Blades of the Old Empire Page 17

  “You bastard.”

  Nimos chuckled. “No need to be harsh, Magister. What else could we do? We can’t possibly kill a Diamond who is immune to our powers. At least, not yet. But the Majat Guild can do it for us. Personally, I think our plan’s pretty sound, don’t you?”

  “You made her disobey her orders, you son of a–”

  Nimos’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “Believe me, Magister. We wouldn’t be having this conversation if anything could be changed. But things are in motion now. The Black Diamond’s on its way. And there’s no one in this kingdom with the power to stop it. The Majat Guild doesn’t tolerate interference. And now, I feel I’ve imposed on your time far too long, Magister. Good day.”

  He flung the trailing end of his cloak over his shoulder and strode away.

  Egey Bashi turned to Raishan, unclenching his fists and forcing the pounding in his temples to quiet down. “We must do something, Aghat!”

  Raishan shook his head. “The man’s right. The Black Diamond can’t be stopped.”

  “We must see this Shadow Master. We must find out what her weakness is, and warn her.”

  Raishan’s gaze hardened. “No one can see the Shadow Master. His identity is a secret. He sees you, not the other way around.”

  “But we have to do something,” Egey Bashi insisted. “Can we at least find a way to warn her of what’s coming?”

  Raishan’s lips twitched. “I assure you, Magister. She knows.”

  22

  FOGGY MEADOWS

  When the Majat Fortress was well out of sight, Kara turned her horse off the main road to a small trail running through the thick forest undergrowth. Low branches hung across, making the trail ahead hard to see. Kara rode so fast it was impossible to keep up with her and duck the branches at the same time. Kyth grabbed the reins with one hand and held out the other to protect his face.

  As night deepened, fog descended on the forest around them. It hung in tiny cold droplets that had a way of penetrating every gap in their clothes, making them clammy and heavy with water. The horses’ coats glistened with sweat, their vapors mixing with warm breath in the cold night air. Kara’s cloaked silhouette blended with her gray mount and with the forest darkness on the trail ahead. Only the movement of disturbed branches showed where she was and how fast they had to ride not to fall behind.

  Kara didn’t slow until the air around them became gray with the first light of dawn. She changed to a walk and glanced back to oversee her following. Kyth’s horse slowed down to keep in step, and Alder’s mount almost ran into him from behind. Warning froze on Kyth’s lips as he realized in amazement that Alder had dozed off while they rode. His head dipped forward and jerked up as his horse slid to a stop.

  “Are we there yet?” he asked sleepily.

  Kara sided off the trail, letting them level up with her. Then she raised her hand and pulled off her black mask.

  Her face was drawn and determined. In the dim forest grayness it looked hollow, like a ghost’s.

  “There’s a clearing up ahead,” she said. “We can stop there for a short rest.”

  Kyth nodded, too tired to speak. He used his remaining strength to take off his own mask. Cold air hit his skin. He blinked, shaking off the sleepiness, and grabbed his reins in a determined hold.

  The clearing was so small they probably would have missed it if Kara hadn’t pointed. A pond of dark water glinted at its side. Kara stopped her horse by a gnarled tree at the edge of the pond and jumped down.

  “We can rest until dawn,” she said. “We move again at sunrise.”

  “But it’s already nearly dawn!” Alder protested, scrambling down from his saddle onto the soft, damp turf.

  She measured him with her gaze. “On this trip we do what I say. No questions asked.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “Because, I’m here to ensure your safety, and neither of you have any idea what we’re up against.”

  “Then why don’t you tell us?”

  Kara didn’t hurry to answer. She took her time in unsaddling her horse and set the packs and gear against a tree trunk.

  “For one,” she said at length, “you two are no good against orbens. If these men attack, you’d be in real trouble. Our best chance is to outrun them.”

  Alder looked at her in disbelief. “But you’re with us. You can handle these men, no problem, right?”

  This time she took so long to respond that Kyth began to doubt if she was going to speak at all. She busied herself with setting camp on the higher ground at the edge of the glade, where the grass was shorter and the earth didn’t look too damp. Kyth tethered his horse to a low oak branch and joined Kara in spreading their bedrolls on the ground.

  Only when they were all done and ready to sleep did Kara raise her head again. “You must learn to take care of yourselves, if need be. I may not always be here to protect you.”

  “What do you mean?” Kyth asked, alarm rising in his chest. There was something different in her voice, or maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him after a sleepless night?

  She gave him a long look. Her eyes gleamed, but the rest of her face was barely visible in the dusk.

  “Nothing,” she said. “Now, get some sleep. I’ll wake you up soon.”

  She wrapped into her cloak, stretched on the ground and went still. Kyth looked at her for a moment, but she didn’t show any intention to speak again. Her eyes were closed and her breath even, as if she was fast asleep.

  Kyth lay down onto his bedroll. The ground was covered with twigs and branches that dug painfully into his back. His cloak was damp and the chill crept through to his skin. He wished they could light a fire, but he knew that, with the little time they had, fire was out of the question.

  Alder next to him was already asleep, his mouth half-opened and his face happy and innocent like a child’s. Kyth lay there for a moment, looking at him, then closed his eyes. He was so tired his head swam and his entire body ached. It seemed as if he wasn’t lying on the ground but still rocking with the measured sway of his horse’s fast trot. He had time to wonder if, with such a short sleep, he would still have time for one of his nightmares. Then he remembered nothing more.

  It seemed to Kyth that he had just closed his eyes when he felt somebody shaking him.

  “Kyth. Wake up.”

  He opened his eyes to see Kara leaning over him. The beams of the rising sun lit up her golden hair, leaving her face in shadow. Her eyes were hollow, as if she’d had no rest at all. Kyth wondered if she actually slept or kept watch without telling them. But before he could ask she slid away toward their horses.

  Kyth sat up, wrapped in his cloak, and looked around. Alder was still asleep. The horses wandered off to the ends of their tethering ropes, munching on the thick grass of the glade. Kara crouched on the ground, rummaging in one of her saddlebags. As he watched, she took out a small package and turned back to Kyth.

  “Wake your foster brother,” she said. “We must go.”

  Kyth struggled out of his cloak. “What is it? Why’re you so…” he paused, unsure how to say it. He had never seen her so tense. It was as if her incredible inner balance was disturbed, leaving her fragile and vulnerable. It looked frightening. But how in the world could he say this to her? And, what would be the point?

  She averted her eyes. “I’m fine. It’s just that I’m not sure I can handle whoever’s coming after us. We must do our best to beat them to the Grasslands. But since we only had a few hours’ head start, I’m afraid this means lots of riding and very little sleep, at least for the next few days.”

  Kyth nodded. Her words made sense, but he still had an uneasy feeling she wasn’t telling him something. Maybe he was too sleepy to think straight.

  He shook Alder awake and went to pack his bedroll. Kara handed each of them a flask of water and a small pack.

  “The Majat travel rations,” she said. “Eat quickly and saddle up.”

  The rations were made of salted meat, mi
xed with dry raisins, nuts, and a strange herb with a strong, heady smell. Alder twitched his nose as he took a bite, but to Kyth anything tasted good after the crazy gallop of the previous night. Besides, the rations were surprisingly filling. After finishing his share and washing it down with water from the flask, Kyth felt refreshed and strong.

  They saddled the horses and rode out onto the trail.

  Kara kept the pace at a fast trot. The forest around them gave way to lower bushes, no less capable of slapping the riders in the face, but much better at letting the sunlight through. After an hour of riding their clothes had dried and Kyth finally felt warm enough to let his cloak trail behind.

  By the afternoon the road began to descend downhill. The bushes ahead cascaded downward from the ridge. The slope was getting steeper as they rode, giving them an open view of the hills ahead. Below, the valley subsided into mists, bluish haze merging with the distant eastern sky. Beams of the setting sun touched the blues of the landscape with a reddish tint, blending into a deep purple haze further at the horizon.

  Kyth paused at the edge of the ridge to take a full breath of the cooling air, and peered into the valley. Up ahead, the bushes opened into a winding line, running along the bottom of the deep ravine. On the southern side of the clearing a jagged line of roofs submerged into the greenery. Thin columns of smoke rose up to the sky.

  Kara followed his gaze. “Foggy Meadows. The first outpost from the Majat Fortress on the road to Aknabar. There’s an inn there, but we’re not stopping. We still have a good five hours ahead of us before the moon sets.”

  Kyth nodded. He longed to ask her more about the danger they were facing and the reasons for such a rush, but he knew she would probably avoid a direct answer, just like before. Besides, with the pace she set, there was never enough time to talk.

  The descent into the valley took longer than anticipated. Closer to the bottom the road became so steep that they had to dismount, leading the horses along the winding trail that creased the side of the hill. Kara’s posture was tense as her eyes darted from the slippery trail down to the outskirts of the village below. A group of reddish lights flickered and moved about. Torches? They were too far away to tell.

  The main road running along the bottom of the valley was wide enough for four horsemen to ride side by side, and surprisingly well maintained. The village gate ahead stood open, flanked by a tall fence of thick logs sharpened at the top, strong enough to withhold a minor siege. Sounds of voices from inside carried clearly through the damp evening air.

  A crowd of men inside the gate held lit torches and bore weapons. Their faces were grim and determined as they silently watched the approaching riders.

  Kara directed her horse toward the middle of the blockade and pulled to a stop a few paces away from the front line of men. “What’s going on?”

  A tall bearded man at the end of the line stepped forward, urged by prompting gazes of his comrades. He was wearing a blacksmith’s apron and held a huge hammer in his lowered hand.

  “We’re under orders from the Majat Guild,” he said.

  Kara’s face remained calm as she held the man’s gaze. “Orders?”

  “Yes’m. They wants ye t’return to the Guild. We was tole not ter let ye pass.”

  Kara turned in the saddle, her cloak folding back to reveal an array of throwing knives at her belt. The men facing her exchanged uneasy glances.

  “How do you know we’re the ones to look for?” she asked.

  The spokesman shifted from foot to foot. “The message said: two men, one woman.”

  Kara laughed. “That’s all? Do you know how many travelers come this way?”

  “But no’ many women,” the man told her firmly. “Especially Olivian.”

  She nodded. “I can see you have it all figured out, don’t you?”

  The man swallowed. “Yes’m.”

  Kara leaned forward in the saddle. “Did they also tell you my rank?”

  “Them said, ‘gem’.” The spokesman glanced around at the other men.

  “Which gem?”

  “Them didn’t say.”

  “And my companions?”

  The man’s face relaxed into a smile. “Them’s no Majat, only dressed like ones.”

  “And you think your men can take down a gem?”

  Faces around her showed hesitation, but no one moved.

  “There’s fifty of us out ’ere,” the spokesman said. “And given tha’ ye gems don’t kill unless you’re paid fo’ it–”

  She sat up straight. “Did it ever occur to you men that if I’m an outcast I may not be too keen on following the rules? Or that a ‘gem’ might mean something more bright and glittery than you hope?”

  The men exchanged glances.

  “Better ter ’ave it out with ye,” the spokesman said, “than with the Majat Guild.”

  She shrugged. “Have it your way.” She lifted her leg over the horse’s neck and jumped to the ground, handing the reins to Kyth.

  “Stay out of range,” she told him quietly. “We don’t want the horses to get hurt.”

  “But we can’t let you fight all of them alone,” Kyth protested. “There’re fifty of them out there!”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. There isn’t going to be a fight. All they want is some bruises to show off, so that they don’t get in trouble with the Guild for letting us pass without resistance.”

  “Maybe we could take some road around the village?” Alder suggested.

  She shook her head. “The valley is narrow and steep here and the hills around it are practically impassable. Believe me, if there was another way, we wouldn’t be wasting our time right now.” She took off her cloak and flung it over the saddle. Then she approached the blockade and stopped.

  “All right,” she said. “What’s the plan?”

  The spokesman handed his torch to the man behind him. Then he raised his hammer and threw it from hand to hand with disquieting ease.

  “We thought,” he said, “with yer bein’ a woman an’ all, we could just knock yer out. Gentle, like.”

  “Fine,” she said. “Go right ahead.”

  “Why don’t yer make it easy on yerself and surrender?” he asked. “We won’t molest ye or anythin’. We don’t want no trouble with the Guild. We just want ter send ye back.”

  She laughed. “Much as I’d like to help you out, I am in a real hurry. So, why don’t you men just get on with it?”

  The men stood for a moment exchanging glances. Then the front line advanced, fanning out so that they could surround her on all sides.

  Kyth held his breath.

  Kara drew her weapon from the strap at her back, but didn’t bare the blades. Sheathed, it looked like a short staff, thick enough to do serious damage, and yet small enough to wield with one hand. She held it by the end, lowered at an angle to the side of her body.

  One of the men swung his club. Just as it was about to hit, she whirled around, her shape a streak of black. Her weapon thrust forward and up, catching the man’s wrist in a precise blow that knocked the club right out of his hand. Another blow, and the man collapsed on the ground in a messy heap.

  Five of his neighbors jumped at Kara, aiming their clubs. Kara moved between them like the wind. She swung her weapon in a figure eight, high and then low, dropping to a crouch as the clubs whizzed over her head. Her arm moved so fast it was hard to trace. There was a thud each time her staff connected, each blow sending one more man down. It took seconds for her to complete the sweep, straighten up, and go still, her weapon lowered at an angle to her body. She wasn’t in the least bit out of breath.

  She ran her eyes over the six bodies at her feet and turned to the remaining villagers.

  “Who’s next?” she asked.

  There was silence.

  “Come now,” she said. “You do want to show the Guild some effort, don’t you? Or, are you going to tell them that you gave up after losing just six men?”

  The man with the blacksm
ith’s hammer licked his lips nervously. “What’s yer rank?”

  She smiled. “That’s the question you should’ve started with. And yes, it’s a gem, just like you were told.”

  “Which gem?”

  Her smile widened. “With your fighting skills, it really doesn’t matter.”

  He eyed her with caution. “Yer no’ a Jade.”

  “No. Not a Jade.”

  “Emerald?”

  She laughed. “Why don’t you just let us pass?”

  The men exchanged glances. There was a commotion in the back rows, which suddenly looked a lot less dense than before.

  “If you want it to look believable,” Kara said. “I could knock out a few more of you. Any volunteers?”

  The men lowered their weapons and began to move sideways, forming a corridor for them to pass. Kara took the reins from Kyth and swung into the saddle in one quick move.

  “Let’s go.”

  She kept her weapon in hand as they rode through the gauntlet. The villagers eyed them fearfully and drew back if Kara glanced their way. They rode at a walk up the street, past the inn with its brightly lit windows, and over to the other side, where a fence and a gate similar to the first one marked the edge of Foggy Meadows. The few men at the back gate hastily flung it open as soon as they saw Kara approach.

  Kara flicked her weapon back into its sheath and turned to Kyth and Alder. “We must hurry. The Guild will now know which way we’re headed. We must not let them catch up.”

  She sent her horse into a gallop and there was nothing left to do but follow.

  23

  CHANGE OF GUARD

  Ellah woke to the sounds of banging doors and distant voices. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.

  It was still early. Low sunbeams crept over the azure lake surface outside the window, giving off a golden gleam in the still morning air. The room was alive with sunny reflections running around the walls and ceiling. Odara Sul’s bed next to her was empty. The Keeper’s white robe was neatly folded over the back of a chair, but the blanket was crumpled, indicating that Odara must have left in a hurry.