“Let’s hurry,” Reisil added, wiping her raw nose with a handkerchief and starting to cough again.
They rode up the rocky trail, the trees closing in hard around them. The gray and black walls of the mountain rose up steeply on either side, blocking out the pink-and-orange sunset, the beauty of which Reisil was in no mood to enjoy, anyway.
They climbed through a narrow passage in the rock. It led up and up. Saljane flew ahead in small hops while Baku coasted on the winds above. They crested a ridge where the mountain walls opened for a space before narrowing again. The space was grassy, a creek tinkling merrily down the center through a tapered fissure in the rock. Yohuac reined in and dismounted.
“This is where we leave the horses. We’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”
He stripped the saddle and packs from his horse and removed the mare’s bridle. Reisil slid to the ground with a groan, sniffling and wiping at her running nose. She sneezed. The sound echoed. She fumbled at the cinch straps and finally Yohuac came to help her. She settled on a rock and watched as he quickly denuded her mount of its burdens and tack. The horses gazed at their riders in mild surprise and then went to cropping the sweet meadow grass, swishing their tails at the biting flies.
“Better eat,” Yohuac said, digging in a pack. He brought out some cold meat and a doughy hunk of flatbread they’d cooked a couple of days before. Reisil chewed mechanically, tasting nothing. Her head felt swollen, and her forehead and cheeks ached. A feeling like biting ants crawling along her bones made her twitch.
When Reisil had managed to choke down the last of it, Yohuac stacked their saddles beneath a rocky overhang. They set off again. Instead of proceeding up the trail, as Reisil expected, Yohuac led them into the tapered fissure from whence the stream issued. They splashed through the frigid water, struggling over the moss-slicked stones and clambering over boulders. It was slow going. Reisil quickly lost her breath and had to stop every twenty feet or so to calm her pounding heart and heaving lungs. Coughing fits overtook her so that she was forced to bend and brace against her knees.
Yohuac was patient, carrying both his own and her packs, and lending her a strong brown hand over the most difficult terrain.
Reisil lost track of time as the sunlight turned pearly and then gray. She concentrated on her feet, settling each step on firm ground before risking the next.
Up they went, steeper and steeper, like climbing a ladder. Reisil’s lungs hurt and her throat was raw. Her head was one big ache, with bars of steel thrusting beneath her browbone. Her eyes watered and her nose was stuffed full of cotton. She stopped to rest, leaning against the bare-rock wall that ran alongside their path. She was standing in the stream, the floor of the crevice so narrow that the streambed offered the only path. Her feet were numb. She sniffed, a wet, congested sound. Her breathing sounded loud and ragged. The vibration she’d been feeling had increased, making the marrow of her bones ache. It was that alone that kept her moving. Otherwise she would have gladly collapsed in a heap and slept for days. Reisil sighed and closed her eyes, wishing for a hot bath, a soft bed, and a pile of blankets.
“Are you all right?”
Reisil opened her eyes and nodded at Yohuac.
“Uh huh. Come on; I’ll help you. It isn’t far.”
In fact it was only another fifty feet or so. But it was a hard scramble up a nearly verticle slope. Yohuac stayed next to her, steadying her and pulling her up when her strength failed. At last she crawled over the top and sprawled on flat ground, her ribs heaving. She rolled onto her side as a coughing fit overtook her. Yohuac sat her up and pulled her against his chest, holding her until it subsided.
“What now?” she croaked, shivering as the vibrations sent splinters of sharp-edged ice up her nerves.
“I don’t know.” Yohuac sounded tense. His arms were tight around her.
Reisil caught hold of herself and sat up, biting back the moan as agony spasmed through her muscles. If they didn’t get through to the other side soon, she’d end up with Yohuac slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of barley.
“Help me up.”
He did as she asked, keeping an arm around her waist to steady her as she wavered.
“This is it?” she asked in a voice deepened by her cold. She stared around blearily, wiping her nose absently with her sleeve.
They stood on a shelf on the side of the mountain peak. Green grass carpeted the ground, and sheer rock walls rose high overhead on three sides. The stream they’d been following bisected the grassy space and ended in a waterfall that plunged from high above. The fourth side was the precipice overlooking their trail. Looking out, Reisil could see for miles. The sun had fallen below the horizon and the sky gleamed brilliant gold against the twilight sky.
“This is it,” Yohuac confirmed, rubbing her upper arms restlessly. “Nurema said the copicatl would open the door between our worlds.”
“Call Baku then.”
~Come to me, Saljane. It’s time.
The goshawk coasted down from her perch on a tree that had rooted itself in the rock wall some twenty feet above. Baku circled once and landed, his wings nearly soundless. He settled and shook himself, opening his mouth in a wide, toothy yawn. The copicatl wriggled up over his head to drop down on the ground. It coiled into a ball no bigger than a walnut, its triangular head extended above, its red belly like a streak of blood in the dusky light.
Its pinpoint topaz eyes gleamed as it looked at the four companions—Saljane on Reisil’s shoulder, Yohuac beside her, and Baku, just out of reach of the man who would never be his ahalad-kaaslane. Reisil twitched, a sudden shaft of pain driving up through her heels as the copicatl opened its mouth wide, its yellow, forked tongue flicking.
Then suddenly all sound ceased. Reisil couldn’t hear the birds or the sough of the wind. She could not hear her own stertorous breathing. Her ears rang with the emptiness. Before panic could set in, the copicatl flared with emerald light, so bright Reisil had to close her eyes. Then, equally suddenly, the ground dropped away. Reisil felt herself scream, the sound tearing silently at her tented throat.
And then the copicatl vanished. The world went black and she was falling.
~Saljane!
~I am here.
Reisil felt Saljane’s talons clench tighter. Her wings buffetted Reisil’s ear and cheek. Fearing that they might be separated, Reisil reached up and grasped hold of Saljane’s legs. Wind rushed past. Her stomach lurched sickeningly. Reisil braced herself, expecting to slam against the ground at any second. But the fall didn’t end. Down they plunged. On and on.
She did not know how much time passed. After a while, Reisil began to get used to the feeling of falling. She remained tense, but her mind began to work.
~Are you all right?
~What is happening? When will it stop?
Saljane sounded panicked, her mindvoice shrill.
~I don’t know.
Reisil stroked Saljane’s chest with her free hand, unwilling to chance letting go of the bird’s legs. Saljane’s feathers were stiff and puffed up, as if they were standing on end. She trembled with every sweep of Reisil’s fingers.
Reisil began a soothing chant, exactly the sort of thing she might have used to calm a frightened child.
~It’s all right . . . nothing to fear . . . we’ll be all right . . . it’ll end soon and we’ll be just fine . . .
The blackness was oppressive. Yet Reisil couldn’t force herself to keep her eyes closed and just pretend. Gradually she became aware of light—a pink-and-silver glow. It was the size of the Lady’s-head coin she’d given Soka and hung in the blackness just beyond her face. Or so it seemed. Slowly it grew larger, and Reisil realized it was much farther away than she imagined, and it was coming toward her. What was it?
She reached for her magic, half believing it would fail her in this emptiness between worlds. But it came to her in a golden rush, filling her with a rhapsody of joy and vigor. She extended it around Saljane, and felt the gos
hawk shudder and hunch down to snuggle close against Reisil’s neck. Reisil twisted a ribbon of magic around Saljane’s legs and released her handhold.
The pearly-pink glow continued to grow, a glistening jewel in the eternal night. As it drew closer, Reisil began to make out its shape. By the Lady! It was Baku!
Shock made Reisil go rigid. Magic flowed around her, crackling hotly over her skin and billowing in the darkness. She clamped down on it, reeling it back under her control, staring openmouthed at Baku’s approach.
He was . . . beautiful. Exquisite. Dazzling. The words couldn’t begin to describe his aching beauty. He was a collection of stars inside a veil of shimmering rainbow droplets. He was fluid and graceful, winding through the void like a dolphin through the waves, his outstretched wings gauzy silver, his tail a streamer of diamonds behind him.
The coal-drake held Yohuac clutched tight against his chest. Yohuac’s face was pale and rigid, the muscles of his arms bulging as he gripped Baku’s claws for dear life. His feet kicked helplessly in the emptiness.
Yohuac’s mouth moved, his eyes riveted on her. She shook her head, pointing to her ears.
Baku swam closer, his eyes the same yellow and red as always. He opened his mouth in something like a grin and rolled himself over and around. As he did, a shocking realization struck Reisil, and her mouth fell open.
~He looks like a nokula. Sort of. But more . . . right. Like he was meant to be.
~He looks happy, Saljane said, a note of peevishness in her voice. Her grip on Reisil had not relaxed, but her heartbeat had slowed and she was not so stiff.
~Doesn’t he? Like he belongs here. Like he’s . . . home? Reisil’s voice turned up at the end. Could it be? Was this void the place Baku called home?
~It matches his under-memories.
~Under-memories? Reisil had never heard such a term.
~Under his thoughts where he has no words.
Ah. That made it all clear as murky, stagnant water.
Suddenly the rushing wind grew hot, bearing a rich, wet, green smell. It was overlaid with a complex web of other, unfamiliar smells. At the same time, a green tinge slowly suffused the velvet darkness. Baku’s rich paleness turned the color of new wheat. Reisil’s stomach clenched. She held tight to her magic, pulling it into a shield.
It was several moments before she realized they were slowing. They drifted gently like autumn leaves. Reisil twisted and struggled to turn herself over, to see what was below. But she labored in vain. Something held her fast.
Abruptly they landed.
Reisil grunted. The air burst from her lungs. Her magical shield collapsed as she struggled for breath. Saljane squawked and rolled completely over. She scrabbled to her feet with a screech, her wings raised, the ivy on her beak burning brightly. Baku alighted gracefully, one moment a being of crystalline brilliance, the next his sinuous self. He let go of Yohuac, who dropped to his knees on the sandy ground. Instantly he lunged to his feet, crouching, his sword in his hand.
Their packs plopped to the sand as Reisil sat up. She ducked and twisted, narrowly avoiding being hit in the head. Saljane lunged into the air, wings flapping as she squawked furiously.
Reisil’s attention snagged on the emerald radiance lighting the small chamber. She turned, watching the copicatl. The glow diminished, seeping back into its tiny body. Its mouth closed and it slowly uncoiled. It looked at Reisil for one burning instant, and then plunged its head into the sand. It wriggled, burrowing down to disappear altogether. Reisil fisted her hands on the sand, abruptly becoming aware that it was warm, as if the sun had shone on it all day.
After a long moment, Yohuac slid his sword back into its scabbard and extended a hand to Reisil. “Welcome to Cemanahuatl.”
She let him help her up, dusting herself off before examining their surroundings. They were inside a small rock bowl shaped like an oval. If she stretched, she would just be able to reach the lip with her fingertips. There were no doors or stairs, and the gray stone was smooth. Clouds hid the stars above. As Reisil tipped her head up, fat drops of rain splattered on her forehead and chin. Seconds later it turned into a downpour.
“Come on! We’ve got to get out of here before the place fills up.”
With Baku’s help, they struggled out, climbing onto the coal-drake’s back and levering themselves up. The rain pelted them unmercifully. It drove straight down, the drops full and hard, like ripe grapes. Reisil covered Saljane in her cloak and tucked the goshawk against her stomach. Yohuac tossed the packs over Baku’s shoulders and motioned for the others to follow.
He set off across the enormous plateau, shoulders hunched, steadying himself against Baku. Reisil followed. She watched the ground carefully, so as not to misstep. Slowly she became aware that the entire plateau was carved with intricate pictures and words made of the strange, angular rinda she’d first noticed at Mysane Kosk. She paused, blinking into spellsight.
Reisil gaped. The entire mountaintop was a mass of intricate spellwork in a multitude of jewel-tone colors. They pulsed and flared and shimmered as if alive. Reisil glanced down at her feet, at the tendrils of magic swirling and coiling around her legs like seaweed on the tide.
“What’s wrong?” Yohuac shouted beside her. He and Baku had returned to her once they’d realized she was no longer following.
“What is this place?” she shouted back.
“The Monequi. Home of the Teotl—the fifty-two gods! Are you able? We should not tarry here! It’s a long way to shelter and it’s not safe!”
As he spoke, a jagged streak of lightning seared across the clouds, followed nearly instantly by a crack of thunder that throbbed through the stone beneath their feet. Reisil jumped, her stomach clenching as goose bumps prickled across her skin. She nodded vigorously at Yohuac and waved for him to proceed.
She followed closely, glad of her wizard-sight that allowed her to see in the dark, though the rain was nearly blinding.
They hobbled along slowly. Saljane wriggled in her sodden cocoon and made high-pitched whistling noises.
~Easy, sweetheart. It will be better soon.
Wet. Aggravation. Hunger.
Reisil smiled at the blend of peevishness Saljane sent back at her and concentrated on walking through the pounding storm.
She didn’t know how long they walked. Her arms were aching with the weight of Saljane and her sodden cloak. Her teeth were chattering and she was so hungry that she was dizzy. The only thing she had to be happy about was that she could breathe and her throat no longer ached. Her cold had vanished entirely when she’d used her magic in the long fall.
Her magic. For one yearning moment, Reisil considered creating a magical umbrella above them, but then dismissed the thought reluctantly. It was too dangerous. Anyone could be watching. And she’d rather have the benefit of surprise when she met Yohuac’s nahuallis. Though they’d sent Yohuac to find her, Reisil remembered all too well her reception in Koduteel after she’d destroyed the wizard circle and stopped the war. Everyone had questioned her loyalties and her motives, frightened of her magic. It would not do to repeat the same mistakes with the nahuallis. She’d wait until they knew her, until they trusted her, to reveal her abilities.
Reisil stumbled and staggered into Baku.
~He says it is not far to the path down.
Baku’s gravelly voice startled Reisil.
~It can’t be too soon, she replied feelingly, infusing her mindvoice with her pleasure for his consideration. She had a sense of a mental blush from him that made her smile with hope. Maybe he was coming around.
Indeed they came to the path at last. But it was not what Reisil was expecting. It was a narrow stairway that plunged down the side of the mountain. Rainwater drained from the plateau in a tumbling cataract. Reisil couldn’t even see the stairs beneath the flood.
“Be careful! It will be slippery! I’ll go and then Baku and then you! Watch out for snakes!” Yohuac waited for her nod before stepping onto the stair.
It wa
s the longest journey of Reisil’s life, and the most difficult. Harder even than escaping the wizards’ stronghold. The water rushed around her calves, pushing her off balance. The steps were a scant six inches wide. She turned and edged down sideways, clutching Saljane tight against her stomach, feeling the bird quaking.
~It will be all right. I won’t let you fall. Reisil wasn’t sure Saljane believed her. She wasn’t sure she believed herself.
Step by slow step, she descended. Her legs began to shake, and her neck and back ached. Her head was thick and heavy with exhaustion. At last she had to sit, bracing her elbows against her knees to keep Saljane out of the water.
~He wants to know if you are all right. Baku’s voice cautiously insinuated itself in her mind.
~Tired, was the only answer Reisil could muster. She hung her head.
~You must keep going. It is dangerous to remain here.
It was the worry in Baku’s mindvoice that made Reisil push to her feet and begin again. The cascading water pushed at her. She slipped, crashing to her knees and onto her side, the steps biting hard into her ribs. She slid down half a dozen stairs and slammed against Baku’s hindquarters, scraping her elbows, shoulder, and hips. Baku whipped about agilely, catching her with his claws and tail.
~Saljane!
The goshawk was flailing inside the cloak, shredding it with her talons as she fought for freedom.
~Saljane! It’s all right! We are safe! We are safe . . . all is well . . . all is well.
Saljane slowly subsided under Reisil’s mental and verbal reassurance, her body racked with shudders. Reisil held her, stroking Saljane’s wet feathers while the rain battered them. Reisil’s body throbbed painfully, floodwater sluicing over her shoulders and thighs. Tears overflowed and were washed away.
Suddenly Yohuac was beside her, having clambered over Baku to get to her. He took Saljane, cradling the bird against his chest. Saljane didn’t even protest, her crimson eye whirling with distress. Yohuac helped Reisil to stand, holding her steady against the flood.
“We must continue!” he shouted urgently above the hammering of the rain. Reisil nodded weakly. They had to get down. If they didn’t walk, they’d be washed away by the torrent. This time Baku led the way with Yohuac in front of her. She steadied herself with a hand on his shoulder, concentrating on keeping her feet.
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