Unicorns' Opal (29 page)

Fredrik sat silently staring at the door for some time. He realized that Alex must have known by now that Fredrik had deserted the Rangers and yet he was still concerned about Fredrik’s safety. He could understand if Alex had wanted Niki kept safe to fulfill the prophecy, but Fredrik was only with the Rangers because he had had nothing better to do.

“Does your protection extend to any others in Tagaret?” Lord Wason asked.

“Only you, Lord Wason,” replied Grecho. “Tork did not mention any others.”

“Do you take orders from Alex or me?” questioned Fredrik.

“Only from you, Lord Wason,” answered Captain Grecho. “Tork paid the bill, but that is his only part in this detail. My men will protect you as you desire, but I would hope that you would take their advice on security. I should never have reached you if your security was adequate.”

“Oh?” remarked Fredrik. “What would you change?”

“The first change obviously is that at least two of my men would have been in here with you when I arrived,” offered Captain Grecho. “Secondly, I would suggest replacing all of your household servants. Knowing the political environment of a large city, I have no doubt that some of them are on another’s payroll. Replace them slowly and with various reasons. If you have trouble finding reasons, my men can aid you with that.”

Fredrik nodded as he had expected that spies were employed to watch him. Just monitoring who visited him allowed others some control over him.

“My men are well versed in security,” continued Captain Grecho. “They can work with the outside guards to assure that your entire estate will become secure.”

Fredrik was not sure why he was even in Tagaret. At first it had been to help Niki escape the Rangers that she felt were trying to use her. The introduction of Duke Everich into the equation made Fredrik wonder what was going on. The real surprise had been Dalgar though. Fredrik did not like the man, but Niki was enamored with him. Duke Everich had arranged for a mansion and servants for Fredrik and Fredrik knew that there were going to be strings attached. He did not know what those strings were going to be though. Dalgar had mentioned support for Duke Everich in becoming king, but Fredrik was not foolish enough to believe that Dalgar was a generous benefactor. Alex was correct in one thing. Tagaret would be a dangerous place for Fredrik and Niki.

“Very well then,” smiled Lord Wason. “I am pleased to have the Cidal Mercenaries as my bodyguard. I will seek the advice of your men frequently, Captain Grecho.”

“Excellent,” nodded Captain Grecho. “If I may ask, what is the significance of the soft hats?”

“You may,” grinned Fredrik. “I fear that the last time I was in Tagaret that I felt very exposed. I had some friends pose as Cidal Mercenaries. Soft caps were all we could procure in time to satisfy my needs here, so we made up a story that your best men wore soft caps and that it was an honor to be chosen for the detail. I am sorry for the deception.”

“Such a tale could affect our reputation,” frowned Captain Grecho. “I hope you used people who were well skilled in their weapons. Our reputation is not something that we bandy about lightly.”

“I can assure you that you would have been proud of their performance,” smiled Fredrik. “Your men will notice that they are regarded with awe in this city.”

Captain Grecho nodded and suddenly looked sharply at Fredrik. “Was one of them a golden lass?” he asked.

“Yes,” puzzled Fredrik. “Why do you ask?”

“If her name was Tanya,” smiled Grecho, “then I believe that my men will wear those hats proudly.”

“Tanya was one of them,” grinned Fredrik.

The Rangers rode into the dusty town of Dubar at the edge of the Great Sordoan Desert. The streets were covered with windswept sand and the buildings appeared to have little paint still adhering to their walls. The citizens of Dubar eyed the new arrivals with suspicion. Dubar was not a large town as it was well off the Coast Road. Three seldom-used tracks went to Dubar. One track was from Trekum, one from Caldar, and one from Forgum. The town consisted of a fair number of dwellings, several dozens shops, and two inns. Alex led the way to the rear of the Dunes Inn, the better looking of the two.

The stables were empty and there was no stable boy. Alex looked dubiously at the sand-encrusted pile of hay at the rear of the stables and sighed. He saw no source of water as he dismounted.

“Let us hope our stay in Dubar is brief,” Alex murmured.

“I think you should stay here while I venture into the desert,” Jenneva said as she came up alongside Alex. “Mustar does not like company.”

“You shouldn’t go alone,” interjected Tanya. “I will go with you.”

“I do not need an escort, Tanya,” responded Jenneva. “I can take care of myself.”

“Well nobody is going anywhere tonight,” concluded Alex. “Let’s get our gear and get some rooms at this fine inn. From the looks of the stables, vacancies should not be a problem.”

While the rest of the Rangers filed into the inn, Tanya noticed Alan Markel bent over Tedi who was stretched out on the floor. She turned and hurried back into the stables.

“What is the matter?” she asked.

“I do not know,” frowned Alan. “He got off his horse and just stood there holding his hands to his ears. He just collapsed.”

Tanya knelt next to Alan and felt Tedi’s head. The lad was raging hot and sweat was pouring down his brow. Tedi’s eyes were rolled up into his head and Tanya chewed on her lower lip in contemplation.

“Get me some clean water, please,” pleaded Tanya.

As Alan left the stables, Tanya sifted through her pack and extracted a small piece of dried meat. Swiftly, she chewed the meat until it was malleable and then bit it in half. She rolled each piece into a ball and shoved the balls into Tedi’s ears. She extracted a cloth from her pack as Alan was returning with a small bucket of water. She dipped the cloth into the water and then placed it on Tedi’s forehead.

“What is wrong with him?” asked Alan worriedly.

“I think his ears are bothering him,” answered Tanya distractedly. “The whistling wind off the desert dunes must have been too much for him.”

“I don’t understand,” Alan persisted. “Why should the wind cause him to be sick?”

“His hearing is very sensitive,” explained Tanya. “It is a long story and I am sure Tedi will explain it to you when he is better. I have stuffed his ears for now. That should deaden the noise. Let’s get him to his bed. Better yet, take him to my room. There will be less noise there.”

Alan nodded and lifted his son as Tanya grabbed the packs and ran ahead to get the door to the inn. The Rangers had already ascended the stairs and Tanya raced up the steps in time to find out which room was hers before Arik disappeared into his room. She led Alan into her room and had him place Tedi on the bed.

“I did not stop to get the key,” Tanya said to Alan. “Would you get it for me please?”

Alan nodded and headed downstairs and Tanya grabbed a towel and dried Tedi’s head. She pulled off Tedi’s boots and made him comfortable on the bed well before Alan returned. When Alan did return, Alex and Jenneva were with him.

“How bad is he?” Jenneva asked as she rushed to the bed.

“He will be all right for now,” insisted Tanya. “I packed his ears with meat so his hearing will be deadened.”

“That was good thinking,” murmured Jenneva as she inspected Tedi. “I was more concerned with the fever Alan said he had, but he feels quite cool to me.”

“He was burning up in the stables,” frowned Alan as he moved next to Jenneva and felt Tedi’s forehead. “He was sweating like a man pulling a dead horse. I don’t understand.”

Jenneva turned and stared at Tanya for a moment and then shook her head. “Well he is just fine now,” she declared. “Let him rest the night without disturbance. You can bunk with us Tanya.”

“The floor here will be fine for me,” Tanya stated. “He should have someone close at least for the next few hours. If he wakes before morning, I will call you.”

Alan left to bunk with Arik and Konic. Jenneva and Alex returned to their room. Jenneva closed the door and stood for a moment staring at the floor.

“Are you worried for his recovery?” asked Alex. “Is this condition bad enough that we should seek help for him?”

“No,” Jenneva said as she snapped out of her trance. “I think he will be fine. Besides, I do not think there can be help for him. Perhaps the elves might know enough about healing to do something. After we return from the unicorns we should seek out the elves. His condition will only get worse over time. I did not think it would progress so quickly.”

“It is hard to gauge the speed of something that you have never experienced,” sympathized Alex. “I am glad to see Tanya stepping in and taking charge of Tedi. I have suspected that there was some unseen friction between them, but I am glad to be wrong.”

“You senses did not deceive you,” corrected Jenneva. “There has been tension between them. I do not think Tedi trusts Tanya very much.”

“Why is that?” questioned Alex.

“I am not sure of the reason,” answered Jenneva, “but I cannot miss the subtleties of the problem. What is bothering me is the rapid decline of the boy’s fever. Alan said the boy was burning up and yet when I felt him, he was as cool as could be.”

“Tanya did cool him with water and I noticed a used towel next to the bed,” Alex said. “I am sure Tanya would have done what she could to counter the fever right away. I think she acted very resourcefully.”

“That she did,” nodded Jenneva. “The meat in the ears was very clever. Perhaps her uncle arranged for lessons in healing as well. I guess I am just preoccupied with this trip to Mustar.”

“You are afraid that he will not see you?” inquired Alex.

“That plus we do not even know if he still lives,” replied Jenneva.

“Are you sure you can find him?” queried Alex.

“Yes,” answered Jenneva. “At least I can find where he last resided. I cannot see him moving unless people found his location and Mustar is very particular about who knows where he lives. That is why I must go alone.”

“You know how I feel about that,” frowned Alex. “I never want you out of my sight, but I know enough to trust your judgment in this. We will wait for you here, although it will be a troublesome wait for me.”

“It will be good for you to know the feeling that I dwell with on many occasions,” chuckled Jenneva. “Mustar does not like company and especially does not like visitors who are not mages. A warrior would offend him greatly.”

“I understand,” sighed Alex.

“I will leave before first light,” decided Jenneva. “I will try to return before dark, but do not worry if I do not. One can never foretell how much time it will take to get whatever help Mustar can offer.”

Alex and Jenneva went to bed. Hours later, Jenneva rose and quietly dressed. She exited the room stealthily and padded down the stairs. The rear door of the inn was not secured and Jenneva let herself out. Within moments she had mounted Yorra and headed for the desert. After several hours of riding, the sky began to lighten somewhat. Jenneva halted atop one of the large dunes and surveyed the area. She blinked her eyes as she turned to look behind her, thinking she had seen movement, but she soon returned her attention to finding the old well.

Jenneva knew that she was close to the well and that a short flight into the air would reveal the proper direction, but she was loath to use any magic or appear in the sky to any traveler who might be within sight. Pondering the problem for only a few moments, Jenneva continued her trek straight ahead. When the well did not appear after a few minutes of riding, Jenneva turned to the right and headed for another large dune.

Jenneva’s eyes detected a large bird overhead and a shudder ran through her body. She stopped and watched the bird warily for a few minutes and then frowned. She was sure that the bird was observing her and that presented her with a difficult decision. She could destroy the bird with magic, but that would announce her location not only to Mustar, but to others as well. To do so would bring Black Devils swarming over the area. Not only would Jenneva have to fight the new arrivals, but she would also expose Mustar’s location, which was something she refused to do.

She could abandon her trip to find Mustar and lead the raven out of the desert. But where should she lead the raven? Not back to Dubar and the Rangers. And she would still have to come back out here to find Mustar again. Doing so would allow the Black Devils time to start concentrating on the desert. The only solution that made any sense was to kill the bird. The only way she could accomplish that without throwing some offense spell at the bird was to transform into an eagle and chase after the raven. If the Black Devil had any intelligence at all, it would flee as soon as she started the transformation. If that happened, they would be well clear of the desert before she caught him and that would leave her open to being shot at herself. Jenneva wished she had let Alex come with her.

Jenneva started moving again while she pondered the dilemma of the Black Devil overhead. She reached the top of the large dune and still could not see the well. She made another right turn and continued. Still debating what to do about the raven, Jenneva rode up another large dune and saw the well. It appeared the same as it did almost twenty years earlier. The time to deal with the raven was now upon her and Jenneva rode towards the well as she prepared to make her transformation and soar after the raven. The raven must have sensed her destination or her plan because it did not wait. The raven banked and turned towards Dubar before Jenneva could even think of transforming. There was no way she would be able to catch him before Dubar and Jenneva mentally kicked herself. She would have to explain to Mustar the need for him to relocate swiftly.

Suddenly, Jenneva heard a scream and she turned and saw the Black Devil falling out of the sky. She urged Yorra over the dune and raced to where the body had fallen. Coming to halt alongside the body, Jenneva jumped off Yorra and gazed at the arrow in the man’s chest. The Black Devil was dead.

Behind you.