What Lies Within (Book 5) (18 page)

   'It would risk detection,' Triune cautioned.

   'I want to see.'

   'It is not advisable.'

   Issul was watching the knight intently, watching how he walked, how he held the children's hands, how they, Galry and Jace walked with him, tangibly uncoerced and without fear. She stared, not daring to think, feeling she must be mad. And quite suddenly she laughed - a sharp, impulsive breath of a laugh, almost a sob.

   Her hands were at her mouth, tears coursing suddenly down her cheeks.

   'Issul?' queried Orbelon, moving to her.

   For some moments she could not speak. She was suddenly both faint and aburst with a wild and uncontrolled energy. She clung to the back of a chair for support, breathing hard, trembling, her eyes glued to the scene before her. Then she said, 'It doesn’t matter. The seeker may stay where it is.'

   She turned to Orbelon, beaming, her features aglow. 'Now I know the sapphire knight will never harm my children.' She laughed again. 'Don't you see, Orbelon? It’s Leth! The knight who has brought my children from your world and the clutches of Urch-Malmain - it is their father!'

*

   Triune stared in some puzzlement into the scene, then pronounced, 'That's as may be, but the other warriors still pursue. Somewhere, out there. The danger is not reduced.'

   Issul's relief evaporated. She watched Leth and her children. 'Do you know where they are?' she asked again. 'Do you know how to reach them?'

   'We have just said, their geographical location is not known to us. But for your purposes that is irrelevant.'

  
'My purposes?' She felt a prickle of disquiet again. 'What do you mean?'

   'You need only direct yourself to them.'

   'I still do not understand what you are saying.'

   'Your gift, Issul,' Orbelon said. 'Once already you have reached out and brought the sapphire knight to
you, or yourself to him. We don’t know which, but now you can do it again.'

   Issul looked quizzically at him, then Triune.

   'You can reach them,' said Triune. 'You will have help, for you have Enchantment both within and about you. Command it! Go there and speak to them. Tell them what they must do.'

   'But. . . I don’t know how!'

   'Don’t think about it. Thought obstructs. Simply do it. Bring forth what is within you, and instruct them. They should come here, to you, to us.'

   'Here?
How?'

  
'By the same route that you took.'

   'But the
Karai camp is occupied.'

   'We can perhaps provide a diversion, though it won’t be without risk. The alternative is for them to come to the border of Enchantment, which will take longer and is more dangerous.'

   Issul considered. 'And when they’re here, what then?'

   'We will protect them, as we have protected you.'

   'And hold them here, while our land is destroyed?'

   Orbelon intervened. 'Leth can tell me of my world, Issul. And he can tell us about Urch-Malmain, and what he has discovered. Then, perhaps, we can consider Enchantment's Reach. Furthermore, Leth is almost certainly ignorant of the passage of events in this world since he disappeared.'

   'But I don't know how,' protested Issul. 'How do I go to them?'

   'Simply dream,' Triune said. 'Dream and put yourself forth. Reach them - and if there is danger, inform us. Bring forth what is within you. Bring us forth. We will help you.'

   Issul had barely taken her eyes from the woodland scene. She saw Jace tugging against her father's hand, complaining about something - tiredness, thirst, or that Leth was making her walk too fast. Issul saw Leth stoop and lift her. And then of course Galry also protested, and demanded to be carried too. Leth paused in his stride. He looked down into his son's face and said something which again Issul could not hear. Then he lifted him and carried on, bearing both children in his arms.

   Issul smiled, loving them, each
and all of them, and wanting so desperately to be with them, her yearning a physical pain that threatened to burst from her breast.

   And then, quite suddenly, she realized she was with them.

   She did not know how, nor what she had done. But she understood without any doubt that a part of her, the part of her that was conscious, was no longer in Triune's tower. She had passed from her body and taken herself to that place she wished most to be.

   She continued to watch for some moments, astonished, overjoyed, but also fearful. Would they see her? How had this happened? What did it mean?

   Issul willed herself forward. She passed effortlessly between the trees, skirting around the side of her husband and children, out of their sight, but watching them, watching their faces. They were singing, a nursery song, with Leth leading. Their voices were subdued, presumably out of Leth's concern that they might be heard. Leth's face gleamed with perspiration, his face set in concentration. He looked tired and hollow-cheeked. The children too. Their clothing was soiled and torn. Galry had a bandage at his throat.

   Issul passed on again until she was directly ahead of them. She could see them making their way towards her, wholly unaware of her presence, their voices not carrying far. She positioned herself in dappled shade upon a low swell and waited.

   They broke out from beneath the low branches of a huge oak just yards in front of her. Galry was the first to see her. He blinked, gaped, and cried out, 'Mummy!'

   Instantly he was wriggling free as Leth stopped dead in his tracks. Jace saw her mother, and gasped. Like Galry she gave a shriek of joy and struggled to be out of Leth's embrace. But though he set them both down Leth kept hold of them and forbade them to run to their mother.

   'Iss?' His face, recovering from his shock and sudden bright hope, was suspicious. 'Is it you?'

   'It is, but I’m not flesh. I can
’t hold you or kiss you, any of you, though I so long to do so. But I’m here, Leth, my love, and sweet Jace and Galry. I have so missed you all, and feared for you.'

   Leth quickly scanned the woods. 'Are you alone?'

   'I am. Leth, you need fear nothing from me.'

   'What are you?
A phantom? Are you alive?'

   'I am alive, yes. But my body is in another place. Don’t ask me how. Oh Leth, so much has happened since we last spoke. I was captured by the
Karai, but I escaped. Now I am in Enchantment.'

  
'Enchantment?'

   She saw his features stiffen. 'Yes. But I am not harmed. Orbelon is with me.
But there is too much to tell, and no time. Leth, you must come here.'

   Both Galry and Jace were struggling furiously against Leth's grip. 'Let me go! Let me go!'

   Galry somehow managed to shed the shirt he wore, leaving it limp in Leth's hand. Before Leth could stop him he ran forward to his mother.

   Issul knelt down, lifting her arms to receive him, but he stopped just short of her as though perceiving that something was not quite as it should be.

   Issul smiled sadly, through a tumult of emotion. 'Oh Galry, my brave, handsome boy. How good it is to see you! You do not know how I have missed you.' She stretched forward to caress him, eyeing the bandage about his throat, but her hand made no contact. She shook her head, forcing back tears. 'It means so much to me to see you again.' She turned to Leth. 'Leth, let Jace go. Let her come to me.'

    Leth came forward a few paces with Jace, then relented and allowed her to approach her mother. With a mixture of sorrow, love and pride, Issul noted his hand on his scimitar hilt as he came up behind the two children.

   'Iss, is it truly you?'

   She nodded. 'I know, it would be a cruel and devious trick to deceive you, and it might deceive you if one of our enemies were capable of such an illusion. But this is no illusion. It is I, and I am alive and waiting with such longing to hold you all in my arms again.'

   'Prove it.'

   'How can I?'

   'Tell me something no one but Issul could know.'

   She thought for a moment. 'There are many things I could tell you, about our past, together.
Words of love that I have whispered to you in the night, and in the day. But instead I will tell you something that has played upon my mind for years now. Something I kept secret, believing - or persuading myself to believe - it could not be true, and then discovered it was. I am guilty, Leth. I have brought disaster upon our country. My sister, Ressa, gave birth to a son. An unnatural child, the spawn of a monster. I hid him away, but now he has returned. He is called Moscul, my nephew. He is the Legendary Child.'

   Leth slowly nodded. 'I reasoned as much.'

   'I was such a fool.'

   'No. It is too easy to see clearly with the benefit of hindsight. You did not know, Iss. It is as simple as that.'

   'I should have told you.'

   'That much may be true. But you were not truly at fault.' Leth reached out with one hand to touch her cheek. His hand passed through the image of her flesh. 'You are bruised, Iss.'

   'As are you. I think we both have much to tell.'

   Leth gazed upon her, more aware than ever of how much he loved and needed her. She smiled up at him.

   'Oh, Iss--' he began, then stopped. 'I- I have seen you once before. Just days past.'

   'I saw you too, Leth, though I did not know until now that it was you. You wore that helm, and were on horseback. And I was a prisoner.' She caught her breath. 'Leth, you know we have been so vilely betrayed?'

   'By Fectur?'

   She nodded. 'He sent assassins after me.
Commander Gordallith and several others - specialists of the Security Cadre.'

   'Does Fectur still hold the throne?'

   'No. I forced him to step down when I returned. When I left again I installed Pader in his place.'

  
'Pader? As Lord Protector?'

   'I had no choice. There was no one else. And Leth, we know of Urch-Malmain.'

   Leth's surprise was plain on his face.

   'He has sent fighters after you,' Issul continued.

   'I know. We escaped them through a mixture of good fortune and the intervention of loyal friends. Are they following us still?'

   'We could not track them. I cannot say. But there is not time to say more. Do you know where you are?'

   'In the southern march, three leagues or so north of Wyslow Water. The village of Little Sprike lies nearby, where I hope to buy a horse.'

   'You should make for Ghismile Tarn,' Issul said. 'But take care, and do not go to the village of Ghismile. The Legendary Child was there, with Grey Venger. They control grullags.'

   Leth looked at her aghast. 'They are united? This is grave news!'

   'I know it. But we still do not know what it truly portends.'

   'What of Enchantment's Reach?'

   'It is almost certainly under
Karai siege. I had to leave, with Orbelon. We are seeking the Soul of the Orb. It is perhaps our only hope. Leth, listen closely. North of Ghismile Tarn is a secret Karai camp. Sited there is a portal that will bring you to me, here in Enchantment. I will try to guide you.'

   Leth looked at her sceptically.

   'The only alternative is that you make for Enchantment's border. I think we could join you there, but it is a long and arduous trek.'

   'Who are 'we'?' queried Leth.

   'Orbelon and I, and others. Leth, you have to come. There is no other way. I will do everything I can to guide you. I will watch over you when you sleep at night.' Issul looked into the trees, searching for Triune's seeking eye, but could not see it. 'This is all so new to me. I don’t understand it. But if you are endangered we should be able to help.'

   Issul was conscious of Jace and Galry, who were in tears, noisily complaining that they were unable to touch her. Reflexively Issul reached for them.
'Oh, my sweet babies!'

   She choked on her words. That she should be with them and yet so far away! She felt a sudden weakness, a tugging from within her core, and knew that she could no longer stay. Her strength - whatever subtle power she had used to project herself from her flesh - was gone and she was being drawn back to her body in Triune's tower.

   'Leth, my babies, I have to go now. Heed my words, Leth. We will be watching you. If you need me, make a sign. Raise your hands and beckon, so that we see you are calling, for though we see we can’t hear you. I will try my utmost to come to you. I’m so sorry, I can’t stay now. Farewell my beautiful darlings. We will be together again soon.'

iv

   For some time after the vision of Issul had passed Leth stood restlessly turning over what had occurred. He was in turmoil. To see her, the woman he loved, for whom he so desperately yearned, when he had all but come to accept that she was lost. What was he to make of it? Could it truly have been Issul?