The Sage Seed Chronicles: The Unraveling (15 page)

Two pairs of startled eyes looked up. She met
the look levelly. Lor cleared his throat in embarrassment then
spoke softly. “Sorry. We did it again, didn’t we. It belongs to a
man but we are not sure who he is. We are also getting glimpses of
other people. We can see the man talking to Wras. There are
indistinct images of a man with short wavy hair and a blond woman.
The man could be Bure but that is not positive and there are
several figures that resemble Cob.”

“Anything else?” Erin asked and they both
shook their heads. “Okay. That’s a place to start. The right boot
had a diagonal mark and chip out of the heel. Like this.” and Erin
drew it in the dirt. “So unless he is aware of that clue we can
identify him eventually. As to the why, I have been giving it some
thought. Everyone knows about Tempo. When my companions and I first
discussed their role and mine in the caravan, Nuit brought up that
it potentially placed Tempo in danger. My little intrepid friend
decided to stay. Tonight he could have been killed.”

Tempo’s foot moved in Erin’s hand and he said
to her, “You have not endangered me. You are not to blame! It is
because of the plot.” Erin’s eyes filled and she got a small smile
on her face as she stroked the little paw.

“Tempo says he does not blame me. But it is
possible that this is related to my little friend scaring off Cob,
the other night. No one knows about my other companions so they are
not in danger. This was not an accident or an act against a random
skunk. If that were true then they would not have tried to hide the
body.” her arms goose-bumped. “Please, if you have anything to say
to each other, say it out loud.” she held out her arms so they
could see the bumps, “It is rude and annoying when you do that and
I am part of your team. It smells like distrust and I am tired of
it.”

“Alliz, did you get any information from the
pictures I drew?” Erin asked.

Alliz’s head bowed briefly to Erin. “Your
mind is quick. Yes, I took the drawings to the Weavers’ Guild shop
inside the courtyard. There is a young woman working there who
sometimes assisted Auntie Jes. She knew who Auntie Jes bought her
supplies from and was leaving the weaving studio to return to town
as Auntie Jes’s supplier for fabric dyes was walking up the path.
She identified Wras.”

“Do you two, or the Great One, have any idea
how we are going to prove any of this? Four, that we know of, have
died. Nearly five.” She looked down at the little skunk that she
had become so fond of.

Lor answered her. “Not really a plan. We have
some ideas and they all involve putting people in jeopardy so we
are not thrilled with those. If we knew which one of the three, in
the gang, was the weakest willed we could possibly have him picked
up and questioned. He might incriminate the rest. But we would have
only one chance because if we didn’t get a confession we would have
let the really dangerous ones know that we were on to them. That
would speed up the killing. Believe me we are racking our brains
about it. Right now we are trying to warn the sage population of
the danger and give them suggestions on how they might protect
themselves.”

“Remember when you asked about the Great
One?” he asked Erin. She nodded. “You didn’t know that there was a
small population of people who were sages, set apart from the rest
of the population in a subtle and unique way. Well, very few people
do know. It doesn’t seem to be important because, in many ways we
are like everybody else. You don’t particularly feel special, do
you?”

Erin shook her head as she answered him. “I’m
just me. I can do somethings that others can’t do but my parents
could.” She shrugged. “But Ree said that the ‘seeker’ could feel
people like us reaching out in search. Does that make him a bad
sage? Alliz said you couldn’t have one of those. Also he seems to
be aware of our population because he is targeting it.”

Lor continued to explain. “Alliz is right.
Special skills can occur in the non-sage population. That has
happened since the beginning of mankind. The ‘seeker has a rogue
talent. It isn’t very strong but he can detect someone searching
for him with their mind and home in on them. He doesn’t seem to be
aware that his emotions shout, though. He does not have the sage
seed in his blood like we do. The Great One is gifted with the
knowledge of who does. It is a necessary bit of information that
he, as leader, needs to have to administer and maintain our world
as we know it.”

Alliz picked up the conversation. “We are not
sure how he learned about us. He doesn’t know everything, only that
we are different in these certain ways. I sense that he has a
strong resentment about that and has decided that his world would
be better off without us. I am not sure if he figures that he could
be the Great One. Things would be done his way, then. He is wrong
about those two assumptions.” Lor and I will try harder to include
you. It is more a habit of many years than an intentional slight.”
She put her hand on Erin’s arm in reassurance.

Lor said, “The camp is bedding down. We
can not stay up without attracting attention. Are you alright, now?
Erin nodded. “I’ll sleep beside Tempo as I do every night.
Hopefully he will be much better in the morning. My companions are
near and watching. Good night.” She settled herself, cradling the
little skunk against her body, next to the pocket with the
bloodstone and subtly adjusting the pouch with the crystal to be
near the injured site. Erin knew that she had done all that she
could. The rest was up to Tempo.

Just before dawn Erin was awakened by Nuit
gently pulling on her ear. She opened her eyes and her mind to the
owl. “I think we should tell Ree what has happened, I need to leave
now to reach my friend so the message can be passed.”

“Thank you, Nuit,” said Erin, “Tell Ree that
I shared her gifts with Tempo and think he will be better.”

Just then the little skunk opened his eyes
and looked at the owl up close. “I am much better. Just a little
stiff and sore. My head doesn’t hurt like it did last night and I’m
hungry.”

Nuit blinked her big eyes slowly. “It is good
to see you much recovered, little one. Stay out of trouble for a
few days, okay?” Nuit turned her head, looked at Erin, then
silently flew off into the barely grey light.

Erin sat up and gently ran her hands over the
little skunk’s shoulder and neck. The swelling was down
considerably and the cut felt like it had closed nicely. “How do
you feel, Tempo?”

“A lot better than I felt last night! My head
hurt so bad it felt like it was going to break in two. Now I feel a
little sore. That’s all. That salve was good but.. what gifts did
you share?”

Erin opened her hand and showed Tempo the
bloodstone before slipping it back into her pocket. Then she took
the crystal out of the pouch. “I put this against you as soon as I
picked you up from the base of that tree.” She dropped it into the
pouch and hung it around her neck again. “I didn’t know if the
stones would do any good but it was all I had. It would appear that
they passed the test. I am sure they need to recharge or something
as you gave them a work out!” The light was improving and Erin
could see the skunk a little better. “Try getting up and walking.
Carefully!”

Tempo got to his feet, slowly and took a few
steps. “I am a little stiff walking but the terrible headache is
gone. It may take me a day, or so, to get my speed up. I am hungry,
though. I am going to go wake up Lor then see if I can find some
worms or bugs. I will stay close.” She watched the fluffy black and
white tail move toward Lor’s blanket then grinned as she heard his
startled exclamation. Tempo had probably put his nose on Lor’s
face. She was so glad the little skunk was feeling better. She
whispered a thank you to Ree.

Erin shook out her boots before she pulled
them on. She has been careless lately, in not checking, and was
lucky that she hadn’t been stung by a nasty little Vesi. She was
more apt to encounter them here in the prairie lands than in the
hilly regions she had just come from. The pesky critters loved to
crawl into leather boots and gloves, attracted by the salts and
oils in them. Moments later she was standing at the end of the
wagon and watching Lor gently pet Tempo’s stripped back and
exclaiming how happy he was to see the little one feeling
better!

She knelt near the two. Lor looked up at her
with an incredulous look on his face. “I can’t believe it! Tempo
was so hurt last night!” Erin smiled. “Flar’s special salve helped.
But I also had some stones that were a gift from Ree. I kept them
near Tempo from the time I picked him up from the pile of leaves
and branches.”

Erin paused. “I’ve had another thought. I
don’t know how it relates to all of this but by the images you got
off of the slingshot, it must.” Lor and Tempo looked at her in
interest. “I met Tempo climbing a hill, within a day’s journey of
Ree’s home. He was on a quest to find others of his kind because
there weren’t any in the area. I didn’t question it at the time but
we still haven’t seen any other skunks. Could the reason that Tempo
was shot be part of an attempt to kill all skunks?” Tempo sat down
suddenly. “I haven’t smelled any in the area but have been leaving
scent invitations wherever we go. So far I have not had any
response. The moors are just one place where we live. Since I
haven’t found any so far I had hoped for more luck as we approached
the mountains again. Do you think they are killing my kind as well
as yours?”

Erin looked down on her little friend but
spoke first to Lor. “Tempo has been keeping his nose to the breeze
and has not scented any. I don’t see the connection but, at this
point, can not rule this out. I would feel better if you found
other skunks, Tempo, as we traveled.”

Lor sat up and shook out his boots. A small
furry rodent that was tapered at both ends dropped out of one.
Before it could raise it’s stinger Tempo had pounced on it. “I hate
those things”, Lor said, “Happy to be able to contribute to your
breakfast, little one. You raise an disturbing point, Terran. I
hope you are wrong but we will keep that as a puzzle piece until it
can be disproved.”

Tempo was making audible crunching sounds as
he mentally spoke to Erin, ‘I’m still a little sore for pouncing
but I couldn't pass up breakfast when it dropped right in front of
me.’

“Lor, I should probably go with Tempo to see
Flar briefly while you are getting our meal. I’ll be right back.”
Lor nodded as he was shaking out and storing the blankets in the
wagon. A merlin flew overhead giving a hunting call just as they
reached the herbalist’s compact wagon. As the rest of the vehicles
in the caravan, it was a variation of a house on wheels. Flar’s had
flowers and vines carved around the windows and the door, each
gaily painted.

Erin greeted Flar with a big smile and
gestured to the skunk walking beside her. Flar made an exclamation
of surprise and knelt in front of Tempo, with Erin. She gently
examined the injured area and looked up at Erin, “This little
fellow has made a remarkable recovery! The wound has healed so
quickly that there isn’t even a scab and the swelling is all but
gone. Wow.

Erin grinned. “I was surprised also. I think
he is a little sore yet because he is not moving quite as
effortlessly as he did before the injury. Also skunks pounce on
their prey. That bounce is probably a little stiff. I just watched
him kill a vesi. The spring back was a little slow but considering
what I expected I am very grateful. Thank you for seeing to him
last night.” Erin slapped the ground then pointed back toward Lor.
She looked down at the little skunk. “How are you moving?”

“You were right in all that you said to Flar.
I am moving just a little stiffly. But Erin, I could have died at
the base of that tree if you had not found me. I want to know why
someone tried to kill me and where are the other skunks!”

Erin and Lor ate a quick cereal of grains,
nuts and berries which they shared with Tempo, then hitched up the
horses and were moving. As the caravan started across the stone
bridge into the Pastarham Province, Erin looked hard at the land on
the far side. It seemed familiar. They started across just as
Tassy’s was reaching the other side. Kennet’s wagon was behind
them. When they were leaving the bridge, Erin looked back and
realized why it was familiar. “Lor”, she said quietly, “ This is
where the three men were standing that time I got a mental blast.
You remember, we were driving to Morraton and had recently learned
of Auntie Jes’s death.”

Lor continued driving then he said. “We are
easily within distance of Zinar’s home. I wonder who they have
targeted next.”

He lowered his voice even though it would be
difficult to overhear their speech above the jingle of the
harnesses. “Something you said started me thinking from another
angle. I have been searching my mind for anyone, besides you who
has had a skunk as a companion. There is an old sage in the timber
and craft guild who has a skunk as a friend. He is the oldest sage
I know of and a bit of a recluse. He lives back in the hills behind
Sherroton. I have only met him once but Alliz has spoken of him. He
sometimes provides her with drawing and painting accessories. The
only other person was a sage healer, Syrah, who died about thirty
years ago. She was called to heal a woman who was very ill. The
patient’s health had been compromised by repeated beatings and
periods of deprivation inflicted by a abusive husband. The woman
was in such a weakened condition that the herbalist could not heal
her. The husband was beyond furious that his wife had died and left
him with the care of young children. In his rage he started beating
the healer. Called her a witch. Syrah fought back with her mind.
She could make objects move. It was a skill which came in handy
when she needed to unblock obstructions in the body. This time
Syrah had objects fly at him in an attempt to knock him out. He was
crazy mad and that just made him worse. The skunk started defending
her and the man was partially blinded with the spray. Unfortunately
their defensive efforts failed. He beat the “witch and her
familiar” to death. He was caught and sentenced to banishment on
Obsidian. His children were raised by his sister’s family.”