The High Lord

She soon craved the relief of standing still. Or just to be able to keep up with his long strides. Perhaps, if she got him talking, he would slow down for a little while.

'Where are we going?'

Akkarin hesitated, but didn't stop or turn.

'Away from the Pass.'

'And then?'

'Somewhere safe.'

'Do you have a place in mind?'

'Somewhere far from Sachaka and the Allied countries.'

Sonea halted and stared at his back. Away from Sachaka and Kyralia? He did not intend to stay close so he could help the Guild when the Ichani invaded? Surely he wasn't going to abandon Kyralia.

It made sense, though. What else could they do? They weren't strong enough to fight the Ichani. Neither was the Guild. And the Guild wasn't going to accept their help anyway. What was the point of staying?

Yet she could not believe he would give up so easily. She could not give up so easily. She would fight, even if it meant she would probably lose.

But what if that meant leaving Akkarin...?

Akkarin glanced back at her. 'Actually, I intend to find Kariko's group and do a little spying myself,' he said.

'When I find them I will send images of what I see to the Guild.'

Sonea blinked, then shook her head. He had been testing her, then. The realization brought both relief and anger. Then she considered what he was saying, and felt her blood turn cold.

'The Ichani will hear you. They'll know you're watching,' she said. 'They'll—'

He stopped and turned to regard her.

'Why did you come, Sonea?'

Sonea stared at him. His eyes glittered dangerously. She felt a stab of hurt, then a growing anger.

'You need me more than the Guild does,' she told him.

His eyes narrowed. 'Need you? I don't need a half-trained, disobedient novice to protect.'

Disobedient. So that is what he is so angry about. She straightened. 'If that ill- considered plan you just told me is what you're truly intending to follow, then obviously you do need me,' she retorted.

His gaze flickered, but his expression did not soften.

'Ill-considered or not, why should I include you in my plans when you're so disinclined to follow them?'

She held his gaze. 'I'm only disinclined to follow plans that will get you killed.'

He blinked, then stared at her intently. She made herself hold his gaze. He abruptly turned away and resumed climbing.

'Your presence has complicated things. I cannot do what I intended. I will have to reconsider what I... we will do now.'

Sonea hurried after. 'You didn't really intend to spy on the Ichani and communicate what you saw to the Guild, did you?'

'Yes and no.'

'If they hear you, they will be able to work out where you are hiding.'

'Of course,' he replied.

And if they caught him, they would not enslave him. They would kill him. Suddenly Sonea understood what he had intended to show the Guild. A chill rushed through her.

'Well, I guess showing them that will definitely convince the Guild the Ichani exist.'

He paused and straightened. 'I did not mean to imply that I intended to sacrifice myself,' he said stiffly. 'The Ichani will not hear if I communicate through Lorlen.'

Lorlen's ring. She felt her face warm. 'I see,' she replied.

I'm a fool, she thought. Well, I just managed to sound like one anyway. Perhaps it would be better if I kept my mouth shut.

But as they continued to climb, she considered his plan. There was no reason why they couldn't still try it. She looked at his back and considered whether she should broach the subject again, but decided to wait. When they stopped next, she would ask if it could still work.

Just as the growing darkness was beginning to make it difficult to see their way, they reached the base of a sheer cliff. Akkarin stopped and turned to regard the land below. He lowered himself to the ground and rested his back against the cliff. Sitting beside him, she caught the faint smell of his sweat. Suddenly she was very aware of his presence, and of the silence between them. Now was the time to ask about spying on the Ichani, yet she could not make herself speak.

What is wrong with me? she asked herself.

Love, a voice in her head whispered.

No. Don't be ridiculous, she answered. I'm not in love. And he clearly isn't. I'm a half-trained, disobedient novice. The sooner I put these silly notions out of my mind, the better.

'We have company.'

Akkarin lifted a hand and pointed. Following the direction of his finger, Sonea found herself searching the land she had travelled the night before.

A dark shape detached itself from the shadow of a boulder far below. It was hard to estimate how far away it was. She had never needed to guess such distances in the city.

The distant movements were strange, and definitely not human.

'It's an animal,' she said.

'Yes,' Akkarin replied. 'A yeel. They are a smaller, domestic breed of limek. The Ichani train them to track and hunt. See, its owner follows.'

A figure stepped into the moonlight, pursuing the limek.

'Another Ichani?'

'Probably.'

She realized her heart was pounding, but not from any foolish notions of love. One Ichani in front, one behind.

'Will he be able to track us?'

'If her yeel finds our scent.'

Her? Sonea watched the figure. There was something about the walk that did seem feminine, she decided. She looked at Akkarin. He was frowning.

'What now?'

He looked up at the cliff. 'I don't like wasting power levitating, but we will be safer higher up. We must find a crack or fold in the cliff to hide within as we go up.'

'And then?'

'We find water and food.'

'Up there?' she asked skeptically.

'It may seem desolate, but a little life can be found if you know where to look. It will grow easier the farther south we go'

'So we're going south?'

'Yes. South.'

He rose and extended a hand. She took it and let him pull her to her feet. As he turned away, his fingers slid from hers, leaving her skin tingling where he had touched her. Sonea looked down at her hand and sighed.

Getting these silly notions out of her head was not going to be easy.

Dannyl sighed with relief as the door to his room closed. He sat down in one of his guestroom chairs and reduced his globe light to a faint glow.

At last he was alone. Now that he was, however, he found he didn't feel any better. He moved around the