Songs of the Eternal Past- Complete Trilogy

by C S Vass

  Fiona’s mind was racing. She knew that it would be faster to deal with Smiley than to talk her way out of dealing with him. Resigning herself to a slight delay she met his eyes.

  “What are you talking about? Aiyana? I’m working on it.”

  “Not fast enough,” Smiley said. “It just so happens that my agents are getting closer and closer to your brother. Some of my superiors are wondering why I even dealt with you in the first place.” He frowned. “Do you understand? You’re making me look bad, Fiona.”

  “You looked like shit long before I ever had anything to do with you,” Fiona said.

  “Let’s not waste each other’s time,” Smiley said. “There’s no point in denying anything. You’re playing both sides. It’s obvious, and it’s what I would do too so don’t try to tell me otherwise. You’re working with the Forgotten and with us, and whichever path gets you to Rodrick first you have no qualms about taking. Well I don’t give a runny rat shit if you and the Forgotten kill Rodrick, or if the Empire gets him first. What I do care about is the new situation you’ve found yourself in.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’ve already told you, Fiona. You have a unique opportunity to get close to Aiyana. You can kill her for us, and if you do the resources of the Empire will be at your disposal. Don’t you understand? We are very generous with those that we owe favors to. We can get you out of Tellos. We can get your friends out of Tellos. We can get you Rodrick’s head. Whatever you want.”

  “Why does the deal always change with you people?” Fiona muttered.

  Smiley grimaced. “We all have to play our part Fiona. Let’s be adults about this.”

  “First you offered to pay me for Rodrick’s head, now you’re offering to bring me his head yourself. It seems a little suspicious. Some people might say that you’re scrambling.”

  “A suspicious mind is healthy,” Smiley said. “I wouldn’t want to work with you if you didn’t have one. But be that as it may, we are merely adapting our strategies as new information comes in to us. I promise you, Fiona, work with us and we will make it worth your while. We can protect you. Protect your friends. Whatever you want. But you have to help us. And why shouldn’t you? Aiyana is a ruthless thug. You’re going to meet her yourself, are you not? Don’t deny it, Fiona. I have a lot of friends whispering in my ear. I know that the fool Brandon has let things get out of hand, and now you’re going to start dealing with his superior.”

  Fiona kept her face blank. She was too distracted to really think about what Smiley was saying.

  “The situation keeps changing, Fiona. That doesn’t make us treacherous. It make us adaptable and intelligent. I’m pressing you on Aiyana because quite frankly she’s more of a threat to the peace in this moment than your loser brother and his ramshackle group of friends. The Forgotten have ambitions that you don’t perceive, but if they continue on the path that they’re going then Tellos may well be thrown into chaos.”

  “But none of that has to be my problem,” Fiona said. “Just so long as I help you with this one little thing you can get me out of here.”

  “Of course.” Smiley’s voice was practically dripping with oil. “That is, if the pure altruism of helping your country isn’t enough for you.”

  That was too much. But what should she have expected from the Empire? Their arrogance was well-known in Haygarden. “I believe I live in a free city, not underneath the banner of the Empire,” Fiona said. “So forgive me if the altruism factor isn’t quite there for me.”

  “Ho-ho,” Smiley sneered. “So you’re finally developing a sense of loyalty towards your home. I wonder, Fiona, where was that two years ago when you abandoned everyone you cared about to pursue your own selfish desires? Ah—I see that I struck a disharmonious note there. So you’re not overly fond of acknowledging your profound hypocrisy. That’s fine by me. I’m not in the business of working with saints.”

  “No,” Fiona growled. “You’re in the business of working with assassins.”

  “Assassins get more done, as you well know. But there’s no point in me staying here berating you for the rest of the day. You’ve heard my terms. Take them, Fiona, or don’t. But keep in mind that if you don’t, then the Empire will have to hold you accountable for working with terrorist factions inside Haygarden.”

  “Amazing how Sun Circle would likely hold me responsible to those same charges just for speaking with you. But tell me, what of your progress, Smiley? What have you done to track down the criminal Rodrick Sacrosin and bring him to justice?”

  To her surprise Smiley grinned. “I thought you’d never ask. While your brother still runs free, we have someone else who has been very valuable. I might have shared some information we’ve learned from him, but you’ve hardly done anything to deserve it.”

  “Let me guess,” she said. “Kevin Lovewood?”

  Smiley laughed, quick and sharp. “That moron. His head isn’t worth the stain it would leave on the executioner’s block.”

  Fiona frowned. If it wasn’t Kevin, then who did he have?

  “Your brother’s right-hand man has given us a better picture of things as they are,” Smiley continued. “One Yondril, a fiendish little devil who has devoted a great amount of his time to serving your brother directly. He knows quite a bit about the Vaentysh Boys. He’s been very helpful.”

  “What has he told you?” Fiona demanded.

  Smiley laughed in her face. “Oh, no Fiona. Trust is earned, not given freely. You can’t spit on my hand and then expect to shake it. Although, perhaps if you a pay visit to our friend Aiyana then I would be a little more inspired by your attitude.”

  Before she could respond he was walking away, black cloak floating outwards in the breeze like the wings of an overgrown bat. Fiona was starting to get very, very tired to Smiley and Brandon swooping in on her life. Now that the power of the manjeko was growing within her it was starting to seem more and more foolish that she had ever sought their help in the first place.

  Why was she always so damn reckless and impatient? It wasn’t the first time her impulses had gotten her into trouble and now sure enough it was likely that she was going to get to Rodrick before either the Forgotten or the Empire and she’d have to deal with them afterwards.

  None of that mattered now though. She could worry about whatever it was that Smiley knew after she made her way to Sasha and got her out of the mess that she was in. Without wasting another minute she grabbed the rest of her things and quickly sped out the door.

  * * *

  It took Fiona less than fifteen minutes to get beyond the walls. Buildings bled past her as she ran in a full on sprint. Years ago she would have taken her mare, Leona, outside of the city but what fate befell that beautiful horse Fiona never learned. It wasn’t as if she had the necessary supplies or even ability to pay for a stable should she have wanted to.

  It didn’t matter. The cabin wasn’t far. Fiona remembered the path exactly. She wasted no time in racing across the frozen landscape, eager to rescue Sasha from the clutches of Reggie Downcastle. It seemed that every time she so much as started to focus on one problem another would spring up from the mud and try to pull her down.

  She paused by a large boulder to rest a moment and catch her breath. It would do no good to burst in the door only to immediately collapse from exhaustion. Besides, it didn’t seem like Reggie was planning on going anywhere anytime soon. He surely chose that location for a reason. Maybe he wanted the isolation to be able to adequately intimidate Sasha until she agreed to come along quietly with him back to the Leaf District.

  As she rested, she remembered the last time she had seen Reggie. It was so long ago when her and Sasha were still students at Clearwater. Sasha seemed to just melt when she looked into his watery blue eyes. Even with a coat of blonde stubble on his chin Reggie had always seemed so boyish. Fiona had never personally gotten to know him well, but he had always seemed like such a jovial good-tempered person.

  But Fiona was wise enough to kn
ow by now that appearances meant very little. Sasha might have been in a situation where she couldn’t quite stand up to him, but Fiona certainly was not, and she had every intention of bursting in and getting Sasha away by force if she had to. They could even speak to Shifter after and find somewhere safe where Sasha would be in no danger of being discovered. She would hide her friend in the bowels of the earth for a time if she had to in order to make sure she was secure.

  After a few minutes Fiona felt adequately rested and able to continue on her journey. When she finally reached the cabin, the front door was shut firmly though there was smoke rising in thin plumes from the chimney.

  Without wasting a breath Fiona pounded angrily on the door. Inside she heard footsteps. The door slowly creaked open.

  “My gods, Fiona Sacrosin?” Reggie had the high and musical voice of the aristocracy. He was wearing thick purple breeches and a ridiculous puffy hat with a great blue feather in it that made him look like his clothes were picked out by a child. “What brings you here? How did you come across this place?”

  She shoved him hard and stormed past him. He tripped backwards theatrically, arms flailing. “Sasha!” she roared.

  “Sasha is indisposed at the moment,” Reggie said, trying to gather as much dignity as he could muster while wearing that ridiculous outfit. “You have no right to be here, Fiona. I am glad to see you but I must say you could not have picked a worse time to arrive. Things are very tense at the moment, and I really must insist that you leave.”

  Fiona turned her full attention to him. “Listen you worm,” she said through clenched teeth. “I know what you are. I know what you’ve done to Sasha. If you think I’m going to let her stay for one more minute with you, then you’re as mad as your father.”

  Reggie’s eyes darkened quickly. She could feel a storm brewing within the man. Let it come, she thought. She would like nothing more than for Reggie Downcastle to try to hurt her. She would relish the chance to make him feel as helpless as he had made Sasha feel over the years.

  “I don’t know what you think you’re talking about,” Reggie said. “But I will forgive you that. These last two years have been very difficult for you as they have been for everybody. Clearly the betrayal of your brother has driven you to madness, and I’m not without sympathy. My father’s treachery placed a hole in my heart that I fear can never be made right. It’s out of that empathy that I will forgive your remarks. But it’s time for you to go, Fiona.”

  There was a hiss of naked steel sliding from its sheath. Fiona twirled the demon-pommel blade in her hand and let it come to a rest pointed directly at Reggie’s throat. His eyes narrowed. “What then?” he asked. “You’re going to kill me here on my own property? With my wife, your best friend, resting one room over? You’re insane, Fiona. But not totally irredeemable. Put that thing away and we can talk about whatever is troubling you.”

  He spoke so eloquently and sincerely that for half a moment Fiona was almost tempted to believe him. Almost.

  She kept the blade pointed at him.

  “Sasha! Come out here!”

  A door from the other side of the room creaked open. Sasha Rains emerged barefoot wearing a plain white dress.

  “Fiona.” Her voice was bursting with emotion. “Why did you come here? How did you find this place? You shouldn’t be here.”

  “I’ve come to get you away from this monster,” Fiona said. “Come on! You’re coming with me.”

  “Put that away, Fiona,” Sasha pleaded. “There are no weapons here.”

  Fiona uneasily put her sword back in its sheath if only to make Sasha feel better. It was obvious that her friend was on the verge of bursting into tears.

  “Alright, come on now,” Fiona insisted. “I’m here, Sasha. Nobody can hurt you. Come with me. There’s nothing to stop you.”

  Sasha edged forward nervously, and to Fiona’s surprised she gripped Reggie’s arm with both of her hands and placed her head on his shoulder. Unfallen tear drops formed in her eyes. “I’m sorry you came here, Fiona. I honestly don’t know how you know about this place, but it’s not okay for you to be here. This is a private place, one for me and Reggie. You don’t belong here. You should go.”

  “Sasha,” Fiona couldn’t even find the words. She had been ready for Reggie to be armed, or even more likely for him to have brought along some hired muscle. But here they were, alone and defenseless, and Sasha was telling her to go. It just didn’t make sense.

  “Don’t you understand?” Sasha pleaded. “We don’t want you to be here. Reggie doesn’t. I don’t. I don’t know what you think is happening. We came here simply to get a bit of privacy, and to work on our marriage. This isn’t a place where people should come out of the blue. Especially waving swords around.”

  Some anger was slowly creeping into Sasha’s voice. “Why are you always waving swords around, Fiona? Why are you always so quick to jump in and throw your lot in with other people’s problems? So much violence!”

  “I just…I wanted to help you,” Fiona said. She was absolutely stunned. Sasha was the one who had run away after all. Was there something more sinister going on? Was Reggie somehow controlling her mind?

  “It’s time for you to go, Fiona,” Reggie said firmly. “I will forgive you this, but I implore you to seek some help. We’ve all had our fair amount of trauma in the last two years. You should take some time and try to heal. You just can’t do it here. We have enough of our own issues to worry about at the moment.”

  Fiona felt a lump bobbing in her throat that she just couldn’t seem to swallow. After a while she nodded. “Very well,” she said. “I apologize for the intrusion. I can see that you two are best left alone.” Feeling like an enormous idiot, Fiona lamely turned around and walked out of the cabin.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Fiona kept turning over the events that happened in the cabin in her mind, but she could not make sense of them no matter how desperately she tried to. What had all of that been about? First Sasha makes out like she’s running for her life, and the next thing she’s holed up with Reggie in the woods refusing to be rescued.

  But what choice did Fiona have other than to believe it? There was nothing stopping Sasha from walking away. Reggie was unarmed and even if he wasn’t, she was confident that they all knew what would happen if she and him actually drew blades on each other. Maybe that was it…perhaps Sasha couldn’t bear to see her kill Reggie.

  But she wouldn’t have! They would have just left. She kicked a stone in frustration and sent it skipping into a stream. It just didn’t make any sense. Why did everyone have to be so wishy-washy? First Smiley couldn’t seem to make up his mind about what he actually wanted from her, now Sasha.

  Fiona was turning each of these thoughts over in her head as if a secret answer was in front of her but she simply could not find it. With no better objective in mind she started back towards Haygarden, supposing that she would have to start deciding what to do about Brandon and Smiley.

  She moved slowly, purposefully delaying her journey back to the city. There was so much trouble and grief waiting for her in Haygarden. Why go back at all? The thought was a selfish one, she knew, but what did it matter? She would only really be hurting Donyo and Martin, and it was clear that they would understand. The two were so disillusioned she didn’t think either would be surprised if the other simply dissolved into thin air one day.

  But where would she go? Was she skilled enough to move past the Tellosian scryers who relentlessly scoured the border searching for anyone trying to make an illegal crossing? Maybe there was a way for the manjeko to help her if she developed it a little more. Even so, which way would she go?

  Lost in these thoughts Fiona wandered aimlessly nearer to Haygarden when her mind exploded. There was something happening inside her, the manjeko, it was on fire. Instinctively she dropped to her knees and poured herself into the magical orb that throbbed inside of her like a second heart.

  Immediately she saw him. Emotions too stron
g to put to words boomed in her head like fireworks. It was Rodrick! He was standing in a dimly lit room, but it was him. His forest green eyes were shining malevolently, and he had sprouted a bushy brown beard that gave him the look of someone who had spent a great deal of time in the wilderness, but there was no mistaking him.

  Immensely satisfied Fiona used the manjeko to zoom in on the situation. The room held five other people, none of whom she recognized. They were hooded and cloaked with only the fires of a few candles to give light to their features.

  “As Haygarden’s strength wanes the Empire will come in for us,” a short man with small eyes pleaded. “I assure you, my lords, that they will seek to give the people of Haygarden reason to want them. These Laquathi toys, they are satisfying in the moment but beyond the base pleasures of catharsis they do not serve us well.”

  Fiona rolled her eyes despite the situation. Of course this group of losers would style themselves as lords.

  “You would have us do what then?” a taller man hissed. “Return to the desert? Abandon the home of our ancestors? The fight is hard. We know this. That does not mean we can leave!”

  “You’re fighting the wrong enemy,” the short man returned. “Sandra Redfire is nothing more than a puppet. You think we are winning but do not be blinded by arrogance. They are letting us win because it suits them!”

  “How many more of the runes do we have?” Rodrick asked. His voice was deep and resounding, a voice everyone in the room fell silent to hear.

  “Nine ready for immediate use,” a hunchbacked man with bushy grey eyebrows said. “Another twenty potential…but I advise they be thoroughly examined to be sure there is no fault with them. We can expect another ten by the moon’s turn.”

  “Pathetic,” Rodrick growled. “We should have ten times that by now, and the city would be ready to fall! We cannot topple a government without more weaponry.”