Tessia glanced back and located Salia walking beside a cart laden with barrels and sacks. At once the young woman dropped her gaze to the ground, biting her lip. She looked guilty, but that didn’t make any sense. Even if Salia had been in the village, she couldn’t have prevented what happened. Ullan, in contrast, did not seem at all bothered about having run away.
Why should he? Tessia thought. He would have died too, if he’d stayed. If he hadn’t taken a horse and ridden to tell Narvelan, it would have taken longer for news of the attack to have reached us.
He was scathing in his assessment of Hanara, though, saying the man had run off to join his master. But nobody had seen Hanara return to the village with Takado, so Tessia suspected he’d done no worse than the stable boy had – fled to save himself. She wondered where he was now. With news of a Sachakan attack spreading it was unlikely anyone would take him in.
They had been climbing a gentle slope, but now the ground levelled and abruptly descended again. Dakon looked at Tessia and smiled.
“Nearly there,” he murmured.
The words were picked up by someone close behind, and relayed in a whisper back through those following. A scraping sound disturbed the night as cart drivers were forced to lower brakes to counter the steepness of the road. Tessia found herself leaning back in the saddle, her back resting against the solid shape of her father’s bag strapped securely behind her.
The slope levelled off as abruptly as it had turned steep, and the trees on either side retreated to reveal a handful of small houses, windows glowing with welcoming light. Men and women carrying lamps stood waiting to greet them. Tessia heard sighs and murmurs of relief all around.
Some of Narvelan’s people had ridden ahead to inform the village of their impending arrival, and help the villagers to prepare. Quietly and efficiently, the visitors were divided up among the houses, which were filled with makeshift beds. Animals were penned. Carts were taken into the shelter of stables.
The magicians and apprentices were taken in by the village master, Crannin, who owned a house not much bigger than Tessia’s childhood home. After a hearty but simple meal everyone retired to bed. Crannin and his wife, Nivia, gave up their bedroom for the magicians. The village master and Jayan slept on the floor of the seating room, while Tessia and the man’s wife shared the children’s bedroom. She saw no sign of the children. Perhaps they were being cared for by a neighbour.
Though tired, Tessia did not fall asleep for a long time. She lay awake listening to the breathing of the woman sleeping nearby and thinking about all that had happened since she had visited Dakon’s Residence on her own and unwittingly used magic to fend off Takado.
If she hadn’t slipped away, hoping to impress her father, would she have discovered her ability anyway? Lord Dakon believed so. But maybe it wouldn’t have happened until much later. Maybe she would have still been in the village when Takado attacked. Maybe she would be dead.
And from Tiken’s description, probably taken and used by Takado or one of his allies beforehand. But I guess it’s likely I’d have reacted the same way, and used magic to defend myself. Only he wouldn’t have left me alive after using magic against him, and I’d have been too weak and unschooled to save myself.
If she hadn’t discovered her magic when she had, it was likely she would be dead now along with her parents. Everyone would be dead anyway, whether she had stayed behind when Dakon left for the city or not.
Then she considered what might have happened if Dakon hadn’t left. Tiken hadn’t been sure how many magicians had attacked Mandryn, but there had been more than Takado. He’d run away to hide after seeing only two of them, but he was sure there had been more than that.
Dakon was just one magician. Two Sachakan magicians could have defeated him easily, if they’d prepared themselves by storing lots of power from their slaves. Once he was dead Takado and his allies would have gone on to slaughter the villagers anyway. She and her family would still be dead.
She had to be thankful, though bitterly, that the attack had occurred while she was away. No other scenario she could think of would have allowed her to survive the attack. And no scenario could have saved her parents.
Unless, of course, Lord Dakon and a few other magicians had learned of the attack in time to prepare a defence against it. But there was no point imagining that scenario. Nobody could see into the future. Not even magicians.
Once she fell asleep she slept deeply, and when she woke Crannin’s wife was gone and the smell of cooking filled the house. A dim light suggested early morning. Her stomach grumbled. A basin of water lay on the floor a few steps away, and a clean dress, and she felt a surge of relief and gratitude. Washed and draped in the oversized dress, she bound her hair back and followed the cooking smells to the kitchen.
She found Nivia there assisting a servant to prepare a meal. The pair wouldn’t let her help them, but asked questions about what had happened in Mandryn. Tessia skipped over the more gruesome details, instead telling of Narvelan’s mental call, the subsequent gruelling ride, and the state of the village when they got there.
“What do you think the magicians’ll do?” the servant woman asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” Tessia admitted. “Kill the Sachakans, most likely. I guess they have to find them, and there’ll be a fight.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “Will you be fighting?”
Tessia considered. “Not exactly, but I’ll probably be there. Lord Dakon is bound to be fighting, and he’ll need Jayan and me to add to his strength. We can’t let ourselves be separated from—”
She stopped as she heard a shout outside. Nivia dropped the knife she had been chopping vegetables with, wiped her hands and hurried out of the room. Tessia followed her to the front door. The woman opened it a crack and peered outside, then pulled it wide open and stepped outside. Tessia could now see several men on horseback entering the village. Kyralians, from the look of them. And by their clothing and manner she guessed these were the magicians come to help them.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor behind them, then Dakon, Werrin and Narvelan pushed past Tessia and Nivia, stepped outside and strode towards the newcomers.
“They’re here, are they?”
Tessia turned to see Jayan emerging from the seating room, running hands through dishevelled hair. He grimaced and began to rub a shoulder.
“I expect so,” Tessia replied. “Do you recognise them?”
She stepped back as he moved to the door.
“Ah. Lord Prinan, Lord Bolvin, Lord Ardalen and Lord Sudin. And their apprentices, by the looks of it. And a servant each.”
Peering over his shoulder, she saw the men dismount. The more plainly dressed riders immediately took hold of the horses’ leads. The young men hung back as their masters greeted Dakon, Werrin and Narvelan.
“Well, shall we meet our new allies?” Jayan asked. He didn’t wait for an answer, but stepped outside and strolled towards the group.
Tessia reluctantly followed. Suddenly she was all too aware how different she was. A woman among all these men. A natural from a humble background among rich young men chosen from powerful families. A beginner among the well trained. It was too easy to imagine them all being like Jayan.
The magicians barely glanced at her and Jayan, but the apprentices eyed Jayan with interest. A few gave her a puzzled look, then seemed to dismiss her. It was not until the magicians had finished their greetings that Dakon paused to introduce her and Jayan. All looked at her in surprise.