((okies bit, you can find out what happened with Sage enjoy))
"Sage, has been hurt badly, very badly" Baird said "At the moment he is still alive, but he still has the night to get through, but if he lives through the night then he should be alright" Baird went on. "He lost a lot of blood and he used a lot of his power to keep that spell going after he was hit" The Duke stood straight, and placed his arm on Sheys arm. "As I said, if he lives the night and no infections take him, but he may not heal for months"
Shey sagged on the wall. Relief showing all over his face, Sage wasn't dead, he would live the night he would make sure of that. He nodded his thanks to the Duke not trusting his voice to say thing. The Duke patted his arm again and then left to go and wash up. Numair guided Shey to a bench not far from the door and sat him down. "We have to hope for the best. This night is going to be the trail, even if he lives, its like the Duke said, he may not be alright for a long, time, he wont be able to use much magic if any and he wont be able to fight" Shey nodded numbly Sage loved sword play, he would be gutted if he couldn't do it. "He will live" he mumbled "Pardon?" Numair asked "I said he will live, he will, he is a fighter" Shey said again insisting. Numair could only nod.
Numair then stood, "I really have to go and rest, I am so tired, I will send someone to sit with you" he offered.
Shey looked up, "Yes, go rest I know you must need to Sage always does, someone would be nice but I will be fine, he wouldn't want lots of people round him" Shey said standing and walking to the door of infirmary. And watched Numair walk slowly away "Numair" Shey called. Numair turned. "Will you come back later" Shey asked. Numair nodded "Of course I will" Shey nodded his thanks and then pushed open the door to the infirmary and went in.
It was very dim inside, not quite dark, but when night fell it would be. There was only one bed occupied Shey walked to it slowly and looked who it was, seeing it was Sage he pulled up a stool and sat down next to him. Sage was covered with a blanket to his waist so Shey could see the bandages that covered his chest and shoulder, his braids were tangled and blood stained. Shey glanced round, seeing no one he waved his hands over the braids faint green light sparkled and the braids re-arranged themselves neatly and they were cleaned. Then he placed his hand on Sages chest using his faint magic he looked at the wound. The depth and extremeness of it, startled him causing him to lose the spell. "Oh my poor friend" he said in Talasan. "And you held the spell, hurt like this, you are too caring Numair could have banished them with out you" He told Sage.
"I am sorry I went out and left you, I should have been there. I am not going now. He wants me to go. He says I am no good being here. But I cant go now, I shouldn't be telling him these things that I am." he talked away to Sage for a long time, always talking in Talasan, people came in the check on Sage and to try and get Shey to go and rest but he wouldn't. Shey kept checking Sage, with his own small magic every so often, happy he was not worse he kept on talking, about anything and everything.
Numair came along the corridor to the infirmary late that night, he had rested enough and was now feeling much better. It was at times like this he wished he could use all his power to heal, and then his friend wouldn't be in there now, at the Deaths Door. He had spoken to one of the trainees that had been checking on Sage, the trainee had told him that Shey was still there and wouldn't leave. Numair told him to leave Shey, he could guess why he was there. Softly he opened the door, Shey was talking to Sage rambling onto him as if he was awake. Numair stood quietly not wanting to disturb him. He remembered a scene like this many years ago in Carthak, only it was Shey who was hurt and Sage had sat with him all night. Something about that, played in his mind, something about what Shey had been rambling about. Shey stopped talking "You can come over Numair" he said in common not turning.
Numair walked over "I didn't want to disturb you" but Shey shook his head, Numair sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Sage. He was in a induced sleep so he wasn't moving at all. Shey had pulled the blanket up, the room had got cooler when darkness fell. They sat together watching Sage and talking quietly. They only stopped when dawns light was streaming through the windows and the healers had come back into the room. Duke Baird come in later to look at Sage, he was surprised to find him alive. He placed a hand on Sages chest and closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. "He will live" he said with a smile "No infections and he has seen out the night" Shey smiled "I said he would" Baird nodded in response "He may not wake up for a long while yet, you should go and rest" Shey shook his head. "No, not till he wakes" The Duke was going to argue but Numair caught his eye and shook his head, so The Duke left it.
After Numair had convinced Shey to go and eat the old healer came back over. "The night staff told me that he wouldn't leave his side, all night he sat and talked to him, he must care for him a great deal" Numair missed the implied comment. "He is returning the favour" he told him "Once a long time ago. Shey was hurt badly no one thought he would live but Sage, he sat with him all night talking to him until he woke up" Duke Baird nodded understanding, his guess had been wrong then. They owed each other their lives. He checked Sage again and went to attend a shout from the doors, a rider had fallen off their horse.
four days later
Shey stumbled over the mess in his room to open the door, a servant was hammering on it. "Lord come quickly Its Master Sage, he is waking, Master Numair says hurry" The servant was breathless as if he had run very quickly. Shey nodded and the servant left with a hasty bow. Shey moved some papers he had been making notes on and found his boots them on he left the room. He had to push past the riders that were in the way when he reached the barracks, finally he reached the infirmary and saw Numair, Jon and the Duke Baird round Sages bed, apart from them the large room was empty. Shey looked at Sage, his eyes were moving under closed lids, the other moved back slightly to give Shey room. Slowly Sages eyes opened he had to blink a few times before the room came into focus and the first person he saw was Shey, close behind was Numair, Jon and the Duke Healer, who's name Sage couldn't think of.
"I feel terrible" he muttered, it was true his chest and shoulder were killing him. His good hand moved across his chest feeling the bandages. "So you should" Said the Duke, "a cut from a Manticore". Sage thought and then remembered, the Manticore and it going to hit him, and then him on the floor. Darkness and a voice talking to him. But not being hit. "The immortals" he croaked remembering what he had been doing. "Gone" Said Numair, humour in his voice. Sage was going to say something but he started to cough, The Duke, what was his name. Sage thought, gave him a cloth, to cough into. Jon and Numair moved back to talk leaving Shey and Sage alone. "You sat with me" Sage said, in a statement "You once sat with me" Shey replied.
"How long have I been asleep" Sage asked, trying to sit up, but failing, it hurt to put weight on his right arm the one that had been cut. A healer gently lifted Sage up and placed some pillows under him so he was sitting. Now he could see the whole room. "You have been asleep near five days" She told him, "Now try not to move to much or you'll pull your stitches" She warned and then went off to do another job. Shey sat there quietly whilst Sage talked to Jon and Numair. They were telling him that some more immortals had been spotted near port Mallories Peak, but they had been killed, and that the Tusiane soldiers had been attacking again.
In the Palace
Some hours later, Jon sat facing his council, which included The Duke Baird, Raoul and Alanna, Numair was their lounging on a window frame, "I have had a report that a spy, a new spy has been reporting being in the palace, I've asked Myles and he says he hasn't heard much. But this spy has been giving out information already, hence the attacks of Magars soldiers." Jon told them seriously. "I don't know who this person may be or where. I have some guess but as yet nothing I can use"
The others listened, a spy was a bad thing, a hidden spy was worst, at least they had some idea who the other spies where, and they could control what they found out. Now they would have to be careful on what and where they talked about things, if Magar was getting information this quickly, they would have to find and get rid of this person and soon. They talked about where and when this spy could have come from.
In the infirmary, Sage and Shey talked about what he had missed whilst he had been asleep. And what they would do. Shey finally told Sage that he would have to go to The Copper Isles for a while. Sage looked away sadly he would miss his friend. But then he knew that Shey would have to go. Shey told him he would be travelling with the merchants from the Copper Isles as if would be safer to travel with people who know where they were going then on his own.
Two years later
Sage sat up on widow seat trying to keep the boredness he was feigning from becoming real boredom. He was acting as a truth-sayer, for Jon and the council during the summer trading. Him and Numair were taking it in turns. Not because it used a lot of energy only because it was tedious job, having to sit and listen whilst pretending not to. If the traders thought that the mages were paying them too much intention they would clam up or take offence. They had also been asked to watch any people acting strangely, the spy still hadn't been found and the information that was leaking out was getting worse, Magars attacks had increased only when he knew that one of the two black robe mages, or one of Own companies would be away for a while and wouldn't be able to be back in time. True the attacks did seemed to teeper off every now and then, but as to a pattern they couldn't find one. At the moment they were in a lull.
Sage toyed with a braid and waved away a servant who was offering him a drink. That servant looked familiar but from when or where he couldn't think, he put his mind back on "Not listening" to the talks. Jon was sat opposite him facing him, which meant that, the traders had their backs to him, every now and then, Jon would raise an eyebrow or some other discrete signal and Sage would either shake or nod his head in answer to his unspoken question. These traders were for the most part not lying, unlike last weeks who had lied through his teeth.
The rest of those talks went with out trouble and the other traders filed in slowly. Sage glanced at them and then suddenly sat up right as if he had been stung. A very tanned Shey had walked in behind them, he bowed to the King, who nodded back to him and then Shey looked for Sage and went to share his window seat. Sage smiled. "When did you get back" he asked not looking at Shey because the people that had come in were talking, he could see a faint blue flare round the man that was talking, Sage shook his head and Jon saw and asked them man something else. "Last night, well very early this morning actually" Shey told him also watching the people who were talking. "Are you stopping for long this time. I have hardly seen you in two years" Sage said nodding his head this time to Jons question. "I am here till I have to go" they both said at the same time. Shey blushed, " I have been saying that rather a lot recently" "Recently, its what you say every time you come back" Sage whispered back he looked at Shey briefly and then back at the Traders. He had missed where they were from, he cursed mentally. Shey turned the topic away from the matter of his leaving. "How's your arm now" He asked trying to make talk. Sage rolled the arm in question, the one that had been cut two years before by the Manticore, "Its fine" he said, "The Duke Baird said, it will always ache now in the cold, but apart from that, its fine" Shey nodded relieved he hadn't been around to much in the last two years, to find out, only being at the palace for a month or two before going again for three or four. They talked quietly whilst Sage watched and answered Jons questions about the traders, this set was lying more then the last and about the strangest of things, like when and where they collected the furs that they had bought with them and what they used to dye them with.
Later that night, Jon called his people together in his study and told them about the news he had, had from his armies. Sage was not technically part of the council, he was sitting out of the way in a shadowed window seat. Almost hidden. Alanna and Numair were absent, having been called away to other matters.
Jon was telling the others that the attacks from Magar had weaken the boarder between them and Gala and another attack would result in sever casualties. Sage looked at the others, they too looked worried, another sneak attack had happened that morning and things generally weren't looking good. A tap on the door silenced them a servant came in when Jon called him, he had drinks on a tray. "I didn't ask for them", Jon said puzzled. The servant looked up at the king he half bowed awkwardly with his tray. "Sorry highness, I was told you had asked for them". The servant turned to go, but Jon stopped him with a hand gesture, "You may as well give them out since you brought them" Sage peered at the servant he was sure he had seen him somewhere before, not here, and not as a servant but he couldn't think where, it was the same servant from one from the trade meetings that morning. He frowned thinking.
The servant bobbed another bow and walked round the group giving out the drinks, not seeing Sage, the servant walked past him to Raoul and gave him a cup and then to all intents he left the room, but Sage could still see him in the corner, as if he had double vision he was blurred. Something in the cups made them sparkle. Raoul picked up his cup and went to drink before smelling the wine. Although a funny look crossed his face, he said nothing. Sage on the other hand had guessed what was in the cups from the sparkle. He looked round, he would feel stupid if this turned out wrong. "STOP" he said loudly "Don't drink" Jon froze and then looked at his glass for the as if seeing it for the first time, he placed it down horrified, the others looked at Sage, who was now feeling self conscious. "I think they are poisoned" He said his lilting voice quiet.
"They are" said Jon agreeing looking at his own cup. The others put theirs down quickly. In the corner the servant took focus, the Sages eyes, he became more solid then he had been a moment before, it was as he had thought some invisibility spell and had now dropped it when he realised that Sage and now Jon could see him. The would be assassin drew a knife and waved it at Jon cursing him he stepped closer intent on hurting or killing the King. But before anyone could move, the man found himself unable to move or speak and he was finding it hard to breath. He was being held by a spell frozen in place. Everyone looked to Jon but he shook his head, "I know you" Sage said to the man, "your not what your pretend to be" The man looked at him with an evil look and said something in the Carthak tongue, Sage paled he recognised or remembered the man, and then his eyes narrowed in anger, he answered in the same tongue his normally cheerful lilt, was now cold and hard. Jon spoke some of the Carthak language, frowned wondering what the man had meant. He was distracted by the man in question, who was now choking from lack of air. "Sage whatever is between you leave it for now, let him breath" Jon ordered, Sage looked at him for a second and then nodded. The assassin gasped and then drew in a breath. Jon shouted to his guards who came rushing in and looked surprised when Jon coolly informed them that they servant that had just let in had tried to kill them. They took the man away despite his shouting and ravings.
"How did you know about the poisoned drinks" demanded Jon, he was still thinking about what the assassin had been shouting. "He was or maybe still is, one of Emperor Ozorne pet Mages, one that would do his say so no matter what, after he was changed, some of them thought it was their duty to take down all who had apposed or deified him. His favourite way of killing people was with poisoned spelled wine, that made them spill there inner most secrets before they died a very painful death. " Sage told him his voice quiet something the man had said had really got to him. Jon frowned he decided then and there to act on what his suspicions. He dismissed Sage, and sent one of his pages for Alanna and Numair and Baird and dismissed the rest of the council.
When they arrived Jon bade them sit, he told them what had happened, and about the other attack that morning on his armies. He told them that he thought he had found the spy, when they asked him who, he told them. Shelan. when Shey was away the attacks lessened and when he was home, they increased, and that he was away from large amounts of time and Sage would never tell anyone why or where he went. Numair looked away not saying anything, he knew Sage and Shey had secrets he knew a few of them. But he had a feeling that Shey being a spy was not one of them. Jon looked to Numair. "You have known them the longest I am sorry to have to accuse him, but it fits" Jon when on to tell him the parts of what the assassin had shouted and Sages reply, the bits he understood anyway. Jon looked away,
"He has secrets" Numair said again aloud, voicing his earlier thoughts "But he had to tell you, its their past" he told Jon looking him in the eye, "But please, don't accuse them, ask them and tell them what it looks likes, they should tell you" he said his voice pleading.
Jon nodded and then sent two of his guards to summon Sage and Shey. The others sat unsure of what to do. They all liked Sage and Shey, they tried to get on with everyone, and Sage had a way of insulting the annoying nobles in such a way, that they could do nothing about it because it would appear a mis-use of foreign words. And Sage had been teaching the younger pages in magic and fighting when he had time and they too loved and respected him. Sage and Shey turned up with the guards and Thayet was with them, Jon who had been sitting down, stood when she came in, "I heard you wanted them, and I wanted to see you, so you don't mind do you" Jon shook his head, "I was actually wanting you to be here, this is serious" Sage and Shey looked at one other, Jon noted vaguely that Sage was in his normal bright colours and Shey was in paler colours. Somehow dressed so when together they complimented what the other was wearing. Thayet sat down next to Jon facing Sage and Shey and the guard left shutting the door behind them. Jon motioned for the pair to sit, Sage did Shey didn't, they could tell something was wrong by looks on the others faces.
"Sage, Shey, I am sorry to say this, but after tonight I have to before someone else accuses you, too many things are pointing at you and things seem very coincidental. Sage and Shey looked at each other and then at Jon "What does" Sage asked softly.
Jon looked away and then at Shey "I am sorry to ask this but are you a spy" he said bluntly, Shey looked away, "That depends" He said quietly, his common had improved a great deal in the past two years he too spoke with the same lilt as Sage.
((hehe another wait, another post soon))
"Sage, has been hurt badly, very badly" Baird said "At the moment he is still alive, but he still has the night to get through, but if he lives through the night then he should be alright" Baird went on. "He lost a lot of blood and he used a lot of his power to keep that spell going after he was hit" The Duke stood straight, and placed his arm on Sheys arm. "As I said, if he lives the night and no infections take him, but he may not heal for months"
Shey sagged on the wall. Relief showing all over his face, Sage wasn't dead, he would live the night he would make sure of that. He nodded his thanks to the Duke not trusting his voice to say thing. The Duke patted his arm again and then left to go and wash up. Numair guided Shey to a bench not far from the door and sat him down. "We have to hope for the best. This night is going to be the trail, even if he lives, its like the Duke said, he may not be alright for a long, time, he wont be able to use much magic if any and he wont be able to fight" Shey nodded numbly Sage loved sword play, he would be gutted if he couldn't do it. "He will live" he mumbled "Pardon?" Numair asked "I said he will live, he will, he is a fighter" Shey said again insisting. Numair could only nod.
Numair then stood, "I really have to go and rest, I am so tired, I will send someone to sit with you" he offered.
Shey looked up, "Yes, go rest I know you must need to Sage always does, someone would be nice but I will be fine, he wouldn't want lots of people round him" Shey said standing and walking to the door of infirmary. And watched Numair walk slowly away "Numair" Shey called. Numair turned. "Will you come back later" Shey asked. Numair nodded "Of course I will" Shey nodded his thanks and then pushed open the door to the infirmary and went in.
It was very dim inside, not quite dark, but when night fell it would be. There was only one bed occupied Shey walked to it slowly and looked who it was, seeing it was Sage he pulled up a stool and sat down next to him. Sage was covered with a blanket to his waist so Shey could see the bandages that covered his chest and shoulder, his braids were tangled and blood stained. Shey glanced round, seeing no one he waved his hands over the braids faint green light sparkled and the braids re-arranged themselves neatly and they were cleaned. Then he placed his hand on Sages chest using his faint magic he looked at the wound. The depth and extremeness of it, startled him causing him to lose the spell. "Oh my poor friend" he said in Talasan. "And you held the spell, hurt like this, you are too caring Numair could have banished them with out you" He told Sage.
"I am sorry I went out and left you, I should have been there. I am not going now. He wants me to go. He says I am no good being here. But I cant go now, I shouldn't be telling him these things that I am." he talked away to Sage for a long time, always talking in Talasan, people came in the check on Sage and to try and get Shey to go and rest but he wouldn't. Shey kept checking Sage, with his own small magic every so often, happy he was not worse he kept on talking, about anything and everything.
Numair came along the corridor to the infirmary late that night, he had rested enough and was now feeling much better. It was at times like this he wished he could use all his power to heal, and then his friend wouldn't be in there now, at the Deaths Door. He had spoken to one of the trainees that had been checking on Sage, the trainee had told him that Shey was still there and wouldn't leave. Numair told him to leave Shey, he could guess why he was there. Softly he opened the door, Shey was talking to Sage rambling onto him as if he was awake. Numair stood quietly not wanting to disturb him. He remembered a scene like this many years ago in Carthak, only it was Shey who was hurt and Sage had sat with him all night. Something about that, played in his mind, something about what Shey had been rambling about. Shey stopped talking "You can come over Numair" he said in common not turning.
Numair walked over "I didn't want to disturb you" but Shey shook his head, Numair sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Sage. He was in a induced sleep so he wasn't moving at all. Shey had pulled the blanket up, the room had got cooler when darkness fell. They sat together watching Sage and talking quietly. They only stopped when dawns light was streaming through the windows and the healers had come back into the room. Duke Baird come in later to look at Sage, he was surprised to find him alive. He placed a hand on Sages chest and closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. "He will live" he said with a smile "No infections and he has seen out the night" Shey smiled "I said he would" Baird nodded in response "He may not wake up for a long while yet, you should go and rest" Shey shook his head. "No, not till he wakes" The Duke was going to argue but Numair caught his eye and shook his head, so The Duke left it.
After Numair had convinced Shey to go and eat the old healer came back over. "The night staff told me that he wouldn't leave his side, all night he sat and talked to him, he must care for him a great deal" Numair missed the implied comment. "He is returning the favour" he told him "Once a long time ago. Shey was hurt badly no one thought he would live but Sage, he sat with him all night talking to him until he woke up" Duke Baird nodded understanding, his guess had been wrong then. They owed each other their lives. He checked Sage again and went to attend a shout from the doors, a rider had fallen off their horse.
four days later
Shey stumbled over the mess in his room to open the door, a servant was hammering on it. "Lord come quickly Its Master Sage, he is waking, Master Numair says hurry" The servant was breathless as if he had run very quickly. Shey nodded and the servant left with a hasty bow. Shey moved some papers he had been making notes on and found his boots them on he left the room. He had to push past the riders that were in the way when he reached the barracks, finally he reached the infirmary and saw Numair, Jon and the Duke Baird round Sages bed, apart from them the large room was empty. Shey looked at Sage, his eyes were moving under closed lids, the other moved back slightly to give Shey room. Slowly Sages eyes opened he had to blink a few times before the room came into focus and the first person he saw was Shey, close behind was Numair, Jon and the Duke Healer, who's name Sage couldn't think of.
"I feel terrible" he muttered, it was true his chest and shoulder were killing him. His good hand moved across his chest feeling the bandages. "So you should" Said the Duke, "a cut from a Manticore". Sage thought and then remembered, the Manticore and it going to hit him, and then him on the floor. Darkness and a voice talking to him. But not being hit. "The immortals" he croaked remembering what he had been doing. "Gone" Said Numair, humour in his voice. Sage was going to say something but he started to cough, The Duke, what was his name. Sage thought, gave him a cloth, to cough into. Jon and Numair moved back to talk leaving Shey and Sage alone. "You sat with me" Sage said, in a statement "You once sat with me" Shey replied.
"How long have I been asleep" Sage asked, trying to sit up, but failing, it hurt to put weight on his right arm the one that had been cut. A healer gently lifted Sage up and placed some pillows under him so he was sitting. Now he could see the whole room. "You have been asleep near five days" She told him, "Now try not to move to much or you'll pull your stitches" She warned and then went off to do another job. Shey sat there quietly whilst Sage talked to Jon and Numair. They were telling him that some more immortals had been spotted near port Mallories Peak, but they had been killed, and that the Tusiane soldiers had been attacking again.
In the Palace
Some hours later, Jon sat facing his council, which included The Duke Baird, Raoul and Alanna, Numair was their lounging on a window frame, "I have had a report that a spy, a new spy has been reporting being in the palace, I've asked Myles and he says he hasn't heard much. But this spy has been giving out information already, hence the attacks of Magars soldiers." Jon told them seriously. "I don't know who this person may be or where. I have some guess but as yet nothing I can use"
The others listened, a spy was a bad thing, a hidden spy was worst, at least they had some idea who the other spies where, and they could control what they found out. Now they would have to be careful on what and where they talked about things, if Magar was getting information this quickly, they would have to find and get rid of this person and soon. They talked about where and when this spy could have come from.
In the infirmary, Sage and Shey talked about what he had missed whilst he had been asleep. And what they would do. Shey finally told Sage that he would have to go to The Copper Isles for a while. Sage looked away sadly he would miss his friend. But then he knew that Shey would have to go. Shey told him he would be travelling with the merchants from the Copper Isles as if would be safer to travel with people who know where they were going then on his own.
Two years later
Sage sat up on widow seat trying to keep the boredness he was feigning from becoming real boredom. He was acting as a truth-sayer, for Jon and the council during the summer trading. Him and Numair were taking it in turns. Not because it used a lot of energy only because it was tedious job, having to sit and listen whilst pretending not to. If the traders thought that the mages were paying them too much intention they would clam up or take offence. They had also been asked to watch any people acting strangely, the spy still hadn't been found and the information that was leaking out was getting worse, Magars attacks had increased only when he knew that one of the two black robe mages, or one of Own companies would be away for a while and wouldn't be able to be back in time. True the attacks did seemed to teeper off every now and then, but as to a pattern they couldn't find one. At the moment they were in a lull.
Sage toyed with a braid and waved away a servant who was offering him a drink. That servant looked familiar but from when or where he couldn't think, he put his mind back on "Not listening" to the talks. Jon was sat opposite him facing him, which meant that, the traders had their backs to him, every now and then, Jon would raise an eyebrow or some other discrete signal and Sage would either shake or nod his head in answer to his unspoken question. These traders were for the most part not lying, unlike last weeks who had lied through his teeth.
The rest of those talks went with out trouble and the other traders filed in slowly. Sage glanced at them and then suddenly sat up right as if he had been stung. A very tanned Shey had walked in behind them, he bowed to the King, who nodded back to him and then Shey looked for Sage and went to share his window seat. Sage smiled. "When did you get back" he asked not looking at Shey because the people that had come in were talking, he could see a faint blue flare round the man that was talking, Sage shook his head and Jon saw and asked them man something else. "Last night, well very early this morning actually" Shey told him also watching the people who were talking. "Are you stopping for long this time. I have hardly seen you in two years" Sage said nodding his head this time to Jons question. "I am here till I have to go" they both said at the same time. Shey blushed, " I have been saying that rather a lot recently" "Recently, its what you say every time you come back" Sage whispered back he looked at Shey briefly and then back at the Traders. He had missed where they were from, he cursed mentally. Shey turned the topic away from the matter of his leaving. "How's your arm now" He asked trying to make talk. Sage rolled the arm in question, the one that had been cut two years before by the Manticore, "Its fine" he said, "The Duke Baird said, it will always ache now in the cold, but apart from that, its fine" Shey nodded relieved he hadn't been around to much in the last two years, to find out, only being at the palace for a month or two before going again for three or four. They talked quietly whilst Sage watched and answered Jons questions about the traders, this set was lying more then the last and about the strangest of things, like when and where they collected the furs that they had bought with them and what they used to dye them with.
Later that night, Jon called his people together in his study and told them about the news he had, had from his armies. Sage was not technically part of the council, he was sitting out of the way in a shadowed window seat. Almost hidden. Alanna and Numair were absent, having been called away to other matters.
Jon was telling the others that the attacks from Magar had weaken the boarder between them and Gala and another attack would result in sever casualties. Sage looked at the others, they too looked worried, another sneak attack had happened that morning and things generally weren't looking good. A tap on the door silenced them a servant came in when Jon called him, he had drinks on a tray. "I didn't ask for them", Jon said puzzled. The servant looked up at the king he half bowed awkwardly with his tray. "Sorry highness, I was told you had asked for them". The servant turned to go, but Jon stopped him with a hand gesture, "You may as well give them out since you brought them" Sage peered at the servant he was sure he had seen him somewhere before, not here, and not as a servant but he couldn't think where, it was the same servant from one from the trade meetings that morning. He frowned thinking.
The servant bobbed another bow and walked round the group giving out the drinks, not seeing Sage, the servant walked past him to Raoul and gave him a cup and then to all intents he left the room, but Sage could still see him in the corner, as if he had double vision he was blurred. Something in the cups made them sparkle. Raoul picked up his cup and went to drink before smelling the wine. Although a funny look crossed his face, he said nothing. Sage on the other hand had guessed what was in the cups from the sparkle. He looked round, he would feel stupid if this turned out wrong. "STOP" he said loudly "Don't drink" Jon froze and then looked at his glass for the as if seeing it for the first time, he placed it down horrified, the others looked at Sage, who was now feeling self conscious. "I think they are poisoned" He said his lilting voice quiet.
"They are" said Jon agreeing looking at his own cup. The others put theirs down quickly. In the corner the servant took focus, the Sages eyes, he became more solid then he had been a moment before, it was as he had thought some invisibility spell and had now dropped it when he realised that Sage and now Jon could see him. The would be assassin drew a knife and waved it at Jon cursing him he stepped closer intent on hurting or killing the King. But before anyone could move, the man found himself unable to move or speak and he was finding it hard to breath. He was being held by a spell frozen in place. Everyone looked to Jon but he shook his head, "I know you" Sage said to the man, "your not what your pretend to be" The man looked at him with an evil look and said something in the Carthak tongue, Sage paled he recognised or remembered the man, and then his eyes narrowed in anger, he answered in the same tongue his normally cheerful lilt, was now cold and hard. Jon spoke some of the Carthak language, frowned wondering what the man had meant. He was distracted by the man in question, who was now choking from lack of air. "Sage whatever is between you leave it for now, let him breath" Jon ordered, Sage looked at him for a second and then nodded. The assassin gasped and then drew in a breath. Jon shouted to his guards who came rushing in and looked surprised when Jon coolly informed them that they servant that had just let in had tried to kill them. They took the man away despite his shouting and ravings.
"How did you know about the poisoned drinks" demanded Jon, he was still thinking about what the assassin had been shouting. "He was or maybe still is, one of Emperor Ozorne pet Mages, one that would do his say so no matter what, after he was changed, some of them thought it was their duty to take down all who had apposed or deified him. His favourite way of killing people was with poisoned spelled wine, that made them spill there inner most secrets before they died a very painful death. " Sage told him his voice quiet something the man had said had really got to him. Jon frowned he decided then and there to act on what his suspicions. He dismissed Sage, and sent one of his pages for Alanna and Numair and Baird and dismissed the rest of the council.
When they arrived Jon bade them sit, he told them what had happened, and about the other attack that morning on his armies. He told them that he thought he had found the spy, when they asked him who, he told them. Shelan. when Shey was away the attacks lessened and when he was home, they increased, and that he was away from large amounts of time and Sage would never tell anyone why or where he went. Numair looked away not saying anything, he knew Sage and Shey had secrets he knew a few of them. But he had a feeling that Shey being a spy was not one of them. Jon looked to Numair. "You have known them the longest I am sorry to have to accuse him, but it fits" Jon when on to tell him the parts of what the assassin had shouted and Sages reply, the bits he understood anyway. Jon looked away,
"He has secrets" Numair said again aloud, voicing his earlier thoughts "But he had to tell you, its their past" he told Jon looking him in the eye, "But please, don't accuse them, ask them and tell them what it looks likes, they should tell you" he said his voice pleading.
Jon nodded and then sent two of his guards to summon Sage and Shey. The others sat unsure of what to do. They all liked Sage and Shey, they tried to get on with everyone, and Sage had a way of insulting the annoying nobles in such a way, that they could do nothing about it because it would appear a mis-use of foreign words. And Sage had been teaching the younger pages in magic and fighting when he had time and they too loved and respected him. Sage and Shey turned up with the guards and Thayet was with them, Jon who had been sitting down, stood when she came in, "I heard you wanted them, and I wanted to see you, so you don't mind do you" Jon shook his head, "I was actually wanting you to be here, this is serious" Sage and Shey looked at one other, Jon noted vaguely that Sage was in his normal bright colours and Shey was in paler colours. Somehow dressed so when together they complimented what the other was wearing. Thayet sat down next to Jon facing Sage and Shey and the guard left shutting the door behind them. Jon motioned for the pair to sit, Sage did Shey didn't, they could tell something was wrong by looks on the others faces.
"Sage, Shey, I am sorry to say this, but after tonight I have to before someone else accuses you, too many things are pointing at you and things seem very coincidental. Sage and Shey looked at each other and then at Jon "What does" Sage asked softly.
Jon looked away and then at Shey "I am sorry to ask this but are you a spy" he said bluntly, Shey looked away, "That depends" He said quietly, his common had improved a great deal in the past two years he too spoke with the same lilt as Sage.
((hehe another wait, another post soon))