Scepters (84 page)

“You’ll
be all right, dearest. Just try to relax.”

“Wendra?”

“I’m
here.” A warm hand stroked his forehead.

“How
did you… ? Where are we?” The questions tumbled out of his mouth.

“In
the hidden city. Or one of them. The soarers took me… and Alendra. She’s fine.
Except she was upset when you got hurt the last time.”

“Where
is she?”

“She’s
here. She’s finally sleeping,” Wendra’s voice was gentle.

“I
can’t see. I can’t see anything at all. Are you all right?”

“I’m
fine. We’re both fine. You’ll be all right before long. The soarers said that
this sometimes happens when someone is… injured and travels the ley lines.”

Alucius
lay silent for a moment. He wiggled his fingers, and could feel them move
against his legs. His toes worked. “Can I sit up?”

“You
could,” she replied. “You might get dizzy. You’ve had a concussion. Your head
hit something, or something hit your head.”

“Stone…
or bullets. Could be both.” He took a slow breath. “I heard you had
disappeared… I was looking everywhere.” Alucius paused. “We’re really in the
hidden city?”

“There
are two of them. I’ve seen them both. We’re in the one where you were. I think
we’re probably in the same chamber.”

“How
did you get here?” He stopped. She’d told him. He was having trouble holding on
to his thoughts. “Why did the soarers bring you here?” He found himself
shivering.

“To
teach me more… to get your attention.”

“I
kept trying to find you… once I heard. Korcler rode all the way from Iron Stem
to tell me. I thought the ifrits had you. The ifrits… they’re traders, or
traitors, or the traders are ifrits…” The words seemed to tangle themselves in
his mouth, but that could have been because his teeth were chattering and he
was shivering violently.

Wendra
pulled a cover of some sort up over his chest and shoulders. “You still need to
rest. Alendra and I are right here. You don’t have to look for us anymore. We’re
all together.”

“…
all together…” Those were the last words he heard before he slipped back into
the darkness.

Tempre, Lanachrona

As
he sat in the chair across the low table from the love seat, the Lord-Protector
lifted the wineglass and took a small sip. His eyes were directed at his
consort, but not focused upon her, nor at the wall beyond her.

“Talryn?”

The
Lord-Protector did not respond.

“Talryn.”
Alerya’s voice was a great deal more firm. “You have not heard a word I said.
Not one.”

“Dear…
you were talking about how strong young Talus has gotten, and how he managed to
turn himself over in his crib.”

“You
didn’t look like you were listening. What is it?”

“Oh…
nothing…” Talryn shrugged.

“It’s
not nothing. Not when you look through me and around me. I could be in Soupat
or Southgate, and you wouldn’t notice that I wasn’t here.”

He
shook his head, finally looking at Alerya with his eyes truly focused upon her.
“I’m sorry. There are so many things…”

“I
know. Yet… who else can you tell?”

“This
one is trivial. It bothers me. I cannot say why. You know the Table chamber?
How I had the remnants of the Table smashed and the chamber sealed?”

“You
told me about that.” Alerya’s words were cautious.

“The
servants and the guards claim that they have heard noises there. I had the door
unsealed, and there was nothing there.”

“Mice
or rats. What else could it be?”

“I
worry that it is not merely rodents or thieves, not that there is anything left
inside. The overcaptain had said that the Tables were a way of transport. He
said that the Tables were dangerous.”

“He
was right, I’m certain. You were right to seal the chamber. What else can you
do?”

“I
don’t know.” Talryn paused. “I had the chamber resealed—even more firmly.”

“Then,
forget that one. You have too many other worries. You worry about everything.”

“In
my seat, wouldn’t you? Waleryn was plotting with Enyll, and Enyll knew how to
use the Table. Waleryn vanished into Lustrea seasons ago, and I’ve heard absolutely
nothing. No messages, no reports from scouts or spies. The Regent of the
Matrial is massing forces against the garrisons in the south, and Alyniat is
uncertain whether he can hold Fola—even without facing the spear-throwers—”

“You
didn’t tell me that.”

“I
got the report this afternoon.” Talryn sighed.

“Are
you thinking about recalling the Northern Guard colonel?”

“If
I but could. Why is it that there is only one of him? And a northerner to boot.
I could use a score of him. But he is but one, and I cannot recall him. That
would cause yet more damage. Weslyn disbanded two companies and pocketed the
payroll, and promoted a half score of incompetent captains to cover things up.
Colonel Alucius and Majer Feran are trying to rebuild the Northern Guard, and
if I pull him out, then I’ll have no forces in the north, and the Regent can
pull all her lancers out of northern Madrien and use them against Fola and
Dimor. It’s almost as if someone paid Weslyn to gut the Northern Guard.”

“Perhaps
they did,” suggested Alerya. “That would serve the Regent well.”

“It
has indeed.” Talryn took another sip from the goblet. “It has indeed. I can but
hope that the colonel acts well and decisively, and that Alyniat can hold the
south…”

When
Alucius woke again, Wendra was by his side… and he could see—her golden eyes
flecked with green, her brown hair that held a depth of gold, and her wide
mouth and generous lips. He couldn’t help smiling.

“Are
you feeling better? “ She slipped onto the edge of the bed, easing the carrypack
with Alendra slightly to the side.

“I
don’t think I could have felt much worse.” Alucius slowly eased himself into a
sitting position, swinging his feet onto the amberstone floor. The left side of
his head still ached, but it was a dull pain, not the stabbing agony he
recalled feeling when he had staggered into the tower room. He slipped his
right arm around Wendra, holding her gently, trying to avoid disturbing the
sleeping Alendra. “She’s good, isn’t she?”

“Mostly.
Except when she’s hungry.” After a moment, Wendra asked, “How does your head
feel?”

“You
were the one in the darkness, guiding me, weren’t you?”

“I
tried. You were so heavy—I know it’s not weight, but that was the way it felt.
It felt like I could only urge you toward the soarer portals.”

“I
could feel you. I wouldn’t have made it without you,” Alucius admitted.

“The
soarer didn’t want me to go. She said I hadn’t learned enough.”

“What
have they taught you?”

“How
to travel the ley lines…”

“Is
that what they call the misty black lines under the purple black tubes of the
ifrits?”

“Yes.
I stayed away from the tubes when I went after you. The soarer said they were
dangerous.”

“I
suppose they are,” mused Alucius. “I knew that, but until the last few days, I
didn’t realize about the deeper ways.” He looked directly at Wendra. “Why did
they bring you here?”

“I
told you when you… they said you might not remember. They brought me here to
keep me away from the ifrits, to teach me more, and to get your attention.”

“Get
my attention?”

“She
said that you would not act in time against the ifrits. She’s very upset. I can
feel it.” Wendra worried her lower Up. “She’s acting like there’s not much time
left, almost like a crotchety aunt.”

In
the carrypack, Alendra squirmed, then made a little sound.

Alucius
smiled, but only for a moment. “Why are the soarers worried?”

“The
ifrits are rebuilding the Tables. The barriers the old soarers erected have
failed. The ifrits are trying to invade Corus once more. Their world is dying.
They’re close to having drained it of all its lifeforce, and they will come
here and do the same.”

“If
they aren’t stopped,” Alucius said.

“If
we
don’t stop them. The soarers no longer have the
strength to hold them off.”

Alucius
wanted to ask why he and Wendra had to, but there wasn’t any point in asking
the question. They were young and had lives in front of them, but they wouldn’t
be happy lives, not under the ifrits—if they had lives at all. But he did
wonder why it had to fall on them, and the only answer was that there wasn’t
anyone else who had the ability to stop the ifrits—or that anyone else who had
that ability hadn’t been discovered by the soarers—and there wasn’t even any
assurance that he and Wendra could do what was necessary.

“Is
that why they closed off their portals?” he asked.

“I
think so.” Her eyebrows lifted in inquiry. “You could sense that?”

“No,
not exactly. I could sense that they weren’t there. I was trying to make my way
to all the portals where the ifrits weren’t…”

“How
did you know where you were?” asked Wendra. “How could you tell which places
were Tables and which weren’t?”

“I
didn’t at first,” Alucius admitted. “That was how I got into trouble the first
time. This time, I recalled where I’d been, but then I found the map.” He
leaned forward, avoiding his daughter, and kissed Wendra, warmly, perhaps too
warmly.

She
broke off the kiss. “A map? What kind of map?”

Alucius
looked at his wife sheepishly, then slowly stood and walked to the pegs on the
wall where his jacket and tunic and trousers hung. After fumbling through them,
he withdrew the map. “I’ve had other things on my mind…”

“I’ve
noticed,” she said dryly.

“So
have you.”

Wendra
flushed.

They
both laughed.

Alucius
extended the map to Wendra. “The green octagons show where the ifrits had
Tables in the time of the Duarchy. At least, that’s what they seem to be.”

As
she studied the map, Alucius looked at her, thankful that she was well and
safe. He couldn’t help worrying about his absence from the Northern Guard, but
dealing with the ifrits was of far greater concern—if he and Wendra could find
a way. Or if the soarers could teach them.

Salaan, Lanachrona

Despite
the heavy, fleece-lined, black jacket he wore, Tarolt shivered as he descended
from the Table. He moved quickly from the Table chamber up the steps until he
stood before the stove in the conference room.

Without
speaking, the Recorder followed him, waiting. Finally, Trezun cleared his
throat. “What did you find out?”

“What
we suspected. There was an accident, and the seals were broached.
You
will clean up the mess in Blackstear and seal the
room. That should not take you long, and we might need the Table. The chamber
is too cold for regular use as it is now. How they can survive in such chill…
but then, they are what they are.”

“Yes,
Tarolt. What of the herder-colonel?”

“He
translated to Blackstear and then elsewhere. There were traces there, but he
found another Table or portal.”

“He
must be able to use the portals, then. There is no record of his using any of
the other Tables.”

“That
assumes all the Tables are functioning properly.” Tarolt’s voice was clipped,
cold. “Is that in fact so?”

“The
only older Tables are the ones in Soupat and Blackstear. You have inspected the
Table in Blackstear. The one here and the ones in Prosp and Norda are new.”

“Just
five Tables. We need to step up the search for the scepters.” Tarolt frowned. “We
had best message Lasylt the latest about the herder-colonel. Why can they not
understand that we need more support?”

Trezun
remained silent for a time, before adding, “Waleryn has been working on the
locators.” He did not look directly at the fieldmaster.

“You
don’t sound like you have news I wish to hear.”

“They
are not quite what we thought.”

“Little
is,” replied Tarolt. “Do they work?”

“They
do, but not exactly as Waleryn had expected.”

“Explain.”

“They
were designed to discover the scepters and their assemblies—together. Waleryn
has not been able to refine the locations yet. It requires some triangulation.
He can only pick up one signal. He thinks the other scepter may have been
destroyed.”

“They
cannot be destroyed. Not here on Corus. One has been removed from its
container. It could be anywhere. A map of where the old Tables were would help.
We only have an incomplete list.”

“But
there is some good news,” Trezun added.

Tarolt
waited.

“With
the locators and one of the scepters, the other can be located.”

“That
is good only if we can find the one. We must hope that the herder-colonel does
not discover their importance. Or the ancient ones have not told him.” Tarolt’s
face turned even more severe. “I detest having to rely upon hope… or upon the
weaknesses or failures of others.”

The
soarer appeared but briefly to Wendra and Alucius in the next two days, saving
that her energies were limited and that she would wait until Alucius was able
to travel the ley lines before she imparted more instruction. Before either
Wendra or Alucius could comment or protest, she was gone, leaving them limited
supplies—and the run of the tower. Alucius had tried to soar, the way he had
once been able to in the tower, but with the portals closed once more, the
lifeforce energies were too weak. That had left them effectively confined to
one level of the amber tower.

If
he had not been so worried about both the ifrits and his absence from the
Northern Guard, Alucius could have enjoyed the time with Wendra and his
daughter even more. As it was, he still enjoyed it, although he wished the
circumstances had been different.