The Eighth Born: Book 1 of the Pankaran Chronicles

by C. Night

  “So you’re hoping Thom can tell us what is happening? What Conden is doing to prevent war?”

  Cazing snorted quietly. “There is no preventing it, I’m afraid. I’m simply hoping Thom will tell us what he knows of the Condenish government’s preparations for war. I hope the king is up to the task.”

  Rhyen chuckled in disbelief. “And how are we going to know if the king is up to the challenge?”

  “We’re going to ask him,” said Cazing easily.

  Rhyen’s mouth fell open. “What? We’re just going to walk into the palace and demand to see the king?”

  Cazing smiled at his apprentice. “That’s the plan. Thom’s last letter told me to come as soon as I received it, so he is expecting us. He’ll have made arrangements for us to see the king.”

  Rhyen shook his head. “I never thought that I would meet a king.”

  “You’ll get used to it.”

  The silence was broken by the mournful croaking of the frogs along the creek bed. “What do you make of this stone?” Rhyen asked after a while. “It’s obviously something with extremely powerful magic.”

  “I think so, too.”

  “Well?” said Rhyen when he got tired of waiting. “Do you have any guesses as to what it might be?”

  Cazing looked down at the stone, his hand still resting lightly on it. “Just one. And I am very nearly sure I’m right.”

  Rhyen gritted his teeth. “Are you going to share it with me?”

  Cazing nodded and looked indignantly at his apprentice. “Of course I am! But if it is what I think it is, I dare not say it here. Anything can hear us out here, and if the wrong thing did, it would be catastrophic. I will tell you when we are safe in Corna, where, I believe, Thom will agree with my theory.”

  Rhyen looked around nervously. The ball of trepidation, which had been forgotten in the discovery of Caliena and the magical object, dipped uneasily in Rhyen’s stomach again in full force. Rhyen looked around the woods, wondering what things his master was worried about overhearing them.

  Rhyen quietly tossed another few logs onto the fire. He glanced across the flickering flames and saw Caliena’s dark head peeking just visibly from the pile of blankets. Her deep breaths caused the flames to stir slightly.

  Rhyen nodded his chin toward her. “What are we going to do with her?” he asked. He felt compassion for her and, in a strange way, somehow protective. She was so alone and seemed so hopeless. “We could give her some money for the stone. She wanted to sell it anyway.”

  “Then what? Leave her alone in a wood full of Zirites?” Cazing murmured as he too looked over the fire at the sleeping girl. He thought for a long moment. “No. She’ll come with us,” he said finally.

  Rhyen saw from the expression on his master’s face that he was remembering his little daughter. Rhyen was more than surprised at Cazing’s decision, but very pleased all the same and did not try to argue. He couldn’t say exactly why, but he wanted the young woman to stay with them as well. There was something very appealing about her, and in any case he didn’t feel right about leaving her alone in the woods with nothing, and with a dozen Zirites hunting her.

  “I’m glad she’s coming,” Rhyen said. “She feels important, somehow.”

  Cazing blew out a cloud of smoke agreeably. “I think it is what she knows, what she saw about the soldiers, that is the important part. But it will be nice to have her along anyway.”

  Rhyen tilted his head to the side. “She already told us what she knows,” he countered.

  Cazing shrugged. “A little. But she knows more than she’s saying.”

  Rhyen raised his eyebrows skeptically. “It looked like you Persuaded her into telling us her whole story.”

  “I did, a little—but it is so difficult to wield against humans, and I have always had a tougher time with girls. I find them more complex than men. Besides, I don’t have overwhelming amounts of Persuasion. No, she held back all that she could from me. But in time she will tell us everything. Once we earn her trust.”

  Rhyen privately thought that Cazing only wanted her along because she reminded him of Gretle, but he gladly went along with his master’s excuse. They both stayed up late that night, and even when Cazing fell into a doze a few hours before dawn, Rhyen sat up, continuously feeding the fire and thinking.

  Chapter 21

  Rhyen was still awake when the moon set and the grey of early morning curled around their little camp. Caliena woke with a startled gasp, and she sprang up, shedding the blankets and cloak like they were chains. Rhyen saw that she reached automatically for the little knife she kept at her side, and her eyes were wild as she tried to find her bearings. Rhyen calmly held up his hands.

  “Caliena, you’re safe,” he said soothingly. “Everything is fine.” He actually had been expecting her fright this morning, after hearing the terrors she had endured the past few days, and so her panicked awakening did not disturb him as it might have.

  She looked at him with her wide near violet eyes, and Rhyen saw recognition, as if from far away, dawn in them like the morning sun. She slid to the ground, her lips trembling. “I thought—I thought you were—” she blurted out in choked gulps.

  Rhyen smiled gently. “It’s alright.” He slowly stood up and crossed the distance between them. “I won’t hurt you.” He waited until she nodded, then reached down and plucked the cloak from the mossy earth. He draped it around her shoulders and returned to his seat on the opposite side of the fire.

  “Do you want some breakfast?” he asked, rooting around for some dry goods from his saddlebag. He pulled out some of the flat Low Country bread and a few types of honey. Rhyen could tell that Caliena was still very hungry, but she was a much daintier eater this morning than she had been last night. He watched her discreetly as she took small bites, trying to get a measure of her. He hid his grin as he noticed her honey-to-bread ratio was even more enthusiastic than his, and without speaking he pulled more of the golden dip from his bag.

  She looked even skinnier in the morning light. Her cheeks, which would have been as pretty and smooth as porcelain had they not been hollow and gray from days of dirt, reddened slightly as she noticed his scrutiny. Caliena became self-conscious, patting back her dirty hair and quietly trying to rub her dusty cheeks clean. She frowned between bites, looking with distaste at her filthy and bloody fingertips, and she touched as little of her food as possible, holding the bread in the tiniest corner to keep the grime away. Although it had been eighteen years since he had seen any of them, Rhyen vaguely remembered that his sisters had always preferred to be neat and clean. He reached into his backpack and grabbed the cleanest length of cloth he could find.

  “Here,” he said, holding it out to her. “You can use it as a towel if you want to wash up.” Rhyen had intended to cheer her, but to his dismay he saw her face fall and her eyes go bright. Clearly his gesture had not achieved the desired effect, and he had inadvertently caused her embarrassment and sadness.

  “Thank you,” she said in the smallest voice he had ever heard. She took the cloth without looking at him and almost ran down the creek bank until she was beyond the bend, where there was a clump of bushes for privacy.

  Rhyen was disappointed. “Idiot,” he muttered to himself. “Ow!”

  Rhyen turned, rubbing his head. Cazing was awake now and had rapped him smartly. He shot Rhyen a venomous glare. “Why did you do that?” Cazing demanded. “Can’t you see it was a little heartless?”

  Indignantly, Rhyen replied, “I wasn’t trying to make her feel bad! She seemed like she wished she was clean, so all I did was give her a towel.” He glowered at his master. “It was supposed to help.”

  Cazing’s expression relaxed. “Well, I guess your heart was in the right place. But don’t do anything else stupid. We need her to trust us, remember?”

  Rhyen nodded curtly, still massaging his temple. The tw
o men cleared away camp and loaded the horses. They waited quite awhile, but still the young woman did not return. Grumpily Cazing remarked, “I hope you didn’t drive her away.”

  Rhyen grimaced, but had to agree. “I hope I didn’t, either.”

  “If you did, finding her will be your job.”

  They lounged around and continued to wait. The sun was creeping in the sky—they could tell by the slant of the rays that filtered through the leaves and hung suspended like flecks of gold under the trees. Rhyen checked the horses’ hooves again, and gave them both treats, running his hand down their graying noses.

  Eventually, Rhyen ventured, “Maybe we should go look for her?”

  Cazing nodded. “Why don’t you go and see if she’s all right?”

  “Why do I have to go alone?” Rhyen sputtered. “She’s washing up. I don’t want to pop in on her unannounced!”

  Cazing looked hesitantly down the creek to the bend. “I don’t either.” The two men exchanged looks. “We should let her have her privacy,” Cazing finally concluded. Neither were anxious to interrupt her.

  But still more time passed, and just when they were seriously debating who should have to go find her, Caliena soundlessly joined their group, her footsteps muffled by the thick moss. She looked shy, but decidedly happier. Her face was white instead of grey, her cheeks perhaps a little pinker where she had rubbed them. Her hands looked better with the blood washed away, although the skin was raw and painful looking at her torn fingertips. She had let her long black hair hang loose, and the gentle breeze tugged it slightly as it dried. She handed Rhyen back his towel. “Thank you for letting me borrow this. I’m sorry it’s still wet.”

  Rhyen took it slowly, drinking her in. She looked like a new person, wearing a soft smile instead of wide, fearful eyes, though her shoulders were still set with something like wariness. Rhyen thought she was prettier than he had expected, her brilliant eyes overtaking the simplicity of her plainer features.

  “You look a vision,” Cazing said, smiling at her. “Did you sleep well, Caliena?”

  She shrugged noncommittally. “Thank you for the hospitality.” Caliena bowed her head a little to the sorcerers. She turned as if to go, but Cazing reached out and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

  “We would like for you to come with us, my dear,” Cazing said. Rhyen glanced sideways at his master, not sure that being so pointed in his invitation was wise.

  “Why?” she asked, looking at him with utter bewilderment.

  The old sorcerer kept his hand lightly on her shoulder, and though his tone was easy, his eyes were serious. “We want to stop these soldiers, Caliena, and we think you might be able to help us. If you do help us, you can avenge your family.”

  Caliena’s eyes strayed between the two sorcerers. “I could avenge them?” Her voice became low and interested.

  Cazing smiled encouragingly. “Yes.”

  The young woman raised her chin in defiance. “Then I will go with you.”

  “Excellent!” Rhyen grinned.

  She looked at him, startled by his enthusiasm. “Where are we going? To the soldiers’ camp?” she asked, taking a tentative step forward.

  Rhyen shook his head. “To Corna. Stopping a small camp of soldiers will not solve the problem. We need to stop the whole army.”

  She nodded her head in agreement, but doubtfully added, “I’ve never been to Corna. I’ve never been out of the Low Country.”

  “I’ve never been to Corna either,” Rhyen replied with a smile.

  “We’ll take care of you, Caliena. Let us know anything you need. We’re excited to have you in our company.” Cazing turned quickly away from her, and Rhyen caught sight of a strange expression lingering on his face. His eyes were bright, and Rhyen wondered just how blurred in Cazing’s mind was the line between Caliena and Gretle.

  Rhyen held out his hand. “Pick a horse,” he said, gesturing to Brefen and Cinnamon.

  Caliena rode Brefen first, behind Cazing. They took their time that day, because their late start meant they would not be able to ride as far anyway, and so Rhyen and Cazing tried their best to time it so they arrived at the next town over in the late afternoon. They got a few rooms and a hot meal, but then Caliena, who was still somewhat shy, slipped off to bed. She was still too thin, and even the easy ride of the day had almost been too much for her. Her legs trembled and barely kept her upright when she dismounted.

  As soon as she disappeared down the hall, Cazing turned to Rhyen. “Go and see if you can find a horse and tack for her.” This town was almost triple the size of Maypole, and Rhyen found her a handsome paint, which came with a fine saddle. Rhyen was terrible at haggling and was not altogether surprised when he paid almost double what the horse and tack were worth. Nevertheless, he was pleased with his purchase, and he led the horse back to the inn proudly.

  Cazing, it turned out, had been equally busy during the evening. Rhyen stared at box after box piled around his master. “What is this?”

  “Clothes.” Cazing said obviously.

  Rhyen looked around at the sea of merchandise. “Did you get enough?” he asked sarcastically. It would probably take Caliena a month to go through each box.

  Cazing looked around him as though seeing only for the first time the number of boxes. He looked guilty, but defensively countered, “My daughter loved clothes. I’ll bet that Caliena does, too.” His eyes reflected simultaneously wretched sadness and blissful memory.

  Rhyen bit his tongue and looked with compassion at the old sorcerer. “Well, she did need something new to wear,” he agreed, turning quickly to hide his face from his master.

  They stayed in that town an extra day. Caliena had been delighted with the new clothes, although at first she had been speechless at all the gifts. But if Cazing’s goal had been to earn Caliena’s trust, he was well on his way to reaching it. She was very taken with the old sorcerer, and sat next to him at every possible moment. Even though she had been with them only a few days, the meals and sleep helped her regain her strength. Cazing and Rhyen watched the wild transformation in awe as she went from skin and bones and fright to a well-figured woman with a happy face that was full of life.

  It took about another month to reach Corna, and in that time Caliena became a fixture in their little family. Rhyen could hardly remember what it had been like before she joined them, and both sorcerers wondered how they could have possibly gotten along all those years without her. She brought them much joy, and they both spoiled her shamelessly and vied for her attentions. She forgot her shyness with Rhyen almost as fast as she had with Cazing, and, once she was over her frightening and lonesome ordeal with the soldiers, she became a happy, affectionate woman. She eagerly listened to all of their stories, though she rarely contributed any of her own, and she was fascinated by every spell they cast, asking them to wield for her again and again.

  Caliena was not necessarily curious or inquisitive, but she liked to converse with the sorcerers, chatting merrily away for hours, or listening with rapt attention to anything they had to say. She fussed over them, reminding them to drink water or eat periodically, and they were content to let her boss them about, because her affection for them was growing more every day, and was apparent enough in her face to be like the rising sun. Rhyen enjoyed watching her and his master together. Perhaps Cazing had been correct to compare her to his daughter when first they met, for Rhyen had never seen two people so connected. It was truly like Caliena was his daughter, they were so alike in manner and thought. Their behaviors, their preferences, and their characteristics were comparable at the start, and they only fused together more as time went by.

  Rhyen was brazenly replaced as Cazing’s partner once they began teaching Caliena cards and dice games. She was a naturally lucky person, and she almost always won. Her face was smooth and gave nothing away, and she and Cazing won buckets of money at every inn they
stopped for the night. It turned out that she enjoyed money as much as the old sorcerer, and Rhyen watched with amusement as the two counted their winnings excitedly together at the end of each night.

  Caliena loved the paint Rhyen had picked for her at once, and named it Respen. She liked to ride between the two sorcerers during the day. Cazing would entertain them all with stories—many Rhyen had heard before, but everything was new and fresh now that Caliena was in their lives, and he laughed as loudly as she did, as though he’d never before heard the punch line. Caliena was a Low Country native, and she knew the names of the birds and animals that lived beneath the leafy canopy, and the different plants that grew there. She pointed them out to Rhyen as they went, as well as the legends of the lumber quadrants they rode through. Rhyen was impressed to see the trees, just as Ylop had told him, all growing at different rates as they moved through the Low Country; most were tall enough to have grown for years and years, but they did pass one recently re-sown quadrant, where the trees were barely taller than Rhyen himself.

  Eventually they found the fords of the Deameos, the wide river that was the parent of all the little tributaries and streams that ran through the Low Country, and they followed it as the forest thinned until they were at the very edge, gazing out over the acres of sandy plain to the white walls of Corna.

  The Deameos poured into the bay just south of the city walls. They couldn’t see the mouth of the river, nor the sea, although Cazing assured them that they would just before entering the city. Rhyen was glad there was a bridge connecting the banks of the river because he still did not enjoy riding across rivers, as he’d had to do the Waine all those years ago. Caliena shrunk visibly as they made their way over the salty sand-grasses leading up to Corna, and she turned her head to look longingly back to the Low Country forest frequently. Rhyen, however, enthusiastically urged Cinnamon forward, eager to see the sea.