Trudi Canavan - The Rogue

Lilia winced. “I don’t think I’m going to have much chance of visiting anybody.”

Anyi’s smile faded. “Well then … we’ll just have to drop in on you.”

Sonea looked from Anyi to Lilia thoughtfully, then turned to Cery. “You and I need to have a little chat.”

He smiled. “Always do. I’m happy to wait until you haven’t got your hands full, and I’m sure the Guild will be keen to have this one back in their hands as soon as possible.” He gestured towards Naki.

Sonea gave him a level look. “Another time, then.”

He nodded, stepped back and waved a hand. “Goodnight, then.”

As the Black Magician stepped away, Anyi patted Lilia on the shoulder. “They’d better treat you right, or I’ll come bust you out myself.”

“I’ll be fine,” Lilia told her, though she wasn’t sure if that was true.

As she joined Sonea, Naki and the other magicians, Cery, Gol and Anyi started toward the warehouse. Then something occurred to Lilia. She’d left the trio stranded there so … “How’d you get down from the beam?” she called after them.

Anyi paused to look back, grinning. “With not as much difficulty and swearing as the others.” Then she disappeared into the shadows, leaving Lilia wondering if she would ever see her rescuer again.

The environment outside Sanctuary had changed so much since Lorkin had last travelled through it that he could imagine the city had been lifted up and deposited in a new place. Everything was covered in snow. It gathered in deep drifts, and clung to rocky slopes. Icicles hung from every overhang and wind-twisted tree.

When they had left the city, Tyvara had blindfolded him and led him out of another secret entrance via a long passage. Once outside, they’d kept to the valleys and avoided the treacherous snow on the ridges, which was likely to slide off under the press of a foot. Their mode of transport was also different. Each of them had a smooth board, curved at the front and with supplies strapped onto the back, used as individual sledges. Sliding downhill was exhilarating, and definitely preferable to hauling the sledges uphill while trudging through the snow.

For three days they had travelled this way, their progress slow but steady. Each night they unrolled the mattresses that were part of a Traitor’s travelling kit and slept under the stars, keeping themselves warm with magic. They talked from time to time, when sledging or the effort of slogging through the snow didn’t prevent them from doing so, but at night they were both too exhausted for conversation.

They had not been travelling long on the third day when the sky darkened and wind began to batter them. Falling snow soon thickened to a whirling curtain that reduced their view to a few paces. Tyvara led him onto a narrow path along a cliff face – more a natural fold in the rock – that led downward. They had to carry the sledges, which made the descent even more precarious. He wondered why Tyvara didn’t stop and find somewhere sheltered to wait out the storm, but before he could call out and suggest it, a cave mouth appeared ahead of them.

They hurried through into darkness. Tyvara paused to create a globe light, revealing a tunnel-like cave. A wall of ice ran along one side. This is probably an overhang that’s been buried , Lorkin thought as he followed Tyvara along the cave. She moved to a flat area and set down her sledge. He dropped his next to hers and sighed with relief.

“We may as well stay here until the weather clears,” she said.

Lorkin nodded in agreement. As Tyvara unrolled their mattresses on the floor, he felt his mood lift. At least they could now spend a little time together, not exhausted or occupied in moving. And it would delay the moment they had to part.

Sitting on his mattress, he busied himself with heating a little water and making some raka. She smiled as he handed her a steaming cup.

“This is the start of a larger valley that stretches down to the Sachakan plains,” she told him. “You’ll be able to make your way down it easily, to the road.”

“So this is as far as you’re going?”

She looked at him, her expression unreadable. “Yes.”

What then? he wondered. Will we ever see each other again? Will she even miss me? A mix of emotions welled up into his throat: longing, doubt, regret, even bitterness. He wanted to somehow convey all of it, but he remembered Chari’s appraisal of Tyvara. She did not want to be encumbered. To seek a bond with her would only drive her away.

“I am …” she began. He waited for her to continue, but she frowned and fell silent.

“Yes?” he asked. Not seeking a bond is one thing, but I’m not going to let her get away with mysterious unfinished sentences.

Tyvara shook her head. “I knew this would happen. I didn’t want to become attached to you because I knew, if I did, something would take you away.”

Suddenly he couldn’t stop smiling. She looked up and frowned.

“What’s so funny?”

“I love you, too,” he said.

She stared at him, then a smile slowly spread across her face. “I’m not very good at this, am I?”

He shook his head. “Appalling.”

“Well … there it is. What a pair we are. Except we’re not a pair, since you’re heading home and I’m … well, I am too.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’ll promise to come back.”

She put a hand out and touched his mouth. “Make no promises.”

He made a sound of protest, then took her hand. “No promises? I’d at least like to know you’re not going to tuck up in bed with someone else while I’m gone.”

She gave a short laugh. “Despite all our efforts to adopt the roles that men have in other societies, we Traitor women haven’t managed to match all of their despicable ways. Though I’ll admit there are certainly a few women who seem bent on bedding every man in Sanctuary,” she added, with a grimace.

He looked at her. “That’s no promise.”

“That’s all you’re going to get,” she told him.

He shrugged and sipped his raka. Well, it isn’t as if I’ve asked her to marry me. I’m not even sure how that works here. Women choose their men, so I gather she’s supposed to ask me.

“You should take power from me before you go,” she said quietly.

Surprised, he looked at her. “Using black magic?”

“Of course. You haven’t noticed, since it’s done privately, but non-magician Traitors regularly donate power to the magicians. There was no time to arrange this for you before you left. I have plenty of extra power, and I can replace it easily enough when I get back. You shouldn’t venture back into Sachaka without first increasing your store of it. The Ashaki might be suspicious of a Kyralian magician wandering about not wearing robes. They might recognise you and, knowing where you’ve been, treat you as they would a Traitor. The mind-blocking stone will stop them discovering anything about us by reading your mind, but it won’t stop them trying to get the information out of you in other ways. Taking a little extra power from me won’t hold them off long, but it may be enough to get you away from them if they’re not expecting it.”

Lorkin felt a chill run down his spine. He looked away, hoping his fear didn’t show.

“Is it … am I … allowed to take it?” he asked.

“Of course you are. In fact, the queen suggested it. She also suggested I teach you Lover’s Death.”

He turned to stare at her, then felt his face warm. “With … you?”

She smiled. “Who else is there?”

“But …” She obviously didn’t want him to kill her and he certainly hoped the queen didn’t mean for Tyvara to kill him.