Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan
A New Home
Sonea could feel the ache in her thighs deepen as it spread into her lower back. No matter how hard she tried, riding did not come easily to her and after only a day in the saddle, she was already tired, full of pain and, most of all, irritable. Akkarin had been correct. The shaggy mountain horse she was riding was a calm animal, sure-footed over the uneven terrain and happy to move along with the others with no fuss or complaint. However, that didn't make her feel any better, especially when she could see Akkarin ahead, riding with all the ease of a young noble seated on a thoroughbred.
It's all right for him! she moaned to herself. He was probably put on his first horse as soon as he could walk. He had set a steady pace which required her to concentrate on keeping her balance. They had only paused for short breaks to have some water or eat something and it seemed to Sonea that she had barely Healed her aches and pains before it was time to start off again. She had found out early in their journey, much to her dismay, that concentrating on riding and Healing herself at the same time was impossible. That meant any relief of her discomfort had to wait until Akkarin decided to stop for a break. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to need much relief from riding!
The light had almost gone, before Akkarin stopped for the night. They were in a wooded area but with his uncanny ability to find the right place, Akkarin led them to a clearing where there was a small pool, plenty of trees with wood for a fire and a fine flat area for sleeping.
Unlike their last journey, Sonea didn't have to worry about making up beds or preparing food as Takan took on those tasks. She was able instead to sink wearily to the ground and concentrate on Healing the worst of her pains. Akkarin, on the other hand, seemed barely touched by the hours spent in the saddle and went off to find some meat for their meal. She found herself lying back, eyes closed and a pleasant feeling of drifting into sleep, only to be recalled to the present by Takan offering her a hot mug of tea.
She took it gratefully, only momentarily wishing it was raka. As she sipped the drink, she watched Takan skilfully keep the fire burning at just the right intensity to cook a pot of something he had suspended over it. Soon a savoury smell filled the air and Sonea found her mouth watering in response.
By the time they had finished their meal, night had fallen, bringing with it a chilly breeze. They rolled themselves in their cloaks but it took a long time for Sonea to fall asleep. It was difficult to keep out the cold unless she used magic and of course, once she drifted into sleep, the magic stopped and she was woken again by tendrils of icy air finding its way through the gaps in the material. She kept changing position, trying to keep the cold air out, until Akkarin, disturbed by her tossing and turning, drew her close and covered her with his cloak too. At last she was warm and sleep soon came.
They were on their way again very early the next morning. The day was crisp and cold, although the sun was bright. They made good progress for the rest of the day and now the distant mountains were larger on the horizon, and the land they were travelling through was becoming more moor-like, with wide open areas where little grew except stunted trees and cheerful patches of purple heather. Their mid-day meal was a simple one, bread and ham, washed down with water from a nearby stream. Then they were back in the saddle and rode on until dark.
This time, they spent the night in an abandoned cabin. They were out of the wind and Sonea had no trouble falling asleep as soon as she lay down. She was vaguely aware when Akkarin joined her, wrapping himself around her, but she was too tired to do anything more than murmur a vague greeting.
All too soon, she was being shaken awake as Takan's voice sounded close to her ear, "Tea, my lady? Akkarin asks you ready yourself quickly as he wishes to be moving in a few minutes."
She took the mug and swallowed the contents, trying to ignore the sharp heat as the tea went down, until it formed a pleasantly warm area in her stomach. She sat up, noticing that she was wrapped in Akkarin's cloak as well as her own. She took a moment to freshen her clothing with magic and ran her fingers through her hair to remove the worst of the tangles. Already she could see Takan packing up the pots and pans he'd used for their evening meal. There was a slice of bread and honey left for her on a nearby flat stone and she ate it quickly. Akkarin had reappeared and was already mounted.
She shook out the cloaks and took his over to Akkarin. She reached for her horse and swung herself up into the saddle, pleased that she was able to do so unassisted. Perhaps I can learn to be a horsewoman, after all, she thought settling her position and slipping her feet into the stirrups. Then they were off and almost immediately she felt the all too familiar feeling of protesting muscles. She gritted her teeth and pressed on with the others.
The next two days passed in similar fashion; all the time, the mountains came nearer and the land became more difficult to negotiate. They were climbing constantly, now, and the air never really warmed thoroughly, even at mid-day. As far as Sonea was concerned, one day merged into another and her main concern was to roll into her cloak as soon after their evening meal as possible and sleep. She had little opportunity to speak with Akkarin who, true to his actions on her first journey with him, frequently disappeared with no word. Mostly, she had to admit, his disappearances coincided with the finding of food, but not always and as ever, she was curious about what he was doing. It's no use asking, she reminded herself, resignedly. At least she had learned that much!
She awoke on the morning of the fifth day to a frosty scene and a sharp bite in the breeze. Takan was already bent over a small fire and she could smell something hot and spicy. She stood up and used magic to clean herself and her clothing, before going over to him and accepting a hot mug of tea. She peeped into the cooking pot and saw it contained a bubbling mixture of a sort of porridge, but it didn't smell like the breakfast meal she was familiar with. This porridge wasn't white, but yellow and the aroma was decidedly foreign to her nose.
Takan spooned some of the mixture into a bowl and handed it to her. "This will warm you," he said with a smile.
She took it and tried a mouthful. It was very hot in two senses of the word, cooking temperature and the spicy flavour. It wouldn't have been her first choice for the first meal of the day, but she had to admit that it warmed her thoroughly, from inside to outside, very quickly.
Takan suppressed a smile as he saw her initial reaction, "Something from home, my home," he said. "The best thing on a cold morning."
She had almost finished when Akkarin returned. He took a bowl of food from the pot, came over to where she was sitting and sat, crossed-legged, beside her.
"How do you like Takan's special breakfast?" he asked with a grin.
"It's different," she smiled back, "But it certainly warmed me up. Do you like it?"
"I'm used to it," he said and she knew better than to ask how or why.
Not long afterwards, they were packed and ready to start. She had asked when they would reach their destination and Akkarin had said that he hoped they would be there by nightfall. She really couldn't wait, despite not knowing what was awaiting her. As long as it had a chair and a bed, she would be satisfied.
There seemed to be a new sense of urgency in their journey this day. Akkarin set a much faster pace than previously and it took all of her newly acquired riding skills to keep up without too many aches and pains. She noticed Takan glancing regularly at the sky, a crease in his forehead. At the first opportunity, she asked him what was the matter.
"The weather is worsening, my lady," he replied. "There's a storm coming."
Once he drew her attention to it, it was obvious that the weather was closing in. There was a heavy white mist covering the mountaintops and the sky was covered with dark grey cloud. She shivered, the wind was much keener too.
"Will we reach shelter before the storm arrives?" she asked him.
Takan shrugged, "I don't know how far away our shelter is."
Sonea was surprised. She had assumed that Akkarin and Takan would have discussed things and she felt a little better at knowing she was not the only one Akkarin kept in the dark.
Akkarin? she sent. How much further do we have to go?
Verrin! was all the answer she received and she belatedly remembered that magicians could hear other magicians' mental communication unless the sending used very narrow targeting. She, of course, hadn't thought about that.
Verrin, how much further? she tried again.
We will be there before nightfall was the less than helpful response, but with that she had to be content because there was no further answer to her questions.
The storm caught them mid-afternoon. It arrived on a strong, cruel wind, bringing stinging hail mixed with snow. At times, it was impossible to see more than a short way ahead. As the storm grew in intensity, even the horses were unsettled by it, so they found shelter of sorts in a rocky outcrop which provided some respite from the wind. Akkarin used magic to create a shield around them, while Sonea created some warmth within it. They used the time to eat some bread and cheese, but she could see that Akkarin was keen to continue and resented the time spent in one spot.
It was over an hour before the storm lessened enough for them to continue on their journey. The hail had stopped, but snow continued to fall, masking the smugglers' trail they were following. Akkarin dismounted and led the way, it slowed them down but it was the only way to avoid slipping off the trail and in places, one false step could have led to unpleasant consequences. Darkness fell so Akkarin was forced to make a globelight. He kept it small so it only gave out a faint light, but it was enough for him to discern the trail. He made no attempt to stop, and made it clear that they would continue until they reached their destination.
Sitting on the slowly plodding horse, Sonea found the rhythm was sending her to sleep. It was tempting to close her eyes and let the horse take her where it will, but once or twice, she had be recalled to reality by a sharp word from Akkarin, as she allowed the horse to wander near to the edge.
At last, the procession came to a halt. She slid wearily down off the horse and looked around. They were in some sort of valley between two high ridges. The floor of the valley was flattish and, as far as she could see, relatively wide, compared to the trail they'd been following. There was sparse vegetation poking through the snow as well as some clumps of trees. She could hear water running somewhere, but little else apart from the wind which was whistling along the valley floor, driving snow ahead of it. In front of her, she could just see the outline of a building.
They led the horses towards it and as they got closer, Sonea could see it was actually a small group of buildings, a larger one with two smaller ones to one side. They put the horses in one of the barns giving them the last of the hay and then went in to the larger building. Once the door was shut, they lit several globelights which showed them a large room with a number of doors off. There was nothing much in the way of furniture, except a small wooden table and a couple of benches, but there was a fireplace with some wood stacked next to it.
"We'll start a fire with this, but we need more wood," Takan said. "I'll go and look if there's any around."
"You know this place?" Sonea asked Akkarin when they were alone.
"It's known to only one or two people who use the smugglers' trails around here. It's a useful refuge in times of bad weather. That's why there's usually some wood in here."
As he'd been speaking, Akkarin was checking the rest of the room. He opened one of the doors and looked inside. "There's something approaching a scullery here," he said, "Takan will be happy!"
Meanwhile Sonea had opened another door and discovered a modest room, with a cupboard at one end. There was a small window which she assumed looked out over the valley. The third door concealed a staircase. She went up and discovered two rooms on the floor above. Each had a raised platform at one end, but little else, just a shabby chest in one room and a set of shelves in the other. All the rooms were dusty and it looked as if no one had been there for a long time.
By the time she came downstairs again, Takan had returned and a fire was crackling in the fireplace. He had already set a pot to warm and was busily putting things into some water from his food pack. She warmed her hands gratefully encouraging the fire to burn hotly with a little magic. Akkarin came to stand beside her and she glanced up at him, "We are going to stay here, then?" she asked.
He nodded, "It needs some work, but it's sturdy enough and large enough. Once the winter is over, there'll be somewhere we can grow some food. It will be comfortable by the time we're finished with it."
"But won't the people who shelter here find it strange to see it lived in?"
"They'll soon get used to the idea," Akkarin said. "There used to be an old couple living here years ago. They'll probably assume we're their family. Besides, we're not talking about lots of visitors, perhaps only one or two and then, only when it's really necessary. Smugglers tend to prefer their own arrangements."
Takan had brought in all the packs from the horses so Sonea went to examine their contents. Those with clothing, she put aside as she was familiar with their contents. Nor did she examine Takan's pack. It was the others she was interested in, wondering if there was anything in them which would add to their comfort. She discovered three thick blankets tied up in sheets, some pots and pans, a store of food, a few plates and mugs, but little else. She stood looking at the things from the packs she had spread out, wondering why some things had been carefully brought along while other things she thought would have been top of the list, had been left behind.
She heard a warm laugh behind her and turned to find Akkarin regarding her with a cheerful expression on his face, "So, Sonea, where did I go wrong in deciding what to bring?"
She blushed to think he had read her so easily, "I'm sure you have a reason for everything," she acknowledged.
He came to her, wrapping an arm across her shoulders and drawing her into his side, "We'll eat, then sleep. Tomorrow, we can talk all you want about what happens next."
After one of Takan's tempting stews, she and Akkarin went upstairs into one of the rooms and closed the door. Their clothing packs were already neatly stacked up against one of the walls. Sonea used magic to clear away the dust and clean the room, then taking a couple of blankets and a sheet, she made up a bed on the raised platform. They rolled their cloaks to use as makeshift pillows and, keeping on their clothes against the night chill, lay under the blankets, their arms around each other. It was a rather hard resting place, but she was so tired, it didn't really matter.
Tomorrow, it will all be sorted out, she thought sleepily. At least we are here, safely in our new home.