The Last Of The Wilds (54 page)

“No,” Tarsheni replied. He paused. “It’s not likely to collapse, is it?”

Emerahl looked at the arched ceiling. “It looks solid enough.”

As they neared the gate, Emerahl saw four men standing on the ledge. Their expressions reflected the avarice that spilled from their minds. Drawing a little magic, Emerahl created a defensive shield around the boat. She guided the vessel to a stop before the gate then met the eyes of each of the four men in turn.

“Greetings, gatekeepers. My passengers and I wish to buy passage.”

A large man with missing teeth hooked his hands in his belt and grinned at her.

“Gree’ings, lady. Thi’ your boat?”

“Yes.”

“No’ of’n we ged women sailors.”

The other men moved forward, peering down at the family and their belongings. One started to step off the ledge down into her boat. The man’s knee rammed against her barrier. He cursed in pain and stumbled backward.

“I don’t allow anyone onto my boat uninvited,” Emerahl said, turning to regard the toothless man again.

He narrowed his eyes. “You be’er invi’e us, den, or you won’ be going frough.”

“You don’t need to come aboard,” she told him firmly.

The toothless man puffed out his chest. “So you go’ Gifs. Ameri here has doo.” He gestured to one of the men, a thin, sour-faced young man. She nodded to him with feigned politeness and turned back to the toothless man.

“How about you reduce the fee to ten canar and I leave the gate standing?”

She realized she was hoping for a refusal. They probably did this to travellers all the time. While she couldn’t put a stop to it completely without delaying her journey, it would be satisfying to ruin their little scheme—for a while at least.

The man’s eyes narrowed. “Ameri,” he said, without taking his eyes from Emerahl. “Make dem coopera’e.”

The thin man extended a hand toward her and made a dramatic and ridiculous-looking gesture. Magic splattered off her shield. He was stronger than the average man or woman and his attack would have hurt or even killed most travellers. She glared at him, no longer amused by the situation.

When he stopped she blasted him and his companions with a force that slammed them against the wall and held them there. She turned to the gate and sent a wave of heat out. Soon it began to glow and warp. As bits of molten metal fell into the water, hot steam filled the tunnel. Her shield protected her boat, but the men began to scream. Releasing them, she let them flee back down the tunnel.

As the last of the gate sank into the water, Emerahl moved the boat forward, taking care not to bump it against the glowing walls of the tunnel. Only when it had emerged from the other end did she relax and turn to regard her passengers.

They were staring at her in amazement.

She shrugged. “I told you: my Gifts are not inconsiderable. And I don’t have much sympathy for thieves.”

Auraya moved from sling bed to sling bed, examining the Siyee yet again. Two of the sick were fighting Hearteater effectively, the other two were struggling. She did not want to use Mirar’s healing Gift on them until she was sure they wouldn’t defeat the disease by themselves.

I’m calling it “Mirar’s healing Gift” now
, she thought.
Not Leiard’s. I suppose Mirar has been using it for hundreds, even thousands, of years. It is his more than Leiard’s
.

Tyve watched her, his thoughts full of curiosity and worry. She could not make herself stop moving. She could only pace from bower to bower, trying to find a distraction to stop her thinking about what she had done.

I disobeyed Huan. I disobeyed the gods I’m sworn to serve.

The alternative had been to kill a man who did not deserve it.
That should not matter. I should trust the gods have reason to want him dead. Juran did, long ago
.

Instead of reassuring her, that thought only brought her more discomfort.
I can’t believe Juran tried to kill Mirar without being sure it was justified
. Though she knew it was his duty to do as the gods wished, she found she thought less of him for doing so.
I wonder if he knows what has happened
...

One of the Siyee woke and asked for water. Tyve did not stir as she rushed to take a bowl to the woman. As she held it to the woman’s lips a terrible feeling of dread welled up in her and she froze.

A familiar presence was moving toward her. Auraya let out a gasp of relief as she recognized Chaia.

a, he said.

!

:I
can see I don’t need to tell you that you‘re in trouble
, he said. His words were spoken lightly, but she sensed a deeper concern.

o, she said.

A hand touched hers. She looked up, startled, to find Tyve taking the bowl away from her. He waved her away from the patient. Auraya moved toward the bower entrance.

:
Why did I do it?
she asked Chaia.
Or why
didn’t
I do it?

u have a conscience, he told her.
You need to know your actions are justified. To you, being just and right is more important than obedience. It is a part of your nature I like. Unfortunately my view is not shared by the others
.

y all of the others, or just Huan?

e vary in our opinions, but are united in our decisions, Auraya. It is not for you to know our individual views.

She stepped outside. The sunlight was too bright. She headed for the shade.

u and the other gods must have known it was part of my nature. Why did you choose me to be a White?

e the White cannot all be the same. You each have strengths and weaknesses. When you work together your weaknesses are lessened and your strengths enhanced. Your own weakness—
your compassion
—
is your strength. A leader who can kill without question is unlikely to have the empathy and compassion needed to negotiate mutually beneficial alliances and help other people resolve their differences
.

n why did Huan choose me for this task?

m afraid you are the wrong White in the wrong place at the wrong time. You should not be the one executing Mirar—
and not just because you were once in love with a part of him
.

Auraya felt a spark of hope.

m I forgiven, then?

t quite, Chaia replied.
Some of us believe that the White must be obedient, no matter what is in their nature. If the White have different natures, then they are bound to disagree at times. When conflict happens they must look to us for a resolution. They must obey us, or their unity will be broken
.

Auraya felt her stomach sink.

n still wants me to murder Mirar.

, not murder.

As her hopes were smothered she was surprised to find anger stirring.

d if I refuse again? she found herself asking.

u will be punished. To what degree I cannot guess. It took me some time to persuade the others to give you a second chance. I also insisted that you be given a day to reflect on the task and the consequences of refusing or obeying. While you do, consider this: sometimes we face a problem where all solutions are unpleasant, where the least damaging option must be chosen. Consider which choice is the least damaging to the people you are sworn to protect.

Mirar has no intention of acting against us.

? He may not now, but that does not mean he won’t try in the future. He is powerful and clever—
you know that. He hates us
—
you know that too. Can you gamble that if the opportunity comes to cause trouble, he won’t take it?

Auraya shook her head.

r what might happen if he decides to reclaim his role as leader of the Dreamweavers, he urged.
He can influence and direct them from another land through dreams
.

Her stomach sank. Even exile wasn’t a plausible alternative.

d consider the possibility that you may still love Leiard.

:I don’t
, she told him.

? I know your heart, Auraya. I know there is still attraction and affection there, confused and unresolved. He will keep you bound to him if he can, not just because he is still enchanted by you but because you will not harm him while you are unsure of your feelings. You will not be free to love again until those bonds are gone.

Auraya wrapped her arms around herself. She felt ill. Wretched. Torn.

:I cannot console you, Auraya, though I wish I could
, Chaia said sorrowfully.
I cannot be affectionate, or fend off your nightmares, lest the others think I am rewarding you for your disobedience. They agreed that I should speak to you, as you know me better. I ask as your friend and lover, do as Huan bids
.

He moved away. For a long time she sat alone, thinking about all that he had said, then she rose and returned to the bowers. She needed to think, but the Siyee needed her help more.

Mirar drew magic and warmed the air around him. During the months he had treated the Siyee he had barely noticed the turning of the seasons, too caught up in his work. Now he felt the chill of winter in the air, especially in these last hours before dawn. He leaned back against a tree and closed his eyes.

Though he had travelled all day and most of the night, this stop wasn’t for rest or sleep. Clearing his mind, he sent himself into a dream trance.

?

They had communicated through dream links every few days since she had left. Recently she had grown secretive about her location or destination. He hoped that meant she’d had some success finding other immortals, but couldn’t yet tell him about it.

? she replied.

w is my travelling friend?

h the same as before. Lots of sailing, more sailing, and a little sailing on top.

, are we?

. I have some interesting paying passengers. You?

e just got a lot more interesting, he told her.
The gods know who I am
.

! How?

:I taught Auraya how to heal. The gods must have been watching.

u idiot.

. Disappointed in me?

She was silent for a moment.

. I’m not surprised. You should have left as soon as she appeared, but you didn‘t. I know you stayed because of the Siyee and I’m guessing you taught her for their sake.

s true.

:I
suspect that’s not your only reason for tossing aside all concern for your own safety. So how did Auraya take the news?

e tried to kill me.

h. She was silent for several heartbeats.
She was prepared to break her promise, then
.

s she pointed out, her promise was to Leiard.

. Obviously she didn’t succeed in killing you. Why not?

e I opened my mind to her and showed her the truth.

d that dissuaded her? How interesting. Do you think killing you was her idea or the gods’?

e gods. Huan appeared and urged her to do it.

a disobeyed her?

.

n more interesting. So did she learn it?

n what?

.

.

u do realize what that means.

t she is Gifted enough to become an immortal. She already is immortal, Emerahl.

, but what is significant is that she could be without the gods’ intervention. She is a Wild. What that means for her depends on why they hate us. If it is a pure hatred of all Wilds, they will kill her.

Mirar went cold. Had he doomed Auraya to die just by teaching her to heal?

e is something else I must tell you. The gods may have seen more than I intended.

u let some secrets slip out, then?

. When I explained how Leiard and I became one person I thought of you, though only as my helper. I tried not to…

u think the gods will guess who this helper was.

. I am sorry. You may be in danger.

She said nothing for a long time.

t as much danger as you face. They know I still live, but they do not know where I am. They know where you are.

y that I am in Si.

e are you heading?

a told me to leave Northern Ithania. I am heading for the coast.

a may not be willing to kill you, but I wouldn’t rely on the other White having the same scruples if I were you. Huan will enlist the Siyee to search for you and send the White in once you‘ve been found. Do you think you could evade the Siyee?

f I travel at night, perhaps, but it won’t be easy without a light.

s a pity you’re not close to the coast already. You could make a boat and sail out to sea. There will be a limit to how far out a Siyee can fly. Once you have lost their pursuit, you can come to shore again. So long as nobody sees you, the gods will not know where you arrive. But I fear the White will be waiting for you by the time you reach the coast. She paused.
Eventually you will have to approach water in order to leave Northern Ithania. Good timing will be essential. Let me think about this. I will reach my destination in a few days. I may learn of a safe place for you to go
.

r destination, eh? There you go, being all mysterious again.

u have just revealed my existence to the gods. Do you expect me to tell you where they may find me?