Rieser considered this for a moment, then shrugged. “It’s madness to take the ya’shel into Plenimar, and unthinkable to take the tayan’gil. Your ‘alchemist’ may be dead, but there could be others who know what Sebrahn is, and seek to own him.”
“Well, we can’t really leave him just anywhere. He won’t be parted from—” Seregil paused, struck by a sudden realization. Sebrahn hadn’t been with them when they’d awakened in that ruined hut. And he’d tried to get free and find the other rhekaro—or tayan’gil—every time they got close to the masked bastards. Which meant—
“As you see, you can leave Sebrahn with Hâzadriën,” Rieser said with a knowing look.
“Really?” A guilty hope sprang up in Seregil’s heart, one he quickly quashed. “Even if that’s so, why would we leave Sebrahn here? What’s to stop you from taking him away the minute we’re out of sight?”
“Because I will go with you to Plenimar. My people will not go home without me.”
Seregil stared at him in surprise. “And how is that any less insane than taking a half-breed? You’re the pure article.”
“I can take care of myself, Bôkthersa. I will leave you and your talímenios alive if—”
“And Micum.”
“And the Tírfaie, if you will give me the books once you have them.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes. If what you say is true, then without the book, they cannot be made. That is the mission of the Ebrados, to keep that from happening.”
“Ebrados?” He’d never heard that word before, but the parts were as archaic as tayan. “‘White road riders’?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means a number of things, none of which are any concern of yours. Now, do you accept my bargain or not?”
“I’ll have to speak to the others. And assuming that we do get the book and make it back, what about Sebrahn?”
Rieser regarded him impassively.
“Right.” Seregil stole a look back at Alec, who stood with Micum, watching them intently. “Alec will never agree.”
“We will see, when the time comes. But I stand by my pledge for your safety if you keep your part of the bargain. You have my word.”
“And what is that worth, when you give it to a stranger?”
The older man’s mouth twitched in what was in no way a smile. “You don’t want ’faie blood on your hands. Neither do I.”
“I need to speak with my friends.”
“Be sure to make it clear that your only other option is to stay where you are and die of cold and thirst. We can outwait you and we will not weep for any of you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Without thinking, he made Rieser a slight bow, and was amply repaid by the surprise on the other man’s face as he returned it.
He turned over all the things Rieser had said as he walked the short distance back to the others, all the while thinking of how peaceful Sebrahn looked in the arms of the rhekaro called Hâzadriën—
Hâzadriën? Seregil looked back over his shoulder at the tall rhekaro. Rieser spoke of it as “he,” but was it just his imagination that the face could just as easily be that of a woman? No, it wasn’t possible.
“Why do they still have Sebrahn?” Alec asked.
“The only reason we’re still alive is that we still have you, and that’s not a very strong guarantee, seeing as how they came all the way down here to finish the job they started the day your mother died.” Alec’s stricken look made Seregil hate himself, but there was no time for coddling now. “They have us in a narrow place, literally. Look around. Even if we could get past them, or over these trees without them catching us, how far are we going to get with no horses, no weapons, no food—”
“What else are we supposed to do?”
“He’s offered us a trade. He goes with us to steal Yhakobin’s book, and we leave Sebrahn here as a ransom while we’re gone.”
Alec’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re not serious?”
“It will make our task considerably easier, Alec. Look at him.” There was more silver showing in Sebrahn’s hair this morning. “Do you really want to risk having him fall into the hands of another alchemist?”
“No—” Alec gazed up the trail at Sebrahn, frowning at dark memories. “But even if we wanted to, how could we leave him? He’ll have another of his fits.”
“They flock to their own kind. He’s happy with Hâzadriën. Didn’t you notice that he wasn’t there after we were captured?”
“But he’ll starve!”
“If Rieser is telling us the truth, he doesn’t need to eat that often.”
Alec’s blue eyes were accusing now. “You want to leave him, don’t you? You want to be rid of him!”
Seregil had made a vow long ago never to lie to Alec, and he’d never broken it. For that reason, he said nothing, knowing his silence would be damning enough. Alec turned away, but Seregil could read the set of his shoulders as well as if he could see his face.
All I care about is you, talí! And Micum. If Sebrahn is the price of your lives …
“And this man will go with us, just like that?” asked Micum, looking skeptical. “What’s to keep us from slitting his throat a mile down the road and circling back for Sebrahn?”
Seregil shrugged. “Atui, Micum. But if he breaks it first, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
“What is your answer, Bôkthersa?” Rieser called.
“A moment, please!”
Seregil went to Alec. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, he looked sidelong at the younger man and whispered, “I don’t see another way right now, but it’s up to you.”
“You want this?”
“I want to get us out of here alive. I want to get in and out of Plenimar without attracting attention or having you and Sebrahn fall into the hands of another alchemist, or worse. Leaving Sebrahn here makes sense on both accounts.”
“Do you really believe that his people won’t just leave?”
“I don’t know, but we have time between here and Ero to figure that out. Right now, I don’t see that we have much choice except to go along with him.”
Alec rubbed at his eyes and took a deep breath. “All right. But if I decide I don’t trust him, then we go back to our original plan.”
“Agreed. Micum?”
The other man shrugged. “I’m just a Tír along for the ride. But I don’t think his precious honor holds him to keeping his word to the likes of me.”
“I have his assurance on that, too. So, we’re all agreed?”
The others nodded. Together they walked back up the trail to where Rieser was waiting.
“Trust me, talí,” Seregil whispered to Alec, but the younger man said nothing, keeping his gaze fixed on Sebrahn.
“What have you decided?” asked Rieser.
“We need a show of good faith,” said Seregil.
“Do you?” The grim-faced bastard sounded amused.
“We want our weapons and gear back.”
“And our own horses,” added Micum.
“Gear and horses for now. We’ll see about the weapons later.”
“And Sebrahn rides with me,” said Alec.
“No.”
“We’re supposed to trust you, but you don’t trust us?” Alec shouted. “Sebrahn rides with me, or you can all go to the crows!”
“You can carry him, and walk,” Rieser countered.
“Fine!”
“I’ll take turns with you, and so will Seregil,” said Micum.
“Then it’s settled.” Seregil extended a hand to Rieser. The man clasped it grudgingly, and the deal was struck.
So it was that Alec and the others came to be sitting around a morning campfire with Rieser, the two rhekaros, the witch Turmay, and half a dozen Ebrados, sharing a tense, silent breakfast while Naba and the rest were at work on the trail below, dragging the fallen trees aside. Alec’s dried venison and bread were like leather and ashes in his mouth as he thought of leaving Sebrahn with strangers, even if the rhekaro didn’t care. That hurt a bit, too. More than a bit.