“Wait, Sath, why don’t I port us?” she asked. Sath looked down at her and smiled as he had thousands of times at his son when Khujann had offered an absolutely ridiculous idea. “Don’t look at me like that, I was just offering.” Tempted to search his mind for their final destination, she resorted to strapping her staff onto the side of her pack and then sulking, arms crossed in front of her chest, and her toe beating out an impatient rhythm on the stone path.
“Okay, to the Outpost, then? I want to keep our final destination a surprise, but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for you to take us that far—you will go with me, won’t you? I mean, if I let you port—of course you will, I’m just…” The hurt that flashed through his eyes sent a spear of pain to her heart. He was referring, of course, to the number of times that she had purposefully ducked out of a transport spell at the last minute, or, worse, the time when Khujann was missing. Sath trusted her enough to unchain her hands, and Gin magically ported herself away from him to search for his son on her own. She could feel the dull hum in the back of her mind that was his presence ramp up a few notches, and she countered with as much assurance as she could send through their bond.
“Of course I am,” she said, smiling at him as she felt him relax. She raised her hands and began an ancient chant in Elvish that would call up transportation magic to take them to the Outpost as Sath pulled up the hood of his cloak to conceal his identity when they landed. As she finished the spell, Sath threw his arms around her from behind and pulled her against him firmly. Gin sucked in her breath, all of her senses on high alert for a moment…until she remembered that it was Sath—not Ben—behind her. Sath did not know that was the way Ben made her use her port magic, holding her against him so that she couldn’t duck out at the last minute. Maybe she should reconsider keeping those memories barricaded in her mind and away from him? Soon the familiar inside-out feeling hit her, and they were standing in the Outpost. “Now what?”
“Now we travel across the land—it will take a few days, but I want to avoid magic for this. I think it’s time you and I both faced some fears, Gin, and I know just the place to do it,” Sath said. He looked down at her, his teal eyes pained. “I need you to trust me, though, because you aren’t going to want to when you see where we are headed.”
“Don’t be silly, I trust you, Sath,” Gin said mechanically, but she knew that she didn’t wholly mean the words—and he knew it too, thanks to the bond. Gin let out a frustrated exhale. She trusted Sath enough to travel with him, but she also believed in her magical ability to transport herself out of danger. Sath cocked his head to one side and studied her as the hum started to become a buzz—he was actively trying to sort her out, forgetting that she had taught him about the bond and would recognize the feeling. “What?”
“You know I can tell when you are lying, right?” he said, his voice grumbly and sad. Gin looked away from his gaze. “I mean even without our bond I can but now. . . It’s all right, I understand. That’s the point of this trip,” he said, reaching out for her hand. She gave it willingly, and they walked through the Outpost in silence. As they drew near to the Grand Library, Sath stopped, and Gin looked up at him quizzically. “Wait here – I need to find the wizard I have contacted to provide us with supplies for the trip.” Gin nodded as Sath left her, headed for the Grand Library.
She sat down under a tree, trying to find anything else to focus on than giving in to the temptation to seek out Sath’s destination in the bond. The journals from Draoch warned of that temptation. Those with weaker constitutions could use it for evil rather than for good. “Well, look at us now, Great-Great-Grandfather. Your warning has found willing ears.” She twirled a blade of grass in her fingers and looked up toward the Grand Library, waiting to see Sath returning with supplies, but he had not appeared yet. She found it odd that he had gotten supplies from a wizard, but decided to let that go. The less she questioned Sath, the better, she supposed.
Sath entered the Grand Library almost at a dead run. The wizard had told him where to meet her, and he wanted nothing less than to get it over with quickly. Wizards made him nervous in general, but after his experience with Taeben, he wanted nothing to do with them as a rule. He rounded a shelf full of books and headed up the staircase behind them, taking the steps two at a time. He skidded to a stop, almost toppling over onto the table where a dark elf female sat, staring at him as though someone had loosed a wild animal into the library.
“My lady…wizard…?” She stared up at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak D’leesh.”
“You’re lucky I speak the common tongue.” She rose from her seat, and Sath happened to notice that she was levitating a few feet above the stone tiles of the floor. He swallowed hard but held her gaze. “You are the Rajah?”
Sath knocked back his hood before he spoke. “Aye. Do you have the items we agreed upon?”
“Are you in a hurry, Your Majesty?” She reached into a bag that was floating in the air in front of her.
“Do you always rely on parlor tricks during business transactions, my lady?” She glared up at him for a moment, then returned to rummaging in the bag.
“I do, Your Majesty. May I ask where you are headed on your travels that you need such potions?” She began placing different sized vials on the table in front of her as she slowly floated to the ground. Sath reached out to investigate one of the bottles but paused, his hand hovering just above it as she glared at him. “You will want me to explain what they are and what they do before you start sniffing them, Majesty.”
“Of course.” Sath had asked around in the Outpost, and this Ikedrian’s name had come up over and over in reference to potion-making. She was said to be the most talented in the Outpost, and he had contacted her—by delivered message—just as soon as Gin agreed to take this journey with him. If his plan was to have her rely on him for things she would typically accomplish with magic, he would need to have the stores of potions, healing ointments, and food. The food was easy enough—he got as many rations as they could carry from the palace, and then would hunt for meat and gather what they could find for the rest of it. “The Nature Walker and I are headed out on the business of the Guardians this day, and I have come to you as I understand that you are the best at what you do.”
“Well, you have heard correctly.” She put the last vial on the table. “Now then, these in the small tube-like vials are for speed. You must take them before striking out when you need to be able to move faster. If you wait until you are pursued, for example, they will not have time to work. Earlier is better.”
“Noted. What about these that seem to still be swirling, though you placed the bottles on the table first?” Sath pointed at one of the smaller and rounder bottles. The liquid inside looked as though it was still moving, like a whirlpool, and something about the bright purple color made him think of the horrible medicines he had to nearly force Khujann to take on occasion when the prince was ill.
“Those are healing potions. The smaller the bottle, the more potent the ingredients, so save the tiny ones for grave injuries.” She moved the bottles over to one side and then looked up at Sath. “Pardon me again, Rajah, but what do you need these for if you are traveling with the Nature Walker? Can’t she heal most injuries, regardless of severity?”
“These are just in case she is the one injured.” Sath wished that she would stop asking him so many questions and just get on with it. “These large ones?”
“These are the ones that will render you invisible to most eyes. But just like the potions that will increase your speed, you need to take this well before you need to disappear.” She took the bottles and put them carefully into a potion pack—a leather pouch that unfolded flat, with little leather laces to tie around each of the containers. Once she was finished, she slid the bag over to him. “Now, there are two I have not placed in the pack because they must be carefully handled.” She handed him two tiny vials with a metallic looking liquid in them, each with a stopper that had been sealed in plac
e by wax.
“Are they dangerous?” Sath couldn’t explain it, but to look at the two vials made him queasy. “I haven’t asked you for any defensive potions.”
She smiled at him. “They are not dangerous per se, not to you anyway. But Rajah, I would not be doing my job if I didn’t offer you some protection along with the healing and invisibility. What would our world be if we lost two of our Guardians?”
Sath pondered her words for a minute. “I suppose you are right. I will do whatever I must to keep Gin safe.” The Ikedrian grimaced but recovered herself almost immediately – not before Sath noticed, however. “Tell me, what do they do?”
“This one? Kaboom.” The smile that crossed her face gave Sath pause. “Do not remove the stopper, do not do anything but throw them at suspected danger. The silver one will merely create a smokescreen that will allow you to evade danger. Remember, gold is kaboom, silver is run away.”
“I understand. Now, did my messenger pay you the amount we agreed upon?” She nodded, and he took the last two potions, turning the vials over in his hands and studying them. The gold liquid seethed in the bottle, and he tucked it into a pocket inside his cloak. “Then I fear I must be quite rude and be on my way. I would like to arrive on this side of the treeline before nightfall.” He held out his hand, and she placed hers in it, making a curtsey as she did. Sath drew her hand to his lips as he had learned to do with nobility, and then released it. She moved back to her table and resumed her levitation as she opened a book from her back and began reading. Sath replaced his hood and then walked quickly down the stairs and out the front of the library without looking back.
Ellie watched the Rajah exit the library and then cast her own invisibility spell. She drifted down the stairs and out the front doors, watching as he hurried up to the Nature Walker. Ellie looked her up and down—how different the wood elf looked outside of Aynamaede, dressed like a commoner. She could not imagine what her A'chrya had seen in this female—clearly, she had cast a spell on him of some sort. Disgusting. Ellie drew near enough to them to hear them talking; the Rajah explained the need for the potions, the Nature Walker scowled but still gazed up at him with those lovesick blue eyes when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“Shall we get going?” she heard the Rajah ask. The Nature Walker nodded and took his hand for a moment, then let go and took hold of his tail, which made them both laugh. Barbaric. For that, her master had died? Those hands of the Rajah’s—knowing that he had both gravely injured her master and then killed him—Ellie paused a moment. How did she know that? All she overheard in the forest was the rumor that the Rajah killed Taeben, but just now—it just came to her. Things just occurred to her like that more and more lately, with even more frequency after she moved into her quarters in the embassy. It was like a plan was finally coming together—some long sought after prize was moving within her reach. But it wasn’t her plan, her prize, was it? Handing those two over to the Mother Dragon was so close now. Just a journey across the Forest and the desert of the Outlands to go.
Seven
The Great Forest. . .and Beyond
Sath and Gin walked in silence along the winding path from the Outpost into the Great Forest, reaching Aynamaede by nightfall. This was not following his timeline, but he found that he didn’t care. The Rajah paused and looked up toward the trees, and Gin nearly bumped into him. “What is it, Sath?”
“This is the first time that I’ve seen the torches lit—well, the first time I haven’t been afraid of them, anyway.” Sath chuckled. “It’s beautiful.” Gin smiled as she snuggled up under his arm. He held her close to him as they both gazed up at the treetop city. “What was it like growing up there?”
“Um, for me? Dangerous. Look how high up even the lowest platform is!” They both laughed, and Gin looked upward, misty-eyed. “It was magical. You know, I’ve been angry for so long at my parents for not telling me who I am, for leaving, for so many things—but I can’t be angry with them for my childhood. I know now that they did all that they did, including keeping our family secret hidden from us, because they wanted to protect us.” Gin sighed, and Sath tightened his arm around her, seeking her out in the bond to make sure he wasn’t frightening her. He never smelled fear on her, not anymore, but he knew that there were deeper wounds—something happened with that wizard that she kept hidden from him in the bond.
“We should keep moving unless you want to make camp here tonight?”
“Oh, no. No, I do not.” Gin shook her head. “If they catch on that the Nature Walker is in residence, we will never get out of here.” She looked up at the twinkling lights again as her face softened. “I would love for you to see where I stay here when I have to come back. You’ve never come with me.”
“Bane of the Forest.”
“I know, but how can they forgive you if you don’t give them a chance?”
“How about this—we sneak up there, and you show me around, and then we leave before we are discovered?” Gin looked up at him, questioning. He felt her uncertainty, along with her pride in her home, and nodded at her. “No one will see us.”
“Sath, they can see through invisibility magic.”
“That’s why we won’t use any.” Sath knew that this idea might end badly, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Hide our things here, under those trees. Then climb on my back, and we will be up there before you know it.” Gin thought for a moment and then pulled off her haversack and staff. She hid the pack in some brambles but then hesitated before putting her staff down. “Take it with you. I can carry you either way.” He put his pack down with hers and then offered her a hand. She took it, and he steadied her as she walked up his leg and climbed onto his back, bringing with her a wave of sunflowers. She settled in, her fingers winding into his fur. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Why do you always smell like sunflowers?” Gin stilled against his back, and he frowned, regretting the question.
“Do I?”
“It isn’t a problem, I love it. My earliest memories of my mother are of the scent of sunflowers—Papa used to say it was part of her magic, that she bewitched him with those flowers.” He could feel Gin’s body vibrate against his back before he heard her giggle.
“So, I remind you of your mother?”
“NO! I mean, no, I was just wondering.” He chuckled as he moved stealthily toward the large tree that held up the highest platform—the one with her residence at the very top. “I could find you in the pitch darkness, Gin. I just have to follow my nose.”
“Well, that’s romantic,” she whispered, giggling. “You aren’t going to climb this one, are you?”
“No, I just need to scope out the nearby trees. If I remember correctly,” Sath said as he settled on a tree and started climbing upward, “this one is close enough that I can reach out and touch the platforms without having to make a dangerous jump.”
“If you remember? When did you—oh.” Sath cursed inwardly as he felt Gin go entirely still on his back. Why had he brought up the Bane of the Forest? He just hoped that she wasn’t going to let go. “Gin, I didn’t mean—hang on, please?”
“Just keep climbing.” They continued in silence until Gin saw her hut coming into view. “Here, this one.” Sath continued climbing until he was a few feet above the platform.
“Hang on.” He pushed off from the tree’s broad trunk and seemed to float through the air across to the platform, landing silently. Gin held a finger up to her lips as she looked around, then slid off his back to the platform. Her boots made only slightly more sound than his feet had when he landed, and she moved quickly toward the door of the hut, gesturing for him to follow her. Once inside, Sath found that he had to sit down on the floor to keep from hitting the ceiling. Gin sat down across from him, keeping some distance between them as she looked up into his teal eyes.
Sath, we have to speak in the bond now. If anyone found you here…
I know, Gin. This was not one of my bett
er ideas. He searched her mind but found barriers where he usually had access. I’m so sorry. I didn't mean to. . .upset you.
You didn’t do it on purpose. It’s all right.
Tell me about this place.
Well, this is where my great, great grandfather Draoch of the Trees lived and where he was kidnapped from at the beginning of the Forest War. My great grandmother, his daughter, was born here and lived here after my people moved back into Aynamaede—once it was safe.
Safe? Oh, from the Mother Dragon and her forces.
Aye. And Neia’s daughter, my maternal grandmother, was born here too. She stood up and crossed the room, pointing to the doorway between the room they were in and the next. She wrote her name here, on the wall. And over here, this is my mother’s name.
Written in Elvish. That script looks prettier than it sounds. Sath hoped she would chuckle, but she did not. Were you born here as well?
No. Mama was not formally recognized as the Nature Walker. Our home was on a lower platform.
Can we see that? Sath hoped that she would continue to talk because he could feel her relaxing in the bond as she told him about her past.
Sath. We cannot be found here. Once I have collected a few things for our journey, we must be on our way, and this time I think we need to use magic. I have seen you shimmy down a tree headfirst, and I have no inclination to be on your back while you do that, thank you.
Sath laughed out loud and then clapped his hand over his face, eyes wide. Gin stared at him and then looked around toward the door. Nothing happened. They sat still for a long time, listening for footsteps, but none came.
Sorry.
When we can use our voices again, remind me to yell at you for that—if I can stop laughing, that is.
She was smiling at him as she stuffed a cloak, some skins of water, and a leather-bound book into her pack. Instead of making him stand up and come to her, Gin walked back over to him and around behind him. She put a hand on his shoulder and then spoke words that he recognized. “Down,” she said, and a familiar ring of magical fire formed around them. Sath smiled as he felt her fingers wind into his fur just before they winked out of the hut.
Darkness: A Guardians of Orana Novel Page 6