The Ambassador’s Mission: Book One of the Traitor Spy Trilogy (44 page)

“A female slave from another estate visited last night,” one of the Ashaki said. “She wanted food for four people.”

Another nodded. “A lone woman was seen arriving and leaving by one of the field workers. She took food to a stock cart.”

“We heard about this stock cart last night,” Achati said. “Is it the same one? Is it unusual for a cart to be travelling this way?”

“It’s not unusual for more prosperous estates to sell feed to less fertile ones at the foot of the mountains.”

“They are in the cart,” stated a new voice.

All looked up to see Unh standing in the doorway. He looked oddly out of place indoors, Dannyl noted.
Like a plant which you know will die from lack of sunlight.

“A slave told me,” the man said. He turned and walked away.

The Ashaki exchanged thoughtful looks. None of them questioned Unh’s claim, Dannyl noted.
What reason would the tribesman have to lie? He is being paid to find Lorkin and Tyvara.

Achati turned to Dannyl. “You were right, Ambassador. The Traitors do want us to find them, and they have finally given us directions.”

W
hile not as sturdy as the boots the Guild had provided for Lorkin all his life, the simple leather shoes slaves wore made little noise. The pack he carried had seemed too small and light to contain enough supplies at first, but the weight of it appeared to have grown since he’d first shouldered it. Tyvara had taken the lead, walking with steady, measured steps as the way became more steep and difficult. Chari followed behind Lorkin, uncharacteristically quiet.

They’d told him to avoid using magic in any obvious way, now that he was in territory patrolled by the Traitors. If they’d detected the barrier he’d raised both to protect himself and keep the air around him warm, they must have decided it wasn’t an obvious use of magic, as neither had commented on it. Though they had assured him that the Traitors would not attack him while he was with two of their people, he wasn’t about to gamble his life on it. Not after their encounter with Rasha.

They’d left the cart and the road a few hours before, and were travelling on foot across hills and valleys that grew rapidly more steep and stony. Neither woman spoke. Lorkin found he missed Chari’s chatter and constant questions. Tyvara had grown more withdrawn the further they travelled. Her frowns made him feel vaguely guilty, but he wasn’t sure why.

She’s heading toward judgement by her people for killing one of their own, which wouldn’t be happening if she hadn’t saved my life.

Abruptly, Tyvara slowed and he pulled up short to avoid stumbling into her. Looking past her shoulder, he saw that, beyond a rise ahead, a group of people were standing before two small huts. They were watching as he, Tyvara and Chari approached.

The huts were small and old and circled by a low fence. From the eaves hung animal skins, and several hide stretchers leaned against the walls, but none of the people gathered outside looked like hunters. All wore simple clothing made of fine cloth. Most were women. He noted two men standing among them and felt a mild surprise. After all that Tyvara and Chari had said about their people, he’d almost come to expect to see no men at all.

A hundred or so paces from the waiting group, Tyvara stopped. She turned to look at Lorkin, frowning as she considered something.

“I can speak for you, if you want,” Chari offered.

Tyvara scowled at her. “I can speak for myself,” she snapped. “Stay here.” Turning on her heel, she stalked toward her people, leaving Chari and Lorkin to exchange a look of bemusement.

“Have you two fallen out over something?” he asked.

Chari shook her head and smiled. “No. Why do you ask?”

“She hasn’t behaved as if the two of you are friends.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Chari chuckled and turned to look at the group. “She’s just jealous. And she doesn’t know it.”

“Jealous of what?”

Chari gave him a lofty look. “You really don’t know? I’ve always wondered how it was that men in the rest of the world are in charge, when they’re so perpetually thick.”

He snorted softly. “And I’m curious to know how Traitor women stay in charge when they’re just as inclined to communicate by indirect hints and innuendo as women everywhere else.”

She laughed. “Oh, I like you, Lorkin. If Tyvara doesn’t wake up to herself and—” A voice called out and she immediately grew serious. She gave him a crooked smile. “Looks like it’s time to introduce you.”

He followed her across the remaining distance to the waiting Traitors. Tyvara watched them, her brow creased with a worried frown. Chari did not look at her friend, but fixed her attention on a middle-aged woman with grey streaks in her long hair.

“Speaker Savara,” she said respectfully. She gestured gracefully toward Lorkin. “Lorkin, assistant to Guild Ambassador Dannyl, of the land of Kyralia.”

The woman nodded. “
Lord
Lorkin,” she said. “If I am correct.”

“You are, indeed,” he replied, inclining his head. “An honour to meet you, Speaker Savara.”

Savara smiled. “It is polite of you to say so, after all you have been through.” She drew in a deep breath. “First, I wish to convey from the queen, but also heartfelt from myself, an apology for the disruption, fear and threat to your life that you have endured due to the Traitors. Whether Tyvara’s actions are deemed justifiable or not, you have been put through a great deal and for that we feel responsible.”

It did not seem like a good moment to be defending Tyvara, so he nodded. “Thank you.”

“If you wish to rejoin the Guild Ambassador, we can have you safely delivered into his protection. I can also arrange for guides to take you back to the Kyralian border. Which would you prefer?”

“Again, thank you,” Lorkin replied. “I am aware that there will be a trial to judge Tyvara’s actions and I would like to speak in her defence, if that is possible.”

Savara’s eyebrows rose, and a murmur of surprise and interest went through the rest of the gathering.

“That would mean taking him to Sanctuary,” someone said.

“The queen would never agree to it.”

“Unless we hold the trial outside Sanctuary.”

“No, that would be too dangerous. If there was an ambush we’d lose too many valuable people.”

“Nobody is going to ambush us,” Savara said firmly.

She looked back at her people and they fell silent. Turning back to Lorkin, she considered him thoughtfully. “It is an admirable thing you wish to do. I will think on it. How much does the Guild know about us?”

Lorkin shook his head. “Nothing. Well, they’ve heard nothing from me, anyway. I haven’t communicated with anyone there.”

“And what of the Guild magician here?” He has been following you since you left Arvice. With surprising accuracy.”

“I haven’t communicated with Dannyl either,” Lorkin told her firmly. “But I’m not surprised he is searching successfully. He is clever and unlikely to give up.” He paused as he realised the truth of his words. Was Dannyl smart and determined enough to follow him all the way to Sanctuary?

“He’s had plenty of help from Traitors, no doubt,” Tyvara muttered.

Savara looked at her. “You have explained the likely price for entering the city?”

Tyvara paused, then looked down. “No. I was hoping we’d find a way around that.”

The Speaker frowned, then sighed and nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Rest and eat.”

With that, the group scattered, some moving into the huts, some sitting on rough, narrow wooden benches that Lorkin had assumed were a crude fence. He, Chari and Tyvara moved to one of the seats and shrugged out of their packs. A young woman dressed as a slave brought them small cakes laced with tart berries. She smiled when he thanked her.

“Lorkin,” Tyvara said.

He turned to her. “Yes?”

“You should take up Savara’s offer. Go back to Kyralia.”

“Not to Arvice?”

She shook her head. “I don’t trust the … the other faction. They might try to kill you again.”

“And how are you going to prove that they’ve tried it before?”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I’ll let them read my mind.”

He heard Chari draw in a sharp breath. “You can’t,” she hissed. “You promised the …” She looked at Lorkin, then bit her lip.

Tyvara sighed. “We’ll find a way around it,” she told Chari. She turned to Lorkin. “The price Savara spoke of … if you come to Sanctuary there’s a good chance you won’t be allowed to leave again. Would you be willing to stay there for the rest of your life?”

He stared at her in disbelief.
The rest of his life? Never see Mother or Rothen or his friends again?

“You haven’t told him this before?” Chari asked, her tone shocked and disbelieving.

Tyvara flushed and looked away. “No. I couldn’t send him back to Arvice. Someone would have tried to kill him. I knew once I found someone from our faction he’d be safe.”

“Faction?”

“Lorkin came up with the term. I mean those of us who agree with the queen, and Savara, on … most things.”

Chari nodded. “Not a bad term, really.” She looked at him. “We’ve been avoiding calling ourselves anything, because it would mean there was a split within the Traitors, and if we named the two sides it would only encourage people to, well, take sides.” She turned to Tyvara. “They might not want Lorkin to stay, since he is one of the reasons for the split.”

“Nobody from the other side will trust him enough to let him go once he knows the city’s location. And few from our side will, either.”

“Then we cover his eyes and make sure he can’t find it again.”

Tyvara sighed. “We all know how well that worked last time.”

“Last time it was a Sachakan, and he was a spy,” Chari pointed out. “Lorkin is different. And how is Sanctuary ever going to form alliances and trade with other nations if we never let visitors into and out of the city?”

Tyvara opened her mouth, then closed it again. “It’s too soon for that,” she said. “We can’t even trust each other, let alone foreigners.”

“Well, we have to start some time.” Chari sniffed and looked away. “You bring him all this way, and now you want him gone. I think you’re too scared of being responsible for someone.”

Tyvara’s head snapped up and she glared at her friend. “That’s—” But she stopped herself. Her eyes narrowed. Rising, she stalked away, sitting down again several strides away. Chari sighed.

“Don’t worry,” she told Lorkin. “She isn’t always this grumpy.” She looked at him and smiled. “I mean it. When she’s not worried silly, she’s smart, funny and quite lovable. And apparently quite good under the rug, as we say here.” She winked, then grew serious. “Though choosy. Not any and every man for our Tyvara. Don’t worry about that.”

He gazed at her in surprise at this sudden and unexpected flow of personal information, then looked down and hoped his amusement and embarrassment weren’t obvious.
So, here’s yet another way Traitor women are different to Kyralian women.
He thought back to some of the women he’d taken to bed over the last year.
Well, maybe not that different, but certainly more open about it.

Though why Chari was trying to reassure him …

Suddenly, he understood what Chari had been hinting at. She thought there was something romantic going on between him and Tyvara. His heart skipped a beat.
Well, there has been, in a regretfully one-sided way.
Since he’d first met Tyvara he’d found her alluring and attractive. The night he’d nearly been murdered he’d thought it was her in his bed, and the thought had pleased him a great deal.

Chari seems to think it isn’t one-sided. Is she right?

He stole a glance at Tyvara. She was standing again, staring in the direction she, Chari and he had arrived from, her brows knit with worry. He turned to see what she was looking at. Two women were running up the path. As they passed, Lorkin heard them panting with exertion.

They disappeared into a hut and a moment of tense silence followed as all watched and waited, then Savara strode out followed by a handful of Traitors and the two women. She said something and the globe lights immediately dimmed to a faint glow.

“We must all leave immediately,” she said. Her eyes skimmed over the assembled faces and settled on Lorkin. “The magicians tracking Lord Lorkin are heading this way, and there are now six of them, including the Kyralian. Divide yourselves into three groups. Each will take a different route away from here. Tyvara, Lorkin and Chari, you should come with me.”

Lorkin rose and hurried over to her. “If I talk with Ambassador Dannyl I am sure I can persuade him to call off the search.”

She shook her head. “You may persuade him, but you won’t persuade the others if they think they might catch us this time. There is also a man with them – a tracker – who might succeed where others have failed.” She smiled grimly. “I am sorry. The offer is appreciated, but it is too great a risk.”

Lorkin nodded. Around him people were hastily picking up and packing away all signs of their presence. One began to sweep the ground, but Savara stopped her.

“There’s no point hiding all trace of ourselves. We want them to either split up or follow the wrong trail.” She looked Lorkin up and down. “Find someone with similar sized feet as his and get them to swap shoes.”

Soon the Traitors had formed three groups of near equal size. Savara ordered them to travel without hiding their trail until morning, then head for Sanctuary using the usual precautions. All murmured farewells to the other groups, then departed. Lorkin followed as Savara’s group began to climb the steep side of the valley, his mind shifting between wondering if his suspicions about Tyvara were true, itching to know what Savara’s decision would be, and worrying that Dannyl and the Sachakans would catch up with them.

And if they did, what would the Sachakans do? What would the Traitors do? Would it end in a fight? He didn’t want anyone dying because of him.
Well, anyone else
, he amended.

If it came to a fight, what should he do? Would he have to choose between joining Dannyl in order to prevent a battle and siding with the Traitors so he could help save Tyvara from execution?