That could be very useful, eventually. He felt Ghassan begin to rage again, but he only smiled briefly.
“I will find us a place,” Khalidah called.
He headed into the foothills. Quickly enough, he spotted one taller hill on the right that would block the sun once it rose ... for a while.
“Here!” he called back.
Soon, the others were busy setting up tents and tending to Wynn—even the aging elf. As they worked, Khalidah studied all of their belongings and supplies as if searching for something.
“Our water is low,” he said, and Leesil looked up for an instant. “If I can find a hidden well, I will return for assistance.”
No one questioned this, as all were too concerned for the sage, and so he slipped away. But Khalidah only searched for a place out of their sight, in case someone followed him too soon. Alone again, he crouched and prepared for another “peek” at Chane and Chap’s position.
The pebble he had given Chane was common knowledge to all involved. It had been meant to help them all find one another again. However, “finding” Chane was what the pebble could do for him. And he had his own vested interest in the success of the vampire and gray majay-hì.
Beyond gathering the orbs through these fortunate and unwitting companions, he had his own search to complete. His first goal was to learn where Beloved awakened. Until that was confirmed, along with the gathering of the orbs, he needed to foster Magiere’s belief that all “anchors” were necessary to face their “Ancient Enemy.” The others would follow her, willingly or not.
But he—not they, or even Magiere—would be the one to finish Beloved.
In ancient times, he had known the whereabouts of Beloved’s hiding place to the far east. That had been a torturous thousand years ago, perhaps more, and the exact details had long since faded from memory. For now, he did not want Magiere finding such a place until all five orbs were present.
Khalidah blinked, and noted the much lighter sky. He had lingered too long and turned to his reason for slipping away. Closing his eyes, he blanked out all thoughts but one.
The pebble.
There was no sensation of crossing great distances; he instantly touched it with his emptied mind. Space and time meant nothing, and it was almost as if he were there ...
Everything suddenly appeared darker than where he had settled in the foothills.
He was standing nearby but unseen next to Chane, though Chane was running.
A sled drawn by dogs raced through the near dark and tall trees and over snow-crusted earth. Chap was barely visible, running on the sled’s far side. A dark-skinned man bulked up with heavy furs ran behind the sled, gripping its reins and occasionally shouting to the dogs in a strange, awkward language.
At first, Khalidah thought they were in search of the two orbs hidden in the wastes.
“Chap!” Chane tried to shout in his rasping, broken voice. “Find a clearing ... quickly.”
The majay-hì bolted ahead into the trees, distracting Khalidah for an instant.
“We stop,” Chane added. “Set camp fast!”
Khalidah glanced aside in time to see the sled driver nod. Then he noticed the faint lightening of the darkness. Dawn would be coming, though later than here where his body sat among the foothills.
Then he realized the sled was aimed westward rather than inland.
It was burdened with three chests, as expected, but as he looked closer, two had locks on their latches. The third was not locked.
Hope expanded within Khalidah, for two out of three to be locked implied only one thing.
Chane and Chap had already recovered the orbs of Water and Fire. They were returning to the coast—and in their haste, pushing the limit of Chane’s safety against the dawn.
Amid relief—and hesitation—Khalidah opened his eyes to dawn in the foothills of the Sky-Cutter Range. He would check on the undead and the dog again in several days, but for now he sat there on the edge of ecstasy.
To kill a god was to become a god ... at least in the eyes of one’s inferiors.
Without warning, a hissing voice rose in his thoughts and eradicated his joy.
My servant.
It had been so long since he had heard it that he froze, unable to answer immediately.
Yes, my Beloved?
You guard the dhampir as instructed?
Khalidah weighed his answer carefully in keeping his thoughts shielded. He knew that his god believed him to be bringing the child of its making—Magiere—for some purpose only it knew. As of yet, though, Khalidah had not uncovered that purpose, and Beloved had not been forthcoming on precisely where to bring her.
Yes, she is in my company, Beloved. He wavered, uncertain, and then thought a sliver of truth was the best lie. I have two of the anchors in my possession. Three are still being gathered. I thought to wait until all five were in my possession before asking where to bring all with the dhampir to you.
Khalidah lingered, waiting for a response, and ...
That is acceptable, servant.
Yes, Beloved, as is my joy in serving my god.
No sooner had those carefully contrite words passed through his thoughts than he heard one final command.
See that you do not fail ... again ... as in Bäalâle.
Khalidah swallowed down spite with fear as silence filled his mind. He hated groveling to this betrayer but comforted himself in knowing he would have his revenge. Briefly touching the chain around his neck, he wondered about contacting Sau’ilahk for a location report, but he had already been gone for too long and stood up to return to the camp.
When he rounded the tall hill, a shadow fell across his path.
Khalidah looked upslope as Brot’an descended to face him. The elder elf studied him.
“You were gone so long, we grew concerned,” Brot’an said.
Khalidah kept his expression passive. Leesil was the one who accompanied him on water raids, and he knew the half-blood was beginning to grow suspicious as to why they had not been spotted, let alone caught, even once. Of course, Khalidah had used his sorcery to hide them from anyone’s awareness, and his own power exceeded that of his internal captive, Ghassan il’Sänke.
Might Leesil have mentioned his suspicions to Brot’an?
“I am safe, as you see,” Khalidah said with a warm smile. “I saw no one else in my search.”
“Did you find water?”
“I fear not. Is Wynn better?”
Brot’an did not answer at first. “She is awake and coherent.”
Khalidah brushed past, eager to end this conversation. “Then let us return.”
He led the way, but even more than before, he felt a need to know the assassin’s true agenda here.
Several evenings later in White Hut, Chap sat alone outside the tent on the fringe of the settlement. Inside, Chane sat alone with all three chests, two containing orbs. They had been unsuccessful in attaining passage south, for no new ship had arrived ... until now.
Chap lingered in watching an arriving vessel until certain it had anchored and longboats were headed out to exchange cargo. Then he whirled, nosed through the tent’s flap, and snatched up the talking hide in his teeth. Chane had his full attention before he even dropped the hide, clawed it open, and began pawing out the news.
Chane ducked out of the tent to take a look before Chap finished.
Chap followed and had barely stepped outside when Chane rushed back into the tent to begin their preparations for departure. It did not take long.
“I need to hire a few boys to help carry the chests,” he said.