Chapter 4

Liss peered out from under the makeshift tent and looked at the sky. It would probably rain today—again. It was the start of the fifth day of the vigil and it had rained for three of them. Fortunately, the first night had been dry. They had found a concealed spot three or four miles north of Toma's farm and set up camp. The next day Liss made her way by little-used paths back to her family's farm, arriving after dark. She had let them know where they were and before dawn she and Seve had retraced her steps to the camp, bringing some supplies and, due to the gathering clouds, a few pieces of stout canvas to use as tents. Foix had been uneasy about letting her go alone, but she'd reveled in it. Courier duty again!

Seve had also brought word from Fanni and Edgardo that Vilma had been in town asking about them and whether they had left or not. It appeared that their plan was working. Since then Liss and Seve had alternated going between the camp and home to exchange news—or the lack thereof. They had sent one of the men-at-arms who had some skill as a scout to watch Toma's farm from a distance but he had not seen anything out of the ordinary. He couldn't get close enough to actually pick out Toma, but there were people working and nothing out of the ordinary. They hoped that meant that Toma and his demon were still there. Foix had wanted to take a look for himself, but did not dare: the demon might well sense his presence and that would give away the game. Liss couldn't go for similar reasons. She might be recognized if spotted. Neither Toma or Vilma had ever seen the man-at-arms. If he was seen he might be passed off as just some wandering hunter or vagabond. Or at least that's what they hoped. Foix had grumbled that they were basing too much on hope, but what else could they do?

She pulled a blanket around her and walked over to the tiny fire where one of the men was heating water. They couldn't risk a large fire for fear of the smoke that wet wood might send up. She exchanged good mornings with the man, Hennri, it was, and sat down next to the fire. An unseasonable chill had come with the rain and she shivered now that she wasn't snuggled next to Foix. At least they didn't have to worry about squeaky floors out here! And the men-at-arms could be trusted to be discrete—they'd had plenty of practice with Ista and Lord Illvin! She looked fondly back at the tent where Foix was quietly snoring. She did love him. Really.

Since that awful night when she'd learned about the spell of compulsion she'd thought back and relived every moment she'd spent with Foix since she'd met him. She could find nothing unusual or unnatural about her feelings for him. They had grown stronger bit by bit as she'd always supposed falling in love must be like. And then there was Ista. She had described how she could actually see demonic magic with her god-given sight. Liss hadn't been away from Ista for more than a few days at a time—and usually that meant being away from Foix as well. If Foix had cast a spell on her Ista surely would have seen it, removed it—and boxed Foix's ears! No, their love was true and free. She was sure. Really.

So, there was no need to worry about Foix's demon, only Toma's. What was it doing to him? Was it totally in control of him? Making every move like a puppeteer with his puppet? Moving his arms and legs? Breathing? She still shuddered at what the demon had done to her, it must be a thousand times worse for Toma! Was his true self bound and gagged and watching helplessly as the demon rode his body? Like a prisoner slung on the back of his own horse while some thief took the reins? Or was it a subtler control as the demon had performed on her? Was Toma walking and talking, thinking he was acting freely, but really obeying the whispered commands of the demon? She wasn't sure which would be worse. But it was clear that the demon had at least some of Toma's knowledge. It knew the people around it, could talk to them and make it think they were talking to Toma…

Five gods! What about Vilma?

Her sister-in-law was clearly ensorcelled. All her family must be, too. When had it happened? Before or after Toma asked her to marry him? Was their love genuine? Was there any love there at all or had the demon just decided that Vilma's farm was a good hiding place and then pulled all the strings to make it happen? What would Vilma feel once she was freed? Liss always felt a tiny bit strange when she and Foix made love, knowing that his demon was also there. Watching? Disinterested? Enjoying it? What was Vilma going to think? Did they even make love? Foix said that demons did absorb the desires of their mounts over time. Toma's demon was much older than Foix's. What had its former mounts been like? What sort of desires had this one absorbed? Liss cringed at the possibilities. Her sisters had said that Toma's betrothal had been rather sudden… She tried to remember if they had given her any dates for the engagement and wedding. How did that tally with Arhys Ride and the flight of this demon? Bastard's Hell, even if they freed Toma, his life might end up in ruins anyway!

She was still sitting there, locked in dark thoughts, when Foix stumbled out of their tent and sat down beside her. "'Morning," he mumbled.

"But not a good morning, no," she replied.

He looked at her more closely and blinked. "Trouble?"

"No more than we already had. I'm just worried about Toma. He's never going to be really the same again, is he? Even if we do get rid of his demon."

"Well, he isn't going to be the little brother you left five years ago. That Toma would be gone demon or no."

"But what's going to be left? I remember what you said about the fight in Joen's tent after Ista ripped away all the demons. Joen's relations turned on her. Tore her apart even though she was already dead. What if Vilma and her family try to do that to Toma?"

"We haven't seen any sign that the demon has been mistreating them…" answered Foix, obviously disturbed by what Liss was saying.

"But I remember how angry I was the other night when you freed me from the demon's spell even though I'd only been under its control for a few hours. They've been controlled for many months. And we have no idea what might be going on there… when no one's watching."

Foix dropped his eyes. "There's no doubt that they are all in for some difficult times once this is resolved," he said. "But it doesn't change what we have to do."

"No."

"So, we deal with the task at hand. We can't solve any of the other problems until we've dealt with the demon."

"So you're telling me: shut up, stop worrying, and carry on with my duty, Ser dy Gura?" She smiled to let him know she wasn't angry.

"Pretty much, Sera dy Teneret." He smiled back.

"All right. First duty is to get some breakfast." She got up and started rummaging through their supplies. "I'll see if I can bring back some more eggs when I go home tonight." They ate a simple breakfast, she, Foix and three of the men-at-arms. The fourth, Gerrold, was already off in his scouting position overlooking the farm. He left before dawn, spent the day watching and then returned after dark to report. Liss didn't envy him. And it was probably pointless anyway. If Toma did flee he would likely do so after dark. She kept hoping that Gerrold might actually spot Toma and confirm that he was still at the farm. But what if he was already gone? He could have gone in any direction and with all the rain they'd never pick up his trail…

Later in the afternoon Liss would head out to make the trip home, but until then there was nothing to do but wait.

[Scene Break]

The demon's mount went about its daily chores with almost no supervision. This one was easy compared to some of the older mounts. Or at least the demon seemed to recall that there had been earlier ones that had given it trouble. For the thousandth time the demon cursed its fractured memory. But surely at least one of the former ones had battled it for control and perhaps had even won—for a time. This one would struggle now and then, but was too weak and too confused to pose a real threat. Most of the time—like now—the demon could just tell it to behave as it would normally and the mount obeyed. Routine chores, interaction with the people around it, with its mate, these it did with no need for further commands. Controlling the other people on the farm was even easier. Just tell them that everything was fine and they believed it. Little else was required except when unusual events occurred. Or if unusual actions were required. Like a few days ago when it had sent the mount's mate into the town to confirm that the other demon and its party had left. They had and that was a great relief. It had no idea what the other demon's intentions were, but it had been sensible and left. Apparently its mount was some minor noble in Chalion. A risky position, but that was none of the demon's concern. If the other one was caught and destroyed no matter—so much the better, really. The fewer competitors in the world the better it was.

The mount was tending the horses now. The demon took a bit more interest. The horses represented wealth. Wealth was power among the humans. Upon arriving here the demon had set about accumulating a store of gold. A few months ago its mount had sold some horses and with a tiny bit of manipulation they had sold for far more than they were worth. That gold was now safely hidden away. The demon saw that similar transactions were possible. A bit here and a bit there would add up but without raising suspicions among the local humans. The gold could be of great use if they had to flee again. The thought of fleeing was not pleasant. The only practical direction to flee was south. The north was where the main danger lay. But to the south was Darthaca, another country. His mount had little knowledge of it and it was far beyond the areas known to its prior mounts—even before the memories were ravaged. Finding a new refuge without drawing attention would be difficult, but gold could smooth the path.

They were on the edge of the pasture, tending to one of the horses, when the demon sensed a human on the hill to the north. He turned his mount's head to look in that direction, but it couldn't see anything unusual. Perhaps it was nothing. But this was the second time in four days and in almost the same location both times. It was too far away for it to determine if it was the same human. The demon hesitated for a moment and then sent his mount over the fence and in the direction of the human. If it could get a closer look…

They advanced a quarter mile when the demon sensed the human moving away. It was clearer now, but it was no one the demon recognized. It increased the pace of its mount but it wasn't long before the intruder was on a horse and retreating far faster than the demon's mount could match. They halted and shortly the demon could sense nothing more of it. Strange. It might be nothing. A hunter, perhaps even a horse thief scouting a potential victim. Not a danger to the demon.

But Joen and The Old One had taught it caution. It needed to be careful…

[Scene Break]

"You're sure it was Toma?" demanded Liss. The scout was back and Liss and Foix were questioning him despite the rain that had started to come down.

"As near as I could tell, m'lady," said Gerrold. "I never have actually seen the man m'self, you understand. But from your description I think it was he. Young, tall n' thin, and with hair the same color as yours."

"And you think he spotted you?" asked Foix.

Gerrold looked nonplussed. "T'would seem so, m'lord, though I can't see how. I was in cover and not moving. But he came over the fence and then walked straight at me as though I was standing in the open waving me arms. I figured it was best I get out. I'm sorry."

"Toma's demon sensed you," said Foix. "Nothing you could have done about it. And you were right to leave. If it had gotten closer it could have seized you with a spell and learned everything. But are you sure it didn't follow you?" Foix looked around at the surrounding woods and hilltops.

"As sure as I could be, lord," said Gerrold. "I didn't come straight back. I rode off to the northwest for a while and then found a bit 'o cover with a good view and waited near to two hours and didn't see anyone on my trail. Then I came back here."

"Good, you did well," said Foix.

"And now we know Toma is still at the farm," said Liss. "That's good news, indeed!"

"Yes," agreed Foix. "I'd feared that he might have fled right away without our knowing and left Vilma's family to cover for him. He'd have a five day head start and we'd have little hope of picking up his trail." He looked to Gerrold. "But we don't want to spook him now. I think we'll leave off on the scouting for a few days."

"As you wish m'lord," said Gerrold who did not look unhappy at the prospect of at least having a chance to stay dry. Liss and Foix retreated to their little tent and she felt happier than she had in days. Their plan was working! They hadn't been sitting here for nothing.

"Five more days," she said eagerly. "Five more days and we can start to expect Ista."

"It will probably be closer to ten days," said Foix. "But still, the message must have reached Cardegoss by now and she'll surely be on the road soon if she isn't already. She won't delay. But it is still a long journey."

Liss sighed. There was nothing to do but wait. They spent the afternoon in their little tent, talking and snuggling. Not a bad way to spend time, actually. Later the rain let up and the sun peaked through the clouds now and again. Finally it was time for her to go. Liss saddled her horse, kissed Foix and then started for home. She was glad that she'd have some good news for her family this time. Her path took her through dripping woods and soggy gullies and across rocky hillsides populated with a few dispirited sheep. She had to cross the main north-south road and she did so carefully. She didn't want to be seen and recognized by anyone. The gossip that she was still around would spread and it could easily reach Toma. But the road was deserted this late in the day and in questionable weather. It was fully dark by the time she reached the farmhouse. She was all ready to tell them the good news that Toma had not fled when she saw the serious looks on her family's faces. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Well, maybe nothing answered her father. "But Vilma came by this afternoon. She only left an hour ago."

"What did she want?"

"She said she had just come to give us Toma's apologies for what happened. But she spent most of the time asking questions about you and Foix and wandering around the house and barn as if she was searching for something."

"She was looking to see if we were really gone," said Liss nodding her head. She told them about what Gerrold had seen that morning. "So, Toma is still there, but he was disturbed by our scout. He sent Vilma here to confirm that we were really gone."

Mother was very relieved that her son hadn't been carried off. "Oh, but how much longer is this nightmare going to last?" she cried.

"Not too much longer," said Liss. "Ista is surely on her way by now. Try not to worry."

"Worry is what mothers do, daughter. You'll find that out yourself one day."

There wasn't much else to say. Liss bundled up the food she would take back to camp in the morning and then went to bed. It was a much softer bed then the one she had in camp—but it seemed very empty without Foix in it. I guess that's love, isn't it? Someone becomes a part of you and nothing is ever quite right if they aren't there. It took a while for her to fall asleep.

She was up before dawn, had a quick bite and a mug of tea and then she was off. She warned Seve to be extra careful not to be seen when he came out to the camp that night. Her youngest brother assured her he would. "I'm gonna ride into town this morning and check with Fanni and Edgardo to see if they've heard anything," he said. "I'll bring any news when I come."

She was back with Foix by mid-morning. He wasn't particularly alarmed by Vilma's visit to the farm. "The demon will be using its pawns to gather information," he said. "It's to be expected. As long as your folks don't start gossiping with neighbors about this, we should be all right."

"So, when Ista does get here, how do we go about this?" she asked. "When she dispatched Catillara's demon and the whole batch with Joen, she was right there in the same room. Can she sneak up on Toma's demon somehow? I can't imagine it will hold still if it sees her coming! How far away can she be and perform the miracle?"

"I'm not really sure," said Foix. "But she can sense a demon from a long way off—much farther than I can. You weren't with us when she ran down those two in Jokono…"

"No, I was off carrying messages for her, blast it. But when we were on the tower in Porifors she said she could sense the demon-sparks all the way in the Jokonan camp. A mile or more."

"That's right. Well, I think she's able to do it from even farther now. Practice, maybe. When she opens herself to the god to swallow a demon she's like a… a… Liss, I wish there was some way to describe it! She blazes with the god's light so brightly I can't even look at her. Even from a distance she's like a beacon on a mountaintop. But the rest of the time she can damp it down so that she hardly glows more than a normal person."

"Normal people glow? I remember Ista saying in Porifors that she could see the shape of people's souls."

"A little. The divines say that everyone is a tiny bit god-touched. Their link to the other side. If I concentrate hard I can see it, but not from very far. Obviously Toma's demon can see it farther if it spotted Gerrold. "

"So it will spot Ista from half a mile away at the least? Can she swallow the demon at that distance?"

"I don't know. She was closer than that all the other times. I think that our best hope is to strike at night."

"Do demons sleep?" asked Liss. "In Porifors Lord Illvin knocked Catillara unconscious and the demon wasn't able to do anything. Would it be the same if Toma was asleep?"

"I'm not sure," answered Foix slowly. "My demon behaves a bit differently than the usual sort. The divines never said anything about the matter. I'm guessing that a demon in control of its mount would probably be 'awake' all the time, even when its mount is asleep. It could probably rouse a sleeping mount if it wanted, but not an unconscious one. But if Toma was asleep it might take the demon a while to get him up and moving. And Vilma's family would all be asleep, too and not readily available to help the demon. That might give us the time we need to get Ista close enough to do her miracle."

"She rides well enough now," said Liss, frowning, "But I'm not sure I like the idea of her trying to gallop down on Toma in the dark."

"True," said Foix. "Be damned embarrassing if we got the god's saint's neck broken. We'll have to give some thought to our tactics. Some of it will depend on how many men Ista brings with her. We might be able to surround the farm…"

They spent much of the day discussing various plans of attack. None of them were perfect, but Liss felt better doing something than just waiting. Eventually the afternoon waned into evening and they made their meal. Liss saved some for Seve who would arrive after dark.

Except he didn't.

Two hours after sunset they were still waiting for the boy. "Maybe he was delayed," suggest Foix. "A visitor at the farm, or his horse going lame."

"Maybe," said Liss, worried.

By midnight she was convinced something was seriously wrong. She could tell that Foix was, too. "He could have been here by now even on foot," she said.

"If he had trouble with his horse he might have gone back to the farm," said Foix.

"Yes, but…" Other possibilities were popping into her head and none of them were good. "Foix, yesterday Vilma came to the house. She was scouting for Toma, right?"

"That would be my guess."

"Why didn't Toma come himself? The demon could have used its spells to question my family and found out everything."

Foix shrugged. "It was probably afraid that if we were still there we could ambush it. It would have only had one or two people under its control and we would have had over a dozen. I could have countered its spells while the rest of you seized it. It would be wary about entering 'enemy territory'. This one seems extremely cautious. It might not know about Ista, but it spent a lot of time with the Roknari—they have ways to deal with demons that don't require a saint."

"But what about now? If Vilma told it there was no one waiting in ambush…" Liss didn't like where her thoughts were taking her.

"It might have decided it was safe to come back and find out for sure," said Foix, finishing for her. "Five gods, that would be very bad!"

"What do we do? If it found out what we're planning it would flee at once, wouldn't it?"

"Almost certainly." Foix was silent for a moment, thinking furiously. "All right. There are three possibilities. One is that nothing has happened and Seve was delayed for some innocent reason. The second is that Toma went to your farm, discovered the truth and is fleeing or preparing to. The third is that Toma went to town to see Fanni and Edgardo. It might think that safer than confronting your whole family. But the result will be the same. We have to assume the worst." He got up and shouted for the men-at-arms. One was already up, standing watch, but the others were awake in moments.

"Hennri, You will remain here. If Seve shows up then just wait for us, we'll be back. If we're not back by tomorrow night then you will assume we are in pursuit of Toma. Go to the town and wait for Royina Ista and her party. They'll come to the courier station, so wait there. Tell them what's happened and then try to follow us. We'll try to send word of our direction. The rest of you will come with us. Get the horses saddled." He turned to Liss. "We'll ride into town by the fastest means possible. We'll check with Fanni and Edgardo. If all is well with them, we'll go on to your home. If our fears are groundless, we'll wait the day there and then come back here tomorrow night."

"I could go straight home and meet you after you check with Fanni," offered Liss. "It would save time."

"And what will you do if Toma is there, my love?"

"Oh…"

"We should stick together. I'm the only one who can counter the demon. Anyone else meeting it alone would be helpless against it. All right, let's move." They saddled the horses, packed up what they'd need if they had to ride after Toma immediately, and then were off.

Liss took the lead, as she knew the paths better than anyone. She thanked the gods that the sky had cleared and there was a bright moon to shed light. After an hour she turned northeast to make directly for the road to town rather than the circuitous arc she normally followed. This brought them close to several farms and dogs barked at them noisily as they trotted past. If this was a wild goose chase they were risking giving themselves away, but there seemed little choice. Another hour brought them to the road and they headed north at a brisk pace. It was still deep night when they approached Teneret. A few lights burned here and there, but the town was mostly dark.

"What now, love?" asked Liss. "We come clattering through the main streets to Fanni's house we'll wake half the town and someone's sure to recognize us. Word will get back to Toma and we'll be done."

"I think I have a better idea," replied Foix. "Can we circle around, get close to their house? Maybe from the rear?"

"Maybe, but we won't get the horses into their back garden without noise."

"We won't have to. Just get me to within a hundred yards or so."

Puzzled, Liss did as he asked. A dog barked at their passing, but no one seemed to care. Eventually they were on the outskirts and Fanni's house could just be seen above the other rooftops. "Wait here," said Foix. Before Liss could object, he was off his horse and slipping between the sheds and outbuildings. He vanished into the shadows in moments. He wasn't gone all that long, but it seemed far longer to Liss. She sighed in relief when he returned.

"All right, Toma hasn't been here. We can head for the farm." He mounted his horse and turned it away from the town.

"How do you know? You didn't have time to talk to Fanni!" Liss steered her horse next to his.

"No, I didn't have to. I got close enough that I could see their spirits glowing. They're all there, Fanni, Edgardo and his folks and none of them had any trace of ensorcellment. If Toma had been here and questioned them, the demon would surely have put a spell on them to keep them from doing anything until it was far away. I don't think he's been here."

"Oh good, " said Liss. "The danger's cut in half."

"But not gone. Come on, let's ride. If we hurry we can get to the farm while it's still dark." They quietly pulled away from the town and then picked up the pace once they were on the east road. Liss worried about the wear they were putting on their horses, but they had mostly been resting the last few days and the two baggage horses gave them remounts. And Liss had made very sure that all their horses were of the best quality. They could stand this pace, but if they had to immediately start a pursuit…

There was a faint line of blue on the eastern horizon when they reached the farm, but the rest of the world was still wrapped in darkness. They approached slowly, Foix reaching out with his otherworld senses to look for the demon. Or at least that is what he said he was doing. Liss tried to imagine what it must be like. As they reached the gate, he stiffened and said: "He's been here."

"Yes!" cried Liss, her heart sinking. "Look!" She pointed to where the doors of the barn were standing open. They would never have been left that way normally. "Is he still here?"

"Not that I can sense," replied Foix. "But I can see the traces of his spells on your family."

"Are they all right? Are they all here?" Liss dismounted and headed for the house.

"Someone's missing. Seve, I think. But wait, Liss! Don't go barging in there until I have a chance to study this. There's no telling what sort of compulsion the demon placed on them. They might attack the first person they see or something like that."

Liss pulled herself up short of the door. "Can you break the spell from out here?"

"Yes, but hold on a moment. The instant I break the spell, the demon will know I'm here."

"But…"

"Wait… I can see what direction the demon is by the trail of its spell." He paused and closed his eyes. One arm came up and he pointed. "That way."

Liss looked and tried to visualize the surrounding landscape. That direction was… "That's back toward Vilma's farm!"

"So, it hasn't fled yet. It came here and then went back home. There must be things there it wants to take with it."

"If it intends to flee."

"If it's questioned your family and learned about us and Ista, it will certainly be preparing to flee! We need to get after it right away."

"Not until you free my family from whatever it's done!" cried Liss. But Foix sat on his horse and scowled. "What are you waiting for?"

"I'm just wondering if I could use these spell-trails to track the demon. And if it doesn't know we've come here so soon it might not hurry as much. Maybe I should leave them in place…"

"Oh, Foix, no!"

"It might be the best…"

"What's going on out there?" shouted a voice. It sounded like her father. A dim light appeared in an upstairs window. Liss could hear some thumping and bumping and the light moved down to the main floor. Then the door opened and her father stood there in his nightshirt, holding a candle. "Liss?" he growled. "That you?"

"Yes, Papa, are you all right?"

"Of course. Everything's fine." The phrase coming from his mouth chilled her to the bone. He walked toward her and she backed away. Leandro emerged from the door now and also came forward.

"Foix…?" she started to say and then shrieked when her father raised a knife in the hand not holding the candle.

But he wasn't coming at her, he was moving toward her horse! "Papa! No!" He drew the knife back to strike, but suddenly staggered, struggled, groaned and stood there quivering. "Foix! Do something!" But an instant later her father, and Leandro, too, fell back as if they'd been struck. The knife flew from her father's hand and he dropped the candle and landed heavily on his backside with a loud grunt. Leandro was still on his feet, staring at the knife he had dropped.

"Bastard's Hell," he groaned, rubbing his head. "Not again."

Liss looked to Foix and he nodded. "They're free. All of them." Liss ran to her father and knelt down next to him. "Papa! Papa, are you all right?"

He had his hands on head and looked around in bewilderment. "What…? What was I…?" His eyes went to Liss's horse which was just standing there as if nothing had happened. "Five Gods! I was going to….! Why? Why?"

"It was Toma's demon," said Foix, coming up next to him. "It isn't your fault, sir. It ensorcelled you and the others."

"But… but why did it command me to kill a horse? A horse!"

"Because it knew you'd never obey a command to hurt your daughter. But it forgot it was dealing with a horse breeder. You couldn't bring yourself to hurt a horse, either. You stopped yourself before I did, sir. As for why the horse, I imagine that was to slow down any pursuit. I don't see any horses in the pasture or your barn. It made you drive them all off, didn't it?"

"Yes… yes," he muttered. "Toma came just before dark, just as Seve was getting ready to leave to go to your camp… Seve! He took Seve with him!"

"Oh no!" gasped Liss. "Why?"

"A hostage, maybe," said Foix. He offered a hand to her father and helped him to his feet. The rest of the family was coming out of the house now, all talking excitedly. Piece by piece they got the story out of them. Toma had come just after supper and despite their forewarning of what the demon could do, they were all quickly under its spell. It questioned them and became quite agitated when it learned about Ista's coming. It commanded them to drive off all their horses, robbed them of every coin they had, and then ordered them to go to bed before riding off with Seve.

"That horrible thing has two of my boys now!" wailed mother. "What are we going to do?"

Liss swung up into her saddle and nodded to Foix. A red fury was growing in her. How dare this thing cause her family so much pain?

"We get them back."

End of Chapter 4