“That would be five kingdoms,” Elizabeth said in a hushed voice. “Maybe more if you count the Brownlands and control of the sea. So, we know what he wants to do in the near future. How do we stop him?”
The Slave-Master said, “For starters, we run away from Kaon as fast as we can, and as far away as needed.”
Kendra was the first to react. She stood, gathered her blanket and started to roll it, “He’s right. We can’t even spend tonight here, or he may attack us before dawn. He might use Wyverns or slaves. If not, there will be another disaster of his choosing; perhaps we’ll be overrun by fleeing rats or jumping spiders.”
The panic in her voice made her words brittle. Her actions were fluid and quick. She never once looked up to see if we packed, but we were right behind. She mounted and wheeled her horse to point a finger out into the endless desert, away from Kaon.
Before she spurred her horse, a great owl swooped overhead and landed on the ground directly in her path. It was nearly as tall as her waist. The unexpected appearance suggested the actions of the Young Mage. Nobody moved or spoke.
Kendra dismounted and approached it, as if unafraid. The owl spread its wings and started to chuckle in a human voice. That sound elevated to a screeching laugh that filled the still night air. Then it quieted and said in a clear voice no owl could duplicate, “I thought it would be you who had the nerve to face me. I’m waiting for you. Come visit me.”
Kendra twisted her hips and lashed out with her heel at the owl. It only met air. However, as her foot penetrated the image, it dissolved in a brilliant flash of orange light. She turned and climbed on her horse. Without another word, she rode directly over the location where the owl had been.
I heard Flier mutter “damn” to himself. I thought the same.
We followed suit as we all rode over where the owl had vanished as if the action would somehow damage or irritate the Young Mage. I didn’t feel as if we were running away. We were, but it was because the game was all in favor of the Young Mage. He held all the power. He’d set up his defenses and rigged the outcome.
Playing by his rules guaranteed our loss. I didn’t know what we were going to do, or when, but my determination increased with each plodding step of my horse. The darkness of the night closed in, but my nerves tingled with anticipation. The young mage had already done so much to us, including sending Emma and Anna to us in the storm he had created near the Port of Mercia, to the endless storm on the sea that we couldn’t sail past, and he’d killed several royal families as he took over their kingdoms and countless residents. What would come next couldn’t be more devastating.
Or could it?
We rode steadily away from Kaon for the rest of the night. I caught a few snatches of sleep, nearly falling from my saddle once, but we didn’t slow or stop. The Slave-Master had ordered his slaves escorted by Kaon warriors to the edge of Kaon City and released. Each of them was given a small purse of copper coins, enough to clothe and feed them for months if they were frugal. Upon their release, the warriors would race to rejoin us.
Other Kaon Warriors, four of them, fanned out in front of us. Their orders were to clear the way for us, and I felt sorry for any who stood in our way. We rode in a single file line, allowing the horses to follow those in front.
The night air in the desert was cold enough that we wore blankets over our heads like hoods and my fingers turned stiff. We welcomed the first rays of the morning sun that peeked up from our right and brought hints of the blistering day to come.
The Slave-Master directed us to a mound of boulders twice as tall as a horse and larger around than a large barn. At the base, on the sunward side, he dismounted and stretched. A single Kaon Warrior climbed to the top as our lookout. Two others used a pair of oars which were just under the surface of the sand as levers on a stone until it shifted and rolled free. Behind was a shallow cavern filled with water jars, weapons, clothing, and food.
“Oars?” I asked. “In the middle of the desert?”
He waved an arm. “No trees, no branches. But the lakes of Kondor have hundreds of boats, most equipped with quality oars, which make good pry bars.”
“Meaning you stole the oars instead of trying to make something to use as a pry bar when there are no trees in sight,” I said as I walked stiffly to watch the warriors remove supplies. The planning skills of the Slave-Master were like none I’d ever seen. We removed dozens of pieces of firewood and left more inside the cave for the next visitor. The firewood was for cooking because the day was already stifling.
The Slave-Master gathered everyone around him and said, “We sleep here today. There will be shade on the other side of the rocks this afternoon, but for now, we need food and water, and some of you need clothing suitable for the desert. There are a few swords, knives, and bows here. Take what you need. Eat. Sleep. We’ll talk later.”
Kendra hissed at me, “Who put him in charge?”
“Can you think of anyone better? At least for now?” I asked.
She turned away in a huff, and as she did, I saw the dragon flying low over the desert in our direction. For the briefest instant, I regretted the tone I’d used because it looked like she was calling the beast to attack me for my rudeness.
I was not far wrong. The dragon continued in our direction, and she shouted to the warrior on watch on top of the rock, “Hey, come on down. You can get some sleep along with the rest of us. My dragon will keep watch over everyone.”
He glanced at the Slave-Master for confirmation.
“Do it,” the Slave-Master growled, then turned to Kendra and lifted a clay mug filled with red wine. “Thank you for that consideration. He’s as sleepy as the rest of us.”
She had called the dragon hers again. She had also given an order to a Kaon Warrior even though he had looked to the Slave-Master before obeying. Nothing seemed to scare my sister. That had not been true a month ago when her greatest concern was which dress the princess would wear to a ball, or who had started a nasty rumor in Crestfallen.
While Kendra had become more forceful in her actions, Elizabeth had matured from a young royal woman to a . . . well, to a fierce, demanding, intelligent, leader. She listened to input from any of us, then made her decision, often not what we’d wanted. Her eyes spoke when her voice didn’t. Orders were obeyed.
Orders. That was the difference, and I’d finally managed to figure it out. In the past she rarely, if ever, gave a direct order. She asked for things to be done. Now, it had changed. Her confidence had grown, but also her ability to tell us what to do. In other words, she had become a leader.
With that revelation, coupled with my exhaustion, I spread out my blanket, climbed on to it, and used the other half to cover myself. Eating could wait.
I slept until late afternoon when soft voices roused me. The first thing I noticed was everyone else was awake. A small fire burned without smoke in a small recess of the rocks next to us. Food was cooking, and there were small groups of people whispering. Kendra’s dragon circled above keeping watch.
I perceived those things instantly and then a secondary rush of information flooded into me. I was hungry. Not just hungry, but almost starving. The conversations were hushed but intense. The kind that occurs when all parties are worried. It was late in the day, the time most travelers looked for places to spend the night.