My Lady Mage: A Warriors of the Mist Novel

by Alexis Morgan

  Then the woman stirred, shifting her weight away from him now that the hunters were no longer close by. With luck, the stampede Kane had started would continue until well after Gideon returned Lady Merewen safely home. Ignoring how sharply he missed the soft press of her hip and shoulder, he removed his cloak from around the two of them. The cloth held no magic, naught but its darkness concealing them in the fading shadows.

  Gideon sheathed his sword. “We must be off. Eventually they’ll begin to doubt the truth of what their eyes told them, and return.”

  He allowed himself a small smile. “Of course, Kane will be waiting to remind them. Let’s make use of the time he has bought us.”

  Telling himself it was for the sake of speed and not to prolong the chance to touch her, he took Merewen’s hand in his much larger one and set out again. Aware dawn was coming, he set a brutal pace. It would be a close race to return Merewen to her home before the sun crested the horizon.

  He liked that she didn’t complain, but then she likely needed all of her breath just to keep moving. If it came to that, he would carry her again, although that would slow them down considerably. It always took a few days of life out of the river to regain his full strength. Fortunately, the trail before them was already flattening out. Once they reached the valley floor, the path should grow easier.

  Merewen tugged on his hand to get his attention.

  “What?”

  “Can we stop here? There is something I need to do.” She looked him straight in the eye, something even most men were reluctant to do. “I promise it will not take long.”

  Something in her demeanor made it clear that she wasn’t simply wanting to take care of private needs behind a handy clump of bushes. It was insanity to stop here or anywhere, but he nodded. “Make haste.”

  She immediately scrambled atop a nearby boulder. Once she found her balance, she raised her hands above her head and began to chant. Even without understanding their meaning, Gideon sensed the sharp tang of power in her words. Unsure of his duty, he laid his hand warily on the pommel of his sword. Slowly, the sweet sound of her voice soothed his mind. Whatever she was doing, it lacked the sharp edges and sick feel of words spoken for ill purpose.

  Even so, what kind of woman wielded power with such casual ease? The gods he served did not tolerate those who dabbled in the darker magics and commanded the Damned to stand against it. The matter would bear careful watching. For now, with time growing short, he could but wait and watch.

  She stopped as abruptly as she’d started, holding her head tilted as if listening to the wind. Finally, she smiled. Climbing down, she immediately took his hand again.

  “Hurry, Captain. My friends will be waiting close by.”

  Anger burned hot in his veins. “Are you a fool, woman? I can keep you safe from your uncle’s men, but I am not yet at full strength and cannot guarantee the safety of anyone else. You put your friends at risk needlessly.”

  Rather than cower, she giggled—at him. Had she really gone daft? No one dared laugh at him—ever. He closed his eyes and prayed for patience. Why had the gods granted the petition of someone who was clearly not in her right mind?

  As if realizing that her merriment wasn’t appreciated, Merewen instantly sobered. “I’m sorry, Captain. I should not have laughed. You have no way of knowing that my friends have four feet, not two. They’ll join us near the shoals below.”

  He had no choice but to follow her. Her earlier exhaustion had obviously faded, because he had to hurry his pace to keep up with her. They were nearing the river again, its song a cheerful one as it tumbled over the last drop-off to the valley floor. The water had been his home for so long that he thought he’d known its every mood. But here, far from where he slept in the black depths of its beginnings, the river babbled and chortled happily as it flowed over the rocks.

  The trail took a sharp turn to the right and then back again before leading them beyond the edge of the forest. The moon still held sway here, showering the rippling grasslands of the valley floor in its dim glow. He was grateful for even that much light; else he might not have believed the amazing scene before him.

  Merewen left him behind to greet her friends. Horses! She had called horses with her song of enchantment, and such horses they were! However she had commanded them to attend her, it was obvious from the way they took turns nuzzling her hand and woofing their greetings that they had been happy to come.

  “Here, Captain Gideon. Let me introduce you.”

  Her simple joy at their presence wiped away all of the tension that had shadowed her face and eyes, letting her true youth and beauty shine through. It was all he could do to tear his gaze from her to study the horses that had turned their attention to him.

  He approached slowly, not wanting to startle them. The horses might trust Merewen, but if he were to spook them into bolting, she could easily be trampled. On the other hand, she seemed blissfully unaware of how small she was in comparison as she stood in their midst.

  For these were warhorses, well-muscled and sleek, and the most impressive of their kind he’d ever encountered in all the long centuries of his existence. Why were horses of this quality running loose with neither halter nor groomsmen riding in attendance? He’d known kings who’d ridden lesser animals and been proud to do so. As he studied them, the tallest took two cautious steps toward him.

  “Who owns these beauties?” Gideon asked as he ran his hand down the stallion’s neck, enjoying the play of smooth muscle under the sleek coat.

  The horse tossed its head and sidled closer, encouraging Gideon to give it a good scratch. The big animal stretched out its neck and leaned into Gideon’s hand when he hit just the right spot. The stallion was heavily muscled and had a jet-black coat with only one white mark peeking out from under the long fringe on its neck.

  “They decide their own master, Captain. However, I maintain the strength of their bloodlines and see to their training.” She looked from him to the horse and back, nodding as she did so.

  “I see that you two have chosen each other,” she said. “I call him Kestrel because he flies across the plains. That, and the shape of that mark tucked beneath his mane.”

  “What’s special about it?” Gideon asked as he brushed the mane out of the way. One glance at the mark had Gideon’s heart stuttering as he stared at the horse and then back at Merewen. How could this be?

  His reaction caught Merewen’s attention. “What’s wrong, Captain? You look as if you’d seen a ghost.”

  Still not able to explain, he pointed toward the pale shape on Kestrel’s neck and then held up his shield with the image of a white gyrfalcon emblazoned on its surface. The two were nearly identical in shape. When he traced Kestrel’s mark with his finger, a shiver of power slid through his senses.

  The woman had no way of knowing the power and sight of the raptor were Gideon’s to command. If he had needed one last sign that the gods supported Lady Merewen’s quest, he had it.

  Chapter 3

  “I know not what kind of magic you wield, Lady Merewen, but it is powerful.”

  Once again, he wondered how he should react. The gods would not have sent him and his men to defend a practitioner of the dark arts. Lady Merewen didn’t seem to notice his discomfort.

  “It’s not magic but merely a gift for working with horses.”

  “Then it is a gift blessed by the gods. But enough talk.”

  He turned away from the horse, wishing he didn’t have to. “We’ve wasted far too much time. We’ll never get you back before dawn now.”

  “Kestrel and one of the others will carry us there in no time.” She grabbed a handful of mane and swung herself up on the back of a pale-colored mare. “He will also return in the morning with horses for your men.”

  Another man might have questioned her sanity in speaking of the horses making their own decisions about whom they would serve. But like each of the Damned, he’d been blessed with a loyal companion whose soul wasn’t human but pos
sessed the heart of a warrior.

  When he swung up on the stallion’s broad back, the horse danced in place briefly before settling again. After only a few steps, Gideon knew that he and Kestrel would do well together. If they’d had more time, he would have enjoyed putting the big fellow through his paces. From the way the stallion kept tossing his head and high stepping, Gideon knew he wasn’t the only one who wanted a long run. They galloped for a few minutes before he next spoke.

  “How far to your home?” Gideon kept his voice low, knowing how words could carry on the wind.

  Merewen’s pleased expression quickly faded into something edged in fear. “Once we pass through that rocky passage up ahead, we will be in sight of the keep. You should turn back now while I walk on ahead from here. The mare will follow Kestrel.”

  Something still didn’t feel right. What wasn’t she telling him? “When will you return to us?”

  She immediately looked away before replying. “As soon as I am able.”

  “That’s not much of an answer.”

  “Well, it’s the best I can give.” She kept her eyes focused on the trail ahead.

  Her refusal to give him a direct answer was infuriating, but he let it pass for the moment because they’d reached the turn. The open grasslands lay behind them, but the path narrowed down between a series of rocky outcroppings. Beyond that lay a large cluster of gray stone buildings peeking up over a wooden palisade. At this distance it was difficult to note much detail without invoking the power of his shield companion. For now, he’d settle for studying the general layout. On the far side of the keep, trees marched down the hillside to end just shy of the timber wall surrounding the keep. The land on the near side had been cultivated with large pastures beyond.

  He realized Merewen had already dismounted. She gave her horse a gentle slap on the backside to send the mare on her way. Then she drew a deep breath before taking the first step down the path, evidently planning on walking straight toward the front gate.

  Gideon didn’t like this at all. The Damned had been called forth from the river to help this woman. He would try one more time.

  “Merewen, if your uncle finds proof that you’ve disobeyed him, what will he do?”

  When she looked back at him, her mouth was a straight slash, her lips edged in white. “Captain Gideon, please let it be. I will be fine. Go back and get your men settled.”

  “Merewen, that’s not what I asked.”

  This time she answered him, her words choked out one by one, full of both fear and determination. “He’ll beat me or order one of his men to do so. Again.”

  Gideon bit back his rage. Right now it would serve no purpose, but there would be a reckoning for such abuse. “That is what you meant when you said you’d come when you were able? And the brute has done this before?”

  Merewen flinched. “Yes.”

  “And you expect me to let you walk in there, knowing what awaits you?”

  “Please, Captain, I must go,” Merewen whispered. “Others will suffer in my place if I don’t return to face my uncle. I will not allow that to happen. Not again. My people have already endured too much under his rule. His evil is why I called you from the river.”

  She walked away, leaving Gideon staring at her back and muttering a stream of curses. She was a most stubborn woman. Allowing Merewen to face the wrath of her uncle alone went against everything Gideon believed in.

  If he rode forward, anyone maintaining watch from the keep would be able to see him. Deciding he’d be better off afoot, he slid down off Kestrel’s back. “Stay here, boy. We’ll be right back.”

  At least they would if he had anything to say about it. With his longer stride, he caught up with Merewen quickly. She wheeled around to face him.

  “What now, Captain? You’re only delaying the inevitable and making it worse for me.”

  “I cannot allow you do this.”

  “It is not your decision to make.” She sounded weary beyond endurance. “Please, Gideon, I have to go.”

  He glared down into her face. “I am your defender, Lady Merewen. Let me do my duty by keeping you safe.”

  She didn’t back down. “No! I won’t allow Fagan to harm others in my stead. Would you let Kane or the others suffer because you feared a little pain?”

  No, he wouldn’t, and they both knew it. He had his water-soaked mind to thank for not figuring out sooner what fate awaited her inside those wooden walls.

  “What will happen if you don’t return?”

  “He’ll throw more of my servants out with nothing but the clothes on their backs. No one will take them in for fear of his retribution, so it is little better than a death sentence.”

  She shivered. “He’s done it before, Gideon. Long has my uncle coveted all that my father owned, especially because he was the elder of the two. By both law and custom, the land and all it holds goes to the son in our clan who has the gift for bonding with the horses. Seeing all my uncle wanted go to his younger brother made Uncle Fagan a cold, bitter man.”

  “And you inherited this gift from your father?”

  “Yes, but because I am a female, my uncle petitioned the duke to appoint him my guardian until I marry a man of their choosing.”

  “Why hasn’t Fagan married you off already if he doesn’t want you under his roof?”

  “Because if I were blessed with a son who inherited the gift, the land will pass directly to him. My uncle won’t risk that happening. If he sends me away, the horses will leave as well because there will be no one with the power to hold them here.”

  She looked back toward the stallion. “They sense my uncle’s cruelty and reject his control. Kestrel almost killed Fagan when the fool tried to master him.”

  Her smile was understandably vindictive. “It is evil of me to think this way, but I almost wish Kestrel had succeeded.”

  Gideon thought better of her for her honesty. “There must be some way to smuggle you back into your rooms without his knowledge.”

  She shook her head. “Even if there were another way through the palisade, my room is on the second floor. The only approach is the staircase from inside the great hall.”

  He gauged her weight as he studied the buildings in the distance. “Is there a balcony in your quarters?”

  “Yes, not that it matters. Fagan’s men patrol the keep at all hours. They’d see me even if I had a way to reach the balcony from outside.”

  Once again she simply walked away.

  He knew that Kane would pay a steep price for the magic he’d wielded on the mountainside, as would Gideon if he were to follow suit. This soon after awakening, he would be all but defenseless for hours afterward. So be it. He could do no less for Merewen than she would do for those she was trying to protect.

  His decision made, he hurried after her. “Lady Merewen, if you will do exactly as I say, there is another choice.”

  She pointed toward the horizon. “The sun is almost upon us. There is no way you can get me inside the gate without someone seeing.”

  “Yes, that much is true. However, I can distract them while a friend smuggles you in from the trees on the hillside.”

  To prevent any further arguments, he wrapped one arm around her head and covered her eyes. Ignoring her struggles to get free, he used his other hand to reach for his shield and quickly chanted the words the gods had given him to call forth his avatar.

  A flash of blinding light was followed by the familiar and welcome sound of wings catching the air. He released Merewen as they both watched the enormous white gyrfalcon gracefully rise into the sky above them. After circling overhead, the bird screamed out a greeting and swooped down to land on Gideon’s outstretched arm.

  “Lady Merewen, meet my friend and ally. His full name is Scimitar, for the shape of the weapons he bears. I call him Scim.”

  After her initial surprise faded, she held out her hand in greeting. “Hello, Scim. You’re a handsome fellow, aren’t you?”

  The bird immediately
stretched out his head to gently nibble on her fingers, startling a giggle out of Merewen. She repaid the falcon’s courtesy by scratching the feathers under his throat.

  Gideon found her reaction amazing. Most people were afraid of the gods’ magic. “You’re handling his sudden appearance rather well.”

  “Don’t forget, I call horses myself. What I don’t understand is how he is going to help me.”

  Gideon stroked Scim’s chest. “I will draw the guards’ attention to the front gate. While they are investigating, my friend here will carry you up to your window.”

  She now knew that Gideon’s long sleep in the river had affected his mind. It wasn’t obvious at first, but his claim that his gyrfalcon could support her weight up to her window was proof enough.

  “For once don’t argue. Just accept. He can’t carry you over long distances, but up and over the palisade to your window is within his power. Wrap the ends of your belt around your hands and stretch it tight between them. Hold your arms over your head so he can grab it in his claws.”

  “You two have done this before?”

  Gideon’s grin took years off his face. “No, but there’s always a first time.”

  The bird stared at her with a surprising amount of intelligence glimmering in his predator’s eyes. It took considerable effort for her to return her attention to Gideon. So far he’d risked both himself and his men to help her. Either she trusted him or she didn’t. Which was it?

  “Tell him to find me on the far side of the keep near the palisade. I’ll wait for him there.”

  “I would prefer that you return to the mountain with me, but Scim will be there to offer you aid.” Gideon lifted his other hand toward her as if to touch her face, only to jerk it back at the last second.

  She was surprised by how strongly she regretted his change of mind. “If this works, I will find you just after midday tomorrow. I’m due to check the herds, so my uncle will not question my absence. Kestrel will bring you to me.”