18. Gathered
I returned to my body with a nauseating rushing feeling. My entire body shuddered and I sat up with a gasp. Thoth and Nut gently pushed me back down.
"What was that?"
"It was the Red one. He has Bonded with the Protector and used her voice as his own. He knows of the plan and almost discovered your location had your loved one not fought back."
Anita spoke from behind me.
"I worry about the others. Maggur is smart enough to realize that a rebellion has begun and will do whatever he can to keep them under control. He will turn our plans against us."
I ran a hand over my face, feeling a splitting headache coming.
"He knows our plan, probably knows that we know, so lets just beat him at his own game."
Three pairs of eyes turned to me in confusion. I waved them off.
"I can't really think about that right now. If I might have some water, I have a stomach trying to catch up with a mind."
Anita twisted a strand of her hair anxiously between her fingers.
"He knows. We can't rely solely on the messages from the Black Hawk's birds, anyone could write them."
Thoth gave her a small smile.
"Trust me child, there is still one more link we may rely on. It is not very regular, but completely trustworthy. Divina is still in hiding."
A tumbler of water was placed in my hand and I gulped it down. I was too tired even to be irritated by the conversation on a subject I had no clue about. All I could think of was the fear I had sensed just before coming back. Keladry's fear for me. Fear for me, when she herself remained in the immediate danger. I could only hope that she would remember what I had said about faith in the common people. Titles were really only a form of security for those with less confidence. Titles did not embody the worth of a person. Now if only the stiffs back home could come to the same realization. I could never let myself be labeled as a noble as long as the shadow of elitism hung over it.
They were still talking, worried about the plans we had made. Now that I thought about it, I doubted its success. However, I did not know how the loyalties ran among these people.
"If we cannot rely on the messages from the birds sent from the Black Hawk, then we need to move quickly."
Thoth and Nut nodded in agreement.
"We can still use the plan, just add some things that Maggur doesn't know. He'll be building defenses and hopefully get overconfident. We'll just go under him."
"But the people..."
I held up a hand to stop her. "We'll have to sneak into the town and raise the word of our rebellion."
She slapped it away. "We already have a rebellion, we just haven't been able to move yet. If I can reach them, the rest is simple."
"Oh..." Sheepishly I scratched the back of my head. "Well then, how are we getting Keladry out from under Maggur's nose?"
"We will ask for the Black Hawk's assistance."
"Uh, right..." This was moving too quickly for me to handle at the moment. Anita took pity and helped me to my feet.
"You need rest. I will come for you if we reach Divina."
"Who is Divina?"
Her blue eyes avoided mine. "She is the last Seer of the White Tiger clan. She is the oldest among us, no one remembers her as a young woman. When the Black Hawk clan broke with us, she remained. No one knows why."
888
When I returned to my room, Jump, Nari, and Quicksilver immediately pounced on me with worried peeps and whines. I hadn't been paying them much attention lately and their concern made me feel guilty. Rubbing Nari's head and scratching Jump behind his scarred ear, I grinned.
"I'm a bit famished, care to raid the pantry with me?"
An enthusiastic party followed me down the hall. The mountain in which the Seers lived was honeycombed with tunnels and caverns. Earlier Anita had given me directions to the dining cave and I knew that where the food would be served, a kitchen had to be close by. I was almost correct. A small room did lead off from the cavern full of long stone tables, but it looked to serve only as a warming station. Two doors revealed a closet and another tunnel angling down. Jump whined.
"Well, how badly do you want to snag some grub?"
His tail went up as he took the lead. Switching my attention to Quicksilver, I followed. This rout led down into living rock with water dripping down the sides of the walkway and the temperature warming slightly. Absently I wondered how the cooks hauled enough food to feed the mountain people three times a day up the long upward slope. When it finally ended in a wide open cooking room, my toes were firmly jammed against the front of my boots. A fire burned brightly surrounded with roasts and hanging pots. Surrounding the meat were wooden tables loaded with vegetables, breads, bags of spices, and stacks of utensils. An open door let in cold air and led the way to a courtyard. I had come at an opportune time for no one else was in the room except my little party. With a smirk, I tossed a quarter of a rabbit to Jump, two rolls for the birds and one for myself, a strip of smoked meat, and two apples. Tucking my loot into various pockets I casually walked out the open door into sunshine.
The courtyard was actually the place to unload new goods for the kitchen. Turning, I looked up at the steep rock wall behind me. No one would ever guess that the population of a small town lived behind the face of the mountain if not for the lived in look of the open door at it's base. The whinny of a horse made me turn again. I had to wander down the carved road to a bend before I found the stables. A corral had been set up in a small hollow which held a dozen horses. Jump set down his rabbit and barked. Peachblossom's ears shot up and he trotted to the fence. I offered him an apple as a peace offering which he accepted with a skeptical flick of an ear.
Scattering bits of roll for the sparrows, I explained what had been going on over the past few days. Some may think me crazy for explaining things to an animal, but being with Keladry for so many years had taught me otherwise. Animals could be smarter than people in many cases. They don't think about conspiracies, only the simple truth. Now if only they could explain it back to humans as easily. Nevertheless, it helped me get my own mind straightened out. Treats distributed, I dusted my hands.
"So what do you say? Should we go ahead with it?"
Peachblossom laid his ears back and snorted as if to say - You'd better not think about quitting.
888
The square stood empty which did not surprise Tavis. The night before Maggur the Red addressed the people and gave veiled threats to those who were rumored of planning rebellion. The soldiers were given a new Blessing and new passion for their leader's cause. Unconsciously Tavis tightened his hold on his mount's reins. Maggur had no honor about him. Once he had resorted to using children to strengthen his ranks with metal beasts, though that fact was known only by the few who had rebelled under the Red's power.
Most believed the appearance of the beasts to be an additional sign of the gods in Maggur's favor. Of those who knew the beasts of man's creation as fact, even fewer knew of their true origin. A bare fraction of that few had the knowledge of what drove the creatures - that they used children in some evil, inhuman experiment. Now the Red had again stooped to those tactics. Soldiers willing presented the Red with their offspring, believing that it would be for their own safety from the 'traitors'.
Dismounting in front of the Stone Tavern, Tavis slipped through the door. Nodding to the young woman behind the counter, he sat down to eat. He ignored the five men who entered soon after and arrogantly stalked through the room. Two ducked through the kitchen door. A shriek made him turn. The two soldiers emerged, one holding the small boy named Geo and the other fending off his frantic mother.
"Miss, we have to take him. On orders from the Red himself, all children are to be taken into the Eire for protection."
Tavis rose to his feet as the boy began twisting and screaming in the arms of his captor.
"What protection could be better than the love of a parent for a their child? Surely it is sufficient enough for such a thing."
The man shrugged. "We do as told. All the children this side of Atum plain have been gathered."
The mother continued clinging and pleading with the soldiers, reaching past them towards her child. Finally, one lost his patience and brought his hand sharply across her face. Tavis immediately stepped between them, eyes cold as stone.
"I advise you to control yourself soldier."
The man sputtered, "She's interfering with our orders."
"What kind of orders are ones which divide families?"
"Sir, it is for our best interest."
Scornfully Tavis waved his hand. "The only interest in these orders are the Red's. He cares nothing for those below him."
The five men stared agape at the one boldly slandering their King. Jerking the still wailing boy from the one holding him, Tavis passed him to his mother. The soldier stepped forward.
"Sir!"
"I will answer to the Red. This boy stays here."
The men paused, weighing their options. Tavis braced himself for a fight. He had far overstepped boundaries this time. If he managed to talk his way out of this one, his father would be most likely un-nest him, accusing him of action on emotion. But that is how the winds moved him in this life and he could not undo the past. To his surprise, the soldiers slowly saluted and filed out the door.
Brushing off the tearful thanks of the boy's mother, Tavis threw himself onto his horse and galloped back to the Eire. Taking stone steps three at a time, he made quick time towards the chambers of the Protector. Halfway up, he came face to face with his loathed leader. Maggur smiled.
"Why Lieutenant Zalin. What is the rush?"
To stall for the second needed to gather his wits, Tavis bowed.
"Milord, I heard rumor that we were being marched upon and came to find out if it were true."
"It is. The White Tiger clan appears to have no faith in its prophesy and are assembling an army."
Tavis felt his heart sink. "That is - sad news milord."
"It is." Maggur looked keenly at him. "Zalin, you missed the last Blessing. It is vital, especially with the confrontation approaching, for you to feel your best."
Smoothly he responded. "I am always feeling my best when fighting for my country."
"Ah," Maggur smiled. "But the shock of fighting those who were once so close to your people may cause you to falter. Come with me."
Unable to argue, Tavis followed the king up to his personal hall. The woman, Gissa appeared and stood behind the great chair holding a small golden flask. Gritting his teeth, the Black Hawk heir knelt, fists crossed.
"Receive the blessing of Ra-Atum and the host of the Ennead."
888
The cold was taking its told on my feathered friends. Nari and Quicksilver both shivered constantly unless tucked under the hood of my cloak. Sparrows are not mountain birds. All I could do for them was generate enough heat for them to recover, or find a place inside warm enough for them to come out. One of those few warm places was the hall where they put me into that strange, out-of-body trance. That is where Anita found me.
"Dom, there has been a decision made."
"About what?"
She was dressed in her travel clothes and carried her bow and quiver over her shoulder.
"We must leave the mountain tonight."
"What has happened?"
"Maggur the Red has made the first move against the people and if we are to help ourselves, we must act now."
Her eyes were bare of any emotion, a deliberate act of separation. She had been short with me for some days now, and I couldn't understand why. Nodding, I adjusted my hood for the sparrows.
"How many men do we have?"
"Enough. And we have women."
"Anita." She flinched at my direct address. "I hope you'll remember that I am a loyal friend."
Her eyes softened. "I know. Do not be offended, but many things have happened lately which I had hoped would never come."
I smiled halfheartedly. "I know that very well."
She led me down through the various passageways to the stables. Mounting Peachblossom who stood tacked in his stall, I reached down to pull her up behind me. Surprised, she took a step back.
"What?"
She shook her head. "I do not think that is the best idea."
I looked down at the twitching ears of my partner-out-of-need.
"He'll be good."
"We do not usually ride in Scanra unless speed is vital. Our army will use the mounts to break the snow for those on foot."
I blinked. "How many are on foot?"
For the first time in many days she smiled. "Five thousand, with three hundred on horseback."
Even with those unexpected numbers, we were going against the possibly united forces of four other clans. Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Is that enough against the Red?"
"Against him alone, possibly not." Anita and I turned to see Leon entering the stable. "However, the Black Hawk clan is prepared to awaken and return to our side."
I hated taking the role of skeptic, but someone had to do the job.
"Two against three are not the best of odds. I have seen worse, but would much rather have better."
Leon smiled. "Have faith, Tortallian. We are strong."
He led us out of the stables and down the carved path. The mountain of the White Tigers cradled the town of Cairo and sheltered it from the fierce winter storms. In the hollow teamed a mass of dark figures, each with the conduct of a trained fighter. The Chief laughed at my look of surprise.
"We may be a clan of those with the Spirit, but we are tigers at the heart. Many of us wander away from these places, but blood brings us back. We have not been gathered in so many numbers for generations. It is for our future that the call has gone out and so many returned."
Jump gave an eager yip beside me. I smiled with him. Things were finally starting to look very interesting.
888
With a groan Tavis pulled himself up the long flight of stairs to the hiding place of Salamis and Salaman. He could feel the power of Maggur's potion flowing through his mind, trying to convince his body to give up resistance. If he did, everything would be lost. Ice water took the place of blood and his muscles would not obey him. Collapsing on the cold stone, Tavis dry heaved, back arching as he fought to control the urges to return to the main hall where the ranks of the Red were gathering. The desire to follow a greater cause burned in his head. It was a false desire. If he followed Maggur, lives would be taken. The future of Scanra would be destroyed. He had to look out for the Protector, for the children, for... A face he had once tried to forget came swimming out of the recesses of his memory. Clutching it to him, Tavis managed to claw his way back to his feet.
The door was shut. Leaning against it, he slowly unlatched the lock and half fell, was half pulled into the room. Cold steel pressed against the exposed skin of his throat.
"Father." The blade relaxed.
"Stupid hatchling, what have you done now?"
"I -" Tavis swallowed. "It has begun. The Red has gathered the children of the tribes somewhere in the Eire. The Tigers are prowling. I - I let my tongue loose again."
Atum took out a leather pouch. Pinching a small amount of gray powder, he ordered,
"Stick out that cawing tongue of yours."
He did so, and immediately gagged at the taste of the powder.
"Swallow!"
Forcing his throat to obey, Tavis rolled over and retched on the stone floor. Atum stoically watched before helping his son to stand.
"It will rid you of what is left of that potion of the whore's."
Shakily, Tavis wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You could have warned me."
"Now is not the time. We cannot wait any longer. Divina has made contact with the Seers. We must get to the Protector."
"What about the children?"
Atum shook his head. "We cannot take the time to look for them."
Tavis stared aghast. "You cannot be serious."
The Black Hawk leader grimly sheathed his dagger. "Salaman and Salamis! Finish up!"