Juliet McKenna - Northern Storm

‘There’ll be rain this afternoon.’ Kheda walked up the beach to the dry sand beyond the high-water mark. Mindful of the carved ironwood box he was carrying, he sat beside the magewoman.

‘Indeed.’ Velindre’s thoughts were on something else entirely.

‘You’ll be returning to your home soon, so I brought you this.’ Kheda placed the wooden box carefully on her lap.

‘What?’ Velindre dragged herself away from contemplating the skies and frowned. ‘What’s this? I want that dragon’s egg—’

‘And you’ll get it,’ said Kheda curtly. ‘This is something else.’

Velindre opened the lid of the box to reveal a plain casket of rock crystal. Iridescent dust inside sparkled in the sunlight. She went to lift the lid.

Kheda held her hand back. ‘Don’t open it.’

‘Why not?’ she asked suspiciously. ‘What is it?’

‘It’s all that remains of Dev.’ Kheda stared out over the turquoise sea, far away across the deeper blue of the open ocean to the far horizon where the sea couldn’t be distinguished from the line of turbulent clouds presaging the next wave of rainstorms. ‘And I don’t want it blowing all over this beach. Come to that, the winds from the south could carry some part of him over the entire Archipelago.’

‘Which would not be a good thing.’ Velindre looked down at the casket. ‘All things considered.’

‘You burn your dead on the mainland, so Risala tells me,’ Kheda continued with distant courtesy. ‘We don’t do that here, we don’t know your rites—but I gathered what ashes I could, in case you wanted to inter them somewhere.’

‘Fire may be the ultimate purification but you still don’t want whatever remains of Dev making any claim on Chazen’s future.’ Velindre sounded bitter.

‘Whatever good he did for the domain is honoured in the tales of his death in my service that are being told around the evening fires,’ Kheda said slowly. ‘That will suffice for his legacy.’

Velindre carefully lifted the crystal casket up and studied the contents as best she could. ‘The gems that were crushed to powder, they’re all mixed in with the ash.’

‘I couldn’t see any way of separating them.’ Kheda shrugged. ‘Or any point, come to that. Magic was woven into his very being in life.’ Velindre smiled reluctantly. ‘What about those gems that were driven into the walls of the cave? Have you recovered those?’

We have.’ Kheda allowed himself a brief, ruthless smile. With them most likely wholly ill omened, as Dev said, we’re keeping them separate and they are only to be traded with domains like that of Ulla Safar. He’s long wished me ill, so I see no harm in sending him all the bad luck I can, in return for things we need to rebuild Chazen.’

‘Which is being rebuilt apace now that galleys have come from Redigal and Aedis and even Ritsem and Jahal,’ Velindre observed.

Now that word of our victory over the dragon is spreading,’ Kheda agreed. ‘And now we have pearls to trade and a fine harvest of turtleshell.’

‘And most prized of all, dragonhide,’ said Velindre pointedly. ‘And all the other talismans you won.’

‘Quite.’ Kheda continued staring out to the southern sea.

Doesn’t this prove I was following the right course, that Chazen’s trade is so quickly restored, with so many keen to share in our good fortune?

‘Has anyone remarked on the fact that the second dragon had no gem at its heart?’ Velindre’s voice was neutral as she nodded at the faceted ruby hanging from the golden chain in the open neck of Kheda’s russet silk tunic.

No,’ Kheda said slowly. ‘I don’t suppose anyone noticed, in all the confusion. If anyone does think of it, they’ll doubtless assume I hold it for the sake of the domain.’ He glanced at her. ‘I’m curious about the scales and teeth taken from the cloud dragon. When it was dying, it was all but disintegrating, but no one’s come to me saying their trophies have turned to dust. The lengths of hide sent to Itrac are as sturdy as any other lizardskin.’

‘I’m just as curious,’ Velindre admitted frankly, still holding up the crystal casket and studying the contents. ‘I imagined it would all crumble away to nothing. Perhaps I’ve stumbled across something Azazir didn’t know. Or he knows something he didn’t care to share with me.’ She sighed. ‘There’s so much we don’t know about dragons.’

Kheda did his best to hide his distaste. ‘Surely what you’ve learned and seen means you’ve valuable lore to take back to your island of Hadrumal, along with Dev’s ashes.’

‘And the dragon’s egg.’ Velindre looked quizzically at the warlord. ‘Are you trying to get rid of me?’

‘Yes,’ Kheda replied bluntly. ‘The sooner all magic and all trace of it are gone from Chazen, the better for all of us and our future.’

‘You certainly want Itrac’s child born under the most favourable auspices possible.’ Velindre nodded with understanding.

Kheda was surprised. ‘I am glad you appreciate that.’

‘I understand a good deal more about Aldabreshin ways than you realise, my lord Chazen.’ Velindre set the casket with Dev’s ashes carefully back in the ironwood box. ‘I had plenty of time to read on the voyage south and every domain has a tradition of fine scholarship, even if we in the north are ignorant of it.’

‘I’ll be happy to supply you with all the books you want for your journey home.’ Kheda smiled tightly. ‘As well as our fastest trireme.’

‘I don’t need any boat. I can return to Hadrumal in the blink of an eye.’ Velindre closed the intricately carved lid of the box gently. ‘And I’ll take this token of Dev’s life and death back with me. He had no family that he ever acknowledged and few enough friends in Hadrumal, but there are those who should know of his fate and some who could learn from it.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ said Kheda honestly. ‘You must know we believe a man’s life isn’t done when he dies. Much that he was lives on, as long as those who knew him live on after him.’

‘I don’t imagine many mages will think of Dev in those terms,’ Velindre said sardonically.

Kheda got to his feet. ‘Let me know when you’re planning to leave and I’ll make sure the egg is delivered to you.’ He hesitated. ‘You will be discreet. Perhaps you should set sail with Risala for some outlying island. If anyone asks we can say you took a merchant galley north.’

‘If she can spare the time from spreading your carefully rehearsed version of events around Chazen.’ Velindre looked up at him, hazel eyes like golden onyx in the sun. ‘Or canying it to trusted traders and her friends in other domains. As I said, Chazen Kheda, I know more than you think. And just what do you propose to do for Risala?’

Kheda was thrown by the abrupt change of subject. ‘What do you mean?’

‘The girl’s in love with you.’ Velindre lifted a hand to shade her narrowed eyes. ‘Can you give her anything better than some precisely calculated share in your favours? Are you capable of returning her love, with Itrac canying a child that will link you to Chazen for all your futures?’

‘That’s none of your concern,’ Kheda retorted roughly.

‘She’s still young enough to see everything in absolutes of dark and light.’Velindre let her hand fall and returned to staring out to sea. ‘You could hurt her very badly’

‘I value her certainties.’ Kheda looked away inland but the bank of the beach hid the seldom-used residence from him. ‘Risala can see that all I have done has been for Chazen’s good and Daish’s before that. She knows all that I have done and does not condemn me.’

And I never thought to burn with such desire for a woman. No, more than simple desire. Is this truly love