Western Shore ac-3

by Juliet E. McKenna

  If I'm stuck here, at least show me that no disasters have struck there because I abandoned my responsibilities to Itrac and my new children.

  'I can try now.' Velindre looked into her glowing bowl, the tip of her tongue toying with a split in her chapped lower lip. 'If you'll let me raid your physic chest.'

  'Of course.' Kheda crawled over the unkempt layer of quilts and blankets to retrieve the ebony coffer.

  Naldeth shifted so that Risala could sit beside him. Kheda carefully negotiated the yielding surface to sit opposite the two mages. Velindre set the silver bowl carefully down between the four of them.

  Kheda opened the physic chest. 'What do you want?'

  'Whatever it is that you've been using to ease my chest pains.' Velindre held out her hand.

  Kheda gave her the crystal vial of pungent silver-leaf oil.

  Velindre managed a thin smile. 'It's close enough to the aids we offer inadequate apprentices, and this is no time for me to be too proud to accept a little assistance.'

  She let a few drops fall onto the water and the emerald radiance glowed through the slowly dissipating circles. As the oil spread into a fine film, the green light dimmed and a new brightness grew in the depths of the water.

  Kheda saw the garden in the centre of Itrac's pavilion.

  The logen vine was in full bloom and silken basket flowers clustered thick. The white-sand paths were neatly raked and in the central bower, Itrac and the baby girls were taking their ease on a green carpet patterned with fire-creeper and striol flowers. Chazen's lady wore a simple tunic and trousers of white silk, her bare feet kicking idly as she lay on her front, propped up on her elbows. The baby girls were lying on their backs on either side of their mother, each little face flushed with laughter. Itrac was using the end of her long plait to tickle first Olkai and then Sekni. The babies kicked lustily, trying to grab the teasing thing.

  Assuming we ever get home, how will I ever explain any of this to you? Now I have still more secrets to come between us. We're further apart than ever.

  'I wouldn't mind being there,' Naldeth said softly.

  'Nor me.' Kheda ran a hand through his unkempt hair. 'Can you show me whether all is well around the lagoon?'

  'I'll try,' Velindre said cautiously.

  The spell flickered so violently that Kheda thought her magic had failed her. Then the emerald light returned and a new image floated on the surface. The lagoon around the Chazen dry-season residence was thick with ships — merchant galleys from all the neighbouring domains and a profusion of the dispatch boats and triangular-sailed traders that plied the sea lanes within the domain. Heavy triremes were manning the key stations that governed entry and departure from the heart of the domain. In the open seas beyond, fast triremes carved deceptively lazy circles in the blue waters, ready to pursue any importunate vessel.

  Risala gazed down at this picture of abundant trade with longing. 'Do you suppose the pearl harvest is as rich as last year's?'

  'I haven't given that a moment's thought.' Kheda shook his head in wonder.

  Risala hugged him. 'There'll be time enough to find out when we get home.'

  'I'm sorry.' Velindre shook her head as the emerald light faded and died with ominous finality.

  'Do you think you could scry as far as Hadrumal? When you're fully rested, of course.' Naldeth ran a thoughtful finger around the rim of the bowl. 'Do you think we should try bespeaking the Archmage?'

  'Are you that eager to have the Council asking endless awkward questions?' Velindre looked askance at him. 'Don't you think that can wait until we get back there?'

  'We are going to have an unholy amount of explaining to do, aren't we?' Naldeth managed a crooked smile.

  Kheda saw a faint green radiance rekindled in the bottom of the scrying bowl and frowned. 'Velindre, he's right - you should rest before you try that.'

  'What?' She looked at him puzzled.

  Naldeth looked down at the bowl. 'That's not your spell and it's certainly not mine.'

  'Do you think the Archmage is looking for us?' Velindre looked like an unwed girl who'd been caught in some mischief.

  'Is he?' Kheda forced himself to look into the bowl.

  'No,' said Velindre softly. 'Oh dear.'

  Words failed Kheda as he saw a pale-green dragon with turquoise spines crouching on a beach of yellow sand. The dragon's head whipped around and looked straight at them through the magic. It bared jade teeth in a soundless snarl, its aquamarine tongue tasting the air.

  'That's the dragon we saw off the southernmost headland.' Velindre was astonished, 'The one I sent chasing the water spout.'

  'Then it got the taste of your magic from that,' Naldeth said.

  'That's a trading beach in the Archipelago.' Risala

  jabbed a finger at the wreckage of boats large and small drifting in the lapping surf. Cloth was tangled around one of the beast's forefeet and it was tentatively crushing metal wares and pottery under its talons. There was no sign of any people, dead or alive.

  'Where exactly?' demanded Kheda.

  'I've no idea,' Velindre said slowly.

  The dragon continued to look straight at them, its head growing larger and larger as it filled their vision. The creature was stalking towards them.

  'No!' Naldeth plunged his hand into the scrying bowl, sending the water slopping to soak the coverlets and wet everyone's knees. The emerald light flashed a sickly yellow and died.

  'I think we had better bespeak Planir.' Velindre was trembling. 'Just as soon as we can.'

  'What are we going to do after that?' Risala demanded.

  'We rid Chazen of one dragon.' The magewoman sighed heavily. 'We know how to drive that one off. Without killing it,' she added determinedly.

  'You can't think of attempting anything like that until all your bruises have healed and you've both recovered your full strength,' Kheda said angrily. 'How many people will it kill in the meantime?'

  'Hopefully none,' Velindre said thoughtfully. 'That dragon had no interest in eating carrion, if you recall. It should find plenty of fish in Aldabreshin waters. Perhaps I can lure it away with a sea serpent as bait,' she said hopefully.

  'Perhaps,' Kheda echoed with distinctly less optimism.

  Risala was still wide-eyed. 'How many others have flown for the Archipelago? Can you tell what happened to the white one you made, that ate the blue sky dragon's heart?'

  'I thought they'd go into the northern wilds to find

  uncontaminated focuses of elemental power ...' Words failed Velindre.

  Kheda closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath. 'Can you find out, without risking yourself?'

  'As long as I'm ready to shatter the spell if it's subsumed into a dragon's magic again.' Naldeth stared into the empty bowl. 'We had better discuss all the possible tactics we might use against dragons of every colour,' the younger wizard said suddenly. 'And bespeak Planir and every other wizard we trust in Hadrumal, be they friend or rival, and seek their advice. The Council must insist that everyone share any relevant learning they can dig out of the libraries.'

  'The time for keeping this all as our little secret has obviously passed.' Velindre was plainly not sorry about that.

  'I share some measure of responsibility for all this.' Kheda took Risala's hand and held it tight. 'I had better come with you, when you find out where that beach is.'

  'You'll come and help me fight a dragon again?' Velindre tried to sound incredulous. 'Even when it's not in Chazen, or anywhere close by the looks of things?'

  'You'll need someone to help you convince the lord and people of whatever domain that might be that you're able to help them.' Kheda glanced at Risala, wordlessly beseeching.

  She nodded resolutely, not even seeing his appeal as she looked at Velindre. 'If anyone suspects you're a mage, you'll just see your own hide flayed from your back and nailed to a gate in hopes that will be enough to deter the beast.'

  Velindre closed her eyes as a tear glistened behind her lashes
. 'I can scry for dragons with an air or a water affinity. Naldeth, if I work the scrying with you, can you look for those tied to fire and earth?'

  'I'll help you scry for them but I don't think I'm going back with you to fight them.' His words stunned them all to silence. 'Someone has to stay here and I don't see that I have any choice.' Naldeth's voice strengthened, determined. 'I started all this. I have to see it through.'

  'See what through?' Velindre shifted to look severely at him.

  Naldeth met her gaze without flinching. 'The mageborn here will be incapable of working magic for a good long while, but sooner or later the echoes of these eruptions will finally die away. Instinctive magic will spark fires when someone's angry or freeze the water in the cup they're holding, just like some apprentice back on the mainland who's over-ready to be sent to Hadrumal. Once that happens, they'll soon stumble into some more powerful spellcraft. You know that.'

  'What happens then?' Velindre asked brusquely. 'What will you do?'

  'Won't that depend on the people here?' Kheda said tentatively.

  'What do you suppose they will do?' Naldeth challenged him. 'Will they have become sufficiently used to living without magical tyranny that they'll refuse to bow their heads to someone crowning himself with feathers or cloaking himself in some lizard's hide because he's discovered some inborn prowess? What if the dragons come back when the elemental confusion subsides? Will the whole sorry system that kept these people in their ignorance and filth simply be resurrected? A generation or more will have to die before all those customs are forgotten.'

  Distress flickered across his face. 'Or do you suppose the people will be so determined not to be enslaved again that they will kill all the mageborn — those they know were guilty of abusing them in the past and any others, however young or innocent, that they fear might grow to

  be tyrants? They have some way of telling the mageborn from the mundane, we know that much. Do you suppose there are enough of those painted caves to hold all the bodies?'

  'I don't know.' The bitter memory of the slaughter the scarred spearman had ordered soured Kheda's stomach. 'But how will you help them, when you don't speak their language or understand their lives?'

  'I'll find ways around that.' Naldeth looked at Velindre. 'There will be innocent mageborn here and we're always told that all wizards have a responsibility for all others.'

  She looked troubled. 'That's usually in the context of one mage making sure another doesn't misuse his magic to the detriment of all wizardry.'

  'Who else is going to teach innocent mageborn here not to follow in the corrupt practices of their forebears?' Naldeth's resolve was unshakeable. 'I'll have an advantage over them long enough to be sure of that.'

  'Do you think the Archmage will approve?' Velindre plainly had her doubts.

  'Do you want to try explaining to him that we've left mageborn here to either be slaughtered or sucked into a life dependent on abusing their affinity?' Naldeth took a moment to consider his next words carefully. 'Don't you think he will have concerns, when some of the wizards currently on the Council learn of this island and the elements that underpin it? When they learn there have been dragons here, with all the potential power that implies? I'm sure you'll find plenty willing to join you in establishing whether or not more dragons have flown to the Archipelago but there'll be some who'd rather make their way here, if they think there'll be no one to see what they do.'

  'I can think of at least two,' Velindre said reluctantly, 'who I really don't trust.'

  'If I'm here, there can't be any clandestine visits.' Naldeth gestured vaguely towards the wreckage of his metal leg. 'Not when I can bespeak Planir at a moment's notice with steel and magefire.'

  'That might well be advisable,' Velindre agreed slowly.

  'What if the dragons come back?' Kheda said sharply. 'They'll see you as a rival, won't they?'

  'Then I'll have no qualms about calling for the Archmage's help, and that of any other wizard I can bespeak.' Naldeth smiled humourlessly. 'That will be no time for pride.'

  'I see you're quite set on this.' Kheda held out his hand to the young mage. 'Then I won't argue with you. But you should be proud of yourself. This is a courageous choice.'

  Naldeth clasped the warlord's hand. 'I don't imagine pursuing dragons through the Archipelago will be any task for a coward.'

  'With any luck, there'll only be the one,' the mage-woman ventured. 'I'm sure the others will have flown north to find the purer elements.'

  'I've given up trusting to luck.' Kheda looked at Velindre. 'Have you any idea at all how long it will be before you've recovered your magic sufficiently to get us home? You mustn't risk it until you're quite certain,' he added hastily.

  'I won't,' she promised fervently. 'But no, I don't know how soon that will be. I'm sorry.'

  'What can't be cured must be endured,' Risala said quietly. 'That's what the healers say.'

  'And as Naldeth pointed out, we can make our plans while we wait,' Kheda said resolutely.

  Risala looked at him. 'Will you look for omens in the heavenly compass tonight, please, just for me? You don't know what you might see.'

  Kheda nodded slowly.

  If it can't help, it can't hurt. That's something else that healers say, when they have precious little idea what they 're actually doing.

  And the compass will turn full circle as we go back to the Archipelago. Where will that leave me, always assuming I don't finally end up in a dragon's belly?

  It will leave me doing the task that's before me, as always. But what will I do once that task's done? Perhaps it's time to look beyond it. My life has certainly swung far out of the paths I always assumed I would follow.

  FB2 document info

  Document ID: 0814a1b2-64c7-4f0f-8052-f420d9f5f2ca

  Document version: 1

  Document creation date: 13 April 2010

  Created using: FB Editor v2.2 software

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