Chapter 6
Kimeara leaned back against the tree and looked into Tyon's eyes and he repeated her name to himself. Out of the corner of her newly opened right eye she noticed two guards come waddling into the clearing. These were the two she'd hit with the boils spell and she could tell there were in agony. She winced at the sight of their pain and she wanted to help them.
"Extract of poppy mixed with earthroot with help with the boils," she called out to them.
They looked at her with incredulity and, not believing that the one who inflected this pain upon them would now want to help, they looked at the mage. Tyon looked down at her and held up her father's book and raised an eyebrow.
"Ten pages in halfway down on the right hand side," she said in answer to his unspoken question.
"Used it much?" He asked with humor in his voice.
"Spells aren't the only things that can cause boils and I've had that book memorized since I was sixteen," she answered dryly. "The ingredients are in my herb satchel."
"Are you offering your help?" He asked.
"Why, can't you make it?" She asked in return.
"My talents lay elsewhere child," he said.
"Fine, if you give me something to eat and drink I'll make the balm," she said.
"Deal," he replied and signaled Thomas to get her some food and water from their supplies.
Seeing the amount of stuff they brought with them she was shocked. She'd left last minute and they shouldn't have had all the supplies ready and chased her down and caught her in the few hours since she'd left the inn; slowly a suspicion entered her mind.
"When did you figure out I was Mary?" She asked in a flat tone.
"When I saw you meditating," he replied laughter again in his voice.
"Why didn't you take me then?" She asked.
"I'd hoped you'd come to the Prince of your own free will. Also I didn't want to cause a scene in the middle of town encase things went badly," he said.
"Did the Prince get my note?" She asked.
"Yes he did," Tyon laughed. "He was quite put out by it. The dwarf slipped it under the door after you left thinking that all were asleep, but the Prince was still awake and read it immediately. He demanded the dwarf tell him who you were but nothing would ever get that dwarf to talk. We question the other staff and searched the inn. When we found the vial you left for the cook we questioned her and we confirmed who you were."
"Are they ok?" She asked in a flat tone, her eyes stony. She hadn't wanted to involve the other staff with her troubles and didn't want any harm to come to them for her actions.
"Rest easy, they are perfectly fine," he assured her. "No harm came to them and neither will be in any trouble over this. By the way, you were wise in leaving that potion for the cook's son. His fever did indeed return and the potion stamped it down again. I sent a message to Stormwind for a priest to come heal the lad, it won't be back a third time."
"Thank you," she said surprised that he would go to such lengths to heal a commoner.
"How long were you going to search for me?" She asked when the pause in the conversation became too prolonged.
"Until you were found," he said simply.
Thomas returned with a plate of food which Kimeara wasted no time eating. It was delicious for trail food and helped fill the void in her stomach left by the healing potion and her own use of magic. Once she was done she indicated to Tyon that she was ready to make the balm and he gave her the book and her satchel of potion making supplies from her pack.
She pulled out a small mortar and pestle from her kit and put a few pieces of dried earthroot into it. She then added six drops of poppy extract from a tiny vial and ground them both together into a paste. When the paste was the right consistency she carefully added a little water to it to make it into a slurry.
Looking up at the two waiting guards she said simply, "Strip."
Looking at Tyon for confirmation and receiving it they both stripped to their hip wraps.
"All of it," she said waving at their hip wraps.
They looked at each other and then at her, but made no move to comply.
"Oh for heaven's sake I know you have boils down there," she said. "Do you want the pain to go away or do you want to preserve you modesty? If you're too modest then they pain will leave in about two to four days." She felt a little hypocritical yelling at them about their modesty issues when she had issues with her shirt being off. Oh well, she thought, no one's perfect.
Reluctantly and with many cat calls and wolf whistles from their fellow guards they removed their hip wraps. With the eye of someone used to assessing her patient's wounds, she quickly examined their bodies and applied the blame to the boils. As she already said the area around the groin was packed tight with boils and she quickly applied the blame. When she was done she told them they could put their cloths on again and without thinking stepped to go wash he hands in the little creek next to where they were camped.
She'd barley gotten a step before a guard grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She looked down at his hand on her arm then glared up into his eyes. Her own eyes promised pain unless he released her. Hastily he removed his hand but stepped in front of her to prevent her from going any further.
Glancing back over at Tyon she said softly in a menacing voice, "Did I or did I not give you my word that I wouldn't try to escape."
"You did," he replied steadily.
"I don't know how it is with others but when I give my word I keep it. While I am in your care I'll not try to escape," she said proudly. She didn't add that in her mind his "care" only carried into the city. Once in the jail there she would be free to try to escape. "Now get this buffoon out of my way so I can wash my hands before you have another patient on your hands."
"Stand aside," he said to the guard who quickly got out of her way.
She washed her hands in the creek and returned to where she had been sitting before and sat down again. She shut her eyes and tried to calm herself. She was snappy and on edge and that would get her in trouble if she wasn't careful. She'd revealed way too much information to the mage and needed to center herself so she could find a way out of this. She took a deep breath in, held it and then let it out slowly. She repeated this several times until she could feel the tension start to leave her body.
In, hold, out, in, hold, out.
In that calming circle of repetition she started to feel the tension ease out of her body. She heard someone sit down next to her and knew from the magical feel it was Tyon again. She continued her breathing until she once again felt like herself and in control of her emotions.
"What now?" She asked without opening her eyes.
"At dawn, which is only a few hours away, I'll take you, Inkara and two other healthy guards back to Stormwind via a Teleport spell. The remaining guards will travel back by horse bringing our mounts and supplies with them," he said.
"What about my things?" She asked.
"I'll let you carry them with us if you give me your word that you'll give them up again when commanded without a fuss and that you'll make no attempt to use any of them," he said.
"Agreed, "she readily said. She didn't have much but she didn't want to lose the few things she did have. "What happens once we're in Stormwind?"
"You'll be placed in a holding cell in the palace until the King has time for an audience. Then you'll go before the King and he'll decide what to do with you," he said.
"Should have left the brat to his own devices," she said softly to herself.
"You don't mean that," Tyon said softly to her.
"No," she admitted. "But it would have saved me a lot of trouble."
"Rescuing the Prince will play heavily in whatever the King decides to do with you," he said. "Also I know you cast your spells to harm but not kill when you could have easily gone the other route. That will come out in your favor as well. As will helping to heal the guards."
"I don't deserve this," she said looking him in the eye. "The life I have to live is not my fault. I do the best I can and just want to be left alone."
"I know child," he said meeting her eyes with sympathy in his own. "But sometimes fate has a different plan for us than what we wish of it."
After that Kimeara slipped into her meditation. Dawn was a few hours away and she had to be ready to meet whatever it would bring. The healing potion helped ease the aches of her body but her spirit was still raw from the magic she had forced herself to cast. She concentrated on soothing it and trying to build it up again. She hadn't reached her limits yet but she only had a few more spells in her before she'd burn out and have to completely rest for a few days to recover. She thought of Calthix and wondered how he was. She wondered what he'd think of this situation. She missed him greatly and could use his counsel at this time.
"Did you hurt him?" She asked Tyon softly speaking for the first time in an hour.
"No child," he replied. "I only dismissed him back to his plane."
"Thank you," she said.
"How long has he been with you?" He asked.
She realized he was gently probing for more information on her past and her eyes snapped on to pin him with a glare.
"Enough talk for now mage," she said closing her eyes only when he got up and walked away. Damn mage, she thought. She'd have to be more careful around him. He had a skill at worming past her defenses and getting her to open up about herself. She hated him for it.
When dawn came the mage gave her back her pack with all her possessions except her knife back inside of it. The knife she saw tucked into the mage's belt. He gathered them all into a circle and began tracing complicated runes around them. Looking at them she realized that they were very similar to the ones she used but something just seemed off about them. The longer she looked the more she realized they lacked a personal element that hers had. When she wrote a rune it had a part of her in it. The mage's runes were completely separate from him, more like equations on a chalkboard instead of runes of magic.
The circle completed the mage stepped into the center and she felt him gather his power. It built, crested and flowed out of him over and over again. With each cycle Kimeara felt herself become less substantial than before. The power peaked and with a blinding flash of light they were no longer in the woods. They were no longer anywhere as far as she could tell. She felt a sensation of movement and then with another flash, this one felt rather than seen, they popped back into existence in a room full of mages, books and alchemy supplies.
Kimeara's head swam for a moment and she reached out to grab the edge of the nearest table to steady herself until she regained her equilibrium. Looking around at the others she could see that the younger of the two male guards was as unsteady as her, but the others were unaffected. She looked at Tyon and he offered her a slight smile.
"First time teleporting?" He asked.
She nodded grimly not trusting her heaving stomach to open her mouth.
"Place your hands on your knees and you head between your legs, then take several deep breaths in and out, you'll feel better," he said.
She did and instructed and saw the young guard doing the same. Damn mage was right she did feel a bit better in a few moments. After a minute of breathing her stomach settled and her head stopped spinning. Standing straight she nodded her thanks to the mage.
When they were all ready for travel again they left the room through stairs leading down and Kimeara realized they were in the Mage Tower in Stormwind. She'd always admired the tower from afar when she'd been through the city before, but this was the first time she had been in it. To enter or exit the tower you had to climb an exposed staircase that spiraled around the tower. It must have been a pain in bad weather but on this nice autumn day the staircase provided a beautiful view around the city and of the neat little park below, which surrounded the tower.
She reached into her mind and stretched out with her magical senses, she'd wondered what this place felt like to a magic user. She saw Tyon glace quickly at her when she touched her powers but when it became clear she wasn't trying to use them he relaxed.
The feeling of the area around her stuck Kimeara like a tidal wave. She had never felt so much power in her entire life, it was completely overwhelming. She could feel it flow through and around her. It permeated the very air she breathed. She could feel her own powers stir in response to this almost tangible external presence. Smiling she embraced the power with all her soul letting it flow in with every breath and spilling it back out again every time she exhaled. She didn't even realize her companions were staring at her until Tyon gently touched her arm to get her attention.
"Let it go child," he said gentle.
"What?" She asked.
"Let go your link with the magic. Lightening is skittering across your eyes from the contact," he answered.
Loath though she was to lose this pleasurable feeling, she did as he requested and dropped her connection with the magic around her and of that within her. As she let go the happiness she'd felt left with it and a frown creased her face. She'd felt something she'd never felt before and was likely never to feel again. Now she had to settle back into reality where she was a prisoner.
Seeing the forlorn look on her face Tyon patted her should and said," It'll all work out in the end child, trust in that and all will be well."
He signaled the two male guards and they move in on each side of her in a more appropriate stance which suggested that she was not some visitor being escorted around the city but a prisoner being led in a certain direction. Sighing to herself she slipped her pack off her shoulders and held it out to the guard on her left. Then looked at Tyon and asked "Do you wish to cuff me?"
"No I trust in your word. Once you are in the custody of the palace guards they'll probably cuff you if you're out of your cell but, if you offer no trouble, you'll be unbound in your cell," he said.
She nodded her acceptance of his words. Besides now was not the time to try an escape. She'd most likely get only one shot and she wanted to make sure she had a chance of getting out and not blowing it on a futile attempt. Something of what she was thinking must have passed across her face because Tyon suddenly smiled at her and said quietly so only she could hear," Try if you wish but you'll just make it harder on yourself."
With that he turned and led their troop out of the mad district and toward the castle. Along the way the hustle and bustle of the city engulfed them all and Kimeara marveled as she always did that so many people would want to live practically on top of one another. Where was the room to stretch or the room to get away from it all? With so much humanity packed into such a small area it sometimes felt stifling.
Still as they wandered through the city she didn't see any signs of anyone upset with all that went on around them. Kids played with one another darting in and out of the crowds while their parents tried fruitlessly to restrain them with everything from bribes to threats. Merchant's hocked their wares from shops or the side of the streets. Graceful canals ran all through the city splitting it into the different districts. Elves, dwarves, gnomes, and all other races of the Alliance mixed and mingled in the Human capitol.
Just ahead of them she wanted to Night Elf's walk along talking with a dwarf and a gnome. When the passed them she heard a little of their conversation and she realized that the dwarf and gnome were toy makers and the Elf's work going over the specs of some toy they wanted the pair to make for them.
A hundred similar things went on all around them, immersing them in a flow of commerce and community. At the bridges cross the canal's you could usually find a guard willing to offer directions to new visitors on where things may be found. In the main squares you could find town criers spouting the new and calls for adventures.
While everything was a bit overwhelming it was also an adventure unto itself to see what lay around the next bend. Would it be a boy fishing in the canal? Would it be some baker selling pies, the smells of which were mouthwatering? One thing about being in the city was that you never know what new thing you might encounter.
Eventually they made it through the city and to the palace. As they stepped through the castle gates they were greeted by a large statue of Varian Wrynn King of Stormwind and father of Prince Anduin Wrynn. The statue was impressive at over fifty feet in height and it seemed that's the eyes followed them as they approached the stairs leading to the palace proper.
"Impressive," she muttered to herself.
"Wait 'til you see the real thing," the guard on her left said with a chuckle.
Once inside the palace she was led down to the basement levels which, one of the guards told her, was still one level up from the dungeons. At the rear of the basement level they came to what was obviously a command office for the guards working in the castle. There was a desk toward the rear left side of the room and beside the desk was a small holding cell which took up the rear right side of the room. The man sitting behind the desk was middle aged and had a lot of muscle still on his stout frame. Looking up at their entrance he stood to greet Tyon.
"Good to see you Tyon," he said extending his hand.
"Likewise Balor," said Tyon shaking it.
"What can I do for you?" Balor asked releasing the mage's hand and look at those he brought with him.
"I need you to keep this lady until the King requests her presence," he said waving a hand at Kimeara.
Balor sat down behind his desk and opened a ledger asking "Name?"
Kimeara remained silent and met Balor's eyes with a steady gaze when he paused for her to give it.
"Fine, have it your way," he said and jotted down "Blonde Stranger" in the ledger.
Balor stood and taking a key from the desk went and unlocked the door to the holding cell and gestured for her to enter.
Kimeara did so with her head held high. Internally she was wishing that they'd put her in a cell in the dungeon, at least that would have probably given her some privacy to hatch an escape plane. The only solid wall on the holding cell was the rear one. The rest were made of metal bars and gave her no privacy at all. She'd have almost no chance of escaping if they could see her every move.
When she heard the cell door close she turned back to see the guards handing her items to Balor and Tyon also gave the man her knife. Balor took the item over to a large chest and opened it with a key from his belt and once they items were instead locked it again and put the key back on his belt.
"Beware Balor," Tyon said in warning after watching Kimeara track Balor's movement with her eyes. "She gave her word that she wouldn't try to escape while in my custody but now that she is in yours I'm sure she'd not consider an escape attempt to be breaking her word. She's crafty and has magic at her disposal."
Kimeara was pissed that she'd given the game away so soon and so like a child she stuck her tongue out at the mage which made the whole room laugh.
"Not to worry Tyon," Balor said. "I'm sure she'll be reasonable and we'll come to an understanding with one another."
"Very well," he said to Balor. Looking at Kimeara he continued to speak, "Child I'll come to collect you when the King request you presence. Remember be kind to the guards and you'll be treated with courtesy and I warn you not to use your magic or the mages will be forced to deal with you."
With that he turned and left her with Balor who went back to his desk and sat down looking at her. She crossed the small cell and sat down on the cot and looked back at him.
"What ya do love?" He asked.
"Saved the Prince's life and decided not to hang around to answer questions about it," she said. "Oh and defended myself when they captured me on the road trying to flee."
"You do any damage?" He said smiling.
"Nothing that won't heal in a few days," she said shrugging.
That set him off laughing and he slapped his knee and went back to the ledger he'd been working on when they'd come in. Peering at the writing she could to what looked to be an inventory of items used by the palace guards.
"Quartermaster?" She asked.
"Aye and Chief Jailor for those lucky enough to end up here rather than the dungeons," he replied.
"Balor the Jailor," she mused.
"Like I hadn't heard that one before," he said dryly. "Sure you don't want to give me your name love?"
"I'm sure, but keep asking maybe I'll break," she said with a wink at him.
That set him off in a new fit of laughter and with a quick look at the door to make sure it was closed he pulled a bottle of mead out of a drawer and took a quick belt and offered it to her. When she shook her head declining the drink he stoppered the bottle and put it back into his desk and went back to work. A few hours passed in this manner and while Balor took belt every now and again she knew that he was keeping his wits about him and would not be easy to fool. Giving up on escape for now she crossed her legs and sank into her meditations, she left just enough of her consciousness aware of what was happening around her so that she would know if anything changed.
The entire morning passed in this manner and when midday rolled around she opened her eyes feeling more refreshed and less strained that she had been before. If they left her alone like this for a couple of days she might regain enough of her magic to use it to escape.
While she sat on the cot she discovered that one of the metal pegs holding down part of the board was lose. Gently and carefully she worked the peg lose. It took her a long time to get the stubborn thing from but when she did she felt a small sense of accomplishment. It wouldn't serve at a weapon but who knows it just might come in handy.
She'd just gotten the peg into her pocket when the door to the room opened and a serving wench came into the room followed by another guard. She had two trays in her hands both piled high with food and a pitcher of light ale. She placed one tray in front of Balor and moved toward the cell with the second tray before Balor stopped her.
When the wench turned back to him he took the metal flatware from tray and placed it on his desk then stood and approached the cell. He opened the door and motioned for the wench to put the tray on the ground just inside the door. Then he closed the door again and the wench and guard departed. Looking down at the tray Kimeara saw steamed turnips and carrots and fresh chicken, her mouth began to water. Looking at the flatware on Balor's desk she asked with an arched eyebrow, "Even the spoon?"
"Even the spoon," he said with such a serious expression that now it was her turn to laugh.
Shaking her head she retrieved the tray from where it lay and dug in. The food was incredible and she realized that it had been nearly a full day since she had a proper meal. She'd had some trail food when she was captured sure but that doesn't count as real food. She ate with relish and even had some of the ale which was good but packed quite a punch.
"Trying to get me drunk to make me easier to question?" She asked raising the mug to Balor.
"Nah. That'd be a waste of good ale," he said. "This is a normal repast for guards and detainees alike. If you were in the dungeon it would be different. The king figures if those detained and those watching them are well fed on food and watered down with good ale they'll be less likely to cause trouble."
The both shared a laugh at the Kings expense and finished their meal in silence. When she was done she placed the plate and her mug by the cell door and looked around for a chamber pot. There was usually one under the bed but when she looked there was nothing there.
"Umm..," she began looking over at Balor watching her.
"Need the loo?" He asked.
"Yes," she replied flushing.
"Put your hands through the slot on the door," he said indicating an opening just large enough to fit her hands side by side.
When she did he pulled a pair of shackles out of the drawer and cuffed her wrist together. Then he opened her cell and led her to the small loo across the hall. He let her go in alone but told her she had 3 minutes before he came in. Believing every word he said she quickly took care of business and was washing her hands in a small bowl of water when he opened the door again. He led her back across the hall and locked her in her cell again before removing her restraints.
"Thank you," she said rubbing her wrists to help restore her circulation.
"You're welcome love," he said going back to his work.
The rest of the day passed in this manner with no one bothering her and while she was confined she was treated with kindness as Tyon said she would be. She continued to look for any means of escape but the cell was solidly built and with Tyon's warning about mages in her mind she didn't want to try reaching for her magic just yet. If she used her magic she'd only get one shot and she wanted it to count. At night a female guard named Genevieve replaced Balor and after only once questioning Kimeara about her name, which Kimeara again refused to give, went about her night logs. The new guard wasn't as outgoing as Balor and didn't drink any of the mead in the desk but she too was kind toward her.
Kimeara wondered how long they planned to keep her here. The longer she had time to adjust to her new surroundings increased her chance of escape. How long before the got tired of being patient and decided to torture the information out of her. She had no doubt that she could hold out under torture for a long time but knew eventually that she would break, just like everyone always did.
She didn't yet have any ideas on how she was going to get out of here. The guards were able and there were no obvious gaps in their routine. They were always cautious in how they handled her and while they were gentle they also left opportunities for her to attempt anything when they moved her or opened her cell. She didn't even think about trying to pry open the lock on the cell door. The lock was sturdy and while she had jimmied a few locks open in her travels she was in no way a pro and doubted that even a master thief could pick that lock.
Resolving to think more tomorrow on how to escape she laid down on the cot and let sleep take her. Either due to her exhaustion or her unease with her new surrounding she didn't dream that night. She slept soundly through most of the night only to be roused very early in the morning by Tyon entering the room. She kept her breathing even and floated in a state somewhere between sleep and consciousness.
"How is she doing?" Tyon asked Genevieve.
"She is fine Mage Tyon," Genevieve said. "She is still refusing to give her name but hasn't caused any trouble. I'm surprised that she hasn't tried anything yet."
"Oh I image that's exactly what she is hoping for," he said show how well he read her character. "She's is far too smart to try anything right away. No she'll wait and bide her time until we make a mistake and then will do everything she can to capitalize on it and probably succeed."
"If you think she's that good why do you have her here and not down in the dungeons?" She asked.
"Because contrary to what others think, she is not an enemy to the King or to the Alliance in general," he said.
"But she used spells on the guards who captured her," she said earnestly.
"She reacted like any might when they are used to being hunted, and I suspect that she has been hunt by someone or something for a long time now" he said softly. "If we had let her be she would have probably never have caused any trouble and would just have gone on her way."
"Are her powers as strong and the other say?" Genevieve asked.
"Stronger I think. She is just starting to come into her full powers and will only gain more control over them as time goes on," he said.
"What will happen to her?" She asked.
"That will be for the King to decide. Whatever the reasons she did attack the Kings men so it's up to him, I hope for her sake the Kind is in a lenient mood" he said and then left.
True sleep eluded her for the rest of the night as she processed what she had heard. Giving up she sat up and crossed her legs on the bed. She decided to meditate the rest of the night. While it wasn't as good as sleep it was better than nothing. She started with her breathing exercises.
Slowly she slipped deeper and deeper into her own mind. So found solace there away from the waking world. Her mind held her memories, both good and bad, and she would often meditate to remember some lesson she'd learned or to remember some particular memory she was fond of. In her mind she was still able to see her father and the inn they had owned. His great booming laugh and easy smile, the way his voice sounded and his scent.
She remembered her first Yuletide that she shared with just Calthix after her father did. He had given her the small travel mirror she still used to this day. It had delighted her to no end when she was younger and she still enjoyed using it now that she was older. She had spent most of the day making him cherry pie with preserved cherries they had bartered for. It was his favorite sweet and he had eaten half of it in one sitting and made his stomach hurt the rest of the day.
Kimeara reminded herself that she'd been in worse situations that this before. She had stared down death more than once and each time she was able to figure a way out. Sometimes she had Calthix with her to help and other times she was on her own. She knew she could survive this too if she put all her effort into it.
Warmed by her thoughts she settled deep into her own consciousness and let her mind go blank. Thinking of nothing in particular and just letting her thoughts flow where they may. It was a peaceful experience and when the morning shift change roused her from her meditation she was ready to meet the day full of awareness of what she could accomplish when she was really determined, or really scared.