* * *
The sky was just deepening to dusk when Kani walked into the Inn of the Three Bows. The smell of roasting chicken and cooling bread greeted him at the doorway, and his stomach growled in response.
He paused to remove his helmet and let his eyes adjust, blinking as he looked around the room.
The inn stood at a crossroads on the major caravan routes between Yasenovo, Torsick, and Kalmar, which meant it was usually either completely empty or full to bursting.
This was one of those rare, in-between times; a handful of patrons moved about the large common room, wavering in and out of the dusty sunlight streaming from the half-shuttered windows. There was as yet no fire in the pit, nor had the lamps been lit. The people looked like colorless wraiths in the relative gloom.
Just as his eyes made the adjustment and the people seemed to swell with life and color, he heard a familiar voice off to the right. "Where have you been? You were supposed to be back by midday."
Seeker's voice could pierce metal and shatter glass when she chose. At the moment, she was merely driving wooden splinters into his ears, her voice pitched so it wouldn't carry much past where he stood.
Despite what his Triad thought, he understood English quite well, considering he had not learned to speak it until he left on his Pilgrimage. He had a better grasp of it than the other two did Turkish, anyway. And Seeker's tone carried layers of meaning that cut through any possible language barrier.
He gritted his teeth and turned in the direction of the voice. Sure enough, the Gold Mystic sat with the Gold Cavalier, Allysia, at a table in the corner, their backs to the walls, their faces turned to him in expectant disapproval. Already certain of his failure.
Kani told himself that he had not expected a warm welcome, and so was not disappointed.
He approached the table, carefully forming the words in his head before he replied, determined to sound calm and competent. Allysia's cool regard or Seeker's flat, unwelcoming stare too often reduced him to the pidgin babble of a child or an idiot.
"I have battled with a liontaur out on the plains," he explained. In case they were interested, he added, "Tufenk and I have both not hurt."
Seeker's white brows drew together over eyes as blue and cold as glacial ice and as piercing as her voice. "That's are not hurt. And you battled — what happened?"
"The beast is slain." Kani allowed himself a brief flicker of pride. It was no small thing, to overcome a liontaur single-handed. It was said that a liontaur could kill an ogre in unarmed combat. Kani believed it.
Allysia's great, heavy-lidded eyes widened. "You killed it?" Before he had the chance to interpret her look as anything even vaguely approving, her tone turned to outrage. "Kani, how could you? Don't the poor things have enough grief without being hunted like animals? Why didn't you just run away and leave it in peace?"
He opened his mouth to protest, but Seeker waved him to silence. "Typical hot-headed pup, always looking for a fight," she growled to Allysia. "What more can you expect?"
"Nothing, I suppose," Allysia replied, giving the young Ranger a look of disgust. "Robert would have known better." She sighed and leaned forward, folding her slender hands on the table. "Did you talk to the ferryman, at least?"
Kani ground his jaw to stop the angry words that rose to his lips. What was the use? The words would only come out wrong again, and anyway, nothing he did would be right in their eyes.
He pulled off his gloves and beat them against his leg so he wouldn't have to meet his Cavalier's stare. He hated having to admit failure, especially to his Cavalier, and most especially when that Cavalier happened to be a very beautiful woman. There was something demeaning about it. "I did make speech — spoke — with him. It made — did — no good. He say that he has not — that he did not — noticed no one unusual. If this one we look for traveled that way, he was not seen."
Blast it, there went his tongue again. He glanced up in time to watch Allysia and Seeker exchange a look that he was sure meant that Robert would probably have found out something useful. Or at least could have communicated it more clearly. He took a deep breath. He would be able to relax and speak better if they didn't make him so nervous. Could they not at least pretend patience?
Seeker shrugged and pushed a chair toward him. "Sit down. We've ordered supper. We'll make plans while we eat."
He sat, stiff-backed. "And when I have been gone, you are discovering anything of the one we hunt?" He was unable to keep a note of challenge out of his voice.
She snorted. "Speak English, for Heaven's sake. 'Did you bestir yourselves to learn anything useful?' If you're going to try mockery, do it right."
The Mystic was a tall woman, white-haired and gaunt, her weathered face still holding the ghost of a formidable beauty. She was older than most of those Chosen, but the mark on her forehead — the mark which changed as a person grew in power with each Triad served — was a triangle of solid yellow, telling a tale of long service.
Kani had often wondered what other Triads she had served, but had never found the courage to ask.
"A bit," she said in reply to his original question. "Might be useful, might not."
"A bit is better than nothing at all," said Allysia. She turned to Kani, her face relaxing into its more usual, deceptively gentle expression. "I have spoken to the members of the caravan that was here. They left last night, but those I spoke to report that word of the theft has spread, and many Factions have sent their Triads to search. We may well encounter one of them on our own journeys. We must take care. Not all will be inclined toward mutual cooperation."
At Kani's puzzled look, Seeker spoke. "She means we may have to fight other Triads over who gets the Gem, even if we do find it." She nodded at Allysia. "The Gem of Ohma is too great a prize not to waken greed among the Factions. We'll have to watch our backs." She clamped her mouth shut and her winter-sky eyes fastened on something over his shoulder.
Belatedly, he felt someone approaching behind him, and glanced over his shoulder to see the barkeep, bearing a tray of cups, a metal pitcher, and a platter of bread with a large hunk of unspecified cheese.
The man smiled and bowed as he set the dishes on the table. "Your supper will be ready very soon. Please ease your hunger with these humble offerings while you wait."
"The smell of your good wife's baking has been making our mouths water all day," said Allysia. "If her bread tastes half as good as it smells, we will be well content. "She smiled at him as she spoke, an expression of such sweetness that few could withstand it. Certainly not the barkeep, who flushed and beamed foolishly at her before he finally remembered his place, bobbed, and left, still grinning.
When he was out of earshot, Allysia leaned back again, lifting a hand to brush back her wealth of fawn-brown hair. The bright gold of the feathers braided along one side of her face caught a streak of dusty sunlight and flashed like a beacon. "Do we know the identity of the thief or thieves yet?"
She glanced at Seeker as she spoke, obviously not expecting an answer from Kani, but the Mystic had just popped a piece of cheese in her mouth. Seeker made a noise, filled a cup from the pitcher and drank, while Allysia waited patiently for her to finish.
Seeker swallowed. "No, and I don't think anyone else knows either. There are some peculiarities about this case…."
Kani's mouth still tasted of road dust. While Seeker droned on, he hurriedly chose a cup, sniffing suspiciously at the pitcher before setting it aside with a sigh. Beer, or some such. Nothing he could drink, in any case. His family held to many of the old Moslem customs, abstention from alcohol being among them. But the two women had not thought to order water for him.
Besides the bread, still warm, and the cheese, the platter the barkeep had brought held figs, dates, and a few clusters of grapes. He chose some of the latter, popping them in his mouth to ease the dryness while his eyes flickered between Allysia and Seeker.
Not for the first time, he wondered at the choices the Fey sometimes made. Seeker at least looked like a Mystic, for all her years. She was stronger than she looked, with the agility of someone half her age. Whatever that was. She dressed more like a warrior than a scholar, in black, studded-leather armor that invoked echoes of Persia; say, Sayhun, or Magdan. She carried a sword attached to her saddle, though out of respect for her Cavalier she rarely used it; her usual weapons were her magic, her mace-headed staff, or her many knives.
A strange woman of many secrets, and Kani was not certain he even wanted to know them. But there was no doubt, at least, that she was a great Mystic.
But Allysia didn't even try to look like a Cavalier. She wore no armor save a light maille shirt with thin, almost token spaulders, delicately etched and trimmed with gold, over her gold and white brocaded vest and long silk shirt. Though she was tall, her slender body and light build made her seem smaller.
She braided feathers in the flowing waves of hair along one side of her face — golden pheasant or cock feathers at the moment. The decoration did nothing but draw attention to the size and depth of eyes the ever-changing grey-blue of the spring sky at dawn, the peaches and honey glow in her skin, the dimples that appeared in her smooth cheeks when she smiled.
Even her mount was as un-warlike as imaginable. Why, on top of everything else, did Allysia have to go about riding, not an honest horse, but a unicorn?
Kani stopped that train of thought; it touched on areas that made him distinctly uncomfortable.
In any case, Allysia's was a delicate beauty. But from the mark on her forehead, white dots connected by gold lines, she had served in at least two Triads. She would not have been Chosen if she were not one of the best. She would not even have survived this long.
But he could not imagine her on the field of battle, shedding the blood of her enemies with gleeful abandon. She seemed like such a gentle soul, so unmartial, so…so female.
Seeker's voice finally penetrated his thoughts, distracting him. "Of course, I learned a few things while I was out."
He blinked, suddenly aware that he'd missed something. "Out? Where is it that you have gone?"
Seeker shot him a look. "Dreamwalking. It's a thing Mystics do."
He flushed. "I know what is dreamwalking. I am not understanding that it is this what you were talking about."
"Well, half the time I am not understanding that it is whatever the hell you're talking about, so the feeling is mutual." Seeker poured herself another cup of whatever-it-was, ignoring his frown of disapproval.
"Anyway, while I was out of my body, wandering around in the otherwhere, I ran into a number of old friends," she said. "Seems like every Mystic from here to the Mists had the same idea, and they were all out nosing around, looking for information. But I met Ankh—" she glanced at Allysia, received a nod of recognition, and continued without pause —"and he told me that all the Factions were on alert — and that the Greens feared it might be one of their own."
Allysia perked up. "And is it?"
Seeker shrugged. "How would I know? Ankh didn't think so, and he should know — he's chummy with a lot of the Fey in his Faction. But he did say the Greens are being blamed for it." She took a sip. "After that, I met up with…an old friend, who told me that the Fey can't detect it. The Gem, that is."
"I assumed as much," said Allysia, "or they would have recovered it by now. Such a powerful magic item must give out a strong aura. If they cannot sense it, then it is somehow shielded." She picked up a piece of bread and nibbled thoughtfully. "Mmmm. Good."
"Another of the Greater Fey could hide it," Kani suggested.
Allysia shook her head. "Not the Gem of Ohma. Not for long, in any case."
Seeker nodded agreement. "So, if we assume that no one can hide it from the Fey, that means one of three things. Either the Fey know who has it, but are unable or unwilling to recover it, or it's been taken from Tir na n'Og—"
"—Or it is put in something that — what is the word — shields — stops its power," said Kani eagerly. "Something like iron or steel."
Allysia's eyes widened, and the look she turned on him contained almost as much approval as it did surprise. "You're right, Kani. That would be the simplest answer. And I have always heard it said that the simplest answer is usually the correct one."
He shrugged nonchalantly, despite the swift kindling of delight at having finally pleased her. He hoped it did not show. It would not be dignified.
Seeker eyed him thoughtfully and nodded. "Maybe. Of course, that means a human has it."
Kani's pleasure dwindled as a fresh thought occurred to him. He hesitated; what if he sounded like an idiot? But the idea was there and would not go away. "Perhaps, then, we can know who is this person if we understand why he wished to take the Gem. Why would a human want such a thing? Only a very great Mystic can make use of it, or so I am understanding." He looked at Seeker, eyes wide. It did not hurt to flatter the old woman's ego, and after all, as the Mystic, she ought to have the answer.
Seeker gave no outward sign that she was pleased, but she didn't scowl at him, either, so it was a kind of progress. "Someone who isn't afraid of the Factions."
"Or who is so desperate that they don't care," said Allysia. "So our thief is either very arrogant or suicidal." She paused, and a troubled line appeared between her brows. "Or has no reason to fear the Factions."
The thought was daunting. For a moment, no one spoke.
Kani cleared his throat. "Surely if the Powers have done this thing, the Factions know, and the Triads will not be expected to find it."
He was not sure who or what the Powers were, only that there were supposed to be three of them, and that, among the Fey, their word was law. None of the Fey Factions that ruled over humankind would think to send a Triad against them.
Each Triad was chosen by a particular Faction to serve that Faction's cause. But such causes almost always dealt with human concerns, or human/Fey interactions.
The Powers were in another realm entirely.
"One would think," Seeker agreed. "So maybe whoever it is has found something they fear more than the Factions, and they're hoping to use the Gem against it."
Allysia sighed. "You know, it's really quite useless to speculate. Until we know more, we have no way of even guessing. All we know is that we've been told to find the Gem of Ohma and return it to the Temple, in Tir, where it belongs. Now, if all the Triads have been told the same thing, that suggests that the Fey think it's a problem humans can deal with." She glanced at Seeker. "Did your friend tell you of some place where we may begin the search?"
Seeker hesitated, her white brows drawing together. "For some reason, the subject of Sobaka came up. That must mean something."
Kani nearly choked on a grape. "Sobaka? A sobaka is the thief?"
"No one is suggesting that," snapped Allysia. She turned to Seeker. "What do you mean?"
Seeker shrugged. "I'm not sure. I only got the feeling that it might be worth our while to go talk to Sobaka."
Allysia looked troubled. "I hope that this means they can be of some help. If anyone suspects Sobaka of being behind this, the results could be unfortunate. They are already persecuted for so much."
Seeker snorted. "You're so soft toward the Tainted, you sound like a damned Green sometimes."
Kani held his breath, but Allysia merely smiled. "The Tainted have their own cross to bear. I can't imagine they would deliberately go looking for more. But their eyes are keen and their ears sharp. Perhaps they have learned something it would be to our advantage to know."
His skin grew cold. "We are not going to speak to the Sobaka, are we?"
He immediately wished he had said nothing; Allysia's eyes, grey and soft as mist at the moment, turned chill as she looked at him. "And why not? If they know something—"
"But they are killers," he protested.
It was
obvious that Allysia had little or no experience with the fierce hunters of the plains. Her gentle heart was easily touched, and clearly she suffered from misplaced sympathy for the Tainted ones' plight. Sobaka usually traveled in packs, like the wild dogs they so resembled, and their reputation for savagery was well earned.
Seeker raised a hand. "I have to side with the boy on this one. This isn't something to undertake lightly." She cast a sidelong glance at her Cavalier. "Even though you do have a way with animals."
Allysia bristled, turning on Seeker in growing outrage. "They are not animals. Only people who have been—"
"—Who have been tainted into monsters." Seeker smirked, winter-blue eyes a-glint. "In Drachenfel, they call them werewolves, and kill them with silver."
"That is so unfair—"
"You'd not have so much sympathy for them if they had no fur, Allysia. Admit it." Seeker grinned openly.
Allysia sniffed, but after a moment, her face blossomed in a reluctant smile. "Sometimes, Seeker," she said warningly, shaking her head.
Seeker's answering chuckle was unrepentant. She straightened, refilling her cup again. "We have two choices: nose around until we get attacked by a band of Sobaka bandits, or ride for the Sobaka Mountains near Torsick. Personally, I vote for the latter. We have a better chance of reaching some of the decent ones. And it's as good a place to start as any."
"Indeed." Allysia nodded approval. "Have you ever been there?"
"I know where they are. We'll have to go to through Torsick."
Kani could scarcely believe his ears. These softhearted females intended to ride into the heart of Sobaka territory as if it were no more than a lark, without the faintest idea of the danger involved. He opened his mouth to protest, but Allysia cut him off.
"Very well, we'll set out first thing in the morning." She straightened, setting her hands flat on the table. "We'll eat, get our gear ready, and go to bed so we'll be fresh in the morning."
She glanced at Kani, then down at the small pile of naked grape stems in front of him. "You should eat something more than grapes. You need to keep your strength up."
"But…." He paused.
It occurred to him that Seeker had just deflected Allysia's wrath away from him, and had actually sided with him in order to do it. Had she done it on purpose? Did the wily Mystic have something in mind?
If so, she had, however briefly, treated him like a teammate rather than an unwanted burden for the first time, and he could not throw it away by continuing the argument. Sobaka were less frightening. "But I need something to drink," he said finally.
They both stared at him for a moment before understanding dawned. "Oh, right, that." Seeker sighed, as if his inability to drink alcohol was a cause of great personal inconvenience. "Well, don't just sit there; call the barkeep back over and order something."
He blinked. Order his own water?
The next second, his face grew hot as he realized his error.
He had grown up accustomed to having women take care of such things. But Cavaliers were always the leaders of Triads, which made Allysia his commander, and Seeker had served in several Triads, which made her his senior by rank as well as age.
His imagination presented him with a sudden, vivid picture of what would happen if they realized he'd somehow expected them to wait on him.
He was saved from a reply by the return of the barkeep, bearing a platter loaded with roasted chicken and other delicacies. Kani's request for cool water or fruit juice brought instant understanding; many caravans from Sayhun passed through the Inn of the Three Bows, and Kani was far from the first Moslem to have stayed there. Finally able to quench his thirst, Kani fell to with a will.
The food was well-cooked, and it and the cool water raised his spirits. Life was good. Tonight he would enjoy a soft bed, and then he would ride forth with his Triad to do great deeds and win honor.
If he died in the process, it would be in the noblest of causes.
And perhaps the first, tiniest thread of a Triad bond had at last woven its way among them.
Allah, in His wisdom, had given him the first glimpse of hope. What more could a man ask?