‘Yes, you are correct,’ croaked the reply. ‘Come, Magician. Help me.’
With that, the Koian god-woman shuffled a step forward into the moonlight and Samuel’s eyes opened wide. Indeed, she was not wearing her costumed clothes and she also was not wearing any of her outrageous wigs or demonic make-up. Greatest of all, it was not an old hag that came stepping into view, but a young woman of abouthisage. He thought perhaps there had been some mistake; perhaps it was the girl called River whom he had found, but then he realised there was no doubting that this was in fact the Koian god. Also, no one else in their party could have such a complete lack ofpresence. He could see, even in this limited light,that she had the same bizarre features as her country-folk, with olive skin and angled eyes, and her hair was tied into a tight ponytail which glistened in the moonlight, as if oiled. But she was undoubtedly no old woman at all and Samuel found himself utterly speechless.
‘Magician,’ she croaked. Such a withered voice seemed so alien coming from such a youthful face. ‘Do not stare at me so. No man has ever looked upon mein such a state of undress. The laws of heaven should not be broken. The world will suffer. Turn away!’
Samuel forced himself to turn away once more. ‘Follow me, then,’ he said and started off towards the camp. She may have been a young woman, but he was not going to let anyone, even such a strangely captivating god, be so rude to him.
He had only taken a few steps when he heard her stop behind him with a shrill yelp.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said softly, and the crackling in her voice had also fallen away. ‘I cannot walk unaided.’ It was another surprise to hear her real voice, and Samuel remembered the moment he had first met her in her great ship, when she had first asked him whathewas.She had spoken with her hag’s voice ever since that time and he only now realised it was merely another layer of her costume as a Koian god.
‘Then wait here a moment while I fetch help,’ he stated-and he had begun to move off again when she stopped him with a desperate plea.
‘Wait! Don’t leave me alone. I don’t want to be left in the dark again. I don’t like the dark.’
Samuel turned back to face her with his arms stiffly folded in front of him. ‘Then what do you want me to do?’ he asked her, looking squarely at her. She was blushing under his gaze-even in this moonlight he could see that-and Samuel could not help but think how strange her features made her look. It seemed such a shame that she spent all her time in the guise of a monster; although, perhaps that explained her complete lack of manners. ‘You won’t let me help you and you won’t let me go. What can I do?’
‘Can you not use your magician’s spells to heal me?’
‘I cannot sense your energies to heal you. I suppose I could apply a general spell of healing all over you-’ then he realised he would probably blow her leg off if he tried using the power of his ring, ‘-but that won’t work either. Let me just shout for help. I’m sure your friends will come.’
She looked utterly dismayed. ‘No! You have already seen me and I cannot have more men coming to gawk at me like this. Please, help me back to the camp. We can avoid the soldiers and you can fetch my ladies when we are near to them.’
Samuel sighed. The premise seemed ridiculous and,despite the girl’s unusual attractiveness, the last thing he wanted at this time of night was a convoluted path back to the camp. He knew he should just leave her here while he went to fetch her maids, but finally her helpless look persuaded him.
‘Very well,’ he agreed and stepped to her side.
She flinched as he reached for her, but then she gingerly offered him her slender arm. She was tense and shivering, but it did not seem so cold to Samuel. He walked beside her and guided her through the woods, down towards the camp. Occasionally, they would hear someone coming tramping through the undergrowth, and it seemed only luck that no one stumbled directly upon them.
As they walked, Samuel could not help but steal the occasional sideways glance across at her. He could not believe that the hag he had discovered in the bowels of the ship, the rude and extravagant god of the Koian nation, was actually this fragile young woman. She caught him looking at her more than once and each time she looked quickly away,evadinghis gaze. He realised it was making her uncomfortable and steeled himself to keep his eyes ahead.
Still, he was uncomfortably aware of her arm in his hand. He could feel her warmth in his fingers, the softness of her flesh in his palm. Thoughts of Leila entered his mind and,for once, he welcomed them. Focussing on his lost love helped to remind him that this was not a real woman beside him. It was the Koian god, and she was a strange and unknown creature from a foreign land.
As they reached beside the camp and manoeuvred nearer the ladies’ tent, she called out in a whisper to her attendants. ‘Wind. Leaf. I am here.’ There was immediately a commotion from inside the tent of someone rushing to be out. ‘Please,’ she said to Samuel, pushing his arm away and reaching to the tree trunk for support. ‘Go, quickly. Tell no one you found or saw me. Whatever you do, don’t let them know I was seen. The shame would be terrible-for all of us.’ Samuel nodded. ‘Go now!’ she hissed and Samuel did as he was told, darting into the bushes just as two feminine figures came to the girl’s side.
‘Quickly! Inside!’ was all one of them said and Samuel, looking through the leaves, spied them throw a blanket over her and pull her roughly away.
Strange, he thought, that she did not limp any more.
They rose late in the morning after the excitement of the previous night and everyone was grumbling over their breakfasts, moaning and begrudging thewaywardbehaviour of the Koian god.
‘It’s not bad enough she went and got herself lost!’ declared Lieutenant Valiant, ‘but then she went and found herself while we were all stomping about in the woods all night looking for her! She had probably been inher tentfor hours before someone finally had the decency to tell us.’
Captain Orrell was finishing his breakfast, wiping up the juices on his plate with a fist of crusty bread. ‘Calm now, Valiant. They are our guests. And they did inform us she had returned, eventually.’
‘Only because our searching had begun to bother them from their sleep-yes!’
The normally subdued Valiant was now being rather expressive. Luckily, the other soldiers around their breakfasts were all roaring with laughter at his comments. Apparently, the sight of Valiant so worked up was enough to make up for their night of discomfort.
Sir Ferse had joined them for breakfast, looking refreshed, which seemed logical given that he had been the only one to sleep all night. He sat cross-legged on one of the thatched mats they had thrown down, appearing awkward as such, as if he had never sat on the floor in his life. Even eating bread with his hands seemed a curiosity that he was only now coming to terms with.
‘Where to today?’ Grand Master Tudor asked, tapping his walking stick against the cooking pots. ‘I believe we are within reach of Ghant.’
‘If we move quickly we should be there very soon,’ Orrell replied. ‘But we are headed into the mountains now. The going will be slow. We will need to take care with the wagons and with our guests.’
As soon as they could, theypacked up campandwent on theiraway. Samuel could not help but look towards the Koians’ wagon all that day and the next, intrigued by what he had learned.
They soon reached the edge of some hills and the landscape became rockier and steeper around them, so that the wagons rocked and pitched upon the trail. The two older ladies sat at the front steeringthe horses, while the younger one sat beside their god on the rear seat. They had drawn back the hooped cover and River at least appeared to relish being out in the open. Each lady wore simple but flattering garments that glittered in the sun-close-fitting dresses buttoned at the side, with high collarsand long sleeves. He would have thought that such delicate clothing would be totally unsuitable for such travel, but somehow the women managed to keep themselves impeccably clean. The god-woman was again in costume, adorned like an
enormous pheasant with long plumes that dangled out behind her. Her face was a spiral of red and white;her facial features obscured so as to almost be non-existent. The feathers stuck out from all over her hair, but Samuel could now imagine he saw specks of her real hair glistening beneath.
Every day she wore new or varied forms of costume and Samuel could find no order or pattern to it. From his few brief conversations with the Koians,they seemed like sophisticated people, yet it puzzled him that they could adhere to such a primitive and pointless practice.
Several times, the surly Koian men, ambling along on their horses, noted Samuel gazing towards their god and frowned back towards him.
‘She’s not what she seems,’ he said to Goodfellow.
Goodfellow seemed startled out of a daydream. ‘Oh? What do you mean?’
‘I found the Koian crone when she was lost, but she’s not an old hag at all.’
‘Oh?’ the sandy-haired magician asked. He was obviously still trying to blink away his previous thoughts.
‘I found her up amongst the rocks. She’s a girl-at least, she’s not a girl, she’s a woman, about the same age as us.’
Goodfellow laughed as if the thought was preposterous. ‘You can’t mean it? Really? That thing is a woman?’
‘Indeed.’
‘Sorry, Samuel. I’m gullible, but notthatgullible. I’m not falling for it.’
‘I’m not trying to fool you,’ Samuel declared. ‘It’s true.’
‘Well, Istilldon’t believe you and, even ifshe is, it’s the Koians’ business. We are magicians, after all. Ladies should not interest us. We need to focus on returning the Empress and the heir.’
‘Eric, let me tell you something. I was distrustful of their god before but,now I have seen hertrue nature, I am even more so. There is something disturbing about her. I have felt unsettled since that day we found her on the ship and now I know why. I felt some awful thing aboard that boat, something like I have never felt before-a wordless,dreadful fear. It is her. Strangely, I felt it long before that day, rising in my blood like poisonous bile. When I opened the door and found her, I thought my heart would stop. I don’t know what she is, but I have never been so afraid of any living thing. Seeing her true form only doubles my concern.’
‘I admit she is strange, Samuel, in appearance and nature, but I do not feel the same trepidation. Perhaps it’s some inkling into our future you can feel?’
‘I haven’t looked to the future since the first time with Master Celios, when I envisioned the destruction of Cintar. I am wary of trying to discern such things,and perhaps rightfully so. Look at what it has done to our seer.’
‘It could be a useful ability, Samuel, if only you use it sparingly. Master Celios has been under constant pressure to foresee the Empire’s way out of this predicament. Perhaps it is that which has worn him into his current state, rather than the ability itself.’
‘I would not readily look into the future,’ Samuel revealed. ‘Who can even say if we can change what we can foresee?’
‘We could prepare ourselves,’ Goodfellow said, but Samuel shook his head.
‘I want no more worry or woe than I already possess, Eric. Even without welcoming these abilities, they come to me readily. Sometimes, when I awake from my deepest dreams, the memories of people and voices are just fading away. I cannot recall their words, but I know they are not part of my dream.’
‘Perhaps you could learn to recall these things?’ Goodfellow suggested.
‘That is the last thing I would want. Better to be deaf and dumb than stricken with such madness.’
Goodfellow seemed to sense that Samuel had fallen into a dark mood and left the conversation at that, leaving him to ride quietly in his saddle.
Up ahead, Eric was riding beside Ambassador Canyon and in open conversation with the man. Eric seemed to have befriended everyone in the column, including a fair portion of Orrell’s fighting men, while Samuel had not spoken to any. Somehow, Eric managed to do everything incredibly well and it was infuriating. Samuel still judged himself to be the greater magician, but he was reliant on the Argum Stone and a cripple of a magician without it. Eric was naturally gifted and would one day rival the magicians of history without need for any such magical device. His magic was pure and strong and efficient,and Samuel longed to learn his friend’s secrets, as he knew that Eric had been hiding much of his power from everyone. Most of all, it annoyed Samuel that Eric had been right, for he knew that if he had been in the same position at Rampeny and had the opportunity to journey to safety, he would had done it in a flash. Still, he refused to be the first one to give in.
The party was delayed at a shallow stream crossing and they were forced to wait for some time while some of the heavier load from the wagons was carted across by hand. Orrell’s men worked quickly and efficiently, with barely a grumble. The magicians could have spelled the items across in a jiffy, but older magicians scorned the use of magic for such trivial work and seemed happy to let the men see to the chore. Celios, their timekeeper and adviser on such matters, also seemed happy to sit and wait for the job to be done.
Samuel and Goodfellow waited beside the Koian wagon. Quitesurprisingly, the men had left their ladies while they went to inspect the stream crossing. Despite Orrell’s best efforts, the Koians would not be convinced it was a safe place to cross until they had performed acloseexamination for themselves.
‘How much further to this citadel, Magician Goodfellow?’ Lady Wind barked at Goodfellow, who was nearest to the wagon.
‘I don’t know, Lady Wind,’ he replied politely, for eventheyhad spoken briefly on the journey and had learnt something of each other’s titles.
To that, the woman only shifted impatiently in her seat.
‘Are you enjoying the journey?’ Samuel asked of the god-woman, but young Lady River beside mistook the questionas being directed ather.
‘Yes, I am,’ she replied, appearing quite startled that Samuel had spoken to her.
‘Actually, I meant the question for her,’ Samuel corrected, gesturing towards the costumed woman.
The plumed god-woman turned her head towards Samuel with a rustling of feathers, but said nothing, while Lady River looked away nervously.
‘You should not address our god, Magician,’ Lady Wind instructed, swivelling around in her seat. ‘She is above us mortals. We reply to her when beckoned or as the rituals demand. That is all.’
‘Is she not a god in a woman’s body?’ Samuel asked, probing. ‘I have seen you take her meals and water, so she has mortal needs like the rest of us.’
‘Of course,’ the stern Lady Leaf replied from beside hercompanionon the front seat. ‘We have stated as such already.’
‘Then why does she dress like this? It seems very…primitive,’ he said, for lack of a better word.
‘We do not expect you to understand our ways, Magician,’ Lady Wind responded. ‘We do nothing without reason and we do not question when you behave in a way that even inbreds would consider disgraceful in our land. Even your existence is an affront to us and our ways. We are grateful for your hospitality, nevertheless,’ she added with a formal nod of her head.
‘Still,’ Samuel continued, ‘she did nearly lose herself. Despite being a god, I can see she depends on you for everything. If we are to continue on our mission, that will be a liability. We could be entering hostile territory. Dressed like this, she willdrawattention from the enemy. I’m sure you must have considered it?’
The two matronly ladies seemed to contemplate this.
‘I see your point, Magician,’ Lady Wind finally said. ‘We will discuss it at length.’
With that,they each facedforwards againand the god-woman swivelled her head back to the front, never having shown any hint of expression or emotion all the while. Samuel wondered if the sight of her beneath her regalia had actually been a dream.
They camped on the farside of theriver, for it was already getting late once they had crossed. Orrell’s men too
k delight in bathing themselves in the natural,waist-deep pools they had found along its stony edge. The river had been blessed with the presence of steaming hot springs that turned the freezing mountain waters warm and it was too inviting an opportunity to miss. Water boiled from one side of the river and fell into pools along with cold water running down the other side, so that the pools ranged in temperature from scalding to freezing, and the men could pick and choose and move from one to another as they preferred.
The Koian ladies stayed inside their tent, but even their men would not miss the chance to wash, and they dipped themselves into the waters modestly and loosened their ponytails to wash their hair. The magicians also took the opportunity to wash, throwing aside their robes and scrubbing solemnly amongst the frivolous men. Samuel was the last to enter, for he disliked the thought of bathing beside Eric while they were still having their differences, but old Tudor kept yelling at him scornfully and,finally,Samuel gave in, disrobing down to his smalls and easing himself into the steaming water beside the others.
‘I’ve had enough of you two and your endless womanish argument,’ Tudor told them both, scolding them like children. His face was ruddy from the heat of the pool. ‘From this point on, I want no more of it. I don’t care what it is all about-it’s finished! No more.’
Samuel looked sidelong at his friend.
‘What do you say, Samuel?’ Eric asked him.
‘I have no objection,’ he replied begrudgingly.
‘That sounds like an objection to me,’ Tudor said gruffly. ‘Go sit in the far pool until you lose your hot head.’
Samuel looked towards where the old man was gesturing, where the water ran clear and untainted from the mountain.
‘That’s freezing. I’m not going there.’
‘Yes, you are,’ the old man stated. ‘Go on. Off you go. You can come back when some sense has returned to you. Go on.’
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