Magus (Advent Mage Cycle) (3 page)

"Your accent," he explained enthusiastically. "Everyone from Tobadorage has a habit of stressing their a's. This is wonderful; you can coach us better on how to blend in than I can."

Xiaolang was nodding in agreement. "Very helpful indeed. Having a Chahiran along will be very beneficial."

I foresaw a lot of language and cultural lessons in my foreseeable future.

Guin cleared his throat slightly to catch our attention. "Garth, Chatta, I'm sure that I don't have to explain why the Red Hand is here. You've surely guessed by now, and what role you will be playing."

We both nodded. It was fairly obvious, really. We couldn’t use magic to help rescue people out of Chahir, not without stirring up a lot of trouble. The Red Hand had been called in to do the job that we couldn’t really do; they were here to help get people out of Chahir. We were to help them find those people.

"I've set up several houses near the border, to serve as way stations for you. Haben has a map with them marked. Garth, Chatta, I realize that this will be very time consuming. You have no other duties except to help the Red Hand."

"Understood, Sire." I thought about this for a moment, and then added, "You get to tell Trev'nor."

Guin actually growled at me. "Garth, that is hardly fair."

I smiled at him sweetly. He could assign me impossible tasks, and I couldn't argue, but that also meant he got to explain to a five year old why his adopted brother wouldn't be around for the foreseeable future.

Guin growled again, muttering darkly under his breath, but nodded in resignation.

"Anything else, Sire?" Chatta inquired politely. She was obviously amused, but was better at not gloating than I was.

"No, I'm sure you need to prepare and notify your families. I'll have the Red Hand settled into the Ambassador Inn. You'll start tomorrow morning."

It was afternoon right now. He expected us to be ready by daylight tomorrow?

The man really was a workaholic.

~*~

We hadn't set a specific time for meeting the next morning, but Captain Xiaolang struck me as a morning person, so I arrived fairly early, just in case. As it turned out, it was a good thing I did.

I entered the common room of the inn to find Captain Xiaolang already at a table, eating a very large breakfast with pleasurable enthusiasm. He looked up as I came in and waved me over with a friendly smile.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Good morning." I slung the two saddlebags in my hands into the seat next to me before sitting at the table.

"You're quite early," the captain noted after taking a quick sip from his cup.

"I wasn't quite sure what time I should be here," I answered honestly. "So I decided to come early just in case. Chatta hasn't come yet, then?"

"No, you're the first I've seen this morning," he replied. "Would you like to join me?"

"I've already eaten, but thank you." Not as well as he was, though. I wished I had waited now.

"Forgive me if I seem nosy, but I must ask a few questions. You and Witch Delheart seem like close friends. Are you accustomed to working together?"

"Very much so," I confirmed. "We're often paired together on projects. Actually, we were in school together, and trained under some of the same teachers."

"Good, then you're aware of each other's capabilities and reactions." Satisfied, he popped a piece of bread in his mouth.

"I should warn you that we both have companions." I felt it only fair to tell him about this now. Didi warranted a lot of warning, after all. "I'm not sure if they've been mentioned or not."

"You mean your nreesce, Night, and Witch Delheart's meuritta, Didi?"

I managed to catch my jaw before it could crash land into the table. "Er, you've been told, then."

"No, but I am an information specialist. It's my job to know everything."

If that were true, then why did he need to ask me if Chatta and I were used to working with each other? "Really."

He heard the doubting tone in my voice and started laughing. "Actually, Val Haben thought to warn me about them. Where is Night? I was given the impression that he followed you everywhere."

"He went to make sure Chatta was on her way," I admitted. The captain's laugh was so infectious that I found myself smiling back at him without really meaning to. "She's not known to be coordinated in the mornings. He figured she might need some help."

"Kind of him," Xiaolang noted. "Magus, you don't strike me as a formal person. Are you?"

"Not in the least," I assured him. "Call me Garth, please."

"Very well. You can drop the 'Captain' as well. We're going to be working together a long time, so we might as well start out as friends."

I nodded in agreement. This was a man, I had the feeling, that would make an excellent friend. I had no qualms about accepting such an offer of friendship.

Someone stumbled down the stairs at that point, approaching the table in a slightly unsteady shuffle. It took a moment for me to put name together with face, but I finally remembered. Hazard Harewood. Apparently, he was not a morning person either.

Hazard stopped at the table, dropping heavily into a chair. I've never seen the walking dead before, or anything of that nature, but Hazard was doing a very good impression of one. Xiaolang didn't say a word, just handed him a mug filled with steaming tea. He indicated to me to not say anything, so I stayed quiet, and watched as the big man drained the mug dry.

It was like someone opened the storm shutters—he went from being bleary eyed and unfocused, to awake and alert. "Morning, Cap'n."

"Good morning, Hazard," Xiaolang returned with a twinkle in his eyes. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Oh ha-ha," Hazard returned. His hands were already moving, filling a plate of food for himself. "Good morning, Magus."

"Garth," I corrected him. "I'm not a formal person. And a good morning to you, as well."

"Call me Hazard, then," the Solian replied cheerfully. "Where's the beautiful Witch?"

"On her way," I responded confidently, although I wasn't entirely sure if that were the case or not.

"Where's the rest of the team?" Xiaolang countered.

"Shield was making groaning noises, so I'm pretty sure he's up and moving," Hazard reported while putting away food at an alarming rate. "Aletha was shaking Eagle awake last I saw."

Xiaolang shook his head in exasperation. "How late did Eagle stay up studying?"

"I dunno, Cap'n, but when I went to sleep around one this morning, he was still at it."

"Eagle hasn't actually spoken Chahirese in a year or so," Xiaolang explained to me. "He's been studying it ever since we heard about this mission, but he doesn't feel that he's comfortable enough to pass as a native anymore. Do me a favor and spend some time coaching him, otherwise I'll have to take his books away from him."

"I'll work with him as we ride west," I assured him. "Actually, I'll work with all of you as we ride."

"Good idea," Xiaolang approved.

Aletha was the next to descend, followed closely by Shield. They were more awake than Hazard had been, so I ventured a friendly good morning, and received one in return.

"And how is Eagle?" Xiaolang inquired of Aletha.

"Blood shot and wet from the waist up," Aletha reported with rolled eyes. "I had to douse him with cold water to get any sort of reaction. Captain, take his books away, otherwise he'll be like this all the way to Chahir."

"Garth will work with him," Xiaolang promised her. "That should distract him from the books."

I had been keeping an eye on the door, so I saw Chatta when she came in. She wasn't entirely awake yet, judging by the dull look in her eyes, but she was moving all right. I moved my saddlebags so she could have a place to sit.

Didi wasn't awake at all, but draped across Chatta's shoulders, like some sort of woman's fur stole.

"Morning," she greeted as she sank into a seat.

"Not 'good morning'?" I teased.

"No, because there's nothing good about mornings," she growled back at me.

"Diii," Didi muttered in dark agreement. Oh, so he was awake? Well, sort of.

Night nudged the door open and came in, looking bright eyed and bushy tailed, as usual. "
Good morning
."

Everyone at the table but Chatta and I jumped, whipping around to stare at him. A bemused smile quirked the corners of my mouth as I took in this extreme reaction. "Xiaolang, I thought Haben told you about Night?"

Xiaolang managed to get his mouth working again. "He failed to mention he was a telepath."

That was
so
typical of Haben. "Ah. Well, he is. He's also a Breaker—if he hits anything with both hooves at the same time, whatever he hits will break."

"That's handy," Hazard noted. "
Ain
, Night. I'm Hazard Harewood."

"
A pleasure, Hazard.
"

Belatedly, I finished the introductions. There were polite greetings, and I could tell by the way that Night studied Xiaolang that he was intrigued by the man. I had filled him in the night before, while doing some very quick packing, so he knew what the captain was. He was being studied in return by everyone at the table. Night didn't seem to mind, probably sensing that it was because they were curious about him as well.

Eagle finally made his appearance, looking very sleep deprived. By mutual consent, no one talked to him until he had downed three cups of tea. Once he looked semi-intelligent again, Xiaolang gave him a pointed look and a droll, "Good morning, Eagle."

"Er…morning, Captain." The blond was wearing a very sheepish expression.

"Do I have to take your books away from you?"

Eagle flushed and ducked his head. "Sorry, sir. I've just forgotten a lot, and to be really prepared for going into Chahir—"

Xiaolang raised a hand, stopping him. "Eagle, stop, I'm not upset. But leave your books packed, all right? Magus Rhebengarthen has promised to work with all of us as we travel. He's a better way of reviewing Chahirese than your books, anyway."

Eagle shot me a grateful look. "You don't mind, Magus?"

"Garth," I corrected. "And no, it will be my pleasure."

"Thanks," Eagle responded happily. The look he gave his captain included him in that thank you.

"Good," Xiaolang stated with satisfaction. "Then eat, I don't want to hear any hungry stomachs later. Garth, only Eagle has ever actually set foot in Chahir. What can you tell us about the country?"

"It's colder than Hain," I answered promptly. "With it approaching fall like it is, we'll need heavy coats and gloves. And hats. Hats are very popular in Chahir."

"It'll help to cover our hair as well," Aletha noted. "Eagle and Shield won't have a problem, being blonds, but the rest of us won't blend in as well."

"There are a few brunettes that crop up from time to time," I ruminated thoughtfully as I looked over the group. "Xiaolang could pass, with his fair skin, but you and Hazard won't have a prayer. You're just too dark."

"I can do something about that," Chatta offered in a questioning tone.

Xiaolang leaned forward so he could see around me, and look directly at her. "Oh? In what way?"

"There are potions that can turn a person's skin and hair into different colors," she informed him. "They only last about twelve hours, but I can make them look Chahiran." She paused suddenly and gave me a concerned look. "Will they be able to detect that?"

"I'm not sure," I said slowly.

"Witch Delheart, you're speaking cryptically," Xiaolang complained.

"Chatta," she corrected him with a slight smile. "I'm not a formal person either. But in answer, Chahir has ways of detecting when magic is used."

"Which is how they hunt down magical people," Aletha said in sudden understanding.

I nodded in grim acknowledgement. "The only time I triggered the alarms, it was something very minor. Those alarms are very sensitive. Still, I'm not sure if potions would be enough to give you away. Potions are not active magic, not really. There's no build up of power when you use them, which is what I think actually sets those alarms off."

"But you're not sure," Xiaolang stated, his eyes searching mine.

"No," I was forced to admit. "That part of the process, how they detect magic, has always been a closely guarded secret. I'm not precisely sure how they do it."

"If we're to have a prayer of success, we better figure it out," Shield noted.

"Hazard," Xiaolang commanded quietly. "That will be your task."

Hazard nodded once. "Understood, sir."

"I'll help you with that," Chatta volunteered. "
I
have ways of detecting magic too."

He blinked, but smiled in pleasure. "I appreciate that, Chatta."

"She's better at it than I am," I told him. "But if I can help, I'll be pleased to do so." With sadistic cheer, I added, "And I'll be more than pleased to help destroy their detection system, whatever it is."

The look in Hazard's eyes said he understood why, but he didn't say anything, just nodded.

"What else, Garth?" Xiaolang prompted.

"Chahir is rather flat, for the most part," I answered after a beat. "The south has some mountains and forests, but most of it is grassland or farmland of some sort. It makes it difficult to hide, and difficult to cross." That was the voice of experience. It had been nerve wracking covering the distance between Tobadorage and the Black Ridge Mountains. I had been sure someone would spot me and chase me down. "Each province is like a state unto itself, with its own culture and rules. The small villages are especially wary of strangers. I only visited a few, usually when I went to see relatives, and I was under suspicion the entire time. Even though people knew who I was."

"Paranoid villagers," Shield drawled with a roll of his eyes. "I hate dealing with paranoid villagers."

I agreed with him. It made our job harder. "If you do get questioned, or stopped for any reason, the safest thing to do is say that you're a mapmaker."

"Mapmaker?" Hazard repeated dubiously.

Eagle was the only one that was nodding, apparently knowing what I was referring to. "Yes, of course! Brilliant, Garth." Seeing his teammate's confusion, he leapt into an explanation. "You see, all the province's lords—Doms, they're called—are in constant conflict with their neighbors about where their borders actually are. The government has gotten tired of their arguments, as they usually lead to blood feuds. They've hired a number of people to go in when requested, and measure out the full lay of the province. But they always hire foreigners, or people from across the country, so that the mapmaker isn't partial to one Dom or another."