Chapter 9
"A hero has faced it all: he need not be undefeated, but he must be undaunted."—Andrew Bernstein
They were half a day from Weyman when Sev felt a presence following them. Allowing Karigan to lead on the small road, he silently tracked the presence. When he felt it getting close, he suggested they give the horses a rest. She agreed and tied them up to a tree at the side of the road. He wanted to be on his feet when the presence caught up with them and the horses would only spook, for even at this distance, he could feel something was unnatural about the group that was gaining on them fast. He knew they were almost on them.
"Lass, grab your blade."
She was suddenly alert and he was glad his companion wasn't the type to question a warning.
The first glimpse was of something blurring through the trees on the other side of the road. They crashed through the foliage, looking like a blur of white limbs tearing through everything in their path.
Karigan squinted at the disturbance, and then her eyes widened. Quietly she confided, "I had hoped to never see these creatures again." As the horde approached, she quickly explained, "They used to be Eletian Sleepers, before they were turned dark. Be sure to kill them, they cannot be healed and will keep attacking even when severely injured." Calming herself, she widened her stance and raised her blade in readiness for the oncoming attack.
o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o
He had known many Eletians during his life, but he had never seen anything like the creatures crashing through the forest in the attempt to get to them. The heads were bald and bodies sickly thin. The limbs moved as quickly as a spider's and they seemed to have a general lack of care for each other's well-being, as some were pushed behind or stepped on.
Sevelon knew this wasn't a situation, such as the groundmite attack, where he should slaughter the offenders. Mind working quickly, he decided to put them back in the ground where they belong. But first he'd have to take away their consciousness, so their bodies could peacefully decay.
As soon as the mass of white limbs and teeth broke onto the road, he reached his power out. First he worked on their minds to dull the process that was driving them. What he did wouldn't kill them, but it would take the vicious, single-minded purpose out of their attack and then he would just have to dispose of their bodies.
By the time the former Eletians reached them, the creatures no longer had conscious drive and moved much slower. Their bodies jerked haphazardly as if they only worked due to momentum and muscle impulse. He began to cut them down easily. At his side, Karigan had just stabbed one through the chest. She was about to pull her saber free when he saw her head jerk as if something caught her attention and she jumped behind him. Then he heard an impact of flesh and sounds of a struggle. Freezing the remaining sleepers where they stood, he turned in time to see a man overpowering Karigan and smashing her head to the ground.
He had allowed himself to become too involved with giving the sleepers a proper rest, that he'd completely missed the mind driving the horde. Sloppy. Frustrated with himself, he shattered the dead tree at the road's edge and sent the pieces hurtling towards the man. The man hit a tree with a satisfying thunk. Feebly he tried to move, but his limbs were impaled to the trunk.
Only stopping to make sure Karigan was still breathing, he made his way to look in the man's eyes. Sevelon rarely drew out a person's suffering, but he wanted to know why they were attacked. Sevelon had made the effort so his presence would remain unnoticed by Mornhaven, but if the Black One had figured out he was here, then he would certainly challenge Sevelon. But Sevelon wanted to be sure that Karigan was far away when the confrontation took place. He didn't want her to die. He didn't want to be the cause of her death. Gazing into the man's eyes, he saw a series of images flash by. A grove within a dark forest, an old woman weaving something that looked like hair, and a child singing sickly things in an all too beautiful voice. He was a part something he called "The Second Empire". This man was himself tainted, but was not sent to kill him. Sevelon looked at his companion, remembering the pieces of gossip he had heard about her and realized he was travelling with someone who had quite a few enemies of her own. Distracted with his thoughts, he quickly disposed of the attackers and placed them in shallow, unmarked graves. Karigan lay on the ground, her head resting in a pile of bloody pine needles. When he picked her up, she moaned.
The pain had woken her up enough so she could say, "Not too far up the road there should be a rider waystation." She was beginning to black out. "The Horse will recognize it…" He was relieved when she fell limp in his arms. It was for the best, the wound wasn't anything more serious than a minor concussion. Plus, if she was sleeping, she wouldn't have time to think over anything she might have seen. If she had seen him use his power, Sevelon could always blame it on their paltry gifts that came with most of these rider broaches.
Walking towards the horses, he almost had to laugh at the difference between the two mounts. Her stud was overly concerned that his mistress was dead, no doubt he smelt her blood and that is why he was straining against his ropes. He wasn't sure he liked these rider horses and was glad they had given him a cavalry horse. His mount was clearly over the excitement and continued to disregard his presence in favor of eating the roadside grass. Acting how a horse should act.
He tied her to her fretting horse, and opted to lead the horses on foot to find this waystation she spoke of. It wasn't long before her horse started tugging him towards an old deer trail. Karigan was correct when she claimed her horse would recognize the location. The trail led to a tiny, one person cabin and an adjoining stable. He carried her into the musty hut and placed her on the sole bed, before returning to take care of the horses. He found dried grain in the horses' shelter and a stream not too far off, where he could refill their water skins.
He returned to the hut to find Karigan shivering. He went in search for a blanket. Opening the rickety closet door he found several wool blankets as well as medical supplies and preserved food. Once she was covered, he dragged a stool to her bedside and wiped the dried blood from her temple. There was plenty more that dirtied her hair, but she would have to clean that herself. Head wounds always bleed profusely, even small ones like this. In the closet, he'd found an herbal salve which he now used on the gash. He couldn't help muttering, "Foolish girl should have stayed out of the fight."
Apparently she wasn't as knocked out as he'd thought. Her eyes remained closed, but she replied, "I saw movement in the tree behind you and I didn't have enough time to raise my sword."
"So you blocked me with your body."
Eyes still closed, she broke into a crooked smile, and justified her action, "It would have looked bad on the report if I'd allow you to get killed in training." She tried to laugh, but only started coughing.
He doubted that was her true motivation; he was beginning to realize she was the type to sacrifice her own safety to protect others. It was likely that she hadn't even thought before leaping to his defense. He eyed the blue handprints that were forming on her neck and remembered the man had used both hands to knock her head against the ground. Usually Sevelon dealt out punishment without being too emotionally involved. He rarely had any feelings towards those he killed, after all he was only handing out the gods' justice. However, looking at Karigan's fragile neck and remembering the pitifully controlled tainted Sleepers, Sevelon was glad the man had felt pain before he died. He continued to examine her, wondering how much she had noticed. Had she been awake enough to see how he killed them or buried their bodies? He didn't know.
Since she met him, she's been sending him strange looks, as if she knew who he is. She was much too perceptive for her own good.
He let out an exasperated breath and ran a hand through his hair. It would almost be better if she did know. It would certainly make his life easier, but could he trust her to keep such a secret? The female looked so harmless and innocent when she slept. He knew this was far from the truth and he remembered her angry charge at the groundmites. She had been furious and brilliant, he wasn't sure he had ever seen anything more beautiful than this woman when she was protecting her people. This type of person was very rare. The universe could use more like her.
There were times when she looked at him, her eyes deep with memories of dark places. In these moments, he was reminded of some of the immortals, because her eyes held the same quality of space spanning wide and deep. She had brushed with great power before and she was still sane. In his opinion, this fact alone made her seem trust worthy.
Sevelon sat on the floor and watched her sleep. When her rest grew fitful, he recalled a song that an Eletian friend had taught him long ago. Carefully he moved forward and placed his hand on her forehead. Then he began to sing, each verse a tranquil pattern of lilting sounds. The ancient tongue made him seem like a much better singer than he actually was. The song was of peace, rest, and a chance to regain your energy. As his voice drifted through the small cabin, he saw her body relax and her breathing become even. She would have no more bad dreams this night.
o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o
He woke with dawn's first light and decided that he should bathe before checking on his charges. The forest was quiet, many of the animals still burrowed into their niches. He felt grimy and the water was a welcome sight. Submerging his bare feet into the stream, he cupped his hands to poor the refreshing water over his head and back.
The horses were amiable as ever and munched happily on the new grain.
He woke Karigan and they rode peacefully through the day, passing several more villages before the sun lowered itself in the sky. That night by the fire, he caught her staring at him.
"What's on your mind lass?"
"Oh just wondering if this will turn out like the last time I trained a rider."
"Was it bad then?"
"He almost killed both of us because he wanted to find out what his gift would be."
He knew he should try to sound curious. "What do you think mine will be?"
She looked at him for a long time before answering solemnly, "You have a combination of gifts. I've never seen the like before."
So she had seen what he could do. Turning the subject, he asked her to continue her story of the other training run.
She describes the boy's antics with exasperation, but he can see she is fond of these memories. When she talks about Damien Frost's farm, he asks her to describe the stallion.
"Sounds like Salvistar." It was out of his mouth before he had time to check himself. She looked at him closely.
"Yes." The tone was clipped and he knew she was ending the conversation. At times, she was as skittish as a wild horse. Interesting that she didn't want to talk about Salvistar. Maybe the other riders were right when they said she was too shy and modest to talk about her own exploits, but Sevelon wondered if there was more to those exploits than any of those less experienced people could understand.
Hiding everything from her was beginning to tax him. Plus, if he told her who he really was, maybe she would open up to him. So he finally asked, "What do you know of Sevelon's Legend?"
She lay back against her saddle bags and spread her legs out on the ground.
"He once served the god and goddess by attending to their business on earth. When his service to the gods was complete, he threw his sword into the sky. Today it is a constellation of seven stars in the shape of a cross. Sometimes it disappears, but it is very reliable for returning to the sky."
"What do you suppose that makes Sevelon?" His eyes were twinkled; this was actually kind of fun.
"He lives in the heavens, so is it crazy to claim he has become a constellation?"
He had never thought of himself quite in that way, but in a way she was right, because the sword of stars wouldn't be there if he wasn't.
"What if I told you that I have power outside the broach."
"I would say it explains how you managed to eavesdrop in the hospital wing without anyone noticing."
"You noticed."
"Did you mean for me to see?"
"No, it was part of a light bending trick. I had been doing it for several hours before you showed up. I was surprised when a human finally noticed me."
Now she was sitting up. He'd gotten her full attention. "What are you and what are your intentions."
"My birth name is Sevelon. My duty here is to hand out Aeryc and Aeryon's justice."
"If you are who you say you are and not a mage of some sort, why are you pretending to be a green rider?"
"It will be better if Mornhaven is unaware of my presence until the last possible moment." Here he smiled. "I wanted to be near you. So becoming was a green rider was the logical solution."
This made her eyebrows come together. She rarely looked perplexed, but he enjoyed such moments. It meant that he'd said something that she had never thought of before. Finally, she brushed everything else aside and went for the most important issue. "Aeryc and Aeryon want Mornhaven dead."
"Yes."
"Why now? Why not a thousand years ago, when he first started his atrocities?"
"To gain the gods' notice, a mortal has to do something truly amazing and unexpected. Mornhaven is like many other men throughout human history, he is driven by his search for power. During what you call the Long War, he amassed a good amount of power. It was enough to give him control in the mortal realms. It was only recently however that he attracted the gods' attention."
He paused and looked at her. "Do you remember how it was to look in the mask?"
The mask had been full of endless opportunities. Just looking at it was so stimulating she feared she'd be completely overwhelmed. "Yes."
"That day, you held true power in your hands. When the Tumbler gave it to you, he thought he was tricking you. At that moment, the gods' attention was focused on you to see what you would do with that power. When Mornhaven appeared at that moment, there were several strings of future possibilities, all based on your next decision. One possibility was that Mornhaven, after all these years of searching, would finally have the power to essentially become a god. By destroying that mask, you saved your life. If you had given Mornhaven the mask, he would have enslaved you and later killed you. If you had put the mask on, you would have gone mad or the gods would have killed you."
Karigan rubbed her forehead, "But Mornhaven didn't get the mask. It was destroyed."
"Yes. But for the first time in his life he almost attained true power; strength and opportunity that only the gods have. It was at that moment, Aeryc and Aeryon decided he was a threat that needed to be dealt with."
She whispered, "The gods' justice."
He nodded, "That is why I'm here."
o*o*o*o*o
That night she lay awake thinking about what he'd said.
She looked at his sleeping form lying on the other side of the campfire's dying knew she should be terrified, sleeping near someone with so much power that she couldn't even imagine the extent of his full capabilities. But if she was honest, she felt relieved. For the first time since she had met Mornhaven, she felt like she didn't have to face him alone. Now there was another who shared the responsibility. Plus, she had never felt threatened by his presence. If anything she felt safe. She fell asleep, thinking how bizarre that was.
o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o
The next day they packed up as if everything was normal, and it was. The only difference was that Karigan was now very aware of her travelling companion.
By the afternoon, they saw a village marked by an old sign that declared they were now in Codswallow. Yesterday, they had entered D'yer Provence and were headed for Woodhaven, but that was still a good two days ride away. They would need some more provisions before then. After looking around and seeing the village didn't have much to offer in the way of a general store, they headed for what looked like the town inn.
As they got closer, Karigan looked at it with distaste. It looked as if the owners had let it run to ruin. The roof was dipping low, the railing had at one point broken and no one had bothered to fix it. How did they expect to get any customers with their building in such a poor state? They walked up rickety stairs and approached the front door. Karigan hesitated at the inn's entrance, the inside was deplorable. There were drunk men singing in the corner and a woman was sitting in the lap of a young, handsome customer, clearly selling more than drink. Sev (Sevelon she had to remind herself), nudged her shoulder and led her inside. As they walked to a table away from the other customers, the floor made ripping sounds, as if it had not been scrubbed in days. The smell was slightly rancid, possibly from the dried booze on the floor. The inn keeper sat them at the table and asked what food they wanted. Karigan had to make an effort to keep the disgust from her voice as she ordered.
When the man left them alone. Sevelon looked around the tavern room and quietly mocked her. "You survived Blackveil, yet you balk at this?"
She looked around, apprehensive of being overheard.
"Do not worry, I'm bending the sound. No one can hear us, though I doubt even the inn keeper is sober enough to attempt such a feat as eavesdropping."
Relieved, she continued. "By all accounts I should not have survived."
"Have you considered the fact that the gods favor you?"
"The gods favor no one."
"They look after their own affairs first and foremost, but they do notice some humans, especially if the human's actions compliment a particular god's plan."
"I'd rather not have the notice of the gods."
He leaned back in his chair to stretch as if it was nothing, but his voice came out as old and enduring as the wind itself. "Sometimes we do not have a choice."
A memory shone in her mind, elusive, like a piece of metal deep within the water, only to catch the light at certain angles. The memory was of a war horse's back, broad and black as night, muscles pumping underneath her as if flying through the air. The sound of wings beating and draining out every other sense. Twice while sleeping in Blackveil, she would wake because these wings were beating so strongly through her mind. These visions seemed as a part of her as her own memories, but she would only ever get flashes of them. She knew they were significant, but she didn't fully understand them. This nervousness is perhaps what prompted her to share the experience with him. Or perhaps it was because he wouldn't think she was crazy.
"When riders are called, they hear hoof beats." He just nodded, in understanding or for her to continue, perhaps both. "For me the hoof beats didn't stop, but would appear again in times of great need." Or perhaps in great purpose, but she didn't want to put such a self-important term to her own actions. "This faded about a year ago. Something truly disastrous was going to happen. I'm not entirely sure what it was, but I could feel it, can still feel that it was something disturbingly dark and deeply pervasive." Here she stopped and looked at him, unsure if he would think she was crazy. He just nodded again, this time in acceptance. His facial features were calm. He didn't seem to think she was off reality, so in a rush, she told him what was bothering her. "But it was stopped and ever since I've been having these images return like they were my own memories, only diluted and lacking detail. For the past year, it's not hoof beats I've been hearing, it's wings beating the air." She paused and looked at him, her eyes searching for understanding, "The incident's all muddled in my mind. Does anything I just said make sense?"
"I think you have the gods' notice more than you know."
She shrugged, "There've been times when I've felt connected to Westrion and Salvistar."
"They used you and you can't remember what happened," he stated. He felt anger on her behalf. He knew all too well what it felt like to be used as a pawn in the gods' great game of fate.
She nodded, and quietly confirmed, "I think so."
o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o
A day from Woodhaven, he warned of a group nearby, and that they should hide the horses in the trees. Once Condor and the cavalry horse were stowed a safe distance away, they crept up to a group encamped along the side of the road. By all outward appearances, they seemed like D'yer soldiers. Karigan inspected the man standing watch closest to them. His royal blue uniform looked tight, as if it was made for a smaller man. His hair was ragged; he did not look like a man of military discipline. These were not D'yer troops.
Crouching close to Sevelon, she let loose a quiet, breathy question, "Who are they?"
He responded just as quietly, "I'm not entirely sure, but I need to get closer. Would you mind if I allowed us to be captured?"
His question startled Karigan. Feeling slow on the uptake, she restated. "You want to get captured."
He was looking in the direction of the troops, and absentmindedly continued. "There is something very wrong in this group. I'd like to see it up close."
Karigan understood it was his duty to fulfill Aeryc and Aeryon's justice, but she was hesitant to do anything that might compromise her duty to Sacoridia.
"Can't we just observe? We both have the ability to be invisible."
He shook his head, as much to answer her question as to bring his thoughts back to the present. Then he looked at his companion, trying to read through her hesitation. "Before I decide how to fix this, I have to see it. Touch it even. I promise you, we will be able to leave when this task of mine is done. Trust me, there is something in this group that you would not want wandering freely through your countryside."
"I'll give you half a day, then we must be on our way." She needed to get to Woodhaven to send a report to Captain Mapstone.
"Yes Sir." His eyes sparked with amusement and Karigan suspected he was making fun of her status as the knight of the realm.
She just harrumphed and walked out of their cover, toward their soon to be captors. Such jokes coming from a bloody Constellation! If anything, she should be bowing to him. Not that she would be the one to point that out. She was never very good at treating people as if they were higher than herself. Aristocrats made her uncomfortable and hadn't she accidentally told off the king during that abysmal game of intrigue? She didn't have the greatest track record for giving people their proper respect. She tended to speak her mind, regardless of who she was speaking to. It was so when she spoke to the king and it would be no different with an immortal. She would forget that she was supposed to gravel at his feet and would instead act as she darn well pleased.
He caught up to her, trampling sticks and making as much noise as possible. The men looked startled, as if they'd expected a wild animal. When they saw it was two people, they picked up their swords and ran at the pair. In an imitation of a noblewoman she'd went to school with, Karigan squeaked, "Oh no! Look at these brutes. We're going to be robbed!" She made the last word extremely high pitched in the hopes that it would annoy Sevelon. When he looked at her, she just waved him on. It wasn't HER idea to be captured.
The men roughly grabbed Sevelon and tied his hands. "Wrong place to take a walk mate," they jeered at him and gave him some suggestions on how to shut up his girlfriend. None of the suggestions were very gentle. Karigan didn't fight when they grabbed her hands and tied them behind her back. She was too amused at how Sevelon was being roughhoused by the men. As the men led them into the camp and forced them to the ground, he acted so abjectly cowed. She knew the immortal could probably squash them all with just the bat of his eyelashes.
The amusement abruptly ended when Karigan recognized her best friend's voice. It wasn't Estral, but a little girl. Karigan remembered Alton's letter describing the mysteriously sudden loss of her friend's voice. How he didn't think it was natural. And here was this child, singing with that voice. But it was the same voice that Karigan had grown up with, it's beauty was unmistakable. Karigan could only look at the little girl with horror.
"Sev!" She whispered harshly, almost forgetting to call him by his short name.
He looked completely in control of the situation, even with his hands tied. Seeing him so unbothered helped calm her nerves. Still, she had to let him know, even if she didn't fully understand how this had happened. "My friend Estral mysteriously lost her voice while at the wall. That little girl is singing with it. I'd recognize it anywhere. We have to do something." She didn't care if her plea sounded petty. Her friend was withering without her voice. Estral's voice was a part of her being, similar to Karigan's gift, take that away and her body would suffer.
He looked at the little girl and Karigan wondered if this new development would change how he was going to handle things. She hoped so, for the sake of her friend. In the letters, Estral tried to be positive about the situation, but Alton's letters were more honest. He told how Estral continued to be ill and that her strength seemed to diminish by the day.
Unable to grasp his shoulder with both her hands tied behind her back, Karigan scooted closer to Sevelon. When her arm met his, he looked down at her. Her eyes searched his, hoping to find empathy of some kind. "Please." Even to her own ears, her voice sounded weak.
His eyes remained glassy and remote. She was once again reminded that he wasn't a normal green rider. When he didn't respond, she tried to push her case. "Estral's voice is the product of generations of greatness, it is magical in its own way. I've met few people who could bring such goodness into the world. She can help heal this land, but without her voice she will die. She is already only half the person she used to be." His gaze was still emotionless and Karigan was running out of arguments. With a last ditch effort, she admitted, "I only have so many friends." Then she looked away, ashamed that her eyes had begun to water.
That is when the world went still. Karigan didn't see it happen, but suddenly the men were on the ground. None of them moved and she knew they must be dead. She gulped as she watched Sevelon walk casually up to the little girl. Never had he looked less human than he did now, carnage at his feet and starring at this little girl. Karigan knew he was going to kill her.
Only, he didn't kill her. He stood there for a moment, as if unsure about what he was about to do, then he picked her up and brought her back to Karigan.
Gruffly, he informed, "She is your charge until we reach Woodhaven."
o*o*o*o*o*o*o
That night, Karigan watched the little girl singing next to the fire. Hearing that voice and knowing it had to be connected to evil, she couldn't help but think of the little girl as a monster. Apparently, her feelings of disgust were showing on her face, because Sevelon informed her, "You shouldn't treat her so harshly you know."
Karigan was embarrassed that he knew she had such bad thoughts about one so young. "I know," She admitted with a sigh. "It's just everything that is associated with the Second Empire is tainted in my mind. That Grandmother woman was especially vicious when dealing with our people. She would use her gift to twist their minds, make them believe they were being constantly tortured, when really they were just sitting there." Karigan remembered finding Beryl Spencer in that tent, and shuddered at the memory of such a strong woman being broken with only string and a few words.
Before responding, Sevelon was quiet for a moment. "Humans think of the world as they see it; the problem is that most people do not see beyond themselves. As I grew up, I realized that my thinking was limited by certain conditions. Everything from my family's beliefs to my own personal experiences would dictate how I interpreted every situation."
He was trying to soften his comment by saying even he wasn't perfect, but Karigan knew when she was being chastised. If the girl's family was Second Empire, it means she was born into a society that truly believed they had been wronged. She admitted again, "You are right. She cannot help what she was born into any more than we can. Nor is she responsible for what was done to her."
She looked at the little girl. She sat by the fire playing happily with a bunch of twigs, acting as if they were people. Karigan wondered if she had ever had real dolls to play with, or if she had always played with whatever material was available. Even if she had grown up in the city, her parents may have been unable to buy proper food, let alone toys.
The next day, Karigan made an effort to treat the girl as if she was like any other child who was away from their family and everything familiar. The results of that small kindness were surprising. After only a few times of Karigan thanking her, the girl became extremely helpful. She also became more talkative. It was still disturbing for Estral's adult voice to come from such a small frame, but Karigan tried not to think about it overmuch.
As they rode into Woodhaven, Karigan did ask Sevelon. "What will you do with her when Estral has her voice back?" She asked, indicating the girl who was sleeping in front of Karigan, great coat tugged tightly around her small form.
"Before, she had been a mute." He explained, "Often times, mute children will find their voice as they grow older. She hadn't found hers yet, but once she gives your friend's voice back, she will terribly miss being able to communicate. I suspect she will find her own voice then."
o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o
A day later they sat in Woodhaven, having a private dinner with Alton and Estral. Sevelon had returned Estral's voice and they'd found a foster home for the girl. Returning the voice didn't take much effort on his part. Yet by the way Karigan smiled at him, she thought he was the best man in the universe. For a moment, he thought she would hug him out of happiness, but instead she'd turned her attention towards her recovering friend. It was a shame, he was curious how she would have felt in his arms. He had not been touched in such a gentle way since he'd said goodbye to his sister and that memory was millennia away. He couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to have such comfort once again.
Throughout dinner, Estral and Alton bombarded him and Karigan with questions. Estral's curiosity seemed insatiable, "Your rider ability must be well controlled to accomplish such a thing."
Sevelon shrugged, he didn't want them to think he was capable of anything greater than a card trick. Just because he told Karigan who he was, did not mean he didn't want the whole world knowing. If anyone found out who he was, such information would fly like fire on a dry field. If Mornhaven found out, Sevelon would lose the element of surprise. Undoubtedly, Mornhaven would react as he always had, with an iron fist of fury and many more people would die. He trusted Karigan with his secrets, but could not afford to have either Alton or Estral know. He needed them all to believe he was a regular green rider.
Minstrels were some of the worst gossips, claiming it their duty to write songs about things happening around the land. Karigan's friend would drool at the mouth for the opportunity to write a song of how he'd saved her. Keeping his true powers and identity secret, he claimed his "special ability" was bending sound. He explained this was how he'd been able to give her voice back.
Karigan kept quiet during such explanations. He knew she wouldn't gainsay his cover story, she was too thankful for Sevelon's intervention in the situation. Her friend had a voice and was recovering from a fatal sickness. She was content to let Sevelon spin whatever tale he liked.
"Maybe you could help fix the wall," Alton sounded excited.
Sevelon couldn't understand why they had spent so much time worrying about the wall. Fixing the wall would only give them a temporary break from their problems. No flimsy wall would stop Mornhaven, not now that he was recovered from his injuries. When Mornhaven was gone, Kanmorhen Vane would heal. But, these mortals had no way of knowing that. Nor, could they have any way of knowing that Mornhaven's existence would soon be extinguished. He sighed, he should be easier on them. These were Karigan's friends, surely if she respected them, then they were good people.
If only for Karigan's sake, he'd humor this man, "I'm not sure if my ability works that way, but we can try."
"Great. Of course, it'll have to wait until we get back from Sacor City, but this could be what finally works. The King will be very pleased."
Karigan saved Sevelon from having to answer, by asking, "When are you leaving for Sacor City?"
"First thing in the morning. A message arrived for my father earlier today declaring that Sacoridia is going to War and our presence is required at the Capital. I expect the King has sent similar notes to all the governors, requesting them and their militias."
Sevelon caught Karigan's eyes, trying to communicate silently that he'd need to be around for any major conflict. She nodded almost unperceivably.
She turned back to her friends, "We'll travel with you. Captain Mapstone wanted a report soon anyways."
