Part 26 (2/2)

”Shana,” he whispered, relaxing as the pointed object was removed from his side entirely. ”She's been gone for months and months-the others didn't want me to look for her because they were afraid of the elven lords finding out about us, but I had to come. I've been looking for her for so long, and there hasn't been a trace of her anyplace and-”

”That's because she's been with us for months and months,” the voice said dryly. ”You're not in the clear yet, stranger, but you're closer. Let's just move into camp, and see if Shana recognizes you.”

Keman stepped carefully from behind the tree trunk and picked his way across the branch-strewn, root-rutted, uneven ground towards the circle of firelight. As soon as he got a little closer, he saw Shana, who appeared to be deep in conversation with one of the human children. That was when he noticed something interesting-most of the halfbloods were in their late adolescence, and there wasn't a single human that could be called anything but a child. Although Keman was no kind of expert, he judged them to be no more than ten, and several were younger.

Although Shana had every appearance of being engrossed in talk, Keman saw her taking quick glances about her out of the corner of her eye. Watching for him, he had no doubt. He did not reopen his mental contact with her, though. If she didn't know when he was going to appear, her surprise would be more genuine, and more believable to his captor. Keman also had no doubt that this this was the one to convince of his veracity. This one was woods- and worldly-wise. He had been keeping watch while the others huddled about the campfire. If Keman slipped, he'd catch it. was the one to convince of his veracity. This one was woods- and worldly-wise. He had been keeping watch while the others huddled about the campfire. If Keman slipped, he'd catch it.

A twig snapped under his foot just as he entered the circle of firelight, and everyone looked up, variations on alarm and surprise on their faces. And a fraction of a heartbeat later, Shana leapt to her feet, and flung herself at him.

”Keman!” she cried, as he caught her awkwardly. ”Oh, Keman, Keman Keman -” -”

Then she burst into tears, which was not something he expected at all; he held her awkwardly, while the owner of the voice chuckled, and came around the two of them, into the firelight.

”Looks like you're what you say you are,” the young halfblood said, tossing long, dark hair out of his eyes, and bestowing a half smile on his erstwhile captive. Keman had the oddest feeling, looking at the young man's deep, troubled eyes, that a half smile would be all anyone anyone would ever get from him... would ever get from him...

”Look, family reunions are wonderful, but we've got a problem here, Shana,” said another young man-not with the kind of disparaging self-importance that would normally accompany words of that nature, but as if he was genuinely afraid. ”We've got a dozen human kids with wizard-powers, and nowhere to take them. So now that we've got them loose, what are we going to do with them?”

One of the youngest girls snuggled up to him, and he put his arm around her as she looked up at him with frightened eyes.

”He's right, Shana,” Keman's guard said soberly. ”You know know we can't take them to the Citadel, and they aren't old enough to survive out here on their own-and even if they were, the elven lords would track them down in a season. They've hardly even seen the outside World, they certainly don't know how to take care of themselves in the wilderness!” we can't take them to the Citadel, and they aren't old enough to survive out here on their own-and even if they were, the elven lords would track them down in a season. They've hardly even seen the outside World, they certainly don't know how to take care of themselves in the wilderness!”

One of the other children began to cry softly, and a halfblood girl got up to comfort her.

Shana stood away from Keman and wiped her eyes, becoming all business. ”Why can't can't we take them to the Citadel?” she asked, challenge in her voice and stance. ”Why not? Who told you that? Who made the rule that we weren't to let full-humans in?” we take them to the Citadel?” she asked, challenge in her voice and stance. ”Why not? Who told you that? Who made the rule that we weren't to let full-humans in?”

The second young man spluttered for a moment, and the one who'd caught Keman moved back a step, startled. ”We can't” can't” the second managed to get out. ”It's never been done. The wizards would never-” the second managed to get out. ”It's never been done. The wizards would never-”

”The wizards did did , back in the old days,” she said triumphantly. ”And there's no rule against it, either! That's one of the reasons why the Citadel's so big-half the people there were full-humans with wizard-powers, and not halfbloods at all! And there's records in my room that prove it!” , back in the old days,” she said triumphantly. ”And there's no rule against it, either! That's one of the reasons why the Citadel's so big-half the people there were full-humans with wizard-powers, and not halfbloods at all! And there's records in my room that prove it!”

The second boy's mouth fell open-and Keman thought he caught a glimmer of approval from the first one. She really was leading them all, he thought with surprise. She was the one making the plans and doing the thinking.

Shana had changed; she'd been rebellious in the Lair, but in a disorganized way. She was still a rebel, but now she had battle-plans to get where she wanted to go-and Fire and Rain weren't going to stop her.

”Look,” she said, dropping her voice. ”Right now the real problem is getting the elven lords off the track. They're definitely hunting us; Zed's caught them trying to find us with magic, and I've been watching them too. So let's split the party. If you take the children back to the Citadel, and smuggle them in by night, the masters won't have a choice about letting them in or not, because they'll already be be there. Use one of the escape tunnels I showed you, instead of the front entrance, and they won't know until it's too late.” there. Use one of the escape tunnels I showed you, instead of the front entrance, and they won't know until it's too late.”

”And meanwhile you'll be doing what?” the first wizard asked, in a matter-of-fact tone that suggested to Keman that he already knew the answer.

”Keman and I will be decoying the pursuit,” she said confidently, though he could feel her trembling. ”Between the two of us, we can convince them that you're all still with us, I think. It'll take some work, but in some ways it will be easier than if we were all still together.”

Keman nodded, feeling that some sort of show of agreement was called for at this point. ”Shana and I have done things like this before, losing enemies. We've been at it all our lives,” he said truthfully. ”We'll confuse your trail, and make ours the only clear one. Really, it's easier for two people to look like two dozen than for two dozen to look like two. We'll lead them north, I think, then lose them.”

”How?” the first one asked, skeptically.

Shana smiled. ”Oh, trust me, Zed; they'll think we sprouted wings and flew away.”

Keman coughed to cover the fact that he almost choked on that that statement. When they looked at him curiously, he flushed. ”There-there's dozens of one-horns farther on,” he improvised hastily. ”Shana's always been able to control them. If we drove them down our backtrail, not even a demon would be able to pick it up again.” statement. When they looked at him curiously, he flushed. ”There-there's dozens of one-horns farther on,” he improvised hastily. ”Shana's always been able to control them. If we drove them down our backtrail, not even a demon would be able to pick it up again.”

Zed shrugged, but Keman caught admiration in his eyes for a moment. ”All right. If you can do that, I guess I can take on the masters when they find out about these kids. Maybe I can get Denelor and Agravane to take our side; neither one of them can resist a kid. When do we start?”

”At dawn,” Shana said with determination. ”Especially if a storm comes up to wash out your trail.”

-:Well, Keman,: the young dragon heard in his mind. :How good are you at calling rain these days :How good are you at calling rain these days ?: ?: :As good as I have to be,: he told her, soberly. .-You're not the only one who's been learning things .-You're not the only one who's been learning things .: .: :Neither are you. That idea of using the one-horns is a good one, and we might as well do it if we get the chance. Well then,: she replied, with the same seriousness, something that seemed alien to the Shana he had known, :it's about time we showed each other what we've learned :it's about time we showed each other what we've learned .: .: Keman hugged her shoulders, a two-legger gesture he had observed, but never had a chance to use. To his surprise, it felt good. Very good. It made him feel... no longer alone.

:I agree,: he said, some of that warmth spreading into his thoughts and coloring them with confidence. .:Let's show them all .:Let's show them all .: .: She looked at him in surprise; then, slowly smiled.

Valyn crouched on his heels and stared at the muddied ground for a moment, rain dripping from his hat-brim down his back. He saw no reason to use magic to keep himself dry; there was too much magic in use out here as it was. And he wasn't supposed to be in these wild lands in the first place; if anyone detected him, they'd know in a moment that there was an elven mage out here, and the hunt might switch to him. After all, there had been rumors for decades that there was an elven lord acting as a bandit leader, operating out here with a band of collared humans. Catching such a renegade as that would be as useful as capturing the unknown parties who had released the slaves-in fact, such a leader might well be the one who had released them.

He didn't need that, and neither did Shadow.

Cheynar didn't know Shadow was a halfblood, but if he decided to be ruthless and use his coercion-spells on Valyn again- He just might babble it, he thought unhappily. Now he knew why Cheynar didn't use magic much. He saved it all for those moments when he really needed to know what was going on in someone's mind, what things they were hiding, and he was good good at it. at it. If he hadn't stopped questioning me, I would have told him about Mero, I know I would have If he hadn't stopped questioning me, I would have told him about Mero, I know I would have . .

”The bigger party went off that way,” he said, pointing. ”And I think with luck, this rain is going to wash the trail away long before Cheynar and the others find it. But the one halfblood we we want to follow went off that way, or that's the way it looks, and she isn't making any attempt to hide her trail.” want to follow went off that way, or that's the way it looks, and she isn't making any attempt to hide her trail.”

”She's acting as a decoy,” Shadow said flatly, peering through the rain in the direction Valyn pointed. ”I'm sure of it. She's the best they've got-Valyn, I have to find her, or I'm never going to learn what I can do, because none of those others will ever trust someone-”

He broke off, and flushed with embarra.s.sment. Valyn stood up, and patted his shoulder awkwardly. ”I know,” he said, a little sadly. ”I'm a liability to you, aren't I? If I just went back right now-”

”You can't, and we both know it,” Mero replied fiercely. ”If you go back now, heir or not, your father-I don't know what he'll do to you. He might even be willing to kill you. He'll certainly certainly hurt you a lot, and-you know what he can do. He'll work spells on you, and when he's done, you won't be Valyn anymore. You don't have a choice. But hurt you a lot, and-you know what he can do. He'll work spells on you, and when he's done, you won't be Valyn anymore. You don't have a choice. But she's she's the one who saved the humans, and the one who saved the humans, and she's she's the one who convinced the others to take the kids back to-wherever the other wizards are. If anybody will accept both of us, it's her. And I'm not going without you.” the one who convinced the others to take the kids back to-wherever the other wizards are. If anybody will accept both of us, it's her. And I'm not going without you.”

Valyn swallowed the lump in his throat that threatened to choke off his words. Cheynar had discovered him scrying, tracing the movements and actions of the young wizards, where he and his men had been able to read little or nothing.

He had not been amused. Valyn should should have come running to him with everything the young Lord had learned, and they both knew it. So he had used his toughest coercive spells to pry everything he could out of Valyn, and left him in his room, in a sweat-sodden, helpless heap, when he'd heard what he have come running to him with everything the young Lord had learned, and they both knew it. So he had used his toughest coercive spells to pry everything he could out of Valyn, and left him in his room, in a sweat-sodden, helpless heap, when he'd heard what he thought thought was the end of it; where the outlaws were, what they were doing, and that Valyn had been spying on them for his own purposes. was the end of it; where the outlaws were, what they were doing, and that Valyn had been spying on them for his own purposes.

Cheynar thought thought he knew what those purposes were, that Valyn was working for Dyran, or possibly even working for himself against both Dyran and Cheynar. It was a logical a.s.sumption; it wouldn't have been the first time a son had acted against his father. Cheynar himself had done so, allying himself with Dyran and eventually taking the estate from his father. he knew what those purposes were, that Valyn was working for Dyran, or possibly even working for himself against both Dyran and Cheynar. It was a logical a.s.sumption; it wouldn't have been the first time a son had acted against his father. Cheynar himself had done so, allying himself with Dyran and eventually taking the estate from his father.

Thank the Ancestors, Cheynar had been wrong about Valyn, and had been impatient to take up the hunt. If he'd questioned Valyn a moment longer...

But he hadn't. Shadow had come in sometime later-how long, he couldn't say, his mind was still fogged with the effects of Cheynar's spells-and managed to wake him up. That was when he realized exactly what the results of all this would be, when Lord Cheynar returned, successful or not, from his hunt.

First, as soon as he recovered from the draining of his own magic, he would be at Valyn again, and this time he would not stop until he knew everything the young elven mage did.

He would learn that Shadow was not not the trained bodyguard he was supposed to be. He would learn why Shadow was with Valyn-and the trained bodyguard he was supposed to be. He would learn why Shadow was with Valyn-and what what Shadow was. Shadow was.

And he would have a halfblood in his possession.

Then he would report everything Valyn had done to Lord Dyran-possibly turning Shadow over to him, possibly not; he might choose to eliminate the ”dangerous halfblood” himself. It didn't much matter. The moment Cheynar returned, Shadow was doomed, and so was Valyn.

Though he had been weak-kneed and shaking, Valyn had laid his plans and packed everything he thought he might need-and so did Mero. In the morning, claiming that they were following Lord Cheynar on his orders, they set out for the wilderness with packs and horses.

Within hours of entering the confines of the forest, they lost the horses-one, while they were setting up their first camp, to something they never even saw, only heard; the second to a broken leg as it fled whatever had carried off the first.

At least they hadn't lost the packs.

Perhaps it was just as well. If the horses-or their remains-were ever found, it might be a.s.sumed that Valyn and Shadow had fallen victim to the unknown predator as well. A young and zealous elven lord might well have decided to follow Cheynar on his father's behalf, with or without orders. That would give them at least the semblance of innocence, and might prevent Cheynar from being suspicious about why they had left the estate so abruptly.

<script>