Cery sighed. “Let’s run through this again.” “We arrange for Skellin to learn we’re living under the Guild,” Gol said. “Not being protected by magicians.”
“Even if he knows the Guild isn’t aware that we’re down here, he’ll suspect Lilia does,” Anyi continued. “We have to make Skellin think Lilia isn’t always with us, and let him find out her routine so he’ll know when she’s not protecting us.”
“He’ll send others first, to check whether it’s true, or to capture me,” Cery repeated. “So we’ve got to set things up so that only a magician can get through to us. Like a magical barrier created by Lilia.”
“But won’t that make him suspect Lilia is down here?” Anyi asked.
“He’s a magician,” Cery answered. “He knows a magician can set up a barrier, then go somewhere else.”
“Still, it might put him off going any further,” Anyi pointed out.
“We put the barrier close enough to us so he can hear us, or see light ahead, making him think he only has to go a little further to find us.”
“Him or Lorandra,” Gol said. “If he sends Lorandra we spring the trap anyway. At least the Guild will catch one of them, and they could use her as bait in another trap.”
“Yes, if they don’t let her escape again.” Cery smiled wryly.
“Once he breaks through the barrier he’ll want to act fast,” Anyi continued, “because Lilia will know her barrier has been broken. If he’s close enough to see or hear us, we won’t have much warning.”
“We could put a lamp around the next corner, so it looks like we’re close, but we’re actually further away,” Gol suggested. “And a few more lamps, so it looks like we put them there for our own use.”
“Which means getting more lamps and more oil. More stuff for Lilia to bring.” Anyi sighed.
“What if Skellin brings others with him?” Gol asked.
Cery considered. “So long as they stick together, they don’t matter.”
Gol frowned. “But will they? If I were Skellin, I’d send them ahead to look for traps once I got past the barrier.”
“Let them find us.” Cery shrugged. “They’ll either go back to tell Skellin, or wait for him to catch up and give them orders.”
“Then, when he does, we spring our trap,” Gol said.
Cery nodded. He and Gol hadn’t told Anyi their plans to reveal Skellin to the Guild using non-magical means. Cery wasn’t entirely sure he understood what the bodyguard had described. It was a method used in mines, that could cause a collapse big enough to open up a hole in the Guild gardens. Gol was confident it would work. Skellin and his men would be either buried or exposed to any magicians who happened to be about.
There was, however, a considerable danger that Cery, Gol and Anyi would be buried, too. Cery had told Anyi that if Skellin found them before the Guild agreed to the trap, she should run and fetch Lilia. She’d been reluctant to agree, until he’d pointed out that there would be nothing to be gained by her staying. At least if she left, there would be a chance Lilia might arrive in time to stop Skellin.
“I doubt Skellin will be captured by the Guild without a fight,” Cery said. “I’d rather not be buried alive. We should get Lilia to strengthen the rooms, too.”
Anyi nodded. “She’s got plenty of magic right now. Kallen’s been teaching her how to use black magic to take and store power.”
Cery looked at her and frowned. “He has? That’s… worrying.”
“Why?” Anyi shrugged. “The Guild is supposed to have two black magicians so that one can stop the other… Oh, I see.” Her eyes widened and she looked at Cery. “You don’t think… but Kallen’s the one teaching her. He wouldn’t, if he was planning to do something.”
“Who else can teach her?” Cery asked. “Sonea is in Sachaka.”
“If Kallen is planning to abuse his power then he may neglect to teach her right,” Gol said.
“Hmm.” Anyi scowled. “Well, we all know why he might become unreliable. I never thought I’d say it, but I’ll be happier when I know the Guild is growing roet.”
Cery nodded in agreement, then lifted the lamp and got to his feet. “Now that we’ve got our plan straight, we need to make sure it’ll work down here.”
“We should make sure we have an escape route or two in case it goes wrong,” Gol added. “Perhaps put a few traps in place in case we’re followed.”
“We need to practise fighting,” Anyi added. She looked at Cery. “All of us.”
Cery sighed. She was right, but his body ached just thinking about it. “When we’ve sorted this out,” he said. “There’s no point trying to fight magic with knives.”
She made a huffing noise. “But it’ll be pretty humiliating if we can’t deal with Skellin’s thugs.”
Gol looked at Cery, then turned to Anyi. “Reckon I’m ready for a bit of practice,” he said. “If we start slow.”
Anyi gave him a considering look, then nodded. “All right then. Later on.”
“For now, let’s have another look at the passages around here. Anyi, check the escape routes and make sure Skellin can’t circle around and approach us from behind. Gol and I will decide where Lilia’s barrier should go.”
Dannyl frowned as a shadow moved into his office doorway and hovered. He looked up, expecting a slave had come to ask if he wanted food or drink, or to announce the arrival of a visitor. Instead, it was Merria.
“Lady Merria,” he said, “what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Silly, isn’t it?” Her mouth pulled into a lopsided smile. “Lorkin is safe and everything’s back to normal. I should be grateful for that, but all I am is bored.”
“This isn’t normal,” Dannyl told her. “We should be dealing with visitors or invitations. Even Tayend is being ignored now.”
Merria looked down. “Actually, I did get an invitation to visit my friends yesterday,” she confessed.
Dannyl made himself smile. “That’s a good sign.” All I need is for Tayend to come in here and tell us he’s off to a dinner or party, and Achati to be the only Ashaki not treating me like an outcast, and everything will be back to normal. But he suspected nothing would ever be the same again between himself and Achati.
Merria looked down at his desk. “Did you finish your notes?”
He followed her gaze to the sheets of paper, and nodded. “Yes. The slaves were finally able to buy more ink yesterday.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?” She paused. “What’s wrong?”
He looked up, then realised he’d been scowling. “Ah… well, I made two copies so I could send one to the Guild, but I haven’t found a safe way to get it there.”
She hummed in sympathy. “I wouldn’t be trusting them to any ordinary courier. How do you usually get messages to the Guild?”
“With Osen’s blood ring.”
“You never send anything else?”
Dannyl shook his head. “There are a few traders who travel between Sachaka and Elyne or Kyralia a couple of times each year, and they carry goods for us. Nothing important, though. Just luxury goods. Spices. Raka.”
She frowned as she considered the problem. “So… you need to rewrite the whole thing in a code, and then send lots of copies via different couriers to Osen to ensure he gets at least one. Then give Osen the key to the code via his blood ring.”
He gazed at her in admiration. Such a simple solution. Why didn’t I think of that? Well, he’d already used a kind of code to hide the more sensitive information.
“Of course, that won’t help if you need to get it to Osen quickly,” she added.
“Slowly is better than not at all.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “So who will I arrange to carry it?” he pondered, more to voice the thought than to ask Merria.
“I reckon my friends might know a few traders going east.”
“Could you ask them for me?”
She nodded. “I will. But… do you think there’s any chance the Ashaki might be about to attack the Traitors? Or the Traitors attack the Ashaki?”
Dannyl blinked at the sudden change of subject. “Why? Have you heard rumours?”
“Not anything specific. But my friends often discuss the possibility, and King Amakira was so determined to get information out of Lorkin.”
A chill entered Dannyl’s veins. And Lorkin may have given him that information. “I don’t know.”
“It’ll be ironic if the Traitors do attack and defeat the Ashaki. All the king’s efforts and Lorkin refusing to speak will have been for nothing, because then it won’t matter if Sanctuary’s location has been revealed.”
Dannyl shook his head. “They won’t attack. It would be too big a risk. What if they failed? They’d lose everything.”
Merria nodded. “You’re right, of course. Anyway, I guess you’re going to be making more copies of your notes now. Let me know if you’d like some help. I’ll take one to my friends tomorrow, if you have it ready.”
“Thank you.”
As she left, her words repeated in Dannyl’s mind: “… then it won’t matter if Sanctuary’s location has been revealed ”. Was this the reason Lorkin had given in and told the king what he wanted to know? But that would mean…
Shivering, Dannyl drew out the two notebooks that contained his research, and a blank one, and began to make yet another copy.
Regin noticed the approaching Traitors first. From their vantage point, he and Sonea watched as the small group walked across the dunes and up into the rocky hills, their shadows growing longer as the afternoon sun descended. The cool shadow of the mountains rose to meet them, and after they entered it and dusk settled over the land, the figures slowly grew harder to make out. Soon small points of light were glimpsed, low to the ground and moving ever closer. When sounds finally heralded the approach of the strangers, Sonea let Osen know they were about to arrive, then rose, ready to greet them.
The first was a woman who moved with the dignity and tension of a leader, which made her seem taller despite being close to Sonea in height. Her facial features were so Sachakan that, for a brief moment, Sonea’s blood turned cold. She had the same broad forehead, high cheekbones, and upward tilting eyes of the Ichani who had invaded Kyralia. But those men, and the sole woman among them, had been heavier in build. The Traitors were smaller and more graceful.
If she had guessed right, the first woman was Savara, the queen. The woman was dressed no differently to the rest of the group. All twelve carried a pack and wore simple clothing. Eight women and four men. Sonea’s eyes snapped to the tallest of the men and her heart leapt. Lorkin!
He smiled as she saw him. She resisted the urge to run forward and hug him, worried that any moves in the Traitors’ direction might make them react defensively. And Lorkin might not appreciate her being overly affectionate in front of these people.
So she restrained herself and settled for looking him over closely. He looks healthy, though tired. The way he looked at the woman walking beside him, then back to Sonea, made it clear that this was Tyvara, the Traitor who had saved his life. The woman he had agreed to be locked away in Sanctuary for.
She is very attractive, Sonea thought. The young woman returned Sonea’s gaze with curiosity and a hint of calculation. No doubt she’s measuring me up as much as I’m appraising her. That wasn’t all that Sonea detected in her manner, however. It wasn’t exactly confidence. More a grim determination. That girl has seen far more than any Kyralian woman her age. I would wager she has experienced more as well. But then, she was posing as a slave when she saved Lorkin, and that would mean enduring a lot of pain and humiliation.
Sonea looked away from Tyvara back to the leader, who slowed as she took the last steps to meet Sonea and Regin. As she stopped, the others came to a halt behind her.
“Black Magician Sonea?” she asked, smiling at Sonea.
Sonea nodded. “Yes.”
“I am Savara, queen of the Traitors.” She turned to introduce the rest of the group. None had titles. Well, Lorkin did say they treat everyone equally — on the surface at least. “You do not need to be introduced to your son, of course,” Savara finished. “It is my pleasure to reunite you, and to finally meet you.”
“And you, your majesty,” Sonea replied. She gestured to Regin. “This is Lord Regin, my assistant.”
Regin inclined his head. “An honour to meet you, Queen Savara, and your people.” He placed a hand over his heart. Savara’s eyebrows twitched upward, then she inclined her head gracefully.
“Let’s sit.” She gestured to the flat ground beside the spring. “We have walked far and need to rest, eat and drink.”
She turned and nodded to the others, some of whom moved past her toward the spring. Sonea silently thanked Regin, who had thought to replace the gemstone in the pool. Osen had suggested she keep her knowledge of the gems to herself unless there was an advantage to be gained.
The group began to shrug off packs. They formed a circle, leaving a gap for Sonea and Regin. Lorkin sat down beside Sonea, and Tyvara settled on his other side. Someone created a small globe light and set it glowing in the middle, just above the ground. Food was brought out and placed in the centre. It consisted of simple fare for travelling: hard, flat bread, dried meats and fruit, nuts and pastes for the bread.
Sonea took out the remains of her and Regin’s own supplies — pachi fruit, grains and dried beans to be boiled in water, spices, sumi and hard sweets — and offered them. They were taken without any thanks spoken, but with appreciative nods and smiles. She was intrigued to see one of the men place a metal disk with a gemstone embedded in the centre on a flat rock, touch the stone, then place a wide pan full of water on top. Soon the water was boiling and he was adding the grain and beans. Clearly men aren’t forbidden to use magic. That makes their law against men learning magic not as restrictive as it first seems, though they still rely on the women making the stones. I wonder if they have to get permission to use them.
One of the Traitors was examining the pouch of sumi leaves with puzzlement.
“They’re for a hot drink,” Sonea explained. “I’ll prepare some later.”
“Like raka?” one of them asked.
Sonea shook her head. “Same idea, different plant.” The supplies provided at the Fort hadn’t included raka.
“We have raka.”
She straightened. “You do?”
Savara chuckled. “It is a good drink to have while talking. Or negotiating.”
The food was passed around, each person taking a portion. Sonea added spices to the beans and grains when they were ready. The Traitors were particularly fond of the sweets. Savara prepared a pot of raka and surprisingly small cups were passed to her for filling. Sonea’s own mug returned barely half full, but as she sipped she realised why. The raka was so strong it was syrupy, and after a few sips she felt as if her ears were buzzing.
As each Traitor received their cup they rose and moved away, until only Savara remained. It was full night now, and more globe lights appeared as those who had left gathered in smaller groups several paces away. Savara moved closer, so that they formed a smaller circle.
“We arrived later than we hoped, and you must be anxious to return to Kyralia, so let us begin without delay.” She looked at Lorkin. “It was the wish of our late queen, Zarala, that Lorkin act as negotiator today. Are you in agreement on this?”
Sonea looked at her son, who appeared to be holding back a grin. “Yes, your majesty. I carry the blood ring of Lord Osen, Administrator of the Guild. Do you object to me wearing it?”
“No.” Savara looked at Lorkin. “Begin, Lord Lorkin.”
Sonea slipped Osen’s ring on.
— Osen?
— Sonea.
— We’re about to begin negotiations.
Lorkin drew in a deep breath. “Queen Zarala asked me to arrange a meeting between the Traitors and the Allied Lands in the hope of negotiating an alliance.”
Sonea nodded. “What kind of alliance are we discussing? Are the Traitors seeking to join the Allied Lands? That requires compliance with an agreed core of rules that apply to all and with a few specific to each land.”
“What are these core rules?” Savara asked.
“Non-aggression toward other lands in the alliance. Adherence to a set of laws regarding trade, crime and magic. Military support in defence of the Allied Lands. Outlawing slavery.”
“The first and last we agree with wholeheartedly.” Savara’s lips thinned. “What are the laws you speak of?”
Sonea listed them, with Osen’s assistance. Savara listened, nodding from time to time. When Sonea finished, the queen laced her fingers together.
“Some of these laws are similar to our own, some are not. It is your control of magicians my people may object to. Especially your restrictions on the knowledge and use of higher magic.”
“You have restrictions that we would not agree with as well. I believe magic is only taught to women Traitors, unless the man is a natural.”
“Yes, but restrictions based on gender are already catered for in the alliance. The Lonmar people only teach magic to men. If the alliance can accommodate their traditions, could it not accommodate ours?”
“It is likely it could. Black magic, on the other hand, is a more difficult issue.”
Savara smiled and gestured toward Sonea. “Yet the Guild has black magicians.”
“Only as many as we feel are necessary for our defence.”
The queen’s expression became serious. “Do you really think three is enough?”
Sonea met and held the woman’s eyes. This was no time to be admitting to doubts.
“Yes.”
Savara’s eyebrows rose. “I hope that a situation never arises to test that. My people are not so willing to put their safety in the hands of a few. We will not agree to an alliance that requires us to stop teaching our daughters higher magic.”
“We expected that.” Sonea smiled as the queen’s gaze sharpened. “We are willing to negotiate an exception in the case of Traitors, with conditions.”
“What are these conditions?”
“You have not objected to our law that all magicians be trained at the Guild,” Sonea observed.
“No.” Savara looked amused. “It would be an opportunity we’d be foolish to turn down.”
“The condition is this: your magicians must not be taught black magic until they have graduated, and the teaching of it must be done by Traitors, in Sachaka.”
A small line appeared between Savara’s brows. She nodded slowly.
“That might be acceptable.”
“Of course, if King Amakira learns of an agreement between us he will cause us both trouble. He will try to stop your novices reaching us.”
Savara waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, that won’t be a problem.”
“Once they’re in Kyralia it will be harder to conceal what is happening. We could disguise them as Elynes.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
— She seems a little too confident about that, Osen noted.
— Indeed.
“Perhaps you believe that King Amakira, not knowing where Sanctuary is, is no threat to you, but if you want the young women you send to us for training to be safe you had best remember that he does know where Imardin is,” Sonea warned.
Savara smiled. “There will be no need for secrecy. By the time we are ready to send magicians to the Guild, if we decide to do so, King Amakira and the Ashaki will be a problem long resolved.”
Sonea heard Regin draw in a quick breath. She found herself staring at the queen. A thrill ran through her, followed by a stab of fear.
— They mean to attack the Ashaki! Osen exclaimed.
Savara leaned forward. “You said an alliance included military support in defence of the Allied Lands. I am guessing that offensive military support is a different matter. Even so, you are old enemies of the Sachakan Empire. Therefore I invite the Allied Lands to join us in ridding Sachaka of the Ashaki and slavery. You may not be able to offer many fighters, since so few of you learn higher magic, but your strength and Healing assistance would be invaluable.” She leaned back again. “Will you help us?”