“Offhand, I’d say he is in that direction,” Neph said sarcastically, pointing a finger toward the flames. “When Finn is involved it’s always easiest just to look for dead people or fighting and you will find him.”
“Thanks Neph,” she muttered sourly and heard excited whispers ripple through the crowd. Turning back, she saw Sovann standing by the portal stone and casting a spell. All eyes in the crowd were on him as he worked the magic. He was back in his own form now Jala realized with relief. The people crowded closer to him, their attention divided between his obvious use of magic before them, and the magic being used in the inner city.
Wisp stepped up beside the mage as he closed his eyes in concentration. She raised her hands to silence the people. Her green eyes were shining like a cat’s in the lantern glow. “The Barrier is down for now, but there is no way of telling how long it will stay down. If you wish freedom and safety step through this portal Sovann is creating. It will take you out of the city. The land there does not look like much now but I promise you it will very soon,” she said loudly in a voice pitched to carry across the square.
“That should have been me speaking with them,” Jala muttered, feeling guilty that she hadn’t moved and Wisp had been forced to.
“Really, did you not know what was coming?” Neph asked.
“Well no, not until he began the spell,” Jala replied. A tug on her sleeve brought her attention away from Wisp and she looked down to see a small ragged boy standing before her. He was the typical street orphan with unkempt dark hair and eyes that seemed too large for his small face. “Yes?” she asked with a smile, trying to reassure him. Most of the orphans were terrified of Lords and Ladies and she was surprised that this one had approached her at all.
With a grubby hand he placed a small leather pouch in her hand and backed away. She looked from him down to the parcel curiously and when she looked back up the child was gone. Frowning, she studied the bag more closely. It was pale grey and made of a leather so fine it was like silk to the touch. Small black leaves were embroidered along its sides.
“It could be a trap,” Neph warned, staring at the bag with suspicion.
She nodded slowly and cast a quick spell to seek harmful magic on it. Satisfied that there were no magical traps waiting for her she untied it and dumped its contents into her hand. A single vial fell out of it. It was filled with a gold liquid and sealed with wax, and was all too familiar. As long as I hold the vial of blood Finn Sovaesh shall live, Hemlock’s words rang in her mind so loudly, it was as if he stood beside her.
“Oh Fortune, no,” she gasped, clutching the vial in her hand.
“What?” Neph asked, his confusion written clearly on his face. “Jala, what is that and what is going on?” he demanded, trying to grab her before she could turn.
“I don’t have time to explain, Neph. Finn is in serious danger. For once it’s not just my paranoia,” she called over she shoulder, not slowing her steps in the least.
“What?” Neph asked, his tone bewildered. No doubt she had confused him. She knew he would figure out the vial soon enough when he actually bent his mind to it and she didn’t have time for the lecture that would result from it.
More explosions ripped through the inner city and her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. By the sounds of it there was a war raging beyond her walls and in the midst of it was Finn. She gripped the vial tighter, walking quickly for the stables. As long as she could still feel the link between them, Finn lived.
She would have used magical transport if she dared. That wasn’t an option, however, with no way of knowing which parts of the inner city were under attack. If she chose her destination poorly she could end up in the middle of a battle, or worse on the end of a sword. The idea of contacting Finn mentally had been tempting as well, but if he was in a delicate situation right now, the distraction could mean his life.
The smell of clean straw and horses greeted her as she opened the door to the stable. It appeared to be empty, aside from the shuffling of horses. Pausing in the darkened entrance, she let her eyes adjust before entering fully. With the threat of the Blights she had learned to use caution whenever alone. Once she was certain nothing more than horses awaited inside she moved quickly to her gelding’s stall and started to lead him out.
“Not him, you look as though you are in a hurry. He is steady but he isn’t fast,” Valor said as he moved past her. So much for my sense of caution, she mused sourly. She hadn’t even heard him approaching, and he was wearing armor. Without asking why she wanted a fast horse, he led his chestnut mare from her stall. He took her saddle from its rack calmly and placed it on the mare’s back. “I’ll take Finn’s grey and you can explain what we are doing once we are finished here,” he said as he handed her the bridle for the mare.
He turned away from her and went to the grey mare’s stall leaving her staring after him blankly. She hadn’t realized Valor had been paying attention to anything tonight. From what she had seen of him, he had been lost in thought for most of the evening. The grey danced at the end of her tether as he led her out of the stall. The sounds of the distant explosions already had the mare on edge.
“That isn’t Finn outside,” she began as she recovered.
“It’s Sovann,” Valor said, cutting in with no surprise in his voice at all. “Finn I would guess is at the middle of the attack in the inner city. That really isn’t unusual for him. My question is why are we riding into that mess? You know he can take care of himself.” He spoke quietly with no hint of what emotion he was feeling.