The Archmage Unbound (18 page)

Despite the fact that he was back in his
accustomed place he still found little peace. Mordecai’s words bothered him.
Cyhan had always been proud of his service, training the next generation of
Anath’Meridum (when there had still been the possibility someone would need
one), and serving his king when that was no longer necessary. He had also prided
himself on not second guessing himself once he had given his oath. His life
had been built around the principle of fidelity.

Intelligence and wit were meant to serve
a purpose. Little was to be gained by debating a choice over and over after it
had been made. Yet the older he got the harder it was to maintain his rigid
principles. Life seemed determined to color him in shades of gray.

Though his eyes were closed his room was
softly lit by moonlight coming from the balcony facing the royal gardens. A
flicker made him open his eyes slowly. Had something just blocked the light
momentarily? He kept his body relaxed and still while his ears became more
sensitive. If there was an intruder his hand already knew where his blade was…
he felt no need to reach for it yet.

A hint of sandalwood came to his nose
and he smiled in the semi-darkness. The sharp cold edge of a blade pressed
against the skin of his neck and he could see a shadow leaning over him. “Has
your time away made you soft
zaihar?
” The voice that spoke was soft and
sultry.

“If you had come to kill me I doubt you
would have worn perfume,” he answered without moving.

“When I kill you it will be while the
jasmine is blooming and your nose is already filled with its scent,” she said,
leaning in close enough to see his face in the dim light.

Her hair fell around him as she leaned
down and the smell of sandalwood grew stronger. Moving slowly Cyhan slid his
hand up the outside of her thigh, tracing her curves. The knife pressed harder
against his throat, its sharp edge warning him. “Careful zaihar, your life is
in my hands,” she told him, her face mere inches from his own.

“I’ll take my chances,” he replied as
his hand roamed into more sensitive zones in the darkness. A moment later the
woman gasped and the pressure on the blade let up for a moment. With a twist
he took the blade from her hand and tossed it across the room. A brief
struggle ensued, earning him a few bruises and a scratch. His opponent was
naked but for a sheer nightgown.

The woman was much stronger than she
appeared and a capable wrestler, but she still proved no match for him. He was
nearly twice her weight after all. Forcing her into an armlock he held her
captive against the mattress. His other hand continued to roam even as she
growled at him. “Has my time away made you soft Ruth?” he asked.

She bit him then, but softly. “Release
me and I will show you soft,” she teased.

He did and despite his reflexes she
caught him across the cheek with a stinging slap. He had forgotten how fast
she was. He ignored the blow and drew her in fiercely for a kiss. Several
minutes passed before she spoke again. “I thought you weren’t coming back,”
she said.

“I almost didn’t,” he admitted. “What
would you have done?”

She had her legs around him by then, and
pushing him back down she leaned closer to whisper into his ear, “I would have
left a trail of blood and dead men from one end of this kingdom to the other,
until I found your killer.”

“And if I wasn’t dead?” he asked,
holding her waist. The nightgown had already been ripped to shreds during
their struggle.

“Then I’d have killed you myself,” she
said nipping at his ear.

He smiled at that but didn’t reply. No
sense spoiling the moment. A long time went by before either of them resumed
the conversation. They had more pressing issues to resolve.

Eventually things calmed down and they
lay tangled in the ruins of Cyhan’s bed. “I was starting to think you were mad
at me,” he said referring to the fact that he had been back in the capital for
more than two weeks before Ruth had chosen to ‘visit’ him.

She snorted, “I was, but you seemed too
thick-headed to understand the message.”

He grunted but stayed silent.

“Besides,” she continued, “I’m leaving soon.
I didn’t want to go without saying goodbye.”

He levered himself up on his elbow to
see her more clearly, “Does this have anything to do with you being found
unconscious in the garden the other day?”

She grimaced. That had been one of her
most embarrassing failures since she had begun working for the king over ten
years ago. “I suspect I would have been given this mission anyway but that
didn’t help matters any.”

Cyhan didn’t ask what her assignment
was; he knew she wouldn’t tell him.

She spoke instead, “I need information.”

He took a deep breath; he had guessed it
might come to this. He could feel something inside his chest clench
uncomfortably. He ignored the sensation. “When are you leaving?” he asked but
he already knew the answer. If she left tomorrow she would reach Castle
Cameron a day before the public ceremony with Mordecai in the capital. The
timing would make sure she was there while the new Lord Cameron was absent.

“I can’t answer that,” she replied. “I
need to know what she’s like.”

“You mean my recent student of course,”
he said bluntly.

She nodded, “I already met her husband.”

“Don’t judge him by that. He’s two
different people in some senses. Hard under pressure but still naïve when he
can afford to be,” he said.

“He seemed quite capable, but I need to
know about his wife,” she pressed.

Since he won’t be there,
Cyhan thought to himself. “She’s no pushover. I trained her
well, but she is still young and inexperienced. She has spirit but without the
bond she is no match for you.”

“The reports say she is pregnant,” Ruth
added.

“Probably,” he answered. “I never saw
her after the battle and they didn’t see fit to keep me updated while I was
locked up.”

“That might complicate things,” she
commented, staring at him.

“How so?” Cyhan asked.

“Women fight harder when their offspring
are endangered,” she replied. “I’m surprised you would forget that. Why do
you think Elena broke her bond?”

“Have you ever given any thought to
having your own children?” Cyhan asked suddenly. Even he wasn’t sure where the
question had come from.

Ruth’s eyes widened in the darkness, “Is
that your way of proposing to me?”

He tightened his jaw, “If it were… what
would your answer be?”

She relaxed. “I don’t know. Perhaps if
you were younger it would be easier to answer that question,” she said
teasingly.

His hand tensed painfully on her arm for
a moment before he relaxed his grip and looked away. “You need a new job,” he
said finally.

Ruth laughed and wrapped her arms around
his shoulders, draping herself almost casually over him. It was a gesture both
sensual and warm in equal measure. “Are you worried about me or the countess?”

He gritted his teeth. “Both,” he said
at last. “They’re good people.”

“All they have to do is keep his majesty
happy and no one will need to shed any tears,” she replied. “Are you having
doubts about your oath?”

“I’m tired of blood. Maybe we should
retire,” he replied, avoiding the question.

Her face was behind his line of sight so
he never saw the expression of pain that crossed her face. When she spoke her
voice was playful, “People like us don’t retire zaihar, and we die the same way
we have lived.”

“Stop calling me that, I’m not your
teacher anymore.”

“My! Aren’t you testy this evening?
I’m starting to think you’re worried about me,” she said.

“If by some chance you encounter Mordecai
during your mission… don’t fight him,” he answered, ignoring her remarks.

“You have so little faith in me now?”
she said.

Cyhan frowned. “He’s too dangerous, especially
if he thinks his family is in danger, and if anyone is going to slip a blade
between his ribs it should be me. I owe him at least that much.”

Ruth kissed him along his jaw and ear.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so melancholy, or so poetic. They really got
to you didn’t they?”

He shook his head slightly, “No, I’ve
just been re-thinking some things lately.”

“Don’t think so hard,” she answered,
running her hands lightly down his stomach. “I take that back…,” she said
throatily in his ear. “Think as hard as you like.”

“Shouldn’t you be resting before
tomorrow,” Cyhan replied.

Ruth laughed, “I can rest when I’m
dead.” Holding him she traced her hand across his chest till it found the iron
pendant resting there. The enchanted pendant Mordecai had made for him to
protect his mind. “What’s this?” she asked.

“Something you need,” he replied,
reaching up to untie the thong around his neck. “It prevents magic or other
influences from affecting your mind. If you had been wearing it the other day you
wouldn’t have taken your sudden nap.” Turning he put it on her.

“Where did you get such a thing?”

“Mordecai made it for me,” he said with
a chuckle. “I think you’ll be far more likely to need it in the coming days
than I will.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “He
gave this to the man who tried to kill him?”

Cyhan shook his head. “He made one for
everyone in his town, to protect them from the shiggreth. He gave it to me
before breaking his bond, before I tried to kill him.”

“And he let you keep it?”

“You would have to know him for a while
to understand,” he replied, his eyes were staring into the distance now.

“He must be a fool,” she said.

Cyhan’s attention returned from the
recesses of his mind and he began kissing her once more, easing her gently back
onto the pillows. “Maybe,” he murmured softly to himself. “I’m not so sure
anymore.”

The days passed quickly, probably
because I worked myself harder than ever. I wanted to make sure the second set
of armor was finished before I left for the capital. The recent scare and the
ensuing paranoia had made me more aware than ever that I needed help. I
couldn’t be everywhere, nor could I protect everyone.

A knock at the door to the smithy drew
my attention away. “Come in Lisette,” I called. I had already recognized the
castle maid though she hadn’t spoken or opened the door yet.

She poked her head through the door,
“Pardon me your lordship, but Sir Dorian asked me to tell you that it’s time
for your planning session.” For some reason my eye lit upon a bright ribbon
she had tied her hair up with. On rare occasions I can be highly perceptive.
Penny might say those occasions usually involve pretty women, but that was only
true some of the time… like today.

“Is that a new ribbon Lisette?” I observed
as I followed her out of the smithy.

She blushed, “Yes your lordship, though
I thought such things would be beneath your notice.”

“You must have an admirer,” I guessed.
“One of the lads in the village?” as I said ‘lads’ I couldn’t help but laugh at
myself. I sounded like an old man, though I had yet to pass my twentieth
birthday.

Her color deepened, “No your lordship,
one of the armsmen.” Her embarrassment had caused her to lower her head even
more deeply. I could no longer see her eyes.

“No need to be embarrassed, it’s only
natural. Do you fancy him?” I felt bad as soon as I asked. I had pressed her
beyond the ability to speak, she nodded mutely instead.

I tried to put her at ease. “I’m sorry
Lisette. I shouldn’t have pried into your affairs. If he mistreats you
though, let me know. I’ll have no discourtesy among my men.”

For some reason that remark roused her
from her flustered embarrassment. “Oh no your lordship! Harold would never
mistreat me. He’s a true gentleman, by nature at least… if not by birth.”
Finishing her sentence she realized she had said more than she intended and
lapsed again into silence.

The name surprised me. “Harold
Simmons?”

She nodded a ‘yes’.

“From what I’ve heard he’s a good
fellow,” I said. We had reached the stairs by then and our paths were
separating. I couldn’t help but feel I had bungled the conversation somehow as
she curtseyed and escaped down the hall. I still wasn’t used to people being
afraid of me.

A minute later I stepped into the
planning room. Unlike a few months prior it now held its own table and chairs,
so we were no longer forced to use the high table in the great hall. Many of
the chairs were in use already, occupied by Dorian, Rose, Penny, and Harold
Simmons. Dorian had suggested we include Harold today since he would be
important to our plans in the near future. Better to start his education early
than late.