9. Do You Know Your Weakness?

Kel's vision was strangely tunneled. All she could focus on was her mare's ears as they twitched here and there. Voices spoke around her but they were hollow. She found herself doing things without conscious effort and she was tired, so very tired and yet unable to close her eyes to sleep. Dragging her gaze up, she glared at the maroon and light brown figures ahead of her.

How dare he? How dare he force himself into her head. Neal was right - Maggur could not be called a man, he was a maggot.

The object of her anger must have sensed the rise in her emotions. He turned and smiled irritatingly before leaning over and kissing Gissa.

Most definitely a maggot.

She closed her eyes and tried to drive back the haze in her mind. She was only partially successful. It was like trying to hold back a fog that constantly slipped around her fingers. She was able to widen the tunnel vision until the black edges turned gray. Not much, but an improvement.

Just then a dark blur approached her side. Sitting straighter in her saddle she tried to appear nonchalant.

"Lady, are you alright?"

She didn't bother to answer. The soldier, a younger man, touched her cheek where Gissa's metal hand had scratched her. Jerking away, she nearly overbalanced. He caught her by the arm and steadied her.

"Easy, I didn't mean anything. You might want to take care of that or it'll leave a scar."

Kel couldn't help snorting. "A scar would be the last of my problems right now."

The soldier smiled. He had gray eyes and a nice smile. She blinked, the tunnel vision was returning. With a groan she tried to push it away.

"Here."

Something wet was put into her hand. It was a handkerchief. SHe scrubbed it across her face and winced when she touched the dried blood.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Ouch! Definitely scar material there.

"That you're the Protector. The one who will help the king with his prophecy."

Kel glared again at the two people in front of here. "I won't be helping him anytime soon."

"But you're bonded."

"So?" Her reply sounded suspiciously like a pout. She grimaced.

The man tugged at the lick of light brown hair that curled just between his eyes. "It's just..." He sounded sheepish. "The king has bonded only to one other person, Lady Gissa. She is the only other magic user in Scanra. They say you don't have magic."

Kel was in no mood to start analyzing anything, least of all why the 'maggot' thought she was part of some prophecy.

"Soldier Tavis Zalin, do not socialize with the Protector."

Tavis's eyes turned stone gray and he bowed before falling back.

After a full day and a half, they finally left Long Valley. The slight breeze had increased to a steady wind that played with the leather cloak belted around Kel's waist. The valley ended in a bowl at the bottom of two ridges. Though the wind did not increase, she could hear it whistling over the top of the bowl. Maggur pulled up his two squads.

"You hear that? The breath of Shu will be coming through Long Valley in a couple days. No one will be able to follow."

He turned his stallion to the West and by all appearances started riding up the sheer rock face. Kel had no option but to follow. A narrow ledge provided enough footing for a horse to make their way up. Her stomach turned into an impossible twisted knot. No training in the world could have prepared her for this. Unable to help herself, she froze, clutching her mount's mane and praying to Mithros and the Goddess that the mare knew what she was doing. For an hour only the sounds of grunting horses and quite encouragement from their riders broke the silence under the moaning wind.

When they stopped, Kel forced herself to open her eyes. She could not look down. Instead she looked up. This close to the rock face made it impossible to estimate the distance to the ridge top. However, it seemed that they would not be climbing to the top. Maggur stood in his stirrups and held out his palms full of red fire. His lips moved.

"In the name of Horus, open the way!"

Kel forgot the impossible height as a black outline appeared before him. A door opened inward into darkness. Gissa tossed orange balls of light inside before leading the way on foot. The path was so narrow that each rider had to enter the tunnel where there was room for both human and horse. When it came to her turn, she couldn't move. Leaning forward to dismount, her leg muscles would not unclamp from the saddle. Her mare nickered softly and she patted her on the neck. "Sorry girl, I'll move in a minute."

A hand on her leg made her look down into gray eyes. Tavis shook his head sympathetically. Taking her feet out of the stirrups, he reached up expectantly. Kel tried to move on her own one more time and half slid, half fell to the ground. He caught her when her legs gave out. Her face burned with embarrassment.

"Thanks."

It was clear that she could not walk on her own. Tavis clicked his tongue at the mare who obligingly continued down the tunnel on her own. Wrapping his own reigns around his wrist, he threw Kel's arm over his shoulder.

"Come on Lady Protector. The Red does not like people falling behind."

Kel bit her lip and reluctantly let him support her down the rough passage. Fifty feet into the rock, water began dripping from the ceiling. It fizzed against the orange torches spaced every few feet and occasionally splashed in heads and shoulders. Abruptly the darkness opened and the closed feeling of rock cleared. The orange glow was nearly swallowed.

"Where are we?"

"The Throat of Meresger. It's a cavern beneath the mountains of Ennead that's wide enough to accompany our entire army. The king and Lady Gissa can open that passage wider if needed."

Wide enough to accompany an army. A hidden gate to Tortall. Kel gritted her teeth and pulled away from Tavis.

I'll play along with him. I can find out what Maggur is planning. I can help Tortall.

Up ahead, Maggur felt the change and smiled.

She would help, and help him at the same time. He had found a weakness in the Protector without even putting forth an effort. Her paralyzing fear writhed in the back of his mind as they had climbed. He was more adept at separating emotions from his own. Gissa, walking in front, sent tingles of anticipation. He had neglected her the last month or so - concentrating his powers on finding the destroyer of Blayce. She was clearly hoping that now his quest had been completed, they could catch up on private time. He couldn't deny that he was looking forwards to it himself.

The lady knight had mastered the effects of Blood Bonding more rapidly than he had predicted. She didn't even appear to know that she was building mental defenses. No matter, he still had all the hold he needed - fear for her country. Sergeant Zalin, however, may become a problem. He had become a bit too curious for his own good. Soldiers were to take orders without question. He would need to talk to Gissa about that.

A dull pinpoint of light gleamed in the distance. It was not magical orange but a cold wet gray of the outside. Maggur frowned. They would not be able to continue today for dusk had already fallen. It was suicide to try to reach Atum Plain at night.

"We will have to wait, my lord."

He smiled. "That we will."

Her golden eyes pleaded. "Could we simply ride ahead and let the others bring her?"

Shaking his head, he laughed at her impatience. "No, I do not trust her, or them. I must personally see her into the Eire."

"What of the snake-bats?"

If the men stay on the low, we will be fine."

With a groan Gissa turned and called back. "We will be staying the night here. Once dark had fallen no one will stand. Stay on the ground if you wish to retain your eyes."

Swishing and a strange whistling filled the air. Dark fluttering had everyone as close to the rock floor as possible. Puzzled, Kel began getting to her feet only to be promptly yanked back down. She glared at her unrequested chaperone.

"Didn't you hear what they said earlier?"

"What?"

Tavis tossed a blanket over her. "Snake-bats go for soft body parts. You stand, you'll lose your eyes."

Kel looked up at the swirling, serpentine mass overhead. One of them let out a high whine and fell twisting at her outstretched feet. Kel couldn't help but stare. Snake-bats were just that, long bodied with bat-like wings a few finger spans down from a flat, shovel shaped head. On the tip of its tail were multiple scales which flattened out to create a fan. This one curled underneath itself and attempted to launch but one wing dangled weakly. It toppled, beating against the ground. When Kel reached down to help it, the snake-bat reared and hissed, wings raised.

"With all your friends up there, you probably got crowded." She extended her hand, palm up, below the raised head. "Let me take a look."

The creature ignored her words and attempted to raise itself to a more threatening level. The hiss began turning into a threatening rattle. Kel glanced at Tavis, but he had fallen asleep again. With one swift movement, she caught the snake-bat between the swelling cheeks and the wing joints. It thrashed and twisted.

"Hush you! It won't help if you hurt it even more."

Pinning the hissing head between her thumb and crooked first finger, she gently examined the injured wing. The bones were not broken, but the fine skin webbing had been torn in two places between the three finger extensions. The snake-bat keened at her gentle probe and looked up at her with strangely intelligent black eyes. Cautiously, she released its head. Rearing back, it opened its mouth, revealing small rows of gold tinted teeth. It hesitated, tilting its head, then slowly relaxed. Carefully, Kel extended her hand again. The snake-bat folded its wings tightly against its back and slipped around her wrist.

"I'll try and sew you up when we get to wherever we're going."

The creature looked at her, flicking its tongue a few times before abruptly diving down her sleeve. Kel had to bite back a laugh as the cool reptile glided up her arm and settled around her elbow.

"No biting. I have enough scars from your immortal kind."

The snake-bat did not answer.

The morning came a dim and sleepy gray. Freezing mist blew in from the tunnel mouth and quickly woke those under single blankets. With short orders from Gissa and Maggur, the soldiers packed and lined against the wall. Kel simply stood where she was as Maggur paced down the line. Ignoring her, he crossed his fists in front of him and said.

"Receive the blessing of Ra-Atum and the host of Ennead."

Gissa stepped forward and offered a golden flask embossed with a symbol of the sun to each man. They crossed open palms over their chests and knelt to drink. Kel watched wide eyed until the flask reached Tavis. Tavis knelt, but she did not see him swallow. When the end of the line was reached, all the men stood and shouted,

"Hail the blessed one of the host of Ennead. He who is favored above all others. The sun is always with thee. The mountains part for the flames of blood which he holds. We will travel to the black river of the afterlife which runs red with the blood of those who oppose him to do his will."

Their eyes were glassy with fervor. All except the hard gray of one man who recited the words with the others, but whose heart remained elsewhere. Maggur smiled and gave a mockingly humble bow.

"And for the will of the country."

Kel rolled her eyes. Handing the borrowed blanket back to Tavis, she placed a gentle hand over the coil of creature around her arm. The soldiers were marching single file out the gray mouth of the tunnel. She prayed that it didn't mean they would have to go down a similar path like the day before. Maggur, who watched the men as they passed by, turned and gave her a knowing smirk. She carefully put her Yamani mask into place, but fumed inwardly. He may be able to sense her emotions, but she wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of seeing them in her expressions.

The trail was thankfully much broader than the first and did not descend rapidly, instead it meandered lazily down a drawn out slope of shale and trash rock. Hardy clumps of the strange blue/gray grass held most of the loose stones in place, but the way was still tricky for the unwary. In the distance between two nearly identical pillars of white limestone, Kel could see more of the powdery color in what appeared to be a field.

"What is that?"

Once again, Tavis was nearby to explain. "The Atum Plain, surrounded on all sides by unpassible cliffs except for where Tefnet lake meets it and the pass behind the Eire." He nodded towards the king. "The Red gathers the tribes there for loyalty."

"How many tribes?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, picking up on her implication. "I don't think I can tell you."

She shrugged.

Now they were passing the pillars and entered the massive field. Maggur dropped back from his leading position to ride next to her. He held something red in one hand.

"Soldier, bind the Protector."

"What?" Kel blazed.

"I captured the Protector of Tortall. My entire country needs to have confidence that their king has the power to conquer."

"The power to drug a woman. And if you wanted someone important, you should have tried kidnapping Lady Alanna. She has the Gift to match yours and better."

The king refused to be baited. He handed the red cord to Tavis. "Bind her well and lead her horse into the Erie."

"Yes sire."

Kel held her hands stiffly in front of her. Tavis waited for Maggur to return to Gissa and turned to her with a sympathetic sigh.

"Sorry."

"You're a soldier. You follow him. Why should you be sorry?"

He opened his mouth, then shut it and shook his head. Expertly twisting the cord around her wrists, he tied the ends securely to the saddle. From a distance came the sound of horns blowing.

"We're being announced."

In the distance the Eire of Horus appeared.