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Lady Shang Keladry
Sorrel Rowan
Chapter Nine: Missing Time
It was three hours after Makkan had appeared, delivered and died. His message had sent shock waves through the realm, and Kel was now speaking to Numair, who was at the remains of Northwatch, and Sir Myles of Olau through separate fires. Much to the mage�s disappointment, Daine was still spying at Mindelan.
They were in a different clearing, having moved in a rush after the messenger�s death. Kel had explained it by logic � if they knew where Makkan was to kill him, they knew where they were camped and could be preparing to attack. When she had looked to Neal for confirmation, he had told her he had no idea, he hadn�t even sensed it in the first place.
�What do we know?� Kel demanded of Sir Myles, trying to keep her frustration from her voice.
�She vanished from her home in the Isles two months ago,� Alanna�s father and explained slowly, his face pensive in the purple fire of his daughter�s Gift. �Then, about a month ago, we picked up rumours the Scanran King was betrothed. Rumours, nothing concrete, no independent confirmation. We didn�t connect Jodanyai�s disappearance with the Maggot�s new bride, her identity was a state secret, and it�s hard enough to get information from Scanra about the weather, never mind try to find someone we didn�t know was alive in the middle of a war.� His voice was thick with the same frustration that filled Kel.
Kel turned to the shimmering black fire that was Numair. She deliberately avoided accusing Neal. �Do we know anything about the spell he used to kill Makkan? Why a mage couldn�t sense it?�
Numair looked over at Neal with sympathy. Neal had been blaming himself since it happened. Kel and Dom had both told him it wasn�t his fault, but they knew he didn�t believe it. He felt somehow responsible for the Scanran youth�s death.
�I wouldn�t have, either, if I had been there. Alanna wouldn�t have, the king wouldn�t have - no one could�ve.� Neal looked up as Numair continued. �The spell was probably sealed into something he wore, very subtly, and stayed dormant until something he said or did triggered it. That�s how these types of spells usually work. Because the spell is dormant, it�s impossible to detect.
And impossible to trace, from either way. They couldn�t find you, but moving was still a good idea. �
�Also why the message was memorized,� Alanna mused. �That was the trigger, he would have been ordered only to tell a Tortallan so that he didn�t die before he finished his mission.�
�No chance for us to interrogate him, either. Another advantage for that gods-curst it Maggur. By Mithros, I hate it when they get clever,� Myles snapped, then looked apologetic. �Kel, Alanna, I�m sorry. I have to get word of this to my agents, tell them to be careful with any prisoners they take, just in case. We need information, not dust clouds.�
�I should go, too,� Numair said softly. �The King needs to know about this, and the generals, and I�m the only one who can reach them all at the same time.� The mage turned, as though listening to someone else. �Raoul and Buri are telling you to stay where you are until we know more, there�s nothing you can do. Contact us if you find out more. And tell Daine I checked in.�
Alanna nodded, then stretched out her hand to the purple fire and made a curious tugging gesture. Both fires winked out, leaving darkness, until a muted globe of emerald fire hung in the air.
�I doubt he even knew he was under a spell,� Neal murmured from beneath his hands.
�Black God ease his passing.�
The others all whispered as one, �So mote.�
The next day, the atmosphere in the camp was tense. They had expected to be in battle by now, but instead they waited. The constant quiet was an uncomfortable necessity so close to the enemy, but it set everyone�s teeth on edge.
Kel walked among the men, chatting easily, her voice low. The other commanders did the same, trying to ease the tension in their soldiers. Walking back to the tree where she had put her bedroll, she heard a commotion from the other side of camp.
Going over, about to shush the person responsible, she saw Daine lying on the ground, her face grey, lines of blood from her nose and mouth.
Turning to the onlookers, only just remembering to stay quiet, she rapped out, �You, get Healer Nealan and Lady Alanna, now!�
He, Alanna and Dom came at a run, Neal with his healers bag. Alanna briskly examined Daine, checking the unconscious woman�s body for her pulse and wounds, as Neal poured his magic into her, then directed her to be taken to the area the commanders were camped.
Emerging from behind the tree to speak to Kel and Dom, they diagnosed exhaustion. �Her magic isn�t the Gift, but it tires her all the same. Turning back into a human must have pushed her beyond her limits,� Neal explained.
�She�ll be fine, but she needs rest,� Alanna put in.
�With another Healing and a strengthening potion?� Neal asked Alanna, who nodded. �Two days, and she�ll be back to full health.�
�And we�ll find out what was so important she nearly killed herself getting here,� Dom murmured.
Numair did not take Alanna�s news well, from the snippets Kel had seen and heard from her rest behind the tree, sitting opposite the unconscious Daine. �She�s what?!� he had shouted, his face going as grey as the woman�s he loved had been scant hours earlier. His normally absent-minded eyes were suddenly in the present, and scarily alert. �Give me two hours, I�ll fly.�
�Don�t be stupid, Numair, Daine�s going to be fine, I promise! There�s no need for you to exhaust yourself as well. Besides, you�re needed where you are!� Alanna had replied, exasperated.
�But-�
�No, Numair!�
Kel decided to walk around the camp again just then, because the honourable Sir Alanna of Trebond, Olau and Pirate�s Swoop, King�s Champion, Shaman, Healer and all-round hero was rapidly resorting to commands such as �sit,� �stay,� and Black Robe Master Numair, one of the most powerful mages in the known world, was looking more like a sullen child than an �Almighty Mage� by the minute. Kel was reminded of something Neal had said, that �when he�s upset, he can do pretty much what he wants.�
Kel decided it would definitely be a good idea to be somewhere else.
What still puzzled Kel � and everyone else - was why Daine had been so drained, why she had tired herself so drastically to reach Kel and the others. They knew she hadn�t been pursued, scouts had made sure of that.
Kel only hoped what had driven her could wait.
Two days later, Daine was waking up. Or rather, Alanna was allowing her to wake up. She had placed Daine in the deepest sleep she could, hoping to speed Daine�s healing.
After the confusion had worn off, Daine suddenly sat up very straight, grabbing Kel�s arm. �Oh, Goddess, I remember now. Kel, you have to hear this, now.�
After gathering Neal, Dom, and Brookwell, Alanna had summoned Myles and Numair with her Gift, Numair taking over when he heard Daine calling his mind. The King also contacted them, his fire a deep blue.
After allowing Numair a moment of relief that Daine was alright, Daine began to explain.
�Firstly, they stopped attacking Mindelan two days after your brother sent his message, so almost three weeks ago. So the situation is basically the same, with no more casualties.� Kel almost melted in relief, allowing her body to lean limply against the tree at her back.
�I heard the Scanran officer say �their fate was in the hands of their king, and that if they did not resist, they would not be harmed, but they would not be permitted to leave under any circumstances.� Anyone who tried to would be shot. I take it that referred to the message. The Scanrans want to keep them alive � the generous sergeant,� Daine put a world of scorn into the word, �even told them to ask for supplies if they required it.�
Kel turned cold. �They need as many hostages as they can keep.�
Daine nodded grimly. �Then,� she continued, �I was on my way back when I saw some �refugees� and decided to follow them, they looked suspiciously unlike refugees. What I heard explained, well, almost everything.�
Almost a three days before:
Daine, in the shape of a barn owl, hid in the high branches of the tree that sheltered the group below. At first she had thought they were refugees, then Tortallan soldiers that had lost their way from the blue and silver uniforms. Swooping down, she had realised the uniforms were fake; she had seen enough army and Own uniforms to know.
Discreetly tailing them, she had kept pace as they had threaded through the trees, then hidden as they made their camp, all the while carrying a rough sack.
She didn�t believe for a second that it was merely �supplies,� as it was supposed to be, slung roughly over one of the horses � a dun mare who told Daine of her hatred for her master, and bore signs of whipping and excessive spurring. One of the other horses agreed, the image in his mind of gleefully trampling his owner to death.
Daine shivered and turned her attention to the men.
�How long do we have to keep wearing these stupid uniforms?� A tall blond said to the leader, a shadowy man with jet black hair and eyes that snapped, plucking at the replica-Tortallan clothes.
��Til the business is done,� the leader rumbled, warning in his voice.
The blond didn�t take it. �And when exactly is that?� he snapped. �We�ve been on the road for months, following a silly spoiled brat. We�ve travelled halfway around the known world and I�m sick of-�
The other two jumped when the leader suddenly stood and grabbed the moaner by the throat. �When the mission is done,� he whispered dangerously to the pale man. �Do I make myself clear, Sergeant?�
�Y-yes, Commander,� he stammered, ashen.
Daine started. She had thought they were mercenaries, or rogues, but had never considered they might be soldiers working on legitimate orders. At least she knew they weren�t Tortallan - now she had to find out what their mission was, and whom they worked for.
Then find a way to escape, without them knowing she was ever there.
Throwing the sergeant to the ground like a child, the commander sat again. �Anyone else feel homesick?� The other two didn�t move, except to shake their heads. �And you, for your insolence, can wake up the traitor.�
The sergeant seemed about to protest, and then thought better of it. He got up and glowered over to the sack, now lying on the ground. Looking like a man walking to his execution, he looked around with a glare. The tension in the circle was palpable. He gave it a kick, then roughly opened it and dragged a figure out by the head, which was covered in another sack. Her hands and feet were bound tightly. Pulling the sack from her head, Daine could see she was gagged, her ear and eyes covered. Whoever she was, they weren�t taking any chances. From her appearance � when her eyes and ears were uncovered � Daine guessed she was sixteen or seventeen. Why were they so afraid of her? It was in the way the other�s backed up apprehensively, the way the sergeant�s hands shook as he took out a needle and injected the girl�s arm clumsily.
�What�re you waiting for?� The leader said to the now witless sergeant, tossing him a packet of pungent herbs. Daine recognized the scent as something Numair had said would �wake the dead.�
�She can�t do any of her tricks with that in her blood,� the commander growled as the other two men looked at each other and babbled that they would take their horses to the water, taking off at a run.
Daine�s blood ran cold. A magic impediment. Designed to render those with the Gift � like this girl � helpless.
�I know,� the sergeant snapped, hesitantly waving the herbs below her nose and ripping off her blindfold. Now Daine could see her clearly with her owl-sight, and would have gasped if she hadn�t had a beak.
The girl was slight, with icy blonde hair that fell in curls to below her shoulders. Her eyes were frost blue, and she was beautiful even under the dirt and grime the journey had inflicted on her. She was not Scanran, her features had a fine boned edge, an elfin trait that no Scanran had. Her skin was pale with fury, hunger and � Daine suspected � cold.
She was clearly accustomed to warmer climates � another clue she was not Scanran.
Her eyes snapped open, filled with hatred and anger. Something tangible filled the air for a moment, then seemed to snap. A muffled noise of agony came from their prisoner. The leader stalked over to the now-sitting girl � still gagged � and slapped her with all his strength.
�Don�t even think about it, bitch,� he snarled. �It won�t work. And for that, you get to listen to your stomach growl for a while.�
�She- she � almost broke through that time,� the sergeant whispered, making the Sign against evil as he tried to force the sack over the struggling girl�s head.
Daine knew she had to do something. Whoever she was, she needed help. A plan sparked in her mind, and Daine reached out with her mind.
Running through the forest, Daine forced herself to keep going. Weighed down by the unconscious girl, her hooves thudded through the undergrowth beside the four other horses.
-Go! Get her out of here � we�re dying anyway! Just go, this way we can do something useful! - the herd shouted to Daine, giving her the image of a cave she could run to.
If she had been in human form, she would have cried. The horses had been mishandled and abused by the Scanrans since they were foals, then stolen by the men they were fleeing from � who they had fought, killing the two by the riverside. Two of the horses � horses that had belonged to the soldiers from before they had kidnapped the girl - had remained loyal, and were carrying their pursuers. Now the horses offered to sacrifice their lives to ensure Daine and the girl�s escape.
Daine sent them a wordless blast of gratitude and sadness, and then galloped into the growing dawn as they reared to attack the men.
After sitting the girl on a pile of dry leaves, cushioning her head on the a stone covered in soft moss, Daine switched to human form, lurching as she felt a sinking feeling in her gut that meant she had gone too far and was pushing the limits of her strength.
Steeling herself, she slipped into the form of an eagle. She had to know if they were still following them.
Gliding over the forest, she saw the remains of a battle. Her eyes saw the remains of four horses and two men � all dead. The men had died first, then the horses � two of horrific sword and staff wounds, two of injuries inflicted by another horse. Again, Daine silently thanked them and wondered, not for the first nor last time, whether it was a good thing that the People were evolving to think like humans.
Returning to the cave with food she had scavenged from the soldier�s packs, she saw the girl was awake, but not lucid. She had taken wounds herself as she had fought the men who had kidnapped her. Her muscles knotted and her Gift powerless, she had been less than able to fight. Daine made sure she understood she was with a friend � well, someone who meant her no harm � and that she was not to move, that Daine would bring help. She nodded vaguely when Daine had told her she had to eat and drink while Daine was gone, less confused after being fed and drinking water from a nearby river.
Again taking eagle form, her ears roared and Daine fought nausea, knowing she had to get help, or else the girl would die, and soon, if she didn�t.
She just hoped she had the strength to make it to the company.
As she flew over the meadow the others had been in only days before, Daine�s mind reeled. They weren�t there, it was empty. Turning to a falcon � they were faster, and Daine needed speed if she was to reach the others before her rapidly reducing strength gave out � she swam through her confusion to fly and find them.
Seeing them camped below in a field, her relief made her lose what little concentration she had and slip out of her falcon form. She didn�t even feel herself hit the ground as she dropped from the air.
Three days later (the day Daine wakes up):
Kel, Neal, Alanna and Dom � with a squad of soldiers � ran through the forest. After running through the undergrowth for what seemed like hours, they came to the cave entrance Daine had described. Sending a final prayer, Kel entered the cave.
Kel stared at the girl sitting in front of her, casually about to munch on an apple, which stopped half way to her mouth. Suddenly, she was enveloped in a hug so tight she could hardly breathe.
Crying with relief, the blonde girl buried her head in Kel�s shoulder. �Thank Goddess, Mithros and everyone and anyone else who�s listening, thank them all,� she said, shaking in Kel�s arms.
Kel had went cold at heart � she had been praying that it would be, that it wouldn�t be � and held on to her.
Feeling like the worst kind of betrayer, she spoke to the unlikeliest friend she had ever had, her mind scrambling for any rational thought.
�It�s all gonna be okay. You�re okay now, Pip.�
As Alanna and Neal took care of the sickly princess, Kel was lost in her complex thoughts. Memories of the events that had forged them all, strengthening the bonds between the four girls over years until they were sisters, washed over her in a wave.
She had a way to free Mindelan; they had found Jodanyai.
But how could Kel sacrifice her sister to save her fief and family?
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