Prophecy's Quest

by A. S. Hamilton

  Curtin looked up, flicking his eyes first to the mage, Akileena's eyes were full of dread. Oh, Curtin knew how he would hate this task, he would like to apologise, tell Akileena that if there was another way, he would take it. He had no other mages skilled enough, and little time to wait for replacements. He hoped Akileena could see the regret in that brief glance, and then he allowed his eyes to settle on Nathan's cold, grey gaze.

  'Those twenty slaves will be scattered,' he continued, 'split into small groups and then either integrated into rebel ranks or smuggled out of the country. Akileena is quite capable of pinning down one of those little groups.'

  'What would acquiring these slaves accomplish?' Nathan queried impatiently.

  Akileena huffed his frustration, but Curtin gave him a look of warning. Do not provoke him, Curtin thought. 'It is likely that the thief,' he said out loud, 'was involved in rescuing the slaves and killing my merchant friend. It was a bold, daring move, like the rescue of the harem. Our thief probably did not come to Sal-Cirus to steal the amulet, but to aid in freeing the harem. Perhaps the amulet was promised to him for his help. In any case, as Akileena cannot directly track our thief, we get him to track the slaves he freed. Then, Akileena can search their memories. It is a round-about way, but if the mages have taught me anything, it is that when a direct route to something is not possible, there is always another means to achieve the same result.'

  Nathan looked distracted for a moment, and then, at last, he grasped what Curtin was saying. 'You cannot go though, not during the festival,' Nathan pointed out, almost with delight. 'And you do not have the ability to interrogate them.'

  Curtin immediately realised what Nathan wanted. What the Thane had always wanted — Akileena.

  'I could not let you do this, Nathan. To take up this hunt would be to take responsibility for the events in Sal-Cirus.' The Thane shook his head. 'No, the Great Lord will not see the loss of your trackers as being as grave as the disappearance of the amulet and the harem, you cannot do this. I will go. I have others who have competently overseen the management of my district in the past.'

  Before Curtin realised Nathan had even started to move, the other thane was a hand's-breadth from his face. 'No. I want that thief! I am charged with finding the Saviour. Anyone who wants that amulet is going to take it to the prophecised elvan — that thief is mine. This is out of your hands. The Great Lord will agree. I need a full division and I need that mage,' Nathan asserted pointing to Akileena.

  Day 2 – Mid-day

  At-hara Desert

  Brynn looked at the man tied to the tree, barely alive, and felt regret. They had caught Daniel. Somehow, they discovered that he worked for the rebels. He felt responsible for Daniel being in this situation, even if they had both known the risks when Daniel accepted the assignment.

  In preparing for the role, not only did Daniel excel in his training, he went beyond it, learning everything that might be remotely related to his task. When he took his group of hand-picked human rebels to pose as the mercenary group Sentinel, even his mindset was that of a mercenary leader.

  Brynn turned to the man lying face down on the ground. This must be Jador, Daniel's uncle. Daniel had mentioned he would recruit him as a means of protecting the elder man from the cruelty of the thanes. Judging from his position on the ground, Brynn guessed Jador had fallen trying to get to Daniel. He slid off Sershja and crouched by the fallen man, turning him over with great care.

  Jador cried out in pain. Brynn winced but did not stop assessing Jador's condition; four broken ribs, a broken upper arm, and badly dehydrated. Daniel would, no doubt, be far worse. He leaned down to hear Jador speak.

  'My nephew...'

  'You have no need to worry, Jador, I will see that he lives,' Brynn promised. 'By the end of the day you will both rest safely in an oasis well out of Nathan Kennelm's reach.'

  Jador found himself drifting in and out of consciousness. He registered the arrival of a male elvan on a large grey-brown horse and another rider astride a huge, black charger similar to the male elvan's, except it was a dwarven charger with long, sinuously curved horns.

  At one point he heard a female voice, it sounded as if it came from far off. But when he opened his eyes, he saw eyes with sparks like the red-gold embers of a fire considering him from an otherworldly face, as pale as white-hot fire and surrounded by a blaze of smoke and flame.

  'You have healed him already?' the angel of fire asked someone.

  'In part, enough that it will not hurt to move him,' a male voice answered her.

  More darkness, and then another face, male this time. A light-coloured scarf was wrapped about his head emphasising the striking cheek bones and slanted eyes. Those eyes were a brilliant blue, unlike anything Jador had ever seen before.

  'Are you comfortable?' the male elvan wanted to know.

  Jador nodded, at least he thought he did.

  'Everything will be fine, Jador. You are safe now.'

  Day 2 – Afternoon

  Serenvale Plains

  (North-eastern End)

  Paulson monitored the eight wagons as they trundled down the hill and onto the plain. He knew there was a patrol somewhere out this way, but it was better not to hide from them, despite the men hidden behind the rolls of fabric in the wagons. No merchant or farmer would, and to behave any differently — to take the lesser used road, skirt a forest instead of crossing a plain directly, or not rest or camp as normal — would attract unwanted attention. It was hard on the men hidden in the wagons as it was hot and very cramped, but they rotated them around whenever they found a safe place to do so.

  The decision to recall all of Sentinel had been one of the hardest ones for him. When Daniel had appointed him second-in-command of the undercover rebel group, he had warned Paulson that there was a high chance that Thane Kennelm would target Daniel, and Paulson may find himself leading the group. Nathan Kennelm had a reputation for killing mercenary leaders and then absorbing their men into his own ranks. Paulson had taken the responsibility seriously, but a part of him had not really believed that Nathan would try to kill Daniel. Then Daniel went missing.

  Having abandoned the Thane and all the patrols Nathan had taken over by placing his own men in command, they were now all making their way back to Caradon in groups using covers they had set up while they were working for the thanes. They had papers and a story for each area they rode through. It had taken sennats to get it all together, but they had done it long before there was a need and when you worked for thanes it was disturbingly easy to acquire the information and papers needed. An official seal could just 'drop' into your pocket. A requisition book could accidentally be misplaced for someone else to 'find'. Perusing patrol reports or forward-work plans before handing them on to the proper officer was not unknown for bored sentries.

  Many of the men disagreed with the method in which they had left the Thane and those who were loyal to him. They thought they should have killed them. Daniel's instructions were clear, though, if he went missing, they were to drug them and slip quietly away. Paulson understood why. To kill a thane would attract mage-level attention — the kind of attention they did not want when heading to Caradon. This way, Nathan looked like a fool, and his rivals would privately laugh behind his back.

  Grayndler, Paulson's own second, had already reached the place where all the small groups would meet up and secured the area. Most people confused Grayndler for being a bit slow, and it was true, he did not think as fast as many others, but this was not an indication of his intelligence. When it came to securing an area, Grayndler saw to every detail; trip wires, trained birds, and even creating, small, natural-looking depressions around the perimeter that, nine times out of ten, caused those who tripped in them to make a sound.

  He was relieved Grayndler was ahead of them, it had been hard hiding a human mage in their ranks, but if the thanes had discovered Grayndler's abilities, they would have commandeered him for their own uses, or killed him for having once train
ed under an elvan mage. Grayndler had been essential to their ability to gather intelligence, though, being able to hear thoughts. Despite being gravely worried about what had happened to Daniel, Paulson was still relieved to finally be done with the undercover mission. Nothing was more nerve-wracking than trying to hide human mages in locations that had elvan Abbarane mages looking out for such spies.

  'Captain?'

  Paulson looked up and then in the direction his point man was looking, sure enough, there they were, a patrol. Eight men, four of them in the Great Lord's livery, two trackers, two unknowns. Neither of the last two looked like a mage, but then no one ever took Grayndler for one, either.

  Paulson called a halt and dismounted. He also signalled to his 'wife' to be ready to put together the routine bribe required for getting through a check. Li-ella drew forth two battered travel packs and tucked them inside one of the food storage draws installed underneath the wagon. When the time was right, she would fill them with the best pick of their stores.

  They were not expected to give money, eight was too many to split it between and the elvan mages always reported it. It was the food they prized, something to break up the bland rations allocated at the beginning of each rotation. If their cargo was of any interest, the patrol might also ask for a 'tithe'. A smithy might have to part with some daggers or a sword, a potter, some of their wares. The patrol gave them to their families as gifts. They were weavers, their tradeable goods were fabrics.

  This shipment was canvas for a new settlement Paulson had read Thane Kennelm was setting up. They had nothing of interest for these men, but food. So they made it simple, but good. Freshly roasted hens and baked rolls would be a mouth-watering alternative to their normal fare.

  The lead patrolman gave Paulson a salute, recognising him as the leader of the wagon train. Paulson bowed slightly and smiled at the man.

  'The great sages have blessed us with fair weather this day, how goes yours, milord?'

  'Captain'll do. Just a routine check, you have your papers?'

  Paulson patted his pockets and assumed a confused expression. 'Surely, I had 'em just 'ere.'

  His wife tapped his saddle pack. 'In the front, dear, where you always put them.'

  Paulson gave the Captain an embarrassed look and unbuckled the pack, drawing out a bundle of crumpled papers.

  'The sages only know what I would do without you, m'dear,' he mumbled to his wife as he sorted through the documents. 'Ah! Here, these others are old, but you may view them if you like.'

  Paulson handed over the crumpled pile and the Captain smiled, he had seen enough men like Paulson, they were farmers and tradesmen before they were merchants. They worked with their hands not their minds. Often they misplaced their travel papers, and rarely kept them in pristine condition.

  As he examined the documents, the Captain's eyebrows shot up in surprise, 'A new plantation! When was that built?'

  'Ah, not quite built yet, I hear they only just started dropping in the wells. We're to provide housing for the labourers, that's why it's all canvas this time. But I've wrangled the contract for the soft furnishings when the place is built. Lord Thane Kennelm wants to set up a new balessia plantation — well, that's what I heard. You know, we used to be the main exporter once, now we pay twice as much to get it in. Lord Thane Kennelm has a fine mind, and from the sound of it, this new plantation will be a mighty fine place when it's done.'

  The Captain looked over the papers and had a glance through the others out of curiosity. Aside from a few consignments of silk and mattresses, it was all basic fabrics. He handed the papers back to Paulson. 'That looks fine. We'll need to check the wagons.'

  'Of course, of course, milord, ah, Captain.'

  Paulson signalled his men to open up the back of the wagons so the patrol could view them. The rolls of fabric were stacked vertically and so tightly together it looked as if there was no room for anything else. In truth, just a meter behind the rolls hid sixteen men. This was the first time they had been stopped for a check and Paulson was anxious. Although taking out the eight men in the patrol would be fairly easy for a group their size, a missing patrol would attract attention. The kind of attention that would involve a mage, and they needed to avoid that if possible.

  Schooling his emotions, Paulson gave the Captain a smile. 'Weather's been rather good of late, hasn't it?'

  The captain gave a distracted nod.

  'Must make your lot easier, you know, having to camp out and all.'

  'Sure does,' the captain agreed, giving Paulson a smile. 'If only the food was better.'

  Paulson chuckled. 'Ah, yes. We've heard that often.'

  Just then the soldiers started heading back, having looked in all the wagons.

  'I, ah, don't suppose you have anything that might lighten the taste of our camp rations...' the captain asked. He seemed discomforted at having to ask, which suggested to Paulson that he bowed to peer-pressure in this regard.

  Paulson's wife made a face. 'Ah, you poor fellows. Just as me husband says, you spend days out in all kinds of weather an' they can't see to it you have something decent in your stomachs to keep you going. Course I do!'

  Li-ella threw open one of the draws beneath the wagon and pulled a canvas pack out. She selected a tin of balessia and jars of honey and preserved fruits, then the freshly baked rolls and, lastly, a small flask of prayeska.

  She held the flask up to Paulson, 'We have more at home, don't we, m'dear?'

  'Your uncle said he was brewing a fresh batch, it'll be ready by the time we get back, and what about a couple of those game hens we caught, Kerrin's been awfully blessed this sennat, he's taken down more than we need. We don't want to risk the displeasure of the sages by not sharing their bounty,' he added with the pious superstition often attributed to farming folk.

  Li-ella pulled a second sack out and thrust the first drawer closed with her hip. In a moment she had the other one open and popped three of the six hens in. Generous, but not too generous. She handed the packs to Paulson, who gave them to the man just behind the patrol-leader.

  'That should keep you going for a while,' Paulson said with a smile.

  The Captain nodded appreciatively. Li-ella's tone and attitude made him feel less guilty, convincing him she would be offended if they refused. Giving her a sincere smile, he waved them on.

  Paulson helped Li-ella up into the wagon's front seat and pulled himself back on his horse.

  'You men stay out of the weather,' Li-ella bid them, sounding like their mother.

  'Come Li-ella, they're not your children, spare them the lecture about rugging up and washing their hands before they eat,' Paulson chided lightly.

  Li-ella gave them a little embarrassed smile and looked back to her husband, 'Where's your scarf, dear?'

  'It's too neat, Capt'n. I mean, who happily gives up fresh roasted hen an' baked bread?'

  The patrolman had his grimy hand around a leg of that very same hen and, in the other hand, a piece of roll. The Captain mused that the word hypocrite or contradiction would probably not register if he used them in addressing the other man.

  'You want me to report to a thane that I followed a group of fabric peddlers, neglecting the rest of my patrol area, because they did not shout curses and shake their fists at us?'

  'It's not unknown, Myron,' one of the other patrolmen cut in. 'They don't all hate us. You saw his wife, she'd feed an army if it turned up on her doorstep.'

  'Their papers checked out — that's the end of it,' the Captain said, levelling a stern look at their resident nuisance. If he could find fault with it, Myron was the first to pipe up — too cold, too hot, his blanket was thinner, the others looked at him funny. As far as he was concerned, they'd be better off if Myron was still with his mother. His mother might not appreciate it, but they certainly would.

  The Captain gave the patrolman a grateful look, if someone did not back him up, Myron would complain for hours. His real worry was whether Myron would bring it up when t
hey rode in tomorrow. More than once they'd been sent out to investigate travellers Myron insisted were suspicious.

  The Captain smiled to himself as he stared into his cup of balessia, they probably said they believed him and sent him out again just to get some peace. The unfortunate part for him, was that their group never got any peace when that happened, only the rest of the barracks.

  'They're pretty scrawny, aren't they?' Myron persisted.

  'Maybe that's why they gave them to us,' the other patrolman suggested, flicking a stick at Myron. 'Just eat, we've got to get going soon, right, Captain?'

  The Captain nodded, rising and finishing the remains of his cup. He stared off in the direction the fabric peddlers had disappeared. If Myron was not here, this would have been an enjoyable day.

  Chapter 3

  Day 3 – Before Dawn

  Between South Kenar Woods and Serenvale Plains

  Akileena moved through the minds of the twenty-four soldiers directing them to move into position. The three patrols were more than enough to overcome the slaves curled up sleeping in a sliver of clearing in amongst the trees.

  He felt ill, but there was no way out of this.

  Of the twenty slaves that had been stolen from the merchant slavers, he had traced two groups. One was travelling along the coast and there were no patrols close enough to intercept them. This group was less fortunate. They were using a narrow band of woods between the Kadita Marshlands and the Serenvale Plains as cover as they moved southwards. As Nathan had flooded the area they were in with patrols looking for the Saviour, it had been a matter of hours for the three patrols Akileena had contacted to close in.

  As soon as Akileena had informed both thanes that he had succeeded in tracking down a group of the slaves stolen from the merchant slavers, Nathan had started making arrangements to leave. Thus they were already heading to the North Kenar Woods. Akileena rode his hose without difficulty while he also accessed the planes to direct the capture of the slaves. They would be met along the way by three more mages and a contingent of soldiers from Denas. One of the mages included Nisari's pet human mage Matthias Rochester and Akileena had already been in contact with him. Matthias wanted Akileena's memory of his encounter with the thief and the warrior. Akileena guessed it was so he could start examining the slave's memories as soon as Akileena helped the patrols take them into custody.