Master Envermet’s gaze grew shadowed. He ducked his head, but not before Marsh saw his eyes turn white. After a few minutes, he spoke, but very quietly.
“They need to be ready. The township can’t support them over the winter.”
“They can’t?” Marsh let her surprise show.
Master Envermet shook his head. “No. They can’t. The raiders have taken a greater toll than they’ve admitted.” He paused. “We’ll have to speak to them about that. Do you think some of your druids would mind?”
Lioma shook her head. “We might have one or two who’ll stay, but most want to get home to their families. Everything they’ve seen...” She sighed. “I can promise this, though. Sulema will send them aid before winter.”
“Are you sure?”
The female warrior nodded. “Yes. She will not let them starve, and she’ll give shelter to the rest.”
15
Negotiations
“What if we don’t want shelter?”
The question came as an unexpected shock, and Master Envermet’s jaw dropped. “I-I beg your pardon?”
“This shelter you offer,” his questioner repeated. “What if we don’t want it? What if we want to go home?”
His voice crumbled on the last word, but he held it together, so it came out sounding like he’d swallowed gravel. Several other ex-slaves raised their voices in agreement.
Master Envermet closed his mouth and signaled for Master Olderman and Lioma to come to the front of the room.
“Firstly, we cannot spare the manpower to escort you to your villages.” He raised a hand as protest rippled around the room. “Not yet, and not before winter. Secondly,” and here his eyes turned white, “many of you have no homes to return to.”
He waited as many gasped. Marsh watched as some of the prisoners turned to others, demanding an explanation.
“They burned it,” one finally answered, her voice cracking. “Burned it to the ground. It’s all gone. I saw some loading the winter stores onto wagons and others herding the animals away just before they set it alight.”
One of the men turned to her, his voice rough. “Maillet is gone?”
The woman bit her lip and nodded, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.
“But we can rebuild it, right?” He was grasping at straws, and he knew it.
The woman shook her head, and Lioma brought the conversation to a close.
“Not before winter,” she announced and indicated one of the druids. “Marceau tells me the snows will be early.”
Several members of the audience groaned, and more slumped in their chairs in defeat.
“But...” That one word brought many of them upright. “We can offer shelter for the winter and then assistance in rebuilding if you are willing to wait until spring.”
Master Olderman stepped forward. “We will accommodate you,” he began, and Master Envermet laid a hand on his shoulder.
“It is a generous offer,” he told the man, “but tell me, can Briar’s Ridge really support this many?”
Marsh could see the answer on the town leader’s face, but she waited, watching his desire to give shelter war with the reality he faced. After several long heartbeats, he sighed.
“The truth, Shadow Master?” he asked, stalling for time.
Master Envermet gave it to him. “The truth, Master Olderman, if you please.”
Master Olderman scowled. “I do not, but here it is anyway: Briar’s Ridge will be facing shortages this winter, and that is before we take any of you in. The offer of shelter in Ariella’s Grotto is a better choice, but I understand if you are afraid to go to the caverns. Briar’s Ridge will still make room and share what it has if you need it.”
“Thank you, Councilor,” Master Envermet replied. The shadow captain turned to the rescuees. “So, this is what I am authorized to offer.”
He shot a glance at Obasi and Lioma. “I am sure the Grotto’s representatives will correct me if I am wrong.”
Lioma and Obasi nodded, and Master Envermet continued. “Firstly, Ariella’s Grotto will assist you in returning to and rebuilding your villages in the spring. As I understand it, there are four different villages represented here, are there not?”
He waited until the murmurs of assent died down and then turned to Obasi. “I think you’d better take it from here.”
Obasi smiled and stepped forward, beginning without hesitation. “We can spare twenty warriors for each village, or we can send groups of twenty consisting of a mix of warriors, druids, and stone-shapers.”
Whispered discussion raged like wildfire through the room, and Obasi waited until it had died down. When people once more turned their attention to him, he continued.
“In the meantime, we have enough room to accommodate you, but will need your assistance in return.”
There were murmurs of disgust from around the room, and he waited until the whispers stopped.
“Our crops grow all year round, and we have only recently fought the raiders ourselves. The raiders stole our people and destroyed our homes as well, so while we can shelter you from the elements and feed you, we, too, need help to rebuild. Your help in winter could also free more of us to help you in spring. I will not know until we see what progress we make.”
This brought looks of understanding and yet more whispered discussion. Obasi and Lioma waited, and Marsh looked on as the freed prisoners broke into four distinct groups to discuss their situation.
She saw Giselle and the man who’d spoken on the porch speaking together, but she couldn’t hear what passed between them. They stood to one side for a long minute before joining the group. As they did, the man touched another on the arm
He bent toward them and engaged in earnest conversation, drawing Giselle into the group and wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she wept. Marsh nudged Master Envermet.
“What’s going on over there?”
“She has just learned that he heard their guards say another group of raiders was scheduled to attack the village, and that their homes were likely razed and her children taken.”
Marsh felt her spirits plummet. That was a harsh thing to have to face.
“Yes,” Master Envermet agreed and reached for a nearby chair. “This might be a long negotiation.”
Marsh followed his example, and they sat together, watching as the four clusters talked out their options. Occasionally, the conversations grew animated, but exhaustion soon took its toll, and the participants went back to talking quietly.
The people of Briar’s Ridge and the Grotto warriors carried food and water through the hall, making sure everyone ate. It was a good way for them to meet people, and before too long, Obasi’s people were stopping to answer questions.
Watching as the four different groups dragged the warriors and druids into their discussions, Marsh felt superfluous.
“Give it a little longer,” Master Envermet murmured. “They’ll come to us when they’re ready.”
Uh-huh.
“They’ll take the offer. We just have to be here when they’re ready.”
It took a lot longer than he implied. The street outside was cloaked in shadow by the time the four groups had become one, and eight had been chosen to represent them. Obasi and Lioma accompanied them as they approached the table where the shadow guards sat.
“When do we leave?”
At the man’s words, Mordan sat up, blinking her eyes. Her movement caught his attention, and he looked down at the kat. Master Envermet ignored his distraction.
“I was hoping to leave in the morning, but...” He raised a hand as the man opened his mouth to negate that option. “But I see that’s not practical.”
He looked at Master Olderman. “If it’s not too much of a strain on Briar Ridge’s resources, we’d like to stay another night.”
The town leader looked worried, but he shrugged. “If you can organize a shipment of supplies before winter, we would be happy to host you.”
Master Enver
met looked at Obasi.
“I’ll send the request when I speak to Sulema tonight. If it cannot be done, we’ll leave in the morning.”
Henri tapped Master Envermet on the arm. “I can go hunting,” he offered. He nudged Mordan with the toe of his boot. “What do you say, kat? You want to help me?”
Mordan bumped her head against his knee and rose to her feet. Henri’s jaw dropped as he watched her pad toward the door. He gave Marsh a startled glance.
“That’s a yes?”
Marsh smiled, hearing the kat’s impatience over the link between them.
Does the male wish to hunt or not?
“She’s waiting,” Marsh replied.
Henri rose from his seat. “With your permission,” he asked Master Envermet.
The shadow captain smiled as he nodded. “Take four volunteers with you. Mordan can alert us if you need us.”
Henri raised his forefinger to his forehead in a caravan guard’s salute before jogging after the kat. He didn’t have to call for volunteers. Four of the Grotto’s warriors had joined him before he reached the door.
Marsh would have wondered how they got permission if she hadn’t seen their eyes flicker white and Obasi’s eyes change in reply. It might be silent, but there was plenty of conversation going on.
Marsh thought briefly about joining them but decided against it. She needed to get back to check on Aisha. The child had overextended herself trying to prove she could, and she’d gone further than any of them had thought she was capable of.
Master Envermet included.
She is remarkable, and still has a long way to go, he informed her, interrupting her thoughts. I will have trouble keeping up with her before too long.
You and me, both, Marsh told him and wondered how Brigitte managed it.
She finds instructors to fill the gaps and tries to keep the child on an even keel, came Master Envermet’s reply. Once we exhaust those, Aisha will have to follow your example.
My example?
Of teaching yourself, and learning by instinct. No matter what happens, you seem to find a way to do what you need to do.
As much as she thought about denying it, Marsh realized it was true.
“In the meantime…” he said out loud and rose to his feet.
His words brought Marsh back to the present, and she stood with him. The meeting had adjourned, with the Grotto warriors stacking the tables to one side, and the ex-slaves spreading bedding on the floor.
They didn’t have much. Most were making do with a single blanket, and some had only sheets. Master Olderman followed her gaze.
“We’re trying to find more,” he explained, “but...”
Marsh understood. They hadn’t expected to look after so many on such short notice. Before she could ask what the raiders had used for bedding, Master Olderman answered.
“It’s better than sleeping on the ground in the enclosures outside,” he said, “but not by much.”
Marsh felt a brief flare of anger and then sighed. Sadness followed as she thought of what these people had endured. The least they could do was get them to a place where they could start to rebuild their lives.
She managed a short nod and followed Master Envermet into the street, glad to leave the compound behind them. As much as she hated to admit it, she was also glad the townsfolk had put them up in the community hall in the village proper. She wasn’t sure she could have handled staying in the compound.
“You’d have managed,” Master Envermet reassured her, then added, “Let’s go talk to Roeglin.”
Remembering the fatigue she’d seen in his mind, Marsh gave him a startled glance. “I’m not too tired for this.”
Marsh wanted to argue that he didn’t sound like he was up to it, but she refrained. Soft laughter echoed through her mind.
Thank you.
It was a deft reminder that he could still walk her mind at will.
“You’re going to have to teach me how to stop you from doing that,” she reminded him.
This time his laughter sounded quietly in her ears, but he didn’t say anything.
The tallest building in Briar’s Ridge belonged to Master Olderman, and even though they’d left him supervising the sleeping arrangements in the compound, they were expected.
“If you’d step this way?”
The woman had soft brown hair and sharp dark eyes. She was narrowly built and two inches shorter than Marsh, but her personality...
Marsh met her gaze and saw the steel there. This was not a woman to cross. She wondered how she’d managed to survive the raiders.
As if seeing the question on her face, the woman answered. “I loved my husband enough to keep my temper in check, and we worked to do what we could to protect our own people while trying to find a way to help those dragged through our streets.”
There was self-loathing in her tone, and Marsh felt pity. The woman had been torn in two worthy directions at once. She pushed aside the cynical voice that said she should have fought, that honor was more important than survival.
Part of her wanted to agree, but another part of her reminded her that honor did not always save lives and that sacrificing a part of yourself to save others was often better than saving a reputation for nothing more than the sake of keeping it.
It was not a welcome thought, and she focused on nodding solemnly. “How many did you save?” she asked, and the woman’s lips straightened into a firm line.
“I’ve lost count,” she replied, “but it saddens me to see that we put some of them right back in the path of danger.”
“You couldn’t have known.”
The woman scowled. “Yes, but now that we do, there is nothing we can do to make it right. We simply do not have the fighting force.”
Master Envermet looked at her. “No, but we do, and we will help.”
The woman froze. “Do you mean that?” she demanded. “Because we cannot leave them until after the winter. They won’t survive.”
Master Envermet stopped beside her. “I’ll speak to Obasi.”
She nodded and turned to lead them up a narrow staircase set beside the entrance. “You do that, because it breaks my heart to think I had any part in making their situation worse when all I wanted to do was make it better.”
“I agree.”
They climbed the rest of the stairs in silence, coming out into a small room just below the roofline.
“It gets cold up here in winter,” the woman explained, pushing the curtains at one end, “but it has the best view I’ve ever seen.”
Marsh had to agree. She stared out at the Devastation, noting the shattered silhouettes of broken towers and the cloud-smudged expanse of stars above.
The woman touched her arm, drawing her attention to the view at the very edge of the window. “Your man waits in that direction.”
Her man? Marsh blushed and followed the direction of her hand. How did she know, anyway?
Master Envermet came to stand beside her. “Are you ready?”
Marsh nodded, and he stepped into her head.
Roeglin? he asked, taking her mental hand.
After that, it was only a small step before Roeglin stood before them. He looked tired. It was the first thing Marsh noticed.
How are you sleeping? That was not the first thing she expected him to say, either.
What do you mean?
I mean, you dreamt last night, and it wasn’t pleasant. Are you okay?
Marsh frowned. She didn’t remember having nightmares last night. All she recalled doing was sleeping.
Believe me, you dreamt. Master Envermet’s assurance came swiftly. It took four of us to ensure you slept in safety.
Is that why you’re so tired today?
Master Envermet grimaced. This isn’t about me. It’s about you and the fact you are being hunted through your dreams.
Marsh shivered. It wasn’t until he’d mentioned dreaming that she’d recognized a nameless dread whenever she thought of sleeping. No wonde
r she wanted to sit by Aisha’s bed instead of sleeping in her own.
Exactly. Master Envermet wasn’t about to let it go. Roeglin and I will begin instructing you on how to guard your mind.
And here she’d been thinking Master Envermet was including her on his meeting with Roeglin just so she could speak to her better half. Why couldn’t it have been that simple?
Roeglin snorted. It’s never that simple.
His response made her smile. Of course, it wasn’t.
So, she began, what are we going to do about it?
To her surprise, Roeglin and Master Envermet looked at her, and Roeglin shrugged.
We were hoping you’d be able to tell us, he said, and Master Envermet nodded.
The only thing we can think of is to teach you how to shield.
Do you know where the attacks are coming from?
Marsh shook her head. I didn’t even know I was under attack, so no.
They sighed. Then we will teach you how to block, Roeglin told her and directed his attention to Master Envermet. Are you ready?
16
Henri and “The Cub”
Marsh screamed as she fought to keep the mental shield in place. Roeglin was merciless, and Master Envermet was as sneaky as the Deeps.
They’d shown her how to form the shield, and then suggested she draw on the magic she knew. Thinking of the mental shield as a shadow bubble had helped her maintain it, but it did nothing to reduce the frequency of attacks coming from her two teachers.
Marsh wondered if she could counterattack, then remembered what had happened the last time she had called the lightning in Roeglin’s head. The memory made her flinch, and her defenses wavered.
Both Roeglin and the shadow master moved to take advantage, only to stop when Mordan bounded down the link. She knocked the two mages to one side and grabbed Marsh by the scruff of her mental neck.
There is no time for this. We need the cub. He needs the cub. Her thoughts were accompanied by clear mental pictures of Henri and Aisha.
Master Envermet and Roeglin stopped immediately.
Magic Below Paris Complete Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 8): Trading Into Shadow, Trading Into Darkness, Trading Close to Light, Trading By Firelight, Trading by Shroomlight, plus 3 more Page 153
