Fire Study

by Maria V. Snyder

  Janco and Ari exchanged a look. “Gotta love the confidence,” Janco said.

  “And when do we start, love?”

  “Everyone get a good night’s sleep and we’ll begin preparations in the morning. We’ll leave early. Do you have enough disguises for four of us or do we need to get supplies? Money?”

  Valek smiled. “You mean raid some laundry lines? Steal a couple purses? No. My safe houses are well stocked with all types of items.”

  Leif was the only one to be alarmed by his statement.

  The room erupted with the noise of multiple conversations. Plans were made and actions decided. Tauno’s unhappiness at being separated from Moon Man became apparent. He asked why we wanted him. I explained about needing a good scout.

  “What about Marrok?” he asked.

  “We need him just in case they’ve moved the captives. He can track them to the new location.” Also I wanted to talk to Marrok and find out why he had accused Leif and me of helping Ferde escape.

  The next morning, my group saddled the horses. Since we wouldn’t be crossing the Avibian Plains, Valek rode Onyx, Tauno sat on Garnet and Marrok rode Topaz. Valek had used his skills to transform us into members of the Krystal Clan. We wore the light gray tunics and dark woolen leggings that the clan preferred, which matched the short hooded capes and black knee-high boots.

  Before we left, Leif handed me a bunch of his herbs. “Since you can’t use your magic, you might want to have them. There are directions on how to use each one inside the packet.”

  “Leif, I’m—”

  “I know. Truthfully, I didn’t like the distrustful and mean person you became in Ixia. The fire brought my real sister back. So be careful, as I’d like to keep her around for a while.”

  “You take care, too. Don’t get caught. I wouldn’t want to tell Mother about it. She wouldn’t be pleased.”

  Leif looked at Ari and Janco. They fought over who would drive the wagon and who would guard. “Do they always argue?”

  I laughed. “It’s part of their appeal.”

  Leif sighed. “I’m amazed we made it to Sitia without being discovered.” He paused and considered. “I think I’m actually going to miss them.”

  “I always do.”

  We set a time and place for everyone to rendezvous, knowing the cottage would no longer be safe. I said goodbye to Leif and the others and we headed west, hoping to reach the Krystal Clan’s border by nightfall. We would follow the border south to the Stormdance lands. Then cross through Stormdance and Bloodgood before reaching Jewelrose’s border.

  Should anyone stop us on the road, we concocted a cover story. We were delivering samples of quartz to the Jewelrose Clan. Irys’s clan cut and polished gems and stones of all types. They designed and produced almost all the jewelry in Sitia.

  Disguised as a man, I used the name Ellion, and asked everyone to call me by that name.

  The day turned warm in the bright sunshine and we set a quick pace. Valek hoped the temperate weather would draw people onto the roads.

  “Why?” Tauno asked.

  “Then we will be one of many instead of the only ones,” Valek explained. They rode together and talked about how best to find the barn that held the Councilors’ family members.

  Kiki stayed beside Topaz. She had missed his company and I wondered if Cahil mourned the loss of his horse. They had been together since Cahil was young. My eyes rested on Garnet. I cringed when I imagined facing the Stable Master’s wrath. Garnet had been with us so long and I had lost the Avibian honey I had bought to appease the Stable Master. He would make me clean tack and scrub stalls for weeks. I snorted with amusement. I had found one positive thing about spending eternity with the Fire Warper: no mucking out.

  And no bat. My new friend hung from the edge of my hood. His weight rested comfortably in the small of my back. He seemed content to sleep away the daylight hours with me.

  Marrok remained quiet throughout the day, but I wanted to know what had happened to him at the Citadel.

  “Cahil tricked me,” he said when I asked. “I fell for his lies about remaining with Ferde to discover the extent of the Daviians’ operations. Applauded his plan to lure Ferde back to the Citadel. Commiserated over your ill-timed interference. He convinced me to confess and name you and Leif as accomplices. It would help him persuade the Council to attack Ixia. He promised…” Marrok paused, rubbing a hand along his right cheek. “After I confessed, he turned on me. A mistake I paid for…” He shuddered. “Am still paying for.”

  “Betrayals are brutal,” I agreed.

  Marrok looked at me in surprise. “Don’t you think leaving us in Ixia was a betrayal?”

  “No. That wasn’t my intention. I wanted to protect you and was honest with all of you from the start. I just wasn’t honest with myself. A mistake.”

  “You’re still paying for?” Marrok smiled. The gesture smoothed out the lines of worry and time on his rugged face, erasing years from his age.

  “Yes. It’s the problem with mistakes, they tend to linger. But once we’re done with the Vermin and Cahil, I will have paid for all my mistakes. In full.”

  Marrok gave me a questioning glance, but I didn’t want to elaborate. Instead, I asked, “Do you remember your rescue from the Citadel?”

  He grinned ruefully. “Sorry, no. At the time, I was in no condition to think. Moon Man is a wonder. I owe him my life.” He glanced around then lowered his voice. “Being here without him, I feel…fragile. And that’s hard for an old soldier to admit.”

  We rode the rest of the way in silence. Around midnight we set up camp. Funny how we automatically attended to the chores without discussion. Tauno hunted for rabbits and I cared for the horses. Valek searched for firewood and Marrok prepared the meal.

  “I’m used to soldiers’ rations on the road, so don’t expect this to taste like Leif’s,” Marrok said as he dished out his version of rabbit stew.

  The stew tasted a little bland but filled our stomachs. After dinner, we arranged our sleeping mats and set a watch schedule. I shared a blanket with Valek, wanting to be near him. I clutched him tight.

  “What’s the matter, love,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re rarely this quiet.”

  “Just worried about the Councilors’ families.”

  “I think we have things well in hand. Between my sleeping potion for the guards, your Curare for the Warpers and the element of surprise, we should rescue them in no time.”

  “But what if one of the captives is sick? Or dying? If I use my magic, I risk letting the Vermin know where I am and what I’ve been doing.”

  “Then you’ll have to decide what is more important—one person’s life or the success of the mission for Sitia’s future. It’s pointless to worry. Instead, use your energy to decide how you would react to each contingency you can imagine. It’s more prudent to prepare for all possibilities than fret.”

  He was right. Eventually, I slept.

  Shadows haunted my sleep. They roamed the shadow world, lost and afraid. Whenever the bright heat would appear, they hid and waited for the hot hunter to dissipate. Each time, the hunter captured more of them in his net of fire. They didn’t understand why he came and they knew nothing about the bridge to the sky. They clung to this world, desiring revenge and justice. The shadows needed a guide to convince them to let go and to show them the way.

  “Ellion…Ellion…Yelena! Wake up.”

  I pushed the arm away, wanting to roll over. “Tired,” I mumbled.

  “Yes, we all are. But it’s your turn,” Valek said.

  I blinked. My eyelids would not stay open.

  “There’s a pot of tea on the fire.” When I failed to move, Valek pushed me off the mat and curled in my place under the covers. “Ahh. Still warm.”

  “You’re evil,” I said, but he feigned sleep.

  We had been on the road for the past four days, riding every minute we could to turn a seven-day journey into five days. And since Tauno had left befor
e dinner to scout the area ahead, we had one less to guard the camp.

  My bat swooped over the rising heat of the fire. He’d been staying with me during the day and hunting food at night. I longed to fly with him, soaring over the ground.

  Tauno returned the next morning to report no signs of activity along our path to the Jewelrose border. “There is a good site to camp about two miles south of the border,” he said. “I will join you there.” He left.

  I wondered what had kept him awake. Unlike Tauno, I had had a few hours’ sleep last night. Perhaps I shouldn’t complain anymore.

  We packed and followed Tauno’s trail. Another uneventful day and we found the camp location without any problems. Tauno reappeared with dinner hanging from his belt.

  “I discovered the location of the barn,” he said, while butchering the rabbits. “It is four miles west of here in a little hollow.”

  Valek quizzed him for the details. “We’ll have to strike in the dark,” he said. “We’ll go after midnight, leave the horses in the trees and then attack.”

  Tauno agreed. He cubed the meat and dropped it into the pot. “I will sleep, then.”

  While Marrok stirred the stew, Valek prepped the reed pipes and I saddled the horses. Garnet sighed when I cinched his straps tight.

  “It’s not far,” I said aloud. “Then you can rest.”

  I joined Marrok and Valek where they sat by the fire. They ate their stew and I filled a bowl for me. The broth tasted better; there was a hint of spice.

  “This is good,” I said to Marrok. “I think you’re getting the hang of it. What did you add?”

  “A new ingredient. Can you tell what it is?”

  When I sampled another spoonful, I rolled the liquid around my mouth before swallowing. The aftertaste reminded me of Rand’s favorite cookie recipe. “Ginger?”

  Valek dropped his stew. He jumped to his feet but stumbled. A look of horror creased his forehead. “Butter root!”

  “Poison?”

  “No.” He sank to his knees. “Sleeping draft.”

  29

  VALEK COLLAPSED ONTO the ground. But just before he closed his eyes, he winked at me. I glanced around. Marrok hunched over his bowl, appearing to be asleep. A bone-deep fatigue spread throughout my body, but I remained awake. Perhaps I hadn’t swallowed enough butter root.

  Not wanting to be caught “aware,” I pulled my switchblade and hid the weapon in the palm of my hand with my thumb resting on the button. Slumping over, I let my upper body fall to the side. The stew spilled off my lap and onto the ground, soaking into my pants. Great.

  I feigned sleep. My muscles stiffened and the cold seeped into my skin. Trying not to shiver, I strained to hear any noise to give me a hint of what was going on.

  The horses whinnied in alarm and I opened my mind to Kiki for the first time in days, hoping the tiny use of my magic wouldn’t alert anyone.

  Bad smell, she said. Quiet Man tied reins.

  Quiet Man?

  She huffed and showed me an image of Tauno.

  Why would he do that?

  Ask Garnet.

  Where did you go today, Garnet? I asked.

  See people. Smell fear.

  I cut off the connection when voices approached.

  “So easy! All the talk about the Soulfinder and the Ghost Warrior and look at them! Sleeping like babies,” a male voice said.

  “Trust is a powerful ally. Right, Tauno?” a female voice asked. She had the same lilt as a Sandseed.

  Was Tauno in league with them? Or had they captured him today and forced him to help them?

  “Yes. And trust is blind. No one suspected me even after the ambush in the plains.” He laughed. “Trust is for stupid people. Even the Sandseed Elders had no idea. My ability to find the Daviian camps amazed them.”

  They chuckled, enjoying themselves. Anger seethed in my blood. Tauno could trust I would make him regret his actions.

  As they decided what to do, I counted four distinct voices. Two men and one woman plus the traitor Tauno. They planned to use Marrok to appease the Council, and bring me to their leader, Jal.

  “Kill the Ghost Warrior,” one of the Vermin ordered. “Make sure you cut his throat and collect his blood. It will be just revenge for Alea and her brother.”

  I waited. Arms wrapped around my chest and another set around my ankles. They lifted me off the ground.

  “Now!” Valek yelled.

  I triggered my switchblade and yanked my knees toward my chest, pulling the surprised Vermin holding my feet into my knife. Hot blood gushed onto my hands. I wrenched the blade out of his stomach before the other Vermin dropped me onto the ground. I scrambled to my feet as he pulled his scimitar.

  Switchblade against scimitar. Bad odds. And I had used the Curare on my weapon on the first man. This wouldn’t be a long fight. I glanced at Valek. He fought Tauno and the woman. His sword against their spears. Better odds. I hoped I could last long enough for Valek to help me.

  “Drop your weapon,” the Vermin ordered me.

  When I didn’t obey, the man swung and I dodged to the side. He lunged. I backed away. He swiped at my neck. I ducked. He hacked and I danced.

  Winded with the effort, the Vermin said, “You will not be harmed if you surrender.”

  After another attack, I realized what he was doing. “You’re not allowed to kill me,” I said. “Jal wants me alive so he can feed me to his pet Fire Warper!”

  My smugness infuriated him. He increased the pace of his swings. Bad decision.

  “I can still hurt you. Bleed you. Torture you.”

  His blade sliced through my cape. I stepped back as blood welled from the slash along my arm. Really bad decision. He advanced. I retreated. His scimitar found more open areas and soon my arms and legs were crisscrossed with bleeding cuts. I felt light-headed and my feet moved with an unusual slowness. My energy drained at an alarming rate.

  My bat appeared. He flew at the Vermin, diving and pulling his hair. The Vermin flailed his arms, giving me an opening, but my switchblade felt so heavy and my body reacted too slowly. The Vermin must be a strong Warper. He had weakened my mental defenses without my notice.

  The Warper stared at the bat and the poor creature crashed to the ground.

  “Is that all you have?” he asked. “What about your great soul magic? I think the Fire Warper will be disappointed.” He shrugged. “Orders are orders.”

  He swung his weapon. My arms moved, but couldn’t block the hilt of his scimitar from striking my temple.

  My vision blurred as I crumpled to the ground. The world spun. I rolled away from the Warper. When I reached Kiki’s hooves, I let the blackness claim me.

  A hammer pounded on the side of my skull. Wake up, it pounded. Open your eyes. More hammering. I refused. The next time, a dull throb intruded on my oblivion. Come on, it pulsed. Open your eyes. Please.

  I woke, feeling like a cutting board. My arms and legs burned with pain and my head hurt. Valek hunched over me, pouring water on my cuts, inflaming them.

  “Ow! Stop that,” I said.

  “Finally,” he said. But he didn’t stop. He dabbed at them, cleaning the lacerations, and sat back on his heels. “That’ll have to do for now. Come on. We need to go.”

  When I failed to move, he pulled me into a sitting position. A wave of nausea swelled.

  “Here.” He thrust red leaves into my hands. “I found them in your saddlebags. The note said to eat them for head pain.”

  I chewed one. My stomach settled, but my sight remained blurry. I peered into the semidarkness, assuming the fuzzy white blob in the sky meant the moon had risen. Had I slept all day? Valek’s words finally sank in.

  “Go where?” I asked.

  Valek yanked me to my feet. “We need to find the barn.”

  My thoughts still moved as if coated with sap. “Barn?”

  Valek shook the rest of the canteen’s water onto my shorn head. A jolt went through me when the cold breeze hit my wet skull.<
br />
  “When the Vermin don’t come back with us, the others will know something has happened and will either kill their hostages or move to another location.” Valek ennunciated each word as if speaking to a simpleton. “Here.” He handed me a set of clothes. “Hurry.”

  I changed. The carnage around our campsite made me sick and I sucked on another red leaf. Valek had killed the woman and Tauno. Traitor! Marrok remained where he had fallen asleep. And the Warper lay on his side. His head looked misshapen, as if kicked by a horse.

  Kiki? I asked.

  Bad man. No one hurt Lavender Lady.

  Thanks.

  Peppermints?

  When we’re done. And apples, too!

  I wore my coral-colored shirt and matching skirt/pants. They reflected the moonlight. No hope for me to blend in. Valek dressed in the Warper’s clothes and he applied makeup to match the Warper’s skin tone. Fear twirled up my spine as I figured out what he planned. At least, I wasn’t going to be bait for a necklace snake. This time.

  We untied the other horses. The smell of blood made them skittish, and they were happy to leave despite being tired. Valek and I rode Kiki and Onyx while leading the others. We traveled the four miles to the barn in silence. Approaching the edge of the woods with care, I strained to see a sign of the Vermin hideout. An eerie red glow shimmered above Diamond Lake. The small structure looked deserted, but after a moment, the figures guarding the doors became visible.

  “Which horse?” I asked.

  “Onyx. Kiki is too well-known.”

  I dismounted and told the horses to stay in the woods until I called.

  “Take off your cape,” Valek said. “Lie in front of me.” He took his foot from the stirrup.

  I pulled myself up and lay across the saddle. He handed me my switchblade. The weapon had been cleaned and the blade was retracted.

  “It’s been primed with Curare.” Valek grabbed the reins with his left hand and held a scimitar in his right.

  “Pretend to be unconscious,” he ordered as he clicked at Onyx.

  We entered the open area, hopefully appearing as the Warper coming back with his prize.