Iduna (9 page)

Kai stood looking down at Iduna’s sprawled form on the beach. “Who do you think she is, and what do you think she wants?” he asked.

“Well, she’s clearly a Snow Elf, and we know she's a crazy fool. I've tried to get our cousin to ride with me for years, and she was never nuts enough to join me,” Pua said.

“Crazy fool, you say? Sister, I don’t think you’re one to talk. You ride like a cyclone and are just as predictable.” Seeing Pua warming up to defend her style, he switched back to the stranger at their feet. “We shouldn't have brought her here,” Kai said.

“But the pendant …”

“You're right. You’re right.” He rubbed some of the sea salt from his face. “We do control how or whether she leaves, and we can control what she sees. We’ll wait and see.”

Cha, Republic of Lawan

Sensei Angko was in the meeting room with Sensei Reza and Lady Harmazd. A week ago they had agreed to send a contingent of Elementalists to defeat the Ull horde. They had had no news, but they were patient. More important to Angko, Iduna had left again. He looked out the window to the clear blue sky outside. As Reza shuffled by him for what seemed the millionth time, Angko brought his attention back to the cards in front of him.

Angko and Harmazd were playing an ancient game which involved a large number of cards. Each card had a unique symbol and a long history. The room was full of reference scrolls for the cards. The normal pace of the game was such that a single card could be played about once a week. Most of the game was deliberation and discussion.

They were debating the card in front of them when an acolyte entered the room. He waited to be addressed. Angko nodded to the boy.

“The turret guard has requested your presence,” the boy said.

“Of course.” Angko acquiesced and addressed the shuffling Reza, “Sensei Reza, let us both go to provide balance.”

“Indeed. Of course.”

The two men left Lady Harmazd to her consideration of the card in play and wandered to the turret.

They debated the next joint training session, the pros and cons of different locations. The abundance of a single element versus the diversity of multiple elements for the Spellcrafters to draw on could create an unfair advantage. It was a subject of constant discussion. Angko knew they would end up at the place they usually did this time of year, just out of habit. The climb to the turret, up the spiraling stone stairs, winded him, and he chided himself for not keeping up with the physical side of his training.

At the top, his mouth gaped, and he aged a decade in a heartbeat.

The Snow Elves of the North were here and their warriors stretched as far as he could see. But what shocked and stopped his heart was the line of Lawanian Elementalists standing in front of the invaders.

Their own people.

He might have been able to take it if they were just hostages, but they were more than that. They were here for blood. The forty red-robed Elementalists wore the same expressions of murderous hate as the warriors who surrounded them. They looked like they wanted to kill everyone in Cha and would revel in its demise.

He knew these wizards, had been their teacher. Tinh, Aree, Chariya, and Nuu—the leaders of the Elementalist squads—were all here. Angko didn't spend as much time with the Elementalists as the Spellcrafters, but he'd trained and tested them all when they were young. He had never seen any one of them express such strong emotion, let alone the virulent hate that now etched their faces into fierce and stony masks. They would have no mercy.

“What are our orders?” the guard asked.

What could they do? They couldn’t go with the usual agreed-upon procedure for fighting off intruders. The intruders were their own people.

Reza broke his reverie. “Angko, I see no obvious solution. Those are our own fighters attacking. This then falls into the class of civil war, in which case we are to engage in conference.”

“You are correct. Let us proceed to the meeting room and confer,” Angko said automatically, his mind rushing to find the solution that the situation required. How could their Elementalists have such hate and ferocity? They’d been well-trained, and they were good people. He knew this but could not ignore what he had seen with his own eyes. He leaned heavily on his cane.

“Sensei, what would you have us do?” the captain asked.

“Observe, and we will return after we confer,” Reza replied for them both.

Angko and Reza left the wall. As they climbed down the flight of stairs, they heard a growing wave of sound, the full cacophony of weapons clashing and cries of attack.

At the base of the stairs, Angko paused while Reza kept walking back to the tower. Reza picked up his pace ever-so-slightly to get to the meeting room. Conferences on civil war could take a while.

Angko shook his head and broke into a limping run toward the kitchen.

The massive kitchen appeared empty, devoid of the usual buzz of activity. A small movement caught his eye. Relief swept through him, followed by a wave of worry.

“Surat, you’re still here,” he said. She closed a cabinet door and came to stand in front of him. His own hands were shaking as he reached out to clasp hers in his own. “Are they all gone then? You should have gone with them.” His usual control was unwinding like a spool of old twine.

Surat smiled up at him. “They’re on their way. That wasted cabinet space is finally worthy of its existence. The tunnels aren’t far.” She squeezed his hands. “They’ll be fine. And Iduna will succeed.” Her words spoke to his biggest fear and most desperate wish.

“If she doesn’t …” he dared whisper.

“I say to you what you have told me so many times that I’ve lost count. She will. She has the necklace. She knows to look for the Okeeno, and she’ll find them.”

“She’ll find them, but they might kill her. We may have sent her to her death.” He looked at Surat’s face, and, through the cloud of doubt, hope stirred within him. Pulling her close, he whispered into her hair, “You must go.”

“I will, and you’re coming with me.”

“I’m too old and slow.”

She arched a brow.

Dawn was just breaking, and Freya had been up all night. Her eyes were red from her emotional excesses. She'd lost Iduna.

Her feet struck heavily on the dock as she stalked up and down. She spied a single fisherman in his small dinghy. He was the first person she'd seen at the docks, and he would be her ticket.

She slid down into his boat without permission and without making a noise. He'd been facing the mast, working with the main halyard, when she slipped into the stern and quickly approached him from behind. She wrapped one arm around his neck and jerked back hard. She was shorter, and her tight grasp arched him awkwardly back to her. She used her other hand to put  Senbo’s dagger to his throat. The point left a jagged line of scratches as he struggled briefly.

She hissed into his ear, her breath warm and rank with hate.

“Be still.”

He stopped his weak efforts.

It felt good to bring someone under her mastery. His subjugation soothed the pain of her failure. She reacted instinctively, falling further into the role.

“Who is smuggling at night? Where do they come from?” She moved the sharp edge of the dagger in a shallow, slow line, leaving a trail of red on his neck. He would need to answer to make her stop.

“Okeenos,” he rasped out.

She'd given him just enough air to answer. She felt vindicated that the weak responded to power so quickly. Why had she ever done things differently? She could take what she wanted.

“Take me there.”

Iduna woke up slowly. Her left cheek was wet and slimy. Her head throbbed. It felt like her hair was being licked from her scalp. What was going on?

“Ah, you're awake,” said a petite woman with warm amber eyes and close-cropped black hair.

“
Gah
! Get him off me!” Iduna tried to push away the beast of a dog and only partially succeeded.

“That's Maka. He likes salt. My name is Ani.”

“And I am Iduna of Lawan,” Iduna replied automatically, still occupied with assessing her condition and surroundings. Ani glided around the room, a swift ball of energy compared to Iduna's foggy brain. Probing her bruised jaw, Iduna grumbled, “She hit me.”

“Yes, Pua will do that.”

“She has a funny way of treating guests.” The dog slumped into Iduna’s side, and she let him stay.

“Oh, you're a guest, are you?” Ani asked.

Iduna squirmed. Her behavior had been so unlike her that she'd somehow forgotten the way these people would see her—as a manipulative blackmailer. She'd do it again to save her people, but it was still uncomfortable. She blanched when she imagined Sensei Angko's face if he were to discover what she'd done. Her face turned even whiter as she realized he might be dead by now. Upset and in pain, Iduna tried sitting up. Her face must have turned a pale shade of green, because Ani swept over to bring Iduna a cool copper cup.

“Drink this. You've probably got enough sea water in you to harbor a fleet of ships.”

“Thank you, Mistress Ani,” Iduna said and took a sip of the sweet mango nectar.

“Just 'Ani.'”

Iduna savored the nectar and looked around the large sunny room. It was warm with many large windows. The shutters were wide open to let in the light breeze. She could hear high-strung birdcalls and hoots she didn't recognize. The room itself had white walls and furniture with added splashes of color from pots and textiles.

Ani wore a dark blue top made of a material that was able to be form fitted but seemed smooth and flexible, moving with her. She wore something that appeared to be a cross between pants and a skirt which went just below her knees—wide at the bottom, it tapered to her waist. Cloth sandals covered her swift feet. Iduna wished the woman would stand still.

“What do you do here?” Iduna asked.

“I take care of the ill or injured. Patch them up and send them out. Speaking of which, put on some clothes, and we'll get you outdoors.”

Great. She was naked. She didn’t count her necklace as clothing, though she was glad to see she still had it. Iduna hadn’t noticed she was nude because she had been completely surprised by Ani and her surroundings. Iduna had no idea what had happened to her clothes, but they were surely soaked, the leather parts ruined by the sea. There went her travel clothes.

Ani stuffed a basket with water and food while Iduna pulled on clothes similar to Ani's. They probably were Ani's since the clothes ran shorter on Iduna's long limbs. When Iduna was clothed, Ani moved out the door, and Iduna supposed she should follow.

Ani wove her way through the crowded village square, only looking back once to make sure Iduna was coming. She followed, but all the activity was distracting. It appeared to be market day with woven baskets filled to overflowing and tables with goods laid out for purchase. Vendors and shoppers bustled around, looking to buy, sell, or just catch up on gossip. The two women walked past the square and followed a narrow trail lined with palm trees and lush undergrowth. After turning a corner, Iduna could see a line of blue waters and white sands.

The path opened up to a long sandy beach. Ani spread a blanket and put down the basket under shading palms. The water spread before them in startling turquoise that rippled and winked in the sun. Iduna felt blinded by light.

“Sit,” Ani said. When Iduna complied, Ani continued. “Now tell me why you're here before we kill you.”

Being threatened with death by this woman and in this gorgeous place was a shock. She'd made a picnic, for crying out loud. Gathering her wits, Iduna considered her options. She didn't have time for anything but the truth. It might sound insane and get her killed, but she didn’t have time to try anything else.

“My home is being attacked by the Ull. They are being led by someone using dark magic powered by manipulating and feeding on emotion. I've been schooled in spells as well as Elementalism. I am an elite Spellcrafter.” She felt silly saying the last, given the situation, but it was true. She was likely the best in her land at crafting spells. “I don't have the ability to defeat our attackers.” She was sitting cross-legged and staring earnestly at Ani. She hoped that, through sheer will, she could make Ani help her. At least not kill her. “I heard that your people may know about magic powered by emotion. I've come to learn from you so I can save my people.”

“You talk like a Lawanian, but you look like a Snow Elf, and yet you’re wearing our necklace. How do we know anything you say is true?” Ani asked.

Iduna’s hand flew to her throat. “This necklace is from you?”

“Yes. Did you steal it?”

“No! Of course not. It was a gift from my teacher.” Iduna leaned forward and tried to think straight. The threat of death, learning more about the strange gift from Angko, her aching jaw, and the brightness of the day, all made it hard. “You must understand. My parents are of Ull, but I was raised in Lawan. Surely you've heard of what has happened in Gaelen. The castle is defeated, the people are subjugated, their food and goods have all been stolen by the marauding Ull. I've lived in their camp. Their army is enormous. Their camp stretches for miles in all directions. Something has happened to them. They seem a warm and loving people, but they are destroying everything in their path. When I was with them, they were resting, but they are now on the move and have entered Lawan.”

“Iduna, you are an enigma. You seek to save Lawan, yet you sound half in love with these Ull whom you claim are a threat. If you were indeed raised in the ways of Lawan, then you would be in Cha, serenely accepting whatever you think is going to happen. Instead you blackmail Kai and Pua in order to come where you’re not wanted.”

Iduna felt Ani’s words like a slap. Jolted and reminded of her Lawanian roots, she took a meeker approach and focused on listening. Ani took some water from the basket and drank deeply, then passed the jug to Iduna. Ani’s gaze was keen and steady, as if she could read Iduna’s thoughts should she stare long enough. The silence stretched out between them.

Ani laughed. “Ah, so you are Lawanian now, are you?” Reflecting, she said, “Trade has indeed dropped off sharply with our Gaelen friends. Let us eat and enjoy the day for a while, then talk to Pua and Kai.”

“Who are Pua and Kai?” Iduna asked.

“They are the ones who brought you here and are responsible for you now.”

“And you'll all decide when to kill me?” Iduna asked.

“Yes, we will.” Ani passed her some food, and then slipped off her shoes and sank her bare feet into the warm sand while eating.

Iduna couldn't tell if her chances had improved, but it was clear that the time for talking was over. She ate the rice wrapped in dried seaweed then flopped flat on the blanket. They were on the side of a sand dune, and she could stare up at the sun peeking through the palm fronds or look out at the broad expanse of the sea. The light and constant breeze that hummed lowly in her ears combined with the constant breaking of small waves lulled her, and she sank into a deep sleep.