Lodestone Book One: The Sea of Storms (15 page)

“I need to speak to Leskin. Do
you know if he’s here?”

The skeleton man looked confused.
“I am Leskin; who are you?”

“I have a message for you from
Lyall. He says old man Ennas is well. He would like to see you
again, but his sight isn’t too good since Persillan.”

“By the Three,” the old man
gasped. “Lyall? He’s here? You must tell him to leave at once. It’s
too dangerous.”

“He said you would say that,”
Shann observed. “I am to ask why you think he would do that, when
he didn’t have the sense to leave eleven turns ago?”

“It
is
Lyall.” The older man
turned to the youth. “It is the one I told you of.” His brow
furrowed as he addressed Shann. “But who are you?
How–”

“There is no time now,” she broke
in. “Can you spread the word among the others? They need to be
ready tomorrow, just before dawn.”

“Very well.” He gave a single
nod, like a small bow. “I will do as you ask.” He turned to leave,
but she called over his shoulder.

“One more thing. Lyall asked
whether you had seen Aune.”

“I’m sorry,” Leskin said. “She is
not here. I don’t know where she is.”

“I see. Thank you. I will meet
you at the compound later.” She walked off in the opposite
direction. As she rounded the side of the dune she reached into her
pocket and took out a red bandanna, tying it about her head. It was
the prearranged signal to Lyall and Alondo that the plan had been
agreed to.

Wherever they were, she hoped
that they would be cheered by the sight.

Everything was in place. Shann
dared to hope.

We can actually do
this.

~

Keris strode
through Gort’s massive wood and iron gates, long dark hair and ebon
cloak stirring in the breeze. Beside her trotted Boxx. The guard
acknowledged the Keltar, and then gave the Chandara an odd
look
. This is going to be a
problem,
she thought.

“I would speak with your
commander,” she declared. The soldier pointed out the casemate, his
eyes straying towards Boxx as he did so. However, he was apparently
discreet enough not to begin asking a Keltar awkward questions. She
doubted whether others would be so circumspect.

She could not leave the creature
out in the desert to fend for itself. Yet she had vital business to
take care of here in the fortress. That left only one alternative.
She headed across the mustering yard in the direction of the
stables.

Individuals pointed and
whispered, viewing the strange beast with a mixture of curiosity
and repugnance.

“Keris?” The Chandara addressed
her.

“Quiet!” She hissed.

The stables were a rough wooden
construction adjacent to the outer wall. The pens were mostly
occupied by morgren. Keris asked the stableman to point out a
vacant pen and led Boxx there.

She got down on her haunches to
be on its level. “Wait here till I return.”

“Yes, Keris.” It lay down on the
straw, its legs tucked beneath its body. Keris got up and turned to
leave.

“Keris?” it asked again in its
odd accent.

“What is it?”

“Your People. Kelanni. They Do
Not Like Me.”

“It’s not that exactly…” She
struggled to find the words. “People are sometimes afraid of things
that are unfamiliar, things that they do not
understand.”

There was a pause as if Boxx were
digesting this. He added, “Does Keris Like Me?”

She found herself unexpectedly
flustered. “I will be back as soon as I can.” For the first time in
as long as she could remember, Keris retreated.

~

Ferenek, the garrison commander,
was reviewing a set of plans tossed casually across a large wooden
table, as Keris entered the casemate. Soldiers came and went, and
there seemed little privacy. He looked up as the Keltar entered.
“Thank you, Virdin, that will be all for now.”

The soldier standing next to him
nodded. “Commander.” Then he strode away.

“Keris, isn’t it?” Ferenek began.
“We were told you were coming. Mordal has instructed me to give you
every assistance in the matter of tracking down the impostor and
his accomplices…interesting creature you brought with you. I would
like to hear about it some time.”

The man obviously had an
efficient network of informants at the fortress. There seemed to be
very little that went on here that escaped his notice, although it
was probably difficult to keep anything secret for long in a place
this size.

Keris got to the point. “I would
like to review the defensive measures that have been taken at the
compound.”

“Certainly, although I am sure
you will find them adequate.” He shuffled the papers on the table
and selected a ground plan. “Security has been stepped up on
Mordal’s order.” He pointed a slender index finger at the relevant
parts of the plan. “We have one detachment of soldiers, headed by a
Keltar, at the guardhouse here, with a further four detachments and
four more Keltar inside the compound, here. I am told that there
are only a few hostiles, perhaps three. In any case, the compound
has been put on high alert. I am confident that we can deal with
any problems.”

Keris pretended to study the plan
in detail. “Yes, I see… Very good, Commander. I shall see to it
that Mordal hears of your diligence.”

“You are too kind, Keltar,”
Ferenek bowed slightly. “Shall I arrange accommodations for you
here at the fortress?”

“Yes, please
do,” she replied.
That is one bed I will
not be sleeping in.
“Now please excuse me;
I have preparations to make.”

“Of course, Keltar.” Ferenek
bowed once more.

Keris headed
out of the casemate and crossed the courtyard towards the stables.
The impostor and his party would make their move soon. She would
have to be ready. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a
disturbance. It was coming from the direction of the pens. She
quickened her pace, and as she turned the corner, she saw a small
group of youths yelping and throwing stones. Keris looked between
them and abruptly saw the object of their assault. A shell, rolled
up into a ball.
Boxx.

“Hey there!” Keris shouted, and
began running towards them. The youngsters looked up at the sight
of a Keltar in a black cape bearing down on them. Panic was etched
on their faces. They bolted in all directions.

Keris reached
the Chandara. It was not moving. She dropped to her knees and
touched its shell. “Boxx,” she cried.
“Boxx, answer me.”

The shell unfurled, and a round
head with small dark eyes popped out. The creature was shivering
slightly. “Yes, Keris?”

“Boxx, are you all
right?”

“I Am All Right.”

Keris felt a
surge of relief, followed by another of deep shame. The words of
Annata, the woman from the past were ringing in her mind.
“
They are taking an enormous risk by
helping us. We owe them a great debt.”

She got to her feet. “We need to
get out of here now. Can you move?”

“Yes, Keris.”

They headed together for the
fortress gates. A few people watched them, but did not
approach.

As they walked, she heard herself
say, “Boxx, I’m so sorry.”

“I Too Am Sorry, Keris.” Boxx
replied. Then as if to reassure her, it added, “Kelanni Fear Things
That They Do Not Understand.”

~

Dawn was fast approaching.
Overhead, a large meteor shower sent scintillating streaks arcing
across the sky. Beside the compound, the forbidding walls of Gort
rose up like a gigantic sentry. Lyall and Alondo lay flat against
the sand, watching the enclosure. A collection of low wooden
buildings, bounded by a rectangular wooden palisade, its single
gate was dominated by a guardhouse. There were lights in the
guardhouse, but the other blocks were dark, casting rhomboid
shadows over the scarlet-tinged earth.

“All right,” Lyall whispered.
“Once we get to the guardhouse, I kick the door open, then you let
fly with the vortex arm. I will take care of anyone who isn’t
immediately stunned by the blast. The tributes should deal with any
remaining opposition within the compound. We distribute their
weapons, take out the guards on the fortress gate as quietly as
possible and then make for the armoury. Clear?”

“Sounds too easy.” Alondo smiled
in the darkness. “Shouldn’t we give them more of a sporting
chance?”

“Very funny,” Lyall responded
dryly. “Are you ready?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then let’s go.”

Both men rose
up from the sand and started down the dune’s windward side.
Crouching low, they moved rapidly toward the guardhouse. They
reached the foot of the dune and crossed the short distance to the
gate. Lyall was already adjusting the cloak’s control to feel for
the push of lodestone. He leapt and cleared the palisade, landing
inside the compound. As he turned toward the guardhouse, Lyall
thought he saw a dark shape move at the side of the building. He
looked directly at the place but there was nothing.
Was it just my imagination?
No matter. They were committed now.

Lyall went to the gate, and
unbolted it. He pulled one side open just enough to admit Alondo.
The gate creaked slightly and he winced, looking round but the
silence descended once again. He motioned Alondo forward and they
crept over to the guardhouse door.

Alondo had the vortex arm in the
ready position. Lyall prepared to charge the door. Before he could
do so, he heard a succession of muffled thuds and muted cries
coming from inside. He held up his hand and listened. After a few
moments, the sounds died and silence descended once again like a
blanket. Lyall waited for long moments, straining his ears, but
there was nothing. Finally, he reached back and kicked in the door.
The door flew back on its hinges with a thump.

Bodies lay
slumped on the floor, against walls and over tables. Unmoving.
Lyall counted six…no, seven, including one cloaked figure,
a Keltar
. A lone figure
stood over them in a terrible tableau. Another Keltar–a woman with
sharp features and long dark hair. He could see white blood
staining the diamond blades of the staff she held. Lyall stepped
forward, raising his own staff on impulse.

The stranger raised a hand.
“Hold.” Lyall stopped in his tracks. The woman continued, “I know
who you are and why you have come. You must get out of
here.”

Lyall was still holding his staff
in a defensive posture. “If you know why we are here, then you know
we are not going to leave. The tributes must be freed.”

“You do
not
understand
.”
The woman’s eyes blazed. “They
know
of your plan. They are ready for you. There are
another two dozen soldiers and four Keltar within the compound.
They do not intend for you to leave here alive.”

“But how–?” Lyall
stammered.

“It
doesn’t
matter
how. You cannot free them. If you want to live, you must
leave.
Now.
”

“Who are you?” Alondo
demanded.

“I am…I was a Keltar. You must
go. Collect your morgren and take the road east. I will catch up
with you.”

Lyall looked around at the
scattered bodies. “You are not coming?”

“No, I…have some things to take
care of first.”

Lyall felt as if he were in
shock. There was nothing he could do. He turned to leave through
the door. Behind him, he heard Alondo’s voice.

“We owe you our lives, stranger.
May I know your name?”

“Keris,” the woman replied. “I am
called Keris.”

Chapter
10

Lyall marched
across the yielding sand without looking back. Alondo had to jog to
catch up with him. “Lyall, listen to me. We can’t just leave. Shann
is still in there….
Lyall!”
He grabbed Lyall by the arm and pulled his friend
around to face him. He saw with shock that the tall man’s eyes were
filled with tears.

He watched as Lyall seemed to
collect himself. “I know. I will get you to a safe place. Then I’m
going back there for her.”

“You’re not going alone,
surely?”

Lyall turned and strode away.
Ail-Gan was an incandescent yellow lamp, low in the west. Already,
the temperature was moving from warm to hot. Pretty soon it would
be oppressive, like a heavy hand over everything that
moved.

Alondo hurried in Lyall’s wake.
“At least let me help,” he pleaded.

“No.” Lyall’s voice was firm. “I
won’t put anyone else at risk over my mistakes.”

“This is about Persillan, isn’t
it?” Alondo persisted. “What happened back then wasn’t your fault,
and neither is this.”