Dreams of Fire and Gods 2: Fire by James Erich Read Free Book Online

marked him as a member of the priest class. Donegh noted that, for all his coddled, city-bred ineptitude the priest displayed at surviving in the wilderness, he was muscular and appeared physically capable. Perhaps some time on the road would do him good.
    Gednon’s eyes were closed when Donegh approached, which annoyed the assassin. The caedan had performed his morning prayers on the boat, and had even forced them to stop for several moments in the mist-shrouded swamp for his midday prayers while Donegh stood guard. Now it was obvious the priest was again engrossed in prayer, but he could have waited until Donegh had returned. The man needed to learn caution.
    “I feel better already!” Gednon exclaimed cheerfully when he opened his eyes to see Donegh dropping the branches about ten feet from the fire. “It’s amazing how a warm fire can lift the spirits.”
Donegh merely grunted.
    “I don’t suppose you have any idea how far we still have to go?” the priest asked him.
“Didn’t you say you’d been this way before?”
    Gednon waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, that was ages ago. I scarcely remember it.”
    Donegh knew the way ahead through the vision he shared with the ömem . It would be about a day of walking through the forest, hopefully unmolested, before they arrived at the imperial camp. He didn’t want to appear too certain, however. So he shrugged and said, “I’ve been told that Harleh is about two days’ travel from Mivikh, and crossing Harleh plain can take half a day. So I’d say we have about a day’s walk to get through the forest.”
    Gednon made a sour face. “May the gods grant us an easy journey.”
S
AEL hadn’t seen Geilin all day, and he was growing concerned. If the Taaweh were with the wizard, they were no doubt caring for him, regardless of whatever difficulty he might be going through when the link to the Stronni was severed. But his worry finally led him to break away from his other duties and check on his old master in the vönan ’s wing of the keep.
    What he found was eerily reminiscent of a deathwatch. All the vönan in Harleh were gathered in the passage outside the closed door of Geilin’s quarters, held back by a lone guard. When they saw Sael approaching, several of the vönan rushed forward to meet him.
    “Your Lordship!” a short man with a bit of a paunch exclaimed, stepping to the fore. Sael couldn’t be sure, but he believed the man was named Vosik. “Master Geilin is locked in his chambers, held prisoner as far as we can tell, by these… sorcerers that have infiltrated our valley!”
    “As I understand it… Vosik, is it?” The short man nodded and
remembered his position long enough to bow this time.
    “As I understand it,” Sael continued, “Master Geilin is working with the Taaweh to find a solution to the malady afflicting our mages.”
    “Your Lordship, if I may be so bold, the only thing ‘afflicting’ the vönan of Harleh is the—” He waved a hand in the air as he struggled to recall the word. “—‘Taaweh’ themselves!”
    There was certainly some truth to that. Yet Sael had known when he made the decision to ally himself and the citykeep with the Taaweh that there would be no turning back. The Stronni were not known to be forgiving of those who disobeyed them. So there was little point in lamenting what could not be changed. If any help were to come, it would have to come from the Taaweh.
Sael turned to the guard at the door and asked, “What are your orders?”
    The guard had come sharply to attention the moment Sael entered the corridor, and now the man saluted. “Your Lordship! Master Geilin insists that no one be permitted to enter.”
“Not even me?”
     
The guard looked embarrassed. “Your Lordship is the exception, of course.”
     
“Then please let me pass.”
    The guard bowed and opened the door, stepping into the room and announcing, “His Lordship, Sael dönz Menaük!” as he held the door for Sael to enter. Sael