Book 3: Chapter Four

“This feels too tight,” Corec said, looking at himself in a mirror. He was wearing a gray shopkeeper-style suit, but he’d insisted on pants rather than breeches, and a coat without tails. He couldn’t bring himself to dress in anything fancier than that. His father might have been a baron, but Tarwen was a small barony, tucked away deep in the Black Crow Mountains. There hadn’t been many formal occasions, and Corec had left home before he’d been old enough to dress up for them.

“It looks good,” Katrin said, tugging on his coat to straighten it.

“I suppose I can’t bring my sword.”

“I think it would be out of place,” she said with a grin.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

“Not if they didn’t say anything about bringing guests. I don’t want to show up and not be expected. Besides, I don’t have a gown.”

“What about your green dress?”

She laughed. “I can’t wear that! It’s fine for playing in the common room, but not for something like this. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to teach Shavala and Treya how to play cards tonight.”

Corec added his sheathed long knife to his belt, not wanting to be completely unarmed. “That sounds more fun than this. Have a good time.”

“You, too.” She kissed him, then waved him out the door.

In the stableyard, he found Ellerie already waiting near a carriage. She was wearing a sleek red dress with flowing sleeves, and hadn’t brought her own sword, either.

“Where’s Sarette?” she asked.

“Ambassador Tomek didn’t invite her, only her uncle. I asked Katrin, but she insists she doesn’t have anything to wear.”

“Oh, I should have taken her with me this afternoon—I didn’t think about that. I tried to convince Boktar he should come with us tonight, but he just laughed at me.” She looked at the carriage, then down at her dress, and frowned.

“Do you need help getting in?” he asked.

“I can’t move in this bloody thing,” she said. “They don’t have Terevassian robes here, but this is elven silk. It was the best I could come up with on short notice—and much too expensive.”

Corec lifted her into the carriage and climbed in behind her, then signaled to the driver.

As they got underway, he said, “Are we going to talk about what happened earlier?”

Ellerie had snuck out of the council chamber while Vartus and the Councilors were crowding around to get a better look at the sword. Before Corec had made it back to the inn, she was already gone, either avoiding him or just shopping for the dress she was now wearing.

She looked out the small window in the carriage door. “Have you already told everyone?” she asked quietly.

“Not yet, but Sarette heard it, too. You won’t be able to keep it a secret.”

“I know.” She turned back but didn’t meet his eyes.

“I didn’t quite follow what they were saying. You’re related to the Terevassian royal family?”

“I’m…” She hesitated, but then her voice grew more firm. “I am Princess Ellerie di’Valla, eldest daughter of Her Exalted Majesty, Queen Revana. Until I left, I was heir to the throne.”

A princess? Ellerie was well-educated, and Corec had always suspected she’d come from a wealthy family, but being a princess just didn’t match the image of her he had in his mind. He’d always assumed her family was more like his own—lesser nobles, or perhaps rich merchants.

“I don’t know what to say. Why did you leave?” He didn’t use the titles she’d gone by in the council chamber. She’d never asked for any titles before, and it seemed wrong to start using them now.

“A lot of reasons, and I really don’t want to talk about them,” she said.

Corec was silent for a moment. “I was kicked out of the Knights of Pallisur for using magic. I don’t think I ever told you that. My family follows Pallisur, and you know what the Church says about mages. So, I left Larso. I’ve only been back a couple of times since.”

She finally looked at him, a confused expression on her face. “I knew some of that already, but why are you telling me?”

“I spent six years not telling anyone who I was. It got to be a habit, until I finally realized there really wasn’t a reason for it.” Then he laughed, hearing how self-righteous he sounded. “I’m sure it’s different for you, of course.”

“Yes, well, I left because I didn’t want that life, and now everyone’s going to treat me differently. Like tonight, I’ll be stuck talking to a bunch of people I don’t know, pretending I’m still that person. How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Talk to people. You always seem comfortable no matter who you’re with.”

“Do I? I never really thought about it.”

“That’s what’s so frustrating! It’s so easy for you to talk to people, and you don’t even realize it. How do you think our first meeting with Yelena would have gone if I was the warden?”

Corec chuckled. “You seemed a little annoyed with her.”

“Because she was annoying! But you got along with her just fine. All right, another example—we’ve all been traveling together for months now, and Katrin still barely speaks to me.”

“I think that has something to do with you threatening to kill me back when we first met.”

She looked abashed. “Oh. I forgot about that. Why doesn’t it bother you?”

“You’re not the first person who’s threatened to kill me, and since you never actually tried to do it, I figured it wasn’t a big deal.”

“I guess I should apologize to her.”

“No, don’t bring it up at this point. Just talk to her, and she’ll talk to you. She’s not avoiding you; she’s just not going out of her way to be friends, so you’ll have to do that part.”

“Or she’ll avoid me more, once she knows who I am.”

“Then don’t be that person. Just be who you’ve been since we met, and that’s how people will treat you.”

“You make it sound easy.”

Ellerie usually responded well to Boktar’s sense of humor, so Corec risked a joke. “That’s because I’m not the one who has to do it.”

“Very funny,” she said, but she laughed anyway.

With the tension broken, Corec said, “I’ve got a question. If you were trying to hide who you are, why did you use your own name?”

“Ellerie isn’t an uncommon name in Terevas, and my sister and I aren’t well known outside of the city. Until Shavala figured out who I was, it had been a couple of years since anyone had recognized me. You should ask Boktar about it—he loves that story.”

“Shavala knows? She didn’t say anything.”

“I asked her not to. She didn’t seem to think it was that important. But as long as we’re asking personal questions, I’ve got one for you.”

“All right.”

“Why have you only cast the warden binding spell on women? Six binding spells, and not a single man.”

Corec grimaced. He’d managed to put that out of his mind. “I didn’t have any control over it until recently.”

“You must have, or you’d have cast the spell on those wizards you spoke to. Three men, right? And how many other mages have you passed on the street?”

Corec exhaled slowly. “To be honest, I’m worried about it too, but I don’t know how to get any answers. At least I can control it now.”

“Why not cast the spell on that other stormrunner they asked about, just to see if you can actually bond a man?”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Because I’ve already bonded six people in just a few months, which is as many as Yelena’s bonded in over two hundred years. She and the First both warned me that I had to be more careful about that. Razai’s already gone and you’re not planning to stick around. Shavala may visit us from time to time, but she wants to return home. Sarette will probably do the same. Katrin and Treya are the only ones planning on staying, and I wouldn’t lay odds on Treya. I may not know much about wardens yet, but Yelena seems to send her bondmates out as her agents when she needs something done…and I’m not going to have any left.”

“I didn’t realize you were actually worried about that,” Ellerie said, raising an eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say worried, because I’ve got other options, but I think I want to do something more important with my life than bodyguard work or protecting caravans. I liked helping those villagers against the ogres, and protecting the folks from Jol’s Brook when the snow beasts attacked. But with each person that leaves, I’m more likely to find myself back on the road with the caravans. According to Yelena, I can only cast the binding spell two more times.”

Ellerie stared at him for a moment. “I suppose if you ever need a wizard and I’m nearby, I could help out.”

“You’d do that? I thought after we found Tir Yadar, we’d never see you again.”

“Well, it depends on where you’re at. South Corner isn’t that far from Matagor. Four Roads would be harder, since the dragon’s in the way.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but I probably won’t make any decisions until we’re back from Cordaea. Four Roads and South Corner are both too close to Larso if Prince Rusol is still trying to hunt me down. I hope Yelena will have some ideas on what to do about him.”

#

Ellerie’s jaw hurt from all the fake smiling. The reception wasn’t as bad as she’d feared, but it was difficult to be friendly all the time, and she was out of practice.

“You’re from the Black Crows?” Vartus was asking Corec. “Mountains are nothing new for you, then.”

Corec laughed. “There’s a big difference between the Black Crows and the Storm Heights. Not just the mountains but the weather. I’ve never seen a snowstorm as heavy as the one we ran into here. If Sarette and Gregor hadn’t been with us, everyone would have died.”

“Which I pointed out to Les, but he’s a stickler for the rules.” Vartus waved to Councilor Lesander, who was on the other side of the room talking to a woman Ellerie didn’t recognize.

Councilor Rurik said, “The High Guard’s much larger than the stormrunner order, and the rules are there for a reason. Let’s not spend the whole night debating something that’s already been resolved.” He turned to Corec. “You’ve got maple trees in the Black Crows, right? We make an…interesting rum out of our own syrup. I think there’s a bottle here somewhere.” He peered around the room.

“That sounds expensive,” Corec said.

“Oh, it is. It’s cheaper to import rum from down south, even after paying for shipping, but we like to have something local for special occasions. There, I see it, over by the wines.”

The three of them wandered off, leaving Ellerie alone with Ambassador Tomek.

“I hope you’re having a pleasant evening, Exalted,” he said.

“It’s been wonderful, Ambassador,” she lied. “Tell me, have you seen my mother lately? I haven’t been home in a few years.”

“Years? I hadn’t realized you’d been away for so long. I last saw Her Exalted Majesty when I was in Terevas six months ago. It’s a shame about her health—I didn’t think I’d even be permitted to meet with her this time, but before I left, she allowed a single audience to discuss import taxes.”

“Was she well, other than the illness?”

Tomek shifted uncomfortably. “Her mind seemed strong, Exalted. I couldn’t say anything beyond that.”

“That’s all I wanted to know.”

“Tell me, Exalted, does the rest of your family share Queen Revana’s favorable views on outside trade?”

“You mean, will my sister close our borders after Mother dies?”

The ambassador winced. “I don’t mean to be indelicate, but Terevas hasn’t historically been open to foreign business.”

“That was before my time. I don’t claim to know Vilisa’s mind, but my mother put the reforms in place over a hundred years ago, and I imagine ending them would cause some concern from our merchants and craftsmen.”

“Of course. It was before my time, too, but it’s my job to look to the future.”

“Naturally, Vilisa will review the terms we offer each of our trading partners, to see if any of the agreements need to be renegotiated…or if they’re even worth continuing at all. I’m sure she’ll make the best decisions for our people.”

Tomek swallowed. “Of course,” he repeated.

“Ahh, here you are, Exalted,” Head Magister Inessa said, coming up from behind Tomek. “Ambassador, if you don’t mind, this is my last chance to discuss the South Valley findings with Lady Ellerie.”

“Certainly, Councilor. I’ll leave you to it.” Tomek looked relieved to escape before Ellerie could push him into offering more favorable trade terms on his next visit to Terevas.

“What would you like to know, Councilor?” Ellerie asked after he was gone.

“Borya showed me the maps of the underground tunnel system. When I was younger, I tried to follow one of the hot spring aqueducts to its source, but it got too small for a person to pass through. I never realized people might have lived in the undercity. How did you find it?”

“It was just an accident,” she said, blushing. “I fell through the floor of a building.”

Inessa laughed. “Well, it’s not the first time. You got luckier than the others, though.”

Just then, Magister Borya entered the room carrying a thick tome in his arms. He looked around until he saw them, then hustled over.

“Nessa, Ellerie! Guess what I found? Entire paragraphs on Tir Navis! And even better, listen to this.” He opened the book and read. “From their first port of landing after crossing the sea, the people headed south and west and founded a new home in the tall mountains. That last part, of course, is written out in the narrative, but if you were to emphasize it as a name, it sounds much like Tir Navis. Home of the Tall Mountains.”

Borya wasn’t treating Ellerie any differently than before. Apparently he hadn’t heard the news—or been offended by her questions about his people.

“South and west from their port of landing?” she asked. “Lanport is almost directly northeast from the ruins.”

“Yes, yes!” he said. “Though I’m curious as to how it later became a human city. Unless, of course, the people themselves were human. If so, perhaps that was where they fled when they left the mountains.”

Inessa shook her head. “It’s never stated outright, but the sources I’ve read didn’t give the impression that the people were human.”

“But we don’t know for sure. I have my students pulling more books from the library and the Archives. I came to see if you two wanted to help. I already sent a messenger to Bobo.”

Ellerie glanced around the room. “I don’t think I can. I’m supposed to be here.”

“It’s been two hours,” Inessa said with a sly grin. “That’s enough to be polite, and the party won’t break up until you leave. Just make your apologies and tell them you’ve got to get on the road early tomorrow.”

Ellerie found herself smiling back at the woman. Maybe Corec was right. Maybe she could still be herself even among people who knew her identity.

#

Leena woke, her head pounding from the harsh liquor she’d consumed the night before. Peering around blearily, she tried to figure out where she was. It was a tent—much too large to be her own—constructed of leather hides draped over wooden and bone stakes that had been tied together to form a rectangular, hut-like structure.

The shape was familiar, and thinking about what it must look like from the outside, she suddenly remembered her first glimpse of the lizardfolk village, full of dozens of similar tents. There were gaps between the hides at regular intervals, allowing the bright light of morning to shine through, and the air inside was already starting to heat up.

Leena struggled to her feet from the bed of furs she’d been sleeping on. The only other occupant of the tent was a lizardfolk hatchling, who was watching her intently from where it was strapped into a carry basket nearby. When she stood, it squawked, and another lizardman—or lizardwoman; she couldn’t tell the difference—entered through a flap in one side.

“Magic finder wake?” it said in its high-pitched attempt at Sanvari. “Lazy like youngling!”

“I’m awake,” she muttered. “Do you have any water?” She couldn’t see her waterskin or the rest of her things.

“Will get. Will get.” The lizard slung the child’s carry basket over its shoulder before leaving the tent.

Finding the shaman’s bag of medicines had been easy enough. A young boy had stolen it and buried it in the sand outside the village, thinking that owning it would make him the shaman. He’d confessed after Leena had dug it up.

The adults were still debating whether to punish him or apprentice him to the real shaman, but they’d decided that between finding the bag and having an outsider visit, there was enough excitement to warrant a celebration. Leena had gotten the impression that not much happened out in this corner of the Wadalli Desert. Her vague memories of the previous night mostly involved drums and drinking. She wasn’t sure what the brew had been made of, but it was the strongest drink she’d ever had in her life, and the lizards consumed it in full-sized mugs.

She stepped outside the tent. Looking down to shield her eyes from the direct sunlight, she found her pack and her other belongings leaning against the hide wall to her left.

The lizardman with the hatchling on its back approached with a full mug. “Here, water!”

“Thank you,” Leena said, accepting it and taking a long gulp.

Another lizardman approached—the shaman, if Leena remembered his scale patterns correctly. “Bright morning, shaman Zidari,” he said.

“Bright morning, shaman vhithiss,” she attempted.

He made a rasping noise, which she wasn’t sure whether to interpret as a growl or a laugh. It wasn’t a sound she’d ever heard from the lizardfolk who occasionally visited Matihar.

“Food?” he asked. He held out a hunk of unidentifiable dried meat.

“Thank you,” she said, taking it. As far as she knew, the lizards didn’t eat anything humans couldn’t eat, though they cared little about how it tasted. “I’m glad I could help you, but I have to go now.”

“Go like Zidari magic shaman?”

“Yes.”

“Can watch?”

“Ahh, yes, if you want to.”

He shouted something in his own language, and dozens of other lizardfolk crowded around, staring at her. Self-consciously, she retrieved her pack and drew out her map and compass.

Doing her best to guess at her current location, she considered where to go next. She’d been heading roughly northeast, but if she continued in that direction, she’d be in the desert for at least four more days. This group of lizardfolk had been friendly, but the next might not be. If she headed straight east instead, it would make her overall route longer, but she could be out of the desert in a day or two.

She cast her mind east, Seeking a spot to Travel. Somewhere safe and with plenty of water, and as far east as her Seeking range allowed. There was a twinge, and a location came to her mind. She couldn’t tell how far away it was, but she’d be able to arrive safely, which was as much as she could hope for from her half-trained Traveling skill.

“Goodbye!” she called out to the watching lizardfolk. They shouted back to her, some in their native language and some in Sanvari.

Taking a deep breath, she Traveled.

When she reappeared, she stumbled, staring in shock. She’d landed on sand, as expected, but it wasn’t the sand of the desert. Directly ahead of her, waves crashed onto the desolate shore. The sea.

Judging by the position of the sun, she’d come due east, but it had to have been hundreds of miles farther than she’d expected. Her mind still held the location she’d found through her Seeking, but it now pointed back west. It was fading rapidly, no longer within her Seeking range.

She’d overshot her mark. She could Travel much farther than she could Seek, but she’d never been able to control the longer jumps. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up in the middle of the ocean again, and this time, with no passing fisherman to save her.

But there was nothing she could do about it other than continue on, and attempt to be more cautious.

Her destination was now more northwest than northeast, but she would need to rest before she’d have the strength to Seek it again. She tightened the straps of her pack and started walking along the shore line. There was still a long way to go.