Frostfell_ The Wizards - Mark Sehestedt [10]
"You let the woman live? I told you not to underestimate her."
"Y-you said any other captives were mine to keep." Walloch gestured to the group of men and women tied not far away. "I took her staff. H-her spellbook too, eh? Took 'em both. Put guards on her. But she hid one last bit of magic away and hit when I was out of camp. We went after them. I led them personally, Lord. I caught 'em soon enough, but my Tuigan betrayed me and left-never again will I hire spineless Tuigan bastards!-then two interlopers attacked and let the boy get away. I killed the woman, though-killed that bukhla good! But don't you worry, Lord! You and your men stay here as our guests, eh? I was just about to lead men out with the hounds to find the boy. He can't have gone far."
"The boy," said the cloaked figure, "you left him in the woods?"
Dremas clenched his eyes shut as tight as he could. Blood roared in his ears.
"Last I saw him he was less than two leagues from here. Whelp was running south. T-toward the lake. You'll have him by morning, my lord. I promise!"
"Yes. I will."
"Wh-what are you-?"
"Uthrekh rakhshan thra!"
Dremas opened his eyes. The world went white.
* * * * *
Arzhan Island, the Lake of Mists
in the lands of the Khassidi
She opened her eyes to a ghost of fire. Her right eye would open no more than a slit, but she could see well enough with the other. A figure, not a ghost after all, but an old man painted orange by the light of the flames, leaned over her. His long hair hung in front of his face, obscuring his features. She could hear him chanting in a strange tongue that seemed all hisses and swallows, and he swayed slightly as if in rhythm with the breath of the nearby flames.
"My… son," she said, her voice no more than a hoarse whisper. Even that slight breath felt like sand in her throat.
If the old man heard her, he gave no sign.
"My! Son!" she said, and cried out from the pain.
Another figure leaned over her, but his features were hidden in shadow. Beyond him she could see only a hint of branches obscured in fog.
"Rest now," the new figure said in a deep voice. One she thought she'd heard before. "Lendri and Mingan search for your son. Rest now. Let the belkagen work."
What's a Lendri? she wondered.
She fought to keep her eyes open, but they refused her. As sleep seized her again, drawing her back into darkness, she heard the cawing of a raven.
CHAPTER THREE
The woods north of the Lake of Mists
in the lands of the Khassidi
Jalan huddled in the hollow of a rotted-out log and tried to still his breathing. The pounding of his heart was so loud in his ears that he could hear nothing else. Full night had fallen. Jalan had always possessed extraordinary eyesight even in the dark. He'd heard it whispered among Amira's family that he had elf blood… or worse. But down this close to the lake, the mists were thick off the water, and he was as blind as a newborn pup. Inside the log, he could smell nothing but the sweet resin scent of wet bark and rot. His ears were his best hope at hearing Amira coming for him or-
He swallowed a sob. He dare not think about that. He'd heard the slaver shouting for him, but he ran and ran and ran till he couldn't hear him anymore. He'd crossed another rise, then fell into a creek and down it, hoping the water would hide his scent from Walloch's hounds. He'd thought he heard a distant shout, a scream of surprise-terror almost-chopped off, then silence.
And so Jalan ran again until he came to the lake. Shrouded by the mists that gave the lake its name, he ran headlong into it, only stopping when he was splashing up to his knees.
As his heart slowed and his breath steadied, his teeth began to chatter. Autumn had not yet left the land, but out here in the Wastes, nights came cold early in the season and winter often fell fast. He doubted that it would get cold enough to kill him, but without a fire…
Jalan held his breath and listened. The breeze set the branches rattling like thousands of cold bones, and the faint rippling of the lake kept time, but there was something