The Sage Seed Chronicles: The Unraveling (31 page)

Drune looked at her. “I like your friends.
Who is Nuit?”

Erin smiled, the phrasing he used with a
slightly longer ‘whoo’ striking her as very appropriate. “She is a
Great Horned Owl. I will introduce her to you, some evening, when
it is safe.” They prepared to mount and Erin called in Tempo
putting him on his perch on the packs as he munched on a large
beetle. A moment later they were loping toward Sawblen’s founder
city. Yerra had just come into sight when Bure blasted into Erin’s
mind. She pulled back on the reins and barely managed to stick a
piece of jerky in her mouth before his wave washed over her. The
spicy piece made her mouth salivate and she started to chew to
soften it. It gave her enough of a distance that she regained some
control over her ‘door’. Drune had noticed her sudden stop and had
immediately returned. She was able to give him a nod. They both sat
on their horses and ‘listened’. Drune watched her closely for signs
of being swamped.

Bure was angry and frustrated. He had a
target ‘witch’ to kill and the man had blocked his attempts. He
seethed! A witch was not going to stop him! His emotions raged as
he mentally ranted, but Erin could move her horse into a walk and
control the power of the blast. She put out her hand to Drune and
allowed him to stabilize her balance on the moving horse as she
closed her eyes to ‘see’ where he was. Bure was walking away from a
wood shop that had a boat in front. He was incensed that he had
been stopped and that Targ had the clumsiness to poison himself. A
tool would have been the perfect carrier for this job but he would
find another way! His emotions went cold and Erin’s mind was
immediately clear.

“Great trick with the jerky. That helped!
Let’s move.” She kicked her horse back into a lope and turned to
Drune who moved beside her. “How much of that did you get?”

He looked over. “Not as much as you. He has
been thwarted and is very angry. His arrogant power has been
insulted that he failed and he will find another way. That’s
it.”

“You got the gist of it. He is also irritated
that Targ was clumsy enough to die as he could have used him on
this job but he will find another way. Is Char a woodworker that
has a boat repair shop?”

Drune kicked his horse into a gallop and
yelled back, “YES!”

Just before they rode into the populated area
Tempo crawled under the pack flap. It wouldn’t do to tip their hand
if Bure was about. Yerra was an interesting blend of a founder city
built into a cliff face and sprawling sea side community. There
were a lot of streets to either side of the city green and they
rode down one of them to a wood shop with a boat out in front. They
dismounted and as they tied the horses to the boat Erin opened her
mind to find Bure. He was there, nearby but his emotions were under
control so she couldn’t track him. Drune had been watching her and
she gave a small shake of her head then reached down and pulled her
gloves out of her belt and purposely put them on. Drune’s eyebrows
went up and he got his out of his saddle bags. Both sages would be
wearing their gloves while in Yerra.

They entered the wood shop and a lad of early
teen years approached. He was slight, as he hadn’t gotten his adult
growth yet, had blue eyes that sparkled with intelligence and a
ready smile. He brushed the sawdust from his short wavy dark blond
hair and off the front of his carpenter’s apron as he came forward.
“How may I help you?”

Drune answered him. “We have come a long way
to meet Char. We have heard of him and the quality of his work. Is
he about?” As Drune is saying this the smile left the lad’s face
and he is backed up. “What have I said?” Drune asked, alarmed by
the apprentice’s response.

Erin put her hand on Drune’s arm to stop him
from reaching out to reassure him. She opened her mind a little
further and heard a squirrel in the rafters. Quietly calling to the
fluffy tail rodent she got a response with a scampering sound. The
squirrel ran out onto the floor to stand near Erin’s feet, looking
up at her.

“No, Quip, get away!” There’s a note of panic
in the boy’s voice.

Erin knelt down and, stripping off her glove,
held out her hand for the squirrel to get her scent. ‘My name is
Erin. I am a friend and didn’t mean to startle the lad.’

The little squirrel ran up her leg and
perched on her knee. ‘There was a man who was just in here who said
the same thing your friend did. He was a bad man and had a strange
awful smell about him. He wanted to meet Char and give him
something that had the same whiff. I told Char and he refused. The
man left mad.’

Erin smiled at the little quizzical face.
‘You saved Char’s life. That man wanted to kill him. We’re here
because we’re trying to stop the man. We came in to talk to Char
about it.’ Char’s apprentice was watching the silent interaction
between Quip and the scruffy older boy with round eyes. When Quip
scampered off the boy’s knee and ran into the work room he started
to breathe easier, fully expecting his master to follow. He wasn’t
disappointed.

An older man came out of the back room. He
looked to be in his fifth decade and was half a head taller than
Erin with a grey mustache. Quip was on his shoulder. He, like his
apprentice, had a fine layer of sawdust coating his slender frame.
Char put his hand on the boy’s shoulder in reassurance. “Though I
haven’t met these two, before, they are friends.” he said to the
lad. “Quip thinks they’re to be trusted.”

Erin held out her hand to him. “I am Terran
and this is my cousin, Drune. Gyan mentioned your name to us and we
also saw your name on a list, which made us want to make your
acquaintance right away.”

Char laughed at her wording, getting her
message completely. “This is Kaas, my able apprentice.
Unfortunately, shortly before you arrived there was an ugly scene
with a man who started the conversation exactly like you did. Where
you were well intended he definitely was not. Enough said. Come on
in, if you don’t mind sitting on a little dust.”

They sat in the back room and brought Char up
to date. They all knew Bure would try again. What Char didn’t know
was the insidious lies that Bure was planting in some people’s
minds, that all of the bad weather and quakes were caused by the
evil witches that infested the realm. He shook his head. He liked
the two and if he could help, he would. Char offered his home for
Erin and Drune to stay in for a few days. Erin went outside to slip
Tempo into her coat then returned to the back room of Char’s shop.
She introduced Tempo and asked if it were alright for the little
skunk to stay also. His kind had been targeted by Bure also. Char
was charmed by Tempo and welcomed him heartily. Erin looked at
Drune and gave a big smile. Drune thanked him and said they would
take him up on the gracious invitation.

It was late afternoon when they put their
packs in Char’s store room and walked their horses to the city
corral as Erin slipped her glove back on. They had one more stop to
make before the end of the day. Entering the old city they found
their way back to the Mayor’s office. Sherroton’s messenger was
just leaving the office and the Yerra’s mayor, legist and elder
were talking quietly. The messenger clapped Erin on the shoulder in
greeting and gave a friendly hello to Drune as he left. His duty
was done and he was leaving for home in the morning. The three city
officials took note of the messenger’s familiarity to the two
strangers. Drune approached the office door and asked if he and
Erin could speak to them.

“Come in and sit down. It would be my guess
that you are part of this information we just received.” said the
mayor. Erin opened her mind to try to read the men. She had, thus
far, met with good city and province leaders but she would be
foolish to assume all of them were the same. Drune spoke about the
rumors that Bure was spreading and how there were some citizens
that were fearful enough to believe it.

“Witches? Nonsense! How could people believe
that!” said the city legist, a robust man of middle years.

The mayor looked up slowly, “I have been in
contact with the Great One. The rough sea conditions we have been
having these last few months have been bad enough but the storms we
have had lately...” he shook his head. “That sand storm was
terrible. We haven’t yet had the quakes some of the other provinces
have had. Yes, I can understand that some simpler folk will want to
blame someone. It gives them someone to focus on and it gives back
a feeling of control. It they can eliminate those people, their
world will be better again. This is very dangerous.”

Drune looked steadily at each. “Bure is in
your province right now. He has been able to change his appearance.
Today he tried to get to Char, the wood worker, but was rebuffed.
Somehow he thought that Char was a witch.”

The mayor looked alarmed. “I saw his name in
the letter from Cheroan but could hardly believe it.”

Drune continued, “The problem, all along has
been proof. We can’t just haul him in. He actually has to be
attempting to kill, for him to be legally stopped. The people
wouldn’t allow banishment, otherwise, particularly since he has
been able to convince a few about the presence of witches.” Erin
sensed that all three men agreed but there were questions in the
mind of the city elder. They stood to go and Drune shook their
hands. He nodded their farewell and added, “We will be staying at
Char’s home for a few days, should you wish to talk to us
again.”

Erin thought his words interesting since she
hadn’t said a word. As they walked out of the city she murmured,
“The city elder has some questions in his mind about how ridiculous
the witch story is.”

“Yes, he probably knew Bure years ago and
knew him as a tough child with absolutely no childhood fantasies of
witches. Ergo ‘he wouldn't be making that up.’ That is what we have
been hearing.”

Across the city green, beyond the posts
sculpted like kelp forests, was the guild caravan! They had arrived
safely! Erin and Drune went to greet everybody and to have a quick
and quiet conference to bring Lor up to date. “We will be staying
with Char, the wood worker, and will see you in the morning.” Drune
called as they were leaving. Erin caught a flash of rage. It was
quick then it went cold. Bure was near enough to have heard the
comment and to know that he would have to bide his time until the
witch didn’t have guests! She glanced over at Drune and he put his
hand companionably on her neck. “I didn’t get it clearly. Tell me
later.” Then he ruffled her hair and they walked to the wood shop
for the night.

Erin awoke with a to-do list brewing in her
head. Because Bure was in the area, it wasn’t very safe to let
Tempo out to hunt. He would have to get by with nuts and berries
for awhile and pretty much stay hidden. Tempo looked at her,
hearing her comment in his head. ‘I do understand Erin, about the
story from his childhood and his killing of my kind.. but I would
rather be with you. I feel that you need me.’

Erin rubbed the back of the little skunks
head. ‘You won’t be far from me, I promise. Right now the sight of
you would either trigger something in him, which could get you
killed, or would warn him that we are closing in on him. Neither
would be good. I am leaving my mind open to you three. We will be
able to talk at any time.’ ‘Keir, we know he is changing his looks
frequently. All I can ask of you is to watch for patterns of people
moving. Perhaps someone lurking or following.’

She left the third floor sleeping loft to go
to the kitchen on the second floor, entering as Drune and Kaas were
coming in, also. They all sat down to breakfast and it was quiet
for awhile. Erin cleared her throat, preparing for the explosion to
come. “I have been thinking,” she started. “It is not without risk
but I, sort of, have a plan to stop Bure.” Every eye, around the
table, was on her. She looked at Char and Kaas. “Do you have a
place around here that several people could hide, without being
detected, but within earshot of a central spot?”

They looked at each other. Kaas spoke. “Maybe
the woods northeast of the city or the Massar Dunes due east.
Why?”

She took a deep breath. “To stop Bure we need
him to implicate himself. A confession of sorts. It would be even
better if he had the poison on him when he confessed. We can’t
count on him to run off at the mouth like Wras. Bure is very smart
even if he is crazy. He needs to be tricked into thinking that no
one is around but his victim, yet we need to have witnesses hiding
within earshot.”

Drune’s face was beginning to wear a
seriously negative look. “What are you planning, Terran?”

She looked again at Kaas. “How hilly or flat
are these sand dunes? Could people hide behind some of the
dunes?”

“They are hilly enough to crouch or lie down
behind.” Erin ignored Drune for a few more moments and continued to
direct her attention to Kaas.

“Do people go out into the dunes? We don’t
need to endanger any innocent bystanders.”

Kaas looked at Char and the older man
answered her. “It is a general rule that we don’t want children
playing there. It can get dangerous with shifting sands and all.
Some children were buried when their ‘sand cave’ collapsed. Now it
is left alone and only used as a source for our glass making
industry.”

Drune rapped the table. “Terran, I want to
know what, precisely, you are planning!”

She held up her hand. “Hear me out and don’t
interrupt. I can get Bure into the dunes. I have always had that
ability to draw him to me. The reason why I didn’t is because of
the additional danger of multiple killers and the fact that no one
survived the poison. The odds are slightly better now.” She held up
her finger to forestall the words that wanted to burst from Drune.
“If we had people hidden, they would be protecting me as well as
hearing what he has to say. I want to get him alive. We don’t want
a martyr for his ‘witch hunt’. I also want to stay alive but I am a
key part of this and can use that.”