Trinity (24 page)

As dawn broke, she had realised
that the storehouse was at the edge of a field that was bleached of
colour, cracked and dry. Nothing grew in it, not even weeds. The
town walls were visible, and as the day wore on, Kiana watched a
steady stream of people enter and leave through the east gate.
Nidan was not amongst those leaving.

Why would he be? He doesn’t
even know we left Linden!

Desperation tied her stomach
into knots. She had briefly considered going back into Linden to
search for Nidan herself but had dismissed the idea just as
quickly. She didn’t want to be alone; she didn’t want to leave
Skaric alone. His burns would betray him until Nidan had healed
them.

If Nidan
finds us. Pios, let him find us soon
.

Kiana had also
watched Guardians moving up and down the road. She had lost count
of the number of times she had prayed to Pios to keep them safe
from the Guardians.
They’re not my enemy.
Are they?

The worst part
was that Kiana knew her predicament was her own fault. Skaric had
tried to dissuade her from going to the graveyard and she’d ignored
him.
I’m such a fool. I know nothing of
this world. I should have listened to him
.
But she hadn’t and all she could do was continue to pray to Pios
that Nidan would find them and the Guardians wouldn’t.

The setting sun cast long
shadows over the ground, and the travellers had thinned out to
occasional stragglers. Kiana paced back and forth in front of the
window. She could barely keep her eyes open and knew that she would
fall asleep if she dared to sit down. Something caught Kiana’s eye.
She leaned on the window ledge and stared at a lone traveller. He
was riding one horse and leading the other, travelling at a gallop
away from Linden. Nidan.

Throwing all caution aside,
Kiana ran out of the storehouse. She was still clutching the
cumbersome sword as she ran to the roadside, waving
frantically.

“
Nidan!”

Immediately, he pulled his
horse to a halt, turned it round and headed back towards her, then
vaulted off whilst it was still moving, drawing the horses to a
stop. Kiana was glad to see that he looked fit and healthy and had
only the slightest trace of a limp.

“
Are you all
right?” Nidan stared down at her face, his expression pinched with
concern.

Kiana nodded and handed his
sword back to him quickly, glad to be rid of it and that she hadn’t
had to use it.

Nidan embraced her so tightly
it made her squeal. Kiana felt the tension melt away from his arms
and heard his breathing relax. In the arms of her Guardian, Kiana
suddenly felt safe. Nidan stepped away. “What happened?”

“
We were
attacked by Wolves, in the graveyard.”

“
Skaric?”

“
Inside. He
has a head injury.” Kiana hesitated. “And he’s burnt.”

Nidan puffed out a sigh. “I
knew there was a mage. But I thought… Thank Pios.”

Kiana shook her head. “There
was no mage. Skaric had to use his own magic to save us.”

“
He told us he
couldn’t.” Nidan’s eyes narrowed. “He lied to us? Put us in
danger?”

“
No!” Kiana
put her hands on Nidan’s chest. “He
had
to, Nidan. We would have been
killed.”

Nidan’s breath calmed and the
muscles in his chest relaxed.

“
He saved my
life, Nidan. But he’s badly hurt and must be in agony. Not that
he’ll admit it.”

The threat of anger fled from
Nidan’s face as he nodded. His lips curled into a faint smile. “I’m
sure it’s nothing I can’t heal.”

As they entered the storehouse,
Skaric was in the process of shakily standing up. Nidan inhaled
sharply as he looked at Skaric. A grizzly crown of blood made
Skaric’s hair damp. His cheek was swollen and covered in a dark
bruise. He was holding his burnt arm against his chest, his fingers
tense and bent awkwardly. The ugly red blisters glistened with
moisture in the failing light.

Kiana gave Skaric a withering
look. “You should be resting.”

Surprisingly, he sat back down.
“I should have been helping you to keep watch.” He looked Nidan up
and down. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Nidan smiled hesitantly. “Thank
you… I think.” A bemused expression crossed his face as he
scratched his head. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long.” He knelt
down in front of Skaric. “Thank you for protecting Kiana. She told
me how you used your magic to save her.”

The muscles beneath Skaric’s
eyes tightened and then relaxed. He returned his gaze to Nidan. “I
did what I had to.”

Nidan pressed his lips together
in a grim smile. “Let me heal you up.”

Kiana watched as Nidan laid his
hands on Skaric’s left arm and bowed his head in concentration.
Almost immediately, Skaric drew in a sharp breath and fresh pain
flickered across his face.

Nidan glanced up. “Are you all
right?”

Skaric nodded. “I’m just
getting worse at hiding pain.”

Kiana couldn’t
miss the look of doubt on Nidan’s face. He bowed his head again and
became relaxed almost immediately. Skaric’s entire body became
tense. Kiana moved to sit beside Skaric as he closed his eyes
tightly, pain etched on his face as the whisper of a cry broke free
of his lips. She took hold of his right hand. He tried to pull
away, but Kiana held on tightly.
You don’t
get a choice in this
.

“
Maybe I
should heal your wounds a bit at a time?” Nidan said.

Skaric shook his head. “Best to
get it over and done with.”

“
I don’t
understand,” Kiana said.

“
What?” It
still amused her when her companions—who still didn’t always
agree—spoke in unison.

“
Why anyone
would want to cast magic that could hurt them so badly.” She stared
down at the floor as her cheeks grew hot. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean
to offend you.”

“
It’s all
right.” Skaric’s tone told her he was lying.

Kiana’s cheeks became even
warmer.

“
At the start
of the war, you had magic and we didn’t. So we found a way to
create our own.” Skaric made it sound so simple. Maybe it
was.

“
Is that why
the Wolves found a way of casting magic that didn’t require the
gods’ blessing?” Kiana asked.

Skaric grimaced and almost
tugged his hand away. Eventually, he sighed. “Yes. We change the
nature of our souls so that we can draw power from the life around
us.” He sounded like a guilty child admitting to stealing.

“
You corrupt
your soul?” Kiana regretted the words instantly.

Skaric succeeded in pulling his
hand away. “Corrupt?” His forehead became furrowed as his eyebrows
pulled down to meet over his tightly closed eyes.

Kiana pressed her fingertips to
her lips. “I’m sorry! That was harsh.”

Skaric shook his head and
slowly opened his eyes. “No. You’re right.”

Kiana frowned. “When a cursed
mage dies… what happens to their soul?”

Skaric stared at her
blankly.

“
My tutor told
me that the soul is the only immortal part of a human. The body and
mind perish but the soul lives on with the gods… with Pios.” She
paused briefly. “Would Pios accept a corrupt… changed
soul?”

Skaric looked away. “The soul
is reincarnated.”

Nidan half opened his eyes to
glance at Skaric. “That’s not what we believe.”

Skaric gritted his teeth. “Then
you were taught wrong.” There was no malice or anger in his voice,
just bitterness. “The soul is reincarnated. If a soul is linked to
a god in one life, it will be in every other incarnation.” He
stared straight ahead. “Except Ysia is dead. So no souls are linked
to her anymore.”

Kiana glanced
at Nidan. His eyes were closed again. She wondered what he was
thinking. Did he believe what Skaric was saying, even though it
went against what he believed?
Do I
believe him?

“
Why did you
choose to become a mage?” Nidan said, his voice
distracted.

For a long time, Skaric said
nothing. In the silence that passed, Kiana watched as the burns on
his skin slowly began to shrink and vanish as fresh pink skin grew
rapidly to take their place. His swollen cheek shrank back down to
its normal size. Strangely, the pain that was etched on his face
became deeper and deeper with every passing moment.

Skaric breathed in slowly. “I
was useless with a sword. I was physically weak and fast becoming a
laughing stock. Magic was the only path I could take.”

Nidan looked up. “Surely you
could have done something else. A trade, perhaps?”

Skaric shook his head. “Wolf
men fight or wield magic.” He glanced at Kiana, a guilty expression
on his face. “The women do all the menial tasks.”

It amused her that he thought
that would offend her; learning how to light a fire and cook a
simple meal had made her feel proud. “What about forging
weapons?”

Skaric looked at her, his
expression oddly distant. “Why create weapons when you already have
them?”

“
Or healing?”
Nidan said. “You’re skilled at field medicine.”

Skaric’s eyes darkened. “That
wasn’t an option for me.” There was finality to his tone that made
Kiana shiver.

She stared down at the dusty
floor. It was easy for her to see the flaws in his culture. She was
an outsider. Now that he was away from his people, the blinkers had
obviously been removed from his eyes. It had to hurt.

Nidan rocked back onto his
heels. Dark circles had formed around his weary eyes. “How is the
pain now?”

Skaric smiled thinly. “A little
better, thank you.”

Nidan stared at him. “It should
have gone completely. There’s nothing left to heal.” His expression
became grave. “I’ve never known anyone who has had to be healed as
often and extensively as you.”

“
I’ll just
have to stop getting into trouble, won’t I?” Skaric’s tone didn’t
sound even remotely jovial.

“
I’m being
serious.”

Kiana didn’t like the tension
in the air or the concern on Nidan’s face. “What’s wrong? Why is
Skaric still in pain?”

Nidan shrugged and stared down
at his hands. “My guess is that his body is tired. It’s been ripped
apart and put back together so many times that scars are being
left. Scars that even Pios’ magic can’t heal.”

Kiana didn’t like the
implications of his words and she could tell by the tension in
Skaric’s body that he didn’t like it either. “Will the Wolves
follow us into the Fallen Lands?”

Skaric shrugged. “Normally, I’d
say no. But Berend is fanatical. I wouldn’t be surprised if he
did.”

Kiana breathed in deeply. “We
can’t afford to run into him and his companions. We have to get to
Orholt quickly.” It was an understatement and she knew it.

“
I saw a map
at the temple,” Nidan said. “I tried to memorise as much as I
could.”

Kiana smiled with relief. “How
far away is the border to the Fallen Lands?”

“
Five days
ride.”

Kiana shook her head. “We’ll do
it in three. We have to. We know Berend is far too close for
comfort.”

“
There’s a
mass of Guardians searching to the west,” Nidan said. “But they
might work out which direction we’re travelling in at any
time.”

Kiana grimaced.

“
Large groups
travel more slowly,” Skaric said.

She hoped he was right.

“
Our other
choice is to be prepared for Berend.”

Both Kiana and Nidan looked at
Skaric with puzzled expressions on their faces.

Skaric stared down at his
hands. “We draw him out. Fight him on our terms.” He held his hands
up. “I don’t like it. He’s with five men. I can’t reliably use my
magic and I’m next to useless with a sword. But maybe if we use our
wits…” He sighed. “Or we could just make a run for the border and
hope they don’t follow.”

It seemed like their only
plan.

“
Three days?”
Nidan said.

Kiana nodded. “Can we travel
that quickly? If we all ride?”

“
We’ll cover
just as much ground if one of us walks, maybe more.” Nidan
shrugged. “It’ll be tough… on the horses as well as on us. But yes,
I think we can.”

“
If we get
some sleep,” Kiana said. She looked at Nidan, smiling hopefully.
“Could you keep watch?”

Nidan returned her smile and
nodded. “Get some good rest,” he said gently. “We have a long way
to go.”

*

Nidan had lost count of the
number of times that he had run through basic sword drills since
his companions had fallen asleep. He stood a short distance in
front of the storehouse, bathed in silver moonlight, concentrating
on making sword thrusts, arcs and swings precise. He had succeeded
until his sword arm had started quivering. The muscles in his arms,
back and chest screamed for him to rest. But he didn’t.

Nidan heard the soft thud of
the door being closed. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Skaric
walking towards him. Nidan stared forward again and carried on with
the sequence of moves. He had just stepped forward into a chest
height thrust when Skaric stepped in front of him.

“
It must be my
turn to take watch.”

Nidan allowed his sword hand to
drop to his side as he stepped out of the stance. “No offence, but
you don’t look up to it.”

It was true:
Skaric looked tired and pale. He needed more sleep, not to feel
obliged to take a watch. He owed
Skaric a
good night’s sleep for protecting Kiana.