“I said keep at it. Alador, get that guard up! Do you think your enemy will wait to attack till a sunny day? No, he will find you at your post shivering and run you through.” Toman’s voice called over those in the advanced yard. “Your first warning will be the point out your gut,” he shouted with disgust.
Alador circled his opponent who was a very muscular man and favored two swords. Alador still found freedom in his use of one. He had mastered the pulling of lightning with one hand as his sword hand deflected a blow. He did not know the man’s real name, people just called him ‘Bull’.
Rain dripped into Alador’s eyes making vision difficult as it mixed with the sweat of practice. He took a centering breath to relax as he watched his opponent closely. He used the next flash of lightning to his advantage and danced in with his sword swinging. Bull met his swing evenly, for a large man he moved quickly, then swiftly delivered a riposte to Alador’s left shoulder, the pain of the dulled blow sent him scampering back. Bull did not seem inclined to give Alador a moment to regain footing and came in swinging first left then right. Alador met each blow swiftly, wearing down as Bull pushed him back around the circle. Alador slipped in the slick mud of the circle yard and went down. Bull brought both swords up to bring them both down on Alador’s chest. Alador let him come and as he did, he brought his longer sword and lunged forward, catching Bull square in the center of his practice padding.
“Enough! Bull that would have been the end of at least you if not both of you.” Toman shouted. “Next two.”
Bull deftly swung his practice blade under his left arm and offered a hand down to Alador. “Good move.” His voice was ragged from effort.
“Thanks.” Alador let him pull him out of the mud, and they both moved over to the edge to watch the next two.
Alador was going to need a bath after class even before he got dinner. He had mud everywhere. He could use a clean spell, but it was not the same. Though maybe, he mused, clean spell, dinner, and then a long soak. He smiled at that thought. Yes, that seemed a much better plan. Distracted from his thoughts, he looked to his right as someone moved up beside him. The cloaked figure leaned against the fence as he was doing.
He was surprised when he felt something pressed against his hand. He looked down to see a smaller hand slipping something into his then he looked up. The figure beside him was a woman with dancing copper eyes and the hair framing her face beneath the hood was the color of a dark cherry. She smiled as she gave him a nod and withdrew her hand. He looked into his hand to see a piece of paper with the smeared mark of Dethara. Alador recalled Jon’s words about sending others to him. He nodded at her with a grim smile.
He considered as he looked about them. This was really not a place to talk. Deciding he could kill two birds with one stone, he leaned over and whispered. “I was thinking of taking a bath after practice. I know a private pool should you care to join me,” he offered close to her ear.
She nodded and looked back out at the fight in the yard that had ended almost as quickly as it had started. Alador followed her gaze and noted that one of the opponents was bleeding from the nose.
“That is enough for today,” Toman barked. “I am sickened to think what our enemies could do if we had to fight today in a bit of weather.” Toman snarled and strode off.
Alador chuckled lightly. If this was a bit of weather, then he would hate to see what Toman thought was a real storm.
Alador headed out of the rain like many of the others, though he made a point of going slowly enough that the trailing guardswoman did not lose sight of him. He led the way to the private pool that Flame had shown him, pausing at the small unfinished tunnel to be sure none were watching. He waited inside for her then led the way to the narrow crevice that led to the actual pool. He called light to a couple of stones at the pool’s edge creating a dim glow.
“My. I didn’t even know this was here,” she stated as she looked around. Like Alador, she was covered in mud.
Alador noted that even here, the cold rain water was trickling in. It ran in small rivulets into the pool. “Yes, well I would like to keep it from public knowledge if you don’t mind. What is your name?” Alador was pointedly assessing her. “And how did you come to know to give me that mark?” Now that he was not being blinded by rain and water dripping from his hair, he was able to make out more of the woman even in the dim cave light. She was only slightly shorter than he was and built a bit more solid.
“I am Nemara.” She smiled at him as she dropped her sodden cloak onto a rock. She wore a tunic bearing the symbol of the green sphere. The woman began taking off her weapon belt. “I came to know to give you the mark because Jon made me promise not to let you trot off and get yourself killed.” She turned to look at him. “How did you get Jon to befriend you?”
“We both were friendless when we met, and I had no idea what a death mage was at the time.” Alador admitted. He watched as she tossed her belt aside and began unbuckling her armor. “What are you doing?”
She paused at the buckle she was on and looked up at him. She looked at him, then the pool. “Well, I don’t intend to bathe with my armor on.” She mischievously grinned at him as she drew her next question out. “Do you?”
Alador flushed a little. “I…well... I just offered a bath as an excuse to talk privately.”
“And talk we shall, but I am not losing a chance at a semi-private soak.” She laughed lightly at the look on his face. She moved to him and put a hand on his shoulder as she gazed up at him with big eyes and a bit of a pout. “Be a good water mage and heat it?”
Alador was uncertain exactly what to do at this point. He stared at her for a moment, then turned to the pool. It did not take him long to have it steaming. Sensing movement at his side, Alador looked over to see that Nemara was completely naked. He swiftly turned his back to her to afford her some privacy. “S-sorry.”
He heard the water movement and the soft sigh of contentment. “Perfect,” she purred. “Are you going to join me or stand there dripping mud in tightening leather while we talk?" Water droplets scattered at his feet as she splashed him from the pool.
“Perhaps, it would be more proper for me to just stand here.” He swallowed hard trying to think of exactly how to handle this situation.
“Are all water mages so … proper?” She teased as she swam to the edge closest to him.
He looked over quickly and back to the stone wall. What little he had seen had been rather pleasant. “Are all nature mages so… carefree?” he retorted.
“Most,” she admitted. “After all, we were created by the Gods and our nakedness is nothing to bring shame. Come, get in. I promise not to ravish you...much.” She laughed lightly and swam back across the small pool. “After all, we do have much to speak about.”
Alador stood for a long moment, he needed the bath and the woman seemed casual about nakedness. He sighed in frustration and moved to a rock to disrobe. The mage made a point of casting a clean and a dry cantrip on his armor so that it did not shrink. He crossed the short distance swiftly and slipped into the warm water without looking at Nemara.
“See, doesn’t that feel better?” She purred as she moved to sit on the ledge beside him. The water was just deep enough that only her cleavage was above water, but the pool was clear enough that it did not hide anything. Thankfully, his own response was hidden by the dim light and shadows dancing around the room as the water rippled.
Alador cleared his throat as he lay back a bit against the sloping rocks. “A warm bath is always welcome after practice,” he admitted keeping his eyes across the pool.
They were both silent for a long time. On Alador’s part, the water was soothing, and he was not sure how to begin the task of converting Blackguard members to his cause. His mind drifted in the steaming heat and silence.
Nemara broke his sense of peace with a playful splash. “Sooooo talking usually involves speech in some manner,” she teased. She trailed her fingers slowly through the water as he o
pened his eyes to look at her.
“Yes, well, I’m uncertain where to begin. One misstep in trusting the wrong person, in planning, or even in being overheard could mean the death of many people.” He looked over at her. He did not hide his concern or lack of trust that he felt about almost everyone.
“Let me see if I can mitigate at least one of those.” She moved off the ledge and swam to where she faced the small opening. She whispered a spell that he could not quite make out. In her upturned palm, a seed appeared. She tossed it into the crevice carefully. It was not till he felt her pull of power that his eyes moved from her shapely behind to the opening in the cave. He watched in wonder as the seed quickly grew, much of it filling in the crevice. Strange yellow, bell-shaped flowers with bright red centers opened as the plant reached its maturity.
“What is that?” he asked. “Surely a plant will not keep eavesdroppers from listening?”
She sank back into the water and turned to smile at him. “It is a yellow bell. They make a strange, light chime when someone gets within about five feet of them.” She swam back to the resting ledge.
“That is very useful.” His admiration was not hidden.
She nodded in agreement. “Now, I can’t do anything about your lack of trust. I wouldn’t trust anyone either if I was planning to make a fool of the High Minister. So let's narrow down that a little bit. You trust me and only me. I will be your go between to the rest of those I pull in to help you.” She looked up at him with a warm smile that reached her glimmering copper eyes.
“Why would you do that?” Alador asked.
Nemara pulled her hand from the water and put up one finger. “First, Jon asked it of me and he saved my life when I first got here.” Nemara looked across the pool and took a breath. “Secondly, my best friend came with me to join the Blackguard. She failed her archery test.” Nemara’s voice took a faraway tone, filled with pain. “The High Minister abused her before everyone then burned her alive as an example of his power, and what would happen to those that failed him.” Nemara’s voice became bitter. “I will back any plan that causes his misery or death,” she hissed as she looked back at Alador.
Alador did not miss the hatred or pain that simmered in her gaze. He was quiet for a long time, thinking about her words. “How do you know this isn’t a trap by my Uncle and your words will reach his ear? Trust goes two ways.” He looked away as if considering the truth of her words. More to the point, he had realized his eyes had been locked on her unhidden charms.
“The one thing I learned about Jon since we have both been here is that he has an uncanny knack of being able to see people,” Nemara stated. She waited for Alador to glance at her before continuing.
“He vouches for you.” Her matter-of-fact tone was softened as she began to braid her long locks into a single braid as she spoke. “Besides, I have asked around, other than being related to the High Minister I didn’t find anyone who spoke poorly of you.”
“You have me at a disadvantage in that regard,” he admitted.
“It is in our best interest for others to think nothing more of our meetings than that we are lovers.” She put a hand on his arm, now that her braid was finished. “It will cover our communications and account for our closeness. So let others volunteer tales about your new lover. It might seem strange if you go asking questions.” The mischievous smile returned to her face as she winked at him.
“Wait… lovers?” He swallowed hard as he sank a bit deeper in the water.
“That is why you asked me to this secret pool, is it not?” Her voice held a husky tone with a bit of teasing as well. “I mean a walk would have sufficed.”
“I had been thinking of bathing when you approached me.” He ran a wet hand over his face. “It was the first place I thought of after you gave me the mark.”
“If you say so…” She let that drop between them.
Alador scrambled to change the topic. “You said you would be the go-between. Won’t it be obvious who you cover for if we are seen in each other’s company?” He was pondering the wisdom of her plan even as he sought to hide his embarrassment at her forwardness.
“Except, no one would believe a Guldalian would side against the ruling class,” Nemara lazily pointed out. “I will tell others that I am close to you for information and to avoid suspicion.” Her voice held a musical quality to it despite the matter-of-fact delivery.
He had to admit that her idea had merit. Alador sat there considering it and Nemara let him, lazily laying back to enjoy the steaming heat of the pool. He absently stirred the water, making sure it did not lose its warmth with the incoming rainwater. Alador finally decided it was a risk worth taking. He had to trust someone or do this alone. “Okay,” he answered quietly.
She clapped her hands together in approval, the sound echoed around them. “Wonderful. I assure you that I will find only those that have a similar axe to grind against the ruling class or Lerdenia in general.” She turned over lazily, her body not hidden in the water. Holding the edge to remain still, she looked over at him. “What is the first target?”
“The main bloodmine,” he looked over at her to see her reaction, but his eyes came to rest on her bottom curving out of the water.
“That is impossible. It is manned by loyalists and well-fortified.” She frowned at him.
“Yes, but I have advantages that will overcome those obstacles.” He looked back across the pool. “I have Jon on the inside,” he admitted. He hoped it was an advantage, and that Jon would not decide that it was in his own best interest to turn to his sphere and faith.
“Well, there is that.” Nemara swam in front of him, resting her hands on his knees to look into his eyes and to support herself. “What is your other advantage?” she huskily whispered.
“I have allied with dragons.” He met her wide eyes with a bit of a grin. “No, I'm not crazy,” he added quickly. “It took some doing, but the dragons will side with me.”
Nemara moved up his body so that her knees were on either side of his legs resting on the same ledge. “You just became a lot more interesting,” she whispered into his ear as she pressed herself against him.
Swallowing back the rush of excitement her closeness brought, he managed to whisper, “Nemara, what are you doing?”
She ran a wet finger over his face and his lips as she spoke. “Well, if our cover is to be lovers and anyone were to manage to spy, shouldn’t we look like lovers?” Her lips hovered just short of his. He could feel her hot breath against his lips, and her body moving closer as she settled against him. She stopped moving and looked down then back up to his eyes. “And, you seem to be a bit interested.”
“I… Nemara, my experience with women hasn’t ended all that well.” He managed to whisper back as his eyes locked with hers. Her lips were so tantalizing close to his.
“Good thing I am not looking for a mate then, isn’t it?”
Her hands coiled in his hair, and Alador could feel her hard nipples against his chest. His hands moved slowly down her silken sides to rest on her hips. Alador stared into her eyes for a long tense moment, her breath still teasing his lips before he finished the distance and kissed her.
Chapter Five
It was two days before Alador was able to get a half day to go see Henrick. To his knowledge, his father was still confined to his manor house. Alador thought this the most ridiculous of confinements, as higher tier mages had some form of travel spell. It did mean though, that he could not wander around the city, so maybe there was some merit to the restriction.
As he approached the house, he noticed that the two men standing outside Henrick’s door were not of the Blackguard, but city guards. Alador nodded politely and offered one of them his tier pass that allowed him access to his father. After checking its validity, they stepped aside to give him entry. He was relieved as he had been a bit concerned that maybe Luthian had decided no one could visit the mage as well. The young mage made his way through the halls, surprised at the noise
going on. Usually Henrick’s manor was quiet, but today there was a great deal of cursing and banging.
He walked in to find the usual calm warmth of Henrick’s library in complete disarray. The scent of burned fabric hung on the air and as he looked or the source, the floor still showed signs of recent fire. His father, dressed in casual pants and tunic was going through the shelves. He was tossing some books to the left into a gigantic pile; and to the right, servants were packing up the books he was throwing their way. He leaned against the wall watching his father curiously. He had never seen the man actually work before today. Alador sneezed as the wall of dust assailed his nostrils.
“Ah there you are.” Henrick hopped down from the ladder dusting his hands.
Alador stepped over some loosely strewn papers carefully as he moved closer to Henrick. “What are you doing?” Alador looked around pointedly at the complete disarray.
“Packing. The self-serving bastard can have the house and its contents, but he is not getting my library which is probably what he wants most.” Henrick finished with a humph as he crossed his arms in defiance. The sour look on his father’s face seemed strange to the man’s usual playful demeanor.
“Where will you go?” Alador had not thought about asking him this when they were planning the staged entrance for Luthian.
“I plan to sequester my books in a safe place then I think I will take up residence apart from Smallbrook. Seems I have some use there.” Henrick grinned at him.
Alador let out a tense sigh. “I’m glad. Maman will be glad to see you and I like the idea of you keeping tabs on my family.”
“What is this; are you ill? You did not mention the girl first?” Henrick looked genuinely surprised. A slow smile replaced the sour frown he had held just moments before when he had spoken of Luthian and his library. “I would have never thought to see the day when she was not the first concern?”
Pseudo-Dragon (The Blue Dragon's Geas Book 4) Page 4
