. "We didn't invite anyone! Just the two of us and Daratheena, who was nice enough to perform the rites."
"Well, I'm happy for you both," I purred.
"Just don't go getting him killed on me when you two go running off in a few days."
"He told you about that, huh?"
"He didn't have too, I know you, I can guess what's up."
I nodded then shifted back and got to my feet, "Well, let’s go face the world."
Shrean households are interesting affairs. Because we lived in a large city, an elven city, and we were a large clan, quite a few members of the clan lived together in the huge hall. If you were a clan member, you always had a right to a place to sleep here. With my father being the clan head, I had grown up living in the clan hall, so I was used to it.
Not everyone in the clan lived at the clan hall of course, there were those who had their own houses or shops or just preferred not to, for any number of reasons. I'd visited a shrean village once a good many years ago and found that there the clan hall tended more to be quarters for the single adults, and that few mated couples lived there.
So coming in to eat, there was quite a varied group at the table, in either form. Clint was there now, which was to be expected. Shrean inheritance and succession practices are different from those of the Elves and Humans; though I was the eldest son, Jenna was the oldest daughter. If Clint and Jenna decided to stay with the clan, and not start a new one, then he would be in line to be the next clan head. But succession only passed through the oldest daughter if she had a brother who had survived into adulthood. If not it passed to a ranking female cousin, the one with the most brothers who had survived to adulthood. Mortality on male cubs was much higher than female cubs, so lines that only produced females were discouraged.
As for inheriting wealth, well it usually went to the male. Also the males carried the family name, with the females taking their new mate's family name. It sounded confusing, but basically clan's tracked female lineages and family names tracked male ones. It helped a lot in keeping us from inbreeding.
"Jonus tells me you're recruiting," one of the males there said as I came in.
"Yes, tomorrow morning at the parade grounds if you're interested."
He nodded; I noticed a few others who I recognized from campaigns in the past were interested as well.
"So, what's this I hear about you getting a promotion?" Jenna asked a little too loudly as she brought me some food.
I moved in my seat a little to face her, I could see what she was doing, I couldn't announce it myself really, though I suspected everyone else probably had already heard the news.
I looked up at her and rolled my eyes, she grinned and I noticed everyone else was looking at me.
"Okay, yes I'm now the queen’s champion."
They all gave a cheer for that, then jumped me, stripped me naked and dragged me down to the river and promptly threw me in. A second splash announced Clint's arrival shortly after mine.
"Why'd they do that?" he sputtered as we walked naked up onto the bank, "I've been the commander for two years now!"
"Yes," I grumbled, "But it's for when a member of the Clan gets rank. You just became a member, so they just got a new captain and the champion."
"Hadn't thought of it that way." He sighed.
"Think this is bad, they've got the queen’s champion and the queen’s commander in the same clan now. The qwenes will be insufferable come the midwinter festival."
"Ow! I think my own mother is going to hate me now."
I didn't enjoy running back naked, it was a bit cold out yet, but I did while Clint changed and ran back in his fur. I know I got some curious looks from other Shreans and more than a few Elves.
Much later that day I was sitting in what was once my favorite pub, drinking some ale and going over my mental notes. I had gone to the collegium fi
rst and inquired about Alini. I wanted to know who her instructors had been, what she had studied, and when they'd seen her last.
That took a little while. The collegium wasn't the most organized place in the kingdom, but eventually I found that she had been released from her apprenticeship a year early at the request of her father. She had excelled in her studies, which were extensive. I'd always known she was older than me, Elves matured slowly, but I hadn't realized she'd been there for over two decades. The list of fields she had studied they said was probably not complete, but what I did get was: Seer, Mentalism, Illusions, Wards, Disruption, Channeling, Darkness, Dark Summons, Dark Lore, Enchanting, Disruption, Water and Light.
I knew what some of those meant, from working with our own Fighting Mages. I also knew that all of the ones with Dark in there were not good, and could not understand why she would study those.
"Why, you need to understand the evil spells if you want to fight them" was the answer supplied to me by the head of the collegium. Maybe he was right; it just didn't make me think of her however.
As for when they saw her last, they knew that date; it was almost a year after I left. She finished up her last class and was never seen again. They agreed that it was strange; they had expected her to stay and teach, like most students did once they achieved her level. That or work for the crown. So no, they couldn't help me at all.
Next, I had gone to the docks. I spent a good many more fruitless hours down there questioning the few ship captains about, as well as all those people at the firms that owned ships trying to find out if she had booked passage on any of them. It didn't appear so, Elves keep good records when it comes to business, and apparently she hadn't gone that way either.
The only other ways out of the city and surrounding farms were through the three passes. Each were heavily guarded, all travelers in and out had to be recognized and were supposed to be recorded. However, those records were usually kept at each of the pass forts. It would take a week to ride to all of them and check, and of course that wasn't a guarantee; she could have lied to them about who she was.
"You know, I'm still waiting to see what you're going to do about my daughter," said a voice intruding on my thoughts as I sat there.
"Have a seat, Your Majesty," I sighed and waved him into a chair. I looked up to flag the barmaid, but she was already bringing more ale.
"So, just what have you been doing all day?" he asked, sounding rather impatient.
"Chasing down loose ends."
"You should be chasing down Lelani!" He didn't raise his voice, but the emphasis was clear. "Not running around the collegium and the docks."
"I'll be gathering a group tomorrow morning. Probably leave here a week after that, but I’m still working on my plans. I asked Clint to pick anyone from the Guard he trusts."
"You haven't asked me or anyone else anything about her I've noticed. You only seem concerned with Alini."
I turned to him and shoved the pint of ale the barmaid had left at him. "You said they were on their way to Wassellia, I'm assuming by land. Everyone has gone on about Zaranfeld. So the really big arrow points at Zaranfeld and all I have to do is swoop in there with my men, kill a bunch of defenders, rescue her and Elantisfey, and come home a hero."
"Either you're being sarcastic, or mocking, and excuse me, Jareth, if I can't tell which." He took a drink of ale, a long drink, and set his cup down hard. "This is my daughter we're talking about here."
"And my friend as well, yes I know. And it's ironic. Doesn't it all seem just so, so... obvious to you? It has been what, three months now?"
"We sent out the regular guards the first time, One hundred men. Twenty came back, six of which died from their wounds shortly afterwards."
"So why not the queen's guard next?"
"By then she'd sent Clint off to get you. She'd had her Oracle; she knew they weren't going to succeed."
I nodded. "But why not send five hundred men? A thousand? You could surely overcome them."
"That is what I wanted to do! Gathering and then moving that many men that far takes time however."
"Yes, I know. I gathered from my own eyes that you've been putting some kind of a force together."
"Yes, I didn't know what you'd want, and the queen was adamant about not sending anyone else out until you had returned. So I decided to do it my way for now, so that there'd be something for you to lead when you got here."
"Well, how much of a force do you have ready to march? And when?"
"At least five thousand, maybe six. Plus I can supplement those numbers with as many of the queen's guard as you'd like."
"Okay, we'll just take that group; they'll leave with me, but under your command."
"What? I'm no military commander, and you know it."
"True, but you're no idiot either." I smiled at him and then continued, "I don't expect you to get within twenty miles of Zaranfeld's old keep before I've finished. You'll just be a diversion, to provide them with what they're probably expecting."
"And what will you be doing?"
"Leading the group I'm putting together tomorrow, while trying to figure out why this entire campaign seems so contrived. I mean someone wants us to ride in there and save her in a blaze of glory."
"Yes, me!"
"Someone other than you. If whoever took her had plans to use her or blackmail the queen, they would have done it already. If they wanted to throw the succession into question, why haven't they killed her? But no, they're just holding her apparently."
"Well, they have Elantisfey too."
"Oh, yes," I snorted, "they do, don't they?"
"You don't sound impressed."
I turned back towards the bar, "Just what was Elantisfey doing with the princess anyways?"
"He was making a pilgrimage, and offered to take her along when she expressed an interest."
I choked on my ale. "Pilgrimage?" I gasped coming up for air.
"Yes, in the last few years it seems he's turned more and more towards religion, becoming quite active in the temple. That was why he left the council, to follow his newfound calling. Rumor has it he'd been visited with dreams."
I snorted, "I find that difficult to believe."
"Be that as it may, he's gathered something of a following," he waved at my startled look. "No nothing serious, but he would on occasion give homilies and other talks that were often quite well received. Lelani told me she found him a fascinating speaker."
"And so the pilgrimage. Why the temple at Wassellia of all places though? I'm not aware of any special religious significance that it holds," I asked.
"I'm not very clear on that myself, now that you mention it. Something about the age of that temple coinciding with the local one, and how its remoteness led to its being more true to the original faith."
"Can't say as I like the sounds of that."
"Why is that?" The king asked looking surprised.
"Have you ever been to the temple of Wassellia?"
"No, no I haven't. Have you?"
"No. So the only person's word we'd have for what he found there would be his, wouldn't it?"
"Well his, my daughter’s and the guards."
"The guards, who I suspect are now all dead?"
He frowned, "You have a very suspicious nature these days, Jareth. I'm not sure I like what you're driving at."
"I've always had a suspicious nature, Milord; however living with the Humans has made me a little cynical as well. You may still be willing to give Elantisfey the benefit of a doubt. I however have no doubts. All I lack is proof."
"His conspiracy against you is no proof of his being involved in the one against the queen, Jareth." He admonished me.
"Conspiracies are like rats, Milord. They breed in darkness and never run alone. If you're in one, you're in several."
"Another lesson learned among Humans?"
I nodded and smiled at him, "They really are quite fascinating to watch, Milord. Sometimes amusing as well."
He grimaced. "I'll take your word for it."
I finished my drink and stood, stretching. "Well if you will pardon me, it is late and I must be going, Milord."
The king waved his guards over and stood as well. "I'll see you the morning after tomorrow then. I have some things I need to prepare as well."
As I walked back to the clan hall, I considered what the king had told me in light of what I had learned. Elantisfey surely sounded as if he was up to something when this all happened. However, I still didn't see how he profited from it without killing the princess, which would let him put his own daughter on the throne.
I had to admit that my desire to kill him might have me seeing shadows where there were none, but I doubted it. Unfortunately, I couldn't kill him without proof, as a noble and blood relative of the queen, he was protected by law and custom from a good many things that I could do. Unless I had proof.
Of course what I did when no one else was around to see it was always another matter. One I entertained in my mind fairly often now as well.
Elsewhere
She woke with a splitting headache, cold and naked in the protection of the pentagram. Someone had interfered with her spell! Breaking it just as she was about to discover, where, just where, he was!
She cursed and gave a small groan sitting up and working the feeling back into her arms and legs. She felt empty and drained. It had taken a lot out of her to travel so far.
Gathering up her cloak she walked to the window, it was later than she had thought, she must have lain there quite a while. Thankfully, none of her servants had ignored her orders and intruded on her. The sight of her naked and nearly defenseless on the floor would not have been a good one. Even if they could not touch her due to her wards, the rumors would have had a bad effect on the fear she used to gain their compliance.
She leaned against the window a moment and considered what had passed in the dream. It was him in the dream alright, of that there could be no doubt, no doubt at all. She shivered, not sure if it was from the cold or the intensity of the feelings she had felt. He claimed he still loved her, but how after what he had written in that note? Perhaps in his dreams he regretted his actions now, and tried sub-consciously to repeal them. It wasn't uncommon for such behaviors to surface when she had controlled another's dreams.
Lost Souls Page 12