The Rogue (54 page)

“Has your opinion changed?”

Balkan looked at Sonea and shook his head.

“My vote and the High Lord’s go to Sonea,” Osen stated. “Which tips our collective vote in her favour.” He looked at her and smiled grimly. “Congratulations.”

She nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. While she had hoped to be chosen, so that she could see and protect Lorkin as soon as possible, the weight of responsibility in representing not only the Guild and Kyralia, but all the Allied Lands, was daunting. So was the prospect of returning to Sachaka, though this time she would not be an exile, hunted by the Ichani.

After all I said to Dorrien about only wanting to be a Healer, I’ve gone and got myself a task that will involve using black magic. But not to kill. Those who give me power will do so willingly, and hopefully I won’t have to use that power to kill, either.

“There are details to sort out and preparations to make,” Osen told them all. He stood up. “Black Magician Sonea will leave soon, but I expect it will not be for a few days at least. Perhaps not for a few weeks. Lorkin will need to relay our decision through the slave spy network to the Traitors and wait for a reply. There is the matter of choosing an assistant, but that will require further discussion and consultation. Thank you for your suggestions and advice. I need not remind you that this is all strictly secret. Goodnight.”

As the magicians rose, Balkan stepped forward and touched Sonea on the shoulder.

“Stay,” he murmured.

She nodded, unsurprised. When the last of the Higher Magicians had left the room except Osen and Balkan, she dropped back into the chair with a sigh.

“I’m not sure if I should congratulate you or not,” Osen said to her as he returned to his seat.

Sonea smiled wryly. “It is reassuring, even flattering, that you are willing to entrust me with the task. Especially when I’ve failed at the last one you set me.”

Osen frowned, then his eyebrows rose. “Finding Skellin?” He shrugged. “That is a trickier task than the one you have now.”

“Who will be taking it over?”

“Black Magician Kallen, most likely,” he told her. “Will your contacts consent to work with him?”

Sonea considered. “Yes, I think they will. They have little choice. Can I make a suggestion?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

“Lilia befriended one of my contact’s loyal friends and workers while she was looking for Naki. Since Kallen is also her guardian, it might be beneficial to everyone if Lilia was to be his assistant – or one of his assistants.”

Osen looked thoughtful, and nodded. “I will consider it, and suggest it to Kallen. It won’t be breaking the restrictions we set on her movements, if she is under Kallen’s orders.”

Sonea tried to imagine Cery meeting with Kallen, and failed. She tried not to wince.

Sorry Cery, but I can’t be two places at once. Kallen is nothing if not thorough and dedicated. I’m sure he will find Skellin eventually.
She wondered if there was anything else she could do to help him.

“Now, do you have anyone in mind to take as your assist ant?”

Forcing her mind back to her new task, she considered the question, and nodded.

Everything was illuminated by lamplight. As the
Inava
drew level with the wharf, slaves on the deck tossed ropes to those waiting below. Staying out of the way, Dannyl looked out at the city. There wasn’t much to see. Since the majority of the buildings in Arvice were single storey, the view was a rather boring stretch of similar rooftops.

“Ah, look,” Achati said. “The Guild House carriage has arrived. I would have taken you home in mine.”

Dannyl looked at the Sachakan and frowned in concern. “Perhaps it is better that you go straight home. You still look tired.”

Achati smiled. “I am a little, but not from the overuse of power. Travel wears me more than it used to. As you know, I didn’t sleep much last night.”

A glint of amusement had entered his gaze. Dannyl smiled and looked away. The day the storm had passed, the ship had pulled in at an estate belonging to a friend of Achati’s. They had collapsed onto the offered beds and slept late into the next day, then decided to leave early the next morning to avoid sailing at night. Even so, unfavourable winds meant they had arrived at Arvice late.

The estate had been luxurious. Dannyl wasn’t surprised when, Tayend having picked up on the possibility that their host might have goods to trade with Elyne, insisted Achati help him with all discussions on the matter, which went late into the night.

“Looks like we will be going our separate ways from here,” Tayend said as he emerged from the hatch and took in his surroundings. He turned to Achati and smiled. “Thank you, Ashaki Achati, for arranging and guiding us on this adventure.”

Achati inclined his head in the Kyralian way. “A pleasure and an honour,” he said.

“Will we see you at the Guild House soon?”

“I hope so,” Achati replied. “I will report to my king and deal with any matters that have accumulated in my absence first, of course. Unless one of those matters concerns one or both of you, I will be sure to make a social visit as soon as I am free to.”

The captain approached to tell them the ship was secure and safe for them to depart. They went through more formalities as their trunks were carried off, then they followed their luggage to their respective vehicles.

Once inside the Guild House carriage, Tayend was uncharacteristically quiet. Dannyl considered striking up a conversation as the vehicle rolled through the streets, but the Elyne looked lost in thought. They both watched the walls of Arvice pass by in silence.

When they finally turned through the Guild House gates, Tayend drew in a deep breath and sighed. He looked at Dannyl and smiled.

“Well, that was certainly an interesting adventure. I can say I’ve visited six lands now, though I suppose Duna isn’t technically a country in its own right.”

Dannyl shook his head. “No, but I suspect it may as well be. I can’t see the Ashaki ever truly controlling it – or even wanting to, if they are sensible.”

Pushing open the door, Tayend climbed out. Dannyl followed, noting the slaves lying prone on the ground.

“Stand up,” he ordered wearily. “Go back to your duties.”

The door slave hurried to the entrance and led them inside. They emerged from the end of the entry corridor into the Master’s Room. Healer Merria was waiting for them … and another magician. Dannyl looked at the Alchemist and gaped in astonishment.

“Lorkin!”

The young magician smiled. “Ambassador. You have no idea how relieved I am to see you. How was your journey?”

Dannyl walked forward and grasped Lorkin’s arm in greeting. “Nothing compared to yours, I’m sure. You have no idea how relieved
I
am to see
you
.”

Lorkin grinned. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I can guess. Would you like to wash and eat before I give you the news?”

Moving to one of the stools, Dannyl sat down. Lorkin chuckled.

“I gather that’s a ‘no’.”

“If you don’t mind,” Tayend said. “I’d like to wash and eat. I’m sure you can fill me in later.”

“Of course,” Dannyl said. “Tell the slaves to prepare something for us both.”

The Elyne hurried down the corridor to his room. As Lorkin and Merria sat down, Dannyl noted that both wore worried expressions.

“So is this good news or bad?”

Lorkin smiled wryly. “Both. The bad is this …”

He handed Dannyl a letter. Noting the Sachakan king’s seal, already broken, Dannyl opened the letter and read. He felt a chill run down his spine.

“So,” he said. “He forbids you to leave and informs you that he will summon you to meet with him once I have returned. It makes sense. You’ve spent months with the rebels so the king obviously wants to know everything you’ve learned.”

“You don’t expect me to tell him, do you?”

“Not unless the Guild – no,
our
king – orders you to.”

Lorkin looked worried. “Can he stop me leaving? Do I have to meet with him?”

“That depends how much he’s willing to test the peace between our lands.” Dannyl frowned. “The fact that you left to live with the rebels probably tested that peace quite a bit already. If we ignore this and send you home, it will be an even greater insult.”

“So what do we do?”

“You cooperate. You stay here. You meet him. You tell him nothing, respectfully and politely. We – myself, the Guild and king, and anyone else we can persuade to help us – work at persuading him to let you go.”

“It might take a long time.”

Dannyl nodded. “That’s very likely.”

Lorkin looked even more anxious now. He glanced at Merria, then at the door Tayend had disappeared through.

“There is … something else. I gather, since you were surprised to see me here, that you haven’t been in contact with Osen?”

Another chill ran down Dannyl’s spine. “No. There was a storm and … I’ve been too preoccupied to put on the ring.” He cursed silently. The blood rings were so useful and yet so limited. If only he’d been allowed to make a blood ring and leave it with the Administrator. Then Osen could have contacted him directly.

Lorkin met Dannyl’s eyes, his expression serious. He suddenly looked much older than he was – or than Dannyl was used to regarding him.

“I can’t discuss anything aloud in case we’re overheard. You need to contact Osen,” Lorkin said. “Now.”

A noise down the passage alerted Cery before he saw the light. Relieved, he stood up and waited for Anyi to reach him. As she neared him he saw her smile and he sighed with relief.

It was good to see her so happy. Good that she had a friend. Being cooped up in the hideout did not suit her, and no matter how many practice sessions he and Gol put her through they wouldn’t be able to curb her restless nature.

The only real danger in these visits to Lilia is the stability of the passages under the Guild.
No Thief has dared to occupy them. The Slig, the slum children who had built themselves homes in parts of the Thieves’ Road, were said to instinctively know and avoid unstable areas. Anyi had taken Lilia down into the tunnels and they’d both started to make repairs. He hoped they knew what they were doing.

“You don’t have to wait for me,” Anyi said, and not for the first time.

Cery shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

“I was gone for hours.”

He looked at Gol. “We kept ourselves occupied.”

She sighed and walked past him. “Where to now?”

“Home,” he said.

As they travelled, slipping out of the Thieves’ Road as soon as they reached a safe place, he thought about Sonea’s message. He couldn’t blame her for seizing the opportunity to meet Lorkin. He’d have done the same thing.

But he didn’t trust Kallen in the same way he trusted her.
Not just because I don’t know him like I know Sonea, or that he’s not from the lower end of Imardin society, and not even because of Kallen’s liking for roet. The man is too …
He searched for a word, and eventually settled on “rigid”. Cery didn’t doubt the man’s promise to never give up in his search for Skellin, but it came first from a dedication to law and what was right, rather than a desire to protect others. He doubted that Kallen would ever bend the law or his idea of rightness, and that could lead to people getting hurt.
The people most likely to be hurt are Anyi, Gol and I.

At last they reached the entrance to the hideout. It had been cold outside, and the chill clung to them. They were all keen to get inside and warm up, but forced themselves to go through all the precautions, and their numb fingers to work all the safeguards. Once inside, Anyi set about starting a fire while Gol checked for indications that the escape routes had been compromised.

Cery sat down. A bottle of wine and three glasses had been set on the table. He sighed. Right now all he wanted was a warmed glass of bol.

“Is there something to celebrate?” he asked, looking at Anyi and Gol.

They turned to regard him, their expressions puzzled.

Cery gestured to the bottle. “Your idea?”

The pair shook their heads.

He turned to stare at the bottle. His heart lurched. A rushing sound filled his ears. A tag hung from a loop of string about the bottle’s neck. On it were scrawled three words. He looked closer.

For your daughter.

He staggered to his feet.

“Out,” he gasped. “Someone’s been here. We have to get out.”

aga moths – pests that eat clothing

anyi – sea mammals with short spines

ceryni – small rodent enka – horned domestic animal, bred for meat

eyoma – sea leeches

faren – general term for arachnids

gorin – large domestic animal used for food and to haul boats and wagons

harrel – small domestic animal bred for meat

inava – insect believed to bestow good luck

limek – wild predatory dog

mullook – wild nocturnal bird

quannea – rare shells

rassook – domestic bird used for meat and feathers

ravi – rodent, larger than ceryni

reber – domestic animal, bred for wool and meat

sapfly – woodland insect

sevli – poisonous lizard

squimp – squirrel-like creature that steals food

yeel – small domesticated breed of limek used for tracking

zill – small, intelligent mammal sometimes kept as a pet

anivope vine – plant sensitive to mental projection

bellspice – spice grown in Sachaka