Facing the Fire

by Carol Beth Anderson

  An elbow poked Tavi in the side, and she was instantly alert. “I must have dozed off.”

  “Snored a bit too,” Tullen said.

  “I did not!”

  Tullen laughed. “It’s almost your shift; want to activate now?”

  Tavi nodded. Once her hearing gift was ready, she and Tullen switched places. Ven touched Tavi’s hand with one finger, and Tullen reached across Tavi so Ven could continue to touch him while Tavi’s ears searched for the temporary palace. Tullen’s arm across her legs was distracting. They’d hardly touched in the past two weeks, and Tavi realized how much she’d missed it. A few minutes later, she said, “I’m in. I can hear Birge.”

  Tullen nodded and pulled his hand away, releasing his gift. “I think she’s almost done. She’s just been confirming everything the northern pilgrims told us a few weeks ago. The dukes and duchesses in that area are particularly brutal, and she thinks the people will revolt, especially if their taxes go up again. Camalyn is concerned, but you know Konner. He insists people will follow their beloved king and queen, no matter what.”

  Tavi listened for a few minutes. “Remina is standing up to them, more than anyone else I’ve heard. She told Konner he should visit the north, just to see how bad things are. Of course, he said no. It sounds like she’s about to leave.” She looked at Tullen. “I’m going to keep listening to her. In this state, she might say something useful to somebody else. Can you listen in the throne room again?”

  “Sure.” Tullen’s hand came back across Tavi’s legs to connect with Ven.

  Tavi kept her ears on Remina Birge. A moment later, she heard a deep, male voice ask, “Would you like me to walk you out?”

  “Very well,” Birge replied. “My driver is likely parked down the street.”

  A minute later, they must have stepped outside, because countless voices entered Tavi’s ears. “I’m escorting Ms. Birge to her carriage,” the man said.

  “Everybody, make a path!” a new female voice called.

  After a pause, the noise lessened, and Birge asked, “How do you guard that idiot every day?”

  The guard coughed. “Excuse me?”

  “Oh, I guess I should specify which idiot I’m talking about,” Birge said with a laugh. “Well, it could be Relin or Konner; take your pick. One knows nothing about leading a kingdom, and the other thinks he knows everything.”

  “Ma’am, I’m surprised to hear you talk this way.”

  Remina’s sigh reached Tavi across the miles. “Stop here, before we arrive at the carriage.” A moment later, she continued with a lower voice. “I know it’s careless of me; but you were there; you know I’m angry. However, if you tell Konner I’m disloyal, he’ll never believe you. I’ve proven my loyalty to him time and again. He’d fire you in an instant, possibly hang you, if I asked him to. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good. I have a question for you. But first, you should know that with my magic, I can detect lies. So there’s no use hiding anything from me.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The man spoke a little more slowly and hesitantly than before.

  “Do you think Relin, Camalyn, and Konner should be leading this country?”

  There was a long pause, but then the guard said, “No.”

  “Ah, you see? I know you’re telling the truth. If someone tried to remove them from power, would you help?”

  Another pause, then: “Maybe.”

  “Very well. Your name?”

  “Zakkur.”

  “Zakkur. I’ll be in touch. My carriage is just ahead; you can go now.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Tavi continued listening to Birge, letting Tullen keep his ears on the throne room. But Birge’s trip through the city toward her house was quiet and uneventful. Eventually, Tavi checked the clock. They’d gone a bit over their time, and when she looked at Ven, she found him already watching them, his foot tapping.

  “Thank you, Ven,” she said, pulling her hand away and releasing her magic. Tullen did the same.

  Ven responded with a nod, then looked out the window and wrote in his notebook again.

  Tavi and Tullen left. As they walked, Tavi updated him on what she’d heard. At the top of the stairs, they stopped and continued talking.

  “Birge wants to stop Konner?” Tullen confirmed.

  “I’m sure of it.”

  “But if we reach out to her, she’s as likely to turn us in as she is to work with us,” he said.

  “I’m sure of that too. But that guard, Zakkur, I wonder if he might join our side?”

  “From what you said, he’s not enthusiastic about resisting.”

  “Right. But he might find it easier to trust us rather than Birge.”

  “That’s true.” Tullen’s face broke into a wide smile. “Tavi, you just discovered someone in the palace who doesn’t support the monarchy. This could change everything!”

  “I know!” Excited, Tavi hugged Tullen tight around his waist. But he stood straight and tense, his arms not returning the embrace. A moment later, he grasped both her shoulders and gently pushed her away.

  She looked up at him, too shocked to hide her hurt. “What was that?” she asked.

  He folded his arms and looked away. “Tavi, I”—he met her gaze again—“I can’t keep on . . . listen, I’m sorry. But I can’t.”

  She stared at him, trying to read his face. He looked uncomfortable, and she wished she had Sall’s gift so she could decipher more than that. She didn’t dare ask him what he was thinking.

  “That’s fine,” she said, not even trying to throw him a fake smile. He’d see right through it, anyway. She looked away, then pushed past him, her arm brushing his as she stepped onto the first stair. Descending, she called back, “Come on, let’s tell the others about what I heard.”

  She heard his footsteps, and then his voice was right behind her. “Tavi—”

  “It’s fine, Tullen.” She didn’t look at him, just kept walking as fast as she could.

  Tullen knocked on the door of one of the tiny cottages next to the monastery. A moment later, it opened.

  “Deam!” Tullen said, shaking the former soldier’s hand.

  “Tullen! Come in.”

  Tullen entered the little room, which contained a stove, a tiny table, one chair, a narrow bed, and a fireplace that was doing its job to keep the space warm.

  “Have a seat.” Deam gestured to the chair, then sat on the bed. He had to hunch over not to hit his head on the sloped roof.

  Tullen smiled at Deam, whom he’d befriended in the week since the Golds had interviewed the man. “The new clothes look great,” he said. “Do you think that’ll be enough to keep you from being arrested as a deserter?”

  Deam shrugged. “I wasn’t the first to leave. Many of the troops are unhappy. It’s so disorganized; I doubt anyone is actively looking for us. In fact, I think I’ll leave here within the next couple of days, while the weather allows. Being out in the open will be the real test.”

  “You sure you don’t want to commit to the contemplative life for good?”

  Deam laughed. “I’m going stir-crazy here.”

  Tullen nodded and leaned forward. “I’m glad to hear you were already planning to leave. I have a favor to ask of you.”

  Deam’s eyebrows rose, and Tullen explained what Tavi had heard earlier that day. “We met with the rest of the Golds, and we all agreed it’s time to go to Savala,” he said. “The problem is, we know the perimeter is guarded, probably by people who have pictures of us in their pockets. We need to know the safest way to sneak into the city. We wondered if you could travel there and do a little reconnaissance. You wouldn’t have to come back here; we can set a daily time for Tavi and me to listen for you.”

  Deam considered the request, folding his hands and staring into the fire. Then he turned to Tullen. “I joined the army thinking I’d make a difference. Clearly that didn’t work. But I know the problem isn’t with the army; it’s wi
th our country’s new leaders. I would be honored to help.”

  Tullen stared out the window of the monastery’s large dining room. “What does this remind you of?”

  Tavi grimaced at him. “Being stuck in that inn on the way to Savala?”

  “Yes.” They both gazed out at the huge drifts of snow piled up against the window. “Of course, at the inn, it was rain, not snow,” Tullen said. “But it was just as infuriating as this is.”

  Tavi flashed back to their first trip to Savala, when she’d been desperate to find Narre, who’d been kidnapped by Ash and Aldin. The rain delay hadn’t been all bad though. Her mouth relaxed into a slight smile as she remembered sitting on the patio with Tullen, kissing him for the first time.

  She glanced his direction. His eyes had left the snow and were fastened on her. Surely he was remembering the same moment, but he was silent. In the past, he would’ve said something, and she would’ve blushed, and he would’ve apologized, his eyes sparkling the whole time. She still didn’t understand why things had changed. Or why she was so disappointed.

  Tavi heard footsteps and turned to see Ash entering the room. “Tess says this snow won’t melt until spring,” he said.

  “You were talking to Tess?” Tavi asked. She didn’t want her sister anywhere near Ash.

  Ash raised an eyebrow. “I just ran into her in the hallway.”

  “If only we’d left yesterday,” Tullen said.

  Tavi released a sharp sigh. “If only Tess had thought to tell us about Ven earlier; if only we’d overheard Birge and Zakkur earlier, if only Deam had found a safe entrance; if only we’d known we were coming here; if only soldiers hadn’t invaded the Meadow. If only the Grays had never started plotting to take over Cormina.” As she made the last statement, she glanced at Ash, before turning her attention back to Tullen. “We’re doing our best, but there’s a lot that’s out of our control. It would’ve been unwise to leave before we know how to get in.”

  “I know,” Tullen said. “But I hate for our plans to be ruined by something as ridiculous as a storm.”

  Deam had settled in at an inn near the edge of Savala; it was easy for Tavi’s and Tullen’s gifted ears to find him there. He’d reported back for the past two days, telling them that despite his walks along the periphery of the city, he hadn’t found a place that was consistently free of safety officers. He was still trying. In the meantime, the monks all insisted there was no way down the mountain when the snow was this high. They’d likely have to wait out the winter in the monastery.

  That evening, Tavi and Tullen went to Ven’s room and listened for Deam. At the time they’d agreed upon, they heard his voice.

  “I saw the storm on the mountain,” he said. “I hope you’re not stuck up there, because I found a way in.”

  He proceeded to tell them what he’d discovered. Tavi closed her eyes, rubbing her temples with her fingertips. When Deam was done, she glared out the window at the snow, cursing it under her breath. Ven raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged, in no mood to explain her frustration to him. After throwing a cursory “Thanks” his way, she left the room.

  Chapter Nineteen

  There is nearly always a way. But it may not be a way you’ve ever gone before.

  -From Midwifery: A Manual for Practical and Karian Midwives by Ellea Kariana

  “There you are!”

  Tavi looked up from the cup she was holding. She’d drained it of tea a quarter hour ago but had remained sitting at the table in the small dining room ever since, staring out the window. She smiled at Narre. “Here I am.”

  “I’ve been looking for you. Everyone else is outside. Come on.”

  “Outside?” Tavi looked out the window again. It wasn’t currently snowing, but she knew it was frigid. She hadn’t ventured out in days.

  “A little cold won’t kill you. Come on, just for a few minutes.”

  Tavi shrugged. “Let me go get my coat.”

  Narre lifted her arm. Tavi’s coat was draped over it, and in Narre’s hand were a hat and gloves.

  “Oh, thanks.” Tavi stood and took her coat. When she was bundled up, Narre led her out the front door. They walked across the courtyard where two of the most dedicated pilgrims were walking. Tavi and Narre headed to a wooden gate across the courtyard from the glass-and-iron gate.

  Once through, Tavi saw the other six Golds, as well as Ven, who was bundled in a huge coat he must have borrowed from someone much larger than him. He stood next to Reba, her hand in his. They were both looking out over the valley below. Tavi felt a pang of envy.

  Narre clapped. Everyone looked at her, Ven jumping at the noise. “All right, we’re all here,” she said.

  “This better be good,” Wrey said with a smile. She was wrapped head-to-toe in winter wear but still stood with her arms folded, stamping her feet lightly on the snow.

  “It’s not just good, it’s genius,” Sall said. He walked to Narre, took her hand, and smiled at her. Tavi’s jealousy sparked again, and her eyes flicked to Tullen. He wasn’t looking at her.

  “First, I have a question for you, Tavi,” Narre said. “Tullen mentioned you’d heard another conversation last night. Want to tell us about it?”

  Tavi shrugged. “It wasn’t anything new. Zakkur complained to his wife again about Konner, Aldin, and Camalyn. Remina Birge is still trying to convince him to help her take over, but he doesn’t trust her.”

  “Do you still think he might help us?” Narre asked, looking back and forth between Tavi and Tullen.

  “We hope he will,” Tullen said, “but we’ll have to wait until after winter.” Frustration was evident in his tone.

  “I need to show you something,” Narre said. “Everyone follow me.”

  Narre and Sall led the way, the others close behind. They wove between the little pilgrim cottages, several of which emitted smoke from their chimneys. The cottages sat on the same large shelf of land that the monastery inhabited. In front of the buildings, the mountain dropped off into an eastern-facing cliff. North of the cottages, the shelf ended abruptly, butting against the edge of a crag that rose to dizzying heights. Its slope was nearly vertical, making it impossible to approach the monastery from that direction. All visitors had to come from the trails south of the grounds, where the mountain’s slope was gentler.

  Tavi’s brows drew together when she saw a feature she’d never noticed. Just feet away in the steep mountainside north of the cottages was a strange, horizontal furrow, like a giant bird had scraped a huge claw through the rock. It only extended a few feet into the mountain’s face, but it was tall enough for someone to stand in. It was perhaps ten feet long.

  “Was that cave there before?” Jenevy asked.

  Narre beckoned them forward, and Tavi saw that the carved-out space extended all the way to where they stood, at the edge of the flat monastery land. They could walk into it if they wanted to.

  “It’s not a cave,” Narre said. “It’s a walkway. And I put it there this morning.”

  “You put it there?” Ash asked.

  “Yes.” Narre beamed and even hopped a bit in excitement. “When we got the first big snowfall and we were all so disappointed, I started thinking about who might have gifts that could get us down the mountain. First, I thought Ash could shovel the snow, but it’s storming too often and too much. His work would just get covered by more snow. I kept trying to figure out how we could cover the path so it didn’t get snowed on. And then one day, Reba was telling me about how powerful Ven’s gift is.”

  All eyes turned to Reba and Ven. Ven gazed at his feet, his face bright red. Reba took his hand again and grinned. Tavi tried not to laugh.

  “I started thinking about how his magic might affect me. And, well, this morning, it came to me.” She smiled at Ven, though the poor young man couldn’t see it, since his eyes were still downcast. “Ven, would you mind if we demonstrate?”

  Ven nodded. The two of them entered the cave. Tavi’s heart beat hard; if Narre or Ven slipped and
fell, nothing would stop them from tumbling off the narrow ledge and down the steep mountain. But neither of them looked worried.

  Narre’s hands began to glow, and so did Ven’s. He held one finger to the exposed skin of Narre’s neck, and she placed her hands on the rock wall opposite where they’d entered. The sound of splitting stone filled the air, and Tavi saw fissures in the side of the mountain beyond the cave. A moment later, there was a rapid popping, crackling sound. Tavi’s jaw dropped. Narre’s gifted hands had pulverized a huge piece of stone, bigger than a man. She and Ven backed up as massive amounts of newly crushed gravel tumbled down the mountainside. Some of it fell onto the walkway, and when the dust cloud dissipated, Narre bent and swept it away. The walkway was now two feet longer than it had been.

  Ven and Narre returned to the sound of applause, initiated by Jenevy. When that died down, Tullen, Wrey, and Ash all began speaking at once, asking questions.

  “Hold on,” Narre said. “Let me tell you more of what I know, and then you can ask questions. The cave floor slopes downward a little, and I’ll work on finding the best angle. We’ll need to zigzag down the mountain, and I can put in some vertical shafts every so often to help with that.

  “I think I can work for a couple of hours at a time, and then I’ll have to rest for a couple more hours. As you can see, Ven makes my gift much stronger. It’ll be a lot of work, but I hope it won’t take too long. We don’t have to get all the way down, just to where there’s less snow, and the slope isn’t so steep.”

  They all began asking questions and sharing ideas. “Why don’t you just make a tunnel?” Ash asked.

  “It would take too long to get all the rock out,” Narre said. “When the rock can fall freely down the mountain, the work goes quickly.”

  Tavi suggested that Narre leave a lip of stone at the edge, to prevent anyone falling down the mountain. Narre was concerned that too much of the debris would get lodged in the tunnel, behind the lip. But Ash volunteered to come behind her with a shovel to clear the debris. Thanks to his touch gift, which made his hands work remarkably quickly, the job would be easy. Tavi was so relieved, she nearly hugged Ash.