She started to put a hand on the sorcerer's arm, but Darkhorse's sudden glare made her pull back. "Because I've never known someone with the power he has. He's amazing. I don't think that there's another spellcaster who can match him power for power . . . and yet he keeps it all under careful control." This time the blond woman defied Darkhorse, lightly caressing Cabe's arm. Her expression was not light, however. If anything, worry now dominated. "He's the only one I can think of who has the power to deal with the thing in Lanith's palace."
"Thing?"
"Yes, thing. I wasn't certain until . . . until recently, but there's a power, a force, in Lanith's palace. . . an intelligent force. . ."
A power, a force . . . It was almost the same description that the Dragon King had used. She might have been eavesdropping, although that was doubtful since among the drake lord, Cabe, and himself, Darkhorse did not think that even someone as clever as the woman who called herself Tori could have remained undetected. She had also added something to the description. An intelligent force . . .
Intelligent? What did that mean? He wished that Cabe would wake so that he could ask him his opinion. Cabe and his wife were so much better at puzzling out such things. So, for that matter, was the Gryphon. He needed to get Cabe to Penacles. By this time, Lady Bedlam and the king of Penacles had to be worrying about them. "Can Cabe be moved?"
"I'd wait a little longer, just to make certain that I haven't missed something. He also needs some rest. Give him a couple of hours at least, demon steed."
Hours? Darkhorse had to let the others know what was happening, but he dared not try to contact Penacles from so far away. If Lanith had some powerful unknown mage working for him—that was the only answer Darkhorse had so far come up with to explain the "intelligent force"—then such far- reaching communication could not be trusted to be private. Darkhorse saw no sense in alerting Lanith as to their present predicament.
"An unknown mage . . ." he muttered. Could it be that the warlock Shade was alive? Shade had been both bane and hero to the realm over his centuries-long life, depending on which of his incarnations had been active. Many had thought that they had killed the warlock, only to discover afterward that he had been immediately reborn. Shade was permanently dead, though. He had to be. It could not be him.
Could it?
"I have to go now," the female announced. "There're things I have to do."
"Such as?"
"I have to search for someone, someone important to Lanith who hasn't been around lately. That could mean trouble."
The shadow steed snorted. "Could you be a little more specific, Lady Tori?"
His use of the title amused her. "’Lady Tori.' I'd like that if Tori were my real name. Maybe I'll still use it sometime." She looked down at Cabe. "For him I'd have been Lady Tori for the rest of my life."
"You are evading my question, little one, and are also far too late. As has been pointed out, Cabe is married, happily, I will add, and has children, too."
"Yes, and one of them is now a man, isn't he?" Her eyes sparkled, reminding Darkhorse momentarily of a Vraad, one of the race of sorcerers who had been the precursors of the present human population. "I've heard he's handsome." She dimpled, a sight no doubt designed to melt the heart of a human male but which only served to intensify Darkhorse's distrust. "Is that true, do you know?"
"If things are progressing as I believe they are," the ebony stallion responded, "then you are probably too late to snare the younger master as well. He has recently met one that I think has caught his fancy." He pawed at the ground. "Now! Perhaps you might clarify what you said . . . and also, I think, you might tell me your true name—"
"He's recently met someone, you say?" The golden-haired woman's expression darkened. "Interesting . . ."
"I said—" Darkhorse got no further. The enchantress had vanished as abruptly as she had first materialized. He barely felt her depart. There was no sense trying to track her. In some ways, the female was more skilled than many of the other spellcasters that he had encountered over the centuries. There was also a peculiarity to her magical trace that he could not recall having encountered in another being.
Cabe shifted. The shadow steed wanted to wake him, but he knew that there was merit in what the enchantress had said about letting his companion rest. When Cabe was awake and fit to travel, the pair would immediately return to Penacles . . . and then Darkhorse would discuss with his friend their mysterious benefactor.
Aurim knew that his mother was anxious about his father's return, but he had grown up watching one or both of his parents vanish somewhere on some important mission, each time returning, and so he was less concerned than she was. He did worry, but what was there that his father and Darkhorse could not together defeat? They were two of the greatest powers of the Dragonrealm.
What was more important to him was seeing Jenna. Aurim was glad that his parents had not asked him to go back to the Manor. He suspected that Darkhorse had told them of his growing interest in the merchant's daughter, which was good. At this point, if his mother had requested that he return to the Manor to help his sister, the younger Bedlam would have refused. He was old enough to do so, too. They no longer had any hold on him. Aurim was his own man.
Jenna waited for him, but not at Gullivan's. She had suggested a change of scenery, a place where the two of them could better be alone. The river Serkadian, just a mile west of Penacles, had what she said were some wonderful idyllic spots, perfect for people trying to clear their thoughts and relax. While Jenna had been speaking in terms of sorcery, which was the supposed reason for the meeting, Aurim was more interested in the romantic aspects. He already knew that he wanted the relationship to blossom into something permanent. It was already impossible to think of life without her.
As Aurim rode, he tried to think of the proper things to say to her. She was a merchant's daughter, someone who had no doubt grown up hearing clever, fancy words from everyone around her. He, on the other hand, while somewhat familiar with the courts of two major kingdoms, had never paid much attention to protocol and such. Aurim knew few clever words and even fewer fancy ones. Everything that had so far run through his mind had sounded clumsy, oafish. His parents were no help. They had been married so long that even the simplest words seemed to relay meaning between them.
"What can I say to her?" he muttered as he neared the river. Lush trees lined much of the edge. There was a settlement north of here, but far enough away that it was unlikely anyone would disturb them. Here there was nothing but wild fields dotted with yellow and blue flowers and the occasional song of a bird perched high in the trees. A perfect setting, but not if he could not say the proper words.
"What do you want to say?"
Aurim started, not having realized that someone else was nearby. Jenna rode up to him from behind a small copse of trees, smiling all the while. She was clad in a bright blue and red riding outfit, another typical statement of fashion from Gordag-Ai. Her beauty made it even more difficult for him to think. "Jenna! I . . . wasn't . . . you startled me!"
She giggled. "Silly, that's what I wanted to do! I saw you coming and couldn't resist. Now what were you talking about?"
"Nothing. Nothing." Aurim tried not to squirm in the saddle. "Did you find a good place to stop?"
"I did. Just over there by that open part of the riverbank. Have you ever been here before?"
"I've hardly ever been to the river at all. Mostly I've seen the city. We're hardly ever in Penacles for very long."
She did not reply to that. They rode to the location she had chosen and, after taking care of the mounts, sat down on the soft grass. Jenna smoothed her riding outfit, then looked at him expectantly. "Did you do as I suggested?"
Aurim nodded. "I didn't tell anyone what we were doing. I decided to keep my progress a surprise, just like you said."
"They'll be so thrilled when they see." The young woman took hold of his arm and squeezed gently. "Just think what they'll say when you show them ho
w you can perform without losing control of your powers!"
"You've done well, too," he countered. "You've learned quickly for such a short time."
"I think we've got much in common, Aurim. We both just needed someone who understood our lack of confidence. We needed each other."
He was certain that his face was burning. Jenna had shifted nearer as she had spoken and now only inches separated their bodies. The young mage grew more and more nervous.
"I want you to show me how well you're doing."
"What?"
The merchant's daughter rose without warning. She smiled down at him, then pointed at the river. "I want you to try something for me. Will you?"
Aurim struggled to his feet. "Jenna, I—"
"Look at this!" She cupped her hands before him. A moment later, a ball of blue light formed just above the palms. Jenna stared at it. The ball rose a few inches, then sank to its previous position. It then began to spin around. After a few rotations, Aurim's companion blinked. The sphere faded.
Her success thrilled him. In only a short time she had increased her control over her abilities far more than either of them would have thought possible. "That's wonderful, Jenna!"
"And I owe it all to you!" She hugged him. "Now, let me see how good you've gotten!"
"I—" He did not want to disappoint her. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to stop it." She pointed at the huge, rushing river.
The spellcaster was not quite certain that he had heard correctly. "You want me to . . . stop . . . the river?"
"Of course." Jenna moved closer until their bodies touched. She looked up at him, expectant. "I know you can do it. I really do."
Aurim's angle gave him a view of more than her arresting face. Embarrassed, he took a step back. Jenna did not let him completely escape, however. The young woman took hold of him by both arms and would not release him.
What could he do? He could no more refuse her than stop eating. His head tingling, Aurim finally nodded. "All right. I'll give it a try . . . but I can't promise anything."
"I know you can do it!" She leaned up and kissed him. While he was still recovering, sienna added, "Remember, you're the son of Cabe Bedlam and the Lady of the Amber! You're more powerful than either of them!"
For the first time, he actually believed that. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more his confidence grew. He could stop the river. Well, he would not actually stop the entire river, but what he had in mind would prove effective enough.
"What would you think if I created a dry passage through the river?" Aurim saw that he had her interest. "The water would keep flowing . . . it would just. . . um . . . miss the area where the passage would be."
"That would make all the time we've spent together worthwhile." She squeezed his arm, her eyes bright with anticipation. "Are you going to start now?"
In response, Aurim stepped away from her and faced the Serkadian. It seemed simple enough now. He looked beyond the normal world, reaching into one of the levels where the essence of sorcery was visible. The lines were everywhere. Aurim tapped into them, drawing up the power that was both in and around him. He stared at the onrushing water.
/ will do it! If he had any lingering doubts, one last glance at her face was enough to douse them. Before his heightened will, even the powerful forces of the river had to obey. Slowly at first, then swifter, a strange depression formed. The depression spread from one side of the riverbank to the other for roughly four or five yards. The water level on both sides of the gap did not alter in the least.
The depression grew deeper and deeper. On each side a wall of swirling water stood firm. As far as the river was concerned, the gap did not exist. That was the way Aurim planned it; he did not want someone either upstream or down growing curious about sudden changes in the water level. Word would then get back to the king and his parents, none of whom would have approved of this spell even if they had been happy that he had finally conquered his uncertainties. He could always tell them later, sometime after he had already proven to them that he was now capable of completely utilizing his vast abilities.
His spell squeezed the last of the water away. The river continued to flow smoothly along, sorcery enabling the water to leap instantly from one side of the depression to the other. Anyone standing between the two magical walls would hardly even get damp. Even though he had been certain that this time he would succeed, Aurim was impressed. Now his parents would be proud of him.
"I was almost afraid to hope," Jenna whispered, "but you did it. You are powerful."
"I know it's not quite what you wanted, but—"
"Oh, no!" Her face was aglow. "This is far better than even I expected! You've done excellently, Aurim!"
She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard. Aurim felt a tingle run through his body. He almost lost track of the world around him.
Jenna stepped back, eyeing him. Her expression was not one the young mage expected. The merchant's daughter looked slightly confused.
"Is something wrong?" he managed to ask once his voice returned.
"You are stronger than I thought." Jenna glanced at the river. "You'd better change that back."
"All right." It was easier to disperse the spell. The process took only the blink of an eye.
"I've outdone myself," his companion whispered. "What do you mean?"
In response, the attractive young woman seized him again. The kiss that followed made the previous one seem short and indifferent. Again a tingle coursed through Aurim. However, unlike during the last kiss, it did not go away. Instead, it spread, growing stronger at the same time. The world receded. Aurim almost felt as if he were watching himself from outside his body.
Stepping back, Jenna nodded triumphantly. "That's better."
Aurim tried to say something, but found that he could not. It was not that he was still overwhelmed by her passionate kiss, simply that he could not move. He tried to raise an arm, but nothing happened. The only thing the sorcerer could do was breathe and blink and he suspected that he was doing so only by permission.
Jenna had to notice his predicament, but instead of helping, she seemed very proud of herself. She also looked a little different. Slightly older, more lush of form, and with a different cast to her features, a cast more akin to those of the southwestern continent, not the northerly climes from which she hailed.
"Raise your arm," she commanded.
To his surprise, he did. Aurim tried to lower it, but his limb resisted.
"Lower it now."
He obeyed. He had to. What's happening, Jenna? Aurim wanted to ask. What did you do to me?
Perhaps his companion saw the question in his eyes, for she then said, "You're completely mine now, Aurim. Isn't that what you wanted?" She laughed, a harsh, pitiless laugh. "Of course you did. You had no choice. You were stronger-willed than I would've imagined, but I like a challenge. The others were simple in comparison, even if none of them were quite as naive."
Others? She had done this to others? Something registered in his mind. Talk concerning students who had vanished from the school of sorcery his parents had developed in conjunction with the kings of both Penacles and Talak. At least two students, possibly three. Were they the ones that Jenna spoke of?
Jenna continued to change both in form and clothing. Her hair tumbled down to her waist and her features were transformed into something not quite human, as if somewhere in her lineage was included elfin blood. Her curves were more arresting, the kind that Aurim had only dreamed of ever seeing. She clearly knew that he could not help looking over her new shape, for she briefly posed, giving him ample view of her ample charms.
"He's talked about a new step in his plans, you know," Jenna whispered, pressing her body against his again. "Breeding the strongest of his Order to one another to give him a new generation of even more powerful sorcerers." The enchantress leaned forward and kissed him soundly. Had he been able to, Aurim would have pulled himself away in disg
ust. As stunning as this woman was, her manner, her attitude, revolted him. "I think I like his plan better now, dear, lovely Aurim. You look much more delicious than that perfumed jackal Ponteroy."
The clatter of hooves caught the attention of both although only Jenna, of course, could turn to see who was coming. Aurim's hopes rose. Perhaps the Gryphon had noticed him depart. Maybe his father had even returned.
"They're a little early. I was hoping we could have had a little fun before they arrived." Jenna patted his cheek. "I know you're disappointed, darling. If I'd had my way, we'd have had a bit more time to better get to know one another. Don't worry, though, there'll be plenty of time in Zuu."
Zuu! For the first time the depth of his dilemma struck him. Not only was he a prisoner, but they were going to take him to the land of the horsemen. There was no telling what they planned to do with him once they had him there, although Jenna's words hinted at least of one intention.
The clatter grew louder, then abruptly ceased. A faint wave of dust drifted past Aurim and his captor. The sorcerer wanted so badly to sneeze.
"You're early, Captain."
"Not by my reckoning, Saress. I'm right on time."
Saress. Aurim stared at the sinister temptress. Everything about the woman he had been infatuated with had been a lie even down to her name.
"Did you think I might get carried away? Was that it?" she teased. "Come, Captain, you know Lanith has both my love and loyalty, which is why you should be more careful what you say."
"It isn't that," the unseen officer suddenly protested, not nearly so arrogant now. Saress obviously had much influence with his master. "I just know how you like to be thorough. Sometimes that demands too much of . . . your quarry."
Saress winked at the captive spellcaster. "I don't think that there's much beyond this one, although we'll have to experiment further another time. Is our route planned?"
"Yes, we can skirt just south of the Dagora Forest. It's the most direct route."
"South of the Dagora Forest. Are you suggesting we ride through the Barren Lands?" The enchantress did not seem at all pleased.
Legends of the Dragonrealm: Volume 04 Page 42
