Into the Fray: Volume 1 of The Sorcerers of Jhanvia Series (33 page)

Milina came through the doorway with a tray of food and ale and placed it on the table. She sat on a stool in the corner of the room. “Eat up. I know I’m repeating myself, but it is sure good to see all of you. What are you doing out this way?”

Nidreyka took a gulp of ale and summarized, “We came to find Kidreyli to take her home. Her mother is dying and she wished to see her daughter one last time in this life.”

Milina was taken aback, “Talenyan is dying? Oh Kidreyli, I’m so sorry to hear that. Your mother and I have been good friends for so many years. She used to ride miles out of her way to come to my little pub in Pichey so we could talk and laugh about all the happenings of the time. I haven’t seen her in maybe five or six years. When are you going home?”

“That’s what we were just discussing,” Kidreyli said as she grabbed some bread. “Our bonding has created a dangerous situation for both of us if we try to return home. I think the best and safest option is to not.”

Milina said, “Oh, my dear, you must see your mother before she passes. If you don’t, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. I don’t know what her condition is, but could she meet you in some kind of neutral and safe place?”

Nidreyka interjected, talking through some bread she was eating, “Lynbuañan.”

Milina concurred, “Ah, Lynbuañan. That would be perfect.”

“What’s Lynbuañan?” Kaitra asked.

Kidreyli explained, “It’s a large pool of water at the edge of a waterfall in the river that separates the Valtyr eastern range from the Dhoyan westernmost country. It’s about a day or a little more north of here. It is a sacred place to the Valtyr known for its healing properties.”

“It would provide a perfect pretext for getting Talenyan out of the homeland without alerting the elders,” Dikaylia pointed out, replacing her empty cup on the table.

Kidreyli asked Nidreyka, “Do you think she could physically make the trip?”

She answered, “To see you, I think her will would carry her halfway across the continent. Dikaylia and I will go to her. We could meet you at Lynbuañan, say, in four days.”

“Agreed,” Kidreyli confirmed.

“I’m so glad you will see your mother. I was suffering some anguish, being the reason you could not visit her in this circumstance,” Kaitra said.

“It hasn’t happened yet,” Kidreyli was cautious, “but this plan could work.”

Nidreyka changed the subject, “Milina, what can you tell us about these soldiers in the red uniforms.”

The look on the old woman’s face was most telling, “They’re a wicked bunch, I tell you. They’ve been moving into town in large numbers for the last few months. The constable fears, and there is talk on the street, that they may try to take over the town, as they have done in many of the surrounding villages. Fadlis and points south for many miles are under their rule and some have said that their influence is growing toward the southwest. Stories I have heard of their brutality and vicious nature, along with the rapid growth of their ranks, are most disturbing. I understand that they are under the control of the Scecians.”

Kidreyli said, “Yes, a man known as Satreka.”

“I’ve heard his name used.”

“He is incarnate evil,” Kaitra stated, “and I am going to have the pleasure of killing him.”

“I applaud your boldness, but killing him would likely have little effect,” Milina conjectured. “If he were to die, another of his clan would move up and take his place. They have grown so large and have become entrenched so deeply in the surrounding area, it would take some kind of cataclysmic event to drive them from here.”

Kidreyli asked, “Have you heard of him taking a Valtyr prisoner?”

“You know, I did overhear something like that a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t really get the whole story.”

“All we have seen indicates that it might be true and that he may be trying to breed a Vydarrun,” Nidreyka explained.

“I didn’t think that was possible,” Milina was surprised. “Who knows about this?”

Kidreyli said, “We believe that those of us in this room and the people of Alondra are the only ones outside of the Scecian command who are aware of what’s going on. We must stop him from achieving success.”

“I should say. The less said about this problem, the better, I think. May good fortune be with all of you.”

Nidreyka said, “We need a place to rest tonight.”

Milina was obviously concerned, “My dear, I would suggest that you leave town and stay deep in the forest. I could probably find a place for you, but your Katrion are very hard to hide. The Scecians have eyes everywhere. I’m afraid to say that this town is not safe for Valtyr anymore.”

Nidreyka looked at Kidreyli, “We should go now.”

She nodded her agreement.

Milina offered as she stood up, “Let me get you food and drink to take with you.”

“That would be most appreciated,” Kaitra said as they stood and left the room.

Nidreyka looked at her lover and said out loud, “Kay, take a look out the front and see if we’ve attracted any attention.”

“I’ll look in the back,” Kaitra offered as she walked away.

Kidreyli touched Nidreyka’s arm, motioned with her head back toward the anteroom and said quietly, “I need to speak with you.”

They stepped back into the small room. Kidreyli closed the door securely and said, “We have a very big problem, and I need you to take action straight away to keep it from getting worse.”

“What is it?”

“The Scecian sorcerers…they’re connected to Kaitra’s mind. They undoubtedly have discovered our defensive tactics….”

Nidreyka cut her off, “…and now they know how to defeat them.” Her fury rose up as she continued, “Daku trinaa, Kidreyli. I told you this would happen. You have put our very existence in jeopardy.” She backed up, looked away from her and hit the outside wall with the flat of her hand in frustration.

“Please, listen to me,” Kidreyli begged.

Nidreyka turned back to her with tears streaking both cheeks, her hand on the hilt of her sword, “I should have followed through with my charge and killed you and Kaitra straight away.”

Kidreyli was running short on time, “I beg you to listen. It is not as bad as it appears.”

“And just how is that possible,” Nidreyka sarcastically demanded.

“The memories I have are over a year old. Since we modify our deployments regularly, what they are learning from her is obsolete.”

Nidreyka was not impressed, “You know that is a weak argument.”

“Kaitra is destined to destroy the sorcerers and the threat they pose. She and I will eliminate them. I need you to return to Tyrkamani and make certain the Valtyr do not rotate into a deployment of which I had knowledge.”

“And what if you fail?” Nidreyka suggested.

“We will not fail,” she replied determinedly.

Nidreyka looked into her eyes, searching for something—she wasn’t sure what. After a brief moment of silence, she nodded her acceptance of her friend’s proposal.

Kidreyli wrapped her arms around her firmly and said, “Thank you.”

Nidreyka held on to her with all her strength and said softly, “I love you so much.”

“I love you,” Kidreyli responded.

As they backed out of the hug, Kidreyli smiled at her and wiped away her tears.

Nidreyka asked, “So, how do we part company without Kaitra suspecting something?”

“Once we get out of town, I’m sure the two of us can find something to argue about.”

Nidreyka laughed quietly.

Kidreyli started toward the door when her friend touched her arm.

She said in a serious tone, “Once we are done today, know that if you see my face again, it will be because I have been sent to kill you.”

Kidreyli stood silent, letting that fact settle in. She put her hand over Nidreyka’s heart and nodded to her, signaling her understanding.

They left the room and walked toward the bar just as Milina came over with a cloth satchel of bread and cheese and a waterproof pouch full of ale.

“Here, take this and be safe.”

“Thank you,” Nidreyka said, giving her a hug.

“Yes, thank you,” Kidreyli reiterated.

Dikaylia was standing alongside Kaitra. She said, “The front looks clear, but we have a problem.”

“What is it?” Kidreyli asked.

The sorceress explained, “There are two of Satreka’s soldiers standing by the Katrion. I couldn’t see any others.”

Nidreyka handed the food and drink to Dikaylia and commanded, “Stay with Kaitra. Kidreyli and I will deal with this.”

The two Valtyr emerged with purpose from the tavern and walked toward their Katrion.

One of the soldiers saw them coming and backed away a few steps, mostly out of fear. He said, “We were just looking over your horses. They are very beautiful.”

“Yes, they are,” Nidreyka said with her left hand resting on the hilt of her sword, “and they don’t belong to you.”

The other soldier stepped into the conversation, “They resemble the horses owned by some Valtyr who killed several of our clansmen in Klinar a few days ago. Do you know anything about that?”

“No,” Kidreyli’s answer was abrupt.

“Really?” the first soldier sarcastically asked.

Nidreyka said, “We will be leaving now.”

The other soldier unsheathed his sword, “I think not.”

Kaitra had pushed open the back door and was peering out. She saw two soldiers stand up on the roof of the next building and point their crossbows at the Kidreyli and Nidreyka. She formed a bright blue energy ball in her right hand and pushed it toward them. It quickly floated up in front of them, and as their focus steadied on her creation, she closed her eyes and imaged its explosion in her mind. The energy ball did just as she wished, exploding in a bright white light that forced the soldiers backward, both of them falling to the ground and landing on their backsides. One was unconscious immediately, while the other tried to raise himself up, but he collapsed into the dirt, unconscious. They certainly did not fall far enough for it to be fatal.

Kidreyli and Nidreyka wasted no time and sliced open the young soldiers who had confronted them with quick sweeping motions of their swords.

Nidreyka called out to the others, “Let’s get out of here now!”

While the others quickly mounted, Kidreyli ran over and grabbed Milina by the shoulders, “You need to get out of this town.”

“I think you’re right. Let me get one thing,” she said as she turned and went back into the tavern with a sense of urgency.

“Hurry,” Kidreyli encouraged, and then she ran over to Tyral and leapt on. She rode up next to the back door and waited just a moment for Milina, who came out carrying a small leather satchel.

Kidreyli reached down to help, “Hold on tight.”

Milina held on for all she was worth as the warrior pulled the smallish woman up over Tyral’s bum, where she landed gently behind the Valtyr. She wrapped an arm around Kidreyli’s waist, and with the other, pointed toward a small alleyway and said, “Go that way.”

Kidreyli led the others along out-of-the-way paths and streets until they emerged just a few minutes later at the edge of the town. They pointed their Katrion a bit north of the mid-afternoon sun and traveled as fast as they could toward the land of the Valtyr.

hey made good time crossing the Hills of Tyrshatru just west of Triami and were now about five miles inside the Valtyr influence. As they reached the top of a heavily-treed ridge, Nidreyka slowed her horse to a stop and announced so they could all hear, “I think we should stay here tonight.”

Kaitra dismounted, stroked Sestru’s nose and rubbed her ears. She said, “How are you doing, my friend. We’ve been very hard on you, haven’t we?”

“How is she?” Kidreyli asked.

“I think she’s all right. We have certainly asked a lot from her over the last couple of days.”

“And how are you faring?”

“I’ll be all right.”

“Let me look,” Kidreyli came over and pulled up her shirt.

“You can stop mothering me now,” Kaitra was terse.

“Right,” Kidreyli said, giving her a big hug. She whispered in her ear, “That was close.”

“This is going to be much harder than I ever thought it would. I never imagined that Satreka’s forces would be so formidable,” Kaitra said.