Nicxira’s stomach clenched, and her teeth closed on the agonized protest that rose in her throat.
“Only farsight remains to you. Even this close to me, the talent sparks in you. It will not be so strong as before, for in my lands magic is forbidden. You shall go among my people and live as one of them. When your visions come, you will tell me all you see, down to the smallest detail. When it is necessary, you shall act as my hands.”
She paused, stepping closer.
“You will never see your homeland again. You will live amongst strangers, in an unfamiliar land. You must do this willingly, without reservation. For what is coming is dangerous, and my weapons must be strong and true. They must not break in the heat of battle.”
Nicxira didn’t have to think.
“I am yours.”
The god nodded, a smile softening her severe expression.
“I will give you my language, and I will send you to the town called Kallas. There you will live and wait for what comes next. Henceforth you will be known as Nurema. Call on me, and I will answer.”
Then she extended a hand. The crystal claws curved around Nicxira’s head. Darkness swirled around Nicxira, and she felt herself falling down a great hole. As she fell, a name came to her. Amiya. The Blessed Lady.
Chapter 1
“
I
don’t understand.” The sharp complaint in Reisil’s voice made Indigo’s velvet ears twitch. The dun gelding tossed his head reprovingly as he clopped up the slope.
“Give it time. They will come around.” Sodur reached over and patted her knee. Reisil frowned. It certainly wasn’t the first time she’d brought up the subject in the last year, but Sodur never seemed worried, always giving her the same answer. The longer it went on, the more stale his reassurances became.
“It’s been a year. How long does it take to welcome a new
ahalad-kaaslane
? Besides, they were fine when I first arrived. And like that”—she snapped her fingers—“things changed. Now I might as well be a ghost for all they look right through me. I can’t stand even going to the Lady’s Temple anymore. It would be different if Reikon and the others were still around. Or the
magilanes
.”
Sodur shrugged, his thin, drooping face shadowed beneath the brim of his floppy hat. “Reikon, Bethorn, and Fehra were all there when you destroyed the wizards. They saw your bravery and what it cost to challenge the wizards. They felt the Lady inside you. How could they doubt you? As for the
magilanes
—” He broke off, shrugging again. “They’re a breed apart. No one rules them; no one frightens them. It was enough that Saljane made you one of them.”
And it was true. The
magilanes,
those
ahalad-kaaslane
who shared a bond with predator birds, had sought her out. But being among them was like being a single bird in a silent flock. They spoke seldom, conveying much by a flick of the fingers, a turn of the wrist, a tip of the head. Reisil hadn’t had time to learn this silent language of spies and explorers. So she sat mute, watching, listening, alone but for Saljane. If there had been time—
“You have to be reasonable, Reisil. The stories of what you did in Patverseme
are
frightening. After Upsakes’s betrayal, it’s no wonder the rest of the
ahalad-kaaslane
fear you. Think about it. They thought they knew him. Not one of us doubted him, not even me—and I was his closest friend. And all the while he was plotting with the wizards. How he could imagine killing another
ahalad-kaaslane
. . .” His lips pinched together. “All this from a man we trusted without question. And then you come along and incinerate a hundred wizards without batting a lash. . . .” Sodur sighed. “I was there, and it still curls my hair to remember. The story only grows in the telling. Can you really wonder that you frighten them?”
He glanced over at her. Reisil glared back.
“Because I killed our enemy, I cannot be trusted. Should I have just let the wizards attack us?”
“Of course not. You did exactly what was required.” Sodur scratched his jaw. “Try looking at it from their point of view. The wizards were our greatest enemy in the war. There was nothing we could do to defeat them. We had no magic of our own, and they were merciless. The only thing that kept us safe was the Blessed Amiya’s prohibition of magic within our borders. And even then, look what they did at Mysane Kosk. The
magilanes
had managed to kill wizards before, but usually at the cost of their birds. Here you kill a hundred in one blow. You
must
know how frightening such power is. But then you came to Koduteel and—” He gestured meaningfully.
But Reisil was determined to say the words aloud. “The Lady disappears, and my power drains away. Do they think I chased Her off? That I’m
pretending
I lost my power?”
“Before you came, the Blessed Amiya was always present, offering guidance, answering prayers, giving us new
ahalad-kaaslane
. Since your arrival, there have been no new
ahalad-kaaslane,
and our prayers go unanswered. Is it any wonder they blame you? No,” he said, forestalling her reply with a raised hand. “I’m not saying you’re responsible. She gave you power, and I think there can be no doubt that She’s withdrawn so you could learn to use it. Her very presence suppresses magic; you could not do what She wants you to do if She remained. But the result has been devastating. The other
ahalad-kaaslane
have become powerless. Those amongst the nobility who have long resented our power in Kodu Riik have begun to move against us, and we have no means to stop them. And all wonder if you have plans of your own. . . .”
“Like Upsakes,” Reisil said, her lips twisting.
“Yes. And no one would—or could—challenge you after your annihilation of the wizard circle. And what if you really are the Lady’s Chosen? The
ahalad-kaaslane
dare not go against you either way. So instead they hold their distance. It is unfair, but not unreasonable given all that’s happened.” Sodur brushed away a deerfly. “Maybe if destroying the wizards had been the end of it, everyone could start healing. But with the loss of the Lady, the plague and the
nokulas
, not to mention the Mesilasema’s death and the Iisand’s withdrawal from rule, no one feels safe. They have to blame someone. The main thing to do now is to learn how to control your magic and heal the plague. That will prove your loyalty like nothing else could.”
Reisil gritted her teeth. Her chest was tight, and her stomach felt hard as a stone. Even the relief of being out of Koduteel and in the mountains couldn’t melt away her bitterness. In those early days when she’d returned to her hometown of Kallas, she’d been able to do so much. She’d spent long days just healing, her instincts guiding her. But now her magic rarely came to her call, and when it did, she didn’t know if she would accidentally light the whole world on fire. How would she ever control it enough to heal the plague? Nor did it help that many blamed her for the Mesilasema’s death and the Iisand’s self-imposed isolation. But that
wasn’t
her fault. The Mesilasema had refused even to let Reisil be in the same room during that awful childbirth.
Reisil thrust the thought away. She was not going to start pitying herself. She drew a deep breath, turning her face up to the afternoon sun and pushing back her hat. The cloudless sky arced like a brilliant ocean above. The morning had dawned cold and frosty, but the autumn day had warmed nicely. The air was redolent with the smell of evergreens and aspen, meadowgrass and damp earth.
Sodur’s explanation made sense, but the relentless snubbing from the other
ahalad-kaaslane
was a wound that never stopped bleeding. Between her own failures and their constant suspicion, she had begun to feel as welcome in Kodu Riik as a Patversemese wizard. Except a wizard would be able to
do
something with his magic. But this trip was to change all that, she reminded herself. And outside of Koduteel, with Sodur’s unfailing, stalwart support, surely she’d find a way to tap into her power and heal the plague.
She pulled her hat back on and straightened her spine. Whether the other
ahalad-kaaslane
trusted her or not, she still had her duty to do, and whining wasn’t going to help.
“Has anyone heard from any of them?” she asked as she pulled the cork on her water bag and drank the sun-warmed water. “Reikon? Fehra? Bethorn?”
Sodur frowned, nudging his liver chestnut with his heels as the gelding dropped his head to snatch a mouthful of grass. A flurry of gnats swirled up around his head, and the beast shook his head vigorously, rubbing his head against his forelegs.
“Not for a while now. Not since late spring. But most
ahalad-kaaslane
don’t send word except in an emergency.”
“How long do
ahalad-kaaslane
usually ride circuit?” Reisil startled herself with the question. It seemed she ought to know after more than a year in Koduteel. But then, how would she have found out? Except for Sodur, none of the
ahalad-kaaslane
would even speak to her, and Sodur spent most of his time in the palace these days, trying to keep the nobles from revolting against the failing power of the
ahalad-kaaslane
.
“There’s no set length of time. No set place to go. Each
ahalad-kaaslane
comes and goes as he is called and travels wherever the Lady guides him.”
“Juhrnus wasn’t called.”
“No. But then it is customary for new
ahalad-kaaslane
to spend time learning about Kodu Riik by traveling its length and breadth. I suggested Juhrnus make such a journey, listening to what calls guided him as he went.”
But there wouldn’t be any calls. Not since the Lady had withdrawn from Kodu Riik. Reisil didn’t say it. “How do you know what to do then? What the Lady wants you to do?”
“For me, being at the palace is the best way I know how to serve Kodu Riik. Without the Iisand on the throne, the Verit Aare jostles for the regency. It would devastate the land. He’s hungry for war, and he hates the power of the
ahalad-kaaslane
more than the other nobles do. He’s already developed a substantial network of supporters. If he became regent, the Arkeinik would soon bend to his will—and then we’d be in much worse trouble than we are in now. If the Lady
was
to speak to me, I believe this is the path She’d choose for me.”
“How can you be sure?”
Sodur grimaced. “Who is sure? But what does it matter? We know we must protect Kodu Riik. Even without the Lady to guide us, we must answer our oath to Her. Certainly we cannot sit on our hands, doing nothing. Your path is to find a way to use your power, and mine is to give you the time to do so while keeping the court from tearing itself apart.”
Reisil nodded, thinking of her experiences with the court nobles. Most didn’t like her any better than the
ahalad-kaaslane
did, only they didn’t mind telling her so. Or they cultivated her for what they thought she could do. On those rare occasions she’d accompanied Sodur to the palace, she couldn’t escape a feeling that she was prey and that lions and wolves stalked in the shadows. Sodur had shouldered a staggering task. She slanted a look at him. He looked much as he had when she first met him: clothing patched and threadbare, now covered with the dust and dirt of nearly two weeks’ travel. His shoulders were slouched, his thin figure unprepossessing. He felt her eyes on him and glanced up, a smile illuminating his haggard features, his eyes twinkling.
“Not the most impressive-looking diplomat, am I?”
Reisil grinned back, shaking her head. “But I’ve seen you. You know how to manage people. And you don’t make them angry when you do it.”
“That’s because they don’t realize what I’m doing. That’s the key, Reisil,” he said, sobering. “They are a prickly bunch. They’re born to lead, and they know it. They don’t take interference well, even well-intentioned efforts. Some would rather burn in the Demonlord’s third circle. Better to herd them slowly in the direction you want and teach them to see reason—but never let them know what you’re up to.”
Reisil fell silent, thinking. Then she asked, “You didn’t say—have you heard from Juhrnus?”
“No.”
“You’re not worried anything’s happened to him? To any of them?”
Sodur turned his head to look for Lume, his
ahalad-kaaslane
. The silver lynx wound through the shady grasses along the tree line, leaping after grasshoppers and tree lizards.
“Of course I am,” he said at last. “Things have changed in Kodu Riik. People do not welcome the
ahalad-kaaslane
as they used to. They still haven’t recovered from the war, and the drought hasn’t helped. Bandits and thieves prowl the land.
Nokulas
are everywhere, slaughtering entire villages. And then there’s the plague.” He drew a breath. “As I said, no news is probably good news, but yes, I worry.”
There didn’t seem to be an answer to that, and so Reisil settled back in her saddle, thinking about the two weeks since they’d departed Koduteel. The people they’d encountered thus far had welcomed them, offering food from their meager stores. They did not seem to blame the
ahalad-kaaslane
. Not yet. But that didn’t mean everyone felt the same. Reisil closed her eyes, sending a prayer to the absent Lady to protect her friends.
She tipped her head back, making an effort to push aside her worries and enjoy the breeze on her face and the smell of the summer grasses. Saljane had disappeared several hours before, and now Reisil could feel the goshawk’s happy satiation.
~Fat girl. Are you going to eat all the squirrels in the forest?
~Marmots. Two,
came Saljane’s smug reply.
~Two? How are you going to fly?
Before Saljane could answer, a sudden prickling ran up Reisil’s arms. The hair on her neck stood on end. She jerked around, eyes darting to the trees swathing the hills to the left and the right. Behind and before, the long grassy channel they’d been following snaked away between the rising foothills, the tall, heavy seedheads waving in the breeze. She could see nothing. Dread closed a hard fist around her throat.