Techromancy Scrolls: Soras (15 page)

Then she crossed her eyes at me and shook her head. I tried not to smile.

She turned to the crowd and spoke in a booming alto voice that carried like we were at the Meeting Spot. Was she somehow amplifying it with her gifts? “A Lupei scout has determined where Mother Udele is being held.”

A cheer went up and she continued, “Mother Laney of the Lupei has divined the identities of those behind it with her Sight, and is leading a Greva party to liberate her Mother.”

She said, “I am pledged to the young Mother's protection so I will accompany her on this quest.” The crowd gasped and murmurs and shouts of concern flowed through the crowd. She just narrowed her eyes and a nervous silence fell. She smiled at that.

Then she continued, “Roman of the Lupei has already volunteered. We need two more volunteers to complete the Greva. We have two blades and an archer. We require one more blade, and another archer.”

There were hundreds of men and women shouting out stepping forward. She laughed heartily. She inclined her head in a gesture of respect and said, “Your Mother would be proud of each and every one of you, but alas we need to travel quick and light.”

Her eyes scanned the crowd then locked onto someone. A smile crept upon her lips as she asked, “Penelope? Is that you under that cloak?”

A short, slight figure stepped forward, in a rich brown hunting cloak, a bow with the same odd shape of Dru's was slung over their shoulder but it was twice the length of Dru's. The archer reached up and swept their hood back revealing a woman who would have been the ideal of femininity if it weren't for her long beak of a nose that was crooked down at the end.

I kind of liked it, it gave her distinctive character. But the most striking thing about her was her light blonde hair. There were few blondes in the lands of Sparrow, like Emily. Most people have darker hair, browns, red, or black. I absently touched the ends of my own dark hair. But blonde was even more exceedingly rare among the Mountain Gypsies. All I seem to ever see is black or red hair among the People.

She had it cropped short, I assumed to keep it out of the way when she shot her bow. It was an odd contrast to her rich olive skin and eyes so dark they appeared black.

She bowed deeply to her leader and Ranelle whispered to me, “She finished second in the games with her bow at the Lupei camp last year, only after Alexandru.”

I smiled at that. Dru had told me that most archers are men because it is harder for most women to draw back one of their oddly shaped bows. But the ones who could, usually excelled.

The Great Mother nudged her chin over toward me and the fair-haired archer smiled hugely and hustled to stand beside me as Roman stepped up on the other side of Ranelle.

Rain boomed out, “Now a blade.”

The stewards all pushed to the front of the crowd of men who were offering their services. She looked at them fondly and said as she tilted her head, “Alas, you must be Lupei, and we can only take one of you.”

She started to say a name, “Ja...”

When a woman's voice called out, strong and clear, “I will stand with you!”

All heads turned to the woman who voiced it and there were gasps and murmurs. The crowd seemed to ripple as someone stepped through it, people making way, leaving a wake in the woman's path.

Both Ranelle and I were squinting, trying to see who it was. Then my eyes went wide as Sarafine stepped out in front of us. Her eyes cast down as she took a knee. She looked as dangerous as the Great Mother in her leathers and a dark tan cape. I noted that she, like us, didn't wear the bright colors associated with the Gypsies. I knew it was because those colors would be too easily spotted when were wanted to move stealthily.

Sarafine's hair was tied in a tight braid, coiled around her neck and secured.

Rain started to say, “I don't think that...”

I interrupted, “We would be honored to count you among our party.”

She stood and stepped between Ranelle and I. Her chin was up in proud defiance as she glared at the crowd, daring them to say anything.

Rain looked at me in mild surprise and approval on her face as she addressed the crowd. “The Greva is complete. We will depart immediately.”

The crowd roared and various men brought four saddled horses forward, with bedrolls and supplies.

The three women stepped to the horses that were obviously their own, their familiarity and ease of mounting was evident. The fourth was brought to Roman. He had a pang of... sorrow? As she accepted the horse and mounted. I felt for the man, he had said he had ridden his horse to its end just last night.

Ranelle sidled her mare to me and offered a hand down apologetically. “It looks like you are stuck with me, or we can fetch you a horse. Sora Celeste took yours, most likely to make sure you stayed here, the only horse they left behind was her stubborn monster that will allow none to ride it. It's the size of a wagon.”

I smirked, thoroughly entertained by the fact that so many couldn't believe that I rode the great Percheron.

There was some noise and people moved aside, I had to grin as Eli stepped forward, leading my beautiful Goliath. He looked so intimidating towering over the other horses, midnight black with the white blaze on his muzzle. Eli gave me a little bow and I ruffled his hair and he darted off, blushing.

I looked up at a confused Gypsy leader and I was emboldened and winked then jumped to snag the pommel of the saddle with my silk gloved hand and smoothly mounted him. I patted the side of his neck as I told her, “Goliath is mine.”

She chuckled as I settled in, adjusting the leather glove on my left hand. She said as the crowd started parting to make way for us, “You look silly up there Mother Laney.”

I cocked an eyebrow at her and urged Goliath forward with my legs. He reared slightly and we went thundering off toward the east, his hoofs striking the ground like blacksmith's hammers. I heard her explode in her characteristic hearty laughter as the broke out in pursuit after me.

I was grinning as I leaned forward across my boy's neck. My hand seeking the loose reins. I didn't need them, Goliath and I were so in tune, but it was a force of habit to hold them loosely in my hand. I exploded from the wagons and the cheering crowd and onto a forest trail.

I grinned as I could hear the hoof beats of the pursuing horses falling farther and farther behind. Ranelle called out with humor in her voice, “Alright you silly Sora, you've made your point!”

I slowed to a trot and let them catch up. Ranelle slid in on my right, and Sarafine on my left, our archers trailing. The women both had amused smirks on their faces.

Rain said, “I see more and more how you captured Celeste's heart, Laney.”

I felt my cheeks warming at that, and the thought of my Lady Knight.

Then I blinked, she used my name instead of the silly titles that she used when others were around. Maybe our group of five the... what did they call it, the Greva? Maybe among our Greva it was ok. I asked in curiosity in English, “What's a Greva?”

She screwed up her face and thought a moment, she looked past me to Sarafine, who furrowed her brow and said, “I do not know the English equivalent.”

The Great Mother nodded at her then looked at me and tried to explain, “It is, how you say, a strike team? It is an elite group of five that performs a specific mission.”

I nodded, understanding now, and supplied, “A task force.”

She smiled and nodded as she said, “Yes, a task force.”

I turned to the woman who had beaten me so badly just the other day and asked in curiosity, “Why did you volunteer? I'm glad you are here, I am just curious, you didn't seem to approve of me before.”

She looked at me like I were daft and switched back to the tongue of the people. “With Mother Udele gone, you are my Mother. I will defend you till my dying breath,” she said it like it was obvious.

I blinked and she spoke with strained patience, “I challenged you because I was prompted to. I was told you did not respect the way of the people. I believed that, you being an Altii. But you would not fight... All Altii are violent, yet you did not even defend yourself. I still don't fully trust you, but you defeated me with peace, so I accept you as my Mother, born out in combat.”

I exhaled, the more I learned about the Gypsies, the more confused I got. I just nodded and just said, “Thank you Sarafine.”

She just nodded once, “Sara, Mother.”

I inclined my head then said, “Laney.” I turned back to the archers and said, “Laney,” again to let them know it applied to all.

The two smirking Gypsies said in unison, “Yes, Mother.”

I growled and rolled my eyes at them then said, “If you're going to insist on it then I prefer Sora. Mother Udele yet lives.”

They inclined their heads, trying to hide those persistent smirks.

I turned to Ranelle and asked, “Are all Mountain Gypsies smart asses?”

She got a sly look on her face and said, “Seeing as how you are one of us, then I would have to say yes.”

The group laughed as I retorted, “Smart ass.” I had to grin.

We turned to the trail as Sara pulled ahead to lead. I craned my neck up to look at Heaven's Gate in wonder. I would never have believed just two years hence that I would have ever laid my eyes on such an awe-inspiring sight. It humbled me, looking upon such majesty. Nature was capable of so much more than mankind could ever hope to attain.

This was the mountain that breathed life into the Lower Ten. Its sheer size was almost impossible to imagine. Its base was almost the size of an entire realm. Four of the Lower Ten overlapped that great base. Wexbury, Perth Hollow, Defiance, and Solomon. No man has ever climbed the peak, many have died in the attempt of what they call hypoxia. The air gets so thin that they essentially suffocate.

Ranelle said in a reverent tone when she followed my gaze, “Father Stone truly is incredible.”

I just nodded and noticed that we had only been riding an hour, higher and higher into the peaks, and the air was much cooler and the air was thinner. I looked at the pass we were heading to just a mile ahead, and maybe another thousand feet in elevation. It was covered in snow still, even in the summer.

We paused and circled widely around the carcass of a horse that had been stripped to the bone by predators. I looked back and Roman bowed his head to it as we passed. I felt for the man. To lose a friend like that to bring word to his people of his Mother's plight.

We broke the treeline about when we hit the snow. It was hard packed and crunched under our horse's hooves. Not like the heavy, fluffy stuff I first saw in the Whispering Walls above Treth on our way to Far Reach. I imagined it would be much different in winter. Most likely impassible.

We weaved through jagged rock formations that seemed frosted like confections the bakers made for special occasions at the Keep. The path was cleared of snow down to the stone, ground smooth from centuries of traffic. I'd have to ask about that sometime. Did the Mountain Gypsies maintain all the trails? Duke Frederick had implied that once.

We passed under a great ice arch, maybe fifty feet across at the crest of the pass. I looked up to the peak of Heaven's Gate, we had passed through the low misty clouds a while back. This summit in the range wasn't even a third of the way up the mammoth mountain.

I slowed and moved over to the arch and gazed at it, it was almost translucent, the sunlight causing prisms of color within it. It seemed to glow an eerie blue. I knew this one, I had read a book about crystals, and refraction. Blue was the color not stripped out of the light spectrum in this ice. It was an almost magical effect.

Ranelle prompted, “Touch it.”

I pulled off my left glove and ran my fingers across the smooth glass-like surface. My fingers went numb quickly like my nose and cheeks were, without the runes on the leather to keep the cold at bay. I turned and smiled at the four who were looking at me oddly. I said, “It is so smooth.”

Roman asked, “Have you not seen a glacier before, Sor... Laney?”

I shook my head and explained, “I had never really been far from Wexbury Keep my entire life, it was but two years ago I first ventured to the Whispering Walls.”

Then I turned back to look at the wall of ice and took it in, it seemed to stretch up Heavens Gate to disappear into the snow. It was immense. Ranelle said, “There are seven on Father Stone and dozens sprinkled about the highest peaks in the lands.”

I nodded and we started moving again. She said to the group, “We will stop for midday meal once we can conceal ourselves back under the treeline.”

We all nodded and started down the twisting path on the back side of the Whispering Walls beside a stream that quickly became a river. It would be a grand adventure if the situation were not so dire. This was yet another part of the habitable lands that I had not set foot in, the Backside. The name the Western Realms gave to the other side of the mountains.

We traveled deep into the trees in a valley between peaks, I could see another ridge ahead of us. Sara fell back and gave me a little smirk. “If you have not seen a glacier, have you not laid eyes on the Great Sea?”