Jean Lorrah - Wulfston's odyssey

Julia’s powers, while impressive for so young a Reader, could not extend far out to sea. So Wulfston went to waken Zanos and Astra, for Astra was a Magister Reader who would be taking the tests for the Master level someday soon. If necessary, she could leave her body to Read for the ship, a skill Julia was not quite old enough to begin learning.

By this time, Zanos and Astra had been wakened by their servants and had cleansed the effects of the drug from their own bodies. When Wulfston told them what had happened, Astra said, “You think they kidnapped Lenardo? Why would they do that?”

“They drugged us,” said Zanos. “I wouldn’t put anything past people who would do that-and then steal a man away from his family.” He picked up the sword which lay ready beside his bed, ready to set out to Lenardo’s rescue.

“First find out if he’s on that ship,” said Wulfston.

“Of course.” Astra concentrated, her rmsband standing guard while her attention was elsewhere. While Astra was typically Aventine, tall and slender, with dark hair and eyes, Zanos was Maduran-a huge, red-haired man a head taller than Wulfston, with the well-developed body of a gladiator.

That had been his profession, but he was far from the stereotype of the stupid warrior. Still, Zanos was an uncomplicated man, strong in his loyalties, devoted to his wife, and determined when he set his mind to something.

Zanos and Astra were here as representatives of Lilith, a

Lady Adept whose lands lay several days’ ride to the north. Hers were the border lands, where there was still the danger of attack from those who sought to test the vulnerability of the unwieldy amalgam of former Aventine Empire and savage lands.

Had it not been for Zanos and Astra, Lilith would have lost her castle to marauders three years ago, when she and her son were away helping their allies to the south. Thus Lilith was determined to stay home now, because she had promised Aradia that later, when she came close to her time, Lilith would come to see her through the birth of her first child.

Wulfston watched Zanos and Astra, wishing again that he could Read-if only just as well as Zanos or Aradia, for even the smallest ability allowed one to “listen in,” as it were, to a stronger Reader. Thus Zanos would be Reading through Astra now, as he stood by her protectively. He would know at once what she found out about Lenardo, while Wulfston had to wait impatiently for them to tell him.

Finally Astra cried, “I’ve found the ship. Lenardo is on board. He is locked in the hold, but he’s still asleep. I couldn’t waken him. Sukuru has added Adept sleep to the effects of the drug.”

“Mawort damn them to the torture pit!” said Zanos. “Lord Wulfston, I’m ready to help you rescue Lord Lenardo. Astra?”

“Of course,” she replied. “How soon can you get a ship ready, my lord? With the Adept power we can command we’ll soon overtake them. The important thing is not to let them get out of Reading range, since we don’t know where in Africa they’re going.”

“Just let me get my hands on that Sukuru,” muttered Zanos, and Wulfston recognized that he was controlling fury. For a moment he didn’t understand Zanos’ concern over a man who was only an acquaintance, but then he remembered that the gladiator had been stolen from his own homeland as a child and, like Wulfston’s own parents, sold into slavery in the Aventine Empire. There he had been trained to fight in the arena, forced to earn again the freedom he had been born to.

“I’ll call for a ship,” said Wulfston, and hurried downstairs. Jareth was now awake and alert, and he set the man to making arrangements while he went to tell Aradia-

“Most excellent lord.”

Wulfston whirled at the soft voice speaking from a shadowed alcove.

The veiled woman, Chulaika, stood with her child huddled against her.

“You! What is the meaning of this?” Wulfston demanded.

“I have stayed to guide you, most excellent Lord,” she replied firmly, although he could see the fear behind the determination in her eyes. “You will need my help during your long journey to Africa.”

“So!” he breathed. “Sukuru kidnapped Lenardo in order to force me into your conflict with Z’Nelia. Well, you’ve underestimated us, woman! Lenardo’s not our only good Reader. We’ve already found the ship, and we’ll catch up with it by sundown.”

“Begging your pardon, Lord Wulfston, but you will not. You will need my guidance to find Sukuru-and to rescue your sister’s husband.”

“Never mind,” he said impatiently. “Go pack your things. You’re going with us, so I can hand you back to Sukuru. And frankly, I don’t care what he does with you!”

As he turned away from her, Chulaika said, “Pack for a journey, Lord Wulfston. If you do not, you will find yourself in a far country with naught but the clothes on your back.”

Wulfston quickly dressed for travel, but he wasn’t fast enough to avoid Aradia. She came into his room as he was turning his small private coffer out onto the bed. There were enough gold and silver coins to buy anything he might need, should Chulaika’s warning prove true.

Aradia wore a serviceable light woolen gown in her favorite violet, which matched her eyes. Her hair was braided and bound simply about her head, and she carried a hooded cloak. “Hurry, Wulfston,” she said, sounding just the way she had when they were children. “We don’t want to miss the tide!”

“Aradia-”

“I’m going with you.”

“No, you’re not, ‘ he told her firmly.

“Wulfston, it’s my husband they’ve taken!”

“And that’s his child you’re carrying/’ he countered. “You were fortunate that the drug did not harm the baby- for Sukuru still let you drink it after he knew you were pregnant. You don’t know what these people are capable of if they have no care for the health of an unborn babe. Will you be as careless as they are? Will you take your child into the midst of Adept conflict?”

“I can take care of my baby and myself,” Aradia insisted. Not wanting to argue, Wulfston turned away from her angry glare and began putting the coins into a leather pouch.

Suddenly his muscles went stiff, as Aradia sought to prove her strength by controlling him. He should have expected it, it was something she had often done to win an argument when they were children. Her powers had always been superior, as she was five years older than he.

But this time it took only a moment’s concentration for Wulfston to shake off Aradia’s Adept hold.

He turned swiftly, showing her plainly that her strength was waning with her pregnancy. “You see?

Aradia, you just don’t have your full powers right now.”

But as he saw tears spring to her eyes he moved quickly to comfort her. “Please… we both know it’s best that you stay here. J know it won’t help for me to tell you not to worry, but I promise you this: I will bring Lenardo back to you, safe and sound. I swear it!”

Captain Laren, owner of the Night Queen , had more than a few objections to his ships being pressed into service as a pursuit vessel. But he needed continued use of Dragon’s Mouth for his merchant business, so a deal was quickly struck.

Wulfston boarded ship with Zanos, Astra, and a number of his own people. Even old Huber, a grizzled warrior who was a water talent, volunteered for the mission. Wulfston put Chulaika and her son in the boat in which he was rowed out to the Night Queen -just in time to sail with the tide.

“You see?” he told her. “My people always work together. We’ll easily catch up to Sukuru, and trade you for Lenardo.”

“You will see,” was all the woman would say from under her veil.