Briar was surprised to wake up to another day.
He had been carried from two different islands with a group of people that could turn into to glossy-feathered crows. They killed a fair amount of white-skinned people with each trip the ship made. He considered his escape for the hundredth time, hoping that he would be able to distract enough of them before a breakout could be discovered. Each ship trip brought him closer to bringing the boards of the vessel to life and each episode with strangers on the jungle coast made him anxious to ask for help from the poisonous ankle-trapping creepers in the area; however, the crew kept him under close display and observation.
Within moments, certain members of the crew could transform. Briar was unable to comprehend the concept. The magic his siblings and he commanded were unique, but an ability to shape shift was something completely alien to him. When looking at this group of the crew, Briar's magical sight often caught the strange sensation of having feathers just under the skin, but there was no glow of magic within their bodies.
The leader of the crew kept a close eye on Briar, but did not attempt to speak to him. The entire group had attempted at times to question the stranger, but Briar did not understand any of their language. Frankly, as far as he was concerned, he just needed to build up enough strength to escape the ship into the jungle, where the wildlife would keep him safe. If he could get access to lock picks or his daggers, all the better for him. However, the leader of the crew had been cautious and placed a magical slave color on him.
With Briar's hazel-green eyes turned to the sea inside one of the prisoner cages, brought specifically on board for the stranger, Nawat Crow watched from the crow's nest. The high vantage was doubly named on his ship, for he and his flock mates used it as a central location. Nawat kept more attention on this prisoner than he anticipated – he was not used to taking prisoners at all, as most of the crows and human soldiers he commanded killed any luarin enemies in their path. But Nawat was keen to let the rebellion leaders know what a strange thing he had found; he was more anxious to show Aly of the dancing hands what a strange plant/human he discovered. That Aly would know what to do about this mysterious stranger, Nawat was certain.
As a crow, Nawat was only a few years old and his experience as a human man was just as short. But he had never seen plants, particularly the deadly and exotic plants of highland Kyprian jungles, act the way it had around the young man. When they had initially captured him, Nawat's entire crew was engaged in settling a minor revolt on Tongkang, with a partial conclusion for Nawat to kill the governor of that isle. In addition, a powerful old raka mage was employed on a cove of the other side of the island who could contact the Chain, a group of mages employed in setting off revolution throughout all of the Copper Isles.
This mage was cautious, hearing what Nawat described from the first encounter, and sent messages through several others to eventually reach their leaders in Rajmuat. A heavy iron collar was fixed around the unconscious youth with spells to keep him from fleeing. The mage also added every spell she knew for binding magical power, though she could not sense much from the boy at all; she did not possess the Sight as well as the Gift. His power, if he possessed it, was unlike any raka or luarin magic she had encountered in forty years of working with the Chain.
Briar had spent many days cooped up in a cage in the past, but he certainly wasn't happy about repeating the experience. Several things kept him cautious. The attacks he had seen being led against some of the native white-skinned citizens showed the entire crew to be viciously efficient warriors. The magicks within the collar were partially full of binding spells that activated minutely when he brought his own magic into play or tried to push it past his skin; he was positive he would be able to overwhelm those spells when in the jungle, with the natural strength of other vibrant plants to help him, but a mage battle with those spells laying a thin film over his power could cause a chance between his own life or death. Lastly, with that layer over his body and magic, he was not even sure if he could contact his siblings. He had attempted to reach Daja briefly the first day he was conscious on the boat, but the distance connecting them was too far – the magic in the collar was a heavy weight on his search as well, dragging on his strength. He awoke from meditation sweating; the flowers on his hand containing plant scars and a magical wound connecting his sisters were blooming bruise-colored leaves and blood-red petals.
With a sigh and sudden aches in the scars of his palm, he rolled over to try and nap, wondering if he would live through the next night. The scars of his palm were certainly forewarning, because a violent winter storm was unexpectedly and untimely heading towards the snuggest harbor in the Isles, their capitol Rajmuat, while its new young king Dunevon was sailing his new, not-so-well-built flagship.
One day later, while the crew attempted to land their own slightly battered ship on the coast of Kypriang Isle, Nawat Crow and his top two soldiers were learning of a important development with the Chain mage on board.
"The nestlings have been killed," Nawat asked in a monotone voice.
The Chain mage, Gergundou, was a young raka mage from Malubesang whose family served the cause. She was not the most powerful mage, which explained why she had been sent with the relatively new crew that Nawat had been approved by the general, but she could far-speak and report for the rebellion. In addition, she had some light battle magic and healing skills, enough to serve the crew as a multi-purpose mage.
"Yes," she told her captain. "The Chain reports that a winter storm unexpectedly hit Rajmuat's harbor two days ago, when another fierce storm interrupted our travel from Lombyn to Kypriang. The storm itself ranged all the way down the inner sea, hitting most of the eastern coasts of Kypriang, Imahyn, and Malubesang; however, the damage was the fiercest in the Kypriang sea around the capitol harbors. The flagship for the new king was sailing for the first time. The king is dead, along with several other noble youths, sailors, and numerous raka fishermen among the entire sea."
Nawat received the report and left the ship cabin at a brisk trot. Two warriors, a crow-cousin Rifou and human warrior Gilma, followed quickly. Gergundou returned to her crystal, to pass more reports to the Chain mages in the outer Isles.
Nawat gathered his flock quickly, with messages for some of the humans he commanded to gather as soon as possible. His thoughts were turned to Aly Bright Eyes, first and foremost, and the entire Balitang household. Elsren, the young lord of the family, was certainly on board that ship with the young king. Aly protected them all. If anything happened to the boy, she, and the entire family, would need his help.
He issued quick orders. He and five others, for the sake of speed, would change into crow form and fly directly over Kypriang Isle to the capitol. The rest of the crows would serve as lookouts and guards for their human warriors, helping until they could receive further orders. In the meantime, they were to approach to the capitol as closely as possible without being detected. With a side glance at the captive, Nawat thought to put this boy into Ochobu's capable hands while he could find Aly and find out what truly happened; the cranky raka mage resided in Rajmuat with the other rebellion leaders and was the most powerful link of the Chain. She would understand better than any other mage whether the boy was a god, immortal, or threat to the rebellion. Nawat went to return to Gergundou to give a quick update of his new instructions before swiftly joining his fellow crows for the frantic flight south.
And while Briar did not understand Kyprish and was busy rubbing a large bruise forming from hitting his head against his cage during the violent sea storm, he did understand issued orders and the movement of soldiers departing. He decided he was going to get off this ship, one way or another, as soon as the ship captain who could jump six feet into the air departed.
Several leagues across the sea, Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop decoded several messages sent throughout the realm, frowning at the many reports. All of the correspondences showed new problems: unrest in the southern Bahzir tribes with new raiding bandits, northern sweeps against dimwitted Scranrns who were convinced the war was not over, requests of the most recent information from his Yamani agents, and dozens of reports, describing the most acute mages in the realm bothered by new magical frequencies.
With a groan, George began to rub both of his temples, sweeping his fingers rakishly through his hair. The sun-tanned rogue was in his fifties, with wickedly humorous green eyes, a large nose that had been broken several times, and a crooked grin. You would not be able to tell by looking at the casually dressed noble that he carried two sets of lock picks, daggers on almost every limb and major pocket, and was happily married to the prickly-tempered, purple eyed Lioness of Tortall.
Nor would you know that the man was lieutenant to the spies of Tortall, serving his father-in-law Myles of Olau as their defender and enforcer in the international world of espionage. The Whisper Man was his code name; he had trained his daughter Alianne in every aspect of the spy world, though he hadn't realized she would want to follow so closely in his footsteps. Despite her rather fantastic knowledge of the world, uniquely strong power of Sight, and winning way of making friends, George was worried for her. His knowledge of the happenings in the Copper Isles, where his daughter was likely helping to start a revolution, was slim – his normal agents were having problems getting information over the sea. George had originally thought he had an ace up the sleeve, because one of his favorite agents Tkaa had left him a gift before journeying to the Isles.
Several months earlier, when Tkaa dropped a gelatin bundle of shadows on George's desk mere days after George had returned to Tortall, having finally found Aly and discovered the Trickster's plan for his daughter, George was not in the best of moods. The knowledge that his only girl was making wagers with a god in enemy country, while his wife fought for their own home in the Scanran north, had brought the normally cheery rouge into a fit of ill humor.
"Tkaa," he asked with his normal, city-slick drawl, "why are shadows falling all over my paperwork?"
The immortal basilisk was engaged with pulling more and more shadows from his belly pouch. George was fascinated to see that everything was breaking apart into fist sized portions. With an eerie pause of movement, over sixty blobs rocked back and popped little heads out of their body, looking like freestanding and oxygen breathing tadpoles.
Tkaa lifted his tail from underneath several of the creatures, while one of the shadows grew tentacles to hang onto the end, squealing with pleasure. When Tkaa had settled the tail over his arm and the blob on his shoulder, he turned to George.
"Verilidaine sends her regards, sir, though she apologizes she cannot come in person," Tkaa said, bowing to his temporary supervisor, "as her new daughter still keeps her occupied. She asks a boon in exchange for a gift that I have brought you." Despite his immortality and powerful magic, Tkaa was pleased in his status as messenger and spy for Tortall. He often told the king and George that the amount of enjoyment he received from working in a mortal way made him feel young.
George wanted to sigh, but several of the blobs had decided to start climbing over the spymaster. Their cool, smooth texture helped George keep his calm in the hot stone tower where Pirate Swoop housed his office.
"Please, let me hear of the young lass's request; if it's cookies you'sters want," he told the darkings beginning to crawl into his pockets, "there's a plate in that cabinet," he gestured with a nod. A dozen of the things swooped through the key hole and opened the latch, raising George's eyebrow; with that done, the cookies began to disappear.
"Daine would like me to introduce you to darkings, the magical creatures she told their Majesties about just near the end to the Immortals War. Many of their comrades have remained in the Divine Realm and Dragon Realms, but this younger generation has asked to explore the mortal realms. Their leader, Goldstreak, sent them through to Daine. She thought to ask you to train them in your work in the following weeks, particularly since the news you brought from the Copper Isles has some drastic news for the following spring. If your daughter and her goddaughter Aly could be benefited by a gift, she asked me to accompany them to the Isles when the new young king is crowned and our Majesties send Tortallan gifts."
George slowly grinned and looked at the curious group of creatures. "Well, you lil' nasties, let us teach you about spies, lies, and mean things that fly. I imagine they like to pick you up in the air like worms, eh?"
The darking busy exploring his chest pocket, holding a flattened piece of leather round it like a scarf, poked its head into George ear. "Dragons the worst at that," it said matter-of-factly.
Months later, with George looking at so many reports throughout Tortall and still unconsciously wriggling a loose tooth about Aly, little Leather rolled under his office door and into his chest pocket. "Worried," it piped out to George.
George nodded. "Seems there's a lot to do and more I haven't a clue about. My lass is in the capitol, hoping the king can let her travel the coast, though she knows she'd be so sick she dropped. And she ain't needed watch the coast – our daughter will be fine, one way or another. I'm fair more worried about whatever magic has everyone swatting their tails at horseflies."
"I have news," the little darking responded.
George started, almost flattening the creature in his vest pocket. Reaching inside, with the creature softly keening, the baron brought his palm open and let the creature flex.
"You have news for me," the baron asked, bringing the darking to his cheek and ear.
"Yes," Leather responded. It lightly coughed twice, a trick it learned from George's manservant, and began. "Before we came to the mortal realm, Goldstreak and dragons talk and talk and talk. Talk talk talk. They always discuss morals and ethics and magic and other things. But all darkings can know and tell what others learn. Since we came to learn from you, we learn other morals about spies and tricks. You impress on us how amazing we are," it said, swelling a bit with pride, "but help us learn how to keep our secrets. We can know what other darkings know."
"But we try to keep separate," it explained. "Not right, for mortals to know what dragons speak of. Or how newts in Ekallatum keep their nest. Or secrets of rebellion miles and miles away. Or how young girls in Tusaine discouraged to know math." George blinked with the onslaught of images.
"But something happened, here and upper realms," Leather told him. "Goldstreak tell, send to all darkings. Magic opened portals throughout the realms. Powerful things landing. One in Divine Realms. One in the Copper Isles. One in Tortall. And another down south. The portals resonate. Goldstreak say Dragon Realms to reseal their realm to ignore magical aura. Some of Great Gods blast my friends, yelling about spies and tricksters. Other gods flee and animal gods retreat to homes. The pretty Green Lady," Leather continued, batting at George's earlobe with a stretched tentacle, "worries about Daine and the baby. Blackblob sits in her apron pocket, a happy prisoner with our first friend's mother."
George had been taking furtive notes, ignoring his little companion's battering of his ear, condensing all the reports into the strongest coded message he knew. "Is there more, little Leather?" he asked, re-dipping his quill into an inkpot, frowning when the darking shook its tiny head. "Should not have told so much," it said quietly, "not right for everyone to know everything we know. Worried about little girls, Aly and Daine," it said, looking aside at the spymaster. "Strong magic appears everywhere darkings know a friend is: Goldstreak, Blackblob, Trick and others. Portals stay open and flying immortals come and go. Dangerous," it said, shaking the leather around it. "Dangerous."