In Legend Born (100 page)

Though she was vaguely aware that those two had quarreled often in recent months, Elelar had practically oozed charm that day at the shrine, as if reconsidering her choices in light of Tansen's struggle against death. The
torena
had played Tansen like a harp. And he—a man unlike other men, a warrior of great skill and terrible courage, a rebel whose coming had been foretold by gods—had been helpless in the face Elelar's feminine sorcery.

Now, as she wandered the mountainside gathering the roots and herbs Basimar needed, Mirabar wondered what Elelar was up to. Why hadn't she come again? The
torena
must know where they were. Did she want Tansen for herself, now that she was free to choose? If so, why hadn't she given up Zimran? Or did she merely want Tansen to want her? Did it feed her pride to know that a man she had once betrayed to Kiloran still longed for her after all these years? Had she sensed him slipping away and visited him at the shrine merely to strengthen her power over him?

It would almost be a relief to think so, but however much Mirabar disliked the
torena
, she knew she was not a silly woman. Elelar did nothing without a purpose, and while she might idly charm a man just to satisfy her vanity, she wouldn't truly exert herself without a reason. Why had she come all the way to that Shrine of the Three, soft-eyed, sweet-tongued, and bearing gifts?

Mirabar was still lost in such thoughts when a voice she had never again expected to hear called out, "
Sirana?
"

Najdan!

She turned to face the direction from which his voice had come. He wasn't close yet. She would have heard him moving through the brush if he were. Najdan was soft-footed, but Mirabar still had the senses of an animal.

She was on the verge of calling out his name when a chilling thought occurred to her. Since the beginning of Kiloran's feud with Josarian, assassins had returned to the old business of slaughtering Guardians, and any Guardian who hesitated to fight a former ally died instantly. Mirabar had lately heard many such stories being repeated in Sanctuary.

If Kiloran meant to send anyone after her, then Najdan, whom she had trusted for so long, would be his best choice. The assassin's shouting for her might seem to preclude a sneak attack, but Najdan knew how difficult it was to creep up on her. He'd be more likely to try to ease her suspicions first, and then attack when her guard was down.

"
Sirana!
"

He must know she was here because of his
shir
; it often quivered in response to her presence. His shouting would alert the sentries guarding Tansen. Should she wait for them? No, she decided. If Najdan had come to kill her, he wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who tried to protect her. She didn't want to cause other men's deaths by avoiding the inevitable. She would face Najdan at once.

He was one of Kiloran's finest assassins. Mirabar had spent too much time with him, seen too much, to doubt his skill. However, she had beaten Najdan once before, at Dalishar, and she could do it again. He had lost his fear of her after Kandahar, but she could rekindle it if she had to.

She wanted to weep, though. Najdan. He had been her shadow, her right arm, her trusted friend. She had missed him since he'd left her on Mount Niran, but she had known since that day that they might well come to this. Assassins could not afford to have conflicting loyalties. When Najdan returned to Kiloran's side, he also returned to the way of life he had chosen many years ago, long before the war. He would do as he was bid, kill whomever Kiloran wanted killed, regardless of his personal feelings. She believed he would be sorry to kill her, but she knew he would not let his sorrow interfere with his duty.

Must it always be this way?

"Najdan!" she called, letting the sound of her voice lead him to her. "Over here!"

She sat down on a fallen tree trunk and blew a circle of fire into life as she formed her plan. She had never killed a man, and she didn't want to start with this one. Heart crying out in protest, she prepared to slay her former friend.

She was surprised to hear
two
people approaching her moments later—and a donkey. She frowned. What was Najdan up to?

Her doubts and fears fled a moment later to be replaced by bemusement when he appeared in the forest. She had never seen a man who looked less ready for deadly combat. He was carrying a large satchel, leading a burdened donkey, and followed by a woman. The woman was attractive, simply dressed, and about Basimar's age.

The woman's dark gaze flashed first to Mirabar, whose appearance often startled even those who had been warned about her, and then to the magical fire blazing away. She gasped in fear and moved to Najdan's side. He put his arm around her and murmured something soothing. Mirabar heard him call her "
kadriah
."

Najdan wouldn't bring his woman—or all that baggage—along with him if he had come here to assassinate Mirabar. In fact, she realized that he wouldn't have known to seek her here. They were keeping Tansen's whereabouts, and consequently hers, very secret to protect him from Kiloran.

The explanation seemed obvious: He was bringing his mistress to safety. He knew and trusted Basimar, hence he had chosen her Sanctuary. However, Kandahar was not threatened by the rebels, and Mirabar knew that Najdan had a comfortable house there. Why would he bring his woman here, to a Sanctuary in the heart of Josarian's territory, to seek the protection of a Sister loyal to Josarian?

"Najdan..." Mirabar rose to her feet, her fears forgotten.

"
Sirana
." He crossed his fists and bowed his head. "I thought you would still be at Niran."

"No."

"I'm glad," he said. "I must be the one to tell you."

"What?"

"Well, first of all..." He met her gaze. "I have been sent to kill you."

"And?"

She thought he would say that he couldn't do it, that he had changed, that he had lied to Kiloran so he could get his mistress safely away from the vengeful wrath of the master he was about to betray. She could see in his face that this was all true. Yet he said none of that.

Instead, he stunned her by saying, "And Josarian is about to be betrayed."

Tansen's side felt like it was on fire as he trekked to the nearest place that had horses. He felt like he was going to be sick as he pressed the pace, his heart racing with fear. His wound felt like it was splitting open again, as it had during the journey to Sanctuary. He didn't care. It didn't matter if he bled to death, so long as he was able to warn Josarian in time.

Najdan had entered the Sanctuary with Mirabar, and after a chaotic moment when Tansen had gone after him with his swords and Mirabar had jumped between them, the assassin had betrayed his master and told them both what he knew.

A secret treaty between the Valdani and the Alliance. A series of hostage exchanges—
including Koroll.
No wonder the ambush had been so easy! A bargain to end the war in Sileria so that the Valdani could more efficiently pursue their wars on the mainland.

The surrender of Shaljir in exchange for Josarian's life.

They left Najdan's woman behind with Basimar, with instructions that they were to go to a Sanctuary closer to Dalishar, just in case. Then, ignoring Basimar's protests about his condition, Tansen armed himself and took Najdan, Mirabar, and his eight
shallah
guards down the mountain with him. They would find horses and, traveling along main roads, they would catch up with Josarian.

"But how does Searlon know all the details of this treaty?" Mirabar asked.

"I wasn't sure at first," Najdan said, "but my mast... Kiloran told me more after we took Cavasar. Somehow, he is behind the treaty. He works through Searlon, but the treaty is his creature, though those who signed it may not know that."

"If the plan succeeds, Kiloran gains everything," Mirabar said pensively, "doesn't he?"

"And loses nothing," Najdan added. "Even if it fails."

"They'll do it now," Tansen said. "While they know that Mirabar and I aren't with Josarian."

"The Valdani? But they'd have to find him first," Mirabar pointed out. "Josarian has been very secretive about his movements since the feud with Kiloran began."

"He'll be betrayed by one of his own," Najdan said. "Who in the Alliance would know where he is now?"

Mirabar gasped and came to a halt. Her golden gaze flew up to Tansen's. He had guessed instantly, the moment Najdan had told him that the Alliance was involved. It had taken Mirabar a little longer to figure it out; but then, she didn't know the
torena
the way he did. No one did.

"Zimran is with Josarian," Mirabar said slowly. "He would have told Elelar where they were going." 

Tansen nodded. "And she'll tell—"

"Do you think Zimran knows what she has planned?" Mirabar asked.

"Yes." He turned and continued walking, faster than before. "I think he'll lead Josarian into the trap."

Mirabar stumbled to catch up. Najdan was right behind her. The other men were further back, still out of earshot as Mirabar said, "But why would he do it? How could she convince—"

"She can be very convincing when she needs to be," Tansen said bitterly.

Now he knew why she had come to the Shrine of the Three, had once again woven her spell around him. He'd been a fool to think that his near death had stirred her heart even a little. She had come to assess how badly wounded he was and how long it would be before he could return to Josarian's side to guard him day and night. Then she had replaced him with Zimran, sending her besotted lover back to his cousin's side after all this time.

Josarian's life in exchange for Shaljir.

Tansen stumbled and fell. He shook off Najdan's helping hand and pushed himself back to his feet. He followed the direction of Mirabar's worried gaze and looked down to see a fresh stain on his tunic. The wound had reopened.

"You must stop and rest," Mirabar said.

"No, I—"

"Yes," she insisted. "You will be of no use to Josarian if you die before—"

"I don't need—"

A strong hand forced him to sit down. "The
sirana
says you must rest. So you will rest." It was the warning of an assassin. "Until she says otherwise."

Despite everything, Tansen almost laughed. "I think you were less trouble when you were our enemy."

"This is Sileria," Najdan replied. "A man's friends are always more dangerous than his enemies."

Tansen met the assassin's gaze. "He'll want you now, even more than he wants the rest of us."

Najdan knew whom he meant. "I have betrayed my master. There is no worse crime."

Tansen had seen enough of Najdan to know he would never try to excuse himself for it, either. Nonetheless, he said, "You've made the right choice, Najdan."

"Yes." Najdan said dryly, "And I hope that knowledge is a great comfort to me when the White Dragon comes for me."

"You don't really believe in it, do you?" Tansen asked.

Najdan looked into the distance, as if remembering something from long ago. "I have seen enough of Kiloran's power not to doubt the White Dragon just because I haven't seen it myself."

"Do you know anyone who has?"

The assassin faltered, "No, but—  "

"It's a story the waterlords made up to keep people obedient to their will," said Tansen.

"You've seen prophecy from the Otherworld and the birth of the Firebringer," Najdan said. "Your own destiny was foretold in visions which tormented the
sirana
. You, of all people, should know better, Tansen."

"I don't deny Kiloran's power," Tansen assured him. "I'll never forget those tentacles that nearly drowned me, dragging me under the surface of Lake Kandahar. And I saw what Kiloran did to the well at Alizar... But surely such feats are what men have taken for the White Dragon?"

Najdan frowned, unconvinced, but he caught Mirabar's eye and dropped the subject. "You should rest, not argue with me."

Tansen's side hurt a bit less now. "Elelar has convinced Zimran to betray Josarian to the Valdani, and somehow Kiloran is behind it. I've rested enough." He rose to his feet and continued down the path to destiny.