To start with, she would find all the ingredients she required. Every single one. Then, when she had enough ingredients, she could restore her magic. And then she could find the others. She repeated that sequence from time to time in her mind, trying to chase away the doubts that kept creeping back in. She had survived worse. At least she knew she was in the Erith heartland, and not the surjusi realm.
“Do you have any food?” Seivella asked after a while. “Those cursed Gardeners took everything.”
“No.” Arrow stopped walking and turned back to the lady. Seivella had always seemed so capable. And also well-travelled. “Is there anything edible around us?”
“How would I know?” The lady sounded cross. “I always brought provisions with me.” She twitched a fold of her damp dress. “And better clothing.”
Arrow stayed silent, waiting.
Seivella’s shoulders slumped, temper fading. “Well, there might be.” She tilted her head up. “I think these are temeos trees.”
Arrow’s brows lifted and she looked up as well. Temeos was a large fruit that was found in most Erith kitchens. She had seen some temeos trees before, and they had barely been higher than her head.
“The ones grown in gardens are pruned back as they grow,” Seivella said dryly, perhaps guessing Arrow’s thoughts. “Trying to climb up one of those every time you want a snack is not ideal.”
“No,” Arrow agreed. The trunk was smooth as far as she could see, with no handholds or footholds.
“There might be something else we can eat along the way,” Seivella suggested. She shivered slightly. “We should keep moving.” She shivered again.
“You are cold,” Arrow realised.
“Yes. I fell in the water. I am cold.” The lady’s voice was tart. Back to normal.
Arrow simply turned and began walking again.
Sometime later the sky above was growing noticeably darker. It had been a long, hot afternoon, and they stopped more than once for water. Seivella’s dress seemed to have dried, at least. Arrow’s pockets were stuffed full of plants.
They had not found anything to eat, though. Despite the water, Arrow’s stomach was hollow. She had grown used to regular meals, she realised. Along with a comfortable bed, a place of her own and freedom to make her own choices. Not for the first time she realised that freedom from the Erith had added to her list of wishes, not answered it.
She was about to suggest that they pause and try and find some food before it grew too dark, when movement in the trees nearby caught her attention again.
Before she had time to warn Seivella, Kallish nuin Falsen stepped out of the trees nearby, as composed as she usually was.
“Greetings, mage.”
“Svegraen. It is very good to see you.” Arrow hoped she did not sound as shaken as she felt, weak with relief. The only thing better than meeting Kallish would have been finding Kester.
“Likewise. Lady.” Kallish’s voice shaded to cool as she greeted Seivella. The lady glared back at the warrior.
“Do you have any food?” she demanded.
Kallish’s brows lifted, but she tilted her head. “Some. I was able to climb one of the trees.” She moved something off her shoulder and Arrow saw that the warrior had, somehow, managed to fashion a rudimentary bag from what looked like a pair of shirtsleeves, the seams unpicked and the fabric then sewn back together along the long sides and one of the ends. Kallish’s nose wrinkled as she saw Arrow’s glance. “It was necessary. And irritating. This is my favourite shirt.” The warrior opened the fabric folds to reveal a half dozen temeos fruits.
“You have a sewing kit with you?” Arrow asked, startled.
Kallish’s mouth quirked in a smile and she shook her head slightly. “We have learned to adapt over the years.” She straightened one arm, and indicated the clasp at her cuff. “The pin can be used as a needle if need be.”
“Very clever,” Arrow said, admiring. She had not known that White Guard uniforms were so clever.
She would have asked more, but Seivella shoved past Arrow and grabbed the nearest fruit, sinking her teeth in and devouring the whole thing in quick, feverish bites, grabbing another one from Kallish’s bag before the warrior could react.
“Enough,” Kallish said firmly. “It will be difficult to get more. Arrow.” The warrior handed over one of the remaining fruits and tied the bag together again, slinging it back over her shoulder.
“Do you know where we are, svegraen?”
“Far from where we were,” the warrior answered, voice grim. “From the vegetation and climate, I would guess we are several days inland from House Nostren territory.”
Arrow’s mind to grasp where that was, recalling the few maps she had seen of the Erith heartland. House Nostren held a swathe of land near the coast, but most of the House’s territory was made up of islands.
“Was the temple in House Nostren territory?”
“South of that, I think. Probably in the unclaimed borders between House Nostren and House Sovernis.”
Arrow ate the temeos as she tried to follow that through on the map. Travelling north from the borderlands with the human world and the Taellaneth, there was a strip of border, then House Liathius, then House Sovernis, then House Nostren.
“So, are we close to House Sena?”
“Possibly. No one really claims the jungle,” Kallish told her, glancing around, “and it is easy to see why. Impossible to defend.”
Arrow shivered, remembering another unwelcome fact about the jungle. “There are baelthras here.”
“Not here,” Kallish answered dryly. “But in some parts of the jungle. Yes.”
“Baelthras?” Seivella hissed, eyes wide as she looked around. “We must keep moving.”
“They would out-pace us easily,” Kallish answered, shaking her head slightly. Arrow shivered again, remembering the agile movements of the predators. Without magic and unarmed, they did not stand a chance. “But we should keep an eye out for things we can use as weapons. Long, straight poles we can use as spears.”
Arrow looked around the dense undergrowth and twisted branches in reach. Nothing seemed straight here.
“We will be killed,” Seivella said, voice rising.
“Perhaps. It is difficult to defend against baelthras. Especially with no magic.”
“I may be able to counter that,” Arrow said, and explained about the counter-agent. “But we need to find the other ingredients.”
Kallish asked what she needed and listened carefully as Arrow recited the list before nodding, the list committed to memory.
“Good. I think the stream widens out ahead,” Kallish nodded in the direction they had been travelling. “We should find somewhere there we can take shelter. And I can get some more fruit,” she added, with a sideways glance to Seivella.
CHAPTER 13
If the jungle had been loud during the day, it was deafening at night. There was rustling in the undergrowth that sounded like an entire army was making its way through the trees, shrieks of night birds overhead, and cries of animals that Arrow could not identify, as well as chattering sounds that Kallish identified after a few moments’ listening as some kind of monkey. From the grim expression on Kallish’s face, barely seen in the fading light, she was not happy that the monkeys were so close to them. But there were no baelthras, and that was something.
Kallish had found them a spot near a wider point in the stream where she had been able to pack down some of the undergrowth to make a place to sit or lie down, then climbed one of the nearby trees, returning with another dozen of the fruits, giving them two each before adding the rest to her makeshift bag.
The warrior had then suggested they rest until first light. Arrow was happy to do so, worn out from the exercise and the concentration required to keep upright. Seivella had been less pleased, but did not want to try and continue on her own. At least, that was Arrow’s guess.
So they were all settled close to each other under the canopy of temeos trees, the war
rior lying on the ground, apparently asleep, Seivella and Arrow settled with their backs to tree trunks. There was a lot of rustling in the undergrowth and Arrow was doing her best not to think about the many, many species of insects and spiders that inhabited the jungle. Some of them quite poisonous. And vicious, known to attack Erith. As a precaution, not caring how silly it looked, she had tucked the ends of her trousers into her socks. It was one less thing to worry about.
“You do not like me much,” Seivella commented into the dark. It was almost a relief, distracting Arrow from the nearby sounds.
“No,” Arrow agreed.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Why not?”
Arrow clamped her jaw shut on the first words that sprang to mind. They were in an unclaimed territory in Erith lands with no magic. She was fairly certain that staying together was their best chance of survival.
“You were my sponsor. For the Trials,” she said after a moment. She was proud that her voice was even and calm. Almost as if it did not matter at all. It mattered far less now than it had done at the Trials. Shoved out her cell into blinding sunshine and crowds of jeering Erith, all wanting her to fail. No idea of what she was expected to do. Pushed into a huge metal cage with a baelthras.
She still had nightmares about her Trials.
“Oh, that.” Seivella sounded like she had shrugged her shoulders. “My, you do bear a grudge. You passed the Trials. That is all that matters.”
“Hardly.” Kallish’s voice startled Arrow into an undignified squeal. The warrior had not moved and her breathing had not changed.
“What do you know about it?” Seivella’s voice was challenging, the bite evident even in the dark.
“I made enquiries,” Kallish said, still lying on the ground. “Apparently you took bribes to ensure that Arrow failed her Trials.” Even though it had been years before, even though she had succeeded, the information drew a deep, dull ache into Arrow’s chest. No wonder the lady had not helped.
“That is not true.” The challenge had been replaced by fury.
“Really?” Kallish drew the word out.
“Not entirely true.” Seivella shifted position, rustling of her skirts giving her away. “Bribes were offered. I placed my bets on Arrow to succeed. Quite a lucrative day.”
“You have never faced the Trials.” Kallish moved, sitting up, a darker shadow in the night, and Arrow wished she could see the warrior’s face. There was old hurt and bitterness in her voice. “Honourable people do not bet on such things. And honourable sponsors ensure their charges are prepared for the day.”
“Honour.” The sneer in Seivella’s voice was as evident as Kallish’s disdain. “When has that helped anyone? Warriors and their honour.”
“Quiet,” Kallish said.
“I will not-” Seivella’s words cut off in a muffled squeal as Kallish moved. Arrow thought that warrior had clamped a hand over the lady’s mouth.
“Quiet, I said,” Kallish repeated, voice almost silent. A moment later Arrow realised what the warrior had sensed.
The night around them was silent.
The cacophony had died completely. There was not even a rustle from the undergrowth. Something had scared even the insects.
Moving as slowly as she could, Arrow rose to her feet. She did not want to face danger sitting down. Nearby she could sense Kallish and Seivella doing the same, their shapes indistinct in the night.
As they came to their feet there was a low growl nearby. Every hair on her body lifted, stomach twisting. Predator.
It was also familiar.
“Zachary?” She stepped away from the tree, to Kallish’s immediate protest.
Another soft growl, less menacing.
A trick of light caught the large creature as it stepped into the clearing from the other side, eyes gleaming.
“I am glad to see you,” Arrow said, keeping still. This was Zachary, she was in no doubt, and yet he seemed different, much closer to his predatory side than she was used to seeing. And he was in animal form. “Can you change back?”
A harsh snarl had her stumbling backward, instinct taking her away before her brain could catch up.
“I assume that means no,” Kallish commented, coming to stand beside Arrow.
“I assume so.” Arrow took a step back towards Zachary, eyes straining in the poor light. “We do not have any magic,” she told him. “The potion, or whatever it was, that the Gardener used to drug us took that away. He must have done something to you, too.”
Zachary snarled again, darker and with more intensity.
“We are resting until first light, and then we are going to continue along the stream,” Arrow told him, suddenly exhausted. She settled back on the ground. “I may be able to brew something that will counter the potion. It might help you, too, if you had the same drug.”
“We should rest for a bit,” Kallish suggested, settling on the ground again. “If the Prime wishes to stay?”
Zachary padded across the clearing and settled himself between Seivella and Arrow. The Academy’s deputy made a small sound of protest, swiftly cut off.
The undergrowth stayed silent. Not even insects or spiders were willing to come near the Prime.
CHAPTER 14
Arrow woke from dreamless sleep, for a moment feeling rested and content before something moved beside her and she remembered where she was and who she was with. It was light enough that she could see reasonably well. Well enough to notice that Seivella’s dress would never be the same again, and that Kallish’s uniform was far less pristine than normal. They were all marked by the jungle somehow. Sap had stuck to them, leaves, bits of bark, and soil following. And they had no real way of getting clean, all their magic gone.
She sat up to find that Zachary had stayed between her and Seivella all night. He was not sleeping, lying with his head resting on his outstretched front paws. On watch.
Kallish and Seivella were still sleeping. Or so it appeared. The lady had a frown on her face, even in sleep. Kallish looked serene and still.
Zachary lifted his head and looked at her, eyes a flat green. His power had been limited, too, she realised. The Gardener must have found something that countered shifkin magic.
“There may be baelthras around,” she told him, not sure why that was the first thing that came to mind. He gave a low growl. The rogue magician responsible for the death of his mate had set baelthras loose in shifkin territory. She remembered Kallish’s wariness the night before at some of the sounds from the jungle. “There may be other predators, too.”
Zachary looked at her and bared his teeth in a slow, deliberate move.
“Apart from you, of course.”
He made a low, huffing, sound that seemed to be a dismissal of other predators. Not worth his attention.
Even so, Arrow realised she would feel more comfortable if she had something she could use to defend herself, however limited her combat skills were.
“We were looking for straight branches we could use as spears,” she said slowly, eyes travelling around the area she could see. It was not far. There was too much growing. Zachary’s ears twitched and he followed her glance around, then looked up. Arrow followed his gaze. There were more temeos trees above them, straight trunks disappearing into the lightening sky overhead. Something in the trees overhead had caught his attention. Arrow rose to her feet, straining her eyes to see, and for about the thousandth time cursed her inferior eyesight.
She had no time to wonder further, as Zachary took off from the ground, leaping onto one of the nearby trunks and climbing up it far more easily than Kallish had the day before. Despite her years of training, the warrior had made slow progress, struggling to keep her hold of the smooth bark on the way up.
The Prime disappeared into the canopy overhead in moments, a furious rustling following.
“What did he see?”
Arrow was not surprised to find Kallish beside her, the warrior staring upwards as well.
“I do not know. I was talking about spears.”
“I heard.”
A moment later and the Prime’s head shoved through the canopy, something held between white teeth. He opened his mouth and whatever it was fell towards them. Arrow took a hasty step back. Kallish waited, and caught the thing with ease. A long, straight, branch, snapped at one end from the tree trunk, leaves at the other end.
“Of course. The young shoots from temeos trees are straight,” Kallish said, and set the stick to one side, looking back up the tree. “We will take as many as you can find, Prime.”
The Prime’s dark furred face split with what looked like a grin, long, sharp, white teeth gleaming in the shadows, and he disappeared again.
Seivella woke with a start a few moments later as a series of sticks began raining down around her, scrambling to her feet with a shriek of rage that must have carried far into the jungle. She brushed leaves and bits of twig off her clothing as she moved aside from the falling sticks.
“Is it not enough that I am stuck in this awful place without a single cleansing spell. Must you throw things at me as well?”
Kallish caught the next few sticks, passed them to Arrow, and Arrow added them to the pile.
“It is possible to survive without cleansing spells,” Arrow pointed out, trying not to smile.
“No civilised person would attempt to do so,” Seivella declared.
“I did so for many years under the Taellan’s command,” Arrow answered, voice mild, setting more sticks onto the growing pile. “But you do not consider me civilised.” The last was out before she could check it, bitterness clear.
“I did not think of it like that,” Seivella said after a moment’s awkward silence. Her voice had lost its edge.
“Very few people did,” Arrow said. She turned her attention back to the sticks and Kallish. “Do you know how we can make them into points?” she asked the warrior as they waited for the next throw from above.
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