James West - Shadow and Steel

Leitos’s eyebrows shot up. “You think these Fauthians used these Powers of Creation?”

“With words alone,” Adham said, “they healed a deadly wound, and brought a man back from the brink of death.” He paused long enough to lock eyes with his son. “In your heart, do you really believe they used only words?”

“I do not understand,” Leitos said.

Adham leaned back on an elbow, twisting a little so no one could see his face. “The Fauthians began chanting,” he said in a low voice, “and straight away, I felt a terrible exhaustion melt my bones. It was all I could do to plop down on my backside, instead of pitching over and planting my head in the sand. You, me, all of us ended up sprawled on the beach, caught in a delirium, while those Fauthians went about their work. But I ask you, since when can words heal a man, while at the same time make anyone nearby fall into a deathly slumber?”

Leitos shook his head.

“My mother told me a story once, about how Prince Varis took her captive, intending to make her into his pleasure slave. Ellonlef resisted his efforts to drain the life from her flesh, but she was only able do so because Kian had inadvertently passed some of the energies from the Well of Creation into her, when he restored her life after a cave-in.”

“I mean no disrespect,” Leitos said, “but what does one have to do with the other?”

Adham cast a glance over his shoulder, studied the Fauthians a moment, then looked back. In a lower voice than before, he said, “My mother told of a strange weakness coming over her when Varis tried to drain her of her life.”

“Are you saying that what she felt, and what we felt, is the same thing?”

“Exactly the same. As soon as I felt my life draining away, I remembered that story. As we have the blood of Kian and Ellonlef in our veins, I believed I could resist. I tried, my son, but failed. Perhaps I recognized it too late to make a difference, or maybe these Fauthians are stronger than Varis ever was. Either way, I’m sure they have somehow harnessed the Powers of Creation, which were flung far and wide when Prince Varis destroyed the Well of Creation, and freed the Mahk’lar upon all the world.”

“We have to tell Ba’Sel,” Leitos said. Changelings, Alon’mahk’lar, Mahk’lar, a man could fight such creatures, but the Powers of Creation, once wielded by the Three, was too great a force to contend with.

Adham caught his wrist. “Do you think Ba’Sel is the man you should tell?”

Leitos hesitated. Ba’Sel would probably dismiss the warning out of hand, or he would suggest that they show courtesy, and do what they could to avoid provoking the Fauthians. Ulmek, on the other hand, would draw his sword and attack…. Or would he?

“Ba’Sel will not understand,” Leitos said, getting to his feet. “Ulmek will, but he could react in a way that gets us all killed.”

Adham offered a devilish grin. “If we are to die this day, then let us be about it with courageous hearts.”

With a deep sigh, Leitos made his way toward Ulmek. One of the Fauthians glanced his way, but Leitos kept on, moving with no great haste. The Fauthian turned back to his companions.

When Leitos reached Ulmek’s side, the man gave him a searching look. “What troubles you?”

“We are in danger,” Leitos said. “These Fauthians are more than they appear, and I believe they are dangerous.”

“Ba’Sel does not think so,” Ulmek said, his expression sour.

“Ba’Sel is wrong,” Leitos said, then quickly told Ulmek the story his father had just passed on. He finished by advising, “We must get away from these Fauthians.”

Ulmek surprised Leitos by clapping a hand on his shoulder. “We will, little brother. But, as you can see, we have no way to escape. For the time being, we will let them play the generous hosts. Who knows, we might learn something from them that can be used against the Faceless One.”

“What of Ba’Sel?”

Now Ulmek’s face hardened. “He is still our leader. Much as I disagree with him, I trust him with my life.” When he said this, Leitos noticed a flicker of doubt cross his face. It vanished as quickly as seen. “Our task is to stay alive long enough to let him come around.”

“But what if he does not?” Leitos hated asking.

“He will,” Ulmek said with more surety than Leitos felt. He gazed across the beach to the Fauthian leader. “However, should the worst happen, be prepared to fight.”

Before he could say anymore, Adu’lin caught everyone’s attention, and motioned for them to join his group.

“As I warned you before,” the Fauthian leader said, “these are dangerous lands. All the more so after nightfall. That is when the Yatoans are at their worst, raiding at will, slaughtering anyone they find not of their clans. No place is safe-save Armala, our city,” he said, pointing at the mist-shrouded mountain peaks.

“A long journey,” Ulmek said, “when half the day is already gone.”

Adu’lin nodded. “All the more reason to make haste. If we leave within the hour, we can reach Armala by dusk. That is,” he added with a challenging grin, “if you Geldainians can keep up with us?” A few derisive hoots met this, and Adu’lin’s grin widened.

Ba’Sel quieted the men with a curt gesture. “What of the Kelrens?”

Adu’lin glanced at the bound slavers, as if noticing them for the first time. “Bring them along, of course. Perhaps, in time, we can tame the hearts of these brutes.” He did not mention what would happen if that plan failed. “Now go, friends, and gather what you will for the journey.”

Before Leitos could join his father, Ulmek pulled him aside, and pressed a near empty haversack into his arms. “Keep this with you at all times, little brother, and guard it with your life. For now, keep your head down, play the submissive slave-I’m sure you remember how. I will tell a few of the others to do the same.”

“Can you do the same?” Leitos asked doubtfully.

“Absolutely not,” Ulmek said. “My role in this game is to do everything I can to keep these Fauthians focused on me and a few others. I will present myself as a potential threat. That will give you more freedom to be my eyes and ears.”

Leitos had never played the spy, but he was glad that someone amongst the Brothers had some kind of plan. “Agreed,” he said, studying the edge of the forest. He saw a faint flicker, and then a shape, there and gone in a blink. Startled, sure he had seen a face peering at him, he searched the forest, but it had vanished.

“Something wrong?” Ulmek asked.

Leitos considered telling Ulmek what he had seen, but instead held his tongue. With all that talk of the Yatoans, he had probably just imagined a person watching them.

After they set out, moving at a fast trot along a stone-paved trail that led deep into the damp green forest, Leitos kept seeing that face in his mind, and began to think it was not something conjured from his imagination. As the day waned and the party climbed higher, he wondered why that face had seemed so familiar.

Belina streaked through the sun-dappled forest, leaping fallen logs and narrow brooks, scampering up and over moss-covered boulders, tearing down faint trails hung with vines and creepers. She did not give in to the aching burn in her chest until after she had caught hold of a hidden rope, and swung across a plunging gorge.

She landed on the far side, secured the rope among hanging vines, and flung herself down. Gasping and looking up through the dense foliage, she saw only quaking leaves alight with the vibrant red and orange glimmers of sunset. Dusk’s first bats took the place of chattering birds, and wheeled and fluttered after insects. Even those things she barely noticed, her mind fixed on the young man she had seen on the beach.