The Seeker (62 page)

Some obscure instinct of caution stopped me riding directly into the camp. I asked Gahltha to take us into a clump of trees a short distance away. With the mountains behind and on one side and the ruins of Obernewtyn on the other, we were safe from detection.

Peering through the greenery, I could see several roughly constructed stone-and-thatch huts, set in a circle and surrounded by a wall of stripling branches. Even at a distance, it was clearly a poor settlement, and an air of hopeless dilapidation hung over it.

Two men emerged from one of the hovels. I bit my lip. Soldierguards!

They could only have come through the pass. That meant the thaw had already opened the way. At least the Council would have no more cause to doubt Rushton’s word … if he had survived the firestorm. A strange feeling of despair filled me at the realization that he might be dead.

I felt Gahltha’s restive movements and looked at him.
“Perhaps we should go to Obernewtyn to find out what has passed here,” he suggested.

I shook my head impatiently. “What good will that do? Besides, it would be dangerous to go there now. I want to get a better look at that camp. The soldierguards can’t have built those huts. I want to know who did. We’ll go back the way we came and right around to the other side.”

Before I could mount, Gahltha sent a warning that someone approached.

To my horror, it was three soldierguards. Fortunately, they stopped in a clearing several spans from where we were hidden. Grumbling about the cold, they sat on logs, rubbing their hands and faces.

“I tell you, I am weary of this hellish place,” said one man resentfully. “ ‘Get wood,’ the captain orders, but what is the use of it? Quick as the fire warms you, the wind chills you to the bone.”

“That fellow Rushton does nowt seem to feel th’ cold,” said a big burly man with a highland accent, and I was glad to hear Rushton’s name despite the circumstances. “It whistles through th’ holes in his clothes, an’ he nary shows a shiver. His blood must be as cold as th’ snow.”

“There is a madness in him,” said the first. “No sane man could wish to stay up here, yet the fool claims he will rebuild Obernewtyn once the taint is faded.”

The big man nodded. “I heard he was offered a billet in th’ lowlands but chose to come back here.”

“He is proud enough to want his inheritance rebuilt,” said the first speaker, rising and stamping his feet. “But what does any of this matter to the Council? I swear this is a fool’s errand. Three suns have risen on this barren valley since we came here. And why?”

“Why indeed?” asked the third man, who had not spoken yet. He had an unpleasant hissing sort of voice and quick, sly eyes. “We are to find out if Obernewtyn is truly destroyed and if there is truth in rumors of sedition here.”

“One look answered those questions,” said the first man.

“Did it?” asked the third in an insinuating tone. His two companions eyed him curiously.

“Do ye say there is sedition here? I have seen no sign of it,” said the big highlander at length.

“I say neither yes nor no to it. But the captain is no fool. He would not stay here for pleasure. Perhaps he knows something we do not.”

“What do ye mean?” asked the highlander.

“Just this—captains, as a rule, are told more than rank-and-file soldierguards. I heard he had his orders direct from the Council’s agent. Who knows what information he has,” said the hissing man.

“There
is
somethin’ strange about these mountain folk,” opined the highlander after a moment of thought. “I dinna know what it is, but when I am among them, my skin creeps.”

“Mine too,” said the first man. “Ariel spoke certain of sedition, and he’s seldom wrong.”

“Call him not by name!” snarled the third man, glancing about as if he feared immediate reprisal.

“His name is not so secret,” sneered the first.

“Well, then call him by it when next you see him, fool.
There
is one to make a man’s skin crawl.”

“I say we mun just as soon kill them all, miserable creatures,” the big highlander pronounced. “Then we need not trouble ourselves with findin’ out if they be seditioners.”

“Usually, we are told to bring back prisoners alive. But I have heard it whispered the Council’s agent wants none to
come alive from the mountains. I wonder if it is true, and why,” pondered the first man.

“Indeed. I wonder what he suspects … or fears,” said the third soldierguard.

After a long pause, the highlander shook himself like an ox. “I wonder only how long before my head rests on a real bed an’ my tongue tastes a sweet fement,” he sighed plaintively.

“Never, if I catch you idling again when I have given an order!” came a new voice, so close my heart skipped a beat. Cautiously, I moved and saw that two more men had entered the clearing. From the markings on his collar, the tall, sallow-faced newcomer was the captain.

But the person behind him was no soldierguard. I stifled a gasp at the sight of Rushton!

Clad in shabby trousers and a ragged jumper, he was grim-faced and gaunt. The wild, dark gleam in his eyes told me why the soldierguards had judged him mad. He looked like a man possessed, and deep lines of suffering and despair made him appear far older than he was. There was a bitter twist to his lips that I had never seen before, and I was filled with pity at the thought of what the destruction of Obernewtyn had meant to him. He must have loved it more than life for its demise to mark him so.

As if he sensed my scrutiny, his head turned; he seemed to stare straight into my eyes. I shuddered at the emptiness in his face and was glad when he turned aside to follow the captain and his men from the clearing.

I slumped back, aching all over from tension. I could not forget Rushton’s face, for it warned me worse might have happened than I could even imagine.

I went afoot as we made our way back along the valley,
but this time we went more warily and stayed close to the walls of Obernewtyn where trees grew thickly, offering shelter. I noticed fumes of faint blue smoke rising from the ruins and was struck by the feeling that I had seen them before.

“Elspeth?” came a voice from behind. I whirled in fright and found myself looking into the astounded face of Daffyd. Gahltha, who did not know him, moved aggressively between us, until I reassured him.

Daffyd came forward slowly, as if he thought I would disappear. “By Lud, it
is
you!” he cried. “I thought I was dreaming with my eyes open. We thought you dead. Your feet …” He looked down.

“Are healed,” I said firmly. “I coerced you to think them worse than they were, because I knew I could not make it back to the mountains before the pass closed. But what has happened here? Was Obernewtyn like this when you arrived? Were any hurt in the firestorm? And when did the soldierguards come?”

Daffyd burst into laughter. “It must be a powerful illusion if it fools even the guildmistress of the farseekers. But they do say little Dragon is as strong as you were … are,” he added ruefully.

I felt my mouth drop open, and a great joy welled up in me. “Then … this”—I waved a trembling hand at the ruins—“this is all an illusion?”

“Of course,” Daffyd said.

I sank to my knees, weak with relief. “No wonder Gahltha behaved so oddly. Dragon’s illusions do not work on animals.” I sent an explanation to Gahltha, who still looked puzzled.

“Then everyone is inside?” I asked.

Daffyd shook his head. “Rushton thought that too much risk. We are using the Teknoguild cave network as a base.
Only a few live in the camp, for appearance’s sake. Rushton, of course, and Ceirwan, Dameon, and most others trained in farseeking and empathy.”

“Not coercers?” I wondered.

“They are in another hidden camp very near the pass,” Daffyd explained. “They are our insurance, in case this sleight of hand fails to deceive the soldierguards and open battle is needed to stop them carrying tales to the Council.” He frowned. “But how is it they did not see you come through the pass just now?”

I shrugged, realizing it would suit me to have everyone think I had come from the highlands, rather than from the high mountains. “I came very stealthily. And I have some coercive Talent. The soldierguards didn’t see me either, but I saw them. And I fear we might have to fight despite this illusion.” I told Daffyd what I had overheard.

“It is true the soldierguards have stayed longer than we hoped,” Daffyd said worriedly. “Tonight Rushton will come here, and you can tell him this news.” He gave me a quick look. “He will be amazed to see you here. I think your death was a grievous thing to him.”

I nodded absently. “I heard one of the soldierguards say they have been here for three days. How is it Dragon can sustain an illusion so long?”

“She has practiced all wintertime,” Daffyd said. “Even so, it is a strain, and she does not maintain it in the dark hours. Luck has made them come in the waning of the moon. The blue fumes are an added touch to give credence to Rushton’s story that the ruins are contaminated. That stops the soldierguards wanting a closer look.” He glanced at the ruin pensively. “I wonder what keeps the captain suspicious.”

“From what I heard, it has to do with Ariel’s insistence.”

“You were seemingly right about his haste for revenge. As you feared, the soldierguards arrived the moment the pass thawed,” Daffyd said. “We have kept Dragon out of their sight. It is easier for her to hold the illusion away from the distraction of people. Matthew stays with her to protect her during the day. At night, we three camp not far from here, for no one would dare come so close to Obernewtyn. They will be back soon. In the meantime, what about some food?”

“I’m starving,” I said fervently. “And so is Gahltha.”

As we walked to the campsite, I explained to the black horse all that I’d learned. It did not take Daffyd long to make a small fire and warm some stew. Gahltha preferred grass to the bags of horse feed. I sat gratefully by the fire and accepted a cup of strong fement once I had eaten.

“I meant to go back down to the Druid camp after delivering Dragon and your message, but that very night, snow fell thick and closed the pass,” Daffyd said, sitting beside me.

“I suppose you’re worried about Gilaine and the others …,” I began, then faltered, seeing the grim look on the armsman’s face.

“I don’t know if they’re still there. One of the soldierguards said the firestorm had all but burned out the White Valley.”

“Oh, Daffyd,” I said, aghast.

Again he shook his head. “I don’t believe they are dead. Rushton has pledged Obernewtyn’s help to find them when the soldierguards are gone.” He sipped his drink as if it held a bitter draft.

We both froze at the sound of running feet. The brush parted, and Roland burst into the open. “Where’s Matthew?” he cried. “We need him to farseek the camp! Something has gone wrong. All contact has been severed, but we dare not go
down there with the soldierguards …” He stopped dead, catching sight of me. “Elspeth?”

“Yes, it’s me,” I said impatiently. “I’ll see what’s happened.”

“But you …,” he said, dazed.

I waved him to silence, closing my eyes to concentrate. I sent my mind flying toward the makeshift camp, seeking out any familiar pattern. It was as if all there slept.

At last I located a weak consciousness. Focusing in, I discovered it was Ceirwan.

“Who … who is that?” he sent groggily, barely discernible.

“It is Elspeth,” I sent. “What has happened there?”

There was a pause. “Elspeth … impossible.”

I felt his grief but could waste no time on it. “I did not die. Now you must focus. I can hardly understand you. What has happened?”

I sensed his struggle to concentrate. “I … They drugged us. The soldierguards think we hide evidence of sedition in the ruins. You must stop them from getting to Obernewtyn … get coercers …” He faded out again, and this time it was impossible to recall him.

I opened my eyes. “They’re okay, but they all sleep,” I said. “The soldierguards have drugged them and are about to go and examine the ruins firsthand.”

“We’ll have to fight,” Daffyd said.

I shook my head. “I have a better idea, Daffyd. One less likely to escalate into violence. You ride Gahltha and bring back one of the coercers. The guildmaster, Gevan, if you can. Also, get a group of them to go down to the camp as soon as the soldierguards leave.” I outlined my plan quickly.

“It might just work,” Roland said.

“And it would explain why Rushton was so anxious to keep them away from the ruins. But will the captain react as you expect?” Daffyd asked.

“It’s my guess they’ll prove a craven lot, more worried about their own skins than their duty. But if not, Gevan is a coercer, and so am I, at need.”

“You, a coercer?” Roland asked sharply. I ignored him, giving Daffyd a leg up onto Gahltha. The black horse allowed Daffyd to mount, then sped off, keeping close to the tree line.

“Come. We’ll meet Gevan in front of Obernewtyn,” I told the Healer guildmaster. “We’ll have to make sure they don’t come too close to the buildings. Now describe to me the symptoms.…”

It was dusk when the soldierguards appeared, riding along the entrance road leading up to Obernewtyn. Catching sight of Gevan and me, the captain reined his horse.

“Who are you, girl? I’ve not seen you before. What trickery is here?” he shouted harshly.

When I did not answer, he ordered one of his men to bind us. The man dismounted, but he paused when he was close enough to see my face clearly.

“Captain … I think there’s something wrong with her …,” he called uneasily.

I lurched toward him, and he backed away hastily. “Help me!” I moaned. “Help me. I am ill.”

The captain dismounted, staring at me suspiciously. “Ill? What do you mean? I won’t stand for …” He stopped, having come close enough to see the black blisters on my lips. Gevan moaned loudly, making the man jump. His face changed, contorting with horror, and he spun away. “Lud’s curse! These creatures have the plague!”

The soldierguards murmured in dismay.

“Shut up and let me think!” the captain snarled, mounting his horse. The other soldierguards did the same.