Precautions
Once inside the gates, Akkarin dismounted, signing to Sonea to do the same. Looking quickly around, he started walking towards a narrow street, keeping his head down and walking very close to his horse. Sonea did the same, hoping that no one would recognise them. This was one of the areas where they had been shown to the people and proclaimed as criminals and exiles. The area was now very busy with many people trying to leave the city, together with most of their belongings. It was a scene of chaos, so few passers-by were particularly interested in the movements of a couple of ordinary looking people with non-descript horses entering Imardin.
After a few minutes, Akkarin stopped near a shabby looking building and pushed open the gate. Inside was a weed-covered yard, surrounded by run-down structures of varying sizes. Akkarin shut the gate behind them and led Sonea and the horses towards a barn. Once inside, they unsaddled the horses and put them into stalls where there was some feed for them.
"Well, what happens now?" Sonea looked around, but didn't see anyone. "Do we have to stay here?
Akkarin didn't answer straight away, but continued to check the building and the yard, although she had no idea what he was looking for.
"We wait until my friend arrives and he will take us somewhere safe." He smiled at her and added, "There is nothing to worry about."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, there was a scraping noise from the back of the barn and a shape separated itself from the back wall and moved into the middle. Sonea could not believe her eyes.
"Cery! What are you doing here? she gasped.
"What a silly question!" Cery laughed. "He just told you he was waiting for someone! What do you think I'm doing here?"
Cery nodded to Akkarin and went over to hug Sonea. "Come on, someone will take care of the horses. I have food and drink waiting."
"Why didn't you tell me it was Cery we were coming to meet?" she asked angrily, but Akkarin refused to reply directly. "Later." was all he said.
Cery led them quickly through the gap in the back wall of the barn and into another building, then by ladder to an underground passage. They followed a route which twisted and turned so much that Sonea felt they would never be able to find their way again. Perhaps that's the idea! she thought. Eventually they arrived at a large metal door in the passageway and Cery rapped a complicated series of knocks. With a slight grinding noise, the door opened and they followed him into a cosy room, nicely furnished, with a cheerful fire burning in the grate. A nearby table was groaning with plates of hot and cold food. There was a large decanter of wine with several glasses on a side table, next to a basket of fruit.
There were two other people in the room, one was a large, muscular man, Cery's bodyguard Sonea supposed, and the other was Takan. As soon as he caught sight of Akkarin, Takan rushed over to him and knelt.
"I am so happy to see you again, Master," he said. "I wish it could have been in better circumstances."
Akkarin seemed embarrassed by the enthusiastic greeting. "Get up, Takan" he said quietly. "We have work to do."
"But first, have food and wine, Takan has been very busy!," said Cery, gesturing at the laden tables. "There are comfortable bathing and sleeping quarters here too, clean clothing - everything you need to help you recover from the hardships of your journey. Gol and I will return in a couple of hours and we can discuss the next move."
As soon as the door closed behind Cery and Gol, Sonea turned furiously to Akkarin.
"Why didn't you tell me what was going on? I felt such a fool when Cery, of all people, appeared in that barn." Tears of frustration showed in her eyes as she stared angrily at her companion. "It seems you don't trust me with all your plans, only bits of them. Do you think I am not able to understand or contribute?"
As her tirade continued, Takan turned away and busied himself with some dishes in the corner before leaving the room completely. Akkarin seemed somewhat taken aback by her outburst and tried to interrupt but to no avail. Once Sonea got the bit between her teeth, she was like a bolting horse, and nothing could stop her.
"How many more secrets have you kept from me? I thought we were comrades, allies, standing together, against the world! Do you think I am a child, still, a silly little novice….." She suddenly put her hands over her face and burst into tears.
As she sobbed, she felt Akkarin take her in his arms, so that she found herself flooding his shirt with tears. He said nothing, but let her cry, only the touch of his body, conveying the comfort she needed. After a while, her tears lessened as she tried to get control of her emotions.
"I'm….s s..sorry," she stammered.
Akkarin led her over to a large seat, one arm still around her. He sat down, with Sonea in his lap, and stroked her hair. He still said nothing, waiting until the last of her tears had stopped and she was in a calmer frame of mind. He put his fingers under her chin and raised her head.
"I'm sorry too," he said and kissed her gently.
"I have very good reasons for not telling you, but I should have explained why I might hold things back. Over the years, I have had to do a lot of things to protect my secrets. You know what happened when you saw me in the underground room and Lorlen later truth-read you. If any magicians are captured by the Ichani, their minds will be read before they are killed. No one, not even the strongest Kyralian magician, can prevent a black magician from reading his or her mind. Everything will be known to them. So I made the decision to only let my allies know a small part of the whole." Akkarin smiled ruefully. "If I had known you would take it so badly, I might have considered you differently."
Sonea smiled weakly. Once he had explained it, she could see the sense of it. Knowing that made her feel exactly like the child or silly novice she had described earlier. She rested her hand for a moment against Akkarin's cheek.
I've acted like a spoilt fool. There is no excuse. I am really sorry." She looked up to find him looking at her intently, his eyes smiling into her own. "Is there anything you can tell me?"
"Let us eat some of this delicious food Takan has prepared and I will tell you a little more, but I am still cautious about how much I tell you."
Akkarin helped her to her feet and went to fetch two large glasses of Anuren Dark, which Cery had so thoughtfully left for them. They filled plates with helpings from the various dishes and while they ate, Akkarin explained how long Cery had been helping him trace the Ichanis sent to the city to test the Guild as well as all the other things he and Cery had been involved in over the years.
"So…Takan fled to Cery and because he has a blood gem, you have been able to speak to him and pass instructions to Cery….That's how he knew we were coming and where to find us!" Sonea turned to Akkarin and laughed. "You have some surprisingly good ideas! You would have made a good Thief."
"I shall take that as a complement." Akkarin finished the last of his wine, pushed his empty plate away and looked at her cheerfully. "Cery will be back in an hour or so, therefore I suggest a good bath and a nap. That should put us in the mood for the next part of the plan."
Sonea looked up at him through her lashes, "I will not be able to sleep."
Akkarin smiled, "Now where have I heard that before?"