The Price of Freedom
Description: In 443 HE Arram Draper failed to escape from Carthak and was instead enslaved by Emperor Ozorne as his pet mage. Eight years later, Tortall sends a delegation to discuss peace and try to avoid war with the powerful empire and its ruthless Emperor Mage.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Author's Note: I meant to hold off on releasing this story until Exile's Gift was released but my patience has run out and I do really want to get this story out there. I WILL be changing/fixing sections of this once the book is released as I'll have to fluff a few things but I hope you will forgive me for that.
I have started this story the same as Emperor Mage with some obvious differences but don't worry, it doesn't continue. I just wanted to start you in a familiar place before I started to deviate from the story we all know and love.
To everyone who has left me a comment on one of my stories, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have no idea how much they mean to me no matter how short or long.
Chapter 1:
Arram Draper, black robe mage and slave of Carthak stood on the royal barge behind the throne bare chested feeling the sun baking down on his exposed skin. He was a tall man of six foot five feet inches, lanky with swarthy skin darkened by exposure to Carthak's harsh sun, dressed in only a black loincloth with long flaps hanging between his legs and black sandals on his feet. The slave collar around his neck and the runed cuffs on his wrists marked him as a slave in addition to his shaved head and body.
The mage was officially among the welcome party as a demonstration of the emperor's power however, Arram's primary interest was in seeing the legendary Lioness and hoping to spy a glimpse of the young dragon that was supposedly among the delegation. According to the reports, an adult dragon had appeared two years ago during the failed assault on Tortall's western coast to kidnap the queen and her heirs. It was unclear how Tortall had managed to survive against the overwhelming odds but perhaps one of the Tortallans had used the baby dragon as leverage to convince the adult to fight for them.
"Enough of this," the prince snapped. "Bring me something to drink. Something cold."
Arram would have liked to point out to His Highness that a warm drink would probably have cooled him more effectively, but slaves were not permitted to speak freely. Prince Kaddar was dressed in full finery for the occasion from his golden skull cap encrusted in diamonds, a ring on every finger and toe, gold bracelets on his wrists, jewels in his ears, a ruby stud in his nose and the mother of pearl strips around his neck. The crimson calf-length silk tunic was undoubtably sticking to Kaddar's dark sweaty skin in the humidity despite being autumn.
The prince stood abruptly and joined the captain at the rail. "What on earth are you staring at that has you making the Sign?"
"See for yourself, Highness," the captain offered the prince his spyglass.
Arram frowned and followed the prince's attention. It was difficult to miss what was making everyone so nervous: on every railing, mast and rope, birds of all shape and size perched in complete silence as if they were awaiting something.
"It ain't just the birds, Prince. Lookit the docks," the captain pointed.
The mage had spied numerous breeds of dogs and cats from noble pet to stray, sat as if they weren't mortal enemies, but it was the swarms of rats underneath that interested him more. Rats were one of the Graveyard Hag's sacred creatures and the goddess' spies throughout these lands.
Don't concern that curious mind of yours on that, dearie. An elderly female voice teased.
You know that discouraging me from thinking about something will only have the opposite effect? Arram replied silently.
Laughter cackled in his mind before vanishing completely. The mage sighed and shuffled his feet which were growing stiff from standing to attention for so long. At least the prince had been kind enough to allow Arram to stand and not force him to kneel for hours.
"Is this another omen?" Kaddar muttered lowering his spyglass.
"Beats me, Highness," the captain shrugged making the Sign against evil over his chest again as if it would help.
At that same moment aboard the Tortallan vessel, Veralidaine Sarrasri, commonly known as Daine, was making room for Alanna on a bunk in the cramped cabin beneath deck. The short redheaded knight looked decidedly green despite the numerous potions and tonics she'd been drinking throughout the voyage to counteract her seasickness. Purple fire sparkled in every corner of the room, over the door and porthole, warding it so no one could overhear what was being discussed inside.
"No one can listen to us magically?" Duke Gareth of Naxen turned to the knight.
"It's safe," Alanna confirmed.
The duke looked at everyone in turn with a grave expression. "Let me remind all of you one last time: be very careful regarding your actions while we are here. Do nothing to jeopardise our mission. The emperor is willing to make peace, but that is in no manner secure. If negotiations fall through due to an error on our part, the other Eastern Lands will not support us. We will be on our own and Carthak will be on us.
We need this peace. We cannot match the imperial armies and navy, let alone their magical strength, any more than we can match their wealth. In a fight on Tortallan soil, we might prevail, but war of any kind would be long and costly, in terms of lives and resources."
"Do we have to bow and scrape and tug our forelocks then, sir?" Alanna grimaced. "We don't want to seem weak to these southerners, do we?"
"No, but neither should we take risks – particularly not you." His Grace warned the knight whose temper was infamous as the Lioness looked away blushing scarlet.
"Go nowhere we are forbidden to go. Do not speak of freedom to the slaves. However we may dislike the practice, it would be unwise to show that display publicly," the duke continued. "Accept no gifts, boxes or paper from anyone unless they come with knowledge of the emperor. Offer no gifts or pieces of paper to anyone. I understand it is the custom of the palace mages to scatter listening spells through the buildings and grounds. Watch what you say. If a problem arises, let my son, or Lord Martin know at once."
"Kit can detect listening spells," Daine offered as the young Immortal straightened on her lap chirping happily.
"Daine, be careful. You'll be on your own more than the rest of us, though it's my hope that if you can help his birds, the emperor will let you be. Those birds are his only weakness, I think," Duke Gareth frowned.
"I'll do my best, Your Grace," the young woman bobbed her head in acknowledgement.
"You understand the rules?" Lord Martin leaned around the duke to fix Daine with a hard stare. "No childish pranks. Mind your manners, and do as you're told."
Kitten squawked indignantly at the rude treatment while the girl tried to hush her.
"She understands the rules, my lord," Alanna glared at the conservative. "Daine is no wide-eyed, innocent child. She's been involved in far more dangerous missions than this."
The young woman glanced at her friend and offered a slight smile while the knight squeezed her knee in support. Since coming to Tortall, Daine had fought at the Lioness' side on numerous occasions against the Immortals which continued to plague them and during one memorable battle at Alanna's former home of Pirate's Swoop.
"We would not have brought her otherwise," Duke Gareth smiled. "Now, my friends – it is time we prepared to dock. I hope that Mithros will bless our company with the light of wisdom, and that the Goddess will grant us patience."
"So mote it be," the others intoned and stood to leave.
Daine returned to her tiny room while Kitten headed to the deck to watch the docking procedures. Anything and everything interested the dragonet's inquisitive mind. The young woman changed into a grey silk shirt with silver buttons and pale blue linen breeches. Over this magnificence Daine donned a blue linen dress tunic before battling against her wild smoky-brown curls with a hairbrush. She used a blue ribbon to pull the worst of her hair away from her face but it rarely could be tamed. Lastly, the young woman pulled on the highly polished boots before regarding her image in the mirror. She looked much older than her mere fifteen years of age in all this finery the queen had bestowed upon her and Daine liked that. Her blue-grey eyes seemed to shine due to the matching colours in her clothing.
So, you're off? The ship's boss rat entered from a hole.
"Don't celebrate yet. I'll come back soon," Daine responded tartly. She'd never got on well with this species of the People.
What a disappointment, the rodent responded sarcastically. When do I get to see the last of you for good?
In a flash of light, the badger god appeared and snarled at the rat – Begone, pest. –
The boss rat might give Daine trouble, but it didn't dare contend with the animal god, fleeing back through the hole with a squeak.
"You look well. How long's it been?" the young woman smiled toying with the silver claw hanging around her neck that had once belonged to Badger.
– This is the worst possible place for you to be, my kit. If it weren't necessary for you to be here, I'd force you to return home to your sett. –
"I know why we needed to come to Carthak but why is it you're adamant I come?" Daine asked. "Surely the gods don't care about the peace talks?"
Badger snorted – Peace? I thought you were convinced Emperor Ozorne was the one who tore holes in the barrier between the realms, to loose a plague of Immortals on you. –
The young woman shrugged. "He says it wasn't him or his mages what did that. The king says we need peace with Carthak more'n we need war. Why are things so bad here?"
The badger god ruffled his fur not having enough room to pace. – It's the Great Gods, the ones two-leggers worship. They have lost their patience with the emperor, perhaps with this entire realm. Things could get very – chancy – here soon. Just be careful! –
Daine tensed not liking her guardian's warning. "What is it I'm here to do?"
– Do? I want you to do nothing, but there is someone you must find. –
"And who's that exactly?" the young woman frowned folding her arms over her chest.
– You must locate the black hawk. He is to be your teacher and help you control your power. –
Daine chewed on her lower lip hating it anytime someone suggested she had some form of magic, even if he was the male god of badgers. "A black hawk? Does he have a name?"
– That is for you to discover yourself. – The badger regarded her with dark brown eyes. – You must save the black hawk from his cage and learn your lessons quickly. The People depend on it. –
"Can you at least –" With a flash of silver light the badger god vanished and the young woman huffed out a sigh. "Of course! He appears, gives me a cryptic message and then disappears before I can ask anything about it!"
The door opened and Kitten entered tilting her head as she chirped a question.
"You just missed the badger," Daine explained.
The dragonet whistled her disappointment.
"He's given me some new puzzle," the young woman scowled. "I've got to find a black hawk who's to be my teacher." Which was to say nothing about the dire warning of the Great Gods having their attention focussed on Carthak. Not that Daine would mind if they wanted to rid the realm of the man responsible for killing so many of her friends.
Kitten chattered excitedly at her.
"Badger didn't say much else other than this hawk is in a cage. You'll help me look for him won't you, Kit?" the young woman looked hopefully at her charge.
The young Immortal chirped an affirmative making Daine smile as she hoisted the dragonet onto her hip before heading up to the deck.
All at once, every animal in the harbour let out a clamour when the Tortallan ship docked terrifying everyone, slave to prince, who waited on the Carthaki barge. They hurriedly drew the Sign against evil over their chests, all except Arram whose brow furrowed in interest rather than fear while he tried to fathom this peculiar reaction. It almost sounded like the animals were celebrating rather than prophesising some new doom but that was only a theory. Slowly the birds left their roosts and the cats and dogs dispersed back to wherever they were supposed to be. The rats, of course, stayed exactly where they were making the mage more curious as to who or what was coming.
The slave master shouted a command and cracked his whip as the barge began to glide through the water to the steady beat of a drum. Everyone on the docks prostrated themselves when the vessel passed by until it drew close to the Tortallan vessel where the foreign delegation disembarked and transferred to the royal barge via smaller boats.
Arram kept his eyes lowered despite his intense curiosity, listening while the herald banged his staff and introduced Prince Kaddar. The mage flicked his eyes up every time a member of the Tortallan delegation was announced applying names to faces. The Lioness surprised him: Arram knew the female knight was short, but he hadn't realised quite how small a stature she possessed. Alanna of Buzzard Rocks and Olau looked resplendent in her violet silk tunic trimmed with gold braid over matching violet breeches. Even with a brief glance the mage saw the purple fire of her Gift burning within the knight.
"Veralidaine Sarrasri. The dragon Skysong," the herald announced.
Arram gasped, unable to help himself, when he laid eyes on the pair. While the mage had been excited to see the young Immortal, it was her companion that caught his eye. As pretty as the young woman was it was the copper fire blazing out of her that really captured Arram's attention. She had wild magic! The masters only believed wild magic to be myths and fables despite his arguments when he was a student, but this young woman practically radiated with untrained power. She was the reason the animals had gathered on the docks! The mage realised this must be the girl who they had been told might be able to help His Majesty's sick birds.
"I greet you in the name of my august kinsman, the Emperor Mage of Carthak." Kaddar droned before leaning forward to examine the dragonet. "Is it a true dragon? Not a basilisk, which we've seen, but maybe a young basilisk –"
The dragonet raised herself to her hindquarters to make her own assessment of the prince with large amber eyes. She was approximately two feet long, slender, with blue-gold scales and a twelve-inch tail which she was currently using to balance. Small immature wings lay flat on her back indicating that the youngster would fly one day with silver claws marking her as one of the Immortals. Dragons were said to be the original mages and Arram desperately wanted to ask if the infant could do any magic.
"She's a true dragon, Your Highness," Veralidaine answered. "Basilisks have pebbled skin, almost like beading. Kit – her name's Skysong, but most folk call her Kitten – she has scales. Her ma was the same."
The mage was impressed by the young woman's knowledge wondering if she was a student studying the Immortals. His chances were very slim, but Arram hoped he might have an opportunity to speak with Miss Sarrasri about her dragon and her wild magic.
Kaddar frowned. "A mother? We were told there is only one dragon in the mortal realms."
"There is. Her mother was killed by – pirates." Veralidaine made the smallest of slips causing the mage wonder if she had been at the attack on Pirate's Swoop. "She gave birth to Kitten a week before she died, and I've been raising her ever since."
The prince's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Is it hard? What does she eat? Does she hunt live prey, or –"
The herald coughed politely interrupting Kaddar's tirade of questions. "Your Highness, the ambassadors have yet to greet the delegation."
Arram sympathised with the prince having a hundred questions he wished he could ask.
Kaddar leaned back in his chair, replacing his regal mask on his features. "It is my hope that, should you have idle hours during your stay with us, you will permit me to show you some of Carthak's wonders."
"I'd be honoured, Your Highness," the young woman bowed before retreating back to join her fellow delegates.
The Tortallans were introduced to the ministers and Arram found his attention torn between the young woman and the dragonet. The Immortal was currently preening for Ozorne's Chief Mage, Chioké, and Duke Etiakret while Miss Sarrasri stood at the prow of the ship speaking amiably with the prince. The royal barge sailed past the northern army who banged their shields and roared in salute while the mage tried not to cringe. The emperor had planned the route specifically to intimidate the Tortallans with Carthak's military might before the boat reached the palace.
"No, don't!" Arram raised his head when he heard the young woman cry out. "Let it be!"
The mage watched in horror as the young woman stripped off her boots and dove over the edge of the boat into the River Zekoi. He and the other occupants all rushed to the sides to watch as she swam against the current towards something small struggling in the water. Someone cried out when several crocodiles left their hiding places near the banks to surround Miss Sarrasri. Arram reached for his Gift preparing to strike the lizards when he noticed the young woman appeared to be conversing with them. Incredibly the crocodiles turned away from a perfectly good meal and swam back towards the shore.
Without thinking the mage used his black sparkling Gift to carefully float the young woman out of the river and place her gently on the deck. The Carthakis all gaped at the poor girl who stood dripping in her ruined clothing while her own people attempted to smother their laughter. Arram got the distinct impression that this must not be the first time Miss Sarrasri had done something like this. The Lioness turned to stare at the mage with her disconcerting purple gaze and Arram quickly lowered his eyes, blushing fiercely, fearing he may have overstepped. The young woman was not his responsibility and perhaps she hadn't even needed saving until he'd interfered.
"Who gave you permission to use your Gift?" Master Chioké bore down on the mage, his orange Gift surrounding his hands as he prepared to strike.
"I did," Kaddar intercepted the master giving him an imperious stare. "Or would you prefer a member of the Tortallan delegation to drown and be devoured by crocodiles?"
The master glared hatefully at the black robe mage before storming away to the other end of the ship.
"Careful," the prince whispered without glancing back and Arram nodded subtly releasing the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding.
Slips like that would get him more than a beating if he wasn't vigilant. The mage couldn't risk all their carefully laid plans for someone he didn't know. Enchanting blue-grey eyes looked up under extravagantly long lashes with a small grateful smile on her soft lips and Arram decided it had been worth the risk.