The High Lord

determined to help Takan in any way he could.

He had offered to provide any sort of entertainment Takan might crave - from whores to books - but the man had politely declined. Cery asked the guards to chat with his guest now and then, and he tried to visit every day, as Faren had once done for Sonea. Takan was not a talkative man, however. He avoided discussing his life before becoming Akkarin's servant, and spoke little of the years after. Cery eventually drew out some humorous stories that servants liked to tell about the magicians. It seemed even Takan didn't mind indulging in a little gossip.

Akkarin had only communicated with Takan a few times in the last eight days. When he did, Takan always reassured Cery that Sonea was alive and unharmed. Cery was both amused by and grateful for these updates on Sonea's welfare. Obviously the servant had learned from Akkarin about Cery's former interest in Sonea.

That's in the past, Cery thought wryly. Now I have Savara to mope about. Had Savara to mope about, he corrected. He was determined there would be no pining, this time. We are both sensible adults, he told himself, with responsibilities that can't be neglected.

They reached the beginning of the maze of passages around his own rooms. Bricks whispered against bricks as Gol opened the first hidden door. Cery nodded at the guards as he strolled through.

She said she might come back, Cery reminded himself. To 'visit.' He smiled. That sort of arrangement has its advantages. No expectations. No compromises...

And he had bigger concerns. Imardin faced a probable invasion by foreign magicians. Cery had to consider what he would do about them - if he could do anything about them. After all, if the Guild was too weak to face these Ichani, what hope did non-magicians have?

Not a lot, he thought. But that's better than nothing. There must be ways ordinary people can kill a magician.

He thought back to a conversation he'd had with Sonea over a year and a half ago. They had jokingly discussed how to get rid of a novice who was bothering her. He was still thinking about it when one of his messenger boys informed him that a visitor was waiting to meet him.

Entering his office, Cery sat down, checked his yerim were still in his drawer, then sent Gol out to meet the visitor. When the door opened again, Cery looked up and felt his heart skip. He rose from the chair.

'Savara!'

She smiled and sauntered to his desk. 'I have surprised you this time, Ceryni.'

He dropped down into his seat again. 'I thought you left.'

She shrugged. 'I did. But halfway to the border my people spoke to me. They decided, at my urging, that someone should stay and witness the invasion.'

'You don't need my help for that.'

'No.' She sat on the edge of the desk and tilted her head to one side. 'But I did say I would visit if I came back. It could be some time before the Ichani come, and I might get bored while I am waiting.'

He smiled. 'We can't have that.'

'I did hope you would think so.'

'What are you offering me in return, then?'

Her eyebrows rose. 'There is a price for visiting you, now?'

'Maybe. I just want a little advice.'

'Oh? What advice?'

'How can ordinary people kill magicians?'

She gave a short laugh. 'They can't. At least, not if a magician is competent and vigilant.'

'How can we tell if he isn't?'

Her eyebrows rose. 'You are not joking - but of course you are not.'

He shook his head.

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. 'So long as I don't reveal my people's hand in this, I see no reason why I shouldn't help you.' She smiled crookedly. 'And I am sure you will find a way, even if I don't. You might get killed trying, though.'

'I'd rather avoid that,' Cery told her.

She grinned. 'I'd rather you did, too. Well, then, if you keep me informed of what's going on in the city, I'll give you advice on killing magicians. Does that sound reasonable?'

'It does.'

She crossed her arms and looked thoughtful. 'I cannot tell you a sure way to kill an Ichani, however. Only that they are no different from ordinary people in that they make mistakes. You can trick them, if you know how. All it takes is courage, bluff, and some considerable risks.'

Cery smiled. 'Sounds like the sort of work I'm used to.'

'I hear water.'

Akkarin turned to regard Sonea, but his face was in shadow and she couldn't see his expression.

'Go on, then,' he replied.

She listened carefully, then moved toward the sound. After so many days in the mountains, she could now recognize the faintest noise of water trickling over rock. Drawn to the shadows of a recess in the rock wall they had been following, she stared intently into the darkness and felt her way forward.

She saw the tiny stream of water at the same time as she saw the break in the wall. A narrow gap led to an open space. Rock scraped across her back as she squeezed through. When she'd made her way out to the other side of the gap, she gave a low exclamation of surprise.

'Akkarin,' she called.

She stood at the edge of a tiny valley. The sides sloped gently up to steeper rocky walls. Stunted trees, bushes and grass grew along a narrow stream that gurgled cheerfully down to disappear into a crack several strides away.

Hearing a grunt, she turned to see that Akkarin was having some difficulty forcing himself through the gap in the rock wall. He freed himself, then straightened and gazed at the valley appreciatively.

'Looks like a good place to spend the night - or the day,' she said.

Akkarin frowned. They had continued walking toward the South Pass long into the morning for the last three days, conscious of the Ichani travelling behind them. Sonea worried constantly that Parika would catch up, but she doubted that he would travel at such a punishing pace unless he had good reason to.

'It may be a dead end,' Akkarin observed. He did not move back to the gap, however. Instead he started toward the trees.

A loud squawk rang out, echoing in the valley. Sonea jumped as a large white bird arced out of a nearby tree. The bird suddenly twisted in the air. Sonea heard a faint snap, then watched it plummet to the ground.

Akkarin chuckled. 'I guess we will be staying.'

He strode forward and picked up the creature. As Sonea saw the huge eyes of the bird, she gasped in surprise.

'A mullook!'

'Yes.' Akkarin smiled crookedly. 'Ironic. What would the King say if he knew we were eating his House incal?'

He continued up the stream. After several hundred paces, they reached the end of the valley. Water trickled over a looming cliff overhang to form the stream.

'We'll sleep under that,' Akkarin said, pointing to the overhang. He sat down by the stream and began pulling the feathers from the bird.

Sonea looked down at the springy grass under her feet, then up at the hard stone under the overhang. Dropping into a crouch, she began tearing up handfuls of grass. As she carried armloads to their sleeping place, the smell of roasting meat drifted to her nose and set her stomach rumbling.

Leaving the mullook cooking in a floating globe of heat, Akkarin moved to one of the trees. He stared up at the branches, and they began to shake. Sonea heard a dull patter, then saw Akkarin crouch and examine the ground. She moved to his side.

'These nuts are hard to open, but quite tasty,' he told her, holding one out. 'Keep gathering them. I think I saw some stingberries farther down.'