The Broken World Book One - Children of Another God (26 page)

Her father's
bearded face appeared in her mind, shaking sadly, mouthing the
words he had spoken before. Never trust a Mujar, he will only let
you down. The woman in the forest appeared, and shrieked that
Chanter would break her heart and leave her alone in the wilderness
to die. He had done both, and the pain of her shattered trust
almost outweighed the terror of her approaching death. She coughed
as a wave leapt into her mouth, bringing her back from her
memories. Her numb legs flailed, barely responding to the commands
of her brain, and the water closed more frequently over her face,
weakening her further.

Talsy tensed at
a splash beside her, then strong, warm arms enfolded and lifted
her. Two Powers swirled as they were invoked, Ashmar and Shissar.
The wind died and the ocean calmed as if smoothed by a giant hand
to the flatness of a millpond. Warmth flooded into her from the
sleek form pressed against her, and he kicked at the sea, holding
her up.

"Hold onto me,
Talsy."

She tried to
open her burning eyes. "Chanter?"

"I'm here. Hold
on."

Tears of
weakness and relief filled her eyes as she tried to comply, but no
strength remained in her limbs, and she shook her head. He grunted
and invoked Shissar again. Something cold and solid pressed against
her feet. She sobbed with terror and clung to his neck. Chanter
held her, hushing her mewling cries as the cold solidity beneath
her rose. Her legs buckled, and he knelt beside her as they were
raised from the cold sea. A gentle rain fell; big, warm drops that
rinsed off the brine while the Mujar rubbed the saltiness from her
eyes. The sweet water ran into her mouth, and she licked it from
her lips. Chanter's power swirled around them, and the downpour
increased. He cupped his hand to catch the rain, and trickled it
into her mouth. She sucked at it, washing the sea's harsh taste
away.

Too befuddled
to care how he did it, she clung to him as the rain washed her and
the solid something held her above the dreaded sea. All she knew
was that her throat's rawness and the burning of her injured nose
and salty eyes were gone. Slumped against him, she soaked up his
warmth and comfort, too tired to care about anything else. He wiped
the matted hair from her face, and the rain stopped as she opened
her eyes to look up at him. In the darkness, he was little more
than a shadow beside her, moonlight gleaming on his hair and
skin.

"You left me,"
she accused.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Regret,
Talsy."

"Why?" she
demanded.

"I thought you
were safe. I went ahead to rescue the boy."

She thumped his
chest. "Damn you!"

Talsy burst
into tears, releasing the terror of her ordeal in the flood, hating
and loving his strong silent presence and his arms around her. The
weeping sapped the last of her strength, and, as it drained her
terror and despair, her eyes closed and an exhausted sleep swept
over her.

Chapter Eleven

When Talsy
woke, Chanter held her pillowed against his shoulder. Warm sunlight
flooded from a bright blue sky where fluffy white clouds wandered.
The sea stretched away all around, as calm as a sheet of gently
undulating glass. Talsy sat up, freeing herself from the Mujar's
embrace, and studied the huge piece of ice on which they sat. It
bobbed in the swells, ripples fanning out from its edges.

Talsy turned
accusing eyes upon her saviour. "I could have died."

"Yes." His face
was expressionless.

"Don't give me
that silent Mujar crap," she snapped. "Talk to me."

Chanter made a
graceful gesture. "Regret."

"What the hell
does that mean?"

"I have caused
you pain. Wish."

"I don't want a
damned Wish!" She scowled at him. "I want an apology!"

He regarded her
with puzzled eyes, a smile curving his sensual lips, then bowed his
head. "I'm sorry, my little clan. I made a mistake. It almost cost
your life, and I apologise. Punish me if you wish, take out your
anger, I won't be offended."

Talsy stared at
him, and he flashed her a fire-blue glance with a grin. The memory
of the terror she had endured washed away the temptation to join in
his gaiety, however. She thumped him as hard as she could, a puny
blow on his shoulder that made her slip and almost sprawl on the
ice, but for the support of his hands that flashed out to hold her.
Talsy slapped and punched him, hating his alien humbleness and
disarming allure, as well as the immense power he commanded. Hated
him for being Mujar.

"You damned
Mujar!" she wept. "I was all alone, scared out of my wits! You left
me to die! Why did you come back? Why bother to calm the seas and
stop the wind, just to rescue a worthless Lowman?"

Chanter's brows
rose at her use of the Mujar name for her people. He let her pummel
him while he held her to prevent her slipping. She soon exhausted
the little strength she had and slumped against him, allowing him
to hold her and stroke her hair.

"So now you
hate Mujar too?" he enquired.

"No," she
groaned. "I love you." Flinging her arms around his neck, she clung
to him and sobbed into his chest.

Clearly
bewildered by her strange, tumultuous Lowman emotions, Chanter
patted her back. "I didn't leave you to die. I thought you were
safe. When I heard the warning, I came as fast as I could. That's
what caused the wind."

"I thought you
had left me. I was frightened!" she wailed. "Everyone has warned me
that you'll abandon me one day!"

"I won't," he
assured her. "As long as we have clan bond, I will fulfil my side
of the bargain."

She sighed and
hiccupped. "Don't leave me again."

"I won't, as
long as we have clan bond, I promise."

Satisfied, she
snuggled close to him, her eyes heavy with fatigue, and the
iceberg's rocking lulled her into an exhausted slumber. Before she
drifted off, she became aware that the iceberg moved against the
breeze. Chanter, she realised, commanded the deep ocean currents to
push the berg towards Rashkar, where he evidently had unfinished
business. The distant shoreline was a dark smudge on the horizon,
coming closer.

When Talsy woke
again, the sun sank towards the horizon. The dark smudge of land
had swelled, revealing beaches and cliffs, forests and grassland.
While they waited, Talsy questioned Chanter about what had happened
to him in Rashkar, and he gave her a brief explanation. At the end
of it, she wondered how trustworthy King Garsh was, and whether he
would fulfil his side of the agreement.

The sun sank
and the moon rose as the iceberg drifted closer to land, until it
loomed dark before them, waves foaming on the shore. Chanter
brought the berg right up to the beach, and Talsy stepped off
without getting her feet wet. As soon as they were ashore, the ice
melted away without a trace. Stumbling with tiredness and hunger,
she followed him up the beach to a secluded grove, where he paused
to contemplate her. She knew what he was thinking. Without a tent
or bedding, she was ill equipped to spend a night in the open. She
needed shelter and food.

"Do you still
have money?" he asked.

She groped at
her belt and found the bag of coins. "Yes."

"Good. I'll
take you to Rashkar. You can buy food and rent somewhere to sleep
for the night."

"What about
you?"

"I'll be fine."
He smiled. "Since it was my fault that you lost the equipment for
the comforts, I'll do without them for now."

She nodded, too
tired to argue.

The black
stallion carried her to the city gates, where she dismounted and
walked within to find an inn. She ate a hearty meal of roast beef
and boiled vegetables in her room before falling asleep in a soft
bed. In her dreams, she sank into the black depths, trying to claw
her way towards the glimmer of moonlight high above, and woke
yelling Chanter's name.

The following
morning, she bought a new bag and supplies before returning to the
woods to cook the Mujar a meal, which he consumed with relish.
Talsy eyed her handsome companion while they ate.

"Why are we
here? If the boy's been released, surely the Wish is
fulfilled?"

"No. I agreed
to bring him home, so I must wait until he emerges from the city,
then see to it that he returns to his father safely."

Talsy smiled at
the Mujar's innocence. "What if he doesn't? He might decide to stay
here, even if King Garsh has released him."

"Then I'll have
to find him. At least in the city he'll be easier to find than in
the barracks, where they all look the same."

"That's
assuming the King kept his bargain."

Chanter
nodded.

"What if he
hasn't?"

"Then I was a
fool to deal with Lowmen."

Talsy looked
away, unable to meet his eyes. She was ashamed of her people, for
she doubted that the King had released the boy. Truemen, or maybe
Lowmen was a better name for them, hated Mujar to such an extent
that doing anything at the request of one was a dire insult. Most
likely the hapless boy had been locked in a dungeon somewhere, and
the King was scheming, even now, of how to trap the Mujar and throw
him in a Pit. She could not allow that to happen. She must protect
Chanter from her people.

With studied
nonchalance, she enquired, "What's his name, this boy?"

"Arrin Torquil.
Why do you ask?"

She shrugged.
"Just curious." Putting aside her empty bowl, she said, "I'm going
back into the city. There are still some things I need to buy."

His eyes
narrowed. "Such as?"

"A new knife, a
tent, bedding."

"Have you
enough money?"

"I hope so." In
truth, her supply of silver was low, and she planned to try her
hand at pickpocketing. Chanter gazed at her, his brow furrowed.
Perhaps he sensed that she was lying, for his expression was
doubtful.

"I can help
with that," he said. "Hold your breath."

Talsy obeyed,
knowing that he was about to invoke a Power. He placed his hands on
the ground, and icy cold clamped down, freezing the air into
momentary solidity. When it passed, he raised his hands and stared
at the ground, his eyes luminous. Talsy wondered what was going to
happen.

The result of
his power was not as dramatic as she had expected. The ground
swelled, then fell open like a blossoming flower. He plucked
something from the mound of soil, brushed it off and held it out to
her.

"I believe
Lowmen like these."

Talsy took a
stone the size of a hen's egg from his hand and stared at it in
awe. A deep red glow emanated from the ruby's depths, its muted
fire mottled by dirt and flaws. She looked up at him.

"How did you do
that?"

He shrugged. "I
called it up."

"Are there
more?"

Chanter smiled.
"Plenty, but one is enough."

Talsy washed
and polished the stone before tucking it into her purse. No wonder
Mujar were not interested in earning wealth when they could simply
call it up from the earth. Another reason Truemen envied Mujar.
While Truemen grubbed in the soil, sweated and toiled to make a
paltry living, a Mujar could summon a fortune from the bosom of the
earth with a mere thought. Chanter had handed her a king's ransom
as if it was just another pebble. She packed away the pots and
plates, then stood and shouldered the bag.

"I won't be too
long. I'll return here at dusk with more food."

"I'll be
watching."

With a brisk
nod, she headed for the city. Chanter waited until she was far down
the road before transforming into a raven with a rush of
Ashmar.

In the city,
Talsy found a lively market in a suburb close to the gates and
bought a thick fur coat and another tent. Like the rest of the
city, the market was clean and ordered, with street sweepers to
clear away the rubbish and gay awnings shading brightly painted
stalls. Smiling, friendly people populated it, and merchants cried
their wares and haggled with customers. Her shopping done, she got
directions from a trader and headed for the barracks, determined to
find out if Arrin Torquil had been released. At a dusty parade
ground, a blue-uniformed guard with silver armour and a
cream-plumed helmet allowed her in and showed her to an officer's
billet. Ugly square buildings with narrow, barred windows and grey
slate roofs surrounded the yard, giving it a grim atmosphere, and
the officer's room proved to be just as stark and unpleasant.

A tall,
hard-eyed man with a well-trimmed beard rose from behind a scarred
desk at her entry. His uniform had gold ornamentation on the
sleeves and shoulders, a yellow sash was knotted around his waist,
and a silver sword hung on his hip. The sentry stated her business,
saluted and left. The officer eyed her as he sank back into his
chair, put his quill down and spliced his fingers.

"You're looking
for Arrin Torquil?"

She nodded.

"His sister, I
suppose?" His tone was sarcastic.

"Cousin,
actually."

"I see no
family resemblance."

"Step cousin.
We're related by marriage," she said.

"Ah. And what
is your business with him?"

"I wish to
visit him, that's all. Is that allowed?"

The officer
showed long yellow teeth. "Of course. Odd, though. Young Arrin has
been with us for almost a year, and no family has visited him
before."

"That's because
we all live in the Yamshar province, where he was snatched
from."

The officer's
thick brows rose, and his teeth vanished behind red lips.
"Snatched? Young Arrin is a volunteer, miss."

"Have it your
way." Talsy refused to be side tracked. "Is he here?"