her.
The human was in the cage built for such purposes, awake and watching his captors somewhat fearfully. Likely he knew his fate.
Thayla walked to the cage and smiled at the young captive. “Hungry?” she asked.
He did not respond.
“Do not worry, you shall be well fed. The Moon Festival is but four days hence, and until then, you shall have as much as you can eat. Would that we had captured you a moon or so past, though. Four days is hardly enough time to add much to your small frame.”
She smiled again, and took a small pleasure as the boy shuddered. He knows, well enough.
But as Thayla turned away in a thin rustle of silk, a thought occurred to her. Why were the fishmen crossing her territory? They must have come from the grove of the Tree Folk, else how had they come by one of them as a captive?
The Queen of the Pili walked toward the king and Stal.
“Pardon, great warrior, but did the fishmen say what business they had with the Tree Folk?”
Stal looked at her, his gaze quickly but unobtrusively traversing her lush body. Rayk appeared to take no notice, but Thayla certainly did. He was hungry for her.
“No, my queen, they did not speak of this.”
“What does it matter to us what the fishmen do?” Rayk interjected.
“Concerning the Tree Folk and certain plans you and I have discussed, my lord king, everything matters.”
“Ask the boy,” Rayk said. He laughed. “Perhaps he knows the minds of the fishmen.”
It was meant as a joke, but Thayla spun, her silk flaring out to reveal her nude body under it to Stal, exactly as she intended. “I shall.”
At the cage, she said, “Harken, boy. What do you know of the fishmen’s business at your grove?”
The boy crouched at the far side of the cage, silent.
“Speak.”
He said nothing.
Thayla considered this. Were you in his place, would you say anything, knowing your immediate future lay in a cooking pot as a meal for your captors? Decidedly not.
“Very well. Speak and you shall have your freedom.”
Behind her, Rayk uttered a short curse and moved toward his queen. “Hold, Thayla!”
She waved at him impatiently. “Silence, husband.”
The boy looked at the king, then back at Thayla. “Is this true? If I tell you, you shall let me go?”
“Upon the grave of my mother I so swear,” Thayla said.
The boy blinked and appeared to think’ about it for a second. Then he said, “They stole the Seed,” he said. “I saw one of them take it. I tried to follow him, but I was caught.”
Thayla stared at the boy. The Seed. He must mean the Talisman of the Forest. How could it be possible that the fishmen could do what the Pili had failed to do for so long? “By the Great Dragon! Is this true?”
“Yes, mistress.”
Thayla turned to glare at Stal. “You fool! You allowed the fishmen to pass carrying a great treasure!”
“Thayla-” Rayk began.
She turned her glare upon him but did not speak.
Rayk did not need her prompting, however. To Stal he said, “Assemble your troop. Full strength, take enough to offset the fishmen’s numbers. I shall personally lead them after the fishmen. With luck, we can catch them before they attain the great lake.” He turned toward Thayla as Stal scurried from the rocky chamber.
“You had better catch them,” Thayla said. “If the magician of the lake gets his hands on that talisman, it is lost to us for certain.”
“Mistress,” came the boy’s voice from the cage. “Did you forget your promise to free me?”
Thayla did not even bother to look at him when she spoke. “Do not be stupid, boy. You are not going anywhere.”
“You swore an oath!”
“I lied. Take it up with your god when you see him. In four days.”
Kleg had anticipated a quiet journey, but he had not figured on something no selkie had ever been able to predict: the weather.
Shortly after they left the desert behind and reached the foothills, a storm began brewing. Kleg could feel the moisture in the air and it was
The human was in the cage built for such purposes, awake and watching his captors somewhat fearfully. Likely he knew his fate.
Thayla walked to the cage and smiled at the young captive. “Hungry?” she asked.
He did not respond.
“Do not worry, you shall be well fed. The Moon Festival is but four days hence, and until then, you shall have as much as you can eat. Would that we had captured you a moon or so past, though. Four days is hardly enough time to add much to your small frame.”
She smiled again, and took a small pleasure as the boy shuddered. He knows, well enough.
But as Thayla turned away in a thin rustle of silk, a thought occurred to her. Why were the fishmen crossing her territory? They must have come from the grove of the Tree Folk, else how had they come by one of them as a captive?
The Queen of the Pili walked toward the king and Stal.
“Pardon, great warrior, but did the fishmen say what business they had with the Tree Folk?”
Stal looked at her, his gaze quickly but unobtrusively traversing her lush body. Rayk appeared to take no notice, but Thayla certainly did. He was hungry for her.
“No, my queen, they did not speak of this.”
“What does it matter to us what the fishmen do?” Rayk interjected.
“Concerning the Tree Folk and certain plans you and I have discussed, my lord king, everything matters.”
“Ask the boy,” Rayk said. He laughed. “Perhaps he knows the minds of the fishmen.”
It was meant as a joke, but Thayla spun, her silk flaring out to reveal her nude body under it to Stal, exactly as she intended. “I shall.”
At the cage, she said, “Harken, boy. What do you know of the fishmen’s business at your grove?”
The boy crouched at the far side of the cage, silent.
“Speak.”
He said nothing.
Thayla considered this. Were you in his place, would you say anything, knowing your immediate future lay in a cooking pot as a meal for your captors? Decidedly not.
“Very well. Speak and you shall have your freedom.”
Behind her, Rayk uttered a short curse and moved toward his queen. “Hold, Thayla!”
She waved at him impatiently. “Silence, husband.”
The boy looked at the king, then back at Thayla. “Is this true? If I tell you, you shall let me go?”
“Upon the grave of my mother I so swear,” Thayla said.
The boy blinked and appeared to think’ about it for a second. Then he said, “They stole the Seed,” he said. “I saw one of them take it. I tried to follow him, but I was caught.”
Thayla stared at the boy. The Seed. He must mean the Talisman of the Forest. How could it be possible that the fishmen could do what the Pili had failed to do for so long? “By the Great Dragon! Is this true?”
“Yes, mistress.”
Thayla turned to glare at Stal. “You fool! You allowed the fishmen to pass carrying a great treasure!”
“Thayla-” Rayk began.
She turned her glare upon him but did not speak.
Rayk did not need her prompting, however. To Stal he said, “Assemble your troop. Full strength, take enough to offset the fishmen’s numbers. I shall personally lead them after the fishmen. With luck, we can catch them before they attain the great lake.” He turned toward Thayla as Stal scurried from the rocky chamber.
“You had better catch them,” Thayla said. “If the magician of the lake gets his hands on that talisman, it is lost to us for certain.”
“Mistress,” came the boy’s voice from the cage. “Did you forget your promise to free me?”
Thayla did not even bother to look at him when she spoke. “Do not be stupid, boy. You are not going anywhere.”
“You swore an oath!”
“I lied. Take it up with your god when you see him. In four days.”
Kleg had anticipated a quiet journey, but he had not figured on something no selkie had ever been able to predict: the weather.
Shortly after they left the desert behind and reached the foothills, a storm began brewing. Kleg could feel the moisture in the air and it was
Similar Books
