Tides of Faith: Travail of The Dark Mage Book Two (73 page)

“Uncle!” she hollered and then kicked
her horse to go faster.

Jiron reached over and caught her
reins, bringing her impending gallop to a halt. “No you don’t,
young lady,” he said. “You stay by me.”

“How did they get here so
fast?”

Potbelly turned to Scar, “Beats me.
But if anyone can travel fast, it would be those two.”

Jiron moved ahead and was the first to
reach the inn.

“How did it go?”

“All according to plan,” James
replied.

Jiron eyed them both up and down and
didn’t see any injuries. Of course, if there had been any, Miko
would have just healed them.

“Scar ran into trouble when they went
hunting a creature to capture.”

James looked toward the duo and could
see Scar was a little paler than normal. “Nothing serious I
hope?”

“It was for a bit,” he replied then
turned to Miko, “but your priests took care of it.”

“Glad we could be of
service.”

“Let’s get you rooms,” James said.
Then his gaze went to Eddra in the carriage. “How is she
doing?”

“Fine for the most part,” Jiron
explained. “The damage done her body from the stoning is healing
well, Father Keller has seen to her needs. Her eye is still a bit
swollen and won’t open, but that’s not the problem.”

“What is?”

“Her mind. It’s gone or something. She
mumbles all the time, mostly incoherently. When she appears awake
and of her right mind, she talks to people who aren’t
there.”

Miko grew thoughtful as he gazed at
where she sat in the carriage. “It could simply be that age has
ravaged her capacities. It happens, have seen it many times.” He
sighed. “Unfortunately, that is something no amount of priestly
magic can heal. It is an aspect of the natural order of
life.”

“Well, let’s get her inside. We’re on
the third floor, but we’ll get her one here off the common
room.”

Father Keller and Kip helped Eddra
from the carriage while James, Miko and Jiron went inside to see
about rooms. The others took the horses around back to the stables
before joining them inside.

A room was procured near the back that
would be quiet. Father Keller offered to stay with Eddra and see to
her needs. Everyone else paired up.

“I’ll go with Shorty,” Kip offered
magnanimously.

“No you won’t,” Father Vickor
announced. “You and I shall share a room.”

Kip’s face fell slightly.

“Will give you a chance to catch up on
your studies.”

His face fell even further.

Shorty slapped him on the back and
said with poorly hidden mirth, “My condolences.”

Kip turned to Miko in the hopes he
would intercede, but was disappointed. “You are still a Novice,
Kip,” his High Priest said. “Did you think this to be a
holiday?”

The look he gave Miko said that he
had.

Giving him a reassuring pat on the
shoulder Miko said, “It is not so bad.”

“No, Reverend Father.”

James handed everyone their keys then
said “Get settled into your rooms and we’ll gather in mine a little
bit before dinner.”

As Scar passed him, he asked, “How are
you?”

“Good as new.”

Behind him, Potbelly mouthed “no” and
shook his head.

James nodded. “Glad to hear it. Meet
you upstairs.”

Scar paused, “Upstairs?”

“Yep, third floor.”

The look on his face said he wasn’t
thrilled with the prospect of climbing so many stairs.

“Not to worry,” Potbelly chimed in,
“He’s good as new don’t you know.”

Scar whacked at him. “We’ll be
there.”

“Not terribly important if you think
you would be better served resting and recovering.”

Scar’s face hardened. “We’ll be
there.”

“Okay.”

James went up to his room while Miko
remained downstairs to confer with his priests. Once there he
removed his mirror from his pack and set it on the table near the
window. He concentrated on Meliana and in a moment, her face
appeared. She sat at her father’s dinner table with a big spread of
food before her. Kenny sat to her left. Both were
somber.

He wished he dared inform them
magically that he lived, but feared to alert those who attacked the
island should they still be keeping an eye out for such activity.
Also, he knew that working too much magic for too long would surely
bring the shimmering field. Panning back, the others at the table
came into view. Aleya sat across from her and Kendrick, her father,
sat at the table’s head. A few of the others he knew as family or
close friends.

How he wished he could be there.
Sighing, he ran his finger along Meliana’s image for a moment
before letting go the magic and allowing the image to
fade.

No sooner had he put the mirror away
than Jiron and Jira arrived followed soon after by Shorty and his
two apprentices.

“Master,” Azhan greeted with a bow.
Hikai merely bowed.

“Good to see you boys.” James glanced
to Jiron. “Been behaving themselves?”

“I found no fault with their
actions.”

“Indeed, Master,” Azhan said. “We wish
to only serve the great Dark Mage in any way he should see
fit.”

“Well, keep doing what you have been
and I will be pleased.”

Hikai grinned and Azhan said, “We
will.”

He motioned for them to take a seat on
his bed.

“The families are safe,” he told
Jiron. “Just checked and they are having dinner.”

“Can I see Mother?” Jira
asked.

“Okay, just a quick check.”

James got his mirror out and soon had
Aleya’s image in view.

Jira reached out to touch the image
but Jiron stayed her hand.

“She looks sad,” she said.

“She is,” her father replied. “But
think how happy she will be when we arrive.”

“Me too!” she squealed. “I’ll even
wear a dress if that will make her happy.”

Jiron grinned at James. “I’m sure it
will.”

“But,” she said, turning to her
father, “not until we get there, right?”

Laughing, Jiron shook his head. “What
you have on now will do fine.”

About to cancel the image, he noticed
his two apprentices sanding just behind him looking over his
shoulders.

“How do you do that, Master?” Hikai
asked.

“That is truly amazing,” added
Azhan.

“It’s a little spell I picked up in a
faraway land,” he explained.

Azhan nodded. “Can you teach
us?”

“Perhaps someday,” he said. “But we
have not the time right now.”

The image faded back to the normal
reflective image and Jira sighed. James retuned it to his pack. “At
least we know they are doing well.”

“That is something, at least,” Jiron
agreed.

“I don’t dare do that too often, or it
will attract the shimmering field.”

“The one that caused such problems in
Tapu?” asked Azhan.

“The very same.” He glanced to Jiron.
“It’s attracted to a mage’s magic. Not priestly magic for some
reason. The longer and stronger the spell, the sooner it
arrives.”

“So,” Azhan said, “Spells should be of
short duration or only of a minor nature.”

“For now at least,” James
replied.

Scar and Potbelly arrived, each with a
leg of mutton and a large mug of ale.

“Did you bring enough for
everyone?”

In the midst of a bite, Scar paused
and looked at James in confusion. “What?”

He chuckled. “Nothing.”

Tinok arrived with Shorty and Father
Vickor. Father Keller remained in the room with Eddra.

James filled them in on what they
found in the Waste, as well as what they had thus far figured out
about the shimmering field. He refrained from mentioning the Star
as his two apprentices were in the room and despite their
assurances of loyalty, didn’t feel it prudent to extend them his
full confidence.

“As we make our way farther south, I
am hoping the shimmering field will become less of an issue.” He
directed his last comments to his apprentices. “I still don’t want
you two to perform any magic without my direct
permission.”

Two heads bobbed
affirmative.

“I just checked on how my wife and son
are doing, they and Aleya are fine and remain in Meliana’s father’s
care.”

“That’s good,” and other affirmations
cycled throughout the room.

“In the morning,” he began then turned
to Scar, “providing all are able to ride, we’ll head with all due
speed to the coast and take ship to Corillian. With luck we should
be there within the week.”

Jira clapped and Jiron hushed
her.

“What then?” Shorty asked.

“Then we get the women to safety.
After that, we turn this world upside down to find the one that
attacked my home.”

“I still think it was Lord Cytok,”
Scar said. “He’s been itching to kill you since the
war.”

Jiron shook his head. “No. If he had a
mage of that power under his command, he would have unleashed him
on the other warlords by now and set himself up as Emperor. It’s
definitely someone else.”

“All these things must be
connected.”

All eyes turned to Miko.

He turned to James. “The attack on
your island, the shimmering field, perhaps even poor Eddra I feel
are somehow connected.”

“What makes you think
that?”

“A mage of awesome power hitherto
unknown makes an appearance to attack you. Then a shimmering field
appears that directly affects your magic. A cow that does magic?
Related? I would think so.”

“Cow?” Azhan asked then grew silent
when James shot him an impatient look.

“And Eddra?” asked Father Vickor. “How
does she play into all this?”

“That I do not know. She may not
figure into this in any way. She may simply be a poor old woman
upon whom a village vented their fear.”

“She’s odd,” Shorty said, “I’ll grant
you.”

“I think she’s nice,” Jira
announced.

Jiron smiled and patted her on the
head.

“Does anyone have any thoughts on
these matters?” James asked. His gaze roved over each until
lingering on his apprentices who shook their heads.

“Alright then. I’m hungry. Let’s go
down and eat.”

They found Father Keller and Eddra
already in the common room.

Eddra looked small and frail sitting
across from the priest.

James came and sat at their table.
“How are you doing, Eddra?”

She glanced at him, her one good eye
met his and held his gaze for a moment before returning to her
soup.

“She had some energy this evening so
thought to bring her out here and see if it might help.”

“And how’s it going?” James
asked.

“No change,” Father Keller
replied.

When Miko joined them at the table,
she set her spoon down into her bowl and reached out to him. She
then spoke a few words.

Miko gently took her hand and spoke a
few words in reply.

She let go and returned to slowly
eating her soup.

James arched an eyebrow
questioningly.

“She called me Marzan and asked if the
pigs had been brought in,” he explained. “I told her they had been
and that seemed to satisfy her.” Then he turned to Father Vickor.
“Marzan… has she mentioned the name before?”

“No, Reverend Father. Most times her
words are jumbled and make no sense.”

Miko sat back. “Interesting. Must be
someone from her past.”

Eddra glanced around to those at her
table, and then set the spoon into her bowl. For a moment everyone
waited to see what she would do, then her good eye closed and her
head bobbed forward.

Getting to his feet, Father Keller
moved around to her side. “I guess it’s to bed for us.” He very
gently tapped her on the shoulder to wake her. When her head came
up he held out a hand. She took it and stood. “See you in the
morning.”

James watched the pair walk slowly
toward the hallway leading to their room with Father Keller’s arm
wrapped around her back for support.

“What do you plan to do with
her?”

He turned to Jiron. “I hadn’t really
given it much thought.”

“There are places the elderly are
taken that are used to those in her condition.”

“And do we have time to find one?”
James asked. “Besides that, some are pretty bad, or so my
grandparents told me. Here in the Empire, I would hate to think
what her fate would be should we abandon her to one. I’m hoping
Kendrick will know of a place in Corillian that will treat her
well.”