“You won’t have to, if you take my slaves.”
Takado fell silent, his expression thoughtful. Hanara held his breath. How would two more slaves change his own situation? There would be less work. He would certainly welcome having less to carry each day, though that would not remain the case if Takado gained more belongings. But Hanara had no skills to make up for the man’s brawn, or the woman’s usefulness. And if Takado took the woman to bed . . . Hanara knew he could never compete with that.
But I am a source slave, he thought. I will always have higher status because of that.
Takado was nodding. “I accept. I thank you, Asara. It is a thoughtful gift. They are clearly valuable slaves for you to be losing.”
The woman waved a hand gracefully. “I will miss them, but I can see now that I brought too many slaves with me. You need them more than I.”
“Chinka. Dokko,” Takado said. “Get up and sit behind Hanara.” As the pair obeyed, Hanara kept his eyes downcast. He heard them settle behind him. For a moment he thought one had disobeyed Takado, taking a position beside him, but when he looked he saw that Jochara had returned. The young man carried a metal tube that contained the map of Kyralia that Takado had brought with him.
“You are both – and you, too, Jochara – to follow Hanara’s orders unless they conflict with mine. Do you understand?”
Murmurs of affirmation followed. Hanara stared at the ground, his eyes wide. He’s put me in charge! His heart began to pound. It was a frighteningly important responsibility. What if they won’t obey me? What if they do something wrong? Will I be punished for it? What—
An unfamiliar voice interrupted his panicked thoughts.
“Magicians... coming . . .” a slave was panting even as he threw himself on the ground. “Many. Fast. From. Emper...or. Wear. Rings.”
The magicians hadn’t moved, but their smiles had vanished. None voiced the worries written on their faces. Had the emperor sent forces to stop Takado? Were they about to attack? Whistles came from scouts to one side of the village.
Takado rose. He snapped out orders, sending Hanara and the other slaves scampering about to alert all the magicians, or the slaves of the magicians who were asleep since they knew best how to rouse their masters. Soon there were magicians and slaves crowding the road. Hanara positioned himself a step behind Takado, who stood between Dachido and Asara.
Interesting, Hanara thought. Rokino has known Takado the longest, but he is an ichani. Dachido and Asara outrank him and are a lot smarter than Takado’s other ichani friends. Lately Takado is favouring their company and opinions above the others’.
As the last stragglers joined the crowd around Takado a large group of men rode into sight around a bend in the road. Globes of light hovered over them. The brightness set weapons and beaded clothes aglitter. Hanara looked for the rings of the emperor and caught a glint of gold here and there.
There must have been at least forty magicians. Of their slaves there was no sign.
The man at the head of the group was tall and wrinkled, with white in his dark hair. He led the men forward and stopped ten strides from the crowd. Back straight and head high, he scanned the crowd once before his gaze returned to Takado.
“Emperor Vochira sends his greetings,” he said. “I am Ashaki Nomako.”
“Welcome, Ashaki Nomako,” Takado replied. “Should I send my regards to the emperor through you, or are your intentions to stay and join us?”
The man somehow managed to straighten himself even further. “Emperor Vochira has decided to support your efforts to bring Kyralia back under the influence of the empire, and has ordered me to provide what assistance and guidance is needed, including this army of magicians loyal to Sachaka.”
“That is most generous of him,” Takado said. “With your help we can conquer Kyralia faster and with less risk to our fellow Sachakans. If it is done with the support of the emperor, then all the better. Does the emperor support my leadership of this army?”
“Of course,” Nomako said. “He gives credit where it is due.”
“Then be doubly welcome,” Takado said. He moved forward, closing the gap between them, and held out a hand. Nomako dismounted and grasped it. Then they let go and Takado nodded towards his crowd of supporters. “Have you eaten? We roasted a reber earlier, and there may still be some left.”
“No need,” Nomako replied. “We ate at sundown. Our slaves are waiting for us to send for them . . .”
As Nomako discussed practicalities, Hanara noted the way the man’s gaze changed whenever Takado looked away. Calculating, Hanara thought. He’s not come here because he agrees with Takado. We always knew that Emperor Vochira would not like Takado taking matters into his own hands. Hanara felt a shiver of premonition run down his spine. This one is going to try to take back control for the emperor. And he won’t find it as easy as he thinks.
CHAPTER 33
The number of magicians, apprentices and servants in pursuit of the Sachakan invaders was now many times larger. Over seventy magicians, as many apprentices and servants employed as sources, and all the servants, carts and animals that were required to tend to the army’s needs made quite an impressive sight.
It really feels like an army now, Tessia thought. Since Dakon was one of the army advisers, she rode near to the front. Before her rode Werrin, Sabin, Narvelan and a few city magicians. When she looked behind, a sea of magicians and apprentices filled the road. Only when the road turned did she glimpse the servants and supply carts.
She knew that Sabin and Werrin believed that having the army strung out like this wasn’t as safe as bunched together, but the road was often confined between low rock field walls. There had been some trouble with a few of the younger magicians riding off to raid an orchard and then, ignoring Sabin’s attempts to explain the danger, galloping out into fields to jump fences and race each other.
I’d have thought seeing victims of Takado and his allies would have sobered them up, Tessia mused, but I suspect most of them still think this is a grand adventure.
At mid-morning the new army encountered the first signs of destruction. The Sachakans had left a swathe of destroyed villages and houses across the ley, but left the main road to avoid the Kyralian reinforcements. Scouts had reported that Takado had headed east from the main road, through Noven ley – Lord Gilar’s land – until he encountered the next main thoroughfare. It was the same road Dakon had taken to Imardin but the enemy had travelled in the opposite direction until it encountered a village, and settled there, leaving burned farm houses and storage buildings, and occasional corpses, in its wake.
“Tessia!”
The voice was female, coming from behind. Tessia turned to see Lady Avaria riding towards her. Others also turned to watch, as a wailing came from a bundle the magician held cradled in one arm. Avaria’s servant and source, a practical young woman Tessia had instantly liked, followed close behind.
“Can you have a look at him?” Avaria asked as she drew alongside Tessia. “I asked the healers to, but one refused and the other told me it would be kinder to smother him.”
A small, red face screwed up tight, the mouth from which the wailing poured stretched wide open, appeared as she tilted the bundle in Tessia’s direction. Tessia carefully took the baby and examined it. There was a livid bruise on the scalp.
“He’s had a knock, but nothing’s broken,” she said. “He’s probably got a stinker of a headache. Where’d you find him?”
“I didn’t. One of the others did, then decided that, because I’m a woman, I would be able to take care of him at the same time as riding into battle.” A tone of annoyance had entered Avaria’s voice, but it didn’t override the concern. “Shhh,” she said soothingly as Tessia handed the child back. “Poor thing. Found still strapped to the back of his dead mother. I guess this proves the rumours about Sachakans eating babies aren’t true. Not that I believed it,” she added hastily.
Tessia felt something inside her twist painfully.
“Is leaving him to die of starvation any less cruel?”
“No. Shush,” Avaria said, then rolled her eyes as he only bawled louder.
“He’s probably hungry,” Tessia said. “And from the smell I’d say he needed a change a long time ago.”
Avaria sighed. “Yes. He can’t stay with us. I’d have Sennia take him back to Calia if I could spare her, but I can’t.”
“Can any of the other servants take him?” Tessia asked.
A look of distaste crossed Avaria’s face. “Sennia suggested we give him to the unmentioned ones.”
“Unmentioned ” ones? Tessia frowned, then smothered a laugh. “The women following the army? I suppose one might take him... for the right price.” She looked at the boy and considered. “Try the servants first. We may find survivors willing to take care of him, too.” The baby’s wails grew suddenly louder. “But he won’t last if you don’t get him fed.”
Avaria nodded. “Thank you.” She looked at Sennia. “Could you ask...?”
The servant smiled, turned her horse and started riding back down the line. Avaria looked ahead and her expression changed from concern and annoyance to one of horror.
“What...?”
Following Avaria’s gaze, Tessia looked past the magicians and felt her stomach sink. Corpses littered the road. Not one or two, but dozens, perhaps even hundreds. As the army drew close she saw that the victims were men and women of all ages. Children, too. She heard exclamations and curses from all around.
“They must have been on their way south,” Jayan said quietly. “Doing what they’d been told – to evacuate. Only they ended up in the path of the Sachakans.”
Dakon made a low noise. “Look.” He pointed at broken furniture at the side of the road. “They probably took these people’s carts and threw out what they didn’t have a use for.”
Avaria hissed quietly. “They’re having no trouble replenishing the powers they’re using to burn and wreck our villages and towns.”
“No,” Dakon agreed, his gaze dark with worry.
Suddenly a head appeared above the low stone wall on one side of the road. Then a small girl climbed over and ran to the head of the army. Werrin reined in his horse, and everyone began to stop.
“Help! Can anybody help? Father is hurt.” The girl pointed towards the wall.
Werrin spoke to one of the servants travelling with the army’s leaders. The man hurried down the line, his gaze pausing on Tessia, then sliding away. Tessia felt a small pang of hurt. For months she had been the one people turned to for healing. Now that there were guild-trained healers in the army, she had returned to being merely an apprentice.
But he did consider me, she thought. It’s not been forgotten, or remained unnoticed, that I do have some skill.
Werrin nudged his horse into a walk again, and the rest began to follow. Jayan turned to look at her.
“Let’s wait and see what happens.”
Surprised and pleased, she followed as he drew his mount aside so the army could pass. Dakon glanced back once and nodded to indicate his approval. She felt a fond gratitude. He did not need her to ask his permission. He understood, even supported, her healing.
I am so lucky to have him as my master, she thought.
The wait for the healers seemed long, and she realised why when, long after the last magician had passed, the two men peeled away from the column.
They couldn’t be bothered breaking from the line and riding ahead, she realised with disgust. The girl pointed over the wall, and the men dismounted with unconcealed annoyance. A servant stopped to hold the horses’ heads. Tessia and Jayan swung to the ground and gave the servant their reins as well. Tessia unhooked her father’s bag, and they followed the girl and the healers across the field.
It was not hard to find her father. A great swathe of blackened vegetation led to him, and past. His clothes were also black. He lay in a furrow, face down, unconscious but still breathing.
The two healers bent to examine the man, then shook their heads.
“He is too badly burned,” one told the girl, gently but firmly. “He will not live through the night.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Can’t you stop him hurting?” she asked in a small voice.
The healer shook his head. “Bathe him with cool water. If you have any strong drink, give him that.”
As the healers walked past Tessia and Jayan, the one who hadn’t spoken to the girl looked at Tessia. “Don’t waste your cures,” he told her.
Jayan cursed quietly under his breath as the pair strode away. He looked at Tessia. “Do you want to have a closer look?”
“Of course.”
Moving to the man’s side, Tessia knelt on the ground. She realised with a shock that there wasn’t blackened cloth on the man’s back. It was his skin.
“When the strangers came we ran,” the girl said.
The man’s breath was coming in short gasps. The healers were right. He can’t survive this.
“When the fire came he fell on top of me,” the girl said. “I didn’t get burned.”
Despite her misgivings, Tessia tucked her hands under his head, touching the unburned skin of the man’s forehead, and closed her eyes. As she had all the times in the past, she focused on the pulses and rhythms of the body beneath her hands. She gently sent her mind out of herself and into his. But this time there were no broken bones or torn flesh to manipulate. The damage was more subtle. Her father had taught her how a heart reacted to a severe burn, and about other changes in the body. She sought a sense of these changes.
Suddenly she could feel his pain.
It was terrible. She recoiled. Opened her eyes. Realised she had cried out.
“What is it?” Jayan said, alarm in his voice.
“You’d better start mixing up the pain blocker now,” she told him, then forced herself to close her eyes and send her mind forth again.
I’ve never sensed anything like that before! Knowing that if she hesitated, she’d lose the courage to face that pain again, she delved back into her awareness of the man’s body. Eagerness and reluctance warred within her, and it took a long, long moment before she felt the pain sweep over her again. This time she forced herself to stay and endure it. To examine and gently probe.
Within moments she’d worked out where to apply magic to block the pain. But she hesitated.
Should I? Father always said pain was the body’s way of making a person sit still and heal. This man is still going to die, but how shocking would it be for his daughter if he started walking about, all burned, only to collapse and die?
Perhaps if she could lessen the pain... she cautiously drew power and blocked some of the pathways. The body under her hand relaxed a little. Unsure if she had done enough, or too much, she drew away and opened her eyes.
The girl’s father was awake. He made no attempt to get up. She realised that he was exhausted, and probably would not have had the energy to rise.
“There,” she said, glancing at the girl and Jayan. “That’s given him some relief.” She looked at Jayan, who had measured out powder into a mixing jar. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve worked out how to block the pain with magic.”
His eyes widened and he stared at her in amazement. Then he shook his head and began to replace the items in her father’s bag.
“Who are you?” a voice croaked.
They both jumped and looked down at the burned man. “Magicians,” Jayan replied. “And Tessia has some knowledge of healing.”
The man looked at her. “Magicians who are healers. Never heard of that before.”
Tessia smiled. “Me neither.”
“You off to fight then?”
She felt the smile fade. “Yes.”
“Good. Now get on with you.”
“But—” Tessia began. I haven’t even tried to heal him yet...
“Don’t worry about me. Best thing you can do now is kill those bastards before they do this to anyone else. Go on.” He lifted his head sli
ghtly, his eyes moving beyond them. “Your army’s getting further ahead of you.”
Jayan looked towards the road and frowned.
He’s right, Tessia thought. I can’t save him and we shouldn’t stray too far from Dakon. The man spoke a name and his daughter moved closer. “You go to your aunt Tanna, right? You know the way.”
As the girl began to protest, Tessia stood up. Jayan followed suit. Drawing in a deep breath, she let out a long sigh, then forced herself to walk back towards the road.
“You didn’t try to heal him?” Jayan asked.
“No. There was no point trying. I couldn’t save him.”
“There’s always a point in trying. Even if you can’t save someone, you might learn something – and you did. You stopped the pain with magic.”
She grimaced. “It’s still not healing with magic, though.”
“But it’s something new. Something no magician or healer has managed.”
She frowned. “And I have no idea if I can undo it. What if I stopped the pain while doing something minor, but couldn’t unstop it. Would I leave someone permanently numb?”
He shrugged. “You’ll work it out. I know you will.”
She sighed and looked at him. “I couldn’t do this without you, Jayan. Not without your help.”
His eyes widened and he quickly looked away. “I’m only doing it because I know you’d be running off on your own if I didn’t keep an eye on you, no matter what Dakon said.” He stepped over the walls and started towards their horses. “We’d better catch up.”
Amused, Tessia watched as he roughly hooked her father’s bag on her mount’s saddle and then, without looking at her, swung up onto his own horse. He didn’t wait for her to mount, and set a swifter pace than she liked, as it jostled the contents of the bag too much. When they were halfway along the line he abruptly kicked his mount into a fast trot, not even glancing back to see if she followed.
What did I say? she wondered as he left her behind. Then she noticed how one of the female apprentices stared at him as he passed her. He gave the apprentice a quick glance, and smiled. Ah. Is that it? Has our little conversation yesterday made him reconsider what he thinks of female magicians? Being too openly friendly with me might ruin his chances with them.