Until now.
Images of Deanna dominated his thoughts. No matter what she wore, she had always looked magnificent. She used to braid her hair then tuck it under a hairnet so she could work in the lab. A lump burned in Tate’s throat.
A knock interrupted his reverie.
“Enter,” Tate called.
Covin shuffled in quickly. Once inside, he shut the door and bowed three times.
Tate waved impatiently.
“What news do you have?”
Covin’s report came out in a rush.
“Zareb met young prince. Dulad Prince sneak away from guards and find trouble. Big fight day last. Prince wounded. Pretty Ranger help. Zareb offer help. Prince no want Zareb help. Zareb await orders.”
“What do you think?” asked Tate. “Will they be all right if Zareb watches from a distance?”
“I will ask him, my prince.” Covin’s eyes went blank as he consulted his twin brother across the distance.
Elish links never ceased to amaze—and unnerve—Tate.
Three seconds later, they had Zareb’s answer.
Covin gave it voice.
“Most attackers dead. Dulad Prince has Ranger. One attacker, maybe two, escape.” Covin’s muscles tightened in reflection of Zareb’s body somewhere out on the Riden Mountains.
“What is it?” Tate demanded.
“Bad feeling. Many eyes watch Dulad Prince and pretty Ranger. Not all eyes friendly. You want Zareb find others?”
“If you can do it quickly, then do so. Keep him safe.”
“Zareb do this, Crown Prince.”
For about a week, Zareb kept his word, but one morning, Tate walked into his office and found this message waiting for him on his comm.
“Many apologies, Crown Prince. Windstorm carry Dulad Prince and Ranger over next mountain. Zareb cannot follow.”
Chapter 15:
Wild Flight
ENIS (APRIL) 9, 1538
Thirty-eight days into Prince Terosh’s Kireshana journey
Kireshana Path, Riden Mountains
When Reia stopped to check on Prince Terosh, she spotted the gray clouds hurtling across the blue sky at an unholy rate.
Windstorm!
Windstorms consisted of the sort of wind that brought cannafitch halfway across the habitable continent.
“We need shelter, right now.” Reia’s voice was low and calm.
Their position on the mountain’s east side would be uncomfortable in minutes and deadly soon thereafter. Windstorms could strip kintral trees right down to their trunks. The trunks stayed put only because their roots went down nearly twice the length of their height. Unprotected cal trees with their shallow roots could be thrown hundreds of meters.
Prince Terosh turned to see what had upset her.
“Windstorm. Lovely.”
Reia grunted and spun on her heel, knowing they faced a race they couldn’t afford to lose.
“We’re on the wrong side.” She unfurled her banistick and used it to keep balance while she skipped over small boulders and clambered up larger ones. “The west side should have some caves.” Reia headed left to get around the mountain rather than going over. She glanced back at the prince.
“Stop watching me. I’m fine.”
Chuckling, Reia concentrated on conquering each new mountain obstacle. By the time they’d left camp, Prince Terosh had been begging to leave for days.
Reia had picked the areas around the campsite clean of anything with the slightest healing properties, but if the windstorm caught them, they would be beyond such help. A strong breeze struck her back, picking up her cloak and twisting it around her body. As Reia smacked the cloak aside, a crazy idea came to her.
If cannafitch can do it, so can we.
Her mind did rapid calculations.
This will work. I think.
The boulder in front of her took a moment to mount. Its flat top jutted out over the open valley below. Reia halted so suddenly that the prince bumped into her back. His arms instinctively wrapped around her, taking away the chill of the mountain air. The windstorm’s scouts knocked them forward a step.
“What’s wrong?” Prince Terosh asked, steadying her. He shouted into her ear to be heard.
When the wind slackened, Reia twirled in the prince’s arms.
“Take off your cloak and wrap your bedroll around yourself,” Reia ordered. “And hold this,” she added, shoving her cloak into his hands as she tucked the clasp into a pouch at her waist.
The prince followed her line of thought.
“Are you sure about this?”
Of course not.
Instead of answering, Reia opened her caydronan sack and whipped out some toom leaves and a short, fat dandi branch. Her dagger tore into the branch. When the sap began flowing, she held it to one end of her bedroll, and said, “Hekr.” While the sap melted, Reia flipped the caydronan sack over her shoulder and rolled her bedroll around her upper body, using the sticky end to secure the padding in place. Next, she took the edge of her cloak and drew a thick line before pressing the edge of the prince’s cloak to the sap and repeating, “Hekr.”
Hoping her plan worked, Reia tore several toom leaves lengthwise into strips about the width of three fingers. Next, she applied sap to one end of a toom leaf strip, firmly pressed it to her cloak, and commanded the anotechs to heat it. Bending the leaf up, Reia grabbed Prince Terosh’s right arm, yanked it into position, and fixed it in place by sealing the leaf’s other end to the cloak.
A gust of wind caught the cloak, causing it to flap behind the prince like a blue-black banner. Reia chased down the loose end and secured the prince’s left arm, leaving just enough cloth for him to move. Frowning, she turned him sideways so the wind wouldn’t catch the cloak while she bound it to his ankles. Finally, she made a strap for her right arm and both legs. The arm strap wasn’t as tight as Prince Terosh’s because she didn’t have someone to help her. She also needed both hands free to make the last strap for her left arm.
A new idea struck her. For the last strap, Reia started the same way by sap-sticking one side down, but then, she used her dagger to make two small slits through the cloak and threaded the toom leaf through it.
Already Prince Terosh and Reia had to concentrate to keep their footing as the wind stabbed at them. They huddled close and changed their angle to cut down on the profile they presented, but each passing second brought faster and faster winds.
Reia shoved her left arm through the loop created by the toom leaf and gripped the loose end, yanking up until the strap pulled tightly across her left arm. Feeling somewhat secure, she maneuvered them to the edge and glanced at the prince.
“Ready?” she asked.
The prince nodded.
“Then jump!” Reia shouted.
With wild cries, they launched themselves off the mountain. At first, they plummeted toward the sharp rocks below. Then, a strong gust caught the underside of their collective cloak and violently altered their course. Instead of falling at an alarming rate, they shot up into the sky above the valley. The rapid ascent stole the air from their lungs, killing their screams.
Reia’s stomach jammed into her throat. She clamped her lips tight, thankful they had not eaten a midday meal yet. Reia forced her eyes to stay open, though they stung and streamed with tears. She feared that if she closed them, she would never open them again. The view was breathtaking, but Reia had no breath left to spare. She drew painfully cold air into her lungs. They were almost above the Riden Mountains and could see all the way to the Asrien Sea to the north and the island of Ritand to the west. Resh, Fort Riden, and Mount Palean, respectively to the west, southwest, and south, flashed before her eyes as they twirled in a dizzying circle.
We must change direction!
The winds carrying them were strong enough that the bits of dirt smacking them hurt, but in their current position, much of the mountain they had jumped from protected them from the windstorm’s full fury.
Reia
wrenched her left arm across her body, twisting enough to slam into the prince. The force spun them dangerously close to the mountain and changed the angle the winds caught them. Tangled in a mass of limbs and cloak, they let the wind carry them along, speeding downward again but not as swiftly as before. Reia almost lost her grip on the left arm strap, which would have doomed them, but she managed to hold on.
By mutual consent, they untwisted and spread their arms and legs to catch the wind. Again, they started to rise, but now, they had enough control to direct their flight. Prince Terosh wheeled them right. By working in concert, they flew two circles over the valley on the west side of the mountain. They were still a good six meters above the valley when the wind suddenly slackened.
Feeling more wind to her left, Reia threw herself that way. The move slipped them into a stream of wind that shot them forward horizontally, then slightly up. They approached the far side of the valley in seconds.
At the last moment, Prince Terosh rolled them out of the air stream, and they smacked into the mountain with harsh—but not deadly—force. Stunned, they tumbled toward the valley and landed on a large, flat rock.
Reia landed atop the prince. With her last scraps of strength, she rolled off his chest. His left arm remained trapped beneath her, but she was too tired to care. She surrendered to the encroaching darkness, thankful to be alive.
ENIS (APRIL) 9, 1538
Same Day
Site of Ungraceful Landing, Riden Mountains
Terosh Minstel woke up with a massive headache. His breaths came in uncertain gasps. Blood pounded in his ears. Every part of him lodged a complaint. He felt like a piece of pottery someone had put together wrong.
Wetness spread across his chest and right side. It took him several seconds to determine that it wasn’t his blood seeping out but rather the contents of his waterbag. His left arm had something heavy across it. He couldn’t move, not that he wanted to, but the option would have been nice.
The first thing he noticed, besides the intense pain, was the silence. Aside from his ragged breaths, not a sound could be heard. No birds sang. No korvers howled. The wind had swept the battle, cleanly and completely.
The heavy thing on his arm shifted. Terosh forced his eyes open, rolled his head left, and found an unconscious Reia facing him. A nasty gash below her hairline told him why she was out cold. Her right shoulder pressed against Terosh’s upper arm, causing the tingly numbness.
An urge to protect Reia sent adrenaline coursing through Terosh. The energy rush wasn’t much, but it allowed him to draw her closer. She rolled into his side and fit perfectly. Her head rested on his left shoulder and her body paralleled his. If they had to spend the day lounging on a rock at least they would share warmth. Though the deadly wind was mostly gone, a thick layer of clouds blotted out the sun and sent temperatures tumbling. Holding Reia close, Terosh finally admitted his growing fondness for her but buried the feelings in common sense.
She’s a Ranger. You’re a Royal. It would never work out well.
Sometime during the week and a half convalescence, she had ceased being “the Ranger” and become Reia. Getting her to address him casually had been impossible thus far, but he would persist.
Terosh lost track of time. He dozed off and on, trying to monitor their situation. When the sun finally appeared, he tried to get up because the blinding light wasn’t helping his head. He couldn’t quite raise his right arm to block the sun because the rest of the cloak was trapped beneath his body. Frustration made him tense.
The movement woke Reia who groaned and struggled to rise. The cumbersome cloak caught her, and she landed close to where she had started. Moaning, she rolled away from him, unfurling the cloak as she went, waking Terosh’s left arm.
“Does that help?” Terosh inquired.
Reia looked at him.
“Hold on. I’m still trying to get my brain to work.” Her voice was faint and cracked with dryness.
Relief flooded Terosh, putting him in a better mood.
“Take your time, though you might want to tend to that dent in your forehead.”
Reia released a long, low moan, and said, “Yes, it helps.” Cautiously, she unclenched her left fist and worked her arm free. Then, she wriggled her other arm free of the toom strap, sat up, and retrieved her boot dagger. That took some doing because she had to lean over to reach her right boot. Once she had the dagger, she attacked the toom straps binding her ankles and Terosh’s to their cloaks. Next, she slashed at the strap around his left arm. To reach the one on his right arm, Reia had to lean over him. Exhausted, she dropped the dagger next to him and fell against his stomach.
“Just roll me off,” she mumbled. “I’ll sleep for a month now.”
Terosh chuckled, enjoying being alive.
“Experiment conclusion: humans aren’t built for natural flight. Ow!”
“What’s wrong?” Reia asked, pushing off Terosh so she could look at him.
“My head hurts ... a lot.”
“I know the feeling.” Reia gingerly touched the wound on her forehead. “It’s like a giant gust of wind just tried to decorate a mountainside with my skull.”
“Yeah, something like that,” Terosh agreed.
Chapter 16:
Dreams
ENIS (APRIL) 9, 1538
Same Day
Governor General’s Estate, City of Idonia
Lord Kezem Altran tried not to fidget. Finding it impossible, he got up and paced. He had bigger offices, but this one afforded the most privacy. Ten brisk steps brought him from the desk to the hand-carved double doors. Three paces carried him across both doors. Ten more steps returned him to the desk. A sharp left turn allowed him to pass in front of the desk.
Kezem completed the circuit a half-dozen times, avoiding the holograph projection plates dominating the center. As a child, he had amused himself for hours slaughtering armor-clad warriors and mythical monsters conjured by holoprojectors. He missed the simplicity of those days where the foes stood tall, fought valiantly, and died when he wished it so. Real life was so much more complicated.
For the hundredth time in the last ten minutes, Kezem checked the wall clock. It read 11:43. If this meeting didn’t start soon he would miss his noon meeting with Ranger Telon. The cryptic message had insisted he be alone in this office at 11:40. The message terrified him. The only person to send him such messages was presumably dead.
“You don’t look well,” commented the familiar voice.
Kezem faced the hologram.
“Mother.” He acknowledged with a small bow. As he straightened, he braced for her reaction to his failed assassination attempt. “Good to see you are well.” His throat surrendered the words painfully.
Lady Mavis Altran graced him with an icy smile.
“Yes, we should deal with that unpleasantness. The plan was decent, but the execution was awful. Two things to improve, dear: the first being loyalty and the second being payment. If you want to buy loyalty, pay premium and then some. You may one day bet your life on that loyalty.”
“What do you want?” Kezem despised being lectured.
“There’s no need to be petulant, darling. Your move cost me many comforts and a few longtime servants. The least you could do is heed some constructive criticism. Your timing was also atrocious.”
“Is that all?” Kezem inquired.
“No. Since you obviously have timing issues, I thought I’d advise you to move your plans forward with all possible speed.”
“Don’t you think I’m trying?” Kezem asked, despising the whine he heard.
“The plan I gave you is still viable, but the Mitra are not a patient people. The Blood Harvest must be completed by the end of Kelos, according to their calendar, which is Allei (August) according to our calendar.”
Kezem looked at her blankly.
His mother glared at him.
“That gives you less than four months to get the king and Taytron to Mitra.”
“How sh
all I convince Taytron to go? He’s not exactly in a marriageable mood since I killed his first wife.”
“Speaking of that affair, how is Taytron’s daughter?”
“Safe,” Kezem replied, clamping down on idiotic surprise that his mother knew he’d kept Elia alive.
Lady Mavis Altran had proven many times over that her spy network was second to none.
“Good,” said his mother, bestowing a brief, approving nod. “As for Taytron, don’t even try to persuade him. Convince the king and he will force the boy’s compliance. And stop trying to kill Terosh. We need him alive until the Mitran plan is completed. Help him through the Kireshana.”
“Help him? Don’t I want him dead?”
“You’re being short-sighted,” his mother scolded. “You need Terosh to convince Teorn to leave. My brother will not leave Reshner in the hands of the Governors Council or the Senate. Besides, if you kill the boy, the mourning period will delay the trip.”
Kezem silently berated himself for not thinking of that point. Perhaps he had been overzealous in trying to kill her. On the other hand, her skill at manipulating plans and people made her a very dangerous ally.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Can’t an old woman have her dream?”
“You want to recover the throne. I understand that, but why me?”
“Your brothers may be taller and stronger, but you are smarter. Intelligence is something to be valued far above physical prowess.” Her calculating gaze swept his face. “They don’t have the right disposition. Eldon’s too hotheaded and Mitrek’s too compassionate and fair-minded. It makes him an excellent judge, but little more.” Her eyes glittered with hatred, but it wasn’t directed at him. “Agree to the plan, and I can make my brother accept it.”
The hologram vanished, but Kezem didn’t have long to dwell on the meeting. His mother hadn’t told him much, but her instruction to protect Terosh warranted thought. He would leave that decision until after the Ranger’s report. He wondered if his mother would listen to his meeting with Lucas Telon.
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