The Seer (47 page)

Fabian waited
patiently until she was finished, ‘I’m going to find Gleacher and confront him
about his dealings with Malachi.  And I don’t want you to listen to either
of our thoughts until the conversation is over.’

Mistral
frowned, ‘No Sight?’

Fabian nodded;
his expression completely serious.

‘But,
why?  Surely you want me to know if he’s telling the truth?’

‘I will know
if he’s lying.  This is about truth, not Sight.  If he asks, I need
to be able to respond truthfully that no, you’re not reading either of
us.  This conversation must be honest and open.’

Mistral
shrugged, ‘Fine by me.  I wouldn’t want to read Gleacher anyway.  He
doesn’t look like he’d be much fun.’

Fabian gave
her a hard look, ‘Then I have your word that you will not listen in on our
thoughts?’

Mistral
nodded.  Left with nothing else to do, she dropped back down onto the
pillow with a yawn.  ‘Just come back and wake me up when you’re done.’

Fabian smiled and
kissed her before leaving the cabin quietly.  Mistral closed her eyes and
tried to recapture the dream she’d been having.  After several minutes of
trying and failing she sat up with a sigh.  It was no good; the sunlight
was just too bright.  It glowed through her closed eyelids with an
irritating persistency that burned away the last of her sleepiness.  She
gazed longingly out of the portholes at the light sparkling on the sea. 
It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.  A strong breeze was already
rippling across the water, coaxing the waves into foaming white crests. 
She looked around the cabin, feeling suddenly restless.  Without the lure
of Fabian’s presence the small room felt stifling.

Deciding to go
and visit her horse, Mistral leapt from the bed and reached for her
clothes.  The corridor outside the cabin was empty.  She hurried
along it and climbed the ladder down into the hold.  It was dark and warm,
the steady creaking motion of the ship gentle rather than nauseating. 
Cirrus and Spirit were both calmly tugging at nets of hay in their
stalls.  One of the crew had obviously already tended to them that morning
as they both had clean stalls and fresh water.  With no mucking out or
feeding to do Mistral spent a few minutes petting her horse, but he wasn’t
particularly interested in her so she decided to take a walk on deck and enjoy
some fresh air.

Climbing back
up to the living quarters Mistral stepped off the ladder and walked along to
the next one, attached to the mast running up through the centre of the
ship.  There were several heavy coils of rope piled neatly in the open
space around the base of the ladder; it was obviously used as some sort of
storage space by the crew.  Stepping carefully past them Mistral climbed
up the ladder and opened the hatch above to inhale a deep breath of the fresh
salty air.  She was just about to clamber out onto the deck when two
voices carried to her on the breeze.  Mistral instantly froze.  They
were unmistakably those of Fabian and Gleacher.  Her curiosity was
instantly aroused.  Fabian had told her not to See, but he hadn’t said
anything about good old-fashioned eavesdropping.

Glancing
around, Mistral knew it was too risky to stay where she was.  She could be
caught too easily, either by them, or another crew member walking along the
corridor below her.  Lifting herself up she peeked cautiously out of the
hatch and immediately spotted Fabian walking with Gleacher along the deck, both
with their backs to her.  Seizing her opportunity, Mistral looked quickly
around for a hiding place but couldn’t see anywhere suitable on the open
expanse of deck.  Cursing quietly she glanced up and saw that the ladder
she was holding onto continued up the mast to the crow’s nest, a dizzying long
way above her.  It would be the perfect place to hide ... if she could
just get up there unnoticed.  Using the ladder’s rungs to lever her boots
off, Mistral let them drop silently onto the coiled rope below then began to
climb the ladder, not daring to look down until she’d hauled herself into the
crow’s nest.

Safe at the
top, Mistral huddled in the bottom of the barrel-shaped lookout, expecting at
any moment to hear Fabian’s voice demanding for her to come down.  But no
angry shouts came and after a few minutes she relaxed; it seemed as though her
climb had gone unnoticed, now all she needed to do was listen in on what they
were saying.  Feeling a slither of excitement at the prospect of
discovering exactly what Malachi had been blackmailing Gleacher with for so
long, Mistral moved into a crouch and slowly raised herself up to peer over the
edge.

The scrubbed
wooden planks of the deck stretched out before her, met at their edge by a
limitless expanse of grey-blue sea, broken here and there by the brilliant
white crest of a wave.  She could clearly see Fabian and Gleacher stood at
the prow of the ship with their backs to her.  They abruptly turned and
began to walk along the deck towards the centre of the ship.  Mistral
ducked down swiftly and sat with her back pressed against the curved sides of
the lookout, straining her ears to catch their conversation.  Fabian’s
voice carried brokenly to her on the breeze, his disjointed words growing
clearer as they drew closer to the mast.  

‘No need …
everything we require.  However … request for you to remain with the ship
and keep it prepared for a swift departure.’

Gleacher’s
response was stiff, ‘I was not aware that this Contract held any particular
urgency.’

‘No.’ Fabian
agreed.  ‘However we shall also be taking care of a second matter which
may entail us having to leave with some haste.’

‘A second
Contract?’  Gleacher’s tone became sharp.  ‘Why was I not made aware
of this?  Or does my position as Contracts Officer to the Ri mean nothing
to you De Winter?’

‘It is
business of a confidential nature, not a Contract.’

‘Is Leo aware
that you are endangering the Ri’s Seer on a personal whim?’

‘Leo is aware
of my actions, as is my wife.’  Fabian replied icily. 

Mistral could
hear in Gleacher’s voice that he was taken aback.  ‘Leo is aware?  He
didn’t mention it to me!’

‘Perhaps he
feels that it would no longer be wise to inform you of all his
decisions.’  Fabian’s voice was like silk on steel, his implication clear;
Leo no longer trusted Gleacher. 

A silence
fell, Mistral dared to peep over the top of the lookout again to see the two
figures facing each other, both completely motionless.  She quickly
crouched down again, listening intently.

‘You dare to
question my loyalty?’  Gleacher asked in a dangerously quiet voice. 

Mistral
couldn’t see Fabian’s face, but she guessed from Gleacher’s angry reaction that
his expression had suggested exactly that.

‘You forget
yourself Mage!  What gives you the right?’

‘I have the
same right as every other apprentice who’s risked their lives on Training
Contracts issued by you to line Malachi’s pockets!  Did you think Leo
wasn’t aware that you were using the apprentices to obtain ingredients for
illegal potions?  Or that you were then smuggling the finished potions off
the Isle under the cover of foreign mercenary work?  I hope you’ve been
well recompensed for such betrayal Gleacher!  Apprentices trust you! 
Warriors revere you!  And this is how you repay them?  Trading their
respect for money?’

‘I took no
coin from Malachi!’  Gleacher snarled contemptuously.    

‘Then perhaps
you should explain your actions!  The trade in illegal potions may have
halted but I am certain the hold Malachi has on you still exists.  Just
where do your loyalties lie Gleacher?  The contest for the right to Rule
as Divinus is between Leo and Malachi; how will you stand?’

Gleacher did
not reply and Mistral risked another glance at them.  They were glaring at
each other, barely inches apart, their bodies rigid with tension.  Mistral
heard the faint sigh of Fabian’s voice in her ear and resisted the urge to
listen in on his thoughts; she had promised, and for once she was determined to
stick to her word. 

‘My loyalties
lie with Leo, as they always have and always will.’  Gleacher finally
said. 

‘Then can we
expect your support during his campaign?’  

‘No.’

Another
strained silence fell.  Mistral gritted her teeth and battled the desire
to cut short the tense process and just listen in on Gleacher’s thoughts. 
Why wouldn’t he support Leo if he claimed to be loyal to him?  It didn’t
make sense.

‘I think you
should explain!’  Fabian demanded shortly and Mistral instantly recognised
the icy edge in his voice; he was losing his temper.

Mistral saw
Gleacher’s shoulders move as he drew in a deep breath.  ‘It is not an easy
matter to discuss,’ he said quietly.  ‘It concerns Leo’s birth right.’

Fabian
instantly froze and Mistral held her breath.  Did Malachi and Gleacher
know that Leo was Mage Grapple’s son?  Was that the secret Malachi had
been blackmailing Gleacher with?  If he did, Leo’s campaign to be the next
Divinus was over before it had begun.  There was no way the warriors would
elect the son of Mage Grapple to be their Divinus.

‘Leo is an
orphan.  No-one knows his birth right.  That knowledge died with his
nursemaid.’  Fabian said flatly.

‘The identity
of Leo’s parents may be unknown, but their race is not.’  Gleacher
retorted sharply.  ‘Leo has the Craft, he is a full-blooded Mage.’

Fabian’s
statue-like stance relaxed slightly and Mistral exhaled in relief.  ‘And
you know this how?’  Fabian asked coldly. 

Mistral
watched Gleacher turn to look out over the grey sea, making her strain to catch
his words.  ‘Leo was a lonely child, by his own choosing.  He was
aloof and hostile towards the other children and they quickly gave up trying to
befriend him.  I admit that I felt compassion for him and spent more time
with him than my duties as Training Captain strictly required. 

‘In many ways,
Leo reminded me of myself.’  Gleacher admitted in a more thoughtful
voice.  ‘I assumed that he had elven blood too, his fair looks and blue
eyes were indicative of the race, as was his serious nature.  Even as a
small boy he was fascinated with weaponry and would ask me endless questions
about training styles and different types of swords.  As soon as he was
old enough to handle a sword we would drill together for hours in the Training
Room, sometimes until late into the night.  Leo was driven, almost
fanatical in his desire to be the best.  It is a trait that lingers within
him still. 

‘During one of
our training sessions he challenged me.  It was only natural; Leo was an
exceptionally talented swordsman even then, and filled with the arrogance of
youth.  He was keen to prove that he had become more skilled than his
tutor.’

Gleacher paused
and stared silently out to sea; Mistral battled her impatience and waited for
him to continue. 

‘Of course, I
was forced to best him.  His pride was injured and he lost his temper and
with it his control over the power that lives within him.  The Craft
exploded out of him and struck me with a force that flung me across the
room.  I was deeply shocked by the strength of his power and could see
that he was too.  We agreed not to speak of it, and never have. 
Unfortunately Malachi had been passing on his way to the library and smelt the
ozone signature of Leo’s spell.  He questioned me relentlessly about the
incident, and although I never admitted the truth to him, he suspects enough to
endanger everything that Leo has worked so hard all to achieve.’

Gleacher
paused again and drew in a deep breath to continue in a voice so quiet that
Mistral had to almost lean out of the lookout to catch his words.

‘You are
correct Mage De Winter; I have allowed Malachi to use the apprentices for fear
that if I did not he would denounce Leo as a Mage and have him cast out of the
Ri.  I could not let that happen.  Not only was the Valley the only
home Leo had ever known, it was his last resort.  Without the sanctuary of
the Ri where would he go?’

‘Admirable
sentiments Gleacher.’  Fabian said softly.  ‘However, you freely
admit to allowing apprentices to risk their lives for the financial gain of
Malachi Nox, which is considerably less noble.’ 

Gleacher’s
voice rose in anger, ‘I gave great consideration to what I agreed to do! 
Do not think I did was ignorant to the risk I was placing my charges
under!  If I had not bent to Malachi’s will, not only would he have
revealed Leo’s true bloodline, but he would have found a way to have me removed
too and install a Contracts Officer more susceptible to his schemes.  I
reasoned that I would at least be aware of the extra requirements he placed on
certain Contracts and only offer them to apprentices I considered to have
enough ability to safely complete them.  And as for being responsible for
smuggling the finished potions off the Isle.’  Gleacher concluded in a
hard voice.  ‘Yes, I was exactly that; responsible. 

‘If I had
refused, Malachi would simply have bribed one of the more gullible apprentices
into performing the task.  But if I carried the goods and was caught then
it would be me that faced the death penalty, not one of my apprentices. 
And that, Mage De Winter, was the justification I have used to help me live
with my actions all these years.’ 

Fabian did not
respond and for a few moments there was only the sound of waves breaking
against the wooden sides of the ship and the snap of the sails.  Mistral
watched Fabian turn away from Gleacher and walk over to lean his hands against
the rails.  He stood there for a while, staring out across the sea. 
After a brief tussle with her conscience she called up the vision of his aura,
reasoning that he’d only told her not to listen to his thoughts but hadn’t said
anything about looking at them.