Part 24 (2/2)

Far Gaze writhed on the floor, changing back yet again to his wolf form. It was taking much longer this time; his body was not appreciating so many fast s.h.i.+fts. Gorb headed for the steps with Bald protesting under one arm like a bundle.

'Wait!' she called. 'I'm coming with you.'

'You sure?' said Gorb. 'Dangerous, out there.'

'I'm not being left here,' she said. 'Not with that dragon-friend mage and three Hunters in the woods.'

'And a Strategist,' said Gorb, rubbing his chin. 'The wolf's going to smell our way for us I guess. Maybe you can ride his back. We better hurry and find that Mayor.'

Far Gaze stood shakily, the huge white wolf thin and mangy with patches of hair missing. He retched, staggered to the larder and gulped down several pieces of meat.

'What do we do about her?' said Siel as they went down the steps past the lower floor. Stranger sat by the far window, anxiously watching the sky, where Dyan could no longer be seen. The upper half of her body hung out the window and she hadn't yet noticed them.

Gorb said, 'Kill her or leave her. What do you fancy?'

'She is a dragon-friend,' said Siel, reaching for an arrow.

Gorb sighed sadly. 'More likely she just got used. It could've got anyone just as easy. Even you, if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

She felt a blush rise to her cheeks and wondered what Gorb knew, or had guessed, of her encounter with Dyan in the woods. She had been unable to bring herself to mention it to anyone. The sight of the dragon soaring through the flock of war mages had made her want to run from the window, and at the same time watch his every movement. And although she could not even admit this to herself part of her had wished for him to come down ...

They left Stranger alone and went down the swirling waters below the tower, crossed the water bobbing with dead war mages and headed for the village. The wolf trotted ahead of them, sniffing the air and whining in fear of what the scents told.

2.

Through the window Stranger watched the group of them head up the path through the woods, not far from where Dyan had come. It was hard to sense the dragon from this place where the waters seemed to cast a barrier. But she knew somehow that he wasn't too far. She hoped he was not hurt. Surviving an encounter with Nightmare had made him think himself invulnerable.

She went upstairs to confirm that the drake, the Pilgrim and Aziel had gone also. Had they felt the attack meant it was no longer safe here? Maybe it wasn't. 'Come back, Dyan,' she said quietly, looking at the night sky. 'Come back, my love.'

At the sound of footsteps approaching she murmured the words to a simple lurking spell and faded from common sight. The bleeding colours of the Strategist's robe preceded him up the steps. He leaned on his walking stick, rubbed his eyes and stared right at her. 'I see you.'

'Are you alone?' she said.

Blain grunted.

'Why have you returned? You were not among friends.'

'I am a model prisoner,' said Blain, barking laughter.

'Your jailers have gone. I was their prisoner too. There's no need for you to be here.'

'Ah, is that so? Then you have an issue, girl. For I'm not a model jailer. Many thousands attest.'

Stranger edged closer to the window. 'I see.'

He hobbled toward her. 'You see not a tenth of it yet. Tell me about the dragon. What will he do now he knows of Vyin's charm?'

Stranger's mouth fell open. Far Gaze had been very careful to keep him away from Aziel and her necklace. How had he known?

Blain scoffed. 'Oh, she's shocked! I'm not one of the soup-making mages you must be accustomed to. I sensed his touch before I arrived here. What's he intend? Why Aziel, for the love of the Spirits? What's Aziel mean to the Majors?'

'I can't know the minds of the great ones,' she said. 'I can't even claim to know Dyan's. And I won't be held here by you. I've been your prisoner before and won't be again.' She turned to the window but as she did it vanished bare wall was now in its place. She touched it, expecting to feel the window gla.s.s, but it was no longer there. The other windows vanished. The stairway behind Blain was suddenly a pile of impa.s.sable rubble. 'You're going nowhere,' he said. 'Nowhere at all, ever again.'

Ten Evelles and half as many Thauns spread in a wide fan at Blain's back.

'Dyan comes,' said Stranger. 'He will not stand for this. Do you want a dragon angry at you?'

'Do you mean that much to him?' said Blain. 'Wait until he sees Evelle. She stirs my old blood, and my organs failed long ago.' The Evelles smiled sweetly, their movements in synch. 'I know what you are, girl,' said Blain, stepping closer to Stranger. 'A rare common enemy I have with the rebel cities. Even the deranged tribes who gab with elementals would name you traitor, demon, vermin, sc.u.m, s.h.i.+t. You are all those things. Know what your dragon did?'

'No.'

'Liar! You know what he did at World's End. You know every last thing they intend. Talk, girl. Or it's going to hurt very badly, very soon. Here, I'll show you a real lurking spell.' The colours on Blain's robe glittered and the Hunters vanished. 'Where have they gone?' he said with mock alarm. 'What do they intend? Are their blades drawn? Do they have vials of poison? Speak, girl! Speak!'

'What do you wish to know?' she said, backing to where the window had been.

'Shadow,' said Blain, stepping toward her. 'Tell me everything you know. Tell me all that the others wouldn't. And what purpose has Vyin's charm?'

'I don't know its purpose,' she said.

'Louder, girl! I can't hear you.'

She wept. 'I don't know. Dyan was sent by Sha and Tzi-Shu. But a second dragon a second at least has been sent.'

'Why?' Blain's voice was hard.

'Dyan thinks it comes to watch him. That's why he went to World's End and distracted Nightmare. That's why he caused a stoneflesh giant to cross over. The Major personalities who sent him want the Pendulum to swing high. Dyan has been idle and fears their wrath.'

'But it wasn't a second dragon he sensed, was it?' said Blain. He limped toward her until he was almost standing on her toes. 'And you know it. It was Shadow he felt. Wasn't it?'

She frowned. 'Shadow? How ...?'

'Cut one of her eyes out. She's not sharing.'

Stranger cried out as a blade was drawn close by with a hiss of metal. She said, 'Dyan is here to learn of Shadow! He knows nothing yet. Nor do I. Nor must the Major personalities, if they send him to learn for them.'

'You know some things, my one-eyed beauty.'

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