The High Lord

'Stay with me. I want you to discuss fortification with the Guard.' The King turned to regard Lorlen. 'Administrator. Return to the Guild and arrange the selection of a black magician. The sooner he or she begins, the better prepared we will be.'

'Yes, Your Majesty.'

Lorlen rose, knelt, then strode out of the room.

'What will you do now?'

Rothen turned to regard Raven. The spy's expression was grim.

'I don't know,' Rothen confessed. 'Obviously, I don't need to enter Sachaka now.'

'But finding out if the Ichani exist was not your only reason for going. You might still search for Sonea.'

'Yes.' Rothen looked away to the northeast. 'But the Guild... Kyralia... will need every magician it has to fight these Sachakans. Sonea... Sonea might need my help but helping her won't save Kyralia.'

Raven watched Rothen silently and expectantly. Rothen felt a pain in his chest, as if his heart were being pulled in two directions.

The Ichani exist, he thought. Akkarin wasn't lying. Sonea hasn't been deceived. He felt a flood of relief, then, knowing that the decisions she had made were for good reasons, even if they weren't the right ones.

Sonea is in Sachaka. The Ichani are here. She is safe, perhaps, for now. If I help the Guild, maybe she will have a home to return to.

'I will stay,' he said aloud. 'I will return to Imardin.'

Raven nodded. 'We can trade the cart and the goods in Calia for two fresh horses - if the reinforcements didn't take them all.'

The reinforcements. Lord Yikmo and the others would not have reached the Fort yet. They would probably return to Imardin to join the rest of the Guild.

'I may as well wait in Calia and join the reinforcements on their return,' Rothen said.

The spy nodded. 'Then we will part there. It has been an honor working with you, Lord Rothen.'

Rothen managed a wan smile. 'I have enjoyed your company, and your lessons, Raven.'

The spy snorted at Rothen's comment. 'You lie well, Lord Rothen.' Then he shrugged. 'But then, I trained you. Pity those lessons won't be put into practice. But now you must do what you have been trained to do as a magician.' He glanced at Rothen. 'Defend Kyralia.'

When the tiny house appeared between the trees, Sonea assumed it was another farmer's cottage, but as they left the track Dorrien gestured proudly at the building. 'My home.'

He reined his horse in before the house. The other riders watched nervously as Akkarin and Sonea dismounted. Sonea led her mount to one of the men.

'Thanks for the loan,' she offered.

He gave her a distrustful look before taking the reins. She returned to Akkarin's side and watched as Dorrien thanked the men and sent them away.

'They're worried,' Dorrien said as he returned. 'One moment I'm escorting you out, the next there's a dead Sachakan on the road and I've changed my mind about you two.'

'What did you tell them?' Akkarin asked.

'That we were attacked and you saved us. That I've decided you deserve a night's rest and a meal in return, and I'd appreciate it if they kept that to themselves.'

'Will they?'

'They're no fools. They know something important is happening, even if they don't know the details. But they'll do as I ask.'

Akkarin nodded. 'We are in their debt. If they hadn't caught the horses and come back for us, we'd still be walking. That took courage.'

Dorrien nodded. 'Go on inside. The door is unlocked. If you're hungry, there's some fresh bread and a pot of leftover soup. I'll be with you once I've tended to my horse.'

Sonea followed Akkarin through the cottage door. They entered a room as wide as the building. A bench and shelves ran along one side. From the baskets of vegetables and fruit, and the pots and utensils scattered about, Sonea guessed this was where he prepared his meals. Several wooden chairs and a large, low table filled the rest of the room. Shelving covered the walls, and every space was filled with jars, bottles, boxes and books.

Two doors led to other rooms. One was open, allowing a glimpse of an unmade bed.

As Akkarin moved to the cooking area, Sonea sat down in one of the chairs and gazed about at everything. It's so messy, she mused. Not like Rothen's rooms at all.

She felt strangely calm. The images Makin had sent from the Fort had filled her with horror, but now, hours later, she felt only numb and bone weary. She also felt a peculiar relief.

They know, she thought. The Guild - Rothen - everyone - knows that we spoke the truth.

Not that it will do any good, now.

'Hungry?'

She looked at Akkarin. 'Silly question.'

He picked up two bowls, poured soup from a pot into them, then broke off two fistfuls of bread from a large loaf on the bench. As he carried the bowls to the table they began to steam.

'Real food,' Sonea murmured as Akkarin put a bowl in her hands. 'Not that I didn't like your cooking,' she added. 'You had somewhat limited ingredients.'

'Yes, and I don't have Takan's gifts.'

'Even Takan couldn't have done better.'

'You'd be surprised. Why do you think Dakova kept him so long?'

They ate in silence, savoring the simple meal. Dorrien entered the room just as Sonea put down her empty bowl. He glanced at it and smiled.

'Good?'

She nodded.

He collapsed into a chair.

'You should get some sleep,' Akkarin said.

'I know,' Dorrien replied, 'but I don't think I can. I have too many questions.' He shook his head. 'That magician... how did you get through the Pass if he was guarding it?'

'A little deception,' Akkarin replied. As he began to explain, Sonea watched him closely. He seemed different. Not as aloof and distant. 'I thought Parika had entered Kyralia with the intention of finding us, but once the Fort was attacked I knew it was part of the invasion.'

'He was so strong.' Dorrien looked at Sonea. 'How did you stop him?'

She felt heat rush to her cheeks. 'I stopped his heart. With Healing magic.'

Dorrien looked surprised. 'He didn't resist?'

'The Ichani don't know how to Heal, so he didn't know I could do that to him.' She shuddered. 'I didn't think I'd ever do something like that to someone.'

'I would have done the same in your place. He was trying to kill you, after all.' He looked at Akkarin. 'Was Parika the only Sachakan in the Pass?'

'Yes. That does not mean others won't come later, however.'

'Then I should warn the locals.'

Akkarin nodded. 'The Ichani will prey on non-magicians, particularly those with latent magical potential.' The Healer's eyes widened. 'So they'll hunt down farmers and villagers all the way from the Fort to Imardin.'

'If the Guild is sensible, it will evacuate all the villages and farms on the road. Kariko won't let the other Ichani waste too much time on the journey, however. He will be worried that the Guild will change their mind about me, and allow Sonea and me to return so I can strengthen myself in time to face him.'

Dorrien paused and stared at Akkarin. He seemed to struggle with himself, then he glanced at Sonea.

'What will happen if the Guild does not call you back? What can they do?'

Akkarin shook his head. 'Nothing. Even if they do call me back and allow me to use black magic, I don't have enough time to grow as strong as eight Ichani. If I were High Lord now, I would have the Guild leave Imardin. I would teach black magic to a selected few, then return and take Kyralia back.'