"You would not have heard? Cerric's people have done their best to quell the stories, but Ariana lives," Calthas told him. "She and a force of warriors from Elvanar fought at Kandara. Many soldiers of Maramyr sided with her against Cerric in defense of the mountain kingdom and though they were not successful, I have heard that she continues to aid the Kandaran people and has sought refuge for them in the elven forests."
"Thank you, Calthas," Aaron said, his spirits lifting a little as they exited the cavern and walked out into the cool air of the mountain forest that Stavros had chosen for his home. "That Ariana still lives is the best news I have heard in a very long time."
Calthas stared at Aaron for a moment as they walked through the dark evergreens.
"I thought you might be glad to hear it," he said. "The moment I saw you with the princess, I knew there was something between you."
"Then you knew more than I," Aaron said. "Ariana is my sister."
"What?" Calthas seemed surprised, then he understood what the others had been talking about, when they spoke of Aaron being attacked. "Does that make you the prince of Maramyr?"
"I am no prince," Aaron replied. "If you want to know more about such things, then you can ask Zachary or Stavros. Let's leave it at that."
"Of course," Calthas said, accepting Aaron's desire not to talk about it, though he still tried to put the pieces together in his head.
"What of Borrican?" Aaron asked, changing the subject. "Does he live as well?"
"His father and uncle were killed in the battle," Calthas told him. "His brother, Elric was taken prisoner by Cerric, and there are rumors that he is being kept in the dungeon beneath the palace at Maramyr, but I have heard nothing of Borrican. Did you know that he and the nobles of Kandara are dragonkind?"
"The dragon is the symbol of their house," Aaron said.
"It is not just the symbol. They are dragons, like from the stories of old."
"If you had told me this when last we met, I would not have believed you," Aaron said. He looked ahead through the trees to the clearing where Tash and Lexi were training with Kasha and Ashan. "I think you will find the Ansari most interesting."
Aaron and Calthas emerged from the trees into the clearing and, as soon as Tash saw them, she immediately came running.
"Look, Aaron!" she exclaimed, and spun around. "I have a tail!"
"A tail?" Calthas nearly choked on the sip of sweetwater he had just taken.
"Very good, Tash," Aaron said, smiling at her.
"It's just like Kasha's," Tash said, with a grin on her face. "I can make it like Lexi's too, see." She squinted her eyes in concentration and the long, thin tail of fur changed into a thicker one, scaled and leathery like Lexis, though hers was red in color instead of blue. She laughed and ran ahead to where Lexi and the two Ansari stood waiting.
"Is that what the Ansari look like?" Calthas asked, quietly, his eyes fixed on Lexi.
"No," Aaron said. "That is Lexi. She is something else. The other two are Kasha and Ashan. They are Ansari."
"They don't have tails," Calthas observed.
"Not at the moment, they don't," Aaron said. "They are shapeshifters, so they can look like whatever they want. They also have excellent hearing, so you might want to save your questions until you get to know them a little bit."
"Perhaps I will save the rest of this for later. I think I might need it," Calthas said as he put away his flask.
*****
Willem finished brewing a large pot of tea and readied the large silver tray upon which he had laid out enough cups and biscuits for all the guests that Stavros had brought home with him. He added two more cups and a few more biscuits for the two others he had sensed, who had recently arrived, one of them being Calthas and the other seemingly familiar, though obscured, which meant it was likely another mage. He lifted the lid of the teapot and inhaled the rich aroma of the leaves along with the hint of fruit he had added, thinking it might be pleasing to Stavros' guests. It was not every day that one served tea to a goddess or a legendary mage like Zachary, and the Ansari, for that matter, who he was very curious to learn more about.
He picked up the heavy tray and made his way from the mage's small kitchen, through the sitting room and down a passage that led to the large cavern where he knew they should be, but he found himself blocked by a barrier. It was strange that he would not have sensed it, and from what he could tell the power that had created it did not belong to Stavros, though there was something about it that felt familiar. Willem reached for his power and sent a thought through the invisible wall, announcing simply that the tea was ready and the barrier dropped almost immediately, letting him continue.
A few moments later, he walked into the cavern to see Stavros, Zachary, Calthas and Ehlena, all with very serious looks on their faces, staring at a man in a robe, who appeared to be the new guest. The man turned and smiled at him and Willem stumbled and nearly dropped the tray.
"Willem," Stroma said warmly. "Good of you to join us. We were just speaking about you."
*****
"We need to find out more about what Cerric is planning," Jax said, idly spinning a dagger in his hand then he stabbed it into the thick wood of the long kitchen table in front of him. "I'd go myself if I could get through those tunnels."
"It smacks of folly," Fergus said, snatching the dagger as Jax reached for it. "Too dangerous, I say. What if Cerric's lot figures him out? We got enough troubles keepin' White Falls safe from that army without losin' our defenders."
"That army is just sitting there, doing nothing. That's all they can do, is wait, and hope we starve, which we won't, thanks to the tunnels Brian found," Jax said as he slid another dagger from his sleeve and spun it in his hand. "We could last a year or more, so long as Cerric doesn't send out any of his blasted mages."
"An' if he does?" Fergus asked.
"Then it won't make a lick of difference is Brian is here or if he's scouting around Maramyr or somewhere else." Jax turned to look at Brian, who sat quietly at the table. "What say you, Brian? It's your skin we're talking about here."
"If I go, then I will have to fight in this tournament," Brian said, tugging at the scrap of cloth that marked him as a competitor. "It also means that I will be able to move around the city and talk to other fighters from all across the land, and other kingdoms as well. They might have news about Lord Kaleb and what is happening with the war and those sorts of thing might be good to know. Some of the fighters can barely swing a sword. I can fight a few of them and make it look real then lose a fight and do some scouting."
"If yer willing," Fergus said, his expression still skeptical.
"I am," Brian replied.
"Then watch yerself, Brian," Fergus told him. "It might sound like somethin' easy, but things can happen with nary a moment's warning, an' then ye find yerself in trouble an' on your own. Things are seldom simple as they seem."
"That is something I have learned," Brian said then he rose from the table. "I will leave at once. The tournament will begin in a few days and if I can find things out now, then I can leave the city before it begins."
"An excellent plan, Brian," Jax said, flipping his knife around and stabbing it into the tabletop. "
Brian nodded then turned and walked out of the room, leaving the two men sitting silently for a moment. Fergus reached for the dagger that Jax had stuck in the tabletop but the nimble thief grabbed it first and tucked it back in his sleeve then he leapt to his feet, leaned in and kissed the big man on the cheek.
"What was that?" Fergus asked, red faced.
"A distraction," Jax said with a grin and he held up the dagger that Fergus had taken from him then slipped it up his sleeve.
"Always with the tricks," Fergus said, shaking his head.
"Always," Jax agreed and he smiled widely. He walked over to a large shelf and began rifling though the various items it contained, collecting biscuits, pieces of dried fruit and a wedge of cheese that was wrapped in a cloth, all of which d
isappeared into the sleeves of his shirt.
"Are you hungry, Jax?"
"Not at the moment."
"Then why must you pilfer my kitchen?"
"Brian has never been on his own in the big city of Maramyr," Jax said. "And you're right, my dear Fergus, chances are he will run into trouble, so I think I might take a little trip to see what there is to see."
"What of White Falls?" Fergus asked.
"The walls will hold, and I have the utmost faith in you to make sure they are well defended," Jax said and with a wave, he was gone.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The snow swirled around them as Ariana, Keira and Margo trudged through the thickening drifts that gathered on the mountain trail. They had left their horses in a valley, turning them loose to graze upon the short grasses and caching their tack behind some rocks, hoping they might still be there upon their return. The three women climbed higher into the thinning air of the northern range, each of them silently wondering at the wisdom of traveling into such a desolate and unforgiving place. At first, it had taken some coaxing to get Keira to wear the heavy boots that Arian had brought for each of them, but after the air grew cold and the snowsqualls began, she relented.
Wrapped in heavy furs and laden with their remaining supplies, the journey over the mountains had been long and arduous, and they were relieved when the ground began to run downhill and the air became thick again, making it easier to breathe. They were less than pleased when they emerged from the narrow mountain pass they had traveled to discover that the land on the other side of the range was flat, snow covered and desolate, offering no respite from the chilling cold. Still, they pressed onward at Ariana's insistence, sure was she that they would find the prince of Kandara somewhere in these forbidding lands.
"I have never felt cold such as this," Keira said, pulling the hood of her cloak tighter around her neck.
"Nor I," Margo agreed.
"It is bone chilling," Ariana said. "When I was trapped in the winter snows among the mountains to the west of Maramyr, there were times when I thought that all life had ended and yet the spring came and the leaves returned to the trees, but here there is nothing and it is as though there never was. It is truly a desolate place."
"And you are sure we will fine Borrican here, somewhere?" Keira asked.
"He is here," Ariana said, her voice turning sharp and eyes flashing angrily for a moment then, as quickly as her ire had risen, she appeared calm once again. "I can feel it. I know he is."
Ariana pointed ahead and continued forward, walking ahead of them through the snow. Keira and Margo traded a look, acknowledging what they both knew. Ariana's moods had grown increasingly erratic, especially when either of them questioned the wisdom of the journey they had undertaken. Neither of them spoke of it openly, but they were becoming increasingly concerned there might be something wrong with the princess. Keira caught up to Ariana and grabbed her arm and stopping her.
"It is time to rest, Squirrel," she said. "We have crossed the mountains and a great distance lies ahead. If we do not rest, we will fall to the mercy of the elements."
"We must keep going," Ariana said. "Time grows shorter. I must help him."
"You cannot help Borrican if you're dead and frozen in the snow," Keira said. "We must rest. You must rest."
"Keira's right, Ariana," Margo said. "It is unwise to push so hard in the cold like this. We have not stopped moving since we left the elven lands, and even then we spent little time to recover from the battle of Kandara. You cannot continue like this, and neither can we."
"And where will we stop?" Ariana asked. "There is no shelter here, no trees, no rocks to hide us from the wind, no wood to build a fire."
"We can backtrack," Keira said. "It is only a short distance back to the pass and I noticed a few small trees growing among the rocks. We could bid them to give us dry wood for a fire."
"Go back?" Ariana was incredulous that Keira would suggest such a thing. "After we have come all this way? We cannot turn back. No, we must carry onward."
"To where?" Keira asked. "There is nothing ahead except wind and snow. Look, Ariana. What do you see? It is a wall of grey that goes on forever."
"Turn back if you want," she said, her voice sharp with determination. "If you are too cowardly to brave a little cold weather, then I will continue alone."
Ariana continued forward, leaving Keira standing in the snow.
"You would call me a coward?" Keira glared, her own temper flaring at the insult and she stepped forward, to chase after Ariana but she felt Margo's gloved hand grip her arm.
"She is not herself," she said.
"No, she is certainly not," Keira agreed. "We must turn back. Our purpose is to protect her and if we must protect her from herself then that is what we must do."
"And if she is right?" Margo asked.
"There are no trees, not even grass. Nothing grows in this place," Keira said.
Margo wondered what she meant then she realized that Keira must be feeling completely lost in this land of ice and snow. She knew the elves were attuned to the forests and the things that grew from the earth, even eschewing wearing boots so their feet would always touch the ground with every footfall, so it was not surprising that Keira would be on edge herself, cut off from the constant reassurance of nature to which she was accustomed. Margo relaxed her hold on the elven woman's arm.
"Keira," she said. "Our purpose is to support Ariana and protect her as we can, but I do not believe that she has not come all this way on a whim. If either of us thought that, we would have said so before we set out on this journey. We are both Rangers, you and I, and it is our duty to walk the paths that extend beyond our realms, to know this world that we may better protect those in our charge. If there is life in this land, then it is our duty to learn of it, and if there is some chance that we can find the prince of Kandara, then it is our duty to try."
"I know these things," Keira said. "I swore a vow to protect the girl, and I will not let her die on my watch."
"I know you were a member of her mother's guard," Margo said. "I understand you wish to protect Ariana, but do not let those events influence your sense of duty. It is our role to die, if need be, to assist those who fight for peace, to protect them on their path, not prevent them from their journey. It is our duty to guide, not to lead, as is our oath."
"You do not need to lecture me on my duties," Keira said and she started walking, trudging through the snow after Ariana, who had already gone a fair distance ahead.
"No, I do not," Margo replied as she walked beside her. "I apologize if my words have offended you. I only thought to strengthen your resolve."
Keira stared at the woman, curiously and she realized how little she knew about her other than the fact that she was an exceptional fighter, as quick and fierce a warrior as any elf, and that she was a Kandaran Ranger, a branch of the order to which she herself belonged, but knew very little.
"It is I who should apologize," Keira said. "Your words ring true, and being reminded of such things is hardly an affront. Might I ask how you came to be in the service of Duke Boric?"
"His brother, King Eric made the request," Margo told her. "The truth of the matter is that Eric was convinced that someone within the court was working against Kandara."
"And he suspected his brother?"
"No, he feared for him," Margo said. "Eric discovered that someone in the court was poisoning him, and he worried that Boric was also a target. Unfortunately the war broke out and we were unable to discover who was responsible, though I have my suspicions."
"Who would do such a thing?"
"There is little point in making accusations now, but I believe Prince Elric may have been involved."
"Why would the prince do such a thing? He already wore the crown, did he not?"
"Yes," Margo said. "But I do not think he wanted it. According to his father, Elric feared the power of the dragon and thought he would lose his mind to it. He also blamed that p
ower for his mother's death."
"How did the queen die?"
"In her sleep, peacefully," Margo said, but the look in her eyes told a different story.
"There is more," Keira said.
"Yes," Margo replied. "There is a price to being a queen in Kandara, to giving birth to the dragons of the Akandra and only the very strong can endure it."
It occurred to Keira that she did not know the name of the former queen of the mountain kingdom. Though the elves took little interest in the affairs of neighboring lands, the order of Rangers made efforts to keep track of such things. She cursed her own lack of interest in the world outside the elven forest during her years of self-imposed penance for her failure to protect her queen.
"What is the name of the queen?" Keira asked. "I have only heard her referred to as the queen, or by some, the queen mother. Who was she?"
Margo smiled.
"It is the tradition of Kandara to refer to her only thus," she said. "IBefore she became the queen of Kandara, she was a member of our order. She was called Morwen and she was one of our best warriors, quick with a blade and stronger than most and she was true of heart in all things. Her name was Morwen."
"Did you know her well?"
"Well enough," Margo said. "She was the reason I became a Ranger."
Keira was curious to know more about the former queen but she was distracted when she saw Ariana, who was still some distance ahead of them, fall to the ground. Margo saw it as well and they both broke into a run, sprinting through the deepening snow as fast as they could.
"Ariana?" Keira lifted her face from the snow and Margo helped to roll her over.
As soon as they touched her, they could feel Ariana's body shaking and her breathing was hurried and erratic. A moment later, it stopped, but the mist of breath from her mouth in the cold air assured them that the princess was still breathing, though she remained unconscious. Margo pulled her leather glove from her hand and put her thumb on one of Ariana's eyelids, which was dark and purple in hue, and she slid it up and saw that her eyes were rolled back in her head. She checked her other eye, which was the same.
Book of One 04: A Child of Fire Page 26