Jean Lorrah - Wulfston's odyssey

Wulfston, Lord Adept of the Savage Empire, stared out at the strange ship approaching his coastline, several miles from the harbor. A merchant vessel by the look of her-so why did he see a one-vessel invasion fleet threatening his shores? A chill that owed nothing to the cool summer evening ran down his spine as the sunset’s crimson painted the ship with shades of blood.

Gulls shrieked their disapproval at a boat being lowered from the anchored ship, the figures boarding it putting the vessels size into perspective. Even from Wulfston’s hilltop vantage point, it appeared huge and imposing.

The bay stallion Wulfston rode whinnied nervously and stamped the ground, snorting a challenge. The Lord Adept patted the beast’s massive neck. “Easy, boy. We’ll go down and see why these Visitors’ are sneaking ashore.”

Urging Storm down the hillside, Wulfston caught from the corner of his eye the flashes of the watchers’

message from a distant peak, reporting to his castle the arrival of the strange ship. He knew they would also report that the Lord of the Land was riding to investigate.

He let Storm choose the path and pace down to the beach. By the time they arrived, the boat was nearing shore. Wulfston counted eight people in it, two rowing, the others staring at him, whispering, pointing-

Cautiously, he braced his Adept powers, ready to call a greeting as soon as they were close enough to hear.

A fist of energy seized his heart!

Intense pain shot down his left arm. He realized, They’re Adepts ! and shoved away the assault with his own powers. Or at least one of them is. But why are they attacking ?

Storm neighed and reared as fire bolts exploded around them. Wulfston leaped from the saddle into a fighting stance, deflecting the bolts sent to consume him. Ignoring pain, he concentrated on the people clambering from the boat. A wave of his hand and three of them collapsed, asleep on the sand.

Two others fanned out in opposite directions to divide his attention, splashing through the shallow surf.

Wulfston dropped the one on the left and was turning toward the other when he realized they were diversions.

A lightning bolt shot from the sky, searing the air about him. He deflected most of its ferocity, but was enveloped in blinding light and Storm’s screams.

His vision cleared while his nostrils flared at the smell of burning meat. Fighting nausea, he concentrated his anger on the tall man standing in the boat. With one urge of fury, he knocked his opponent out of the vessel, into an oncoming wave. A glance to the right dropped the other man unconscious.

Such steady use of his powers was weakening the Lord Adept, but he dared not stop until he had subdued them all. He charged the boat, staggering as the waves pounded at his knees, gambling that he was safe from those watching from the ship.

A veiled woman and a small boy huddled in the bottom of the boat, shaking with fear. Wulfston stared into the woman’s eyes, forgetting everything-

He whirled at the sound of hoofbeats on the sand.

Lenardo and Julia pulled rein on their horses.

Lenardo’s face reflected the grimness Wulfston felt. “Are you all right?” the Lord Reader asked.

Wulfston almost laughed at the question. If anyone could tell instantly whether someone was injured, it was Lenardo.

However, he replied, “Yes, I’m all right,” surprised at the weariness in his tone. “But-”

Storm. The corpse was still smoldering. He shook his head at the senseless loss, and looked around at his captives. The man he had knocked into the water floated face down. He had to be pulled out before he drowned.

Lenardo swung from his horse and, with the ease of an active man in the prime of life, pushed past Wulfston’s weakened efforts to drag the man ashore. Wulfston didn’t have to ask if his attacker was alive; Lenardo would Read his condition and take appropriate action.

But Lenardo was demanding of Wulfston, “Why did you come out here to face these people alone?”

“I didn’t,” Wulfston replied tersely, insistently helping to drag the man ashore by his soggy cloak.

“Well, you must have had some reason to leave a celebration at your own castle and go riding this far south! I should have been Reading-”

“I was… restless,” Wulfston replied slowly, analyzing his memories. “Something… drew me to this place, to these people.”

“But why did they attack you?” Lenardo’s daughter demanded.

“I don’t know, Julia. I don’t even know who they are.”

“You don’t?” the girl asked in a puzzled tone. “But Wulfston, they’re all black-just like you!”

That fact had not escaped Wulfston’s notice, but its significance had. The strange chill touched him again, stronger than before. Why would a shipload of people come, possibly all the way from Africa, to attack the only black Lord Adept in all the Savage Empire?

The answers had to wait until the next day. Some of Wulfston’s guards and servants took the unexpected visitors back to his castle, fed them, healed those who had been injured, and put them all in guest rooms under heavy Adept guard.

Other guards rowed Wulfston and Lenardo to the merchant ship. Speaking in the tongue called Traders Common, Wulfston ordered the Nubian captain and crew to move the ship up the coast into the harbor known as Dragon’s Mouth. Having witnessed the Lord Adept’s powers, they moved quickly to comply.

Interrogating the captain revealed little; the eight who had come ashore were the only passengers, and the tall man named Sukuru-the one Wulfston had knocked into the surf-had hired the ship for this journey, his intentions never stated.

A nod from Lenardo was all the assurance Wulfston needed that the captain was telling the truth.

The moon was high when the two lords finally returned to Castle Blackwolf. Word of the brief battle had already reached everyone there, so the cook had a lavish meal waiting for the Lord of the Land by the time he sat down in the banquet hall.

Though he had eaten dinner a few hours before, the heavy use of his powers made Wulfston feel like a starving man as he rapidly consumed enough food for three.

To eat his meal in peace, he had to fend off a dozen people who wanted to fuss over him.

He succeeded with all but his sister Aradia.

“But why did you go out there in the first place?” she demanded, sitting opposite him at the table.

He looked at her testily. “Aradia, why do you ask when you know I don’t have the answer? Don’t give me that innocent look. I know you and Lenardo were in contact with each other! For the last time, I don’t know why I went riding along the cliffs, leaving a celebration I’m supposed to be hosting. Now, will you please leave me alone?”

Her look of puzzled hurt made him regret his harsh words. What is wrong with me ? he asked himself.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, reaching across the table to touch her hand. “I guess I’m more upset than I want to admit. Especially losing Storm like that.”

She nodded in sympathy. Horses were still a rare and precious commodity in the Savage Empire, making the loss of such a fine stallion particularly acute.

She asked gently, “Do you think that it’s possible that you might have… Read that that ship was there?”

He shook his head. “If I could sense a strange ship several miles away-which neither Lenardo nor Julia did until they started following me-then I should be able to pick up someone’s thoughts nearby. But nothing has changed for me. I don’t know what drew me into that confrontation, but it wasn’t Reading.