The Raven Tower

by Emma Miles

  ‘So, it’s women’s magic like that of the Fulmers?’

  ‘No. The women tend to be much stronger, but men can develop magical ability too. They tended more toward scrying and dream-walking though.’

  ‘And the magic of Chem is man’s magic?’

  Jorrun took in a breath and bit his lower lip. ‘I don’t think so. I think it’s a magic that both men and women can use but women are not allowed to learn to use it. I have considered …’ He hesitated, looking down at his hands.

  ‘Go on.’ She shifted her chair closer to the table, for some reason butterflies were dancing in her stomach.

  ‘I have wondered; if there were some way to train all the women with strong magical bloodlines, they could break free from slavery and overthrow the Dunham dynasty.’

  ‘Well that would be brilliant!’ Kesta leapt up. ‘But how could we do it? It would have to be done in secret somehow or no doubt the women would just be killed. I could perhaps allow myself to be capture—’

  Jorrun stood up so quickly his chair almost tipped. He grabbed her hand, his fingers soft but strong. ‘No Kesta; never! The things you would have to endure …’ He shook his head and realising he had her hand quickly dropped it; his composure didn’t quite return. ‘It’s not an option. Believe me I’ve thought over that plan for nights on end. My mother and grandmother both tried but the women of Chem were too afraid to even consider it; even those that were close and trusted them. We will have to find another way.’

  We. She looked up but couldn’t meet his earnest gaze.

  ‘You saw the books in the tower?’

  She nodded.

  ‘I’ve spent many years collecting and studying them. They are books on history and magic, also on herb lore and any other subject I thought might be useful. If I can trust you to go no further than the library without invitation, you’re welcome to go in and read any time you like. Just please don’t allow anyone else access to the books.’

  Her eyes widened, and her throat grew tight; swiftly followed by the gritting of her teeth and a rush of her blood. Why should she feel grateful to this man who had stolen her life? Even so she managed to thank him politely.

  ‘I would love to look at your books.’

  They both sat back down and sipped at their tea in uncomfortable silence.

  ‘I should go,’ Jorrun said.

  ‘Oh no, you don’t have to,’ she said to her own surprise. Was she really starting to like his company and enjoy his conversation? ‘Finish your tea.’

  He cocked his head. ‘Is that an order? I’m starting to understand how poor Tantony feels.’

  A blush rose to her cheeks. ‘A request that you’re not allowed to refuse!’ She was relieved to see a sparkle of amusement in his eyes. ‘Catya is doing very well; I like her a lot.’

  ‘I’m glad.’

  ‘Tantony and I have come up with some plans for the defence of the hold.’

  ‘He told me.’

  They both sipped at their tea. Kesta played with her cup.

  Jorrun laughed, a loud delightful sound that came from his chest and Kesta stared at him in shock.

  ‘Kesta, we are neither of us any good at polite small talk. I must get back to the tower anyway; Bractius is not happy that I have no news for him of the Chem fleet. Are you strong enough to try a walk for me sometime soon?’

  ‘Yes, yes of course.’ She stood with him. ‘I’ll do it tonight.’

  ‘I’ll let Azra know; he’ll watch over you. He may even be able to alert one of his brothers, so you can see further. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  ‘Yes, see you tomorrow.’

  He hesitated just a moment too long, making them both feel awkward, before heading out the door without another word.

  ‘Spirits!’ She cursed aloud. She’d somehow not managed to ask him about his own magic and what he could do.

  She put some cushions down on the floor before the fire and settling comfortably she pushed thoughts of the Dark Man from her mind and focused on the flames. A familiar presence infused her with a warm feeling of welcome.

  ‘Kessta!’

  ‘Azra? I need to try to find the Chem fleet.’

  ‘Ssssss. Drakes cannot travel through water and not far over it, kessta. We do not ssee the Chemmen from the land. Jorrun knows thiss.’

  ‘But he asked me to try.’

  ‘Yess. The king of this land demands answers and if he does not find another way Jorrun must ssend his brother to an evil place.’

  ‘His brother?’

  ‘Ossun Dunham. I am going to pass you to brother Ssiveraell, he is on Mantu and the furthest out of the Elden Drakes. He will take you as far out asss he can, but do not let him search too long lest he fall into the ssea! Here, I give you to him.’

  There was a subtle change to the temperature and vibration of the flame and Kesta felt herself pulled through the bright, gyring, fire. Without warning she was spat out over the midnight-blue sea, the stars like static fireflies up above. They turned about together scanning the horizon; Mantu a distant shadow with an Elden warship between them.

  ‘Siveraell?’

  ‘I am here.’

  ‘Where should we go?’

  ‘Drakess are not of thiss realm, Kessta, we cannot go far or stay long without being linked to a spirit of thiss place. Thiss is already farther than I have gone alone from Mantu. We should head towards Shem a little more and then we choose either easst or wesst.’

  ‘That’s as good a plan as any, friend Siveraell. Let’s go.’

  It was disconcerting walking the flame knowing now that she was inside the head of a living thing; a revered spirit. She dared not think in case it read her thoughts and she somehow came up short or caused offense.

  ‘Ssss, Kessta, do not freeze! We must move!’

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hold us back!’

  She forced herself to relax and pushed forward toward the northern horizon; more fearful of the fire-spirit’s limits than her own. When Mantu was far over the horizon behind them they stopped to scan the sea again. Little light remained in the sky, but the sea was strangely luminescent.

  ‘Easst, or wesst?’

  Kesta considered. West would take them to the quickest route from Chem and the Borrows to Elden and the Fulmers; but Chem would want their attack to be a surprise. What would she do? Circle about the east and attack from the south, perhaps? A ship of mostly dead men would mean they didn’t have to worry about supplies on the ships so a longer journey without setting down would be possible.

  ‘We will go east.’ She pushed them both that way as she spoke. ‘Let me know when you need to turn back for Mantu.’

  Siveraell didn’t reply but took them rapidly east, the flame vortex forming around Kesta’s mind. Several times they stopped and scanned the constant waves only to see a vast emptiness from horizon to horizon. Kesta was filled with a sudden feeling of vulnerability and fear; as much the spirit’s as her own.

  ‘Come on, Siveraell, let’s go back.’

  ‘We have not found them!’

  ‘No, not yet, but we will look again. We need to get you safely to land.’

  The fire-spirit felt somehow heavier as she turned about, and they pushed back the way they’d come. She could more than sympathise with its reluctance to return without the information they’d hoped for. Then the tunnel of flame began to dissipate, and panic came from the fire-spirit.

  ‘Siveraell?’

  The drake didn’t reply but came to a halt over the sea. Kesta looked around, but it was so dark now she could see nothing but the stars. With growing fear, she realised she wasn’t even sure which way it was back to Mantu. She thought she could draw back to her own body but that would mean abandoning Siveraell.

  ‘Do you know the way? Can you make it?’

  ‘I feel the land and the call of my brothers. I am tired, Kessta, but I cannot cross to my realm through the sea.’

  ‘Oh, spirit! Why did you not turn back sooner?’ Even aw
ay from her body she felt the tensing of anger at the spirit’s foolishness as well as a deep sinking sensation of dread at its predicament. She refused to let herself panic, there must be something she could do. ‘Start heading back,’ she commanded. ‘Would it help or make things worse if I left?’

  ‘Worse!’

  ‘Then I stay.’ Was there any way she could give him strength, deepen his connection to his realm of fire? Would her magic be of use or even work? There was only one way to know. ‘Stop a moment!’

  It was a risk delaying the spirit, but she needed to try. Calling up her magic she agitated the air, stilling it in one place to chill it, stirring it to a rapid speed to heat it in another and then adjusting the balance to whip up a strong wind. Siveraell gave a crackle and hiss that seemed to express excitement and then with a strangely human ‘whoop’ he flew into the wind. Kesta concentrated hard on increasing the wind and she felt the fire-spirit latch onto her more tightly as her own grip on the flame began to falter. Like most walkers she could only normally sustain small bursts of strong wind, but somehow over the sea and linked to the spirit she was able to build up a wind greater than she had before. It was exhilarating.

  ‘We are here. Thank you, Kessta.’

  She was pushed and then snatched in to another funnel of fire, this one strong and fierce.

  ‘Azra?’

  ‘Yess.’

  ‘We failed to find anything. Why did Siveraell take such a foolish risk and chance his life for nothing?’

  ‘You are angry, Kessta!’ Azra seemed amused which made her the more furious.

  ‘Of course, I am! We nearly lost a precious spirit for no reason.’

  ‘Precious. Thank you, Kessta. Like you, Siveraell did not want to fail and come back with nothing. Our brother is being held captive, and he is afraid and dessperate. Even spirits can be foolish.’

  ‘That’s not comforting.’

  Azrael chuckled and spat, ‘You are home now, Kessta. Sleep now.’

  ***

  She became aware of her pounding head before she completely awoke. Something damp and cold lay across her forehead and she reached up to touch a wet cloth at the same time as realising she was in bed. She sat up and was shocked to see Jorrun sitting at her table with a map and books spread before him. She checked quickly and was relieved to find that she was fully clothed.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded.

  ‘Returning a favour,’ he replied without looking up. ‘Azra said that you were able to manipulate air while your spirit was attached to Sivaraell’s. I didn’t know that walkers could do that.’

  ‘I didn’t know we could do that.’ She sat up and drew in a sharp breath as a needle of pain shot through her skull. Gritting her teeth, she stood and went over to the table. ‘I think I may have been using Sivaraell’s form to manipulate the air. My mother is excellent with wind and storms. She has wrecked raiding ships before now.’

  ‘Then the king had better watch out.’ He pushed his book aside and picked up a tiny message cylinder. ‘I just received this from Bractius; apparently the Icante has made her feelings very clear about his stealing a walker and first choice for future Icante. Bractius has in turn made his feelings very clear to me that I am to get you to tell your mother that you are happy, or the alliance is off.’ He sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

  Kesta’s hand went to her stomach as a heavy, sick feeling settled there. She looked toward the fireplace, eyes wide and stinging with tiredness. She desperately wanted to go home. But she didn’t want to leave Rosa or Catya or …

  She bit her lower lip and glanced at Jorrun. He’d placed the cylinder down and pulled the map out to lay on top of everything else.

  ‘Azra thinks this is the area you and Siveraell searched last night.’ He ran his finger over a long section from the north of Mantu out toward the eastern edge of Elden.

  She studied his still face and called up her knowing to try to get a hint of what he was feeling. As always her knowing was brushed aside. She pulled out a chair and moved it closer to him so that she could study the map from the same angle as him; but she couldn’t think about the map.

  ‘You’re not going to make me tell my mother I’m happy, are you?’

  He froze, his eyes fixed on the map. ‘I wouldn’t ask you to lie.’

  ‘If you don’t want to make me do anything why in the name of the spirits did you force me to marry you?’ She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug in to her palms.

  He looked at her, then back away at the map. ‘Bractiu—’

  ‘I’m not asking about Bractius, I’m asking about you!’

  For a moment he looked like a cornered animal before he regained his poise. A part of her felt some admiration that he didn’t make excuses to run. ‘I had to agree that the king’s idea made sense; to link our two countries and add to our magical strength. It would be a firmer bond than trade deals and promises and it had to be someone of importance here because of your status so that it wouldn’t seem an insult. That’s the way things are done in this land and I think your mother’s letter has only just made Bractius realise exactly what he has done to the Fulmers. He won’t retract or apologise for it though.’

  She stood up and went to the window, looking across to the Raven Tower and gripping the ledge so tightly her finger joints turned white. She hoped he could feel her anger through whatever defence he had against her knowing.

  ‘For myself; I didn’t know at first when Bractius was outlaying his plan that he meant the other half of the marriage bargain to be me. I mean no insult to you when I tell you I refused and argued against it. He pointed out to me that he’d allowed me to avoid a political marriage up until now, but that I owed it to him and to Elden. I rarely disobey an order; but that night he had to threaten me.’ He looked up, his eyes distant. ‘It wasn’t that I objected to you as a person; in fact, I greatly admired your strength, courage, and honesty. I also … you are beautiful and of my mother’s people.’ He said it quickly as though to avoid her hearing it, but her heart gave an involuntary leap. ‘I will keep no living thing captive against its will. Osun and Azra are bad enough. If you stay here long enough to help me defend our people against Chem, I will not stop you going back to the Fulmers no matter what Bractius threatens.’

  She spun around. ‘You mean it?’

  He held her gaze and nodded.

  She sucked in a sharp breath and turned quickly back to the window. She swallowed, aware of her racing heart. Looking down at the ward she recalled its wild state, the animals roaming free, the almost empty stables, and realisation hit her like a punch to the gut. Suddenly her ordered fences and gates didn’t feel like such a victory. Rainbows blurred her vision, and she blinked rapidly.

  ‘Should I leave?’ Jorrun asked. ‘We can finish this later.’

  ‘No.’ She wiped her face with her hands and forcing a smile went back to her seat at the table. ‘Show me again where you think we searched.’ Her heart still pounded, and she felt light headed as though she’d awoken from a fever, but she tried to concentrate on the map.

  ‘Here,’ Jorrun said. ‘Why eastward?’

  ‘I assumed they will be sneaky rather than go for a direct attack on your north coast.’ She leant forward to better see the detail. Her father and Uncle Worvig would love to have a copy of this map. She became uncomfortably aware of the scent of the soap Jorrun used; jasmine, bergamot, and cinnamon. She cleared her throat and concentrated on the map. ‘From their attacks on Fulmer Isle they seem to favour the tactic of trying to attack and hold a major target. I think they’ll look for somewhere defensive to make into a base and it will either be somewhere they think we don’t expect – like the south or east – or …’

  ‘Or somewhere we think they wouldn’t dare take that’s of huge strategic importance.’

  ‘Yes.’ She sat back. ‘I think they will go for the Fulmers again, Mantu, or as I said circle round to your least protected coast.’

  ‘A
nd you would suggest?’

  ‘On the Fulmers during the raiding season we have signal fires set up all around the coastline. Older children man them. It allows both for quick communication and for walkers to watch the length of the coast. I would suggest a network of beacons here in Elden and as many messenger birds as you have sent out to key points.’

  ‘We have messenger birds set up already, but the beacons are a good idea. What else?’

  She worried at her bottom lip with her teeth. What would her mother do? What would her father and Worvig put in place?

  ‘Let’s think about it for a bit.’ Jorrun sat back and turned to face her. ‘Azra gave me more news about the drakes. Apparently, one has been captured by a necromancer hiding on Fulmer Island.’

  ‘There is a Chemman on Fulmer Isle?’

  He lightly touched the back of her wrist with the tips of three warm fingers. ‘Your family are safe and a strong drake, Doroquael, is helping them. Azra has suggested that tomorrow night he link with Doroquael and you can speak with your mother through the drakes—’

  ‘Tomorrow!’ Kesta turned her hand to grab his. ‘Can we do it today?’

  He smiled but pulled his hand away. ‘No. Your mother is busy as are Doroquael and Azra, not to mention the fact you’re still in pain from your long walk last night.’

  She scowled at him but couldn’t disagree.

  ‘Tomorrow night, after dinner, come up to the tower and Azra will take you to your mother.’

  Kesta’s heart lifted and without thinking she leant forwards to kiss Jorrun’s bearded cheek. She recoiled at once, biting her lower lip and feeling her cheeks burn. ‘Thank you,’ she murmured, although she gritted her teeth after the words. She still felt that she owed this man nothing but her anger.

  Jorrun himself looked as though he’d been turned to stone, as if he did not dare to react or allow himself to feel anything. He quickly gathered up his map and books, all but one that he left for Kesta, and headed for the door. ‘Follow your own advice and get some rest,’ he said without looking back. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’