Authors: Leslie Ann Moore
“Something has happened,” she announced. “I felt an unusual surge of energy from the north. It feels as though the Nameless One has broken free somehow, and yet, I still feel the main core of his energy remains below the Black Tower. I don’t understand this and it frightens me.”
“The mobile infirmary will be ready to go in two days. We can leave then,” Magnes said. He looked first at Gran, then Ashinji.
“Would that it could be today…” Gran shook her head in dismay, then sighed. “Very well. Day after tomorrow, then. I’ll inform Aruk-cho.”
“I’ll tell Seijon,” Ashinji said.
“No. Best to keep the boy in the dark until the last possible moment,” Gran advised. “His self-control is not the best.”
“Fadili and I will come with the wagon late in the day to show it to Mistress de Guera,” Magnes said. “We’ll stretch things out until it’s time for the evening meal. Since we sometimes stay and eat, no one should get suspicious. The most dangerous part is getting you,” he looked at Ashinji, “and Seijon into the secret compartment below the storage bins. If anyone sees you…”
“No need to finish those words,” Ashinji replied grimly.
“Once you two are in, Fadili and I will simply drive out of the yard.”
“What will you do, Gran?” Ashinji asked.
“Don’t worry about me,” Gran answered. Her impassive face gave away none of the secrets Magnes knew lay behind her pale eyes. “I can come and go as I please. No one will challenge me.” The rain fell steadily now, though not in torrents like it had earlier in the season; even so, the yard soon became a watery expanse across which people and the occasional goat stoically sloshed.
Magnes studied the two elves. Both stared out into the rain, their angular faces pensive. He knew the two of them shared a terrible burden—a task they must perform once they made it back to Alasiri, something neither one wanted to do, but had to, just the same. Gran had only hinted at its nature; what little she had revealed, Magnes had not fully understood, but that did not really matter. He was determined to see them safely to the border so they could return in time to accomplish what they must.
Once that’s done, I’ll go home and face Thessalina.
“I’d better get back to work,” he said. “Day after tomorrow, then.”
“Day after tomorrow,” Gran repeated.
Ashinji held out his hand and Magnes clasped it.
“Thank you, my friend,” Ashinji said. “Thank you for everything.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Ashi. We are family, after all,” Magnes replied.
Ashinji smiled. “Yes…we are.”
~~~
Two days later, Magnes stood with Fadili beside the infirmary wagon while Mistress de Guera admired what her funds had made possible.
“Why, this is wonderful!” she exclaimed. “You’ll be able to do so much good work with this infirmary.” She made another circuit of the wagon, nodding in approval. Corvin and Aruk-cho stood close by, both with crossed arms and neutral faces. A crowd of curious yard dwellers had gathered around at a respectful distance, whispering and pointing.
“It is gratifying to know my money is being put to such good use. When you first came to me with your proposal, Brother Tilo, I’ll admit I was a little reluctant, but now that I see the infirmary…”
“You’ll agree to fund it for the foreseeable future, I hope,” Magnes interjected, his voice dripping with charm. From the corner of his eye, he could see Corvin frowning. Mistress de Guera opened her mouth to respond, but Magnes forged boldly ahead. “We’ve estimated that it will take a mere ten to fifteen imperials a month to keep it fully stocked. Surely, such a small sum will hardly be missed from your coffers, Mistress, and you will get the satisfaction of knowing that so many people will be helped by your generosity.”
“You missed your calling, Brother. You should have sought employment at the palace. You’d have made a fine courtier,” the mistress commented wryly, one carefully tweezed eyebrow raised high. “Very well. I’ll agree to fund your infirmary…for the foreseeable future.” Magnes bowed his head in thanks.
I hope she doesn’t withdraw her patronage when she learns I won’t be coming back,
he thought.
Well, I’ve done my best. The future of the project lies in Fadili’s hands now.
“I know you have much work to do, so I’ll let you get to it,” the mistress stated. She motioned to Corvin with a terse flick of her finger, and the two headed back in the direction of her residence. The onlookers began to disperse. Magnes stood watching until he felt Aruk-cho’s massive presence loom at his back. He turned to face the yardmaster.
“Gran has told me about tonight,” Aruk-cho rumbled softly. “I will be ready.” Magnes nodded, his eyes shying away from the akuta’s craggy face. He did not want Aruk-cho to see his fear.
Despite how carefully we’ve planned this, something might still go wrong!
He stared at the yardmaster’s draft-horse sized hooves and imagined how easily they could crush a man’s skull.
He felt very glad Aruk-cho could be counted as an ally.
~~~
He had never been especially devout, but on this night, Magnes found himself offering prayers to any god who would listen. His entreaties must have been heard, for the night sky clouded over and hid the face of the moon, shrouding the earth below in almost total darkness.
As planned, Magnes and Fadili took their supper with Gran, Ashinji, and Seijon in the fighters’ mess, along with many of the other slaves. A cheerful mood prevailed, for tomorrow the entire yard would enjoy a day of rest. Generous rations of beer and wine helped the humor to flow, ribald and lusty.
Magnes kept a watchful eye on Ashinji, aware that his friend’s wounds still hurt him much more than he would admit. Even so, Ashinji gamely joined in the banter, knowing the five of them must all be seen behaving normally tonight. When the female slave named Leeta sidled up and sat next to him, pressing close and whispering in his ear, Ashinji made no effort to evade her.
Gran appeared interested only in her dinner, but Magnes could tell she, too, kept a careful watch, mainly on Seijon. The boy struggled to remain calm, but anyone who took the time to look would see his agitation.
Magnes leaned close to Fadili. “I’m worried about the boy,” he said in a low voice.
Fadili glanced casually at Seijon, then back to Magnes. He nodded almost imperceptibly. “Shall I take him outside now?” he whispered.
“I think that’d be best.”
Fadili made a show of finishing his meal, then stood up and approached Seijon, who sat to Ashinji’s left.
“Come, boy. I’ll look at that rash of yours now,” he said, loud enough that several others sitting close by overheard. Leeta snickered and someone else guffawed.
Seijon looked up in surprise. “I don’t…” he began, but Ashinji quickly interrupted.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Little Brother. Go with Fadili.” He flashed the boy a reassuring smile. Seijon opened his mouth again as if to protest, but Magnes could see comprehension dawning in his golden eyes. Fadili beckoned with a tilt of his head, and wordlessly, Seijon got up and followed him out of the mess hall, the hoots and catcalls of the others ushering him away.
Ashinji’s eyes briefly locked with Magnes’ before he returned to his dinner and the seductive attentions of the gorgeous, red-haired Leeta. Drink had made her bolder, and Ashinji had a tough time keeping her at bay. Brazenly, her hand advanced along Ashinji’s thigh until he seized it in his to halt its upward progress. Magnes sighed and shook his head. Leeta exuded sexual energy like an intoxicating perfume. Magnes marveled at Ashinji’s self-control, but his friend had far more important things on his mind this night.
Magnes finished the last of his food, then stood.
“It’s time I was getting back to the temple,” he announced. “Gran, Ashinji, I’ll not be back for awhile. Fadili and I are taking the infirmary wagon out of the city for a couple of weeks.”
“We’ll miss you, Tilo,” Gran said.
“If the One is merciful, I’ll be here when you get back,” Ashinji added.
“Take care of yourselves.” Magnes waved and exited the mess. Quickly, he strode to where the infirmary wagon stood parked near the weapons shed, all but invisible in the darkness. As he approached, a deeper patch of shadow detached itself from the gloom and glided toward him.
“Everything’s ready,” Fadili whispered. “The boy is already inside.”
“Gran and Ashinji should be along very soon,” Magnes replied, his lips close to Fadili’s ear. “Have you seen Aruk-cho?”
“No,” Fadili said, then added, “Are you sure we can trust him?”
“Gran and Ashinji do, and I trust their judgment.” The two men moved into position beside the wagon, Fadili crouching down by the front wheels, Magnes standing at the rear. Anxiously, Magnes peered into the darkness, straining to catch any movement. Snippets of sound drifted past his ears—discordant voices raised in song, the trill of a nightingale, the restless sigh of the wind. Magnes forced himself to take deep, slow breaths, but his heart insisted on pounding against his breastbone until he thought it might tear itself free.
Where’re Ashi and Gran? What’s keeping them?
The wind picked up, gusting through the yard, laden with the smell of rain.
This is good,
Magnes thought. Rain would discourage lazy sentries from too much diligence and keep the drunks ensconced in the taverns, thus reducing traffic on the streets.
“Someone’s coming!” Fadili hissed. Magnes pressed against the smooth wood of the wagon and held himself still.
Gran materialized out of the darkness like a wraith, gripping Magnes’ arm with startling strength. He stifled a yelp, then whispered, “Where is Ashi?” in a voice edgy with apprehension.
“He’s coming. He had to take care of someone first,” Gran breathed in reply. Magnes didn’t need to be told the name of that someone. “I should have taken care of her myself, but Ashi wouldn’t let me!” The old elf woman made no attempt to hide her irritation.
“I’ll go get the horse,” Fadili whispered. He disappeared into the dark. Magnes let out a ragged sigh.
Gran squeezed his arm reassuringly. “Don’t fret, Ti...I mean, Magnes. Aruk-cho has taken care of his end of things, as have I. When the mistress sits at her desk tomorrow morning to go over the accounts, she will find a small pouch with two hundred gold imperials inside. She won’t understand at first where the money came from, but when she discovers that we are all gone, it will make sense to her. Aruk-cho has promised he will try to talk her out of sending the slave catchers after us…or rather, after Ashi, for it’s his loss that will sting the most.”
“Do you really believe Mistress de Guera is in love with Ashi?” Magnes asked.
“It isn’t as far-fetched as it seems,” Gran replied. “Ashi is beautiful, even by elven standards, but perhaps love is too strong a word. I know she desires him and is powerfully intrigued by him. Maybe she does love him…Ai, here he comes!”
A figure approached, slipping furtively through the shadows. Magnes breathed a sigh of relief.
“Ashi!” Gran hissed. “We must hurry. Aruk-cho is waiting by the gate!”
“I’m sorry,” Ashinji whispered. “I couldn’t get away from Leeta. I had to go with her to…to her bed.”
“Ashi you didn’t…?” Magnes began, then stopped himself.
He owes me no explanations. He did whatever he had to.
The soft thud of hooves on sand signaled the arrival of Fadili with the horse.
“Let’s go!” Magnes bent down to reach under the wagon bed, his fingers questing for a tiny knob protruding from the undercarriage. He found what he sought and pressed. A panel popped loose and swung down, revealing a square opening cut into the wagon bottom.
“Is that you, Ashi?” a small voice whispered from inside.
Before he could answer, Gran gasped. “Someone is coming!” she exclaimed.
A light, bobbing and swinging, approached the wagon.
“Quick, Ashi! Get in now!” Magnes hissed, but Ashinji had already hoisted himself into the secret space. He reached down and pulled the panel shut with a snap.
“Magnes, act as if nothing is amiss. You have a reason for being out here,” Gran reminded him, her voice almost inaudible. “I will meet you at the gate.” She melted into the darkness as completely as if she, herself, were made of shadows.
Magnes walked to the front of the wagon to help Fadili harness the horse. The two of them worked in silence, each knowing the next few moments would prove decisive.
“Stop what you’re doing, healer and step away from the wagon!”
Magnes recognized the voice snapping orders from the dark. He and Fadili turned around as five figures moved with quick, purposeful strides to surround them.
His heart sank in dismay as he faced Corvin, Armina de Guera’s majordomo, and four armed men.
The Chains Are Broken
Magnes stood his ground.
“Good evening, Corvin,” he said.
Corvin swung the lantern up and caught Magnes in its glow. “I thought you and your assistant had left already.”
Magnes could not see the other man’s face, but he heard something in the majordomo’s voice that set off alarm bells in his mind.