“Underground?”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
The shadow master gestured to Obasi. “This is Ariella Grotto’s representative. He is authorized to offer you sanctuary for the winter and help with rebuilding your homes after.”
As if to emphasize his words, a cool breeze ruffled their hair, a hint of ice in its touch.
“I take it this assistance isn’t free.” The next voice was older and more cynical.
Master Envermet and Marsh turned to look toward it, but Obasi answered.
“It is freely offered and freely given.”
“But?” the man asking the question looked worn and tired, but not old.
Obasi offered him a smile.
“If you would help us rebuild, we would appreciate it.”
The man’s lips curled in scorn. “So what you’re saying is that you can’t really offer us shelter.”
It wasn’t a question, more a statement of the facts as he understood them.
Obasi took no offense. His smile grew wider, and he shook his head. “No. We can offer you shelter, and we do have more than enough resources to get us all through winter without your help.”
“But?”
“But the raiders did attack us, and we still have rebuilding to do and crops to replant. Help would be appreciated, but it isn’t mandatory.”
The man fell silent, regarding Obasi with stress-darkened eyes. Obasi waited, ignoring the restless movements of the others as they shifted uncomfortably. Finally, the man nodded.
“Okay, then. I’ll go.” He looked around. “Does anyone want to come with me?”
One of those sitting near him thumped him on the shoulder. “I don’t know, Ray.” The speaker gestured around them. “Look what you got us into the last time.”
Ray scowled, but scattered laughter greeted his companion’s riposte.
The woman interrupted it. “I’ll go too.” She looked pointedly at Ray. “Even if they don’t have enough houses, caves are still warmer than it will be up here.”
She looked at Obasi. “And you don’t have remnant, or do you?”
Obasi gave her a regretful look. “We have their equivalent, but never inside the town limits.” He made a sweeping gesture that included the other warriors. “And we have our own defenses against them.”
“Is there anyone else?” Obasi asked, and hands slowly rose across the clusters of captives.
Not one hand remained down.
Obasi nodded. “You will all be welcome.”
As if his words were a signal, the hands lowered, and the prisoners slowly got to their feet. Marsh tapped Tamlin and Aisha on their shoulders and led the way out of the ruins.
The two children exchanged glances and shrugged. Perdemor and Scruffknuckle slunk out of the undergrowth to join them. Marsh regarded the two cubs with a wary eye.
“And what exactly have you two been up to?” she asked.
Perdemor laid his ears back and twitched his tail.
Aisha huffed out a sigh and put one hand on her hip. “He says you shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”
Marsh eyed the kit and decided to let it go. There were more important things she needed to attend to. Two of the newly rescued children were approaching Master Envermet, their faces pale as they held tight to each other’s hands.
The boy was about Tamlin’s age, and the girl not much younger. They stopped in front of the shadow captain, their expressions set and determined.
“We need to find our mother,” the boy announced, and all heads turned toward him.
Master Envermet met the child’s gaze and nodded. “If you picture her in your mind, I will tell you if I have seen her.”
The girl stamped her foot. “We don’t need to know if you have seen her, Mister. We need you to take us to her.”
Master Envermet cocked his head to one side and gave her a quiet smile. “I will do that if I have seen her, and I won’t know that unless you or your brother let me look into your mind to see what your mother looks like.”
The girl gasped, but Master Envermet didn’t give her time to speak. “Otherwise, how do I know who to take you to?”
The boy nudged her with his elbow. “He’s making sense, Case.”
“Except for the looking into our minds bit,” she retorted. “No one can do that, can they?”
I can, Master Envermet replied, and from the expressions on the faces of everyone around him, Marsh wasn’t the only one who heard him in her head. It made her worry that he’d overdo it.
That kind of broadcast was going to take its toll.
I have enough, the shadow captain informed her, and she guessed that was addressed solely to her.
She waited, watching the scene play out before her.
The two youngsters were staring at Master Envermet with open-mouthed. The boy was the first to recover.
He closed his mouth with a snap. “So that’s magic, is it?” he demanded, trying to sound tough.
Master Envermet nodded, his smile remaining in place. “Yes. Now, will you allow me to look inside your mind?”
The boy frowned. “It’s just to see what our mother looks like, right?”
Master Envermet nodded again. “Yes.”
“Nothing else?” the boy reiterated, wanting to make sure.
Master Envermet shook his head. “Nothing else. I promise.”
“How will I know?”
“If you are like others, you will be able to see my presence in your head and sense what I’m looking at. You will know if I go where you do not want me to.”
Marsh and the children reached the edge of the rubble just as the boy swallowed hard and lifted his eyes to meet Master Envermet’s gaze.
“Fine,” the boy said. “You may look.”
“Thank you,” Master Envermet replied, and his eyes flared briefly white.
The boy tensed and then frowned. Master Envermet’s eyes returned to their usual blue and he smiled. “I have met your mother.”
The girl gasped, and the boy froze.
Master Envermet continued. “Her name is Giselle, and she’s waiting for you in Briar’s Ridge.”
The children took a step away from him, their faces showing alarm. Several other prisoners gasped, looking hurriedly around as though searching for an escape route.
“What’s wrong?” Master Envermet asked. “You seem alarmed.”
Ray answered him. “Briar’s Ridge is where they were taking us.”
The shadow captain nodded. “This is true, but we’ve put a stop to that. The raiders in Briar’s Ridge are dead or gone, the town is free, and the prisoners being held there when we arrived have received the same offer we gave you.”
“So Mama’s waiting?” the girl asked.
“Yes,” Master Envermet told her, and then frowned, “as long as she hasn’t sneaked out to look for you. She’ll be very glad to see you.”
19
Of Sleep and Dreams
Master Olderman was waiting when they returned.
“Stay an extra day,” he said, as soon as he saw the prisoners walking with them. “You can’t travel on no sleep.”
No sleep? Marsh glanced at the sky and saw the faint band of gray touching the eastern horizon. They’d been out all night?
As soon as she’d thought it, she realized how tired she was. Tamlin stifled a yawn, and Aisha stamped her foot.
“Not sleepy!” the girl declared to the amusement of the warriors around her.
Master Olderman made a show of inspecting the child and then looked at the warriors and the prisoners. “You might not be,” he finally admitted, and gestured toward everyone else, “but they certainly are.”
Aisha turned to look in the direction he’d waved, and the men and women nearest her yawned. Some yawns were more dramatic than required, and a couple of the warriors rubbed their eyes for good measure. Aisha scowled at them, but Master Envermet stepped in.
“Thank you,” he agreed. “We apprecia
te the offer,” he gestured toward the people they’d rescued as he continued, “and these folk will be glad of a rest.”
“No doubt they have people to meet, too,” Master Olderman commented. “We can take care of that while you sleep. They will have to stay in the compound, though. We’ve run out of room everywhere else.”
There were sighs of dismay from the newly rescued prisoners, but none of them protested. Master Envermet looked back and gestured for the two children to come forward. “These two need to see Giselle. She’s their mother.”
Master Olderman’s mouth dropped open, and he broke into a broad grin. “Oh! She will be so pleased to see them.”
He extended an arm toward the. “Come with me. I’ll take you to your mother.” He lifted his gaze to include the other captives. “If you would all come with me, I’ll find you some food and somewhere to sleep.”
“In the compound,” Ray commented, his voice heavy with doubt.
“From which we’ve removed the gates,” Master Olderman assured him. “There are no prisoners here, only survivors and settlers. You can choose which one you want to be.”
“Can we be both?”
Master Olderman’s smile returned. “Yes,” he agreed. “That seems to be how most of us look at it.”
Marsh saw Ray’s face crease into a frown, and Master Envermet stepped in.
“Even those who looked free were not.”
Ray sighed. “And some of them did their best.”
Murmurs of agreement met this statement, and Master Olderman took that as permission to lead them to meet the rest. As soon as the last of the ex-prisoners had left, Lioma approached.
She’d been waiting on one side of the street, acknowledging Obasi’s glance with a solemn nod. Now, she jogged over, signaling Master Envermet to join them.
“Sulema shadow-stepped the caravan,” she told them as soon as she drew near. “They’ll be arriving this afternoon.”
Master Envermet regarded her with surprise. “Do you think there’ll be room for all of us to stay one more night?”
Lioma shrugged. “If there’s not, there’s still the campground just outside of town. Some of us can camp out there as a form of advance party. It’s not like we left many remnant in the area.”
“That’s the fault of those Deeps-be-damned bugs,” Obasi replied.
“Maybe we should thank them,” Henri suggested. “We’d never have gotten them all on our own.”
Master Envermet pursed his lips. “Be that as it may,” he replied, “I’d rather we stuck together if we’re able.”
Marsh felt a warm presence by her side, and then Mordan leaned on her. Her weight pushed Marsh sideways until she braced enough to support the kat.
Do you mind?
Mordan lifted her head and favored Marsh with a slow blink. Marsh sighed. “Of course, you don’t.”
Tamlin snickered, and Aisha wrapped her arms around the kat’s neck.
“Don’t you dare go to sleep there,” Brigitte admonished as the child gave a happy sigh.
“No, not sl-sleepy,” Aisha protested, yawning as she said it.
Master Envermet regarded her with a frown. “Are so, too,” he argued and turned to the warriors. “I’ll see you all at dinner. What you do between now and then is up to you, but we’ll be traveling at dawn tomorrow.”
He gave Marsh a sympathetic glance. “We’ve delayed long enough.”
Marsh tried to keep her face blank, but she couldn’t help feeling a sharp stab of impatience and disappointment. Another two days had been added to her return, and sadness swept through her. Aisha wrapping her arms around her waist was nearly her undoing.
Don’t cry, Marsh. The little girl’s whisper trickled through her mind, touching the surface of her tears and causing a hard lump to form in her throat.
“I’m not,” Marsh murmured, and Aisha slapped her on the side.
“Are so, too. I see you,” the child argued, and both of them knew she meant the sadness in Marsh’s mind.
“That’s rude, Aysh,” Tamlin reproved, and Aisha glared at him.
Before an argument could erupt between them, Master Envermet spoke. “Don’t you three need to sleep?” he asked, and Marsh seized the chance to change the direction of the conversation.
“Yes, we do, Master Envermet,” she replied and walked toward the hall.
Tamlin and Aisha followed, and Marsh ignored the way they jostled each other in a fit of sibling rivalry. Brigitte laid a hand on her shoulder.
“You’ll be with him soon,” the shadow mistress whispered, giving her a gentle nudge and a reassuring smile.
Marsh didn’t feel like smiling back, but she managed, not trusting her voice enough to reply. Brigitte didn’t say any more, but walked beside her, taking Aisha’s hand and scooping the little girl into her arms when she stumbled.
“Not sleepy,” Aisha grumbled, laying her head on the mage’s shoulder and wrapping her arms around Brigitte’s neck.
She was asleep by the time they reached their room. No sooner had Marsh and Brigitte tucked Aisha into bed than Scruffknuckle and Perdemor laid on the blankets and closed their eyes. Aisha murmured a brief protest, then flung an arm around Scruffy’s neck and went back to sleep.
Marsh and Brigitte exchanged tired smiles and crawled into their own beds, with Mordan lying down beside Marsh despite her protests. Tamlin scrambled into the upper bunk and rolled himself in his blankets, not saying a word.
Silence and sleep descended, and the day’s exertions took their toll.
Marsh woke when someone shook her. She sat up, scrambling back against the wall as remembered terror stalked her into daylight. Mordan growled a protest, shifting restlessly as Marsh slammed into her.
Master Envermet stared at her, one arm propped against the top bunk as he leaned down to peer at her. “Are you okay?”
Marsh licked her lips, her eyes flitting from the shadow mage to Brigitte and then Tamlin and Aisha. The expressions on their faces ranged from concern to fear.
“What...” Her voice cracked on a dried throat and she coughed, swallowing in an attempt to moisten it. “What’s wrong?”
Her voice rasped as though she’d been shouting, but she couldn’t work out why.
Master Envermet’s eyebrows rose. “We were hoping you could tell us.”
“I... Tell you what?”
“Not what, but why,” Master Envermet commented. “You were screaming in your sleep.”
“What...” Marsh swallowed again. “What did I say?”
“That’s just it. There were no words. You were just screaming.”
Aisha pouted. “You woke me up.”
There was movement at the door behind her.
“She woke us all up,” Henri grumbled. Izmay swatted him, but her eyes were on Marsh.
“I’m sorry,” Marsh mumbled, her face turning red. “I didn’t mean to cause a fuss.”
Master Envermet laid a hand on her shoulder and she flinched. “You didn’t.”
Henri snorted, and Master Envermet looked over his shoulder. “Don’t you have latrines to clean?”
Henri opened his mouth to argue and Izmay elbowed him in the gut. “We’ll let Ariella’s people know you’ll be out soon,” she said, and Master Envermet turned back to Marsh.
“I couldn’t get into your head,” he told her. “I’m sorry.”
Marsh stared at him, frowned, and looked for her link to Mordan. To her surprise, the kat was already in her head. She got up and stalked over to Marsh, rubbing the length of her body against Marsh’s mental legs.
Marsh dropped her hand to the top of the kat’s head and let it run the length of the kat’s body. She felt bereft when the kat left her mind and closed the link behind her.
What was that all about? Master Envermet asked, stepping into her head like she’d left a door open.
Marsh shrugged. I don’t know.
Well, at least we know how you survived it.
I was screaming. How do you kno
w I survived?
Because you’re here, and your mind is intact. If you hadn’t survived, there wouldn’t be much left.
How do you know? You weren’t here.
Master Envermet sighed. I know. He looked around as though searching the space for any clue as to what had happened. When he didn’t see anything, he shrugged. Because whatever it was terrified you. What were you thinking about when you went to sleep?
I was thinking about seeing Roeglin. Marsh blushed to admit it but figured it was better to admit it than to try to hide it. As much as she wanted to believe what she was thinking had had nothing to do with her disturbed sleep, she couldn’t deny the logic.
Master Envermet frowned. “Well, I doubt he had anything to do with your nightmares.”
It was a relief to hear his voice. Marsh tried to think of what else might be connected to her dreams. “What about the fortress?” she asked and didn’t need to hear Master Envermet’s reply.
The moment she’d thought about returning to the fortress, a wave of fear fell across her.
“What is it?” Master Envermet asked, and then realized. “The fortress? That’s what’s causing your nightmares?”
Marsh swallowed her fear and shook her head. “No. Not the fortress. It’s the idea of...” She gulped. “It’s the idea of returning to it,” she finished. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
She shrugged and slid out of the bunk, coming to stand beside him. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” she declared. “I’m going back to Roeglin, and that is all there is to it.”
Master Envermet’s frown deepened, but he said nothing. At least he hadn’t tried to deny her.
He sighed and pushed away from the bunk. “I’ll warn Roeglin. There’s something that doesn’t want you going back, and that can’t mean anything good for anyone who’s left there.”
Marsh felt a frisson of fear at his words. “I have to get back.”
“Two days,” Master Envermet told her, “and then another night to rest.”
Marsh wanted to argue that she didn’t need to rest before the return journey, but she knew she did. She didn’t have to like it, but she’d have to give her body at least that much—and the return journey would be shorter because they’d be riding the distance instead of walking it.
Magic Below Paris Complete Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 8): Trading Into Shadow, Trading Into Darkness, Trading Close to Light, Trading By Firelight, Trading by Shroomlight, plus 3 more Page 156