Lord Raptor smiled. "I will expect you to join me at Raptors' Keep," he said. "We have plans to make."
"I will be there before the next full moonrise."
Lord Raptor donned the hooded robe in a jaunty manner and started down the travel gate. It was set at the quarter mark, so he hadn't far to go. About halfway to the exit, it occurred to him that his co-conspirator had not said which moonrise. He had half turned, when he felt it; a strange pulling sensation, as if half of him wanted to go one way and half the other. The feeling grew stronger.
"What the Seven Hells?"
Someone was changing the gate's settings! Didn't they realize he was still in the gate? He looked back and could clearly see two people watching him. He looked forward; the exit was just as far away.
The feeling had become pain.
"No!" He shouted.
Which way to go? Were they doing it on purpose? He started to run. His muscles were like rubber bands, stretched to the snapping point. He was being pulled in half. He screamed and screamed, but no sound came out of his tortured throat.
His mind, of course, was the last part of him to die.
CHAPTER 35
The next day, all that remained of Ja'Nil's wound was a thin white scar on her right cheek. "Your badge of courage," Princess Lil'Li had called it.
Ee'Rick and Ja'Nil waited for the Princess in her private office, much smaller and more business-like than yesterday's Council Chamber. The Princess, dressed in subdued shades of white, in mourning for her mother, entered. Two council members, the Cloud Person who had sat at her right hand side yesterday and the Earth Person of military carriage and piercing eyes, accompanied her. Ja'Nil and Ee'Rick bowed.
"I make known to you my two Regents," she said to them. "Xi'Lef, she indicated the older man, the Cloud Person, and Ei'Luj," pointing to the woman, the Earth Person.
They both nodded to Ee'Rick and Ja'Nil.
The Princess seated herself behind her desk and indicated the others should also sit. "Obilon Ee'Rick," she said, "We are anxious to resume diplomatic relations with your people."
Ee'Rick smiled politely. "I'm willing to talk, Your Highness, but all final decisions rest with my father and his council."
"We are aware of that. Shall we meet tomorrow to begin our talks?"
"Agreed."
The Princess then grinned, which made her look a lot less daunting, and turned her attention to Ja'Nil. "Tell me, Ja'Nil of the Fisherfolk. Was that really the Thread of Truth?"
Ja'Nil shrugged. "It came from Lady Fayre's ring. She said she was wiring your mother the truth."
"Pity Lord Raptor was too frightened to lie," said Ei'Luj, the Earth Person. "I would have liked to see his head severed from his neck."
Ja'Nil decided not to mention that the wire had gotten wet and there was a good chance it wouldn't have worked.
"I am especially in your debt, Ja'Nil," said the Princess. "Please tell me how I can reward your services to Cancordia and to me."
About to deny any need for a reward, Ja'Nil stopped and thought about it. There really were two things she wanted. "A Healer for my village," she said.
"You will return to your village? I thought to offer you a place here at court. Cancordia needs advisors who are brave and intelligent, and who I know have the best interests of Cancordia in their heart. You will always be welcome here,"
"I'm due for my adult ritual," said Ja'Nil, very conscious that Ee'Rick was watching her.
"I would be pleased to sponsor you here in the palace," offered the Princess.
Ja'Nil hesitated. She wasn't even sure that the merchandise in her aunt's cottage was enough to pay the priests for her ritual, and here the Princess - soon to be Queen - of Cancordia, was offering to sponsor her. How could she refuse?
So she listened in some disbelief as her own mouth opened and her own voice said, "Thank you, but I am of the Fisherfolk. I want to celebrate the ritual in my own village."
And it felt so right.
"Then you shall have your Healer by tomorrow."
"Thank you. There is one other thing, Your Highness. The other reason I came to Cordia was to find the father of three children that are staying at Redbird Keep."
The Princess looked at Ei'Luj.
"Give me his name and any other information you have," said the Earth Person. "He will be found."
"Vast," said Ja'Nil happily. Now all I have to do is find my way home.
There was the sound of chimes and Captain Y'Nota entered. He bowed politely to the Princess and her Regents and nodded to Ja'Nil and Ee'Rick, giving Ee'Rick a long, thoughtful look.
"You have something to report, Captain?" asked the Princess, causing him to forgo his examination of Ee'Rick.
"Lord Raptor's two guards were found dead a few minutes ago, their throats cut."
"What!"
"And Lord Raptor?" asked the Xi'Lef, the Cloud Person.
"He escaped for a short time."
"You have recaptured him?" Xi'Lef's tone was sharp.
"Not exactly. His body was found in the travel gate at the Queen's Audience Chamber," said Y'Nota.
Ei'Luj, the other regent, shuddered. "How did you identify him?" she asked.
"His head was only slightly misshapen. The rest of him was barely recognizable as human. He must have realized what was happening and tried to run back."
"I don't understand," said the Princess.
"He was killed by the gate," Y'Nota said.
Ja'Nil swallowed down her nausea. I knew that thing was a weapon.
"How could…?"
"Someone reoriented the gate while he was in it. A painful death."
"Someone? You mean it was done deliberately?" The Princess looked very pale.
"He was killed by whoever started this insidious rebellion," said Y'Nota bluntly.
The regent Xi'Lef looked sharply at Y'Nota. "What makes you think there was anyone behind Raptor? He seemed to be acting alone."
"For one man acting alone, even someone as influential as Lord Raptor, he managed to do an incredible amount of damage to our country. As far as I'm concerned, his death confirms the certainty of an accomplice."
Xi'Lef lifted a disbelieving green eyebrow. "An accomplice?"
Y'Nota wasn't cowed. "Perhaps even a patron or instigator," he said.
There was an uneasy silence then, "The guards were killed too?" said Princess Lil'Li.
"Aye, they had to be. A witness, even the whisper of a witness, would be too dangerous. This someone is of high rank, your majesty."
The Lil'Li's face paled from light green to almost white. "Will this never end?"
CHAPTER 36
The day was warm and sunny. Both suns rode high in the sky. Two shadows dogged everyone's steps. "A good sign," said the Healer, a Cloud Person in her twenties. Plain and earnest looking, she came with the highest recommendations from her teachers and co-workers. Best of all, she didn't seem to feel slighted at being assigned to a lowly Fisherfolk village.
Ee'Rick had come out to say goodbye. "The Princess is sending you off in style."
Ja'Nil looked around at the strong red and black horses, at the wagons, heavy with luggage and presents. A teacher had also been assigned and she sat on the high seat of one of the wagons engrossed in a book. Uniformed soldiers would accompany them all the way to her village. They would make and break camp along the way, Captain Y'Nota had assured Ja'Nil. She need do nothing but ride her horse in comfort.
Ja'Nil hadn't wanted to tell him that she seldom rode and wasn't at all sure about the comfort part. Y'Nota had saluted her, wished her well, and expressed the desire to visit her village.
"Really?"
"To further our acquaintance," he smiled at her.
She didn't remember what she had mumbled, but she knew she had blushed.
Now here was Ee'Rick, her comfortable travel bud. "It's going to be strange traveling without you," she said to him.
He looked over her caravan and grinned. "I don't think you'll be lonely. You've b
een an interesting traveling companion, Ja'Nil."
"You also, Obilon Ee'Rick."
He looked down at her. "You disapprove?"
"No, of course not," she hesitated for a moment. "The truth is I don't even know what Obilon means."
"It means First Born."
"And your father is the head of you clan?'
"He is."
"So you are like Head of your Clan Presumptive?"
He laughed. "It is not automatic with my people. There are tests and trials. I have two brothers."
"And sisters?"
"None."
"And will your clan stay with Cancordia?"
"A more appropriate question might be: will Cancordia honor its treaties?"
"Then you still don't trust the Princess?"
"There was someone behind Lord Raptor. He's still out there. Who knows if she can keep the throne?"
In spite of herself, Ja'Nil shivered.
Ee'Rick reached out a finger and traced the faint scar on her cheek. "We will meet again, little warrior."
"I'm not so little."
"But definitely a warrior… and soon to be an adult."
"It's been vast meeting you," admitted Ja'Nil. "I mean… a wolf!"
He threw back his head and laughed. "Do you prefer me as a man or a wolf?"
She thought about it. "Well, you're an awfully impressive looking wolf."
"Ah, little warrior."
One of the soldiers came up to them leading a beautiful red and black horse, thankfully on the small side. Ee'Rick helped her to mount. Then he captured one of her hands and raised it to his lips. "I salute you, Ja'Nil." When he released her hand, she placed it lightly on his head, feeling his thick hair.
"You growled at me the last time I touched you," she said.
He looked startled, then grinned. "You scratched me behind my ear."
"It seemed appropriate at the time. Goodbye, Obilon Ee'Rick."
He studied her face. "We will meet again, Ja'Nil. This I promise."
Vast!
The caravan moved out. Ee'rick watched it go, and then turned back to deal with his clan's business.
CHAPTER 37
"Shall I order the trumpets played, Lady Ja'Nil?" asked the officer in charge of escorting her home.
She had told him she wasn't a Lady, but he insisted on using the honorific. He had also insisted on sounding the trumpets at every village and crossroads that they came to in the last five days. This time Ja'Nil put her foot down.
"They know we are coming," she said. "I assure you a caravan of this size and color has not escaped notice. No trumpets."
He all but pouted, but his good humor returned when he started shouting orders about "dressing up that line," whatever that meant. Flags and pendants unfurled. Soldiers sat straighter in their saddles and precisely lined up their horses. Even the teacher put down her book and looked around as they entered the village.
Doors opened. Children ran out into the street, and women stepped down from their stoops, peering at the approaching caravan. Men hurried up from the fields and harbor. The Lodge doors opened and Jo'Oner and several other elders, dressed in their best clothes, stepped out to await the Queen's caravan.
Ja'Nil, riding a beautiful red-striped pony, stopped before them. Behind her she heard the trumpets sing out. There was even a drum roll. Ja'Nil held up her arm, and abruptly the trumpets and drums stopped. The village people crowded closer. She could make out both Sildy and Rog. In fact, the entire village, except those out fishing, was present.
Jo'Oner peered nearsightedly up at her. "Ja'Nil?"
"Yes."
He looked behind her at the soldiers, at the wagons of goods, at the Royal flags and pendants. He looked at the beautiful strong horses, at the teacher up on the wagon seat, at the young Cloud Person woman on a smaller pony, and at her wagon painted brightly with the Healer's Clan markings.
"What's all this?" He seemed bewildered and slightly afraid.
"You sent me on a mission," she reminded him.
"But…?"
She gestured at the Cloud Person. "I have brought the village its Healer."
THE END
The sequel to THE ROAD TO CORDIA will be coming soon. If you want to follow Ja'Nil and Ee'Rick in further Cancordian Adventures visit this website for more information.
www.alisonblakewriter.com
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends