The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah) (60 page)

Glendymere addressed Kevin privately,
“I had planned to drop in on you once in a while during your journey just to make sure things were going all right. I don’t guess it would harm anything for me to bring you a package or two while I’m at it. Any special requests?”

“No,”
Kevin answered mentally.
“But I’m glad to hear you say that you’ll be around some. I was afraid I wouldn’t see you again for a really long time. I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

“The only thanks I want is for you to survive,”
Glendymere said. Then after a couple of minutes he added,
“And I think I’m going to need your help next year. Something Duane and I talked about. But there’s plenty of time to think about that later.”

“You can’t say that and then drop it. What are you talking about?”

“Nothing right now. I just might have to ask you for a favor next fall. Don’t know yet. Have to see how things play out.”

“Yeah, like seeing if I survive.”

“That, and other things,”
Glendymere said. Then Glendymere addressed Blalick privately.
“The time has come for us to take off, Blalick. I’d like to be back home before daybreak. Would you get those medallions please?”

“Before we leave, I have something for each of you,”
Glendymere said to the whole group. Then Blalick handed each of the Tellurians a medallion on a gold chain.

Glendymere explained that most crystals on Terah had the power to enhance certain character traits if those traits were already present. Then he spoke to each person privately, explaining the significance of the stones in his or her medallion.

“Kevin, each master presents a medallion to his apprentice when he’s ready to strike out on his own. The red opal is the sorcerer’s stone. It enhances your magical energies and helps you focus. Every practicing sorcerer wears one, but not always where it can be seen. I would suggest that you wear it inside your tunic until you take your place in Milhaven. The blue sodalite is to keep you balanced and ease your fears. It will help you look to the heart of the problems you will face and find solutions.”
As Kevin hung the medallion around his neck, the red opal began to glow with an inner fire.
“That light reflects your own fire. It will burn brightly as long as there is breath in your body, and will fade out when the life force within you is extinguished.”

“Chris, you are a loyal and sensible companion. The sapphire will protect you against evil, especially evil magic, and will enhance your ability to think through situations and see the broader picture. The topaz will help you find your path in life and handle life’s headaches with creativity and humor without losing sight of your goals.”

“Steve, you have the wisdom to guide and the experience to know that guidance is not always appreciated. The lapis lazuli enhances your clarity of vision and serves as an aid in presenting your views. The amethyst will heal your heart and let you open yourself to new friendships and love.”

“Karl, the bloodstone is the soldier’s stone. It enhances your endurance and vitality in defending what’s right. The blue lace agate is the stone of the diplomat. It will help you hear what isn’t said, to distinguish fact from conjecture, to make wise decisions, and to present clear arguments.”

“Darrell, the tiger’s eye is a warrior’s stone. It fosters the courage to face your fears, the energy to carry on the good fight, and it will bring you luck on the battlefield. The citrine provides protection against the influences of evil, both on and off the battlefield, and will help you maintain a tight control over your emotions when you’re up against an enemy.”

“Theresa, my dear, you already wear the medallion of the Sisterhood. But the medallion that I present to you now has no connection with your role as a healer. The rose quartz is a mother’s stone. It enhances your fertility and aligns your emotional, mental, and spiritual energies. The pink moonstone will help you conquer your anxieties and will increase your confidence and creativity in handling the different forces in your life.”

“Joan, you wear many hats, and you wear them well. The green jasper will settle your mind, ease your worries, and bring you joy and happiness, while the red jasper will help you develop a high sensitivity to good and evil, as well as honesty and deception, and to recognize each, no matter how well it is disguised.”

After each of the Tellurians had thanked Glendymere and hung the medallions around their necks, Glendymere nodded to Blalick and Macin. Blalick shook hands with all of the Tellurians and bid them a safe and fruitful journey. Then he grasped Karl’s hand again, held it for a few moments, and without saying anything else, took his place on Glendymere’s back.

 Macin shook hands with everyone except Darrell. When he came to Darrell, he reached for his hand, but ended in a bear hug. As the two men slapped each other on the back, each of them felt the sting of tears. Darrell stepped back, shook Macin’s hand, and nodded towards Glendymere. As soon as Macin was settled on Glendymere’s back, the dragon soared into the black sky.

No one stood around watching the dark shadow disappear into the night for more than a couple of minutes; too many things had to be done. Kevin, Karl, and Steve hitched the horses to the wagons, Joan tied the spare team behind her wagon, Darrell and Chris saddled the others, and Theresa packed the coffee pot and mugs and doused the fire. By daybreak, the wagons were ready to roll.

Chapter 46

Back on the Road

Although it was quite cold, they were lucky with the weather for the first few days. They had bright sunshine with very little wind during the day, and while the inns and stables that they stayed in at night were not exactly warm, they were bearable.

The Tellurians quickly stepped into their roles as rugged self-sufficient loners who were accustomed to hardships. Their attitude while they were in town was totally different from the friendly enthusiasm of the minstrels they had portrayed nine months earlier. Karl and Darrell handled the business for the group while the others hung back, almost shyly. When they went into the taverns for dinner, they found a couple of tables off in a corner and stayed to themselves. After dinner, the men usually sat in the tavern, drinking scog and talking amongst themselves, while Theresa and Joan went to their room. Kevin and Chris slept in a room next to theirs, and the others rented a section of the loft in the stables.

Early Thursday morning, clouds began to move in, accompanied by a cold north wind. They stopped for a quick lunch soon after they crossed the southbound road that had taken them to Abernon the previous May.

“We were at this point only a couple of days after the bandits attacked us,” Karl said.

“I was just thinking about that,” Darrell said. “It seems like it was years ago in one way, and like yesterday in another.”

Theresa nodded. “Sometimes it’s almost like the last eight months didn’t even happen.”

“Well, some things have changed,” Joan said as she held her hand out to catch a snowflake slowly meandering its way towards the ground. “It wasn’t snowing the last time we were here.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Karl said as he looked at the sky. “Let’s get ready to move on. I want to reach the next town before those clouds decide to really let loose.”

As Theresa climbed back up on her wagon seat, she sighed, and said, “I’m glad we’re finally on our way to Milhaven. I can’t stop thinking about how nice it’s going to be to have my own chapel one day, and then the next minute, I feel guilty about being excited. I feel like I should be miserable that we had to leave the giants and Glendymere.”

“Don’t feel guilty for being who you are,” Darrell said. “I had a sociology professor who said that the world is made up of two types of people, those who embrace change and move on, and those who fight it tooth and nail. I think all of us must be the first type. It may seem a little cold at times, but if you weren’t the type who could move on, Paul wouldn’t have chosen you for this little adventure in the first place, and you’d be back on Earth, married to your banker.”

“Ugh! You’re probably right.” Theresa grimaced as she flicked the reins and pulled her wagon out behind Steve’s. “But I still feel like a heel for being happy.”

~ ~ ~ ~

The snow covered the ground with a thin blanket of white, but it wasn’t enough to cause any travel problems, and by the weekend, the weather had warmed up enough to melt it all away. By Tuesday morning, the ground was dry again. When they stopped for lunch, Karl suggested stocking up on a few supplies, finding a good campsite, and staying put for a couple of nights.

Shortly after lunch, they rode into a town that had a large livery stable, so Karl dismounted in front of it and went inside to see if he could buy some extra feed for the horses. The stable master offered to sell him several bales of hay and four bags of oats.

While the men were loading the hay and oats, Joan sat on her wagon seat, daydreaming. After a bit, she felt someone’s eyes on her, so she slowly looked towards the inn. A man was standing beside the door, staring at her. The second their eyes met, a shock of recognition flashed through her. That man was the bandit that they had captured the night of the raid.

He sauntered over towards her wagon and just as he drew close enough to pose a threat, he reached out and stroked one of her horses. “She’s a beauty. Reminds me of a mare I had last year. Gentle with my children but she had a strong heart. Had to put her down after she broke her leg running through a field outside of Billows. Tore my heart out,” he said as he continued to rub her horse’s head. “Ever been to Billows, ma’am?”

Joan’s heart was beating so hard and fast that she felt sure that he could hear the thuds and see her pulse jumping. “No, not to my knowledge. But we’ve been through so many towns along the Pooley River that I really don’t know.”

“Oh, Billows isn’t on the Pooley River, ma’am. It’s several days north, in Brendolanth. Are you sure you’ve never been there? You sure do look familiar.”

With that special bond that some married couples develop, Karl sensed his wife’s distress and walked around the end of the wagon towards the front. As soon as he saw the bandit, he knew what had upset her. “Can I help you, sir?” he asked as he continued towards the front of the wagon.

“No, that’s all right. I was just admiring your horse here,” the man said. “Well, guess I’ll be on my way. Have a nice day, ma’am.” Then he nodded towards Joan, turned, and entered the stable.

 “You recognized him, didn’t you?” Joan whispered to Karl.

Karl nodded. “We’re going to finish loading and then we’ll ride out of town as if nothing happened,” he said quietly. “I don’t think he’s sure about us. Remember, it was dark.”

“Not when he saw us in the dry goods store,” Joan mumbled. “What’s he doing down here? You don’t think he’s looking for us, do you?”

“No. That would be too much of a coincidence,” Karl whispered. “I can’t see him setting out to track us down. He didn’t strike me as a much of a thief, much less a bounty hunter.”

“And since you’ve known so many of them …” Joan argued.

Karl laughed and told her she had a point. Then he walked towards the back of the wagons to see if everything had been loaded.

“All loaded. Want to grab some scog before we head out?” Chris asked as he nodded towards a nearby tavern.

“Not this time. Let’s mount up,” Karl said quietly. “I’ll explain later.”

Darrell raised his eyebrows and asked, “Trouble?”

“Could be,” Karl answered.

Within a couple of minutes, the Tellurians were headed out of town on the eastbound road and they didn’t stop until they had put about ten miles between themselves and the town. Then Karl pulled up and signaled for everyone to stop and gather around.

“While we were loading the hay and oats, Joan had an interesting encounter,” Karl said as he nodded towards her.

Joan explained about the bandit, the flash of recognition that she was sure she saw in his eyes, her brief conversation with him, and the creepy feeling that he knew about the bounty. “I can’t point to anything that makes me so sure he knows, but he does. Sounds crazy, I know.”

“No it doesn’t,” Steve said. “Flashes like that are often right. So the question is what do we do now?”

“I think we should plan to put as many miles between us and him as we can, and as fast as we can,” Karl answered. “I had hoped to take tomorrow off and rest the horses, but I don’t think that’s a good idea now. Maybe in a couple of days.”

“Right,” Darrell agreed. “Well, we have a couple more hours before dark. I say we move on and set up camp at sunset.”

By the time they set up camp that night, it was dark. They dug a fire pit so that the flame wouldn’t be quite so visible, and tethered the horses close by. After dinner, they quickly settled down for the night, hoping to be back on the road by daybreak.

The next morning was windy, with clouds blowing in and out, but no rain or snow. By lunchtime, the clouds had settled into a thick overcast. Late that afternoon they came across an evergreen forest that bordered the river for several miles. According to the map, their road headed south for about a mile, circled around the forest, and then rejoined the river.

About halfway along the forest, Karl rode into the woods to see if he could find a good spot for a campsite. He found two adjoining circular clearings close to the river bank. They could tether the horses in one and set up their camp in the other.

After everyone had followed Karl into the clearing, Darrell said, “I think this would be a good place to take a day off. If that bandit did recognize us and was going to try to collect on the reward, don’t you think he would have done something about it by now?”

“Probably. I sort of expected him to make a move last night,” Karl agreed. “Let’s set up for two nights, and then if we feel uneasy tomorrow, we can move on. I’ll string up a small corral for the horses while the rest of you set up camp.”

The strain of expecting an attack at any moment had taken its toll. No one had slept well the night before and they were all exhausted. Shortly after dinner, everyone headed towards bed except Theresa, Steve, and Darrell. They had the first watch. All three of them spent the hours of their watch strolling around the campsite, afraid that they would fall asleep if they sat down. Finally, it was midnight and time to change shifts.

As soon as Chris and Kevin got up, they settled down near the fire to get over the shock of leaving their warm bedrolls for the icy cold wind sweeping down from the north. The sky was still overcast. The clouds completely blocked out the moon and stars, making the night even darker.

Around 1:00, Chris said, “I’m going to walk over and check on the horses. How about sending up your seeing eye and having a good look around while I’m gone, okay?”

“Okay. Am I looking for anything in particular?”

“I don’t know. Just look.”

“This is the first time you’ve suggested that I do that since we left Rainbow Valley. Are you sensing something?”

“I’m not sure. The feeling’s there, but it isn’t very strong. Maybe it’s just reaction to the last couple of days. It’s probably nothing,” Chris said as he stood up and shook his head. “Forget I even mentioned it.”

“Why don’t you wait a minute and let me take a look around?”

 Chris shrugged and sat back down to wait for Kevin to finish checking out the area.

“Whoa, what have we here?” Kevin mumbled to himself. “Chris, I think you’re right on target. Let me see. We have three camps strung out along the road. One is west of us near the edge of the woods, where the road and river are fairly close together. One is east of us, about a mile up, where a rather large stream cuts through the woods, and the third is south of us, about where we entered the woods from the road. In other words, we’re surrounded. They must have been following us most of the day and spotted the smoke from our campfire this evening.”

“What are they doing?” Chris whispered.

“Nothing right now. There are about six or seven men in each camp, as close as I can tell. A few appear to be sleeping in bedrolls, so I may have missed one or two, but mostly, they’re just huddled around their fires, waiting.”

“Waiting for what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe daybreak. Maybe for a break in the clouds so that they’ll have a little more light when they attack us. Our friend from Billows probably isn’t too anxious to charge in blind, but they’re definitely ready for a fight. I see swords, bows and arrows, and a few clubs,” Kevin said as he continued to look through his seeing eye. Then he looked at Chris and said, “If they were hunters, they wouldn’t be traveling in that large a group, and they wouldn’t be camping on the road. I think we can safely assume that they’re after us.”

“Next question. What are we going to do?”

“Well, I could take them out right now, but I really don’t want to do that.”

“I’m not sure it would be a good idea anyway,” Chris said. “Rolan’s already after us because of Taelor. If he finds out that one of us is a sorcerer, he’s going to be even more interested in us. Maybe we can ‘sneak away’ in the night.”

“I’m all for that, but how? We’re boxed in to the east, west, and south, with a river on the north. Wait a minute. Let me check out the other side of the river.” Then Kevin focused his seeing eye on the north side of the river. Not only were there no bounty hunters, there was a nice thick evergreen forest bordering the north bank, with a road running parallel to the river on the other side of the woods.

“If we could get to the road on the other side of the river, we could do it. We could actually sneak away into the night,” Kevin mumbled. “Now, how can I get us from here to there? The wagons won’t be a problem, but what about the horses? How can I get them across the river quietly?”

“Could we try tying something over their eyes? I don’t know that it’ll work, but that’s what they always did in the movies,” Chris said with a shrug.

“Let’s get Karl. He knows more about horses than we do.”

“We might as well get everyone up. We’re either going to have to vanish or fight. This is a royal pain,” Chris muttered angrily as he began walking towards the sleeping tarps. “Everyone’s beat. We really could have used a day off,”

As Chris explained the situation, adrenaline started flowing, and all signs of exhaustion disappeared. Within minutes, everyone was up, dressed, and armed.

As they gathered around the fire, Karl said, “Chris said something about moving us to the other side of the river. How are you going to do this?”

“I’m not sure. I can move the wagons, no problem. It’s the horses I’m worried about. We need to get them to the other side of the river without the bounty hunters hearing anything,” Kevin explained. “Chris suggested covering their eyes. We can do that, but how are they going to react if I pick them up?”