Fire And Ice (Book 1) (38 page)

             
Coran turned away to watch the pillar of black smoke that marked the Karand’s tomb rise into the air.  A battle had been fought and men had died, yet the sun still shined as it had before, and the air still smelled of salt. 

              The Captain wished them luck and thanked Shirri fervently before the longboat was lowered and they were chauffeured to the pebble strewn beach.  After being let off, the boat returned to the waiting ship.  They watched as the Northmen sailed back to the southeast.  Coran took a look at their surroundings.  According to the Captain they were about two leagues south of Crecy.  The landscape was what he remembered.  Hills and gullies of dull, brown rock and sparse vegetation.  He had to wonder why anyone wanted to fight over such an uninviting place.  When he commented on that, Shirri assured him that the land changed about a day’s travel inland, it was greener there and the soil richer. 

             
The healer, now revealed for who she was, wore pants and a shirt of brown cloth that had been provided by Terk.  A robe of a lighter brown hung from her shoulders.  Her dark brown hair blew fitfully in the wind. 

             
Miko still wore the browns in which he had begun the journey.  A beard had begun to appear on his dark face.  He had regained some of his portliness at the expense of the Northmen’s coffers.  Miko had become a more serious man the further they got from Arencia, but after several days of good eating his mood had lightened a bit. 

             
Coran was still dressed as an Anagassi, except for the head wrap which was lost in the harbor at Lornth.  He had acquired a replacement on board the ship, but it was not the sandy white that the Anagassi usually wore.  He had yet to put it on.  Having something constantly across your face got annoying after a while.  There had been only one opportunity to wash his outfit in all their travels, so he probably fit right in with some of the locals.   He noticed how some men, especially when they lived outside a city, regularly forgot to bathe.  The Northmen never commented on the smell, which did not say much for them.

             
The three of them looked at each other with the unspoken question of what they should do now.

             
“The road is only a mile to the west,” Shirri suggested.  “If my brother is around he will be watching the road.”

             
Coran and Miko exchanged shrugs.  It sounded good to them, so they started out for the road.  It wasn’t long before Coran donned the head wrapping, making sure that his face was adequately covered.  He had almost forgotten how the dust got into everything.

              The road was no more than a traveled patch of dirt and rocks about six feet wide that stretched away to the north and south amid the barren hillsides.  There was no sign of anyone nearby. 

             
“Do you remember where that camp of Ruan’s was?” Coran asked Miko.

             
Miko shook his head.  “I cannot be sure where we are exactly.”              

“I know where it is,” Shirri announced.  “There are many places people go in these hills and I have been to them all.”

              They followed her up a steep-sided hill, away from the road.  The sky was clear and the sun still hot as they went down the other side and followed the narrow valley until it was crossed by a steep-sided gully.  She led them into the almost tunnel-like passage that he remembered.  It was much cooler with the rocks around them to block the sun’s rays.  The passage eventually widened into a circular area surrounded by steep cliffs on every side.  Coran remembered it clearly.  There were more campfires scattered around than last time, with dozens of people.  From old men to boys, and young girls to gray haired women they watched the newcomers arrive.  One of the women, with gray in her hair and wrinkles on her darkened face, rose and came to stand before Shirri.

             
“Shirri, you have been returned to us.  Praise the Creator and thanks to She’al.”  She beamed at the younger woman.  “I am glad to have my student returned to me.” 

             
“Thank you, Neheya, but your thanks should go to these men as well.”  She stepped aside so Neheya could look them over. 

             
She studied them with shrewd eyes, taking in Coran’s face and the Anagassi robes with a raised eyebrow.  Miko she dismissed after a single glance.  It was Coran she was interested in.

             
Miko ducked his head to the woman.  “I am Miko.  A simple trader from Arencia.  It is an honor to meet you.”

             
“Not so simple I think,” Neheya replied not unkindly.  She looked to Coran and spoke before he could announce himself.  “You would be Coran Tyelin.  From Ruan’s description I would have expected you to be taller.  Fortunately, I have a more accurate one from Soelidin.”   She noted the slight surprise on his face.  “Yes, he was through here two days ago.  On his way south.  He had some interesting things to say about you.”

             
“What things?” he had to ask even if it did sound rude.

             
“I need to speak with Shirri if you do not mind, and Ruan should be here soon,” she told them, ignoring his question as she led Shirri towards a piece of canvas held up by some crooked branches that served as a tent. 

             
“I guess we are on our own for the time being,” Miko announced.  He looked around for a clear spot of earth.  “Do you want to start the fire or should I do it?”

              The windows shattered outward, taking most of the wall and the balcony beyond, in the fire that burst from Elthzidor’s hands.  Z’Arize was white faced and trembling beside him.  Elthzidor had to calm himself enough to speak.  “How did this happen!?” 

             
“S...sorry, m..my lord,” Z’Arize stumbled over the words in his fear.

             
“I do not want apologies!  Tell me how you let this happen.”

             
Z’Arize wiped the sweat from his face.  “It was the Northmen.  They snuck into the city, murdered the mage on watch on the bluff, and set fire to the fleet.”  He said it all in a rush as if he was afraid it wouldn’t come out if he stopped to think about it.  “I saw one of them here, in this room.  He wore the clothes of an Anagassi.”

             
Elthzidor grabbed the man by the throat with his long, thin fingers.  “In here!?  Did he find anything?”

             
“The...the map,” Z’Arize replied hoarsely.  He struggled to breathe as his throat was slowly being squeezed.                 Elthzidor let him fall to the carpeted floor.  “So someone knows our plans.  It will not do them as much good as they think.”  He would have to send the forces here north to join the others massed at Sha’Tor.  It could still work.  All he had to do was delay a few of his plans for a while.  Should he wait for spring or attack in the winter?  The Karands would be incapacitated by the snow.  It would take some thought.  Right now he had to deal out his punishment. 

             
The Ra Majin of Makkura turned his head until his angry gaze fell on the Karand who was rubbing his neck while sitting on the floor.  Z’Arize started to tremble under that indomitable stare.  “I told you when I sent you here that if anything went wrong I would have your hide.”  He pulled out a long, thin knife from behind his black leather belt and held it up between them.   The light spilling into the room through the jagged opening in the side of the building glinted off the polished metal.  “Time for the skinning.” 

             
Z’Arize fainted.

             
Elthzidor looked at the unconscious form of Z’Arize with disgust.  Then he turned to the other people in the room.  The tall Haltherin stood less arrogantly than usual.  He knows that he could be held responsible for what happened as well.  The lack of a right arm protruding from his cloak was testimony to his mistake.  Still, Elthzidor was curious as to how a man managed to take off his arm when he shouldn’t have been able to move. 

             
Haltherin had always had a strong ability to control the winds and was better than anyone when it came to binding a person with them.  For once he had failed.

             
The other person present was the beautiful, and extremely resourceful, Selisk.  She had a cruel streak that Elthzidor found delicious.  She had already given her opinion on Haltherin’s conduct, and what his punishment should be.  Elthzidor was tempted to agree with her, except for the fact that he needed every one of the Maji alive, for now.  Elthzidor pointed one of his fingers at Haltherin’s face.  “You will deal with the situation here.  Z’Arize is to be skinned alive.”

             
“Yes, Ra Majin,” Haltherin agreed quickly.  “And the townspeople?  They had to have helped.”

             
Yes, they must have, at least some of them.  The wizard on the bluff was taken by surprise.  He had only been one of the lesser Maji, and not very talented, but still competent enough to defend the harbor.  Someone had to have helped.

             
“I will be sending most of the forces here north.  The rest you will use to evict the population of Lornth.  I want one out of every ten taken aside and executed for treason.  Then destroy the town.”

             
“Yes, Ra Majin.”

             
“And Haltherin,” Elthzidor said dangerously, “do not fail me again.”

             
The large Maji swallowed hard.  “Yes, Ra Majin.”

             
The Ra Majin motioned for everyone to leave him, including the still form of Z’Arize.  The administrator was going to have a bad time of it whenever he woke up.

             
Selisk hesitated at the door.  “Is there anything you want me to do?”

             
“No Selisk.  I thank you for your attentiveness,” he replied mockingly.  The woman inclined her head, then left.

             
Elthzidor, now alone, pushed back the side of his robe and caressed the hilt of the sword at his hip.  He could feel the unusual power contained in it.  His Master spent a great deal of time working with him to increase his powers and to prepare him for taking up the sword.  Now that he had it, he found that he could do things that he never thought possible before.  He gazed out of the gaping hole he had created in the side of the building.  Thinking of the bluff that overlooked the harbor and the sea, he concentrated hard on the spot and the intervening space.  Everything seemed to shift, or become hazy, it was difficult to describe since it happened in a fraction of a second.  One second he was in the administrator’s ruined office, the next he was on the bluff. 

             
Elthzidor took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.  It was a difficult thing to do, transporting himself from one place to another.  He found that it did grow easier the more he practiced, and that it was also easier when he knew the place well, or when the distances involved were not great.  It was a power he kept secret even from the other Maji.  An advantage only stayed an advantage when no one else knew about it.

              It was after dark when Shirri came over to join them by their fire.  A very happy Ruan accompanied her.  The young man still wore his worn clothing, and his cloak had several holes in it.  His face still held that youthful enthusiasm too. 

             
“You have kept your promise and returned,” Ruan stated happily.  “You have also brought me back my sister.  I owe you a great debt.  Tell me what I can do for you and it will be done.”

             
“Don’t get the wrong idea here Ruan.  My mission is not complete,” Coran told him.  The Karand’s expression became confused, so Coran explained it to him.  “It won’t be until the information I have is taken to Summerhall.  I need to know if there are any ships at Crecy.  If I have to, I will leave and take the information back myself, but that is my first priority.”

             
Ruan reasoned through what he had said.  “I will have someone go and check the harbor tonight.  If you must go I will understand.”              

“Hopefully I will be able to stay and help,” he lied.  What he wanted to do was go home.  “I said I would help if I could, so if I do stay, what is it you want to accomplish?”

              “To drive out the Shiomi.  They hold sway over everything this side of the mountains, all the Novelah except for those far to the south.  Our people are not strong enough to drive them out without help.”

             
He wanted to retake the city.  “Crecy’s defenses.  What do you know of them?”

             
Ruan seemed happy to be able to answer the question.  “A score of their ships hold the narrows to the southeast of the city.  About fifteen hundred Shiomi hold the town.  The population is not allowed to leave and no one may enter the city armed.  They question anyone entering and if they are not satisfied they arrest them.”

             
It sounded like their security was tighter than when he passed through the city.  At least they were not killing people on sight yet.  He had no illusions that it would last.  “How many have you gathered to fight?  You do have help?  I cannot fight them all alone.”