Embers at Galdrilene (10 page)

Serena’s stomach rolled as dread charged through her. What if that thing, that Benduiren, had come back? Vaddoc and Kellinar were on their feet. The Shaderian held a curved sword in each hand. Kellinar started to pull two of his daggers, paused and then let them slide back into their sheaths.

He stared into the darkness. “I can feel it. I have felt it several times since we left Trilene. Whoever it is, I don’t think any harm is meant.”

Emallya raised an eyebrow. “How do you feel this?”

Kellinar looked at the older woman. “The air currents…told me.” Emallya nodded as if air currents that told people things were nothing unusual.

Serena strained her eyes against the dark, searching the deep black of the night. She saw nothing.

Emallya raised her voice and called out, “I can feel you hiding there. If I had not been distracted, I would have noticed you sooner. Tell me, do you intend to crouch like a frightened rabbit behind that poor excuse for a bush all night?”

A small shape separated itself from the night and walked to the edge of the firelight. Serena gasped, this was not what she’d expected and she wasn’t sure she could believe her eyes. How had they been followed? Beside her, Kellinar stood as if frozen.

The young boy that came out of the night stood as tall as he could and looked straight at Emallya. “I ain’t no scared rabbit. I ain’t scared of nothing.”

Emallya smiled. “There is nothing that makes you afraid?”

The boy chewed his lower lip and his eyes shifted to look at the ground in front of his toes. “Well, maybe some things. Like that thing you chased off the road. That scared me,” he raised his eyes to hers again, “but I ain’t afraid of you.”

“And why is that?” she asked.

“’Cause Kellinar and Serena ain’t afraid of you.”

Kellinar sucked in a breath and let it out. “Loki, what are you doing here?”

“Is that how you are called, young man?” Emallya asked the boy.

Loki nodded and Kellinar asked again, “What are you doing here?”

“I had to, Kellinar! Them flaming Keepers raided the Thieves’ Caves looking for you. Everything was crazy. They tried to catch me ‘cause they knew I was your friend and they thought I knew where you was hiding, only I got away. At first I didn’t know where you were and I just was walking. Then later, I seen you ahead of me on the road. So I followed you.” Loki’s voice held some of the fear he claimed he didn’t feel.

Serena looked at him. “Why didn’t you let us know you were there?”

“ ’Cause I thought you wouldn’t let me come, that you’d send me back and I can’t go back. They’ll get me.”

Kellinar ran a hand through his hair and looked at Serena. She shrugged; she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t think they could send him back, but how could they take him with them?

Emallya walked over and crouched down in front of the boy, looking directly into his eyes. “We will not send you back, young man. Now that you are here, we can do no more than take you with us. There is danger along our path though. Kellinar and Serena must decide if they travel with me or find their own way. You will have to decide, too.”

“I’m going where Kellinar goes.”

Serena wondered how well things would go with the child along. “Are you sure Emallya? Loki can be a handful.”

Emallya kept her eyes on Loki’s and said, “You will not cause me any trouble will you, young man? You will have to agree to do as I say if you wish to come.”

“Yes ma’am,” Loki said. He looked at Emallya as if she was some great and wonderful goddess. Serena had a feeling Loki might find himself actually behaving around the older woman.

“We take a child into danger?” Vaddoc asked.

Emallya nodded. “The Fates have brought him here; his path lies with us now. It is late and we should all get some sleep. Serena, Kellinar, think about what I have said and what I have offered. I will have your answer in the morning.” She rose and began laying out her sleeping roll.

Serena shivered when she thought about the thing on the road hunting her. She knew what her answer would be in the morning. If the woman knew of a safe haven, she was going with her. She had just passed her nineteenth birthday and the woman had to be at least fifteen to twenty years her senior. Somehow, she had learned how to deal with her magic without going insane and Emallya’s powers were considerably stronger than her own.

The presence in her mind crooned. Her decision to journey with the older woman made it content. The feeling spread through her and for the first time in a year she felt relaxed and sleep came easily.

Emallya sat staring into the flames. Loki was a surprise she hadn’t expected. She couldn’t send him away though. If they all decided to come with her, she would need to begin training their minds immediately. Alden may have fled for now, but the Benduiren wouldn’t stop. These Foundlings were too important. Later, they would have all the protection they needed. They were far too vulnerable right now.

Vaddoc’s mind was already surprisingly strong and his blocks were well made. But then, control over their minds and emotions were part of Border Guard training. It was understandable considering they still fought to keep the Kojen out in the desert and away from civilized lands.

Kojen. Those twisted remnants of the War of Fire, left behind when the Shadow Riders were killed five hundred years before. The majority left to breed and run wild; they roamed the desert in packs, raiding into Shadereen and Calladar. Traders on the Blood River knew better than to put in for the night on the east bank.

She thought of all the people so afraid those who could use magic would turn evil, so willing to put to death any unfortunate enough to show signs of its touch. She marveled at how much time could change history. She had walked these lands since they rose from the ashes of the war. Only a small group of people in the downlands even knew who she was anymore. She sighed and lay down on her sleeping roll. As she drifted off to sleep, she felt a light brush across her cheek and a whisper in her mind.

D
awn found Emallya stirring the coals from the night before. The sleeping forms of the young people were no more than dark mounds in the predawn light. She moved quietly about the campsite, laying out a small leather packet of traveling cakes for each person and setting the small kettle on the fire for tea. She sat down and ate her own food, her thoughts reaching out to the other newly emerged Foundlings. The faint contact was easier and she let the connection fade, satisfied they still moved toward her.

Then she turned her mind to what she thought might be another Foundling. She tried reaching out to the source of the threads of power and found nothing. She stared at the fire, watching the flames as she considered the flickering of energy that stirred in her mind. She should be able to follow that flicker back to its source, yet somehow the path remained inaccessible. Could the Foundling be strong enough to erase the mental path?

She almost dropped her food when the face of a young woman swam before her vision, blotting out the fire. A face framed by rich chestnut hair with dark eyebrows arching over violet eyes. Before she could grab hold of the image and trace its origins, it was gone. Shaken, Emallya set her food down. The young woman must be the one she caught the faint threads of power from. Why couldn’t she follow the traces back to the girl? Could the girl really be that strong?

Emallya thought of the silver egg in Galdrilene. Could the girl be the person to hatch that egg? She obviously used Spirit magic and had enough strength in her power to be a rider. She ran her teeth over her lower lip. Galdrilene needed a silver.

She glanced at the sleeping mounds around her and shook her head. Her embers. With so many gathered already, they had to be the embers her long ago vision spoke of. She had to get these Foundlings to Galdrilene first. The girl could be anywhere. Emallya sighed in frustration. Why couldn’t she trace the girl’s power?

The others stirring awake pulled her from her thoughts. She checked the tea and finding it ready, poured it into four cups and handed them to the boy and the rest to the Foundlings. She acknowledged their mumbled thanks with a nod and poured herself a cup, savoring the hot liquid as it warmed her insides.

After they finished their meal, Emallya looked around at them. “I will have your answers now. Have you decided which direction you will go?”

Vaddoc stood. “You know I will travel with you.”

Serena hesitated only a second. “I will come.”

Kellinar nodded. “I’ll come.” He paused for a second, then gave a small chuckle and climbed to his feet. “Where else in this dragon-blasted world can I go? This is the bag I managed to steal, time to open it up and see what’s inside, I guess.”

“I’m going where Kellinar goes,” Loki said firmly, as if afraid they might change their minds and send him back to Trilene.

“Then let us get ready and go,” Emallya said. “We have a lot of ground to cover. We will ride double until we find a village where we can buy additional horses. Loki, you can ride in front of me.” She swung into her saddle and held her mount still while Vaddoc helped Serena clamber up behind her and sat Loki in front of her. Then he climbed into his own saddle and did his best to help Kellinar up behind him.

Once they were settled, Vaddoc turned to Emallya, “Which way do we go from here?”

Emallya paused, the skin on the back of her neck tightening. Someone watched them. She felt the prickle of energy again. Almost as soon as she felt it, the sensation began to fade away. She tried again to follow the path of the power, but it was gone.

“Is something wrong?” Vaddoc asked.

Emallya let the incident go and turned her attention back to the three Foundlings waiting on her. “We follow the road for now. There is a small village we should reach by this evening. After that, we ride cross country. We will still keep along the road’s course. We will be harder to find if we do not stay on it. I doubt the Benduiren will try to follow us right now. However, I would like to leave it behind as soon as possible, just in case.”