Fire of the Soul

by Speer, Flora

“I do trust you. I just wish I could make you understand how vicious Mallory can be when he’s crossed.”

  “If he’s that dangerous, then we ought to remove Belai and Kinen from his care as soon as possible and our voyage to Kantia becomes even more urgent. Now, you told me just a few nights ago that Mallory is a patient man. I assume from what else you said about him that he won’t openly risk his own position.”

  “Probably not,” Calia agreed with some reluctance at having to think about her brother at all.

  “Well, then, I dare to hope that Mallory’s patience with regard to those boys will last until we reach Kantia.”

  “My lady,” Calia said, making one final effort to coax Lady Elgida into seeing reason, though she knew it was almost certainly a useless attempt, “we have an obligation to warn Garit to be on his guard. Mallory is sure to assume he’s in Kantia to take Kinath for himself, so he will be looking for an excuse to draw his sword against Garit.” Or to attempt some less obvious violence, for Mallory could be devious. He rarely employed his corrupt Power, preferring to use less exhausting means of getting what he wanted, but if his position was threatened, he’d not hesitate. However, Calia’s plea to tell Garit what she thought he ought to know made no impression on Lady Elgida.

  “You will honor your promise of silence until I release you from it. After I have met both Fenella and Mallory, I’ll be able to judge the current situation at Kinath more intelligently,” Lady Elgida said. “We will arrive with no previous notice, which will off er the opportunity for us to see their reactions to our unexpected presence there.”

  “Surely, you cannot think that Lady Fenella is involved in any scheme to harm her own children!” Calia exclaimed.

  “Ah, Mairne, there you are,” Lady Elgida said, still not responding to Calia’s urgent concerns. “Yes, those are the wicker hampers I meant. I’m glad you found them so quickly. Let me see if they are as deep as I remembered. We will need to take warmer clothing than we’d require here at Saumar in summertime. Kantia is a colder place by far.”

  Calia was not at all surprised to find Garit waiting for her by the fireplace in the hall. A few words with him during the quiet half hour before retiring had quickly become precious to her. She knew she shouldn’t allow even so brief an intimacy and yet she could not stay away. She reminded herself that it had long been her habit to make certain the doors were latched and the fires were banked. If Garit chose to wait for her each evening, then she could not stop him. He held a greater right to move freely about Saumar Manor than she did. Even as she made her flimsy excuse to herself, she knew it was just that – an excuse aimed at assuaging her guilt over the pleasure she experienced whenever they spoke in private.

  She came up to the fire and reached for the heavy poker. Garit put out a hand to stop her.

  “I’ll see to the logs later,” he said. “Here, Calia, sit and drink a cup of wine with me.”

  “You aren’t sitting,” she pointed out, having immediately noticed the way he was pacing back and forth in front of the fire, displaying a barely contained energy that was at odds with his usual self-control. She could not wonder that he was moved by anger at being forced to do something he had plainly said several times that he did not want to do. Any proud man would react in the same way. He pushed an overfull cup of wine into her hand, spilling a good part of it and not seeming to notice. Calia watched him in fascination.

  “Has my grandmother gone mad?” he demanded.

  “She’s not mad, merely determined. She has made up her mind and there’s an end to all discussion.” Calia sipped at the wine, wishing it would soothe her own seething emotions and knowing it would not. “Don’t try to stop her, Garit. Were you to lock her in her room, or even into the storage cellar, she’d find a way to escape and proceed with her plan. There are folk here at Saumar who love her enough to follow any order she gives.”

  “I know it. I’m one of those folk, and I believe you are, too. Still, I worry about her.” Garit had been pacing toward the far end of the hall as he spoke. Now he halted, spun around, and started back toward Calia. “Why this sudden decision to return to a place she despises?”

  “Because you are here to escort her,” Calia said, “and because you brought the news of your stepmother’s remarriage. That disturbed her, I think. Lady Elgida is truly worried about those two boys.”

  “She’s never met them, or their mother, either. Why should she suddenly care so much?” he asked, glaring at her.

  Calia took some time to think of a reason he would accept, sipping her wine and trying to look as if she was considering all aspects of his question before responding to it. She hated having to lie to Garit, but Lady Elgida had twice forbidden her to tell him the true answer to his question. So she talked around the issue of Mallory and his ambitions, while still providing as much warning as she dared.

  “Perhaps,” she said, “your grandmother’s reasoning has to do with her firm belief that everyone who lives in Kantia is treacherous. I have listened to her stories about the intrigues of Kantian noblemen, and some of those tales chilled my blood. She may genuinely fear that your little brothers will be killed by an overly ambitious guardian, or by some other noble, possibly a distant relative who imagines he would have a claim to Kinath if only Belai and Kinen were out of the way.”

  “So she intends to ride to the rescue like a knight errant?” he said, looking faintly amused and no longer very angry. “At her age?”

  “She is a gallant lady.”

  “So she is. She is also the most stubborn person I have ever known. I foolishly thought she’d have mellowed with time, but she hasn’t changed since I was a boy of seven and she suddenly decided to leave Kinath and return to Saumar.” Garit drew a long breath. “Well, I suppose there’s naught left for me to do but ride to Port Moren and find a ship. If I don’t do her bidding, she’ll find someone else who will, and who knows what accommodations you ladies will have to endure then?”

  “A lame horse on a muddy road?” Calia suggested, giving in to her longing to see him smile.

  “More likely, a leaky tub of a ship in a high sea,” he said, his hard face relaxing just a little. “We will travel all the way to Kinath by ship, because that is what she has decided.”

  “Even if we are all seasick?” Calia asked, still hoping for his smile.

  “My grandmother’s strong-mindedness led her into trouble several times when she was young,” Garit said. “The men around her called it foolish willfulness. I do believe that’s why she dislikes Kantia so much, and why the Kantians were so glad to see her leave.”

  “But not your father, surely?” Calia said, startled by this information.

  “Especially my father. As you might expect, she found giving up her power as lady of Kinath a difficult task after my grandfather died and my father became lord. So she retreated here to Saumar, where she will always be in charge, until the day she dies. I don’t want that day to arrive too soon.” He took Calia’s hand, holding it close to his chest. “Therefore, I propose to make a pact with you.”

  “With me?” she whispered. Though she knew she ought not to allow herself to feel any tender emotion toward him, still she was unable to prevent her fingers from curling around his large hand. She noticed the strength in his hard palm and blunt fingers, felt the calluses borne by all fighting men who used broadsword and Sapaudian lance and, sometimes, bows and arrows, too, used them every single day, in practice if not in actual warfare.

  “Our pact,” Garit said, looking into her eyes, “will be an agreement to protect Lady Elgida from any dangers engendered by her own strong will and from the ill intentions of others, until she comes home safe to Saumar once again.”

  “I can agree to those terms with no reservations at all,” Calia said. “But, tell me, do you really believe she’ll be in danger in Kantia?” She hadn’t thought much of that possibility. She’d been too worried about Garit’s inevitable confrontation with Mallory, and about Mallory devising some cleve
r scheme to harm Garit.

  “If she begins to scold King Dyfrig about the arrangements he’s made for Belai and Kinen, or if she insists that I am the rightful lord of Kinath, or tries to have Sir Mallory removed as guardian of my little brothers, she is sure to anger someone,” he said.

  “I have a dreadful feeling that you are right to be concerned,” Calia agreed. “Oh, dear; I should have thought of this the moment she began to talk about traveling to Kantia.”

  “There’s nothing either of us could have done to stop her,” Garit’s mouth quirked up into a half smile that held no real humor. “Now, all we can do is try to protect her. I think we should formally seal our pact, here and now.”

  “I will consider our agreement in effect as of this moment,” Calia said, meeting his level gaze. She felt his fingers tighten over hers. She did not expect him to bend his head and kiss her, though she knew full well that agreements were often sealed that way, even when a scribe, parchment, and sealing wax were readily available. It was, after all, the way treaties and marriage contracts were sealed.

  Garit’s mouth was warm as it brushed over her slightly parted lips. He drew back quickly, looking startled. Then, very deliberately, he kissed her a second time, more firmly, with just a tinge of some other, incredibly sweet emotion in the caress.

  That second kiss left Calia trembling. And wanting more. Oh, most definitely, yearning for Garit’s tender embrace and for more kisses from his beautifully chiseled mouth. And knowing, to her heart’s destruction, that she could not ever be his, or allow him to care for her.

  “We are in agreement, then,” he whispered. “Say yes, Calia.” His breath was warm on her cheek.

  “Yes.” Yes to every sacrifice this man might ask of her. But no to true affection. No to the ache that weakened her limbs and made her want his arms around her. She drew a shaky breath. He’d hate her soon enough, when he knew who she really was.

  The instant he released her hand she turned and fled from him. Somehow, she managed not to let the tears fall until after she had reached her room and shut the door.

  Chapter 6

  The Moren River rose high in the Moren Mountains and gushed northward over rocks and through waterfalls and rapids until it emptied into the Sea of Lestrac. Together, the turbulent river and the north-south sweep of mountains formed the boundary between Morenia and Sapaudia. Citizens of both countries claimed the long, nearly impenetrable boundary was the chief reason why the two lands had lived in peace for several centuries. Seldom was the other reason mentioned: a mutual fear of the Dominion and the ever-growing strength of its rulers, fear that had forged a firm union between successive rulers of the two countries.

  At the mouth of the river, where flatter land allowed a slower current and ships could be safely moored, lay Port Moren. A long-ago treaty between Morenia and Sapaudia had established Port Moren as a location for unimpeded trade, administered by both countries and guarded by specially trained men-at-arms. Since most other settlements near the Sea of Lestrac were subject to raiding and plundering from the wild, seafaring tribes of Mataram, Port Moren quickly became known as a safe place to do business. The small town grew into a city that spread out on both banks of the river, its wharves and warehouses busy day and night.

  Merchants, traders, a few smugglers, and more than a few spies all operated within its precincts. So long as the ever-changing populace kept the peace all were welcome, even folk from the Dominion or from Chandelar. As a result, Port Moren was a vital spot where the most secret information could be procured and where almost anything could be purchased.

  Garit reached the city in late afternoon. He had come with only Anders and two men-at-arms. After sending Anders to arrange rooms for them at an inn that he’d frequented during the days when he passed through the port on trips from Kantia to the royal Sapaudian court at Calean City, Garit took himself to the docks in search of the reliable ship his grandmother demanded.

  Captain Pyrsig was easy enough to locate. The Kantian Queen was berthed at a wharf not far from the high stone breakwater that protected the harbor from the sea. Pyrsig was a short, barrel-chested man with a bristling red beard and a head of curly red hair. A missing front tooth and a gold ring in one ear lent him a piratical air, though Garit knew him for an honest man, an excellent sailor, and dependable in a fight. Futhermore, Pyrsig kept his large ship clean and in good repair. For all of those reasons, Garit had made a point of sailing with him when travelling between the Kantian capital of Kerun and his diplomatic duties in Sapaudia.

  “So, now,” Pyrsig hailed him as Garit walked up the gangplank, “returnin’ to yer homeland, are ye? I’ve heard yer no longer the emissary to King Henryk. I brought the new man across durin’ my last sailin’ but one.”

  “That’s true,” Garit responded, shaking the captain’s rough hand. “This time I need space aboard for my grandmother, who is determined to visit Kinath Castle, and equally determined to sail directly there from Port Moren.”

  “Ah, that’s good news.” Pyrsig nodded sagely. “I feared ye’d be wantin’ to reclaim the castle for yer own. But not if ye’ll be escortin’ an elderly lady. That’ll be a peaceful visit.”

  “She’s never met her younger grandsons,” Garit explained. As soon as he’d agreed to make the trip he had decided on the story he’d tell. He had other, secret, reasons for traveling to Kantia, but he’d no intention of revealing those reasons to his grandmother, or to Captain Pyrsig.

  “As it happens,” Pyrsig said, “I’ve already taken on a passenger for the next voyage. ‘Tis a fellow who’s sailed on The Kantian Queen several times. His sister is wed to one of King Dyfrig’s nobles and he stops at the royal court to see her. Perhaps ye know him? Lord Durand of Granvey, his name is.”

  “We’ve met, though I can’t claim to know him well,” Garit said. “Do you think he’ll mind the delay of putting in at Kinath Castle before you reach Kerun?”

  “He’s used to makin’ stops when he sails with me,” Pyrsig said. “I heave to wherever passengers or a cargo need to be unloaded. A day ashore at Kinath should make no difference to him.”

  “Good,” Garit said. “I’ll want a cabin large enough for my grandmother, her companion, and a maid. Then, another cabin for myself and my squire, and space for six men-at-arms. And the horses, too, of course.”

  “Ye’ll have to share yer cabin with Lord Durand,” Pyrsig said, and named a price that Garit knew was high. But he wasn’t inclined to argue. He’d expected to share the cabin. He and Durand had counted on that.

  “Done,” Garit said. “When do you plan to sail?”

  “In two days,” Pyrsig told him. “‘Tis a waste of money to sit tied up here when I could be sailin’ and makin’ a bit of gold. Where’s yer grandmam?”

  “Still at Saumar Manor. I’ll send someone to tell her to start out at once. She won’t object, and she’ll not delay you. She’s eager to be on her way.”

  His arrangements completed, Garit strolled for a short distance along the waterfront, looking at the established shops and the temporary booths, watching the men and women who gathered eagerly around the goods being unloaded from newly arrived ships. Commerce was brisk and the area was crowded, so he needed a while to locate his fellow agent. Their gazes met. That was signal enough.

  Garit moved away from the waterfront, turning onto a street that led to the center of the city. A lithe young man, well dressed, with auburn hair that was neatly clubbed off his face into a tight knot fell into step beside him.

  “You are two days late,” the young man said without looking directly at Garit or pausing to greet him. He moved a pace or two ahead of Garit, still not looking at him, as if they were strangers who just happened to be heading in the same direction.

  “My grandmother detained me.” Garit spoke without seeming to take note of the young man. “But the delay was worthwhile. She has provided a credible reason for me to return to Kantia. I am conducting her to Kinath, and I’m sure I can find an excuse lat
er for us to continue on to Kerun.”

  “Excellent. I assume you’ll be aboard The Kantian Queen as we planned?”

  “We will be. In fact, you and I are sharing a cabin with Anders. Have you received any new information?”

  “No, and that worries me. Rumors abound about where the Emerald is and where it may be taken, but no one knows for certain. All we can do is follow Serlion’s orders to visit Kerun City and make contact there with Queen Laisren. I have no idea what The Great Mage expects us to do after that. I confess, I prefer to know more about any mission I undertake.”

  “So do I,” Garit agreed. “Perhaps the queen will have orders for us. Or perhaps your sister will have more information. On a different subject, my stepmother has married one of King Dyfrig’s nobles.”

  “Never say so.” Durand slowed his steady pace. “Shall we consider that arrangement good fortune, or bad?”

  “Don’t stop here, and don’t look directly at me,” Garit warned. “Three men just turned onto this street from a side alley.” Even as he spoke, Garit could see the advice was unnecessary.

  The men coming toward them were talking among themselves, gesturing and laughing as they discussed the charms of a tavern wench in loud voices. Still, they could have been dissembling. Garit and Durand fell silent until the three had passed by and continued on to the docks.

  “What do you know about your new stepfather?” Durand asked when it was again relatively safe to speak.

  “His name is Mallory and he joined Dyfrig’s company while Dyfrig was still Prince of the Northern Border. To all appearances, he is just one of the group of young nobles who are making their fortunes as Dyfrig’s friends. And like others in that group, he seems to have had no past before he reached the Northern Border.”

  “Interesting, but probably not significant for us.” Durand took a step away from Garit, preparing to turn into a cross street. “As you said, Dyfrig has a large group of similar men gathered about him.”