Cornerstone (21 page)

“
Maybe his father had a vision,” Rink offered.

“
It's possible,” Garith conceded.

Emariya nodded. “I think Garith is right. We don't know much right now, other than that Reeve is in danger. We don't know what it will take to save my father. We don't know what Torian's reasons were for requesting we come. I think our only choice is to deal with what we know. We'll return to Warren's Rest, confer with Reeve, and make our plan.”

Khane looked at her steadily. “If you knew how to use the Roths’ gift, you could probably get a message to him without returning to The Rest.”

“
Perhaps, but I wouldn't even know how to begin to go about it,” Emariya said slowly. He did have a point. It would be awfully helpful if she could just ask Reeve his advice and warn him from here.

“
Try to clear your mind,” Khane said. Everyone looked at him curiously. “I mean, I don't know, but I would guess that you'd have a better chance to communicate with someone, like a spirit or whatever, if your mind were calm.”

“
Who should I try and talk to?” Emariya asked, unsure.

“
Your mother, maybe,” Rink said. His eyes were eager. To a young boy, this must all have seemed like quite the adventure.

Emariya closed her eyes. She tried to picture the way her mother had looked when she'd seen her before she had woken up. She tried to feel around with her mind, mentally calling out, “Mama?” Nothing. Her brow furrowed as she concentrated. She could hear her own heart pounding in her ears. She felt her own breath going in and coming out. The taste of anticipation at seeing her mother again was bitter on her tongue. She heard the horses somewhere nearby. What she didn't hear—no matter how desperately she wanted to—was her mother’s voice answering her plea. Finally, she opened her eyes and shook her head in response to their expectant looks. Even Jessa looked disappointed. Sighing, she stood up. “We'll head for Warren's Rest at once.”

***

The clay goblet smashed into the wall and shattered. The rich red wine dripped down the wall like rivulets of fresh blood. He paced back and forth in front of his desk. “Stupid, foolish girl!” He slammed his palm down on his desk. The solid wood held firm. The force of the blow resonated through his arm and up into his shoulder. “Foolish, foolish girl. She's going to ruin everything!”

“
Jaryl!” he hollered. “Someone find Jaryl.” He heard footsteps scurrying out in the hall. Good, he thought, at least someone could do as they were told.

A few minutes later, he appeared. “Your Grace?”

“
She's turned back toward Warren's Rest! She ran into a hostile camp and they scared her into turning for home.” Just saying the words aloud made him angrier. “This won't do.”

Tentatively crossing into the room, Jaryl said, “I know you were hesitant t’ use force against her, Your Grace, and I respect that. It definitely would make things easier if she were willingly on our side…but…”

“
What do you have in mind?” he asked, running his hand over his mustache, contemplating. Yes, if need be, he'd force her to Castle Ahlen.

“
Your Grace, last I checked, we had a few loyal men in the area who could be convinced t’ deliver her—unharmed, o’ course—for a fee.”

“
But who are they loyal to?”

“
The lining o’ their pockets, Your Grace.” Jaryl grinned his snakelike smile. “You know, if she were t’ be taken prisoner, and then rescued…it may earn favor for her 'rescuer' in the lady's eyes. And it could help us ensure that she ends up where we want her, instead o’ turned over t’ someone with deeper pockets than ours.”

“
I suppose she's left us no choice.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Wayward Child

They had spent the night in a small cave Khane had found for them on the mountainside. There were several large groupings of rocks surrounding the relatively flat stones that marked the path to the cave.

“
Are you sure about this?” Jessa asked the next morning as they finished packing up their camp. Throughout the night the snow had slowed, and now only a few tiny flakes swept down. The wind, however, raged about them, swirling the newer, lighter snow around their feet.

“
No,” Emariya answered, shaking her head. “I'm not really sure about anything, but this seems like the best choice. I don't want Russell to take Reeve by surprise.” She shoved her herb pouch into her pack harder than necessary.

Jessa smiled at her encouragingly. “It will be all right; we'll warn him in time. But what about Prince Ahlen? He may be in danger, too. And you did give him your word…”

Emariya knew this was what was really troubling Jessa. In Jessa's black and white world, if you gave your word, you kept it. She glanced at the sky. Billowing clouds tumbled across the peaks in the distance. At least if the snow picked up, it would help cover their tracks.

“
I'm not saying I won't marry him. Just not until we know more about his plans regarding the prophecy, and how much he knows. And, I suppose, not until we understand more about it ourselves, and I make sure Reeve is safe.”

Jessa laughed, “Oh, is that all, then?”

Emariya grinned, “You know, I really don't understand all this stuff about the Stones and the gifts yet. It's a lot to process, but I have to say I am almost a little relieved. Every so often, I would swear I heard someone talking to me, but no one was around. At least now I know I really was hearing it.”

“
Why didn't you ever say anything?”

“
Tell you I was hearing random voices?” Emariya raised her eye at her friend. “If I thought I was crazy, then you surely would have thought I was crazy.”

“
Maybe not. Mama said something to me before we left. She said to make sure that you kept your ears open. Maybe this is what she meant. I think Mama knew about the gifts. Perhaps if you had said something, she could have helped you understand them.”

“
Hmm, maybe. We'll ask her about it when we get back to Warren's Rest. All right, where are the boys? I think we are about ready. Rink? Khane?” she called loudly, “Garith?”

Rink came into view leading Emariya's white filly. He looked surprised. “Is Khane not here with you?”

“
Wasn't he helping you ready the horses?” Jessa asked, “And what about Garith—he isn't here, either?”

“
Garith's hitching up the packhorses; he'll be ready in a minute. But Khane said he was coming to help you two load up a few minutes ago. He shoulda been here by now.” Rink looked worriedly back the way he'd come.

Emariya frowned. “All right, let’s load these packs, and then we'll go together to find him if he isn't here by the time Garith has the packhorses ready.” She was of a mind to have a good talk with him when she found him, too. With the Separatists likely still close, he shouldn't have gone off on his own.

Emariya was crouched down gathering the last of her things when she heard footsteps coming up the path behind the rocks.
Finally.
Garith and Khane must have run into each other on the way back with the horses. She stood to ask if they were ready to go just in time to see Jessa crumple to the ground without making a sound.

“
Jessa!” she cried out.

Two men had crept up behind the rocks and one had hit Jessa over the head. Rink spun around at Emariya's cry. The larger of the two men lunged for him. The man who had hit Jessa was short, but squarely built. He easily grabbed Emariya by the arm, scooping her up and throwing her over his shoulder, as if she were no more than a sack of grain.

“
Let go of me! Put me down, I said!” She tried to kick at him, but he had her legs firmly against him, making it impossible for her to land a good blow. She pounded on his back with her fists, but the man's fur-lined cloak seemed to absorb a good amount of her flailing blows. She may have been making some progress, though, because suddenly the man put her down, quickly grabbing her wrists. Pulling a rope from beneath his cloak, he bound her wrists behind her while she struggled, kicking at him to get away. Her foot connected with his shin.

She heard him grunt.
Good, hopefully I hurt him,
she thought. “What do you want with us? Stop! Let me go!” Where was Khane; where was Garith? She kept expecting them to show up suddenly to free her while at the same time she was desperately afraid they were lying, hurt, somewhere on the mountainside.

“
You can walk or you can be dragged, but come on,” the man growled. His gravely voice fit his short grizzly bear appearance perfectly. With a swift tug on the rope, he set off away from the camp, leaving her no choice but to follow. She looked back over her shoulder as he led her away.

She saw the taller, leaner man still grappling with Rink.

“
Rink, run!” she hollered, “ Go!” but the boy was focusing so intently on his battle that he either didn't hear her or was ignoring her.

Oh, damn him, why isn’t he running?
The minimal sunlight forcing its way through the clouds reflected off of something in his hand as the man lunged.
Oh, by The Three, he has a knife.

Rink must have seen the knife, too. It was too late for him to jump back, but he managed to twist his small, childlike body around.

A scream ripped from her throat as she saw the knife plunge deep into the boy's shoulder. “Nooooo! Rink!”

Time stopped.

Using his other hand, the man shoved Rink violently away from him. Rink's limp form did nothing to stop the blow. Emariya was helpless to do anything but watch as he tumbled down the rocks, finally stopping at the base of the slope.

She tried again to break free; if she could just get to Rink, maybe she could help him. The man paid no heed to her struggles, and kept tugging her farther away. His partner picked up the reins of Emariya's filly before following along behind them.

As they came around the other side of the slope, she understood. There, mounted on his own horse, was Khane, waiting with a third man. His hands were bound, as well, but overall he looked unharmed. “Are you all right?” he whispered to her as they brought her closer. A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye, forging its salty trail down her face as she was hoisted onto her filly. “Did they hurt you?”

She shook her head. “They knocked Jessa out…and I think Rink may be dead.” She swallowed hard. Now was not the time to cry.

Khane's face hardened. His jaw clenched in a tight line. “Garith?” Khane inquired hesitantly.

“
I don't know. Who are they?” She gestured forward to the three men in front of them.

“
I'm not sure. I think we’d better cooperate until we know more. If they killed Rink…”

“
That's enough back there!” one of the men snapped.

Khane mouthed at her, “Shhh, we'll talk later,” and she nodded.

They didn't stop all that day. By dusk, she was starving. She was given a bit of water and hard bread to eat, but they didn't stop that night, either. They made camp just before dawn. Judging by where the sun was rising, she was fairly certain they were heading east. From what she could tell, they were still heading deeper into Thalmas.

The men pitched three heavy burlap tents. Emariya was led forcefully into the smaller one. The man leading her was the same one who had carried her off, the one she was starting to think of as The Bear. He didn't seem to have forgotten her kick to his shin. He pulled the rope roughly above her head and bound it to a metal hitch that he drove into the ground. Her wince made him grin, revealing several missing teeth. He bound her waist to the pole as well, and then left without so much as a glance back at her.

Emariya tested out her new restraints. With the rope around her waist, she was unable to get the leverage to stand. Had it not been there, she could have twisted around and risen, then pulled the stake up, freeing herself. Instead, the pain she felt in her shoulders even trying to pull up at all on the stake made her vision flash white. She'd have to figure out another way.

***

“
What did it say?” Terin asked kindly. Putting his hand to his forehead, he let the letter fall to the table. The carrier pigeon had brought it not an hour ago, and he'd been sitting here reading it and rereading it ever since. “Is it news of Lady Emariya?”

He nodded, unable to form words. This was all his fault. He waited while Terin read the message that by now he knew by heart.

I have it on good authority that Lady Emariya has been taken hostage during her attempt to reach Castle Ahlen. I fear greatly for her life. Should she come to harm, I will not only hold you accountable, but I will decline to go forward with our alliance.

“
It's not your fault, you know,” Terin said quietly.

“
Of course it is!” He angrily pushed back his chair and stood. “I should have accompanied her. But I didn't, and now she is out there enduring who knows what. And if we don't find her…by The Three, if they hurt her…” His words broke off. Anxiously he pushed his hair back off of his face so that he could stare down at the letter again. “I'm worried for us too. We need this alliance.”