“Why do thee think our thread will be there?”
He picked up a pencil and paper. “The circle has six paired stones around a central pair. Like the Holders and their Chosen. If we don’t find the thread, we’ll find a clue.”
“How far must we travel?”
“About three days.”
Gila nodded. She’d been so involved with the lessons of defense she’d forgotten why they had left the wizards’ lair. “Then we must go. What will we need?”
“A tent. Food.”
She rose. “I’ll pack. Then we can say our farewells.”
Timir shook his head. “We’ll return here and ask the trainers to come with us.”
Gila nodded. “I would like that.” Though she had skills to defend herself, a party of five was better than one of two.
* * *
Timir finished his morning meal. The three trainers remained at the table. Gila filled a pair of saddlebags with enough food to last the days they would be away.
“Are you sure you must go to that place?” Emer said. “Always seemed haunted to me.”
Timir grinned. “Not haunted, just waiting for the right person to arrive.”
“The stones of the circle near my home had fallen,” Gila said. “Timir thought I would like to see a full one.”
He reached for her hand. “We’re on a quest. Maybe the ghosts you think are there will help us find what we seek.”
Gila laughed. “Or we could meet bandits and I can show off my new skills.”
“No bandits,” Falar said. “Land out that way has been deserted for generations. There are wildcats and wolves. Heard them when I was out riding.”
“Dire wolves?” Timir asked.
“The ordinary kind,” Falar said.
Timir grabbed the saddlebags. Gila lifted the water flasks. “See you in six days or so,” Timir said. “Think about coming to Pala with us.”
“That we will,” Yagor said. “Go with care and keep your eyes open for trouble.”
“Will do,” Gila said.
Timir hurried to the stable. He was sure the circle was where he and Gila would find a clue to solve the remainder of their prophecy. While they saddled the horses, he studied her. She had come far from the timid girl he’d brought here.
She swung her leg over the horse. “Do thee really think we’ll find the thread?”
“Yes.” He flicked the reins. “Let us ride.”
Three days later, they halted near a grove of beech and oka trees. He pointed. “There’s the circle.”
Gila rose in her saddle. “My mother used to wander in the one near our home.”
“What was she looking for?”
Gila closed her eyes. “She never said. Once I heard her chanting. ‘What was formed during the dark of the moon can be broken in the light of the sun.’”
Timir shook his head. “Makes no sense to me.” He halted beneath the shade of a large oka tree. “Good place for a camp.” He dismounted and hobbled his horse in a grassy sward near a spring. Gila joined him in setting up the camp and eating a cold meal.
Holding hands, they walked toward the circle of waist-high stones. Six sets circled the central pair.
Gila walked around the perimeter. “The one near our house must have looked similar to this before the stones were knocked over. One difference. Those were single stones, not paired.” She ran her hand over one of the stones. “Look. These were painted at one time. This one was red.”
Timir studied the flecks of paint on the top of the pillar. Then he moved to the right and found orange flecks. He moved to the other side and found traces of violet. He touched the stone, yelped and jumped back.
“What’s wrong?” Gila asked.
“Got stung. Touch the front one but cautiously in case thee are treated the same.”
Gila stood in front of the pair. She brushed her fingertips across the stone. “That’s odd. There’s power here. Touch the other one now.”
Timir braced for another shock. Instead, the top of the pillar slid forward. The grating noise caused a chill to slither down his spine. How many years had passed since the secret place had been opened. “There’s a scroll case. See if the top of thy pillar moves.”
“Remove the scroll case first.”
He held it in his hand. “Done.”
She pushed against the top of her pillar. Nothing happened. “Guess we have what we came for.”
“Do thee think so?”
“We won’t know until we read it, but some feeling inside tells me we have what the prophecy sent us to find.”
“Do thee want to open the case now?”
She shook her head. “I’m curious but afraid.”
“Why?”
“What if the case is empty or doesn’t contain what we seek?”
He clasped her hand and they walked to where they had set their camp. Together, they made a meal and sat by the fire to eat. Timir pointed to the metal scroll case. “Do thee think the threads the others seek are hidden in the stones?”
“I don’t think they are. Each of the prophecies led in a different direction.”
“We could check.”
She shook her head. “If all the threads had been hidden here, we would have been joined by the others.” She put another sausage on a skewer and held it in the flames. Once the meat crackled and split, she put cheese on a round of flatbread and wrapped the sausage in the bread. Timir mirrored her actions. The spicy aroma filled his senses.
Once Gila finished the second sausage, she drank the rest of the kaf. She wiped her hands and lifted the scroll case. Her hands shook. Timir hoped for her sake their search was done. Carefully she opened the end and extracted a scroll.
Timir moved closer and read over her shoulder. “Is this why we’re here?”
She nodded and returned the scroll to the container. A loud snap sounded. She stared at the fire.
“We’ll take that.”
Gila rose. Timir jumped to his feet and moved to her side.
Three wizards stepped into the open. “Holder, you will come with us.”
“No.” Gila dropped the scroll case and reached for her knife.
Timir slid his sword free. He grabbed a flaming piece of wood from the fire and attacked the pair who tried to grab Gila.
The third wizard chanted odd syllables. His deep voice grated on Timir’s nerves. He thrust the brand at one of the wizards. Flames engulfed the man. He attacked the other with his sword. The chanting continued. Timir felt as though his arms were leaden. The wizard slashed his arm.
As the wizard lunged again, Timir managed to raise his sword. The wizard impaled himself. Timir toppled. The wizard landed atop him. “Gila.”
“He’s dead.”
Timir pushed the dead wizard aside and got to his feet.
Gila stared at the third black-robed man. Her hand covered her mouth. She turned away and spewed her dinner.
Timir went to her. “What happened?”
“The Jewel killed him.”
Timir frowned. “Are you sure?”
“I used my knife to fend him off. He kept chanting. A violet ray shot from beneath my tunic and he fell.”
“A beam of light?”
She nodded. “From the Jewel.”
When he saw the charred edges of a hole in her tunic, his eyes widened. “How could the Jewel act independently of your wishes?”
“I wanted him to stop chanting,” she said. “That was my wish. Somehow, the Violet acted. The sooner this gem is destroyed the happier I’ll be.” She walked toward the grove. “Shouldn’t thee check to see if there are more wizards hiding?”
“If there were they would have come.”
Gila touched his hand. “Could we move our camp? The moons will give us enough light. I don’t want to sleep here.”
“I don’t blame you.”
She walked to the tent. “Check to see if they had a camp. I’ll tend to ours.”
Though he was reluctant to leave her, he kn
ew she was right. They needed to learn if the wizards had companions. “Will thee be all right?”
She nodded. “If anyone is lurking, I have my knife and though I’m loathe to use it, there is the Jewel.”
He lit a torch in the fire and entered the copse. When he found where the wizards had made their camp, he freed their horses. Since the trainers had said this area of land was deserted, he felt sure the horses would wander free. He watched the three steeds run off. The red horns on the animals made him shudder. He was reminded of old blood. He searched their tent and found nothing to point to other wizards. With this done, he returned to Gila.
* * *
The attack and the result had shocked Gila. When Timir returned from his search for the wizards’ camp, she had everything packed, the fire doused and the horses saddled. After she mounted her horse, she prodded the animal into a trot. She turned to Timir. “Were there just three?”
“Yes. I freed their horses.”
“Did thee search their belongings?”
“I did but found nothing but food and clothes.”
Gila sighed. “I thought they might have something that told them where the other threads were hidden.”
“Doubtful.”
They rode in silence until the moons were high. Timir halted his steed. “Do thee think we’re far enough away from the circle to make camp?”
She slid to the ground. “I’ll start a fire and make some tea.”
While Gila cleared grass away, Timir saw to the horses and put up the tent. Gila filled a pan and waited for the water to boil. She added four kinds of mintos to the heated water. The aroma soothed her edginess. She filled a mug and added honey. Timir joined her. Gila finished the tea and retreated to the tent and her blankets. Her head pounded and she hoped sleep would take the pain away.
When she woke, Timir brought her a mug of tea and a bowl of cooked ryn. “We’ll ride late today so we can reach the camp tomorrow.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Storm’s coming. Don’t thee sense it?”
She lifted her head and drew in a deep breath. “I do. Is it safe for us to return to the camp? What if the trainers told the wizards where we were?”
“They wouldn’t,” Timir said. “They’re friends. Besides when I checked the wizards’ camp what I saw meant they’d been there at least a lunar. I think they suspected the scroll was there but they couldn’t open the stone.”
“I hope thee are right.” She finished the food and went apart to relieve herself and wash. When she returned, Timir had broken camp. She mounted her horse. They rode at a fast pace and stopped at midday for long enough to eat flatbread and cheese.
Long after moonrise, they stopped and built a small fire. Gila noticed the gathering of moisture in the air. “Storm will come tomorrow.”
Timir toasted sausages over the fire for them while Gila made kaf and cooked some dried vegetables. “We’ll ride through the storm tomorrow. Which watch do thee want?”
“First for me. I need to think.” She waited until he settled in the tent. Then she walked the perimeter before returning to the fire. How many wizards had escaped from the stronghold? Did the hidden wizards ever wear robes? Would she and the other Holders find and neutralize all the evil ones? Had the separation of the Holders been the right choice? She had to believe it was. If they had remained as a unit, how long would the search for the threads have taken?
Her eyes closed and no matter how hard she fought, she couldn’t remain awake. Timir shook her. She looked around. How had she gotten into the tent?
He handed her a mug of kaf and toasted flatbread covered with honey. “Eat up. Then we mount and ride. Storm’s coming fast.
By the time she finished, the tent and her blanket roll was on the horse. She mounted. Soon after they set out, the rain began. At first the fall was light but by midday, the flow had changed into a downpour. They found no place to shelter so they pushed on.
By the time the sky changed from pewter to ebon, Gila saw the buildings of the camp in the distance. She and Timir prodded the horses into a gallop and raced to the barn. Once they had tended to the steeds, Gila collapsed on a pile of hay.
Timir pulled her to her feet. “Thee can’t collapse yet. To the house.”
They ran across the yard. Gila opened the door into the kitchen.
“To the baths,” Emer said. “Thee should find dry clothes there.”
The thought of facing the storm again made Gila’s shoulders sag. She turned to the door.
“Not that way,” Timir said. “Come.”
She followed him down a passage from the house into the barracks. She stripped off her sopping clothes and sank into the steaming water. “This feels wonderful.”
Timir nodded. “Cold rain means autumn is coming.”
Yagor appeared at the edge of the pool. “There’s a hearty meal waiting. Then you can tell us your news.”
A short time later, Gila moved to the warm pool and washed. “Should I tell them I killed a man when I really didn’t?”
Timir pulled on his clothes. “Thee or the Jewel. He would have killed thee or taken thee prisoner and forced thee to serve the wizards. His death was the right choice.”
She sat on a bench to braid her hair. “Right, maybe but my Jewel has darkened.”
He crouched before the bench. “There was no other choice. The wizard chose his path. Nothing thee could say or do would change that.”
Slowly Gila’s guilt ebbed. What Timir said made sense. For her to be a prisoner of the wizards would bring harm to the land. They would force her to do ill and turn her Jewel darker.
Hunger made her stomach ache. She pulled on her boots and found the passage to the house.
When she reached the kitchen, the savory aromas reached her. She sat at the table and ate like a starved shoat. Once the sharp edge of hunger had been blunted, she paused to enjoy the spicy flavors. She and Timir took turns telling about the circle and the wizards.
Falar reached for his mug. “Now what will you do?”
“We must go to Pala,” she said.
Timir slathered butter on a biscuit. “We’ve nearly completed our quest. It will end in Pala.”
Gila leaned forward. “We asked before but I’ll ask again. Will you come with us?”
Emer rose. “While you were gone, we talked about choices. We will go with you. We know most of the Guards and that knowledge can be helpful.”
“We know the ones who are immune to the blandishments of the wizards,” Falar said.
“What about the animals?” Gila asked. “If no one is here to care for them, they’ll starve.”
“We sent our livestock to a friend,” Yagor said.
Gila drew a deep breath. “Thank you.” Surely they would reach Pala safely.
Chapter Four
The Green Jewel
Seven Jewels and seven threads. Find them, twine them and bind them into a braid to discover how to unlock the secret of the Jewels. What was pale becomes dark and dark changes to light. Sometimes destruction is the path to end a cycle of tyranny. To the Green belongs all that grows. Plants to heal and ones to harm. Plants to provide food and shelter. Once alone on the sands. Now part of a whole, seek and find one who threatens to destroy. What you look for was stolen and hidden in a place where one of you has been. When you hold this, you will know what more must be done.
Mara stared at the place where Gila and Timir had slept. Gone. The pair had left without a farewell. How like the Violet Holder. Gila had been quiet and a hard worker but so fearful. Had she been afraid someone would stop her? How, when solving the prophecy and finding the thread was what each Chosen and Holder must do. With a shrug, Mara walked to the tent where the men who had been mind-blasted slept.
Would she and Lajin be the next pair to leave? What about Lajin’s twin? Perhaps Jindera and Corin can travel with us. Was that possible? Each prophecy was different. Her hands clenched. There was Tomon. She needed to find him and end the trouble between
them. A chill rolled over her skin.
Mara walked among the sleeping men and searched for her enemy’s face. Though she’d looked for him among the dead, she had avoided the men who had been injured or mind-blasted. She and Lajin had spent long hours in the herbal gardens gleaning medicinals and brewing potions and poultices. She shuddered as she recalled the number of poisonous plants Lajin had identified.
What would she do when she found Tomon? She wanted to see him dead, but could she kill him?
One by one, she shone the light of her Jewel on the men’s faces. None of the injured was Tomon. She sighed. With relief or regret? She felt as though a battle raged inside, one she could never see ended.
Jindera entered the tent. “Are there more starflower blossoms in the garden? A tea made from the blooms seems to help. I find that odd. Usually the blossom tea causes sleep.”
Mara smiled. “Strange are the ways of plants. I think there are many more. Lajin said they used the stems and roots to make their testing potion.”
“And to addle the wits of those whose talents were minor.” Anger rose in Jindera’s voice.
Mara paused at the tent opening. “What will happen to these men if they don’t recover their wits? They can barely do a thing for themselves.”
“Andalor and Valmir are leaving for Desert’s Edge,” Jindera said. “They plan to ask the healers to care for any who don’t recover.” She sighed. “Even my Red Jewel has no effect on their ailment.”
Mara reached for her friend’s hand. “Will the healers be able to care for so many?”
“Liara will leave coins from the wizards’ treasury for their care and coins to give them when they recover. When we leave, we can’t take them with us.”
Those words brought a rush of sadness. Soon everyone would be gone from the stronghold. When would she see her friends again? “Where will you go?”
Jindera shrugged. “Where the prophecy leads. Corin and I will travel as peddlers.”
“What about your Jewel?” Mara asked. “My prophecy speaks about ending the tyranny.”
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