CH24
When she looked up the room was empty of the guards, only their little battered group and the wizards remained. Mauritius was crying in a corner, but he wouldn't be able to cast again unless someone magically healed him and his severed tendons. She focused on the High elder and her compatriots. They surveyed the room coming to grips with the tree that hadn't stopped growing, the people hexed to dogs and everything else.
"I suppose I should have realized you were already trained with a potential like yours." the High elder said, looking down on her.
"Yes," she said in a parched crackling voice "If you will give me the time I can explain everything. Tiernan and Mauritius were practicing dark magic with the goal to overthrow the kingdom."
"I knew they were up to something, but dark magic? Do you have proof?"
"The dogs, If you look, have imprints on them, and the book to do it is over there too."
"Where did they find this?" said Master Rochester, who inspected the book.
"They were working with someone from the outside," said Tam. "He gave them the books in exchange they would give him the king's spear once they had the throne."
She rubbed her temples, "burn the book."
Master Rochester obliged by casting a simple spell. The dry pages curled into ash. The wizard that remained by her side aske "What are we going to do about this?"
"Nothing, this must never get back to the court, selfish fools. I let Tiernan have free reign because I thought he was one of the ones who realized we can't afford to anger the court," she muttered under her breath, "None of this ever leaves this room."
"But the trees?"
"None of them are knowledgeable enough to recognize a druidic spell." She looked at May. "You are a good actress. I believed you were a southerner."
She had never heard of druidic magic, it must be what speaking to trees was "I am from the south."
"It doesn't matter," she scowled at the group. "You have put me in a difficult position."
"Shouldn't you be thanking us?" asked Rhys. "We stopped this plot."
"Yes and nearly exposed it to the world, whether or not it was halted before or after attacking the king. The consequences for the towers will be the same."
"You act like there was another option." said Tam
"Wasn't there?" she said.
"You would have never believed us if we told you," May said "I tried to warn you before."
"Yes, well I should have believed you, but would you believe me in your position? I thought you were working with them, getting me to falsely accuse them of dark magic to discredit me. Even so, you should have thought of something better than storming the towers. I will have no choice but to tell the truth to the court. That you broke into the towers with the intent to kill two elders."
"You can't be serious?" said Bran, "We saved your hide, this whole city, and you want to send us to prison."
"She won't be doing that," said Tam.
"You're right, As grateful as I am you have to die."
Tam laughed, "I would think twice before then."
"Lord Averell has a book detailing their plot, He will bring it to court if we do not return."
"So the plot will be exposed no matter what, why should I spare you."
"Because it doesn't have to get out if we survive," said Reah.
"I accept your deal, but if any of you return to this city I will assume you are coming to break your promise. Do not think I don't have my ways to know. I will give you till dawn to leave."
"What about, Sibahn?" said master Rochester, "and Cian they are my students."
She looked at the initiates "you were such promising students, why did you do something as reckless as this?"
"I don't think I was reckless," said Sibahn.
"Excuse me."
"What would have happened if I hadn't let them in?" said Sibahn.
"So you have no remorse for betraying the Towers that raised you?"
"No, She didn't betray it. She saved it," said Cian.
"She didn't know I wasn't part of the Towers," said May.
"How could she believe that?" said the high elder.
"Is it that hard to believe? I came to her as a wizard with knowledge of the towers. What reason would she have to believe I wasn't."
"Please, let them stay." said Rochester "it is my fault as a teacher for not watching my students closer."
"Fine, but they will not go unpunished."
She left the room, her companions following behind dragging Mauritius. And the student being herded away by their teacher. She sat stunned for a long while. She processed all her emotions slowly. There should have been relief and joy. They had been stopped, no one else would be a victim of dark magic. All she felt was a hollow weary bitterness. After all they had done, after they risked their lives all they got for their efforts was a ban from the city. Bran's blood soaked shirt reminded her how close to death he had been. Was any of it worth it? No, they didn't need recognition. They had done the right thing. Many lives were saved because of them. It just stung to be treated so coldly. The High elder was just protecting the Tower. And the shame that she had been so oblivious to her subordinates' schemes wouldn't make her any kinder.
They had to leave. Dawn couldn't be far away and one thing was for sure they would not survive a clash with a third wizard that night. The group of them huddled together as they descended the tower. As tired as everyone was, they moved quickly. May stumbled on the spiraling steps. Reah helped her up and Tam had to carry her on his back once they reached the bottom of the stairs.
The group remained silent. They had stopped the wizards,but it hardly felt like a victory. After all they went through, they were being banished. Her friends were losing their home. She was losing hers too. She knew as she was leaving that she would miss it. It was not the place he imagined living, but it had become a home to her over the months. She was going to lose it. running in the wake of dark magic just like before but at least she wasn't alone.
They reached the horses, and the stable boy on night duty was too shocked at their bloody state to say anything or even check if the horses they took were theirs. She looked at the brown horse Ruth rode. She remembered buying it with her. Now she's dead. She betrayed them; set them up for money. She still felt hollow looking at her horse. Was the money that good? Had Ruth valued her so little. There wasn't time for that. The sun would soon be rising.
Reah got on Ruth's horse. It would be hers now, that was probably for the best. Tam kept his, Rhys rode Thorne and May rode double with Bran on Rhiannon. She was glad he was with her; he kept the cold numbness tugging at her at bay. The horses' feet rung loud in the silent empty streets. They headed for the hidden tunnel in the east. At least they had prepared an escape route from the city.
"Shouldn't you say goodbye to your family, I might not get another chance." she said to Bran.
"There isn't time."
"We can make time."
He squeezed her tighter, "No. I already said bye before we went to the towers."
"Did you know something like this would happen?"
"Even if things went perfectly, we would need to be out of the city for a while."
"I'm sorry."
"I've always wanted to travel, we will be back sometime."
"You are right we will be back, a little magic can make sure of that."
They reached Lord Averell's estate around dawn. Whatever Reah wrote to him must have been convincing. He was waiting for them when they arrived. By the looks of the circles under his eyes, he had been waiting for them the whole night. Even so they didn't talk beyond greeting. Everyone was battered and bruised and exhausted. There would be time to talk after they rested. Even with everything to think about she fell asleep as soon as she lay on the bed given to her.
She slept for a full she woke a sevan brought a new set of clothes and helped her bathe. It was strange she couldn't remember the last time anyone helped her with such basic tasks. She was too sore to refuse. The woman kept starting a question then stopped herself. Who knew what she thought of her lord's strange guests.
She was led through carpeted gilded hallways to a sitting room where everyone gathered. She smiled as everyone turned to look at her. They looked much better. Plenty of bruises and scratches, but the hollow look was gone. She sat next to Reah to be filled in with what had happened.
"I must say, you all really know how to cause a stir," said Lord Averell.
"Thank you, we try our best," said Bran.
"How bad is it?" aske Reah.
"I don't know. No one knows everything, but the Green Towers are in shambles."
"What kind of shambles?" asked Tam.
"Whatever you did is still having fallout. The child of one of the highland lords fled with another seeking asylum in his lands."
"That must be Sibahn," said May "So she got out?"
"Yes, as far as I know both of them are on their way now. The lord has already petitioned for them to stay away from the tower. Approval was made for his daughter but it wasn't extended to the other."
"That is not a surprise," said Reah.
"Too bad," said Tam, "he will likely be killed if he stays in the city."
"Excuse me?" said Lord Averell
"He knows too much." said Tam
"Not to mention, if it comes out that he is the king's son," said Reah.
"Is that really true?"
"Yes," said Reah.
"Is there any way we can protect him?" asked May.
"Surely he is protected as a witness?" said Rhys.
"That would require the green tower to admit something happened," said Bran.
"If we get involved, it would just confirm the rumors surrounding him," said Reah.
"So there is nothing we can do?" asked May.
"If he can make it to the highlands, he should be able to hide. As long as he is out of the picture I doubt they will put much effort into finding him," said Tam.
"The bigger question is where do we hide?" said Bran.
"We ought to get out of the Kingdom," said Tam.
"You don't think we can lay low in the countryside as well?" said Reah.
"That is fine for a kid who goes in over his head. We showed we are capable and willing to kill the most powerful wizards. They will not rest while they can reach us."
"If that's true will we be welcome elsewhere?" asked May.
"We can go to Arg," said Tam.
"Are you sure?" asked Bran.
"Yes."
"Arg would be a place they couldn't follow us. No one is about to risk starting a political incident with Arg. But where will we go once we get there?" said Reah.
"I do … know … some people. We could stay with them while we got our bearings." said Tam.
"What do you need from me?" asked Lord Averell "Unfortunately with the way things are you can't stay here long. I couldn't protect you even if I tried."
"Just get us safe passage to Oster."
"We can stay with my uncle while there," said Rhys.
"Is that ok? Won't that implicate him?" asked May.
"It's not like we can stay anywhere else. It will be fine." said Rhys.
"We can be careful. You can do that thing with the Illusions to change our appearance?" said Bran.
"Can I ask what actually happened? I know some of it from the letter, but…" said Lord Averell
"It's a long story," says Reah, "I will tell you over a meal."
"Yes, how rude of me you all must be starving."
She was ravenous. It had been over a day since she had eaten and the others were the same. They wolfed down most of the many course meal shocking Averell and his servants alike with their appetite. They took turns telling the story and it was finished by the time their stomachs were full.
"That is a story, what did you do with the trees?"
"I'm not sure. I still don't have the best control, but one of them called it druidic magic."
"And it is no small feat for a regular man to go up to a wizard," said Lord Averell.
"How did you know to do that?" asked Reah.
"That was not my first scuffle with a wizard scuffle with a wizard," said Tam.
"Yeah is that how you took out those wizards years ago?" said Bran
"Yes," said Tam.
"I thought you were a soldier in Arg?"
He smiled "Where do you think I learned to fight wizards? Anyways, if we can get a ship to Alfast we should be able to disappear there."
"We better, if we can't hide in the largest city this side of the mountains, where would we have to go." said Bran.
"Do you think we can go to the library?" asked May.
"I don't see why not." said Bran.
"How long will it take to get there?" asked Rhys.
"Depends on the wind," said Tam "Nomore than a month."
"That long?" said Reah.
"Neither of you travel much do you?" asked Tam.
"It's pretty obvious I haven't," said Reah.
"I have never left the city," said Rhys.
"Well there is a whole big world out there we are going to see," said Bran.
"I can't wait," said May.