“But what if he goes to her and tells her what we’re doing?” Jason said. “Won’t she help him?”
“Trust me. I know Airam as well as I know myself. She won’t help Regor. Knowing her, I doubt Regor will even be able to find her.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Rest. We won’t see Regor again today, so take the time to regain your strength. Let Seryn do some more work on your back. Tomorrow we’ll go looking for him again.”
*****
Borin stared at the distant peaks of the Cauldron Mountains, just barely visible through the haze on the horizon. They had become steadily larger and more threatening throughout the day with each successive jump. Time and again, Delani sent her hawk out to the limits of her contact range and then they waited while she, looking through the eyes of the bird, found a safe place. Once she had a clear picture of the area, she opened a portal, bringing them ever closer to their destination.
When Gatlor told them of the murdered men, he had hoped the High One would decide to call off this mission, or at the very least postpone it. But the grim news seemed to convince the High One that retrieving the Blood Iron was even more vital than he had originally thought. And so, here they were. Moving steadily toward a land occupied by a nightmare race, not to mention being one of the most hostile and territorial races that he had come across in his studies. Just the thought of it had kept him awake for most of the previous night.
Although much too far away to see, he imagined the foothills crawling with Manarachs waiting to devour any hapless human that might inadvertently wander into their territory. During the battle, there had not been time to think about the loathsome creatures, even when he had used his power against them. He knew he was a match for them, but that did nothing to alleviate his dread. He shuddered as he thought about it, and then looked around quickly to make sure no one else had seen.
Because of the distances involved, and the limitation of Delani’s link to her hawk, it was taking numerous jumps to reach their destination. Even so, they had covered in the better part of a day what would have taken well over a sixday traveling overland. Now, although they were almost to the end of their journey, the sun was beginning to sink toward the mountain range. Fortunately, once they had the Blood Iron, it would only take one jump to return.
He glanced at Delani. Her eyes were closed as she sought out their next destination. The four guards accompanying them had taken up defensive positions, watching in all directions as they waited. Each had either a pick or a spade across their back, along with large leather bags to carry the ore when they found it. Hopefully, Brin would be able to use his power to excavate the ore, but it was better to be prepared. He still would have preferred at least a dozen or more soldiers with them, but he understood the High One’s reasoning for the smaller party. Besides, he kept telling himself, if they ran into any trouble with the creatures, two of the Loremasters could hold a shield around the small group while the third created a portal to safety.
He turned to Brin. He had been reluctant to bring up the subject of his ignorance, but now they were almost to the foothills. He could not avoid the topic any longer.
“Loremaster Brin,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, “I did not want to confess my lack of knowledge to the High One, but I do not know anything about Blood Iron. Loremaster Chon never mentioned it, and I do not recall seeing any reference to it in the Obsidian Order’s archives. What does the Ruby Order know of it?”
“Very little, I am afraid. We have a description of its appearance, but little else. In our texts it is also called by the puzzling name of Invisible Stone. What that refers to, I do not know. The papers the High One had contained more information about it than we possess.”
The fact that the Ruby Order knew little more than he did only slightly mollified him. How was he to fashion the staff depicted in the High One’s papers if he knew nothing of the material from which he was to create it? He would have to determine the proper method for smelting an unknown ore, and then the correct temperature for shaping the rod and tines from the resulting metal. He would use his dimsai for the fine finish work, but the metal still had to be heated and cooled correctly to temper it. Too hot, and the staff could turn out brittle. Too cold, and he would not be able to shape it properly. No amount of dimsai could compensate for early mistakes. He had not been able to study the papers in depth, but he hoped they contained more information than what he had seen in his brief examination.
“How difficult do you believe it will be to find the ore?” he asked.
“I cannot say. I have never had a sample to study. The fact that it is sometimes called Invisible Stone would seem to imply that finding it may not be the easiest task we could have undertaken. Nor am I certain it is the most important one at the moment.”
“You mean the assassin?”
“I mean our entire situation, including the assassin. One third of the Circle is either missing or incapacitated. Now is not the time for us to further divide our forces.” He waved a hand. “But I am not the High One. It is not my place to make such decisions.” His brows drew down. “I only hope the camp is still there when we return. If the assassin is working for Regor, they will almost certainly tell the Shadow Lord their location. If that happens…” He let his words trail off.
Brin’s final statement startled Borin. It had never occurred to him that a camp full of saiken and armed warriors could be in as much danger as what they were about to face.
“I have found the next spot,” Delani’s said, “and I have been listening to your conversation.” They turned to her as she went on. “I too have misgivings about our mission, but I believe the High One is correct. If we are to undertake it at all, it must be now.”
“Why?” Brin asked.
“Consider what you said at the camp. If Regor’s intent is to ‘whittle us down’ as you said, then the only time we have any hope of success with a mission like this is when we are at our strongest. If our strength continues to dwindle, then our strongest is right now. We dare not wait and hope to be stronger later. We do not know if the High One will regain his power, we do not know if Seryn will return, and we do not know how long Reyga will be gone. Therefore, we must go now.”
Borin nodded. When put that way, there was no choice but to go now.
“I see your point,” Brin said. “I can only hope the potential benefits gained from this will match the possible consequences of our absence.”
“I share your hope,” Delani said. “Now it is time to move on.”
They watched as she opened the portal. A few moments later, they were standing at the base of a rocky hill. Borin scanned the area, but did not see anything that appeared ominous.
“Just over this rise, in the distance you can see the beginnings of the forest at the Cauldron foothills,” Delani told them. “As the day is more than half spent, I believe we should stay here tonight, and enter the foothills tomorrow.”
“We are rather close to the Manarachs’ territory,” Borin said. “What if we are discovered during the night?” He had not realized they were this close to the foothills. The thought of waking up to the fangs of a Manarach was more than a little unsettling.
“Not to worry,” Brin said. With his power, he hollowed out a small cavern in the base of the hill. “We will stay here this evening, concealed from any intruders. Tomorrow, we will retrieve the Blood Iron.”
Borin just hoped it was as easy as Brin made it sound.
*****
“It is good to see you again, Reyga,” the woman said as she motioned him inside.
Reyga did not move, still paralyzed by shock. Lenara Cris had been the stranger? The only person to ever turn down a seat on the Circle as a Loremaster, and she was here standing before him? After her refusal so many years ago, she had left Lore’s Haven. No one had heard anything from her since.
“Lenara? You…why are you here? We thought you were…”
“Dead?” She smiled. “Yes, I knew
you all thought that. At the time I thought it best to allow you to continue believing it. Later…well, it was just easier to let it lie.”
She was still holding the door open, so he walked in and waited while she closed it behind him. The room was comfortably decorated, with sparse yet tasteful decorations placed around the walls and shelves.
“Why did you turn down the Pearl seat?” he asked. “And why did you leave Lore’s Haven?”
“Oh, come now, Reyga. You know why.”
He nodded. “Because the Circle did not share your ideas about Teleria.”
“We both wanted the best for the people of Teleria,” she said, closing the door and moving past him to stand before an empty chair. “The Circle was not willing to take the measures needed to assure that.” She eyed his shoulder. “Let me take care of this.” She motioned for him to take a seat opposite her.
“You can heal as well?”
“You’ll find I can do many things, dear friend.”
He sat down and watched as she began tending his shoulder. “The Circle was unwilling to needlessly sacrifice anyone for the gain of others,” he said.
“That is naïve, Reyga. The one who tends the herd must do whatever he can to make the herd stronger. He does this by eliminating threats to his charges, and by culling the herd of the sickly and weak. Only in this way can he ensure a strong herd.”
“Or the shepherd can heal the sickly and help the weak grow stronger so they can be part of the herd as well.”
“Time wasted that would be better used for the good of the already strong.” She finished her work on his injury and took her seat. “And what of Bodann? The Circle did nothing about him and paid dearly for it. Only the timely arrival of Jason Bennett saved you from your own foolishness.”
“To use your example, Bodann was a member of the herd. He was in line to become the Amethyst Loremaster. You know this.”
“Yes, but he became a threat instead. That was why the Circle banished him. If they had done what they should have, none of the recent tragic events would have taken place.” She leaned forward and gave him a direct look. “How many died, Reyga?”
He could not meet her gaze. “Far too many.”
“Precisely. It need only have been one. But even had the Circle known what would have been saved by executing Bodann, they would not have done it.”
Reyga did not answer. Perhaps she is right. Maybe Bodann should have been killed. No! He pushed the thought away. He needed to change the topic.
“Why did you make it so difficult to get to you? Why not just let me portal to your home?”
“To make sure you were strong enough to deserve my aid.”
“And if I had not been able to make it? If the forest had claimed me?”
“I would have been disappointed, of course. I was looking forward to seeing you again. But all must pass the test. Even you.”
“And how many fail?”
“Most of them. I would say no more than one in three, perhaps four, succeed. You are the first to cross my threshold in the last year. The rest never made it through the forest.”
“And you feel no remorse for that?”
“I did not kill them.”
“But you set the test.”
“Yes, but the test is the same for everyone. I do not change the conditions, nor do I force them to undertake it. They have the choice to turn back before they enter the forest. If they choose to attempt the forest and find out too late that they are not strong enough,” she shrugged, “so be it.”
He sighed. She obviously felt no sorrow at the deaths of those coming to her for aid. And why should she? They were weak. He gritted his teeth. It was becoming more difficult to banish the unwanted thoughts.
“Why did you come here?” he asked. “Why did you allow everyone to believe you dead?” His voice dropped almost to a whisper. “Why did you let me believe it?”
She laid a gentle hand on his cheek. “Ah, Reyga. It was hardest allowing you to believe I was dead. But I wished to pursue my studies in peace, without the banality of everyday life at the Haven, and out from underneath the watchful eye of the Circle.”
“By which you mean your methods of study were not something the Circle would have approved of.”
“Of course. Let me tell you a secret. Bodann’s ideas and mine were not that far apart. However, he wanted power for its own sake. I truly want the best for Teleria and those that live here. But had I not left, in time the Circle would have banished me as well.”
He could not argue with her. If her ideas were anything like Bodann’s, the Circle would have taken action.
“So what have you learned in your time here?”
She smiled. “I was hoping you would ask. Follow me.”
She got up and led him to a large room at the back of the building. Crystals of all shapes and sizes lined numerous shelves, and benches and tables filled the room. Clearly, this was where she did most of her work. Except for a few, the crystals pulsed and glowed with inner light.
“What is all this?”
“This,” she said, spreading her arms and spinning slowly, “is my work.” She looked at him, her eyes dancing with excitement. “I have learned how to collect and store dimsai.”
“Truly, Lenara? That is remarkable! If you c—” He grabbed the edge of the nearest table as the room swayed and dark spots formed around the edges of his vision.
She grabbed his arm. “I think perhaps we have talked long enough.” Leading him to a nearby chair, she helped him sit. “Let me look at you.”
He closed his eyes to stop the spinning and nodded. “Be careful. Regor’s power has already slain one in a similar situation.”
“Have no fears, Reyga. Capturing dimsai is not all I have learned in my time here. I have a somewhat more expert touch than those at Lore’s Haven. Please, sit back. This may take a few minutes.”
He tried to relax but even with his eyes closed, the room felt as if it was slowly spinning. He could feel her power like an army of tiny insects crawling over his skin as she investigated what Regor had done. After several moments, the sensation faded. When she remained silent, he opened his eyes. She had a troubled look on her face.
“What is wrong?”
“Reyga, I must apologize. If I had realized the depth of Regor’s cunning, I would have made an exception and allowed you to portal directly here.”
“Tell me.”
“I have told you already that the power the Shadow Lord placed within you was growing. What I did not realize is that every time you use your power, it augments his. The dark power inside of you now matches that of your own dimsai. Within two days, you will be Regor’s willing servant.”
Two days? Why did you make me undergo your foolish challenge? He almost shouted it at her, but forced it down. He refused to yield to urges he knew came from Regor’s influence. The outcome would have still been the same. Her challenge had only changed the time frame.
He took a deep breath. “Can you collect dimsai from humans?”
“I can and I have, but there is a complication.”
He waited for her to continue.
“Because the Shadow Lord’s power has grown as much as it has, it has become enmeshed with yours.” She laid her hand on his. “Reyga, I cannot remove his without taking yours as well. You would be powerless.”
Powerless. He considered the implications as he looked at her without seeing her. I would have to step down as Emerald Loremaster. He would not be able to help Jason should Jason need him. He would be dependent on others whenever he needed anything that he could not get, make, or do with his own hands.
On the other hand, if she was correct, before the sun rose three times he would begin seeking Jason out, to deliver Regor’s deadly personal greeting. And what would he do to anyone he met while looking for Jason, some of whom knew him and trusted him? He would not be the man they knew.
There was only one decision possible.
“Take it. Take it all.”
They emerged from their earthen accommodations as the sun crested over the mountain peaks in the distance. Borin peeked over the ridge and tried to control his breathing as he thought about what they were about to do. He clenched his fists, fighting to hold his racing emotions in check. Loremasters cannot be ruled by fear. He focused on taking slow, deep breaths until he felt his heart regain a more normal rhythm. Then he turned to the others.
“Are we ready?” Better to look confident than cowardly.
Delani looked to the sky and closed her eyes as she linked to the hawk soaring far overhead. “Let me find a suitable spot. We will begin just outside the forest and enter on foot. As soon as we find the Blood Iron, we will get what we need and create a portal back to the camp.”
Except for the ‘enter on foot’ part, the plan sounded good to Borin. Get in, find the ore, and get out. If it went that well, he would be very happy.
“I have found a place,” she said. Two of the soldiers moved to either side of her. The other two stood in front of Borin and Brin as she opened the portal. As soon as it was ready, the soldiers in front stepped through. Brin and Borin followed. The soldiers by Delani came next, with Delani coming through last.
Borin peered into the forest, suddenly far too close for his comfort, looking for any sign of danger. From here, it looked like any other forest. It could have been the woods surrounding Lore’s Haven. Nothing seemed amiss or out of place and birdsong floated along the light breeze. Perhaps this would not be as bad as he feared.
They began moving into the trees, two Warders in front of the Loremasters and two following. There was no trail, but the trees were far enough apart to make passage easy. Although their surroundings seemed free of danger, Borin could not shake the sensation of being watched. Get control, Borin! he told himself. There was no sign of Manarachs. Perhaps they had moved to another area. It was a much more pleasant thought than the alternative. He decided to focus on that instead of the tingling on the back of his neck. It felt like hundreds of tiny spiders crawli— Stop it! He had to find something else to occupy his thoughts before he drove himself mad.
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