The Unexpected Heir: A Tale of Alus (9 page)

"When I see something that wouldn't please the god, it makes me frown. I never preached keeping a smile plastered on your face no matter what the world gives you. If I am disappointed or angry, I don't need to hide it, Karlaan.

"Speaking of hiding something, what were you talking about with those women anyway?"

Karlaan glanced back and towards the entry doors. These were the ones most people knew about and used. Two men wandered into the sanctuary through those doors as they looked on, but Caldrefan didn't recognize either of them. They took a place amongst the pews and he quickly dismissed them from his mind.

"I wasn't hiding anything," the boy refuted as his smile slipped for a moment thanks to the warning words of his mentor. "Those women just happened to be servants from the king's castle. We were simply discussing whether they felt appreciated there.

"The coins given for their work barely let them survive. If that is how their king pays the people serving him, how little must he value those he rules?" Karlaan finished raising a finger to make his point.

Caldrefan couldn't help feeling like the boy had just given his interpretation of one of the brothers speaking in the streets. "Am I supposed to be impressed that you can think of words to make them question their king's rule?"

Frowning harder, as if the darker look could influence the ancient brother, Karlaan countered, "I don't truly care if you do or not. They wore clothing that I've seen before and this isn't the first time that these women have come here either."

In a brief pause as both men looked away from each other, Caldrefan's eyes searched the sanctuary making sure that no one was watching their argument or listening to their words. Karlaan looked at the floor behind his mentor deciding if he should truly speak his mind. When his eyes lifted to the penetrating blue eyes of Caldrefan, he appeared to have come to a conclusion.

Lowering his voice slightly in discretion, the young man stated, "You have told me nothing of your plans. Even as a boy, you have always said that you could make me king. If you can't decide how to do it, then why make promises?"

"I can do it. It takes patience and time to achieve such things, Karlaan. We have grown the order and built temples to Sordrian throughout Malaiy. Men I know have been looking into the daily movements of the royal family. I will decide where to hit them first before working on a plan that will simply blow up in our faces.

"Being impetuous can be dangerous. It usually leads such people to disaster more often than not. I have been teaching you to be patient as long as I have known you. Be patient awhile longer."

Karlaan looked unconvinced and replied, "I have been patient as you have said, but not everyone has the years to be patient that you must have. An immortal can wait for his enemies to age and weaken. We mortals need to act while we are still young enough to do so."

Eyes narrowing slightly as he contemplated the younger man, Caldrefan wondered if Karlaan was going to be so reckless as to call him an immortal. His hair dyed brown hid the silver coloring beneath. When his hair grew out enough to expose the roots, most would simply think that he was starting to show his age. He had gone to great lengths to prevent anyone from suspecting the truth of the brotherhood's leader. Changing his name and moving from city to city working with new brothers was the only way to prevent being recognized by those who had served with him for much of their lives.

"Enlighten me as to your thoughts then. If I have let you down, then certainly you have the right to act as you see fit; but I hope that I can at least counsel you in moving correctly."

Karlaan didn't seem surprised that the elder had given in so easily. Perhaps he knew Caldrefan well enough to expect it. They had known each other for over twenty years after all and the boy looked on him almost like a father. Boys watched their fathers learning what to do and what not to do. Maybe it was time for the young man to have some say in his future.

"You've had the men preaching that Orlaan and the royal family are abusing their power. They say that they don't care and that Sordrian doesn't approve of them, even as he has sent the brothers to care for those ignored.

"An old man dying in the night is hardly the gods bringing judgment. Maybe it is time to see tragedy finally come to them or at least the things that matter to them?"

"Like what," Caldrefan questioned as he wondered where the boy's mind had led him. He had done his best to train Karlaan to be intelligent as a leader. The mentor had hoped to keep him pliable to his will, but perhaps it was time to loosen the reins and let him flex his muscles.

Glancing over his shoulder, the one who wished to become king checked whether they were being watched or listened to, just as Caldrefan had moments ago. It made the older man want to smile. The instincts were a little behind his, but appeared to be there none the less.

Karlaan didn't answer, but led the way deeper into the hall. Capable of watching the approach from either direction for dozens of feet, the young man confided, "Have you decided to eliminate Orlaan or his heirs?"

It was a blatant question and made his mentor feel disappointment. A ridiculous call for their heads was just the foolhardy impetuousness he had been guarding against. Still, the question demanded an answer, "It is likely that some will need to be dealt with. Two of the more distant in the line are on a ship to Southwall and will be beyond our reach for awhile, unless you are thinking to send assassins by ship to catch them unawares?"

Waving off the comment, Karlaan tried a different question. "If I were to... pull at the threads a bit to harry them, would it disrupt whatever you have in mind?"

The query made his mentor blink in surprise. This wasn't the track he had expected from the younger man. He had hoped that his training had given the boy wisdom, but this was more subtle than he could have foreseen.

"I don't think so," was his best answer at the vague disclosure. "Of course, if you wish to discuss your plans or at least are willing to warn me when you wish to try something, perhaps that would still be best. We wouldn't want to counter each other in this."

"I have a few ideas," Karlaan said with a sly smile.

The prow of the Sea Dragon lifted and fell with such regularity that Annalicia felt like she could have counted each rise on time. While the wizard noted the rise and fall, her balance had already adjusted to life on a ship. Not everyone did so well and three days out, they had passed the furthest island north of Malaiy long enough ago that no other piece of land tempered the shift of the sea. That meant the waves had become taller and her vision could pan all around to see only the dark blue green of the Glacian Ocean.

A cool breeze came from the west. They were still far enough south that most of the crew looked like they were dressed for summer, but the breeze foretold of what was to come as they continued north. It was winter north of the equator, and while Malaiy might barely feel the change of seasons, North Continent was hardly as gentle.

Annalicia's bare feet gave her a sure footing on a deck that could tilt several degrees with each wave, even as the ship cut through the upper portion of each. She also wore a skirt that only touched the tops of her knees, which tended to bring frowns to the wizards supposedly escorting the young women. The sailors, who were all male, were less judgmental and smiled at the pretty ladies often behind hands to avoid the dark looks from their protectors.

"I can't believe that you are still warm," Xerese complained as she held the rail only a few feet away. A dress that touched her ankles and had long sleeves covered her dark haired cousin except for her hands and head. She sported boots, but Anna had noted her slip thanks to their heels more than once.

"I would say that it has something to do with being an air wizard, but Jezra is almost as bundled up as you are already," the girl with the silver blonde hair laughed glancing towards a man with a shaved head wearing a cap. His dark goatee might keep his chin warm; but his decision to shave his head apparently left him cold. He also wore a shirt with long sleeves, while Annalicia's short sleeve blouse was both lightweight and too short to do more than touch the top of her skirt. The breeze often slipped under the light material tickling her skin.

"Maybe we're just less willing to risk catching our death by cold," Xerese replied with a tight lipped smile. Her cheeks were slightly red from the breeze, yet the dark haired girl also managed to look a little pale.

Xerese's stomach had begun to be more upset after passing Alken more than a day before. She had sailed often up and down the western coast with her mother, the Duchess Pherena. Her mother's assigned city was days away by ship, but she also had a manor that was larger than the one owned by Annalicia's parents in Yalan. Because of the second home in the capitol, the two girls had seen each other often. The duchess preferred Yalan to Teyas and spent more time at her manor than the castle to the south for years.

While her cousin had sailed often, moving away from land between the continents brought choppier water than she usually was exposed to on her travels.

Xerese looked at the wizard she had mentioned. He wasn't alone. The five wizards seemed to take turns watching over the two girls as if they didn't trust a crew paid by Anna's father. The Sea Dragon was one of her family's ships. Their trade business involved several ships and her father not only ran their company, but had been named Master of Coin by King Orlaan. Though she doubted that her father had made them richer than her uncle, his prowess had made Orlaan respect him enough to bestow the title on Philip instead of a blood relative.

It was a rare sign of respect, and the king's treasury had profited from putting someone with talent in the position.

Looking at Jezra, Anna noted Reynolvan and Ivanor in arm's reach. Both men were watching the two women stoically. She doubted that they approved of her outfit as well, but the girl didn't care. Their continual watching over her did annoy her; however Annalicia could do little about it. It was like she had five over protective older brothers and Alex had never been so bad.

"Hasn't your stomach settled yet?" Annalicia asked pulling her eyes from the other wizards. "I brought along tablets that help with seasickness."

Xerese laughed and asked with a smile on her lips, "You worried that you would be seasick?"

Shrugging in response, the light haired girl returned, "I haven't sailed out this far either. I couldn't know how I would feel, so I brought them along just in case. You still look a bit pale. Did you sleep at all?"

Her cousin had been sick enough to not be able to eat much. They shared the large guest room that had been appropriated from Captain Delfren. The man had moved his belongings to a shared room with one of his officers, but he could hardly make the daughter of his boss use anything but the best room.

She had known that Xerese hadn't felt well, but the sea air and rocking of the ship had served to put her to sleep very well. If Xerese hadn't slept, she would never have known.

"I slept, but woke up a few times." The dark haired girl frowned slightly at the thought. "Maybe I should try one of those pills?"

"It is a long way to the next piece of land," Anna nodded. "Sileoth takes about two weeks from what the captain tells me."

Xerese frowned. "If it takes two weeks to get there, isn't it about the same to Hala? Why did we leave two weeks early?"

"We can't show up at the last second and hope to be ready for the tournament," she replied in surprise that Xerese was thinking so shortsightedly. "We've given the extra time to accommodate light winds and stopovers at some of the cities. Father made sure to send along some trade for the route. He wanted to make sure that the trip paid for itself," Anna finished with a little laugh.

"I guess that is why he is the Master of Coin," her cousin agreed with a smile.

Nodding at Xerese, she looked out from the port side of the ship and noticed creatures swimming parallel to the Sea Dragon. Blue gray skin that could blend into the color of the ocean was made more noticeable by the froth of water trailing from their streamlined bodies as they cut through the ocean. Double fins on their backs rose above the water and on occasion they would lift nearly fully out of the sea revealing side fins and a thick tail which was the source of most of their speed.

"Are those dolferim?" Annalicia asked aloud making her cousin turn to look at about a dozen of the creatures following a leader. They might be swimming in a pod, but the wizard was pretty sure that they were keeping an eye on the ship as well. Painted blue, she wondered if they thought the Sea Dragon was another sea creature?

"Dolferim or dolferuin, I don't really know the difference. I don't suppose we could get lucky and see merfolk," Xerese said wistfully of the legendary people said to swim in the sea. No one had conclusive proof that such people existed; but if magic was involved, the wizard supposed that the myth could be based on truth. Since no one had ever proved that they existed, Anna doubted that they would be the ones to get lucky and see them on this trip.

"That would be amazing, but I wouldn't hold my breath," Annalicia laughed at the idea.

Xerese sighed and the two girls watched the playful sea creatures for nearly an hour before they tired of their play and suddenly peeled off for the west to disappear from sight.