Into the Fray: Volume 1 of The Sorcerers of Jhanvia Series (38 page)

“I ‘ad heard rumors ‘bout Valtyr bondin’. I guess they’re true.”

“We are as one, now and for all time. I want to speak to you about the Scecians. Kaitra and I have both seen premonitions that they will capture her and exploit her most wonderful magical skills.”

“She would never help them,” he said with a scowl.

“Not voluntarily. We believe they intend to cast some kind of spell over her that will bend her actions to their will. The Scecians have employed very powerful sorcerers to assist them.”

“I knew there was more t’ them than what they let us see,” he replied scornfully.

“The reason I wanted to speak with you was to ask if you would be interested in helping us in our efforts against them. Even though we are aware of the events as they may occur, I’ve had this sinking feeling that I could lose her in battle to them. You could be there to protect her if I was unable.”

“That is my charge in this life. Of course I will help protect her. Are you sure ya want t’ take on the Scecians without help? I could assemble a contingent t’ assist us.”

“Some very wise friends have advised us that it would be best for my people if we could do this without drawing much attention to ourselves
or our cause. I would like to plan our efforts with that constraint at the fore. You see, the Scecians are attempting to breed Vydarrun as their warrior class.”

Culain’s surprised jumped from his eyes, “That’s not possible.”

“I’m afraid it is. This problem is one best dealt with by the Valtyr as quietly as possible, and this charge has fallen to me and Kaitra. We are to kill a Vydarrun child which is about to be born in Castle Caerlyk. Unless we are successful, I’m afraid it will be the first of many.”

The old soldier’s eyes betrayed his concern, “Oh, lass, this is very bad. Taking on Caerlyk will be impossible. I’ve been in that place before. If properly defended, it would be impenetrable.”

“Difficult, I’d wager, but not impossible. We have surprise on our side and Kaitra’s magic gives us a great advantage. We believe that we can prevail. We just need a way in and a way out.”

Culain noted, “That castle is riddled with hidden passageways and anterooms. Ya must assume that the Scecians are aware o’ them.”

“We have been told of a passageway from the living chambers to a small opening at the base of the eastern wall. Do you know how we can get to it from the inside?”

“Years ago we spent some time studyin’ it when it was unoccupied. That openin’ ya speak of was overgrown with brambles. It’d be very difficult t’ get through it.”

Kidreyli was optimistic, “I think we need to see the castle for ourselves. I’m hopeful a plan will manifest. So are you with us, then?”

“Aye, lass. I am,” he confirmed.

“Thank you,” Kidreyli said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “Please keep my Kaitra safe.”

“My lady, she’s precious t’ me too. I promise ya I’ll do everythin’ in my power t’ keep her safe.”

Kidreyli let the moment fade before changing topics. She asked, “Just between the two of us, how do you think the Ardreach would react to Kaitra having bonded with me?”

“Are ya speakin’ of before or after he killed the messenger that brought ‘im the news?”

Kidreyli stood dejected.

The old soldier laughed under his breath and said, “Just kiddin’, lass. You know the Dhoyans and the Valtyr ‘ave had their… disagreements over the years, shall we say. He would certainly be surprised by it, but he loves his daughter deeply and he would be most concerned with her welfare and happiness. Once ‘e takes the time t’ get t’ know ya a bit, I think he’d be pleased.”

Kidreyli smiled, “We should get back, my friend.” She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, releasing the spell earlier cast.

Later that same night, Kaitra was sitting with her head resting on Kidreyli’s shoulder at a table near the fire, which was slowly fading. Most of the villagers had long since taken to their beds and the evening chill was becoming difficult to endure. Culain was sitting across the table.

He took one last gulp from his tankard and asked, “Tell me, lass, are ya happy?”

Kaitra paused for a moment to gather her words and then said, “When I was growing up, I was always looking for something or someone that would bring me happiness. Understand that I had a most comfortable life, but I knew there was no place for me in court. I always felt my destiny was waiting outside those dreary castle walls. The first time Kidreyli held me in her arms, I knew I was home. She teaches me of the world around us. She makes me laugh. She shows me how to fight and instills me with the confidence to be my best at whatever I attempt. She encourages me to expand my boundaries and to be all of who I am. Now we are bonded, the two of us become one. She is in me and I am in her. I can’t imagine a situation where I could be happier.”

aitra woke abruptly. She looked out to see the dimmest sliver of the early morning light breaking the soft touch of the night. She laid her hand across the bed and found it cold. A tiny bit of magic directed a lamp to come alive, revealing Kidreyli sitting naked against the far wall, her knees to her chest, shivering a little from the early morning frost.

“Drey, what are you doing?” she said as she grabbed up a blanket and laid it over her lover’s shoulders.

“I couldn’t take it any longer,” the warrior replied, her voice breaking in the cold.

“What couldn’t you take? Kaitra pushed for an answer as she covered herself with a blanket. “Please, tell me.”

Kidreyli pulled the blanket in closely around her. “The images in your mind…what you do to me in that castle….”

“My love, we are not in the castle.”

“Not yet.”

“What did you see that caused you to react this way? I am not consciously aware of anything like you describe.”

Kidreyli turned away from her and faced the wall, “Could you please just leave me be? I can’t deal with this right now.”

Kaitra took a few steps back and sat on the edge of the bed, struggling for the words that might help to unlock her lover’s will. She noticed that the Valtyr had closed off her mind to her, leaving verbal communication as her only way of finding out what was happening. She sat quietly staring at her feet for several minutes, waiting for the moment to feel right, but it never really did. She got up, walked over and sat next to Kidreyli on the floor. She put her arms around her and laid her head on her shoulder. She sat motionless and quiet with her eyes closed, waiting for her lover to share. The moments became minutes and the minutes seemed unending before the Valtyr put her hand on top of hers.

“What these people are planning for you,” Kidreyli said without looking at her, her voice breaking with emotion, “I can’t imagine how you will survive it. The unspeakable things you do to all you encounter. I’ve never seen such creative brutality. For the sake of all on this continent, we must not let them take you, no matter the circumstance.”

“What is it that you saw?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Kidreyli was short.

The quiet took hold once again.

“I need to get a little more sleep,” Kaitra said. “Come back to bed.”

“You go on, I’ll be fine here.”

“Your spell is in place to block our mind links. You won’t see any other visions this night.”

“The spell only works effectively when I’m conscious. If I sleep, the energy fueling the spell diminishes.” She settled back into her comfort zone, facing the wall.

Kaitra took one last look over at her lover, and then reclined on her side facing the wall.

A few minutes passed before the Valtyr could hear her soft snore, at which time she began to revisit some of the images shown to her earlier through Kaitra’s mind by the sorcerers in Caerlyk. Children rounded up and taken from their parents. A mother and father burned to death in front of their three little girls. A man slowly tortured to death in front of his woman because he refused to join their ranks. A small boy dead with two crossbow bolts in his back, lying at Kaitra’s feet for trying to challenge her in defense of his mother. Bodies strewn about a village where soldiers were picking over the corpses—all that was left of a decimated village. Valtyr being taken and forced into lives as breeding stock. Vydarrun being taken away to be brought up under the Scecian influence, Valtyr babies summarily killed. She endured the images of the carnage once again to see if something was recognizable, a place or people, but there were none. She intentionally did not revisit the images related to her. Again seeing herself brutally gang-raped by three human men whilst Kaitra looked on would serve no useful purpose. Kidreyli closed her eyes, took a deep breath and muttered to herself, “I can’t believe how bad this could become.”

The morning sun had taken over the sky, but off in the distance a bank of clouds swiftly approached from the northwest, threatening to take the warmth away from the day. This did not stop the birds and the animals from diligently preparing for the coming season of cold. Nor did it stop the villagers from tending to their early morning tasks with vigor, as much to ward off the chill of the morning as it was to gather and store supplies for the difficult days ahead.

Kidreyli was buckling on her sword when the woman in the bed finally woke. “Everyone’s up in the village,” she noted. “We should get some food.”

Kaitra threw back the covers revealing her milky white nakedness, “Wouldn’t you rather have some of this?”

Kidreyli smiled and asked in a serious tone, “Are you gaining weight?”

The sorceress looked down at her belly. “What? No!”

Kidreyli laughed and said, “Trust me, love, when we get a little farther north, I won’t be so restrained. We should eat a little food and then continue our travels. I’ll feel a lot better once we get out of this village.”

Kaitra teased, “Are you sure? I’m positive that you could coerce me into doing some pretty unspeakable things to you.”

The warrior brandished that pained smirk of hers, “I’ll be outside.” She turned and burst out the door, leaving Kaitra to realize that her words touched a painful sore.

Kidreyli looked about the village and saw Culain carrying a basket toward the large fire pit. She walked toward him and called out, “Good morning, my friend.”

The old man sat the basket down carefully on a table. “Aye, lass. Good mornin’ t’ ya. Where’s my favorite princess?”

Kidreyli laughed a little, “She just woke, I expect her shortly. May we speak?”

“Of course,” he replied, taking a seat at the table.

“We’re going up north straight away. Knowing my mother, she’ll most likely arrive a day earlier than expected. It’s always been her way of catching me off guard.”

Culain laughed.

“We’ll come back to get you after we’ve finished. I sincerely appreciate your offer to help, but are you sure you want to do this? It’s going to be very dangerous.”

“My friend, I’ve spent my whole life bouncin’ from one dangerous situation t’ another. T’ have another opportunity t’ protect Princess Kaitra… well…it’s an honor.”

“I will be eternally grateful for your help.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw the approach of her lover and said, “Oh, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence.”

Kaitra walked up to the table, “Good morning, Culain,” she said as she kissed Kidreyli on the lips.

“Good mornin’, m’ lady.”

Kidreyli fessed up, “Culain and I have been talking and he has agreed to assist us in our efforts against the Scecians.”

Kaitra’s eyes lit up, “That’s wonderful. Are you going to get help from my father?”

The old soldier replied, “Not just now. First, I’m goin’ t’ help you assess what you’re up against.”

Kidreyli continued, “Culain has been in the castle before and he knows of the hidden passageways that might get us in and out of that place. I was just explaining to him that I thought you and I should go to Lynbuañan now. My mother has this annoying trait of showing up early. I think she believes she’s going to catch me in some uncompromising situation if she shows up unexpectedly.”

“Has she ever?” Kaitra asked.

“Well…yes,” Kidreyli conceded.

A single burst of laughter crossed Kaitra’s lips as she and Culain looked at each other with smiling eyes.