Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (12 page)

Savyea lit a tiny fire on the sandy floor, composed entirely of twigs and crumbled leaves removed from her bag. Scent rose from it, soaking into Pirse
’
s skin as effortlessly as it entered his lungs. The flames were blue. They produced neither heat nor smoke.

Savyea said,
“
It is time to rest, my dear. You
’
re going to have to be very patient. I wouldn
’
t bend the power to heal you if it wasn
’
t absolutely necessary. I
’
m afraid it won
’
t save you any of the discomforts of convalescence, though. A body always needs time to recover lost strength. Trust me.
”

She cocked her head slightly to one side to give him a serene, if slightly apologetic smile. Huge invisible hands engulfed his heart, folded around his lungs, blotted out sound, covered his eyes with darkness. He would have stiffened in terror if he
’
d retained the tiniest control over his body.

Like a stream over a precipice, his consciousness flowed away.

Aage came forth from the realms of magic as he always did; mouth dry, skin clammy, head splitting. He opened his eyes a slit. Sunlight lingered on the peaks facing him from across the valley, and a glow behind the mountains suggested one or more of the moons rising. His brain was too tired to calculate the date. Morb would tell him how many days he
’
d been gone.

He turned his head from side to side, muscles responding sluggishly until his body remembered it was capable of movement. The path and the mouth to the cave swam into clearer focus. Where was Morb? The old wizard was usually eager to get back to bending the power.

Aage
’
s fatigue intensified as he got to his feet. He pocketed his rock and drank the water in his bowl in a few long swallows. Morb came out of the cave, his round face wearing so uncharacteristic an expression that for a few seconds Aage couldn
’
t identify it.

“
Aage, are you strong enough to run an errand?
”
the wizard asked.

Worry, that was it. Morb, defender of the Children, slayer of nightmares, was worried. Aage
’
s knees went weak.

“
What is it? What
’
s happened?
”

“
A badly injured boy. Savyea healed the worst of it, but when he wakes someone must be here to care for him.
”

“
Who is it?
”

Morb
’
s expression grew more melancholy.
“
My dragon slayer. The Dherrican boy.
”

“
Pirse?
”
Aage
’
s dismay increased. Any Shaper who fought the world
’
s physical monsters was important, of course, but in the larger scheme of things this particular prince had an even larger role than that to play!
“
He
’
s going to be all right, isn
’
t he?
”

“
If we care for him. I can
’
t stay, and neither can you. Savyea wants you to find someone who will take him away and keep him safe. That
’
s your errand.
”
The older wizard stepped past Aage and settled down onto the boulder. In the dimness Aage heard more than saw the clunk of Morb
’
s rock settling into its bowl of water.

“
Why not send him home to Bronle?
”
The capital was only five days
’
easy ride to the southeast. Aage felt the power beginning to bend around Morb
’
s seated figure and opened his mouth to repeat his question.

“
He can
’
t go there. Savyea was quite insistent on that. Palle would kill him.
”
Morb
’
s expression grew placid as his voice faded.
“
Savyea says Doron in Juniper Ridge will guard the boy against his uncle.
”

“
Palle? He
’
s not dangerous.
”

Morb did not answer. The power began to play like invisible lightning around his brown, weathered body, and Aage backed away. He
’
d get no further answers from Morb now.

In the cave, the prince was thoroughly unconscious. Savyea sat next to him, knitting. It was too hot to knit. The woman never could keep her climates straight. She smiled up at Aage.

“
Hello, dear.
”
She pointed one needle at the sleeping man.
“
Morb told you about the boy?
”

“
He told me nothing.
”
Aage dropped tiredly beside the Greenmother and leaned against her. She was nearly as drained of strength as he was.
“
Why is Dea allowing her brother to threaten her son?
”

“
Morb really didn
’
t tell you anything. Dea
’
s dead.
”
She looked sadly at Pirse.
“
Somehow, Palle laid the blame on the boy. Something to do with his dragon sword.
”

Aage twisted his head against Savyea
’
s soft shoulder to take a second, closer look at the prince.
“
Only Pirse can wield that sword. Could Palle be right?
”

“
Of course not. That would be Abstainer madness, and this child is no Abstainer. We
’
ll talk about it when you come back. Morb did tell you what we need?
”

“
A Keeper. Yes, but
—”

“
Later, dear. Go.
”

Aage allowed himself an exasperated sigh, but obediently got to his feet. There was no discussing anything with Savyea except in her own good time. If she said Juniper Ridge was the place for the prince, then to Juniper Ridge he must go.

Unfortunately, Aage
’
s options were limited. He was too drained to flit limitlessly from one kingdom to another. He could transport himself to Raisal and confer with his king, or go to the nearest village in hopes of finding a suitable Keeper there. But he would have to make a choice. It usually took days to recover his strength after fighting in Morb
’
s place. Bending the power now, so soon after leaving the battle with the Others, would not be easy.

A responsible Keeper. That was easy enough. As unpredictable as many of the Shaper families had become, the Keepers, for the most part, still took their vows seriously. He needed a Keeper responsible enough to be trusted, but atypical enough to be willing to leave home for a few days.

Aage stepped out of the cave. Keyn was a great lopsided ball hovering above the peaks to the east, her light washing out all but the brightest stars. He closed his eyes and sought within himself for the power he needed. A mental twist applied just so opened the path to nearest sizable village, Live Oak. The power wove dizzily around him for a long instant, then faded to leave him standing close beside the low-hanging branches of a huge old oak tree in front of the village inn. He left its shelter, dry leaves crackling under his feet, and mounted the stairs.

A short conversation revealed that Live Oak
’
s carter was not in town, and not likely to return in the near future. The few townspeople present in the inn
’
s common room encouraged Aage, however, with the news that a Rhenlan carter had passed through Live Oak that very day, and would surely be able to help him. Aage expressed proper gratitude for the information. Inwardly, he groaned. The gods always provided. Unfortunately, what they provided was seldom exactly what their Children expected.

Aage knew the
Rhenlan
carter. Stubborn, opinionated, and generally annoying, but more than responsible enough for the task. If he
’
d been too far away to be of any use
—
Eastern Sitrine, preferably
—
Aage could have ignored the suggestion to go see him. As it was, he had no choice. He fixed the location in his mind, then bent the power to transport himself to the soon-to-be-indignant carter.

* * *

Tob was sound asleep by the time Jordy got up to extinguish their campfire and make his own bed for the night. He got the boy
’
s blanket down from the wagon and spread it on the ground beside him. Tob rolled onto the blanket and covered himself with only a slight prodding from Jordy, and without ever really waking up. Jordy tucked the blanket in around the boy
’
s shoulders, then got to his feet and stretched tiredly.

They were camped in the lush river valley three days north and a day west of Juniper Ridge. The smell of thick vegetation was not unpleasant, but the increasing proliferation of insect life as they moved into a warmer, wetter climate was less to Jordy
’
s liking.

Only one log still flickered with flames in the banked fire. It cast insufficient light to reveal the warning wisp of vapor that preceded the arrival of a Dreamer, so that Jordy started and jumped to protect Tob before recognizing the form that materialized in the darkness next to the wagon.

“
Aage!
”
he exclaimed.
“
Stones, man, don
’
t sneak up on a man like that!
”

The wizard
’
s pale yellow hair shown dimly in Keyn
’
s just-past-full light.
“
My apologies,
”
he said with no sincerity whatsoever, and stepped closer to the fire.
“
We need your services, carter.
”

Jordy moved away from his sleeping son, more wary than ever at the wizard
’
s unexpected pronouncement.
“
We?
”
he asked.

“
We are all Children of the Rock,
”
Aage said impatiently.
“
If we do not guard the world, all of us together, we are doomed. I
’
m well aware of your opinion of most Shapers and Dreamers, but I think you have some respect for Prince Pirse?
”

Jordy crossed his arms.
“
What do you want?
”

“
He
’
s been injured. You must transport him to a place of safety where he can recover. He needs to be protected from his uncle.
”

“
So I
’
ve heard.
”
Palle had been a threat to those closest to him for years. Jordy had no doubt there was more to the tale of the queen
’
s death than Palle
’
s guards were telling. However, he did not relish the thought of getting involved in the problems of the Dherrican ruling house.
“
You don
’
t expect me to smuggle him into Rhenlan?
”

Aage looked annoyed.
“
You
’
d never cross the border.
”

“
Where then?
”

“
Juniper Ridge. There
’
s someone there called Doron who can keep him hidden for a few ninedays, or so Greenmother Savyea insists.
”

“
I know Doron.
”
Jordy was also familiar wi
th the prince. The lad had long
since proved his bravery and his commitment to a Shaper
’
s vow by his tireless campaign against the northern dragons. But the danger of the rescue Aage was suggesting
—
to the prince himself, not to mention to Jordy, Tob, Doron, and the entire population of Juniper Ridge
—
made Jordy
’
s skin crawl.

“
Where is he now?
”

“
In the hills, a half-day north of Dundas.
”

“
North?
”
Jordy complained.
“
There are no cart tracks north of Dundas.
”