by John Marco
Besides himself, Minikin, and her bodyguard Trog, the others making the journey were all Jadori warriors. As such, they spoke very little during the crossing. Thorin had learned early that the desert folk expended precious little energy on words. They were never disrespectful or unfriendly; they were simply quiet. Like Trog, they said almost nothing at all. Minikin herself was quiet, too. Though she spoke from time to time with her bodyguard, she seldom turned to see how Thorin was doing, and even when they rested her conversation was curt. Baron Glass knew Minikin was worried. He did not need her vaunted mind powers to know what she was thinking — she didn’t want him speaking to the Seekers. She had warned him that they would only tell him things he could do nothing to change. But she had relented in the end, because she knew how important Liiria was to him and because there was simply nothing she could do to stop him.
Baron Glass had never grown close to Minikin, though he did respect her. She had a million problems plaguing her these days and handled them all with steel and grace. But she had never come to him for counsel the way she had Lukien, and that bothered Baron Glass, fuelling his feelings of uselessness. He would be grateful when they reached Jador, he decided. Then he would see Gilwyn and have some friendly talk.
As expected, they reached the city well after nightfall. The place was awash in moonlight, looking splendid and white. They came through the western gate of the city, which had always been unguarded until Akeela’s army had come. Now, because of Prince Aztar’s raiders, there were still Jadori warriors patrolling the wall. When they saw Ela-daz they opened the gate immediately, giving her entrance to the city. Minikin greeted them warmly, and a pair of the dark-skinned men stepped forward at once, volunteering to escort her to the palace, which was easily seen in the clear night, towering above the rest of Jador, its minarets reflecting moonlight like cut gems. They were all exhausted from the trip, but the thought of seeing Gilwyn buoyed them, particularly Thorin. It had been weeks since he had seen the young man.
Because it was not yet late, Jador’s streets remained full of people. As always, the Jadori welcomed Ela-daz with waves and calls of adoration, offering smiles to Baron Glass as well. Thorin nodded and waved, acknowledging their praise even as it embarrassed him. He was not such a hero as Lukien, whom the Jadori seemed to worship, but he could feel that their respect for him was genuine. The group did not dismount, however, or spend much time with the people. Instead they pressed on to the palace, where they were sure Gilwyn would be waiting for them.
Indeed, the young regent did not disappoint them. It was always impossible to keep news of Minikin’s arrival contained, and so Gilwyn greeted them in the palace’s ornate garden with a huge smile on his face. He looked weary but undeniably happy to see them, and when their kreels sauntered into the garden he rushed forward.
‘Thorin!’ he exclaimed. ‘I knew you’d come!’ Then he produced a wide grin for Minikin. ‘And Minikin. I’ve been waiting for you!’
Minikin let Gilwyn help her down from the kreel. ‘It’s not been so long, Gilwyn. I told you — patience is a good thing for a regent.’
‘You left me wondering, and you know it,’ said Gilwyn. ‘I’m ready to learn.’
‘And I’m ready for some rest,’ said Minikin, stretching her little body. She shook out her long white hair, then nodded at the waiting Gilwyn. ‘I know you’ve been waiting. I promise you — we will talk. But let us rest a bit first, hmm?’
‘And eat,’ said Baron Glass. Eager to be down from his mount, he slid off the reptile’s back after the Jadori rider, who gave him a steadying hand. ‘We feasted on dried bread and fruit all day, if you can call that a feast. Let’s have some wine and meat, all of us.’ He inspected Gilwyn carefully. ‘Have you eaten, boy? You look like one of my saddle sores.’
Gilwyn sighed wearily. ‘No, I’ve been busy tonight talking with some of the warriors.’
Minikin raised an eyebrow. ‘About the kreel again?’
‘Minikin, they’re all worried,’ said Gilwyn. ‘If we don’t find more we won’t be able to defend ourselves.’
‘Kreel breed in their own time, Gilwyn,’ said Minikin. ‘The Jadori know that.’
Baron Glass reached out and tousled Gilwyn’s hair. ‘That big brain of yours needs food, boy.’
‘We’ll go in and get a meal,’ said Gilwyn, then suddenly frowned. ‘No Lukien?’
‘I’m afraid not, Gilwyn, not this time,’ said Minikin gently. ‘Lukien needs some time to himself, I think.’
‘He’s all right, isn’t he?’
‘He’s fine,’ replied Thorin. ‘He’s just troubled about what happened, killing those raiders. We never think it bothers Lukien to kill, but it does.’
Gilwyn nodded. ‘I know. I’m glad he didn’t come. He’s been patrolling too much lately. Which is why we need more kreel, Minikin. Having Lukien helps, but even he’s not going to be enough if Aztar ever really attacks us.’
Minikin smiled. ‘Let us go inside now.’
‘Minikin, we need to talk about this. .’
But the mistress was already making her way through the garden, her bodyguard Trog close on her heels. A sour expression crossed Gilwyn’s face as he watched her go.
‘She doesn’t listen to me,’ he grumbled. ‘Some regent I am.’
Thorin was quick to offer support. ‘That’s not it, Gilwyn. She’s got a lot on her mind, just as you do. And it’s been a long ride. She’s tired.’
The explanation appeased Gilwyn. With a boy’s enthusiasm, he asked, ‘Did you hear, Thorin? Minikin’s come back to teach me about my Akari. Finally, I’m going to find out about her.’
‘I know, and I’m pleased for you,’ said Thorin. He put his arm around Gilwyn as he led him back toward the palace. ‘It’s a great mystery to me, this Akari business. If it makes you happy, fine. Me, I’ll never understand it, or how a spirit could ever speak to someone.’
He volunteered nothing of his encounter with Kahldris, or how the dead Akari had spoken to him in his bedroom. He merely left the garden with Gilwyn, eager for food and answers about the Liirian Seekers.
There were no arguments during dinner that night. Baron Glass had rested and washed himself, then taken a hearty meal with Minikin and Gilwyn and some of the palace’s Jadori servants in a dining hall full of mosaic windows, a remnant from the glory days of White-Eye’s dead father. The mood was good around the table, passing figs and dates and flat bread to each other and leaning back on the pillows to laugh at Jadori jokes, which Thorin only half-understood. The servants who joined them weren’t really servants at all, because although Gilwyn had been declared regent over Jador he was uncomfortable in his role and held it only in the most informal fashion. They were all equals, not only around the table but everywhere else, and those who brought the food to them sat down to partake in the meal.
Minikin herself remained distracted most of the time. Expertly avoiding Gilwyn’s questions, she told him only that his lessons would begin tomorrow, and that all his queries would be answered then. The boy found it hard to restrain his enthusiasm. It had been a year since Minikin had first told him of his Akari, a spirit that had been gifted to him as an infant. He knew her name was Ruana and that she had been a young woman when she died, but Minikin had kept mostly everything else secret, and Thorin knew that vexed Gilwyn. The young regent didn’t eat much at the supper. Anxious for the morning, he played with his food and gave most of it to his pet monkey, Teku, who sat happily on his shoulder as her master passed plump dates her way. Her tiny hands held the fruit with precision as she ate, precision that Gilwyn himself had never mastered because of his clubbed hand. Once, Teku had been the young man’s saviour. Before Figgis — his former master in Liiria — had fashioned a boot for him to walk, Teku had compensated for him, climbing to fetch things out of reach and gingerly turning the pages of books. She was a remarkable creature, truly, but she was old now and it was good that Gilwyn had less use for her. Thorin didn’t know if it was the desert air or simp
ly becoming a man that had made Gilwyn stronger, but he could walk on his own well now and seldom called upon his simian friend for assistance. Teku didn’t seem to mind her retirement, though. Gilwyn still loved and doted on her, and she went with him almost everywhere in the palace, perching on his shoulder like a loyal bird.
Baron Glass deftly avoided the topic of the Seekers. It was a sore subject for Minikin, he knew, so he waited until the meal was over and the little mistress left the room before broaching it with Gilwyn. As the giant Trog departed after Minikin, the room grew suddenly larger. Thorin sidled over to Gilwyn, settling down next to him on a red silk pillow. While the Jadori cleaned the table, Thorin spoke to Gilwyn in Liirian.
‘So,’ he said almost absently, ‘we should talk about the Seekers.’ He took one of the dates from Gilwyn’s plate and twirled it between his fingertips. ‘What do you know about them?’
Gilwyn looked at his friend slyly. ‘I’m surprised you were able to wait so long. I was wondering when you’d ask me about them.’
‘I had to wait until Minikin was gone first,’ Thorin conceded. ‘Do you know where they are?’
The young man nodded. ‘Out in the south side of the town. I’ve been working with them, trying to find housing for them. Their leader is a man named Paxon, from Koth.’
‘Koth?’ Excitement bubbled in Thorin. ‘That is interesting. Lukien didn’t mention that, not surprisingly.’
‘I’m sure he didn’t want to get your hopes up,’ said Gilwyn. ‘And really, what good does it do us to know where they’re from?’
The question frustrated Thorin, who squashed the date in his fingers then wiped his hand on a cloth. ‘You and Lukien are too much alike. Don’t you even care what’s happening back home?’
‘This is our home now, Thorin. Maybe you don’t know that yet, but you should. Chasing after these people won’t do you any good. They came here to escape Liiria, remember. There’s nothing left for any of us there.’
‘I’d rather find that out for myself, thank you. I left a family behind in Liiria, you know.’
‘Sixteen years ago.’
‘That makes no difference. Remember what Jazana Carr told me, boy — she intends to kill them, given the chance. If she’s on the move. .’
‘You don’t know that, Thorin.’
‘Precisely why I have to find these Seekers! Now, you have a big day tomorrow so I won’t make you come with me.’
Gilwyn laughed. ‘Oh, thank you.’
‘I’ll go to them myself. Just tell me where to find this Paxon.’
The village outside the white wall had never been Thorin’s favourite place. It was crowded and dirty and — because it was jammed with northerners — it reminded him sadly of home.
It was very late by the time he made his way out of the city gate, but the township and its peoples were still mostly awake. There was very little to do once the sun went down, but the breaking of the desert heat was always celebrated and the people gathered in squares and makeshift pubs to gamble and gossip. Dogs barked and cats ran past Thorin’s feet after mice that had somehow followed his northern brethren across the desert. The night smelled of sweat and sand and of the peculiar liquors the Jadori brewed, which had quickly become popular among the hopeless folk of the township. As always, the nighttime sky was desert perfect. Clear and endless, it twinkled with stars.
Gilwyn had told Thorin exactly where to find the house of Paxon. Because the house was on the southern end of the township, he needed no horse to make his way there. Instead he went on foot, confident that he would be safe among the populace. Many of them were northerners like himself, after all, and like him they were trapped in a place they didn’t want to be. Though they clamoured to get into Grimhold and he clamoured to get out, they had much in common, and Thorin pitied them for that. As he moved through the crowded streets, still jammed with vendors, he ignored the stares and gestures of those he passed, not wanting to speak to anyone. He sought only the new Seekers from Liiria, and they only because they had fresh news. Thorin was hungry for news. Anything, any small morsel they could toss him, would be devoured.
The smell of Ganjeese cooking filled the air as Thorin made his way to the south quarter. It was the Ganjeese who had built the township years ago, content to live outside the Jadori wall and build their own peaceful trading post in the shadow of their Jadori neighbours. When the Seekers had started coming, the Ganjeese had made room for them. They were all cut off from the world now, kept from returning across the desert by the bloodthirsty Aztar, and the Ganjeese seemed to accept this with the usual grace of their ilk. In the south quarter, there were far more Ganjeese than northerners. Their homes were better, too. Built with permanence in mind, they were not the hastily constructed shacks the Seekers had thrown up. Being in the south quarter was like being in a corner of Ganjor itself, full of music and exotic smells and dotted with tiled minarets. Thorin took a deep breath as he walked through the narrow avenues, happy to be in the company of real people, away from the stifling air of Grimhold. As he made his way to the house where Paxon was now settled, he stopped at one of the nighttime stalls and bought bread-wrapped sausage from one of the vendors, paying for it with a worn-out coin. The dark-skinned merchant looked at him peculiarly, unsure whether or not to take the money from the baron. Thorin smiled and turned away before he could refuse. Holding the food tightly in his single hand, he stuffed it into his mouth as he walked. Though his mind raced with his mission to find Paxon, he was determined to enjoy his brief freedom.
He went on through the avenue, unhassled, until at last he found the bank of homes Gilwyn had told him about. A row of small, pretty houses of Ganjeese architecture greeted him with oblong windows and shingles of bright red clay. As he entered the street, he saw a man and a child seated on the ground outside one of the homes. The man had a book in his hand. The child — a girl — wore an enraptured expression. For Thorin, it took only a moment to recognise their Liirian garb. There were others in the street as well, men and women, but all of these had the swarthy skin of desert folk. Only the man with the book and his fresh-faced charge were northerners. The sight of them struck Thorin hard. He paused, staring at them as he wiped his greasy hand on his hip. Gilwyn had described Paxon as a grey-haired man of middle age, and this fellow fit that sketch perfectly. There was a weak smile on his face as he read to the girl, ignoring everyone else around him. Baron Glass did not go unnoticed, however. A woman chatting with some friends caught his eye and pointed. Thorin held up his hand to silence her, and she fell quiet. But it was the quiet that finally nabbed Paxon’s attention. He looked up from his storybook and glanced at Baron Glass, his eyes going from mildly annoyed to astonished in an instant.
Thorin looked around. He saw no other northerners. With a slight smile he stepped forward. ‘I am looking for a man named Paxon,’ he said. ‘I’ve heard that he lives here. Might you be he?’
The man nodded. The little girl looked equally astonished.
‘I’m Paxon,’ he said. He kept the storybook opened in his lap. ‘You’re a Liirian. You’re Baron Glass.’
‘I’m afraid I have that ugly distinction, yes,’ said Thorin. He could feel the eyes of the gathering Ganjeese on him. The growing crowd made him uncomfortable. He took another step toward Paxon, smiling down at the girl and noticing her twisted leg. He said to her, ‘You’re Melini, aren’t you? Gilwyn Toms told me about you.’
The girl seemed too frightened to answer. Before she uttered a word a woman came out of the house, stopping at once when she saw Thorin. This was Melini’s mother, guessed Thorin, the one named Calith. According to Gilwyn, they were sharing this house along with a family of Ganjeese.
‘I’m not here with any special news, good or bad,’ said Thorin quickly. ‘I just want to talk. To you, Paxon, if that would be all right.’
Paxon looked both excited and confused. ‘Did the one called Minikin send you? We’ve been waiting. .’
‘No,’ said Thorin. ‘I came o
n my own to speak to you. I have questions, about Liiria.’
A dashed expression washed Paxon’s face. He slowly closed the book and shook his head. ‘The knight Lukien said the mistress would speak to us,’ he muttered. ‘We have been waiting days for word. Still nothing, you say?’
‘You must have word, Baron Glass,’ said the woman Calith. She went to her daughter Melini and rested a hand on the girl’s head. ‘Please, tell us something. Anything.’
Thorin knew he should have expected the reaction, but was unprepared for it. He stammered an apology. ‘No, I’m sorry. I really came of my own accord.’ He looked at Paxon. ‘I have no news for you, nor influence with Minikin. But I would be grateful for your time. Like you, I’m a Liirian who’s trapped here.’
‘Trapped?’ The term surprised Paxon. ‘You live in Mount Believer, sir. You are blessed.’
‘You know the woman Minikin, the one Lukien told us about,’ said Calith. ‘What has she said of our petition?’
‘No one knows the workings of Minikin’s mind, especially not I,’ replied Thorin. ‘It’s true, I do live in Grimhold, but I have no sway over who is allowed in and who is not, nor has Minikin told me anything about you. It was the boy, Gilwyn Toms, who told me where to find you.’
Paxon dropped the book to the dirt and rose to his feet. ‘Then the Bronze Knight has lied to us,’ he said angrily. ‘He said that Minikin would speak to us, but she has not. He said that things would be explained, but we are left here deaf and blind. And now you come to ask questions of us? I know you, Baron Glass. I am old enough to remember you. I did not believe you were alive until I came here.’ He gestured to the many Ganjeese surrounding them. ‘These people told me it was true, that you were still alive. When I heard that — and when I saw the Bronze Knight Lukien — I thought you would help us.’
Paxon’s words stung Thorin, but he did not show it. He kept his features hard as he replied, ‘I would still have words with you, though you think me a scoundrel. Will you let me ask my questions, Paxon? Or shall I go now and leave you here?’