She gestured towards the girl, turned on her heel, and stalked off. McCann started after them. “What can I do?”
Keris did not even bother to look back. “You’ve done enough already. Hu-man.”
<><><><><>
Chapter 46
Keris walked off a short distance and settled down on a tuft of yellow grass. She pulled a canteen from her belt, took a swig of water, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The air was a thick blanket—still and heavy.
A shadow passed in front of the suns. Glancing up, she saw the outline of Shann. She picked up a pebble and tossed it away, idly. “It would have been better for all of us if he had died on that mountain.”
“He offered to make amends,” Shann reminded her. “With his life, if necessary. You were too hard on him.”
“You didn’t see what I saw... ”
“So. Will the Chandara help us or not?”
Keris sighed. “I wish I knew.”
Shann took a seat in front of her. “I don’t understand why they would care more about what happened years ago to the forest beyond the Great Barrier than they would about the destruction of their own Great Tree.”
“I don’t know, but I think it’s less about wanting vengeance and more about assessing our worthiness as a group. A Destroyer Walks Among You. That was what the chief said. Perhaps they simply don’t want to work alongside the slayers of their brethren.”
“You think I was wrong to invite him to join us, don’t you?”
They had no time for recriminations. “It’s not your fault, Shann. You couldn’t have known about his past crimes. However, we do face the question of what to do with him.”
“We could ask him to leave.”
Keris shook her head. “No, that would be a bad idea. Even if I thought it might win the Chandara’s cooperation, he already knows our entire plan and the precise disposition of our forces. If he were to go to the enemy with that information, we would be finished.”
“What do you suggest, then?”
“Assign him to me. I will keep a watch on him—make sure that he does not have an opportunity to betray us.”
After a moment, Shann nodded. Then she added, “You know, in spite of all that the Chandara showed you, I can’t believe that Boxx would refuse to help us.”
“I would have thought so too,” Keris said. “But after the other Chandara transformed, Boxx left with them. They were headed back to Illaryon. She gave no indication that they would be returning to us any time soon. I don’t think we can afford to wait. The Prophet’s attack on Sakara is imminent. We have to move tonight, with or without them.”
“Do you think we can manage to hold off the Prophet’s forces from the ground?”
Keris weighed her response. “Lyall obviously felt it was possible. But then, tactics were never his strong point. We can try to move in quietly—muffle the wheels of the carts, but if someone raises the alarm and they attack us from those platforms of theirs, then we will be up against it.
“There’s also the problem of getting people clear. When the keep falls, Grackas’s troops and the tributes assisting them will be right underneath. I was counting on the Chandara to get our people out of harm’s way. Without their help... ”
Shann straightened and smiled, but there was a forced quality to it. “Well, I for one haven’t given up hope.”
Keris joined her and the two women strolled back to the encampment in silence.
Later that afternoon Keris was cleaning her equipment when she heard a shout. Wings beat rapidly as a great white shape hung briefly above the encampment before settling to the ground. She rose to join the others who were gathering around it.
Adult Chandara all looked much the same, but Keris instinctively knew the creature’s identity even before it spoke.
“I Am Boxx. I Have Returned.”
~
“Where Is The Destroyer?”
Alexander McCann appeared behind the winged creature. A condemned man, facing his fate with equanimity. “I believe you’re looking for me.”
Boxx turned and cocked her head to one side.
“Have you come to take me back?” the hu-man asked.
“No. I Have Come To Take You Forward.”
Keris knew from experience that it was generally best to allow the Chandara to clarify statements in their own time, rather than try to guess at their meaning.
“You Must Bring Back The Egg.”
Of course, that didn’t always work. She stepped in front of McCann. “Boxx, what are you talking about?”
“The Egg Of The Tohaca. It Is To No Purpose. It Lies Atop The Hill Near The Tower.”
The Dagmar Tower. There was a steep-sided butte just north and west of there. That must be it. “You want us to retrieve an egg for you?”
“No.” Boxx flicked her beak at McCann. “Him. The Destroyer Must Go. It Is The Decision Of The Chandara. He Must Return With The Egg Before Time Expires. Only Then Will Chandara Help Reach The High Place.”
McCann stepped forward. “You’re kidding, right? I’m trying to help save both your races from destruction—and you want me to go on an egg hunt?”
“Can’t you just fly to the top of the hill and retrieve it yourself?” Shann reasoned.
“The Destroyer Must Go.”
Keris thought rapidly. This could work to our advantage. Send the hu-man on an extended errand. If he returned in time and the Chandara agreed to aid them, then fine. If he were too late, then the assault on the keep would already be underway and it would be too late for him to alert the enemy. Assuming, of course, that he didn’t double back...
“How long do I have?” McCann asked.
Boxx reached under her wing, and with her beak, she extracted a small cylindrical cage of interwoven twigs or roots. Inside, growing from the base, was a plant with thick purple leaves framing a single large bud. She set it on the ground in front of them all. “Until The Flower Blooms.”
McCann regarded the flower as if it were about to explode. “And how long is that, exactly?”
“It Blooms In The Deepest Part Of The Night.”
Keris faced the hu-man. “Then you should go now.” She led the way to the camp’s perimeter, followed by McCann, Shann, and a loose collection of curiosity seekers. Kneeling, she reached into her pack and extracted the black cloak. “Put this on.”
McCann took the garment but held it at arm’s length. “This is Keltar equipment. I have no idea how to use it.”
“Good,” Keris replied. “Then you won’t break it or injure yourself. However, there may be patrols between here and Dagmar. If you are wearing Keltar garb they will be less likely to challenge you.”
He donned the cloak reluctantly. His broad shoulders filled it out and made it look too small. “And how many Keltar do you know with a face like this and no tail?”
“Well, we’ll just have to hope they don’t get too close, won’t we? Now, take this.” She drew her staff in a single fluid movement and held it out to him.
McCann blinked. “You expect me to fight the patrols?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “However, you may need it to secure the egg. In my experience, creatures don’t take kindly to having their eggs stolen.”
“What is a tohaca, anyway?” Shann put in. “I never heard of a beast by that name.”
“Me neither,” Keris admitted. “It may be a Chandara term for something else.”
“Like a giant perridon,” Shann offered.
Keris bit her upper lip. “For this hu-man’s sake, I hope not.”
“What’s a giant perrid—no, no, never mind... ” McCann trailed off.
He gazed at the staff in his hand as if it were the instrument of his own destruction. Her impulse was to snatch it back from him. After all, the likelihood was that he would fail and she would never see him or her staff again. However, something inside her compelled her to give him at least a fighting chance.
“Travel south and east,” she in
structed. You will see the tower soon enough and then the raised butte not far from it. Can you climb?” McCann grimaced and stretched his limbs. “It’s been a few years.” Keris ignored him. “All right, get going. And don’t stop for anything or anyone.”
McCann turned and jogged away, looking faintly ridiculous. Keris watched him until he was out of sight. Then she turned to Shann. “Wait here. I’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going?” Shann called after her.
“To make sure he doesn’t lose his way.”
<><><><><>
Chapter 47
Night’s crimson curtain had descended by the time Keris arrived back at the rebel encampment.
Shann had seated herself next to the dwindling campfire to keep vigil. She felt rather than heard the former Keltar’s arrival and dragged her gaze from the glowing embers.
The tall woman approached and took a seat beside her. “Still awake, I see.”
Shann smiled wearily. “I don’t think anyone is sleeping tonight. I take it you followed him?”
“Only long enough to ensure that he did not turn back to warn the keep.”
Shann felt like laughing, but she did not want to give Keris the impression that she was ridiculing her caution. Instead, she said, “You don’t like it, do you?”
“Don’t like what?”
“That our fate may very well lie in the hands of a hu-man.”
It was Keris’s turn to stare into the fire. “I don’t believe that.”
“You still think we can succeed without the Chandara’s help?”
“‘Necessity cuts new paths of possibility’.” Keris recited the old Kelanni saying. “It is a good plan. We may yet prevail.”
Shann smiled to herself. It was not often that she looked to Keris for encouragement. “You know, I can’t help feeling sorry for him.”
Keris turned towards her. “McCann? You feel sorry for McCann?”
“He stands to lose, whatever the outcome. If the plan fails, then he will suffer along with us. If it succeeds, then he will witness the destruction of his own people. In either case, he will be left with nothing.”
Keris lowered her head, digesting the implications. “Strange creatures indeed, these hu-mans. They seem capable of both great cruelty and self-sacrifice. Either way, they are dangerous.”
“We all have our dark places that we must try to conquer,” Shann responded. A door opened, and spectres filled the air between them. Then, “Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Very well.”
“During your trial at the Dais—what did you see?”
A kaleidoscope of light and shadow worked across Keris’s features. Finally she answered. “Defeat. I saw my defeat at the hands of Mordal, my former mentor. Only... it wasn’t exactly Mordal. He turned into a gigantic beast. It’s difficult to explain... ” She frowned, grappling with the memory. “Mordal said I would know the taste of defeat. Like bile. Or ashes. He was right. But I discovered something else— something I had not expected.”
“What was that?”
“That if you face defeat—confront it head-on—then it can actually make you stronger, more determined to work all the harder to protect those you love.”
Shann nodded, reflectively. “I’d like to tell you of my experience, if I may.”
“You already told me, remember? At the Tower of Akalon. You said you saw me take your parents away.”
“Yes, but there’s something I left out. I intervened to try to stop you. We battled and I defeated you.” Keris raised one eyebrow but said nothing. “Anyway, I could have killed you. I think I would have, if Boxx hadn’t stopped me.”
“You passed your trial,” Keris pointed out.
“But that was only because Boxx gave me a second chance, after we had been to the tower and I had managed to resolve my feelings.”
Keris shook her head. “I think you’re being too hard on yourself. Those... trials at the Dais. They were designed to probe our weaknesses, to threaten the things we love the most and then see how we would react. For an instant, you cracked. But you can’t allow that to define your existence. You learned from your experience and tried to do better. Really, that’s all any of us can do. Learn, and then try to do better. And if it means anything... I forgive you.”
“Thank you,” Shann said, quietly. The two women stood and embraced by the fire.
Finally, Keris stepped back. “I must prepare.” She turned and strode away.
Shann resumed her seat and stared into the fire once more. Long ago, Lyall had said that she and Keris were both on a journey. Who would have believed how far each of them would come—still less that their paths would come together? Now, she could not imagine going forward without the other woman’s counsel.
She sensed another presence next to her. “Patris.”
The sailor-thief sat in the place Keris had occupied. His long black hair was tied back and his weathered face was softer than she remembered. All of us have come a long way.
“I wanted to thank you,” he began.
“Thank me? For what?”
“For Sakara. For moving on the keep before the Prophet has a chance to destroy the Free Port.”
She smiled at him. “Well, Oliah is my friend too. And there’s another member of our group that would never forgive me if I allowed anything to happen to her.”
Of course, it was not just Oliah. To Patris, Sakara represented friends, family—his entire way of life. Keris’s voice rang again in her head. The tests at the Dais. They were designed to probe our weaknesses, to threaten the things we love the most.
“At the Dais, during your trial. You saw your Sakara, didn’t you?”
His eyes widened. “How—?”
“Just a guess.”
The lines on his face deepened as the recollection took hold. “Yes. I saw the city in flames. And there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Until Keris made me an offer.”
“Keris?” she exclaimed.
“Well, it wasn’t really Keris. She was just a part of the vision, or whatever it was.”
Shann forced herself to ask the difficult question. “How was it that you failed your trial?”
His eyes hardened to points, and she flinched, thinking she had gone a bridge too far. Finally, he said, “I didn’t exactly go in willingly, if you recall. However, when I was there, it was as if it was... real. The death. The destruction. It did something to me inside. I was prepared to do anything to save the city. Even compromise with evil.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s all right,” he said. “In a strange way, I owe Lyall a debt of gratitude, because I learned a valuable lesson. In fact, it’s the main reason I’m here with you now.”
“What lesson was that?” she asked.
“That some things come at too high a price.”
She stood and bowed formally. “Your presence honours us.”
He smiled and bowed his head in acknowledgment; then both of them sought solace in the fire’s heart.
~
A last tour of the camp. That was what she told herself. Her steps, however, were guided by unspoken necessity, and presently, she found herself standing in front of the Chandara.
Boxx had not moved from the spot where she had first arrived at the camp. She sat motionless on her haunches, staring at the nascent flower.
Shann settled cross-legged on the ground in front of the creature, like a child with her teacher.
“Greetings, Shann,” the Chandara said in her cantabile voice. “Has The Destroyer Returned?”
Don’t call him that. She waited for her irritation to subside. She did not want to begin this exchange with an argument. “No. No, he hasn’t returned yet.” Boxx’s gaze returned to the flower, imprisoned in its delicate cage of woven wood.
The Chandara had said that it would bloom some time tonight, although she did not say when. Since it was a plant, the likelihood was that even she didn’t know, which made the whole idea of usin
g it as a time limit seem pretty ridiculous. Shann had to resist an overwhelming urge to get up and stomp on the thing.
She took a deep breath. “Boxx, do you understand what is at stake here?”
The creature lifted her head once more and cocked it to one side. “At Stake?”
“Yes. The survival of both our races may very well depend on what happens tonight. Our chances would be greatly improved with your help.”
“I Will Help Keris And Shann. But I Am One.”
Shann’s heart quickened. She could reach the keep on her own if she had to. She quickly thrust aside selfish concerns and forced herself to re-focus on her responsibility. “What about the rest of your people?”
“They Say That The Destroyer Must Bring Back The Egg.”
“I don’t understand. You have already transformed. What use is an egg to you?”
“It Is To No Purpose.”
She was not sure whether Boxx was speaking of the egg or her question. Conversations with the Chandara always seemed to end up in this sort of conundrum. She pressed on. “Could you not reason with them—persuade them just to fly us to the keep?”
“And If The Destroyer Is Preserved. What Then?”
“That... Look, what he did happened a long time ago. Kelanni have a tradition. When someone commits a wrong and they are sorry, we forgive.”
“How Can Kelanni Know They Will Not Do The Wrong Again?”
“We... well, I suppose we don’t. Other than their word. But trust has to start somewhere.”
“Chandara Do Not Trust. We Know.”
Shann’s mouth opened and closed, but try as she might, she could not think of a suitable response. For all the time they had spent together, it was as if a great gulf still existed between the two races. The ways of the Chandara were different—incomprehensible even. Perhaps it would always be so.
She got to her feet slowly. “Well, I thank you for all you have done. And for agreeing to see it through with us.”
Boxx ruffled her wings, gazed at her with great lustrous eyes, and went back to staring at her flower.
The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) Page 108
