Gwaynn shrugged, thinking he would not have chosen those words to describe the nightmare of the past year.
“You have many enemies,” she said, “and the list is growing longer. But do not count the Travelers among them.”
“I thank you,” he finally spoke, wondering where all this was going.
“We would like to assign a Traveler to you personally, for your protection,” she explained, aware of his confusion. Gwaynn gaped at her for a moment, for this was a very rare offer. In all, there were only about a dozen or so Master Travelers. The number of acolytes was unknown to most outside the Isle of Light. To have a personal Traveler was very expensive, and as far as Gwaynn knew only the High King himself managed such a thing. Gwaynn’s father, as well as the rest of the royal families made do with Speakers, who could communicate at long distances, but not actually create the power needed to move through space. The Speakers would summon a Traveler, and then the family would pay.
Gwaynn frowned and forced himself not to look over at Nev.
“I am honored,” he said, but he was not at all sure he wanted or needed a Traveler tagging along. In fact, he was sure he did not. It would be too easy to be a spied upon, too easy for someone to track his movements if the Traveler was untrustworthy. “I will consider it,” he added.
Both Tar Amon and Zarina Aleecia frowned, but no more was said about it.
“If you have no objections,” Gwaynn said, now addressing Tar Amon. “I would like to pay my respects to Leek and his family, and if it would not be too much trouble to Master Kostek and his students. Is Vio still in the infirmary?”
“No, she’s up and about. Her arm is still in a sling and will be for another few weeks, but she insisted on running last week and has been everyday since,” Amon answered, the pride in his voice obvious to all. “Vio is here and a few others, but most of the students are still away, and will be for another two weeks before the beginning of the next training year.”
“Oh yes,” Gwaynn said, remembering that the students were given a lengthy break between training years.
“Vio is probably with Tar Kostek. You’re welcome to go and visit. I’m sure Leek’s family would be happy to have you move back in.”
Gwaynn wanted to say something, but the presence of the Zarina held him back, so instead he just nodded and took his leave. He walked quickly, his limp hardly noticeable now, and headed toward the Mele Quarter.
He saw Vio well before she was aware of him. She was sitting, watching Krys spar with Tar Kostek. Looking at her slim back, narrow shoulders and short black hair he finally came to peace with his decision to return to Massi. He could not hide any longer, could not fool himself into believing that staying on the islands would bring safety. To stay would only put those he’d grown to care about in mortal danger. Gwynn, Karl, Mille, had all met their end, plus there were the attacks on Vio and even Elise. He was a danger to them all.
Krys and Kostek were sparring with katas, and so were not aware of his approach, but when he came close enough Vio must have sensed something and turned around. She stared into his eyes for a long, startled moment, then smiled and spun around to face him. Her nose still had a slight bulge in it, but her bruises were gone. She wore a sling as Master Amon had said, and her wrist was heavily taped. Despite these injuries she jumped from the stool she had been sitting on and rushed to him. She lifted both arms and though the sling retarded her movement a good deal, managed to give him a hug, then kissed him on the cheek and stepped back to look at him.
“You’re taller,” she said, though they had only been separated about a month. It was true, however, that since his arrival on Noble Island he had grown a great deal. Where he once looked her directly in the eyes, now he gazed down at her.
“She’s right,” Tar Kostek said and grabbed Gwaynn’s arm by way of greeting. “You are taller.” Gwaynn shook his former teacher’s hand, and then turned to Krys, who made a slight bow, one that Gwaynn returned.
“How are you?” he asked, directing the question at Vio.
She smiled and shrugged. “Healing. Pugg believes I will be able to take this off in another couple weeks,” she added, indicating the sling.
“Great,” Gwaynn said, then turned to Tar Kostek. “May I borrow her for a while?” he asked. “Just until you’ve finished sparring.”
“But of course,” the elder man answered with a knowing smile. He glanced at Vio whose face was now tinted pink, but when he looked back at Gwaynn, he noticed no such flush. The boy was growing up quickly.
Gwaynn placed his hand on Vio’s good arm, just above her elbow and led her away from the two sparring warriors and out toward the beach where a life time ago, they had started their runs. Vio felt tiny electric shocks where his fingers met her skin. Her mind was racing, but not in any coherent fashion. She walked with him in silence, wondering just what was on his mind. She looked up at him, but his profile gave away nothing.
They landed on the path, which led up a rise and then down through the dunes of the beach and ultimately to the Inland Sea.
“I won’t be staying,” he said just as the sea came into view.
Vio felt her heart sink seemingly all the way to her toes. They moved down the sandy hill toward the beach below. “Where will you go?” She asked, dreading the answer she knew he would give.
He half smiled. “Massi. It’s time I went home. Being on the Islands hasn’t kept anyone from trying to kill me.”
“The Deutzani will hunt you there,” she said, and it was clear from the statement that she no longer considered herself a Deutzani.
Gwaynn nodded. “And I will hunt them.”
Vio sighed as they moved out onto the beach and down close to the water. They moved in and out on the very edge of the waves walking west, both watching the sea birds gliding and dipping around them. Without warning and as easily as sliding into an old pair of boots, Gwaynn’s hand slipped into hers. She was surprised and warmed, but for the first time with him she did not read more into the gesture than was there. He would go to Massi, and she would stay on Noble.
“Why did you come back?” she finally asked. He stopped walking and took her other hand in his.
“Jon, Nev’s brother will land in Hymnia in two days. I will meet him there, but before I went I wanted to say good-bye to my favorite Tarina.”
It took her a brief second to understand that he was talking about her, and as the realization dawned on her, he leaned forward and kissed her, softly at first but with a growing passion, fueled by need and denial.
The kiss lasted only a few seconds, far too short for either of them, but Gwaynn broke away, and with great discipline turned about and began to lead her back in the direction that they had come. Neither said anything, for both understood the necessities of their positions. Life had separated them and life would keep them apart. When they reached the bottom of the path, which led up through the dunes, they saw Krys waiting at the very top of the hill. Still holding hands, they did not hurry and Krys made no move to come down and meet them.
“Master Amon told us about the Temple Knights,” Krys said once the two had approached close enough for normal conversation. Gwaynn could not help noticing the sound of awe in his voice. Vio noticed also and looked at Gwaynn for an explanation.
He just shrugged.
“Gwaynn was attacked by five Knights on Lato,” Krys said with a questioning look on his face. He would stop if he received any signal for Gwaynn to do so. Gwaynn’s face, however, just carried a bemused smile.
“He killed them all.”
“They’re overrated,” Gwaynn answered. “They may be a dominant force on horseback and as an army, but on foot, they don’t stack up to either of you. Perhaps they could defeat a weak weapons master, but it would take more than one.”
Krys frowned. “Master Kostek thinks very highly of them. He claims that the Deutzani could not have surprised and defeated the Massi without the help of the Temple Knights.”
Vio blushed at the
turn of the conversation, but she said nothing and just stared at Gwaynn in wonder.
“Perhaps…and perhaps I was just lucky, but I’m telling you both now. I have faced graver dangers.”
The three of them moved back up the path and toward the main hall of the Mele Quarter. “Will you head for Mount Erato to continue training with Tar Nev?” Krys finally asked. Up ahead, Gwaynn could see the entire Leek family out of their house and waiting to greet him. Little Mari was already running his way.
“No, I’m going to Massi,” Gwaynn said simply. “And I would like you to come with me.”
Vio gasped, and Krys just looked stunned, but Gwaynn smiled and scooped up the running Mari and twirled her around. “You are so lovely,” he said, “by far the prettiest girl on the island.” Mari giggled. “Well, maybe it’s a tie,” Gwaynn added as an afterthought, “with Vio, Karin, Deidre and Shari.” Mari giggled more at that. Her mom, though beautiful in her own eyes, was not to be considered a pretty girl.
“What about my training?” Krys asked, secretly delighted to be going home with his King, and to begin taking upon himself the title of Massi Weapons Master.
“I will finish your training,” Gwaynn answered in such a serious tone that neither Krys nor Vio questioned it.
XIII
Tar Navarra rode into Solarii just after midnight on a dirty brown sway back he was forced to appropriate in Millvale. The horse, if you could call the beast that, was the best readily available animal in the town, and he could not waste time searching about for something better. He reached Solarii in a very bad mood, and to make it worse he was challenged, albeit briefly at the gate. Though the guards there said nothing, Navarra could feel their eyes going from him, to the horse and back. They undoubtedly were laughing at this very moment. Navarra tried to put it from his mind as he headed directly to the stables. No one was up at the moment, but it took only moments for him to find a stable boy sleeping in one of the empty stalls. Navarra kicked him on the upper thigh.
“Who…” the boy yelled, immediately alert. He sat rubbing the wounded spot on his leg, an angry retort on his lips, but he wisely closed his mouth when he recognized the Executioner.
“Saddle my horse,” Navarra ordered with a glare.
The boy stood up quickly. “Which…”
“Chaos. Have him ready in ten minutes,” Navarra barked, though Chaos was a mare. “I’m going to find something to eat and collect my dogs.”
The boy blanched at the thought of the large canines, which followed the Executioner about at times. The dogs were well trained, but whenever he was close to them he could swear they were salivating for a taste of his flesh, wanting nothing more than to attack and eat him. He got to work right away.
It was near one in the morning when Navarra finally left Solarii again. Chaos, a big dapple gray mare, trotted easily into the night with Vesania and Furia, the dogs, trotting along behind. Navarra would have liked to sleep, but the girl was already a full day ahead of him and he wanted to be back at the Fultan estate before noon tomorrow. He would travel another hour or so to an inn outside the hamlet of Danbridge. It started to rain before he was half way there and so he arrived cold, wet and angry.
He pounded on the door and woke an innkeeper named Lou, who was smart enough not to protest. In turn, Lou woke his son to rub down the horse. The dogs, much to the innkeeper’s dismay followed the large man dressed in black inside and up to the room at the top of the stairs. Lou started a fire as Navarra took off his wet clothes and hung them on a rack to dry.
“Wake me at sunrise,” Navarra said as the man was leaving. “Knock. If you try to enter they will kill you,” he added, motioning to the dogs. They happily jumped up on the bed as the Executioner climbed under the covers. He found sleep immediately.
ǂ
Samantha arrived at Stanton Falls nearly an hour before noon, and though Nancy and Bane could use the rest, she still chafed at the thought of not moving on. She could feel the Executioner coming, and for the thousandth time wished she had put an arrow in him instead of his horse. With a sigh, she dismounted and allowed both animals to drink and then she led them a short way to a field where tiny new shoots of grass were just appearing. She hobbled them so they wouldn’t wander too far and then moved back to the falls. Stanton Falls were not high as waterfalls go, only about twice the height of a man, but the river was wide and the falling water created a thunder of noise making it impossible to hear anyone approaching. She moved onto a flat, damp rock far enough from the falls so that she would not get overly wet from the mist created by the falling water, then she knelt carefully on the water’s edge. She put her hair completely in the cold water to rinse off some of the dirt from her travels. She combed her fingers through it and when her hair felt relatively clean she twisted it dry as best she could then moved out into the meadow. She took the short ropes from the legs of Bane, but stayed near him in case she had to leave quickly.
The time past slowly, but thankfully Mr. Madres and Lonney arrived before noon. Samantha was extremely relieved to see them. She smiled shyly as they rode up to her. Lonney smiled back.
“I’m sorry to hear about your family,” Mr. Madres said, immediately all business.
Samantha’s heart sank as she was brought back to her sorrow. She nodded, but said nothing.
Mr. Madres didn’t say anything more on the subject, just dismounted and moved to Lonney’s horse and removed a couple of large saddlebags. He placed one set over his horse and another over Bane, then still without saying anything, removed the pack from Nancy then led her to Lonney and handed him the reins.
“What?” Samantha started, but stopped as the older man held up a hand.
“Lonney, take the mule and head back home.”
Sam could tell that Lonney did not want to, but he nodded. “Yes, father,” he said and took one last look at the girl in front of him before turning and heading back the way he had come.
When he was out of sight he turned to her. “I didn’t want him to know exactly where I’m taking you, though he is a smart lad, and has probably worked it out already.”
“Mr. Madres,” Sam answered, dismayed at the departure of Nancy, “why…”
“Tomm, my name is Tomm,” he said, glancing at her as he packed her things into the saddle bags. She was a striking girl, and apparently tougher than she looked, or else smarter.
“Tomm,” she said, feeling strange about using his name. “Why did you take Nancy?”
He moved back to his horse and mounted smoothly. Samantha did likewise.
“You were leaving very distinctive tracks,” was all he said and then began to lead her off to the north following the river toward Lynndon. “One horse leaves much more ordinary tracks than a horse and a mule.”
Samantha didn’t say anything. It was obviously true. “But won’t the Executioner follow Lonney now?”
Tomm sighed. “Possibly, if he is a poor tracker, most likely he will follow us. He knows you are fleeing undoubtedly to the ford at Lynndon. Once he realizes this, he will make to the ford at all possible speed.”
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as Tomm broke them into a trot, with luck they would reach the ford in the early evening tomorrow.
“To the ford,” he answered. “But hopefully we will get there sooner than the Deutzani killer.”
“And then?”
“I will leave you there with a group of soldiers. Afton Sath has them watching the ford for any large troop movements. Sath’s building up an army of his own, but it will take time, and patience to collect and train them all.”
“An army?” Samantha said, very surprised. She’d assumed the Deutzani had tight control over all of Massi.
Tomm shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it that just yet, but we are working hard to get a network across the land so we can recruit and send anyone able out west. The Toranado have begun to supply us weapons…small quantities so far. They fear the Deutzani. They are moving most through the Scar Mountain passes.
”
“The Toranado?”
“Yes and there are other rumors still…coming from the Islands, rumors that Prince Gwaynn still lives. If they are true it will make Master Sath’s job of pulling the people of Massi back together much easier.”
“You think it is true?” She asked as they rode briskly on. “Could Prince Gwaynn still be alive?”
Tomm shrugged. “Don’t rightly know, but it could be the reason the Toranado are so eager to help us. Without an heir, they would view our lands as forfeit,” he explained with a great show of suspense, “But it would seem they do not.”
They rode in silence for nearly a mile before Samantha glanced over at her new companion. “Are you apart of all this…with Uncle Sath?” She asked then felt foolish for asking so obvious a question.
Tomm puffed up and nodded, then reached behind him and into his saddlebag. He pulled out an apple, and tossed it carefully to Sam, who was gratified that she snatched it out of the air quite nicely. He pulled out another and took a bite. “I’m the contact for Dunn and the surrounding area. I’m too old to be a soldier, but Lonney may go off and join in the next year or so.”
They ate their apples in relative silence, and just rode at a steady pace, which allowed them to cover a good distance. For the first time since the death of her family, Samantha began to feel a little hope and a growing confidence that she might escape with her life. Although her new found confidence would have melted away if she knew how quickly the man following her was gaining.
ǂ
Navarra reached the Fultan’s estate just before Samantha reached the falls. He paused at the house only for a short time to collect his axe. He moved the block into the barn for it would slow him down and in any case the Fultan girl would not get such a ritualized execution. The dogs sniffed about the bodies of the Fultan family as he worked, but he called them away as he finished, then he moved down the lane, following the girl’s tracks as he went. He was thankful that it had not rained very hard last night or tracking her would be much harder. Once he was off the lane and onto the field he dismounted and showed the tracks to the dogs, and they took up the business of tracking. They followed her easily, and he was shocked when about an hour later he came across her first campsite, less than six miles away. He shook his head, smiling at the girl’s recklessness. If he’d known she was so close and moving at such a slow pace he would have returned immediately from Millvale and started out on his own. Even with that damned sway back, he would have caught up with her by now.
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