Джейн Рэйб - Red Magic

Maligor returned to his chair, eased himself down on the soft cushion, and waited for his next visitor. He did not have to wait long.

A shushing sound filtered in from the doorway, becoming louder as Asp slithered closer. She stopped just beyond the door, where the wizard could see her. The spirit naga made no effort to move silently today, her tail undulating back and forth, keeping the guards a respectful distance away. She sniffed the air, and her lidless, serpentine eyes narrowed to imperceptible slits. Asp pointed her chin up, opened her eyes, and glared at Maligor.

“Roses,” she hissed. “I smell the perfume of roses.”

When the Red Wizard provided no explanation, she glided to his chair. Rocking back on her snake’s lower half so her face was lower than the wizard’s, she grimaced.

“Maligor, what do you need of a lowly, fat apprentice? I am here to carry out your plans,” she hissed.

“Jealousy does not become you, beautiful Asp,” he retorted silkily. “Especially in one who has no need to be jealous. Apprentices were made for insignificant tasks … things that are too far beneath you. Apprentices do not share in my greatest plans, nor will they share in the fruits of the conquests.”

Slightly appeased, Asp smiled and allowed her face to take on a radiant sheen. “My apologies, zulkir. I will not be jealous again. Now, on to things of greater significance. I have come to report on the gnolls’ training.”

Maligor leaned back, kicked off his slippers, and extended his feet so Asp could massage them. “I have waited anxiously all day to hear your report,” he fabricated.

“I visited each garrison today, and I took them through a variety of fighting maneuvers. Some have difficulty mastering defensive tactics, but the sergeants have been working with them hour after hour.”

“Good,” Maligor said. “How long will it take to join the three garrisons?”

She gently massaged his rough heels as she continued. “That depends on where they are to be joined. If they are united outside this tower, about a day. But this location poses some problems. There are several Red Wizards in the city, and the presence of so many soldiers will concern the wizards and frighten the officials and people of Amruthar. I suspect the wizards will do something about it.

“I recommend instead that we join them south of the tower, well outside the city boundaries. Uniting the garrisons there could take two days, three if we move them at night and keep them a good distance from the tower. That would give us the best chance for success. No doubt the local wizards would know what is happening, but they are not likely to interfere, thinking your target is south of the city and out of their domain.” She finished the massage, kissed his feet, and tenderly guided his toes into the slippers.

“Your military mind is becoming sharper, Asp. That is what we will do, then—march them south of this tower and Amruthar. Start them moving tonight. Then, three days from now, the garrisons will be joined, and we can put our plans into motion.”

The spirit naga sensuously licked her lips. “It will be glorious, My Lord Maligor.”

“Glorious,” he echoed, thinking instead of the Thayvian gold mines. In three or four days, his darkenbeasts would be released—those in his tower and those he was storing elsewhere. “Soon it will begin,” he said aloud. “The other wizards will never be able to stop me, beloved Asp. In just a few days.”

Maligor looked into his unhuman associate’s exquisite face. For a brief moment, he imagined that her eyes sparkled like gold.

Brenna’s charmed guide continued to lead the trio through the well-maintained orchard, pointing out imps and other less predictable creatures as they journeyed. Traveling was easy, since the ground was level and the grass short and well tended. The strong, cool breeze rustled the branches of the citrus trees and refreshed the Harpers and the sorceress, whipping the hair away from their faces and catching the enchantress’s dress so it swirled madly about her ankles. The bald guide eyed the woman. Even in the starlight, he could watch her curves as the wind tugged her dress back and forth. Trying to gain her attention, he paused to point at a dozen soft yellow lights in the trees to the north. The lights resembled giant hovering fireflies.

“Pretty, huh?” he whispered into Brenna’s ear. “I like to sit and look at ’em.”

“Beautiful. What are they, uh … I’m sorry. I don’t know your name.”

“Elwin. My name’s Elwin. C’mon. I’ll take you closer so you can see ’em. But be quiet. We don’t want to bother ’em.”

Brenna cautiously urged Elwin forward, keeping an arm’s length from him. The Harpers followed close behind. The fireflies’ glow became lanterns hanging from branches, illuminating the trees so the forty or more slaves working there under the watchful eye of armed orcs could see to pick the fruit. Suddenly Wynter stopped, and for a moment, Galvin worried that the centaur would try to free the obviously mistreated group.

“If we start leaving a trail of dead guards and missing slaves, they’ll be onto us,” Galvin whispered.

“I know,” Wynter said in as soft a voice as he could manage. “I was just watching. It brought back some old memories.”

It was late when Elwin directed them to a small but thickly wooded area behind an abandoned barn. It stood a few miles from the orchard, and he claimed there was a clearing inside. Traveling in the darkness had slowed their progress. They weren’t as deep into Thay as they had expected to be.

Brenna suggested staying in the barn; she envisioned sleeping on a pile of soft hay. But Elwin insisted that patrols watched empty buildings carefully, because runaway slaves were drawn to them. She sighed and reluctantly agreed to accept the patch of trees. The vegetation was overgrown, and Elwin had difficulty climbing through it, but he seemed to know what he was doing. The leaves of the trees and bushes were wet; the drops of water shone in the starlight. It had rained here recently, perhaps only an hour or two before.

The centaur followed the guide, making a thrashing sound as his massive form disappeared into the foliage. Following him was relatively easy, Brenna discovered, since he had made a small path through the brush. By the time she reached the center of the clearing, she discovered that Galvin was already there. She had assumed he was behind her. Irritated at his speed and quietness, she muttered something under her breath, not caring at the moment if he heard her.

Patches of tall grass were scattered in the clearing. Elwin made a show of stomping them down for Brenna. He gallantly waved his arms, indicating she should sit.

“This place should be safe,” Elwin announced. “I’ve used this spot before when I skipped out on patrol duty. We’re not too near a road. The orcs’ll stay away because of all the bugs and ’cause it’s so wet. It rains a lot here ’cause of the orchard.”

Brenna scowled and fell to her knees, reaching out with her hands to find some place that was dry. “You mean it rains because of the Red Wizards.”

The enchantress was frustrated that she couldn’t find a dry spot to sit on, but she was too tired and proud to complain about it aloud. Rummaging in her smaller bag, she pulled out a heavy linen cloak and laid it on the ground under an elm. She sat unceremoniously on it, no longer caring if she wrinkled or ruined her clothes. Letting out a low moan, Brenna gingerly removed her antelope-skin slippers, leaning forward to accomplish the task. Her legs hurt too much to move them closer to her torso.

“Gods, I’m tired,” she said, and she began to rub her feet. They were blistered and sore, and for a moment she wished there was enough moonlight filtering through the trees so she could look at them.