The High Lord (41 page)

They continued slowly. After several hundred paces, he pressed a finger to his lips. They crept forward slowly, pausing many times as Akkarin noted the direction of the wind. Sonea saw a glimmer of light between two boulders ahead of them, and knew they had arrived.

Faint voices grew more audible as she and Akkarin approached the boulders. They stopped and crouched behind the rocks. The first voice Sonea heard was male and thickly accented.

“... better chance than I had, with a yeel.”

“She’s a smart girl,” the woman replied. “Why don’t you have one, Parika?”

“I did once. Last year I picked up a new slave. You know how the new ones can be. She took off on me and when the yeel found her she killed him. He’d torn her legs up, though, so she didn’t get far after that.”

“You killed her?”

“No.” Parika sounded resigned. “As tempting as it was. Too hard to find good slaves. She can’t run now, so she isn’t as much trouble.”

The woman made a low noise. “They’re all trouble—even when they’re loyal. Either that or they’re stupid.”

“But necessary.”

“Hmmm. I hate travelling on my own, with nobody to serve me,” the woman said.

“It’s faster, though.”

‘These Kyralians would have slowed me down. I’m almost glad I didn’t find them. I don’t like the idea of keeping magicians prisoner.”

“They’re weak, Avala. They wouldn’t have been much trouble.”

“They’d be less trouble dead.”

A chill ran down Sonea’s spine, then prickled over her skin. Suddenly she wanted to get as far from this place as she could, as quickly as possible. It was not a comfortable feeling, knowing that two powerful magicians who wanted her dead sat just a dozen or so strides away.

“He wants them alive.”

“Why doesn’t he hunt them himself?”

The male Ichani chuckled. “He’s probably itching to, but he doesn’t trust the others.”

“I don’t trust
him,
Parika. He might have sent us to find the Kyralians to get us out of the way.”

The man didn’t answer. Sonea heard a soft rustle of clothing, then the sound of footsteps.

“I did what I could to find them,” Avala declared. “I won’t be excluded. I’m going back to join the others. If he wants these two, he’ll have to hunt them himself.” She paused. “What will you do?”

“Return to the South Pass,” Parika replied. “I will see you again soon, I’m sure.”

Avala gave a soft grunt. “Good hunting, then.”

“Good hunting.”

Sonea heard footsteps, growing faintly softer. Akkarin looked at her, jerked his head in the direction they had come. She followed him slowly and silently away from the boulders. When they had walked several hundred paces, he quickened his stride. Instead of heading to the higher slopes of the mountain, he set off in a southerly direction.

“Where are we going?” Sonea murmured.

“South,” Akkarin replied. “Avala was anxious to get back to the others, as if she feared she might miss something. If she is travelling back to meet Kariko without Parika, who is heading to the Southern Pass, that suggests Kariko intends to enter via the North Pass.”

“Yet they said they’d meet soon.”

“In Kyralia, most likely. It has taken us four days to reach here, and it will take Avala the same time to return. If we hurry, we’ll reach the South Pass before Parika. We must hope it is not guarded by other Ichani.”

“So we’re going back into Kyralia?”

“Yes.”

“Without the Guild’s permission?”

“Yes. We will enter Imardin in secret. If they ask for my help, I want to be close enough to act quickly. But we have a long way to go yet. Save your questions. We must try to put some distance between ourselves and Parika tonight.”

“I think that is all we’re going to get,” Lorlen said. He unclasped his hands from Balkan and Vinara’s, and leaned back in his chair. As the pair released Sarrin’s hands, the three magicians turned to stare at Lorlen.

“Why haven’t you told us about this ring before?” Sarrin asked.

Lorlen took off the ring and set it on the desk before him. He regarded it a moment, then sighed.

“I could not decide what to do about it,” he told them. “It is a thing of black magic, yet it does no harm and it is our only safe means of contacting Akkarin.”

Sarrin picked up the ring and examined it, taking care to touch only the band. “A blood gem. Strange magic. It allows the maker access to the wearer’s mind. He sees what the wearer sees, hears what the wearer hears, and absorbs what the wearer thinks.”

Balkan frowned. “That does not sound like a harmless magical object to me. Whatever you know, he learns.”

“He can’t search my mind,” Lorlen said. “Only read my surface thoughts.”

‘That can be damaging enough, if you happen to think about something he shouldn’t know.” The Warrior frowned. “I don’t think you should wear this ring again, Lorlen.”

The others shook their heads. Lorlen nodded reluctantly.

“Very well, if you all agree.”

“I do,” Vinara replied.

“Yes, so do I,” Sarrin added. He put the ring down. “What shall we do with it?”

“Put it somewhere only we four know of,” Balkan said.

“Where?”

Lorlen felt a stab of alarm. If they locked it away, it had better be in a place they could get to quickly if they needed to call on Akkarin.

“The library?”

Balkan nodded slowly. “Yes. The cupboard of old books and plans. I’ll put it away on the way back to my rooms. For now,” he looked up at each of them in turn, “let’s consider this conversation Akkarin relayed to us. What have we learned?”

“That Sonea is alive,” Vinara replied. “That she and Akkarin have overheard a woman named Avala and a man named Parika discussing a third man.”

“Kariko?” Lorlen suggested.

“Possibly,” Balkan replied. “The pair did not mention his name.”

“Inconsiderate of them,” Sarrin muttered.

“This unseen pair discussed slaves, so that much about them is true,” Vinara said.

“They also discussed hunting for Kyralians.”

“Sonea and Akkarin?”

“Probably. Unless this is a ruse Akkarin has arranged,” Balkan said. “He could have employed two people to have that discussion, so he could relay it to us.”

“Why such an ambiguous message, then?” Sarrin asked. “Why not have them mention Kariko, or his intention to invade Kyralia?”

“I’m sure he has his reasons.” Balkan yawned, then apologized. Vinara gave him a penetrating look.

“Have you slept since you returned?”

The Warrior shrugged. “A little.” He glanced at Lorlen. “Our meeting with the King continued late into last night.”

“Is he still considering asking one of us to learn black magic?” Sarrin asked.

Balkan sighed. “Yes. He would rather that, than call Akkarin back. Akkarin has proven himself untrustworthy by breaking the Guild’s law and his vow.”

“But if one of us learned it, he or she would also be breaking that law and the Magicians’ Vow.”

“Not if we make an exception.”

Sarrin scowled. “There should be no exceptions where black magic is concerned.”

“Yet we may have no choice. It may be the only way we can defend ourselves against these Ichani. If one of us was voluntarily strengthened by a hundred magicians each day, that magician would be strong enough to fight ten Ichani in just two weeks.”

Sarrin shuddered. “No one should be trusted with that much power.”

‘The King knows you feel this way,” Balkan said. “Which is why he believes you would be the best candidate.”

Sarrin stared at the Warrior in horror. “Me?”

“Yes.”

“I couldn’t. I… I’d have to refuse.”

“Refuse your King?” Lorlen asked. “And watch the Guild and all of Imardin fall before a handful of barbarian magicians?”

Sarrin stared at the ring, his face white.

“It would not be an easy burden to shoulder,” Lorlen said gently, “and not one to take on unless we were sure there was no other choice. The spies will leave in a few days. Hopefully they will discover, once and for all, whether Akkarin spoke the truth.”

Balkan nodded. “We should consider sending reinforcements to the Fort, too. If this overheard conversation is real, it suggests that this woman is meeting a group of Ichani in the north.”

“What about the South Pass?” Vinara asked. “Parika was returning there.”

Balkan frowned. “I will have to consider that. It is not as defendable as the Fort, but their conversation suggests a larger gathering in the north. We should have the road to the South Pass watched, at the least.”

The Warrior yawned again. Clearly he was struggling against weariness. Lorlen caught a meaningful look from Vinara.

“It is late,” he said. “Shall we meet here, early, to discuss it?” The others nodded. “Thank you for coming here so promptly. I will see you in the morning.”

As the trio rose and bid him good night, Lorlen could not shake a feeling of disappointment. He had hoped Akkarin would show them something that would prove his story was true. The conversation between the Sachakans hadn’t revealed much, but it had pointed out some flaws in Kyralia’s defense.

But now the ring was gone, and with it went his only link to Akkarin.

The whisper of robes and the shuffle of booted feet was a constant background noise in the Guildhall, even during Lorlen’s short speech.
We’re all restless,
Dannyl mused.
Too few questions were answered this Meet.

There was a collective sigh as Lorlen announced the Meet concluded.

“There will be a short break before the Hearing to judge the Elyne rebels begins,” the Administrator told them.

At the announcement, Dannyl’s stomach flipped over. He looked at Rothen.

‘Time for me to face the rumor-mongers.”

Rothen smiled. “You’ll be fine, Dannyl. You’ve gained quite an air of competence since you left for Elyne.”

Dannyl looked at his mentor in surprise. Competence? “You mean I didn’t have one before I left?”

Rothen chuckled. “Of course you did, or you would not have been chosen for the position. It’s just stronger now. Or did you bring back some of that awful Elyne scent with you?”

Dannyl laughed. “If you thought scent might give me an air of competence, you should have suggested it earlier. Not that I would have taken your advice. There are some habits best left to the Elynes.”

The older magician nodded in agreement. “Well go on, then. Get yourself down there before they start without you.”

Dannyl rose and made his way to the end of the seats. As he moved to the front of the hall, he noted that Expatriate Administrator Kito was descending to the floor in preparation to lead the proceedings. The magician glanced to one side, where a row of men and women were entering with an escort of guards. Dannyl recognized Dem Marane’s group of friends and co-conspirators. Royend walked beside his wife. He looked up at Dannyl and narrowed his eyes.

Dannyl returned the man’s gaze steadily. The hatred in Royend’s eyes was new. The Dem had been angry on the night of the arrest, but during the journey to Kyralia and the wait for the Hearing that anger must have matured into something stronger.

I
can understand his hatred,
Dannyl thought. I
tricked him. He doesn’t care that I was acting under Akkarin’s orders or that he was breaking the law. He just sees me as the man who ruined his dreams.

Farand stood on the other side of the room, beside two Alchemists. The young man looked nervous, but not frightened. A heavy clunk drew eyes to the rear of the hall, where one of the great doors was swinging open. Six Elynes strode down the aisle. Two were the magicians from the ships that had brought the rebels to Kyralia, Lords Barene and Hemend. The others were representatives of the Elyne King.

As Kito directed the newcomers to the seats at the front of the room, Dannyl considered where he should position himself. He decided to stand near Farand, knowing that this would be taken as a gesture of support for the young man. When all were settled, Lorlen rang a small gong, and the hall quickly fell silent. Kito glanced around and nodded.

“We have called this Hearing today to judge Farand of Darellas, Royend and Kaslie of Marane, and their co-conspirators…”

Catching a noise from an unexpected direction, Dannyl looked up to the topmost tier of the seats for the Higher Magicians. He blinked in surprise when he saw that one of the King’s Advisors was present.

But of course,
he thought,
our King would want to be sure that anyone from another land caught trying to start their own magicians’ guild was appropriately punished.

“... Farand of Darellas has been accused of learning magic outside of the Guild,” Kito continued. ‘These men and women have been accused of seeking to learn magic. The Dem Marane has also been accused of possessing knowledge of black magic.”

Kito paused to look around the room. “The evidence to support these accusations will be presented for us to judge. I call forth the first speaker, Second Guild Ambassador to Elyne, Dannyl.”

Dannyl drew in a deep breath and stepped forward to stand beside Kito.

“I swear that all I speak in this Hearing will be the truth.” He paused. “Seven weeks ago I received orders from the former High Lord to find and arrest a group of rebels who were seeking to learn magic outside the influence and guidance of the Guild.”

The audience was silent as Dannyl told his tale. He had considered for weeks how much he ought to reveal when it came to explaining how he had convinced the rebels to trust him. The entire Guild had probably heard of the Dem’s claims by now, so Dannyl didn’t need to go into great detail. But he couldn’t avoid that part of the story completely.

So he told them he had arranged for the Dem to learn of a “false secret” so the man thought he could blackmail Dannyl. He then went on to describe his meeting with Farand. The Elyne courtiers’ faces grew tense as he explained that Farand had been denied entrance into the Guild after he had learned something the Elyne King wanted concealed. Dannyl explained, for their benefit, that Farand had been in danger of losing control of his powers, and what the consequences would have been if that happened.