Storm Glass g-1 Page 18

  I suppressed a grin. Aydan would have a difficult time chasing Leda away, and he might even enjoy her company in time. When we were confident she could handle the glassmaker’s demands, Ulrick and I left the workshop to spend the afternoon talking with suppliers.

  Ulrick and I had ordered all the glass equipment we could from the Citadel’s craftsmen. The next step would require a trip to Booruby to purchase a kiln.

  Ulrick had been my constant companion these past days. I already missed him and I hadn’t even finished packing. My saddlebags bulged with supplies and with the small orb I had taken from Sir and his group. I wanted to show my father the glass spiders. Zitora had been too busy for us to discuss the strange magical incident further, and I wanted to wait until the glass shop at the Keep was finished to experiment with magic. It seemed safer.

  I packed the spiders in a leather bag and left the orb empty just in case I was ambushed on my way home, hoping I would be able to defend myself.

  Zitora promised to assign an escort for me, but couldn’t say who it would be. At dawn the next morning, I arrived at the stables. Unease over the trip rippled in my stomach until I spotted my companion. Leif.

  He adjusted the straps on Rusalka’s saddle. “How’s my favorite glass wizard this morning?” he asked.

  I laughed. He said the same thing to me every time I saw him. Quartz poked her head out of her stall and I hurried to get her ready for travel.

  “What did Zitora bribe you with to babysit me?” I asked.

  It was his turn to chuckle. “I volunteered once I heard where you’re going.”

  “You’re just using me to get to my sister.”

  “Of course. Otherwise I would hate you—you get way too much attention around here. And you know me, I…”

  “Like to be in the middle of things, getting in the way,” I teased.

  He pretended to be hurt. “Perhaps I should let one of those boring guards accompany you.”

  “As long as he is handsome. I hear Mara is rather lonely.”

  He gave me a rueful grin. “Touché.”

  I threaded my new sheath through Quartz’s saddle. While traveling on horseback, I would save time by having my sais on each side of the saddle instead of fumbling for them through my cloak. The need for the weapons dampened my playful mood.

  “Did Zitora tell you why I needed a companion?” I asked Leif.

  He mounted Rusalka and nodded.

  “There could be five of them trying to get to me.”

  “I hope I’ll sense them before we stumble into an ambush, and I’ve learned a few things from Valek.” His hand rested on the hilt of his sword. A machete also hung from his belt. “And a few magical defenses from Yelena.”

  Yelena’s name reminded me of the discussion the Masters had about the Moon Clan’s troubles. “Why aren’t you with your sister?”

  “Politics.” He said the word as if it tasted rancid. “I’ve had my fill. Besides, she has plenty of help. Master Jewelrose is with her and I’m sure Valek will appear if she gets into trouble.” He huffed in amusement. “When she gets into trouble. Actually I’m looking forward to the trip. It’ll be like a vacation for me.”

  “Leif, those men could—”

  “Don’t worry. The road to Booruby hugs the western border of the Avibian Plains. If we’re outnumbered, we can detour into the plains. No shame in outrunning the bad guys.”

  “Outrunning?”

  “Have you taken Quartz into the plains yet?”

  “No.”

  Leif grinned. “Then you’re in for a treat. These Sandseed-bred horses fly like the wind in the plains.”

  Our first day on the road passed without incident. With only a few weeks left of the cooling season, the temperatures hovered near freezing during the day and dropped at night. Since Booruby was five days south of the Citadel, it would be a little warmer.

  There weren’t many towns along the main road. Farm fields dominated the landscape to the west and the plains stretched to the east.

  We stopped for the night in a roadside shelter. A crude wooden building with bare bunks, a fireplace and a large, fenced pen for the horses, it could house up to twenty people. Six fellow travelers were already inside. A fire blazed in the hearth. Lanterns were also lit outside the building to light the way for any late-night travelers.

  Leif cooked our dinner, while I tended the horses. As we ate, Leif reminisced over the various meals he had eaten at my house.

  “Do you think your mother will tell me the recipe for her bread pudding?” he asked.

  “I’m beginning to wonder if your interest in Mara is just for my mother’s cooking.”

  He faked being insulted, then said, “Oh no, I love Mara’s cooking, too.”

  I swatted him on the shoulder.

  After we settled in our bunks, I listened to the quiet murmur of the others, the popping of the fire and the rustling of horses, straining to hear any sounds out of the ordinary. I touched my sais, checking they were within reach. “Leif?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Should we take turns keeping watch?”

  “No. Rusalka will whinny if someone approaches the shelter.”

  “What if you don’t hear it?”

  “There’s no sleeping through that racket. And if I don’t come out to see what the matter is, she’ll break the door down trying to come inside.”

  “What if the person is disguised by magic?”

  “Magic fools the eyes, not the nose. She’ll smell a…wrongness. I’ll smell it, too. It’s hard to explain.” He paused. “Opal, go to sleep. You’re safe here.”

  “Thank you for coming with me.”

  “Anytime.”

  Leif was right about Rusalka. The high-pitched and loud neighing woke everyone in the shelter. Leif bolted from his bunk with his sword in one hand and his machete in the other. I followed, holding my sais.

  The outside lanterns cast a weak yellow light. My relief at seeing the cause of the trouble didn’t last long. A pack of wild dogs surrounded the horses. Low growls emanated from bared teeth as they circled Quartz and Rusalka. From time to time, one would brave the horses’ hooves and dash in to bite a leg.

  Leif shouted and waved his sword, but there were a dozen black dogs. They were smart enough to stay out of range of his weapons. Too smart, in fact. The dogs widened their circle to include Leif, moving as if one intelligence directed them.

  “Open the gate so the horses can get out,” Leif called.

  I rushed to comply. When the way was clear, he told the horses to go to the plains where they could outdistance the dogs. A good plan, except Rusalka wasn’t going to leave without Leif.

  The other travelers joined me by the fence.

  “Rocks,” one man yelled.

  We scurried around, finding and throwing rocks at the dogs. My aim was horrible, so I passed my rocks to the man.

  Eventually, we drove the dogs off. Two lay dead, kicked and killed by the horses. Leif checked the horses for injuries, while I dragged the dogs’ bodies out of the enclosure. The man helped and the others kept watch, still clutching their rocks.

  I knelt beside one dog. Its clean coat was free of fleas. I checked the other. Well fed. These weren’t wild dogs. I reviewed their behavior during the attack. Yelena could communicate with horses. If the pack’s owner was a magician, perhaps he directed the dogs’ actions. He might try again.

  Leif joined me. Besides a few cuts, the horses were fine.

  “Guess we should have scheduled a watch,” Leif said. “I didn’t think we needed to protect the horses.”

  The man who had helped us frowned. “We never had a problem with dogs before,” he said. “I’ll talk to the locals, get a hunt organized or maybe set up a few traps with poisoned bait.”

  I kept my suspicions to myself. We thanked the man and his friends. They filed back inside.

  “Go back to sleep,” Leif said. “I’ll take the first watch.”

  The attack bothered me. “Do y
ou think the dogs were sent as a distraction?”

  “It’s possible. I thought I smelled magic. But why didn’t they take advantage of the situation?”

  “The horses didn’t panic. Besides Rusalka’s horrible squealing, they were calm. And she woke everyone. Perhaps the magician didn’t want to try anything with six other witnesses around.”

  “Good point. We’ll just have to be more vigilant.”

  I thought I would never get back to sleep after all the excitement, but I did. Leif woke me two hours before dawn.

  “It’s been quiet. But stay close to the horses,” he said.

  “What if the dogs come back or…” I couldn’t say Tricky’s name out loud.

  “Tell Rusalka to cry, and she’ll wake everyone again.”

  “Magical attack?”

  “Same thing, but if you can’t talk, the horses are sensitive to magic and she’ll let me know. Sandseed horses are very protective. Keep them between you and an attacker and I’ll be there in no time.” Leif yawned.

  I checked the enclosure. The horses leaned together, sleeping. Scanning the road and surroundings, I paced. Jittery anxiety pulsed through my veins. I didn’t like feeling as if danger stalked me. Nothing I could do about it, which added to my conviction of not being in control. My hands twitched for a punty iron with a slug of molten glass on the end—a formidable weapon.

  Instead, I pulled my sais. Flicking the blades out and in, I practiced offensive strikes and defensive moves. The activity warmed me and I removed my cloak. Before I knew it, the dark sky paled, announcing dawn’s imminent arrival.

  I fed the horses a bucket of grain and checked their water buckets. Satisfied all was well, I slipped through the gate and fumbled with the latch, muttering under my breath over the complex catch.

  Without warning, an arm snaked around my neck. “Cry!” I yelled as the arm locked tight, pressing against my windpipe.

  17

  RUSALKA’S LOUD SQUEAL pierced the air. The pressure on my neck eased a bit. I shifted my hips to the left and rammed my right elbow into the man holding me. Then I stomped on his foot. He yelped and released me. I spun and stopped.

  “Ulrick! What are you doing here?”

  He rubbed his stomach, glaring. “Changed my mind.” He huffed. “Thought you might—hey!”

  The tip of Leif’s sword jabbed Ulrick’s arm. “Step away from her,” he ordered. Although he was shorter than Ulrick by a good foot, Leif’s fierce countenance and powerful build made an impression. Ulrick hurried to comply.

  I waved Leif off. “It’s okay. I know him.” Rounding on Ulrick, I demanded, “Why did you attack me?”

  “To prove a point.”

  I waited.

  “You were out here all by yourself. An easy target…or so I thought.” He looked behind me. The others had come outside. Woken by Rusalka’s warning, they clutched stones. “Still, if I had a dagger, I could have stabbed you before you said a word.”

  “Do the horses know him?” Leif asked.

  Quartz did; Ulrick had been at the stables with me many times. “Yes. Why?”

  “He wouldn’t have gotten close to you if he was a stranger. The horses would have warned you.” Leif studied Ulrick. “Didn’t think I could protect Opal?”

  “I didn’t know who was with her. I just thought one more person couldn’t hurt and I wanted to help with ordering the kiln.”

  I introduced him to Leif.

  Ulrick’s surprise turned contemplative. “The Soulfinder’s brother?”

  Leif huffed in annoyance. “Yep, that’s me—The Soulfinder’s Brother. Opal forgot to use my new name. I’m sure if he knew I was The Soulfinder’s Brother, he wouldn’t have worried about you. After all, Leif Zaltana isn’t anybody of consequence.” He kept muttering as he returned to the shelter to make breakfast.

  “Is he truly angry at me, or just being sarcastic?” Ulrick asked.

  “Probably both.”

  “Great.”

  “He’ll get over it. It’s hard having a famous sibling, and being judged by others based on that relationship. I grew up being Mara’s Younger Sister. No one knew my name. In fact, when we met in your mother’s factory—”

  Ulrick groaned. “I immediately associated you with Mara. I’m sorry. I should know better—my mother and sister are famous. No matter what the rest of my siblings and I crafted with glass, it was always compared with our mother’s. I’ll apologize to Leif.”

  “Good idea. Now what about your promise never to return to Booruby?”

  “I’m still not visiting my family, but I wanted to help. There’s nothing more to do and Aydan is quite content with his new assistant.”

  I looked around. “How did you get here? Do you have a horse?”

  He ducked his head, and stuttered with guilt and chagrin. “I…uh…borrowed a horse from the Keep’s stables.”

  “Borrowed?”

  “He was one of the extras who hadn’t been claimed by a student. I left a note for Stable Master.”

  “A note!”

  “It was late; I didn’t want to wake him.” The excuse was weak.

  I laughed. “Didn’t want to face him is more like it.”

  “That, too.”

  “So where is he?”

  “I tied him to a bush over that rise.” Ulrick pointed down the road. “I figured you stopped here, but I wanted to check your defenses before bringing him here. I’d better go get him.”

  When Ulrick led the horse over the rise, I almost fainted. The all-black stallion had an unmistakable white moon on his forehead—Moonlight.

  “There’s a reason no one claimed Moonlight,” I said, as Ulrick removed the saddle.

  “Perfect name. He’s quick and intelligent. A Sandseed breed, I believe.” He patted the horse’s neck.

  “Don’t you want to know why?”

  “I’m afraid of the answer.” His flippant response lacked conviction.

  “You should be.”

  “Come on, get it over with. You’re dying to tell me—I can see in your eyes. You want revenge for my mock attack.”

  “I’m not that vindictive.”

  “Now you’re scaring me.”

  “Good. Because Moonlight was going to be a gift to Commander Ambrose of Ixia. Our relationship with Ixia has improved thanks to Liaison Yelena, and the Sitian Council wanted to make a gesture of goodwill.”

  All color faded from Ulrick’s cheeks. “I’m in…”

  “Deep shit?”

  “Yes.”

  Ulrick failed to follow my suggestion to return the horse as soon as possible. He insisted on accompanying us to Booruby. Leif’s cold shoulder toward Ulrick melted when he apologized. Also, Ulrick’s ability to make travel rations flavorful won him Leif’s good approval.

  After traveling all day, we stopped and made camp along the road.

  “We made such a racket last night,” Leif said, “it’s best we avoid the shelters.”

  Cornstalk stubble lined the harvested field and worked well as kindling. We sat around the campfire and talked about sisters. Ulrick had two, one older and one younger than him. I grew up with two older sisters, and Leif had Yelena, who was kidnapped when she was six years old and returned home five years ago after a fourteen-year absence.

  “She made up for the lost time,” Leif said. “We blew through all those years of sibling rivalry in two seasons.” He laughed. “Probably a good thing she wasn’t with me when I was growing up. I never would have lived to see age twenty. Since she’s been back, I’ve been bait to an amorous necklace snake, kept under house arrest in the Commander’s castle, squeezed through a tunnel too small for me and paralyzed with Curare! And do you know what the kicker is?”

  “She’s still dragging you along on missions and endangering your life?” I guessed.

  “That, too. But she’s the one who gets all the attention. I was at the Warper Battle and helped defeat the Daviian Vermin, but does anyone remember that? No! They remember Yelena diving
into the fire, sacrificing herself to defeat the Fire Warper.”

  “You have to admit, that was pretty big,” Ulrick said.

  Leif grumbled halfheartedly. “Well, I have a scar.” He showed us a four-inch healed slash along his forearm.

  “We know the significant role you played in the battle,” I said. “Don’t forget you’ve already caught one person’s attention and admiration. And she’s a hard one to impress.”

  “True.” Leif beamed. “Only three more days until I see her again.”

  Ulrick ahhed in understanding as he made the connection. “Mara.”

  I waited for his jealousy or for a longing and wistful look. My sister had not only been gifted with beauty, but she was a sweetheart, too. Kindness, concern for others and intelligence, she had it all.

  His demeanor remained pleasant. “Lucky man. Every guy in Booruby has a crush on her.”

  “Including you?” I asked, unable to stop myself.

  “I was in school with her, but she had no interest in any of us.” He considered. “I probably did have a crush for her back then, but not now.” Ulrick watched me.

  “Good,” Leif said into the lengthening silence. “Cause I’d hate to sic my sister on you. She’s a better fighter than me.”

  We laughed.

  “And I bet she lets you know it, too,” Ulrick said. Then his smile faded. “My younger sister crafts magnificent sculptures from glass. Sitian Councillors were commissioning pieces from Gressa before she was fifteen. She has her own shop in Moon Clan lands now. But it was hard to be proud of her when she flaunted it every chance she got. Especially when my own pieces fell far short of our mother’s expectations.”

  “I understand that feeling. My glass animals looked crude in comparison to my sister Tula’s. She had a finer hand.”

  “But look at you now.” Ulrick gestured. “Tula’s animals might be sought by collectors, and Mara sought for her beauty, but you’re a famous glass magician. Your name is said after Yelena’s when people discuss the Warper Battle, no offense, Leif.”

  “None taken,” Leif said.

  “Opal, your animals provide a service to all of Sitia. You’re important.” Ulrick raked a hand through his hair. “When my younger sister was born, she was the baby of the family. Everyone doted on her and I was ignored unless I managed to annoy one of my siblings or my parents.” His lips formed a rueful smile. “At least I was good at being a pest.”