“An odd ally, to say the least.” Carlo shifted in his chair. “I’ll be glad to set foot on land again, even though it’s going to be Kelanoth. Waine would have dragged us around the Highplain until he bagged a lion.”
“The Elven hunters aboard our ship have been cagey about the whole trip, more so than usual.” Kevon fidgeted before speaking again. “I know they’re our allies, but it seems there is something they’re not telling us.”
“How’s the girl?”
“She’s…” Kevon fumbled for words. “Withdrawn. Since the return of her eye, it’s confusing. Even as an assassin, she was straightforward, most times. Now…”
“I’ve seen it, from the war,” Carlo shook his head. “Something changes in them, things they keep seeing. Not everyone is suited for the lives we lead. Fewer still understand when things… go wrong.”
“I have nightmares,” Kevon whispered. “But she’ll be awake, and somewhere else.”
“Give it time.”
“I don’t want to wait,” Kevon blurted. “There are things that…”
“Things happen as they will,” Carlo corrected Kevon. “Was I happy about leaving Bertus and Mirsa back on the Isle? We need them. But we’ll do what we can, what we must.” The Blademaster shook his head. “She’d only just made her peace with being broken. Magic can’t heal everything, time is what she…”
“M’lani said something like that!” Kevon interrupted.
“Then listen to her, if you won’t listen to me!” Carlo roared. “It’ll save me having to beat some sense into you.”
“I’ll try,” Kevon relented. “It’s just…” He sighed.
“Why don’t you start trying back on your own ship?”
Chapter 29
“Wind’s still holding, another day at least before we split from the lanes.”
Kevon nodded at Yusa’s report, verifying by extending his senses outside the cabin, into the upper atmosphere. A picture of the air currents formed in his mind, dulled only by the seas below them, and the cliffs rising far to the East.
“Keeping in constant touch with these winds, using their power to fuel our progress, handing off the connection to our relief?” Kevon asked Yusa and the other Mage seated next to him, across from the captain.
“I think that drawing power from the trades and pushing it elsewhere could shift things,” Reko interjected. “Unfavorably.”
I know he’s an illusion, projected from Yusa’s mind, Kevon thought as he recovered from the suddenness of the Mage’s appearance. But I can’t help being startled when he appears.
“I tend to agree,” Kaleb shifted in his chair. “Rearranged air in the doldrums will settle as soon as we pass through, but keeping linked to an active windstream… I dare not think of the damage we did when we used Water magic to force our way across the sea.”
“I…” Kevon touched the shells that hung at his neck. “I should contact the Myrnar as soon as this leg of our journey is complete. They deserve to know what has happened.”
“As a sailor, I’d not want to risk changing the trade lanes,” Yusa agreed. “But our journey is not simple, nor trivial. Completing it swiftly is not without merit.”
“We can manage without tapping into the trade winds,” Kaleb waved off Yusa’s concern. “We’re well rested, the crew is practiced by now for the rigors of our Wind magic. A week or less will not be too taxing.”
“Working the Magi hard until we hit land?” Yusa scowled. “Our mission is of the utmost importance. She sends us to…”
“I like having magic ready to use…” Kevon agreed with Yusa. “But if we run into something that two squads of Elven hunters, over a dozen Dwarven Stoneguard, and Carlo’s complement of guardsmen can’t handle…”
“Amusing that he is the one to become overly dependent on magic,” Reko commented from his corner of the cabin. “I vote we rely on local Wind magic as we go along.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about him having two votes,” Alanna scowled at the dark illusion in the corner. “His power must be fading, at any rate. I can see right through his image.”
The others turned to look at Alanna.
“His Illusion magic is at least as good as mine,” Kevon countered. “I can’t see any flaw in his…” The Mage trailed off as he saw Alanna squinting and blinking at the projected image of Yusa’s alter-ego.
“Oh. It’s…” Alanna quieted. “Nothing.”
“We’ll be tearing at the fabric between worlds soon enough,” Kevon assented. “Disturbing the local energies as little as possible with our passage seems to be the best course of action. Are we agreed?”
“Seeing no objections, I’ll draft up a message to Carlo, and have Reko send it over to the other ship,” Yusa thumped the heel of his palm on the weathered top of the desk the others were gathered around. “Now, if you would all kindly… get out.”
* * *
“We haven’t really had a chance… lately…” Kevon stepped up to the foredeck railing beside Alanna, who was gazing into the distance. “I was hoping that…”
“I’ve had a shift in perspective.” Alanna’s terse response cut through Kevon’s mumble like a rigging knife through rope. “Sometimes we’re forced to look at things differently.”
“We’ve all been forced to re-evaluate our places in the world…” Kevon put his hand on Alanna’s as it rested on the railing. “Now that we see this is not just a struggle between nations, or political factions, but a battle that spans realms, and lifetimes. We can’t see the world the way we used to…”
“No.” Alanna spun her wrist and brought Kevon’s captured hand up to the cheek by her gold-laced eye. “I see things differently.”
Kevon looked around, and saw only the Elven Huntmistress even remotely in earshot. “I think we should discuss this in private.”
* * *
“Five. Two. Three. Stop changing so fast!”
Kevon felt Alanna slap his hand. He called up a flame, and relit two candles and a hanging lantern before releasing the hold on his Art.
“Amazing. I think there’s a spell one can do to be able to see in the darkness, but you…” Kevon shook his head. “You just see like that normally?”
“No, it’s different than that,” Alanna sighed. “It doesn’t work at night, or nearly as well. The darker it is outside, the darker it would be in here without light. I don’t know how I would sleep if it didn’t work that way.”
“Light…” Kevon breathed. “Manipulation of light. Like the elves.”
“The shadows?”
“Well, no shadows, but… yes…” Kevon sat forward on his bunk and stuck his hand between the nearest candle and Alanna. “Do you see my hand, or the light?”
“Both, plain as day. And it disturbs me that it’s not…” Alanna squawked in frustration. “More disturbing,” she finished, glaring tight-lipped at Kevon.
“Right. The training… or talent… that the elves have to conceal their shadows, to let light pass through themselves, it’s the same principle your eye uses to capture light from beyond obstacles.” Kevon stood and began pacing. “I don’t know if M’lani meant this to happen, or if she repaired your eye to see the way she knew vision to work, but this is amazing.”
“Full moon is in a week,” Alanna countered. “We’ll see how amazing it is when I can’t sleep for three days.”
“Oh.” Kevon sat, his exuberance deflating. “Sorry, I… don’t always see…”
“What’s in front of you?” Alanna smiled, candlelight dancing unevenly in her eyes. “I’ve noticed.”
“Give me a day. I’ll talk with Kaleb, see if we can devise something to ease the effects…” He stood to follow Alanna to the door. “Give me a day.”
“I’ll give you a day,” Alanna stopped in the doorway, leaned back through to look up into his eyes. “But you’ll owe me a night.”
* * *
Kevon spat over the side of the ship, holding the railing to remain upright. “I’m sorry to have
involved you in this, Kaleb. You’ve done nothing to deserve it.”
The other Mage staggered and grabbed the railing himself. “I’ve held the Dark rune before,” he gasped. “Never for so long.”
The vile symbol still lurked in Kevon’s mind, anchored there by the patch he clutched in his hand. The deepening dusk pushed inward, eager to power the enchantment through him.
“No,” Kevon croaked, addressing the night as much as his flagging assistant. He shoved the scrap of cloth in a pocket, and wiped his hands on his tunic. “Nor have I. That was the second worst experience I’ve had with the Dark rune. Thank you.” You’d have nightmares if I even told you about the first, he added silently.
“I pray it is my worst,” Kaleb took a deep breath, stood up straight, and sighed. “And I bid you a good night.”
Memories of L’mort’s attempted entry into the Plane of Enchantment under the ruins of Gurlin’s tower flashed through Kevon’s mind. He blinked them away, and bowed to the Court-Mage as Kaleb walked back toward the cabins.
“Thank you, too, Reko,” Kevon whispered, twisting an Illusion into invisible representations of the words as he spoke them, powering it for a few seconds.
“Not at all,” the words drifted in Reko’s voice from somewhere near Kevon’s ear. “I felt you working, thought I would help.”
“I didn’t know how it would affect you and Yusa,” Kevon messaged back.
“He woke up in a cold sweat, halfway through,” Reko allowed himself a dry chuckle at his ‘partner’s’ expense. “He’s just settling back in now, none the wiser. I doubt he’d have approved of binding M’lani’s gift in such a fashion. I am grateful she did not fix us, but am not as taken with her as he is.”
“Well, with your help, it took only one evening, instead of the two I feared it would.”
“See to your lady,” the disembodied voice whispered. “Let me know if you need any more help.”
The hushed sound of nearby deckhands returned to its normal volume, and Kevon looked up to see the first smattering of stars, unfamiliar yet this far South. “I will,” he said softly, not enhancing the speech with Illusion for Reko’s benefit. “And, I will.”
* * *
“This may help your condition,” Kevon winced as he held the enchanted eye-patch through the partially opened doorway to Alanna’s cabin. “It was the first thing I could think of. If we need to try something else…”
“Two things,” Alanna chuckled from the shadows beyond the threshold. “First, it works, well enough.”
“And second?” Kevon asked.
“We need to try something else.”
Her hand reached out into the torchlit hallway, and grasped Kevon by the collar. She pulled him into the darkened cabin, and closed the door.
Chapter 30
The sounds of increased activity from the morning crew goaded Kevon awake, and he called up a glowing sphere to find the candles to light.
“Ahh…” as he turned his head to look to the bedside table, the aches and pains accumulated throughout the night wakened as well. Rolling his head back to its original position, he spotted Alanna, eye-patch off, head propped up, watching him. Her tousled half-blonde, half-dark hair gave her a decidedly feline aura. The stinging sensations that prickled trails along his back seemed to echo that sentiment.
“You’re awake.”
“Yes, I…”
Alanna’s finger pressed into his lips, silencing him.
“Good.”
The assassin maneuvered through the tangled blankets. With each advance, Kevon’s aching muscles protested, but only just. Dangling locks of hair tickled his ears, and she traced a finger slowly from the tip of his chin to the center of his stomach, arching herself upward as she went, framed exquisitely in the soothing mage-light.
Her other hand produced a dagger.
Kevon’s mind convulsed. The light flickered, and his chest tightened, his heart racing faster than it had already been. He remained still, enthralled only by the continued tracing of her finger from his lower stomach to the center of hers, and beyond. The tracing slowed, and the knife shifted, pushing him to the brink of panic.
The flat of the blade touched his side, plunging the room into abrupt darkness. She dragged the knife slowly across his abdomen. With a slight shift, and a sudden swish of air, it was gone. A sharp thunk at the cabin door audible proof the blade was no longer a threat.
Alanna crouched, molding her body to his, nibbling at his ears, then his neck.
“Well,” Kevon whispered. “That’s… something else.”
* * *
Kevon emerged into the midday light battered, bruised, and elated beyond anything he’d thought possible. His first encounter with Marelle had been one of innocence and exploration. This had been a brutal combination of frustration, acceptance, and reunion. He was not completely sure what footing Alanna and he were on after last night, but he felt like it was a two day march in the right direction.
“Been looking for you!” Yusa called from the upper deck.
“I told him not to look too hard,” Reko whispered in Kevon’s ear. “You’re welcome.”
“We’re turning, and Kaleb says we’re reaching the edge of the trade winds.” Yusa waited until Kevon was beside him to continue. “Hours, at the most. He volunteered for the first shift. You… been sparring with the Stoneguard again?”
“No, Captain. Thank you for your concern,” Kevon smiled. “I’ll take the second shift.”
“Reko claims he’s going to take every other shift, to save everyone else the strain,” Yusa scowled. “Says he’ll sleep when we get there.”
“That’s a generous offer,” Kevon frowned. “And no small task. Let us know if you need any relief at all.”
“Aye, we will,” Yusa slapped Kevon on the back. “I’ll send for you just before third shift.”
Kevon closed his eyes and nodded, keeping the renewed pain in check. Opening his eyes, he maneuvered around sailors and barrels, piles of coiled rope, to the aft railing. He peered down into the wake behind the ship, contemplating the swirling blue-green water they churned steadily through. He turned his face upward, savoring the contrast between the hot sun overhead, the warm breeze following, and the cool spray that churned from below.
Something touched his arm, and he turned to see Alanna holding a bowl of gruel.
“They’re done with breakfast. This is cold, but it’ll have to do.” Alanna handed him the bowl, then sat, back to the railing, looking over the bustle of the ship’s crew.
“Thanks for bringing… me… this…” Kevon slumped to a seated position by Alanna, eyeing the apple she’d pulled from a pocket and was crunching into. He spooned a few bites of the mixture into his mouth, chewing absently.
Alanna stood, pitching the core of her meal over the side. She stretched her arms, yawned, and turned toward the steps to the main deck.
“Alanna,” Kevon spoke just above the churning ocean sounds behind them, “Are we…”
“Together?” She turned to stare at Kevon, her golden eye twinkling the sun’s reflection. “Yes. Betrothed? No.” She reached into a pocket for another apple, and tossed it to him. “Pay a little attention, you’ll never have to ask stupid questions.” She tilted her head and smiled. “Kaleb mentioned something about you being free until third shift?”
Chapter 31
“You’re sure this is the best place to land?” Kevon asked, peering at the sheer cliff face that stretched for miles on either side of the sandy beach ahead.
“Another week of hard sailing to the south, there is another port, but it’s far from the Highplain.” Yusa scratched his head. “I think.”
“A hidden town, and a winding path to the plateau above?” Martin asked.
“If Reko remembers his research correctly,” Alma shrugged. “I’ll be glad to be on land of any type, after the trip we’ve had.”
“As will I,” Kevon nodded, recalling the unseasonable storm that had tossed the ships about
for the better part of three days, breaking only the night before. “And I’m sure the dwarves could use a smaller slice of sky.”
The two nearby Stoneguard turned at their mention, but laughed and made the fluttering hand gesture Kevon had come to recognize as meaning ‘too much talk’.
“The crew will remain aboard, the Mage Kaleb, two Stoneguard, and two Hunters.” Yusa announced. “There will be a similar crew complement on the other ship, but its Captain shall be in charge of both vessels in my absence. Have your gear ready. We’ll drop anchor in about ten minutes, longboats ten after that.”
* * *
“About time!” Carlo taunted, hauling on the line tossed to him, dragging one of Yusa’s longboats up on shore.
Kevon nodded, eyeing the tents set up beyond the high tide mark, and Carlo’s second in command barking orders to the scrambling soldiers.
“Second load’s coming ashore,” Carlo observed as he held open the door to the Command tent. “Mostly dwarves, and the last of our soldiers. Anneliese and her Hunters are scouting the perimeter.”
“Anneliese?” Kevon asked, stepping into the candlelit room.
“Near as I can pronounce it,” Carlo answered. “The Elder Huntmistress.”
“They’ve already reported in once,” Relaniel corrected, scratching additional detail onto the rough map lying on the small table in the center of the room. “No one for over a mile in any direction, the road is clear for two miles toward town, and it’s only an additional half mile to reach it.”
“They’re back, and gone again?” Carlo asked.
“They were scouting,” the Elven Noble answered. “Now they’re hunting.”
“Inform the mess crew,” Carlo tapped a soldier on the shoulder. “Shift them to digging cook-pits. No fish tonight.”
“You sound fairly sure of their success,” Kevon observed.
Blademage Adept (The Blademage Saga Book 3) Page 14
