The Seer (15 page)

‘Here we go.’
 Mistrial muttered with a roll of her eyes.

‘Hey, look on
the bright side.’  Cain said cheerfully, jogging up beside her on his
light grey mare.  ‘If they’re busying having a nice, lengthy disagreement,
we’re free to plan the cull!’

‘And perhaps
discuss the more important matter of the wager?’ 

Mistral looked
around at Xerxes; his grin was slightly forced as he reached beneath his cloak
to retrieve the piece of parchment from the top pocket of his jerkin.

‘Ah, brother,’
she said softly.  ‘I heard about Bellicose.’

Xerxes
shrugged; his face hardening, ‘He and Malachi will get what’s due.’

Mistral nodded
and then asked him in a quieter voice, ‘But, how has he covered this up?’

‘Her body was
found out in the meadows.  The wolves had taken their share so we’ve got
no proof of how she was killed, or why.’  Xerxes said in a bitter
voice.  ‘Bellicose conveniently left the Valley last night, well before
she was found.  Obviously the twins couldn’t raise the alarm or they’d
have had to face some fairly awkward questions about what they were doing in Malachi’s
tower room.’

Mistral nodded
then frowned at Phantasm, ‘But, where is Malachi?  I thought he would’ve
been rushing straight to the Council to submit his declaration of
intent.’ 

‘Staying in
the Valley to lord it while Master Sphinx is away and no doubt beginning his
campaign to try and win the warriors over.’  Phantasm replied
disdainfully.  ‘He and Master Casterton will travel together once Master
Sphinx returns to the Valley.’

‘I pity their
escort.’  Cain muttered under his breath. 

Mistral raised
her eyebrows in silent agreement.  A three day journey with Leo was
suddenly much more preferable to one with Malachi and Mycroft, not to mention
the same journey back again.  ‘Hang on a minute!’  She exclaimed in
an urgent whisper.  ‘Leo’s not coming on the hunt with us is he?’

‘Thankfully
not.’  Phantom said.  ‘He will be staying at the Council to attend to
some business.  However, we will be escorting him back again once we
return from the mountains.’

Cain laughed
as Mistral sighed with relief, ‘Fed up with being his pocket-Seer already are
you?’

‘Before I even
began brother.’  Mistral confirmed heavily.  ‘It’s going to be a long
year.’

‘Never mind
that.’  Brutus shoved his horse between hers and Cain’s, a broad grin
lighting his face.  ‘Let’s talk dragons!’

Mistral’s
spirits instantly soared.  Dragons.  The terrifying creatures of
legend, and they had the Contract to hunt two of them.  ‘Fabian’s been on
the hunt twice,’ she began eagerly.  ‘He’s told me quite a lot of things
that’ll be useful –’

‘I take it
he’s coming too then?’  Cain asked.

‘Of
course!’ 

‘Oh, joy.’
 Cain muttered and earned a sharp look from Mistral.

‘Do you have a
problem with my choice of hunting party Cain?  Only it’s my name on the
Contract and if I remember rightly I can change any members of my party right
up until I sign the license!’

‘There’s no
need to get stroppy!’  Cain back-tracked quickly.  ‘It’s just that he
can be a bit … well …
intense
, sometimes.’

Mistral smiled
indulgently and glanced over at Fabian, still arguing with Leo, ‘Yes, he can.’

Cain closed
his eyes and shook his head but Brutus laughed, ‘Love is blind brother, just
look at Grendel and those nymphs at the Festival!’

‘Do you know
one of them actually turned up looking for him?’  Phantom said with a
disgusted shake of his head.  ‘Said she couldn’t forget him!  She’d
walked all the way from the Vale of Belleville to find him!’

‘Did she find
him?’  Mistral asked curiously.

‘No!’ 
Phantom laughed.  ‘She stayed in the Valley for two weeks waiting for him
but he was on that long tracking Contract down in the wetlands!  By then
she ran out of money and had to go … she’d walked all that way for nothing!’

Mistral
laughed and felt her irritation at Cain slip away.  After all, she
couldn’t expect, or even want any of them to feel about Fabian the way she
did. 

‘Can we get
back to the dragons now please?’  Xerxes demanded in a grumpy voice,
waving his piece of parchment in the air.

‘Oh yes, I’d
forgotten that you didn’t like to be reminded of Grendel’s popularity with the
ladies.’  Brutus grinned at his brother’s sour expression.

‘Plan?’ 
Xerxes snapped, ignoring the sudden bout of mirth at his expense.

They spent the
next hour planning strategies for the hunt until Fabian joined them to ride
beside Mistral in silence, his brooding presence putting an instant dampener on
their spirits.  Mistral listened to his thoughts for a while and
sighed.  He was worrying about her going on the dragon hunt, her sickness,
the Rochfortes’ plans, how much time Mage Grapple expected her to spend at the Council
... she felt herself growing depressed at the depth of his anxiety and gave a
mental shake.  It was time to distract him and allow her brothers to
continue with their plans.  ‘Come on, let’s hunt for dinner,’ she said
brightly and whistled for Prospero before pulling Cirrus round to head off into
the forests. 

The rest of
the afternoon passed by without incident, Fabian and Mistral returned at sunset
laden with rabbits to find that Leo had called a halt to the day’s
travelling.  They made camp at the sheltered edge of the forests. 
While Fabian tethered their horses Mistral carried the rabbits over to where
the twins were tending a fire and talking quietly together, their heads bent
low over the spluttering flames.  As Mistral drew closer she caught the
end of their conversation.

‘… half-blood,
it’s just not possible –’ Phantasm’s mutterings quickly stopped when Mistral
sat down beside them.

‘You two look
secretive!  Talking about Malachi again I suppose?’ 

‘Yes.’  Phantasm
replied slightly too quickly.  ‘We were just debating whether he would
embrace the full vampire lifestyle or not.’

‘What, the
feeding part?’  Mistral pulled one of her new butterfly knives out of the
holder in the side of her boot and starting to skin a rabbit.  ‘I doubt
it.’

‘Nice
knife.  New?’  Phantom changed the subject and gave his brother a
meaningful look over Mistral’s head.

‘Present from
Fabian.  You must recognise them!  They’re the butterfly knives I’ve
always wanted.’  Mistral smiled happily at the blade in her hands, tilting
it in the firelight to show Phantom the intricate design on the blade.

‘Oh yes, how
could I not recognise them.  I’ve spent many a happy hour watching you
drool over those in the window of Toothe and Nayle.’  Phantom remarked
drily and pulled his own dagger out.  ‘Pass me a rabbit then.’

‘Ready now
Mistral?’  Cain said briskly, appearing beside her with his saddlebag.

‘Er,
no!’  Mistral gave a short laugh.  ‘You didn’t actually believe me
when I’d said that you could check me over did you?’

‘Of course he
didn’t.’  Fabian said quietly, moving out of the growing darkness to stand
beside the fire.  ‘Which is why I am here to ensure that you let him.’

‘Oh no you are
not!’

A tense
silence fell while Mistral glowered at Fabian.  Cain looked from one to
the other and rolled his eyes.  ‘I’ll just get started then shall
I?’  he said finally and pulled the flap of his saddlebag back.

‘Not
here!’  Mistral snapped as Cain took hold of her wrist to take her pulse.

‘Mistral, I
need the light of the fire to see.’  Cain explained patiently.  ‘And
you’ll need to take your jerkin off please.’

‘Well, they
can go then!’  Mistral snarled, looking pointedly at the twins.

‘Give over
Mistral!’  Phantom said angrily.  ‘I’m not shivering in the shadows
while Cain takes your temperature!’

A heated
exchange between Mistral and Phantom followed with Mistral only finally
agreeing to allow them to stay by the fire when Fabian intervened with a few
words spoken so softly that only she could hear them.

‘Oh, all right
then,’ she muttered, ungraciously flinging her wrist out to Cain again.

‘Tell me about
this sickness.’  Cain murmured while he took her pulse.

‘What do you
want to know?  Colour?  Consistency?’

‘Mistral!’ 
Fabian warned softly.

‘Sorry.’
 Mistral muttered then sighed.  ‘Please tell me what you need to know
Cain.’

Cain finished
taking her pulse, ‘Well, are you sick after using your gift?’

Mistral
considered for a moment, ‘No.’

‘Do you suffer
any ill effects after using Sight?’  Cain persisted, looking intently at
her.

Mistral
shrugged, ‘Headaches.’

Cain nodded
and proceeded to check her temperature and generally prod and poke her while
she grumpily complied to his requests to move this way or that way, gazing
accusingly at Fabian the whole time as though it were his fault.

‘Apart from
gaining the Sight have you experienced any changes in yourself recently?’ 
Cain asked whilst rummaging in his bag. 

‘Er?’ 
Mistral glanced at Fabian and felt herself blush.  ‘What?  Um, no …
well … what do you mean exactly?’ 

‘In your
wellbeing Mistral.  Have you experienced any dizziness, lack of sleep,
hallucinations … that sort of thing.’

‘Oh! 
Right!  No.’

‘Come on
Mistral!  You sleep like it’s a competition!’  Phantom
exclaimed.  ‘And you’re eating honey as though you’re half-bear or
something … which, now I come to think about it, could well be the answer to
your mysterious blood-line.  You’re definitely like a bear with a sore
head most mornings.’

Cain frowned
and looked up from his saddlebag, a sharp looking metal instrument held loosely
between his fingers, ‘I’m not worried about the temper, but the sleep?  Is
she really that tired all the time?’

Mistral eyed
the instrument in his hand warily, ‘You’re going nowhere near me with that
unless I get one to fight back with!’ 

‘It’s not for
you Mistral!  It’s a hoof pick!’ 

‘Oh, of course
it is.’  Mistral muttered and rubbed a hand across her eyes wearily. 
The long ride coupled with Leo’s intense questioning and her bout of sickness
had left her feeling completely drained.  ‘Are we done yet Cain? 
Only I’m exhausted.’

‘I think
so.  There’s nothing obviously wrong with you.’  Cain concluded with
a thoughtful look on his face.  ‘It could be a touch of food
poisoning.  Have you been eating in the Refectory?’

‘No
chance!  I value my life too much!’

Cain laughed,
‘Well, in that case, you’re probably just adjusting to having the Sight. 
Try to make sure you drink plenty of water and gets lots of rest and it should
pass.’

Mistral nodded
and pulled her jerkin back on, buttoning it up while Cain packed his bag. 
He stood up to walk away and the twins immediately leapt to their feet to
follow after him.  Mistral watched them go without caring why they were
running after Cain, she was already thinking longingly of sleep.  When
Fabian sat down lightly beside her she instantly curled up beneath his arm and
closed her eyes.

‘Is she asleep
already?’  Phantasm asked when he returned a short while later. 

Fabian nodded,
glancing briefly down at Mistral, now wrapped in a Wolverine skin and fast
asleep with her head laid on his saddlebag, ‘You and your brother have a theory
I take it?’  Fabian asked quietly.

Phantasm
shrugged, ‘Not really, but there is one aspect of this that we haven’t
considered.’

Fabian raised
an eyebrow.

‘Well, there
have never been any female Seers.  So we have no real idea how the Sight
is going to affect her.  All the records I’ve ever read detail
side-effects on male Seers only.’

Fabian’s voice
was sharp, ‘Side-effects?’ 

‘Hmm, they
include all the symptoms Cain asked her about; dizziness, sleep loss and
hallucinations – but she hasn’t been suffering from those so I hate to admit
it, but we really are in unknown territory now.  Mistral is, quite
literally one of a kind, especially as we have no idea what blood-line she
comes from.’

‘Are you
completely certain she’s displayed none of the symptoms?’  Fabian demanded
quietly.

‘Quite
sure.’ 

‘Certainly not
the lack of sleep one anyway.’  Phantom muttered, looking at her comatose
state while he speared the rabbits and placed them over the fire to roast.

Before long
the smell of roasting meat drew all of the warriors to the fire and despite
Leo’s intimidating presence, they were soon making jokes and talking
enthusiastically about the forthcoming dragon hunt.  A particularly
raucous bout of laughter following one of Xerxes’ songs finally woke
Mistral.  She sat up and yawned before moving over to sit next to Fabian.

‘Would you
like to eat something?’  Fabian asked, offering her a piece of rabbit.

Mistral took
one look at the roasted meat and scrambled to her feet, tripping over Prospero
in her haste to flee from the circle of firelight and into the deep shadows at
edge of the camp.  Fabian made to rise to his feet and follow her but
Phantasm caught his arm.

‘I’d give her
a minute Mage De Winter.  She won’t appreciate you seeing her being sick.’

Fabian turned
sharply to glare at Phantasm, ‘That’s ridiculous!’

‘Pride is.’
 Phantasm shrugged.  ‘But we all suffer from it.’

Fabian snorted
angrily but he sank back down, staring into the blackness where Mistral had
vanished.  When Mistral finally returned, looking pale and wan, Fabian
said nothing but opened his arms.  She crept quietly into their comforting
warmth, pulling her Wolverine skin over herself and falling straight back to
sleep almost immediately.

Grey skies
heavy with the promise of more rain pressed down over the forest of towering
evergreens.  Mistral pushed silently through the wet conifers and paused to
stare through the veil of mist hanging over the damp ground.  She turned
sharply when the branches beside her suddenly swayed and parted to reveal the
tense features of Samson.  She nodded briefly to him as he moved up
quietly beside her and tilted his head meaningfully and signalled to their
right, indicating the direction they should take.  Mistral nodded again,
following his lead deeper into the forest.  With no sound other than their
quiet breathing and the steady patter of raindrops to break the oppressive
atmosphere Mistral’s skin was soon crawling with tension.  Every tiny
crack of a twig underfoot echoed like a whiplash, making them both halt and
reach instinctively for their swords every time.