Under Fallen Stars (24 page)

Seams formed and tiny hinges revealed themselves. The mirror seemed to come apart, folding in on itself in foot-sized sections. The clink-clink-clink of the sections landing on each other produced a noticeable rhythm inside Pacys’s head. In less than a moment the mirror had been reduced to a two-foot square that was only a little less than that in depth. It stayed hooked on the wall. A slim length of black cord hung down from the mirror. The young priest pulled on the cord and kept pulling until all the tiles once more appeared as a single, seamless unit nine feet square.

“Amazing,” Pacys said. “I’ve never seen the like before.” He stared into the mirrored depths.

“Yes. As you can guess, it’s one of our more popular items. Well worth the price. Though you will have to wait for it, you understand.”

“Actually,” Pacys said, “I’m not here to purchase a mirror.”

The priest appeared surprised and perhaps a little disappointed. “By the way you approached it, I was certain you’d heard of it or seen it and come to purchase one.”

“No.” Pacys reached out to the mirror. It was cool to the touch, almost liquid.

“You’ll find none like it and none finer,” the priest guaranteed.

“Mayhap.” Pacys was puzzled. The mirror remained yet a mirror, though in his vision it had been something else entirely in addition to being a mirror. He took his hand back and studied the fingerprints he’d left there.

“Is something wrong?” the priest asked.

“I don’t know,” the old bard answered, more to himself than the other man. He studied the mirror from different angles, drawing irritated glances from the priest who looked like he’d rather be somewhere else.

“What is it?” Khlinat asked.

“I was shown this mirror in my vision earlier,” Pacys explained, “yet now it appears I was mistaken.”

“Don’t let yer faith be shaken,” the dwarf said. “If ye were given a vision of this thing, then there’s a reason. Think about why it would be shown to ye. I think ye have the key. Ye just have to find it.”

As he concentrated, Pacys also heard the rhythms around him. People’s voices, the sounds of feet moving on stone, the clink and clank of items being picked up and put down, all blended. Unconsciously, he found the rhythm of the noises, and another piece of the song he pursued so diligently came into his mind. He pulled his yarting forward and strummed his fingers across the strings as he gave vent to his voice.

“There they stood, Taleweaver and dwarven warrior,

“Who’d pledged his life against the Taker.

“They faced mirror-bright mystery,

“Flashing,

“Clouded,

“And empty of answers.

“Yet the mirror shone its truth,

“Crowned under stars

“Forged

“From the bottom of the Inner Sea.

“Gond Wonderbringer’s desire and power

“Guided the hand of the High Initiate,

“Imbuing his work with

“Additional magic

“That worthy didn’t know about.

“The Taleweaver captured

“The cadence

“From the crowds that fitted the House of Wonders.

“And when he did,

“When his voice reached the perfect pitch,

“A way was made.”

Holding the final note, Pacys stretched out his hand to the mirror. For an instant, he touched the glass again, but the surface quickly gave way to a wet fog that dissolved and became a forest.

The priest of Gond stepped back and made a sign of his god, a prayer already on his lips.

The music and the certainty of what he was doing filled Pacys. Slinging the yarting once more from its straps about his shoulders, he told Khlinat, “Follow me,” and strode into the mirror.

He felt a brief resistance, then the mirror accepted him. Coldness swirled around him but quickly went away. He felt the dwarf moving behind him, heard the prayer he breathed. The music stayed alive in Pacys’s head. A moment more and he stepped from the stone floor in the Hall of Wonders in Baldur’s Gate into the forest. Turning, the old bard saw the nine-foot square of shimmering space that represented the mirror. It opened, like a window, back into the Hall of Wonders.

The priest was shouting, and other priests and potential buyers ran to join him, staring in awe.

Khlinat stepped from the window, shivering. “Ooch, but that was cold on these old bones.” He gazed in wonder at the forest around them. “Do ye know where it is we might be, me friend?”

The opening vanished like morning mist before a harsh sun, taking away the vision of the Hall of Wonders and leaving only the forest.

“Where we’re supposed to be, praise Oghma.” Pacys took a deep breath and scented the brine hanging in the air. “Do you know that smell?”

Khlinat snuffed the air, then a broad grin split his craggy face. “The sea, by Marthammor Duin’s wandering eye! And it’s not far here. We’ve come a long way.”

“Yes,” Pacys agreed, “but there’s more.”

Khlinat snuffed again. “Are ye sure? All I smell is the sweet breath of the sea, but not that of the Sea of Swords or the Trackless Sea where I’ve spent all me sailing days.”

Pacys moved through the tall trees and dense vegetation, coming upon a well-worn trail winding down through the hilly country. “Your nose is sharper than mine when it comes to that, but I learned a long time ago to pick up the scent of a cookfire. Let’s go find whoever owns it.”

“You can put me down now.”

Dazed by the events happening so quickly and by the young woman fitting so comfortably in his arms, Jherek blushed furiously. A few of the sailors around them snickered. If their situation hadn’t been so dire, Jherek knew he would have been made the fool of mercilessly.

“Shut up,” Tynnel ordered.

While the crew quieted, Jherek carefully placed the ship’s mage on her feet. “Lady,” he apologized, “I didn’t mean to be so familiar. I’d thought to release you while you were still a rat.” His face was crimson, he knew, and the heat he felt wasn’t all from the fever. “I mean, while you were still-not yourself.”

Sabyna stepped away from him, taking refuge against the wall were she wouldn’t be so easily seen from the deck. “You’re all right?”

“Aye. Thank you for asking.” Jherek noticed Captain Tynnel shift in irritation and felt the man was somehow angry with him.

“I thought they’d killed you,” Sabyna said, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward her. Despite his protests, she parted his hair and looked at the wound. “It’s infected and needs to be cleaned out.” She wheeled on the men around them. “Why hasn’t anyone been taking care of him?”

Jherek felt angry and embarrassed all at the same time. “Lady,” he said respectfully, “I’m able to take care of myself.”

“Right,” Sabyna said sarcastically. “That’s why you’ve got a head full of pus and you’re burning up with fever.”

Jherek sensed she was angry with him already and that knowledge kept him from making any kind of retort. He wasn’t exactly clear why she was angry. Her fingers continued to poke around on the tender parts of his head, maybe with a little vengeance included. Still, he made no sound.

“I’ve been taking care of him,” Hullyn objected. “I saw that it was infected. I’ve been keeping that scalp wound like that on purpose. Like my old da always taught me. You get infection set in like that, you let flies get to it. Then maggots will eat out the rotten meat so it’ll heal up proper.”

Jherek’s stomach lurched. Malorrie’s instruction had covered such things, but those methods were to be used only under harsh and difficult circumstances, when no recourse to a healer was available.

“That way would leave a terrible scar,” Sabyna said.

“Lady,” Jherek said patiently, “I bear scars from past times. There’s no-“

“You’re not bearing this one on my behalf,” she stated with determination.

“I gather that shape-shifting ability you’ve suddenly developed isn’t going to last forever,” Tynnel growled. He was angry too, Jherek noted, but the captain’s disfavor appeared to be shared between Sabyna and himself.

“No,” Sabyna answered, turning to face the captain, “it won’t.”

“Then I suggest you use this time you’ve taken to risk your life. How many men are there aboard Breezerunner?”

“Twenty-seven,” Sabyna answered.

“I never saw that many,” Tynnel said.

“You never saw all of them,” the pretty ship’s mage replied.

Tynnel pulled a face. “How well versed are they in ship’s craft?”

“They know their way around a ship,” Sabyna said, “and they’re all heavily armed.”

“Do you know where they’re going?”

“To the end of the Chionthar. After that Vurgrom plans on making his way back to the Sea of Fallen Stars. He came to Baldur’s Gate to deliver an item to the man responsible for the attack on Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate.”

“You mean the sahuagin responsible-“Tynnel started to say.

“The man,” Sabyna repeated. “He’s called Iakhovas.”

The news slammed into Jherek. It was one thing to think of the sea devils rising up to strike along the Sword Coast in concert, but it was even more stunning to learn that a man had orchestrated those strikes.

“I’ve never heard the name,” Tynnel said.

“I’ve got the feeling you will. Vurgrom rails on about what Iakhovas is going to do to the Sea of Fallen Stars.”

“Vurgrom’s making you use that chair he brought aboard, isn’t he?” Tynnel asked.

Embarrassment flushed Sabyna’s face with color. “I’ve never seen its like. When I’m sitting there, Breezerunner feels more alive than ever. She moves when and where I tell her.”

“Then stop her,” Tynnel commanded. “On your next shift in that chair, stop her dead in the water.”

Sabyna shook her head. “That would only get us all killed.

They tie me in that chair under guard when it’s my shift. As soon as I did that, they’d slit my throat, then come kill the lot of you.”

“They won’t let us live anyway,” Tynnel said. “Not when they’re done with us and Breezerunner.”

“Then I’m the only chance we all have,” Sabyna declared. She swept the crew with her gaze and Jherek saw the care she held for them and the distress she felt for them in that glance. “I would have been here sooner to check on you but they won’t let me near the cargo hold. I finally had the chance to get into my room and get one of the potions I had. Unfortunately, it was the only one I had. I’d intended to trade it in Lantan to a mage there who hasn’t been able to learn the spell himself. This will be the only time I can get down here like this.”

“Can you open the door?”

Sabyna shook her head. “Vurgrom keeps the key with him at all times.”

“Can’t you magic him, lass?” Hullyn asked. “Put him to sleep or fry him with a lightning bolt?”

“I’ve already considered that,” Sabyna said. “The problem is if I fail, Vurgrom will execute two of you. If I get caught in here now, I’m sure two of you will be killed.”

“Then what the hell are you doing in here risking our lives like this?” Aysel demanded.

“Because I don’t know if your lives won’t be forfeit anyway if I can’t get you out of here,” she told him.

Aysel gaped at her, then turned away angrily. “We put our necks in the noose for a petty little twit like her. Umberlee take her into the dark and deep. We should have took our chances back at the dock.”

Jherek started forward and Aysel turned toward him, a malicious grin on his brutal face.

Before Jherek could get close, Tynnel seized Aysel by the shirt collar and yanked him into the wall. Aysel’s head slammed into the hard wood with a dulled gonging sound. Stunned, the big man dropped to his knees.

Tynnel shifted his hold to Aysel’s hair and yanked the man’s head back. The captain ripped the sailor’s other dagger earring out, splitting the fleshy lobe, and held the keen little blade against the corner of Aysel’s eye.

“Another word out of you,” Tynnel promised in a tight voice, “and I’ll carve you a face to frighten young children with during Moonfest. Do you understand me? Nod carefully.”

Slowly, Aysel dipped his chin. “Aye, sir.”

“Another thing, when we get to the next port of call, civilized or not,” Tynnel said, “you’re no longer part of this ship’s crew. I stand by those who stand by me, and I’ve given you considerable leave of your responsibilities.”

“You can’t do that,” Aysel blustered. “I’m a hell of a sailor.”

“Aye,” Tynnel replied. “That you are, but you’re not much of a man. Keep your mouth shut till I tell you to speak.”

Aysel dropped into a crouch against the wall and glared heated rage at Jherek.

Tynnel kept the small dagger. He turned back to Sabyna. “While you’ve got this ability I want you to get clear of Breezerunner.”

“You want me to?” Sabyna narrowed her eyes at him. “Since when do I listen to what you want?”

Tynnel appeared somewhat taken off-balance, but he recovered quickly, staring hard at her. “Consider it an order, then.”

“Were it an order while you were in command of this ship, and it made sense to me, I’d think it over. Neither of those is true at this moment.”

“Damn your eyes, Sabyna, get off the ship like I told you to.” Tynnel took a step forward.

Unconsciously, Jherek took a step forward too, setting himself to intervene on behalf of Sabyna if it looked like Tynnel was going to get physical with her. Both of them noticed his approach at once. Tynnel made an effort to calm himself and didn’t move any closer.

“And if I do get off this ship,” Sabyna challenged, “Vurgrom will start killing all of you down here.”

“Lass,” Hullyn said softly, “Cap’n’s right. This ain’t no place for a young lady like yourself. If you have the chance to get clear of this stumble, you should take it.”

“There’s nothing out there to go to,” Sabyna said. “Give me the sea and I could live off it, but not those plains and sparse forests. The river might offer a better chance, but I’m not happy with that either.” She plucked a tiny hourglass from her necklace and checked the swift-moving sands.

“It would be safer there than here,”Tynnel argued, “and if we didn’t have to worry about you, Vurgrom’s hold over us wouldn’t be as tight.”

“Says you. There’s safety in numbers, Cap’n. Or did you forget that?”