Gavin - 2000-01-13
s Daemil finished speaking, the Angel stepped into the middle between them and hissed at him and Muranog.
(Strange - why would an angel do that?) he thought.
Elexa then threw herself around Keleos' leg. It would have looked comical, but - with all the events of the day - Daemil wasn't laughing.
He shivered again, from both cold and the glaring look the Angel gave him.
"Bad!" shouted the Angel "Keleos NICE. Help 'lexa."
(Bad. Who me? The rider? Both of us? But I'm not bad, am I?)
Elexa had started to shake. Daemil was uncertain what to do.
(An Angel about to cry? Is she actually an Angel?) His stomach rumbled.
Elexa clutched at Keleos' cloak. "Keleos NICE!".
(She seems to like the woman Keleos. Maybe I was a bit harsh on the bit about paying for her sins?)
Elexa continued. "Want to go. Nasty men. Go, go?" Her voice sounded strained to Daemil. "Go, go?" The Angel sounded more muffled now.
(Why doesn't she like us?)
Feeling uncertain and frightened himself, he stepped back to beside the Elf, Jenra... Or rather where she had been.
He looked around.
(Where...? When...?)
Realising he was on his own, he turned to Muranog.
"I believe we are intimidating this poor Angel. I do not know much of the Shenmiri customs, but can we not lay them to one side for a moment? I have not eaten since midday yesterday and I think the Angel, Elexa, is becoming somewhat overwhelmed by us."
He turned to Keleos and wasn't quite able to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry if I sounded harsh. I was brought up being taught that a wrong should not be and never is committed. I believed the world outside thought the same. Today has left me confused and unsure what to believe."
Engra sighed as he entered the scryer's tent.
The dark haired woman who sat at the table within looked up. "Ah. The weight of the world is on your shoulders, Mage-Sir."
Engra sat down. "Alas, it feels that is so, Lady-Scryer." He paused, thinking over what had brought him to Torrigan. He was seeking the killer of his brother, Sevarius. So far all he knew was that she was a woman of Shenmiri origin named Keleos and that she had briefly been in a village called Ansleigh in Melanos, before heading off in the direction of Torrigan.
He still regretted his hot-headedness in using the last power in his teleport ring to take him to Sevarius' residence, where associates of his brother had helped him discover where Keleos was, or rather, by the time he got to the scene, had been. He also recalled their veiled threats of what would come if he didn't finish the job. They now knew his power signature, and would probably be able to trace him anywhere on this half of the continent.
"You seek someone?" The scryer asked. "I don't often get visits from Mages. What brings you to me?"
"I don't know any Mages around here, but I was assured at an inn a few miles away that you are the person to find someone who is not to be easily found." He replied. It had been difficult too. In Melanos you couldn't go a days walk without meeting someone who had scrying abilities. In Torrigan it was more or less by chance that he had even found someone who'd heard of one.
"Indeed I am a powerful scryer, Sir. However my services do not come cheap."
Engra knew that she could charge almost what she liked, given that he'd have to travel several days before he'd come across another.
"Name your price," he sighed, "and I'll hope I have sufficient silver, Lady-Scryer."
"Silver will do as a last resort, however I am interested in what magical objects you can offer. And please call me Ilanda."
Engra was momentarily surprised by this, but thinking about it remembered that, here in Torrigan, there were fewer Mages and as such, enchanted items and small spells were no doubt popular substitutes. Given the rumoured power of Ilanda in scrying, she probably had not concentrated on other magical skills, in the same way that Engra used a few enchanted rings to perform spells that were outside of his area - such as teleporting.
(What should I offer? What would be of use to her?) Engra knew that a sensible Mage never revealed their full abilities, it was a self-protection mechanism. No Mage could be certain that they were more powerful than another.
To give himself time to think he asked "Is it possible, within your methods, for me to see what you see?" He glanced down at the crystal ball on the table.
"Ah," said Ilanda, "that's just for show to the everyday folk." She picked it up and carefully placed it under the table. "I'm not about to discuss my methods, but I believe that I can do it. However, I will insist that you close your eyes and keep your Mage-Sight to yourself. Now, what can you offer?"
(She's definitely not revealing much,) thought Engra (more secretive that the enclave).
Engra reached into his deep pockets. "I have a number of such enchanted items as you might want. Can you suggest that which you would be interested in?"
"You have a silver bracelet..."
"How...?"
"Having 'the sight' helps." Ilanda grinned.
Engra fished it out of his pocket. Despite having studied it for almost a year and a half, he had been unable to determine what it was. It had some power, but he could not discover how to use it. Passing it over, he said, "It will be difficult to locate the person I seek. I have never seen them."
"But you know where she once was."
"Yes."
"Concentrate on that place. Close your eyes..."
Engra concentrated visualising on the pitted, burnt ground where his brother had met his end. Suddenly the clouds started to flow backwards faster and faster. There was a flash and he saw a shortish, slender dark haired woman, who must be Keleos, appear in the scene and slowly pick herself up from the scorched ground.
The woman stood still for a moment. Engra noticed that she had the tradition milk-pale skin and razor-straight blue-black hair that were the hallmark of a Shenmiri. Her hair hung almost to her waist and her clothes were scorched.
It felt strange, seeing like this. He was aware that it wasn't him that was seeing this, he was sort of along for the ride.
The scene blinked strangely and he was following the woman as, no doubt, she walked to Ansleigh.
On arriving at the inn, The Bottomless Barrel, Engra remembered. He'd had difficult bribing the barmaid to tell him if Keleos had been here. Provided they'd paid their bills she seemed to mind her own business.
Luckily he had found the village drunk who, after sufficient pints, had described the 'gorgeous exotic woman' who had sounded vaguely like the description he had, although certain - attributes - sounded rather exaggerated.
The scene had moved again and he was now in a market watching the woman chatting to a horse trader.
(Acting like nothing happened.) Engra thought angrily. He brother may not have been a nice person, but to kill him and act like this...
The horse trader had just led the woman, Keleos, to a horse that looked an excellent breed, however it appeared like someone had used it for sword practice.
Engra saw their lips moving and realised that he could not actually hear anything.
:You won't until we get a little closer to now, dear: Ilanda's mental voice, surprisingly similar to her normal one, cut in.
(Ah well, must be part of this method,) he thought (and anyway you don't get sound with crystal balls, so any that I get is a bonus, though I would dearly love to know how she does it - but the other information is more important.)
He saw Keleos turn as she had finished paying and began to lead the horse away. Her eyes stood out to him - the amazing dark blue-purple eyes...
He was so lost in thought that he didn't see the scene blur past until he found that he was looking down at a rather sharp angle from a window. He almost panicked for a moment, but then found he was gliding down and following Keleos into the barn, which was currently burning.
Engra felt thankful that he could not feel the heat, but other senses were screaming at him to get out of the place.
He watched as Keleos got out her new horse and preceded to release others from the stable. As the last one was free she looked up. Engra followed her gaze to see the roof start to bend inwards.
As burning hay began to rain down around where he 'was', Engra saw Keleos' horse shy and the woman fall from it's back.
(No, she can't die here. She didn't...).
The woman moved faster than he had thought and was outside the barn as it collapsed around him.
The scene blurred by and Keleos was riding with an Avarel girl out of Ansleigh.
(Strange, an young Avarel, without her parents, on a horse? I would dearly like to know how that came about.)
Engra saw the route they took. Fairly major roads to south-west Torrigan. Committing the paths to memory, he watched the two travellers going on for a while until Keleos reined her horse in and started off toward the trees on foot. Moments later the Avarel followed. The scene blurred again and Engra saw five people in the clearing.
A mounted Shenmiri, traces of his magic still seemed to linger in the clearing, along with the faint smoke that had evidently been there moments ago. The man was as white-faced as Keleos, wearing a fiery red silk robe and with dark hair, barring the red streak in it. Engra noticed that the horse was a beautiful black stallion, probably of good breeding. The mounted man was facing Keleos, who had the Avarel beside her.
(A warrior from the looks of his weapons) thought Engra.
To the other side of the mounted Shenmiri was a moderately tall man, with dark hair and light grey eyes. He wasn't especially heavily built, but seemed to have some muscle on him.
"My name, is Darkecat." It was an elf standing beside the grey-eyed man who had spoken rather angrily. Not having heard anything in the vision so far, Engra was slightly surprised.
The Elf was short, even by elven standards. She had the usual pointy ears, but her eyes were unusually silvery-blue and her hair... Engra had seen a few elves, but none with long white-gold and silver streaked hair.
The grey-eyed man spoke up in a strange tongue, but give the look on the mounted man's face, Engra guessed it was Shenmiri.
(Strange, the grey-eyed man doesn't look like a Shenmiri).
The man the said in standard tongue, "Please, everyone - don't fight."
He noticed that Keleos had gone rigid. Then she spoke clearly. "No, the Fire was not mine, but that of my charge." The woman was indicating the Avarel. "My thanks for your aid in controlling it."
The woman then stepped forward and knelt, giving a low bow to the mounted man, before speaking in, what Engra presumed, was more Shenmiri.
From his elevated viewpoint, Engra could see the whole clearing and watched the Elf quietly slip way.
The mounted warrior eyes had hardened.
"Keleos...Kanari? The Name of Kanari is not unknown to me. A family Name of honour, of old and proud lineage, though not noble. I had not thought to find one of that Name here in the Outlands, Oath-Broken and Outcast. How is it, daughter of Kanari, that one of your blood would turn from the path of honour and bring shame to your Name - and why, having done so, do you yet live?"
(So, she is outcast...)
Keleos' reply brought back bad memories of when his brother had tried to force him to strike down someone who had offered him no harm. "My oath, was to my Lord, to serve and guard. It was broken when I refused to take my blade to an unarmed boy half my age. And I yet live because I refuse to die at the command of a man who can afford the loss of the lamb the boy stole one hundred times over."
She finished off speaking in Shenmiri. Somehow, through these enhanced senses, he caught her quietly add "And I would do it again."
Engra felt shaken at having heard how she came to be cast out. He'd chosen to leave because of his brother, and had lived in Aleron, but could return to Melanos, as he had. She, on the other hand, would face death should she ever return to her homeland.
The grey-eyed man was speaking again: "Sir, please do not kill her. While her breaking of an oath is an evil, so is the taking of another's life. She was cursed if she did kill the boy, and cursed if she refused."
Engra felt there was some truth in this. You had to keep an oath, but what she had been asked to do went against the grain of his morals and, from the sound of it, hers.
He missed what the man said next and was distracted as the Avarel started to hiss at the men and called out "Bad! Keleos NICE. Help 'lexa."
(So the Avarel is called Lexa?)
'Lexa' continued "Keleos NICE!" she yelled then looked at Keleos "Want to go. Nasty men. Go, go?" She pleaded. "Go, go?"
The grey-eyed man seemed a little taken aback by this. He stepped back to where the elf had been, before appearing to notice her absence.
Appearing to be nervous now, the man spoke up.
"I believe we are intimidating this poor Angel. I do not know much of the Shenmiri customs, but can we not lay them to one side for a moment? I have not eaten since midday yesterday and I think the Angel, Elexa, is becoming somewhat overwhelmed by us."
(Angel? Has this man never heard of an Avarel? And her name is Elexa not Lexa) Engra was bemused. He supposed that Avarels looked a bit like an Angel, although this one's behaviour was anything but angelic.
The man turned to Keleos. "I'm sorry if I sounded harsh. I was brought up being taught that a wrong should not be and never is committed. I believed the world outside thought the same. Today has left me confused and unsure what to believe."
(Ah, so that's what I missed him say...)
The grey-eyed man suddenly turned and looked almost straight at him. "Um - I think we had better leave here..."
The world blurred around Engra.
:We've been sensed, Mage-Sir:
Now he was following the elf as she left the clearing.
A silver dappled hind rushed past. A beautiful animal, Engra decided. A silver tiger joined the elf.
(I'd better be careful if I meet her - I don't want to be having a misunderstanding with that).
Several other elves appeared and started chatting to her in the Elven tongue. She talked for a short time, then set off again.
Engra took careful note of the route she took. In a forest, everything could look the same if you weren't looking hard enough.
As the elf continued, he became aware of a roaring of water. She carried on until, Engra was surprised to see, she came to a bridge across a stream.
The tiger, stopped to play in a pool, while the elf carried on to place her axe next to a door that Engra would have had difficulty to notice, otherwise.
:There is where you should seek, in order to get nearer your goal.: The Scryer's mental voice echoed.
"Thank you that was truly..." He opened his eyes. He was standing in the field that the Seer's tent had been in, beside his horse but there was no sign of the Seer nor her tent.
Engra blinked.
(I felt no magic, and yet...)
Puzzling over this, he mounted and set out for the clearing he had seen. Another thought stuck him as he did so.
(She'd said "...you know where she once was." _before_ I said I was seeking a woman...) Who was this Ilanda, whom he'd taken to be a simple Seer?
Daemil felt a prickling on the back of his neck. He looked behind him but could see no-one.
"Um - I think we had better leave here. I was taught that the elves do not like trespassers in their forest and," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "I think we are being watched."
Copyright (c) 1999-2000 Abigail Laughlin and the members of the Circle of Stone.