The Ways of Mages: Two Worlds (21 page)

“
Well, ye have definitely come far. I would think these hills are better stocked then near the Dead Mountains. Although, without a dog, I do
n’
t know how ye would make a liven
.
”

Kaishan met his eyes and the man backed slightly away
.“
You think I do
n’
t know that? My dog is dead. My Pack is dead. My life is gone
.
”
 
An illusionist learned to act quickly, or the illusion would
n’
t hold to him. He saw how these people saw things through this hunter in front of him. It was easy enough to skim the information from the surface of Da
n’
s mind.
I
t’
s a shame I ca
n’
t just pick his mind
Kaishan thought. It would have been quicker that way, but if he did that, he would run the risk of calling unwanted attention. Silently shoving his impatient thoughts into their cage, Kaishan turned back to Dan.  Dan could
n’
t see life without his dog, Yan. So a man without a dog was, in his eyes, dead. Kaishan just had to play a wondering, lost soul. Kaishan wondered briefly if the man knew what the nam
e‘
ya
n’
meant. The nam
e‘
wol
f’
just seemed repetitive for a wolfhound. And unimaginative.

Dan held his eyes for a moment, and then he nodded understandingly.

“
You nod your head at me as if you understand. But let me tell you, you
do
n’
t
understand
!”
Kaishan said standing. Dan backed up a little, taken aback
.“
You see me as a dead man
!”
Kaishan made himself tremble as if from great sadness. Then, as if his strength had expired, sat on the log again.

“
Yer pain is not something that I would like, but I think I could understand it. At the very least I could pity it
.
”

“
I do
n’
t want your pity
.”
Kaishan mumbled in his hands. He looked up at the man and asked
.“
What am I to do
?
”

“
Well
.”
Dan sat down, thinking
.“
Ye could become a guid
e…
or if ye can, ye can raise another dog
.
”

Kaishan shook his head
.“
I was thinking of leaving the woods. Maybe a dragon lord would take me in
.”
He mentioned. As he last remembered it, the land had been governed by the Dragons. Maybe these hunters could tell him where the nearest one was. The answer he received was a bit unexpected.

Dan guffawed
.“
In his stomach, perhaps
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s if they truly exist, Dan
.”
A woman said with a steaming mug in each hand
.“
Ye can only find a dragon in a tale
.”
She said, handing the mugs to Kaishan and Dan. She eyed Kaishan warily
.“
Why ye would want to find such a monster is beyond me
.”
With a shake of her head she left them for her own group. 

Kaishan stared after her. All the other hunters were shaking their heads at him. They thought the dragons were man eating animals, he saw it in their mind
s…
How could they not know their own protectors? What happened to the dragons? Whatever happened, the dragons were no longer Marlhem
a’
s kings. Kaishan looked into his mug, his eyes hidden by his lashes.

Did the drago
n’
s spell backlash on them? He nearly laughed. Oh, the irony! Their last defense, and it destroyed them.

I ca
n’
t know that for sure.
He cautioned the celebrating conqueror.
These hunters hardly ever leave their beloved woods. It is possible the Dragons have withdrawn to more populated areas. Hmm.
Kaisha
n’
s eyes glittered, the predator preparing for the hunt. He glanced at the hunters around him. They thought themselves the greatest of hunters in this wood, but they were only small prey.  Bloodlust rose sharply, surprising him.

A do
g’
s yowl and a hunte
r’
s shout brought him out of his thoughts. His eyes focused on the hunter disappearing into the trees. His gaze dropped to the other hounds. 

“
Yan
!”
Dan's shout was soon joined with others as the rest of the dogs fled into the woods. 

“
What is it with them today?
!”
Runa wailed as she followed the rest into the trees. Kaishan sighed. Animal
s
…
They see what I truly am, Runa. The predator even dragons feared.

***

Mornin
g’
s light painted the sky rose and the trees gold. The veil of night was lifted. No longer was the world his domain. Kaisha
n’
s wings pushed the air below him. There was no need to warn the dragons, if there were dragons, of the coming war. He doubted if the dragons would forget his people. Then again, who knew how much time passed? Maybe the dragons had forgotten them. Kaishan looked at the land below him wonderingly then shook his head. Could
n’
t run the risk of someone remembering yet. 

He had left the hunters early that morning. He did
n’
t want the animals to run again. He hated it when animals ran from him. It was damn annoying.

Kaishan continued to rise. When it got hard to breath, he leveled out. Far below him he saw the Teheadra Mountains. Far to the east he could see the faint glimmer of the Golden Sea. The sun was bright in the east. Turning away from it he flew.  Where were the dragons? Did their spell backlash? The spell had sent the Sheyestivans back to Sheyestiva. If it did something similar to the dragons where would it send them? He did
n’
t know enough of the drago
n’
s history to know where they had originated. Or did they always come from this land?

The land passed as he thought. He needed to find out if the dragons were truly gone or not. Perhaps they had gone as far from the north as they could. That would mean south. When he started out, he had been flying west toward Sada
né
Mariel. Now he turned south. The Teheadra Mountains lounged to his left.

Hours passed as he flew. Near noon he dropped upon a stag crossing a lonely field.  Immediately he covered himself with the illusion of a field with a stag stately walking its length. Quickly Kaishan fed. It was good. The stag had been young, in his prime. Finished sating his hunger, Kaishan lunched himself into the arms of the wind once more.

Faintly, very faintly he felt a touch of warmth. It played upon his senses like a delicate song. So faint that he was sure he was imagining it. Subtly it pulled him toward it, southeast. Unconsciously he let it. The entire time, his senses were on alert for signs for
marana
. Soon the Teheadra was under him again.

It was afternoon when he became aware of a slight tugging on his mind. A wish that wanted him to go back home. He shook his head
. I will continue
. He thought. Unconsciously, his mind built a mind wall in case the thought was someone trying to control him. The thought subsided. Soon after, he truly felt it. The delicate song raised it voice and called to him. It made him feel like there was something missing to his soul and that it was that something.

There was only one other time that he had felt this. He had felt it last during the war against the dragons. Their magic always affected him so.
There
are
dragons.
Kaishan beat his wings faster, flying south.

***

Ari
té
felt it, the magic of the Nirami; it struggled harder to get through to Kaisha
n’
s mind. Curious, she watched it and helped it near the end. By the time it had worked through his mind wall it was late afternoon and they were flying above the small town of Plarn. Plarn was nestled in a valley. Forest dominated most of the valley bowl. A quarter of it was turned into farmland. The town itself was above the grain fields. Above the town were the pasture fields of cows, sheep, and pigs. It was over Plarn that the
marana
dome appeared.

The dome had been aging over the past nineteen years and now was thin.  It would
n’
t take long for Kaishan to destroy it. By the way Kaishan was circling, Ari
té
could tell he was measuring his options. She could feel his mind coming to the conclusion that there was at least one dragon here. One dragon he could take on easily. Kaishan started to dive, his mind busy fingering the weave of the shield.

The Niram
i’
s magic slipped into his mind and made it seem that there were many dragons. Kaishan back winged with a shriek. He hovered for a second, his echoing cry silencing the wildlife of the valley. His surprise was obvious as she peeked in his mind. He knew that none of his kind could imitate dragon magic. Therefore he would see it as truth. The apparent strengthening of the shield would make it more so. Kaishan was many things, but foolhardy was
n’
t one of them. Kaishan turned on a dime and shot north just as the sun set. 

Pershara

Perela sat in the tent she shared with Duncan, cleaning the few scrapes he had suffered from his the rough treatment in the city
.“
So, the Guild will steal the food for the people
?”
She asked dabbing gently at a shallow scrape.

Duncan nodded slowly. He turned to Perela, his brown eyes thoughtful bordering on concerned
.“
Ryan Shadehand said somethin
g…
he kept asking if we knew what we were doing. Which just seems strange to me. It is like
I’
m missing something important. Then there was the last thing he said, something abou
t‘
power belongs to those with the trump card
s…
and valuable commodities
.
’”

“
Do you think he was warning you that the Guild is going to use the food to gain power
?
”

“
Maybe? The city is desperate... If Tommy was here, I would feel safe in the knowledge that the food would get to the people. But I do
n’
t feel that I can trust the Guild without him
.”
Duncan paused for a moment
.“
I just wish I knew where Ryan stood. It would seem that he was with the Guild; the leader when Tommy is absen
t…
but why would he warn us
?
”

Perela smiled
.“
Why do
n’
t we ask Tommy
?
”

Duncan looked at her in surprise
.“
He is here? I thought they were still at Mortia
?
”

“
Duncan, no. they are not here
.
”

“
Oh
.”
Duncan sagged a little
.“
You mean to communicate through Bendon
.
”

Perela patted his shoulder. She understood his disappointment. He had desperately wanted to be part of the group who went to rescue his friend.  She started to focus on her father when she felt his voice.
Perel
a
…

Father, your timing is amazing. I was just about to call you.
She answered warmly.

Perel
a…
There was something in his mental voice. Something that worried her.

Is something wrong?

She felt his mental snort.
No. It is just that we have come full circle. Gawin, Jewel, and the baby have gone through the portal, but did
n’
t come out in Thioden. At least, Gawin and baby you did
n’
t in the right time.

And mother?

She felt his grief.
I still do
n’
t know where she is.

We will find her.

If she does
n’
t find us first.
Bendo
n’
s voice was wry, but she could still feel his pain.

Father, you always said that you knew she was alive. Has that changed?

No. I jus
t…
I lost her all over agai
n
…

It was
n’
t your fault. We will find her. I just know it.

Bendon sighed.
What did you want to talk to me about?

I am wondering if Tommy is there to talk?

Just a momen
t
…

As she waited, Perela walked over to the small table. She murmured the spell to included Duncan.

Tommy and Bendon appeared as small figures on the table.  Tommy smiled as Duncan joined Perela
.“
So, what can I do for you
?”
Tommy asked.

Duncan quickly filled Tommy in on the food situation in the city and their strategy to save the people and weaken the palace. Duncan described how they had enlisted the help of the Guild.

Tommy grinned
.“
I bet the kids loved the challenge of that one
.
”

“
Well, they agreed, bu
t…
do
n’
t take this wrong. But I do
n’
t think I can trust them to give the food to the people without trying to grasp power
.
”

Tommy nodded slowly
.“
There is that risk.
I’
ve tried to run the Guild so that they had some sense of propriety. There are some good people in the mix
.
”

“
What about your second in command, a Ryan Shadehand
?
”

Tommy blinked
.“
Why do you say he is my second
?
”

“
U
m…
because he seemed to be in control. And he asked how you were
.”
Duncan replied, really starting to feel very uneasy.

Tommy shook his head
.“
Ryan is
n’
t my secon
d…
He was a new kid from the south
.
”

Duncan shared a look with Perela
.“
Can we trust him
?”
He asked looking back at Tommy.

Tommy raised an eyebrow
.“
Yes, when it comes to hoodwinking the king. As to trusting him with the distributio
n…
Well, how far can one trust a thief with a Crown Jewel
?
”

 
“
We will have to do something to make sure the people get the food
.”
Perela observed. She turned back to her father and Tommy
.“
What are your plans, father? Did you rescue Thomas
?
”

Bendon smiled
.“
The king rescued himself
.”
Duncan sighed in relief
.“
We still do
n’
t know where he is, but he is free
.”
Bendon continued.

“
Why do
n’
t you come join us at Pershara city
?”
Perela asked
.“
After all, we will need all the help we can get with the war coming
.
”

“
Robert and I need to do something. As soon as we finish we will make our way to your location
.”
Bendon replied.

Curious, Perela aske
d“
What are you and Robert going to do
?
”

The old wizard shrugged
.“
Hunting,
I’
ll explain later
.
”

“
Alright father, keep your secrets.
I’
ll fish it out later
.
”

“
I’
m sure you will
.”
Bendon smiled.

“
See you when we see you, father
.”
Perela said. The doll-sized replicas of her father and Tommy disappeared with the ending of the spell.

***

Arathin

A russet wolf pup padded soundlessly through the underbrush. He crouched, hardly breathing.  His body lay tensely still and was ready to surge forward. His claws kneaded the earth as his ears were pricked forward intently. His nose quivered taking in everything. His eyes followed the movement of his quarry attentively. It went about its purpose in life near a tree that took root a yard farther down the slope from him.  Soo
n…
It moved, completely unaware. Soo
n…
Back and forth and side to side it moved. Wai
t…
It danced in the young wol
f’
s eyes. Wai
t…
Scritch, scratch, skrish, skrich it mumble
d…
NOW! He surged forward. He took one bound and the charcoal stick found itself in his mouth.

“
Hey
!”
Terana cried as Russy trotted away
.“
Russy, you little snipe! Give that back, now
!”
The troublesome russet pup looked back at her with a toothy grin. His tail wagged a mile a minute
.“
I need that
.”
She chided. He padded toward her and put the stick down
.“
Good boy
.”
She said reaching for the stick. Just before her hand reached it he snatched it up again and bounded away
.“
RUSSY! You scoundrel! Now how am I to finish my drawing
?”
The pup sat down a yard and a half away from her. He cocked his head at her question. The captive charcoal stick pointed to the sky.

“
You look ridiculous
.”
She told him. And rightly so. Russ
y’
s gangly legs were, well, gangly as he sat sloppy. He seemed not to care. His tail thumbed on the ground
.“
You goofball. What will your mother say when she finds out I could not finish my drawing because of you, hmm
?”
Terana said using the old guilt trick.
 “
Now, can I
please
have my stick back
?”
Russy shook his head
.“
You littl
e
…
”
Terana sighed helplessly
.“
You are going to have charcoal all over you
.”
Now the famous bath threat. It did
n’
t work. Russy and she stared at each other for a silent moment while Terana tried to find some way to get the charcoal back. She tried another tactic
.“
You are not going to give that to me, are you
?”
He wagged his tail faster
.“
Sometimes, Russy, I hate you
.”
She told him. The pup whined. His tail falling limp
.“
Well I would
n’
t if you returned my stick, but you wo
n’
t
.”
She sighed
.“
So that means you are going to force me to go back to Plarn and get another. In so doing I will lose the light and I wo
n’
t be able to finish
.
”
 
Terana sighed again
.“
Russy, I hate to tell you this, but you are a twit; an attention seeking twit
.
”
 
Terana shook her head. Russy only thumped his tail looking oh-so-cute. Twit.

Plarn was a small little town of herders and farmers. The Valley of Plarn was like a bowl. The town itself huddled upon the roots of one of the mountains surrounding it. Wheat and corn fields fanned below  the town proper on the valley floor. In pens above the town were the many wooly sheep and goats. A few pens also held cattle and pigs. Chickens ran wild on the dirt paths that served as streets. After the snows melted in the valley, the men plowed the land and young children planted the seeds. Older kids kept watch over the livestock. The town
s’
women swept the dust of winter out of their homes. They also took stock of what survived the winters hungers; human and animal alike. The town had survived another winter nestled in the mountains.

There it was sheltered from outside influence, trapped within a time warp. The place was timeless.  You were born in one family and expected to live how everyone else thought you should live. Which, she guessed, was alright for others, but not for her wild heart. Tradition was the law and the life of Plarn and it just stuck to you like mud. Sticky, get-t
o–
places-you-did-not-even knew-you-had mud and frankly, she wanted a long hot bath to wash it all away. Terana leaned against the tree trunk. She absolutely hated Plarn. She wanted to see the world and do things different from the tow
n’
s stupid traditions. Anyway, the tow
n’
s people where always talking behind her back. Who could bare that all their life and not
want
to leave? Her parents were looking tired lately. She shook her head. No they were exhausted. Of her wildness? Maybe or maybe of what everyone else had to say.