Song of the Saurials - Kate Novak [118]
"Moander would never have chosen the finder's stone to hold the seed," the swordswoman said. "The seed's casing has to break open for the seedling of possession to sprout, but breaking open the finder's stone would release the paraelemental ice at the center of the stone, and the seedling would die in the cold."
"Yes," Grypht agreed. "That's true."
Olive breathed a sigh of relief as Alias returned Finder's stone to him. The bard studied the gem thoughtfully.
"Well, if we can't find the seed," Breck said, "we're back to the first plan.
We've got to destroy Moander's new body before the minions manage to find the seed and resurrect the god. Are you ready to take us to this Singing Cave?" he asked Finder.
"Just as soon as I take Alias somewhere safe," the bard said.
"What?" Alias exclaimed.
"Moander tried to use you once. It will try again," Finder said. "I don't want you anywhere near it."
"Finder, why did you bother to make me a swordswoman if it wasn't to fight?"
Alias snapped.
"So you could defend yourself if you were in trouble," Finder said. "I didn't expect you to go looking for fights. And I most certainly never dreamed you'd run around trying to destroy evil gods."
"Be reasonable, bard," Breck said. "This is no time to be overly paternal. Alias is a good fighter. We need her."
Grypht added, "Her presence can protect us from the scrying of Moander's minions."
"So can Zhara's," Finder countered.
"But Alias might sing another soul song that could help us defeat the Darkbringer," Grypht persisted.
Finder glared at the wizard. "I won't have you using her to sing soul songs."
"Only you can use her to sing your songs, is that it, Finder?" Akabar asked.
"Stop it, all of you!" Alias shouted. "No one uses me! I choose to do things or not on my own." She turned to Finder and addressed him with her hands on her hips. "Dragonbait is my brother. His tribe is my tribe. You would do well to remember that, Father. I'm going to help the saurials, and you are not going to stop me. Grypht has scried the vale; he can teleport me there if you won't."
"An hour ago the thought of Moander filled you with terror," Dragonbait reminded her.
"It doesn't matter," Alias said stubbornly. "I'm not staying behind."
"Fine," Finder said coldly.
Alias looked as if the bard had slapped her in the face.
Olive knew exactly what the swordswoman was feeling and thinking. Alias was on the verge of considering some compromise, just as the halfling had found herself doing so often with Finder. I can't let that happen, Olive decided. She hurried to Finder's side and pushed the bard's hand into Alias's, saying, "Now that that's settled, let's get going."
Finder shot an annoyed look at Olive, but to his own surprise, he realized he'd grown too superstitious about the half-ling's instinctive actions to defy them.
He tightened his grip on Alias's hand and stole a glance at her.
Alias smiled at him shyly.
"I just don't want you to be hurt," he said.
"I know," Alias answered.
The others hastily formed a chain with their hands. Finder sang a series of notes, and the stone's glow of teleportation surrounded all of them.
*****
The Mouth of Moander looked up suddenly from Moander's new body. With Moander controlling her, she shouted, "Gather the fliers. Cast a spell of invisibility on them. They must patrol the vale."
Several lesser minions hurried to obey the god's high priestess. They began to climb down from the immense mount of vegetation that Moander would soon inhabit.
Coral felt her heart sink. When her scrying on Xaran and the Nameless Bard had failed, she had been certain the swordswoman Alias had rescued the bard.
No, my priestess, Moander whispered in her head. I can sense the power of the seed. The bard has brought it to the vale. 1 told you he was possessed.
"Then why hasn't he brought the seed directly to you?" Coral asked defiantly.
"Why do you need the fliers to search for him?"