The Seer (79 page)

They halted
for the night before sunset and made camp in the mouth of a shallow cave. 
Samson’s tension about the impending fight became apparent as he barked out a
series of sharp orders to the warriors.

‘Tether the
horses close by!  I saw manticore tracks back there – not yours
Grendel!  No manticore on the Isle would dare tackle that beast!  And
get him away from my mare!’  

‘He makes Leo
look polite!’  Phantom muttered to his brother while they laid kindling
out for a fire.

‘No
fire!’  Samson shouted.  ‘We’re too close to the vampire tribe!’

‘Huh, they
might not see the fire but they’ll definitely hear him shouting.’  Phantom
grumbled and tossed the kindling bad-temperedly back into his saddlebag.

Fabian spread
the map out again, using the last of the daylight to plan a route for the
morning.  The other warriors knelt around the outspread map, peering
closely to where Fabian indicated.  ‘This is our current position … the
vampire tribe are located within this region here,’ he drew a circle with his
finger around the red dot, unnervingly close to where they were camping. 
‘There are two possible routes out of the mountains from there,’ he continued,
tracing two lines out from the red dot.  ‘However, we cannot afford to
split up and cover both; we will need Mistral to tell us which one they will be
taking.’  He broke off to look at her expectantly.

‘Now?’ 
she asked through the mouthful of cold meat she was chewing.

A hint of a
smile touched Fabian’s lips, ‘Well, perhaps you should finish eating
first.’ 

Mistral gave
him a meaningful look and rammed another piece of meat into her mouth,
‘Definitely.  Because I’m sure whatever I’ll see will put me off eating
again tonight.’

‘I hate it
when you talk with your mouth full.’  Phantom muttered and picked
elegantly at a piece of bread.

Feeling the
pressure of eleven pairs of eyes, Mistral hurriedly swallowed her half-chewed
mouthful and washed it down with a swig of water, ‘Right,’ she choked. 
‘Bellicose for dessert –’

‘Take your
time Mistral.’  Fabian murmured.

‘I’d rather
not if you don’t mind,’ she settled down into a cross-legged position and
closed her eyes.  ‘His is not exactly the type of mind that invites a long
stay.’ 

Slowing her
breathing and letting her head drop onto her chest, Mistral called up the all
too familiar image of glowing red eyes and pallid skin, falling back into his
mind with effortlessness borne of spending the last day almost constantly
monitoring his thoughts.  Her head snapped up sharply and her eyes stared
unseeingly at Fabian.

‘I See –’

‘What do you
See Mistral?’  Fabian asked softly, gazing into the empty voids of her
eyes.

‘They gather …
like we do … it is a council of war … Bellicose and Malachi are discussing the
layout of the Valley.’  She paused, her eyebrows lifted slightly in
surprise.  ‘Malachi speaks of a way in that is unknown to most … an
entrance from the east –’

Fabian and
Samson shared a perplexed look. 

‘There is no
East Gate!’

‘Malachi knows
of a supply tunnel that leads from the dairy in the eastern meadows to the
kitchen cellars –’ Mistral suddenly grinned, baring her teeth with a savagery
that was bizarrely discordant with the vagueness of her eyes.  ‘
We
shall level them from within!  How the mighty Ri shall fall!  I will
spit the blood of their false Divinus on the still warm bodies of his brethren
before the warning bell tolls its first!’  

Unused to
seeing Mistral in the grip of a deep trance, Samson’s three companions stared
at her fearfully but the others merely listened intently to the alien harshness
of her voice. 

‘We leave
at first light my brothers!  Our patience shall soon be rewarded! 
Victory is nigh … we shall call together the scattered tribes and unite them
under my rule … it is time for the repressed to rise up and rebel!  The
Council will fall!  I shall lead us to a future that is rightfully ours
and give us the freedom to hunt the pathetic specimens that dare to look down
upon us now!  How they will quiver with terror when our plans are
realised!’ 
Mistral let out a high laugh, her eyes remained
emotionless, but her face twisted into an expression of vitriolic
ecstasy. 
‘A new dawn is upon us!  Tonight we celebrate the end of
an era, for tomorrow we leave and the light of the rising sun will warm the
faces of our vanquishing heroes … but now I have a gift for my young, who will
know a future free from repression and restraints … a life for you to enjoy,
fresh and warm; see how the pulse still beats in his neck –’

‘Enough! 
Enough!  Enough!’  Brutus shouted, leaping to his feet with a wild
expression on his face.

‘Mistral, come
away, come back to me.  Hear me now –’

While Fabian
drew Mistral from her trance Brutus sank slowly back to the ground and rubbed
his hands over his face.  ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.  ‘That Bellicose … he
just really gets to me.’

‘Me too
brother.’  Xerxes agreed in a hard voice.  ‘And tomorrow we shall get
to him.’

‘Plan and
Prepare!’  Samson announced loudly.  ‘The rules of combat. 
These,’ he paused and pulled a handful of iron collars from his saddlebag and
dropped them to the ground with a sonorous clang, ‘are for tomorrow. 
Clovis made them for me a while back.’

Phantom picked
up one of the collars and turned it over in his hands; pointing at a series of
sharp dints imprinted in the metal he raised his eyebrows at his brother. 

Samson caught
his look, ‘Yes Phantom, those are teeth marks.  Vampires preferred method
of attack is to go for the jugular.  They rarely carry weapons, although
we can’t discount that possibility.  Other distinguishing traits are that
their arms are of equal length to their legs, which gives them the ability to
run like the dogs they are, but sadly for us means they have a damned long
reach when it comes to close quarters … and don’t fool yourselves! 
Because that’s what it will come to ... we will be fighting face-to-face with
them tomorrow!’

‘Mind the skin
–’ Mistral looked up suddenly.  ‘It’s covered with short bristles, like
suede – but I think it’s toxic, or at least really sharp because … oh, never
mind how I know, but just wear gloves and don’t have your shirt sleeves rolled
up.’

‘You heard
her.’  Samson said briskly.  ‘Gloves armour and collars on.  We
need to be protected.’

‘Now we know
the route they are going to take, we can plan our position.’  Fabian
leaned over the map once again.  ‘Bellicose said that the light of the
rising sun would warm their faces, which means they are going to take the
eastern trail heading here,’ he traced a finger lightly down the map. 
‘Which provides us with two possible sites for an ambush.’

While Fabian
and Samson debated the advantages of the two locations Mistral sank back
against Prospero’s recumbent bulk and closed her eyes.  Bellicose’s words
about rebellion had reminded her uncomfortably of Alyssa.  She realised
guiltily that she hadn’t given her mother a moment’s consideration since
fleeing the centaur tribe three days ago.  Alyssa had defied Imperato in
helping her to escape and risked being ostracized by the tribe for her
actions.  Closing her eyes and sinking more deeply into the comforting
warmth of Prospero’s thick coat, Mistral let her mind reach out for her
mother’s, the retired rebel.

Alyssa’s
thoughts floated like music into hers, a harmonious orchestra of love and
happiness.  Imperato was with her … they were reminiscing about their
youth … the independent and headstrong Alyssa, so convinced that the life of
the tribe was not for her … laughing together at how wrong she’d been and how
she, Mistral; their daughter, was so like her –

‘Now either
Bellicose has started telling jokes or you’re reading someone far less
sinister!’

‘Ah, brother.’
 Mistral sighed, opening her eyes to meet Phantom’s inquisitive green
gaze.  ‘I would tell you, but I’m not sure I’ve forgiven you yet.’

‘You will.’

‘Might not.’

‘Will.’

Mistral raised
an eyebrow, ‘And what makes you so sure?’

‘This,’ he
smiled smugly and dropped a small package onto her lap. 

She unfolded
the linen coverings and let out a low cry of joy, ‘Roast beef!’

‘Welcome to
your new craving!’

‘How did you
know?’  Mistral demanded through a mouthful of the cold meat.

‘Come on Mistral,
you’ve been living with us for most of your pregnancy, I even know how many
times a night you have to go –’

Mistral halted
him with a muffled, ‘Nuff said!’

‘Hmm, perhaps
when you’ve finished masticating half a dead cow you could tell me why you were
smiling?’

‘I was reading
Alyssa.’  Mistral managed after a huge swallow. 

‘Ah, of
course.’  Phantom’s face was overcome by the blissful look of having had a
niggling suspicion confirmed.  ‘So that’s how you escaped!  But why
didn’t they come after you?’

Mistral rolled
her eyes while she took another huge bite of meat, talking to him between
chews, ‘Imperato’s a big believer in being free to follow your destiny. 
He obeyed Fabian’s wishes to try and keep me safe out of respect for his
son-in-law, but when I escaped he put it down to fate … handy really, since I
don’t think I’d have been able to outrun that lot.’ 

‘Do you want
us to let him know you’ve reached us?’ 

‘Huh! 
You’re joking aren’t you?  Imperato’s probably read all about my arrival
in that celestial noticeboard the rest of us call the sky!’  Mistral
ignored Phantom’s burst of laughter and scowled at him.  ‘I’ve still not
forgiven you and your brother for plotting behind my back with Fabian.’

‘Oh come on
Mistral, we were only trying to keep you safe.’  Phantom sighed. 
‘You know that if Phantasm could actually carry and give birth to that godson
of his, he would.’

Mistral pulled
a face and stuffed the last of the meat into her mouth, giving it a cursory
chew before swallowing it and patting her stomach with a contented smile,
‘Thanks brother,’ she murmured, closing her eyes.  ‘Just what I needed.’

‘Glad I could
be of service.  Now that we’re talking again, can finally tell me what you
Saw in Master Sphinx’s aura during Grendel’s wedding … Mistral? 
Mistral! 
Oh,
damn it!  If only Bellicose were so easily appeased!’
 Phantom grumbled, regarding her sleeping form in exasperation.

‘Is she asleep
already?’  Phantasm asked, breaking off from his conversation with one of
Samson’s warriors to frown down at the comatose Mistral. 

‘Oh yes.’
 Phantom regarded her thoughtfully, watching her sleeping face crease into
a pained expression.  ‘But I wouldn’t thank you for her dreams.’

Fabian
immediately turned and reached over to wake her.

‘You can’t
protect her from her dreams Mage De Winter.’  Phantasm said softly.

Fabian’s hands
fell limply to his sides, his eyes drifting over the half-wolf he’d bought to
protect her life and the fingers curled into his fur bearing the ring he’d
placed there to protect her future, and now the future of their son.  He
abruptly turned to look at Phantasm.  ‘We must talk.’

‘Now?’ 
Phantasm glanced at Mistral.

Fabian shook
his head, ‘She might wake.  Later –’

The warriors
planned until the moon had risen to reside over them in a brilliant crescent,
lighting the map they pored obsessively over.  A cold easterly wind sprang
up, lifting the map’s edges and threatening to rip it out from beneath Samson’s
hands. 

‘We have our
plan,’ he finally announced with a grim nod.  ‘We leave before the dawn
breaks and head for the northern-most gorge.  Xerxes and Brutus will take
position on the high ground with longbows to begin with; the rest of us will
conceal ourselves in the rocks and wait.  If you have no objections
Fabian, I shall take point.  I can see that your focus is torn.’

Fabian made a
dismissive gesture, his eyes not leaving Mistral’s sleeping form.

‘Good, then we
rest.’  Samson grunted and folded up the map.  ‘Grendel, you have
first watch.’

The warriors
settled in for the night, wrapping themselves in their cloaks to fall into an
uneasy sleep, disturbed by the wind that blew across the mouth of the cave in
an ominous moaning sound.  Two cloaked figures moved stealthily across the
flat moonlit rock, slipping out of sight into the deep shadows at the edge of
the mountain.  There they halted and turned to face once another, lowering
their hoods to reveal their faces; one with eyes darker than the midnight sky
and the other with eyes that gleamed brighter than any polished jewel.

‘You have a
plan you wish to discuss with me Mage De Winter?’  Phantasm murmured.

Fabian
nodded.  He turned his head fractionally to look back at the cave where
Mistral was asleep, wrapped in the warmth of both their Wolverine skins and
Prospero.  ‘I wish for you and your brother to remain here and use your
gift to keep Mistral asleep when we leave.’

Phantasm
regarded Fabian for a long moment before replying, ‘We will, of course, comply
with your request Mage De Winter,’ he paused then continued in a more passionate
voice.  ‘But I assure you it is only out of a wish to protect her and the
life she is carrying.  We are Ri too!  It does not sit well with me
to be left hiding here whilst my brothers fight!’

Fabian held
Phantasm’s angry gaze steadily, ‘I do not make this request lightly
brother.  There are no others I would entrust her life with.’

Surprise
flickered in Phantasm’s eyes at Fabian’s use of the respectful term.  He
nodded once then glanced over at Mistral.  ‘I’m not sure how long we can influence
her to remain asleep for though.  Sight will make her aware of your
absence.’