The young woman scrambled to her feet, looking from one man to the other, confusion and fear evident. "I don't understand what you're saying. Ward the room?" Her voice shook a little, but her expression was determined as she added, "Who are you and how did you get here?"
Ninian met Jhond's gaze, and it was obvious Jhond had reached the same conclusion--this young woman wasn't the cause of the ward spell inside this room. There was something else at work here. Jhond stepped forward and gave the young woman a short bow.
"I am Jhond of Reeve, known as the Eynan, and this is my friend, Ninian of Hartees, who is a strong mage in his own right. Would you grace us with your name?"
His steady voice seemed to calm her, and she took a couple of steps closer, then stopped, a frown creasing her brow. "Magi I can believe--your action proved that--but the Eynan? That is merely a myth, a story to awe the children. And where are these places you speak of, Reeve and Hartees? I've never heard of such places."
Ninian held out a hand, palm up and open in a gesture of friendship, hoping to put the woman at her ease. "Hartees and Reeve are not places; they are family names of ancient magi families from before the time of the Withdrawal. And the Eynan is no myth. Jhond fulfilled the criteria and was sealed in the title only a short time ago. He led the armies from Timendra across the Estan Sea to defeat the Illurian Empire. Will you not tell us your name?"
Her eyes widening in shock, or perhaps disbelief, the woman stepped closer still. "Remi...er, Remelin Laith is my name. Can that be true? The empire is no more?"
"The emperor and his preceptor are dead, and the Illurian armies are fighting a losing battle as each state the empire swallowed up is beginning to fight back," Ninian replied truthfully. "It's only a matter of time now."
"And he"--she stared at Jhond, but spoke to Ninian--"he's the Eynan? In truth?"
"Yes, he is."
She frowned. "Then why is he here? There's nothing here for such as he."
"Is there not?" Jhond queried. "An ancient artifact brought us here to find you. And the spell protecting this place was very powerful."
"And that confuses me," Ninian added. "When I saw you before, Remelin, you couldn't even complete a spell. Can you tell us what's going on here?"
"And your words confuse
me!
" Remelin's voice rose in consternation. "Spell protecting this place? And that's twice you've mentioned seeing me before. What are you talking about?"
"We're all asking questions, and no one is getting proper answers. Let's sit down quietly and fill in the gaps," Jhond suggested.
"There's nowhere decent here for us to sit," Remelin began, and Ninian privately agreed. The place was filthy with years of accumulated detritus. "And my home is little more than a hovel on the outskirts of the town."
"I don't believe talking in this place is a good idea," Jhond said, flicking a glance at Ninian, who understood his friend's misgivings. Even now, there was still something about it that just felt wrong. Ninian hesitated to say evil, but he wondered how far from the truth that actually was.
"We haven't seen the town yet," Ninian commented. "If you'd show us where you live?"
Remelin still looked uncertain, and Ninian didn't think it wise for Jhond to resort to using his power simply to transport them there. He wanted her acquiescence, so he gave her his best smile and added, "Please?"
Remelin frowned, but said, "Very well. Come. Though I don't know how you can say you didn't see Lumera when you have to pass by it to climb up here."
"We came from another direction," Ninian said.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, the expression on her face telling him she didn't believe him, but whatever her thoughts, she kept them to herself. She walked back to the small corner where she'd been huddled and bent down to collect her things. She shoved a couple of items into a small satchel and then swung a thick cloak about her shoulders, which she carefully fastened, before slinging the satchel over her shoulder. She turned back to them then, frowning.
"It didn't register when I first saw you," she began, "but where are your outer garments?"
Recalling the warm woolen cloaks left behind in Garileon Castle, Ninian glanced at Jhond, who shrugged.
"We have nothing else," Ninian replied. "We use our power to protect ourselves from many things, the weather included." Ninian murmured a spell under his breath to increase his protection from the extreme weather on the journey to Remelin's home, aware Jhond would be doing the same.
Her eyes widened a little, but she said nothing, just began to climb the steps. They followed her until they arrived back outside in the courtyard, which she crossed quickly, heading for what must have been the main gate once, although now only a portion of the top arch remained and most of the right jamb was missing, too. Remelin marched on without bothering to look behind her, seeming to be certain the strangers would follow her.
As they moved outside the structure, they got their first clear view of their location, and it took Ninian's breath away. Directly ahead, he could see the sea, a fair distance away and a long way below him. On the distant horizon, he could just make out the ice flows that were the beginning of the icy wastes. Bringing his gaze closer, he could see the tops of trees and the winding path between them that led down to the town in the valley below where Remelin lived. He stopped and turned around. The building they had just left sat on an outcrop jutting out from the mountainside, and above them the sheer cliff face arose, snow on its surface and its top lost in swirling mists, adding to the forbidding, dangerous air of the location.
"What was this place?" Ninian breathed.
"I think that's something we need to find out," Jhond answered quietly. "Come...let's catch up with our new friend," he added, and Ninian saw Remelin was fast disappearing through the trees. "I see now why she thought we must have seen her home."
"And she knows I lied. Not an auspicious beginning."
"She isn't being honest with us either. Not yet, but she will be."
A short while later, they walked into the outskirts of the small town of Lumera, but before Ninian and Jhond had time for more than a quick glance at their surroundings, Remelin pushed open the door of one of the first cottages they came to.
"Make yourselves as comfortable as you are able," she said, holding the door ajar for them to enter. Though the words were an invitation, the tone of voice said otherwise.
Ninian followed Jhond inside. There was a large room with a fireplace taking up most of one wall, although there was no welcoming fire lit. Next to the fireplace was a metal frame bolted to the wall, a small cauldron hanging from a large hook at the end of the movable arm. Set at an angle in front of the hearth was an armchair, a little worse for wear, but it looked comfortable.
Directly opposite the entrance was a back door, beside which was a stone sink. Nearby was a large dresser and, while most of the shelves were empty, the lower one contained a few plates, cups and saucers. To the left, shoved against the wall, was what looked to be a folding table.
Opposite the fireplace was a small window, the drapes still closed so they didn't allow much light inside. Under the window stood a large wooden chest. There was another door not far from the window. The door stood ajar, and Ninian could see enough to know it was a bedroom.
Remelin noticed he was looking in that direction and walked over to close the door before crossing back to the center of the room. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to look unconcerned, but Ninian guessed she was uncomfortable with having strangers in her home.
"You live here alone?" Ninian asked.
At first, her only response was a raised eyebrow. Then in a repressive voice she said, "It used to be a lot homeier, but I had to sell most of my parents' belongings just to be able to survive."
Ninian was wondering what to say to put her at ease when Jhond said, "We can do well enough here." He glanced at Ninian and smiled. "If you'd like to do the honors, my friend?"
Knowing what Jhond meant, Ninian dipped into one of his pockets and drew out his flat stone.
Jhond smiled at Remelin and said, "Perhaps we should move back a little and give him some room."
Remelin frowned in confusion, but complied.
Ninian laid the stone in the palm of his right hand and passed his left hand over it, chanting a spell. The stone began to appear translucent and a puff of smoke rose slowly from it. Remelin craned her neck for a better look and ducked back as the smoke drifted away from Ninian's hand, thickening until it settled on the wooden floor nearby. The cloud thinned, gradually dissipating to leave in its stead a small round table and three chairs. On the table's surface was a small tray containing a large jug and three ornate goblets.
Ninian glanced at Jhond. "Are you hungry yet or shall we wait until we have talked?"
"I can wait. Remelin, do you require food now?"
"I...I'm in need of a seat," she muttered, plopping herself down in one of the chairs.
Ninian chuckled and took one of the other chairs. "I'm sorry. I'm so used to doing that I forget others might find it odd." After reaching for the jug, he poured out a goblet for Remelin and passed it over to her. She quickly gulped some down and promptly coughed.
"Lords, I thought it was water." She stared at her goblet and then sipped some more.
Ninian poured a goblet each for Jhond and himself and took a drink. "Hmm, that's even better than I remember. It's been a while."
"Oh, that's quite wonderful," Jhond said. "What is it?"
"Cupria," Remelin answered. "It's a local fermented fruit drink that was one of our most successful exports until about fifteen years ago, when the icy wastes came too close for the fruit trees to thrive." She sighed and turned her attention on Ninian. "That is some stone you have there, Ninian."
"And as we are now a little more relaxed, perhaps it's time to put our cards on the table," Ninian said.
"I don't even understand what you're doing here. What possible interest you can have in me?" She frowned, adding, "Assuming it
is
me. Did you expect to find something else when you came to the nunnery?"
"Nunnery?" Ninian glanced at Jhond, who was looking thoughtful, but seemed intent on keeping those thoughts to himself. Ninian sighed, then said to Remelin, "I was indeed looking for you, Remelin. I saw the underground room you were in, but didn't know precisely where that room was. We didn't know it was a nunnery until just this moment."
"Look...I'm fed up with half-truths and misleading answers. You talk about seeing me, but I've no idea what that means. You appeared in the nunnery without even knowing what or where it was and, please, no more lying. The only approach to the nunnery is through this small town, which you claim not to have seen. How did you get here?"
"Tell her, Ninian."
So, he did. He described holding the crystal in his hand and the vision it showed him of her and the feeling he got when he watched. How he knew it was important that he should follow the vision and find her.
"I don't understand why--Lords, how--this crystal should have done that, or why you should consider it so important. I'm nobody, just little Remi who has spent half her life alone, struggling to make it through each day."
"The crystals don't lie, and this one led me to you for a reason," Ninian said.
"When did you first know you had some power?" Jhond asked.
"I've always had strange feelings about people and things." She stood and moved to the fireplace, staring down at the empty hearth. "The first time it happened, I was here with my mother. I was seven years old and suddenly felt sad and afraid. I began to cry, but Mother couldn't understand what was wrong with me; I'd been playing happily until then. I don't remember too well, but I remember exactly what Mother told me I'd said between the tears. I'd told her father was hurt and very cold."
She glanced back at them then. "It was high summer. My father had fallen and died on the mountain at about the time I'd started to cry."
"That was probably what triggered your power," Ninian said. "It often takes a strong emotional incident to release it."
"You said you've been alone for half your life. No siblings?" Jhond interjected.
"No. My mother lost two other children, stillborn. Then she died of a fever when I was twelve."
"Who looked after you then?" Ninian asked.
Remelin shrugged, looking almost embarrassed. "As far as I know, my father had no other relatives. My mother had a sister, but she left home before I was born, and I have no idea where she is now. None of the townspeople wanted to take responsibility for another mouth to feed on a regular basis. It's a small poor place now. You have to understand that things were very difficult here for quite a long time. The people weren't uncaring, just not able.
"I stayed in the family home, accepting whatever scraps my neighbors might be able to provide, scavenging for whatever I could find when that was not possible. I sold what I could, then I learned to trap small animals. I managed. It made me stronger." She straightened her back and lifted her head proudly.
"And these powers you think had always been lurking inside you?" Jhond pressed.
"I didn't really think about it. I had more important things to occupy my time." She blushed a little, as if in apology. "I took what Mother had said about me as just the wishful thinking of a lonely woman and my own ideas about myself as childish imaginings."
"Until?"
"Until the day I was forced to take shelter in the nunnery. You have to understand, no one ever ventured near the nunnery. It's been a place of ill fortune since its destruction centuries ago."
"You'll have to tell us more about that, but later. Tell us about that day you went to the nunnery first."
Remelin sat down again. She took another drink of cupria, licking her lips as she looked thoughtful. With a quick glance at both men, she settled back into her chair and began to speak.