At first, Keysjhon thought the sword-master was not with the two men. Then he saw her lying in the grass, one arm shading her eyes from the bright morning sun while Daniel and Jador went through their routines, sweat pouring down their bodies. Keysjhon had to chuckle, her pose was so contradictory to the two men exercising next to her.
Daniel and Jador were also staying with them, and Keysjhon guessed that Kassan had probably woken them and shoved them out the door, as she had probably done every morning since they had arrived. Neither of the men had complained — yet.
Every day more of their old compatriots arrived. They travelled in small groups, hoping to escape the notice of patrols. Warriors who had been patiently waiting for the prophecised saviour now took up their weapons and journeyed here to serve him.
While he was getting dressed, Belon told him of Akileena and his daughter's release. Akileena! With a daughter now! Such time had passed since he had last communicated with his old friend. His heart was lightened at the news of their escape.
Belon also told him that Toormeena had revealed to Brynn the knowledge they had hidden about Brynn being a part of The Prophecy. The omission of his true hair colour and the destiny that went with it was something he had never been comfortable with, but one he agreed was necessary until their son reached an age when he could understand what it all meant to him. Even so, Brynn had been active in the rebel organisation for the last several turns. Keysjhon had insisted on it, it was the only way the child could learn the skills he needed. They told Brynn he would assist the Saviour as a mage. Yet, Keysjhon was certain, at times, that Brynn knew, mayhap not that he was the Saviour, but that he was more integral than they told him. They said there were others like him, in other locations, receiving the same training, and mostly, this was true. Their training, however, was not as intensive as Brynn's. He had been given more than just an apprenticeship to a mage, but also an apprenticeship to Kassan, one of the highest-ranking Ko-renti warriors. Brynn would not just view the world as an empath or healer, but as a strategist, warrior, and mage. Little wonder the child was sometimes confused. Yet, his achievements proved that Brynn was well-equipped to deal with the challenges he faced.
Brynn and Akileena were not the only ones returning to Caradon. Belon reported that Riqu was also on his way. Keysjhon had not seen the rebel leader for some thirty turns — another necessary separation. Such reunions were a fitting occasion for the celebratory feast Belon planned. The elvan did not regularly eat meat and even then, it was usually fowl and fish in the autumn, for this was the time before winter, when nature would sleep, and their food sources became restricted. It was hard to believe they had once, many, many centuries ago, been carnivores. The ability to communicate with animals made the transition to a mostly vegetarian diet easier. Keysjhon found it interesting that the may-en-ghi, though able to communicate with all animals, had no compunctions killing to eat, but found killing in the name of war abhorrent.
They had stores, sure enough, but Belon wanted fresh food, and Keysjhon agreed, Brynn's return merited more than the standard fare in storage. Fresh fruit, baked treats and zilveran would greet the new arrivals. As long as Keysjhon could convince Belon to let him bring up a cask of zilveran. Being a healer, it was Belon who dealt with the hangovers following celebrations and so she tended to favour non-alcoholic drinks. Keysjhon tilted his head to one side, pondering. He could broach the idea with Kassan first, Belon had yet to win an argument with the strong-willed sword-master.
Almost as if she heard him think her name, Kassan hailed him with a welcoming grin. Daniel finished one exercise and moved into another with just a brief wave in between. Jador straightened and smiled. Kassan said something with a mock frown and Jador's response made them all chuckle.
'You are out to hunt this morn, blade-master,' Kassan said, noting his retractable bow.
Keysjhon nodded. 'Indeed I am, sword-master.'
Jador's smile wavered briefly in confusion. 'If one is the master of blade, would not one also be a master of the sword?'
'You mean, are we technically calling each other the same thing?' Kassan clarified with a smile that assured the elderly man she was not offended by the question.
Jador indicated that this was so.
'Keysjhon, here, is master of all blades, no matter the size, style or type. I master only swords, not sabres, rapiers, or even knives. I can use them, yes, however I have not mastered them.'
'Oh, I see...' Jador trailed off, his tone uncertain. It still sounded like the same thing to him.
Daniel finished his exercises and dropped to sit cross-legged on the grass. 'What brings you down this way so early?'
'Belon tells me Brynn returns,' Keysjhon announced, 'and she thinks a celebration is in order.'
All three broke into smiles at this news. Kassan rose and clasped the blade-master in a brief celebratory hug. 'The child has succeeded then!'
'Hardly a child any longer,' Jador rebuked her.
'No,' she agreed with a tone of regret. 'Although at thirty-eight, he is still quite young. Just past his childhood in human terms, I would say.'
'Brynn is an adolescent!' Jador exclaimed in disbelief.
'Just,' Kassan confirmed.
Jador shook his head, 'It cannot be so.'
'Well, how old do you consider me?' Keysjhon asked him.
Jador raised his brows and then frowned as he considered his answer. 'I was going to say sixty or so, but I have a feeling I'm a little off.'
Keysjhon laughed, a full and hearty sound that startled the birds around them. 'By the realms, I enjoy human companionship, they make me feel so young. You are right Jador, for I am well past sixty.' Keysjhon turned towards Kassan. 'I thought you might like to join me in my hunt.'
'What are we after?'
'Some pheasant and later, fish. Deer or boar if we see them. Also, whatever we can gather along the way. Belon said her garden will see to the rest. She wants to have a traditional welcome feast, so we may even convince her to let us get out some zilveran.'
'Convince? I know where she keeps the stuff,' Kassan said, 'so I will save her the grief of the argument and get some out for her.'
Keysjhon laughed. 'That was precisely what I was hoping you would say.'
'Of course, it will do no harm if we apply a bit of diplomacy when we tell her,' Kassan added.
Daniel frowned slightly. 'Is that likely to work with Belon?'
Kassan shrugged. 'Who does not like to be called beauticious and gifted every now and again?'
Now Keysjhon frowned. 'Is that a word?'
'Beauticious? Probably not, I was going for beauteous and made a wrong turn, but who would argue with me?'
All three men laughed at her comment.
'And I will be being utterly sincere, especially when I praise her cooking, because your rahn is a most gifted cook, Keysjhon,' Kassan said.
'How about you start with that. I know my rahn well enough to know she never tires of hearing her cooking praised, but then she works hard in order to earn such compliments.'
Smiling, Kassan said, 'I shall heed your advice.' Then the sword-master addressed Daniel and Jador. 'Perhaps, if you both feel up to it, you might like to join us,' she suggested. 'The exercise will do you good,' she added almost as an after-thought.
Both men groaned, but agreed that the outing would be a bit of an adventure. Keysjhon suspected she had been hounding them into regular exercise ever since they returned.
They started towards the forest, Daniel and Jador promising to catch up as soon as they retrieved their weapons.
'I suspect there will be little time for hunting after Brynn returns,' Kassan commented as they sauntered along.
'He is revealed now. He is also a symbol of hope, so it is time he openly leads,' Keysjhon said.
'How do you feel being led by a child?'
Keysjhon snorted. 'Nervous. But a fearless warrior is a fool.' Then, more seriously, he added, 'You were there, that day, you know what he can do
when he is cornered and untrained. Twenty turns have passed since and his training has significantly advanced. I admit, I am still nervous, for in terms of leading an army, he is unblooded. But I believe in him.'
'Aye, I continue with faith, too,' Kassan assured her friend. 'I would not be here otherwise. I claim no ease in my decision, though, for if The Prophecy's path is followed, it will lead to war. And despite the forty turns, I remember the devastation of the last one far too well.'
'It, too, if you recall, was led by unblooded leaders, for not since Hahn have we had need to raise arms in such a manner,' Keysjhon pointed out. 'Ah, Kassan, if only there were no reasons to war,' the blade-master sighed regretfully.
Kassan chuckled. 'Keysjhon, if it were up to you and me, life would have little or no politics. Just farmin', huntin' and childr'n,' the sword-master murmured echoing Keysjhon's wistfulness.
'And affection, Kassan, do not forget that,' Keysjhon reminded her.
Kassan gave him a sly grin. 'Well, how do you think we get the children, old warrior?'
'I am not that old,' he objected. 'Just experienced,' he added with a grin.
Day 17 – Mid-day
Serenvale Plains
Denica fell into step beside Baschia and Brynn. 'I have discovered another group of refugees,' she reported.
'Where?' Baschia asked, and received an image from the other may-en-ghi.
'About a mile slightly south and west of here,' Denica added.
Brynn's face clouded with concern. 'How many?'
'Sixteen, human and elvan, most of them children. They whisper despite their isolation and they reek of fear. They are led by a human who is part of the rebel organisation.'
Brynn nodded. 'Riqu warned us there would be refugees heading this way. With my emergence indicating a renewal of the war in the near future, Riqu has had his divisions escalate the movement of rescued slaves and various other groups of rebels.'
'Think you he aims to provide an army?'
Brynn shook his head. 'No, Denica, he is sending mostly children and the vulnerable this way. I think he seeks to get them off the battlefield before the fight begins. Show me to these people.'
It was only a short ride and as they heard Sershja's hoof-beats, the group threw themselves down, hoping to hide.
'I offer no harm,' Brynn announced, his voice loud enough to be heard but not to gain unwanted attention.
Hesitantly, a young dark-haired woman rose. 'You are elvan,' she stated.
Brynn smiled. 'I am. You have quite a few children here. Where are you heading?'
'South,' the woman replied guardedly.
Brynn spent a brief moment assessing the woman, confirming Denica's assessment that they were rebels and refugees.
'Come with me,' Brynn directed. 'I will take you to the southern safe-haven.'
Day 18 – Afternoon
Heading to Sal-Cirus
'You healed him, you said...'
Colnba sat morosely next to Nisari. He was not really there, he was in a carriage on the way to Sal-Cirus. Alone, thankfully. He had told Malithorn he needed complete solitude to carry out talent-related activities. Through their talent, she could see him, feel his warmth, hear his voice. Not in her mind, as mind-speak, but as if he was in the room. She reached out a comforting hand to him, willing him to feel her touch.
'And still, he remains in a deep coma. I repaired everything, looked over every molecule of his planes twice, if not more,' the discouraged tone in Colnba's voice held defeat.
Nisari was never comfortable seeing him like this, possibly because he so rarely failed, and she was not used to it. Being out here only made it harder. Seven of them had 'defected', however it would be sennats before the rebels trusted them with more than a refuge and supplies. She did not look forward to the many days ahead of her in this draughty, musty stable loft, but they had to convince the rebels they were sincere.
She had contacted Colnba to suggest he send a patrol to almost catch them, forcing the rebels to take them deeper within their organisation, only to find him not just exhausted, but thoroughly dispirited.
'Mayhap it was something the Saviour did,' she said.
Colnba was not about to let himself off easily. 'Nay, he only kept him unconscious. Matthias actually caused himself more harm when he resisted.'
'I can see you will not be dissuaded. I gather, then, you believe it has something to do with drawing him through the planes?'
'I just cannot figure out what!' her rahn responded with a tone of frustration. 'It is not like I can practice, especially not now, not knowing this.'
'Do you think Matthias will die?'
Colnba looked up sharply at the regret in Nisari's voice, Matthias had been her apprentice and her friend. 'My en-nor-ri-u...' My soul... 'Please forgive me, my intention was to save him.'
Nisari gave him a sad smile and caressed his cheek. 'You have stolen nothing from him, had he remained, the Saviour would have killed him. Yet I wonder... may I investigate this?'
Colnba welcomed her offer with a smile. 'Most certainly, if you can see what I am blind to, it can only end my torment and mayhap save his life.'
'Come, lie with me while I investigate,' Nisari invited. 'It is not like I am about to go anywhere, I might as well seize this opportunity and help if I can.'
The hayloft was an attic-like room that held farming equipment along with bales of hay. The others had used the bales to make her a bed of sorts and close off a section of the loft to give her some privacy. Nisari had laid her cloak on the bed and now she turned and curled up. She felt Colnba move behind her. He was so skilled with his mind-will talent, she would oath that she felt the warmth of his breath against her neck. Nisari ran her fingers over an arm she knew was not there, seamlessly he created the feel of skin and the fine, soft hair of his arm, exactly as she remembered. She knew he was using her sensory memory to create the illusion, just as she did for him.
'I thought you were going to help me?' he scolded affectionately.
Chapter 8
Day 19 – Sunset
Serenvale Plains
Brynn watched the sunset from a low outcropping of rocks not far from the camp. He could hear the others preparing dinner. The colours of the sky melted together, soon the yellow would become orange, the orange would become red, then purple, blue, and, finally, an inky blue so dark it appeared black.
They were making good time and once they met up with Riqu's group the following day, they would cross the plains leading up to the secluded valley where Caradon was hidden. Sariah's sight was steadily improving. The group was getting on well, too. They seemed to enjoy being able to perform simple domestic duties at their leisure. She had found a third group of refugees and led him to them, adding to the size of the group. It meant they had to be more careful in selecting their route and picking the time of day to travel, but between the may-en-ghi, Akileena, and himself, they had managed, so far, to escape the notice of Abbarane mages and patrols.
Akileena, though friendly, spent most of his time with the may-en-ghi. He felt isolated by his experience. Unlike the slaves, he was often kept alone, and it had been a long time since he had spent time with people who did not hate him, leaving the mage feeling unsure about how to behave. Sentary had taken a liking to him, though, and rarely left him alone. The younger elvan constantly plied Akileena with questions about his talent, daughter, and life as a rebel before his capture. Brynn had seen the mage smile often as Sentary persisted eagerly in his quest for knowledge. He was sure the younger elvan was not totally naïve and was artfully drawing Akileena back amongst his peers without the mage quite realising it. Sentary possessed enough natural talent to warrant training. In a society now starved of trained talent-wielders, Brynn thought he might suggest to Sentary that an apprenticeship with Akileena might benefit them both.
Feeling somewhat content, Brynn watched the colours of sunset go through their slow transformation. He could forget who he was for a few moments of the day. His conten
tment turned to worry though as his thoughts returned to poor Anarya. He had not seen her on the planes, nor been able to send to her since he had dealt with Nathan. He regretted not establishing a link with her... There was nothing he could do about that. It was foolish to link with prisoners for it would not be long before Abbarane mages traced that link to your location.
The rescue of Akileena's daughter had occurred without incident. With the may-en-ghi masking their actions on the planes and causing the soldiers involved to accept everything without question, it had all gone smoothly. Still, Brynn had not taken their success for granted and was still utterly grateful that that part of his plan had not gone awry. After getting Akileena's daughter, Riqu had gone on to boldly rescue several slaves in the eastern slave hold of Denas, posing as the captain in charge of transferring them to the city of Tiegna, which required more staff and slaves. At their last contact, Brynn only enquired about Akileena's daughter, being driven by Akileena's anxiety. As a safeguard against Abbarane mages they had been keeping their communications brief, so he had yet to discover anything about Anarya.
'Brynn.'
It was Riqu.
'Speak of the cat and he will come.'
'Unlike the cat, I have no comfort to offer, but I felt your thoughts and knew you were awaiting contact from me.'
'She is gone,' Brynn guessed.
'I searched the entire cell block in Denas,' Riqu reported. Knowing how personally Brynn felt about this particular slave's well-being, Riqu decided to risk a longer conversation so he could fully explain what had happened. 'I took every slave I could, even those hanging on by mere threads. I found three in a cell, an elvan, human, and an elvan child. They were recaptured with Sentary and sent to Denas. I believe the elvan female was your Anarya. She called herself Reya, but it was a shortened version of her name because it was similar to another slave's name. I had the sense that the child was mispronouncing it, which, considering his age, is something neither adult was likely to correct. I was able to determine that she had the kind of talent you described, and her human companion said she was hoping to join the rebels so she could get training as a mage. You have my sympathy, Brynn, I only regret that I could not get to them sooner. Even an hour may have made a difference. At least Fate granted her the mercy of peace. She will not feel hunger or the cold any longer,' the rebel leader consoled.
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