Hemlock And The Dead God's Legacy (Book 2) (7 page)

“No, Merit.  Not now.  Just keep reading. Once I return we will discuss it in detail.”

“Miss Hemlock, what of Gwineval?  Can I share this with him?  So far it has not seemed like dangerous knowledge.”

Hemlock paced back and forth before replying: “No, not yet.  I have allowed Gwineval and the rest of the Wizards to search Falignus’ chambers.  There were other books there, so they will have new information to consider in my absence.  I’d like to continue to keep this
book between you and I until I get back, and we can understand the whole book and what it means.”

Merit seemed crestfallen, which
made Hemlock feel terrible.  But she had seen Zaringer and Falignus, and feared what this hidden knowledge might do to a wizard.

It’s not worth the risk.

“I have to leave, Merit.” 

She awkwardly hugged his small frame, and they parted with some final words of friendship and well wishes.




Hemlock departed the City by walking under the rusty old arch that marked the western outskirts of the Warrens.  A few Tanna Varrans who had immigrated to the City had decided to return home once word had spread that their realm would soon be sundered from the City and its regions.

All together, their group numbered twenty eight.  There were twenty one Tanna Varrans: eighteen who had accompanied Tored in his delegation from Tor Varnos, and three returning from the City. 

There were five Wiz
ards in the group.  These included four First Circle fighters, and Renevos, a specialist from the Second Circle, who was an expert in teleportation. Renevos was an older wizard with a waist length white beard, but he was fond of walking and had been deemed fit for the journey—plus he was an irascible curmudgeon, and was not contributing to the magical education of the City folk.  Renevos had been recruited for this expedition by Gwineval; and it was clear to all that it was at least partially a punishment.

Tored had given Hemlock some information on the Tanna Varrans in their group.  Several were members of the Taros family.  This was the same family that had produced the old king Pan Taros and his son Taros Ranvok.  Though Tored was associated with the Taros family, Hemlock had learned that he was a born into a low caste family, but had pledged his life-long service to the Taros at a young age. 
This was why he was now attempting to mentor the brother of Taros Ranvok, who was named Taros Sundar.

Hemlock watched Taros Sundar as he walked ahead of her.  He looked something like Taros Ranvok had, but his younger frame was smaller, and his features
were less angular. Hemlock watched with some amusement as he took his war spear from his back and began playfully whacking one of his cousins in the posterior with it.  She knew that such youthful spirit was rare among the Tanna Varrans. 

Tored had told her that Taros Sundar was uninterested in seeking the throne even though, had he shown an interest, his chances of being selected by the voting council of el
ders were deemed to be good.  Tored had conceded that the youth did not seem to be cut from the cloth of leadership, though he worried that the prominence of his family in Tanna Varran politics might make it impossible for Taros Sundar to remain wholly apart from political life.

Another Tanna Varran cast a dark look at Taros
Sundar's merriment.  This was Umra Vyle, leader of the Umra family since his father had taken ill. He had stepped aside from political life.  Umra Vyle was similar to Tored in temperament, and his muscular frame evidenced the strength of early, but fully realized manhood.  He was almost as large as Tored, and he had the proud bearing of youth mixed with experience and capability.

"So, what's it like ruling over the wizards?" asked a
newly familiar voice.  Hemlock turned to regard Faud, a Tanna Varran from the Taros family, who had dropped back to engage Hemlock in yet another of a series of pointed conversations that Hemlock had been trying to avoid. Faud's obsequious smile made him difficult to ignore, so Hemlock felt compelled to respond.

"It has been different, Faud."

"Faud, move along now.  Hemlock and I have to talk," interjected Tored.

Faud looked de
spondent, but he moved ahead quickly and re-joined the group of Taros clan walkers, who walked in a group apart from the larger Umra clan.

"Thank you," said Hemlock as she smiled at Tored.

"The man is inquisitive like a boy.  Between him and Taros Sundar, I feel like a lion amongst cubs."

“Impressed with yourself, aren’t you?”

Tored broke into a rare smile, but said nothing.

“I’ve never met a Tanna Varran like Faud.  Usually you are all more…reserved.”

“Truly spoken.  Faud has been acting unusually since he and his family were ambushed by witches.  His father and brother were killed in the encounter, but Faud managed to flee.  They were the only family that he had.  I once made a promise to his mother on her deathbed to look after the boy.  Because of Faud’s erratic behavior, Umra Vyle has tried to strip him of his status as a warrior.  But I intervened on his behalf. ”

"I
also noticed Umra Vyle scowling at Taros Sundar."

Tored nodded.  "He sees him as a rival.  And
Sundar might yet grow out of his youthful simplicity.  Umra Vyle thinks it better to confront him as a boy than as a man.  There is cold logic in that.  But Taros Sundar dismisses me whenever I speak of the danger."

"Maybe I can talk to him about it."

Tored, who had been looking ahead, turned to face her.  "It would be a great favor to me if you did."

"Think nothing of it.  I will speak to him soon."

"I am in your debt."

The two were silent for a time. 
Hemlock noticed that Taros Sundar was now making merriment at the expense of Faud, who had evidently made a foolish remark.

Hemlock broke the silence
. "This is going to be a long journey, isn't it?"

"Yes, many days, as we discussed."

"I remember horses from when I was a child.  If we had them, we might complete this journey in just a few days."

"Yes, I have heard tales of them.  They are said to be beautiful beasts.  We did not have them on our old world."

"Gwineval tells me that non-magical beasts cannot survive the passage of the veil that surrounds the City."

"This must be true, for otherwise we should have beasts in great abundance, I imagine."

The group walked on, and soon the sun was high in the sky.  Hemlock saw that Renevos now walked beside her on her left.

"It is time for lunch.  We should stop," said Renevos.

Hemlock turned to Tored. "Tored, the wizards are asking to stop to eat."

Tored seemed to regard the concept as unfavorable, but he did not voice his opinion
. He called to the Tanna Varrans to stop.

As Hemlock ate her dried cattle meat and rice, she noted again that their group was sitting in f
our groups:  the Tanna Varrans of the Taros family, the Tanna Varrans of the Umra family, the wizards led by Renevos, and her and Tored.  They also walked in these groups, and Hemlock knew that none of the three largest groups had much of a fondness for any of the others.

Tored, who sat beside her, ate little.  She had seen him eat a small piece of bread given to him by Faud, but that was it.  In fact, Hemlock noticed that none of the Tanna Varrans ate very much.

Turning back to Tored, Hemlock saw him regarding her. "We usually only eat twice a day," he said.

Something about sitting with Tored awakened a memory in Hemlock
’s mind.  She used to sit with Safreon and have small conversations like she was having now.  She felt simultaneous feelings of intense melancholy and appreciation for Tored’s company.

Hemlock noticed Renevos slowly rise from the group of wizards and walk toward
them.  The old wizard nodded perfunctorily and then seated himself beside them.

“Did you warn them about magic?” asked Renevos.

“Yes, she did.  We are forbidden to use magic because of the chaotic nature of the lands that immediately surround the City. My warriors have been informed,” said Tored.

“Well, you make sure they heed that warning.  I remember when I was a younger man; we were on a journey south when some fool cast a small spell to lighten his pack.  None of us noticed it, and we were taken off guard when we were attacked.  Strange tendrils rose from the ground itself and lashed out as us.  They grabbed two wizards and suffocated them before we could form up
a defense.  Don’t underestimate the danger of the chaos magic here.”

“We won’t, Renevos,” said Hemlock.

“What is the origin of this magic?” asked Tored, as he chewed on another small piece of bread.

Hemlock shrugged.  Renevos appeared to be deep in thought, and then responded
. “Some say that the Imperial magic that lingers in the City has displaced the natural chaos magic in these perimeter lands, and concentrated its power.”

This piqued Hemlock’s interest
. “How much Imperial magic is still around?”

Renevos shifted uncomfortably and looked downward
. “These matters are best discussed in the Tower.”

Hemlock shrugged and smiled at Tored, who acknowledged her jest with a small grin.

Hemlock turned her attention back toward Renevos and was startled to see him looking at her with an intense glare.

“
We wizards once ran at the forefront, and the City followed in our wake. We must have faltered. And now you have taken our place. We now follow in your wake. I don’t like it, but I respect you and your power. Therefore I follow you. But I don’t respect the common folk of the City,” said Renevos, his hoarse voice rising to a passionate volume.

“
I never agreed with giving them potions. Why should we give them something which their stature has not earned? We will make them softer and weaker than they already are. They will come to depend on us like lecherous worms. We needed to let them use magic, and we needed the best of them to fill out our ranks. I think Zaringer made a mistake in trying to suppress all non-Guild magic.

But I don’t support giving magic secrets away
, either. They are something that should be earned, and with that difficulty should come a sense of responsibility.  This free distribution of magic that you are leading will backfire, Hemlock.  Just you wait!”

Hemlock sighed audibly.  “I appreciate your opinion, Renevos.  You need not concern yourself with these matters now—at least until we return to the City.  I’m actually trying to get my mind off of the City on this journey.”

Renevos rose and walked off, muttering: “Such are the whims of the young.  No time for wise words from their elders.”

After Renevos had left earshot, Tored spoke
. “Well, he’s a dour one.  But perhaps there is some wisdom in his words?”

Hemlock sighed again in response, and did not answer.

Tored rose and shouldered his backpack.  The other Tanna Varrans followed his lead, and did the same; the wizards followed suit.  Soon, the walkers resumed their journey west.

They walked for several hours without incident.  The terrain began to undulate with soft hills interspersed with small conifer forests.

Around that time it was noticed that a flock of birds began to wheel over the group. Initially they flew at some altitude, but then they began to glide lower and pass closer. They were white birds with pronounced beaks and stubby, awkward looking bodies. But, despite their shape, they were fast and powerful flyers.

The distinctive call of the birds, which resembled a person's laugh, began to trouble the Tanna Varrans.

"Hemlock, what of these birds that fly overhead? They concern the men, who say that they are a bad omen," said Tored.

"They're called Laughing Warblers. They are thought to be good luck in the City.  But I've never seen so many at once," replied Hemlock.

As minutes turned into an hour and the birds remained overhead, Hemlock could see the strain on the faces of the Tanna Varrans as they looked upwards nervously, and took to grumbling amongst themselves.

"Tored, why do you think the birds are bad luck?"

"In our land, when birds follow overhead, we think that evil spirits are tracking our movements. Also these birds are white like many of the evil birds in our land. And their laugh sounds like it mocks us."

That laughing sound is getting on my nerves
, too.

"Remember," she reminded Tored, "don't use magic here."

"It is true that in our land we would take flight to scatter the birds.  But we remember your warning."

"Perhaps you should remind your men?"

Tored's jaw thrust out. "These are Tanna Varran warriors! No reminder should be necessary."

Hemlock was not so sure, but she yielded to
Tored's dismissive tone, and did not ask again.

Mere minutes later
, Hemlock watched in disbelief as Faud, the Tanna Varran youth that had been accosting her throughout the trip, launched into the air powerfully, and scattered the birds overhead.