First Comes The One Who Wanders (7 page)

"Then why didn't you tell her and save us some time?"

"Because, like you, I believed it was her choice to make."

"I have a lot to learn about seeing into the future," said Leilas, shaking her head in bewilderment. "It doesn't make much sense to me. You see something the way it's going to be, and yet, the person still has to make the choice. Even though you know they're going to, you can't influence them to make it."

"That’s it, exactly."

"It might have been easier to understand had I been able to take my vows and finish my training as a master. Master Frey told me it would make more sense once I took the oath." Leilas looked toward Dirth again. "I suppose now it never will."

"You are already a master and have the ability to learn what they would have shown you on your own. All you have to do is take the opportunities presented to learn," said Brenth, staring over her head. "But if it makes you feel better, you can always go to the School of Sea." Leilas acknowledged the truth of his statement, while marveling at the black and white of youth. In one breath he could utter astounding praise and in the next dismiss it with pragmatism. But going to the School of Sea had always seemed foreign to her. She was of the Sky.

"Once we get to Menas safely, I'll worry about what I'm going to do with my life. Who knows what will happen between now and then?"

"Who knows, indeed," Joshuas entered into the conversation, as he bent to fill up his water skin from the stream.

"Somehow, I think everyone here knows better than I do," grumbled Leilas, pushing her tired body up from the rock and mimicking Joshuas' actions.

"Well, I know for certain that we have another two hours of riding to reach camp, so we'd better get started."

Brenth scrambled to his feet and went to help his mother with her things. When he had her safely mounted, he slung his water skin and bag of food around his saddle horn and climbed onto his horse.

Leilas couldn't help thinking he was very old for his age, in many ways, much older than she. Wishing she had some of his wisdom and a larger share of his less compulsive personality, she placed her foot in her stirrup and swung into position.

As before, she fell in behind the rest and kept watch to the rear. Again, the feeling of uneasiness crept over her as she rode. Her only comfort was that this time, there was no voice in her mind.

"What is it you think you see, Leilas?" Joshuas's voice spoke in her mind, instantly giving comfort and easing her distress.

"Someone is watching us," answered Leilas, speaking only to him. Joshuas said nothing, but she could feel him probing with his mind.

"I feel nothing. Are you sure?"

"No, it's just a feeling." Leilas said nothing about the voice she'd heard earlier. Perhaps it was just her nerves that made her think she'd heard something, that made her feel as though she was being watched.

"Feelings are not something to be ignored," replied Joshuas. "Let's take a few minutes to rest," he said to Brenth and Queen Daina as he brought the group to a stop. Dismounting, he moved to Leilas's side.

"Follow the feeling with your mind,' He said, placing his hands on hers. Where is our crafter?"

A little surprised that Joshuas was taking her unease so seriously, she tried to focus on the origin of her feeling. Slowly, she felt herself moving outside of their small circle and moving toward the eyes she felt were watching. It was much clearer now, the probing. Following the path of power, she moved closer to the source. With a small gasp she found herself looking up into the eyes of Jayram, through green mists. She wasn’t sure how she knew it was him, but she knew.

Pulling quickly away, she felt the probing cease and saw the mists begin to recede. Grabbing Joshuas' hands to steady herself, she slowly made her way back through the paths she’d traveled until she was back on the road with a concerned Joshuas staring down at her.

"It was Jayram," she told him breathlessly. "He was tracking us with the mists."

Grunting, Joshuas looked into her eyes and seemed satisfied with what he saw. "So much for hoping we might slip through unnoticed. Still, the cave is our best defense tonight. We have a good head start. Even crafters are bound by some laws of nature."

But not bound to the earth as were her mother and brother. Leilas cast a worried glance in their direction. Crafters of the Land could change into animals that could travel swiftly and silently. Their enemies could travel the distance they’d covered in half the time.

"There’s a trick I've used in the past," continued Joshuas, "if you’re willing to try. I'd use it, but Jayram seems to have found you, not me." Leilas waited in silence. If he was looking for a reason why Jayram was able to find her so quickly, she didn't have one. "And if he found you once, he’ll probably be able to find you again. When he does find you, in your mind, show us turning around and backtracking. Cross the stream, continue on the path that follows the trees. Make up scenery, so he believes you’re going in that direction. He won't know it's a lie, until you don't see some landmark he expects you to pass. It may buy us a little time. Brenth can lead your mount so you won't be distracted by where we are really going."

"And when he does realize it's a lie and sends someone after us, what then?"

"We stand, fight and hope we’re stronger. We can also hope that Darryl wearies of the search before they find us. He’s presently angry that we slipped away, but he may decide that his battle was successful enough without our deaths and abandon the search. He can't believe that putting you, your mother, and brother to death is worth spending a great deal of time or energy pursuing. After all, your mother was never a central character in Dirth. Neither was your brother and Darryl can't be very interested in a student from the School of Sky."

"What about Jayram?"

"I think he’s still content to do King Darryl's bidding."

"And I thought the crafters would leave each other alone," remarked Leilas sarcastically, thinking back on what the masters had taught her concerning the crafter schools.

"Jayram's reasons for helping Darryl are still clouded," Joshuas accepted her point reluctantly. "But there are some crafter's who believe the powers aren’t as balanced as the Council of Sky believe them to be. There’s a lot about the world that the masters at the School of Sky have missed because they choose to stay within the walls of the school. It’s easy to be misled when you don't venture into the world and rely on others for the news."

"All the masters have to do is call the mists and look around," Leilas argued with him. "They know what’s going on."

"The mists can lie. They didn't know that the School of Land was going to attack," Joshuas jabbed back. "The Council has been content to let people like me tell them what is happening, and not every crafter is as honest with them. Many have their own reasons for sharing information with the masters and for withholding it. The Council has been remiss in not keeping a better eye on the balance of power."

Leilas wanted to argue with him, but knew she was venturing into a part of the Crafter's Guild about which she knew very little. She'd spent her time learning the craft. Learning how to play the game of politics associated with the Guild hadn't been of any interest to her. She'd always assumed she’d avoid that arena. Listening to the politics of her father's kingdom as she was growing up had been more than enough for her.

Many crafters lived their whole life and never had to worry about what the Council did or didn't do and how the powers were distributed throughout the earth.

"I hope you're right about Darryl. I hadn't envisioned spending the rest of my life as a fugitive."

"We never know what will be accorded us in this life." Joshuas headed back for his mount. "We simply deal with what comes our way, one day at a time."

"That’s an interesting philosophy for someone who deals in centuries instead of years."

"It's kept me alive this long."

"And how long has that been?"

"Master Joshuas was an old master when I was a child," Queen Daina spoke softly, interrupting their conversation for the first time. "Even then, the Menas couldn't remember how old he was."

An odd disappointment settled in Leilas' chest as her mother spoke. She wasn't sure why, and decided she’d have to explore it when she had more time. Cringing at the thought, she steeled herself against the voice in her mind, but it did not come.

"Are you ready to begin?" Joshuas mounted his horse and turned in his saddle. "We go up, you go down."

"I'll do my best." Leilas handed her reins to Brenth and mounted.

"That should give us some breathing room and me time to come up with a better solution." Joshuas urged his horse into motion, while Leilas closed her eyes and began creating a completely different scene in her mind.

The two wolves sniffed at the edge of the stream, then crossed over and sniffed on the other side. "They crossed over," said the first.

"Yes, and then crossed back. Master Jayram says they have continued along the grove."

The first wolf, a large gray-black male, sniffed along the trail that wound through the forest then he came back and sniffed on either side of the stream. "They went across and up. They didn't continue along this trail."

The second wolf dropped his nose to the ground and sniffed along the forest trail then he came back to the stream. Slowly, his form began to change. The wolf shimmered and blurred and soon a man was standing where the wolf had been. The man was wiry, dark, and appeared to be in his late twenties. A gold clasp that identified him as a master crafter from the School of Land held the top of his gray-black cloak together. "I need to talk to Master Jayram before we continue up the hill."

The first wolf dropped to the ground and let his tongue hang out of his mouth while the man sat on the ground and closed his eyes. He began a low chant, repeated it three times and then fell silent.

"What is it?" Jayram broke away from the mists and answered the silent summons.

"We have their scent. It goes into the foothills not along the forest trail. If we continue up, we should reach them in an hour."

"Don't separate. You will need each other's strength when you face Joshuas, perhaps when you meet the young one, as well. I didn't think she had enough strength to bend the mists, but she has surprised me. Don't face them when they are together."

"It will be as you wish my Lord." The man opened his eyes and rose from his position on the ground. Again, his form shimmered and blurred and soon two wolves stood where a man and a wolf had been. After lapping at the water, the wolves bounded across the stream and headed up the hill after the group they were tracking.

~~~

Jayram cursed and abandoned the mists he’d been studying. Somehow, Leilas had managed to make them lie. He hadn't thought she was strong enough or smart enough to manipulate them. But she’d rendered his study of them useless. He’d have to rely on his crafters, who were following the group of fugitives Darryl wanted returned, for his information. Not the best alternative, but the only one he had at the moment. He didn't have time to track them himself. The mists slowly drifted back into the bowl from which they had emanated as he headed for the door that led from what was left of the School of Sky.

It had taken hours for his group of crafters to break through the spells that bound the doors, but they’d been successful in the end. His magiks had dispatched the students and masters who’d remained to defend the school. None of them had been significant enough to save and examine. It had cost him about one-fourth of his men. Most of them were easily replaced, but he’d lost a few that were valuable to him. Grimacing at the loss, he cursed again. Almost all of the magiks who’d occupied the school fled before his magiks arrived. Capturing the school had been a victory, but it hadn’t been the victory he’d hoped to achieve. Somehow, the masters of the school had learned of his attack. It wasn’t because they’d been watching him, he was sure of that. The masters at the School of Sky were naive. They didn't believe anyone would dare try to upset the balance between the schools of crafters so they didn’t watch to ensure the balance remained intact.

But someone had been watching and that person had spoiled his plans. Now, he had to split his attention between regrouping, using the confusion to capture the magiks who had escaped, pursuing the Prince and Queen of Dirth and a young student traveling with an insignificant wanderer. He needed the books of magic and the knowledge that the masters would supply him once he’d 'coerced' them into talking to him. He didn’t need to watch the deaths of a queen, a young prince, and two insignificant magiks. No matter how much enjoyment it might bring for the moment to watch them grovel and beg before they died.

He would humor Darryl a little while longer. It was important to keep the King on his side. His help would be necessary to complete the plans he had. As long as his crafters could stay on Joshuas and Leilas’ trail and as long as nothing went wrong, he’d deliver the small group of fugitives into Darryl's hand. But he wasn't going to waste any more men or much more of his time pursuing them solely to mollify the ego of the King. Leyhan was dead, his head perched on a pole outside the gates of the Manor and Dirth was conquered. Darryl had what he wanted. The heads of the queen and her son were a bonus Darryl could live without.