balance,” said Lee, who seemed confused by Ash’s apparent lack of understanding. “Precise, logical thinking can never be a bad thing, especially when considering our present situation.”
“Okay Lee,” said Auriel with an impish pout “How about you use your logic to predict what the High Council will suggest we do next?”
“Well, I don’t really think that there are many options really,” said Lee, considering the question carefully. “In fact I would go so far as to say that there is only one. We have to leave the city and we have to go alone.”
“Why alone,” said Auriel, “surely they will evacuate everyone?”
“Of course they will, that goes without saying,” said Lee with a sigh of irritation. “Really, all that knowledge cluttering up your brain and you still cannot use it to reason. They will want to keep Rose’s whereabouts secret, to ensure her safety. So logically, they will want to keep us away from the rest of the ascendants as they would obviously be the first to be targeted. It would also be prudent to keep clear of anyone else who could lead them to us. So....”
“We should go to the Ebony Forest, in Ferrum,” said Rose suddenly. “The resistance are in the forest and Dux said that some Twocast peddlers were about to travel to there to deliver some essential supplies. No one would expect us to be with them.”
“Err, excuse me.” Said Ash, with his mouth full of pastry and spraying purple cream everywhere. “But isn’t the Ebony Forest full of things that we’ve been told to avoid like black bears, weaver snakes and rougarou? Not to mention the Elder Witch and the rest of the Twocasts, who hate us so much that they probably would like to kill us all.”
“You’re right Ash,” said Auriel “all of that is true, but I think Rose is right. They would not think to look for us there. Anyway, I would rather take my chances with them than with Lord Ka and the Djinn.”
All seemingly convinced that Rose’s idea made sense, they said no more about it. The rest of the evening they sat solemnly with their thoughts and watched the flames flicker in the hearth. Periodically they fed the fire with wood as the flames dwindled until the evening bell sounded.
Arjan sat by the fire, propped up on some cushions next to Rose, who seemed to be hypnotised by the dancing flames. Furtively he gazed at her delicate face, its captivating alabaster features lit and warmed by the firelight. The flickering amber glow picked out the highlights in her silver-white hair, making them appear golden. She looked like a Gold he thought, like him.
“I’m sure that everything will work out Rose,” he said, putting his hand over hers, a warm smile in his eyes. “You’ll be okay. Eldwyn prophesied that you would prevail and as far as I know, he hasn’t made an error yet.”
Rose made a weak attempt to return his smile.
“I want to believe as you do Arjan,” she said, without taking her eyes from the fire. “You say he has made no errors, but the last time Lord Eldwyn went against Ka he did not survive, and I have yet to see any sign of an incantatio. Without it I have little with which to challenge Lord Ka who, unlike Eldwyn, did, it would seem, manage to survive.”
“Eldwyn did not die Rose,” said Arjan, gently taking her hand in his. “He survives within you. You are the embodiment of not only his spirit but the spirit of the four. Ka has never had to face such an ascendant before. This time you will prevail, this time you will rid us of Ka for good.”
Rose looked down at their entwined hands and smiled.
“Thank you, Arjan,” she said huskily, “I needed that.”
The door swung open with a crack that jolted them from their reveries. Dux rushed inside.
"Ah good,” he said as their faces turned towards him expectantly. “You are still awake. Please remain where you are, it has been a long day."
He sat down in a chair beside them.
"We have checked out El-on-ah's story, as well as we could under the circumstances,” he said, “and it appears that it is accurate.”
“How did you manage to find out so rapidly?” asked Lee curiously.
“We sent an apis to Lord Alder,” explained Dux. “He leads the resistance in the Elder Forest and it appears that they have a young Blood refugee who corroborates what El-on-ah has told us. We, therefore, have to take her warning of an imminent attack seriously."
He glanced down at the plates on the table with a look of anticipation and then disappointment as he saw that only two small orange creams remained.
"Hungry were you?” He said, lifting an eyebrow. “I had rather hoped that there might be...”
Dux rubbed at his eyes, suddenly seeming to tire.
“Anyway,” he said, taking a deep breath which was verging on a yawn. “The council and I have formulated a plan. Tomorrow at dawn you are all to travel to the Ebony Forest in Ferrum with the Twocast peddlers."
Dux paused, expecting to be questioned about this decision, but instead his announcement was met with a roar of laughter. Arjan pushed Rose playfully on the arm.
"Way to go General!" He said, turning to a puzzled looking Lord Dux. " Rose said that we should do the exact same thing. I guess it has to be the best plan if both Rose and the High Council came up with it."
"Yes well, that’s, err... good,” said Dux, "very good, it certainly saves me a lot of time and effort trying to convince you. It’s interesting that you did that Rose, maybe next time we should have you join us.”
Taking an orange cream, he settled back into his chair. Popping the pastry into his mouth, he hesitated for a second, and then his eyes, full of trepidation, fell on Rose.
“Did you also decide?” he said cautiously, “ that it would be a good idea for El-on-ah and her servants to travel with you?"
Dux cringed at the looks of incredulity on Arjan and Ashes faces.
"I know,” he said uncomfortably. “This was not an easy decision to come to, but El-on-ah and her servants could have intelligence that would be invaluable to the resistance.”
“It makes sense,” said Rose. “I have a strong feeling that it is the right thing to do and so I agree that she should come, but I still do not trust her.”
Dux rewarded her with a brief look of respect. He nodded.
“Good,” he said, “I am pleased that you concur. I shall awaken El-on-ah and her servants at dawn to tell them that they are to accompany you.”
He looked suddenly grave.
“I wish you to understand,” he said gravely, “I do not intend for them to know about this tonight, and they must never be told of your destination. Please don’t believe that I am so naive that I have not considered that this may be a rather daring and ingenious trick on Ka’s part. So to be safe, I think that we must all assume that it is indeed a trick, and we must act accordingly. Say little, always be on our guard and ensure that Rose is kept safe."
Auriel lifted her anguished face, blinking away tears from brimming eyes and with a trembling pout upon her lips
"Where will you and everyone else go?" She asked soberly.
"Oh, Lady Auriel,” said Dux softly. “Please do not trouble yourself about us my dear, we will be fine. We have evacuation plans in place for the four most populated Aurum cities and all twelve battalions of Centurion Guards have been mobilised and remain on standby.”
Rubbing his eyes, he stifled a yawn and then glanced at the clock.
“It’s very late,” he said, “So I suggest that you all get some sleep, it has been a long day and you have an even longer one ahead of you tomorrow."
Subdued and thoughtful they went quickly to their beds. While in a room only yards away, El-on-ah and Che were leaning out of an open window and attempting to strap a message pouch around Puk’s neck, as he hovered in mid air.
“We have no option now Che” said El-on-ah, as she slipped a roll of parchment into the pouch. “The attack has to be moved up. Lord Ka will need this reconnaissance of their evacuation plans and it is imperative that he is made aware that the Whyte ascendant remains a threat. One I intend to eliminate as
soon as I have the opportunity.”
“Do you really think that your story was good enough?” said Che with a frown “How can they possibly trust us after everything that’s happened?”
“Oh, I am absolutely certain that they do not trust us Che, but I believe that I may have convinced them that they need us, which is why we remain safe, for now.”
She turned back to Puk.
“Now Puk,” she said, her voice hushed. “Take this directly to Lord Ka. It must not fall into anyone else's hands, do you understand?"
Puk whistled and chirped. El-on-ah placed a finger to her mouth.
“Shush,” she said. Her voice tensing as she rapidly attempted to quieten him. “That’s good; now fly, my friend, swiftly.”
The three of them watched as the tiny dragon flew out into the dark night sky.
TWOCASTS
An ugly, but sturdy, rustic covered wagon, awaited them in the courtyard at dawn the next morning. The cart, harnessed to two pinto tinker cobs, was crafted from the roughly cut wood of a number of different varieties of trees. Some hardwood, some soft, some fine-grained, some rough, some dark, and some light. It was a patchwork quilt of a wagon.
Its ragged bonnet was made up of a similarly eclectic collection of pelts from various creatures including bears, beavers, rats and rabbits, all roughly sewn together with thick hemp twine. Unsightly as the bonnet was, it had been skilfully crafted into a snug and weatherproof cover. Wooden pots, buckets, barrels and brooms
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