"Serafina thinks he may try to kill her," Electra said, her eyes clearly reflecting her worry.
"It's possible. This Bataar is difficult to decipher. The fact that he didn't kill my guards may mean he is still amenable to treating Helsop as a possible ally." Dagon turned his attention to Serafina. "Perhaps you should stay with us until we can get word to Prince Blackwell about this threat."
"No need to concern Prince Blackwell over this," Serafina said. "I would rather Bataar continue to fear my powers. It will not be enough to forestall his army, but it may be enough to focus his attention on me, and that works to our advantage."
"I'm sure your powers would worry anyone," Dagon conceded. "Still, it might be prudent to delay your leaving until we know more."
Serafina smiled and looked around the command post. "I would not say no to some breakfast before I take my leave. I find I have an appetite of late."
Dagon looked at Serafina for a second, then his eyes drifted down to the bulge at her waist.
"No... you're not..." Dagon's jaw fell in surprise.
"Yes," Serafina said, with a chuckle.
"My congratulations to you and to that old rascal Blackwell." Dagon rocked back in his chair, laughing.
After breakfast Serafina made preparations to conjure a shield for her trip back to Henge. She dew a large circle in the dirt around herself, the two soldiers who accompanied her and their three horses. She walked around the circle with a candle, chanting and thrusting the candle out in various directions.
The people of Helsop stayed in their houses while Serafina worked, keeping their children close. Electra watched Serafina, fretting over the various tactics Bataar might employ. Dagon did his best to reassure her of Serafina's ability to protect herself.
Serafina finished her chanting and stood at the center of the circle. "I must keep within the moving circle now or the spell will be broken."
She waved goodbye and promised to return for a future visit. Electra waved and promised the same. She continued to stand and wave until the little group within the invisible bubble was out of sight.
"I did not realize you were still so attached to Serafina," Dagon said,
"She understands me." Electra continued to watch the trail that Serafina had taken. "Sometimes I think she is the only one who does."
Electra felt Dagon tense beside her and realized her remark had been thoughtless. She tried to find something to say that would lessen the sting of her remark.
"I mean she understands that part of me that is like her. She did raise me to be a sorceress, after all, even though I was hopeless at it," Electra chattered.
"Do you wish you still lived with her?"
"No..., but—I still value her advice." Electra took Dagon's hand. "There is something I need to tell you, Dagon. It is important to me and Serafina is the one who made me realize it." She looked up at him. "Perhaps we could take a walk together."
"If it is important to you, it is important to me. A walk seems a good idea."
They headed toward the forest as a light rain began to fall.
"Serafina asked me if I would like to study medicine at a real school." She stopped and sought out his eyes. "I have always wanted to be a healer."
"You are even now a healer, you are Helsop's only healer," Dagon said.
"There are places I could go to study the science of medicine. It would mean extending our engagement." She watched as lines of worry crossed his face. "It might also mean I would have to leave Helsop for a period of time."
Dagon let go of Electra's hand to run his fingers through his hair. He could not conceal his frown as they walked into the forest.
Chapter 37
Port of Taz
The nomadic kingdom of Barburee traveled for seven days, passing south through cities and kingdoms that had surrendered to the Great Khan without a fight. At each city new leaders from the Great Khan's army were put in place to rule and collect tribute for the Great Khan. The army was camped now outside the seaport city of Taz. The citizens of Taz, with access to the sea, had refused to capitulate. They had ships to bring in supplies. They felt they could withstand a siege, even if surrounded on land by the army of the Great Khan. They were hunkered down behind the high stone wall that surrounded their gleaming white city in a semi circle that touched the sea on both ends.
The five men of Fernland sat on a hill beside a stream that ran down the hill to Taz. The men could see the wall, the further half of the city and the unending sea beyond. But their eyes were not on that unfortunate city. All eyes were fixed on Take's hands.
Muller watched carefully, if impatiently, while Take shifted a silver coin from one hand to the other, into a pocket and out again, up in the air, then caught, back and forth again, too quickly to track.
"The idea is to make it difficult to follow, but not impossible. I must have at least one man who guesses correctly." Take's closed fists finally came to rest in front of his chest. "Now then, where is the coin?"
"Right hand," Bear guessed.
"Left hand?" Smiles asked, unsure.
"No, right hand," Hilgard said.
"Pocket." Muller believed he had seen a slight ridge of silver as an empty hand went into a pocket.
Take beamed at Muller.
"And Muller takes the prize," he announced. "You are the new magician in charge of charming arrows."
"Not likely." Muller could not hide his pride at guessing correctly.
"Now, I hope one of the Barburee men will do as well, and that man will be my replacement." Take took the coin from his pocket and flipped it in the air.
"What if he doesn't believe he has any magic abilities?" Bear asked.
"We will convince him that only a magician could have won the contest." Take wore a confident grin.
"Let's get on with the show then," Muller said. "Hilgard has heard rumors that the generals are meeting this evening to discuss their plans for the siege and I need Hilgard with me. I will try to get us close enough to overhear.
The Fernland men found the archers gathered at the rear of the army encampment. Hilgard gathered a dozen or so together and tried to explain that they needed an apprentice to learn the method of charming the arrows. He pointed out that Take would have to leave sometime, and one of them would need to take his place as 'arrow charmer." He said they would need someone with a hidden talent for magic and there was only one way to find such a person. He explained how the test would work.
Many of the men were confused by Hilgard's speech, which no doubt contained many mistakes, but they seemed to understand the final instruction, given in their Barburee tongue. "Find the coin." They stood in a half circle as Take approached. He showed them the coin, walking from man to man so they all knew what to watch for. Take began slowly, opening his hand from time to time to show them that the coin was still there. Then his movements began to speed up. They all watched Take's flying hands intently. At the end, four of the twelve archers guessed correctly.
"Too many." Take spoke to Hilgard. "Tell them this is the final test."
Hilgard stumbled through another explanation, but by now the competitive Barburee archers were all on board and eager to begin. They jeered and poked at one another. A few of those who had not made the cut seemed to be placing bets.
Take began again. This time his hands were a blur. The four finalists leaned forward, scarcely breathing, so intent they were on winning.
Three archers pointed to Take's pocket and one pointed slowly to Take's left hand.
"We have a winner," Take shouted, slowly uncurling his left hand to reveal the silver coin. He flipped the coin to the archer who had guessed correctly and the man caught it happily. His fellow archers batted him about playfully, making feints at his coin.
Take began to tell the man, whose name was Yeke, what would be required of him, while Hilgard translated.
As Yeke began to memorize words that had no meaning for him, M
uller pulled Take aside.
"You've got him started now. You can get along without Hilgard, can't you?"
"I suppose." Take shrugged. "I don't see what use information about the siege of Taz would be to King Geoffrey though."
"That's the thing about information, isn't it?" Muller placed his hand on Take's shoulder. "You never know what might be important. So you find out as much as you can."
Muller gestured for Hilgard to follow him and they made their long way back through the encamped army to the forward tents that housed the Great Khan and his generals.
Muller put up his hand to stop Hilgard when he saw several generals walking together. The light was failing as evening settled in and it was easy to follow them inconspicuously. They made for a large round tent at the army's leading edge. Muller turned to the right and ended at an area behind the meeting tent next to a group of women gathering up their laundered garments from the edge of the stream.
The women seemed to pay them no mind. Muller knelt down by the stream and splashed water onto his face, chatting with Hilgard about their day's events. When the women had gone, the two men drifted nearer the tent and stood quietly, listening.
Hilgard stood with his ear almost touching the tent. "I can't make out much. I think they're talking about the stream. No, wait, they're talking about the people of Taz--how long they can last without water."
"Without water?" Muller repeated.
"I think so. Wait. Now they're back to discussing the stream." He listened quietly for a few minutes. "They are going to try to divert the stream away from Taz!"
So intent were the two men in hearing the plans for the siege of Taz, they were unaware of the forms moving toward them in the dark until the guards were upon them.
Three soldiers with swords drawn motioned for Muller and Hilgard to follow them.
Chapter 38
Between Helsop and Henge
Serafina and her two guards, Toff and Smithe, traveled inside the circumference of their protective bubble. A sound like the buzzing of a million bees surrounded them. Though all was calm within their cocoon, a swirling wind of immense power encircled them. A gentle rain soon turned into a downpour that ran down the invisible sides of the bubble. Every few hours Serafina dismounted to strengthen their shield with invocations to the north, south, east and west. As the shield strengthened, the sound of the circling wind rose to a roaring, cascading sound, not unlike a huge waterfall.
"I believe an attack is likely," Serafina shouted over the din. "We will be protected from without, but must take care not break the shield from within."
Smithe and Toff acknowledged her order with a salute, but still swept the trail ahead and behind with their eyes. When they stopped for a meal they hobbled their horses to keep them from breaking the shield. They were riding beside a field strewn with boulders and piles of debris left by a retreating glacier when the horses began to balk and toss their heads. Something was making the horses nervous. The soldiers blamed the incessant drone of the swirling winds. Serafina looked where the horses looked. Up ahead a wall of boulders lined their trail. Boulders large enough to conceal several men and horses.
Serafina signaled a halt. She dismounted and fed each of the skittish horses a carrot, brushing their manes to sooth them. Smithe and Toff saw her attention focused on the rocks ahead. Smithe reached for his bow, but Serafina stayed his hand with her own.
"We may have company soon. We will be safe inside the shield." She looked at both men to be sure they understood.
The men seemed hard pressed to trust her on this point, but they made no further attempt to arm themselves. They all watched the wall of rocks.
With loud, high pitched battle cries, the Barburee men galloped out from behind the rocks. They shot their first arrows as soon as they were clear of the rocks. Bataar led the way, riding at full speed. Smithe and Toff drew their swords, but kept to the center of the shield, each with one hand on his horse's bridle.
The first arrows to reach the shield were whisked away by the churning vortex. A rain of arrows followed and were thrown off in a counterclockwise direction, as the Barburee men closed in. The expressions of the Barburee men were fearsome, the blood lust clearly written in their eyes, the hunger to kill a palpable thing.
"Hold. Hold," Serafina called out to her two guards, her arm raised in an effort to arrest their instinct to fight back.
Bataar's horse hit the vortex first and was flipped off his hooves, flinging Bataar from his saddle. The six men behind him veered off quickly before they, too, were caught in the full force of the rushing wind. Bataar was soon up and running toward his dazed horse. He shouted to his men in the Barburee tongue. Long Life Destroyer paused only a second before charging the vortex. Both horse and rider were flung aside like rag dolls, the horse coming down on his Long Life's leg, breaking it at the knee.
Bataar called a halt. He wiped the rain and mud from his face and stared at Serafina, dry and relaxed within her shield. The five who could still ride circled the vortex, testing for a break in the shield. Bataar ground his teeth in frustration and rage.
He unsheathed his long, curved knife and dismounted. He walked around the perimeter of the vortex, testing its strength with the blade of his knife, holding it fast against the pull of the wind. Then he began to run alongside the swirling wind, faster and faster, his feet splashing water as high as his waist, trying to match its speed. When he could run no faster, he jumped into the invisible shield, jamming his knife into the unseen barrier.
The knife caught in some transparent substance within the shield. Bataar was pulled from his feet, still grasping the handle of the knife. He flew with the wind, still holding fast to the knife, screaming with fury. Just as it seemed his arm would be torn from his body, he let go and was flung far out to land in a heap beside the boulders.
The knife continued to swirl around the three encapsulated within the shield, its point imbedded in the invisible bubble.
The Barburee men rode to the aid of their leader, who waved them away angrily. Long Life Destroyer had crawled back to his horse, and one of the men helped him into his saddle. Bataar stood up and limped back to the vortex. He called out an order and his men rode into a nearby grove of trees. They came back shortly with armfuls of pine cones.
Bataar took an arrow and shoved the tip into a pine cone. He shielded the cone with his body and set it afire with a flint. Then he shot the blazing cone into the vortex. The flaming cone was flung out, still burning, to land far down the road. Bataar was still not ready to give up. He tested his new weapon as he had his knife, running alongside the rushing wind, then jamming the blazing cone into the vortex. The arrow with its skewered pine cone was caught up as the knife had been, but the flame was snuffed out before it could have an effect.
Bataar stood, soaked and tattered, catching his breath. He pointed his finger at Serafina. He then drew the same finger across his throat. His meaning seemed clear. Serafina stood calmly within her shield and smiled at Bataar.
Bataar gave one last threatening glance, then turned and signaled to his men. They rode off behind the wall of boulders and into the trees beyond.
Serafina walked the circumference of the shield, chanting, then turned to her guards.
"They will not return today. Let us continue on." She mounted her horse and the guards did the same. If they kept to their schedule, they would reach Henge before dark.
As dusk drained the landscape of color, Henge City came into view. A soldier high on a castle parapet signaled their arrival with a loud bugle call. Serafina saw Prince Blackwell appear at a tower window. He waved at her. Serafina dismounted and walked around the circle of her shield, reversing the spell that had conjured up the vortex. The swirling wind died and the revolving knife and pine cone fell to the ground. She dismissed Smithe and Toff and watched as they raced to the barracks, eager to share the story of their adventure with their comrades.
They passed Prince Blackwell, who was riding out to meet his wife, and stopped just long enough to salute.
"Did I see some sort of tornado surrounding you?" Prince Blackwell asked as he reached Serafina and dismounted.
"I conjured a vortex to shield us. A group of Barburee ambassadors were bent on our destruction."
Prince Blackwell caught his breath. "They attacked you?"
"With a vengeance. They seem especially testy about practitioners of sorcery. I believe they may have designs on Henge as well."
"They have sealed their deaths. I will send a regiment out to capture them."
"The Barburee army is vast. Certainly you could kill these men, but one is the son of the Great Khan. Killing him might bring only a transient satisfaction. He fears me because I am a sorceress. I believe building on that fear may be a better course to follow."
"For what they attempted, they must die." Prince Blackwell seemed unwilling to waver on that point.
"No need to go after them. They will come here to try again. And I plan to be ready for them." Serafina touched Prince Blackwell's cheek and smiled.
"We will speak of it later." Prince Blackwell pulled Serafina close and held her in his embrace. "For now, we must celebrate your homecoming."
Chapter 39
Port of Taz
Muller and Hilgard sat beside the stream bed that now carried only a trickle of water. From their hillside perch they could see Taz spread out like little white blocks at the edge of a blue sea. Ships large and small arrived and departed at regular intervals. The port city went about its business as usual behind its high, thick wall. Soldiers who looked like toys from a distance, were busy fortifying the wall. They were setting up huge vats this morning, which would likely be filled with hot oil when needed. Some sort of scaffolding on the inside of the wall allowed archers to stand and shoot with only their upper bodies exposed to return arrows. Fires burned at regular intervals along the top of the great wall.