Wayfarer

by R. J. Anderson

  “Being male, I should think not,” said Rob. “But rest assured that I can fly as well as you.” And with that his form blurred, and the faeries around him all jumped back as a full-sized robin appeared in his place.

  “You must pardon us,” said Valerian, and Linden looked around to see her coming down the Spiral Stair. Even in her plain gray robes, with not a single jewel or a spark of glamour to adorn her, she had a regal dignity. “It is our shame to have forgotten nearly all we once knew of our own heritage. And you are the first male of our kind that any of us Oakenfolk have ever seen.”

  The robin ruffled his feathers and became Rob again. He moved toward Valerian-but then a shrill voice rang out from the back of the crowd:

  “It is not your place to speak to him, Healer!”

  Inwardly Linden cringed as Bluebell came marching up onto the landing from the other side, her skirt gathered primly in one hand. Her hair was piled high atop her head, and the glittering circlet woven into it could only have come from the Archives-a treasure to which she had no right. She glanced imperiously at the faeries blocking her path, but nobody moved until Mallow barked, “Make way for the new Queen!”

  Reluctantly the others shuffled aside and Bluebell swept through. “On behalf of my people I welcome you, stranger,” she said. “And I trust you will forgive their unseemly curiosity-”

  “Stop talking rubbish, Bluebell,” said Thorn. “You aren’t any Queen of mine, and if you interrupt Valerian again, I’ll stuff you in a sack and sit on you.”

  “Thorn,” said Valerian quietly, “there is no need.”

  Rob stepped up to Valerian and bowed. “Your Majesty,” he said, “I have an important message to deliver. May I speak with you and Linden alone?”

  Bluebell opened and closed her mouth, like a baby bird deprived of its worm. Then she spun around, thrust her way back to the Stair, and disappeared. Only Mallow remained, her gaze fixed on Rob with a mixture of loathing and hunger. “You’re making a mistake,” she told him huskily. “Valerian’s not a proper Queen-she’s not even a proper faery. She’s just a Healer who’s gotten above herself, and a half-human one at that.”

  Her last words hit home: Rob stiffened. But he did not move from Valerian’s side, and Linden gave him a grateful smile.

  “It’s good to see you again,” she told him. “But how did you find us here?”

  Rob glanced back at the crowd of Oakenfolk. “I think,” he said, “that story would be better told in private. Is there somewhere else we can go?”

  “Children…of…Rhys,” muttered Timothy as he typed it into the library computer. Since he didn’t have a card, he’d had to fill out an application to use the terminal, and they’d only allowed him half an hour. But if the Blackwings were on their way, he couldn’t afford to spend more than a few minutes here in any case. He needed an answer now.

  Peri sat beside him with tight lips and folded arms, still furious after what Rob had done to them on the road. The car had been only a little scratched, but she’d hated having magic used against her that way. And once they started driving again, and Timothy explained what Rob had told him about the Blackwings and the Empress-he’d never seen Peri look so savage. No wonder the faeries called her Knife.

  “Well?” she demanded.

  Timothy did not reply; he was busy scanning the page he’d just found, which claimed to be an online dictionary of the faery folk. Sure enough, there was an entry about the Children of Rhys, but it was only a couple of lines and didn’t tell him anything he didn’t know already. Except…he studied the screen a moment, then went back to the search engine and typed in the Welsh version of the name: Plant Rhys Ddwfn.

  Now that was more like it. The first link he found was an excerpt from a book of Welsh legends, and there was a whole story about a farmer named Gruffydd who had found the Children with the help of some magic herbs…. Timothy read the page from top to bottom, then got up quickly and went to the library’s help desk.

  “Could I send a few pages to the printer?” he asked. “We’re in a hurry.”

  “Please make yourself comfortable,” said Valerian as she ushered Linden and Rob into the Healer’s quarters. She gestured to the sofa, but Rob remained standing, looking around the room with an expression Linden had never seen on his face before: There was wonder in it, and even a hint of envy.

  Of course, thought Linden. Compared to the squalid, barely furnished apartment Rob had shown them last night or the shabby disorder of the hostel, Valerian’s rooms must have seemed like paradise. The chairs were not only sturdily built but attractive; Thorn had learned a great deal from studying Paul’s books on design. Wink had taken scraps of fabric from the House and sewn draperies and cushions in serene patterns of blue. Twig-framed pictures of medicinal plants hung on the wall, drawn by Knife with a very fine pen, and by the door a glass jar held dried herbs that Valerian had arranged herself.

  “I apologize that I cannot receive you in the Queen’s chambers,” said Valerian, evidently misunderstanding Rob’s reaction. “But her quarters seem to be under dispute at the moment.”

  “Yet you have magic,” Rob said as he sat down, “and this Bluebell does not. Why not bend her and her supporters to your will-or at least punish them as their disloyalty deserves? Do you want your subjects to perceive you as weak?”

  “I want my people to accept me willingly as their Queen,” replied Valerian, “not bow to my rule out of fear. I may not be able to persuade them all to follow me. But if most of them do, that will suffice.”

  “Easily said when your enemies have little power,” countered Rob. “But if your plan to restore the Oakenfolk’s magic succeeds, then they will soon have as much magic as you do. What if they attempt to overthrow you and take the throne by force? Will you not regret your mercy then?”

  “Perhaps,” said Valerian, unruffled by Rob’s challenging tone. “But I would rather risk losing my throne than claim it as a tyrant.” She rose from the sofa and opened the window, inviting fresh air into the dusty-smelling room. “You must be parched after your journey; may I bring you a drink of water or some berry wine?”

  Rob looked startled. He glanced at Linden, and she could read the question in his eyes: Is this a mockery? Or is your Queen truly offering to serve me?

  “You should try the wine,” Linden reassured him. “Queen Valerian makes it herself, and it’s very good.”

  “Then I will do so,” said Rob. He took the cup that Valerian handed him and sipped it, then set it aside and said, “But I am not here as an idle visitor. A few moments ago I met the human boy on the road, and what I told him then, I tell you now: You are all in grave danger.”

  Valerian caught her breath. “The Empress?”

  “Indeed. As I feared, Veronica has gone to her and told all she knows, and now the Empress has sworn to capture Linden and Timothy and make an example of them. She has sent two of her deadliest hunters-the Blackwing brothers, who take the form of ravens-to track them down, and if you do not act quickly, they will find the rest of you as well.”

  Valerian’s brow furrowed with anxiety. “Can we not hide the children? Or send them elsewhere to safety?”

  Rob shook his head. “There is no safe place for them anywhere. Every faery under the Empress’s rule-and there are hundreds of us scattered throughout this land-knows what Timothy and Linden look like, and we have all been told to report the instant either one of them is seen.”

  “How?” Valerian demanded. “How could one faery become powerful enough to control so many?”

  “The Empress began her rule long before I was born,” said Rob, “but I know this much. She asked her first followers to share with her a single drop of their blood in token of their loyalty. Then, using an ancient magic, she used that blood to bind them to her service. She sent her servants to recruit other faeries by the same means, and those in turn enlisted more, until all but a few of our people belonged to her-and those who resisted did so at the cost of their lives. So how can any
of us stand against her now, when she has tasted our blood and knows all our true names?”

  Linden was horrified. To know a faery’s true name was to have absolute power over her, which was why most faeries lived their whole lives and died without ever sharing that secret. To think of the Empress ferreting out those precious names with dark magic, and using them to control faeries like Rob against their will-it made Linden feel sick.

  “I have served the Empress all my life,” Rob continued, “but not by choice, and I know others who would also be glad to escape her rule. Still, as long as she holds our names, we dare not rebel openly against her. Yet among the Children of Rhys, it is said, there is a white stone that gives a new name to any faery who holds it. If someone could find that stone and bring it to us, we would be free.”

  His musician’s hands spread in a pleading gesture. “For years I have sought the Children of Rhys, but all my attempts to find them have failed. Even if I knew where to look for them, I could not leave the city for more than a few hours without arousing suspicion. But Linden is outside the Empress’s power-”

  “And so you would send her out into the world to hunt for the Children of Rhys on your behalf?” said Valerian incredulously. “A girl of fifteen with nothing but glamour to protect her, and these Blackwing brothers pursuing her all the while?” She rose from her chair. “No. This is madness. There must be another way.”

  “There is no refuge for Linden here,” insisted Rob. “With the little magic you have, you cannot hold the Oak against the Blackwings, not even for a moment. You must send Linden away if the rest of your people are to survive-and is it not better to send her out with a purpose than with no direction at all?”

  “But if Linden leaves us, the Oak will still be at risk,” objected Valerian. “We need her to sustain the glamour that hides our doors and windows from human eyes-her spells may be weak and unpracticed, but they are all the protection we have.”

  “I can help you with that,” said Rob. “I have no skill with illusion, but if you close your shutters I can command this tree to grow a fresh layer of bark across them, until only a slit remains. You will have air and a little light, and no human will guess your Oak is inhabited-at least, not so long as you draw your curtains and guard your lamps carefully after nightfall.”

  Linden held her breath, watching Valerian. The new Queen’s head was bowed, her eyes shut. At last she said, “Even the Sight cannot counsel me otherwise. I accept your offer. Linden will go.”

  Fearful excitement fluttered through Linden. She had another chance to help the Oakenfolk-and now, it seemed, Rob and his people as well.

  “Yet one thing still troubles me,” Valerian went on. “If the Blackwings are so swift, so powerful, and so ruthless-how can Linden and Timothy hope to escape them even for a little while, let alone stay ahead of them long enough to find the Children of Rhys?”

  “I know!” said Linden. “We can take the train!” After all, it had worked for her and Timothy before, and even the strongest ravens could only fly so fast or so far….

  Valerian looked at Rob.

  “It is possible,” said Rob. “My people dislike train stations, for the scent of so many humans together is unpleasant to us, and we have our own methods of journeying from one place to another. Most faeries loyal to the Empress would scorn to travel in such a way-and that pride may prove to be their weakness.”

  The Queen sighed. “I can only pray that you are right,” she said. “But so be it. Linden, go quickly now and say your farewells, and pack what you need for the journey. As soon as Timothy and Knife return, you must go.” She took Linden by the shoulders and stooped to kiss her brow, adding softly, “And may the Great Gardener watch over you.”

  The sun was high over the rooftops of Oakhaven by the time Timothy and Peri returned. Peri backed the car into the drive, so they could get away quickly if need be, and the two of them sprinted into the house shouting, “Good news!”

  Paul wheeled quickly to meet them in the corridor. “It worked? You actually found out about the Children of Rhys on the internet?”

  Timothy nodded and held up the pages he’d printed at the library. “I’ve got a legend that tells where the Children are and how to find them. I don’t know how much truth there is to the story, but it’s the best chance we’ve got….” He looked over at Peri, who nodded and said, “Off you go. Hurry.”

  “Where’s he going?” asked Paul as Timothy raced up the stairs. He was nearly at the top when he heard Peri reply in a rueful tone, “Well, that would be the bad news.”

  Even so, there was one good thing about knowing his life was in danger, thought Timothy as he stuffed some more clothes in his backpack. If nothing else, it had made him very wide awake.

  Reluctantly he shoved his guitar a little farther under the bed-he wished he could take it with him, but it would only get in the way. He was heading down the stairs again when a tentative knock sounded at the back of the house. Timothy hurried down the hallway just as Peri unlatched the glass door and Linden burst inside, human-sized and quivering with nervous excitement.

  “I’m so sorry I worried you. I know I should have left a note-”

  “Never mind that,” said Peri, quickly returning Linden’s embrace. “I’m just glad you’re-” She broke off, frowning. “What’s that bird doing out there?”

  “It’s Rob,” said Linden. “He came with me from the Oak, but he can’t come in unless you invite him. Would you?”

  “Of course,” said Peri sweetly, but there was a dangerous gleam in her eye. She flung the door open and addressed the robin on the veranda, “Greetings, Rob of London. I am Perianth, also known as Knife, Queen’s Hunter and chief protector of the Oak. I may be human now, but I was born as much a faery as you are, and if you dare to use magic on me without my permission again, I will shoot you.” She stepped back, holding the door wide. “Now that that’s settled, will you come in?”

  Timothy had never seen a bird look embarrassed before, let alone contrite, but this one did. He fluttered over the threshold, unfolded himself into six feet of lanky height, and stood meekly by Linden’s side.

  “Well?” asked Paul.

  Rob looked down at his feet, and all at once Timothy realized that the male faery was younger than he’d thought. It was only Rob’s formal way of speaking, and that ageless look all grown faeries seemed to share, that had fooled him. “Cold iron,” Rob said in a subdued voice. “If you have a piece small enough for Timothy to carry, it will weaken any spells that the Blackwings try to cast over him.”

  “Good suggestion,” Paul remarked. “But if it affects faery magic, won’t it weaken Linden too?”

  “It will make it hard for her to cast spells on Timothy, yes. And she must take care not to touch the iron herself, or she will not be able to use her magic for some time afterward. But believe me, the benefit of carrying such a talisman will be far greater than any risk.”

  “Right,” said Paul, turning to Peri. “There’s a key in the old trunk upstairs that should do the trick.” Then as she started off he added, “And while you’re up there, bring down my suitcase, will you? I need to pack.”

  “Suitcase?” exclaimed Timothy. “Where are you going?”

  “Good question,” Peri said, turning to face her husband with her hands on her hips. “I thought we agreed that I’m going with them.”

  “No doubt they’d be glad if you did,” said Paul. “But the Oakenfolk need you here. Besides, I’m Timothy’s guardian, so if anybody’s going to drive him to the back end of Wales, it ought to be me.”

  Linden’s eyes lit with sudden hope. “Wales? You mean you’ve found out where the Children of Rhys are?” But then Rob spoke up:

  “Your intentions are noble, human, and I cannot fault your courage. But a single car, once identified, is easily tracked-and as Timothy and your mate can tell you, easily intercepted as well. Also, the Blackwings must take Linden and Timothy alive to earn the Empress’s reward, but they have no such co
mmand concerning you. I do not advise it.”

  Peri dropped into the chair next to Paul, her face a portrait of frustration. “But someone has to go with you,” she said to Timothy and Linden. “It’s dangerous, and you’re far too young.”

  “It’s a good thing no one told you that when you were fifteen and fighting crows twice your size with the blade of my old craft knife,” said Paul. “Somehow I don’t think it would have gone over very well.” But a corner of his mouth turned up as he said it, and he put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek with a tenderness that held no reproach.

  Peri relaxed a little. “Yes, but-”

  She was interrupted by a frantic pattering at the door. They all looked around to see Thorn crouched on the veranda, hammering on the glass with both fists.

  Instantly Peri leaped up and threw the door open. The faery flashed inside, shouting, “Close it! Close it now!”

  “What’s going on?” Peri asked as Thorn dropped to the mantelpiece, one hand pressed to her heaving ribs.

  “Saw them-from the top of the Oak,” gasped Thorn. “Two of them-too big for crows. Flying in from the northwest.”

  Rob went very still, and his eyes became distant, as though he was listening. “She is right,” he said at last. “The Blackwings have found us.”

  Eleven

  There was a moment of dreadful silence. Then:

  “I’ll hold them off,” said Peri. “The rest of you, get ready to move.” She took a step toward the door, but Rob intercepted her.

  “This is folly,” he said. “What can you do against them? Whatever you may have been once, you are a mere human now, and you have no magic.”

  “Maybe not,” agreed Peri, and her mouth curled in a bleak smile. “But I do have a gun.” And with that she sprinted off down the corridor, leaving Rob staring after her.